Making The Shift

Making The Shift

PROBLEM —— CHALLENGE —— OPPORTUNITY

One of the toughest tasks while facing a crisis or a painful change is what I call “Making the Shift”.

The “shift” centres around two different people having opposite views of what stands in front of them. One person may view a particular situation as a problem, while the other views it as a challenge. The boldest people view the challenge as an opportunity. These are the people who “live to win”.

When people view their situation as a problem, they often become paralysed in their efforts to move forward.

Words commonly associated with problems are: dilemma, anxiety, fear, worry, trouble, threat.

It is imperative that a shift be made and that a person’s thought processes or beliefs convert to thinking of a problem as a challenge.

When someone is able to overcome the fear associated with a problem and views that dilemma as a challenge, his overall belief system allows him to take action.

When this shift occurs and the “problem” is now viewed as a “challenge,” he has an instant ability to start moving forward and overcoming the dilemma.

This is commonly referred to as “taking action”. The pattern of thought now moves from one of fear to one of daring. When a situation is viewed as a challenge, the end result now becomes clearer, with a vision of the desired result.

Words associated with challenge include: overcome, win, test, defy. People respond more assertively when viewing a situation as a “challenge,” as opposed to viewing it as a “problem”.

The final, most exciting part of this shift is when a problem is viewed as an opportunity.

The end result of opportunity is limitless. Opportunity brings: progress, happiness, advancement, and eventual fortune.

A classic example of “The Shift”:

I have a dear friend who I have known for almost my entire lifetime. This gentleman had an amazing career as an independent floor trader in the commodity business. For several years, he had income well in excess of seven figures.

Unfortunately, for him, he had a significant problem. His problem stemmed from his abuse of alcohol. This problem eventually took him and his empire down to its knees.

He came to me with his “problem,” and we quickly agreed that massive action needed to be taken.

When he finally acknowledged that having a problem was causing him to be “stuck,” and was preventing his ability to move forward, he bought into the idea of viewing his “problem” as a “challenge”.

His “challenge” was dealing with his battle with alcoholism and getting his life under control.

To my friend’s credit, he checked himself into a facility that would give him the best chance to win his battle. After several weeks, he was released and continued his challenge with rebuilding his life and dealing with his day-to-day “challenge” of becoming a recovering alcoholic. Because of his strong will and determination, he is now ten years sober. I’m so proud of him – but that is not the end of the story.

My friend decided that the “challenge “was only his beginning. He has now made the massive shift from “problem” to that of “opportunity”. You see, within his world of pain, were many others with the same “problem”. My friend has now leveraged the contacts that he made in his new community of recovered addicts and built a large business in the insurance field. He is clearly in the business of helping people in life–and in business–while enjoying his rise back to the top.

The Shift

PROBLEM —— CHALLENGE —— OPPORTUNITY

I hope you found this information helpful. Let me know how you apply this.

Just one more thing before you go … I’d like to ask you to do one important thing for me – spread the word about this article.

That is all -

David

Motivational Monday: The World's Toughest Race

Motivational Monday: The World’s Toughest Race

Cliff Young was born on 8th February 1922 and spent his first few years living in an old bark hut with his family. They struggled during his early years and also during the depression. His father had to take work wherever he could and manage the farm at weekends.

Cliff grew up in a farm spread over 2000 acres and he used to manage around 2000 sheep. He was forced to run almost continuously to effectively manage the sheep roaming in the farm.

Cliff started professional running at the age of 56 and his first fun run was the 1979 Adidas Sun Superun. The 16 kilometre course was amongst the first events in Australia to capture the start of the fun run boom. He ran a very respectable 64 minutes and was even interviewed by the Melbourne media.

Cliff produced another three-hour performance in the Melbourne Marathon the following year and finished forty third. The TV Commentator doubted Cliff’s ability, thinking that he must have come in from a side street before finishing!

Every year, Australia hosts an 875-kilometer endurance racing from Sydney to Melbourne. It is considered among the world’s most grueling ultra-marathons. The race takes five days to complete and is normally only attempted by world-class athletes who train specially for the event. These athletes are typically less than 30 years old and backed by large companies such as Nike.

In 1983, Cliff Young showed up at the start of this race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots. To everyone’s shock, Cliff wasn’t a spectator. He picked up his race number and joined the other runners.

He arrived at the start with the feeling that the other runners were looking at him with disdain. He knew he had something to prove.

The press and other athletes became curious and questioned Cliff. They told him, “You’re crazy, there’s no way you can finish this race.” To which he replied, “Yes I can. See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn’t afford horses or tractors, and the whole time I was growing up, whenever the storms would roll in, I’d have to go out and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 sheep on 2,000 acres. Sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days. It took a long time, but I’d always catch them. I believe I can run this race.”

When the race started, the pros quickly left Cliff behind. The crowds and television audience were entertained because Cliff didn’t even run properly; he appeared to shuffle. Many even feared for the old farmer’s safety.

In order to compete, one had to run about 18 hours a day and sleep the remaining 6 hours. The thing is, Cliff Young didn’t know that!

When the morning of the second day came, everyone was in for another surprise. Not only was Cliff still in the race, he had continued jogging all night. It was on the first night that Cliff and his crew accidentally rewrote the rulebook about multi-day ultra running. They pulled off the road for a six-hour break. Cliff was awakened only a short time later, thought to himself that it was a quick sleep, and then headed for the road. It was still dark and it only took Cliff and his crew a short time to realize that he had only slept for two hours! Regardless, Cliff felt good and the consequences were written into Australian athletic history.

Eventually Cliff was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race. To everyone’s disbelief, he claimed he would run straight through to the finish without sleeping.

Cliff kept running. Each night he came a little closer to the leading pack. By the final night, he had surpassed all of the young world-class athletes. He was the first competitor to cross the finish line and he set a new course record.

When Cliff was awarded the winning prize of $10,000, he said he didn’t know there was a prize and insisted that he did not enter for the money. He ended up giving all of his winnings to several other runners, an act that endeared him to all of Australia.

Cliff became a national hero after his amazing win in the 1983 inaugural Westfield Sydney to Melbourne run and since then has participated in almost 20,000 km of ultra marathons. Since turning 60, he has set six world endurance records.

Cliff came to prominence again in 1997, aged 76, when he attempted to raise money for homeless children by running around Australia’s border. He completed 6,520 kilometers of the 16,000-kilometer run before he had to pull out because his only crew member became ill.

Cliff was at the 1999 Coburg 24 Hour Carnival when he completed 147 km. A storm came through in the evening, which sent most of the competitors scurrying for cover but not the 77 year old Cliff. He was leaning forward and kept going through the wind, rain and sleet.Ja

Though Cliff young started professional running only at 56 he created several world records due to his self-confidence and will power. He was able achieve so much even in the absence of training equipment (shoes) and a lack of professional training by coaches.

What could you achieve if you had the self-confidence and will power?

That is all.

David

Cliff Young winning the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1983

Five Great Ways To Feel More Powerful

Five Great Ways To Feel More Powerful

I want this to be the type of list where you can walk down the street and start to get to a feeling that you are invincible. The sense of belief that you can enter any situation and you know your purpose, you walk with pride and you're ready to take on the world.

I'm also not Dwayne Johnson, as pictured above. I'm David Brett-Williams. I started blogging back in November 2012 in an attempt to help and inspire people to achieve success in life.

For much of my life I've struggled with various issues such as confidence, discipline and fear in trying new things that may seem scary at first. However, I've always been interested in the theory and concept behind these feelings and why we think and act the way we do.

It was only until about 5 years ago that I decided to take action on the things I was unhappy with, and begin to improve everything that I felt I needed to in order to become the person I ultimately want to be. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't instant, but I'm getting there.

Please feel free to share any of the points in this blog with your friends & family, or on your website, and don't worry about linking back to me. I will add to this list in future blogs.

1) Stop Making Excuses

Stop making excuses for yourself. We've heard them all. 99% of them are bullshit. Often they are only used as a way for you not to feel guilty. Every day presents opportunities so don't waste them by giving yourself an excuse.

2) Be Persistent

Persistence is a key ingredient in success. Who shows better results: the person who persists or the person who quits after the first attempt? If you are persistent you'll begin to see much greater results, and you'll have a better chance of improving – remember the old adage ‘practice makes perfect’? As you improve your likelihood of success increases too.

3) Remove Negative People From Your Life

You're never going to feel strong, powerful and proud if everyone around you is negative. Dealing with negative people tends to drain your energy. These people also tend to respond negatively towards you and your goals. They can't help that, it is who they are. But you can remove them from your life. They say you become like the ten help people you spend the most time with.

4) Keep In Mind That Anything Is Possible

Anything is possible if you're prepared to put the work in, and truly knowing and believing in this fact has a powerful effect on what you think about life. This needs to be the foundation of how you think.

5) When You Want Something, Go Out And Get It

You are a BEAST. You are unstoppable. Nothing can defeat you. If you really want something, go out and get it. Never settle for less. You deserve the best. There is nothing else to it.

Stay Strong. Be Proud. Become Powerful.

What happens next is up to you...

That is all.

David

Motivational Monday: Just Give It Up

Just Give It Up

Think about something you’re enormously unhappy with in your life and don’t read any further until you do so. 

Just focus on one thing that has been frustrating you for ages and seems unchangeable, whether it’s an external circumstance or an internal struggle. Don’t rush. I’ll wait.

Got it? Good. 

Now I’m going to tell you why it’s such a problem in your life, and you’re probably going to get mad at me. But I’m okay with that, because sometimes we have to get a little healthy friction in order to light a fire under your ass. So here goes.

The reason you have persistent obstacles in your life is because you’re unwilling to give up tolerating their existence.

Yeah, I can imagine this isn’t what you want to hear right now. You want me to tell you it’s all going to be okay if you just work harder, but we both know that’s not helping. You’ve tried and failed before, and you’re still struggling with this “permanent” obstacle. And of course I don’t understand your situation, because “this really isn’t your fault.”

Well, OK, I’ll give you that. I’m not going to say that every bad situation in your life is your fault. I don’t know who or what caused your problem. But I do know what’s allowing that problem to remain something that’s persistently holding you back, and it’s your commitment to the way you identify with it.

You see, on some level you believe in your heart of hearts that you just can’t break past this obstacle, and you’re unwilling to give that belief up because it’s safer than what lies on the other side.

Maybe it’s a felony-level traumatic event in your past that someone else caused that’s scarred you emotionally (And I know exactly how that feels). Maybe it’s a chronic lack of willpower that has held you back as long as you remember (check that too, I’m with you). Maybe it’s a personal failing or shortcoming that has locked you into a “label” for life.

Or maybe it’s just a simple belief that you don’t have enough time/money/talent/whatever in your life … or maybe the old standby “I’m too busy / I’m too tired.” (And yes, I’m counting myself among the offenders here.)

These are all very real sources of pain in our lives, and all very real, very valid obstacles. They are strong, overwhelming forces that have shaped our past in ways that we weren’t strong enough to resist.

But today? If it’s still going to affect you for the next 24 hours, it’s because you’re committed to believing it must affect you. You’re not willing to give up playing the victim and demand the benefits (and responsibilities) that moving forward demands.

Strong words from someone who just doesn’t understand how your situation’s different. But I have to tell you, I think I understand it pretty well.

You see, we all have what I call a “success identity,” a personal view of what we think we deserve, what we think we’re capable of, and what we think we’ll have access to in this life. In some of areas, our success identity is strong, and we perform well in that arena.

In other areas, our success identity is weak and hindered by limiting beliefs, and we stay locked into a narrow range of experiences. And giving up that limiting belief can be very, very hard – so hard that most of us will never do it.

For example, think of your current monthly income, and multiply it by 50. Can you actually see yourself making that much within 5 years? I’d say for the bulk of us, that’s a damn scary thought. Fifty times your regular income is mindboggling … but only if you’ve never already believed you could achieve that.

Or maybe getting into “perfect” shape is the limiting factor here. Maybe you eat junk food, don’t exercise and have been steadily gaining weight, and the idea of getting into an ideal physical state seems impossible.

Or perhaps you’re so “messed up” emotionally that the idea of being a “together” person seems ludicrous. (I mean seriously, Dave, it’s easy for you to say I can change, but I’m not like you, can’t you see that?)

Hell yes, you’re not like me. And I’m not like you. And we each have our own baggage to unpack and overcome (and you’re likely trouncing me in areas I struggle with).

But here’s the thing: Whatever seems ludicrous, whatever you say “I could never do that …” to, that’s the limiting belief that you are absolutely committed to. In fact, you’re so committed to it that you’ve got a ready-made collection of reasons excuses to support it – and you’ll fight like hell before you give it up.

I don’t have the time. 

I’m too shy. 

I’m too fat. 

There’s already someone doing that. 

Who am I to do that? 

I’m no expert! 

I’m not good looking enough. 

I stutter. 

I walk funny. 

My teeth suck. 

I can’t speak well. 

I’m too clumsy. 

I’m too scared. 

I’m not smart enough. 

I’ll never have the money to do that. 

That’s for other people, not me.

I’m too old.

I don’t have the talent. 

I’ve commitments. 

I’ve tried before. 

They won’t let me. 

I don’t have any options. You just don’t understand.

Yeah, I understand. I understand that we both will never overcome our obstacles until we’re willing to give up the luxury of making excuses for why we can’t have/be/do something.

What’s that? You don’t think that making excuses is a luxury? Well, then let’s see how long you can go without it.

Look, I’m not saying any of this is easy. It’s damned hard. But honestly, if you’re experiencing a long-term lack of anything in life, it’s because you’re convinced that it’s normal (and tolerable) for that circumstance to exist. You’ve given up believing that life should be – and will be – any different.

But instead you should be giving up that limiting belief. You should be saying, “There’s no reason I can’t have this, too.”

Are you willing to look at that generalised limiting belief about your life you’ve been clinging on to – even though you hate it – and to just give it up? If you don’t, you’ll always find an excuse to allow it to thrive.

But if you give it up – if you refuse to tolerate that limit’s right to exist in your life – then you’ll be able to start smashing it to pieces and living a life that’s more to your liking.

Scary? Yes. 

Worth it? Hell yeah.

And that’s with no existential bullshit “believe it and the magic genie will tell the universe to give it to you” nonsense. You “attract” what you tolerate. You “attract” what you’re willing to believe you deserve. You take action according to what you believe this old universe has in store for you. And that action creates your new, more desirable circumstances.

That thing you are believing right now, that belief that cages you in as a small, scared, weak animal who is going to be stuck in the same place forever? 

Give up that belief.

Give. It up. I know it’s hard. I know it hurts to believe that you can really have more than you think you deserve, more than you think you’re capable of. But you can. Other people have done it before you, and others will continue to do it, once they give up on accepting the “fact” that things will never change.

So let me give you some first steps to take, and then you can leave a comment and start making progress.

Ok, so how do we get the ball rolling on this? Three simple steps:

1.   First, find someone who’s “just as screwed up as you are” or “worse,” but has managed to move past your limiting belief. (If you’re really screwed up you are in luck, because there are tons of people to choose from.)

2.  Next, decide you’re going to use them as a hero and a mentor. Commit to finding out how they did it and start looking into their story for inspiration (and if you’re already close to them, talk to them and ask for advice).

3.  Finally, write about it in the comments. Tell me what limiting belief you’re going to give up on and who is going to be your inspiration/example. If you’re worried about giving personal details, put “Ass Kicker” in the Name field below, and just tell me you’ve picked somebody. 

The more of you who leave this kind of comment on this post, the more people you’ll inspire to take action.

Leave your comment. Give up on your limiting belief. Find a role model. And then leave a comment.

Do it now. You’ll thank yourself for it.

That is all -

David