And Now--Day 2

It's almost the end of Day 1 and I can truthfully say that it was a good day and I can count tomorrow as Day 2. I learned several things today that I will share with you.
1. One of the first things I did this morning (right after I made a pot of coffee!) I picked up my card and read it over several times. It was a great way to start the day and to get focused. I felt energized and good about my goal.
2. Although today was a busy day with several appointments and obligations that had little to do with my goal, I did not let that bring me down. In the past I would have started feeling frustrated because "other things" were keeping me from working on my goal. Today I just decided that was a part of negative thinking and I would work on my goal tonight.
3. One of my appointments was a haircut. So, I used that time to listen to conversations around me and I have a couple of opportunities to follow up on that are a part of my goal.
4. I stayed very positive right up until about 7 p.m. and then I heard my mind telling me, "You're too tired to talk to anyone." and "It's too late to talk to anyone." But, I recognized the fear for what it was and stopped the fear from winning. There is only one way to stop fear and that is to take action. One of the presenters at conference said, "Don't rehearse disaster." That is what fear is. It's letting your mind tell you what is going to happen and it's all bad. Taking action makes your mind shut up and whatever the result it is never as bad as what you have feared.
So, was today a success? Yes, it was. Will it be better tomorrow? I believe it will. One of the quotes that I highlighted in the book is this, "The moment you decide on a goal to work toward, you're immediately a successful person. You are then in that rare and successful category of people who know where they're going. Out of every hundred people, you belong to the top five." The Strangest Secret to Success So, I've told you where I am today...Where I was strong and where I stumbled. Where are you? Are you one of the top 5? You could be. So come on, join me and let's be on that stage together in Phoenix!

Day 1: The Strangest Secret

Have you ever struggled as you were trying to learn something new? Kids learn new "stuff" all the time and the adults who are watching them urge them on with phrases like: "Don't give up." Keep going, you don't want to be a quitter." Or, my personal favorite: "Of course its hard. Anything worth learning is gonna be hard." However, adults don't listen to their own advice. We don't learn new "stuff" very often and we certainly don't keep trying it if its hard. As an adult, if it doesn't come easy to us, we just quit. Well, I am trying to learn to do something new. It's often hard...and I have been tempted to quit. For many years I was a school teacher and administrator. I was successful at that job and I enjoyed it. However, I am now retired and I have found a great business opportunity with an amazing product that really helps people. I want to be successful with this new business. However, I have run into a problem. It's that old saying. "We have met the enemy and the enemy is us!" Well, my problem is me. My attitude keeps getting in the way. I keep thinking of all the ways I could fail; of all the things that could go wrong; of all the reasons why other people can be successful but I can't.
Two weeks ago I was at the company's annual convention and the founder and CEO talked about a book that he had found very helpful. The book, written by Earl Nightingale, is titled, The Strangest Secret to Success. I finished the book that same afternoon. I was impressed with what it had to say and I fully "intended" to implement its ideas. But...I didn't follow through to the level that was needed. (Read Saturday's blog on the 30-day challenge for that part of the story.) But now I am following through, and I'm hoping to have lots of others join me in this or at least cheer me on!
The first thing you need to know is what's the secret. This "strange secret to success" is this: We become what we think about. Did you get that? We become what we think. Whether we think we can or we think we can't; we're right.
I thought about some historical examples of this. King David was a wonderful king, singled out by God for that role. But David fixed his thoughts on getting Bathsheba and David became an adulterer and a murderer. On the other hand, Mother Theresa thought about the needs of the poor people of India and she became a saint in the eyes of the world. Now, my thoughts aren't nearly as self-serving as Davids or as selfless as Mother Theresa; but the principle is the same. If I see myself as a success I will be successful and If I question myself and don't believe in me, I'll fail.
So, that is the secret and it is very simple. Now you need to know what the challenge is. It is also simple, but not necessarily easy. The first thing you have to do is to decide what you want to achieve. What is your goal. Get a note card and write down your goal. The key to this is to focus on one goal. What is it you want? You can't focus on more than one thing. You won't succeed in any of them if you have more than one because your energy will be scattered and you will be frustrated. So, ask yourself, what is the one thing you want to succeed at? What is your goal?
My goal is this: I want to reach the level of Ambassador in this company. That is my goal and that is what I have written on my card. Now put this card where you can see it and carry it with you. (You'll probably have to use several cards.) On the back of the card write this quote from the Sermon on the Mount "Ask, and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock, and the door shall be opened unto you."
You are now ready for the challenge to begin.
For the next 30 days you will begin your day by looking at both sides of this card every morning. Every time you think about your goal, think about it in a cheerful, relaxed, positive way. Start each morning looking at your card and thinking about your goal in this way. This will give you a reason to get up and get going in the right frame of mind.
Next: Stop thinking about what it is that you fear. Every time a negative thought comes into your mind replace it with a positive mental image of your goal. For the next 30 days you must take charge of your mind and only allow yourself to think in a positive way about your goal.
Third: For the next 30-days do your very best. Don't allow yourself to slack off. Give more than you have given before.
And, that's it. There are no more steps. That's all there is to the challenge. Simple, right? But not easy! That is why we need each other. Or, at least that is why I need you.
Throughout these next 30 days, I will give you more information from the book that will give you more insight and encouragement; but I will also share my thoughts and experiences as I go through this 30-day challenge. Oh, there is one more thing: There is no time off with this challenge. If you give in to negative thinking, a bad attitude or refusing to give it your best, you have to start over and start counting from Day 1 again. You must stay focused on your goal, on positive attitudes and giving it your best effort for the full 30-days in order to achieve a complete attitude make-over. That doesn't mean you start over when a negative thought comes to mind, or you are tempted to give less than your best. It means that when a negative thought or fear comes to mind, you get rid of it. When you are tempted to only work on half the goals you set for yourself one day, you kick yourself in gear and complete your full list before you stop. It means you stay in charge of what you are thinking and not let old habits and thought patterns take over. But! If you give in to the negative and fearful thinking and let it take charge of your attitude instead of you taking charge over your thoughts, then its back to Day 1.
This blog is intended to help you and me change our way of thinking so that we accomplish what we have set as our goals. Let me know if you are working on this with me! Write down your goal and let's get going!

The Attitude Challenge: Day 30 and Counting

OK Tomorrow is the first day of the challenge and I'm excited but a little nervous: Excited about the possibilities but nervous about the commitment. Before we get started, I think there are a couple of things you should know.
First, this isn't mind-control, a get rich quick scheme, or something I just made up. The principles behind this 30-day challenge are based on knowledge, insight and results that credible people of influence have learned over time. Those references include: Earl Nightingale, Norman Vincent Peale, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Jesus Christ. (If you are under the age of 40 and reading this, do a google search on those names and you will learn who those people are. You may be more familiar with someone like John Maxwell who also written books that are supportive of this concept.)
Second, I am using the book, "The Strangest Secret to Success" by Earl Nightingale to guide me through this challenge. Therefore, throughout the next 30 days I will quote, reference and/or paraphrase various ideas from the book. I will acknowledge that source every time I use it. I will share my thoughts and experiences through this process with you. The intent is that both of us can benefit by experiencing and successfully completing the 30 days together. This book is available through Amazon.com as a kindle download for $6.00. It is a great resource and I would highly recommend it. However, you don't have to have a copy to go on this journey with me.
So, join me tomorrow and I'll layout the structure for the 30 days. Bring a 3x5 note card with you on Monday. You'll need that to begin the challenge.
"When I was a child, I talked like like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a woman, I put childish ways behind me." My goal is to achieve the potential of this child--yes that's me--and put childish ways and attitudes behind me.

Take the 30 Day Challenge to a New Attitude

If you read this blog a few days ago, you know that I saw the movie Julie and Julia (and loved it!) Well that movie has sparked an idea. Before I explain the "idea" I need to fill you in on what happened two weeks ago. I was at a conference and heard the speaker talking about the importance of attitude. As he spoke I realized that if I was ever going to be achieve some of my goals I really needed to change my attitude. So, when I left that conference I made a commitment to change my attitude. I came home knowing that some of my thought patterns were limiting what I could do. I started off great. I accomplished a lot on Monday. I was enthusiastic and energetic. That enthusiasm lasted several days. But, by the end of that week, I was tired. So, I took a day off. Then I took the next day off...and you know the rest. By the end of this week I was stuck.
Now, let's fast forward to today because by now, I am frustrated with myself: my attitude is bad, I've lost confidence in myself, and everything feels like gloom and doom. So, after I wallowed and bellowed for a few hours, I began to pick myself up. That is when I started thinking about Julie and Julia. Julie is stuck in a job she doesn't like. She wants to be a writer but she has never been able to stick with a project long enough to finish it. Julie is a good cook and often works out her frustrations with her life by cooking. As a result of a challenge from her husband, Julie decides to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook. She announces what she is going to do on her blog and makes a commitment to make at least one dish every day for a year." Her blog becomes her accountability tool.
As I processed my "failure" this past week, I started thinking about Julie's situation. I decided it wasn't so different from mine. I need to change my attitude in order to get on the road to success. I'm betting there are plenty of other people out there who need to change their attitude, too.
So, YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN ME ON AN ATTITUDE MAKE OVER There is a book I read that weekend at the conference that has a 30-day challenge to a new attitude that I will use as my guide. You'll learn the strategies as I share my progress and work my way through the 30 days. The countdown begins on Monday. I'd love to have you join me. We'll all benefit by helping each other develop an attitude that drives us to our goals rather than attitudes that wreck havoc on where we want go. See you then!

Julie and Julia "Bon Appetite!"

If you haven't seen the movie "Julie and Julia" yet, you are missing a real treat! Meryl Streep, as usual, is wonderful in the part of Julia Child. She is funny, eccentric, passionate and lovable. I remember watching Julia Child on TV cooking shows way before there was a "food channel" and celebrities like Emeril, Rachel, and the Barefoot Contessa. She was always funny and quite a character. Just as interesting is the story about Julie. A young woman who wants to be a writer but can't quite get her life together enough to make that goal happen. Encouraged by her husband to write about cooking on her blog; she becomes Julia's greatest fan. Through Julie's idealization of Miss Child she learns a lot about Julia and herself as well as she cooks her way through "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Both of their stories are fascinatingly revealed as the story moves back and forth between Julia and Julie. The movie is much like a perfect recipe, with all the right ingredients for a delicious slice of life: Two parts interesting lives, four people carefully blended, seasoned with humor and wrapped in love. The mixture is then set out so that the ingredients have time to bind together. The resulting dish is "Hmm Hmm Good!" And, as Julia would say,"Bon Appetite!" (Oh, and guys, this isn't just another chick flick. My husband enjoyed the movie, too.)

What if you had only one month to live?

One Month to Live is a book written by Kerry and Chris Shook. This theme will be the foundation of a church wide study in October at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, which is where I worship. I am in the process of writing the guide for this study. This morning I was listening to Tim McGraw's song, "Live Like You Were Dying." If you haven't listened to that song lately you should do yourself a favor and check it out. There is a powerful life message in the lyrics; lyrics that were inspired by a real life experience in the life of Tug McGraw, Tim's father.
I have a question for any of you who read this, "What would you do if you knew you had one month to live?" I really am writing a study guide on this topic and I would love to have all the input I can get. scroll down to the bottom to respond to the survey or just write your response in the comment box.
This study will draw insight from the book of Philippians and from personal experiences of people just like you. Tell me what you think.

Procrastinators! This is for You!

This morning I read a post that was on my sister's blog about discipline. This is the response I made to her blog. Discipline is never easy. I have spent a life time being very good at procrastinating and equally good at working under pressure. I began to try to change this about 15 years ago when I realized that sometimes my procrastination was really a way of letting my mind mull something over until it was ready to "go to work." I came to realize that there were two different types of procrastination. The first type is when you just don't want to do something; like exercise, cleaning out a closet, or some other activity that you don't enjoy. That is negative procrastination and nonproductive. This type of procrastination requires discipline. I am now much more aware of those things that I don't want to do and try to put a plan into place so that I get them done sooner. Sometimes, I do one of those activities first thing in the morning and then do something else afterwards that i want to do. Sometimes I tell myself that I'm just going to do a small part of it today and the rest of it later in the week. I often find that once I start on that project, it isn't as bad as I thought and I go ahead and finish the whole thing. Either way I feel good and energized and get a lot more accomplished that day.
However, procrastinating on projects that require "brain power;" such as a school assignment, solving a problem, or writing a lesson is actually beneficial if you learn how to use it. Now, whenever I have to create something or make a major decision, I have a "mental" conversation with myself. I tell myself what it is I need to do and then I forget about it. I let my mind go to work while I do something else. My mind will send me mental "alerts," which come in the form of an insight or new approach to the project. When I get one of these, I think about the project again to see if my mind is ready to go to work. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. In that case, I wait for the next "alert." The discipline part of this is that you can't start thinking about it the day before you need it. You have to start the thinking process far enough out to give it time to incubate. This works for me because it allows me to do what I do best...work under pressure. Only this pressure is positive. This pressure is the energy that comes from the processing that has been going on in my mind; so that when it is ready to go it is like hearing the starting gun at a race, and I am in position to get going!

Barbara-It's My Name!

It is my name, but it also belongs to a "whole lot" of other people, too. Just for the fun of it, I googled "Barbara's Blog" yesterday to see if my blog would come up. I didn't find my blog; but I did find that there are 44,300,000 people whose blog is also called "Barbara's Blog!" That just blew me away. How could there possibly be that many other Barbara's who have a blog and who decided to simply call it Barbara's Blog? Unbelievable! Out of curiosity, I decided to scroll through a few pages of the listings just to see what their blogs were about. I discovered that people named Barbara think they know a lot about a lot of things. I also discovered that most of them/us think other people are interested in hearing about their ideas and opinions. These "other" Barbara's provided information, opinions, and/or advice on food, cooking, relationships, religious practices, self-improvement, business success, education, child-rearing, and (literally) millions of other things!
I had two reactions to this amazing discovery. My first response was disappointment; I thought I was unique and now I have learned that there are millions of people named Barbara with a blog named Barbara's Blog. They all probably think they are unique,too. Now the truth is I am unique and so are they. Each one of us was created by God as a one of a kind, unique creation. If you stop to think about it that is a phenomenal concept. How can 44 million Barbara's be unique? I don't really know "how," I just know we are. Our problem is that we wrap our concept of uniqueness around our name because that is how we identify ourselves. When we say our name it isn't just a word; it is the sum of who we are and when we tell someone our name it is actually an invitation for them to learn about us and all that is wrapped up in that seemingly simple word.
So, on the one hand I realized that I wanted to be unique and was disappointed that I was just one of so, so, many Barbara's. On the other hand, I remembered as a young girl reading one of those books that lists the meaning of names, that my name meant "the stranger." I didn't particularly like that. I didn't want to be a stranger; I wanted to belong. I wanted to be a part of other people and feel included. At first it seemed somewhat contradictory to be disappointed to find out that my blog's name is not unique and to also be bothered that my name means "the stranger." So, I have been thinking about this, I realize it isn't contradictory at all. In reality, it really describes my life journey, and I suspect that it describes yours, too. We are all trying to be unique and, yet, we also have a need to belong. Sometimes, we struggle with those seemingly conflicting needs. What I have come to realize is that if I focus on the way God created me and allow God to develop the uniqueness of who He created, I come much closer to understanding that I am unique and that I belong.
However, since the goal of a blog is to spark interest so that people will find your blog, it does seem necessary for the name to be a little more unique. Thus, this blog is now "Barb on the Go." Let's hope this one is a little more unique!

Birthdays!

Birthdays have always been special to me. I remember as a kid I was always excited and really expected the day to be special. I could hardly wait for the presents and the cake and everything. It was also a big deal in my family. We knew we would have a cake and presents. And, when my sister and I were young we knew we'd even have a present as a part of the other sister's birthday celebration. That was my parents way of making sure we didn't feel left out. I carried that tradition into my family when our kids were very young. After a few years though we stopped doing that. To this day birthdays are special to me. I want presents on the "day of" my birthday and I really want something to be a surprise. In this way I'm still a kid at heart and probably always will be.

However, this "kid" will be the mother of a 40 year old daughter as of tomorrow. Lisa Kay (Condra) Roberts was born 40 years ago on August 10, 1969. Hard to believe, for us and for her, that the little girl we gave birth to in Marengo, Iowa, is now the wife of Mike, the mother of Kaitlin and Brayden, and a teacher. As a little girl she was happy, fun, cute and loving. Hmmm, she still is all of those things, but she is also intelligent, kind, hardworking, trustworthy and courageous. As a child she brought us joy and laughter. As an adult she she brings us pride and satisfaction. So, now in addition to getting to celebrate my own birthday with the heart of a kid; I also get to celebrate my kid's birthday with all of my heart as I see an adult who is someone to be proud of.