The birth of the 'Mustard Seed Giants'©

A little while back the idea of a project came to mind and as I put pen to paper in drawing up my plans I began to think on an appropriate theme for the event and in an instant ‘The Mustard Seed Giants’ flashed through my thoughts. Possessing a mind in love with words, I enjoy the exercise of mulling over words and phrases, looking for how they play into life and their ‘transcendent’ content.

Persistently drawn back to the ‘Mustard Seed Giants’ as a theme for the workshop; I decided to go in search of information and knowledge on the mustard seed. As a Christian, I am familiar with the parable of the Mustard Seed as used by Christ Jesus to illustrate the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13 Vs 31 -32) and the faith teachings of the mustard seed. 

Interestingly, my search would lead me to various platforms robust with discussions on the mustard seed and debates on what kind of tree a mustard seed grew into. Apparently this is a huge point of interest with different opinions. Some argue that the mustard seed doesn't grow into a huge tree but is in essence a shrub. While others argued that the mustard tree is known to grow into a huge tree of about 10 – 15feet in height.

According to Kansas State University, mustard trees are considered evergreen ‘shrubs’ but when fully grown, mustard ‘trees’ can reach up to 20 feet in height.

This was quite an informative reading as I followed the threads of discussion but finding no 'conclusive evidence' on the subject of what sort or size of plant the mustard seed grew into, I put the thought aside. This was but for a short while. With a mind that is sometimes as tenacious as a ‘dog with a bone’ I was back on the subject, drawn back to the words ‘The Mustard Seed Giants’ and this time, my thinking began to explore why there seemed not to be a consensus on what sort and size of plant or tree the mustard seed grew into?

As I continued to explore the thought, I began to ask the question ‘Did it really matter what sort of plant or tree the mustard seed produced?’ and on this I was brought back to the bible illustration of Faith and the Mustard Seed.

(Matthew 17 Vs 20) Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as the mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it would move. Nothing would be impossible”

Our life is a function of our faith, belief and thought processes. We dare to dream and believe the possibilities of our dreams and desires by faith. And according to the measure of your faith in the possibilities of living your dreams and visions, much like the varying debates on the mustard seed plant ‘What will you grow to become?’

We can be all that we dare to put our mustard seed (faith) to dream. We can achieve all that we desire to put our mustard seed (faith) to achieve. We can define our mustard seed (faith) and create the life of our desires. 

The product of faith is not a one size fits all result. That may very well be why there is a pool of opinion on the ‘fruit’ of the mustard seed. We can choose to be a garden plant, a shrub or a 20feet mustard tree.We can choose to grow into a vibrant tree providing shade and shelter as illustrated by Christ in the parable of the mustard seed. All things are possible and entirely up to us to choose and grow till we become our vision of ‘THE MUSTARD SEED GIANTS’©.

And finally... there is my theme for the event designed J

SPICY - Speak. Positively. to Inspire. and Cause. to Yield!

Thoughts - Our Creative Progress

The first point of any creative process begins in the mind. It first occurs as thought (an idea or desire) and triggers our 'creative progress'. Therefore it is important that we are mindful of our thoughts and understand how they impact on our reality.

“Change your thoughts and you change your world”. - Norman Vincent Peale

When we focus our thoughts on the things we don't want for example unhappiness, loneliness etc, we are inadvertently putting power to the thought(s) and activating them into our lives. You attract the thoughts you hold in your awareness whether conscious or not. And as you push against the unwanted you put power to it because you have made your focus that which you do not want.  

To work against creating negative realities of the things you do not want, become conscious to change or put a spin to your thoughts and make your focus the exact thought of that which you want or desire.

 ‘I want happiness’ Vs ‘I don't want to be sad’.

Take a moment and think on both sentences above, it becomes obvious that one generates a more positive feeling and the other a negative one. Thoughts of sadness will produce feelings of fear, sadness etc and thoughts of happiness will produce feelings of joy, love and happiness etc.

“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far”. - Swami Vivekananda

When we dedicate our thoughts in pursuit of what we WANT rather than what we don't want; we draw more of the things we want or desire to ourselves.

Today begin to take conscious record of what you are giving power to through your thoughts. Are they thoughts of ‘what you do not want' or are they thoughts of your desires. The exact things you want and desire in your life.

God promises to grant us the desires of our heart so it should follow that as we make the focus of our heart precisely the desires we seek, we are better prepared to achieve success.

One other thing to take into consideration is recognising the founding thoughts of your desire? Are they born out of fear? Take the example of wealth or money. Are you seeking after wealth because you are afraid of poverty? Or love, because you are afraid to be lonely or alone?

Where the foundation of these thoughts are negative; based on fear, the greater probability is that you will attract poverty or loneliness.

But when you base these same desires on positive foundations, you create and attract a greater possibility of having your desires. A positive desire for wealth or money (still staying with our examples) gives you the confidence that you can achieve wealth and in turn motivate your actions towards the goal. In the same manner, desire love because you understand that you are worthy of love. Love yourself and others and you will have the love that is commiserate with your desire.

"I am no longer cursed by poverty because I took possession of my own mind, and that mind has yielded me every material thing I want, and much more than I need. But this power of mind is a universal one, available to the humblest person as it is to the greatest." - Andrew Carnegie

Decide what you want, believe that you deserve it, believe that you will have it and everyday visualize you having it and it will come to you.

SPICY – Speak. Positively. to Inspire. and Cause. to Yield! 

7 DISCIPLINES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE - BRIAN TRACY

Hello Everyone, 

With the first month of the year gone past its middle month mark, how are we doing with our set AND WRITTEN goals and plans for 2013?... What? You haven't quite got around to putting your plans and defining your goals for the year in writing? Never mind! Not to despair. A 'late' start beats a NO start anytime. You can pick up the slack and get well on your way to a successful and fulfilling 2013. You may want to go and take a look again or if this is your first visit, read my two part post on goal setting. Hope they help launch you off...

Still on moving ahead in 2013 forward, I got a mail this morning from one of my success partner Brian Tracy which I want to share. It comes timed appropriate to inject a fresh resolve to stay focused on our goals and achieving! 


THE 7 DISCIPLINES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE - BRIAN TRACY

There are 7 disciplines you must develop if you want to achieve all that is possible for you. You can learn these disciplines through practice and repetition until they become automatic.

Goal Setting
Every morning, take 3 to 5 minutes to write out your top goals in the present tense. Get a spiral notebook for this purpose. By writing out your 10 goals at the beginning of each day, you will program them deep into your subconscious mind.This daily goal writing will activate your mental powers. It will stimulate your mind and make you more alert. Throughout the day, you will see opportunities and possibilities to move more rapidly toward your goals.

Planning and Organizing
Take a few minutes, preferably the night before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always work from a list. Always think on paper. This is one of the most powerful and important disciplines of all for high performance.

Priority Setting
The essence of all time management, personal management, and life management is contained in your ability to set proper priorities and use of your time. This is essential for high performance.

Concentration on your Highest-Value Activities
Your ability to work single-mindedly on your most important task will contribute as much to your success as any other discipline you can develop.

Exercise and Proper Nutrition
Your health is more important than anything else. By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will promote the highest possible levels of health and fitness throughout your life.

Learning and Growth
Your mind is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.

Time for Important People in your Life
Relationships are everything. Be sure that in climbing the ladder of success, you do not find it leaning against the wrong building. Make time for your relationships every day, no matter how busy you get.

Action Exercise
These 7 disciplines will ensure that you perform at the highest level and get the greatest satisfaction and results from everything you do. Study these 7 disciplines and then make a plan for how you can incorporate each of them into your daily life.


SPICY - Speak! Positively. to Inspire. and Cause. to Yield! 

A Second Part Post... Setting Smart Smart(er) Goals 2

Not having a goal in life is like running up and down a field clueless on how to score. You get the illusion that you are doing a lot of things, but they are not what you want. At best, you maybe busy fulfilling someone else’s dreams and goals.

The multi-billion dollar consumer goods company securing your purchase because they convinced you that their 28” inch long hair extension is ‘the must have’ of the season; fashion houses getting you to buy their clothes because it sets you apart with the 'IT' factor; the food chain outlets enjoying your patronage because you live for their culinary mastery, or you are working at a job you don’t like because it is safe, secure and rakes in some money. In all of these you spend YOUR time, energy and resources running around without achieving much for yourself.

“You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” – Zig Ziglar

Most people today spend more time planning a two-week vacation than planning their lives by setting goals. People just don’t do it. They leave their lives to chance and usually end up broke by the time they reach retirement.

It is said that achieving goals is not a problem–it’s SETTING goals that is the problem. How are you supposed to manifest what you want if you don’t take the time to set concrete goals? How do you expect to achieve your dreams and visions if you don’t clearly spell out the end output you desire?

Setting your goals gives you clarity on what you ultimately want. It makes you  articulate and gives you a foundation for the desires floating in your mind. It ensures that you are focusing your time, energy and resources into things that really matter to you. It makes you live more consciously.

Everything in life is created twice: First is the creation in your mind, followed by the manifestation in reality. When you set a goal, you already accomplish the first creation. You have set into motion a decree for yourself and released the forces to materialize the goal(s) in the physical reality.

SETTING SMARTER GOALS 

Set Goals that MOTIVATE YOU

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you. This means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is one of the keys to achieving goals.

Write down why it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life.

Stay the COURSE

Goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Feed lessons learned back into your goal setting. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly.

Your goals may change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and experience, and if goals do not hold any attraction any longer, consider letting them go. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. So, what will you decide to accomplish today?

Engage an ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER/ COACH

An Accountability Partner/Coach is essential to ensure you stay the course and achieve your goals. Having an accountability partner helps to keep you on track, focused and motivated towards achieving your goals. You can have more than one accountability partner. I do! My accountability partners are a strong support system. They keep me motivated and are great sounding boards. They are made up of fantastic friends and my Life Coach.

I discovered and experienced the benefits of Life Coaching in 2012 and gained giant strides in my life. A life changing experience that helped me come into my own and led me to getting a certification in Psychology & Life Coaching, professionally positioning my passion to help others become the best they have ever thought or imagined to be. This experience has been a remarkable impact and positive turning point in life... one that I am immensely grateful for!

Andy Stanley said: “In the world of leadership, we operate under the misguided assumption that because we are leaders, we don’t need to be led. We have a tendency to measure ourselves against the people around us. They become our point of reference. A good coach will evaluate your performance against your potential. A coach helps you measure your performance against your strengths instead of against someone else’s.” Even leaders need to be led. This is where a skilled Life Coach comes in.

We all need a Coach. “A good coach will do everything in their power to close the gap between your potential and your performance. That may entail brutal honesty. Why? BECAUSE THE PAINFUL TRUTH IS THE FAST TRACK TO INCREASED PERFORMANCE.”  Most of the time it is not what a Coach knows that makes him/her valuable. It is what they see that counts and that is THEIR BELIEF IN YOU AND YOUR POTENTIAL TO SUCCEED.

In 2013, don't live your life to chance. Do something different NOW to ensure you achieve your goals, improve yourself and attain SUCCESS!

SPICY Chrysalis Coaching Services can be reached by email – 

spicychrysalis@gmail.com 

SPICY - Speak. Positively. to Inspire. and Cause. to Yield! 

Moving ahead... Setting Smart Goals 1

With the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, a lot of reviewing, assessing, reassessment and planning is taking place on many levels and in different aspects of life. Some will define this process as Goal Setting while others will call it a New Year Resolution. It doesn't really matter what name you choose, what is important is in how these goals/resolutions are set, written and positioned to be achievable!

Most people are familiar and have used the 'SMART GOALS' principle for goal setting especially at work without applying same in setting their personal goals. 

So please don't stop reading because you already know 'what this is about'. Many of us maybe 'knowledgeably' grounded in this principle. Not with standing, there is no harm getting a ‘refresher’ course or nudge. Who knows who comes in search of knowledge? 

  

S.M.A.R.T in goal setting is used as an acronym for SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE (ACHIEVABLE), REALISTIC (RELEVANT) and TIME BOUND.

S - A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal.To set a specific goal, it is advised that you answer the six “W” questions:

Who is involved? (WHO)

What do I want to accomplish? (WHAT)

Identify a location. (WHERE)

Establish a time frame. (WHEN)

Identify requirements and constraints. (WHICH)

Specify reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. (WHY)

M - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.

To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as

How much? How many?

How will I know when it is accomplished?

A - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you need to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You start seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

You can achieve almost any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach will become more attainable. By listing your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

R - Your goal(s) must represent an objective toward which you are willing and able to work at. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.

T - Your goal(s) should be set within a time frame. If no time frame is tied to your goals there will be little or no sense of urgency or commitment to the goal. If you want to lose X lbs, when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” doesn't work. But if you anchor it within a time frame “by May 1^st 2013”, then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

Your goal(s) become realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished.

T can also stand for Tangible - a goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.

Great! If you read to this point, this may be an indication that your subconscious mind is urging you to get out that notepad, grab a pen, pull out your iPad or whatever device you have handy for taking notes and start putting those thoughts, plans, goals/resolution on paper if you haven't already done so. 

I began putting my thoughts, plans and goals for the year 2013 down on paper in the last week of 2012 and by this post; I am achieving some of the goals I have set for the year :) 

In 2013, don't leave your life to chance. Do something different NOW to ensure you achieve your goals, improve yourself and attain SUCCESS! 

SPICY Chrysalis Coaching Services can be reached by email – 

spicychrysalis@gmail.com 

SPICY - Speak. Positively. to Inspire. and Cause. to Yield!