The only way to take control of your life, raise your standard of living and move beyond merely surviving is to create your own unique product or service that you offer to increasing numbers of people in exchange for the things of value that you desire. This simple formula applies to countries as well as people. A self-sufficient economy has its own products or services of value to export to the world. Similarly, a self-sufficient individual has something of value to exchange in the global marketplace. That thing of value is based on your natural talent, skill, or interest—in other words, your passion!
The game you play is not like others’
for you don’t think like they do
but you’ve known this fact forever
ball and chain games aren’t for you
How is it without advantage
you do things they cannot name?
Different field. Different rulebook
Different outcome. Different game
Works of art from hits and misses
risks they’ll never understand
which to untrained eyes observing
seem exquisite and unplanned
Pulling outcomes from a place
where earthly rules just don’t apply
leave them doubting all their powers
and not really knowing why
In your hand you wield a power
all who’ve seen it will agree
In your other hand’s more options
those who play will never see
So here’s your mantra for the moment:
Do the thing for which you came
With deliberate intention
Make it happen. Change the game!
I had a few challenges on Friday that I almost allowed to prevent me from getting to Washington, D.C., for an event at which I was scheduled to speak. At 2:30pm, I was still in New York, and not yet on my way to the 6:30pm event in DC. (Washington is a 4 to 5-hour road trip from New York, if traffic allows. You do the math!)
At the last moment, just as circumstances threatened to derail my train of intention, I remembered that whether I ended up in DC or not simply depended upon me making a single decision. It had nothing to do with car troubles, schedules, or anything else that seemed to be blocking my progress. I simply had to decide if I wanted to be there. Once I made that decision, I used the powers at my disposal to simply make it happen. I’d done this numerous times before during much more challenging situations.
In such situations, it might require calling in favors, turning on the charm, thinking creatively, etc. I guess things had been going so smoothly for a while, that I’d been out of practice in my ability to "go deep down, pull out an intention, and make it happen."
So today’s column is a reminder of your power. Your power is your ability to get things done. Your power is a function of your intelligence. Yes, intelligence. We all have intelligence, and it’s not always defined in scholastic, intellectual ways. Your ability to create art is a form of intelligence. Your skill at inspiring others and moving people to action is another. These are all forms of intelligence that we possess to varying degrees. This intelligence is sharpened by your desire, strengthened by your passion, and focused through the lens of your intention, that is, whatever goal you’ve set for yourself at a given moment. Unless you keep your intelligence honed, reminding yourself that it’s there, you might let it atrophy.
Here are the different types of intelligence:
1) Linguistic intelligence includes talent in using language and thinking symbolically.
2) Logical-mathematical intelligence involves the ability to think logically, recognize patterns and work with abstract concepts.
3) Musical intelligence gives the ability to distinguish sounds and create music.
4) Spatial intelligence deals with precise perception of things and the ability to recall visual patterns.
5) Bodily kinesthetic intelligence involves ability in physical movement as seen in both athletes and dancers.
6) Interpersonal intelligence is seen in a good teacher or salesman as they sense the needs and interests of others and use that knowledge to communicate.
7) Intrapersonal intelligence can be found in introspective people who prefer exploring inner landscapes. They are often highly intuitive and have a clear sense of self.
8) Naturalist intelligence is displayed by those who are talented at observing, understanding and organizing patterns especially those found in nature.
When you bring your unique talent and intelligence to the things you want to achieve, you discover new and creative ways of getting things done. When you use that intelligence, you find yourself as well as circumstances playing themselves out by different rules. You find that the things others say can’t be done come easily to you. It’s at those moments that you "change the game" both for yourself and those around you.
So as you pursue your ideas and dreams and/or entrepreneurial business aspirations, go out today confident of your power and remind yourself that whatever you want to achieve stems from the single decision to make it happen. You have the power to change the game!
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Until next week, remember, success is a journey, not a destination!
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