The Power of Positive Thinking and Action
Nov 27 2007
A few of the blogs I read have been posting recently about the power of positive thinking & action as well as how we can be entrepreneurs and still have work/life balance. I hope to be part of that group who can prove this is the case.
Shane & Peter did a post called 2008 goals: scare yourself where they state “In 2008, we are going to gross a million dollars and still have a life.” They make a compelling argument and I believe they have a really great shot at getting $1 million in revenue in 2008 given their attitude. In the comment thread, I asked them what they mean by ‘have a life?’ and Shane said they will be doing a post on that soon as they figure that out as well. Personally, I think I’m still a bit too nervous to scare myself by stating my 2008 business goals out loud and on this blog just yet!
The next post on their blog was written by a guest author, Jarkko Laine, called bring people with you – a recipe for small business revolution. He says: “I challenge you to count the successful entrepreneurs who have been able to maintain a healthy work-life balance.” Jarkko proclaims that in order to stay balanced you must bring your family, your friends, your world, and yourself with you.
Naomi at IttyBiz wrote Top Secret Advice On Making The Digg Front Page where she set a goal, took action, and achieved her wish. Her post Entrepreneurship: What To Do When You’re Scared Sh*tless made it to the font page of Digg and apparently didn’t crash her server like it has others. Way to go Naomi! I haven’t had a post make it to the front page of Digg, but I already know the one that I hope will make it to the front page which will be part of my plan to achieve some of my 2008 scary business goals!
Pearl at Interesting Observations also set a goal to make it to the front page of Digg with her Best 101 Lists post. She made it (yay!), her server crashed for a bit, but now she’s back up and running! I am working on making many more friends like those mentioned here in the blogosphere to achieve my front page of Digg goal one day next year.
To sum this post up, Liz Strauss has started a series of posts about thinking and how we can and should change our thinking and free ourselves of the limits of old thoughts. I joined the conversation at Change Our World: Think Our Way Out of the Box, came back for Personal Identity: Who Are You Really?, and followed on at Positively Me. Since she said it so well, I will leave you with an excerpt from her last post:
“I’ve been thinking about those sentences in our heads.
They were useful once I’m sure – those sentences in our heads that tell us how to act and who we are. But some of them are woefully past their “sell by” date and still they play over and over. It’s time to stop paying attention.
…I see folks who let one sentence, one event, define their entire life while they sit with the power to set it aside and chose a new path.
…It’s my life. They’re my thoughts. I’m tossing out the ones I don’t want. I don’t need negatives anymore. It’s the positives that move me forward.
How else will I become positively me?”
On her post, I said I would make a list of positive thoughts and negative ones and burn the negative ones…to delight the pyromaniac in me! 🙂
I can’t wait to read what Liz writes next! What are we (am I) afraid of will happen if we let go of those negative thoughts? Is it failure or could it quite possibly be as Wendy Piersall at eMoms at Home suggests, of…shudder…Success!
Author: Aruni | Filed under: blogging, entrepreneurship, random stuff, success | Tags: emoms at home, entrepreneurship, interesting observations, itty biz, jarkko laine, liz strause, naomi dunford, pearl, positive action, positive thinking, positive thoughts, shane & peter, wendy piersall | 9 Comments »
Thank you so much for the links and you belief. You know, stating our goals out load was scarier in principle than it was in reality. Everyone was amazing and truly supportive. Like a big verbal hug.
Thanks shane. I know what you mean and I know people will be supportive…give me some time and maybe I’ll be able to state them out loud too! 🙂
I think you most powerful point is “what are we afraid of if we let go of the negative?” This rings true for many, as I think many fear success. I know I have had times that I have derailed myself from achieving. I am not sure why. But now I am an avid goal setter who strikes out to succeed. I don’t always hit my goals, but I know I do more that I would have if I was not positive, and did not try.
So true Thom. I wonder why we derail ourselves. Something in our head (our voice or another’s voice from long ago) can sometimes be louder than your best external cheerleader. I haven’t figured out why that is either…
I came and then headed over to the other blogs you mentioned! Loved them both… (ShaneandPeter’s) as well as Naomi’s! so thanks…
couple of things.. Reaching the Digg front page was never my ‘goal’, because I didn’t think anyone would digg my post for digg, or digg it that many times (fear of success, of course); and had no idea it was on the front page of digg until I started getting tons of emails telling me what happened! (along with you)
Its really brave to be able to set goals publicly and I admire the courage… I can’t do it, because I AM afraid of failure and be embarrassed!
I just read Wendy’s post and bookmarked it! I admire her strength and willingness to continue to forge ahead….
as far as Liz’s writing is concerned, I become over emotional reading it, every time… it always stirs something in me! off I go to read it..
thanks for the link Aruni! tc
Hi Pearl – sorry about the Digg misunderstanding. Why didn’t you think the people you connected with about the post would Digg it? We all like you so you shouldn’t be surprised. 🙂
I guess you accomplished something you weren’t even aiming for. Impressive!
I know what you mean about Liz’s writing. I often experience a range of emotions when reading her stuff that bring out the tears and smiles in me at the same time. I’m addicted though so I keep going back!
I understand about feeling afraid of failure or embarassment. I think that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to! You’ve done a wonderful job with your blog!
I just noticed my comment is filled with all those “Digg”s… I don’t doubt if people would vote for the post if I asked, I am critical of my own stuff and never can feel it is something that would be liked by SO MANY… friends we connect with obviously support all the time!
hey, whats happening to your blog? its format is all over my desktop! it becomes alright when I click on the comment though!
Well said, Aruni…The mind can be your best friend or worst enemy. Positive thinking starts with some intense “re” training. It is a marathon not a sprint.
Time to get the “running” shoes out 🙂
Thanks Shaku! That mind re-training is harder than any other training I’ve ever tried. I look forward to meeting up with you sometime soon!