Decisions that determine your success, personal growth... and your future

By Kamila Harkavy

It's a curious phenomenon how a message or teaching will come from many sources during a period of time. There may even be a cluster of truths or teachings that dovetail. This seems to coincide with my growth or maturing around that truth or set of truths. Today, I finished watching Andy Andrews' presentation of the 7 Decisions that determine personal success.  He goes through the 7 Decisions deliberately skipping #3, saving it for last in order to underscore that, without #3, the other 6 won't get you very far.  I rather agree with him.  The third decision is "I am a person of ACTION".  It means that you must take action: the right action done in the right way.

It's been only the last several years that I've begun to really understand how much action is needed to achieve success with something: the amount needed is the amount that it takes to achieve success!  This amount varies for each person and their circumstances.  This can be very confusing for many of us, particularly if we are modeling the methods of others who've achieved something we ourselves want to achieve.  We may do the right things in the right ways and still not achieve the results that we seek although this worked for someone else.  This is especially true now during some of the most challenging global and national economic conditions in our lifetime.

Decision #7 is "I persist without exception".  This means that I do what it takes and I persist until I find the way that works.  Most people who haven't succeeded with something gave up at a certain point whereas people who've succeeded persevered even after multiple failures.  Perhaps you've heard stories of highly successful people that failed many times. Trump is a well-known example of this.  Although he's wealthy and successful now, he lost several fortunes and failed hugely along the way.  Most of us don't aspire to be like Trump in other ways.  Hopefully, you aspire to be your best self.  THAT is what I'm here to help you with!  That's my mission.  My business is dedicated to and designed to facilitate people becoming clear about their purpose and becoming free, empowered, and effective to fulfill that purpose with as much grace and ease as possible.  Much of my expertise is applied to the arena of money because money, and what you believe about money, is often the #1 thing that stops people. I facilitate clearing what stops you from discovering and fulfilling your purpose. 

If you long to be your best self, you're in the right place!  Decision #4 is "I have a decided heart".  This means I've made the decision to become my best self and there's no turning back; I leave no back doors open to retreat back through.  I may pause along the way to rest, re-group, re-strategize, meditate or pray for guidance, but my decision is unwavering.  My faith may waiver at times, but I don't abandon my mission.  This is a decision that went against my conditioning in a big way.  Many of us were conditioned to ensure physical survival even at the expense of our soul's purpose, our happiness, or our values.  This sacrifice is necessary and appropriate for certain stages of economic evolution; it may've been appropriate for our ancestors and it may be appropriate for some people right now.  The big questions are whether such sacrifice is absolutely essential for your survival in the short term or in the long term, whether you simply believe it to be, and whether you are willing to take the risks necessary.

If you're ready to do something, then I suggest that you firmly commit to yourself to absolutely do whatever it is you want to do.  So often it's the lack of a firm commitment that does us in.  This is true in every area of life.  My yoga teacher spoke of this in class the other day: how critical it is to set your intention and commit to be fully engaged while keeping your heart soft!  Surprisingly, the soft heart is key in yoga- you get much more access when your heart center is soft.  I suspect that this applies universally- not just in yoga.  We were practicing handstand (something that has scared me my entire life!) and she said "Imagine what your results will be without a firm commitment: either you won't kick up enough, you won't kick up with your shoulders over your wrists (that's the part that has really scared me), or your arms simply won't be firm enough to hold you; you can kick up enough to take you up, but your arms won't hold you."  This has been true for me for decades!  Twenty years of studying and practicing yoga and I've not gotten up in handstand without substantial assistance.  Over the past year, both my understanding of the physics of getting up in handstand and my courage increased a bit.  I've been practicing simultaneously engaging all of the elements required to get up in handstand.  I've hoped to someday be both strong enough and courageous enough to put all the elements together and be able to get up in handstand without help.  I imagined it might happen in another year or two, maybe three.  I would just keep practicing at my edge.  Unbeknownst to me, these elements coalesced and I got up for the first time that day!  I guess I'd internalized the commitment!

So, I ask you: Where is your edge relative to something that's key to you becoming your best self?  Are you willing to explore that zone?  What are you willing to commit to?  Who are you truly?  Who are you becoming?  As we wind down this calendar year and approach the solstice and the New Year, a time of resolutions and new beginnings, what are some words that describe who you truly are?  What words describe your fullest potential?  What are some words that describe who you are becoming?  What do you want for yourself in 2010.....and beyond?  What support do you have for this?

If you want my support moving in this direction, please contact me for a complimentary consultation to find out if my work is a good fit for you: http://moneymasteryfinancialcoaching.com/appointments/

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