X, Y and Z

This post is the final part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.

Remember your algebra from school? X, Y and Z always came together, in equations where X represented whatever we were seeking.

This "A to Z for Success" series is all about YOU achieving whatever YOU choose to seek. X can be anything. There are endless ways to figure it out, using different combinations of all the other letters in this "A to Z" (not just Y and Z).

Mistakes will be made. Back at school, X was also the bad mark we got whenever we did that. But Life rewards those who take the courage to make mistakes; through them, the value of X is revealed. There are no real mistakes, only lessons through which we progress.

That covers X and Y, now what about Z? Well, that represents ZERO: what we get when we neglect to take action to realise the value of our chosen X.

In this "A to Z for Success" you have everything you need. Repeat it, over and over, and the sky is no limit to what you could achieve.

As one example, during the months I was writing these posts, even though it seemed "impossible", through using these methods I relocated to a new home by the sea, with lots of wonderful walks on the doorstep. I also achieved or improved more in the previous half year than I had achieved in the previous half century. That's the power of living by design, as opposed to just drifting through life.

What warms my heart even more than my own success is the feedback from others who got themselves unstuck and made great strides forwards through applying the techniques and principles outlined here.

Of course, these posts only scratch the surface of each topic. There are many other topics that could have been chosen. And each letter, from A to Z, could be expanded into a book of its own. And that's one of the things I am now working on, alongside other projects.

Meanwhile, treat each of the posts in this "A to Z for Success" like a seed. Plant it, nurture it ... and you will grow your own powerful methods to bring your solutions to you. Remember, it's all about YOU.

This post is the final part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.

W is for WILL

This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.

Lack of WILLPOWER is often our excuse for not following through. But just as often, WILLPOWER itself can be the very thing that blocks us from achieving our aim.

There is a problem with WILLPOWER: none of us likes being forced to do anything, not even if it's ourselves doing the pushing. Recall what was said at R is for RESISTANCE. Wherever force is applied, an equal and opposite force is bound to kick up against it. We can do without that.

What often works better is to turn around "I will!" so that it becomes "Will I?". See the difference?

The question "Will I?" lacks the aggression of "I will!" Instead, it appeals to our natural curiousity. We are more likely to follow the invitation of "Will I?", even though it may lead in the same direction that "I will!" caused us to avoid.

A question always draws us to find an answer. Like water, we will seep through the cracks of whatever issue we face, until we find a way to burst through.

A question also leaves choices open for us: possibilities of something even better than whatever we had hoped for. It's what sets our will free.

*****

The next post in this series will wrap things up by combining X, Y and Z. But will that be the end?

This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.

V is for VAMPIRES

This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.

You think vampires are mere legend? Well, the "stress" statistics we see quoted everywhere suggest they are thriving. Most of us, it seems, are walking around as if we are being sucked dry by them.

A constant barrage of negative news, pressure from advertising, pressure from what others (might) think, pressures that we we ought to do this or should do that... pressure, pressure, pressure everywhere we turn. It sucks us dry and leaves us flat.

It's ironic that so many of us these days feel exhausted, when at the same time our comfortable lifestyles impose very little on us in the way of physical demands. Perhaps there lies the problem, and a potential solution?

There is nothing like a good physical workout ... a walk in the country, a run in the park, a round of sport or a session of dancing... to refresh our spirits. The trick is to get out of our heads and into our bodies more often.

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Some methods for getting out of our heads are most definitely to be avoided, like drugs & alcohol. They may well get us "out of our heads", but where do they take us? At the end of the day, they become an additional burden.

And I'm not talking just about so-called recreational drugs. For millions, the "treatment" for stress is prescribed drugs: prozac, valium.... Let's face it, in many cases the doctor is giving you those for his own benefit, to get you off his back by putting you onto yours. Not deliberately, of course, but that is what effectively happens.

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Much of the time when feel "whacked", it's not from the burden of any excess demands. Rather, it's because we simply do not want to be where we repeatedly find ourselves. For example, we inhabit jobs that we do not like, and routines (like commuting) that we hate even more, because we feel we "must". When we feel trapped by a "must", the only answer is "CHANGE WE MUST!" (Thank you, Barack Obama.)

We do all sorts of things because we feel pressured by our peers, parents, priests, politicians, partners, the press (pedlars of doom & gloom) and other persuasive pedlars (advertisers) of fake promises and false perfection, as well as the afore mentioned pharma industry. (It seems we need to be wary of anyone who can be described with a "P" word!)

All of these pressures take hold of a little piece of us: one little piece here, another there, until we only have a little piece left and we feel very small.

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So how do we escape, and what has all this got to do with our "A to Z for Success"?

Well, truly satisfying success is to take back all those little pieces of ourselves and re-discover what they all add up to: find what really satisfies our true desires, instead of laying ourselves out as prey for all the modern-day vampires.

As highlighted when we began this journey, there is no one simple cure-all. Rather, there are numerous factors in endless combinations. The central keys are the CHOICES we make, and AWARENESS of how we function in making those choices. It is vital (literally) to keep exploring all of these factors, digging deeper to discover what really is going on in our lives, what would serve us better, and how to succeed in making an effective transition.

Stick around, we will be doing just that, here in The Biggest Room. This series of posts has just scratched the surface. Each and every one of the topics could fill a book of its own. And that is what I am planning.

*****

Meanwhile, check out again the post that highlighted TREATS as a key element in any strategy for success. Could you make one of your treats a new sport or hobby that is physically active? Vampires hate chasing after someone who is physically fit.

Next, we will take a timely a look at WILL POWER. Many cite lack of it as an excuse for not following through with things like New Year resolutions. But maybe it is not quite so?

This post is part of "An A to Z for Success". See the side panel on the right for an index.