A Barrier to Your Personal Success?

As an adult have you personally steered kids away from certain groups, specific locations, particular T.V. shows, inappropriate magazines, and music or have you seen this done, all in order to control negative influences and barriers to their personal success?

Why did you do it or why was it done?

It was probably to protect the children physically, spiritually, and emotionally. You did not want their self-esteem and self-confidence to be eroded. Yet, do you manage outside influences in order to protect your own wellbeing against the many barriers to personal success? Do you ever think to give yourself the same consideration that you give your loved ones?

Most people do not question their neighboring influences and they let themselves be poisoned by the negativity that surrounds them. Though not always physically visible, negative influences are pervasive, toxic, and they affect all life. We all need to guard and nurture our mind and state of being in order to ensure our personal success.

Taking time to reflect on your habits, which are a direct result of what influences you, is a very valuable exercise. The people you associate with, the schedule you adhere to, the programs you watch, the books you read or do not read, do not lie. They are a reflection of what you believe, and subsequently will determine your actions and cause your results. Unless you change what influences you, you will keep focusing on the same things that you focused on in the past, and by law of attraction you will keep getting the same results. Awareness is the first element of change.

Ask yourself what will your life look like in 1 year and in 5 years if you keep the same habits and let yourself be influenced in the same manner?

Do you know that if you were to take the income of your 5 closest friends, and average it out, that is likely the income you will attract if you keep hanging around the same people.

Frequently, those around you let you know by their words and actions that they really do not want to see you make different choices. In fact, when you start to change, it makes them feel uncomfortable because they sense the need to look at their own lives. Do you let their discomfort influence you negatively, stop you from going forward, and create a barrier to your success? Once you become aware of what is happening, you can take measures to ensure that you continue on your new path.

Next, what do you fill your mind with in order to ensure your personal success? Do you read books that inspire and motivate you or, are you feeding your mind a continuous diet of nightly news and movies that leave you feeling helpless, hopeless, paralyzed in fear, thus adding to the existing barriers to your personal success?

Some of you may believe you need to be well informed. You may need to be informed but you certainly do not need to be inundated. The media simply responds to the demands folks put forth. More newspapers are sold and more newscasts are watched, the more sensational are the daily news. The type of news reported continue to be the effects of how people choose to react.

Strategy: When you want to bring change into your life and are ready to start focusing on what you desire, it can be very helpful to go on a media fast for a one-month period. You read correctly, no newspapers or T.V. for one month. This will help take away some of the distractions that you frequently experience. After one month you can evaluate for yourself the results. You may choose to continue for a longer period as you discover that you have more energy and more time for more important activities.

Thirdly, do you watch your words and really listen to what is uttered around you? Everything lives in language.

Miguel Ruiz who shares the wisdom of the ancient Toltec expresses it beautifully in his book the "Four Agreements" - "The word is the power you have to express and communicate, to think and thereby to create the events in your life. Your words can create the most beautiful dream, or your words can destroy everything around you."

What words have you internalized that do not serve you? What words did you hear as a child that you still believe to be true about yourself when in fact they are not? More importantly, what words do you speak to yourself and about yourself on a daily basis? Is your internal mind chatter positive or negative? Have you in turn told someone today that they are appreciated, valued and important?

Next, church and organized religions have influenced people for centuries and not always in a positive fashion. There have been more wars fought in the name of religion than any other cause. Church authorities have often left people feeling guilty, not deserving and oh so fearful. Much has been written on the subject of religion and it is up to each individual to examine his or her beliefs, and to come to one's own conclusions. The reason for mentioning religion is simply to make people aware that their religious beliefs have an influence on their personal success.

In order to bring change into your life you must first become aware of your surroundings and what is influencing you. Your awareness will then influence your choices, and your new choices will bring about new actions and results.

Change can feel uncomfortable and hard at the beginning. However, if you remember that the greatest amount of energy needed for change is at the beginning of the process, you can feel encouraged knowing that the best is yet to come. Just like a jet that departs for its destination city, more fuel is used during take off then at any other time. Once the jet is at 35,000 ft cruising altitude, the fuel needed is much less.

Doing something good for yourself sends a message deep inside you that says I am worth it and I deserve it. Success, Inner Peace and Joy do not appear magically on your doorstep. You need to create the positive environment, thus eliminating barriers to your success.