TheLeaderInside.com

“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”

~~~ Sven Goran Eriksson

When I went to my computer this morning to start working on my blogs, I noticed that I was feeling some trepidation about whether I’d be able to come up with something of interest to you. I also notice this when I sit down to work on my novel or any other piece of writing I have on my schedule. There was this feeling of fear — and I started to wonder what was it that I was afraid to face. As I spent more time putting my thoughts together, I realized that I carried this sense of fear, or trepidation, into so much of what I do in this life. I started to realize that it had something to do with the fear of the future, whether that future was later the same day, or tomorrow, or some time further along in my life.

Why would I have this feeling?

I think it’s because when we focus our thoughts on the uncertainty of the future, we discover that this foresight (if you can call it that), doesn’t put our minds at ease. In fact, we discover, as I did this morning, that we’re experiencing a type of fear.

This feeling has a way of magnifying itself, especially when our future looks the brightest. That seems to be the time when our resolve crumbles and we find ourselves veering off course. We can sense that success is just around the corner, but we can’t see how this success will affect our lives. Because success can affect us in complex and unpredictable ways, taking us out of the status quo and pushing us into new circumstances that test our limits, the mere idea of attaining the life of our dreams can shake us to the core.

Fear of the future is closely associated with other fears that have to do with the knowledge that we’re going to be changed in some way and we’ll be forced into situations that we may not feel prepared to face. This fear is a normal part of our human behavior — our tendency to live in the past or the future, rather than in the present. When our minds follow their usual habit of projecting ahead into the future, we may often see success as a huge weight that will be loading itself onto our shoulders.

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves —
regret for the past and fear of the future.”

~~~ Fulton Oursler

I know that for myself, it’s a case of thinking how the heck I’ll ever be able to handle what’s involved with the marketing of a novel, especially at my age. The good part is that I see the novel as being a success. The not so good part is that I’m forgetting that all the work involved with this success will be implemented into my life slowly. It will be a gradual process, not something that’s going to suddenly hit me over the head like a ton of bricks.

What happens when we visualize the future? Usually, we focus on the outcome rather than the process of getting there and all the steps involved to make it all happen. Growth of any kind is progressive. The greatest drawback to a fear of the future is that it prevents you from living in the moment. As the kids would say, “Chill baby!” We have to find a way to focus on what has to be done right now — this moment — not waste our valuable energy worrying about what we think we’re going to have to do down the road.

“The key to change… is to let go of fear.”

~~~ Rosanne Cash

This thought process that I’m experiencing right this minute as I write this is exactly what I’m going to offer to those of you with this same problem. It’s the process of identifying which of my thoughts are frightening me because they are irrational, and then replacing them with logical thoughts that are self-affirming. Even if your thoughts parallel mine and you’re thinking that you won’t like the product you’re creating, all you and I need to do is remember that no single achievement is an end in and of itself. If you’re someone who fears recognition — or you feel you’re not worthy of success, then read the words I always say at the end of each of these blog postings ….

You are the most precious gift you can give yourself. Every day look in the mirror and say, “I’m available to more good than I have experienced, realized or imagined ever before in my life!”

Any time you are fearing the future just assume that your fear is based on a false assumption. Replace that fear with facts. Focus on the present. Focus on what needs to be done this moment, right now. Tell that inner voice that’s aways criticizing what you do to “Be Quiet!” If you do have success on your horizon, know that it will be there because of the attributes you have right now — your talents, your drive, your imagination, and above all, your inner strength. Be happy with what you’re doing right this minute and the future will take care of itself.

“What we seek we shall find; what we flee from flees from us.”

~~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

And, as I always say in closing — remember these words …

You are the most precious gift you can give yourself. Every day look in the mirror and say, “I’m available to more good than I have experienced, realized or imagined ever before in my life!” Do this every day while you look into your own eyes.

You are special — and you are loved. You are the greatest gift you can be.

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

~~~ DBL-R

P.S. Remember, that if you have one of the “readers” — like My Yahoo, My MSN, or the Google Reader, or any of the others, you can get our blog sent to you automatically, whenever I post to it. Just click one of the buttons over on the left side to add it to your reader.
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As you know, I do practice sitting, silent meditation every day in my life. Recently, I did a podcast about this for another blog that I read. Take a moment and click this link to hear what meditation means to me and what it does for me.

My Meditation Podcast

In my meditation I use what I truly believe is the most powerful personal growth and mind development tool on earth. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels —

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

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[tags]peace, inner self, The Secret, Law of Attraction, dreams, spiritual energy, action, value, inner balance, enlightenment, destiny, manifestation, meditation, patience, gratitude, tolerance, acceptance, body balance, life cycle, beginnings, endings, positive thinking, ego, silence, consciousness, staying grounded, cycle of life[/tags]

“Only a life lived for others is worth living”

~~~ Albert Einstein

This morning I was doing some reading about the ups and downs of getting a book published in today’s world, and that set me to thinking about whether or not the novel I’m in the process of writing is worthy of the effort I’m putting into it. Then obviously, if I’m thinking about whether the novel is worth the effort, than I must have some doubts about the writer and whether I’m good enough at this to be worthy of having a novel published. That leads to considering my own self-worth and then to the thoughts that create this article.

(It’s a good thing I have a mind that works this way or I’d never have enough material to publish this blog every week.)

(I know, this next quote is one from last week relating to Peace and not to the topic of worthiness. I just want to keep the thoughts about Peace a part of the blog each week.)

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

~~~ Jimi Hendrix

As we travel through this journey through life, so much of who and what we are changes from day-to-day, doesn’t it? The thing that I’d like us (you and me) to keep in mind is that our inherent worth remains constant, no matter where we are in our journey.

When I think of self-worth, I have a tendency to equate it with self-esteem. However, if you really boil it down, they’re not the same. In fact, they’re entirely different from each other. Self-esteem is the measure of how you feel about yourself at any given moment in time. Your worth, on the other hand, doesn’t come about because of your intelligence, or how talented you are, or whether you’re considered to be good looking or not, or how many good works you’ve performed, or how much you’ve accomplished in your life.

Rather, your worth is a factor of the reality that you are a child of the universe — you are a part of the infinite oneness. Your worth is something that can never be taken from you or diminished in any way. The sad part is that it is our worth that we so easily forget and actively ignore. We need to always acknowledge our self-worth. By doing so we can reinforce that we’re an important, beloved, special part of the “all that is”.

“Our choices in life are made according to our sense of our own worth”

~~~ Kaylan Pickford

You’ll know when you slip into those periods where you’ve lost sight of your worth. It’s likely that you’ll feel depressed, you’ll suffer from insecurities, and your confidence level will fall. Once we feel worthy, you’ll accept yourself just as you are without hesitation.

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”

~~~ E. E. Cummings

Once we remember that we are born worthy and realize that our worth is a part of our being, we’ll learn to appreciate who we are. We’ll treat ourselves more kindly, we’ll do a better job of defining our personal boundaries, we’ll find it easier to be more proactive in seeing that our needs are met, and we’ll be able to see ourselves living fuller lives with broadened horizons. Once your conception of your worth is no longer based on the fulfillment of expectations, you’ll begin to see any mistakes or failures as just another part of the journey of your life.

Last week I mentioned that each moment of our life is like a drop in the brook, which then flows away with the stream. We, as human beings, are much like drops of water in an endless ocean. Our worth comes from our roles as distinct individuals (drops of water) as well as our role as an integral part of something much larger than ourselves (the endless ocean). I hope we can all wake up to this concept, because once we do we’ll see that each and every one of us has an enormous, awe-inspiring worth and dignity.

“These then are my last words to you. Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

William James

And, as I always say in closing — remember these words …

You are the most precious gift you can give yourself. Every day look in the mirror and say, “I’m available to more good than I have experienced, realized or imagined ever before in my life!” Do this every day while you look into your own eyes.

You are special — and you are loved. You are the greatest gift you can be.

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

~~~ DBL-R

P.S. Remember, that if you have one of the “readers” — like My Yahoo, My MSN, or the Google Reader, or any of the others, you can get our blog sent to you automatically, whenever I post to it. Just click one of the buttons over on the left side to add it to your reader.
================================================================
As you know, I do practice sitting, silent meditation every day in my life. Recently, I did a podcast about this for another blog that I read. Take a moment and click this link to hear what meditation means to me and what it does for me.

My Meditation Podcast

In my meditation I use, what I truly believe, is the most powerful personal growth and mind development tool on earth. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — to attainf inner peace — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels —

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

====================================================================

====================================================================
[tags]peace, inner self, The Secret, Law of Attraction, dreams, spiritual energy, action, value, inner balance, enlightenment, destiny, manifestation, meditation, patience, gratitude, tolerance, acceptance, body balance, life cycle, beginnings, endings, positive thinking, ego, silence, consciousness, staying grounded, cycle of life[/tags]

“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”

~~~ Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama

I‘ve spoken often here in the blog about Peace. If you’re one of the long-time readers, you’ll know that my belief that peace is the answer — and that violence will only lead to more violence — is an unwavering tenet in my life. Here in the United States we’ve been subject to an enormous amount of rhetoric about war — and the words of war — victory — defeat — terrorism — and now with the hearings taking place in our Congress with the lead General and the Ambassador in Iraq, the rhetoric has reached unbelievable proportions. Our country has become divided between those who feel that war and violence is the way to solve problems, and those who want to see and end to this conflict and the loss of lives — ours — and those of the men, women and children of Iraq.

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace.”

~~~ Jimi Hendrix

I have also said many times that the intent of this blog is not to get into political discussions. My feelings about peace are likely not shared by every one of my readers here. I understand that — and I honor that. I would like to start doing one thing, though, and that is with each blog posting, I would like the picture I include each time to be some sort of symbol of peace. I hope you’ll understand and honor my desire to do so.

Since the picture I’m including with today’s article is of the Dalai Lama, one of the great Buddhist advocates for world peace — and since some of you know that I live a Buddhist lifestyle, I’d like to talk about one of the Buddhist schools, called Zen. Zen is notable for its emphasis on the form of meditation known as zazen — the attainment of awakening. As such, it de-emphasizes the study of religious texts in favor of a more direct individual experience of one’s own true nature. All the Buddhist teachings are similar in that they have a lot to do with the subject of inner peace and how to attain it.

“All we are saying is give peace a chance.”

~~~ John Lennon

Life can change in the blink of an eye. We all know this and we all live with this reality every day. For some, this is a source of stress, but for others, this uncertainty, as well as the strong emotions that come with it, are, as one Zen teacher has said, “merely one drop of water in a babbling brook”.

For those who understand that there is nothing that is permanent, they have adopted Zen into their lives, whether they realize it, or not. Zen, and other Buddhist-type practices, teach people how to concentrate — how to effectively contemplate, or think more deeply — and how to achieve a stillness of mind and soul in order to achieve less stress, ease suffering, and experience inner peace.

Having this aspect of Zen in our lives is something all of us can do. It’s an individualistic aspect of life, yet it does encompass more than just ourselves. Since it involves your thoughts, and the way you think, it also encompasses the universe because thoughts create things. It brings an increase in inner peace, yet it doesn’t allow us to avoid pain, either physical or mental. Zen is a means to re-examine your ideas about yourself and your desires.

Most of us who follow Buddhist teachings, whether Zen or one of tho others, will include silent meditation as a part of our daily lives. The concepts of Zen, however, can be a part of your everyday life, even if you don’t do a sitting meditation every day. The basic concept is that there is no reality outside of what exists moment to moment. Yes, you will continue to experience the highs and lows of life, the whole gamut of emotions that drive us batty, but the Zen mind doesn’t hang onto those for days, weeks, months and years. The Zen mind knows that all of life’s states are impermanent. Just like that “drop of water in the brook” I mentioned above, each moment is carried away with the current.

Once we (and that includes me and all my worrying about the world situation), can learn to free ourselves from the burdens of old hurts (and even old joys), a whole new world can open up for us. Each day will always be different from the day just passed. The difference between being and doing will vanish. We’ll begin to understand that the differences between our own self and others no longer exists, as we are all one.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this rather long article, Zen emphasizes the impermanence of all things. Once we understand this and embrace it, every facet of our life will be affected. We’ll feel differently about what will make us feel fulfilled. We’ll think differently about our careers. We’ll notice a difference in how we relate to others. It will guard us against disappointment and stress. We’ll experience less suffering and the fear of failure will vanish because we’ll know that all moments have worth.

You don’t have to change your religion in order to adopt Zen into your life. Zen is not a religion — it’s a way of thinking. Start by knowing yourself and live more of your life in the moment. Take the time to simply exist. Learn to avoid your attachments to possessions — they, like everything else are impermanent.

The one thing you won’t have to do is make time for Zen. Once you adopt the concepts of Zen into your life, it will always be with you. I guarantee you will enjoy the feelings of inner peace.

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”

~~~ Mahatma Gandhi

And, as I always say in closing — remember these words …

You are the most precious gift you can give yourself. Every day look in the mirror and say, “I’m available to more good than I have experienced, realized or imagined ever before in my life!” Do this every day while you look into your own eyes.

You are special — and you are loved. You are the greatest gift you can be.

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

~~~ DBL-R

P.S. Remember, that if you have one of the “readers” — like My Yahoo, My MSN, or the Google Reader, or any of the others, you can get our blog sent to you automatically, whenever I post to it. Just click one of the buttons over on the left side to add it to your reader.
================================================================
As you know, I do practice sitting, silent meditation every day in my life. When I do so, I use, what I truly believe, is the most powerful personal growth and mind development tool on earth. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — to attainf inner peace — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels —

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

====================================================================

====================================================================
[tags]peace, inner self, The Secret, Law of Attraction, dreams, spiritual energy, action, value, inner balance, enlightenment, destiny, manifestation, meditation, patience, gratitude, tolerance, acceptance, body balance, life cycle, beginnings, endings, positive thinking, ego, silence, consciousness, staying grounded, cycle of life[/tags]