8 Pillars for Change

1. Mutuality

If you want to be like someone then you must find out what they do and recognize what you do that is similar. Recognize what you do that is different and change. If you realize that you do not have to reinvent the wheel things get easier. If one person has been able to do something then we can figure out how to do it for ourselves. Now I am not saying everyone can be Michael Jordan, there are physical limitations but if you have the skill set and the physical ability then you can replicate the achievements of others. The book by Napoleon Hill called Think and Grow Rich is a perfect example of this. Mr. Hill spent over 20 years interviewing the captains of industry to determine the keys to their success. Many people have used his book as a guide to success.

2. Future Perspective

What if you could develop enough wealth so that your family would be taken care of for generations? You ask yourself a question with the future you desire in mind. Then you act with the end in mind. You take actions that move you closer to this goal. It is the idea of increasing your drive, desire, anticipation and faith. It is a way to continuously raise the bar and challenge yourself.

3. Guarantee.

What if you were guaranteed to succeed at whatever you did? What would you try? You are guaranteed to fail if you don’t try, so how do we know we will not succeed if we do not try. I like to think of this one in this sense of acting as if failure is not an option. What would you do? How motivated would you be? Keenan Ivory Wayans tells a great story of this in the DVD The Black List. He tells the story of when he was starting out as a writer and director. His parents wanted him to go to school. They wanted him to go to school so he had a “back up” plan. Keenan Wayans said that he knew if he had to survive without a “net” or back up plan he would be more motivated and he would have to succeed because he had no choice. It worked for him and it is a principle that will work for you.

4. Support

What if you had all the support you needed to do anything you wanted? What would you do? It has happened to me time and again and you hear accounts from many successful people of the same thing. When you start out on the path you may not know how you will complete the journey but the information that you need and the support you need, will show up. This book is a perfect example of this phenomenon. As I started to write the information and the people necessary for its completion showed up right on time. It got to the point where I just began to expect it. Books I had in my library for years all of a sudden had the bit of information I was looking for. Friends I had not seen in years showed up with expertise in areas I needed help in. New friendships were developed that allowed me to get the information and guidance I needed for certain chapters. It sounds coincidental but it is not.

“The universe responds to your vibrations” Wayne Dyer.

5. Motion

What if you had to do something? Guess what you do. You are going to do something whether you like it or not. Why not do something you like, and you choose! Shape your life to be how you want it. I know that goes against popular movies and politics, but you can do this. It has been done by many others and is being done this moment by many more. It can be you too if you choose.

6. Mortality.

What if someone was going to die? Would you do it then? Well guess what, the truth of the matter is you are going to die at some point. We are all going to die at some point and none of us knows the hour or the day. Don’t wait until it is too late. When I say too late I mean when you are dead. If you are breathing it is not too late. I call my mother on a weekly basis and my step father answers the phone sometimes. I always ask him how he is doing and he always says “I’m still breathing.” If you are still breathing, you can change your life. If you are reading this book it is not too late!

7. Pleasure

What if it would bring you great pleasure? It will bring you pleasure beyond your imagination to have the life you have dreamed of but refused to go after for fear of disappointment. To have the success and joy of living a life that is congruent with who you truly are. Confucius has a saying that goes something like this “A man who loves his work will never work another day in his life.” That is what reading this book and making the improvements can do for you. It can bring you in contact with the life you have felt you should be living.

8. Positivity.

What if you could only think of the positives involved with changing your life? I am not asking you to ignore the negatives. It is ok to weigh them into the total equation but what is going to get you off your but and moving are thoughts of the rewards. Better yet thoughts of the emotions connected to the rewards. What would it feel like to not have to worry about how the bills are going to be paid? To not worry about whether your relationship is secure. To know you are moving in a direction that will not only bring you success and joy but it will provide an example for those you love to follow so that they may achieve their goals and dreams.

These are my eight Pillars for change. They are the foundation to producing positive changes in your life. They have motivated me and kept me going when I was discouraged. I know they can help you too. Post them somewhere prominent as you read through the rest of the book. Refer to it often and create your own pillars. Personalize the list to apply to your current situation. It is you life. Take charge of it and be amazed by what happens!

Affirmation

I know now that I have access to all the resources I need in order to achieve all that I desire!