Until the Uncomfortable Becomes Your New Comfort Zone

How many times have you heard someone say "I can't do that because I've always done...(something else)". Think of the generations of mineworkers who stubbornly saw no other option when the mines closed.

Sometimes others tell us we cannot do something because we have no previous experience in that field. They laugh at our dreams and try to hold us back. They say it is for our own good to avoid disappointment.

Fred Luster was a steelworker who was laid off. He had always had a knack for cutting hair so he became a barber. He moved into the entire field of personal grooming. From there he built Luster Products, a multimillion-dollar corporation.

What is stopping you from overcoming the unlikely, the impossible? Do you believe that you are not good enough, not clever enough, not able enough or are you just listening to the negative self-talk which is holding you back in your uncomfortable comfort zone?

There will always be obstacles, trials sent to test us eg a failed relationship, illness, financial problems, lack of support but from these we learn more to make us stronger, better equipped for the future. Are you going to allow these temporary setbacks to stop you achieving your potential? Even though you have been hurt before, it is the only way to grow. We all have the capacity to change, to lead meaninful and productive lives by awakening our consciousness. Consciousness is our energy force comprised of our thoughts, feelings and impressions from the outside world.

Find the reasons why you must grow, why you must make the change, why you must achieve. When you go inside and find those reasons, you become stronger.

When you decide that it is time to grow, be prepared for a bumpy ride until the uncomfortable becomes your new level of comfort zone.

©Antonia Harrison 2009 from Personal Development in the 21st Century

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen and his friend, Jack Canfield, had an idea to write a book of short stories that would touch the souls of many people. After the book was written the title seemed to be not quite right. So he went into meditation and asked for guidance about a title. He wanted the book to be special, to captivate the imagination of the public, so the title was critical. He went to bed each night with the phrase in his mind: “Mega bestseller”.

What Do You Do When You Are Turned Down 134 Times?

After a few days, Hanson woke up with the phrase “Chicken Soup” in his mind. He didn't understand until he remembered that his mom had always made him chicken soup when he was sick. After more contemplation, the final title was born: “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. Everybody he shared this title with got goose bumps almost instantly.

However, even though a major breakthrough had been achieved with the title, bills were piling up, and his spouse got more nervous with each passing day. The title was there but the book was not selling. How could they continue to promote the book to publishers when real life was intruding so heavily?

Hansen received over 33 rejection letters even though he was not an unknown in his field. In the following weeks, he was turned down by 134 more publishers. Finally, a small printing company agreed to take on the project if the authors agreed to buy the first 20,000 copies!

Well, what are you going to do if this is your dream? You just keep the faith and keep on doing it. Hansen and Canfield agreed to buy the first 20,000 copies themselves, and the book hit the market in 1994. It did not make it to the first bestseller list until 14 month later. During all that time, the two men ceaselessly promoted the book by their own efforts.

Guess What Happened Next?
The book became the greatest top-selling success story in the history of non-fiction books with over 100 million books in print and over a billion dollars in combined sales!

Your Dreams - The Source Of Infinite Power

If you love what you do, you can never fail! Why? Because you will never run out of juice. You will always be motivated. During the inevitable times when you are discouraged, you will find a way to simply acknowledge the state you find yourself in, take a break, and the juice will be back in no time. If you live your talents you will be empowered by the universal source — a source that is beyond your wildest imagination and it is of infinite supply.

No argument can make you stop doing what you love to do. Many people have wonderful reasons for what they do and for what they want to accomplish. These reasons are as varied and personal as anything in the universe. If you take away these reasons and ideas, people fall into a black hole because there is then no longer any substance behind their reality—their dreams have been cut off at the source.

If there is only one important thing in your life, then surely it must be this: to find and live your dreams. Don't waste any more time doing things you don't like. Yes, you are taking a risk, but you will never want to go back once you have made this choice.

Just in case you have not discovered the marvellous "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book, you can find it here at Amazon.com along with the books in the series:


or from Amazon.co.uk


They also make great presents.