A single Word to delete from your Vocabulary

ben-franklin-excuse-makingDo you want to make one of the most important decisions that can positively change your life starting today?  Could this make more of a difference in your future than almost anything else you can do?

I’m completely convinced that many of us and those around us are far more capable of being much more productive, more influential and happier than they ever dreamed.  Is it possible that just one word can ignite a beacon-light of hope for you today?  Is there a word that can make a 180 degree change in your future?

Just to rattle your cage a little, let me ask you something.  Do you want to completely sabotage your life, destroy your potential, and ultimately look back on a life of wasted years with intense regret? Of course you don’t. No one WANTS that. But for many people, their actions — and more importantly their attitude — are leading them down a road of self-destruction that will ultimately lead them to such an undesirable final destination.

That road’s name is “I Can’t Boulevard” and it’s full of millions upon millions of unsuccessful, complacent, and mediocrity-filled men and women.

Yes, many of these people are also good-hearted and well-meaning, but unfortunately they’re stuck in a big fat rut with their health, their body, their income, their marriage, their career, or their relationships. They are stuck because their attitude is so affected by the phrase, “I can’t”.

Have you ever heard self-defeating statements like:

I can’t achieve a body like that. I don’t have the genetics.

I can’t make a six figure salary. What skills do I have?

I can’t fix my marriage. It’s too far gone.

I can’t be an entrepreneur. That’s too risky.

I can’t be forgiven by God.  I’ve done too many bad things.

This negative “can’t do” mentality is holding them back.

As employees, when a problem arises, they’d rather tell you about every potential solution that WON’T work instead of spending their time focusing on finding the one solution that will work.

Whine.  Complain.  Negative thoughts.  Negative words.  Negative action.

Fact is, when it all boils down, how you handle the problems and obstacles that arise in your life will determine whether you excel and soar like an eagle, or if you remain grounded in a chicken coop full of other self-limiting thinkers.

You see, problems and obstacles are OPPORTUNITIES for leaders. Are you a leader? You can be a leader, if you learn to RESPOND like a leader.

Leaders fix problems. Leaders learn from problems. Leaders grow from problems. Leaders become BETTER LEADERS because of problems.

Will you chose excuse making or leading yourself to victory?

Other folks, however, let problems and obstacles consume them, control them, and serve as the fuel for rationalizing their many excuses.

“I can’t eat healthy while traveling. It’s too hard.”

Yes you can. FIGURE. IT. OUT. Thousands of people do it (while hundreds of thousands don’t). What separates the few from the many? Simple. You can’t just “wing it” and hope it all goes well. Of course, if you do that, you’re going to fail. You have to have a plan – a plan for success – and you need to map it out in advance. Know where you’ll be and when you’ll be there.  Create options for success.  Creating a plan is creating a blueprint to solve your problems.

“My spouse and I can’t get along. My marriage is going down the tubes.”

Start with yourself and change the things about YOU that cause your spouse to react negatively to you. If you deal with the needs of your spouse, you will automatically have a much happier relationship and in turn you’ll find that conflict becomes less frequent. But, that’ll never happen as long as you’re pointing fingers in any direction other than back at yourself. Before long, once they see your changes, your spouse will also want to change to please you. Why? Because the relationship now becomes one of meeting each other’s needs again.  Isn’t that the way it once was?  I guess most relationships begin in a place of mutual admiration don’t they?   The first step begins with you; your spouse will follow.

“I can’t have a successful business. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

FIND OUT WHERE TO START. What does that even mean? Do you think anyone who has a successful business magically knew where to start? No, they didn’t. Talk to people who have done what you want to do. Hire a coach. Get the support you need to succeed. OR, just stop being negative long enough to do a little research on your own. That’s where you start. (more…)