As the owner of The Growth Coach, a business coaching franchise system, I'm always trying to feed my mind and spirit with positive and valuable information.  After all, if you don't keep yourself positive, productive and motivated, who will?
Additionally, I'm always on the lookout for profitable information to share with my business coaches, their clients, and the readers of this business coaching blog. 

Case in point.  I recently discovered that Success Magazine (www.Success.com) has been re-born and improved.  Not only is the monthly magazine filled with great written content, but you also get a CD and DVD in every issue.  I bought a subscription as a graduation present for a college student I had been mentoring over the last few years.  Joe ended up enjoying it so I got a subscription for myself. 

You see, I don't hesitate to spend money on worthwhile educational and motivational resources for me and my future...neither should you.  Over the years, my return on investment from personal development resources has been staggering.  Whenever you invest in yourself (business coaching, seminars, books, CDs, etc.), there is no better return.  Bottom line, unless you grow, your business will NOT grow.  After all, what got you to where you are today (knowledge, mindset, habits, etc.) is not sufficient to get you to where you want to go. 

I digress.  Back to Success Magazine.  In the May issue, there was a DVD with very old footage of Earl Nightingale, the original dean of personal development, sharing a talk on "The Strangest Secret."  He boiled down the secret to success to one simple statement, "You become what you think about."  Let me repeat that.  You become what you think about.

As your virtual business coach, please stop and think deeply about that profound and valuable quote.  You become what you think about.  Earl was saying that your dominant thoughts determine your actions and that your actions (or lack thereof) ultimately shape your outcomes and destiny.  Your success or lack of success can be traced back to what you habitually think about.  Put simply, what you think about (good or bad) eventually comes about.  Whatever you focus on, positive or negative, expands in your life.  Wherever your attention goes results will flow.  Be careful.  Think negative thoughts and that is what you will attract...negative outcomes.  Think positive thoughts and back them up with right actions and you will reap positive outcomes.  You become what you think about.

As your personal growth coach, let me ask you some questions: On a daily basis, what are YOU thinking about?  Success or failure?  Solutions or problems?  Goals or obstacles?  On today or yesterday?  Opportunities or risks?  Your blessings or your challenges?  The recession or solutions for the recession?  Regrets or new beginnings? 

A few times a day, please pause and become aware of your thinking... the internal dialogue that's occurring in your head. Don't deny it.  Everyone engages in self-talk.  They real question is not IF you do it but whether your self-talk is positive or negative.  Does your daily thinking move you closer to your goals or farther away?  Does your habitual thinking support or sabotage your success?  If you are like most business owners, you probably aren't sure.  You are not truly aware of your self-talk.  

There is hope.  There's an easy way to become more aware of your habitual thinking.  Simply follow your emotions!  Your emotions reveal your thinking patterns.  When your thinking is positive and supportive, you have positive and pleasant emotions (happiness).  When your thinking is negative and destructive, so are the emotions you will feel (unhappiness).  Your emotions function as your warning system.  The next time you feel a negative emotion, ask yourself, "What's the negative thinking taking place?" "What am I afraid of?" "What is bothering me?" "What am I focusing on?"

Simply becoming aware of your thinking (using your emotions as a guide) will help you correct course.  Once aware, you will be able to re-direct your thinking toward goals, success, solutions, blessings, and opportunities.  All of our business coaching services help business owners become more aware of their thinking and the consequences of their thinking.  Helping our clients adopt empowering thinking and mindsets is critical.  Why?  You become what you think about.  

Thinking about becoming a business coach?  Do you have what it takes to be a business coach with The Growth Coach?  Click here to learn more on how to become a business coach.

Daniel M. Murphy
President, Founder & Business Coach
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System