Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Toxic Beliefs That Lead To Personal Failure

In his book As a Man Thinketh, philosopher James Allen says that one is what one thinks, with character being the complete sum of all one’s thoughts. And upon analysis, one wonders how those thoughts and beliefs may also be analyzed in regards to personal failure.

Author Geoffrey James outlines “5 Toxic Beliefs That Ruin Careers.” Let’s look at those beliefs, and see how they relate to one’s thinking.

My self-worth is based on what others think of me. Too often in life, we are unduly influenced by others, some who mean well for us, and others who do not. It is something like “Well, if that is what they think of me, then that must be what I am.” How foolish.

Philosopher James Allen points out that “They themselves are makers of themselves.” It is actually the control that we muster over our thoughts that make us what we are, and more importantly what we want to become.

Sponsored
Sponsored

My past equals my future. Too often in life, when one experiences temporary setbacks, one assumes that goals are not achievable. Too often we become too easily discouraged, show little persistence and drive to continue toward a worthy accomplishment.

We accept that our life has been a failure so far, therefore we must by fiat continue to fail. This is not logical, but too often we allow ourselves to be caught in this ugly trap of self defeat.

My destiny is controlled by the supernatural. We need to blame someone. We cannot blame ourselves. What do we do? We blame such nebulous concepts as “Luck,” or perhaps “Fate,” and even our “Deity.” If we are able to blame such concepts, then we are relieved of placing the responsibility where it actually belongs, on our own shoulders.

This thinking is actually insidious because it robs us of our initiative, and makes us “passive as they wait for their “Luck” to change.” Remember, “Good Luck” is often the result of thorough preparation.

My emotions accurately reflect objective reality. Author Geoffrey James continues with, “Some people believe that their emotions are caused by external events. In truth, though emotions are determined by the perception of those events, combined with preconceptions about what those events mean. Such people find it difficult or impossible to ‘get out of their own heads’ and see situations from another person’s point of view.”

Could it be that too much emphasis is placed on how we “feel?” Would it be wiser to think a situation through and base our actions on facts and logical thinking?

My goal is to be perfect or do something perfectly. Let us face the truth: Perfection is unattainable. We are human beings and are not perfect. By expecting and insisting on perfection, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

If one strives for perfection, considers oneself a perfectionist, author Geoffrey James says “Perfectionists blame the world (and everything in it) rather than doing what’s necessary to accomplish extraordinary results.”

We are all the product of our own thinking. The realization of this fact is perhaps the first step toward solution and removing oneself from the rut of failure.

Napoleon Hill, author of one of the leading books for securing personal success, Think and Grow Rich, details 30 major reasons for personal failure. Some of these reasons one has control of, such as insufficient education, lack of self discipline, procrastination, lack of persistence, uncontrolled desire for “something for nothing,” lack of a well defined power of decision, over-caution, superstition and prejudice, lack of enthusiasm, intolerance, inability to cooperate with others, dishonesty, egotism, and vanity, and guessing instead of thinking.

An analysis of all of these “lacks” leads us back to our original point, controlling our own thinking. We are what we believe, and what we believe, we are. The most exciting point however is that our thinking may be changed.

Try this experiment: the next time someone says to you “How are you?” try answering with “I’m fabulous, and I’m getting better every day!”

You will be amused at the reaction you get from others, and you will also find that you feel better.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Raging Cider & Mead celebrates nine years

Company wants to bring America back to its apple-tree roots
Next Article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount

In his book As a Man Thinketh, philosopher James Allen says that one is what one thinks, with character being the complete sum of all one’s thoughts. And upon analysis, one wonders how those thoughts and beliefs may also be analyzed in regards to personal failure.

Author Geoffrey James outlines “5 Toxic Beliefs That Ruin Careers.” Let’s look at those beliefs, and see how they relate to one’s thinking.

My self-worth is based on what others think of me. Too often in life, we are unduly influenced by others, some who mean well for us, and others who do not. It is something like “Well, if that is what they think of me, then that must be what I am.” How foolish.

Philosopher James Allen points out that “They themselves are makers of themselves.” It is actually the control that we muster over our thoughts that make us what we are, and more importantly what we want to become.

Sponsored
Sponsored

My past equals my future. Too often in life, when one experiences temporary setbacks, one assumes that goals are not achievable. Too often we become too easily discouraged, show little persistence and drive to continue toward a worthy accomplishment.

We accept that our life has been a failure so far, therefore we must by fiat continue to fail. This is not logical, but too often we allow ourselves to be caught in this ugly trap of self defeat.

My destiny is controlled by the supernatural. We need to blame someone. We cannot blame ourselves. What do we do? We blame such nebulous concepts as “Luck,” or perhaps “Fate,” and even our “Deity.” If we are able to blame such concepts, then we are relieved of placing the responsibility where it actually belongs, on our own shoulders.

This thinking is actually insidious because it robs us of our initiative, and makes us “passive as they wait for their “Luck” to change.” Remember, “Good Luck” is often the result of thorough preparation.

My emotions accurately reflect objective reality. Author Geoffrey James continues with, “Some people believe that their emotions are caused by external events. In truth, though emotions are determined by the perception of those events, combined with preconceptions about what those events mean. Such people find it difficult or impossible to ‘get out of their own heads’ and see situations from another person’s point of view.”

Could it be that too much emphasis is placed on how we “feel?” Would it be wiser to think a situation through and base our actions on facts and logical thinking?

My goal is to be perfect or do something perfectly. Let us face the truth: Perfection is unattainable. We are human beings and are not perfect. By expecting and insisting on perfection, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

If one strives for perfection, considers oneself a perfectionist, author Geoffrey James says “Perfectionists blame the world (and everything in it) rather than doing what’s necessary to accomplish extraordinary results.”

We are all the product of our own thinking. The realization of this fact is perhaps the first step toward solution and removing oneself from the rut of failure.

Napoleon Hill, author of one of the leading books for securing personal success, Think and Grow Rich, details 30 major reasons for personal failure. Some of these reasons one has control of, such as insufficient education, lack of self discipline, procrastination, lack of persistence, uncontrolled desire for “something for nothing,” lack of a well defined power of decision, over-caution, superstition and prejudice, lack of enthusiasm, intolerance, inability to cooperate with others, dishonesty, egotism, and vanity, and guessing instead of thinking.

An analysis of all of these “lacks” leads us back to our original point, controlling our own thinking. We are what we believe, and what we believe, we are. The most exciting point however is that our thinking may be changed.

Try this experiment: the next time someone says to you “How are you?” try answering with “I’m fabulous, and I’m getting better every day!”

You will be amused at the reaction you get from others, and you will also find that you feel better.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Five new golden locals

San Diego rocks the rockies
Next Article

Last plane out of Seoul, 1950

Memories of a daring escape at the start of a war
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader