Blind faith is the thing that replaces your fear and propels you forward toward your dream of happiness and success.  When you know, are fully aware of, and appreciate the logical reasons why you “should” be afraid and, nevertheless, you proceed confidently toward happiness and success, you are filled to the brim with blind faith.  This is not to be confused with plain-old foolishness or stupidity, though some might view it as such.  No, instead, blind faith is your infinite internal wellspring of hope, motivation, inspiration and courage.  It is the byproduct of the human spirit in full force and effect.  It is the engine driving you to your vision.  It is what separates those who are envious and bitter from those who are grateful and fulfilled.  I want for you to be grateful and fulfilled, happy and successful.  Don’t you want that for yourself, too?

Okay! So, here are  3 ways to start producing blind faith to propel you forward!

1. Accept responsibility for yourself, your life and your dreams.  It’s all you and yours.  So, own it.  When it really comes down to it, you are the only one who can realize your dreams.
2. Surround yourself with your true self and the people, places and things that uplift and empower you.
3. Recognize your power resides in your choices.  Your choices can either lead you closer toward your dream or farther away from it.  Make sure you know and understand which it is before you make your choices.

Whether you admit it to yourself or not, life really is simply an enterprise in blind faith.  You don’t know how anything is going to turn out or what’s going to happen.  So, why not embrace it, dive in and embark on a blind faith enterprise of your own and start creating and living the life of your dreams?!  Join me!  I’m honored and delighted to be your guide.

P.S. in case you haven’t figured it out, this is how I got the name for my company.  Blind Faith Enterprises, LLC is the company I founded and the vehicle through which I deliver my message and method for success through talks, a self-paced home study program and private 1-on-1 coaching.  Blind Faith embodies my personal philosophy and my approach to life.  And, if you didn’t know, I actually am blind, so, it’s also a little cheeky  —  and, I like cheeky!

This week I want to share a message from my friend, Bernie Hiller who I’ve had the incredible pleasure to learn from a few months ago. Bernie is real, raw and when I was prepping for the TEDxTalk I gave this past weekend (it was an awesome yet challenging experience and I’m still processing it all so more to come on that), I went back to what Bernie taught me about dropping into my heart and distinguishing between my topic and me. I’ll share that with you too at some point because it was pretty earth shattering for me, but for now, here’s Bernie on blocks and fears…

ARE BLOCKS AND FEARS GREAT?

by Bernie Hiller

When it comes to blocks and fears, people think, “Wow, those are terrible!”. The truth about all blocks and fears is that they are gifts from your soul. They have been placed in your way for Personal Growth. They are the things that you need to overcome to become POWERFUL. Once you overcome your blocks and fears, you will discover your inner powers. Only Powerful people can achieve anything great in life. When people say, “I would like to have more confidence” the reply is, “You have to do things that challenge you, in order to become the person you always wanted to be.”

You should also know that all fears are just questions that need to be answered by you. When you say, “Can I do this?” Of course you can, but will you do it?

Turn every fear into a question. Like “Can I be a performer?” “Do I have enough will power to leave my job?” “Do I have the courage to live my dream?” Well, if you don’t answer those questions and take appropriate actions, then all you’re left with is the “Fear”. You must answer the questions as they arise, because all your fears are just feelings, not facts.

As a child you are born with only 2 innate fears: the fear of loud noise and the fear of falling. All other fears you have, were given to you and now have been accepted by you. Fear lives in your head, as thoughts that something will not turn out well. The more you live in your head, the more fear you will have.

Blocks are limitations you have put upon yourself. A block, such as, “I’m not good enough” stops millions of people. Les Brown, motivational speaker says, “You have greatness inside.” You will need the courage to find it and then release the blocks that are stopping you.

Blocks and fears are not negative. Only unresolved blocks and fears are negative. They are liberating once you are on the other side of them. The way to live productively is to keep overcoming all the blocks and fears for the rest of your life. Only then will you become the artist and the person that is living at the highest level.

Run towards your blocks and fears; they will unlock your treasure!

www.BernardHiller.com

Have you ever been totally gung-ho about a project, then everything starts falling apart- I mean everything- and you’re fed up, beaten down and ready to throw in the towel for good? It happens to the best of us. It happened to me this past weekend big time and here’s my secret process of how to get through it.

Give in, but don’t give up!

Give in to the feelings. Admit You’re overwhelmed, frustrated and angry. Admit that your plan isn’t going as planned. Admit it to yourself and, better yet, admit it to a member of your CPR (core personal revitalization) Team. Give in and let yourself feel whatever it is you’re fighting feeling. Open up and share it with a trusted member of your CPR Team- preferably the member who has the most Unwavering faith in you and your abilities- the person who really, truly on a deep level loves and gets you.

Once you’ve voiced your thoughts and felt your feelings, admit that you are ready to throw in the towel. Say it out loud. Warning, this isn’t for the faint of heart and only works when you’re pursuing the right goal. Say it in your own words. For me, that was “No more. I’m done.” Say it resolutely with loads of conviction.

Then, listen. Listen to what your CPR Team member says. See if what they say rings true to you. While you’re listening, pay attention to your reaction. And, listen to the small voice inside yourself. Now, wait… What do you hear? What do you feel? What thoughts pop into your head?

What always happens when you’re in alignment with your true purpose is you feel a small kernel of ridiculousness. You will feel a pang of sorrow, disbelief and regret at your “No more. I’m done” statement. You’ll likely think “what am I saying?”, “that’s not true”, “I can’t give it up” or “I don’t want to give it up.” You will think and feel this because deep down you know it is your true calling that will allow you to reach your highest potential. Stay there, stay with that kernel of ridiculousness and start to envision your end goal. Remember what it is you are after. Remember the reason you started this project in the first place. Remember the purpose behind it. Let yourself sink into the feeling of your end goal.

Giving up will seem ridiculous. And, you will automatically shift into searching for a way to continue to pursue your goal. And, what you’ll have done is said “No more. I’m done” to the negative feelings and doubts. It’s the ultimate fake out and come back. It works!

Don’t give up. Don’t give up on yourself or your vision for your life. There is a reason for it and why you have it. It will lead you to the life you love. So, when things are going all wrong and you start throwing that pity party and asking “why me?” It’s because you are you and nobody else can do it like you. Give in, but don’t give up.

It’s nice and helpful to set and have goals, but you only accomplish great things and experience tremendous joy when you have the right goals. Take this short 5 question quiz to find out whether you’ve got your sights set on the right, truest, highest goal for yourself.

1. When you think about your goal, are you eager, excited and willing to take steps and bold actions toward realizing your goal, even when you are afraid?
2.  If you had to remain anonymous to accomplish your goal, would you still want it? (Think Clark Kent/Superman, Peter Parker/Spiderman- no one knew it was them saving lives; Would you live your dream if no one else could know it was you who did it?)

3.  Can you identify the core value or guiding principle that reaching your goal represents to you? If you don’t know what a core value is read my previous blog post here.
4.  If you never pursued your dream goal or gave up pursuing it right now, would you feel a nagging sense of loss, incompletion, regret or dissatisfaction when you look back at your life?
5.  Do you get lost in or lose track of time when you think about, talk about or are engaged in actions related to your goal?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you may be chasing the wrong goal. The right goal for you should light you up and fuel you forward. When your goal does this, you will naturally develop stick-to-itiveness because the goal sticks to you and not the other way around. Take time to evaluate whether the goal you are chasing is truly the goal for you or just a goal you think you want or think you should accomplish. It will not only save you heartache and disappointment in the long run, it will make the journey to your goal that much sweeter.

Watch out for these signs! Do you ever do any of the following?

1. You get so excited that you tell everyone about your ideas when they are only an idea and before you’ve tried it on or committed to a plan.
2. You hesitate, doubt and/or second guess yourself when it’s time to invest in making your dream reality whether it be an investment of your time, money or energy.
3. You look to friends, family or advisers to tell you exactly what and how you should do things and get disappointed or discouraged when they aren’t as excited as you are about your dream or how you want to do things.
4. You make your dream secondary. Your dream isn’t a part of your life- you keep it separate. There’s the real world, life and all the stuff you have to do and somewhere on the back burner is your dream that you’ll get to, eventually.
5. You think realizing your dream is going to be easy and happen in the blink of an eye.
6. You got the idea to pursue your dream because you saw somebody else doing it and thought- “that looks fun, easy, lucrative… I could do that!”
7. You think it’s never your fault. You catch yourself blaming other people , situations or circumstances for why you can’t have what you want or why you haven’t realized your dreams.
8. You’re only focused on reaching your goal and think, when you finally reach it, you can finally stop working so hard and start enjoying yourself.
9. You keep changing your end goal, jump from idea to idea and have difficulty following through.

If you can relate to one or more of these signs, you may be perpetually stuck in dreamland and never actually realize your dream because these signs are all symptoms of having the wrong goal or not having a clear enough vision of your real goal. To actually accomplish your goals and realize your dreams, you must be the true and greatest leader of your life. This means you must know, understand, accept and love yourself and what it is that your own head, heart and soul tell you. You must hone your vision, optimize your outlook for success and be willing to be who you want to be. You’ve also got to be practical, grounded and realistic about what it’s going to take to get there.

So, if any of these 9 symptoms are showing up in your life, don’t worry. There is a proven solution for overcoming all of them and it’s to make sure that you are pursuing your truest, highest goal- not anyone else’s.

Stay tuned because, next week, I’ll tell you the top 5 ways to tell whether your goal is the right, true, real goal for you.

The most powerful words you can say are “yes” and “no”. The choices you make, determine not only whether you are successful, but whether you are happy. So, what are you saying yes to and what are you saying no to? Are you saying yes to the things that will actually make you happy and successful? More often than not, you aren’t!

We are so willing to say yes to someone else and not to ourselves. We are so willing to say yes to all the things we think we are supposed to want, that we think will get us ahead- that extra project, one more committee. Yes, to someone else to another external demand another item on your to do list, another item on your plate yes because when I get that or accomplish this, I will be successful and then, I’ll be happy, then I can focus on me.

At the same time we say no, no time to rest, no time for re-fueling, no time for personal development, no time to work on myself so I can happily and more full do all the things I’ve said yes to. The message you’re sending to yourself is I’m only good enough when I’m striving and working hard and I’m not worthy of my own time. I’m not worthy of being happy and feeling successful and supported while I accomplish all that I want to accomplish.

Rarely do you flat out say no to yourself. It’s a bit more subtle than that. Have you ever considered investing in a program or service for yourself and you hear yourself saying “now isn’t the right time,” “I’m too busy,” “I can’t afford it,” or “I need to get myself together first” Even though you really want the support and believe it is what you need. That is you saying no to yourself.

Think about it, was it your plan to be overwhelmed and not put together now? Didn’t think so. When do you plan to be less busy and more put together? nd, better yet, how do you plan to find time to focus on you or get yourself together so you can finally feel happy and supported? Do you have a system or support in place? Likely not. Otherwise, you would have used it in the first place.

SO, how did you end up feeling stuck and overwhelmed with all these things on your plate and no one truly supporting you the way you want and need? The truth of the matter is you said yes to it. You said yes to that extra project, yes to that additional committee, yes to added responsibility and leadership, which is wonderful, but you also said no to yourself; no I don’t have time and energy to devote to being the leader of my life.

Get this, professional advancement and personal development are not mutually exclusive. In fact, when you do both simultaneously, you get where you want to be quicker and easier. When you say yes, I’m taking on that new leadership role on that committee and yes, I’m investing in myself so I can show up fully, powerfully and as the best “me” possible in that new role, you become unstoppable.

Find a way to say yes to yourself today. You are at least as important as your goal. After all, even if your goal is bigger than you, you are the one who has to accomplish it. So, you’ve got to take care of yourself.

When I first went totally blind, I was fiercely independent. I insisted on carrying my own bags, finding my own way, all the time, no matter what. I quickly learned, I was setting myself up for failure, disappointment and bitterness.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you’re trying to get ahead is not accepting support. To accomplish your goal and achieve whatever success you’ve set out to achieve, you need to be the best you possible. But you put yourself second and jeopardize your success when you refuse support and reject proven systems and methods that can help you get to where you’re going.

When you deny yourself much needed, valuable support, it looks like you are making a sacrifice for the greater good. You’re being noble, responsible, reasonable, logical… Or you’re being strong, independent, confident, demonstrating your competence… That’s what I thought I was doing- I was proving to myself and everyone else that I, a blind woman, can do it herself- thank you very much.

However, when you don’t get the support you need during the process, you breed resentment. You are much more likely to resent having to give up everything you gave up or lost out on or resent the people around you because they aren’t helping. And, if you don’t reach your goal (which is all too likely when you go at it totally alone), you start to resent life itself.

Success is sweet, but it’s even sweeter when you are surrounded by support and can share and celebrate your success with others.

You alone can do it, but you can’t do it alone. Get the support you need so you can do it and actually be happy not only when you get what you want, but also while you’re in the process of getting there.

To me, the human spirit is the essence inside each one of us that makes us push boundaries, strive for change, that seeks justice and equality, that knows what’s true, right and good, that strengthens us to endure, that connects us to everyone, that makes us feel for suffering people on the other side of the world, that fuels our passions, that sparks our desire for innovation and betterment, that drives us to create beautiful works of art in various forms, that enables us to overcome and accomplish unheard of feats. It’s the stuff we’re all made of! So, are you accessing the human spirit and using this natural essence to fuel you? If not, why not?

I believe that each one of us can access this wellspring of inspiration, strength and hope to be our best and highest self- the self that expresses our maximum potential. It is when we access this place that we are able to overcome the obstacles we face and find success and happiness with ease and grace. I believe this is possible for everyone. Undoubtedly, it is the primary reason I went from literally wanting to die and thinking my blindness would prevent me from experiencing love, happiness, success and financial independence to loving my life and having all the things I once thought impossible for me. Once I tapped into the tremendous power that is the human spirit, I knew I had to share it. That is why I speak, write and coach. It is my way of not only sharing my story and gifts, it is my contribution to helping raise the overall level of happiness and success in the world and making a real, substantive difference in lives.

Accessing the human spirit can change the course of your life. It certainly did for me and has for my clients as well.

Do you ever feel crazy for following your dreams? Do you have a big vision for your life and ever just feel like throwing in the towel? Do you ask yourself what’s this all for? Do you ever feel like giving up? You put yourself out there time and time again to no avail. You step up to the challenge, stretch yourself a little further, invest in yourself one more time, and nothing seems to be happening- or at least not in the way you hoped…? And, then when you try to walk away from your dream, your heart breaks because you know with every fiber of your being the difference you were meant to make is tied up in fulfilling that dream and making your big vision a reality?

If you’ve ever felt this way, know you are not alone. I feel this way too. And, I know continuing to work toward your dream, despite obstacles, in the face of adversity and seemingly without support or immediately visible results, is a choice. It is a painstaking, heartfelt choice based purely on instinct and intuition- or what I call blind faith. Your family and friends may look at you crazy and simply don’t understand why you keep at it like you do. I know how this feels and I get why you keep on keepin on. I’ve done this multiple times in my life and every time I come out the other side stronger, happier and more grateful. Knowing this still doesn’t make the process any easier.

What does help make the journey more graceful is trusting in yourself and the innate power that you possess. When you fully embrace the fact- and it is a fact- that you are the only one that can be a definitive expert in you, you are accepting your responsibility as a co-creator of your life. In other words, you are not only living life, you are empowering yourself and creating the life you’re living. Choosing this path and walking in blind faith is no easy task- don’t let the self-help gurus convince you that it’s a cake walk or that they know what’s best- they don’t, they may have a process and can offer invaluable support, but only you know what your heart is calling you to do, be and share. Walking in blind faith is not easy, but it’s so worth it.

I believe in you and the tremendous power of the human spirit that lies within you. It is something we all possess, but don’t always tap into. Start tapping into the power of the human spirit. It is a resource that is right there waiting for you.