It amazes me how some people can actually see the same thing physically but have a different perspective on it mentally. I believe it’s because there’s a difference between our eyesight and our mindsight. What you see (vision), plays a key role in your success.

When you think about vision, think about these two definitions. The first one is the sense of being able to use your eyes to see – eyesight.  The second definition is to envision/anticipate that which will or may come to be – mindsight.

One you can actually see with your physical eyes, the other you can see with your mental eyes. It’s not really here yet but you can picture it, you can envision it with you mental eyes.

Having the right perspective on both sights – your mindsight and your eyesight – will help you achieve your goals as well as give you the motivation to keep things in proper perspective and not sweat the small stuff.

Don’t let what you see with you eyes, discourage you from pursuing what you see with your mind.
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3 Ways Big Picture Perspective Leads To Success

1. See It

Our first point is, see it. You have to see the big picture with your mind, regardless of what you see with your eyes. This is why some people see the same thing physically but have different perspective mentally. Consider this for example.

You have three workers all doing the same job, constructing a building. Each worker was asked the same question, “What is that you’re building?” Worker one responded by saying, “I’m laying bricks on top of each other, that’s my job.”

Worker number two responded, “I’m building a wall.” He’s actually laying bricks, but his perspective isn’t laying bricks but building a wall.

Finally, worker number three answered, “I’m building a cathedral.” Here he is laying the same bricks as the others but his perspective is seeing a cathedral.

You have to see the big picture with your mind, regardless of what you see with your eyes.
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Mindsight vs Eyesight

Let’s break down this mindsight versus eyesight or big picture perspective versus small picture perspective.

Your eyesight, or small picture perspective, is driven by things that are happening around you or outside of you, your outer-self. Your mindsight, big picture perspective, that’s driven by what’s inside of you, your inner-self.

Eyesight sees the raw materials, it sees the lumber, cement, nails, hammer, all of the raw materials. Your mindsight sees the finished product, it see the cathedral, it sees your dream home. Mindsight is your ability to see the finished product mentally before you can see it physically.

Mindsight is your ability to see the finished product mentally before you can see it physically.
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Just in case you didn’t know, you have God-given raw materials on the inside of you. If you see things from the proper perspective you can turn what may seem like broken pieces (eyesight) to your masterpiece (mindsight).

But, how do you get what you see physically with your eyesight to align with what you see mentally with your mindsight?

2. Write It

Point number two is to write it. You have to capture the vision and keep it up front. Writing down your vision helps you bridge your mindsight (mental vision) to your eyesight (physical vision).

As a Wisdom Chaser, I’m chasing wisdom from all places, whether it’s on social media, books, movies, interactions, you name it. One book I keep in heavy rotation when it comes to wisdom is the Bible.

Over 2,500 years ago there was a Hebrew prophet by the name of Habakkuk, who said to “write the vision, make it plain on tablets.” You didn’t know folks had iPads back then…just kidding, but back then they had these tablets which were stones that they wrote words on.

Physical Reminder

You need to write down your visions. Put them in places that you see routinely like your bathroom mirror, car dashboard or maybe on the refrigerator. It’s always great to have that physical reminder to reinforce your vision.

Maybe you need a different type of physical reminder other than words like many athletes use, pictures. Use visual reminders or visual metaphors, like a picture of a house, a car, or an object that serves as a reminder of what you’re working hard for.

Having that visual reminder, writing down your vision is going to help you stay focused and not sweat the small things, to help you bridge that mindsight (mental vision) to your eyesight (physical vision).

Writing down your vision helps you bridge your mindsight (mental vision) to your eyesight (physical vision).
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So you wrote it down – now what? I’m going to go back to my friend Habakkuk and finish his quote. He said, “Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”(Hab 2:2)

3. Chase It

The third and final point is to chase it. Always remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You have to run with endurance, it’s not a one and done thing. It’s something you’re going to have to work towards on a continual basis.

Don’t run aimlessly. That’s why you write it down, that’s why you have those reminders to keep it in front so you can continue to push forward. Chasing is an intentional action towards a purpose, towards a vision.

You have to be willing to put in the work that’s required to accomplish your big picture dream. I can remember training as an athlete, the pain, the sweat, and the discomfort. I didn’t like all of the running, drills, and reps, but I saw the big picture. I knew it was preparing me to chase after that cathedral, that win, that championship.

That’s what it’s going to take for you to accomplish your big picture dream. You need to stay up late, wake up early, put in the extra time, make the sacrifices. I’ll tell you this, it may not seem like it’s fair, you may be uncomfortable, but it sure will be worth it!

Delayed Gratification

Here’s the big takeaway with chase it. Delayed gratification, not instant satisfaction. Instant satisfaction is only temporary, but delayed gratification is a lasting reward. You have to put in the work. Chasing after your big picture dream may seem like a never ending race.

It’s important to note that delayed does not mean denied. Keep the faith, because faith is what you hope for through your actions, through chasing. For faith without chasing, it’s dead. You have to have faith.

Delayed doesn’t mean denied. Keep the faith.
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Here’s what delayed gratification will give you. Today you’re laying bricks, tomorrow you’re enjoying your cathedral. Today you are buffing plates, but tomorrow you’re enjoying your own establishment. Today you may be riding the bench or second string, but tomorrow you will be leading your team.

See the big picture. Write it down. Chase after it. Don’t run away from your big picture, run after it!

If you have a big picture dream that you’ve envisioned take the next step and write it down in the comments below. 

The post THE SURPRISING POWER OF YOUR MINDSIGHT appeared first on Steve Messam.

During my football days, I had many coaches tell me, whether it was before a game or before my studies too, “Get your mind right.” What they were really saying was something needs to happen in my mind first, in order for me to have success on the field or in life. Mindset is truly a game changer.

One key reason why some people don’t achieve their dreams is because they want changed results without changing their mindset first. You can have all the talent and skills in the world but if your mental game (mindset) isn’t right, you won’t succeed.

Having a positive mindset is a requirement for good results, success. There is essentially a 1:1 ratio between the quality of one’s thinking to the quality of their results. Good thoughts produce good results.

James Allen, author of “As a Man Thinketh” wrote, “Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results.” You will never get an apple tree from an orange seed.

As John Maxwell has stated, “If you don’t like the crop (results) you are reaping, you need to change the seed (thinking) you are sowing!” You reap what you sow therefore, I want to challenge you to sow a positive mindset.

There are three key things we will focus on when we think about our mindset.

Good thoughts produce good results.
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3 Ways Your Mindset Can Lead To Success

1. Receive It

Unload The Negative

Our first key focus is to receive it. I believe that if you renew your mind the rest of you; your beliefs, body, and behaviors will follow. But in order to receive you have to make room for positive results by getting rid of negative thoughts.

What are you feeding your mind? Who are some of the people and some of the things that you listen to, that you’re watching? What are some of the external influences impacting the way you think on a daily basis? External influences can play a key role in killing your dreams.

External influences aren’t the only culprit to killing dreams, are you killing your dreams with your own internal negative thoughts? Maybe something negative someone has spoken into your life in the past, is spinning a lot on your internal record player?

I believe that those negative thoughts that you’ve received whether it be external or internal can be replaced with positive things by tuning into different programs. Listening to different podcasts or reading different books to feed you mind with things that are going to help build you up and not tear you down.

Renew your mind and the rest of you; your beliefs, body, and behaviors will follow.
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Advocates Over Adversaries

Surround yourself with advocates and not adversaries. Think of it as supporters and not haters. Maybe even think of them as believers and not doubters.

People pour into us each and every day, whether it’s spiritual leaders, bosses, teachers, parents or whoever they may be. You need to make sure you surround yourself with people who have your best interests in mind.

Sometimes true advocates are going to tell you the truth and not everything that you want to hear. That’s completely okay.

Surround yourself with people who have your best interests in mind.
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Reject The Negative

Unloading the negative is all about getting the negative out of you. Rejecting the negative is all about keeping it out of you. Think of it as a filter system.

Just like a fish tank has a filter system to ensure the water is at a level the fish can survive and removes the waste to make sure that the fish don’t get sick, you need to have a mental filter system.

Ask yourself, “Is this going to help me improve and grow or not?” If it is, receive it. If it’s not, reject it. The next time you get constructive feedback from different people in your life, it may hurt, it may not be what you want to hear. If it’s something that can help you, receive it. If not, reject it.

2. Believe It

Head To Heart

It doesn’t stop at receiving it and thinking it. Now you have to believe it. You have to be able to receive it in your mind before you can believe it in your heart. How can you believe something that you can’t receive?

Ideas don’t necessarily lead to change, beliefs do. You may have had ideas of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but your beliefs didn’t quite match up to those thoughts. Maybe you believed that you didn’t have the financial support or resources, you were not smart enough, or what have you.

Ideas don’t necessarily lead to change, beliefs do.
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Belief Impacts Behavior

Your beliefs need to match your ideas. A good example is a guy who tells himself he wants to be the heavyweight champion of the world with boxing. If his idea of being a boxer matches his beliefs – he believes that he’s going to be a champion – you’re going to see a behavior change.

He’s going to do some things that he wasn’t doing in the past. He’s going to make sacrifices, train like crazy, stop hanging out or doing certain things (let eating certain foods) that he would be doing if he wasn’t training to be heavyweight champion.

To truly say that you believe something, your belief should impact your behavior. Or another way to look at it is your behavior should reflect your belief. Ideas alone won’t get you change. Your ideas have to match your belief, which motivates you to make the change.

To be a champion, your behavior should reflect your belief.
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3. Achieve it

Application Is Key

Now that you have it in your mind and believe it in your heart, let’s focus on the final point which is “achieve” it. We’re going to borrow some wise words from the guru himself from Star Wars, the great Yoda. “Do or do not, there is no try.”

This is where application comes in. Knowledge is internal, it’s what you know, but wisdom is external, it’s what you show. “Application” is the key. It’s going to take applying the right habits, behaviors, and beliefs to fuel your positive mindset into success.

So you receive it, you believe it, now you’re going to achieve it!

Do or do not, there is no try. -Yoda
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Power Of The Will

The great Colonel Sanders from KFC heard over 1,000 no’s before he got his first yes to get his recipe approved to start a business, which we now know is a very successful franchise. It only took one yes. He had this belief in his idea of being a great business in the face of countless disappointments, his belief (mindset) and his willpower, drove him until he got that first yes.

When you truly believe in your ideas, willpower is what drives you to achieve it. That’s what you’re going to need in order to truly change the game with your mindset; willpower. Like the Colonel, when you believe in your dreams, failures are inevitable on your journey to success.

You will get some no’s, have some bumps, but you have to keep on pushing, keep on striving to achieve whatever it is that you want to achieve.

When you believe in your dreams, failures are inevitable on the road to success.
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Don’t Impress; Impact

When you are striving to achieve your dreams, having the right motives are important. You need to seek to impact others versus impressing them. You can’t please everybody. That’s something you just have to deal with.

Trying to impress folks causes us to put on an act. When you’re acting that only leads to temporary change because you’re only temporarily adapting or changing just to suit that situation.

But, when you’re impacting people, when you’re serving people, that leads to permanent change. That is what we’re seeking when we talk about this whole mindset game changer. We want to not just impact our lives, we want to impact those who are around us too.

Seek to impact others, not to impress them.
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In order to change the game, you have to get your mind right. Replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts; receive it. Make sure that your behavior matches what you think of yourself; believe it.

At the end of the day, it’s either do or do not, there is no try. Let your willpower push you to impact others and not focus on impressing them; achieve it.

What are some positive reinforcements you are finding your mind with? Please feel free to comment below.

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Tell me if you’ve heard this before about the path to success, “If it was easy then everyone would be doing it”? Generally speaking, many of us start off on the right path in life but for some reason, we veer off the path and can’t quite seem to stay on the path to success. I believe it’s due to the lack of setting boundaries.

There’s a story of a broad/wide road and a narrow way. The broad and wide road leads to destruction, leads to failure, and so many people are on this road because it’s the easy route.

Then there are only a select few people who decides to take the narrow way that leads to life, that leads to success. This road is more difficult. The key difference between the broad road and the narrow way are boundaries.

Staying on the narrow way won’t be easy but it will be worth it.
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On your way to work or whenever you’re traveling, you’ve probably noticed those iron and wooden railings on the side of the road. Guardrails are a system designed to keep you from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. I would like for you to look at boundaries as your internal guardrails.

On the path to success, it is important that you establish your own mental guardrails which should serve as warning signs to keep you from getting into those dangerous or off-limit areas that lead to failure and not, success.

In the best-selling book “Boundaries“, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend states that boundaries are personal property lines that define who you are and who you are not, and influence all areas of your life.

I want to push you to create your own mental guardrails to help you establish behaviors and principles to protect you from unnecessary long-term physical, emotional, financial or professional pain or setbacks in the future.

2 Reasons to Set Boundaries

1. Protection

Guard Your Heart

Sometimes we like to flirt with danger, getting as close to the line as possible. It’s important that we take the advice of a Hebrew proverb that says, “guard your heart with all diligence.” (Pro 4:23) Your heart is your will, emotions, feelings and your mind. What are you letting in? What are you releasing out?

Maybe you have had the unfortunate experience of crashing into a guardrail on the road. Yes, it probably left some damage and you probably had some temporary pain, but just imagine if that guardrail wasn’t there and you veered off a cliff or into a canal.

That’s the importance of having these mental guardrails, it’s for your protection. It protects your heart.

It’s important to understand that boundaries are not walls. Think of them as fences because fences have gates. Boundaries help you keep the good in and the bad out. Let’s face it, you’ve made mistakes, had failures, and you’re probably holding in a lot of bad emotions and experiences.

Open the gates and let the bad out and let the good in as you stay laser focused on that narrow way to success.

There’s protection when you set boundaries in your life.
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2. Direction

Burdens & Loads

Our second point is direction, dealing with others within boundaries. We are responsible to others and for ourselves. The Apostle Paul once said that we are to carry, share, and support each other’s burdens (Gal 6:2). He also said that each one should carry their own load (Gal 6:5).

There’s a big difference between burdens and loads. The Greek word for burden means excessive or overloaded burden. Think of a boulder, there’s no way we should be carrying a boulder each day.

For example, a burden could be a tragedy, crisis, or maybe a major loss in your life or someone else life. You should be helping or having someone else help you carry that burden. On the flip side, the Greek word for “load” is a daily responsibility. Picture a backpack.

Obviously, it’s easier to carry a backpack every day versus a boulder. Setting boundaries always require that you take responsibility for your own backpack, your own actions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Support Network

When creating your boundaries it’s important to always have a support network to help you with your boulders/burdens, or to help others with their burdens. Setting and maintaining boundaries is hard work, not overwork.

It’s extremely important that you have a work-life balance because overworking on your daily load can lead to burnout, and burnout is just a one-way ticket to that broad road to failure.

We can’t trust ourselves to know when our boundaries are being violated. -Melody Beattie

Also, you have to put some teeth behind your guardrails, you have to backup your boundaries with consequences for yourself as well as others who step out of bounds. You have to learn how to say “no” when other people try to pass their loads on you; freeloaders.

Setting boundaries mean saying no to freeloaders.
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You can’t be all things to all people. It takes discipline, self-control and wisdom to know what you should and shouldn’t be doing. You can’t carry everybody’s load and you shouldn’t carry your burdens alone.

As a reminder, it’s extremely important that you establish these guardrails to keep you from straying into those dangerous and off limit areas, to stay on that narrow way to success. I can’t promise that it’s going to be easy. It’s going to take hard work, but it will be worth it.

Do you struggle with setting boundaries, if so which area in your life is the hardest? Please comment below.

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Why is it so difficult for us to think less of ourselves and more of others? When we neglect the importance of serving and helping others we hurt our ability to reach new heights. Do you want to rise to great heights? Then you must lay first a foundation of humility.

Think of humility as just having a proper view of one’s own importance. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s just thinking of yourself less.

Then you have its opposite, which is pride. Pride is having an excessive or an exaggerated view of one’s own importance.

This actually gives us two categories, which we will call your blockers versus your builders. When you think of your blockers, they are the prideful people. They actually prevent others from getting around them and pretty much focus on their own interests.

Then you have those who are humble and they are your builders, they actually assist others in reaching their potential. They focus on the interests of others as well as themselves, which creates a win-win situation not just for your success but also for the success of those around you.

True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s just thinking of yourself less. -C.S. Lewis
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2 Building Blocks of Humility

If you truly want to rise to great heights then you will have to incorporate these two building blocks of humility.

1. Build a Foundation

Humility is the foundation of success.

It’s easier to stand on solid rock than it is on sinking sand. When you’re building a house you don’t start with the roof, you start with the foundation. The foundation actually holds up and lifts up all the other parts.

Pride actually causes a house to fall down, because it’s only worried about the roof, it’s worried about the top. Pride goes before destruction. Jesus once said that whoever makes himself great (toots their own horn) will be humbled and knocked down, and whoever humbles themselves will actually be made great (Matt 23:12).

Make humility the foundation to your success by lifting up people and in return, God will lift you up.

Make humility the foundation to your success by lifting up people, then God will lift you up.
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Humility builds. Pride blocks.

Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, once said that “before becoming a leader, success was all about growing yourself.” That’s pride, that’s when you don’t want someone else to get the promotion, or you don’t want to see someone else in the limelight.

He went on to say that “after becoming a leader, success is all about growing others.” That’s humility. That’s when you begin to build a strong foundation of humility. Where you’re focusing on growing your teammates, your coworkers, your family members. It’s a win-win when they grow…you grow.

Blockers criticize. Builders praise and celebrate others. Pride causes your ego to write checks that your character can’t cash. It’s like building your house on sand; when the rain, wind, and flood comes, it will fall. Invest in humility so when those floods come you and those who you are lifting up will be standing on solid rock.

Pride causes your ego to write checks that your character can’t cash.
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2. Build a Bridge.

Our second building block is to build a bridge. It’s easier to cross a bridge than it is to climb a wall. After living outside of New York City for a couple of years, I know that it’s a lot easier to cross the George Washington Bridge than it is to climb Mount Everest.

Pride builds walls between people, but humility builds bridges. Blockers use walls to prevent others from getting around. I’m sure all of us have probably been guilty on occasion of being a wall that prevented others because we’re so focused on ourselves.

I want to challenge you to be a builder! Build bridges to assist others to reach their full potential.

Regardless your level of success, you are standing on the shoulders of those who has gone before you. You are walking across those bridges. Therefore, you must make sure that your foundation in humility is strong to carry others across as well.

Use your abilities and gifts to actually help your team, co-workers, family and others by being a bridge and not a wall.

Pride builds walls between people, but humility builds bridges.
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Humility unlocks greatness in you by putting others first. Blockers keep others from reaching their full potential. Forget about yourself long enough to lend a helping hand and unlock the greatness in others. We need each other.

Always remember that pride leads to a great fall, but a humble spirit gains honor. Do your part, all your acts of humility, whether it’s serving, helping, supporting others, wherever you are. It’s those acts of humility put together, that leads to results and helps us to change the world.

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being exceptionally well. How would you rate your level of humility? Please comment below.

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Do you want to have a different future than your current reality? You have a picture of where you want to be, what you want it to look like, what you hope things will be like in the future. Turning that future into reality will depend on your faith to overcome your fear.

All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. -Walt Disney
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You may be sure about what you are hoping for and dreaming of, but at the same time, unsure due to what you see as to how you’re going to do it, how you’re going to achieve it which leads to fear.

I believe we struggle with our faith and our fear which prevents a lot of leaders from achieving their goals. Is this true with you? Is fear keeping you from taking a leap of faith to reach your dreams?

Let’s use the Hebrew definition of faith. That is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you don’t see (Heb 11:1). Now faith archrival is fear. It’s the complete opposite, being unsure of what you hope for and uncertain of what you don’t see.

To clarify faith even further, let’s look at two categories of faith. One is passive faith and the other active faith.

Passive faith is when you don’t react visibly or with your actions to help produce what you’re hoping for. Think of that more as your unsure faith. Then you have active faith, which is your mental and physical effort to actually produce or manifest what you’re hoping for.

Passive faith is just as bad as fear. I want to challenge you to use your active faith to help you get closer to the picture you have of your future hopes and dreams.

A key step in getting what you really want in life is to decide what you want. That leads us to our first step, which is to think different.

Active faith is a choice, not a feeling.
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3 Steps to Overcome Fear and Accomplish Your Goals

1. Think Different.

Overcoming fear is a necessity in order to accomplish what you are called to do. Here’s what fear does. Fear causes you to rely on your emotions, on your senses, what you see, what you hear, what you feel. Faith is a choice, not a feeling. Emotions are fickle, they change with the wind.

If you wait until when you feel right, you’ll run into a lot of problems with achieving your goals because your choices lead and your feelings follow. Lead with your choices and not with your feelings.

Another way to help you think different is to will it before you feel it. Your emotions, what you see, hear and feel, tests your faith, which is why you have to fight back with thinking differently.  Thinking to persevere, which is when everything inside of you is telling you that you won’t make it, to quit, to give up; you choose to push through in spite of.

You think differently also by having self-control, which is restraining from listening or relying on your emotions and the external focus that tells you to do what everybody else is doing. Having self-control not to do those things will keep you on track to achieving your goals and dreams.

If you think that faith is something that you feel, you’re going to miss it.
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2. Speak Different.

Our second step is to speak differently. We have to release our faith with our words. How many times have you killed your hopes with your own words? Follow the example of The Little Engine that Could. Regardless of his size, regardless of the big load he had to carry, he always repeated, “I think I can!”

You have to encourage yourself. Use your words to speak of things that are not here and now as if they will be soon. When you speak differently and use your words of affirmation and encouragement, you actually use faith as an antidote to your fear.

One key point to help you release your faith through your words is don’t just keep it to yourself, spread it. We have to claim it, don’t be ashamed of it. You’ll be surprised how many people are strategically placed in your life who can help you reach those things that you’re hoping for, but they will never know unless you share it with them.

You have to be careful, however, you have some folks with no faith or passive faith not actively pursuing what they are hoping for. Misery loves company, and it would love for you to take a seat next to them.

Faith is an antidote to fear when you speak words of affirmation over your life.
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3. Act Different.

Our third and final step is to act differently. Walk by faith and not by sight. I love that word walking because the opposite of it is being paralyzed. Don’t let fear paralyze you. Deactivate your fear, because fear prevents progress. Fear leads to a dead end, hope has a future – and yours looks bright!

MLK once said that “faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Passive faith and fear are at the bottom step, but active faith is taking the next step. Acting differently leads to courageous actions that demonstrate confidence when you want something that you’ve never had or those things that you’re hoping for.

Walt Disney once said that “all of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” That’s courageous actions. Don’t get me wrong, courage does not mean an absence of fear, but it’s determination to face it. Passive faith walks away. Active faith overcomes.

Passive faith walks away. Active faith overcomes.
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You can’t be an overcomer without troubles/fears to overcome. You have what it takes, you just have to tap into it. In order to achieve something you haven’t had before you must be willing to think differently, speak differently and act differently to reach those things that you’re hoping for. God didn’t give you the spirit of fear, he has given you power, love, and self-control.

Of the three steps (think, speak, and act differently), which could you benefit the most from to overcoming you fear today?

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I’m sure you can agree with me that each and every week before you start your work or your school day one of the toughest and probably most important decisions you have to make is, “What am I going to wear?” Your image.

Your appearance, how you look and how you feel plays a big role on how your day turns out. Although your outward appearance is important, I want to challenge you to focus more on your inward image versus your outward image.

Before we jump into the three ways to focus more on your inward image vs your outward image, let’s consider these definitions of “image” first. The first one being appearance. Think of that as how you are described, or your outward image. Then we have character. Think of that as how you can be defined, or your inward image.

As a leader, you should focus more on your character (inward), before worrying about your appearance (outward). When a leader wakes up in the morning, their focus should be on their attitude before attire.

When a leader wakes up in the morning, their focus should be on their attitude before attire.
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I’m going to challenge you to create a “tailor-made” image from the inside out because it’s going to be a key factor in you impacting and influencing others and you achieving your goals.

3 Ways to Focus on Inward Image

I can think of at least three “tailor-made” ways to improve your inward image and grow as a leader.

1. Alter It. This begins with attitude before attire. Before you decide what shoes, shirt, pants, blouse,  or skirt to wear, you need to decide what type of attitude you’re going to be wearing today. Are you going to be wearing a good attitude or a bad attitude? A humble attitude or an arrogant attitude? You must decide what type of attitude you’re going to wear today first before you decide your attire.

Your image, your attitude, can either help or hinder your ability to impact and influence others as a leader. In order for you to alter your character, you must alter your attitude. Having the right attitude does your character good.

Having the right attitude gives your character a strong foundation to stand. In leadership, character counts. Your character is so important that it’s what God uses to truly look at you, unlike man who focuses on the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).

JP Morgan, one of America’s great bankers once said, “A man’s best collateral is his character.” Character counts and you can take that to the bank.

A man’s best collateral is his character. -JP Morgan
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2. Brand It. You are the total package inside out and your brand, your name, is your legacy as a leader. The wisest man to ever live on earth, King Solomon, once stated that “a good name is better than precious ointment and should be chosen over great riches.” (Proverbs 22:1)

As a student athlete, I took great pride in the name that was on the front of my jersey, Central Michigan Chippewas – “Fire Up Chips!” – and the name on the back of my jersey, Messam. I bought into the values, beliefs, coaching, and all of the things tied up in that brand, Chippewas, and my name, Messam.

As a leader always remember that your name is your brand. What do you stand for? Who do you stand for? Your beliefs, your values?

How you carry yourself – your attire, your demeanor, your manners, or your appearance – and how you conduct yourself – your actions, your attitude, your behavior, or your character – together that’s the total package, that’s your brand, that’s your name.

Your legacy will far outlive your appearance. Leaders like Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa were great proponents of not judging the appearances of others, the skin color and all of those things, they put more value into the content of folks’ character. A leader’s character is very difficult to build up and it’s very easy to tear down.

Character is very difficult to build up and it’s very easy to tear down.
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3. Check It. You’re probably asking yourself, “How in the world do I check my character? How do I see my inward image?” It’s easy for me to see my outer appearance, I can look in the mirror, I can even ask someone how I look.

Here’s how you check your character. If you check your actions, you check your character. People can’t see your heart or your inward image, but they can see what you do.

Another way is to ask someone. Ask someone how’s your attitude, have someone who you trust check you when you maybe stepping out of bounds with your attitude and actions. People may long forget what you said, even what you may have worn, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

If you check your actions, you check your character.
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Let’s make good character fashionable as leaders. Let’s put on love, humility, meekness, kindness, patience, and forgiveness. Let’s make all of those great qualities and characteristics fashionable. It will never go out of style.

What Type of Attitude Did You Decide to Wear Today? Let us know in the comments. 

The post HOW TO FOCUS ON YOUR IMAGE AS A LEADER appeared first on Steve Messam.

You, yes you are called to be a leader. You may be thinking, “I don’t have an official title or role”, “No way, you could be talking to me.” Wrong! I am talking to you and I am here to tell you that, Leadership isn’t a title, it’s a Lifestyle. A lifestyle is how you live not a position that you hold.

Leadership isn’t a title, it’s a Lifestyle.
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Many goals that you have for yourself will require leadership to accomplish. Leading of self and leading of others. In order for you to grow in leadership, it will require that your mindset on the topic must grow as well.

Starting with leading from who you are more than the position that you may or may not hold. Who you are is far more important than what you do. Which is why it is so critical that you develop…You.

Success as a leader requires a growth mindset. It demands approaching resistance as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. And it’s only when you stretch beyond what you thought was possible that you discover strength you never knew.

Leadership requires some serious stretching to go beyond our current reality into endless possibilities. The call of leadership isn’t one of comfort but of Sacrifice. It’s when things get uncomfortable when you must push harder, for your breakthrough is near.

The call of leadership isn’t one of comfort but of Sacrifice.
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Do you feel that you…

• Believe that with God, Anything is Possible.
• Succeed by Helping Others Succeed.
• Make a Difference Before You Make a Complaint.
• Lead by Example Regardless of Your Title.
• See Life as a Continuous Learning Experience.

I can visualize you shaking your head “YES” continuously while reading that list. You might have thought, “Steve, you could have stopped at the first bullet!” If you indeed answered yes to one or all of those points, then Wisdom Chasers is the right tribe for you!

Here’s How Wisdom Chasers Helps You Grow As a Leader & Maximize Your Influence

1. Wisdom Chasers is here to help you grow UPWARD

Spiritual Growth Leads to Leadership Growth

I believe that you were born with a specific call on your life to make a difference in this world. Before you were born, your creator had a plan for you. A plan so big that you can not accomplish it without him. You must have a higher calling, purpose, or faith that you rely on to help you fulfill your dreams.

Without growing spiritually, you are more likely to be lost, misguided and useless as a servant leader. The concept of being “Self-Made” is one of the biggest pitfalls for the next generational leader. When your EGO (edging God out) takes control, you run the risk of letting your pride hurt your influence with others.

Jeff Giesea, entrepreneur and executive coach believe, “that the best way to grow as a leader is to grow spiritually.” He believes that the more your grow spiritually, the better you can serve others. Leadership is a call to serve God and people.

Wisdom Chasers will provide content, resources, and encouragement to help you increase your influence and grow Upward as a leader.

Leadership is a call to serve God and people.
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2. Wisdom Chasers is here to help you grow INWARD

Personal Growth Leads to Leadership Growth

Contrary to popular belief, growth doesn’t happen overnight. Expecting to be an expert after reading one book on a topic is foolish. Growth happens over time. Personal (inward) growth is a lifelong process that requires you to invest in your development continuously.

It’s hard to lead others if you can’t lead yourself. Discipline, humility, integrity, character, wisdom and so many other qualities don’t develop themselves. You must be intentional in your own development in order to lead others.  If you can’t lead you, you can’t lead them.

Rick Warren, philanthropists and pastor stated, “The moment you stop learning you stop leading.” I have also heard that a leader is a reader. What are you doing to develop yourself on your personal time? Do you have a personal development plan?

Wisdom Chasers will provide courses, resources, and content to help you increase your influence and grow Inward as a leader.

If you can’t lead you, you can’t lead them.
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3. Wisdom Chasers is here to help you grow OUTWARD

 Relational Growth Leads to Leadership Growth

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Care more about helping people than impressing people. If you want to increase your influence with people increase your focus towards others.

Remember that leadership is a call to serve. As a leader, you succeed when you help others succeed. Moving people from where they are currently to where they desire to be, require relational skills; how you interact with others.

Your effectiveness as a leader rests heavily on how you relate to others. Expressing genuine and sincere care for others is a fast track to winning their hearts. You may have the know-how and experience to offer but if you don’t connect with their hearts, your smarts are irrelevant.

Wisdom Chasers will provide resources, content, and courses to help you increase your influence and grow Outward as a leader.

Show them your heart, before you show them your smart.
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You are most likely busy and overwhelmed with finding time for your leadership development. Let Wisdom Chasers help you with your development by joining the Wisdom Chasers tribe. We look forward to helping you grow and growing with you!

Action: Will you join the Wisdom Chasers Leadership Revolution? If yes, drop the comment “I’m in!” below and join the Mailing List to stay updated.

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