Where Has the Magic Gone?
Color Commentary for Monday, February 19, 2007
By Maikel Bailey
"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart."~ Donald Laird
Put The Magic Back In Your Life...
Start taking smarter actions!
We asked Maikel Bailey, a world-renowned expert on sales and professional development, to comment on the reasons behind our success-limiting procrastination.
Maikel is in the process of completing a sensational new book entitled The Rules Of Insanity: The Fears That Drive Us—The Desires That Inspire Us.
As we say in our Miracle of The Goal TeleSeminar, people have three primary fears:
- The fear of success...
- The fear of failure...
- And the fear of the future.
As you will see, these fears are easily vanquished!
We are happy to present Maikel's views in this series of 5 wonderful articles, and grateful to him for sharing his thoughts well before the book's publication!
What Happened to the Magic?
This is the fourth part in a series on desires and fears, and how they affect our lives. Last week we discussed The Drama Trap.
In a brief review, this is where we cleverly manipulate and enmesh others into our procrastination and avoidance strategies, getting them to agree, one way or another, as to why we don't take action and make things happen for ourselves and others.
This week the focus is on putting the Magic back in your life... by learning how to seize the day... every day!
Do you ever wonder where the "Magic" has gone in some parts of your life, maybe most of your life?
When you were back in high school, just on the edge of being turned loose on the world, did you imagine back then that your life would have turned out as it has? Maybe some things have turned out well and others not so much.
But the magic...where has the magic gone?
Have you ever watched a magician? Some of these people are downright scary; disappearing through concrete floors, walking through steel or glass. How do they do that? They have got to have made a pact with the Devil, it's the only explanation! (Just kidding...I hope.)
On the other hand, once you know "the trick" there is no more magic. Then the reaction is, "Oh, yeah, well, that's pretty cool...yawn!"
It's not just in knowing what is going on that takes away the "Magic", it's knowing what's coming up.
Once we know what's coming up and how things are going to turn out, the magic is over...it's dead. There is no magic.
It's a kind of walking death. Yeah, death by familiarity, the same old, dull familiarity. You know?
That Ol' Uncomfortable Comfort Zone...
One of the results of getting stuck in our fears (and, yes, we are talking about The Procrastination and Drama Traps) is that we get stuck in a rut. It's all about getting comfortable in that uncomfortable Comfort Zone we've created for ourselves. The fit is a little tight, but it's familiar. And when it comes to success, "take a little off the top. I don't need that much success," right?
It's what we call "settling for" instead of "going for." Not a lot of magic in that.
When we keep going through the same habits of procrastination and drama, again and again – avoiding this and avoiding that with the same old sing-song of excuses, justifications and reasons – life does get to be rather repetitive. It gets to be predictable. And when we "know" what is coming next, it just sucks the "Magic" out of all of it. All gone... bye, bye.
So, where did the "Magic" go?
Well, to be honest, we hacked it to death with these long rolls of baloney (bologna) we take everywhere with us so we can beat down our dreams and hopes every chance we get. And now that we have beaten the heck out of our dreams, what do we have left? Just a bunch of baloney. That's right, when we keep pounding out the excuses, life becomes a bunch of baloney.
Don't believe it? Okay.
- So, how's your job?
- How's your health?
- How are your clothes fitting these days?
- Got kids? Teenagers?
- How are your finances?
- How about all those bills?
- How's your To Do list? (or is that just some more baloney?)
- How about all those closets that need cleaning out?
- When was the last time you read a book?
- Achieving all your goals, are you?
- Last really great vacation?
- Up on the latest American Idol, or CSI, or Grey's Anatomy – boy that's living!
- How's your backache, knee ache, shoulder ache, headache – this list ache?
Now, agreed, not all the above points are likely to be in your baloney zone, however there is a good chance some are. And those are the ones that hold us back and rob us of that "magic."
Okay, just one more.
Think of your spouse. How's that going? Is the magic still there or has it become a comfortable, predictable rut of "Here comes the boredom. Get out the baloney!" No – really, think of your spouse. Good. Now, think of your spouse thinking of you. That one thought alone could bring you to your knees, right!
Okay, okay it's not that bleak, I got it. But we have to admit there are times when it could be better – it should be better. There are times when running down the street screaming with our hair on fire actually seems like a rational option.
Now, take a moment and think about all the could-haves, should-haves, would-haves you intended with each of the points above, but never got around to; or all the meant to's, but someone got in the way and now it's pretty much all their fault that you didn't. Oh. Yeah. Right.
Can't you just hear those rolls of baloney (bologna) swinging through the air – Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Well, don't sweat it, we all do it. But there are a few of us that are stopping the baloney. And that is why you are here reading this and the other articles on TQ. You're looking to get rid of the baloney in your life and start living. You're ready to take it to the next level. You're ready to get that old "Magic" back, or better yet, get a whole lot of new "Magic."
So, how do you do that?
It Can Change in a Moment...
It's easier than you might think. You do it by stepping away from the predictable "every day is the same" routines and into the new possibilities all around you. It's about taking off the arrogant, smug attitudes that we "know it all" and have "done it all" and there is nothing more to learn. (Actually, if we had done it all, at minimum, we would have some really INCREDIBLE memories. Whoa! Just thinking about it...)
We have to stop thinking we know it all or we know what's coming around the bend. The truth is we don't know if we are going to be alive in the next 30 minutes or not.
I was on the phone the other day for a conference call training. The people involved were gathering in the conference room as well as phoning in. In a passing moment, as we congregated, live and electronically, one of the participants on the phone said something. The remark floored me! I burst out with laughter and pounded on the table with delight.
I don't know if anyone else caught this guy's witty remark, but thank heavens I did. For some it may have been one more freaking meeting to go to. For me, it was about "What's going to happen next?" And the funny thing about that was, I was leading the meeting!
Talk to the TQ authors personally, and learn the inside secrets to setting and achieving WOW Goals for the next 5 - 15 years ahead!
Please attend The Miracle of The Goal TeleSeminar! We have custom-designed 2 great, 1-hour classes to support individuals, coaches and trainers in setting and achieving WOW goals for 2007... 2011... and beyond. This is your opportunity to talk directly to the authors of TQ, and get YOUR personal questions answered. See Class Schedule...
Opportunity Is Everywhere...
I am talking about the ability to recognize opportunity. But it's more.
You see, opportunity is
a jealous god. It demands we let go of what we "think we know", along
with all our rolls of baloney (and yes, there will be "baloney withdrawals")
and embrace it fully, totally, cleanly, whole-heartedly! Otherwise it drops
us like a bad red pepper to find someone who is really hot! Someone is who really
ready and really raring to go.
We cannot have "Magic" and dominating fear in our life at the same
time. We are either daring and raring to go with our values, roles, goals, missions,
and visions alive and well, or we remain stuck in place, constantly getting ready to get ready.
Magic is Daring...
Magic is magic because it is a daring, unpredictable adventure into the unknown executed with control. Our control is maintained by our commitment to our values, roles, goals, missions and visions, but where it leads and how it turns out, we will have to "go and find out", which is different than sitting around and "wondering about it."
And that is where the "magic" begins, by breaking out of the same old freaking traps of avoidance and drama, and coming at life with a fresh, positive expectation of here's what I really want and here's what I am really willing to do, so I can really have all that and be all that.
Not everything, that's not real.
Simply everything that matters most to me, the things that I value most. And even if I don't get it all, I'm going to make it one "heck of a great ride" doing all I can to get there.
That is busting free of our fears, and going after what we really want...with purposeful, continuous, deliberate action, pursuing and creating opportunity after opportunity, the opportunities of our lifetime.
And how it turns out we will not know until we do it. And therein lies the "Magic."
So, here are the choices: stay stuck, predictably boring, wishing and hoping, but knowing it's all the same old, same old going downhill, or...
Choose the "Magic" and go for it, becoming renewed, adventurous, dreaming and achieving, removing the arrogant mask of "knowing it all" and getting caught up in the newness of each fresh moment's opportunities.
So, what will you do? Choose the riddled rut you've walked way too many times, or become "the Magician" exercising the magic within to rise and bust through the glass ceilings of the past limitations as you now reach new heights of success and happiness?
My suggestion?
Drop the baloney and bring on the Magic!
Maikel
"Take a look at your natural river. What are you? Stop playing games with yourself. Where's your river going? Are you riding with it? Or are you rowing against it? Don't you see that there is no effort if you're riding with your river?"~ Frederick (Carl) Frieseke
Ideas For Action...
Complete your Act Now Workshop...
If you haven't yet completed your Act Now Personal Workshop, then do so today. Only then will you have the background information needed to improve this specific area of your performance.
Listen to the entire Act Now CD...
We highly recommend that you listen to your Act Now Workshop CD at least 5-7 times. Training experts tell us that it takes at least that number of repetitions before we "get it".
These concepts need to be at the forefront of your consciousness, and this is a quick and easy way to do it.
Review Chapter 6 of the Power of TQ...
Determine if Factor 10J is MAJOR stumbling block to your success by completing the Act Now Exercise in your personal copy of the Power of TQ.
You can also read how the Act Now color affects your power to set crystal clear expectations for yourself, and your ability to execute beyond expectations.
Read your personal book, complete the workshop, listen to the CD -- all of these different tools combine to reinforce each another -- creating a whole stronger than the sum of its individual parts.
About Maikel Bailey
While Maikel may not have done it all, at times it feels like it. From digging ditches, framing houses, teaching personal development before it was called personal development, selling business to business, seminar speaker and leader, selling personal development for Denis Waitley and Zig Ziglar, coaching others how to achieve their dreams personally and professional he has covered a lot of ground over the years. He now owns and runs a coaching business that trains individuals how to transition from "employee thinking" to the "entrepreneurial mindset" and establish a successful online marketing business. With an elite stable of 10 coaches and outstanding support staff, Maikel is responsible for the "coaching of the coaches", and curriculum development.
Maikel is married to Michelle Winslow, the love of his life. They are the parents of seven children and nine grandchildren with two more on the way at this time.
Member Comments...
Forward, positive direction -- especially in face of the heavy hand of the IRS -- or ANY large looming threat -- must be seen as a CHOICE.
I have had my fair share, (and probably yours too!!!) of issues with the IRS, Federal Litigation and the general Wolf at the Gate. It can be a giant drag on your energy, attitude and feelings of well-being.
Breaking out of the "business as usual thinking" puts the Magic back into the situation. Letting it unfold, knowing that you have a Positive Response, reduces the fear, and usually eleminates the threat.
You are left to fight another day. To find victory in the next opportunity.
This is all part of making peace with the past, so you can create the future of your dreams!
er
Bob
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