This is a huge challenge for you and me. People will always be willing to follow the example of a person who is full of integrity and honor.

Today is Day 53 of following the 210 Day Lifestyle Freedom Club Affirmation Challenge and today we are challenging ourselves as we boldly declare:

This means that you honor others before yourself, you respect their rights and level of development in life. It also means that your word is as good as your signature, perhaps even better.

You might be asking: Why is my example important to my success?

Let’s look at the top 3 reasons that your success depends on your example:

1. An integral part of your life purpose (your why), is making a difference in people’s lives. In order to be able to impact others, you need to be an example they will want to follow.
   
   
2. No man is an island in this world, especially not a successful one. You need the support of others to achieve your dreams.

   People will readily support leaders they respect and trust. I am talking about support that comes from the heart. This is important.

3. Your income is an echo of your impact.

Today, Bob Burg tweeted this amazing and outstanding statement (on twitter):

“Your income is not a reflection of your goodness, worthiness, merit or industriousness: it is an echo of impact”

Bob Burg is the best selling author of The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea, Go-Givers Sell More and Endless Referrals, Third Edition.

Your words will have no impact if they are not supported by your actions. Ralph Waldo Emerson is attributed to saying: “Your actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

How true is that!

Someone else said:

Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions.  You may have a heart of gold – but so does a hard-boiled egg.  ~Author Unknown

So let’s take the challenge of today’s affirmation and declare it AND make sure that we live it.

Change your talk! Your walk and your life will change!

Do you sometimes find yourself doing or saying things without thinking that you regretted later? Do you find yourself wallowing in negative thoughts about a situation instead of stepping back and looking for a solution?

It is clear that everything we do or say has to pass by our minds first. Yes, EVERYTHING you do and say begins in your thoughts.

So then, how can you stop acting or reacting in ways that may be “out of character”? Or perhaps they may even be a part of your character, but a part that you want to change. Can you really change? Of course! How? The answer is both simple and difficult.

The simple answer: Change your thoughts, change your walk (and your life).

The long answer: What will it take to change your thoughts?

• Discovery
• Decision
• Determination and Deliberate Planning
• Deliberate Action
• Discipline

The process of changing your thoughts is actually a battle. It is a battle that you need to decide right now that you are going to win. (No maybes, perhaps I can or even, well I will give it a try).

Step One: Discovery.
Discovery? That sounds like fun no? Well discovering hidden things in our lives may not always be fun. In this case what you are about to discover is some of the nasty attitudes and reactions in your life that you need to change.

You cannot change anything in your life that you deny exists. So, the discovery involves facing your REAL situation. If you notice yourself doing and saying things you don’t like it is because you have things (attitudes, prejudices) in your mind that need to be changed. These thoughts are the critters that are causing the reactions you don’t want in your life.

Step Two: Decision.
Now that you discovered the real problem, it is time to decide. Are you willing to make the effort required to change your thoughts? Are you willing to apply the discipline to follow through and create a major change in your life?

Step Three: Determination and Deliberate Plan of Action.
It takes determination to confront the realities in ourselves and make definite decisions. It also takes ongoing determination to follow through.

It is also necessary to create a definite plan of action. You can create your own plan or perhaps follow a proven plan that has already given success to others. There is a great plan called the “Affirmations Handbook. A 30-day Guide to Actively Creating the Life You Want.” I am following this plan at the time of writing this is post.

This course takes you by the hand and walks you step-by-step through a program that helps you master using affirmations to achieve your desires in life. Any desires.

Step Four: Deliberate Action.
Once you have decided to change your thoughts, the next step is to create a plan. You may choose to follow the 30 day guide mentioned above. That would certainly be a great way to get started with turning your life around. If you find the daily steps too much for your schedule, no worries, each “day” may become 2 or 3 days if that is better for you.

If you decide to create your own guide, make sure you have a written combat plan. Don’t leave your plan on paper though. Put it into ACTION.

Step Five: Discipline.
I am sure you have heard of the expression: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Some days it will be easy to follow your plan and some days it will be hard. It is when things are difficult that the real champions show up. They apply discipline and keep going and they WIN!

I know you will win because:

Image by viZZZual.com” on Flickr.