Each Day is a New Opportunity

by Dona Lyman

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift.

Yesterday is over and done with. We can't do anything to change that. Tomorrow has it's own set of rules that it is living by and we can't change that either. Today is the only day we have influence over. Today is the first day of your future.

Thomas Edison once said, "if we did all things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." We have such great inner power and strength that can literally propel us into achieving outstanding things. How do you release this power ? How do you live each day to the fullest? Why wait another day to find out. Take action today!

First, let go of limiting beliefs:

• I am not good enough
• I can't do this
• They would never want someone like me to get this job
• I am not pretty enough
• I don't have the talent

Second, give up the excuses and justifications:

• My dog ate my homework
• My spouse doesn't support me
• I grew up in a household with alot of fighting
• It's my mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, co-workers fault
• I knew I would fail because I just am not good at doing that
• I didn't get the promotion that I wanted because my boss doesn't like me

Third, be clear why you are here:

• Take the time to understand what really is motivating you
• Identify the things you like
• Identify the things you don't like
• Visualize the kind of life that you want to be leading
• Create a life purpose statement - ex: "My purpose is to empower and inspire people to achieve their true potential"
• Organize your life around your life purpose

Fourth, get in touch with the silence within yourself

• Take the time to sit in silence and hear what your inner voice is telling you
• Appreciate and embrace your greatness

How do you know what the opportunity is? Each of us is born with a life purpose. Without knowing your purpose, it's easy to get sidetracked and swerve from lane to lane. But, with a purpose everything seems to fall into place seamlessly. To be "on purpose" means that you are heading down the right road. You are doing what you love to do and things seem to fall your way. By doing what you love to do, you are congruent with your value system and are accomplishing what's important to you. When you are truly on purpose, doors seem to open up and people naturally will be attracted to you.

As you let go of the limiting beliefs, give up the excuses, identify your life purpose and begin to meditate on that belief, each day will be your opportunity to shine!

Successful Thinking

by Dona Lyman

A highly successful entrepreneur wanted to create a different kind of company. A company that people loved to work for, and a company that encouraged personal growth and creativity. Over the course of time, this entrepreneur realized that no matter how clear her vision was, she was not successful in her attempts to create this company. What she realized, is that she did not have the right mind set.

The way this entrepreneur was thinking was prohibiting her growth. Successful thinking requires planning. Planning allows you to maintain the path. Consistent achievment over time helps people to nurture a positive attitude. By expecting more, people become more. "Successful thinking" is the key to success.

Every man or woman who has accomplished extraordinary things in life has had a positive attitude. And, when you develop yourself to the point that your belief is so strong, that no matter what, you know you can be who you want to be, or do what you want to do, your potential is limitless. I often ask my clients the question, "what one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew that you could not fail?" By asking yourself this question, you are inviting opportunity in. You begin to shift your mindset. Once you are in the right frame of mind, you can accomplish things that were a dream just a day ago.

Perhaps, one of the greatest secrets of all times is that we become what we think about. It has been said, "As you think, so shall you be." It's an understanding and acceptance that your outer world is a reflection of what's going on inside. I invite you right now to think about whatever it is that you are thinking about. Are these thoughts serving you, or are they prohibiting you?

By "thinking" successful, you take your mind off of what you don't have and you begin to focus on what you do want. I often tell my clients, "If you want something different than you have today, then you need to do something different today to have what you want tomorrow." Vince Lombardi once said, "the difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." The truth is that we are all born with every quality, desire, and skills that we need to succeed. I don't say that it's going to be easy, but what I do say is that you can reach true success. By harnessing the power of your thoughts and giving them a direction to flow, you realize that you are in fact "the magic weapon" that will lead you to your own success.

When the rest of the world believes that the deck is stacked against them, you believe that the deck is playing in your favor! Start to look at obstacles as opportunities. Look for the seed of something better when everything seems to be going wrong. Identify the benefit in every event. Soon, you will see that success is not an accident, but rather something you created with your attitude and your thinking.

Get Up and Get Going!

by Dona Lyman

Most successful people that I know take action. They have a low tolerance for excessive planning and don't just talk about what they would like to do, they actually go out and "do" what it is they would like to do. They are eager to get started. They want to see their plan begin. Now, I am not saying that planning isn't necessary, but planning must be kept in it's own perspective.

Have you every heard of the phrase "paralysis by analysis?" The problem is that too many people spend all their time analyzing the outcome and they never take action. What's the worse thing that could happen? You do something and maybe you find that you were a little off target? All you need to do is adjust your sights and try again. You keep trying and adjusting until you get a direct hit.

By taking small steps, one step at a time, we make great progress. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will you. By implementing one action step at a time, you will soon see how quickly your plan will come to life. I often tell my clients to start slowly, too just "lean into it." You don't need to have all the answers. You will figure it out. Look at toddlers who are just beginning to walk. They try to get themselves up time and time again. And, like clockwork, they fall time and time again. You don't hear them say, "this is so hard....so, forget it, I decided that I am not going to learn how to walk. I'll just crawl around for the rest of my life." Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Don't give up. Keep trying and the answers will be given to you.

Make a commitment to yourself that today will be the day that you take action. Today will be the day that you move towards empowering yourself to achieve your goals.

Stop Hanging on the Fence

by Dona Lyman

"Stop hanging on the fence and go out and play in the meadow!"

-Dona Lyman

So many of us lead our lives living so close to the fence that we have absolutely no idea what is available to us in the meadow. We have no idea of the richness and the fullness of life that can be ours if we just left the fence once in awhile.

I heard this story of a young man who had lost everything. He had lost his family, his home, his job, everything that was of value to him. After spending many years feeling sorry for himself, he woke up one day and decided that today was going to be the day that everything changed. That, from this day forward, every step that he would take would be a step towards success, a step towards prosperity, and a step towards overflow. Today, that young man is re-married, has a wonderful family and a job he loves.

Alan Alda once said that "you have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." By discovering yourself and by aligning yourself with your true purpose and your true potential, you realize that life is meant to be lived full throttle, not just barely getting by on the crumbs.

Stop worrying about what others think of you. Stop becoming offended by what others may, or may not say. Everytime that you do something great, someone will come at you to make you feel small. You don't need to waste your time seeking approval. Just make sure that you are not acting like they are!

We need to walk the walk and talk the talk. You should be the one to set the example for others to follow. Don't give a reason for people to judge you. When you are in a situation where you feel another person would benefit from an extra minute or two with you, give them the time. When you have the choice to be right or to be kind, always choose kind.

By living life against a set of standards that include kindness, compassion, love, and generosity we begin to feel comfortable stepping away from that fence. We begin to care less about what others think of us and begin to care more about what we think of ourselves. As we become more confident in ourselves we begin to live more and love more. We begin to see that the meadow really is an awesome place to live!

The Trouble Tree

This is a great story that a friend of mine had sent me.

Enjoy :)

The Trouble Tree

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and he had just finished a rough first day on the job; a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward, he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one things for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So, I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then, in the morning, I pick them up again." "Funny thing is, he smiled, when I come out in the morning to pick em' up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

Live Life To The Fullest

Today I was called to write this:

Taken from: Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:5

Remember Your Creator While Young

"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eye to see the sun.
However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless. Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgement. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"--before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because there are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire is no longer stirred."

Releasing Emotional Toxins

by Dona Lyman

With the new year, comes new dreams, new intentions and new life.

There was only one thing that came to my mind today to discuss and that was, "how can I create this year to be all that I want it to be?" What can I do to ensure that all my dreams and intent are the very "buckets" that are set up to "catch" the abundance, the prosperity, the love and the grace. What can I do to ensure that the "goodies" that these buckets catch can be learned, shared, and taught to others?

A very good friend once told me "to grab one hand behind you and one hand in front of you and everyone will reach the path to discovering their true potential." It's so important that we help each other out - you see "just as the student is ready, the teacher appears"; and so it is that "just as the teacher is ready the student appears." When we are eager, willing, and able to learn, we must be open to receiving what it is that we are asking for. However, so many of us "miss" this receiving part because we are carrying along so many bags of emotional baggage that we can't possibly move forward. This baggage acts as toxins that invade every cell of our mind, body and spirit. It's like drinking the most vile, disgusting polluted water you can find. Wouldn't you rather quench your thirst with delicously pure spring water from the most purest, highest place untouched by human hands?

Ofcourse! We all want nourishment from a pure,natural, organic source. The beautiful thing is that each and everyone one of us has a direct tap to that source. So, how do you release these emotional toxins? The prescription is quite simple.

First, you must take take 100% responsibility for the actions that you have taken. I like to say that "you can't hire someone to do the push-ups for you." You can not change the circumstances that you are in, but you can change yourself. Give up the excuses, give up the victim stories, give up all the reasons why you can't and stop placing the blame on outside circumstances. All that matters from this point on, is that you are choosing to take 100% responsibility so that you can cut the cords that have been keeping you down.

Second, acknowledge and really "feel" those feelings. How did a particular situation make you "feel." What feelings did you like, and what feelings didn't you like? What can you change? By acknowledging the feelings, you are giving them their due respect. It's almost like a nagging child pulling on the leg of your pants. That child won't go away until you acknowledge them.

Lastly, you need to release it. Extract what you have learned and then let it go and don't give it another thought. Begin to focus your time and energy on the positive. Set your intent and then take the action you need to achieve it.