What are your goals?

Goals are something we put out in front of ourselves to reach one day. But who sets our goals. If someone else had set them for you to reach, should you attain them or another. If they belong to another why should you ever reach those goals, they are not for you. But the more we try the more disheartened we become. In this case our failures are our saviors. They, our failures, are there to prevent us from living an unauthentic life living out some one else’s goals. They are there to keep us from living some one else’s life. So who has set your goals?

Now if we have set our own goals, and we find ourselves not there yet; there is still something for us to learn yet so we may access them. It is like getting a pair of running shoes before you have learned to crawl. Even holding onto those sneakers for the future would be no good. By then your feet would have out grown them. The secret is in the symbol on the shoe. Victory comes from just doing it. As long as you are in the process of your life, all is fine. But if you are putting off what you deserve for another day, it might never come.

One of my Grandfather’s goals was to work hard and retire, so he could enjoy life later. He was one of the first State Troopers in the country back in New Jersey. He Served under General Schwarskophf’s father for many years as the head of traffic safety. Now every day before and after his shift at the barracks he would farm his tree nursery to save that money for the good life when he retired. As he bent over and felt the strain in his back from balling another tree, his thoughts went to the future enjoyment he would receive. As he bent over a second time and felt the strain in his back from balling just another tree, the thoughts of all the time he would have later in life to play golf and travel would sustain him. Well he retired right on schedule and he became ill. I knew him most of my life as the Grandfather who rarely left his bedroom who could not stand loud noise. A man who held a lot of authority in his youth had no voice in his maturity. He had his larynx removed. But besides that I still do not know why he never left his room and his bed? I can not recall any other ailments he had. Only thing I can imagine is that his life had left him before his body did. Too many years of being ignored. Life was always something to behold later and not in the moment.

Another one of his goals was to provide for his family? So he would work long hard hours and be on call at all hours of the night. Then in the morning be out in the field alone until he had to be at the barrack once again. He escorted rich widows from the grocery store and back, paraded and protected presidents such as Wilson and Roosevelt, Solved the Palisades Heights Murder, and was in Society column next to the Dows, the Vanderbuilts, and Rockefellers. He was always away from his family providing for them. Now as my Father looks back on him, he can not remember much about him until he got sick. At that point it was not hard to nail him down for a good game of Gin. But thirty years had slipped by. Yes, my Father’s house was paid for in the first five years thanks to my Grandfather’s savings, but I think my Father would of much preferred much more of his time a bit earlier.

Is it Too late to reassess? No it never is, but it is harder the longer you wait. Because the behaviors over our life time solidify and begin to be set in their own ways. Caught in time the old dog of your inner life can indeed be taught new tricks. One of the most popular afflictions is an incorrect understanding of ones social duty or Dharma. In Norse Mythology Tir, the god of the generals and the symbol of masculinity, is represented by an upright arrow. When this Rune is pulled it is a call for assertive energy to be called into play. It is asking for you to be assertive in a healthy and balanced fashion to strive for the peak of strength and creativity in your life. To charge your batteries to their full capacity. To come full round and gain your happiness in the moment and peak your personal wonder. The crux of the issue is this, once you at the peak of your knowledge, wealth, or happiness; you must perform the return.

"Half way through the journey of our lives, I came to myself in a dark wood and found that I had lost the true way." Dante; Divine Comedia

Now the Return is expressed by Plato returning his character to the cave with the light, Frodo coming back to free the Shire of bandits, and Prometheus returning with his torch. To take everything you have learned, experienced, felt, or gained and give it freely in a wise fashion. It does not mean to empty your bank account and give it to the first homeless man you see, for that might not be what he needs to progress. He might just take all of that money and lose it on the horses. He might of just needed some one to share a bologna sandwich and an ear to listen, simple justification of his existence. Now if you handed him your king’s ransom, you might be sharing the same refrigerator box! So give wisely of yourself, but do give. For Tir calls for you to never expire your future potential strength but to always give your kinetic strength. It is kind of like trying to provide the neighborhood with fresh eggs after you had roasted the hen.

There once was a man who had been a man working for Civil Engineering during the Roosevelt’s public works days, who upon retiring taught at Boston College free of charge to the incurring immigrants in his spare time. One of his students moved to Jersey and was responsible for the creation of what is commonly called a "Jersey Barrier", which as fate would have it kept that professor alive and prevented him from leaping into oncoming traffic in the Sumner Tunnel entering Boston when his tire exploded. Now that is Dharma correctly lived. That is Social Duty played out well.

So as you come home from work at the end of a seventy hour week and Junior wants to play catch and you barely have enough energy to lift your brief case unto the table, what was it that Junior really needed? Was it your wealth, knowledge, concern, time, understanding, compassion, Love, friendship, or laughter? Or D, all of the above. In a well balanced fashion. Some times we are just doing exactly what our parents had done for us without knowing any better. Sure, we say " I’ll never do that to my children!" We all exceed our parents mark. But how far off was theirs in the first place. We need to know this to truly understand where that balance is in life. For we all must be that Professor, friend, or father to all through out our whole life..

When we smile the whole world smiles with us, Yes it is a corny phrase, but it is same as when Christ had said in the Gospel of Thomas "..Lift that stone and there I am." For you and me are the same person and the same essence as that stone. Much like your finger is part of your hand which is in part of yourself. As Christ was the Son of God and at the same time God himself, we shall also be the Alpha and the Omega. But then again your finger is still your finger. Now again, if that finger of yours is cut by a rusty nail and your tetanus shot has expired? Left to its own, can kill the rest of the organism. In Ancient Rome, they let the middle class dissolve into poverty thinking they can retain the wealth in the higher echelons of the few. Now the tax base dwindled down to close to nothing and the infrastructure collapsed. Before they had 6% of millions of citizens, but now was reduced to 6% of the wealthiest thousand. Also when a Plebe in a distant outskirts coughed on a traveling merchant, well when all roads lead to Rome it is not hard to see how the plague reached up into the Senate.

Come read other articles like this one at TheGuide or learn about an old cantankerous old man in the 20’s and the pond he created. Come join the lifestyle @ Docspond

Christopher Jon Luke Dowgin has been a life coach for twenty years counseling people and propietor of his own Artistic company Norgeforge.

I recently spoke to a Youth Leadership Group, and I was deeply inspired listening to the dreams that the teenagers had for the future. While I was presenting, I felt the group of teenagers begin to realize that it is ok to dream and be proud of what you have done in your life and where you want to go in life.

As adults, we need to realize that the power of a dream will enable you to achieve whatever your ultimate "WHY" in life is. By the age 25, most people lose all of their dreams and fall into a rut. From the age 25-65, people generally go back and forth to work and say to themselves," I wish…if only I could have…if only I knew then what I know now," and numerous other lamentations as to why they do not feel fulfilled in life. The key in life to feeling fulfilled is to simply listen to your inner spirit and make your daily work in life something that you love to do and will help you achieve your DREAMS!

The key word in that sentence is DREAMS! Too many people when asked, "Where do you see yourself 2-5 years from now" give the answer, "Just let me make it to this weekend." The underlying reason that they don’t know where they are going to be is because they have no dreams. This can be extremely frightening! Each of the teenagers that I spoke to this week has dreams for their life and where they see themselves in the future. As a professional speaker and business coach, my ultimate outcome is to empower people to find their WHY in life — to catapult them to attain their dreams in life. I also spoke to the group about how important it is to be around a mastermind team, which will push you on and let you know it is awesome you have a dream.

As an overall population, over 95% of adults have no mastermind team but they have group of so-called friends, who will tell every reason why they should never try to win and to just accept their life. You need to stop right now and take a personal inventory of your life and ask yourself three life-changing questions:

1) WHAT is my WHY in LIFE!!! (Why I am getting up each and every day?) 2) WHO is my Mastermind Team? 3) WHERE do I see myself 2-5 years from now?

When you answer these questions you need to be honest with yourself and tell yourself the truth because the truth shall set you FREE! The key to living a fulfilled life is waking up each day with a driving desire to achieve your "WHY”. The key to winning in life is to be part of a winning team and realize life decisions are challenging but very beneficial. Bring your Dreams back to life!

Find your WHY & FLY!

John Di Lemme
www.FindYourWhy.com

John Di Lemme, a Former Clinically Diagnosed Stutterer, now the World’s Leading Motivational Expert *shocks millions globally* by exposing the truth they’ve been searching for in order to achieve monumental life success through his Award Winning Live Seminars, Power-Packed Training Programs, Live Tele-Classes, Motivational Club and Weekly E-zine. Take action now and join tho.usands of others that have used John’s proven methods to live their life to the Maximum! Visit http://www.FindYourWhy.com and discover how you can finally create monumental success in your life today and achieve all your goals, dreams and desires.

Goal setting! “Doorway to success,” They say, but check your pockets right now: Are you currently carrying your Big Goal? Is it written down on the skin of a virgin lamb, signed and dated (with time and time zone), notarized under a full moon and laminated with gold leave? Probably not. You instinctively know all that goal setting mumbo jumbo is a bunch of crap! Sure it works for a few people who are willing to sacrifice everything to achieve their dream, but for most of us, “goal setting” is just too darned complicated and weird. Never fear, I have the smart and easy two step goal setting solution, and I’ll gladly share it with you now.

STEP ONE

Simple is good so here is step one of two: Have a goal! It doesn’t need to be somebody else’s idea of a Big Goal; it does need to be something that you truly want. When you have a strong enough "reason why" then the dread you feel about staring on your goals is replaced with delight. As best selling author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” Robert Kiyosaki says, “Without a strong enough why, you’ll always be looking for an easier how-to.” For any goal setting program to work, you need to be sure the goal you set is something that trips your trigger, lights your flame, keeps you up at night and tickles your funny elbow or you might as well save yourself some time and money, rent a video and chill on the sofa. The right goal will almost compel you forward.

STEP TWO

Every working morning ask yourself, “How can I have fun today while moving closer to achieving my goal?” As soon as you get an answer, go do it. If your goal is to sell a million books but the manuscript isn’t ready, reread yesterday’s work and try to make it funnier or smoother, then start typing on today’s pages. If you want to have a better relationship with your spouse and you haven’t purchased her so much as a Twix bar in months, zip over to the store and grab her a snack. While you’re there, get some snazzy wrapping paper and a silly card. If you have the time and energy, try to do five things every day to make your goal real. Working full time on a project with a partner could move you ten steps closer to your goal every day. But seriously, there aren’t that many steps needed to achieve most goals. One step per working day will bring you 250 steps closer to success this year. When all you need to do is have fun and keep moving forward, your success is almost certain.

GOALS CONCLUSION

Let’s not make this goal setting process so complicated that we just sit on the porch while the Big Dogs get all the fleas. Find what fills your heart, have fun, do a little something every day and you will achieve amazing results. Try it now. Don’t let another day slip by without doing something to make your dreams come true. Don’t spend another day in total drudgery when you can so easily have a little fun along the way. You don’t need paper or pen or a journal or a list of 100 lifetime goals. All you need to do is get started. Start now!

The author, Rodney Robbins, used this exact system when writing his young adult novel “My Romantic Spell.” Even though Rodney struggles with a rare muscle disorder called Periodic Paralysis, he managed to write his first successful novel by choosing a fun, fast paced story he enjoyed and writing one page per day. He’s currently working on the world’s first cartoon/business-tip-book called “Rodney’s 52 Ways to Impress Your Boss—Without Sucking Up!” For more information go to http://www.lulu.com/rodneyrobbins and see what’s new at his store.

Strategic (or performance) indicators are your company’s score card. They let you know how well you are doing at any given time. Most business owners know there is value hidden in their numbers, but few actually take the time to do anything with them. Why?

In considering the most useful metrics for Wardell Professional Development, we began, as most people do, with the financials. It seemed like a logical place to begin because the numbers were already being tracked. We just needed to formalize the process. Then, as time went on, we added numbers from other departments to give us a more rounded picture of our business.

The process worked, but no one was particularly excited about it. The numbers were meaningful, just not meaningful enough. So over time, we found ourselves paying less and less attention to them.

I knew something was wrong. After some discussion, it occurred to us that most of our metrics looked backwards. Our income statements, for example, represented a financial slice in time that is dead and gone. Even our customer satisfaction surveys told us how our customers used to feel. The information was old the moment we received it. What we needed, were forward looking numbers. You can’t predict the future, but we felt this type of information could greatly benefit our decision making process.

Reasoning that predicting the future is really more about understanding the odds, we came up with a simple definition. Forward looking metrics are those that vary in relation to future metrics. Prospecting activities, for example, are measurable today, but they have a direct impact on future sales. All things being equal, more prospects equal more sales. So at Wardell, we now know how many new prospects we speak to, the estimated dollar value of potential sales to those prospects, the average length of time it takes for a prospect to become a client, and most importantly, the odds of turning those prospects into clients.

As we continued to sort through our list of performance indicators, we often found that small shifts in our thinking, rather than reinvention, was the order of the day. The question we kept asking ourselves was, “how does this number vary in relation to a future number?” For example, customer satisfaction surveys became forward looking tools once we measured and understood their relationship to our client retention numbers.

Once our metrics were in place, the greatest lesson we learned was that they needed to be shared. By keeping them locked away in the ivory towers of management we were missing out on a huge benefit. We realized that if we wanted to empower our people to make independent decisions, we needed to give them the tools for measuring the results of those decisions. The numbers suddenly came alive for us once we made them public and began incorporating them into our regular staff meetings.

Mark Wardell is President and Founder of Wardell Professional Development, a business consulting firm, focused on the unique needs of small/mid sized growth companies.

mailto:info@wardell.biz
http://www.wardell.biz
phone (604) 733-4489

Knowing yourself is the foundation of self-esteem, self confidence and personal development. Man has been seeking himself since the days of the Oracle of Delphi. "Know yourself" said the Oracle, but she spoke in riddles and the men who had come a long way to get a simple answer from her wise lips went away even more confused.

Yes, it isn’t easy to really understand a human being. And, to understand others, we need first of all to understand ourselves and to gain self-esteem and confidence.

How can we do this? There are ways to work on this and we can do it in the comfort of our home if we don’t want to attend evening courses in self confidence and self-esteem and meet others in similar situations.

Some tips:

* Write down your positive achievements, all that you can remember; educations, jobs, loves and relationships (even if they ended, you still achieved them), friendships, children, driving licence… Look at what you already have and realize you have done rather well.

* Write down good things that others have said about you. Read through old documents from former employers or teachers that state all your strong sides. Maybe you forgot you had them?

* Make plans. Ask yourself what can be done. What can you change to make things better? Write down precise goals and write a step-by-step plan on how you intend to achieve your goals.

*Decision. Make a decision that tomorrow you will start dealing with the first step of your plan.

When you read what you have written you will realize that you have grown and developed over the years. That also means that you can grow and develop further.

Lifestyle Plans

About The Author

Ingela Berger started her own Internet business Lifestyle Plans in 2003 out of a desire to inspire and encourage others to make reality of their dreams of a personal, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. Ingela has studied theatre directing, acting, history of art, history of ideas, health communication and leadership psychology. After some years working with art exhibitions and the theatre she went back to college and is now a health and lifestyle consultant.

To reach goals, consider this illustration: If you see roadblocks up ahead on a journey you take a diversion. No one in their right mind would just drive on and hit the obstacle head on just hoping they get through!

Bypass Resistance

When you set a goal and if you are going to successfully reach goals, you need to write down a list of potential obstacles you may face.

Are there people who won’t understand your goal and discourage you?

Do physical limitations or unfavorable circumstances stand in the way?

Then list them, analyze them and develop a strategy.

With a roadblock you can turn off before you get there or go over, under and around.

Do the same with obstacles that may seem to make it impossible for you to reach goals you have set.

Is there any way you can bypass the objects of resistance you are likely to face?

Preparation like this is invaluable.

If and when you reach the obstacle you know what to do.

You have already made up a contingency plan so you can move ahead and reach goals you have set!

Gather Assistance

At the same time, it is important to identify the knowledge you will need to acquire or the people or organizations that could give you essential help to reach goals before you.

Research the subject and educate yourself.

Become knowledgeable on what you are trying to achieve.

Do you personally know people who have accomplished what you are seeking?

Talk to them. Get input.

Ask:

How did they do it?

How did they feel once they were able to reach goals they had worked towards?

Can you link up with other persons in that field?

What organizations exist with support or information you could use?

The internet is almost a bottomless ocean of knowledge. Through persistence you can find pretty well anything you need to know.

So, to reach goals, bypass resistance and gather assistance.

Including these two elements in your goal setting can make the difference between a failed attempt at the target and a bull’s eye!

This article is part of the Goal Setting Blueprint, a 20 minute tutorial on achieving sucess in goal setting.

Visit http://www.about-goal-setting.com for the rest of the tutorial.

Writing goals describes the act of inscribing on a surface characters or shapes that convey thoughts and ideas in relation to that goal. Why is this mechanical act of writing goals so important in the achievement process?

Also, what is the best way to approach writing goals for maximum effect?

Words are an integral part of the thinking process.

Words convey images, pictures, feelings, emotions to the mind.

Say to yourself silently "STENCH" and then follow it quickly with "FRAGRANCE" and you will be aware of the different reactions those words produce in your mind.

Here is an interesting observation:

We can be thinking ’something’ without realizing fully what that something is.

It is intangible, it is not clearly defined in our mind.

But now, start putting that thought into words, try expressing it and an amazing thing starts to happen.

By clothing it in words, that abstract thought now takes on body, shape, form, substance.

It is no longer just a thought! It becomes something which motivates us, or creates a gut feeling inside.

Just try it and you will see how it works.

So, why is the mechanical act of writing goals so important?

Building on what we have already stated, putting pen to paper now transfers those expressions which embody thoughts onto something tangible. We can now physically look at it.

Even the act of using the eye in coordination with the hand holding the pen when writing goals makes a much firmer impression on our mind as you write out the phrase or expression.

Now when we read and re-read that phrase or sentence the impression on the mind becomes deeper and deeper.

Here is another important point:

When the words are written and then repeatedly re-written they have maximum impact.

So don’t be content with a first draft.

Initially writing goals down is important, yes. But then, rephrase it, compact it, add motivating adjectives, make it pithy.

A week later you may want to adjust it again. Keep on fine tuning.

For example, suppose you set the goal to become a public speaker.

The first draft might read:

"My goal is to become an accomplished public speaker who can hold the interest of an audience from beginning to end."

Second draft:

My goal is to be an enthusiastic speaker who gets an audience on its feet.

Third draft:

My goal is to be such an inspiring speaker I get a standing ovation every time.

Can you see how the motivation evolves when writing goals?

Putting it in writing breathes life into it making it a force which cannot be easily stopped.

To put it succinctly, "Writing Goals Down Ties Them Up!"

This article is part of the Goal Setting Blueprint, a 20 minute tutorial on achieving sucess in goal setting.

Visit http://www.about-goal-setting.com for the rest of the tutorial.

Examine your own personal goals and find methods to achieve your desires with these valuable quotations about setting goals…

1. "The most important thing about having goals is having one."
   – Geoffrey F. Abert
2. "It takes a little courage, and a little self-control. And some grim determination, If you want to reach the goal. It takes a deal of striving, and a firm and stern-set chin. No matter what the battle, If you really want to win. There’s no easy path to glory, There’s no road to fame. Life, however we may view it, Is no simple parlor game; But it’s prizes call for fighting, For endurance and for grit; For a rugged disposition and don’t know when to quit."
   – Anonymous
3. "No set goal achieved satisfies. Success only breeds a new goal. The golden apple devoured has seeds. It is endless."
   – Bette Davis
4. "A goal is a dream that has an ending. "
   – Duke Ellington
5. "The timid and fearful first failures dismay, but the stout heart stays trying by night and by day. He values his failures as lessons that teach The one way to get to the goal he would reach."
   – Edgar A. Guest
6. "Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal."
   – Elbert Hubbard
7. "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."
   – Thomas Jefferson
8. "It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal."
   – Helen Keller
9. "A goal properly set is halfway reached."
   – Abraham Lincoln
10. "It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy of life lies in having no goal to reach."
    – Benjamin E. Mays
11. "Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit."
    – Mary Lou Retton
12. "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal."
    – Ralph Vaull Starr
13. "We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success."
    – Henry David Thoreau
14. "Goals are your personal statements of what you are truly willing to do to achieve what you really want to achieve."
    – Denis Waitley
15. "What you get by achieving your goals is to as important as what you become by achieving your goals."
    – Zig Ziglar

Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp

I wonder if anyone really reads long stuff from Ezines except for the juicy and interesting ones but I am one of those few who painstakingly reads almost all articles posted. And now I’ve a got a turn to write something here. I had it in my mind to write something short and interesting to keep you on your toes yet, no matter how I long to keep this short, I just can’t. Unless if I’ll state what I have to say in bullet form. So let me have my hand at keeping you entertained if not informed with this article.

Created equally so to speak, endowed with the same capabilities all humans have. Yet at a change of an angle could significantly alter ones perspective.

Circumstances, with which we are in, are perceived by our wits as being good or bad. Yet, conditioning our brains to respond to a certain stimulus could also affect the way we see things. Maybe the cliché that goes like “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a rule derived from the diversity of ones viewpoint. Yet pardon me, I’d rather not delve much into this saying but expound on another one more relevant.

I stumbled upon a quote one day which says:

"Your difficulty is not contained, primarily, in the situation which gave rise to it, but in the mental state with which you regard that situation and which you bring to bear upon it." (Byways of Blessedness)

As children, our views of situations are simplified versions. No gray areas just a plain aye’s or naye’s will do. Life then was pretty much institutionalized and sanitized to fit the way we see things. I am a bit grateful for that. Alas! It was an insufficient training me for the future decision makings I have not seen coming along my way. I had the false bravado that I could tackle whatever may come my way, head on. Sadly, that was just it – false bravado.

I tended to see things in an uncomplicated way, had not allotted special amounts of thinking on crucial situations that needed my decisions but simply said yes or no right away. Although I can see myself as an intellectual, having relied on scholarships as my educational plan from elementary years ‘till college and even sustained myself through living allowances which came as part of my scholarships, I can fairly say that I can be categorized as just one of the lucky few who passed the exams. Yet this alone have never guaranteed me a safe passage towards the realities of making decisions, of handling emotions, imperfections and failures.

I had a sheltered view of things. I often wondered if I’ll be more suited to the life of the rich and pampered. Or would I just continue to live with my parents. Then, I would not have to worry about anything but just leave the decision makings to my mother or whoever is in charge. Well, I opted to live by myself at the age of 20. Away from my parents and family and lived on my own money and confidently equipped with my bravado. No matter how false it was, I was determined to tackle everything head on without even pausing to think about potential disasters my actions would entail.

Now, after two years of living with the after effects of the detrimental decisions I have incurred during some of the not-so-good years and living with the idea of my imperfections, I can say that I am doing quite well. If were still a college student, I might have viewed myself as a mess and ended up despairing and possibly wasted all the remnants of what I have left.

Now, even if I can say that I am not yet the best person there is, I have changed and turned towards a better direction — Hopeful and delighted of the possibilities that will still be coming.

I owe this new outlook in life to the person who accepted me beyond my flaws and have seen me in a different light. His different view of me has changed the way I see myself. He has given me a new direction and a new attitude. Gone are the gray clouds at the end of my horizon and replaced with a new hope to rise and shine again. If there is one word I can describe this person is that he has been sent to be my angel here on earth and I will be forever thankful for that.

His reactions to my failures and mistakes have healed the hurt and grudge that I had for myself. He conditioned my thinking that I’ll never be perfect but can only aim to be. He has changed my mental and emotional perception of things, to aim towards perfection but humbly chastise myself if ever make one. He has taught me that imperfections are meant to be dealt with and accepted humbly and can only serve as a lesson and nothing more than that.

I am surprised that it could only take a different perspective and an unconditional acceptance to heal and erase the mistakes of the past or even of the present and to inspire a person to renew his/her mental state of distinguishing things and acting on it positively. I now benefit from the newfound knowledge that I could never change circumstances, may they be positive or negative. But I could always give it a little twist and make the negative, positive and the positive, a little bit more positive. I can now confidently say “It’s only a matter of positive thinking!”

Gina Marie Capatar is the head writer for Isnare Outsourcing Services and http://www.Isnare.com .She also does Technical Writing Jobs, Feature Article Writing and Content Writing Jobs. You may Contact her at gina@isnare.com

"Let us set for ourselves a standard so high that it will be a glory to live up to it, and then let us live up to it and add a new laurel to the crown of America."

Woodrow Wilson

If you are not thinking, acting and training like a warrior you are setting yourself up for failure! One of the most important and fundamental elements to survival is not being acknowledged or practiced by the majority of citizens today. It surrounds living the life of a warrior and embracing the warrior spirit that is present within all of us. This is a difficult challenge in today’s fast paced world when we consider the demands of the job and the ever increasing pace of our personal lives. Often we do not wake up to the importance of thinking, acting and training like a warrior until a life altering event happens to us or someone close to us. If we do not acknowledge this fact we are setting ourselves up for failure. Our culture must acknowledge this fact.

The evidence surrounding our waning warrior spirit is demonstrated every day. It is evident in our complacency. It is evident in the lack of focus, discipline and proper attitude to challenge ourselves with fitness and combat training. It is evident in the shocking amount of people who are unfit and obese. The tragedy is many people, even those who call themselves warriors, don’t give this much thought until they are facing a focused opponent who wants to take their life. Do not wait for disaster to strike. Make up your mind right here and now to embrace your warrior spirit!

Have you heard of the 5% rule? This reference is directed toward the estimated five percent of people who walk the warrior’s path, people who actually embrace their warrior spirit. These are the warriors who seek additional training, who constantly work on honing their skills and who immerse themselves in all aspects of warrior science. These focused warriors never let their guard down and they have made up their mind to survive no matter what they face. Think about the people in your life who typify this spirit, who have distinguished themselves as warriors, and I know at least a few faces will come to your mind…a few.

Let’s look at this from another perspective. If 5% of our population embraces their warrior spirit, then we can surmise that 95% of the warriors in this country have either outright denied or only minimally embraced this lifesaving mind-set. In my experience, even those who have chosen the path of a warrior are often hoping for the best while only grudgingly doing the minimum to prepare for the worst. For most, combat training like martial arts is simply a hobby, not a lifestyle.

As a police use of force instructor and martial artist, I have seen this lack of motivation with the vast majority of warriors who come to training. While trainers can provide a dynamic atmosphere in their training environment that supports the learner’s motivation, the truth is motivation must come from within; it must come from the heart. More importantly, this motivation to cultivate the warrior spirit must become a part of our country’s culture.

Years ago I trained with a Kung Fu Grand Master who would go to China every year to continue to develop his martial arts skills. He once told me about a friend he had in China who was a police officer. As part of this officer’s daily required departmental training, the first hour of his shift was spent doing bodyweight calisthenics and conditioning exercises, much like how the prisoners in our country exercise every day. The second hour of his shift was spent practicing a department sanctioned martial art. After this daily training the officer would then hit the street focused, alert and ready to face any challenge!

Now that is a great example of a police culture that has embraced the warrior spirit. In China, a majority of its citizens also train in the martial arts and other health improving, warrior oriented disciplines. These are people who are able to take care of themselves and are not likely to whine when trouble comes. This level of training has become an accepted and expected part of their culture. The expectation is that you will be fit and able to defend yourself. Sounds reasonable to me! Imagine an elite core of fit warriors and expert martial artists throughout our entire country! Imagine how this could benefit our ability to deal with whatever crisis or natural disaster that comes along, not to mention the other life altering benefits that this lifestyle would bring.

Does the training taking place in China sound extreme to you? If so, welcome to denial. I hate to be the one to tell you what should be obvious, but the training program my teacher outlined is the bar we should be setting for our warriors in this country. The United States should set an example for the rest of the world to follow.

I have a close friend who is a defensive tactics instructor for a police. He wrote me recently and had this to say after a defensive tactics orientation training session with a group of new police warriors;

“I was teaching the new group of people today, doing my best to instill in these people that they are no longer civilians, and the 1% of bad guys out there will do everything they can to kill you, so prepare for that fight, not the other 99% who just want to get away. I saw understanding in a few faces, a few. Fear in others. Hopefully that is enough to start. But I realized long ago that there are few very precious souls out there who understand battle like I do, who wish and desire to be cold blooded when need be, merciful when called upon, and absolutely willing to do what ever it takes to win the fight.”

Do you hear these words? Can you hear the total conviction and absolute belief of not just surviving but winning the fight? That is the warrior spirit. That is the attitude we all need to cultivate and embrace. That’s what makes this man one of the 5%. Most of us push the harsh reality of how dangerous life can be can be from our minds. Most of us live in denial. It’s time for some honest introspection.

Where would you rank yourself? Are you truly one of the 5%, constantly striving to improve yourself through mental and physical training? Could you be doing more? Are you somewhere in the middle, or are you one of the 95% who muddle along hoping for the best?

The fact of the matter is each of us has a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to change the culture of our country right now. You have the ability to become a leader, a role model for others, by changing your own behavior. It is up to you. Make a vow right now to begin to work toward this ideal. Take the first steps toward becoming a mentor and an example for others to follow. It is a matter of shifting your priorities.

So where can you begin? My advice is to start slow and set reasonable goals. Here are just a few examples of how you can start to travel the path of a warrior.

The next time you attend any training attend it with total focus and complete intensity. Try your best at everything you attempt. Learn from your mistakes and strive to challenge yourself! Meet with people who instruct others in the warrior sciences. Tell them your concerns. Ask them where you can improve. I guarantee if they are good trainers they will be excited to help you get started. Join a gym, begin a fitness program. Hire a personal trainer to get you started, they are worth the money. Read books on survival and tactics and apply them to your personal life. Practice mental conditioning to prepare your mind in times of crisis. Take up a martial art. Every city has a variety of arts to choose from. Find one that suits your needs. Acknowledge you are a warrior and embrace this with all your spirit!

This list is only limited by your imagination. The trick is to acknowledge that making any changes is up to you. No one is going to do this for you. Make the commitment and watch how your ability to change yourself inspires others to follow in your steps! This is a tremendous opportunity because by changing your own behavior you will empower others to change as well. Can you imagine a greater reward?

For those of you who already count yourselves among those 5% of dedicated warriors who have completely embraced their warrior spirit, you have an increased obligation. It is your responsibility to work toward changing the culture of our country today. You must be ever vigilant in this struggle. The resistance you will meet can be staggering. The temptation will be to forget everyone else and only worry about you. The challenge will be to rise above that limiting attitude and to continue working toward motivating others to improve and embrace their warrior spirit. It is possible. It can be done. It is paramount to the continuing development, growth and survival of this great country!

Rodger Ruge is a retired police officer, martial artist, California POST Master Instructor and author of The Warrior’s Mantra, Barricade Books, June 2005. Rodger’s business, Ready Force Inc., offeres use of force and wellnes training and consulting services. Rodger can be contacted at his website, http://www.readyforce.net for more information.