"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light."  *-- Albert Schweitzer

"As the gardener, by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree into one or two vigorous limbs, so should you stop off your miscellaneous activity and concentrate your force on one or a few points." 
*-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
 

Every (and I do mean EVERY) human potential success coach from the most famous to the little known conclude, that habits hold the key to success or failure.

According to the dictionary, a habit is an acquired pattern of behavior that has become almost involuntary as a result of frequent repetition.

Our habits dictate the quality of life we experience. If you procrastinate, talk negatively to yourself and allow fear to rule, you are going to have a very stressful life overflowing with anxiety and sadness. I know, because that is where I've come from.

The key to creating lasting positive results in any area of your life, must first start with changing the way you think before changing the way you act.

Here are the top three bad habits that effect most of us at some time in our lives.

1. Fear (Yes fear is a habit!)

It is said F.E.A.R stands for "False Evidence Appearing Real" and after a lifetime of confronting just about every fear I can think of, fear of success, fear of failure, fear of letting me be me...

I can tell you for certain that living in fear is the worst habit of them all. It is the root of all other bad habits like smoking, overeating, addictions etc. (Fear is the enemy of inspiration and motivation.)

No matter what changes you want to make in your life you are going to feel some degree of fear. But I can tell you from experience that the secret is to feel the fear and take action anyway. Action defeats fear!

2. Negative self-talk

I am also guilty of this self-inflicted punishment as well. I have come to discover that humans are in fact self fulfilling prophecies and that our thoughts do matter.

The problem is that most of us don't consciously use negative self talk, it ends up becoming more like a mantra or a label we brand ourselves with.

For Example:

I used to call my self a lot of things, a procrastinator, fat, shy and I would follow it up whenever someone challenged me with a reinforcing, "That's just the way I am."

Although I thought I was just poking fun at myself, I realize after years of unconscious repetition that negative self-talk was one of the main things holding me back from following my heart and creating the life of my dreams.

3. Procrastination

Up until a few months ago you could look this word up in the dictionary and see my picture. I would beat myself up night after night for not following through with a phone call or an article idea. I would wait until the last minute to do anything, then become so stressed out that I wasn't much fun to be around.

Overcoming the negative habit of procrastination can truly change your life. When you learn to take action as soon as the mood strikes and stop when the feeling is gone, you will find after just a few weeks of inspired action that you have begun to create something of value. Practice anything with conscious awareness and specific intent for 21 days and you will amaze yourself. I promise!

It is worth taking the steps to replace the habits that have been holding you back from living a richer more fulfilling life. If I can do it, anyone can.

My 6th grade teacher dragged me into the hall by my hair, looked me in the eye, pounded his finger in my chest and told me I was stupid and would never amount to anything...

...See Mr. McCarthy I'm not stupid.

"If you envy successful people, you create a negative force field of attraction that repels you from ever doing the things that you need to do to be successful.   If you admire successful people, you create a positive force field of attraction that draws you toward becoming more and more like the kinds of people that you want to be like."
*-- Brian Tracy - Million Dollar Habits

"A novel is never anything, but a philosophy put into images."
 *-- Jim Rohn - 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness