Why should anyone
else be the
Master of your Destiny?
It's all about you.
It's all about choices.
Some people talk a lot about
the kind of life they'd like to have. Other people do something
to make it happen. Which kind are you?
Deciding to Take a Chance on Yourself
 About
ten years ago, a friend of mine named Melissa made a decision
that changed her life. Her school counselor offered her the
chance to become an exchange student in Europe. She would
be living in Germany, France, and Denmark, learning all about
each country's customs, meeting new people, and picking up
some of each language.
No one in Melissa's family had ever traveled far out of the
state they lived in. Her parents were skeptical, and told
her that she should forget it-they didn't have any extra money
to help her with such foolishness. In fact, no one in Melissa's
working-class neighborhood had ever considered going to Europe.
They just hoped they'd have enough money to pay the rent each
month and buy groceries each week.
Melissa knew it would be easier to stay home, to keep working
part-time and going to school part-time. "After all,"
she thought, "who do I think I am? I really don't know
what to expect. I don't know any foreign languages. I'd probably
just make a fool of myself." If Melissa went to Europe
for a year, she wouldn't be able to work, and she'd be spending
the money she'd worked so hard to save. It would be her first
time ever away from her family and friends, too. What if she
got homesick? And the thing that scared her most was that
when she came back from her adventure, she'd be broke. She'd
have to live at home and rely on her parents until she could
get a job and save enough to move out.
Still,
she couldn't quite forget the idea. Why shouldn't it
be her? After going endlessly back and forth, she finally
decided to take the risk. She could always come back early
if she hated it. She called her school counselor, who was
delighted when Melissa said "Sign me up!"
The counselor was about the only one who seemed happy. Melissa's
family offered no support, emotionally or financially, and
her friends just laughed when she said she was going to Europe.
They finally realized she was serious when she closed out
her savings account and asked the counselor to drive her to
the airport. "We'll see you in a couple of weeks,"
her dad laughed as she walked to the car.
 Lessons
Learned
The trip began poorly. The airline bumped Melissa's entire
group, and told them they'd have to wait until the next day
to leave. Although she had never flown before, Melissa decided
if she didn't leave that very day, she'd chicken out completely.
She went from one ticket counter to another until she found
a connection, spending 10 hours in the airport before leaving
on her first-ever flight. It took so long and she was so nervous
that she began to wonder if she should have listened to her
parents and her friends after all. When she arrived in Germany
the next afternoon, she was exhausted. She guessed that the
weird sleep-deprived feeling she was experiencing was what
people called jet lag. Oddly, it pleased her somehow to know
first-hand what it was. No one back home knew what jet lag
felt like! She handed the address of her new apartment to
the taxi driver, and paid him in Euros when he dropped her
off. Then she slept for a long, long time.
The next
day, Melissa began exploring her new neighborhood. She wasn't
nervous at all. She found her way to the nearest travel agency
and bought a train pass. Nearly everyone spoke English and
seemed helpful, and the trains made it easy to get around.
The next
week, she ventured further-to Switzerland. She went alone
because the other students in her group were apprehensive
about traveling outside the "base" country. Melissa
wasn't exactly radiating confidence herself, but she wanted
to see as much as she could during her time in Europe, and
the only way to do that was to summon up her courage and go.
She loved learning what was beyond the sheltered world she
had left behind. She found that all she really needed was
common sense and a map. From then on, when Friday came, Melissa
was packing her bag for another destination. She saw the ruins
at Rome, the Eiffel Tower, and even the great pyramids in
Egypt. Sometimes she felt like she must be dreaming-that she'd
wake up from this new feeling of independence, freedom, accomplishment
and success. But she was wide awake, and enjoying every minute.
Melissa's year of travel was a year of revelation for her.
As she studied different cultures and met so many new people,
she realized she had always had an adventurous spirit and
a thirst for knowledge. And if Melissa had decided to stay
in the US, she would never have met her future husband.
She helped him run his restaurant in Berlin-a new enterprise
they enthusiastically shared, and with great success. They
stayed in Germany for another year before they returned to
the States. As it turned out, Melissa was far from being broke!
So what's
the lesson here? People who don't take risks don't go far.
People who let others make their decisions for them are rarely
happy. And fear is what keeps 99% of people from leading
fulfilled, successful lives. You don't have to let
that happen to you. Figure out what you want, and then go
for it!
What
You Need To Know
You should
be steering your own ship. While there will always be some
factors that are out of your hands, it makes little sense
to worry about what you can't change. Instead, worry about
what you can control - you
and your actions and your thinking.
Points
To Remember:
 Be receptive
to all possibilities. Most new ideas sounded crazy the first
time they were introduced.
Fear of failure
can be very powerful. It can cause you to stay in a rut, to
procrastinate, and to miss out on opportunities to change
your life. If you are dominated by fear, learn to be brave.
Realize that
risk-taking is a necessary part of success. Learning to negotiate
risks leads to more self-confidence and more triumphs along
the road to the life you would like to lead.
Always be
on the lookout for new opportunities.
Define success for yourself. Most people believe it's about
finding inner peace, satisfaction and emotional balance, as
well as financial stability. You can't achieve those unless
you start thinking out of the box. You have to be willing
to take some risks. You must be willing to step out of your
"comfort zone." This applies to business as well
as to your personal life.
Some Of The Pillars
Of Success:
Plan your
work, and work your plan!
Make every
effort to be the best you can be at what you do. Don't compare
yourself to others. Set your own goals.
When you
make a commitment, stick to it!
Acknowledge
that disappointments are part of life. Instead of allowing
setbacks to keep you from moving ahead, overcome them and
forge ahead. This will make you stronger.
Remember
that every experience, whether good or bad, can be a learning
experience. It's all in what you take from it.
Live each
day as if it were your last; have no regrets.
Some
Final Words…..
 So
have you decided yet if you're a talker or a doer?
Do you wait for things to happen to you at the
whim of others, or do you make them happen?
Are you just thinking about how great your future could be
if only...? There is no better time than right now
to stop just thinking about making a change that will
secure your future success and time. Right now is the time
to do something about it. Starting a home based business
is one of the easiest first steps you can take to begin working
on your financial independence.
You may have heard people derisively say, "Oh, she's
only looking out for number one." But be honest. If you
don't look out for yourself first, who will? Are you ready
to take control of your own destiny-to look out for number
one? I can help you find the path to success, but you need
to make the decision to take the first step down that path.
Your first step will take you just a few minutes. Take the
time to fill out the form below to get started on your new
path to success today. Like my friend Melissa, you will discover
a whole new way of life that you never imagined-and a sense
of independence, confidence and accomplishment that is beyond
your fondest dreams.
Sincerely,
Walter
Hamilton
walter@pencilthemin.com
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