Are You Clear?

You’ve probably heard it said, “Be clear and focused.” I’ve heard it many times; how about you?  But what you are clear and focused on will be the determining factor in what happens in your life.

Are You Clear?

There is something that I have observed for a long time. Think about it and decide if it’s something that you too have observed.

When it comes to problems, shortcomings, failures and all the negative things in life, there are a lot of people who seem to be able to relate and talk about those things in exquisite detail! Even if it’s something that happened in the past, people seem to remember it and repeat it as if it happened only a few minutes ago.

But, if you were to ask these same people where they are headed in life and what the future holds for them, you would usually, at best, get a vague, short answer like, “Oh, just hoping for the best; maybe retire when I’m 65.”

Take a step back for a moment and think about it. What’s wrong with this picture? Why are people eloquent and excited with many very clear details about negative situations, instead of being eloquent and excited with many very clear details about the things that really matter? When it comes to the future of their own lives, why don’t they have a clear vision?

If you have ever wondered why people are so negative, this is the answer. They have trained their minds to focus on negative situations and have chosen to not focus on their future and their unlimited potential for success.

Ever Had A Flat?

Here’s an example: a flat tire. That is certainly not a positive situation. However, one person may not even mention the event, or if he does, it’s just a passing remark, like, “Yeah, had a flat.”

But for someone else, you better look out! You’re going to get a 20 minute story of what happened before the tire went flat, blaming everyone who is at fault over the flat tire, explaining how the tire company doesn’t make tires like they should, and the roads are in such poor shape, and idiots just throw things in the road, and on and on it goes.

Then, after all of that comes the part about the actual changing of the tire and all the negative things that surrounded it. They might say the jack is hard to get to, complain about those lousy lug nuts, tell you about sweating so much out in the heat, and complain that it took so long, and so on. You get the point.

Now, compare all of those negative statements to someone who just says, “Oh yeah, had a flat.”

What You Look At Is What You Become

Constantly focusing on negatives will train your mind to look for and evaluate circumstances and situations from a negative point of view. The glass will always look half empty. But, even more importantly, if you continue to focus on negatives, you will attract more negatives into your life.

So, what kind of future can you expect? The results that you receive will depend on whatever you are consistently focusing on, either negative or positive. Your future is your choice.

Instead of getting wrapped up in all the negatives around you, get a clear picture of where you want your life to go. Call it your goals, dreams or whatever you like. Just be sure to have a picture so clear in your mind that you could describe it to others with great passion and in great detail.

Remind yourself daily of exactly what you desire. Repeat that specific desire to yourself every day, with passion and emotion! Keep the picture crystal clear.

There will always be “flat tires.” Deal with them, forget them, and move on. Why waste your brain power thinking about negative situations that are already over and done with? Instead, focus on the positive things around you.

Do whatever you need to do to keep your vision alive by keeping the focus of your desires crystal clear.

Michael Verdicchio
2011

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Highlights

This past weekend I was in Charlotte, North Carolina for a business convention.  Our guest speaker was none other than Andy Andrews.

Having recently done his seven decisions as podcasts on this blog, I thought I would do a short (6:33) podcast of some of the highlights.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Editing Your Thoughts

Okay, here I go again.  Not everyone who visits this blog is a subscriber to my free weekly newsletter, called, The Pep Letter.  And because I thought yesterday’s article was worth repeating, here it is.

This article is about editing your thoughts. We edit things we write, but do you think any of your thoughts need editing?  Does it really matter?  What do you think?

Edit Your Thoughts

Typing away on your computer you have no doubt had the spell checker engage when you misspell a word.  That handy red line appears under the word that is identified with an incorrect spelling.  Most of these programs even give you a list of possible correct spellings for that particular word.

I know when I type an article, it is important to me to have all the words spelled correctly.  So I appreciate the spell checker feature.  For me, it is a very helpful tool in editing what I write.

Of course, when it comes to speaking, most of the time we do not have a grammar checker in our brain.  Many of us use incorrect grammar when we talk.  But for the most part, we all seem to get by and understand each other.

But what about editing your thoughts?  We all have thousands of thoughts pop in our heads every single day.  Do we need to edit those? Is that something that needs to concern us?

The answer to that question depends upon whether or not you believe that your thoughts affect your life.  The Bible is very clear about the effect your thoughts have on your life.  Self help and motivational speakers as well as teachers have been talking about it for a very long time.

The Bible says that we ought to guard our heart with all diligence because from it are the issues of life; our life.  It also states that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  And of course, the verse that has been referred to for centuries: as one thinks in his own heart, so is he.

Perhaps you have heard a self help or motivational speaker talk about how our thoughts determine our lives.  Maybe you have read something similar in a book.  It has been said by countless people for many, many years that you can change your circumstances by first changing your thoughts.

If all that is true, then I say we do indeed need a “thought checker.”  We need to recognize if something we are thinking about is not productive.  We really do need to edit our thinking.

How do we do that?  It’s really quite simple, but it does take a little effort.  But, the effort is well worth it.

First we need to make a decision to monitor our thoughts.  We need to take note of what we are thinking.  The best place to start is with your thoughts about yourself.

Each and every thought you have about yourself must be monitored and evaluated.  You can decide to either allow that thought to stay, or determine that it needs to go. If it needs to go, then you toss it out of your mind and replace it with something that is profitable and beneficial to your life.

For example, you may be thinking about how you can’t possibly expect to be financially successful.  You may have all kinds of reasons and experiences to back up that kind of thinking.  And so, you accept the thinking that you are one of those persons who just needs to settle.

That is in fact destructive thinking.  When you recognize that kind of thinking, you need to stop right then and there and simply say, “No!”  Refuse to accept that kind of thinking, and throw those thoughts out the window.

Next, replace those thoughts with positive, encouraging thoughts.  Stop allowing your experiences, or the odds, or your present circumstances to dictate how the rest of your life is to be.  As he thinks in his heart, so is he.

The Bible is full of God’s promises of success.  He wants you to be happy and blessed in all that you do.  But He will not get inside of your brain and change your thinking; that is something that you must do.

People in every walk of life who are successful do not have a lousy opinion of themselves.  They do not think that they can’t achieve, rather they think and believe that they can.  They actually see themselves achieving the things that they desire.

It all starts with deciding which thoughts you want to entertain and keep.  Your thoughts, like a rudder on a great ship will set the direction and course for your life.  Change and adjust the rudder by tossing out destructive thoughts, then replace them with productive thoughts.

You can change your life today, one thought at a time.

Michael A. Verdicchio
2010

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What Are You Wearing?

It’s Another Podcast!

No one I know leaves the house without putting on some type of clothing.  It is just something we all do every day.

This short podcast (5:27) parallels what we put on our body every day with what we put in our minds every day.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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Two Wolves

It’s Another Podcast

It’s Another Podcast!

Truth is truth; it doesn’t change.  But there are many ways or methods to convey things that are true.

In this short podcast (3:10) listen to a simple story that makes clear one of life’s biggest truths.

Enjoy the podcast!

[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]

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The #1 Cause Of Failure

last night I was back again at The Phoenician for their awards banquet.  Many trophies were given ouot for various categories.  I introduced the presenters.

During some “down time” while everyone was eating, I reflected on the past two days of this 5 day convention for upper management of this large company.  I thought about an aricle I published back in April of 2008, titled, “The #1 Cause of Failure.”

I decided to re-publish it here this morning.  It’s still true.

The #1 Cause Of Failure

where-to-go

What is the biggest roadblock to success?  What sabotages jobs or relationships?  What is the number one cause of failure?

In asking blunt questions like these, many answers may arise as to the real cause of failure. Some would answer by saying that a lack of education is the number one cause for failure. Others would emphatically state that the number one cause is a lack of financial resources.   Still others would be convinced that it must be missing out on opportunities.

Actually, hundreds of possible answers to this question exist.  And I would have to agree that the answers above definitely contribute to failure.  But they are not the real culprit.

In fact, in the least common denominator, there is only one basic reason for not succeeding.  It is sad that few recognize it, and fewer still believe it.  But it is still true.

What Is It?

The number one cause for failure in anyone’s life is what is going on inside their head. smile-thoughtsThat is the cause!  It’s not a lack of knowledge, but rather it’s the false knowledge that a person has put into their mind that they continue to accept as true.  It is that false knowledge that sabotages all our efforts.

Negative thoughts are defeating thoughts.  Now I know that there are people who scoff at the whole “positive thinking” idea.  That is their choice.  But their choice does not change what is true.  The Bible has a lot to say about the thoughts we think

Consistent negative thinking in the mind will absolutely bring negatives into a person’s life.  And it doesn’t matter if you call it, “The Law of Attraction,” or The Law of Vibration,” or any number of names.  It is simply the way God designed our brains to work.  That’s why we bring into our lives that which we consistently focus our minds on.

So if we choose to focus on negative thoughts, negative situations, negative possibilities, etc., we will absolutely bring those negatives into our lives.  How few believe this powerful, critical truth!  Our own thoughts are the number one cause of failure in our lives.

Want Proof?

We see proof of it every single day.  Do you know someone who consistently has problems?  What kind of things do they talk about?  What are some of the things that you hear that individual say on a very consistent basis?  I can guarantee you their talk, their outward expression of what’s on the inside, is negative.

What kind of thoughts do you think they harbor and incubate?  Do you think that they consistently think thoughts of prosperity and abundance; thoughts of health; thoughts of having great relationships?  Not hardly.

Do you know people who it seems like things are always going in their favor?  (You know the kind I mean, the ones who seem to get all the good breaks!)  Do you know people who seem to have God’s blessings just flowing to them?  Sure you do, we all do.

What do those people talk about, negatives?  No, they talk about positive things, and they talk about possibilities.  Their talk seems to indicate that they are expecting great things to happen to them.

Wow!  Isn’t that just such a great coincidence?  Not!

It is no coincidence!  It’s how God designed our brains to work.  We all have freewill to choose our own thoughts.

Guess What?

And here’s some really good insight.  Just thinking one positive thought or one negative thought will not bring it into your life.  There is a part of the mind, which is called by a number of different names.  But again, the name is not important.  What is important is understanding how your mind works.

heartThis is the part of the mind where you carry out who you are.  This is where your core beliefs are stored.  This innermost part of your mind is also referred to as your belief system, or, as the Bible refers to it, the heart.

Your life today is the result of what is inside your heart right now.  And if you don’t like what’s outside, and you are tired of the same results, then make the effort to change what’s inside; change your heart, your belief system, your core beliefs.

Make Some Important Mental Changes!

Identify the negative defeating thoughts that are in there, and then make a decision to remove those thoughts, and put in their place thoughts about the positive things that you do desire in your life.

Your own thoughts, the things you have stored up in your heart can be your worst enemy.  Replace negative defeating thoughts with positive thoughts of success and victory.  If you do, you will see the results that you desire in your life.

The Bible says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Michael A. Verdicchio
First published, April, 2008

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Opposite Thoughts

You’ve probably heard the question, “What are you thinking about?”  But have you ever wondered how many thoughts you actually think?  Scientific research varies on estimtes from 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day.  But, there is something that you cannot think about!

In this article I am going to show you just how magnificent the human mind is by asking you to do something with your mind that you cannot do. I’ve tried it and I can’t do it.  In fact there is no one on the planet that can do it.

I’ll explain more in a few minutes.

What you focus on in your mind will always set the course for your life, whether it is positive or negative, success or failure, victory or defeat.  Amazingly, few people know and understand this and even fewer believe it.  Believe it or don’t believe it; the battle will always take place in the mind.

Thoughts Are Seeds

I like to think of thoughts as seeds.  Seeds have a planting and germinating process. If they are planted and nourished, they will grow and produce. This is true with weed seeds too.

Just because a negative thought comes into your mind doesn’t mean you need to harbor that thought and entertain it.  You can simply dismiss it, like pulling a weed out. Or, you can choose to keep it and let it settle in.

Now, consider opposites.  How do you get rid of darkness?  Simply by introducing light.  Light and darkness are opposites. The same is true with cold and heat.  Hot and cold are opposites, just as light and darkness are opposites.   One replaces or neutralizes the other.

Try This Experiment

Now when it comes to our thinking and our thoughts, we just cannot think two opposite thoughts at the same time.  Have you ever tried?  If not, here’s an experiment you can do right now.

tall-buildingPicture a building in your mind.  Make this building a very, very tall building and, at the same time, make this building a very short building.  You can’t do it!

You cannot picture the same building as a very tall building and a very short building at the same time.  That’s because tall and short are opposites.

Want to try another?

Picture a car at a racetrack going one-hundred and fifty miles an hour and at the same time see the car going twenty miles and hour.  You cannot picture it because fast and slow are opposites.42-15599538

You cannot hold two opposite thoughts in your mind at the same time. One will simply overwrite the other.  That is how the Creator designed our brains to work.

This Gives Us A Great Advantage!

The thoughts that you hold in your mind are the thoughts that you are planting and nourishing, and they will grow.  The question is, “What kind of crop do you want to harvest?”

Get busy planting and nourishing the seeds that you want to harvest. If a farmer wants to harvest wheat and corn, does he just sit around all day and do nothing, and then hope that maybe someday he could harvest some wheat and corn?  No.  He plants seeds and nourishes them.

972948What kind of seeds does he plant?  Wheat and corn, of course!  It’s so simple and so very obvious in so many categories of life.  And, it works just as accurately and precisely in our minds.

You must decide what you truly desire, and then start planting and nourishing the seed. When those destructive, negative, defeating thoughts pop in, drive them out, by replacing them with what you do desire.

It’s Your Choice

Your thoughts will truly bring to you courage or discouragement; success or failure; confidence or fear.  It is always in your own power to choose which thoughts you will hold in your mind. Changing your thinking is absolutely required if you want to change your circumstances.

God gave us all free will.  You can choose to think whatever thoughts you want to think.  But remember, you are and you will be a product of the thoughts that you have planted and nourished.  The Bible says, “As he thinks in his heart so is he.”

Mike Verdicchio
2009

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It Changed My Life

Have you been to the movies recently?

A number of years ago, a young lady told me that the movie she had seen movierecently changed her life.  I thought that it must be a pretty powerful movie if it was actually changing people’s lives.  What I didn’t realize at the time was that there isn’t a single movie ever made that has the power to change your life.

You’ve probably heard people tell you, “It changed my life!”  You may have heard commercials promise, “It will change your life!”  But the truth is that no book, no course, no quote, no movie, no, not even a blog can change your life.

You may be inspired and motivated by something you hear, read, or see, and as a result, you may decide to change the way you think. When you decide to change what you are thinking, that is when your life will start to change.  No person or thing will ever change your life except you.

Only you can change your life!

That’s not just a positive reinforcement statement to try to give you courage.  The reason you can change your life is because of how the Creator designed our brains to work.  The Bible states that “as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

What’s The Secret? secret

It is no secret that some people are successful and some people are not.  Is that just fate or chance?  Or, is it, as some would have you to believe, predestination? Are some people just destined to succeed, while others are destined to fail?

No.  As hard as it may be to face it, your current situations and circumstances are directly related to your own thoughts.

You may not be too thrilled about where your life is right now.  But just as your thoughts got you where you are today, it will be your thoughts, and your thoughts alone, that determine where your life will be tomorrow.

Can’t I Just Hope For The Best?

Most people just float through life.  They take what comes to them and then just hope for the best.  Far too many people simply do not take charge of their lives.  But, you really can take charge of your life by taking charge of your thoughts.

Have you noticed that people who are consistently negative think totally different thoughts than people who are consistently positive?  And have you noticed that the results in their lives are also completely different? Is that just an amazing coincidence?  No.

What about goals?  Some people reach their goals and others do not. Are pos-negthose who reach their goals just lucky?  Do you often wonder just what is going on in their brains?  Well, what’s going on in your brain?  That is critically important because it will determine your success or failure.

What Can I Do?

If you don’t like where your life is right now, start changing your thoughts. It may take a little effort and you may feel awkward at first.  However, be assured that just as the law of gravity works for every person who tries it, our brains work with the same accurate precision. We are all a product of our own thoughts.

If you are waiting for some special course, or a dynamic book, or even a movie to change your life, you’ll be waiting a lifetime.  These things can help you by pointing you in the right direction.  They can show you how to think successful thoughts.  They can also show you where your thoughts are defeating you.

I am highly in favor of motivation and inspiration. But I also know that I cannot motivate people.  I cannot inspire people.  I can present ideas in various ways and when people hear them or read them, they can decide to be inspired or motivated, and as a result, take action. excited

We have all been exposed to things that sounded really good.  We may have even been very excited about them.  But there is a huge difference in being excited about something and actually taking action.

Taking that action begins with the thoughts you think. No one can think your thoughts for you. That takes a decision on your part.  Make a decision to consistently think the right thoughts and you will indeed begin to change your life! Then, take action on those thoughts, and expect God’s blessings to follow.

Mike Verdicchio

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What Do You Think?
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Are Weeds Growing In Your Head?

I have written before about how thoughts can be “weed seeds.” Negative or destructive thoughts in our mind are very similar to weeds in a flowerbed or garden. They will grow and flourish unless we get them out!

Can The Words That We Speak Be Weed Seeds Too?

The Bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. In order to speak something it needs to be in our mind or heart; and then we say it. Many times this happens simultaneously.

Speaking something reinforces the thought or belief to ourselves. For example, you may have heard someone recently say, “If things don’t change, we are going into a deep depression in our country.”

Those Are Words. They Plant Seeds.

Words that you hear can settle in your mind and take root. Then, the next thing you know you are telling someone else about a looming depression. And as soon as you say those words, just like thinking those words, it’s like nourishing that new “weed seed” in your mind. And, we all know how fast weeds can grow!!

I have no control over tiny seeds blowing into my flowerbed. Neither do you! But I do have control over what I plant in my flowerbed! So do you! And I doubt very seriously that you have ever planted a weed. I never have. Why? Because neither of us are that dumb!

So, if I choose to not plant weeds in my flowerbed or garden, why would I want to plant weeds in my head? The things that I choose to think about and say can and do plant weeds.

You Can Choose To Think About “Lack,” But…

If you think about and dwell on your lack, you will see your lack continue to grow. You nurture that lack by speaking about it, by telling yourself and others how much lack you have. And, your focus remains on what you don’t have, your lack! But instead, you can choose to think on abundance! Abundance? How can someone possibly choose to think on abundance when they have lack? How can you dare to plant an abundance seed in your mind during these very critical times?

Well, why not? Abundance and prosperity are promised by God in the Bible! Have you ever considered nourishing abundance and prosperity seeds in your mind and allowing them to flourish?

If you wanted a beautiful flowerbed, you would certainly have no qualms about planting the seeds to grow those flowers. You wouldn’t think that because they are just seeds, they won’t make a difference.

Those who have lack and continue to think about their lack and talk about their lack, will evidence nothing but lack. Each time they do, it’s like watering and fertilizing that lack seed. We certainly would never intentionally do that with a weed in the flowerbed, would we?

Have You Ever Had A Garden Or Flowerbed?

In the flowerbed, or garden we see and recognize the weeds. They are there. We then do whatever we need to do to get them out! We remove them! “It’s time for you to go!” And in its place, we plant what we do want to grow.

Why not take the time to water and nurture the seed of abundance? Yes but, what about the economy? Regardless of whether the economy is up or down, or sideways, it is never God’s will for you to lack. He has promised to supply all that you need so that your life is fulfilled, regardless of the economy.

He has promised to give you the desires of your heart, regardless of the economy. He said that He wishes above all things that you would prosper and be in health, regardless of the economy.

Those are really good seeds to plant in your mind! Why not try those out for a while? Replace the lack seeds with abundance seeds.

Take a look and see what’s growing in the garden of your mind. Take an honest look! What kind of thoughts are you thinking? What are you talking about? In every category of your life, get rid of the weeds and plant the promises of God!

Mike Verdicchio