Today is the 147th day since I started living the Miracle Morning. For those of you following my journey I have a question, have you read “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod? This morning I went back to day one of my process and reviewed my journey. I would like to take a few of my previous post and show how things evolved for me in this process. Recently my WordPress site was hacked and I had to start over. I have all of my journal entries on my laptop so I thought it would be fun to go back and read some of them. Doing so gave me this plan for today’s post.
Day 1
“6/25/2017
Today I am grateful for the day. I\’m grateful to have a loving wife for beautiful boys that love me unconditionally. I know that the power of personal development will make the difference I\’m hungry for life. Today I will focus on my affirmations and building my vision board. Getting out of debt, weighing 200 pounds, and being a family man I was born to be at this time in my vision.”
Looking back at my first day, I can see just how far I have come. This was my first post in my journal. At this time I did not see myself as a writer and definitely was not doing it because I wanted to make a contribution to others. My goal was to just try and be better anyway I could. Let’s see what a difference a week made in this process.
Day 8
“July 2, 2017
Today I completed my morning routine with a greater spiritual focus.
From April 2017 Conference Elder Neil L. Andersen stated.
Overcoming the world means turning ourselves outward, remembering the second commandment: “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” The happiness of our spouse is more important than our own pleasure. Helping our children to love God and keep His commandments is a primary priority. We willingly share our material blessings through tithing, fast offerings, and giving to those in need. And as our spiritual antennas are pointed heavenward, the Lord guides us to those we can help.
The world builds its universe around itself, proudly proclaiming: “Look at me compared to my neighbor! Look at what is mine! See how important I am!”
The world is easily irritated, disinterested, and demanding, loving the cheers of the crowd, while overcoming the world brings humility, empathy, patience, and compassion for those different than yourself.”
By day 8 I was writing what I had been studying, the journal entries had more information and became something I could look back on to ponder. It was at this time I started to have the desire to share what I was learning with others. At first I offered to do a thought of the day, it has evolved into this daily blog that I simply enjoy writing.
Day 15
“July 9, 2017
In karate there is an image that used to define the position of perfect readiness: \”mind like water.\” Imagine turn a pebble into a still pond. How does water respond? Answer is, totally appropriately to the force and mass in that; then it returns to calm. It doesn\’t over react or under react.
Anything that causes you to overreact or under react can control you, and often does. Responding inappropriately to your email, your thoughts about what you need to do, your children, or your boss will lead to less effective results than you\’d like. Most people give either more or less attention to things than they deserve, simply because they don\’t operate with a mind like water.”
On this day I remember how much the “mind like water” post meant to me. We should not under or over react to a situation. To give a proper response requires us to not be so distracted. If we are overloaded then a simple pebble can cause a tidal wave reaction. This oftern is referred to as the straw that broke the camels back.
Day 30
“July 24, 2017 Plan, action and average thinking
Yesterday I spend time pondering about the plans I was asked to develop in the book, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” by Robert Kiyosaki. In his book he said that his rich dad told him to have a plan for being secure, comfortable and rich. As I began to prepare for these three plans the thought kept coming to me from \”The 10X Rule,” by Grant Cardone, that you will not be able to always see the path to success when you set 10X goals, you must take massive action and the path will be made clear.
So my thoughts seemed on the surface to conflict. How can I plan for security, comfort and being rich but not know the path and all the things that these plans will require? It was a great moment of clarity when the information started to become crystalize. I was thinking average again, worrying about how. “The Secret,” by Rhonda Byrne says you focus on the why and what, ask, believe and receive, the universe (again, whatever you believe it to be) takes care of the how.
Ok, I thought, so how do I plan not knowing what the steps will be, take massive action without and plan, and not worry about the how? Seems like a chicken and egg situation. Well, you start as stated in many of my previous post with the why. The why is your purpose, the driving motivation to do the small, boring things daily to achieve your worthy objectives. Average thinking says once you have your purpose you need a detailed, specific plan. Success thinking believes you need a vision and a plan of action for the next step that will take you closer to your goal.
In “Getting Things Done,” David Allen teaches that when you clear your mind and put all of your open loops (thoughts that keep popping up in your mind causing stress and delay of action) in a system that is reliable and reviewed regularly, you can focus on the things with the correct energy. Never under or overreacting to each situation but have a “mind like water” to respond proportionately and return to peace. So, to plan you set your next steps and trust that when you get those accomplished the next action will become clear.
Here is the interesting part, as Grant Cardone teaches, most people under estimate the amount of effort and action it will take to accomplish a task. For example, if you want to sell something it will take you 10 presentations to make 3 sells by the law of averages. Here is the key, most people do not realize how many calls they will need to make to do 10 quality presentations. It will take 100 calls. Those that only contact 10 people will not get the 3 to buy in most instances. So the average thinkers will say, “I tried,” then lower the goal and say “well if we sell 1 we still made progress.“
You see the reality is planning, massive action and success are all related. You must figure our the purpose, plan the next steps to achieve and then committed to massive action to accomplish this goal, the entire time believing the Universe will provide the how. This is very different from just wishing for things to work out. Drawing on the powers of the universe requires great faith, faith is a verb, it requires action. Nephi said, “I will go and do the things the Lord commands, for I know the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save He shall prepare a way for them to achieve.”
Push forward believing you will receive, take the massive action needed today to move you closer to your goal and draw down the powers of the Universe to make them a reality. Most people will remain average because they simply will not do the work necessary, to plan the next steps, define their purpose and take massive actions. I know failure is an event not a person, yesterday really did end last night, today is a brand new day. Regardless of how good or bad your past has been, regardless of how good or bad your present is. There is something you can specifically do now to make your future either better or worse and the choice is yours.
Choose wisely my friends.”
By the end of 30 days it is remarkable how much I had changed for the Miracle Morning process. If you compare my ability to express my thoughts and how I could relate information it is amazing what a 30 day process can do. I am so grateful that this book was brought into my life. For 147 days now I wake up at 4 AM, work through the S.A.V.E.R.S. and go about my day. It is no longer a system or process for me, it is who I am and what I do. When people hear I get up at 4 AM the first question is, “when do you go to bed?” To all of you wondering, the answer is when I get tired.
I pray that today’s post will show that going to bed is not the issue, it is what we dedicate our time to that makes a difference. If you are still in the same place you were 147 days ago, I encourage you to dedicate time to your personal development. NO ONE else is going to do it for you. This is one time in life that this quote has the most meaning, “if it is meant to be it is up to me.” You can continue your same routine, but you will get the same results. If those are the results you are looking for congratulations, but if you want more for yourself, your family, your community or whatever, you must become more and this is one path to follow.