Peer to Peer Magazine

SMART MOVES Strengthen Your Mind, Achieve Your Goals by Carlos Rodriguez, Network Manager at Nexsen Pruet I n the winter of 2006-2007, I found myself in a tough spot in life — struggling both personally and professionally. It was then that my best friend and biggest supporter, my wife, introduced me to a great way of living: living my life through my mind. I was introduced to "The Law of Attraction," which states, "Whatever you think about, you bring about." In other words, you are who you think you are. This wasn't an easy concept for me to swallow, but it has transformed my life. What I love most about this shift in my thinking is that I impress myself almost every day by doing things that I never thought I could. The main thing I learned is that I can really do and have anything I want … just by setting my mind to it. I started practicing the principles of the "Law of Attraction" and other mind-strengthening techniques in February 2007, and by April 15, I had a new job at Nexsen Pruet; by the end of the year, I had lost over 70 pounds; by February 2009, I had landed my first management opportunity; and by August 2011, I was given the opportunity to hold a leadership position at ILTA — all while enjoying time with my family. How did my life turn around so quickly? I applied the techniques below to make my mind my most powerful tool and to use it to my advantage, and you can, too. MAKE IT DRIVE YOU. Before February 2007, I was primarily focusing on all the things I didn't like about my life. That's when I realized my attitude was the main obstacle I had to overcome. I started to look at the things I liked about my life and the things I was thankful for, and I wrote them down and read them every day. Today, I go over this growing list in my mind first YOUR ATTITUDE CAN WRECK YOU. 28 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer thing in the morning, and if I miss it because I need to rush out the door, I run through it at some point during the day. Being thankful for what I had instantly made me feel better and smile more, and people noticed that. At work, people started to go to me more. I did computer work on the side, and people started to call more often because I was having fun with what I was doing. I worked out every day, and — while many times I did not feel like it — I knew that the rewards would be worth it (and I felt great after I was done). I began to really enjoy being with my wife and kids, so they began to enjoy being with me. All of this happened because I changed my attitude and learned to use my mind to my favor; I was thankful for what I had, and good things continue today for the same reasons. I love my life as it is right now at this very moment. Go write down what you are thankful for, and enjoy the feeling of gratitude. Then release those good feelings into the universe, and let it work for you. SET YOUR GOALS This is where everything begins. How will you get anywhere if you don't know where you want to be at the end of your journey? Now, setting goals is useless unless you take action on them. Many people say, "I am going to lose weight," or "I am going to get that certification," yet they expect results with minimal effort, believing that positive thinking alone will make it happen. That's not how it works. When you set a goal, it has to be big enough to make you work toward its achievement, but at the same time it has to be reachable; you need to believe you can achieve it, and then you must take action. Every year I set goals for my career, my health, my finances and my family life — I make them big, but

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