Success and Freedom

6 Happiness Reboot Tools For When You Feel A

 Lack Of Faith

I’m a big believer that the path to getting what you want is rarely a straight one-way street. There are many detours and speed bumps along the way.

With this in mind, let me tell you about a guy named Colonel Harland Sanders.

When the Colonel first tried to sell his chicken recipe he was 65 years old — with only a small pension — a tiny bit of money in the bank — and an old Caddie roadster. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners, who’d give him a residual for every chicken piece sold — a nickel per chicken.

He knocked on the first restaurateur’s door and was greeted by a NOPE. Second door: NOPE.

Third door: NOPE. In fact, his first 1008 sales call all served up a NOPE.

Still, the Colonel continued to call on owners, as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his Caddie to save money.

It wasn’t until prospect number 1009 that the Colonel received his first YES. Then, after two years of making daily sales, he had only signed up a total of five restaurants. Still, the Colonel kept knocking on doors.

Finally, by 1963 the Colonel procured 600 restaurants across the country to sell his Kentucky Fried Chicken! In 1964 he was bought out by a multi-millionaire — who made The Colonel a multi-millionaire himself.

I love this story – because it’s an “against all odds” tale.

The Colonel was a senior citizen, with no money, entering a new field – and yet he succeeded! How? He knew how to reboot his happiness after failure – instead of refueling his fears, insecurities and (b)lame excuses.

Robert Louis Stevenson said it well when he said: “To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying amen to what the world tells you that you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.” I want to help you keep your soul alive so you can live your happiest life!

1. BAN “ALWAYS” AND “NEVER” FROM YOUR VOCABULARY!

Positive psychology guru Martin Seligman suggests you purposefully create a ”Positive Explanatory Story” about the zig zags and bumps in your life. Need help? Seligman suggests you become aware of using too much “pervasiveness” and “permanence” in your stories. Meaning? Stop saying all-encompassing things like: “This always happens to me.” Or “I can never get a break.” Or “The opposite sex is always this way.” Or “People my age can never change.” Fess up! How many times do you use “always” and “never” when you’re telling your story about the zig zags and bumps in your life? Know this now: Any time you find yourself saying “always” and “never” you are creating (b)lame excuses – and thereby getting in your own way of the joy you are seeking! Your new goal: Rewrite the story of your life without using “always” and “never.” Need help? Put all your present destructive beliefs on trial! Cross-examine each destructive belief like a tough attorney – brainstorming new ways to dispute and discredit your (b)lame excuses—by gathering “positive evidence” to the contrary. Come up with a long list of proof of your abilities to pillage and conquer – or proof of other people who have accomplished what you want at your age or with whatever (b)lame excuse disadvantage you are telling yourself that you have! Dispute and discredit every “always” and “never” – and their accompanying “false fears” by gathering a plethora of “contradictory evidence” —proving to yourself that your limited beliefs are just that—limited!

2. KNOW WRITE MAKES MIGHT:

I’m a big believer in the power of writing lists, writing in a journal, writing in a schedule book. Writing helps you clarify and organize your scattered thoughts and goals. If you never write down your thoughts and goals, they remain wishy washy vague ideas. And wishy washy vague ideas become wishy washy vague plans which bring wishy washy lousy results. Because I love journals, I create a special one – you can check out – called Instant Happy Journal – which is coming out from Random House. Or feel free to buy any journal and write in the front “The Year I Created My Empire” or “The Year I Pillaged And Conquered” – or something fun and inspiring which resonates with you. Plus keep motivational lists and crystallized goals on little pieces of papers – in places where you might see them often (your wallet, a post-it note on your bathroom mirror, in a file on your laptop, etc) to stop you from falling off the Joyful Life Bandwagon!

3. KNOW THAT “SEEDING IS BELIEVING.”

Overnight success RARELY happens overnight. But it doesn’t mean it’s not a-coming’ when it’s slow in a-coming’. You know how if you plant seeds, it takes time for the fruits of these seeds to grow — push up through the ground’s surface? Ditto on your new thought seeds and habit seeds. They take time to manifest into the change you are seeking. Hence, while you’re on your path to greatness, it’s important to keep reassuring yourself that what you see with your limited short-term lens is not necessarily what you are getting in your long-term future. It’s essential to recognize that SEEING IS NOT ALWAYS BELIEVING. However, SEEDING IS BELIEVING. What you seed is what you get. If you are seeding positive thoughts and positive habits, then success will eventually blossom. If you’re starting to feel itchy and twitchy because change is not happening as speedily as you want, envision what you want on a delivery truck coming towards you – just a wee bit stuck in traffic – but coming towards you right now – maybe even a week from next Tuesday! Remember: The universe’s delays are not necessarily the universe’s denials.

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