Should You Share Your Goals?

When it comes to goal setting many experts have differing opinions on whether or not you should share your goals with others. There is an upside and a downside to both, but the best answer if probably in between.

Sharing your goals can be great for several reasons. By sharing your goals with others they can help hold you accountable to yourself to accomplish your goals. This is great for many people who have trouble keeping themselves dedicated to the goal, but will listen to others.

The downside of sharing your goals, and the benefit of keeping your goals to yourself is often times people will tell you that you can't accomplish something.

Often times these people who tell you that you can't accomplish something are actually your so called friends and family. While they probably mean the best for you, they often are harming you.

They think that just because they don't think they can accomplish a goal that you can't. People often have a hard enough time overcoming the negative conditioning of their own minds, little alone the negative conditioning of friends and family.

I think the best answer is in between sharing and keeping your goals personal. Easier goals I tend to share with others because most people tend to think they can accomplish them.

For difficult goals I tend not to share them with others because I am more than likely going to get a negative response out of a person.

Whatever you decide it ultimately comes down to holding yourself to a higher standard and the power of daily habits.

The Power Of Giving

We must remember that everything we enjoy now has come from the efforts of those before us. Even electricity and cars have come about from the efforts of men over a hundred years ago. Often times, people want instant results for what they do. This is not bad in and of itself, however, we must also remember the impact we are having on the future, and that future will be lived by our children, and the children of our children.

At the ripe old age of eighty years, Joe was a happy go get em kind of guy. He had worked hard his entire life to provide for his family in every way he possibly could and had enjoyed his retirement years by tending to his garden and the twenty two acres of land he owned. One day while planting apple trees on a couple acres of the land he owned, one of his neighbors came by and asked him if what he was doing.

"Planting apple trees," Joe replied.

"By surely you realize that it takes 8 to 10 years for those trees to bear fruit. You will most likely never live to taste those apples, so whats the point?" The neighbor asked.

"Well," Joe said, "I have may not ever taste a single apple from any of the trees I plant, however, if old men of the past had thought the same thing, I may never have had the pleasure of tasting the sweet necture of apples in the past. I only wish to give the same in return for people in the future."

The moral of the story, build those things you want to create in the world for the beauty of the fact that it will help others live happier more fulfilling lives. Even if that means you never truly get to experience the fruits of your labor. Surely Henry Ford wasn't worried about what the auto industry would become after he died. Of course he had a vision, but he built what his vision was any way regardless of what would happen to the auto industry in the future.

Be willing to put yourself on the line and build something magnificent. What you build may take years to build, but may be destroyed in a day. However, we all have a gift to give to the world, and we need to be willing to put ourselves out there at the risk of losing everything to share that gift with the world. Those who are givers are recievers, and we must always give first to get. More importantly, we must do our part by giving something to the world that leaves more in people and for people than it takes. What is twenty dollars for a book that completely changes ones life. What is ten dollars for a meal that keeps us alive. What is a small price for something that makes our lives so much more incredible and amazing.

Blessings of Expressing Gratitude

"You must learn to understand the secret of gratitude. It is more than just so-called virtue. It is revealed to you as a mysterious law of existence. In obedience to it we have to fulfill our destiny." ~ Albert Schweitzer

How are we blessed when we express gratitude? How can we experience for ourselves the transformative value of this "mysterious law" that Albert Schweitzer mentioned?

First, we must realize that the law of gratitude, although it might seem mysterious, is not mystical or mysterious at all. It is very simple and a much more rational choice than our conditioned ways of thinking.

Over the years, I have suggested to hundreds of clients that they begin their work by expressing gratitude for everything they have as well as for the accomplishment of their desired goals. I am after a shift in perspective--from a mindset of scarcity and doubt to one of abundance and faith. That is, to encourage movement beyond thought forms which prevent taking action or produce unconstructive behaviors.

When individuals developed the habit of expressing gratitude and developed authentic feelings of thankfulness, faith and enthusiasm followed as natural "icings on the cake". Self-esteem and creativity began spiking upward. The habit of expressing gratitude came
first, then the feelings, then new actions, then the desired results.

This process is transformative. Our dominant thoughts will always generate actions that manifest those thoughts. The key is actions--nothing mysterious; although we might be amazed at how we begin acting differently. This is how the Creator designed our thoughts to affect our behavior, and our behavior to affect what happens to us in this life.

There are two choices we always have...

We can manifest negativity by spending time each day resisting how things are, thinking of how we don't have this or that, or talking about what we don't like and what isn't working. This choice is a sure-fire path to sustained misery.

There is a more functional and rational choice. If there are unfavorable circumstances, do not deny them; however, do not build walls of resistance around them. These walls will only keep them in place. Rather, observe them without judgment. Give thanks for everything. Look for blessings hidden in the turn of every season of life, the lessons of gold and treasures you would not have found otherwise.

Move above your life situation, expressing gratitude for each blessing you have now and all those yet to come. You will be thinking in harmony with your creative spirit; your actions will bring you closer to your desired goals.

The more passionately we express gratitude, the more reasons we will find for joy and new blessings to enter our lives; we will notice them and accept them. Your personal expressions of gratitude, your feelings, and your actions will bring you the peace of mind and achievements that you want.

Wishing you blessings and success,

Steve Brunkhorst

The Triangle Of Wealth Part 2

The ability to balance all three areas of wealth is what true wealth is about. Balancing the areas of finances,
health, and relationships is much more than just having them in ones life. A relationship with someone that
makes one miserable on a daily basis is not wealth. Making tons of money by hurting, killing, and stealing
from other people is not wealth either. The ability to develop all three of these areas in both abundance and
balance is what true wealth is about. To experience life to the fullest because of these three areas is wealth,
and wealth is available to all of us as soon as we learn to focus on the important areas of wealth.

The first of the three areas of wealth is finances. This involves money, the desired material things, and
all the necessary material things such as food, shelter, and clothing. Sadly, the world works based on
a give and take system. It is based upon a monetary system of exchange. You must give something of
value to get something of value in return. The ability to take care of ones basic needs is essential before
one is able to move on to other areas of desire and want.

The area of finances talks about ones ability to provide the basic requirements for life. A shelter to
keep one warm, dry, and out of the weather. How nice ones shelter is is up to each individual and
their ability to develop a good financial mind set as apply that mind set out in the world. Finances
also takes into account food and water. We all know why food and water are important. On a basic
level of survival, humans don't need any where near as much variety in food as we have. Again, ones
ability to learn, develop, and apply a wealthy financial mind set is essential for better quality and
quantity of food and water. Finances also includes clothing. One must be protected from the
environment around them by clothing, not to mention that other people are a little turned off
by someone who walks around naked all the time.

Finances are an essential area to get under control before one is able to develop other areas
of wealth and abundance. The average person spends 1/3 of their life working. This is time that
could be spent doing more productive and enjoyable things if one were to take care of their
financial needs. Most people are not able to do this, often times living paycheck to paycheck
barely scrapping the bottom of the barrel to get by. Not only is this stressful, but it takes away
from ones ability to truly immerse oneself in life and enjoy the moments as they come by.

Finances also allow us the money and time to go out and develop our health and our relationships.
It allows us to travel and meet new people. It allows us the ability to go where others go on a regular
basis and make new friends. It also allows us to spend time with someone we care about and develop
more meaningful relationships. Not to mention the time to do so. A good balance also allows us to spend
much more time with our family, especially our children. There is no greater reward in the world than
being able to watch our children grow into amazing adults.

Finances are also important for our health. Having money allows us to eat more expensive all
natural foods. It also allows us the time to spend working out on a regular basis as well as
the equipment to do so. It also allows us to invest more money into regular appointments
with doctors, which can be quite an expensive bill at times. Developing a wealthy and abundant
financial life opens opportunities not other wise available to us in both health and relationships.
This is why it is the first on the triangle of wealth. Poor finances causes undo stress which is also
very bad for our health. The threat of losing the things you have worked hard to earn is a terrible
thought for most people. Not to mention the amount of time and stress that is required to work
a regular job and the amount of wear and tear on our body from it.

Take the time to get a good education about money and in developing a good understanding
of wealth and what it takes to create an abundance in this area. This could be a life long journey,
just as the other two areas can be. Enjoy the process, and be sure to apply the knowledge you gain
in each of the areas. Just a little bit each day will build and create amazing results in your life.