I have read and heard about ‘the valleys’ of life twice in the past month, so I thought I should write about it.
I was in church not too long ago and the Pastor talked about being in the mountains at one time and as he stood on top of one mountain, he looked off in the distance at another. As he looked at the larger mountain, he thought “I want to be THERE!” As he pondered this, it occurred to him that in order to ‘get there’, he would have to go through the valley in between the two.

What a great metaphor for life and business! So often we want to be at the top of the mountain. We find ourselves atop many mountains during our lifetimes. We often find ourselves in a few valleys too.

In the book The Final Summit by Andy Andrews, a number of iconic historic figures talked about going through ‘valleys’ in their own lives.

The valleys are necessary.

While we often perceive the valleys as a ‘bad thing’, they aren’t.

• They give us the opportunity to rest and regroup.
• They give us new perspective.
• They are lush and green.

In fact, the top of mountains are often cold and barren and rocky!
The view is amazing however, and the sense of accomplishment is rewarding and thrilling.

Both places have value. Wherever you are, enjoy where you ARE and appreciate the value in both places.

 

The 5th of the Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews is:

Today I will choose to be happy.

I am the possessor of a grateful heart.

Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes where you are in that spectrum seems very much out of your  control.

There are many who question whether you can ‘simply choose to be happy’, but I do believe that it is a choice (albeit a hard one at times, especially in cases of depression, etc).

You can certainly find many reasons NOT to be, but there are always reasons TO be happy no matter how ‘bad things might seem’.

Personally, I believe that gratitude is the key. No matter what is going on in life, there are always many things to be grateful for. ALWAYS. It’s all in what you LOOK for.

At the very least, I believe that setting the intention every day does make a big difference.

I am not always happy, but I do recognize that it is usually a choice.  Here are a my tips to being happier [I would love to hear yours!]

7 Ways to be happy:

1. Decide to be. Sounds trite perhaps, but setting the intention makes a big difference!

2. Look for the good. There is always something good to be found in every day. Seek & you will find.

3. Set yourself up for it! Watch a funny movie, watch funny videos online, or do something that makes you feel good. Do a search on youtube for “laughing babies”

4. Exercise! Not my favorite either, but it does work!

5. Do something good for someone else. This is more powerful than you might think, and it isn’t hard. Call someone, or send them an email telling them that you are thinking of them, or that you think they are awesome.

6. Surround yourself with happy people. Share in their joy. Choose ‘input’ that makes you feel good. Being around people who are miserable, or who complain constantly will bring anyone down! Turn off the news, or talk radio and ‘tune in’ to the good.

7. Go on a gratitude quest. Make yourself write down at least 10 things that you are grateful for at least 3 times a day. Sounds trivial, but the power of this is unbelievable! (Try it for 30 days)

What tips do you have?

Click here to view the embedded video.

 

The fourth of the Seven Decisions outlined in The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews is:

I have a decided heart.

I am passionate about my vision for the future. I will awaken every morning with an excitement about the new day and its opportunity for growth and change.

My thoughts and actions will work in a forward motion, never sliding into the dark forest of doubt or the muddy quicksand of self-pity.

I will freely give my vision for the future to others, and as they see the belief in my eyes, they will follow me…I do not procrastinate.

All my problems become smaller when I confront them. If I touch  thistle with caution, it will prick me, but if I grasp it boldly, its spines crumble into dust.

I will not wait.

I am passionate about my vision for the future.

My course has been charted.

My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart.

This decision is often what trips up the third decision (I am a person of action).  I can truly attest to that. I can weigh things out FOREVER if I allow myself to. (My mom says that is the Libra in me.) Which is why I refer to the poem mentioned in the previous post:

When you are faced with a decision, make it as wisely as possible and then forget it. The moment of absolute certainty never comes.

In his audio set on the 7 decisions, Andy makes a great point: “The purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion!”

It’s kind of like going on a trip. You can map out your course, and even have a gps, but you never know for sure until you get there whether there will be a detour along the way. You don’t know where it will be, much less which way to turn until you leave your driveway and get there! Once there, you will be able to figure it out, but you won’t know until you get there.

Make the decision and move! If you need to course correct to make the decision right later, so be it. Sometimes we all make a decision that scares us. But making NO decision is much scarier!

To read all the  of the Seven Decisions click here.

Have you had any challenges, or experiences with ‘having a decided heart’?

I would love to hear them! Please share below.

 

The third of the Seven Decisions from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews is:

I Am a Person of Action
I can make a decision and I can make it now.

This is both my favorite, and the hardest for me. My natural tendency is sometimes to go into “analysis paralysis”. I can endlessly weigh out pros, cons, what ifs, etc. if I allow myself to. It’s not fun, and is both frustrating to me, and those around me.

I think the older we get, the more of an issue that can become. We carry past ‘mistakes’ along with us and somehow ‘forget’ past successes.

When you are faced with decisions, make that decision as wisely as possible, then forget it. The moment of absolute certainty never arrives.

I have come to learn that the people who are the most ‘successful’ in life are not the most perfect. They aren’t even the best. They simply DO what most people don’t. They take action. It may not be perfect, but taking a step creates momentum.

This is one of the most inspiring talks by Andy Andrews regarding taking action. He tells the story of Joshua Chamberlain during the civil war, and the dramatic difference his choice to act made in our history. I have listened to it over and over. I hope that it inspires you too.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I would love to hear your thoughts on taking action! Please share them here!

To read the other six decisions, click here!

 

Persistence

We have all heard the word before. We all know what it means.

According to Webster’s:

persist (pəˈsɪst)
— vb
1.	( often foll by  in ) to continue steadfastly or obstinately despite opposition or difficulty
2.	to continue to exist or occur without interruption: the rain persisted throughout the night
[C16: from Latin persistere, from per- (intensive) + sistere to stand steadfast, from stāre to stand] In The Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews, the seventh decision is: “I will persist without exception” This time of year most people choose to make “resolutions.”  Sadly, this practice has become a joke. Zig Ziglar talks about going to the gym in January and not being able to get a parking spot and how a gym employee told him not to worry. He said those are the “New Years resolution people”, give us a month or so and things will be back to normal. The truth is, most people “try”. They try for a while and then when it gets too hard, or there is no immediate payoff, they quit.  We live in a world where we have become so used to ‘quick’ and ‘easy’, that even the simplest things aren’t quick or easy enough for us [by comparison]. Let’s face it, when was the last time you made popcorn ‘the old fashioned way’. I’m not saying that we should choose to do things the hard way, just for the sake of it. I AM saying that there are things that take time.  We have evolved as a species thanks to hunters AND farmers. Personally, I am a hunter by nature.  The thought of planting something now, to enjoy 6 months from now is not appealing to me. However,  some things just have to germinate and grow. In Think and Grow Rich, one of the most brilliant books of all time, the example of this is a class of school children who plant seeds in little dixie cups, and place them in the window. They go to lunch and come back and complain that “it’s not working”.  They expect instant results, but they aren’t there. After days of caring for them, and watering them, the little sprouts finally pop through the soil. As you move through this year,  think about the seeds that you want to plant and focus on tending to them every day. When you start to question whether to try something different, stop and consider whether you simply need to persist without exception. Remember this: Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. - Calvin Coolidge Click here to view the embedded video.

 

If you missed my post on the 1st of the 7 decisions from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews, click here.)

The second of the 7 decisions from The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews is:

I will seek wisdom.

I will be a servant to others.

I will listen to the counsel of wise men.

I will choose my friends with care.

I will seek wisdom.

The greatest lesson in Andy’s talk about this [in my opinion] is that when you only listen to yourself, you make decisions based solely on what you already know. Well, that is the thinking that got you where you are! You need knew knowledge to get you where you want to go.

Read books, listen to books on tape. Learn from those around you. Choose who you learn from, by choosing who you surround yourself with.  It is said that most people are the average of the 5 people that they associate most with.

I am not suggesting that you listen to EVERYONE. Choose who and what you listen to carefully.

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others. A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely share with me. Often the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure…He who serves the most grows the fastest.

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door-I will look to open the door for someone.  I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me–I will be excited when I am available to help.

The one common thread among the most successful people in the world is that they never stop learning. They are seekers of knowledge and information.

I know most people are quick to say “I don’t have time to read”. You do. You can find the time to read for 15 minutes a day. You can commit to a page a day, a chapter a week, or something. You can also listen to books on CD, learn from online videos and more.

Make a commitment to make time every single day this year to learn something new. It will make a difference, I promise.

 

One of my favorite books and books on CD of all time is The Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews.

The first of those decisions is:

The Buck Stops Here

“When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one.

I understand that God did not put in my the ability to always make right

decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision, and then

make it right. When I make a decision I will stand behind it. My energy

will go into making the decision. I will waste none on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology.

It will be a statement.

This is the decision to focus on solutions, not problems.

For some this may not seem so difficult, for others it is a real challenge!

The challenge comes from fear for the most part. When allowed to, the “What ifs” kick in, and paralyze us.

One of my favorite poems is by SH Payer. I read it many years ago and I know it by heart to this day. This is from that poem:

When you are faced with decisions, make that decision as wisely as possible,

then forget it. The moment of absolute certainty never arrives.

I have to admit, this is a challenge for me at times. Although highly creative, I can also be very analytical. I often battle “analysis paralysis”.

There will always be “what ifs” however, so waiting for that moment of absolute certainty is futile.

Make this the year that you will refuse to allow excuses to stop you from doing anything! You don’t have to know every answer, or every step. Just take responsibility to take what steps you can.

Once you do, the way will always appear.

 

This time of year we all reflect on what we are thankful for. Even though many are facing challenging times, the luckiest of us have the capacity to be thankful. Few however, know how incredibly powerful gratitude can be. Gratitude is nature’s greatest equalizer. No matter who you are, how much you have, where you came from, you can conquer sadness, depression and stress (among other things) by choosing to be thankful. Greater than any antidepressant, gratitude is the ultimate cure because sadness and gratitude cannot coexist in the same space at the same time. In other words, sadness cannot exist in a grateful heart.
Gratitude also puts us on a path to attract abundance unlike anything else.

Hope is sometimes more challenging for us. We are often bombarded by the “news” and it’s “predictions” of extended recessions, increasing layoffs, disappointing shopping seasons, and the like. It’s easy to not only lose sight of what we have to be thankful for, but to find hope of greater things to come.

I think Andy Andrews says it best (from AndyAndrews.com)

In addition, I have discovered proof of hope that has consistently lifted my heart, mind, and spirit to a point of forward motion. Very simply, it is this:

* Even in the worst of times, I must remember that I am still breathing.
* If I am still breathing, that means that I am still here.
* If I am still here, that means that I have not completed what I was put here to do.
* If I have not completed what I was put here to do, that means that my very purpose has not been fulfilled.
* If my very purpose has not been fulfilled, that means that the most important part of my life has yet to be lived.
* If the most important part of my life has yet to be lived, then it doesn’t really matter how old I am or how broke I am, how long I’ve tried or how depressed I might be … Here, at last, is proof that the best part of my life is ahead of me! Without a doubt, there is more laughter to come, more success in my future, more children to teach, more friends to influence. There is more.

There is more … and the promise is proven by the simple fact that I am still breathing. I am still here.

for this perspective, for this hope, and for the generosity of Andy Andrews for posting it, and my ability to receive it, I am thankful.

 

This time of year we all reflect on what we are thankful for. Even though many are facing challenging times, the luckiest of us have the capacity to be thankful. Few however, know how incredibly powerful gratitude can be. Gratitude is nature’s greatest equalizer. No matter who you are, how much you have, where you came from, you can conquer sadness, depression and stress (among other things) by choosing to be thankful. Greater than any antidepressant, gratitude is the ultimate cure because sadness and gratitude cannot coexist in the same space at the same time. In other words, sadness cannot exist in a grateful heart.
Gratitude also puts us on a path to attract abundance unlike anything else.

Hope is sometimes more challenging for us. We are often bombarded by the “news” and it’s “predictions” of extended recessions, increasing layoffs, disappointing shopping seasons, and the like. It’s easy to not only lose sight of what we have to be thankful for, but to find hope of greater things to come.

I think Andy Andrews says it best (from AndyAndrews.com)

In addition, I have discovered proof of hope that has consistently lifted my heart, mind, and spirit to a point of forward motion. Very simply, it is this:

* Even in the worst of times, I must remember that I am still breathing.
* If I am still breathing, that means that I am still here.
* If I am still here, that means that I have not completed what I was put here to do.
* If I have not completed what I was put here to do, that means that my very purpose has not been fulfilled.
* If my very purpose has not been fulfilled, that means that the most important part of my life has yet to be lived.
* If the most important part of my life has yet to be lived, then it doesn’t really matter how old I am or how broke I am, how long I’ve tried or how depressed I might be … Here, at last, is proof that the best part of my life is ahead of me! Without a doubt, there is more laughter to come, more success in my future, more children to teach, more friends to influence. There is more.

There is more … and the promise is proven by the simple fact that I am still breathing. I am still here.

for this perspective, for this hope, and for the generosity of Andy Andrews for posting it, and my ability to receive it, I am thankful.