Elevate your thinking, elevate your life

Brendon Burchard, Number One New York Times bestselling author whose books include The Charge and The Millionaire Messenger, states that there is no secret to becoming successful or getting rich. Successful people become successful with one thing... The way in which they think. Let me explain this point further, as the way in which you think and the way that you visualise your life has the power to change your circumstances to levels that will surprise you.

It is all about how you use your mind, ultimately how you adjust your psychology. Brendon Burchard confesses that when he started working there was a time in life when he became bankrupt. Unable to pay the bills he had to make a change. Then he recalled the notion that there is only one difference between successful people and unsuccessful people ... The way in which they think! Successful people are not from a specific background or place, there is no set recipe for success; it all comes down to how we manage our minds. With this open-minded knowledge Brendon went from being bankrupt to making over $4.8m in the period of 18 months!

The trap of negative thinking

It is all about how you approach something. An unsuccessful person will have a dream, but when it comes down to implementing that dream they doubt themselves. They state "I can't do it" or "I don't have the skills to do it", so they STOP. Successful people will have a dream and state "I can't do that, BUT I will learn how!", so they KEEP GOING. Everyone has a dream or a vision, the key is to never stop and always find ways to approach your dream to make it a reality. If you don't have the skills or knowledge to do something, reach your goal by putting a note in your diary to LEARN how to overcome it. If you want to change something it has to come from you. Start today and change your life.

There are seven steps that neurolinguistic psychotherapists Penny and James state that could help you think positively, thus creating and allowing positive things to happen. These steps are part of the circle of excellence and are really resourceful to keep you in a positive state of mind for any time you really need it: For that job interview, for that big presentation, for that irritating customer, the list goes on.

Firstly, you must choose the state, feelings and behaviour you want to have BEFORE you go into any situation by following these steps noted by Penny and James.

1a. Imagine a circle on the floor in front of you. Give the circle a colour. Make it bright, shining or whatever makes it visually attractive.

1b. Pick a word or short phrase that symbolises a powerful state for you. It might be "Go for It", or "Success" etc.
2. Now, recall a time when you felt "on top of the world," or some other empowered state.
3. Imagine yourself back at that time. See what you were seeing then, hear what you were hearing, feel what you were feeling. Notice what you were doing and what you were thinking at the time.
4. As your sense of being in this excellent state begins to build - Take a deep breath, say your code word and step into the circle in front of you.
5. Stand in the circle and INTENSIFY the memory, re-living those moments and enjoying those feelings that come naturally from doing something really well.
6. Now, imagine another circle with the same characteristics as the first and repeat Steps 2 to 5 with a different empowering memory. TAKE ALL OF THE FEELINGS FROM THE FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH YOU as you step into the second circle.
7. Repeat with a third circle and another resourceful memory.
8. Now think of a future situation where you want to be at your best and imagine yourself performing in the state you are experiencing now.

Success is just a thought away. So go out and DO IT.