A weekly column by Peter Lawless; Business Growth Specialist and Coach to Entrepreneurs. peter@3r.ie
Some of the greatest teachers in history are also religious leaders and icons amongst different cultures. By quoting them or using them as examples, please accept the fact that I am not in any way promoting one religion over another.
In order to provide for your family, to love and honour them, you must first love and honour yourself.
We all trust and believe in others that we respect. People who have experienced success are more likely to be a good mentor to you and they are someone that you can indeed look up to.
When you are successful, how will you feel when people look up to you? Will you be a role model for others? If you are to succeed, you must first love your self. It is only then that you will be in a position to truly impact many people's lives.
Whether it is as the boss of your own company or as a line manager in someone else's company, people will look to you for guidance. You better know what drove you to success and be proud of yourself, if you are to impart that wisdom to others.
What are the characteristics of a great leader?
Great leaders in battle protect them selves, because were they to fall, it would seriously impact the confidence and resolve of their followers. This is not cowardice, because in time of battle, to become that leader they would have had to prove themselves already in battle.
The great leaders of our time have proved themselves as foot soldiers in their chosen field. It is a known fact that over 90% of millionaires today are self-made. This means they either worked in large companies, they followed a profession, they were outstanding in sport or entertainment or as is the case for the majority; they started their own business.
Great leaders and highly successful people are no different, in make up, to ordinary people. They rarely have superhuman powers, immense intelligence or phenomenal luck. When they become successful, often despite some humiliating setbacks, they are still the same people that they were, before their big break through.
When Bill Gates became the richest human on earth, his DNA did not change, he did not grow another leg, arm or double his brain size. He was still Bill Gates, a guy with incredible vision and persistence to carry his dream through to reality.
Indeed Bill Gates was no different to you, unless of course you don't want to succeed. Maybe then you will be happy with a state pension that you can barely live off when you retire!
We truly do reap what we sow
When you plant an acorn in well prepared and fertile ground and lovingly tend it, an oak tree will eventually grow. When you scatter wheat seeds on a bed of rocks, you should not be surprised if you have no harvest to make your bread.
Self esteem can be defined as having the ability to accept who you are and to feel proud of yourself. Having enough self confidence to pursue your goals and dreams despite others trying to tear you down, is a measure of self worth.
If we do not love ourselves, how can we expect others to give us the chance to prove ourselves? Self love is not looking in the mirror all day and telling yourself how beautiful you are.
True self love is having respect for the fertile mind and body that we were given upon this earth. Learning how to care for and nurture the seeds of greatness that are sown within us all, is the greatest gift that you can bestow upon yourself.
It is from the harvest, that the farmer saves some grain to grow next year's crop. Will your harvest be enough to share around, to provide abundance for yourself and for those you love?
Do you know how to love yourself in order to be able to love your neighbour? When you can truly love your neighbour, then you will feel the ultimate feeling of success, self esteem and self worth that makes and hardships you may have undergone seem insignificant.
If you are prepared to commit to the grams of discipline outlined below, then the tonnes of regret that many people endure in retirement will pass you by.
7 Ways your self focus can you bring you love and respect
Learn to love who you are While it may seem obvious to many of you, no matter how hard you may want to try, you can not change your DNA. You can not change what you came to this earth with. So get to like what you have, learn to respect who you are and learn to love how you deal with what live throws at you.
Don't beat yourself up! You are probably reading this either because you really want to improve your situation or because some one you love has asked you to read it. You are never going to be perfect, there is no such thing as true perfection so just accept that everything is not always going to work out for you.
Accept your Mistakes! More millionaires have been broke on their way to fame and fortune than retirees who live today on the minimum pension. A mistake is only a failure if you fail to learn from it. When you do make a mistake in judgement, review the situation and ask yourself how you can avoid making that same mistake in the future.
Don't brag How often have you seen a loud and obnoxious person bragging about how great they are? People will often point to them and say how they really love themselves! The reality is that these people lack self confidence because they don't truly love themselves. They feel the need to brag and exaggerate to get attention to cover up their lack of self esteem.
Listen to others When you have true self confidence, you will be able to accept your own abilities and be prepared to learn to improve upon them. If you are always speaking, how can you learn anything new, from which you can grow? Everyone has a story to tell, and maybe just maybe, you can learn from listening.
Give your self time off When you are tired physically and mentally you cease to function at your best. Rest and relaxation will help you recharge your batteries. This way all those around you will not have to suffer the irritable behaviour and moods that fatigue can cause.
Grow a little every day An acorn does not turn into an oak tree overnight. Learn to walk before you start running. Small steps in the right direction will surely take you faster to your goals, than running when you are ill prepared and thereby tripping over and losing the race to success.
How will you feel when you have no more financial worries? Do you know how exhilarating it will be to know that you made a choice today to change your life? Will you just think to yourself that this was a great article and promptly forget about it?
Only you will know, how you will use the lessons learnt here will that knowledge make you feel proud in 5 years time, or will you look back in regret and say if only?
Take each moment, that life gives you and savour it, for each breath you take is unique. While breathing is involuntary, how you think and how you will act upon your thoughts is truly your own choice.
Do you choose to love your self and live your life to the full?
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