Belief is a truth held in the mind. Faith is a fire held in the heart. Joseph Newton

In this journey we call life, being aware of who we are and what we‘re really all about – living on purpose, if you will, is what can set us on fire, if only we will pay attention.

More often than not, so obsessed with taking action, designing our lives, doing instead of being, so focused on things rather than on people we often are unaware of the energy we are radiating – much of it negative in nature.

This can create a toxic cocktail of uncertainty, doubt and mistrust. Many of us are plagued with constant worries and fear. We have a tendency to lower our expectations in a what-if scenario, instead of expecting the best. Often, as a result, relationships in personal and in our professional lives are often strained and tenuous, things can go wrong and abundance eludes us.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Not if you don’t want it to be. External circumstances do not determine your emotional state and energy. You do. Your life is not meant to always be filled struggle, hardship and heaviness. Rather it was meant to be filled with joy, light and ease.

What is your dominant perspective? Pause for a moment and think about it. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? What expectations and beliefs do you hold? Are they big or small? Do they indicate faith and trust or fear and doubt?

You get to decide how you will live your life. This freedom is yours to choose and is always available to you, even when it feels impossible to find a new perspective, one that radiates positive rather than energy. How you decide impacts on every aspect of your life. 

But here’s the thing. The energy only comes from within. The choice is ultimately yours.
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On of my favorite magazines is Fast Company. www.fastcompany.com

Every month I take a few minutes to see what’s new and or just over the horizon.

If you have any young children or grandchildren and have been wondering what to think and do with the social media wave that is washing over our society, you might want to take a few minutes and read this article.

It’s not just about the impact of social media on children. It’s about how it is impacting on their parents/grandparents – you and me and and our careers and businesses, too.

After I read it, I started following the author on Twitter.

http://bit.ly/Z5JAGW

If you want to know your past, look into your present conditions. If your want to know your future, look into your present actions. Chinese Proverb.

In a world that continues to get flatter and competition becomes ever more fierce, vying to be first takes courage and not being afraid to sometimes fail: Perhaps, to even do something you have never done before.

In today’s environment driven by innovation and always changing, if you want to lead the orchestra there are times when you must turn your back to the audience.

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With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. Elenor Roosevelt.

The other day I walked into someone’s work area and saw the following pasted up on the wall. In our over-heated, 24/7, it’s worth taking a minute to read.

TEN COMMON SENSE WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

1. Do not exaggerate the negatives in your life.
2. Do not replay bad experiences over and over again.
3. Choose to function with a positive attitude whenever possible.
4. Learn to break out of your reactive modes.
5. Be aware of the quality of your self talk.
6. Learn to create positive images in your mind when you meet new challenges.
7. Learn to let things go.
8. Accept things that you cannot change.
9. Take ownership of your day before you leave home.

Oh, the 10th point? Keep everything in perspective.

No, there’s not much competition between puppeteers in general because everyone’s working their own style. Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets.

If you are still competing with the crowd, trying to look like everyone else, matching their prices and trotting out the same old ideas that clearly are not working, maybe it’s time to rewrite your playbook.

We are in an era now where competing with the crowd isn’t nearly good enough because in this new, social media context, increasingly it is the crowd that decides what is going to happen next, not you.

To grow your enterprise or advance your career in today’s hard scrabble environment, like Kermit and his friends you have to work smarter, continually innovate and, mostly importantly – work your own style.