because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” – Maya Angelou
Part five talks about the techniques available to effectively face challenges and surmount them. Everyone has challenges they face in their daily lives. It’s like hunger: every person feels it. Challenges are a man’s stepping stones. There is a limit to how far a man can go if he doesn’t face his challenges but run from them. Challenges should not scare us; they should remind us that victory is nearby. It is imperative to note that this part has all the tools and tested techniques to surmount these daily problems. Nothing can drown your resolve unless you allow it. Are you ready to face those challenges head on? 100 Steps affords you that luxury.
“Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” – Mary Lou Retton
The final part centers on attitude. Altitude is said to be a function of attitude: the better a man’s attitude, the higher he flies. A man’s attitude about life and everything that defines him are his first steps to success. 100 Steps teaches you how to change your outlook towards life and always look on the positive side. It unearths the mystery behind those thoughts that seek to drain your will incessantly, and it gives you the key to deal with them. Gratitude – it may seem weird, but being grateful for the things that others have done for you, and letting them know about it, has been shown to have a huge impact on positivity, happiness, and general well-being. One of the best ways to express this gratitude, the 100 Steps outlines, is by writing a daily journal or even better, writing in a purpose-built gratitude journal.
“The next time you feel slightly uncomfortable with the pressure in your life, remember no pressure, no diamonds. Pressure is a part of success.” – Eric Thomas
If you have always wanted to make that bold leap but do not know how, 100 Steps is the book to get and own. Tough times seem to be a time for pessimism. It is easy to be “down” when everything and everyone seem stacked against you. 100 Steps packs enough balm to soothe and heal you through tough times. It gives you a full sense of solace that you are not alone. We all have felt the pain of tough times. Tough times are unavoidable. The only thing you can control is how you react to them. Sometimes it may be hard, but hopefully you are able to react to these bad times with positivity, optimism, courage, and hope. When you can do this, it does take much of the sting out of the tough times. One great way to face being overwhelmed by an idea and approach life’s challenges with optimism is by using affirmations. Affirmations are simply phrases you want to repeat a series of times (5-10) like a mantra. The idea is to reinforce your feelings that these affirmations are true. An example of using the positivity of affirmations to reinforce your attitude might be if you feel you are not good enough at work. Try creating an affirmation like, “I am every bit as capable, intelligent, hard-working, and dedicated as my colleagues at work.” Frequent repetitions of this affirmation will boost your confidence and self-esteem, letting you know that you CAN do your job. This positivity will help you do better at work.
PART 1
Tunnelling our thoughts through positivity.
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. – Hellen Keller.
A man’s life is a projection of his choices. His choices are a projection of his thoughts, and his thoughts are funnels through which he is made or marred. Our thoughts are constantly in a state of chaos, and the man who has truly mastered his thoughts has mastered life. Staying positive is not just a science: it is an art that can be mastered by everyone. It is the greatest secret to being successful and it is a timeless secret. It’s a secret recipe that successful people all over the world use. It helps the best of athletes perform beyond their best, and it never fails them. No mountain can be moved without positive thoughts, neither can anyone be truly free without positive thoughts. What we think is what we eventually become, and what we think is who we are.
Our thoughts are never ordinary; they are worlds where realities are formed; they are spiritual temples where causative transactions occur each second. They are transactions traded with the currency of thoughts, armed with the power to set a man on the path of success or towards the downward slope of ruin. What we eventually reap in our lives can be traced back to what goes on in our thoughts. The negative mind births only negative thoughts, and negative thoughts can never birth positive things. You are not rich until you have a rich heart.
Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you without a fight. You must be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. If somebody puts you down or criticizes you, just keep on believing in yourself and turn it into something positive. – Leah LaBelle
Our thoughts should be shaved and free of bumps. Our thoughts are what makes us beautiful. A clean thought is the pride of a beautiful soul and not a clean face. Exercise your thoughts each day to keep your thoughts fit and healthy. Behold the bright side, for therein lies the key to your success.
Man’s life is finite if bound in fetters that are unbridled thought patterns. Man’s life is infinite if his fetters be free and if his thoughts are sunbaked and each pie a glowing form in the dark. Man’s thought sums his life; like a rose blooming in the dark, his thoughts are potent potions— a cure to miseries…
Keeping your thoughts clear and without clutter is still possible even with all the corruption in the world. It takes effort and grit; it takes being intentional about it. The following are ways to keep your thoughts clean and free yourself from the shackles that hold your success down.
1. Positive Talks are Tall Talks.
The things you don’t speak out, buried deep within, is the voice of your inner mind and that’s where self-talk takes place. In the British series Sherlock Holmes, it is called the “mind palace,” and that’s exactly what self-talk is. Self-talks are the things you tell yourself mentally. It’s that voice that analyzes your performance and interactions with others around you. If your self-talk does not revolve around positive talks, your self-worth suffers. It is something we do without paying attention, and that’s why we end up falling under its control if we refuse to acknowledge its power over our lives and choices. These self-talks can have pragmatic influences on how we feel about ourselves.
Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one. — Hans Selye
Most of us are in an unending mental babble. We converse with ourselves all day long, and unfortunately, our self-talks are recurrently negative. It is often toxic and harmful to the actions we take because a large fragment of our past winds up in them, and this often makes us anxious about the future.
The effect of self-talks can be good or bad, depending on whether they are negative or positive. They have a great impact on our confidence. They either act as fuel, constantly kindling its flames or fanning them. Actions are inspired by thoughts. To change the mode of our thinking is the first, and most definite step to take for there to be a change in the actions we take. It is an inherent nature of humans to pursue individual growth—be it monetarily, physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Putting constructive self-talks into practice aids us in setting in motion actions that fetch us larger rewards.
How does one cultivate the act of positive self-talks?
Studies on positive thinking have shown that people who think positively have superior stress-coping skills, a tougher and stronger immunity, and a lower risk for heart-related diseases. While positive thinking is not a health solution or alternative to drugs and medication, ruminating on negative thoughts cannot benefit your overall mental well-being in any way as taking an optimistic view would. Changing the direction of our thoughts is not as hard as it sounds. It takes effort, just