Vision

Vision is the gift of being able to see clearly what may be. Vision has the power to expand our horizons. The more we develop our vision, the better we will be able to achieve our goals.

Many of us have never really spent much time developing our vision, yet it can be one of the most powerful elements that will lead to future success, happiness, and fulfillment.

This month as we explore the concepts and truths of developing a vision, you will begin to gain a better sense of what really motivates you. Moving forward with much more confidence and assurance, you will have a definite purpose for each day.

It is my hope that when this month is over, you will have a clear vision of what you would like to achieve, and your vision will be the driving force to your success and accomplishment. Get Ready!


Tag Vision success

Goal Examination

Some people, in working toward a goal, find themselves seized by inertia when it comes time for action.

If this should happen to you, despite the small graduated steps, then it may be time to reexamine your goal.

Consider how important it actually is and then either discard the goal (and replace it with a more suitable one) or continue the steps with a renewed sense of value of achieving it.

(Fitzhugh Dodson)


Tag Goal Examination Fitzhugh Dodson

Overcoming Obstacles

Road blocks, detours, barricades, setbacks, and dilemmas are a part of our every day lives, no matter how smart, rich, or accomplished we may be. I sure try my best to avoid them, but there always seems to be some challenge or battle to overcome.

How do you deal with obstacles that cause you to wonder which way to go, or which way to turn? Ever say to yourself, "Am I on the right road or am I heading for a road block, or even a crash?"

The worst thing we can do is freeze and do nothing. Activity and the courage to keep trying are key to overcoming inertia. This is true even though we may not be 100% sure that our actions are the best.

"Everyone who achieves success in a great venture, solved each problem as they came to it. They kept going regardless of the obstacles they met (W. Clement Stone)."

"We know how rough the road will be, how heavy the load will be, we know about the barricades that wait along the track, but we have set our soul ahead upon a certain goal ahead and nothing left from hell to sky shall ever turn us back" (Vince Lombardi).

Chart your course. Stay focused on the goal. Keep going! Keep moving! Knock off each obstacle one at a time. You can do it!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Overcoming Obstacles David Croston goals

Keep Moving Forward

Around Here, Whatever, We don't look backwards for very long.
We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things.
Because We're curious...
And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

Walt Disney


Tag Keep Moving Forward Walt Disney

Turn On the Spotlight

How many of you have been in a pitch black room before, trying to move or walk, but cannot see what lies ahead. As a result, you move in very slow, short steps in order to avoid injury. When in the dark, you are cautious, uncertain, and unaware of the best direction to turn. You may have a sense of where you are going, but it is hit and miss and you can end up grabbing at shadows.

It is no longer necessary for you to be living in the dark. No more moving about with uncertainty. You do not have to be living a hit and miss life, or grabbing at shadows. Your life is much too important to be shuffling in the dark.

TURN ON THE SPOTLIGHT to what your current situation is. Is your life out of balance in some way? Evaluate what it is that you want to change or make different. Think of what would be your ideal scene, then make it happen. Go after it! Move toward what you want, and do it on a daily basis.

TURN ON THE SPOTLIGHT and begin to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams. Focus and zero in on your vision for life. Visualize each day as happy, productive, and fulfilling.

Keep the spotlight shining!

"The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path". (D'Alembert)


Tag Turn On Spotlight life

NEVER A BETTER TIME THAN NOW

NEVER A BETTER TIME THAN NOW!

The waiting game has been played by us all. For whatever reason we fail to move ahead. For some this may be the right thing to do. For others it's just an excuse.

Some of us may be ready to really start living, but we wait! Wait until things change, until there is more time, until the kids are grown, until we get that promotion, until we settle down-until, until, until. There always seems to be some other major event that occurs which causes us to procrastinate yet one more time.

That's why many fail-because they don't get started-they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin. (W.Clement Stone)

Whatever it is that you may want to do with your life, NOW is the time to begin. Start working on your dream five minutes a day, it will gather momentum, and you will begin to see signs of progress and accomplishment.

Don't wait until the end of your life to look back and say "I never did what I really wanted to do". Never let opportunities pass you by.

Begin to fulfill your purpose and mission in life. Start living the life you always wanted TODAY. Now is the time to seize the day and live your dreams.

There is never a better time than NOW!

There is never a better time than TODAY!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag NEVER BETTER TIME NOW inertia David Croston

Go For The Fruit

It takes courage to begin something new. It takes courage to step out into the unknown. Life has no guarantees, but the reward for living your dream is filled with much fruit.

Starting is the key. We can have the best plans, projects, or ideas, but all is fruitless if we don't take that first step. You must be willing to act, willing to fail, and willing to persist until you achieve your dream.

Are you compelled to achieve success or do you tend to stay at rest? Sir Isaac Newton states that one continues to stay at rest unless compelled to change by forces impressed upon them. Once you're moving, you can keep moving.

Do you have that urge within to break out of the routine and begin to do what you've always wanted to do? Follow your heart. Follow your passion, and don't be afraid to go out on a limb, for that is where all the FRUIT is.

Go for the fruit!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Inertia Fruit Success David Croston

You Can Do This!

Fear is a major cause of inertia in the lives of many. Fear not only causes people to stop in their tracks and become immobile, but it also causes them to turn and run the other way.

While in many cases fear keeps us from danger, it can also prevent us from doing things that would be productive to our growth and success. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of new challenges, fear of other people, fear of change and making a transition all can hinder our growth and potential for a successful and fulfilling life.

I am not going to say that it is easy to overcome your fears. I have had many fears that have held me back, but I have also been able to overcome many of them too. I believe that YOU can do the same. I believe that within each of your fears, there lies the potential for great success and achievement. There lies the satisfaction of knowing that you can beat and overcome whatever may be holding you back. There lies the confidence you will need to face your next fear.

The first step is the hardest. Take each fear apart and examine the components until you zero in on what exactly may be the culprit. Stick your neck out and take a chance. Face the fear or rejection head on. Prove to yourself that you can beat it. You can knock it down. You can work through it. You can come out on top. You can do this.

Fear is conquered by action not inertia.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Do Fear action inertia David Croston

Do not Give UP

When you feel give up and wanna stop to do. Remember! Do not give up! Try to to hold with persevering, and struggle hardly. You can succeed!

Tag give up persevering struggle succeed

Inertia

So many of us want to enjoy a successful life. We dream of the way we would like life to be. We may have great ideas, great goals, and great plans, but somehow, somewhere, and someway, our dreams and plans never make it to fruition.

One of the common hinderances is the inability to overcome inertia. This has kept many people from accomplishing their true desires.

Inertia is defined as lacking the power to move. Moving very slowly. Sluggish. Deficient in activity. Something that remains at rest. Indisposition to motion, exertion, or change.

Maybe you have found yourself in situations where you just couldn't be motivated to act. Maybe you just lacked the courage to begin. If you want to be successful you must start sometime. NOW may be the time to take the steps needed to overcome inertia in your life.

This month we will learn about what causes inertia, and how to take action so you can overcome it and live the successful and fulfilling life that you dream of.

The first step is the hardest.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Inertia David Croston successful life

Being Thankful

"Be thankful for what you have" Now where have I heard that before? Yes, it's coming back to me now. I can hear my mother's voice, and she is speaking in a serious tone. I can picture myself nagging her about all that I lacked, and all that I wanted. Why can't I have this? Why can't I have that? And her answer: "Be thankful for what you have". "Be happy with what you've got".

Do you find yourself grumbling and complaining about all that you lack? Do you go through life always wishing for newer, better, faster? Do you look upon the wealth of others and become bitter because of their abundance? Do you focus on, and talk more about what you don't have rather than what you do have?

If so, then it may be time to rise above all the negativity, and set a new standard of living for yourself. You may want to call it "Thanksliving" It all starts with a shift from a mindset of lack, to a mindset of abundance. It has been said that what you focus on, you attract to yourself. Complaining about all that you lack produces more lack. Shift your outlook to that of abundance. Become grateful for every little thing that you have. Be thankful for all that is around you. Fulfillment will come to you when you fill your life with gratitude and gratefulness.

Our real fulfillment lies in being thankful.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Thankful

Letting Go of Mistakes

As we go through life, each of us is bound to make mistakes. It is a fact of life. I hate making mistakes. There was a time in my life when I became very angry, embarrassed, and bitter for making mistakes. I would often take my anger out on others because of the mistakes I made. My anger and bitterness would then consume and impede my present or future fulfillment. I was robbing myself.

Now that kind of strategy simply does not make sense. Maybe some of you are caught in this same kind of trap. I think in my case anyway, it came down to a fear of failure or becoming too concerned about what others thought.

Maybe you have experienced this at work when you are being evaluated on how you performed on a certain task. You may be overly concerned about past performance. If you are asking yourself-"How did I do?", you may be too concerned about past mistakes made. Yes we can learn from past mistakes, but we should not be consumed by them.

Picture holding on to a balloon, then letting it go, and watching it drift slowly up into the sky never to return. You can do the same with your past mistakes. Just let them go.

Don't let past mistakes immobilize you. You have to accept the past. You can't return to it. You did the best you could for the situation you were in at the time. It is not necessary to judge yourself. You can be free from the past by living in the present and enjoying it. Learn from the past but live in the present. Fulfillment can be yours today by letting go.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Letting Go Mistakes David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

What Do You Want?

There are many things that each of us want. Some of us have more wants than others. If we have many wants, and they're not being obtained, we become very discouraged. Fulfillment is difficult when we live a life of high expectations and wants that are not being met.

The trick is to either diminish our wants or augment our means. A person who has realistic wants and expectations will be far more happy and fulfilled in life. "You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you need"(Vernon Howard).

Take stock today of your current wants and expectations. If you have been unhappy with life, it may be because you want and expect too much from yourself, others around you, and life in general. Try lowering your expectations. Happiness and fulfillment will be yours if you are content with where you're at and what you have.

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get" (Hayden).

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Want David Croston Motivational Concepts Training Happiness Success

Failure to Fulfillment

To be committed to memory:
"Very little is needed to make a happy life" (Marcus Aurelius).

Definition of Fulfillment:
Having a life of satisfaction. To develop to full potential. Reaching a level of contentment. Happy with what you have. A source or means of enjoyment. Gratification.

As I read some definitions of the word fulfillment, I can think of many, many, times when I was just the opposite. So many problems. So many struggles, so many heartaches, so many let downs. I would ask myself WHY ME? Why is my life in such a turmoil? Why is my life in such a mess? Why do I have to suffer like this? What am I doing wrong?

Everything that I wanted seemed to be just out of reach. There was a big gap between what I had and what I wanted. The frustration of being unsatisfied with the past, and negative about the future had given me an all around bad attitude about life. Cynical, negative and pessimistic were the attributes I possessed.

After many months and years of combating this delemma, there are a few things that I have helped me to gain more control and begin to experience fulfillment.

The following may be of help to you:
Appreciating what you have
Lowering your expectations
Stop obsessing about riches
Stop thinking about past mistakes
Stop worrying about the future
Being thankful
Believing that things will work out
Living and enjoying the present
Focus on helping others
Keep things in perspective

Fulfillment can be yours today. Begin to look around at all that you have. Focus on the abundance that you may at times take for granted. No matter what state you are currently in, you can be content and experience satisfaction. You have the potential today to live a fulfilling and rewarding life. Don't waste another day.
Start Now!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Failure Fulfillment David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

Fulfillment

Fulfillment is something that everyone seeks to obtain. We all desire to be happy, content, full of life, successful, healthy, loved, cared for, secure in our jobs, living a life of purpose, meaning, and satisfaction.

The reality is that we all go through some degree of pain, misfortune, ill health, unhappiness and discontent. No matter how rich or poor we are, we all face adversity of some shape or form.

Is it possible to live a life of fulfillment even though we may still suffer from some sort of lack? Can we rise above the deficits that we have, and be content? Do we need riches in order to experience fulfillment? Is our happiness based on what we posess or don't posess? Do we all live our lives constantly craving for more and more?

In the next few sessions we will explore, and go a little deeper into the topic of fulfillment, and how it affects our daily lives.

"Remember this-that very little is needed to make a happy life" (Marcus Aurelius).

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Fulfillment David Croston Marcus Aurelius Motivational Concepts Training

Growth is Balance

During this time of Spring in NY, one can see growth taking place all around. New flowers, plants and leaves on the trees are beginning to come out. It amazes me that each plant, tree or flower needs certain ingredients and conditions in order for it to grow. Such a delicate balance is needed. Too much, or too little of one thing can offset the balance and hinder, or even kill a living thing.

Balance is so important in our own lives. Just look at balance and our bodies. What an enormous task it is to keep our bodies in shape and in good running order. We all need a certain amount of food, water, oxygen, sleep, and exercise in order to stay healthy.

We can also look at the other major areas of our lives and apply the same concept of balance. We have mental, emotional, social, spiritual, family, and financial areas to contend with. What a challenge it is to try and keep everthing in balance.

Is your life in balance? Are you receiving the proper nutrition in each area of your life? Are you living in the best conditions possible that will enhance your growth? OR do you feel out of balance, and not growing like you should?

Maybe you have neglected some areas of your life, or are spending too much time in other areas. Do you feel out of balance, stressed out, or losing control of your present situation?

Take some time to assess where you are at, and what you need to change in order to be in balance.
Picture how your life would be, or what it would look like if it were in balance. You may need to make some changes in order to become more balanced.

The work you do in keeping your life in balance will produce growth that will fill your life with joy, happiness, success, and fulfillment.

Strive for balance. Work for balance. Maintain balance. Choose balance. Live a
balanced life.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Growth Balance David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

Become employer to own self

The moment we afraid. Do not stay quietly! Recognize and Analise carefully. Throw fear shadow in our mind. Become employer to own self.


Tag afraid Recognize Analise carefully fear employer own self

Growth is Commitment

Well, it was another day at the YMCA running around the track. Boy do I struggle to get there. There is always a battle that goes on in my head. Should I stay home, or should I go. I felt like just staying home and taking a nap. But I knew If I didn't go I would feel even worse.

Well I'm at the track running around and around, thinking I might just shorten my run by ten minutes. After all, what difference is ten minutes going to make. Again the struggle to decide, but the choice was made to go the full thirty minutes that I committed to.

I don't know about you, but I always seem to try and find the easy way out, with the least amount of effort, trying to get away with as much as possible. But I have learned that if I try and cheat and lower my standard, then I stunt my own growth!

Life sure does require a lot of discipline each and every day. The word discipline means TO STICK TO SOMETHING. It has taken a lot of discipline to write to you two times per week. But I have set my standard, and even if I don't feel like doing a darn thing, I know I have committed to writing to you each week.

I would like to encourage you today not to give in to lowering your standard, keeping your word, or carrying out a task that you said you would do. Integrity is quality that we all should strive to have. Don't commit If you don't plan to complete.

All growth depends on action. If you fail to act you fail to grow. If you rest, you rust. And don't forget to reward yourself for a job well done. I have completed my run, and have finished this message. Now I will reward myself with a SMALL dish of ice cream.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Growth Commitment David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

Your Season of Growth

To be committed to memory:
Growth is the result of responding to change in a positive way.

To GROW means:
To Spring-Up, To develop to maturity, to be able to grow in a certain place or situation. To increase in size, to expand, to become, to increase in wisdom, to have an increasing influence, to become increasingly acceptable or attractive, progressive development, to grow toward or arrive at full stature mentally, physically, and socially.

Well I am glad winter is over and Spring is here. Living in Upstate NY, I don't care for the winter too much. I would much rather have it warm than cold. The change in seasons can be a great way to look at and compare the seasons of life. Have you ever noticed that there are periods of time in your life when everything seems to be going wrong, or bad things seem to happen all at once. You feel like your sort of in a rut, or maybe you have been waiting for things to change and you experience delay after delay.

Having worked with many people that have been layed off, there is the uncertainty of ever finding a job. A person could go several months before becoming re-employed. Resume after resume, interview after interview, but still no job.

You may have gone through or are still going through a season of winter, but winter will end spring will appear. You have grappled with trouble, calamity or hardship. You have met adversity head on in a spirit of determination and courage, and you are responding in a positive way, letting go of the past, and looking forward to the future.

Look for the trees to bloom, and the flowers to blossom. Change is happening in nature and yourself. It happens so slow that you don't even realize it. You are becoming a better person. You have learned to deal with life in a better way. You have become stronger, wiser, and more mature.

You have decided to respond to life in a positive way, no matter what difficult situation you face. You have decided that whatever the circumstance, you will do your best, and forget the rest. You are an example and model of a person that can overcome any adversity that appears before you.
You are ready for a new season of growth.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Season Growth David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

Give

To give help to others is not assessed from how many help that we can give. But at how big our sincere that along with our give.


Tag give help others assessed sincere honest

What is Growth?

In order to experience growth more, you may want to be more understanding of what the word means. The words we use have many meanings. Many times we dont't take the time to delve deeper into those meanings.

As you look at and study each meaning, you may want to pick one that stands out more than the others. It may provide you with just the insight that will trigger you to move forward in a certain area of your life. All set?
Here we go:

To GROW means:
To Spring-Up, To develop to maturity, to be able to grow in a certain place or situation. To increase in size, to expand, to become, to increase in wisdom, to have an increasing influence, to become increasingly acceptable or attractive, progressive development, to grow toward or arrive at full stature mentally, physically, and socially.

Growth is the result of responding to change in a positive way.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag What Growth David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

Time to Grow

Growth is the result of responding to change in a positive way.

Many of the things in which we face are not fun. We all go through hardships, trouble and calamity. This world is full of adversity and difficult situations.

We must look at each adversity as an opportunity for growth. You may have had a situation in your own life where you thought that it was all a big waste of time, and energy. You may be questioning why you ever had to go through what you did.

Well "for every adversity that you go through, there is always the seed of equal or greater benefit. A seed has to be crushed and broken in the ground before it can begin to grow.

If you have been crushed lately by someone or something, it's time to GROW. it's time to look for a way to respond positively to this situation. It may not be easy, but it must be done. Too many people spend too much time wallowing, and not moving on.

Hold your head high. Rise above the situation. A new day is dawning. Look forward to a better time. You have done your best. Forget the rest. This is growth. We stuggle, we learn, we overcome.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Time Grow David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

GROWTH

Growth is an activity that affects everyone of us in some way or another. It involves change. We go through many changes in our lives. Some changes enhance our growth. Other changes hinder our growth. The key lies in how we react or respond to change.

Growth is the result of responding to change in a positive way.

For the month of April, look around you and become more aware of all the growth that is taking place. Look at the people that you are in contact with each day, and how they are growing. Look at nature and the ways that you see growth. Look at the past and reflect on all the growth that has occurred in your life. Look at the present and determine how you are growing now. Look into the future and decide how you would like to grow in the days and weeks to come.

Decide that each day will be a day of growth for you. You may have to do some things differently; you may have to stretch a little, you may have to come out from your comfort zone, but the rewards for responding to change in a positive way will be of great value and benefit to you.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag GROWTH David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

TODAY MAY BE THE DAY

Can you imagine your life without courage. How boring. How stale. How meaningless your life would be. Just think, there would be no challenge. No excitement. Nothing to look forward to. I suppose that some people choose to live that way, and never come out of their comfort zone. They never try anything new. They just live each day the same old way.

My life sometimes feels that way. Going through the same routine everyday. Get up; Go to work; come home; eat; workout; study; go to bed, and do it all over again. Maybe you have a similiar routine or pattern each day. You feel like your in a rut. Will life ever change? Will life be different? Is this all that life has to offer.

I believe your life can change for the better, if you dare to step out, and begin to get involved in some things that may take just a little bit more courage than you are used to. Today may be the day to break out of your comfort zone and get involved in a new endeavor. Today may be the day to take a shot at something you have never done before; take a chance at something new.

Today may be the day to make a decision. Today may be the day to finally say "YES". Today may be the day that will take your life on a new and exciting course of action. Today you may be ready to break out of your comfort zone; to get out of the routine, and life of mediocrity.

"You"ll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

"Unless you do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow"

"No one can predict what heights you can sour. Even you will not know untill you spread your wings and try"

Today may be the day!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag TODAY MAY BE DAY David Croston Motivational Concepts Training courage life

Courage

Courage means that even though you may be scared to death you move forward anyway. You face your fear head on. You take a risk and step out into unknown territory. You have no guarantee of the outcome. You believe in yourself despite what others may think, say, or do.

Courage is the confidence you have. It's the assurance that what you are doing is the right thing to do. You have conviction. You have purpose. You have direction and focus. You are set to accomplish a certain mission or task. You are set on seeing it through, despite the obstacles.

Courage is the act of being brave, bold, and even audacious. In your mind you are ready to stand ground, brace up, hold out, and present a bold front. You have done your homework, you have counted the cost, and the decision has been made. You are prepared to accept the consequences and take responsibilities

Courage is knowing that your decision to move ahead will be good for you, because no matter what happens, you will learn from it. Whether positive or negative, you will gain. The courage you take will also be good for others, because we don't live in a vacume, and our behaviors do influence others. You will be teaching others to have courage as they battle through their own obstacles.

Courage is a character quality that will lift you, teach you, and empower you.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Courage David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

I SHALL ARRIVE

I hope everyone has had an excellent week. Sunday is a day for my family to rest, and gear up for the week ahead. You may be doing the same thing. As you think of the week that is upon us, you may be facing some big challenges.

Well, I would like to encourage you to stay positive, stay focused, and don't give up. YOU WILL ARRIVE! Say to yourself this week- I SHALL ARRIVE! Picture each day as a fun day. If you're working on a long drawn out project, just look at the smaller pieces, and say to yourself I SHALL ARRIVE.

If you are dealing with an uncertain situation, say to yourself- I SHALL ARRIVE. You may not know exactly how things will turn out, but you will get through it. Picture yourself getting through it with tact, confidence, and diplomacy.

Bring out the best in yourself this week. Go the extra mile. Seek to accept yourself and your situation regardless of the outcome. The choice is yours-you can make this week the BEST ever. Have a good time and YOU SHALL ARRIVE!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag I SHALL ARRIVE David Croston Success Motivational Concepts Training

Destroy Fear with Courage

Can you think of times in your past when you really wanted something, but didn't have the courage to act. When it was to late, you felt bad because you missed out on an opportunity.

Looking back, I can think of many times where I had let fear or difficulty hold me back from doing something.

Then, can you think of times when you were scared to death, but despite your fears, you acted. And even if you might of failed or performed poorly, it was still great because you stepped out and faced your fears.

You can gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Courage is defined as the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.

Fear is met and destroyed with courage. (James F. Bell)

Whatever you may be facing this day that may be fearful to you, just remember, there were times in your past when you rose above your fears and faced them head on. You plowed right through them even though you didn't think you could.

Have courage today!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Destroy Fear Courage David Croston Motivational Concepts Training James F. Bell Eleanor Roosevelt

Ultimate Courage

Life can be very challenging for all of us. It seems that we all have our battles to fight. It takes courage to face each battle head on, and to keep a positive attitude even though it may seem to be the worst time of are lives.

Today, while at work I was talking to a co-worker who said to me that he won't ever see the year 2000. His body is full of cancer. The Doctors say there is nothing more they can do. He is in his mid- forties, with a wife and children.

They will be removing all of his colon this week. He is on steroids, chemo, gaining a lot of weight, and loosing all his hair. I was in shock.

I don't know if I could go through something like that, knowing that I only have a couple more months to live. The thing that really throws me is that this guy has such a positive attitude. I don't understand it.

Whenever I have asked him in the past how he was doing, He has always said "I AM DOING WELL". He never led on that there was ever a problem. I would say that he is the most positive person at work.

It was a difficult day for me, after finding out that this guy was going to die. I asked him how he was able to handle this situation, and he said to me "everything happens for a reason".

Today has helped me to see that our lives are so precious and valuable, and that every day there is an opportunity to make it the best day of our lives, or the worst day of our lives, and that we can choose how we want our day to be regardless of anything happening outside ourselves, or what is happening to us.

COURAGE is the power to face difficulties!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Ultimate Courage David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

Courage

As we live each day, we are sometimes confronted with pressures, challenges, or difficulties that apear to be overwhelming. The temptation, at times is to give in, or give up.

Courage is the power to face difficulties. It's the opposite of being discouraged. Courage comes from a reserve of mind more powerful than outside circumstances. When we are bigger than our problems, we gain the courage necessary to win!

For the month of March, begin to see yourself much BIGGER than your problems. Face each problem with wisdom, control, patience, and poise knowing that you will gain the courage necessary to win!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag Courage David Croston Motivational Concepts Training

TAKING ACTION

Many times I think of all the things I would like to accomplish. So many ideas and thoughts of how my life could be. Imagination going full speed ahead, thinking of the future, dreaming of a better tomorrow, wondering if the successful life will ever be fulfilled. The thoughts of success never quite seem to be realized. What is the barrier? What is stopping me?

The courage to begin separates dreamers from achievers. Starting is the key:
because if we want to be successful, we must start sometime. The willingness to act-to overcome inertia-is the first step on the path to greatness.

Begin where you are; work where you are; the hour which you are now wasting, dreaming of some far off success may be crowded with grand possibilities.

To begin, begin. The only way to start is to start. Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was. Take action on your dreams. Take daily action toward your dreams, however small, and your dreams will become reality.

David Croston
Motivational concepts and Training


Tag TAKING ACTION David Croston Motivational concepts Training

courage

If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.

David Viscott


Tag courage begin succeed David Viscott

PRIME THE PUMP

The common conception is that motivation leads to action, but the reverse is true-action precedes motivation. You have to "prime the pump" and get the juices flowing, which motivates you to work on your goals. Getting momentum going is the most difficult part of the job, and often taking the first step...is enough to prompt you to make the best of your day.

Robert J. McKain


Tag PRIME PUMP Robert J. McKain motivation action

CALL TO ACTION

DEFINITIONS of the word ACTION:
The bringing about of an alteration by force; An act of will; A thing done; The accomplishment of a thing over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repition; The product and expression of exerted force; The most vigorous, productive, or exciting activity in a particular field, area, or group;To go where the action is"

Do you need to bring about an alteration? Do you need to get a thing done? What goal do you have that needs to be broken down into stages, steps, or smaller pieces of ACTION. How would you go about expressing ACTION? What do you picture as the most vigorous, productive, or exciting ACTION that you can take today? Where would you go if you if you could go where the ACTION is? What would be the most important and rewarding ACTION that you could take today? What ACTION have you been putting off that if you acted on would bring a sense of reward and accomplishment?

The time is now. The time is today. Live in the present. Enjoy your day. Your actions come from the choices you make. Choose to act on the things that bring happiness to your life. Choose to act on the things that bring happiness to others. If you rest, you rust. Nothing to it but to DO IT!

THOUGHT DETERMINES WHAT YOU WANT.
ACTION DETERMINES WHAT YOU GET

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag CALL ACTION Motivational Training David Croston

GOAL-SETTING

You can ask fifty different people what is Success. You will probably receive fifty different answers. But ask the same fifty how they define failure and you will receive an answer that is almost the same: Failure is a person's inability to achieve whatever goals they have.

Get a pen and paper right now and work through this document.
You will be glad that you did.

The Ultimate Success Formula

Anthony Robbins in his excellent book, Unlimited Power, describes a simple three step formula for success. He calls
these steps the "Ultimate Success Formula." The steps as he describes them are:

1.Know your outcome.
2.Take action.
3.Develop the sensory acuity to recognize the results you're getting from your actions and to note as quickly as possible if they are taking you closer to your goals or farther away.

This is an excellent formula, and I think the whole secret to this formula is that it isn't static, it is dynamic. Step 3 takes you back to step 2, until step 1 is achieved. For example if you set a goal, any goal, your progress through the above steps might be: step 1, step 2, step 3, adjust, step 2, step 3, adjust, step 2, step 3 and finally goal is achieved.

A marksman uses the Ultimate Success Formula when sighting in a gun. The steps would be: take aim, fire, look at target and adjust sights, aim and fire, adjust sight, etc.

I like to put Tony Robbins formula into what I call the W.I.N. steps to success:

(W)hat do you want (set the goal)
(I)nitiate Action.
(N)ote progress, adjust and re-initiate action.

Goal Step 1 - What Do You Want?

Here is the first step to goal setting. Get a pen and paper and be able to devote at least 20 minutes to this step. You may even want to spend several hours (or several days) on this step. The step is:

** Write down everything you want to achieve in your life **

Write Everything! Don't edit the list. Don't even worry if something seems far out. In this session you are getting everything in your head out on paper. If something seems too fantastic, still write it down, we'll edit it later. The point is if you write it down, you don't get blocked on that one item. The process of writing it down releases it from your brain so you are free to think of something else. Keep your pen or pencil going for at least 15 minutes. If it takes you 30 minutes, then take 30 minutes. You might even want to spread this step over a day or two.

Goal Step 2 - Editing Your List

Okay, now we'll edit the list that you created in the first step. Go through the items and cross out everything that seems to fantastic. Don't limit yourself when doing this. We are just trying to be realistic. If the an item is possible for someone to do, leave it on. Items like "One Million Dollars in the Bank" are okay because it is possible for someone to accomplish this. On the other hand, if you have "Be able to transport myself across the world in a blink of an eye," that is a little outrageous.

Goal Step 3 - Picking Your Top Ten

Okay, now go through your list and pick your top ten items that are most important to you right now. This can be a soul-searching step. Number the items from #1 to #10, with #1 being the most important to you. The only way to really do this is scan the list to find what is most important to you and put a #1 by it. Then go through every other item and compare each item with your #1. Ask yourself "If I could achieve only one of these items, which would it be?" This may change your #1 choice and if it does, start at the top of the list again and compare each item with your new #1. Continue this process until you have your top ten items. Write these items in order of importance on a fresh sheet of paper.

Goal Step 4 - Evaluating Your Top Ten

This step may cause you to want to go back to the first step and start all over again. With this step you are checking two things:

1. Do your top ten goals work together?

You must compare each item on your top ten list with each of the other items to see if anything is mutually exclusive. Start by comparing #1 with #2, do the items work against each other. If they are okay, then compare #1 with #3, then #1 with #4 and so on. After you make it to the comparison of #1 with #10, then start comparing #2 with #3, then #2 with #4, etc. This'll take a few minutes, but you want to make sure you aren't going to be working against yourself. An example of two goals working against each other are:

a. Earning $10,000 per month in a period of 1 year.
b. Lounge on the beach, relaxing as much as possible.

You could not achieve Goal A, if there is a very strong emphasis on Goal B.

It is okay if you eliminate a couple items from your top ten list in this step, but if you end up with a "Top Three" list, perhaps it would be better to go back to Goal Step #1 to determine what you really want.

2. Do you have short term and long term goals?

Go over your top ten list and place a date you expect to achieve each goal. Look over your list. Can all your goals be achieved in the next month? If so you need more six month, 2 years, and 10 year goals. Or perhaps everything on your list can only be achieved far in the future when you reach a point of "total happiness and fulfillment." If so, you need monthly goals and three month goals. If needed go back to Goal Step #1 to brainstorm some additional goals.

Goal Step 5 - Creating Goal Statement Cards

For this step you will need several 3 X 5 index cards. You will be taking your top 3 to 5 goals from your top ten list and writing them on the index cards. But this time you should write the goal differently by using the following rules:

1. Only select goals from your top ten list that can be achieved within the next year.

2. Use the personal pronouns I, mine, me, when writing your goal. Such as "I enjoy the security that $500,000 in the bank provides me and my family."

3. Make the goal positive instead of negative. In other words, write what you want to move towards, not what you are trying to move away from. Instead of writing "I have lost that unsightly extra 20 pounds" you could say "I weight a trim, athletic 165 (male or 115 female) pounds."

4. State the goal in the present tense, as if it has already happened. Use present tense words such as "am enjoying" or "am earning".

5. Use emotion words (happily, enthusiastically, eagerly, etc.) and action words (regularly, steadily, easily, etc.)

6. Keep your goal statements short and concise, no more than six seconds when read out loud.

Goal Step 6 - Internalizing the Goal

Each of these goal setting steps is important, but this is perhaps the most overlooked step. A goal will become a reality only after it is internalized. A goal is internalized only after you believe in it 100% and you know in your heart that you will achieve it.
Internalizing your goals is an ongoing step you must perform every day until the goal changes or is achieved.

How do you internalize a goal? By visualizing it and affirming it.
Here are some ideas to help internalize your goals:

Carry your goal cards with you everywhere you go. Make extra copies and place your goal cards on your bathroom mirror and on the refrigerator.
Review your goal cards at least three times a day:
morning, noon, and evening. Pick at least one of your goals to think about as you are going to sleep each night. Imagine the full completion of the goal. How does it feel? What does it look like? Use all of your senses to make the achievement real. Create as much detail as possible.
Say your goals out loud, so you can hear them in your own voice at least once a day.
Create short "mental commercials" to think about during odd moments of the day. These commercials should involve the senses and have as much detail as possible.

This ends the topic of goal-setting. I hope it was helpful. Just one idea, technique, or concept can make a BIG difference in your life.

The topic for next month will be ACTION!!


Thought determines what you want.
Action determines what you GET!

David Croston


Tag GOAL SETTING David Croston

Why Have Written Goals?

The importance of having written goals cannot be stressed enough. Everyone probably knows about the study done with the Harvard graduates. It was found that after 30 years, 3% of the surviving graduates were worth more financially than the other 97% combined! It was same 3% who had written goals. Coincidence?

If you don't have written goals, your life can be compared to a ship without a rudder. You might move all over the place with bursts of activity, but where is your destination? If you ask a Captain of any boat where his or her destination is, they will never say "Oh, some seaport on the Atlantic Coast." The Captain knows exactly where the seaport is, and furthermore knows exactly how far it is, when the ship will arrive, and how much fuel it will take.

You must be the Captain of your own life and set goals.


Tag Written Goals

Are You Bogged Down With Too Many Goals?

As you evaluate your life you may find that you may have too many goals going at once. A good way to tell is if you find yourself being uptight, nervouse, stressful, and feeling out of control.

Most of us find it very easy to have too many things going at once. It doesn't take much too become out of balance. The hours in the day can fly right by and when you look back you find that you never accomplished close to what you wanted to.

There are no easy answers, but an awareness of the problem and the frustration
that you feel may be just what you need to begin to make some changes in your ife.

You may want to take some time, step back, and re-evaluate how your life is going. You may want to drop some things that have been consuming too much time and may be of little value, and increase some other things that are of more value.

Make sure that the goals you have are not too many in number, and that you maintain control of your goals on a daily basis. Balance is the KEY!

Best of Success

David Croston


Tag Bogged Down Goals Success David Croston

STOMPING ON ANTS

In the great state of Texas, you can sometimes overhear a business-person refer to a colleague who is "stomping on ants".

This implies that person is displaying lots of activity...head down, jaw clenched, eyes firmly focused on the ground. There's a great deal of activity here, lots of accomplishment; there's "body count", but not much meat. There doesn't seem to be any significant results from all this activity. Now, if he could bag just one elephant.........

As I counsel with individuals who are looking for employment, many say that since they have been layed-off, they have been so busy doing things, that they hardly have time to look for job. What has happened to their time? They have allowed other actions and activities to crowd in and take over their day.

Have you been stomping on ants, or is your day filled with actions that are significant, meaningful, and worthy of your time. Will the actions and activity of today bring a worthwhile return, or are you busy doing a lot of things that bring little value.
Evaluate your daily activities an see if you are just stomping on ants or working on bagging an elephant. Yes the former is easier, less demanding having little pressure or stress, but what are the rewards? Very little. The latter is more difficult, more challenging, more stressful, but what are rewards? Much more than you can imagine. Picture in your own mind the excitement, satisfaction and gratification as you bag that elephant that for so long has been lurking in your mind. DO IT, GO FOR IT BAG THAT ELEPHANT!! Stop stomping on ants!

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training


Tag STOMPING ANTS ELEPHANT David Croston

ACTION

Thought determines what you want.
ACTION determines what you get

Definitions of the word ACTION:

1. The bringing about of an alteration by force.
2. An act of will
3. A thing done
4. The accomplishment of a thing over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repitiion.
5. The product and expression of exerted force
6. The most vigorous, productive, or exciting activity in a particular field, area, or group.
"To go where the action is"

Use these definitions to gain a more clear perspective on the concept of action.
Select one definiton that stands out for you and begin to repeat it throughout the course of the day.
When you feel the urge to procrastinate, think of your favorite definition.

David Croston
Motivational Concepts and Training

Tag ACTION Definitions Motivational Concepts Training David Croston definition