So here are a few tips to enable you to position yourself time and time again for success.

1) Have Faith In God – I personally have faith in the God of the Bible. And that faith is simply expressed in my trust and a confidence in my Heavenly Father. So much so that I stake my life and my very existence on Him. In my life I have seen Him supply my greatest needs time and time again that proves to me that He is personally interested in my well being. I talk to Him as my friend and my mentor.

2) Have Faith In Your Strengths – I have consistently needed to identify my strengths and learn to operate in those strengths if I wished to walk in success and satisfaction. The first thing was to identify them. To do this I simply needed to recognize those things that I do naturally and the things that I have a passion for. And then I needed to do them on a consistent basis – ever seeking to improve along the way.

3) Have Faith In Others – Then I have at the same time learnt to delegate my weaknesses. This has been helped by gradually surrounding myself with a strong support network of people who can help me in these weak areas. Mentors are in this group. And the older I get the greater need for these is becoming more evident in my life. These individuals are strong individuals who assist, support and guide me in the daily decision and activity process that make up my life.

So no matter where I find myself in the world geographically or financially, this faith currency is the currency I use on a daily basis, and it sufficiently sustains me.

Try using it yourself, for it is of eternal value.

Strong people are those who have identified their strengths and use them on a daily basis to add value to their lives and to the lives of those around them.

There was a skinny little kid showing off to some of his little friends the muscles that were developing in his skinny forearm.

One of the bigger kids mocked him saying, ‘Hey Robbo, are you trying to break the record for the muscle that hangs down the lowest?’

All the kid’s laughed.

Unmoved, with the biggest possible voice that he could muster, he looked at all the kids eyeball to eyeball declaring, ‘My dad says that even though I may not have much muscle on the outside yet, I’ve got heaps of BIG muscles on the inside. And if I keep working out, one day every one of those muscles are going to pop out everywhere all over my body.’

No one had an answer to his response.

So be like the little boy and take the strength of the message found within this article. Apply it to your life and be the powerhouse of possibility that you were created to be.

If we’re ever going to achieve anything of significance in this lifetime, we must have a purpose GREATER than ourselves. It is this PURPOSE that will thrust us out of the world of mediocrity and into the world of the winner and the achiever.

So how do we find our purpose? Good question.

There are probably a million answers to that question, but let me share from my own experience. Maybe a bit of that will help you to discover your own personal strategy. All of us are different, but we can at least learn certain principles from another’s life.

The first thing that I did was this: I decided that I was going to be proud of who I was and of what I could do. I also decided that I was a person who had great value. I didn’t get concerned as to what others said or thought about me. I began to develop my own BELIEF in my own abilities. THIS WAS IMPORTANT.

Once that was firmly fixed in my mind, I began to identify my STRENGTHS. Now what are strengths? They’re the things that come to you naturally and the things that you do with a natural flair. You actually enjoy doing them.

STRONG PEOPLE USE THEIR STRENGTHS

So, this is what I did. I took a piece of blank paper and drew a line down the middle. On the left hand side I wrote my strengths (the things I’m naturally good at) and on the right hand side I wrote my weaknesses (the things I don’t find easy to do). Once I had done that I started to major on my strengths in everything I did. As I could, I started to delegate my weaknesses to others who were more gifted in those areas. Let’s face it! We can’t do everything.

It took me nearly ten years to finally realize this, and even today, as I face new situations and challenges, I constantly ask myself the question, ‘What are my strengths?’ I find that I am the most happiest when I am doing what I love doing (thinking and writing). For me, these things are easy to do and I get great joy out of it.

Because I’ve learnt to ask this question constantly, I now, AFTER MANY YEARS OF LEARNING, make my living out of my strengths. At the same time I delegate my weaknesses. The result is this: I do what I love to do every day of my life. WORK to me HAS BECOME FUN because I’m using MY STRENGTHS.

So in a nutshell, here is one way that can help you to clearly DISCOVER your PURPOSE.

1. IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS
2. IDENTIFY YOUR WEAKNESSES
3. MAJOR ON YOUR STRENGTHS
4. DELEGATE YOUR WEAKNESSES

Follow up this simple written exercise by CONSISTENT ACTION. Watch how you will start to live with GREATER ENERGY and GREATER PURPOSE than you have ever done before.

Motivational Memo: PEOPLE with PURPOSE are POWERHOUSES with POSSIBILITY.

In the design of your life it is important to consider those things that you will allow in your life, as well as those things that you will not allow. By ascertaining these things early in your life, confusion will have no hold on the decision making processes that you are faced with on a regular basis.

When in business you too need to determine the boundaries within which you will conduct your business, whether it be the terms and conditions of doing business, the way you collect payments, the way you deliver your product and services, the way you deal with complaints or even the way you conduct customer service.

On the flip side, you also need to have a clear understanding of what business transactions you will not undertake. Sometimes by defining what you won’t do will in fact be the most liberating. You are then free with great clarity to pursue the other 99% of business that is awaiting you, and in that way you will never find yourself in a vulnerable situation where you are being tripped up, and even possibly destroyed by the 1% that you should have rejected in the first place.

For it only takes a single straw to break the camel’s back. So deal with the straw at the start of business and burn it by the power of identification, clear communication and boundary setting.

So when it comes to living, don’t settle for ‘three-star’, ‘four-star’, ‘five-star’ or even ’six-star’. Let’s aim for ’seven-star’ living! So how do you achieve this?

Well here are seven tips to consider and apply immediately to your life.

Star 1 – Develop A Great Attitude

Every day you live, you and I have a choice to make. What attitude are you going to carry with you? Always choose a great attitude.

Star 2 – Develop a Vision For Your Life

Your vision will come from within and can be drawn from your natural gifts and desires. And if that’s not enough – tune into another leader’s vision and throw your weight behind it.

Star 3 – Write Your Goals

Written goals add power to your life. Having written goals now for over twenty years, I have seen too many things that I’ve written down come to pass to think otherwise.

Star 4 – Believe That Success Is Yours

If you don’t believe it, then who will? Think Success! Reject failure thoughts. Remind yourself consistently that you are a success and expect great things to happen in your life.

Star 5 – Destroy Fear Through Action

By simply choosing to act, even while the butterflies are still getting into formation in your stomach, fear will run from you.

Star 6 – Think Creative Thoughts

Immerse yourself constantly in an environment of creativity. One way to do this is to keep a journal and to take at least thirty minutes a day to record your thoughts. It is often in solitude that your greatest ideas will be birthed.

Star 7 – Help Others

You actually learn more when you teach others. The more you give away the more you will receive. Find someone who needs mentoring and start teaching. And as you’re mentoring seek your own mentor to teach you. It’s as simple as offering to meet over a cup of coffee - and make sure that you pay for them.

So don’t settle even for ‘five star’ or ’six star’ living. Go to the top immediately and choose to live a quality ’seven-star’ life.

However, when it came to dealing with the day to day life issues that face us all, they were totally and completely dysfunctional.

The fact is this: to have a disability does not necessarily mean that you have a physical incapacity or even a mental incapacity.

It’s more a matter of the heart and the soul of the individual.

If you know that you are living well below your potential. If you are convinced that you are earning way below your earning potential and are constantly having to fight through a wall of self-doubt and unbelief, then I have great news for you.

Although you are currently disabled, I have some powerful and simple keys that I am going to share with you that, if you take action and apply them immediately, will transport you from a state of disabled to enabled.

DESTROY THE FABLE OF DISABLE BY CREATING A STABLE ENABLE

My wife Shelley worked at the Royal North Shore hospital when we were first married. Her role as a Spinal Research Educator was to enlighten school children on how to avoid the devestating reality of spinal injury.

As she walked throughout the wards full of paraplegics and quadriplegics, it became very clear to her that prevention was a far better alternative than ignorance.

Diving into unknown water depths was stupidity. Not wearing a full-faced helmet when riding a bike was asking for trouble and a number of other common circumstances were clearly presented to the children so that they would at least be given a chance to think before they did things that could produce a lifetime of immobility.

One of the common things that Shelley noticed amongst her disabled colleagues was the anger that many of them had towards their circumstances. Among them were many sportsman, who because of a neck injury were now faced with a lifetime of never being able to play the sports they loved and to never live a life like they had lived before.

But in amongst the angry ones, there were those who chose to rise above their circumstances. Many of them had taken up sports and some had even taken part in the Para-Olympics where they now competed at the international level.

What was the difference between them and those who chose to wither in their wheel chairs?

It’s quite simple. It had everything to do with what was happening on the inside of their twisted and disabled bodies; within both their hearts and minds.

DECLARE THIS: “I AM MORE THAN ABLE!”

Let’s learn from these elite athletes.

First and foremost you and I must establish a HUGE dream. This must not just be a figment of your imagination. It must be a DRIVING FORCE that will catapult you into each and every day that you face.

I know that I harp on this subject time and time again. But it is of vital importance. And as I talk to many people I realise that too many are living a NIGHTMARE  because they have failed to do the most important thing, and that is to clearly identify their personal DREAM.

Without a DREAM in place your life will be a living nightmare. And without a vision for your life, you will perish.

Get a vision. Get a passion. Get a mission. Get an obsession.

Try this. Try that. Make mistakes. Take a risk. Listen to those who are where you want to be. Interview them. Shout them a coffee. Take them out to lunch. Learn from them and take notes.

Do what you love and love what you do. While ever you are doing what you don’t love, you are taking up the space on planet earth that should be occupied by someone else. Get out of the road and get on with your dream.

Until you are in the flow of your dream and your passion you are operating in disability mode. You’re limping towards your future when you should really be running.

Right now, if you haven’t done so, get a blank note pad and start to write down all the things you want to do, have, be or go to. Write until you’re having trouble holding your pen. The process of writing is going to unlock your brain to the huge possibilities that lie before you and the hidden desires that are currently laying dormant within your heart.

Listen - you might just hear me cheering you on right now in the pursuit of YOUR dream.

Motivational Memo: You Are Able!

They appear in the mist, in the sunshine, in the haze, in the snow storm, in the smoke, in the smog and at any time they will land on the page before your very eyes. Without warning they will strike.  Without introduction they will present.

But it is only those whom are aware of the habits of words who will translate the garble into a format that will influence their minds and the minds of others. For there is an ordering that must occur. There is a discipline that must be enforced if any sense is to be made out of the silent commotion that fills our world.

And yet these words - in right order can change the course of history. The pen has always been far more powerful than the sword - words more powerful than wars.

So hone your gift if you wish to influence the lives of men and women. Sharpen your mind by gathering to yourself the very best words that will build your life - an edifice of great wisdom. For these words will feed you, clothe you, water you and enrich you.

They are a company that will befriend you if you treat them with great respect. Handle them wisely and craft the transformation. For rich words add richness to a rich life. And your selective choice of those words, that build strength in your being, will determine whether death or life will fill your days.

Choose the words that breathe life to be your friends. And may they fill the pages of your journals, as well as being those syllables that will habitually pass over and touch the top of your tongue time and time again. For therein lies the path that leads to life - abundant life.

We are reminded in the good book to sit at the lower end of the table, and in that way there is only one way forward, and that is up. And that when we eat in the presence of a great man, to eat of his words rather than to eat of his food.

Positioning yourself in life does not necessarily come as you push your way to the front of the line. There is another way to the top, and that is to serve in humility.

Speak not of yourself and your achievements, but rather speak of others and listen to others. No amount of pushing or shoving will achieve you long-term success. For your gift will make a way for you - all in good time. And when that time comes, it won’t last just for a moment. Your acts of humility along the way will be heralded throughout the ages.

Patience is your virtue. Integrity is your friend. Humility is your companion, and for that reason we will all be extremely proud of you.

For if you have built your house upon the rock of faith, belief and hope - you will weather the storm.  But if your house has been built upon the shifting sands of chance, lack of integrity, indecision and abdicated responsibility - your crash will be great.

But be encouraged - at any time you can rebuild.

But how can you position yourself for success in this current global storm?

First review the vision you have for your life.  Search out once again your life goal, and if you have no goal then make it your goal to find that goal.  Let it be known that the best time to prepare for sickness is when you are healthy.  So take this time now, for it is never too late to begin, to build up your immunity to life’s storms.

Motivation is something that needs to be built into your life on a daily basis through the process of associating with motivated individuals and by making it your regular habit to read and listen to motivational material.  And through that consistent exposure to this motivational environment you will develop the art of creative thinking, big pie thinking and possible thinking.

‘For as a man thinks in his heart so is he’.  Your thought life and the development of a rich thought life will determine whether you will either be the victor or the victim in the latest round of global disasters that has come to visit all of our lives in one form or another.

He recounts that ‘You need to know what you are doing. One small fault with the truck and you’re finished. But if you prepare properly and take precautions it is safer than you might think. Despite this, each year a number of people who try to make the crossing will perish in the attempt. The most common reason is following mirages. If they just trusted the compass they would be fine, but seeing what they take to be habitation or an oasis they drive sometimes miles off course and that can be fatal.’

I live in a vast continent that has a far greater expanse of desert than lush, vegetated areas. In my travels I have, with my own eyes, seen the ghostly images of white, bleached bones and dusty plains with sparse vegetation, dry waterholes and river beds that once flowed freely with life-giving water. For when a drought strikes, the ground can become so dry that it shrinks and cracks.

In order to survive the harshness of the desert or a drought, there are two essential ingredients that will bring you through successfully to the other side.

The first is to refuse to be deceived by mirages.

The second is to pay close attention to your compass, and only your compass.

As I consider the mystery of the desert, I am drawn to think that in some ways it represents the human life.

From the very day we are born, the human life stretches out in front of us like a desert. Unscathed and smoothed by the incessant desert winds, the desert awaits to receive our first steps that will imprint our own footprints into the surface of the shifting sands of time.

But as one step overtakes the next step, our major focus will need to be to get to the other side of the desert alive and well. That is, to have lived a life to its fullest potential and to its greatest capacity.

Be the one who thrives in the desert rather than the many who will be claimed and buried in the heat of the same.

DON’T JUST SURVIVE, LEARN TO THRIVE

A. REFUSE TO BE DECEIVED BY MIRAGES

There are many things that can distract us from our life mission.

Remember the ones who perished in the desert. They disregarded their guide and pursued ‘what appeared to be’ rather than sticking with their original plan.

This is why it is so important to translate our thoughts for our life into a written plan.

Goals need to be written.

Mission statements need to be written.

Business plans need to be written.

Life goals need to be written.

Daily, weekly and monthly tasks need to be written.

Why?

Because life will constantly throw up before us different events and circumstances that will interrupt the flow of our initial intentions.

Also, our memory is constantly assaulted with an incredible amount of information, that even though stored, many of us will forget many of the minute details.

This requires focus, and by developing that focus you won’t be drawn off track from your life goal.

The daily acquisiton and fine-tuning of good habits will also allow you to resist the urge and the temptation to try the latest fad and dabble with the latest gimmick.

You will in fact become solid in your personality and in your character. And although on the surface everything around you is in a constant state of change, you will continue to forge ahead in the pursuit and the acquisition of your goals and your dreams, unhindered.

TO ENCOMPASS YOUR FUTURE USE A COMPASS

B. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR COMPASS

A compass is a device for determining directions. The simplest form of the compass is a magnetic needle that turns. The needle is mounted on a pivot so that it can move freely and it points in the direction of the magnetic north and south poles.

A simple pocket compass helps a person find their way when they are lost, and when there are no landmarks to guide them. All they need to know is the direction in which they should be going.

If they must walk west to reach the nearest town, they go in the direction at right angles to the left end of the needle which points north.

A life lived with a clear sense of purpose, that is directed by a life goal, is a life lived under the guidance of a compass.

However, live without this knowledge firmly in place, within your heart and mind, and you are an accident waiting to happen. You will live your life aimlessly and ultimately wind up on some shifting sand hill in the middle of nowhere, chasing one mirage after another with no real sense of clarity or direction.

Don’t delay. Find your compass. Focus on where you want to take your life. Attach a plan to that goal and then set forward in the confidence that you have all the ability that is required to pursue your dreams and achieve them.

Motivational Memo: Transform your desert into dessert by passionately pursuing your life goal each and every day.

However, the road of persistence can at times turn into a track and can even in some places disappear before your very eyes.  And it is at that point that you must look up beyond the jungle that lies before you and see your mountain top destination.

That is when the compass of your vision, that lies deep within your heart, must rise up and declare ‘press on’.

For it is only the persistent who will know such things because of their dogged determination to do whatever it takes to live a life of hopes and dreams fulfilled.