One quote, more than any other, has made a huge difference in the quality of my business and personal life.  The quote came from Earl Nightingale, the original dean of personal development.  I am not proud to say that when I first heard the 6-word statement some 25-30 years ago on audio cassette in a program called “The Strangest Secret”, I vastly underestimated its power and importance.  Worse yet, I dismissed it as no big thing for several months.  But thank God, I heard it again and again and it finally woke me up, sunk in, and started to improve my life … it became my personal philosophy and way of life.  Earl Nightingale boiled down the secret to success and happiness in one pithy and potent statement: “You become what you think about.”

“You become what you think about.”  That shared wisdom was the key for me to be, do, and have what I wanted in life. That quote helped me to realize the critical importance of mind management, controlling the type of thoughts that I allowed to enter my head.  It taught me that your mind can either be a magical ally or your worst enemy … the choice is up to each of us.  In fact, those six simple words,  you become what you think about, gave me the confidence to leave a steady paycheck in 1992 and start my own business coaching company.  This “mindset mastery mantra” allowed me to combat my fears, uncertainties and doubts and have the courage to take my local coaching company and in 2002 develop it into a North American business coaching franchise system, The Growth Coach.

As your personal business coach, please stop and think deeply about that profound and valuable quote. You become what you think about.  Nightingale was saying that your dominant thoughts determine your actions and that your actions (or lack thereof) ultimately shape your outcomes and destiny. Therefore, blame no one else for your circumstances or results.  Stop playing the victim.  You are where you are and who you are because of your past thinking and actions to date.  To change your results, conditions, and circumstances, YOU must control and change your thoughts.  All positive outcomes first start in your head with positive thoughts.

Not everyone likes to take full responsibility for their results.  But 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.  And wherever your attention goes, results will flow.  So be extra careful what enters your head on a daily, hourly and minute-by-minute basis.  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 mind management questions: On a daily basis, what are YOU really thinking about?  Good or bad? Success or failure?  Solutions or problems?  Goals or obstacles?  Opportunities or risks?  Strengths or weaknesses?  Your blessings or your challenges?  About yesterday or today?  Regrets or new beginnings?  The state of the economy or your own mental state?  Things outside of or within your control?

You become what you think about.  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 fully aware of your self-talk, thinking and attitudes.  If that is true, then how can you ever begin to guide your thoughts and self-talk to be more positive, empowering, and supportive?

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 that is causing negative feelings?” “What’s the negative self-talk loop I’m continually playing in my head?”
Simply becoming aware of your thinking (using your emotions as a guide) will help you correct course and more effectively manage your mind, mindset, and attitudes.  Once aware, you will be able to re-direct your thinking toward goals, success, solutions, blessings, strengths and opportunities.  Mind mastery is essential for greater success and happiness.  In fact, all of The Growth Coach business coaching services help business owners become more aware of their thinking and the consequences of their thinking.  Helping our clients adopt more empowering thinking and mindsets is critical.  Why?  You become what you think about.  

What am I thinking about right now?  There are tens of thousands of small business owners around North American that need a proven coaching and accountability system now to enjoy greater success in business and balance in life.  Unfortunately, we don’t have Growth Coaches in every city as of yet to deliver our guaranteed and affordable coaching process.  So, I am thinking about attracting high-caliber business professionals to join our franchise system as business coaches. That’s where you come in.  You become what you think about.  Have you thought 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 about how to become a business coach.