Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First
November 3, 2009
I have what we’ll call a delicate family situation right now. For the last three plus years I have been jumping in and taking care of all their concerns without any regard to how my choices were going to stack up against me. I was so busy saving them, that I stopped caring about myself in the process. Now I have realized the error of my ways and I am pulling back my help.
You see… people need consequences so that they understand what their actions mean. If you constantly rush in and save a person they will never stand up for themselves. They will be dis-empowered and unable to care for themselves. My need to save them transitioned from a little sting to a massive tsunami in my life. You feel this constant guilt and social duty to help your family. Its incredibly difficult to step back and say no.
Its only because I have finally had my “consequences” hit me hard that I have started reaching for my oxygen mask. I have a big hurdle to jump over now to get myself back on track after I let this situation develop. I know that I am RESPONSIBLE for letting myself not take care of me first. You will never be happy if you live for others and not for yourself. You come first… period. Once you are taken care of… you can CHOOSE to help others. Let go of social stigma and feelings of guilt or they will run you into the ground.
A simple question to ask yourself is: if the situation was reversed… would there be anyone there to save me? If the answer is no, its time to blow back up your life raft and let them worry about theirs all by themselves.
Are You Scared Of What You Want To Manifest?
May 2, 2009
I’ve embarked on a path to drastically change my life and the lives of the people close to me. Now I am a few months away from really big things happening and I have to say … its a little scary. Mixed feelings of doubt, fear, excitement, happiness and a touch of sadness are circulating around me. At moments I feel all of them at once or one lingers for a bit.
I’ve been ecstatically happy and have broken down in tears several times. Every time the tears show up I am just on the cusp of a breakthrough. These moments I doubt my path, but I also do not quit. I grab my bootstraps and yank, hard. I dig and deepen my resolve.
These moments of fear are very common for everyone. The bigger the goal the deeper the fear. That’s just the way it is. Its in this critical time that most individuals quit. Change is unbelievably uncomfortable and nerve wracking. Sometimes its downright painful. The only thing that will propel you through these times is a very clear commitment to what you want and the persistence and faith that you will accomplish it.
I’m lucky to have a very strong set of people that believe in me and share my vision. Your environment matters so much in times of change. If you are surrounded with people who doubt you, their inadequacies and jealousy at your success will rub off on you and temper your dreams and resolve.
Next time the chaos sets in remember that its temporary and not a permanent fixture in your life. “Nothing splendid was ever achieve except by those that dared believe that something inside themselves was superior to circumstance.” Bruce Barton.
You are not your circumstances, your circumstances are not you. You can change anything in your life. You just have to do it one action or step at a time.
Christina Helwig
www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
What Does It Mean To Be Rich?
April 8, 2009
I used to think that being rich meant that you had millions of dollars, a fancy car, a big house and a myriad of other niceties in your life. Now however, I am not so sure. To me being rich means that you are debt free and you have more than enough to cover your needs and reasonable wants. It also means having the resources to help the people in your life you care about.
What this really comes down to is monthly cash flow. Are you on a whole taking in more than you spend and do you have reserves should an big emergency arise? If I answer this question for myself the answer is an emphatic no. With that I know I have some work to do. First I have to figure out what I need to live. Then I need to calculate what I would need to live the way I want to live.
My goal then becomes closing that gap. You see when you put up a goal of I want to be a “millionaire” you really are saying “I want to live like a millionaire.” What we often do not understand is that even some millionaires are deeply in debt and are themselves living paycheck to paycheck. If your wealth is not long lasting why bother. You want to maintain that lifestyle for the long-run, not for a few short intense years.
Additionally by focusing on the monthly gap you need to bridge, the goal seems much more reasonable to your brain. You can mentally process it and your subconscious mind will start to accept the goal as possible. Its when we think something is possible that things start to happen.
Your next step in this process is to sit down and brainstorm all the different ways you can bridge your gap. Really get creative. Its the simple changes and ideas that make the greatest impact. Then take action on the items you brainstormed. If one doesn’t work then try another until it sticks.
Without action you will stay in the same position you are currently in or be in a worse one, a year from now. This I can promise you. Nothing happens without action. Without it you are merely a dreamer. So get moving and make yourself rich, its only a tiny gap.
Christina Helwig
www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
The Skill Of Choosing
April 3, 2009
Here is a great video from Trapper Woods a faculty member of iLearningGlobal. I try to watch a video every morning to perk up my day and get myself into the right mindset. Trapper has been one of my favorites. His videos on time and task management are priceless.
To learn more about ILG visit: www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
Christina Helwig
Change Your World
March 17, 2009
You cannot change the world,
But you can present the world with one improved person -
Yourself.
You can go to work on yourself to make yourself
Into the kind of person you admire and respect.
You can become a role model and set a standard for others.
You can control and discipline yourself to resist acting
Or speaking in a negative way
Toward anyone for any reason.
You can insist upon always doing things the loving way,
Rather than the hurtful way.
By doing these things each day,
You can continue on your journey
Toward becoming an exceptional human being.
by: Brian Tracy
To view videos from Brian Tracy visit: www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
Set Physical Challenges
March 10, 2009
When most people think of setting goals they focus on increasing income or buying some material possession. Setting a goal that focuses on a physical challenge can be just as rewarding. Indeed these types of goals can give you a huge mental boost because they do not focus on things that you cannot control. Your body is under your dominion. Now I am not talking about setting a goal related to releasing weight. When I talk about a physical goal I mean something like hiking up a mountain, competing in a race, swimming a certain number of miles or any other physical challenge you can think of.
You can also combine the goal with raising money for a charity. The Walk for the Cure even gives you a solid training program and support throughout your training period. Each portion of your physical goal can be broken down into measurable increments. Take a look at my last post on Conquering Half Dome for my own challenge I completed.
The first place you should start is picking a challenge. Then take an assessment of where your fitness level currently is. Can you hike 4 miles without getting too sore or tired or can you only do one? Then take your calendar and build a plan from now until the date of your event. Each week add a little more to your schedule. The last few weekends before I hiked half dome I was hiking 12+ miles each weekend to prepare for the 17 mile hike. Each week you will get stronger and faster. We started to blast through the 12 miles faster and faster. A full day ordeal starting taking a little over a half day to complete and I did not feel horrible at the end, I felt invigorated. Within a short amount of time you will start to marvel at the progress you’ve made and your self confidence levels will skyrocket.
Christina Helwig
www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
Daily Affirmation Video
March 9, 2009
The Mental & Physical Opportunity Costs of Clutter
March 5, 2009
Have you ever come home and looked around your house and thought; “what exploded in here?” Your closets are over flowing, your desk is piled with paperwork and your kitchen cabinets are stuffed with no real organization or sense.
All of this clutter and disorder takes a mental and physical toll on your body and mind. You have to work harder to function in this type of environment. Your mind is slower when thinking because you have to process all the information that your eyes see when looking at the clutter. The difference between a clean and organized desk and a cluttered one is immense. All of this contributes subtlety to your stress level and takes a physical toll on your body. I think most people have studied at least to a small degree the effects of stress on the human body. Here is a short recap = it’s not good.
An opportunity cost is the “cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action.” [investopedia.com] The alternatives that you are giving up are a clean and uncluttered home and a reduction in stress. You are also giving up a great deal of your time each second you spend searching for items you can’t find, shuffling items from one spot to another and generally dealing with the mess. That extra time is time you could spend on building your business, developing a new product, going to the gym or just spending more quality time with loved ones. Additionally you are giving up the potential money you could get from selling some items or the tax breaks you would receive for donating them.
The easiest way to start to unravel a home full of too many things is to start small. Pick the most important place in your house that you use all the time and clean it up. For most people this will be their desk. Then just begin to tackle other areas and get rid of the excess. You have to make room for the things you want to keep so that they can be organized and out of your constant field of vision. Think to yourself if I had to move tomorrow would I want to keep this, if not chuck it.
After you start this process you will be pleasantly surprised by the calm feeling that takes over in your body when you come home. You’ll be more efficient and effective and your mind will thank you.
Christina Helwig
www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
Accepting Failure & Moving On
February 28, 2009
Last year I tried to start a business. It was one that I was very familiar with. I had worked in the field for over six years and I was a rockstar in it. I formed a collection agency business that focused on construction companies solely. That was going to be my niche. My brother had a tile business and had to close shop when a large customer refused to pay him. I thought the model was great. We ramped up and spent money to advertise. We invested countless hours in calling and working on the business. At night you could find me adding mailing labels to postcards etc.
By all appearances I thought the business would be great. I knew however in the back of my mind that there was a problem with my model. Collections is fundamentally a negative experience. I would be exposing myself and more importantly my employees to a negative interaction with another human being. If you have read my posts before you know that negativity is just not in my life sphere.
After about 6 months and countless dollars spent I pulled the plug and told the people involved that we needed to circle the wagons and regroup. They were upset and wanted to continue to chase something that was just not working. I told them that sometimes we have to let go of something to allow a better opportunity to come to us. About 5 months later a better one did and I am so happy. The business is based on helping people better themselves and realize their dreams. It is right in alignment with my purpose and is a hobby / business for me. It is not a chore. The model has a direct one to one pay ratio and is not dependent on getting unhappy people to pay debts they don’t want to pay in the first place.
I view the first business as a stepping stone and a pathway to something better. There are probably many things that you can look back on in your life that had the same characteristics. The more important thing for you to do right now is evaluate whether your current projects and plans are really working. Can they be redone? Or are you simply chasing the end of a rainbow out of pride? If its the later please stop, circle your wagons and keep your eyes and heart open for a better opportunity. It will come in time.
Christina Helwig
www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
What is Character?
February 11, 2009
Hyram Smith defines character as “The ability to carry out a worthy decision after the emotion of making that decision has passed.” This is what I like to call living in integrity with your goals. It is at its core doing what you say you are going to to when you say you are going to do it.
I have realized something about myself over the last few weeks. I have simply taken on way too much. I have a bunch of different projects competing for my time and I have spread myself a little thin. Did I cause this to happen, absolutely. Can I fix it? Yes, but I have made promises in the process and I have to honor those commitments. Regardless of how much I have going on at any one time I know that other people are counting on me to follow through with projects and tasks I agreed to complete. So even though I am very busy and a little tired I will stay up and finish what I started.
This leads into another thing that Hyram Smith said in his video on ILG: “If you develop a reputation for doing what you say you are going to do in the corporate world you can write your own ticket, because people know when you say something is going to happen it happens.” All businesses, bosses, spouses and even your friends are looking for one thing: dependability. When they need you and it matters can you deliver and can you stay true to your promises. Dust off those lingering promises and fulfill them. Trust me it will make you feel better [even if you are a little tired].
Christina Helwig
To learn more about Hyram Smith visit www.GlobalSuccessILG.com