Facing the Enemies Within by Jim Rohn

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of your fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you’ve read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o’clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won’t need to live in fear of it.

Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you’ve got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. “Ho-hum, let it slide. I’ll just drift along.” Here’s one problem with drifting: you can’t drift your way to the top of the mountain.

The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there’s room for healthy skepticism. You can’t believe everything. But you also can’t let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I’m telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy Go after it. Get rid of it.

The fourth enemy within is worry. We’ve all got to worry some. Just don’t let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you’ve got to worry. But you can’t let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here’s what you’ve got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you’ve got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you’ve got to push back.

The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it’s an illness. If you let it go, it’ll conquer you. Timid people don’t get promoted. They don’t advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You’ve got to avoid over-caution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what’s holding you back, what’s keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

Source: http://www.jimrohn.com

Responsibility

I am responsible for my life …
for my feelings …
for my personal growth …
and for every result I get…

We are not defined by what happens to us, but how we REACT to what happens; not by what life brings US, but the ATTITUDE we bring to life.

I can only control two things; my attitude and my behaviour.

It is comforting when we fully realize our responsibility (Response – Ability) is within our control. This knowledge applies to the results we want (and need) to achieve.

Results and outcomes are important, but they really are the measurement of our responses. There is a lot of power in focusing on actions that produce results. Then I can freely admit, I don’t always control outcomes; I do control my actions. I control my focus, rituals, decisions, and disciplines. When I focus on those pieces, I am learning to let results take care of themselves.

Are we 100 percent responsible for everything that happens to us?

I believe our ultimate success and happiness is 100 percent up to us, based on our responses!

Practical Wisdom

Choice is directed at some end, and this involves determining what the end should be and how it should be reached. We are responsible for the choices we make and for their consequences. We are free to make choices and to take actions based on those choices.

What is practical wisdom?

According to Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics, practical wisdom is a true characteristic that is bound up with action, accompanied by reason, and concerned with things good and bad for a human being.

Practical wisdom is not concerned with the universals alone, but must also be acquainted with the particulars: it is bound up with action, and action concerns the particulars.

Practical wisdom is concerned with human things and with those that about which it is possible to deliberate.

He who [has practical wisdom] is skilled in aiming, in accord with calculation, at what is best for a human being in things attainable through action.

Simply put, Practical Wisdom “is the ability to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.”

Why Seek Practical Wisdom?

Aristotle believed that everything had a telos–its aim, purpose, or maximum potential. Achieving this purpose led to arete or excellence. The telos of man was eudaimonia which is happiness or flourishing–a life lived to its utmost.

The path to eudaimonia is paved with decisions made with practical wisdom. The better your decisions, the more you will progress, the more of your potential you will use, and the more your life will flourish. In short, practical wisdom is the path to true happiness and satisfaction.

How can we cultivate practical wisdom in our own lives?

There are many things you can do to develop your own practical wisdom, such as learning critical thinking skills, refining your goals and core values, expanding your intellect, and always being sure to understand the circumstances of a situation as much as possible before making a decision. But the tools needed to develop practical wisdom must be nurtured by experience. Remember, skills are learnt through experience.

Searching for practical wisdom is the only thing we can do to change our world.

Keep searching and keep doing your best.