More wisdom for your success journey...

Saturate your consciousness with these ideas as you walk your Road to Success:

Know that Failure is Just an Event. We talked about this at length previously, but it bears repeating. If you fail, it doesn’t define you—it just puts you back at ‘square one’ with your idea and plan.

Consider Your Responsibilities Before Your Rights. Our American culture drums it in to us that we must “have it now,” and many of us comply. You are successful when you are mature enough to delay gratification and move your focus from your “rights” to your “responsibilities.”

Fill Up on Faith, Hope, & Love. Your outlook determines your output, and your output determines your outcome. Choose to be optimistic, to read uplifting books, to listen to inspirational speakers. When you put faith, hope, and love in your mind and heart, you’re able to overcome adversity and live free from anger, greed, guilt, and envy.

Make Friends with Your Past—and then Look Ahead. You can use your past as a stepping stone to your future or you can let it cripple you. Either way, it’s your choice. When you can make friends with your past, be focused on the present, and have a bright opinion of your future, you have succeeded, no matter what your goal is.

Know that Success Doesn’t Make You. Along with the idea above, understanding that a win doesn’t make you and a loss doesn’t break you. If you win, you’ll still have more wins to make before you “arrive,” and if you lose, you’ll have more opportunities to turn that around in the future.

Stand up for What is Right. If you take a stand for what is right, even if it’s unpopular or costs you your job, you are successful. There is no disputing this fact.

Be a “Servant Friend.” Success isn’t defined by how many people wait on your every whim or need; it’s defined by how many people you can help or serve while you achieve your goals. If you can help others as you climb, you’ll learn more and climb quicker. A servant’s heart is the true hallmark of a leader and shows the character of the person in the position of leadership.

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

5 Success Skills...

There are many “Success Skills”. Below I identify 5.

Incorporate these skills into your strategy for success and you’ll move forward quicker than you ever dreamed!

Hustle: generally, people who make it big have one thing in common—they are dissatisfied with the status quo. They will not take what is “common” or “expected” and let that define their lives—they move past it and excel. You must work hard and hustle.

Character: someone coined the phrase, “character is what you do in the dark.” In other words, when no one is looking, will you behave differently than if someone was looking? If not, then you have character. If you are attacked, be tough—not hard. Don’t be a pushover, but be compassionate, gentle, and flexible—especially on procedure (not principle).

Risk Taking: this isn’t gambling, it’s a willingness to be bold, hearty, and to push forward. People who refuse to take risks are definitely going to lose. If you refuse a new promotion because you’re not confident of your skills, you will likely be passed over when a different chance arrives. Don’t be afraid of rejection, just take it as part of life and you’ll find there’s nothing to be afraid of—especially in the word “no.” “No” is just another opportunity to find a way around an obstacle and to use creative problem-solving skills.

Time Management: we all know that one minute has 60 seconds and that one hour has 60 minutes. One day has 24 hours, and one year has 365 days. But one year also has 525,600 minutes. We don’t think about a year in such small increments, but maybe we should. We waste minutes as if they’ll always be around, and the fact is that time wasted is time we can never get back. We might miss a deal or promotion of a lifetime by wasting just a few minutes.

Proper time management is essential as you climb to success. Continue to break goals down in to manageable chunks—do that with relation to your day and the time you’ve been given. You’ll accomplish far more this way and you won’t regret using your time wisely.

Master Non-Verbal Communication: it is said that our body language and facial expressions do much more communicating than our words will ever do. When the words that you speak don’t match the expressions on your face or the stance of your body, you confuse the listener and muddle your message.

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
“Your Destiny Doctor”
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

Sustainable success...

Develop these 5 attributes of a successful person, and you will find yourself moving quickly toward your goals in life!

Thick Skin: You cannot be easily offended or hurt if you want to be successful. There will always be people who are jealous or envious or out to bring someone else down—you must develop a way to see past that and let it roll off your back, like “water off a duck’s back.”

Ducks have feathers that are tight and their density act like oil—it keeps the duck dry and warm. So when water (cold or otherwise) lands on the back of a duck, it simply rolls off. Let criticism roll off your back in a similar manner—because if you are going to be successful, you will have your share of criticism. Count on it.

Obedience: although this might seem strange to talk about to adults and not children, it is important to consider that in order to be a leader, you must first learn how to obey a leader. You must learn the principle of loyalty to a leader if you want to lead others.

Once you have learned how to obey and to follow directions, you can lead others and understand what commands and orders do for an organization and an individual. Consider this: 175 of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are former US Marines, and 27 US Presidents served in the military.

Courage: Bravery is not courage, but you cannot have courage without being brave. Courage is the moral fortitude to stand up for your character (touched on in the last article) and to do the right thing—even in the face of adversity.

When you have courage, you follow through on your vision. It’s on display every day and only the courageous have the ability to get the most out of life. When you have the strength of your conviction, find the courage to put it in to action. You won’t be sorry you did.

Intolerance: not exactly what you might expect to find in an article about success, but each of us must be intolerant of any number of things: Intolerant of abuse, of injustice, of the things that you know are immoral, unethical, or illegal. If there’s anything in this world you should be intolerant of, those are some of them. I hope you are an intolerant person—in the right way.

Sense of Humor: If you don’t have a sense of humor, you will fall flat on your face and never be someone who succeeds. A good portion of the road we walk to success is filled with blockades and potholes. If you come up against one and go down, you must have the ability to laugh at the situation and yourself. If you don’t, you will be angry and bitter about your misfortune and never move past it. Laugh at yourself and what you run up against and you’ll find your climb to the top is quicker and more enjoyable than you thought it would be.

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

Your Success Philosophy...

Why does it always come back to the ageless truths? Mostly because that which is truth is ageless and truth doesn’t change with the wind. “The Right Philosophy” can be defined by any number of phrases, but it always comes back to the “golden rule.” It’s re-phrased, but the essence is the same:

You can have whatever you want in life if you will just help others get what it is that they want.

This isn’t some pie-in-the-sky-feel-good theory, this is practical and will be strongly linked to your success, no matter what field you’re in. It shows that all aspects of success—business, personal, etc.—are linked together and will all have an impact on your financial success.

Everyone largely wants the same things in life; to be happy, healthy, to have at least some amount of prosperity, to be secure and have friends, to have a happy family life, to have peace, and to have hope.

Abraham Maslow called it the Hierarchy of Needs: our physiological needs are met, then we move on to the need for safety, then to the need for love, then on to the need for esteem, and finally what he called “self-actualization.” Fancy words to say that we all need the same things (the basic needs met) before we can achieve success, however it is that we define success.

No matter what your religious beliefs are, the golden rule is inherent in each religion; each just uses different words. The philosophy that you need to care for others (the “do unto others”) as you want to be cared for yourself (“as you would have others do unto you”) is at the heart of my phrase above—you will find success when you consider the needs of others as not only achievable, but something with which you can help.

When you do this, you not only set yourself to be assisted as you face needs in the future, but you also show others (and yourself!) that your own ambition hasn’t blinded you.

Remember: success doesn’t happen in the vacuum of work only. It’s something that touches every aspect of your life and the right philosophy will help get you there!

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

Success: Developing a "Can Do Attitude"!

You must develop the right mental attitude on your road to success. Without being overly simplistic, think of “The Little Train Who Could.” Instead of having an “I Can’t” attitude, replace it with an “I Can!” attitude.

A positive outlook is necessary to see change coming, to be able to work with the change, and to make the most of whatever change comes down the pike in your life. If you expect change (but not from a vending machine!), you’ll be in a better position to accept it and make the most of it.

A fabulous book regarding change and positive attitude is “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson, MD.

In order to gain right thinking (being positive), you must decide to look at the bright side of life. Instead of seeing the cloud, see the silver lining in the cloud. Instead of seeing downsizing as a horrible thing that will plummet you in to bankruptcy and homelessness, consider it an opportunity to look for a better job and a chance to try new skills and career paths that you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try before. Don’t be pollyannaish, but do consider all sides of a situation before you adopt a negative perspective.

In order to maintain a positive outlook, you must also be realistic. For example, if you’ve gained 30 pounds in the last 3 years, it would be highly unrealistic to expect to drop those 30 pounds in 3 weeks. If you take an honest and realistic assessment of your skills and goals, you’re much more likely to find success in whatever field or career best suits you.

Maintain a cautious optimism as you seek success, not be blindly optimistic about every situation. There are some situations in which positive thinking cannot overcome the situation you’re faced with.

Consider Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots; he’s a man who’s in excellent shape. But if he decided to trade in his helmet and pads for ballet toe shoes, he likely wouldn’t make it, despite his physique. Blind optimism also puts you at the mercy of con men and charlatans—your optimism must be tempered by context and relevance.

No matter what your abilities are (and they are fabulous!), using them realistically will get you much farther than not. Your right thinking, paired with your abilities, put you on a course for success—no matter what field you’re in!

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@PartnersinPurpose.com

Success and Your Attitude!

In his book The Winning Attitude, John C. Maxwell, noted author and speaker tells us that attitude is:

The “advance man” of our true selves

Has inward roots but outward fruits

Is our best friend or worst enemy

Is more honest and more consistent than our words

Is an outward look based on past experiences

Is a think which draws people to us or repels them

Is never content until it is expressed

Is the librarian of our past

Is the speaker of our present

Is the prophet of our future

Your attitude, or your willingness to think positively, affects many people—from your family to the stranger you smile at in the grocery store. An optimist will see opportunity in difficulties, while a pessimist will see difficulty in opportunities.
You must choose which you will focus on: if you choose poorly, you will doom yourself to never achieving your goals and being successful. Count on that.

So how do you begin to think positively if you’re a natural pessimist? I don’t really believe there ARE natural pessimists, just people who have been taught how to consider the darkest side of every cloud.
You cannot change the fact that a problem exists, but you can do a lot to determine what opportunity is within that problem. Begin to see that problems are a fact of life and that your job is to find a way over, around, under, or through them—as quickly as possible. When you’re upbeat and consider how quickly a problem will be behind you, it’s easy to be optimistic.

Cynicism is another killer when it comes to attitude. It’s a cousin of pessimism—it considers everything suspect and everyone as having an ulterior motive. It never looks at someone handing you a piece of candy just to be nice, it always considers that there is a reason you’re being handed the candy and the motivation of the person who’s giving it.
Cynicism comes from having unrealistic expectations. Many people expect great and wonderful things to happen to them with little-to-no work on their parts. They expect things to fall from the sky in to their laps. When it doesn’t happen as they expect, they become suspicious of others who have achieved success and ultimately, cynical.

You must harness the power of your thoughts and words when setting your course for success. Use positive affirmations daily: remind yourself that a stumbling block is temporary and that you will overcome it; admit to yourself that you are courageous and able to move on when others cannot; agree with your vision for your life and your goals.

As you discipline yourself to do this, you will find optimism and positive thinking chasing you down the street. And who couldn’t use these two friends when we’re aiming for success?

To Your Success!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

Are you ready for a solid month of success?

For the next 30 days I have a gift for you. I am going to blog every day about success prinicples. It will focus on the principles and practices of success. The fundamentals.

To kick off today, I am going to address how success in not an individual sport. I need a success team. You need a success team. We all do.

Somewhere on your road to success, you’ll begin to understand that you are really never alone. There are amazing sources of strength and help everywhere you look—you just have to use them. You’ll have to look to find them and then know how to use them, but it beats the heck out of not having them at all!A team is incredibly important as you walk along your path. You may reap the benefits of success in your world, but you don’t get there alone. The fallacy of the “self-made man” is just that—because everyone is influenced directly and indirectly by scores of people. Let’s look at a list of those involved:
Parents: if they were there to raise you, they had the greatest influence on your life. Feelings of love and security are established early—as early as birth. Children who have parents who love, care for, and protect them gain enormously both psychologically and physiologically.

Teachers: chances are there is a teacher who has made an impression on you that you remember to this day. Positive or negative, there are teachers in our lives who have the power to mold us and shape us. Sometimes we choose paths in response to a negative example a teacher has left us; more often than not, we choose paths that are due to the positive influence they’ve left in our lives.

Friends: the happiest and most successful people tend to have a wide range of friends from different walks of life. They encourage us, lift us up, and are part of an inextricable support system in our lives.

Mentors: smart people who truly desire success find mentors that will walk with them as they traverse their road. Mentors can point out pitfalls and potholes in the road that we might otherwise miss, and their experience and willingness to teach us is an invaluable gift.

Spiritual Leaders: ministers, priests, rabbis, pastors, etc., are in an amazing position to contribute positively and significantly in your life. Their ability to see past the circumstances and share life and light is unparalleled. Having a spiritual leader doesn’t guarantee that you’ll never feel despair, but it does guarantee that you won’t have to go through the dark times alone.

Just as you have a team as you work towards success, you can be a part of someone else’s team as well. Be a friend to someone who is just starting out on the road to success—encourage them, mentor them (if appropriate), and commit to be there for them when they need you. Do the right thing (remember your integrity), and have compassion in all situations. You’ll build your team and your success as you do these things!

To Your Success,

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@partnersinpurpose.com

P.S. If you are looking to take your success to the next level, consider hring a coach. If you are interested in a free coaching consultation, please email me.

Have a purposeful weekend!

Do you think that true happiness happens by luck or chance?

No way!

The truth is that you can cultivate a happy life if you fully connect
with your life's purpose.

Take a few moments today to more fully connect with your Life's
Purpose.

Consider doing yourself the favor of answering these questions
regarding your LIFE'S PURPOSE:

1) 'What is my life's purpose? What do I want to have accomplished
when I look upon my life in old age?'

2) 'How would I have to think, speak, and act in order to bring that
purpose into being?'

3) 'What daily choices, attitudes, and concrete accomplishments
would I do if I lived as if my purpose meant something to me?'

4) 'How would I live each day if I respected myself, others, and my
life's purpose?'

'The unexamined life is not worth living.'
-Socrates

Have a purposeful weekend!

To Your Best Life!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@partnersinpurpsoe.com

P.S. Happy Father's Day!

The Secrets of Fearless Living

Something big is happening today, and I knew that you wouldn't
want to miss out.

Today my friend Guy Finley has gathered together 108
leading authors and experts (including me!), to show you new ways
to lift your life to breathtaking heights -- including the one great secret
to being wise, fearless, and free.

You can go here now to find out what's going on:

http://www.EssentialLaws.org/special/CD946/

Guy has written an earth-shaking new book that is being
simultaneously released today in 142 countries. It's called
"The Essential Laws of Fearless Living." But this isn't just
another book launch. This book is so important, and Guy is
so well respected by his peers, that 108 other authors and
experts are joining in to help spread the word...

If you're interested in solving the great inner-mysteries of
our time -- and enjoying more success, more love, and less
stress in the process -- this is your chance to learn EXACTLY
how, and get over 100 free bonus gifts to boot. One of the bonus
gifts is an mp3 of my audio 7 Insights for Creating and Living Your
Life's Purpose.

Just go here now for all the details. You've got literally
nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

http://www.EssentialLaws.org/special/CD946/

All best wishes for a fearless life,

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
mike@partnersinpurpose.com

P.S. Are you ready to start living a fearless life?

Got goals?

“Genius” has been described as the “ability to focus on one thing at a time.” Many people who are “geniuses” are so not only because they have a high intellect, but because they are a gift of being able to focus on the objective or goal at hand.

This same focus must come in to play when determining what your goals are in relation to success. You need to learn to work towards one major objective and juggle a few short- and mid-range goals at the same time.

One way to determine what your direction is (and ultimately your goals are) is to do a check-up. I suggest listing 7 categories: Financial; Career, Family, Personal, Spiritual, Mental, & Physical. Rank your goals in these categories and how you’re doing. This will illustrate to you where you are and where you’d like to be and exactly how balanced you are as you move about your process.

Set goals that are smart. Big goals must be broken down in to manageable pieces. Don’t set more than 4 goals to work on during a single day. Seek divine guidance and direction on each goal.

Then identify what the pay-off is when you achieve your goal. Nebulous rewards don’t motivate people to achieve much.

List the obstacles that stand between you and your goals. If you’re not aware of potential problems, you’ll be side-tracked when they arise and lose sight of your objective.

Have someone in your corner who can dispense counsel & guidance.

Think about who can help you achieve your goal. Identify friends who can be encouragers and who can help keep you motivated and on-track.

List the skills and knowledge required to attain your goal.

Develop a plan of action to achieve your goal.

Set a deadline for achievement. It’s hard to achieve something that has no ending date.

As you consider your goals, ask yourself the following questions:

Is this really my goal?

Is this morally right and fair to everyone involved?

Will it take me closer to my long-range goal?

Can I commit myself to start and reach this objective?

Can I see myself attaining this goal?

You should answer yes to each of these questions. If not, re-evaluate!

And then give each goal a final test of the “basic wants” in life:

Will it make me happier?

Will it make me healthier?

Will it make me more prosperous?

Will it increase my security?

Will it help me make more friends?

Will it give me peace of mind?

Will it improve my family (and other) relationships?

Will it increase my hope for the future?

If you can’t answer yes to each of these questions, re-evaluate your goal.

To Your Best Life!

Dr. Mike Davison
“Your Destiny Doctor”
mike@PartnersInPurpose.com

P.S. If you want help clarifying your goals, consider hiring a coach.

What is your Big Dream?

Everyone has big dreams they want to achieve.

However..

Why is it only a few people reach them?

If you study the most successful men and women of our time, you will notice at least three characteristics they have in common.

1.) Successful people know what they want. It sounds simple, but most people just drift. They have a vague idea of what they want. But they have no direction. Think of the man in the first boat, who didn’t know which way to go. Where did he end up? Before you succeed at anything, you need to have clear direction. Take some paper and a pen, and write down your goal. It doesn’t have to be your life’s huge ambition. Just something that will bring you happiness and satisfaction. Keep writing until you have a very clear picture of what you want. When you are finished, you should be able to sum it up in one sentence.

2.) Successful people know how to stay on course. If they get off, they immediately correct themselves. The man in the second boat had a compass to keep him on target. You also have a fantastic compass within you. It’s called Intuition. All you have to do is learn to listen to it. Tune into your body right now. How do you feel when you think about your life? If you often get headaches, tension, or other ailments, it might be a sign from your Intuition that something needs to change..

3.) Successful people take action. A vision with no action plan is just a fantasy. What step will you take today to make your dream a reality? Research someone who has achieved what you want. Learn from them. How did they become a success? What first step might they have taken?

You don’t have to shake the foundations of the earth just yet. Just start with something small. Be consistent. Soon you will take action out of habit. If you persevere, you will take the prize.

My next message will further expand on principles on goal setting and goal achievement.

To Your Best Life!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"
Mike@partnersinpurpose.com

P.S. Have you considered hiring a coach to help you achieve your Big Dream?

Are you consistently growing?

So. Are you?

Are you consistently growing?

Let's take your relationship with yourself and with others.

How much do you participate in your relationships?

I have a young male client at this time who openly acknowledged to me today that the most he ever participates in his relationships is 40%. By that he means only 40% of who he is, is known by others. He is able to identify that his tendency to play it safe by keeping others at a same distance is connected to the death of his mother early in his life. While he understands it, his isolation perpetuates his pain and feeling of disconnection from others.

This young man clearly sees that there is a connection between his lack of participation in relationships and his emotional problems. He sees that the roadblock to participating more fully in relationships is fear of rejection, feelings of inadequacy, shame, and the potential of abandonment. Opening ourselves up to others does involve risk. At the same time a true sense of personal peace is only possible when we have an intimate circle in which we can be transparent.

You may be able to identify in some way with the challenge of the young man mentioned above. Are there aspects of who you are, or parts of your personal history that you have held back from people in your most intimate circle? What has blocked you from being more open? Not to sound trite, but the saying "The only way out is through" is true. Translated, the only way to transcend the self-centered emotions of fear of rejection, inadequacy, shame, and fear of abandonment are to show up more fully in relationships. Opening up and engaging more fully in relationships is good for your emotional, spiritual and physical health.

The theme of deeper involvement with others is emphasized throughout psychological and spiritual literature. The language used to describe this process may be different in various contexts. It may be referred to as being more of who you are, being authentic, opening up, confessing or countless other ways. From my perspective, it doesn't matter what you call it. Deep involvement and deeper disclosure is good for all aspects of your emotional, physical, spiritual and relational health. In the medical and psychology literature there are countless studies that validate this notion.

Within the major spiritual traditions the benefits of opening up are emphasized. In the Christian tradition, the value of confession is emphasized as a way of deepening one's relationship with God and reducing emotions such as guilt. Guilt is fueled by secrecy. Guilt is counter to personal peace and leaves us feeling separated from ourselves, God, and others. We all know on some level the negative emotional and physical consequences of guilt.

Within the Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. This is a day that is devoted to confessional practices to achieve restitution and ultimately deepen one's relationship with God.

Within the Buddhist tradition, author Pema Chodron described the process and benefit of confession. The process of opening up leads to a spiritual cleansing, which allows an individual to transcend repetitive unfinished patterns of thinking, feeling and/or behaving.

The aspects of self or past behavior which we feel shameful about continues to have a way of running us if we continue to resist openly acknowledging them. I have heard it said many times, "that which we resists, persists".

I have also seen the emotional, physical and spiritual benefits of "opening up" for individuals (from different faith traditions) with drug, alcohol or other addictive problems who participate in 12 step programs. In 12 step programs there is also an emphasis on moving toward a greater experience of connection with God and others through the process of disclosure and sharing. In one of the steps, members as asked to conduct a "fearless moral inventory". In another step it is suggested that members take that inventory and share it with "God, ourselves and another human being..." There are later steps, which involve cleaning up past messes, repairing damaged relationships (with oneself and others) and conducting daily inventories and promptly acknowledging when one does wrong. I have seen amazing transformation occur within individuals who practice these principles at deep levels. They experience a greater connection with themselves, God and others, and as a result enjoy profound emotional and physical benefits.

This week's daily practices will be focused on helping you identify what you have not been completely open and honest about. Please use your journal. Remember, what you write is for your eyes only. You may at some time choose to share what you have written with someone. However, I believe you will be less likely to censor if you are writing for your eyes-only.

Here is a week of Daily Practices that can help you do some massive growing this week in the area of your relationship with yourself and others.

Day one: What is something(s) that you have not been completely honest with yourself and/or others regarding your relationships?

Day two: What is something(s) that you have not been completely honest with yourself and/or others regarding your health or health practices?

Day three: What is something(s) that you have not been completely honest with yourself and/or others regarding your career?

Day four: What is something(s) that you have not been completely honest with yourself and/or others regarding your spiritual life and/or adherence to my own moral standards?

Day five: Identify ways that you compromised in a way that has lead to me being less of yourself? Keep in mind the positive aspects of who you are, goals, dreams or aspirations you have let go in the name of compromise?

Day six: Identify something(s) you have done that you would not want anyone one else to know about or you have never share with anyone?

Day seven: Based on this weeks exercises, is there anything you could do to show up more fully in your life, such as transcend feelings of guilt or feel more authentic with yourself or others?

To Your Best Life!

Dr. Mike Davison
"Your Destiny Doctor"

P.S. Live deep and wide with a coach at your side. Do you have someone like Dr. Mike to help you live your best life?

P.S.S. If you have any questions about individualized consultation or coaching to help you live your big dream, contact me at mike@partnersinpurpose.com.