By
JAY BLOCK

It's Not a Question of Resources; rather one of Resourcefulness

Pick up any newspaper, turn on any television program, listen to any radio talk show, check out the news on the Internet or just take a short walk around your community and look at the faces and expressions of friends, family members, neighbors, or strangers passing you by, and you'll see things aren't as good as they could or should be. So many people are struggling with their finances, to keep their homes from being foreclosed on and to meet their children's educational expenses, and to pay upwards of $3.50 to $4.00 a gallon for gasoline. And no doubt, relationship, health, and career issues are not making things any easier either.

So how do we handle all these overwhelming and overpowering issues to live the kind of life we want and deserve? Well, it begins with taking back control over what you can control - your own life. In other words, when you spend your resources of time, money, and energy on improving your own life, you will position yourself to better face and address the bigger, more complicated issues that we all face. The message is simple - fix yourself so you can help fix others .

The GOOD news
Here is the GOOD news. You can achieve any goal, make any positive changes in your life, and begin living life on YOUR terms if you are good-and-ready to take control of your life and committed to make things happen for you instead of allowing things to happen to you. Unhappiness turns to happiness, and underachievement turns to success once you've finally come to your wits end and agree that enough is enough and that the future can NO LONGER be a replication of the past. You can become who you really are and achieve your true potential once you firmly believe that you deserve more out of life than you are currently getting. Everything can change for the better, sooner rather than later, and in an enjoyable and adventurous manner if you are prepared to make life changes so that positive change happens for you.

So what is the success formula for turning things around and for finding passion, purpose, and excitement in your life? Well, there is a success formula, and that formula is easy to follow once you make the decision to take back control of your life. A well-respected success coach told me once that destiny is determined in moments of decision. You see, the difficulty is NOT in the execution of the success formula that I'm about to introduce you to. The challenge is that most people never make the DECISION to change their lives for the better in the first place. They allow fear and unhealthy emotions to paralyze their potential. They allow their negative emotions, doubts, and fears to impede their happiness.

You see, most people never make the DECISION to make their lives, their careers, their health, their relationships, and their future better. But if you are ready to make the BIG decision; if you are fed up with the way things aren't going for you, then let me share with you the 3-step success formula for recreating your life; for reinventing yourself; for turning everything around.

The Success Formula

1) Disassociate from 'Exblamers'
An exblamer is someone who finds 'excuses' for his failures and / or 'blames' others for all the things that go wrong in her life. "It's the lousy economy," Johns complains. "It's my boss who makes work unbearable," Janet gripes. "It's those people in Washington who are responsible for my lack of financial resources," Bill protests. "It's those crazy immigration laws, outsourcing, the misalignment of Venus with Mars, and my negative relatives, that cause my unhappiness," Teresa grumbles." "It's the stress and daily pressures that make me eat so much and why I am so out of shape," Travis says. Exblamers are those who almost never take personal responsibility for their lives; rather, they spend their lives making excuses and blaming others. "Athletes make too much money," Robert laments, as he heads off to the ball park with his family and pays $300 to watch the game - and supports those salaries! "Gas prices are going through the roof and oil companies are making a killing off of poor people like us," Dana complains, as she drives her 12 miles per gallon SUV 500 miles a week. "I am underpaid, overworked, and under appreciated," Tucker complains, as he sits on the couch and watches 6 hours of TV a night; and procrastinates in putting a powerful resume together that could change his whole life - for he and his family.

So the first thing you need to do is dissociate from all exblamers in your life. And if you happen to be one - disassociate from this practice and take full, personal responsibility for everything in your life - no matter what the circumstance or situation. Do you recall the expression, "If it's going to be, it's up to me?" Embrace this thought and know that taking responsibility is liberating ! Remember that if anything is going to change - YOU first must change. And that first change is making the decision to take 100% responsibility for changing whatever it is you want to change. In most cases, disassociating with exblamers means first disassociating with your old constitution and your old ways of thinking - and recreating yourself, your thoughts, and your dreams. If you don't make this first decision - not much will change.

2) Disciplined Resourcefulness
What new, novel ideas have you come up with today? What changes have you made in the way you think? How much time have you invested today on the solutions to your problems, rather than on the problems themselves? Bob says, "I can't buy that, it's too expensive." But you see "IT" is not the problem; Bob is the problem, because HE can't afford it. If Bob would stop blaming IT and take responsibility for seeking a disciplined resourceful solution to his lack of finances, HE would find a way to afford it. The human mind and the human spirit can achieve anything once a resourceful character is in place to do so. By asking more inspiring questions, you can become more resourceful. "What am I overlooking in seeking out a new job?" "Who do I know who can help me with this issue?" "What book can I read that will help instill a sense of confidence and hope?" "Am I spending too much time on insignificant things and not enough time on the major ones?" "How do I regain my good health and enjoy the process?" "What environment or what club can I join to attract my soulmate - one who shares common values and dreams?"

Resourcefulness comes from within and is generated by asking resourceful-oriented questions. "Why does this always happen to me?" is NOT a resourceful- oriented question. "What do I have to do and how can I change so I can turn this situation around?" is a resourceful-oriented question. "How can things get easier for me?" is NOT a resourceful-oriented question. "How can I become tougher and more creative in resolving this issue?" IS a resourceful- oriented question. "Why can't I ever make ends meet?" is NOT a resourceful-oriented question. "What disciplines do I need to adopt and who can I hire to assist me in getting my finances in order?" IS a resourceful-oriented question.

The bottom line here is that you must take time out of every day to reflect on all the infinite possibilities that are available to you. But if you don't take the time, every day, to reflect, contemplate, and THINK positive, resourceful, and creative thoughts, how can tomorrow be better than today? I can provide hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of highly successful and happy people who created their success and happiness NOT from their resources, but rather, from their resourcefulness. Do I really have to point them out? Just study Oprah's story and you'll come to realize that success and happiness is NOT a question of what you have, but who you are, how resourceful you can be, and the action you are willing to take. If you go to bed tonight the same as you woke up - you won't change anything tomorrow. But if you discipline yourself to spend just 30-60 minutes a day thinking new thoughts, questioning old ones, and allowing your mind to soar to new heights, your life will change almost instantly !

3) Don't Ever Quit on Yourself
Don't ever give up on your goals, your dreams, or yourself. A single word for this is 'commitment.' Commitment means you will never settle for less than you can be. Commitment means that failure is not an option except when you fail yourself by not trying at all. Commitment means, "Where there's a will there's a way; and come Hell or high water, I'm going to find a way because I have the will." Commitment means you won't cave in on your values and that you'll always protect your character, because character is who you are; and who you are is too important to give up on.

The best I have to offer
The best advice I have to offer in this newsletter, comes from Randy Pausch, a 46 year old Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor (with 3 children ages 5, 2 and 1) who gave a gut-wrenching lecture on, What wisdom would I impart to the world if I knew it was my last chance? You see, this would be his last lecture, as he had just weeks to live; he was dying from pancreatic cancer. He said, "Brick walls are always standing in our way of our dreams for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things - and to keep those who don't want them bad enough out."

Let me ask you this simple but powerful question. If you could achieve just 2 goals this year that would revolutionize the quality of your life for the better - and that you would COMMIT to - what would they be? What dreams and desires do you have that would challenge you to fight through those brick walls? Don't wait for someone else to show up and 'turn you on.' Don't wait for tomorrow to begin making changes you need to start making today to improve your life. And take time to identify those 'causes' that will fire up your spirit and challenge you to fight through those brick walls. Commit to your goals; commit to your future; commit to those you love. Commit to making your future a masterpiece rather than being a master to a piece of someone else's goals and dreams. The consequences are too severe if you sit back and just hope for a better life.

In Summary
In summary, take responsibility for tomorrow and every day from this point on. Don't blame others; don't find excuses; and don't depend on others to give you what you must go out and earn. Take time out of everyday to think and to become more resourceful. Seek out new answers to old questions. Take new action and never give up. If you don't succeed, take different action. Ask better questions; study consequences; think creatively (out of the box); and don't allow anyone or anything to compromise your values or your character. Commit to a better future knowing that success and happiness is NOT born out of negativity, fear, or doubt. Expect greatness from yourself and demand more out of yourself than anyone else would ever demand of you. Set the bar high and spend time on those activities that will enrich you, empower you, and enable you to achieve all that you are capable of. Be a hero to yourself and to those you love !

Just make the decision -

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COACHES CORNER:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of resourcefulness.
▬ Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
▬ Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
▬ Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Resourcefulness and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. So 'press on' in a creative and resourceful manner."

- Calvin Coolidge

email: ellen@jayblock.com

phone: 561 687-0888

web: http://www.jayblock.com