A long-lost mindset I am cultivating again...

I used to have this mindset totally naturally, and without effort.

Now I must work at it.

Cultivate it again -- on purpose this time.

Here it is, in a nutshell...

Go with my gut -- even if it means zagging when all other are zigging.

Here's the main reason I started straying from that mindset: FAILURE.

When you're gliding along quite happily and successfully, there's no reason to change -- and very little fear.

But skid into a ditch a few times, and you start second guessing yourself. You start looking to others for inspiration + guidance.

Nothing wrong with that, unless it gets to the point where you become dependent on others and you start assuming that YOUR ideas + instincts must be wrong, and others must be correct.

Maybe it's a little pigheaded, but my new philosophy for 2009 is...

Go with my gut -- even if my gut leads to some FAILURES. Learn from failures, yes. But plow through them (in a way) WITHOUT abandoning what my gut tells me.

Learn from failures, but DO NOT let them lead me astray.

I know that seems like an oxymoron.

Can anyone else relate?

-- TW

Hi TW,

Thanks for asking.

It is like when your were a child. You tried new things and went with
your instincts (Gut feelings). Some times you failed but you advanced each time. It seems as we get older we start to play it safe.

Now I don't plan on running and sliding on the icey sidewalks at 65, but within reason you still have to try new and fun things and don't worry about failure.

Failure is just one more way "you" can't do it. Find the way you can.

Best of success,

Skip Rosell

Yes -- playing it safe is a big impediment.

As we get older, we have more to lose -- and we are therefore less likely to take risks.

As the song says, 'freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose...'

That may be a bit extreme, but the notion is there.

I guess the key is to MIX wisdom with risk somehow.

-- TW

Best advice I've seen in ages, gentlemen. Permit me to add to it from experience.

I learned to 'trust my gut instincts' when I had been through a particularly bad time trusting folks I shouldn't have, in retrospect. As a result I ended up with tons of headaches including bad health, bad contracts, bad you name it.

Since I've gone back to square one and listened to ME I'm doing sooo much better on all fronts.

Yes, this applies to business, definitely! No more being talked into what isn't right for me (even if it's great for others), no more running around the block just because so and so said so. You get the picture, I'm sure. Any business I pursue is because my gut tells me it's right for me. Advice appreciated, of course, but the ultimate decision is mine. I don't need to make excuses to anyone unless I choose to for my own reasons. Now, THAT'S freedom!

Sandi Bowman

Be careful what you 'glorify.'

Looking back, picking the WRONG things to glorify, rates as one of the top mindset mistakes out there.

Before glorifying something, I will make sure it is WORTHY of glorification!

Very few things are!!! --- VERY few.

The glorification threshold must be set very high -- where it belongs.

Don't get me wrong --- In order to lead a happy life, it IS totally NECESSARY to glorify SOME things.

Without glorification, life is pretty boring + lifeLESS.

It's just a question of being very careful about WHICH things one choses to glorify!

Cheers.

-- TW

TW, what do you mean by 'glorifying'? Many possible interpretations so just thought you might like to clarify a bit. Thanks.

Sandi Bowman

Putting a great deal of deep down, honest, sincere BELIEF into something.

Having LARGE amounts of FAITH in something.

Putting one's HEART + SOUL into something.

Almost-blind FAITH.

-- TW