I meet a lot of wonderful, experienced, talented souls who tell me they have no dreams and they like their life the way it is.

These kind spirits make a convincing argument of how they have all they need.

But they keep going after more.

They tell me they have become the person they want to be.

But something drives them to take better care of themselves.

They talk about how they are doing all they ever wanted to do.

But they involve themselves in one new project after the next.

So why on the one hand do they say things are fine just the way there are, yet on the other hand they act otherwise?

We’ll save the answer to that question for another time. Instead, I want to let you in on a little secret…

It’s about what these gorgeous souls have in common.

The Perils of Plateau. Beware what lurks in stagnant water.

They all know about the Peril of Plateau.™

When I was a child, I remember how standing water in our garden was a breeding zone for mosquitoes and always spelled trouble. And because I was the one to rack up the most bites, it was my mission to leave no container unturned.

Think of a plateau like that stagnant water. It’s a point where your life is good and you don’t see a need to change anything.

Yet therein lies the danger…

When you reach the plateau and things are fine just the way they are, you might be one step away from stagnation…

And there can be a lot more lurking in there than a few hungry mosquitoes… like stagnating health, where you start to notice things about how your physical or mental condition is deteriorating, stagnating relationships and support structures that either don’t exist or are not being nurtured in the way they could be, stagnating work that feels more like an obligation than a vocation, stagnating wealth that erodes faster than it grows, stagnating use of time that passes all too quickly or not fast enough, stagnating contribution and significance, and so on.

Now let’s get back to those wonderful and talented souls.

Each of them at one stage of life or another, or in one or more of the 7 areas of life, reached points of plateau.

In fact hitting a plateau is something everyone experiences from time to time, regardless of level of success, track record, or positive outlook on life.

But instead of staying at plateau, these gorgeous souls made a choice to keeping growing, stretching, and even challenging themselves.

Why? Because the Peril of Plateau is closely related to what I term the principle of AGAI: Always Grow and Improve. When you do something to always grow and improve, when you focus on your growth, you keep yourself from becoming stagnant.

Life is a great gift. And if stagnation is not death, it’s at least a killer.

This is how instead of being depressed, those in the know spring out of bed in the morning.

Rather than feeling hopeless, they are engaged.

Instead of having doubt, they are confident.

Rather than feeling stuck, they feel full of purpose.

Instead of being cynical or skeptical, they feel happy.

Rather than being indecisive, they enjoy the rewards that result when you take calculated risks.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed, they focus and they change the status quo.

When you are stagnating, not losing any ground yet not moving forward, it can be a challenging and draining experience as one day rolls into the next without you getting measurably closer to accomplishing what is most important to you and this can leave you with that frustrating feeling of being stuck.

Maybe this helped raise your awareness of the symptoms of stagnation and the perils of plateau. And if by now you are asking yourself the BIG question of what do you do to overcome stagnation and what do you do about it?

Then my first suggestion is take a fresh approach to break through your plateau phase and consider coming to join me and a fun small group on a Breakthrough Vacation™ in Tuscany. Not only will you overcome stagnation, you will also recharge from the hustle and bustle, have the time and space to adjust your actions, free and stimulate your creativity, come up with new ways to solve old problems, gain more clarity, have some needed FUN, and the experience will make your life better every way you look it. Learn more at www.BreakthroughVacations.com and hurry because space is limited.

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In this video I talk about our beliefs and the power they have to influence our behaviors. I also touch on the ideas of limiting beliefs and driving beliefs, that is beliefs which may be limiting us from having or experiencing all we can, and beliefs that drive, therefore explain, certain behaviors we engage in or actions we take that may bring us closer to or move us further away from our goals, often without our even being aware of it.

Feel free to share any of your limiting or driving beliefs from one or more of of the seven areas of life we’ve talked about before (beliefs around Money, Time, Relationships, Health, Emotions, Work or Career, and Spirituality or Greater Contribution) and we can explore this in more depth in another update, OK?

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Earlier this week, my kids and I are chatting happily away when all of a sudden the stroller takes a turn. I nearly bump into a lamp post. The stroller has a bad wheel that is about to give out.

Anyway, as we nearly collide into the post, I notice a hand-made flyer.

Now this street gets plastered with flyers and thankfully someone does a good job removing them. Still this flyer has hung on.

So what makes this flyer stand out, why does it catch my attention?

The simple heading…

“Excellent Nanny.”

Most of the time you just see flyers that say your garden variety, boring old “Nanny Available” or “Housekeeper Available.”

But not this one. Which is why I privately think to myself, way to “go for it” nanny.

It does show a certain confidence of the individual, doesn’t it?

And isn’t it true that you would probably be more interested in someone who says she’s an excellent nanny than you would be in a regular nanny… I mean common, who wants “regular,” right?

So back to being confident… I’m going to assume that this nanny has a lot of self confidence (or at least a healthy does of it), or else, why did she chose to describe herself as an excellent one.

And guess what? Because of her display of self confidence, sometime sooner rather than later this nanny will get what she wants. And some family may discover a not just “excellent,” but a maybe even “extraordinary,” person who will not only help care for their children, but who also will become a part of their family. Not so, unfortunately, for some other nannies who might be too terrified to step out of their comfort zone this way.

Okay… So we both know this isn’t about nannies… it’s about confidence, as in self-confidence (not to be confused with self esteem, which is something totally different).

And let me ask you, how confident are you?

Yes, I know it’s a bit of a trick question. After all, confidence can be relative. Meaning that it is quite normal for us to be more confident in some of the 7 areas of life than in others.

Still, humor me for a moment, and just make a mental note of your answers to this question… how do you see yourself, confidence wise in general? Do you see yourself as a confident person?

Remember, I’m not asking you whether you are excellent or extraordinary, because however you may feel about this, I am here to tell you that you are extraordinary, and you are made of wonder. I’m just asking you about your confidence.

Why? Here are 3 observations from a guy who’s been insecure, been cool as a cucumber, and has seen the awesome effect as well as the destructive consequences that confidence can wield:

* When you improve your confidence, it shows up in all areas of your life,

* With more confidence, we can accomplish things we’ve been too afraid to even think or verbalize, never mind commit to paper, and finally

* Although confidence isn’t something tangible, having it sure can create tangible results in your life.

Sometimes all you need is a boost of it, because just a little more can make all the difference.

The confident nanny says she is excellent. Another one doesn’t and, the price she pays may be her job. What could not being confident enough be costing you?

So again how confident are you, and if it feels like it would help you to gain some more, what exactly would it take to do that?

Or let me know if you’d like to hear more on this and we can get into it further in an upcoming post.

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We all have those times when we feel down in the dumps. Maybe we’re depressed because we hear some bad news. Maybe we are bummed out something doesn’t work out the way we’d hoped. Maybe we’re just upset and disappointed with ourselves.

Even if we’re not emotional wrecks, it’s not a pleasant feeling. And there aren’t many people I know who would want to stay in this state for very long. So when it hits you, how do you lift your mood and embrace happiness?

No doubt how you do it, how you lift your mood, is personal.

To convince yourself how true this is, search for ways to lift your mood or change your spirits online, and you will be flooded with a wide variety of answers, each site going in a completely different direction…

A woman’s fashion magazine might suggest you spruce up your life with new clothes, have fun with girlfriends, or savor a piece of chocolate. A man’s lifestyle magazine might suggest you walk off a funky state with new toys, go for new romance, or change up your fitness routine.

As different as these mood-lifting strategies may be, still, it is probably one of those cases where if the shoe fits, wear it.

Lift your mood

photo credit: rpertiet

And if all else fails, you can always try these favorites:

Socialize: Never underestimate socializing as a form of happiness. While you don’t need to be a social butterfly with everyone you meet, having close friends is a key to happiness. It is human nature to feel happy and content when you have a circle of friends that you can trust and have a receptive audience for your thoughts. If you are starting to feel low in spirits, then run a lifestyle check and make sure you are not isolating yourself from others.

Do good for others: Regardless of your religious or political beliefs, doing good for others will always fulfill a need in you. Realizing that there are things bigger than ourselves, and then being able to contribute something that will help others, is indeed something that must be experienced to be appreciated.

Think positively: Yes, I know that looking at the bright side of things is often easier said than done. While this suggestion can be grossly exaggerated, the fact remains that positive energy always does more good than harm. Just remember positive energy doesn’t have to be dogmatic thinking. For example, you can surround yourself with any form of positive energy from funny movies to happier friends, even with self-affirmation or meditative recordings.

Get out of the past: Thinking about mistakes of the past in an effort to repair your perspective is counter-productive. You can waste most of your life droning on about how unfair the past was, and this will never change what happened. Instead, spend more time living in the now and thinking positively about the future.

So how do you lift your mood? What are your favorite and most effective strategies?

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It’s time for the answer to our most recent quiz.

As you too probably have, since coming up with the quiz, I’ve revisited some of my outcomes. I have also set new ones.

All endeavors, small or large, begin with knowing your desired outcome. A close cousin of your desired outcome is your intention.

Intention is the start of all great things.

Consider your intention as an anticipated outcome.

As in think about some of your own desires and aspirations; these are intentions. Revisit these. And if you are not so clear on them, ask yourself again what are your intentions.

Countless are the times I have come up with intentions and just wished for them to come come true. But no, life teaches us there are no such shortcuts, doesn’t it? …

See, intentions without action are like seeds with no water… nothing comes of one without the other.

If you’re paying attention, that was a clue to the answer to our quiz.

Our dreams and intentions only become reality when we take action toward their achievement.

Still, for many, intentions will remain forever pretensions.

Okay, so let’s go back to our quiz…

My question again was “What are the 2 personality types that most frequently differentiate the accomplished and fulfilled from the daydreamers?”

And here are the 2 types:

In camp #1: People who take action – the “doers,” and in the other camp,

Camp #2: Those who don’t take action.

photo credit: seeveeaar

Individuals who take action are the ones who make things happen. People who take action know that small actions taken are better than great deeds planned. These are the people who are focused on execution, who turn dreams into reality. Whereas those who shrink back from taking action struggle to follow through and therefore don’t make happen whatever it is they might may have aspired to accomplish.

If you see a little of yourself in both types, let me tell you that’s okay and trust me it is normal.

Often enough it’s hard to get my butt in gear. Sometimes we don’t know what action to take and this causes stress.

Personally, I rather do without the stress. And those are times when taking action really comes down to knowing or discovering what motivates you. Because the alternative, doing nothing, while it might provide some temporary relief, will just create more stress. If you are honest with yourself, deep down you know you’ve got this intention, and you’re not taking action toward it.

Remember, action is the ingredient that will breathe life into your dreams and wishes. And think about this… if you changed absolutely nothing in your life, would anything different happen?

Which camp are you in mostly, and what are some of your intentions?

Leave me a comment below and I’ll drop in and respond.

Ciao!

Taylor

P.S. I am oversimplifying a bit. The truth is there we could spend a whole day on intention, outcomes, action, and how to deal with the visible and invisible forces that stand in our way. Interested in learning more? Then you’ll like what’s coming up.

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Personality quizzes – you can almost always find one in the aisles at your local grocery store. And whenever I spot one, I get the irresistible urge to check it out.

Is it just me, or are we always interested in our own personality type?

I took my first “real” personality test in high school. It was the MBTI Myers Briggs personality test.

Over the years there were a few others, each more revealing than the preceding one. Imagine reading details of why you behave the way you do, what makes you think and respond a certain way, why you do what you do, why you get what you get, how you have some thoughts more than others, why you speak as you do, and what makes you feel certain feelings.

What would it mean to your relationships if you read how certain patterns in your own life repeat themselves, what difference would it make in your finances if you discovered which actions to do more frequently to bring you more money, or what if you read how to bring shifts in your health? If there was such a book, would you be interested? I was, and it was a personal growth page-turner.

Now the truth is this has changed as time goes on. See, I have become more interested in the personalities of others than in my own. Maybe it is because I have grown to know me. And because other people are just more interesting, especially those who are accomplished and who are living fulfilling lives. (Note that I have deliberately left out “successful,” because first it makes sense to talk about what is success).

And the more I learned about different personalities, and as I bumped in to more people, I began to notice how, when you put aside all the many different personality permutations, there are really only 2 main personality types that distinguish the accomplished and fulfilled from those who swim upstream, who struggle rather than thrive.

Alright, what do you say we do another quickie quiz?

As before, I’m giving away a prize, naturally.

And to make it relevant to the subject at hand, how about access to a new program on goals coming up this summer to the first right answer?

Sound good?

Okay. Here’s the quiz…

What are the 2 personality types that most frequently differentiate the accomplished and fulfilled from the daydreamers?

Wow – I may have made this too easy!

Toss your hat into the ring.

Well?

Be the first to give it a shot in the comments section, and you may win entry into the goals program I mentioned above.

Okay… go.

Do you know what it is?

Good luck.

Ciao!

Taylor

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I hope you had a good weekend.

Everyone here was sick and it’s taking me a little longer to launch Podliminals …and therefore the Podliminals of the Month Club is being made available in the next few days.

…Can you believe it’s already December?

Ciao!

Taylor

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Remember subliminal messages? Or rather, remember when you were told about subliminal advertising? Soft drink and candy companies would insert flashes of their products into the movies that were screening at theaters – too quick for your conscious mind to see, but that your subconscious mind latched onto, and sales soared.

This kind of advertising was quickly made illegal. Probably because the whole idea of how you can speak to your unconscious mind is pretty interesting, isn’t it? See, our unconscious mind is like the genius child who soaks up everything – and I do mean everything. The thing is your unconscious doesn’t have the skills to decide if something is good for you, or bad.

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Hi,

I was looking out one of our windows this morning and was reminded again of how badly we need to clean our gutters.

And just at that moment it hit me it’s probably a great analogy for our own personal development and well-being…

Gutters serve a purpose. See, they’re conduits… clean gutters channel water from your roof into the down spout and away from your home. In other words, they keep you protected, clean, dry and secure. And if you think about it, these conduits are actually pretty important for keeping your nest, your castle, your home, from rotting away.

If you let them go uncleared for a little while is okay – you know how we all get busy with other things. But let them go for a long time, and that’s how you spell trouble. The gutters get all clogged up, mosquitoes lay their eggs which then become squirming larvae, leaves and other debris start to rot and get really nasty and stinky… and eventually there is nowhere for the water to go but into your roof (and maybe even into your living room).

And ignore them for a while and you also start to do that other thing…

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