self-improvement
Affirmation Creates Power by Orison Swett Marden – Part 1 of 3
AFFIRMATION CREATES POWER by Orison Swett Marden – Part 1 of 3
Part 1 of 3
Constant Affirmation Increases Courage; the Backbone of Confidence
“An affirmation is a statement of Truth consciously used so as to become the directing power of Life’s expression.”
— Orison Swett Marden
Only he can who thinks he can!
The world makes way only for the determined man,
for the man who laughs at barriers which limit others,
at stumbling-blocks over which others fall.
The man who, as Emerson says,
“hitches his wagon to a star,”
is more likely to arrive at his goal than
the one who trails in the slimy path of the snail.
Confidence is the father of achievement.
It reinforces ability, doubles energy,
buttresses mental faculties, increases power.
Your thought will carry only the force of your conviction, the weight of your decision, the power of your confidence. If these are weak, your thought will be weak and your work futile.
Some people are incapable of strong, deep conviction; they are all surface, and liable to be changed by the opinions of everybody else. If they resolve upon a certain course, their resolution is so superficial that the first obstacle they strike deflects them. They are always at the mercy of the opposition, or of people who do not agree with them. Such people are shifty and unreliable; they lack strength of decision, positiveness of resolution.
What is a man good for if he hasn’t strength of resolution?
If his convictions are on the surface, he stands for nothing; nobody has confidence in him. He may be a good man, personally, but he does not inspire confidence. No one would think of calling upon him when anything of importance was at stake.
Unless conviction takes hold of one’s very being, there will be very little achievement in life. It is the man whose conviction is rooted deep and takes hold of his very life-blood, the man who is strong and persistent in his determination that can be depended upon. He is the man of influence, who carries weight; he is above the influence of any man who happens to have a different opinion.
If young people only knew the power of affirmation, of the habit of holding in the mind persistently and affirming that they are what they wish to be, that they can do what they have attempted, it would revolutionize their whole lives, it would exempt them from most of their ills and troubles, and carry them to heights of which they scarcely dream.
We are always talking about the power of the will. Its exercise is only another form of the affirmation. The will, the determination to do a thing, is the same as the affirmation of the ability to do it. No one ever accomplishes anything in this world until he affirms in one way or another that he can do what he undertakes.
It is almost impossible to keep a man back who:
- has a firm faith in his mission,
- who believes that he can do the thing before him,
- that he is equal to the obstacles which confront him,
- that he is more than a match for his environment.
The constant affirmation of ability to succeed, and of our determination to do so:
- carries us past difficulties,
- defies obstacles,
- laughs at misfortunes, and
- strengthens the power to achieve.
It reinforces and buttresses the natural faculties and power, and holds them to their tasks.
Constant affirmation increases courage, and courage is the backbone of confidence.
Furthermore, when a person gets in a tight place and says “I must,” “I will,” he not only reinforces his courage and strengthens his confidence, but also weakens the opposite qualities. Whatever strengthens a positive will weaken the corresponding negative.
*** end of part 1 of 3 ***
AFFIRMATION CREATES POWER by Orison Swett Marden
Self-Growth – Uncovering the Great Power of Possibilities Within! Part 1 of 2
Self-Growth – Uncovering the Great Power of Possibilities Within! Part 1 of 2
The Great Secret the Creator Put in Our Hands at Birth!
Fall is in the air and children are heading back to school.
This is a great time of year to remind all of us,
young and old, in school or out of school,
that men and women who are trying to
make the most of their lives,
never stop growing on their journey through life.
The following are words of wisdom and encouragement from Orison Swett Marden. They are excerpts from chapter 7 “How to Find Oneself” from the book “How to Get What You Want.” Although written back in 1917, these words still hold great insight and the ability to stir us up and check our current progress in life.
Excerpts from “How to Find Oneself” by Orison Swett Marden:
One of the most difficult things in the world is to get people to realize the extent of their latent powers, to believe in their own bigness, in their own possibilities.
The reason is that they see only a part of themselves, because they have only partially discovered themselves.
“Each of us has resources of which he does not dream.”
— Professor William James
If we could only turn a spiritual X-ray on ourselves most of us would find powers and potencies in the great within of us which may not have gotten even to their germinating stage.
There is probably not a living being who would not be amazed if he could see unfolded in panorama all of the potentialities within him, if he could only glimpse the man he might be.
He would say, “These remarkable success qualities belong to someone who has achieved distinction, not to an unknown person like me.”
What you are actually doing may be a dwarfed thing compared with the giant achievement you are capable of. It is not what you have done, but what you long to do, what you feel capable of doing that will, if you struggle to express your ideal, count most.
Up to this time you may have been seriously hampered or dwarfed in your development. All sorts of things may have happened to the possible man, or the possible woman in you, to limit its growth, to restrict it, to impoverish it.
But it is that superb thing that is possible to you, the thing which the Creator sent you here to do that you must strive to express.
In the great within of yourself there may be vast powers which you have never called out. What masterfulness, what vast reserves of helpfulness, inspiration, and encouragement may still lie uncovered within you!
You doubt that there is anything of the kind? But you do not know.
Many a man has carried locked up within himself for more than half a century the germs of a mighty genius without even guessing at it. There are multitudes of men and women all over the world who are as ignorant of their possibilities, of their hidden success assets.
“Few men find themselves before they die.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Many carry with them to their graves undiscovered continents of ability. The great majority die without developing their possible efficiency of hand, or tongue, or of brain; without developing any of the special gifts locked up in the great within of themselves.
Most of us die with the great secret, with the sealed message which the Creator put in our hands at birth, still unread, because we have never learned how to open or how to read it.
How can you be sure that you have not a lot of this ability you long for locked up in yourself?
If you have not tried your strength, how do you know what you may be able to do? You may have more ability slumbering within you than you dream of.
Why waste your precious time thinking about other people’s genius? Why not unlock your own, see what you have, bring it out into the light and develop it?
When we know that even the great majority of men whom we call successful use only a comparatively small part of their ability because they never find all of themselves, why should any of us put a narrow limit to our possibilities, remain paupers in achievement when we might be princes?
We set our own limitations.
There are enough powers, enough resources in the minds of the people in the great failure army today to revolutionize the world if their sleeping potencies could be aroused; if they could only be made to believe in themselves.
If they could only learn how to enter into the secret depths of their nature, to get hold of themselves, to arouse latent qualities and powers, they could do marvelous things. The great problem is to know how to get at the force in the great within of ourselves and to put it to work to the best advantage.
For whether life shall be a success or a failure depends upon the call we make on our resources, the extent to which we develop all our possibilities.
We don’t know what we can do until we try, and unused faculties never grow or strengthen.
Everywhere we see starved, stunted lives, people who have discovered but little bits of themselves, little patches cleared up here and there in the great wilderness of their possibilities. They couldn’t believe in their inherent greatness.
They couldn’t realize that they were born into this world to do a certain work; and that to do that work they would need every bit of power they could develop.
The average youth starting out in life has no means of knowing what his total assets are.
He sees only the assets that lie on the surface, and if he is not instructed how to find those that are deep down below the surface, if he does not get into the right environment, if he does not make a call on the divinity within him, he may never develop the man it is possible for him to be.
The end of part 1 of 2…
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“‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
— Jeremiah 29:11
Be blessed to be a blessing!
God bless you –
Cheers,
Brenda
P.S. Image credit thanks go to Billy Alexander
Empowerment: Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Live Empowered with Self-Confidence!
Empowerment: Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Live Empowered with Self-Confidence
Live Empowered with a Healthy Self-Confidence!
Empowerment with self-confidence plays a vital role in how we live our lives.
The self-confident person has faith in their own abilities and judgment.
And believe me…
Life flows along much easier for those who are empowered with confidence in who they are.
Top 7 Reasons to Live Empowered with Self-Confidence
1. Self-Confidence Explores Life
How can you explore what life has to offer and what you are capable of doing if you lack faith in yourself? Keep in mind the opposite of faith is fear. And fearful people tend to be stuck living as puppets and never able to explore their true potential.
2. Loving Yourself Equals Loving Your Neighbor
How can we love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 19:19), if we don’t even like ourselves? Learn to like yourself, so you can eventually love yourself. It is a vital key to living empowered.
Stop telling yourself you are a useless, ugly, good-for-nothing. In order to effectively love your neighbor, you first need to be able to say “I Love Me” too.
3. Confidence is Contagious
How can we encourage others who are struggling in life if we are constantly walking around with a negative, low opinion of ourselves? Confidence is contagious and should be passed around. When we walk in confidence and assurance, it helps lift up and encourage others around us who are weak.
4. Rise to the Top with Confidence
How can living a life with low self-esteem bring out the best you have to offer? Quit saying I can’t do this and I can’t do that, and start confessing that you can be all God created you to be. Confidence is a leadership building quality.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:13
5. Confidence Gives a Positive Edge
How can a lack of self-confidence, and a mind that is full of negative thoughts, result in a positive outlook on life?
If you want a positive edge then develop your self-esteem. Confidence can empower your life with positive energy and positive actions. A healthy self-confidence allows you to live from a positive base.
6. Self-Confidence is the Power to Overcome Rejection
How can a person expect to handle the rejections of life without a strong self-confidence? We all have to deal with rejection in life and it usually starts at an early age. Rejection can cause much pain and develop an overwhelming inferiority complex.
It takes the empowerment of self-confidence to deal with the attacks of rejection. Instead of constantly asking “what is wrong with me?” a healthy level of confidence refuses to be intimidated. Self-confidence provides the understanding to know that we do not reject ourselves, simply because someone else does.
7. True Self-Confidence Glorifies God
How can we live a life that glorifies God if we live by fear instead of faith? True self-confidence comes when we are strong and confident in the Lord. Our self-confidence should be grounded by faith in God. Living a victorious life by faith glorifies God.
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the Lord.” — Psalm 30:24
Now that you’ve read the above seven reasons; doesn’t it make sense to develop your self-confidence?
Do yourself a favor: Live empowered with self-confidence. But, be warned; you are not the center of the universe – God is. However, it is possible to walk boldly and confidently as a child of God, and at the same time maintain a humble heart.
May you live empowered with healthy self-confidence and growing prosperity!
Soar higher in Christ –
Cheers,
Brenda
P.S. Agree? Disagree? Or have a #8, 9, or 10 to add to the list? Feel free to share..
How to Swiftly Overcome Anxiety with 7 Successful Self-Improvement Tips
How to Swiftly Overcome Anxiety with 7 Successful Self-Improvement Tips
Personal Growth: Be the Success You Were Intended to Be!
Personal growth to overcome anxiety is power to change your life.
A life of panic and anxiety is no way to live.
If the symptoms of this hindering, fear driven behavior have been preventing you from being and doing all that you desire…
…then read on to discover some helpful tips.
It is possible to overcome and be in charge of your life and stop letting fear, anxiety, and stress have control.
7 Successful Tips to Swiftly Overcome Anxiety:
1.) CALL ON GOD – This tip has been listed first because God should always be first in our lives. The moment something else takes first place, is the moment we allow disorder to spread in our lives. Pray and call on God daily!
God says He will never leave you, so you can boldly say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do.” (Hebrews 13:6)
2.) GUARD YOUR MIND & HEART – What you allow into your mind long enough is eventually going to get into your heart and show up in your life. Watch closely what you put in your mind and make sure it is positive.
Are you watching and listening to news, music, and movies with crude, fear driven, disturbing, negative, and stressful messages? Then you are allowing this garbage into your mind. Would you allow a garbage truck to unload in your house?
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
— Proverbs 4:23
3.) DAILY MEDITATION & AFFIRMATIONS – This follows the second tip. After putting a stop to negative intake, that encourages fear and anxiety, we now need to replace it with positive, confidence building thoughts, images, and words.
No one can preach to you like you can preach to you. Renew your mind daily. Take time to daily meditate and affirm positive confidence building statements that will build yourself up.
Start with positive affirmations such as the following:
- I am Bold, Courageous, Confident, and Powerful.
- I am Proud of Myself for the Positive Changes I am Making Daily.
- God has Given Me a Spirit of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind.
4.) HEALTHY LIFESTYLE – A healthy lifestyle is critical to our total well being. We are spirit, mind, and body. It is impossible to let one area of our being go downhill and not have it affect us.
A healthy, balanced diet that reduces sugar, alcohol, and caffeine will reduce stress and anxiety levels. An exercise routine, even one of simply taking regular walks, will quickly help lift your spirits.
5.) BE AWARE OF YOUR INNER DIALOGUE – What type of conversation is going on in your head? Do you speak to yourself with kindness, respect, and love; like you would with someone you care about?
Stop rehearsing your past failures, shortcomings, and mistakes over and over. Let them go and acknowledge that you have the ability to change your present and future. Make a list of your positive qualities and abilities. Then remind yourself of them. Speak to yourself as if you were your own best friend.
6.) TACKLE FEAR HEAD ON – We’ve all experienced the fear and panic that can overtake us with no notice. Fear is a thief and it steals our destinies and prevents our progress. It causes those who should be bold and aggressive to shrink back and be timid.
Don’t let fear control you. Face it head on and begin taking baby steps by doing things afraid. Move forward and do what you need to do even in the midst of fear. Each time you do, you crush the fearful, anxious spirit and build up the confident spirit within you.
7.) KNOWLEDGE IS POWER – Get informed and find out what you can about the symptoms and causes of panic and anxiety. Many people struggle with anxiety and many have overcome. You are not alone in your struggle and taking a step to inform yourself is a big step to victory.
Getting informed helps equip you with the power to overcome.
Your goal? To start utilizing these tips today. Do not allow anxiety to paralyze your potential. Overcoming is a gradual process, but by applying these tips to your life you can speed up the process. Lift up your head to the light and BOLDLY decide to be all that GOD created you to be. Now go take steps of personal growth.
May you continue to grow in confidence and experience a life of growing prosperity!
Soar higher –
Cheers,
Brenda
Personal Growth – How to Take a Look Outward and Ramp Up Your Growth Inward!
Personal Growth – How to Take a Look Outward and Ramp Up Your Growth Inward!
A Personal Investment Guaranteed to Bring Returns
Personal development is a lifelong investment.
It provides returns in the future…
and it also provides benefits for today.
Would you like to invest in something that can ramp up returns to your personal growth…
and at the same time bring value to the lives of those around you?
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” – James Matthew Barrie
A Successful Investment
Look outward and invest in the success of others. Why? Because when we help others overcome their hurdles and make it through their troubles, we see the same help manifest in our lives. And soon we will discover we are close to our own success.
The good things we make come to pass for others, God will make come to pass for us.
“Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord.” — Ephesians 6:8
Giving Ramps Up Personal Growth
Practice helping others regularly. Help them see the bright side of their troubles. Stir up and draw out their gifts and callings.
Give to others with your words. Speak words of praise and encouragement to them. A few kind words can go a long way in lifting a person’s spirits; especially in these days of being bombarded constantly with negative messages.
The person that refreshes others will be refreshed themselves. (Proverbs 11:25)
When we look outward to help others, we create more room to grow on the inside. We grow spiritually to the extent we give out.
Bottom line: Take time to help others grow and help them see the potential person they can be. A great exercise for the heart is reaching out and lifting someone else up. So what are you still doing here? Go now and find someone to help and at the same time ramp up your own personal growth.
May you have a heart to help others and a life of growing prosperity!
Soar higher –
Cheers,
Brenda
Happiness – How Can Your Passion Jumpstart a Happier You?
Happiness – How Can Your Passion Jumpstart a Happier You?
Give Your Spirit an Extreme Power Boost!
Happiness as a lifestyle is expressing our contentment and satisfaction through cheerful speech, laughter, and other joyful responses.
Yet sometimes the happy times start to fade and our words are no longer so cheerful.
Our face doesn’t look so bright….
And laughter is not even on the scale.
How can you cultivate more of the positive happy emotion in your life?
Get the ball rolling by discovering your passion.
This is a great way to jumpstart a happier you. Passion is a powerful driving force. Being able to actively pursue the things you are passionate about brings great satisfaction and in turn great happiness.
God created you to express joy and success, not gloom and failure. His plan is that you win out in life and not be defeated. You were born for happiness and peace, not misery and perpetual anxiety and discouragement.
Inside of you is a great plan and purpose uniquely created just for you. Tapping into this God given gift is the power to move you to be the successful, happy being your Creator intended.
Discover what you are passionate about and pursue it. Passion gives an extreme power boost to your spirit and emotional well being. If you are unsure of your passion, take some time to reflect on it.
So what are you passionate about?
Simply start asking yourself what you are passionate about. What sort of things do you like to do or wish you could do more of? What have you been putting off for someday? Find a way to make it part of your life now.
Doing what you are passionate about in life brings great happiness to you and others. The painter must paint. The healer must heal. The teacher must teach. The helper must help. The writer must write. I think you get my point. Pursue your passion and watch the happiness naturally manifest in your life.
“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yes, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
— Psalm 35:27
Do yourself a favor, and society, and put your unique gifts and talents to work. God never intended His children to be miserable and unhappy. Choose to step into His great plan for your life and discover your passion. Then watch as it unfolds and brings abundant happiness. 🙂
May you live a cheerful, passionate life of growing prosperity!
Cheers,
Brenda
Inspiration – Words of Hope and Encouragement in Times of Trouble!
Inspiration – Words of Hope and Encouragement in Times of Trouble!
Hope and Encouragement is on the Way
Hope and encouragement is available in times of trouble.
If you are in an emotionally, physically, or financially difficult spot…
…do not become discouraged.
Throughout history, during very troubling times, God provided words of hope and encouragement.
God is For Us
“’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)
We must understand a very important truth, if we are going to overcome trials and reach our full potential: God is for us. He is not against us.
Even if our current situation is due to discipline or judgment for our own disobedience, God still provides us with a promise of victory and deliverance. God never leaves His people hopeless, even when they drift in their love for Him.
Do Not Fear
Right now, your faith may be confronted with a terrifying unknown. You may be facing a fearful situation and feel hopeless; as if you will barely survive.
But hear this: God does not want us to be afraid of the future. Jesus often said “Do not be afraid” and “Peace be with you” in order to give comfort and show understanding.
Faith Check-up
In times of trouble it is good to evaluate and adjust our faith, and rediscover a deep need for the Lord. We see God often use trials to position us for greater blessing.
You may not understand how God will deliver you, but you can be sure that He will. Take courage and believe that He will calm the raging storm surrounding you, and you will witness the clouds breaking apart.
Eternal Hope
The Lord always has our best in mind; even while we experience great disappointment. God’s desire is for us to see Him as our only source of salvation and blessing. In the book of Revelation, God gives to each believer a message of eternal hope. It reminds us to not be afraid and describes God’s eternal triumph.
“The Lord will come again, and in the coming of the Lord lies the great hope of the believer, his great stimulus to overcome evil.” – Charles Spurgeon
Wisdom and Hope for Today
Through the Word of God we get the wisdom and direction we need to face any and every situation; today and in the future.
So, go ahead now and do your part. Ask the Lord for help and to reveal His will and plan for your life. Commit yourself fully to Him. Walk in obedience to His Word no matter what the cost. If you take this approach, God will provide for you in ways that go far beyond human understanding. Have hope and be encouraged: God is with us.
May your hope be in God and your life full of growing prosperity!
God bless you,
Brenda
How to Tell if You Are a Positive Thinker? Take This Test!
Self-Improvement – How to Tell if You Are a Positive Thinker? Take This Test!
The Power of Positive Thinking to Help You Get Happy & Attract Success!
Self-improvement requires adjusting your attitude and becoming a positive thinker. You’ve probably heard that statement a hundred times before. And it is true.
“If you are going to think: Think big.” – Donald Trump
In fact, as you practice using positive thinking, you will find that things begin to change for you.
Sometimes the change is so gradual you don’t notice anything at all, until one day someone else points out that you seem different. They may ask if you’ve gotten a new outfit, changed your hair, lost weight, or started dating someone new?
Tapping into positive thinking not only makes you happier, 🙂 but it also makes you more attractive; the kind of person others want to be around.
There are some common signs of positively charged people.
How to Tell if You Are a Positive Thinker?
Check out the following list to see if any of these sound familiar, and help gauge your progress and see what you have to look forward to.
You Know You’re on the Right Track When:
1.) Your long drive to work flew by so fast, you questioned why it ever bothered you in the first place.
2.) You spent twenty-two minutes waiting in line at the bank, on your half hour lunch break, and your day wasn’t ruined and your life didn’t end.
3.) The gas station attendant gives you the wrong amount of change back; you point it out with a friendly smile and he happily corrects the mistake.
4.) The long awaited repair part for your vehicle finally arrived at the dealership after two weeks on backorder, only to discover it was the wrong size. You are so patient and understanding about the mistake, when the dealership calls, they give you a significant discount on the repair service.
5.) Throughout the day, when you catch a reflection of yourself in a mirror, you’re smiling and you don’t think you look like an ugly duckling.
6.) You don’t hear the timer go off and dinner in the oven gets burnt to a crisp, yet somehow you quickly throw something together that turns out better than you originally planned.
7.) Unexpectedly you find yourself with generous free time on your hands, and lots of enjoyable things to do with it, including the energy needed to do them.
8.) You realize the last time you let yourself think “I can’t” was while thinking: “I can’t believe how blessed I am to have all these wonderful things happening to me!”
Well how did you do? Did you recognize yourself in any of these? Or are you looking forward to the day you do?
Regardless of your current level, a key to keep in mind is that the most positive, powerful, life changing thing you can meditate and think on is the Word of God. In Psalm chapter one it says that those who meditate and obey God’s Word are blessed and whatever they do prospers.
Make no mistake about it; positive thinking has the power to change your life. As you continue to use this technique in your life, you will find you don’t have to put much effort into achieving what you want. Positive thoughts put the law of attraction into motion and begin to manifest abundant success in your life.
May your thoughts be positive and your life full of growing prosperity!
Cheers,
Brenda
P.S. So how did you score? Are you reaping the benefits of a positive attitude? Does maintaining a positive attitude come easy for you, 🙂 or do you find yourself quick to snap at others everywhere you go 🙁 ?
Feel free to leave your comments and compare your results with others…