If we want to fill our heads with the doom and gloom society seems to thrive on, all we need to do is turn on the local news at night. To make that quantum leap toward personal happiness and success in life, sometimes we just need to do what so many people seem to be talking about lately: clean house and take personal inventory of the people we associate with most.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is, Avoid the ugly people. Mind you, when I say ugly, it has nothing to do with physical appearance. The comment illustrates that to best achieve our goals and wants in life, we should surround ourselves with other like-minded people to support us on our journey. In other words, we need to clean house of our own ugly people who, for some strange reason, we feel the need to hold onto.
Maybe you'll relate to a personal example from my own life. On the surface, Mark (not his real name) was a pretty nice guy. I thought of him as my personal anchor, someone who kept me grounded and helped me stay on focus and direction. But every time Id venture out into something new, Mark would put his ugly hat on. Rather than becoming a voice of reason or attempting to illuminate both sides of a given situation, hed only tell me about the horrors of such an idea and how crazy it was for me to even think that way. He made it clear that without him, Id float off into despair. (I mean, could you imagine me, of all people, wanting to write a book, start my own company, or dive into the volatile and unstable real estate market?)
Sounds funny now, huh? The moral of this story is that I allowed Mark to set my limitations. I forgot that people only have as much power over us as we give them.
In retrospect, Mark was correct: He was my anchor after all, because I allowed him to hold me back from sailing toward prosperity earlier in my life when I first wanted to take that leap. Until I grew strong enough to cut the tie and move forward on my own, I allowed myself to be restrained by his idea of what success should be.
Bottom line, I rolled up my sleeves and set myself free . . . anchors away!
Remember, only you know what youre capable of, so if youre going to choose to live up to someones expectations, shouldnt they be your own?
With that said, heres my challenge. Take a moment to reflect on any ugly people who may be taking up space in your head (rent free), and gently let them go. You deserve better. In fact, you deserve the best. Never, ever let another person hold you back from your dreams.
Now, dont do what I say, do what I did. Roll up your sleeves and set yourself free as well. Anchors away!
Best wishes always, and whatever you do,
Keep smiling!
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to: GregReid@AlwaysGood.com
About The Author
Gregory Scott Reid, Speaker and two-time #1 best-selling author, The Millionaire Mentor and Wake Up: Live the Life You Love: www.AlwaysGood.com
I recently had to take a trip to Germany. It... Read More
The secret power of positive thinkers is their faith. And... Read More
"A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile... Read More
1. How do I love myself?2. How can I feel... Read More
Self-esteem is something that we all wish we had more... Read More
This week is Part Five of our five part series... Read More
Life is full of problems.The more you solve them, the... Read More
Fulfilling your dreams will remain a mirage if you simply... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 24,... Read More
The other night I was watching a documentary on that... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 4,... Read More
I love to watch people at airports, malls and even... Read More
I wrote about my life and all that I have... Read More
In this world we don't have to afraid to anybody... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 6,... Read More
A number of years ago I worked for one of... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 7,... Read More
When was the last time you smiled at a stranger?When... Read More
Michael Vick can do wonders on a football field, but... Read More
Riding a rush, being juiced, flying high-this is the feeling... Read More
I have counseled individuals, couples, families and business partners for... Read More
Although shyness can be overcome, there is a fair chance... Read More
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and... Read More
There is a Chinese proverb that says, "A journey of... Read More
[Channelled]'Interact,' is a common word that most of you are... Read More
The feeling response to being filled up with Love from... Read More
The first thing that an aspiring leader must realize is... Read More
There is one thing you want...My guess is you want... Read More
We set out walking along a route where one foot... Read More
What are you passionate about? We didn't ask if you... Read More
Have you ever been in the situation where you have... Read More
My best friend, Ryan, told me last night he got... Read More
Change, no matter how you cut it, can certainly be... Read More
A high school senior, looking forward to going to college,... Read More
There is nothing more important than feeling good.Come again? Didn't... Read More
I have, in recent years, come to believe that IQ... Read More
Lance Armstrong has already proven he is the greatest athlete... Read More
Surfing is mindfulness in action. Riding the biggest waves is... Read More
Perhaps I should ask my doctor if there is a... Read More
God has created human beings to live successfully. He has... Read More
Without question, going to the hospital is teamwork from the... Read More
In Catholic school the nuns used to tell us that... Read More
Matches are all about power; a new world opens up... Read More
Fangs. Killer claws. Hisses, grrrs...and later, yelps. Who is not... Read More
I looked at my father for the last time before... Read More
Trouble, trouble, trouble. Nothing but trouble. The night before, I... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 17,... Read More
How many of you had the experience growing up of... Read More
I am not going to tell you the story of... Read More
Are things busy at your house or workplace? Imagine how... Read More
Inspirational Inspirational |