Monday, July 20, 2015

3D Tenacity

My youngest daughter is finishing her final college course this week. I couldn't be more proud. Typically, the news wouldn't be all that extraordinary. After all, people complete degree programs all the time.

So what makes her so special, aside from the fact that she's my daughter and I get to select the content of my writing? For starters, her achievement exemplifies the things we can all accomplish if we will just look beyond our circumstances and allow the power of our vision to carry us to the finish line of success. The fact that we finish anything in our society anymore is fast becoming an anomaly. The distractions alone are often enough to derail even the most determined among us.

My daughter is in her mid-thirtieswell beyond an age where an undergraduate degree is expected to be conferred. In fact, just thirty-two percent of Americans have successfully earned their bachelor's degree. The percentages are even less for those over the age of 26. Add to this statistic the number of recipients whose lives were disrupted and the number drops even lower. Of course, the definition of "disruption" is rather vague and does little to cull the data in order to provide any measurable value. Suffice it to say, however, any amount of disruption typically places significant stressors in the form of obstacles onto the path of just about any goal or objective.


The first word that comes to mind when I think of my daughter's journey is tenacity. Tenacity defines a quality of persistence and extraordinary determination to finish what we have started. The definition does not account for persistence and determination under extraordinary circumstance, rather, it leads the reader to infer typical disruptive circumstances. Her circumstances, however, were far from typical. Her circumstances required her to call upon a great deal of tenacity to complete her objective. Her circumstances required her vision to be so compelling that nothing would get in the way of accomplishment. Her circumstances had given her plenty of reasons to lay aside her dream of earning a college degree when she received a cancer diagnosis half-way through the degree program. It was a devastating blow to the momentum she had created, earning an incredible 4.0 grade point average to that point in her journey.

We all watched as she absorbed the cancer diagnosis, wondering how she would allow the circumstance to change her. It didn't. After absorbing the news, she quickly got back to work, seeking treatment while continuing her education, refusing to allow circumstance to steal her dream. To add literal insult to injury, about a year after her diagnosis, her husband was brutally attacked and hospitalized, putting him out of work for an extended—and very unexpected—period of time. The sole source of income now disrupted, she took it upon herself to find ways to make it through until his recovery. Friends and family rallied, all the while, watching and wondering how she would handle the next circumstance.

Without so much as a pause or second thought, she would return to her studies each and every time. Why would someone do that? I smile as I write this because, even as I watched my daughter struggle through the decisions she had to make for her life, I knew exactly why she reacted the way she did. I smile because it is a rare moment when we are aware enough to witness change taking place in our children as it actually happens. Her refusal to allow circumstance to define her had reached a point of indignant intolerance. In other words, she was finished allowing circumstance to define her and had made a conscious decision to dig in deep, even in the midst of adversity, drama, and distraction.

We can learn a lot from the actions of people like my daughter. The circumstances I highlighted are but a few of the major ones she dealt with while in pursuit of a dream. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how she managed all of these circumstances while raising three children, one of whom is mildly autistic. Superwoman? No. Driven? Absolutely! Hers is an example we can all take a lesson from when we are faced with inevitable obstacles that come along and test just how much we desire to reach a goal.

There are a lot of people who are quick to declare what it is they want out of life—we all know them—but far too few who take persistent and calculated action to accomplishment. The realization of our dreams lie just outside the border of our grasp. But there's a formula to realizing our dreams, and unless we follow the formula, we can dream all we want and never taste the sweetness of victory and achievement.

The Formula: The 3Ds

Dreams, Decisions, and Determination

  • Your Dreams define your vision, goal, or objective. Your roadmap for success is driven by your Dream.

  • Your Decisions are a catalyst in defining how you re-construct your lifestyle to meet the course you should be on while in pursuit of your objective. Make no mistake; a lifestyle adjustment will be in order as you allow your dreams to take over and drive the tempo of your desired life.

  • Your Determination is the one factor that will make or break your ability to dig in when you feel like quitting. Determination defines those who do among those who don't, or those who won't. Determination defines an attitude you adopt when you refuse to allow anything to get in the way of your dream.

The formula, on its surface, seems simple. But don't let it fool you. If it was easy, everyone would be successful. No, success is hard. It will call upon you to change your lifestyle, re-prioritize what is important in your life, re-define relationships, and form new rituals and habits. But...it is all worth it, as my daughter will attest.

What are you in pursuit of? Have you declared your vision, dream, or goal and followed it with action? Are your decisions supporting your dreams? How are you handling the obstacles and distractions? Are you determined to cross the finish line, no matter what? Follow a good example. Learn from my daughter's story or anyone whom you can look to for inspiration. And know, with a doubt, that you too can achieve your dreams.







Finish Strong!

Until next time...

-G-


"Imagine with all of your mind. Believe with all of your heart. Achieve with all of your might."
                                                                                  
~ Unknown


We're proud to announce Gary's next book, set to be released very soon. FEAR is a Thief is the first in a self-empowerment series that is written to help people get past fear using five fundamental truths as a basis for understanding and taking action for a better life.

Also be sure to check out: KEY HORIZON, the second novel in the G. Weston spy series. This thriller is receiving rave reviews across the spectrum and has captivated a new following of "spy-fi" readers. 

Get your copy of Westfal's first novel Dream Operative, an #1 Amazon Best-Seller!

Order your copy of these exciting novels today at Amazon.com.

For a comprehensive perspective on the diversity of Gary Westfal, please visit his website (www.gwestfal.com).
 
If you'd like to receive a notification anytime Gary publishes a new blog (currently about every two weeks), visit his Facebook page: G. Gary Westfal - Speaker,Writer

Once there, click on "Get Update via RSS" on the bottom left of the column. You'll be subscribed and will receive a notification anytime he publishes a new blog or provides updates. Please help Gary by recommending this blog to others and by "liking" his Facebook page. Let's push this deserving author to the top among the greats where he belongs.

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Monday, July 6, 2015

Triple-S (Part III)

Pursuing success doesn't have to be complicated. Most times it's the simplest approaches that work best. That's not to say or insinuate the pursuit of success is "easy." If it was, well, you know the rest...everyone would be successful.  

In this final part of our series on the Triple-S concept we'll take a look at the one element that, by ensuring it is part of the equation, can have a significant effect on the likelihood of a successful outcome of any endeavor we take on.
 
So far we have covered two parts of the Triple-S formula — our Strategy and our Story. The two are absolutely important elements in our quest for achievement. Without the third element however, we essentially have what amounts to a two-legged stool. It's a good start that will work, albeit with some limitations, but it's an incomplete solution. So, what if I told you the final element will turn a good formula into a great formula that will work every time, all the time?

To achieve success in any area of our lives we must have a strategy, a plan. We must clearly define the goal or objective we seek by making certain it is aligned with our life's expectations, our story. To kick these two primary elements into high gear we must be in the right state.

Think of the last time you were miserable. My bet is you didn't feel the motivation for accomplishing much at all, even if you had a great strategy for accomplishing something. Now think of the last time you were absolutely on top of the world. In that state, I'm certain you felt as if you could accomplish almost anything. You were motivated, excited, on fire! The difference between the two examples has everything to do with what state you were in at the time and the circumstances that brought about each opposing state. 

Our State is broadly defined as the psychological, emotional and physiological condition we are in. Our state shapes our story and serves as a filter that determines how we see our lives. The filter of our state is divided into three overarching elements: our focus, our language, and our physiology.

Focus - Where focus goes, energy flows.
The direction and momentum of our lives are largely determined by what we focus on. That's principally why we must be mindful to focus on our goals and not on what we fear. Resist fear in all areas. A determined focus invigorates the drive and tenacity required to overcome fear and circumstance. It is a difference-maker serving to distinguish the winners from the quitters.

Language - Most people are unaware that the quality of our lives is largely determined by our communication and our ability to manage our state. The words we have running through our minds contribute to our story and reflect our state of mind. Our state of mind is manifested externally by the words we speak and the attitudes we convey. By managing our language we manage our emotions and our behaviors. If your internal default language is negative, it may be time for you to learn a new language.

Physiology - It has been said that emotion is created by motion. In other words, you can instantly change your emotions by doing something. Part of the doing is evidenced in the way we carry ourselves (posture, facial expression, breathing).


Try it. Next time you're feeling less than yourself, adjust your posture. Put your shoulders back, lift your chin, and take a few deep breaths. I promise you'll feel the difference these slight adjustments make in your ability to think clearer, make better decisions, and experience an overall sense of well-being. Movement is key to changing your state. The way you move changes the way you feel. It is the one thing you can do to immediately to change your state.

 
Our filters determine whether or not we will find the strategy necessary to effectively map our goals and whether or not we create a compelling enough story to meet the desires we have.

Whether they know it or not, people change their state throughout any given day. They are happy, angry, judgmental, cynical, hopeful, kind, etc. Not only is this counterproductive, it confuses our subconscious and we end up going in circles instead of on a laser course to our goals and objectives. You can stop the madness by getting ahold of your state through awareness and then taking action to change things. Ridding counterproductive behavior places us in a state of peak performance. Peak performance comes from being in peak state.

We can change our state in an instant, and in so doing, we can change the moment, the hour, or our entire life. A change in state requires only our decision. That's the beautiful simplicity of the power we have over the course of our lives.

The only precursor to our decision to change state is an awareness that our state requires an adjustment. I think of it more like a light switch. Once I become aware of the need for an adjustment, I simply turn on the switch and BAM!...I put myself in a state of peak performance. I make no apologies and am in a state of readiness to address virtually any issue. 

What about you? Are you with me? Are you ready to transform your life from a list of good intentions to the next level of successful achievement? Take a bold step into the world of the Triple-S and watch your world change.


Until next time...

-G-


"Defeat is a state of mind; no one is defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality."
                                                                                  
~ Bruce Lee


We're proud to announce Gary's next book, set to be released this year. FEAR is a Thief is the first in a self-empowerment series that is written to help people get past fear using five fundamental truths as a basis for understanding and taking action for a better life.

Also be sure to check out: KEY HORIZON, the second novel in the G. Weston spy series. This thriller is receiving rave reviews across the spectrum and has captivated a new following of "spy-fi" readers. 

Get your copy of Westfal's first novel Dream Operative.

Order your copy of these exciting novels today at Amazon.com.

For a comprehensive perspective on the diversity of Gary Westfal, please visit his website (www.gwestfal.com).
 
If you'd like to receive a notification anytime Gary publishes a new blog (currently about every two weeks), visit his Facebook page: G. Gary Westfal - Speaker,Writer

Once there, click on "Get Update via RSS" on the bottom left of the column. You'll be subscribed and will receive a notification anytime he publishes a new blog or provides updates. Please help Gary by recommending this blog to others and by "liking" his Facebook page. Let's push this deserving author to the top among the greats where he belongs.

Please help the author reach more people. If you enjoyed this article you can help by recommending it on Google by pressing the "g+1" button below...