Written by Christopher Howard
Our mindset shapes our beliefs and our beliefs determine our destiny.
Some people seem to have a knack for sabotaging their own success. Why? Because they´re so busy looking for excuses for why they´re struggling. These are the individuals walking around saying, "I would start my own company, but I didn´t because… the bank wouldn´t give me a loan…because it didn´t work out last time so it probably won´t work out this time…because I don´t have a degree… because I never get a break…." It´s these individuals who are floundering in business, stuck in jobs they don´t like or frustrated about their lack of progress. Be careful when you use the word "because…" You may be positioning yourself as a victim of circumstance, rather than a winner by choice.
If you´re currently not getting the results you want in any area of life, start by taking responsibility for your results. Then, expand what you believe is possible. You want to be on the cause side of the success equation, not the because.
Donald Trump was once $900 million in debt when reporters came to him and asked, "what happened?" Unlike other business owners at that time, he didn´t blame the economy, or say it was because the real estate bubble had just burst, even though in fact it had. Trump simply said, "I took my eye off the ball. I stopped doing business the way I used to. So I got my eye back on the ball." Then he immediately propelled himself right back into a prosperous position. He did it by assuming complete responsibility for his results, then focusing on all possible options. That´s the level of personal responsibility it takes to enjoy massive success.
What most people don´t realize is that their experience is a direct reflection of their consciousness. The point is, you can train your focus on ultimate success or failure, opportunities or difficulties, what you do want or what you don´t want. Either way, you will always get what you focus on.
Most people are walking around in a trance of disempowerment, taking what they get, rather than going for what they desire. They haven´t tapped into their own innate ability to transform their beliefs, values, perceptions and mindsets to achieve outrageous results.
One of the biggest keys to thinking big then is wrapping your head around the fact that you are the cause of your life, not at the effect of it.
In his annual reports to shareholders, billionaire investor, Warren Buffett, talks openly about the biggest mistakes he made that year. Where a lot of people look to hide their mistakes or shirk responsibility, he is the epitome of a leader who takes responsibility for his failures, as well as successes. This trademark accountability is one of the biggest reasons people entrust him with their money.
A billion dollar mindset is based in the personal conviction that you determine your own destiny.
Once you´ve taken that giant leap in consciousness, expand your habitual thinking beyond its current frame. When Donald Trump walks down a street in New York City and he looks at a building, he sees a potential investment. The vendor serving coffee on the street corner looks at the same building and sees only the corner where he can set up his kiosk. They´re both businessmen. The only difference is—one is thinking in terms of a multimillion dollar investment from which thousands of tenants will pay him residual income over the next decade or more. The other one is thinking in terms of how many passers-by may pay will get the bigger results every time? The one who has expanded his thinking to include greater possibilities.
Success doesn´t come from what resources you have access to; success is a result of inner resourcefulness. When Richard Branson was in high school, he was told he was dyslexic. While learning disabilities are considered by many to be perfectly valid reasons for being held back, Branson chose to see it differently. He said, "It´s one of the major reasons for my success. I had to get very intuitive in business, because I couldn´t read the financial statements." Extraordinary people are those who spin every obstacle they have into an opportunity.
We all have the same ability to break through the outer and inner barriers that sabotage our success. As long as you go out there approaching everything with the billionaire mindset, you are unstoppable.
