Sunday, November 20, 2005
How to make your dreams come true
Do you still have dreams?
I sincerely hope you do and also that you want to make them come true! You can start by writing your dreams down – the clearer the better and please don’t judge on the possibility or probability, just write whatever comes to your mind. Remember, what the human mind can conceive it can achieve!
Let me give you an example. Maybe you have heard of Dr. Robert Schuler. He dreamt of a Crystal Cathedral which he wanted to build in Anaheim, California. This is an earthquake area. In the 80th he invited a famous architect to plan the Cathedral for him. The architect said that it would be very difficult to build such a large glass structure in this area and if at all possible, it would cost an incredible amount of money. “Do you have that type of money”, he asked Dr. Schuler. “No” was the answer. “Well, then it is absolutely impossible” the architect retorted. Dr. Schuler took him to his study and showed him his dictionary. The word impossible was cut out, as it was in all his literature. For him impossible did not exist and a few years later the Crystal Cathedral was built and his ‘Hour of Power’ is broadcast from there to the world (http://www.crystalcathedral.org/).
Be outrageous! Think big! We can all reach out dreams - You too – if you really want to.
Maybe I can demonstrate what I mean through a poem written by Marianne Williamson. Part of this poem was used by Nelson Mandela in his Inauguration speech in 1994. The words are very powerful:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves WHO AM I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be!
Our playing small does not save the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking,
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
You are born to make manifest to the glory of God that is within us;
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other’s permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears,
our presence automatically liberates others.”
These are inspiring words, aren’t they? Let them inspire you to really go all out and reach whatever it is that you dream of. You deserve to reach it!
Actually, we all do but during the course of our life we seem to forget all the big dreams we had when we were young and believed we could do anything. The question is why does life get in the way? Why do so many of us arrive at a stage where there seem to be more obligations than motivations?
The main reason is that most of us have let ourselves be “programmed” for mediocrity. We have not been told or taught that we can be powerful beyond measure. Since early childhood we are conditioned to swim with the swarm, to stay in the crab basket we call humanity and there will always be enough people around us who will remind us of it – but in spite of all this, we have a choice at any one moment of our life.
We really can do what we are here to do – if only we do!
And exactly here is our next challenge. To dare something new we must move out of our comfort zone and believe me, that is not easy. We feel comfortable in what we know, we feel safe and secure even if we are in a miserable situation because the devil we know… I am sure you know the proverb. But if we continue to do...
Einstein put this very nicely: “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.”
To help you move out of your comfort zone visualize what it would be like once you have reached your big dream. Open your boundaries and dream in 3D. Visualize in every little detail, with all 5 senses what life could be like when you are actually there. Close your eyes and daydream and only when you can “see” yourself in your perfect day and have a wide grin on your face and a nice and warm feeling inside, open your eyes and write it all down. Every little bit of it. Where you are, what you feel, who is around you, what you do, is it warm or cold, are you in a city or in the country, is it a special day of celebration...
Make it a very vivid Vision of your perfect day. Imagination is the root of everything that we do and by far the most powerful tool to success. Unless you can imagine yourself being richer, happier, thinner, fitter, or whatever it is you want to achieve, the chances of you ever getting there are slim.
Your brain needs to 'see' the results of your actions before it will allow you to apply your time and effort on striving for them. But unfortunately, although we are all blessed with imaginative powers as children, those powers very often fade as we enter adulthood. Remember the 95 % confidence we have as children and only 5 % as adolescents.
Regaining your ability to imagine, to picture something in your mind so complete that all your senses can experience it, IS possible. It just takes a little bit of practice. The more detailed your written “vision” is the more it will draw you towards actually getting there. Mine gets longer and longer and I feel great when I read it – which we should do frequently.
Jim Rohn says: “If the why is strong enough, the how becomes easy.”
It is up to you to create your WHY. Get yourself into the feeling. This is the strongest technique to create belief in yourself!!! My clients say it is like giving birth and it really is incredibly motivating.
Honestly look into the amount of time you give to your dreams every day? For most of us it is NONE so how can we expect to ever make them come true?
It is only when your vision is clear that you should ask yourself: What do I have to do to get there? Always start with the end result in mind! That is what most of us do wrong. We start walking before we know exactly where we want to go to. In consequence it is no surprise that we stray off and get discouraged.
Work with the secrets of those who have done the “impossible”. Change your programming from “What if I fail?" to "What if I succeed? Then what?" Would that scare you? It shouldn’t! You are the Best in whatever field you are passionately involved in. But you must know exactly what you want. Your vision has to be crystal clear to you.
Sorry, if I get carried away but I really want you to get this.
Dr. Schuler, Edison , Mandela, Trump and a lot of other extremely successful people all have these 3 things in common.
The first key is that they know exactly what they want and start with the end in mind.
The second key is BELIEF. People who do the impossible believe they can do it and eventually they do!
And the third: They act in spite of their fears; in spite of their doubts and in spite of what their family and friends might tell them.
Always remember: These are your dreams not theirs. This is your life not theirs!
Dare to go further, dare to create new experiences, implant greater ideas. Act in spite of your fears and doubts – again and again. Move on even if you feel uncomfortable. It is in those moments that you grow.
I wish you to be ALL YOU CAN BE and that is anything you want to be!
To your success!
Barbara Hofmeister
http://www.trainingvisions.com
Making this world a better place - one step, one dream, one life at a time!
Sign in for my FREE Insights - Tips for a great(er) YOU
© Copyright 2005, TrainingVisions. All rights reserved.
PS. You may share this article with your friends and associates as long as you don’t change anything and keep the signature intact.
I sincerely hope you do and also that you want to make them come true! You can start by writing your dreams down – the clearer the better and please don’t judge on the possibility or probability, just write whatever comes to your mind. Remember, what the human mind can conceive it can achieve!
Let me give you an example. Maybe you have heard of Dr. Robert Schuler. He dreamt of a Crystal Cathedral which he wanted to build in Anaheim, California. This is an earthquake area. In the 80th he invited a famous architect to plan the Cathedral for him. The architect said that it would be very difficult to build such a large glass structure in this area and if at all possible, it would cost an incredible amount of money. “Do you have that type of money”, he asked Dr. Schuler. “No” was the answer. “Well, then it is absolutely impossible” the architect retorted. Dr. Schuler took him to his study and showed him his dictionary. The word impossible was cut out, as it was in all his literature. For him impossible did not exist and a few years later the Crystal Cathedral was built and his ‘Hour of Power’ is broadcast from there to the world (http://www.crystalcathedral.org/).
Be outrageous! Think big! We can all reach out dreams - You too – if you really want to.
Maybe I can demonstrate what I mean through a poem written by Marianne Williamson. Part of this poem was used by Nelson Mandela in his Inauguration speech in 1994. The words are very powerful:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves WHO AM I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be!
Our playing small does not save the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking,
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
You are born to make manifest to the glory of God that is within us;
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other’s permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears,
our presence automatically liberates others.”
These are inspiring words, aren’t they? Let them inspire you to really go all out and reach whatever it is that you dream of. You deserve to reach it!
Actually, we all do but during the course of our life we seem to forget all the big dreams we had when we were young and believed we could do anything. The question is why does life get in the way? Why do so many of us arrive at a stage where there seem to be more obligations than motivations?
The main reason is that most of us have let ourselves be “programmed” for mediocrity. We have not been told or taught that we can be powerful beyond measure. Since early childhood we are conditioned to swim with the swarm, to stay in the crab basket we call humanity and there will always be enough people around us who will remind us of it – but in spite of all this, we have a choice at any one moment of our life.
We really can do what we are here to do – if only we do!
And exactly here is our next challenge. To dare something new we must move out of our comfort zone and believe me, that is not easy. We feel comfortable in what we know, we feel safe and secure even if we are in a miserable situation because the devil we know… I am sure you know the proverb. But if we continue to do...
Einstein put this very nicely: “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.”
To help you move out of your comfort zone visualize what it would be like once you have reached your big dream. Open your boundaries and dream in 3D. Visualize in every little detail, with all 5 senses what life could be like when you are actually there. Close your eyes and daydream and only when you can “see” yourself in your perfect day and have a wide grin on your face and a nice and warm feeling inside, open your eyes and write it all down. Every little bit of it. Where you are, what you feel, who is around you, what you do, is it warm or cold, are you in a city or in the country, is it a special day of celebration...
Make it a very vivid Vision of your perfect day. Imagination is the root of everything that we do and by far the most powerful tool to success. Unless you can imagine yourself being richer, happier, thinner, fitter, or whatever it is you want to achieve, the chances of you ever getting there are slim.
Your brain needs to 'see' the results of your actions before it will allow you to apply your time and effort on striving for them. But unfortunately, although we are all blessed with imaginative powers as children, those powers very often fade as we enter adulthood. Remember the 95 % confidence we have as children and only 5 % as adolescents.
Regaining your ability to imagine, to picture something in your mind so complete that all your senses can experience it, IS possible. It just takes a little bit of practice. The more detailed your written “vision” is the more it will draw you towards actually getting there. Mine gets longer and longer and I feel great when I read it – which we should do frequently.
Jim Rohn says: “If the why is strong enough, the how becomes easy.”
It is up to you to create your WHY. Get yourself into the feeling. This is the strongest technique to create belief in yourself!!! My clients say it is like giving birth and it really is incredibly motivating.
Honestly look into the amount of time you give to your dreams every day? For most of us it is NONE so how can we expect to ever make them come true?
It is only when your vision is clear that you should ask yourself: What do I have to do to get there? Always start with the end result in mind! That is what most of us do wrong. We start walking before we know exactly where we want to go to. In consequence it is no surprise that we stray off and get discouraged.
Work with the secrets of those who have done the “impossible”. Change your programming from “What if I fail?" to "What if I succeed? Then what?" Would that scare you? It shouldn’t! You are the Best in whatever field you are passionately involved in. But you must know exactly what you want. Your vision has to be crystal clear to you.
Sorry, if I get carried away but I really want you to get this.
Dr. Schuler, Edison , Mandela, Trump and a lot of other extremely successful people all have these 3 things in common.
The first key is that they know exactly what they want and start with the end in mind.
The second key is BELIEF. People who do the impossible believe they can do it and eventually they do!
And the third: They act in spite of their fears; in spite of their doubts and in spite of what their family and friends might tell them.
Always remember: These are your dreams not theirs. This is your life not theirs!
Dare to go further, dare to create new experiences, implant greater ideas. Act in spite of your fears and doubts – again and again. Move on even if you feel uncomfortable. It is in those moments that you grow.
I wish you to be ALL YOU CAN BE and that is anything you want to be!
To your success!
Barbara Hofmeister
http://www.trainingvisions.com
Making this world a better place - one step, one dream, one life at a time!
Sign in for my FREE Insights - Tips for a great(er) YOU
© Copyright 2005, TrainingVisions. All rights reserved.
PS. You may share this article with your friends and associates as long as you don’t change anything and keep the signature intact.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
What is Life Coaching?
What is Life Coaching?
In the last few years Life Coaching has become more and more popular but as it is a new profession most people don’t know enough about it to decide whether it is right for them. We hope this article will clarify what coaching is so you can make an educated decision for yourself.
We have all heard of sports coaches. In the old days they were the sports "trainers" but today all high performance sport stars have a mind coach; a person who strengthens their belief in themselves and in their ability to win. Even though Life coaching is not primarily about winning or losing, it is about “winning” the life you chose to live.
The reason why life coaching has become so popular is that many of us are tired of doing what we thing we “should” do. We have become aware that we have a choice to do what we want to do.
Coaching is not therapy. In therapy the goal is to give you an understanding of your past in order for you to have the awareness of how you became who you are today. Coaching is movement oriented and action based. Where therapy looks back, life coaching looks forward – towards your future and a “better”, more fulfilled YOU.
Your Coach will assist you to identify specific goals and objectives and will help you to stay focused so you can reach those goals faster. A good coach will provide you with the tools, structure and perspective to make the journey easier for you and she/he will make you accountable. Did you know that people who are accountable are 7 to 10 times more successful than others?
Coaching works in all aspects of your life from relationships, to lifestyle, to career, health and wealth improvements. It focuses on strengthening your skills and improving and trusting your abilities. It helps you to meet and exceed your potential in order to be your best.
Coaching is similar to consulting. Yet, where consulting frequently provides only temporary solutions, coaching is consistent and on going. The Coach stays with the clients to help implement new habits, skills, and changes. Another distinction is that consultants usually give advice and tell people what to do while coaches focus on assisting their clients to discover the solution on their own. Or in other words, we don’t give you the fish; we teach you how to fish.
We focus on what you want to achieve and help you maintain your commitment to yourself and your dreams and visions. We look at where you are now in relation to where you want to be. Are your ideas and goals based on your true core values? What are your strength and weaknesses and how can we use this knowledge to your advantage?
Our society is looking for a deeper meaning as we begin to understand that we grow from the inside out. More and more people are freeing their time and resources to invest in themselves because they realize how simple it can be to accomplish something big if you “get a little help from a friend”.
So why not use a trusted friend? As wonderful as it is to have good friends, they are emotionally involved and do not have the objectivity and distance necessary to see where you stand and what type of assistance you need. Have your friends or family ever been shocked because you made a move in a new direction? Have they ever told you that something can’t be done or is not done the way you want to do it? Quite frequently our well meaning friends and family are the “dream stealers” not the supporters we need. Because of the emotional distance a coach is a trusted professional who works with you on improving the most important aspects of your life.
Why would you want a Coach?
You might want a coach because…
How long do you have to commit to your coach?
It is not so much a commitment to your coach as a commitment to yourself. Give yourself time; 3-6 months at least. What has taken you a lifetime to become cannot be moved forward in a day.
If you need help on a specific short term project, you should consider one-on-one coaching to help you accomplish this specific goal faster.
Why does life coaching work?
There is never a better day than today to start your “new” life. Sign in for your Membership at "To be or not to be - the Choice is YOURS!
TO YOUR SUCCESS
Barbara Hofmeister
Author and Coaching Expert
www.trainingvisions.com
Get our F*R*E*E INSIGHT
Tips for a great(er) YOU!
In the last few years Life Coaching has become more and more popular but as it is a new profession most people don’t know enough about it to decide whether it is right for them. We hope this article will clarify what coaching is so you can make an educated decision for yourself.
We have all heard of sports coaches. In the old days they were the sports "trainers" but today all high performance sport stars have a mind coach; a person who strengthens their belief in themselves and in their ability to win. Even though Life coaching is not primarily about winning or losing, it is about “winning” the life you chose to live.
The reason why life coaching has become so popular is that many of us are tired of doing what we thing we “should” do. We have become aware that we have a choice to do what we want to do.
Coaching is not therapy. In therapy the goal is to give you an understanding of your past in order for you to have the awareness of how you became who you are today. Coaching is movement oriented and action based. Where therapy looks back, life coaching looks forward – towards your future and a “better”, more fulfilled YOU.
Your Coach will assist you to identify specific goals and objectives and will help you to stay focused so you can reach those goals faster. A good coach will provide you with the tools, structure and perspective to make the journey easier for you and she/he will make you accountable. Did you know that people who are accountable are 7 to 10 times more successful than others?
Coaching works in all aspects of your life from relationships, to lifestyle, to career, health and wealth improvements. It focuses on strengthening your skills and improving and trusting your abilities. It helps you to meet and exceed your potential in order to be your best.
Coaching is similar to consulting. Yet, where consulting frequently provides only temporary solutions, coaching is consistent and on going. The Coach stays with the clients to help implement new habits, skills, and changes. Another distinction is that consultants usually give advice and tell people what to do while coaches focus on assisting their clients to discover the solution on their own. Or in other words, we don’t give you the fish; we teach you how to fish.
We focus on what you want to achieve and help you maintain your commitment to yourself and your dreams and visions. We look at where you are now in relation to where you want to be. Are your ideas and goals based on your true core values? What are your strength and weaknesses and how can we use this knowledge to your advantage?
Our society is looking for a deeper meaning as we begin to understand that we grow from the inside out. More and more people are freeing their time and resources to invest in themselves because they realize how simple it can be to accomplish something big if you “get a little help from a friend”.
So why not use a trusted friend? As wonderful as it is to have good friends, they are emotionally involved and do not have the objectivity and distance necessary to see where you stand and what type of assistance you need. Have your friends or family ever been shocked because you made a move in a new direction? Have they ever told you that something can’t be done or is not done the way you want to do it? Quite frequently our well meaning friends and family are the “dream stealers” not the supporters we need. Because of the emotional distance a coach is a trusted professional who works with you on improving the most important aspects of your life.
Why would you want a Coach?
You might want a coach because…
- you want to grow
- you want to be more productive
- you want to be more balanced
- you want to find new ways to do things
- you want to make a mark
- you want to define your life’s purpose
- you want new perspectives
- you want to change certain aspects of your life
- you want to reach new goals
- YOU WANT MORE!
How long do you have to commit to your coach?
It is not so much a commitment to your coach as a commitment to yourself. Give yourself time; 3-6 months at least. What has taken you a lifetime to become cannot be moved forward in a day.
If you need help on a specific short term project, you should consider one-on-one coaching to help you accomplish this specific goal faster.
Why does life coaching work?
- The synergy created between you and your coach creates momentum.
- Better and clearly defined goals support you to move towards your “dream life” faster and with less effort.
- You develop new skills and habits which translate into higher success and a more balanced life.
There is never a better day than today to start your “new” life. Sign in for your Membership at "To be or not to be - the Choice is YOURS!
TO YOUR SUCCESS
Barbara Hofmeister
Author and Coaching Expert
www.trainingvisions.com
Get our F*R*E*E INSIGHT
Tips for a great(er) YOU!
