Success; Short and Sweet

 

You don’t have to be young to have a dream, or try something new. You can be young, or old, a child, a parent, or grandparent. To have a dream, begins at any age and there’s no time like the present, to start.

Many of us live in one of the greatest times in history, where there is no barrier to living the life of your dreams. No barrier according to age, nor gender, nor to the colour of your skin. 

The dream you hold in your heart, can be brought into reality, through discipline and hard work, but it all starts with a thought and a word. Just as God said in the bible: “Let there be light”; and there was light, (Genesis 1:3) so too do we need to speak our dream into the atmosphere. 

I know it sounds ridiculous, but if you take a look at all those living the life of their dreams, living with passion and joy, you’ll see they speak affirmations, have vision boards hanging on their walls and talk about the power of positive thinking. 

Just as God had the thought, then spoke that thought into being, we too have to start with our thoughts. The quality of our thoughts determines the quality of our life and your thoughts are just the start of bringing your dream into fruition. Like a seed planted in springtime, summer will see a harvest, if you water and nurture and don’t quit.

Knowledge is the key to unlocking your dreams and just as wisdom is gained through reading the word of God, as it says in Proverbs 4:7, “Wisdom is the principle thing; therefor get wisdom”, so too is wisdom gained, when we read how others achieved their dreams. 

If working at the mundane is all you want out of life, so be it. However, if you want to live a life of passion, joy and of great rewards, my book called “Success; Short and Sweet,” will help you towards achieving those great rewards. 

Like many people, I was doing everything I could to make life work. It just wasn’t happening. I was broke, unhealthy and lived in a lower end neighbourhood, until I found the answer, the key if you will, that opens the door to living a successful life. 

I’d like to share with you, how I did it. How I went from broke, depressed and suicidal, to living the life of my dreams, becoming an author and photojournalist. I wake up every morning and where I was once living a life of dread, now I wonder every day…what great things will happen to me today?

Life is such a contrast now, to where I was a number of years ago. At the time I didn’t know if what I was doing would work. I didn’t personally know anyone who followed the principles of positive thinking and I was just living in hope. Now, years later, I can honestly say; it does work. It worked for me and as long as you don’t quit, it will work for you too. 

Age, gender, skin colour or any other so-called detriment, is no barrier to achieving your dream, in these times. There’s a saying which goes: those who think they can and those who think they can’t; they’re both right. So, back yourself. Give yourself permission to have a dream and do what it takes to make it happen. 

Experience comes with age. As a mature person, you’ll have lots of skills to draw from. Follow the steps in this book and become the success you’ve always dreamed of becoming.

With youth, there may be lots to learn, but you have a mind, so go for it. Just because it hasn’t been done, doesn’t mean you can’t find a way.

Quit playing the ‘poor me’ card and get up off the couch. You can be a victim, or a victor. The choice is yours. All you need to do, is start with one simple step. Buy the book today; Success, Short and Sweet! It’s available on Amazon.com and is inexpensive.

My name is Alexandra Grose and I’ve gone from lack, depression and suicidal, to living the life of my dreams. You too, can live the life of your dreams, if you follow the instructions written in Success; Short and Sweet. 

I challenge you to give it a go and prove it for yourself.  

What can it hurt, just to read one little book? 

Click on the link below, to purchase your copy of: Success; Short and Sweet.

 

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08QF4K472/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_6TQT6478ATRQK01ZF82J

Emotion or Progress...you can't have both.

 

Emotion or progress…you can’t have both.

When you’re emotionally connected to something, sometimes hanging on to it, stops your progress. 

Let’s say for example, you want to jog 10 k’s. You might do it for a while, but then one day you push yourself too far and the next day, 

you’ve lost your drive. The emotion you’re feeling; that’s it’s too hard, too time consuming, or too painful, stops you from training that day. 

If you really want to jog 10 k’s, you have to set emotion aside. Set aside those negative feelings and concentrate on the desired outcome. Only then will you push past the emotion and make progress. 

Your ability to communicate, determines how successful you become. The better you are at communicating with others, the easier it is to change jobs, make sales, meet new connections. 

How you communicate to yourself, also determines your outcome in life, be it positive, or negative. A constant barrage of mental rehashing past mistakes, or criticizing yourself, puts a negative spin on everything you do and you’re less likely to try new things, when you’re in that state.

We all work towards what’s important in our lives. To raise your level of happiness and joy, you have to raise your thinking. If your thinking doesn’t allow your dream to be actualized, you’ll never see your dream unfold. 

Raise your thinking so that you can achieve what you set out to do. Build a self confidence that can’t be shaken. If you have no self-confidence, start small and build on the little things, until you feel you can tackle the larger goals you set for yourself. 

Have a plan in place. A plan will keep you focussed and on track. Your plan should include mental strategies, for the days you don’t feel you’ll get through. It should also include time for meditating on how you wish to see your successful days unfold. Journal as you go and one day, you can look back and see the progress you’ve made.

Journaling also shows us where we’re going wrong. It reminds us of what we’re doing right and what we do right, we need to replicate. 

Live life expecting good thigs to happen. Many of us are just muddling along, hoping to get life right. However, you may have heard the phrase; those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

We need goals to take us where we want to go in life. Humans are incentive based. This means without incentive; we won’t make progress. Having a written plan for your life and taking action on it, gives you a 90% chance of succeeding. I like those odds. Oddly enough though, I’ve heard it said 99% of people don’t have a written plan. That’s a lot of people, planning to fail.

So write up a plan and place it where you’ll see it every day and work on it every single day, until it becomes routine. Just like driving a car, which is difficult when we first start, but eventually we find it automatic and effortless. Once you’ve driven for a while, you don’t need to think about driving. Driving just happens. 

You want your goals list to flow like driving; happening all the time, without thought, or effort. And you can only do that, when you’ve got it as a routine and are working on it every day. 

Mostly when left to our own devices, we think we aren’t as smart as the next person, but this isn’t true. You’re no less intelligent than other people. If they can do it, you can do it. It just takes dedication, knowledge and practice. 

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be successful? Doing whatever it takes, also means remaining teachable? Listen and learn, then implement strategies. Application and repetition, are the simple things, which bring about success.

Life is not perfect. As long as you try, you can raise the bar. We all have room to raise the bar. 

The decision to try is made perfect, by being comfortable with wrong decisions. No one gets it right all the time. Expect to make mistakes. We learn how not to do it, when we make mistakes and then we get it right. When you first rode a push bike, you were shaky and probably had a fall or two, but once you ‘got it,’ you never needed to learn to ride again.

Don’t put yourself in a box and accept something less than you are, just because society, or the people around say so. You don’t have to agree with them. You can prove them wrong. You can run to their script for your life, or you can create your own script. 

Decipher what matters and what doesn’t. And focus on what matters. What matters is what will get you to your destination. It’s easy to be side tracked, so keep your plan in front of you, keep your focus and keep working, until you achieve what you set out to achieve. 

And one more thing I’d like to add; If you love it, you’ll persevere and though it may be a lot of hard work and worry, you’ll keep pushing through, but you will eventually succeed. Even if you get it wrong, you’ll love it enough to have another go, ironing out the kinks along the way, until you get it right. 

Embrace life; change it, improve it and make your mark upon it and it will unfold beautifully before you. 

How to Respond to Crisis.

 

              How to Respond to Crisis.

Sooner or later, crisis is going to hit us. It’s not a matter of if, but when. We’ve all had a taste of it before and we will again, because that’s life. How we respond to crisis, is what makes us, or breaks us. 

Crisis helps us refine our focus and brings us to an understanding of what’s truly important in our life. 

Being challenged in life is inevitable. Being                        defeated is optional.

In times of crisis, we need to step back and look at the big picture, knowing many have been here before and many have moved past it. To move past crisis, we need to ask the right questions and we need to allow ourselves time to grieve, cry, or curl up in a ball. 

During times of crisis, it’s fine to be stoic however, give yourself permission in the quiet times, to understand and process where you are. Work out what you need to help you recover and heal and what you need to do, to advance past this point.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many of your friends, family and colleagues are only too happy to help and support at this time. 

Come together as a family and renew old relationships, that have been lost due to busy schedules. Oftentimes it’s our family and oldest friends; those who know us best, which are our greatest support.

  Learn how to turn suffering into hope and then pass it on to someone else who needs it.

Remember in life, there’s always others who’ve gone through what you’re going through. Look up on you tube, or read books, on how others overcame their crisis. Learn from those who’ve been through it. Learn what they did, which helped them navigate through the turbid waters.

Sometimes it helps, to sew into others. It takes your mind off the issue at hand and you feel more useful and productive, than if you stay home and wallow in self-pity. Self-pity doesn’t help anything, least of all the healing process.

By all means, have a pity party, if you feel you need it, but give yourself a time limit and then get on with the act of living. And don’t expect, once the crisis is over, that you’re done with it. 

From time to time, feelings of rage, loss and depression may come to the fore. Expect it, allow for it and have some coping mechanisms in place, to help you deal with it, when those feelings arise.

Asking the right questions, isn’t about sitting at the pity party table saying woe is me, but in asking; what’s the next step? What can I do from here? Who do I need to see/speak to? What is the best thing for me, to move past this point and get on with my life?

Don’t take on additional responsibilities at this time. If at all possible, maintain your routine, but try to reduce your responsibilities and lighten your load. This will free up some time, so you can roll up your sleeves and get to work, by empowering yourself with knowledge and the confidence you need to move forward. 

  Today’s struggle is tomorrow’s strength. 

Also, it’s not selfish to do what you want, particularly now. Give yourself permission to be a little selfish, if that’s what you feel you need. Take a little time for yourself. Watch a movie, read a book, have a bubble bath.

Ideally, we want to thrive, in the face of loss. We want to stand strong and with resolve. Being well armed in what we need, will aid in doing that. It might even bring an air of excitement, knowing change is coming.  

With crisis, it does end and we do eventually move past it, although it doesn’t feel like in the moment. It may not feel like it at the time, but one day you’ll be on the other side of it and all the stronger as a person, for it.  

One day, you’ll see the foggy clouds of depression and loss disappear and the sun will rise and shine brightly in your life again. And one day, you’ll be able to help another, who’s going through the same crisis. It’s at this point you’ll know, you’ve made it though and you’ll see; your time of crisis, wasn’t the end of the world.

How To Live A Fulfilled And Balanced Lifestyle.

 

How to live a fulfilled and balanced lifestyle.

We all want success. Part of being human, is the desire to be the best, to live your best life, but often we don’t know how to achieve that lifestyle. 

To live a balanced life, we need to be working on all areas of our life. It’s no good having millions of dollars, but losing the family in the process. Or working so hard, your health suffers. A fulfilled and successful life, is all about balance.

I wrote an article recently about balance (when depressed) and talked about the 7F’s; Faith, family, finances, fitness, fun, friends and function (vocation). 

Here’s a link to that article, should you wish to read it: 

http://alexandragrose.blogspot.com/2021/02/bored-depressed-and-unhappy-its-time-to.html 

However, we can take this a little further and delve a little deeper, to include other areas such as intellect, morals, parenting, career, quality of life and vision for the future. Some ideas to think upon are as follows:

- When we talk about intellect, ask yourself what books would you like to read this year, what areas can you work on to improve your mind, job, relationships and the like. 

- Morals is about making right choices. Not necessarily comfortable choices, but good choices.

- As a parent, you want to be there physically and emotionally for your children. What would you need to do, to ensure this happens?

- With your career, where would you like to see your career head, in the next 12 months? What do you need to do, to get you there?

- Quality of life could go something like this; what destinations would you like to travel and what kind of style will you travel in? What kind of car/home would you like to own? What type of person would you like to wake up to, in the morning?

- Vision for your future should include helping those less fortunate. What can you do to improve the world, in some way?

Meditation and visualization are both great motivators and an ideal way to begin and end your day. Journal as you go, so you don’t forget what you are working towards, because it’s easy to become distracted.

A balanced life is about working on the greater issues, not the small stuff. Small stuff being the zit on your face, or worrying about running out of milk today. Let the small stuff go and concentrate on the bigger areas of life.

When you dream bigger, you get bigger. Make your dreams out of this world. Don’t settle for real and achievable. Settle for something greater and continue, until you see it a reality in your life.

Don’t let your happiness rely on outcomes, but let your happiness be derived from doing the best you can today. If you do your best every day, you’ll be ahead of the pack, because most are only doing enough just to get by and they’re miserable while they do it.

If you let your happiness depend on the outcome, it could be a long wait. Be happy, throughout the journey, not just at the end.

If you would like to see less depression, stress and anxiety in your day, prime yourself for happiness. 

When you wake in the morning, visualize how you want your day to flow. Get yourself organised the night before, so you can hit the floor running in the morning. 

Exercise, eat and sleep well and meditate on your future and you will see your future unfolding with beauty, not ashes. 

Don’t work towards your retirement, work towards a greater interest. It’s much more rewarding. Work at it every day, as if your life depends on it, because it does, if you want a long, fruitful and successful life.

Have fun. If you’re not laughing, if you’re angry and upset, you’ve just wasted more minutes of happiness. Enjoy the journey, on the way to the destination. 

I’ve been there; unhappy, depressed and stressed out and thankfully I’ve turned my life around. I know what I’m talking about and I know you too, can turn your life around. Just make a plan and then act on it. It’s that simple. 

Crossing Into The Heavenlies.

 

            Crossing into the Heavenlies.

                 Is it real, or imagined?

Going into the heavenlies, initially I thought it was all imagination. Now however, 2 years down the track, I’m starting to see tangible evidence of my trips to heaven. 

When I first started this journey, nothing happened. I’d been given an impartation, from Dr Etienne Blom. I didn’t see any result from that impartation at that time and I’d begun to wonder what all the ‘fuss’ is about, when it came to impartation. After all, nothing happened, right? 

But over time, something did happen. It was gradual at first. I didn’t notice, or even know if I was doing the whole thing correctly.

When it came to that particular impartation, it wasn’t until I became serious, that I started to see results; when I really knuckled down and worked towards it.

We don’t get what we try for, when we pray. We get what we diligently seek. When we commit to the issue, fully commit, keeping our faith in spite of not seeing results, then things happen. 

God isn’t moved by your prayers. He’s moved by what moves you. If you’re just saying your prayers by rote, it doesn’t inspire God to act. However, when you’re truly heartfelt about the issue, then you can expect results. 

So many of us don’t see the result of our prayer life. We start and nothing appears to happen and so we stop. We’re not diligent. Over time, our prayers become more of a whine, than a victory cry. 

The bible says; And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. (See Matthew 11:12*) It’s not the brute force of battle, but the battle of prayer from the heartfelt, that brings victory.

When you stand on God’s promises, not wavering and not wishy-washy in your words, then God will act on your behalf. Don’t mince your words. Say what it is you want, boldly and in confidence and God will move on your behalf. 

With this in mind, and along with the words Jesus spoke in John 14:12*; “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to my Father.” 

I wanted the ‘greater works’ in my life. I knew there was more, Jesus said so. I believe Him and I wanted it.

At first, I thought I had to wait for the right time and so I was passive, just waiting and at times wondering why things weren’t happening. I’ve since found out otherwise. 

I’ve since found out, I have to apply the principles, to attain the promises. I have to fight the battle in prayer, with an urgency and earnestness that moves God into action. 

In doing so, my prayers are answered. In doing so, I spend my time in the heavenlies, bringing the word of God to earth. In doing so, I’ve met the Saints of old, travelled to outer solar systems, danced with my Precious Jesus and where initially I wondered if it was imagination, I now know otherwise. 

Standing with Jesus, Moses and Elijah, on the mountain top, I had a healing in my knee. An injury I received when I was 25 (almost 30 years ago) was healed, just because I was in the presence of these great men. 

No one prayed. I didn’t ask for prayer, or healing. These men carry an anointing that’s so great, one is healed because of the anointing which flows from their presence.

Another night, while praying, an angel zipped across my room. The angel came through the window and out the door. A bright streak of white light shot across the air space. 

These are the more tangible aspects, which I didn’t receive at first. Initially I thought my dreams and visions were imagination. All nice, fluffy and fun, but not really anything I can prove. 

I met Lady Wisdom and beautiful though she is, I couldn’t prove her to you, or even to me. Was it imagination? I don’t think so, seeing what I’m seeing now. 

One day I was in the throne room and saw the Three in One, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They were like liquid, flowing and interchanging with each other. At that time, I was still wondering if it was all real, or imagination. But where do these ideas come from? I don’t think I could make them up. I don’t think I’m that imaginative.

You may think this is all ‘stuff and nonsense;’ that perhaps I’m a crackpot. All I can tell you, is I’m beginning to see tangible evidence of the reality of what I’m doing. 

Don’t think for a minute, your prayers don’t work. As you can see in the above photo, when I prayed for an evil presence which I felt was on the land where I was staying, the weather turned ugly. 

It was a nice afternoon, until a few minutes into my prayer. Then the clouds came. They were very dark and, in this photo, you can almost make out evil itself, hovering overhead.

Dreams and visions are real and we can cross into the heavenlies now. We don’t have to wait until we die.  

If like me, you want to do the greater works Jesus mentioned, go after it with intention and don’t ever quit. 

*Bible quotes from the NKJV (New King James Version 1994).

Do You Believe In The Supernatural?

 

So, here’s an interesting concept…I kind of let loose with sugar last Thursday (today being the following Tuesday). I haven’t been able to get into ‘the God zone since.’ Today was the first day I’ve felt I can go back into the heavenlies. I’ve tried on a number of occasions and nothing’s happened. 

Perhaps that’s what’s meant by the biblical verse ‘sugar brings death.’ Perhaps sugar not only kills you with disease, but the ‘dis-ease’ it brings to your mind, kills the connection between you, the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God Himself. 

No doubt, I’ll slip up on the sugar again, sometime in the future. It will be interesting to see if the same pattern follows. But this is what I felt I was shown today and I can’t find one of the biblical verses now. There were 2 separate verses. I read about them some years ago. 

The verses were; Honey gives life and sugar brings death. I know I read them. Perhaps the second mention was from another book and not the bible itself. I can’t remember in which biblical version I read it and looking it up on-line, I can’t find the verse on sugar. 

Still, the bible does say not to eat too much honey, for it causes one to vomit. So, ok in moderation. No go in extremism. Also, these days we know the detrimental effects too much sugar has on the human body and the bible does mention moderation and self-control.

Anyway, I got up a moment later today and went into the heavenlies. I asked Jesus to show me what He wanted me to know. Instantly I was transported back to the time of crucifixion. Jesus was dragging the cross, along the cobblestone road. The whip flailing his back. I was running, crying, trying to keep Him in sight as I ran along the roadside, dodging the crowds.

Each stroke of the whip, Jesus looked at me and I heard Him say in my mind; This is for you. 

The crown on His head; This is for you.

The crunch of the nails through flesh and bone; This is for you.

The cross raised high and dropped into the hole, to be rammed in place with dirt. His body hanging limp and bleeding; This is for you. 

Frantically I looked around, still crying. I had nothing to give in return.

He had given His all and was dying on the cross and I had nothing to give Him. 

Still crying, I ripped my heart out of my chest and lay it at His feet and said to Him; This is for you. It was all I had.

So real. So heartfelt. So touching. And then I fell asleep. When I woke, I remembered every detail. I don’t know how long I slept: 20, 40 minutes. An hour perhaps, but when I woke the scene was crystal clear in my memory.  

I wondered if my ‘instant falling asleep’ represented a death of sorts. I tore my heart out of my chest and then I died. 

When I awoke, I was back in my room, the previous scene gone. That’s what I think anyway; I died a spiritual death, as soon as I ripped out my heart and gave it to my Precious Lord. 

He gave His all to me and I gave all I could back to Him.

A lot of random thoughts constantly run around inside my mind. I was asking the Father earlier in the week…show me Your love. I want to know the Father’s love. It was just a couple of days after praying this, that the above event occurred. 

The prayer came to the forefront of my mind, after what I’ve written about here today, having been stagnated after too much sugar, for a few days. Coincidently (God incident perhaps), as I wrote of wanting to see His love for me, the memory of ‘show me Your love,’ caused my thinking to drift back to that prayer. 

This time, when it did, I saw Jesus again carrying His Cross, being whipped, looking at me and saying; This is for you and in that moment, I knew the Father’s love. I knew He'd given me this vision, in answer to that prayer. This was the lenght He went to, to show His love for people.

And now, every time I have a negative thought about myself, every time I question His love for me, that picture comes to mind, along with the phrase: This is for you!

Real, imaginary, or supernatural; you can decide for yourself. 

As for me, I believe in dreams and visions. I believe in the supernatural and I now know, my Father Loves me! And something else I know; He loves you too, because He died for you, as well as for me.

I'd love to know your thoughts. Please feel free to comment.

Bored, Depressed And Unhappy - It's Time To Get Out Of Your Own Way!

 

If you’re tired of the life you’re living. If you find yourself bored and depressed, you and only you, have the power to change the direction of your life. Don’t wait for someone else to come along and do it for you, because it won’t happen. If you're bored, depressed and unhappy now, you don’t need to stay this way, but you will have to do the work to overcome it. 

To get the best out of life, you need to optimize your energy and you do this through reducing stress, eating healthily, ensuring you get enough sleep and exercise. You can’t skimp on any of these, if you want to increase your energy. However, you don’t have to do everything all at once. You can change your life, one habit at a time, so why not get started today?

The number one challenge holding you back is you and your lack of belief in yourself. If you don’t have belief in yourself, do what it takes to see yourself as a success. Depending on where you are in life, this may be a short, or long journey. Read books on being a success and act on what they say. Read books on your area of weakness, that other people have overcome and follow their advice.

You may have heard it before, but make your bed every morning. It’s not that making the bed is important, but it’s important you make your bed. This means you start your day with purpose. This causes you to focus and succeed on that one little thing, which then leads to another and then another.

This reinforces ‘little things matter.’ When the little things matter and when you do the little things, you can be encouraged that you’ll do the big things. The big things matter and instinctively we know it. Just like doing that one little thing, of making your bed, you can get to a point of doing the big things in life, the things that genuinely matter. 

Look after your mind and body. If you want a nice car, once you get it, you’ll look after it, because the cost was high. Whatever it cost, you appreciate it more, because you had to work for it and pay for it. If it was free and easy, you wouldn’t take the same care.

If you want a nice body and mind, the same reasoning applies. You have to look after it. And the sooner you start the better, because what you value, you take care of.

Starting when you’re young, improves the end result. The best time to plant an oak tree was 50 years ago, the next best time to plant is now. Even if you’ve messed up, to this point, there’s nothing to stop you turning the page and beginning a new chapter. 

Block your valuable time, from time wasters. Don’t fritter time, don’t waste time, or let others intrude on it. Don’t leave time to randomness. Don’t be distracted.

What you value, you take care of. Value your time.

When you leave your time to randomness, you’re stealing from your own greatness, your own potential and capabilities. It’s the little issues and random doings, which steal from your greatness. Focus and action bring abundant rewards.

It’s distraction, laziness and procrastination, where time gets frittered away and you get nothing done. Greatness is achieved in doing all the little things, every day, which moves you towards your goal, not in allowing distractions to rule and govern your life. 

Keep a pen and paper handy. This helps eliminate some of the distractions in life. You can write what comes to mind and get onto it later in the day, or week. When we’re distracted, it’s because we do what comes to mind, before we forget, but often it can wait. So, write it down and continue on the task at hand.

If you want more free time, you need to manage your time more wisely. There are plenty of books available, which teach on time management. You’d do well to read a few of them.

Then there are the bad habits. Too much tv, too much internet, too much sleeping in, too much chocolate, too much alcohol. One habit you could change is to turn the phone off in the bedroom, if you want a good night’s sleep.

Nothing happens through the night, that you need your phone on. Put it in another room and if it rings, you’ll hear it, otherwise, don’t touch it. It’s also about self-control. Can you live without your phone? Can you develop your self-control?

Much of life is about self-control. Control your time, control your eating, smoking, drinking, spending, exercise, family time, work time, play time. Don’t leave what’s important in your life, to randomness. Prioritize what’s important in your life.

I call this “The 7 F’s.” To live a successful life, we need to master the 7 F’s. Faith, family, fitness, finance, friends, fun, function (vocation). I include faith, as it’s what keeps me grounded and what gives me hope. It gives me strength, courage, peace and joy and I would encourage everyone to have an element of faith. Bible study, for me, is a huge aspect of my life. I consider myself successful (although still a work in progress) and I wouldn’t have made it without my faith. 

What’s the one thing you can do today, which really matters to your day, which really matters to making your day successful? Keeping your 7 F’s in mind, set your priorities and work towards them every day. 

Meditate, even if all you can manage is 5 minutes, preferably in the morning. For me, mediation isn’t about being empty headed and chanting “Om.” Meditate on a bible verse, until it becomes clear in your mind, or until you receive a revelation of the meaning of the verse. Towards the end, gather your thoughts around your needs and wants, your requirements for this day.

In the evening, work your routine, so as to get a good night’s sleep. Have wind down time. This might mean, reading a good book, taking a relaxing bath, anything calm and quiet. No screen time though, because it’s addictive and stimulates the mind. You want to wind down, not get wound up. 

Having a wind down routine, sets you up for the following day and gives restful sleep. You can reflect on what you need to do tomorrow, so you’re not chasing your tail in the morning. Prioritize your to-do list, organise what you need, so you’re in control of the morning when you wake. 

It puts you on top, rather and leaving you chasing the day, all day, every day. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to learn what it is you need to know, to take you in the direction you wish to go.

Get up early. Most successful people rise no later than 5 am. If your life is in balance, this isn’t hard to do. Get enough sleep, enough exercise, along with an input of good nutrition and a 5 am start isn’t hard to do (and yes, the hours you work at your regular job, can also have a negative impact), but do the best you can, to get a good night’s sleep.

Unless you have a young baby, the time of least distraction is before the sun rises. What you’re aiming for is tranquillity. Tranquillity to think things through. What do you need to do, to have tranquillity in your life? Give yourself a few minutes in the morning, to think through what you need to do and then work towards it. 

Journal, reflect and meditate. What worked for you yesterday and what didn’t? How and what can you improve on today? Is there something you need to learn, to move you forward?

Work on the minutes, the little increments of time in front of you and the hours will take care of themselves. If you have great minutes, you’ll have great days and great years.

Life’s not just about setting goals, but also about having a vision, something worthwhile to get out of bed in the morning for. A vision is how you see your future and goal is what you need to work on, to ensure your vision becomes your future. 

A vision is the exciting part. It’s what inspires and motivates. The goal is the hard work, the focus, the planning, the determination, discipline and effort, which will get you there. What do you see, for your best life? Write it down and work towards it (remembering the 7 F’s). 

Friction and obstacles create growth, so anytime your having difficulty, take the time to make a plan and then act on it. I mentioned tranquillity, however with tranquillity and quiet, there’s often no growth. Without growth, we perish and die, even if it’s just our mental state. So, give yourself a challenge, something which makes you uncomfortable, something which stretches you and causes you to grow, something which brings excitement into your life. 

Remember, you can’t move forward while lying in bed. Get up early. Get away from the screen time, renew your mind with meditation, or a good book, something spiritual. Think about what your ideal day would look like and work towards it. 

Then at the end of the day, give thanks. Be grateful for what you have and for what you’ve achieved, because that elevates your state, which in turn brings restoration of mind and body. It brings peace, joy and happiness.

Although success looks different to everyone, everyone wants success. No one leaves school excited, because they’re going to one day, be an addict, or a failure. It’s taking little steps every day, towards mastering your life, that brings success. Just as the addict chose to take little ‘failure’ steps every day, to get where they did, you can choose to take ‘success’ steps every day and the days will fly by and one day, you’ll see; you made it. 

One day, when you've mastered your time and you get out of your own way, you too will be flying high, enjoying life. You too, will live a life of success, happiness, peace and joy.