Keeping the Inner Faith

Whether you find faith in yourself, others or a higher source, stick with it and you'll make it through.

The only thing you can predict about the future with 100% certainty is that time will continue to pass and the world will continue to move forward.  Sure, there are calculated results you can measure and guide your decisions around the most realistic outcomes... but in the end, you'll never really know for sure.

You do what makes the most sense.  You follow a plan that has proven successful in the past.  You do what feels right.

Why?  Because of Inner Faith.

Use a Shot Clock to Improve Decision Making

Set your shot-clock and make a decision before time runs out.

The ability to make smart decisions quickly and eh, decisively, is a valuable skill that can improve all areas of your life.  Not only is decision-making a necessity in this fast-paced world we live in, it can also be empowering and alleviate stress (the stress that comes from delaying a decision!)

So, if the ability to make quick decisions is a skill you need improvement on, there is an easy method you can use to build your decision making power...

Save your Best Work for when Energy Levels are at their Peak

Determine your peak energy level, and then utilize it as much as possible.

What time of the day do you have the most energy?  When you are at your natural peak?  If you don't know, it's time to get in tune with your body cycle and find out.

Each of us have a different rhythm and must be familiar with the cycles that work best for us.

Two Questions: What are You Doing and Why are you Doing it?

The first steps to success begin with knowing what you're doing, and why you're doing it.

If you've every caught yourself wondering where the time went, or why it has taken long to complete a project (assuming, of course, that you've started a project), or why you've been putting off that dream of yours... did you know you can remedy this with a simple solution?

The way to stop losing track of time is to live with conscious awareness of what you are doing at each moment of the day and ensuring that there is a reason for doing it.

Develop the Habit of Commitment by Making More Promises

Embrace commitment and make more promises, and you're on your way to success.

Most people sincerely meet their obligations and fulfill expectations... they're reliable and dedicated and trustworthy.  They get things done and make others happy.  But how many of them are fully committed to those their serving?

Are the tasks they're completing done so with the same focus and energy as they give to promises, or are they going through the motions...

In other words, do the things we do for others carry the weight of a promise?

An Appreciation for Relaxation

Proper relaxation can help you be more productive and ultimately more successful.

We often think in terms of go, go,go... how much can we accomplish, how much progress can be made, but have you ever stopped to think about the value of having a relaxed mind and body?

No doubt about it, when our mind and our body are relaxed, we are able to concentrate better, be more alert and make better decisions, and maintain the stamina needed to overcome and obstacles in our way.

Water the Flowers, but also Pull the Weeds

Eliminate the barriers holding you back and you'll reach your destination much faster.

It is important to discover your strengths and nurture them, but while doing so you must be careful not to take your eyes off obstacles getting in the way.

These hurdles can hold you back and until you remove them they will continue to distract from your real objective of building upon strengths.

Take a Subtle Break from the Routine

Take a break from the routine.  Subtle differences make all the difference.

Wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch tv, go to bed... repeat.

The routine that millions of hard-working adults go through day after day after day.  And it's a habit that can be broken with just a subtle change.

Reading the Street Signs on the Road of Life

The signs are all around you if take time to look for them.

When traveling down the road of life, you'll find street signs at every corner.  Are you paying attention to them?  These are the subtle clues about what direction to take; the advisories that warn you to what lies ahead; the wisdom posted by others who have already traveled down the path you're headed...

Pay attention to the Journey AND the Destination

Always stop to enjoy the view, but never lose sight of where you're headed.

Many good-intended people will tell you that life is a journey and not a destination.  They will advise you to "stop and smell the roses," or "carpe diem(!), because life is what happens when you're making other plans."  While this may sound promising to some, a self-made sage intuitively knows that this is only half the story.

The point most people miss with their advice is that all the things you do along your journey should at least point you in the direction of your destination.

They are equally important.

When is the Best Time to Get Started?

The conditions will never be absolute perfect, so why delay?  Get started now.

Have you figured out yet when is the best time get started on your new project/assignment/goal, etc?

Anyone looking to achieve the greatest possible outcome from a new venture will often look for a time when the stars align and everything is perfect to launch.  When should we roll out the new product line?...  When will the market recover so we can get the best price?...  When are those stocks going to bottom/peak so we can buy/sell?

Of, if not trying to actually choose a specific time, we may be simply waiting around until we have "enough" of whatever we feel is needed to get started...  "enough" money... "enough" time... "enough" information... "enough" courage... enough whatever.

Well, guess what?  The conditions are never perfect and there is never enough.

Put an End to the Waiting Game

Good or bad, life is happening to you right now.  Get out and make the most of it.

The infamous waiting game.  As much as we all despise it, most of us spend our lives playing it.

We wait for the conditions to be right; 
We wait for something good to happen;
We wait for our life to begin.

Well, it's time to put an end to the waiting game...

Stop Blaming Others, Even if they Deserve Blame

In the end, blaming others drains your energy and leads to nowhere.

Life is imperfect.  People are imperfect.  Chances are, you're a little bit imperfect too.  All we can do is make the best of our lives and deal with the situation we're in.

Thus, a Self-Made Sage knows that no matter who is to blame in any given situation, the future is never going to change unless you live with personal accountability and take your own actions to change.  The reason is because in the end casting blame on others leads you to nowhere.  Blaming others drains your energy.  Blaming others distracts you from your priorities.  Blaming OTHERS does not get YOU to where you ought to be.

Scripting the Movie of Your Life

Share your Movie of Me with the world!

The story of one's life can be inspirational, motivational, insightful, meaningful, or educational.  It can be touching or thought-provoking.  Their story draws you in, and it's easy to become engaged in the arc of their lives and witness the evolution they go through.  Most times you not only learn something, but you leave thinking about how you can apply that learning to your own life.

Enter the term "autobiography" in google and you'll find 67.2 million search results...

How to Find your Inner Sage

Are you ready to discover your Inner Sage?

A sage, by definition, is one who is wise through reflection and experience... a mature or venerable person demonstrating wisdom, prudence and good judgment.  

When we live a life that positively reflects our inner calling, and conduct ourselves in a manner that is appreciated and respected by everyone around us, we are being sages over our own existence.