If you commit to your vision, you admit that you believe in it and you think you are capable of achieving it. You have taken an inner oath to act. When someone invites you to a party, you either commit to go, or you don’t. Once you say yes, you have given a sort of promise that you will take action and attend the event. The same is true with your vision for success. When you reach a level of commitment, you promise to take action. Are you ready to commit to your vision?
You may be thinking, “Of course I am! Why do you think I bought this book?”
Are you really ready to make that commitment? Write about your honest feelings today. If you commit to your dreams, you have to act. Write an oath to yourself about the commitment you are willing to make to honor your vision.
DAY
97
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Those who look outside, dream. Those who look inside, awaken.”
— Carl Jung
Leonard scurried around the house crossing off items on his to-do list. He was so excited about his future. He was committed to his vision and already taking action to achieve success. Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of his living room. His heart sank. Leonard was hit right between the eyes with the realization that he didn’t have a clear vision.
Leonard didn’t need eyeglasses; he needed inner sharpness. Here he was running all over his house getting little things done, and he wasn’t entirely sure what his overall goal was—except to be a success. That really wasn’t a clear picture.
How do you sharpen your vision? The general notion that you want to be a success is not really detailed enough to give you the momentum you need to achieve it. Where do you go to make your vision clear?
You look inside your heart to find your true vision. One of the best ways to do that is to sit quietly and listen. Your heart whispers clues and suggestions to you all the time, but you have to be still in order to hear it.
In a few days, we will take an in-depth look at how prayer and meditation can help you listen to your heart. Today, your job is to find some time to sit quietly and listen. Find a few minutes in the day to slow down and look inside yourself. That is the first step to your awakening.
DAY
98
“When your mother is mad and asks you, ’Do I look stupid?’ it’s best not to answer her.”
— Meghan, Age 13
Do you like kids? Some people love kids, and others try desperately to avoid them. Whether you like them or not, kids are often our best teachers. They’re not old enough to be jaded, they look at life with fresh eyes, they can be painfully honest, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. Over the next few days, you are going to explore the wisdom of children and maybe even recapture some of that childlike innocence and wonder for yourself.
Did the quote above make you laugh out loud? If it brought even a smile to your face, take a moment to think about why. Meghan gives you some pretty blunt advice here. It’s obvious, and it’s funny, because it holds a truth that might save Meghan (and the rest of us) a lot of pain and suffering if we follow it.
When is it a good idea to keep your mouth shut? Start a list of several appropriate scenarios in your journal. Can you think of a time when you spoke up recently and shouldn’t have? What did you learn from that experience?
It is a very wise person who knows when not to speak. Talk is often overrated, and it can get you into a lot of trouble, too. What would your day be like if you concentrated on listening and tried to avoid talking? Give it a shot, and then write about your experience in your journal at the end of the day. What did you learn when you cultivated the art of keeping your mouth shut?
DAY
99
“Lying drives your conscience crazy.”
— Kyle, Age 10
Kyle just might grow up to be the next Gandhi . . . or Gandalf. He’s quite the wise sage at age ten. Lying does drive your conscience crazy. So why do we do it? Is it human nature? Why do we want to step into the insanity that is created when we lie?
It might be human nature to lie, but we also have the ability to stop the madness. On a scale of one to ten, how big of a liar are you? Be honest now! Deep down you know the right answer, so it doesn’t do any good to try to fool yourself. Everyone has told a lie at some point. Some do it a lot more than others. Think about the times that you’ve lied. How did the whole event play out? What happened? How did you feel about yourself when you lied? Did you get caught? Does it still nag on your conscience today?
Lying is cowardly, and it’s also a lot easier than the alternative. It is much more difficult to tell the truth and take responsibility for our actions. If you want to become a success, however, you need to clean up your act. You must tilt the scales in the opposite direction and tell the truth much more often than you lie.
If you do lie, and it hurts someone else, you must make amends. Go to that person, tell them the truth, and offer to do whatever it takes to make things right. That’s a scary thought, isn’t it? The only way you can obtain real success is to clean up your own garbage and do the right thing. You have to clear away the trash in your life to make room for the light of success to shine through. Lying is the chief litter bug in your conscience, and the garbage it leaves behind blocks your true potential.
DAY
100
“Just be yourself.”
— Jessie, Age 5
Just be yourself. What wonderful advice!
You have made it to Day 100 on your journey to become a success. What an accomplishment! How do you feel? Are you starting to feel more comfortable in your own skin? When you get into the actions that are suggested in these pages, you come closer and closer to your true self every day. You are unlocking the power that is within you. These exercises guide you toward discovering just who you are and what makes you unique.
If you want to achieve success, all you have to do is just be yourself. You have the goods. You are doing this work to uncover all of the dirt you put around yourself to cover up your true potential. You are digging up that precious diamond that is you and uncovering its brilliance. Just be yourself today. Be comfortable in your skin and thankful for your unique and brilliant gifts.
DAY
101
“You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.”
— Rosemary, Age 7
That is a very good point. If you want to hide broccoli, a glass of milk is not the way to go. So are you wondering why Rosemary’s quote is the centerpiece of Day 1? It’s amusing, but how can you learn about success from that statement?
How do you think Rosemary found out this truth? She probably tried it herself. Then what do you suppose she did? One can bet that she noted this fact and then moved on to more creative ways to hide broccoli. Rosemary learned from her mistakes, shared her experience with others, and built on her failure to find a successful solution.