Ordinarily, when we think of "success,” we envision a solid level of achievement that occurs over an extended period of time. Never does it occur to us that success can occur instantaneously, and even infinitely -- contradicting our ordinary notions of what is logical and possible.
Such instantaneous vast results can occur when we shift our consciousness to the positive. When we overcome our limiting behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs, life outside ourselves tends to respond with sudden good fortune. Such wondrous occurrences are instances of what I call “Life Response.” With that in mind, here are several strategies to help you attract sudden and abundant success and happiness in life.
Accept the Given; That Which Life Puts Before You[]
Life is constantly putting situations before us that we can accept, neglect, or reject. If we accept and take up these givens of life, sudden good fortune can come our way. For example, when a salesperson overcame his reluctance and accepted a request to work a second consecutive weekend shift on his job, he instantly attracted the biggest sales of his life. Likewise, when an executive overcame his reluctance to accept his role as head of the company, the firm suddenly blossomed thereafter. Action Plan: Consider which aspects of your life you've been reluctant to embrace. Once you understand the cause, make the concerted effort to overcome your reluctance or hesitation. Watch life suddenly and abundantly respond thereafter!
Reverse Your Wanting Attitudes[]
The majority of the problems we encounter in life originate in our wanting attitudes. However, if we reverse ourselves and make them positive, life can suddenly and abundantly respond. For example, one woman gave up her ill will toward her co-workers, and suddenly attracted a full-time job position -- her first in nearly a decade of trying. Action Plan: Consider the negative attitudes you have towards others, and towards life itself. (Examples are dishonesty, ill will, disrespect, callousness, arrogance, intolerance, suspicion, obsequiousness, indifference, reluctance, low self-esteem, pessimism, impracticality, irresponsibility, pride, laziness, and procrastination.) Then make a concerted effort to overcome one or two of the most problematic ones. When you do so, the infinite potentials of life will rush to your doorstep!
Make the Full Effort[]
We normally believe that putting out a certain amount of physical effort will produce a commensurate result. Though, this is of course true, there is also another perspective. It is that if we give in to life and make the necessary full effort -- expending all of our energies -- life will take over and complete the work in no time. For example, when a consultant overcame his hesitation and fully took up a difficult and challenging work, he realized half way through that the remainder had already been completed! There is yet another dimension to making a full, determined effort. Whenever you work hard, more work, more money, and new opportunities are likely to fly your way in the days that follow -- often arriving from the most unexpected sources. Action Plan: As situations arise, consider where you can make a greater effort. Then take up that work in full. Thereafter, notice if life supports your effort with sudden good fortune.
Increase Your Psychological Strength[]
Inner, psychological strength is an important determining factor in your ability to succeed in life. We have seen that those who are strong, succeed; while those who are weak, fall back or fail. We have also noticed that if you make the effort to exercise strength in areas where you have demonstrated weakness in the past, life can suddenly and abundantly respond. For example, one man moved from weakness to strength by bringing up an important issue with a business partner that he was previously reluctant to raise. As a result, not only did he resolve that particular problem, but a six-month neck ache instantly disappeared! Action Plan: Think about ways you have been, or are currently expressing psychological weakness in your work, in your relationships, or in other areas of your life. Consider what was, or is at the root of the problem. Now come up with a plan to exercise your strength, and then carry it out. Watch as life responds miraculously thereafter!
Increase Your Level of Organization[]
At first glance, “organization” does not seem like a very exciting topic for discussion. However, our own experience is that there is no faster way to attract success than by adopting a higher level of organization in life. There are a number of ways to organize yourself -- through higher levels of cleanliness and orderliness, by further systematizing your accounts and records, by organizing your time through a to do list and calendar, and even by organizing your thoughts, ideas, and concepts for greater logic and clarity. Such efforts at higher organization have a tendency to attract sudden good fortune. One man went through his accounting books, and out of nowhere received a check for $5000. A consultant cleaned his filthy refrigerator and suddenly received months’ worth of consulting work when just earlier there was no work in sight. Similarly, a business owner cleaned his stocks of slow-selling inventory, suddenly attracting a buyer who not only purchased the slow selling stocks, but six months’ worth of additional orders! Action Plan: Consider various areas of life where you can raise your level of organization, and develop a plan for improvement. Then make the full effort to carry out your plan. Watch life suddenly and abundantly respond from all directions!
Increase Your Knowledge & Skills[]
In an ever more complex, technology-driven society, it is important to have the highest levels of knowledge and skills. Raising either will not only increase your capacity for success in your work, but the effort itself can attract sudden good fortune. For example, one consultant made the effort to learn a new software program in order to upgrade his professional skills, and suddenly attracted a contract consisting of months’ worth of high-paying work. Action Plan: Consider the critical skills that you lack in work or other areas of your life -- including the technical skills required of your job; as well as interpersonal skills, such as listening, writing, presenting, communicating, capacity to work through problems, decision making, and so forth. Then develop a plan to upgrade them, and carry it out. Watch as opportunities open up for you from the most unexpected quarters!
Take Responsibility in Life[]
Throughout our lives, we are confronted by situations and circumstances that challenge our sensibilities. It is how we respond to these challenges that often determine whether or not we truly achieve in life. Those who take responsibility, accomplish and grow as people. Those who blame others, or otherwise ignore the symptoms, achieve less and stagnate. For example, a man realized that his arrogance and pride were responsible for the negative situations that were occurring in his life. When he made a conscious decision and effort to change those qualities, life brought him two magnificent responses from life. One Step Further: Having said this, there is an even higher form of responsibility available to us. By moving to a deeper level of consciousness, we can begin to perceive that everything occurring around us -- including the negative situations and circumstances that come our way -- are a direct reflection of our own inner condition. If we then “take responsibility” in such situations by discovering and then reversing the corresponding negative elements in our selves – i.e. in our false actions and behaviors, and in our limited attitudes, opinions, and beliefs -- life outside us can suddenly respond with great fortune.
Give Objects, People Greater Attention[]
Everything in life -- including people, objects, stocks of inventory, and money -- respond positively to attention. For example, one manager decided to give his staff more attention by training each of them on a new physical skill. That effort not only energized his people, but caused the machinery they were working on to suddenly operate at double their rated capacity! In addition, for no apparent reason, there was suddenly a tripling of sales for their products! Action Plan: Consider which individuals and what objects around you require more attention, and then come up with a plan for improvement. When you implement your plan, not only will the objects of your attention blossom before your eyes, but the infinite potentials of life can suddenly rush to your doorstep.
Grow by Giving[]
The happiest people have one characteristic in common –- they are continually giving of themselves. While most of us are fully absorbed in our daily concerns and routines -- driven by our own needs, desires, and ambitions -- the happiest of people literally lose themselves in the feelings, thoughts, and aspirations of others. For example, one man noticed that whenever he went shopping, and shifted from his own concerns to those of the person he was with, everything began to flow perfectly thereafter. Likewise, a stingy individual noticed that whenever he loosened up and spent money on others, shortly thereafter good fortune would come his way -- often in the form of inflow of money exactly equal to the amount he had just spent! Action Plan: Try a little experiment. The next time you meet with someone, immediately put yourself in that person’s shoes -- concerning yourself only with what is on their mind. Listen carefully to their thoughts and feelings, showing genuine interest. Also, make the effort to control your own opinions. Make the effort to embrace the other person’s point of view -- even if it differs substantially from your own. You will notice thereafter that the other person has become energized, animated, and involved. You may also notice how unthought of points of view, or fresh perspectives are raised in the conversation. (They may in fact turn out to be more interesting and beneficial to you than anything that might have been on your own mind.) Shifting your focus to the concerns of others has this extraordinary capacity to attract freshness and wonder.
Apply Personal Values in Your Life[]
A value is a belief, a mission, or a philosophy that is meaningful to you. Values can range from the commonplace, such as the belief in hard work, self-reliance, and punctuality, to more psychological values, such as concern for others, and harmony of purpose. Other examples of personal values are openness, tolerance, honesty, loyalty, perfection in work, respect for the individual, and family feeling. Applying personal values in the details of our daily lives generates a great power for success and happiness. For example, a woman in college was about to take a test for admission to a company. Her fellow students knew the answers in advance –- thereby substantially reducing her chances for admittance. However, she decided not to get the answers because she valued honesty. As it turned out, when the day of the test arrived, the class was canceled. Not only that, but she was later accepted at that very same company -- a result that came to her as a complete surprise! Applying personal values not only has the magnificent power to ennoble and uplift life, but can also evoke marvelous responses from life as well. Action Plan: Think about two or three important personal values that have shaped your life. Now develop several strategies to recommit to them. Or, come up with one or two new values, and fully implement them in each of your most critical daily activities. From that point on, life will continually be fresh, and filled with meaning and wonder.
Follow the Process of Growth and Accomplishment[]
Normally, when we make progress, it is a result of our response to the pressures and challenges of life. This is for the most part an unconscious form of growth. Conscious growth, on the other hand, takes place when we self-conceive that which we want to become. We consciously grow when we aspire to accomplish something, organize the details of our vision, and then carry it out until our vision becomes a living reality. This is, in essence, the process of growth and accomplishment -- the most direct and powerful approach for bringing about long-lasting success and happiness in life. Action Plan: Consider taking up a new opportunity, or developing a new skill, or making a major change in your career, or adopting an important personal value in your life. Begin by envisioning what you want to accomplish, and from there establish the major goals to achieve that vision. Then organize the goals into practical strategies and plans of action. When you systematically carry them out -- supported by your highest skills, your most positive attitudes, and by making the full persevering effort -- the infinite potentials of life will suddenly open up before you!
Use the Power of Spirit[]
Though we can take up any of the above strategies, there are often extenuating circumstances of life that are beyond our control. The net result is that despite our efforts, we may find ourselves short of our goals. However, by utilizing the power of Spirit, you can bring these random conditions under your control -- enabling life to fully cooperate with your efforts at improvement. This can occur by opening to the spiritual Force that is there in the atmosphere before undertaking any activity. For example, an instructor's class was going very poorly in the morning. When he “consecrated” the remaining afternoon session by opening to the Force, every conceivable thing went right thereafter. Not only did every aspect of life seem to cooperate with his efforts, but there was also a palpable peace felt in the room throughout the remainder of the day. Action Plan: Before you undertake any major activity, open yourself to the Force. Ask that its Light and Power come into the work or activity you are about to embark on. Later on, when you consider the progress you have made, you are likely to be astonished at the wondrous results that came your way. That is indicative of the vast power of the Spirit in our lives.
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