Darren Hardy

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Best Year Ever: Week 1

From Notes from the Universe:

This note requires action.

Why not let today mark the beginning
of the absolute happiest, most memorable
time of your life?

The power is yours.  Do something.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I’m embarking on my best year ever.
I’m listening to Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine, on CD, and I’m developing a list of 13 things I want to work on over the next twelve months, based on advice from Benjamin Franklin. Work on one thing per week, and nothing else.

By doing this, I will work on that one thing 4 times a year, improving myself in that area in greater strides than if I tried to work on all the areas at once.

Here’s Mr. Franklin’s list:

  • Temperance–Eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation.
  • Silence–Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
  • Order–Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
  • Resolution–Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
  • Frugality–Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
  • Industry–Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
  • Sincerity–Use no harmful deceits; think innocently & justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly.
  • Justice–Wrong none by doing injuries, or emitting the benefits that are your duty.
  • Moderation–Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
  • Cleanliness–Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths [sic], or habitation.
  • Tranquility–Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents uncommon of unavoidable.
  • Chastity–rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness [sic], weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
  • Humility–Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

I’m still making my list, but I do know that this week I am working on focusing on the positive.  I have to do this because I tend to operate on the undropped shoe belief:  I brace myself for the worst.  Always.  I call it realism.

Truth: it’s

  • defeatism.
  • negativism.
  • dark.
  • faithless.
  • hopeless.

The fact that I call it realism is a sad testament to my paradigm.
Done with that.

So I have a new blue and gold bracelet that I’ll be wearing for the next 7 days, and when I look at it, I’ll consider:

  • Blue & gold=royal colors—>I am a child of the King.  A princess, you might say, although, really, I prefer Queen. But then I’d have to segue into fairytale ruminations about roles, and if I’m the Queen AND a child of the King, oh–that’s not good. And there I go again with the negative.  ha.
  • I choose what I focus on.       I. choose.
  • Realism = real, not negative.

My list, not in order:

  • Romans 8: 28–Focus on what is good.  Week 1.
  • Intimacy.
  • Order, as per Ben Franklin.
  • Tranquility, as per Ben Franklin.
  • Acceptance.  week 2.
  • Movement/body-consciousness
  • Ephesians 4:29–speak no evil.
  • Industry, as per Ben Franklin.
  • Generosity: time/attention/etc.
  • Resolution, as per Ben Franklin.
  • Attention to what I ingest.
  • Appreciation and praise.
  • Frugality, as per Ben Franklin.

Yes, each area requires its own bracelet. I’m okay with that.

BTW: it’s okay to start such a list any day you choose.  Darren Hardy says to make NOW your turning point.
Care to join me?