Unlock Your Potential

A few weeks ago I shared some steps that can help if you are feeling overwhelmed about money. In the blog post, I shared the book, The Traveler’s Gift: The Seven Decisions for Success, by Andy Andrews. I posted the FIRST DECISION FOR SUCCESS and invited you to practice reading it each day and night for twenty-one days, as readers are asked to do in the book. Well, it’s been twenty-one days. How did it go? Did you stick with it each day? Did you have some days that you might have missed or forgotten to do it? (That’s ok. I happened to miss a day too.) How are you feeling now that you’ve been reading it and had some time to process the words? It’s some powerful stuff, isn’t it? 

I’m currently reading the FIRST DECISION as well as the SECOND DECISION daily because it keeps bringing me back to a centered, focused place that is inspiring me to keep working towards my goals. We can’t become what we want to be if we keep doing what we’ve already done. What got us here won’t get us there. Let’s talk about the SECOND DECISION FOR SUCCESS.

Seek wisdom.

If we continue to regurgitate what we’ve already learned or done in life, we don’t evolve and grow. It can also get pretty boring. Life expectancy has grown exponentially over the centuries and with a longer lifespan comes the opportunity for more knowledge and adventure. Books, documentaries, podcasts, travel, and experiences are what allow us to learn new things and tap into exciting, unknown areas of life that we didn’t even know existed. After traveling to almost two dozen countries, I can say that getting out of your backyard and engaging with people in completely different cultures sheds a light on what other people’s lives are like in their day-to-day and how the world really works. It gives perspective on the challenges of others as well as the number of things to be grateful for. Following your curiosity will open your eyes to subjects you never thought you’d be able to comprehend or even master as you become something new. Wisdom shows up in all kinds of ways and it starts with a choice and then a commitment to see it through.

Choose friends carefully.

Who we choose to be our friends, peers, and mentors is so important. As Jim Rohn is famously known for saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If you are around people that are not lifting you and challenging you to be who you want to become, then you will be complacent in life and will never achieve the joy, fulfillment, and freedom you’ve always wanted. If you are surrounded by supportive, encouraging people you have the opportunity to realize a potential that you always dreamed of. We need a community to survive as humans and need to support and encourage each other along the way to greatness.

Listen to wise people.

One of the great opportunities we have as humans is getting to choose our lives. We choose (or don’t) if we go after the lives we dream of when we are children, as we grow up, and once we reach adulthood. We choose to walk our paths and must take responsibility for the choices we make (as referenced in the FIRST DECISION). Choosing the people you surround yourself with supports your ability to achieve the path you truly want to walk. Friends can lift you up or tear you down. We may or may not choose to share it with them but they can and will, whether we want to admit it or not. They can support us when we fall or can keep us feeling small because of their achievements and lack of encouragement. The counsel we keep outside of our friends and peers is just as important, if not more. Fortunately for us today, surrounding ourselves with peers and mentors is so easy and doesn’t have to be in person or a paid engagement. Mentors, coaches, and guides can show up in all kinds of ways and on all kinds of platforms. It can be the people you choose to follow on social media, the authors you choose to read, the podcast hosts you choose to listen to, or the people whose newsletter you choose to sign up for. I have several people that I have chosen to advise and support me that share their wisdom in my inbox weekly — people like James Clear, James Victore, Michael Janda, Courtney Sanders, Neil Patel, Ramit Sethi, and Chris Do.

Be a humble servant.

You are the lock on the door to your success. Serving others is the key to your freedom and realizing your potential.

Another critical piece is how we choose to show up for others. Are you a servant to others? Are you humbly serving them and their needs rather than being focused on your own? Being a servant for people or businesses on their journey unlocks the door to your success because it shifts the focus outside of yourself and towards others and their needs. It creates a method for disconnecting from your ego and showing up with empathy and compassion for those who need it. The shift from ourselves to others breaks the chains our ego can have around us in our minds.

THE SECOND DECISION FOR SUCCESS 

I will seek wisdom. 

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions today! I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to what increases my belief in myself and my future. 

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. 

I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar to great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly. 

I will seek wisdom. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. 

The words of a wise man are like raindrops on dry ground. They are precious and can be quickly used for immediate results. Only the blade of grass that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is like the blade of grass untouched by the rain—soon to wither and die. When I counsel with just myself, I can make decisions only according to what I already know. By counseling with a wise man, I add his knowledge and experience to my own and dramatically increase my success. 

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others. 

A wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant’s spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant often becomes a king, for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest. 

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door—I will look to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me—I will be excited when I am available to help. 

I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care. I will seek wisdom.

Andrews, Andy. The Traveler's Gift 

Seeking wisdom, choosing friends with care, listening to the counsel of wise people, and serving others is the key to unlocking your potential.

My challenge for you is to spend the next few weeks reading the SECOND DECISION FOR SUCCESS each day and night. Take in the words and let them sit with you for the next twenty-one days. Let them add to what you’ve gleaned from the last few weeks of reading the FIRST DECISION FOR SUCCESS — The buck stops here. Feel free to share what comes up for you in the comments. 

You are what is holding you back in life. It’s time to get clear on your vision for the life that you want to live. Every day we see more and more how short and precious life is. Mass shootings are now a regular update amidst the weather and financial news (which are also pretty disastrous these days). Every day is another opportunity for you to make a choice and then a commitment to change and live the life you really want to live. You have permission. No one is coming to save you. You are the hero in your story. Where are you in your hero’s journey?  

Are you surrounded by people that lift you up and challenge you to live your best life? Are you listening to the people that can guide you to your success in life and business? Are you a humble servant to others? What changes can you make in your life that might not be serving you and achieving the life of your dreams? Remember, each day is a new opportunity to make the choice that changes your life, and as always, keep being ärtful!