Bryan is the author of Dare to Live Without Limits.
By Bryan Golden
You make promises to others but what promises do you make to yourself? Making appropriate commitments to yourself is essential for guiding your life in the direction you desire. If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will.
Start with a belief in yourself along with recognizing that you have inside you what it takes to achieve your goals. Without this belief, your mind becomes programmed to prevent you from reaching your goals and will actually attract negative things you don’t want.
Promise not to compare yourself to others. Whatever someone else has or doesn’t have is irrelevant. You should be monitoring your progress towards your goals. All that matters is where you are compared to where you want to be.
Promise to appreciate family and friends. Be thankful for those who are there when you need them. Show your gratitude by being there for them. True friends are there through good and bad times. Always be sure you reciprocate.
Promise to always make the best of whatever circumstances you are facing. You can’t always control what happens but you do have control over your response. Learn from the past and move forward. Avoid repeating mistakes.
Promise to appreciate each day. Maintain an attitude of gratitude for all of the good things in your life. Focus your energy on today while planning for the future. Don’t lament the past.
Promise to be self-reliant. Your life is your responsibility. You are responsible for where you are and where you are headed. Don’t blame anyone else. It’s up to you to fix mistakes you have made. Look in the mirror to remind yourself who’s in charge.
Promise to learn, grow, and improve. Education is a lifetime pursuit. There is always room for improvement. Study examples of successful people as well as learning what to avoid from those who fail. Keep your mind open to new ideas from all sources.
Promise to achieve your goals. Use the simple three step plan. First identify your goals. Next formulate a plan for achievement. This entails breaking your plan down into small steps of manageable size. Now take action. Start with the first step and then take the next one. Keep going until you reach your destination.
Promise to get back up when you fall or stumble. Setbacks will arise on the road to success. Failure only occurs when you give up. Get back on your feet, shake yourself off, and keep taking the next step. Reassess your strategy as needed. It’s OK to change direction when appropriate.
Promise to help others. You can get anything in life you want by helping enough other people get what they want. There must not be any ulterior motive for the help you provide. Don’t ask for or expect anything in return.
Promise to maintain a positive attitude. Your mind is a magnet which attracts what you think about. Positive thoughts attract positive circumstances and people while negative thoughts attract negative. Monitor your attitude and immediately take corrective action when it starts to turn negative.
Promise to be ethical and honest. Never act to harm anyone. Besides being wrong, taking advantage of people will boomerang right back at you. Do the right things because they are the right things to do.
Keep these promises to yourself. If you are not OK, your ability to help others is diminished. As a result, the quality of your life is reduced. Your well being is paramount. It’s not selfish. Taking care of yourself does not detract from others.
Bryan is the author of “Dare to Live Without Limits.” Contact Bryan at Bryan@columnist.com or visit www.DareToLiveWithoutLimits.com Ó 2018 Bryan Golden