We all want to be successful. Whether it's getting to the weight you want. Getting the job you want. Writing the book you've always promised yourself you would write. Reaching the golf handicap you want. Ensuring you take exercise every day.
Improving your concentration in meditation. Whatever it is we all have something that we want to be successful at. We just want to be a success. We believe that it is part of the human nature to want to be the best at something: to achieve. To have something that we can feel proud of.
We may not all measure success in the same way but we want to be successful.So, if you are having difficulty reaching your goals or you feel you have little or no chance of success in whatever you want to do I would bet that the blockage is being caused by your ego.Let me explain.
In a recent radio interview in the US by Mike Litman, Tiger Woods explained how Golf is a passion an obsession for him. But later in the interview he said he reached a stage where he was unhappy with the results he was getting on the course so he worked at changing his swing.Now let's think about this for a moment. Here is a world class golfer, a success in anyone's eyes and because he is not happy with his own achievements he decides to dismantle a major part of his game and rebuild it.When faced with a similar situation what might you and I say and do? Well it's not that bad. I might lose a couple of games but I win more than I loose.
The odds are too high, I might destroy my whole game.etc.etc.etc.You see what dominates our lives is fear, laziness and procrastination. The strong feeling of I don't want to leave my comfort zone.
That ladies and gentlemen, is your ego. Whenever you become aware of yourself and think what you might lose or what others may think about what you are doing, your ego has just kicked in and spoilt the party.Successful people have learned to park their ego if they want to be successful.
Let me give you another example.Michael Jordan, the infamous basketball player, believes that you have to fail in order to be successful- Let me play that past you again- He says that "the reason I succeed is because I have failed over and over in my life". He goes on to say that in his career he has missed more than 9000 shots, lost nearly 300 games and on the 26 occasions that he was trusted to take the winning shot in the game, he missed.Now look at your life. Do you admit to the fact that you have failed at anything.
Do you admit it to yourself never mind others? You see whenever you hide such important data from yourself or others that's your ego kicking in again. It wants you to stay the same. It doesn't want you to take risks or move out of your comfort zone.
So, let's look at it. Two very successful sports people are suggesting that what makes anyone successful is to:.1. Get a focus and do something.
2. Don't worry if you fail, you can't win unless you fail.BUT most of all they are saying Look out for your ego.Whenever you are focussed on something and feel at one with it and all is running well. When you feel 'in the groove'.
The moment the thought comes into your head that you are doing well, everything is great; watch out, your ego has just entered the game and you are likely to go off course.When you are talking to a friend or colleague and that thought comes across your mind; I wonder if they like me or not. Watch out the ego has just taken you off course.When you are trying to impress someone and you ask yourself whether you sound clever enough or on top of your job.
Its just done it again.You see your ego loves laziness, impatience and indecision. It loves to sidetrack you to something else.
It loves the idea that when a project isn't going well that you drop it rather than persevere and get it right in the end. It loves the fact that you don't give yourself enough time on a task to do yourself justice.Your constant fear of what others will think. Of wanting to please other people. Of wanting to be noticed, are all great tricks of the ego to stop you from succeeding.
The ego doesn't like risk taking.A few years ago Prime Computer Company in the US carried out an interesting piece of research on their retired staff. In a survey they asked the question:.
"What do you regret not doing in your life?".The reply was astounding. Almost all replied, "they didn't take enough risks in their lives. Risks of all kinds, physical, emotional, financial ? it didn't matter".
What about you. Are you going to go to your grave saying to yourself I didn't take enough risks in my life. Or are you going to manage your ego and be very successful?.
It's up to you.
.Graham and Julie, like everyone, have a number of things they regret not doing in their lives. But since they started to meditate they have learned that whatever happened, happened, you cannot turn the clock back.If you are interested in meditation please go to http://www.desktop-meditation.com. It's free.
By: Graham Harris
