Whether it’s points on a credit card, the benefits of a job offer, or the early bird special at a local restaurant, everyone enjoys maximizing the return on his or her investment. With soaring rates of unemployment, foreclosures at epidemic proportions, and alarming rates of depression and disease, it is imperative that each of us make the most of every opportunity. We must REAP the rewards available to us every day. For some, this is second nature, but for others, this approach requires retraining.
The Universal Theory of Resonance reveals that what we focus on expands. Modern theorists refer to this as the Law of Attraction and the Power of Intention. Regardless of the rhetoric, the science of quantum physics prevails: We attract what we are and experience what we believe. The most powerful aspect of this theory is that it puts us in the driver’s seat and allows us to control our own destinies. It is exciting to realize that one of the few things in life we control, is also the foundation for achieving the life we desire and deserve.
RESPONSIBILITY
Take personal responsibility for who you are and where you want to go in life.
Take action toward what is important to you, realizing you are ResponsABLE:
ABLE to respond in any way that you yourself choose. And your choices create the opportunities that arise. You are the only person you will never be without. You have the internal wisdom to create what you want, and you are responsible for exercising it.
I see an epidemic of entitlement in our society. It seems so easy to blame our problems on circumstances beyond our control, without accepting any responsibility for fixing them. People don’t realize how this extinguishes the energy we need to invest in finding our own solutions. If more of us would exercise the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi and ‘be the change we want to see in the world’, what an empowered and engaged culture we could be!
ENCOURAGEMENT
Encourage yourself – and others – in the direction of your dreams. Encouragement is literally the art of instilling courage, a quality we all need to succeed in any endeavor. People around you will either stimulate or stifle your energy and enthusiasm. Surround yourself with those who share and support your values and vision. Engage others on your path, include them in your dialogue, and encourage them to join you on your journey.
ATTITUDE
Your attitude is one of the few, if not the only aspect of life that you control completely. What you believe forms the roots of your reality, and is revealed through your words and deeds. A positive attitude is the single most influential and universal factor contributing to personal and professional success. An attitude of gratitude sets the stage for attracting more of what we appreciate and is the foundation for pursuing prosperity. Though our human tendency is to focus on what we lack, consider this question carefully: If you cannot be happy with what you have, how can you expect to be happy with more?
PREPARATION
The best way to predict the future is to create it!
Prepare yourself for the future by deciding what you want and take effective action towards it. A popular perspective is that others around us are lucky, and ‘get all the breaks’, but luck is simply where preparation and opportunity collide! Invest time in learning and doing what is necessary to get where you want to go in life. Live ‘as if’ you have what you need, and this mindset will attract it.
I learned the ‘7 Ps’ long ago (proper preparation prevents poor performance), and have given them my own positive spin: Proper Preparation Promotes Positive Performance!” There simply is no substitute for proper preparation. When we are prepared, we recognize opportunities as they arise and have the confidence and capacity to embrace them.
REAP the Rewards that every experience offers. Maximizing resources is not only wise, but has become synonymous with survival in our current economic climate. When we take personal Responsibility, Encourage ourselves and others, become aware of our Attitude and its impact, and Prepare ourselves for the future, we manifest the sense of control and contentment that assures success.