Your dreams and ideas are a beacon to your purpose

Dear...

Ever wondered why dreams and ideas can occupy someone thoughts, even to the extent that it completely takes over a person's life.

Some people pursue a dream or an idea as if they are completely possessed by them. When this person is successful in its pursuit of his/hers dream we tend to all admire  him/her, but when this person is unsuccessful, we often think it was an obsessed madman.

Not wanting to belong to this last group causes many people to no pursue their dreams or ideas, but this is not the point of todays blog.

What I would like you to challenge with is the thought that perhaps these dreams and ideas are not random at all. I want you think about the concept that our ideas and dreams might conceal our purpose in life.

Can it be true that the universe is talking to us through our dreams and ideas, that it challenges and invites us to go after these dreams and ideas in order for us to become who we are destined to be?

Is this concept truly so far fetched? Think about all the people that have changed and shaped the world. Read about them and you will see that they were all pursuers of dreams and chasers of ideas.

jeandorff@googlemail.com
http://facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

To make your dreams come true requires a good amount of courage

Dear...

Dreams of doing big things in life; we all have them or at least had them. Only a few us dare to declare what their dreams are, a smaller percentage of people pursue them and an even smaller percentage actually reach them.

It is because of the fact that most people think only a few can make it that they are not pursuing their dreams, but it is because only a few dare to pursue their dreams that only a few make it; not the other way around.

Most of us want to know what the end results are before we try to begin something. If we would be less result driven, more people would go after what they truly want from life.

So when you pursue your dreams you will not get a guarantee that you will reach them, it will be hard work, you need to do things you have never done before, you will encounter roadblocks and have many failures, other people might think you are crazy, but it will be all worth it. You will know that  you have lived to the fullest and that you have lived
with courage.

Steve Jobs says:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.  Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.  Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become.  Everything else is secondary.”

jeandorff@googlemail.com
http://facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

Set your goals so high that you are scared of them.

Dear...

When you set your goals, set them high. Don't worry whether you can achieve them or not. In fact, set them so high that you know you can't achieve them. That is to say, the current You can't.

When people set their goals, too many people reason too much from who they are today, the means they posses today and the abilities they have today. It's much better to picture yourself in the future having attained your goals already and then reason back how you got to that point.

To achieve an ambitious goal, you have to change and become the person that can and will achieve it.  Your today You, will not be able to achieve it. But you can change and you have to change to reach what you want. In fact you will change no matter what. The question is, in what will you change?

So, set your goals high, so high that you are scared of them. Then make a plan to acquire the skills and to get the means you need. Finally, push your self outside your comfort zone and pursuit the changes that are necessary.

When you do all this you will see that you turn into that person that can achieve the highest set goals.

jeandorff@googlemail.com
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http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

The beautiful gift of imagination

Dear...

It is more often our own mind that limits what we can achieve than the circumstances we are in or the means we have.

Recently someone asked me: can you achieve anything by just thinking of it? I said: no, but for sure you will not achieve it if you can't think of it.

Too often I hear: you have to be realistic and set only realistic goals otherwise you only will fool yourself and get disappointed. People who say such things in most cases don't dare to dream big and often seem to have lost their ability to imagine as well.

We are all born with an ability to be free in our mind and imagine anything we want, but as we grow older a lot of us lose that beautiful gift of imagination. Some people actually think it is a complete waist of time to dream and imagine.

William Arthur Ward was right when he said: "If you can imagine it you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it."

Don't limit yourself in what you want to achieve or want to become. At least, give yourself the freedom in your mind to do that. And if you discover that you have lost the ability to be free in your mind, go back to when you were young and feel how you used your imagination when you were playing. Discover the limiting beliefs that hold you from being free in your mind. If those limiting beliefs already have a grip of your thinking they for sure have a grip on what you will achieve.


jeandorff@googlemail.com
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http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

New Years Resolution: Keep Going

Dear...

In the previous posts on this topic I gave you already six guiding principles to help you achieving your New Years Resolutions for 2014.
- Make sure that it's your resolution and not someone else's.
- Formulate it in a positive way, so avoid negative words.
- Make sure that your resolution meets your personal standards and common sense.
- Create a support group for your resolution.
- Write your resolution down and read it repeatedly.
- Achieve one resolution at the time.

Browse back to the older posts on this topic to read more.

Today we'll conclude this series of post on "achieving your new years resolution".

Plot a plan and implement:
It is better to have a poorly developed plan than no plan at all. Break your resolution down in smaller steps, reward yourself for every milestone you make, don't deviate from your plan if possible, but also adjust if necessary. Make sure it is not only a plan in your head but put it on paper instead and share it with people in your support group.

Imagine how it is to have achieved your resolution already:
Make this picture so clear and positive as possible. Describe it to someone else. When you want to lose weight see yourself already having the size you're aiming for. If you want to stop smoking see yourself already taking the stairs without gasping for breath. Feel how it would feel and go back to these thoughts at least once a day.

And last but not least: Keep going...
If it was easy you would have done it already. Your mind will try to persuade you to stop, but don't listen to that voice in your head...remember why you wanted to achieve it ... picture yourself already achieving it... read your resolution again and keep going!

I wish you all the best for the New Year, dream bold, dream big and take large bites out of life in 2014...

Jeandorff@googlemail.com
http://facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

Move forward in one direction...

Dear...

It's quite common to be very enthusiastic at first when pursuing a goal, unfortunately doubts start to kick in often already after a short period of time. To achieve anything worthwhile, it always requires a personal change away from what we already know. Most people tend to gravitate to the known, trying to stay from the unknown. Our mind perceives unknown territory as areas of risk, doubt is our inner warning system for risk and our character determines how we listen to our doubts.

The shortest way to get somewhere is to make sure that all your steps are in the direction you want to go. The same is true for your thoughts. The best way to achieve your goal is to keep focussing on it. Doubt makes us hesitate, stop and sometimes turn around, it makes us go back and forward and we get pulled into multiple direction. Achieving your goals demands going forward and staying focussed despite your doubts.

Jeandorff@googlemail.com
http://facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

The struggle to find a life's purpose...

Dear...

Imagine you were born a few thousand years ago, you didn't have to make a choice what job you were going to do or what profession you have to learn. You would live in a time where you had to take care of everything yourself, hunt or gather your own food, prepare your meal, you made your own entertainment, fixed your own housing and was your own medical service. You would not be stuck in a role that wouldn't fit you, because there was only one. There were no specialists only generalists.
Society, especially in first world countries, have changed dramatically. You can be a general thinker, but there are almost no real 'general jobs' anymore. Just some decades ago, when someone asked you what do you do for a living, a simple answer like I work at an office, I work in a factory, I work on the land was sufficient.  Everything was more general. I think its great that nowadays we have so many specialists in so many areas. But what if you are not wired liked that and you are stuck in a "specialist's job" but your nature forces you to always look more at the bigger picture of things. There is no education for that and there are no jobs like that either.

If people like this grow up in an environment where this 'general' way of thinking is recognized and stimulated they will often be very successful in life. However when people like this grow up in an environment where this thinking is not taken serious and even suppressed, they will often live a life full of struggle and in many cases lead a life of depression, obsession and  addictions.
People who recognize themselves in this tend to look different at the world. They have a natural drive to seek answers to the bigger life questions like: where do we come from, what is the meaning of life, is there a purpose of life etc. If life philosophy was a common profession then that's probably where you would find these people. Most other people would call them dreamers with less sense of reality. The truth is that these 'dreamers' just look different at life feeling they can only be happy when finding their life's purpose.
In my to be published book I'll paint the picture of such a dreamer and his life long struggle to find his purpose in life.

Jeandorff@googlemail.com
http://facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

It's A Wonderful Life...

Dear...

Today was Sunday, it is freezing outside and too slippery to go out; what better thing to do than to watch an old movie? With Christmas approaching you can't go wrong with "It's A Wonderful Life". A  movie directed by Frank Capra, with the unforgettable James Stewart and the beautiful Donna Reed in the leading roles.

George Bailey (James Stewart) tried his whole life to escape Bedford Falls, a small town community, but never succeeds. His sense of responsibility to take over his father's old job  keeps him from seeing the world and getting a college degree. When he seems to have found peace by staying in his hometown and starting a family with his high school love, an unexpected event drives him close to commit suicide. He believes that his life is worthless, with no meaning for others. An angel named Clarence saves George and shows him how the life of people would have been if George wouldn't have been in their lives. 

This old black and white movie delivers a very profound message. Life doesn't always fulfill the dreams we hope for, sometimes our destiny drives us to do things we might not like so much but can be very meaningful for others. 

If you follow my blog you know I'm all about chasing your dreams and living boldly, but I have to add that there is probably no higher calling than a life of serving others even if it's not the life you dreamed of.

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~JD

When great men die ...

Dear...

Nelson Mandela, a great man, died on December 5, 2013, 95 years after he was born on July 18, 1918. Nelson Mandela made history with his fight for freedom, equality, human rights and peace. He had to face the worst adversities before he became who he was.  Like Nelson Mandela, it seems that all great people have to go through numerous adversities to become the icon we know them by.  The life stories of these people are bigger than any fictional story and for me it is how they have overcome incredible hardships and tribulations that is most inspirational.

Nelson Mandela at first an advocate for armed resistance to apartheid, became after 27 years of imprisonment the first elected black president of South Africa and the fighter of human rights and peace. When you study great people like Mandela, you will find that it is their specific way of thinking that made them attain the impossible. They have an unshakable conviction that everything can be achieved if you stay focused and keep believing in your goals no matter what roadblocks you come across. Nelson Mandela said: "It always seems impossible until it's done".

A great man has died, but we can keep his mind alive by following his example that resilience, focus and unshakable belief in a good cause will overcome all adversities. It is people like Nelson Mandela who truly believe that we need to live with passion and that we are all destined for great things.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” ~ Nelson Mandela

Thank you Nelson Mandela, RIP....


jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~JD

Live boldly with great expectations...

Dear...

I used to say: "have no expectations and you will not have any disappointments". I probably said that because I had some disappointments myself and thought having no expectations was a good concept to avoid future pain and sadness, but my walk of life changed my view point to the exact opposite.

Imagine a life where you try to avoid all disappointments. You would always eat in the same restaurant and you would order the same dishes you know you like. You would spend your vacations each year in the same manner. You have the same daily schedule to prevent any unexpected events. You avoid making new friends because new friends means trusting them that they never disappoint you.

A life based on avoiding disappointment is a very safe life with no room for unexpected things. If you lead such a life, you become a creature of habit where everything becomes very predictable.

Now you might think I exaggerate to make a point, but I'm sure you know people who lead their lives similar to what I described. Living a life without expectations creates only a false sense of safety, as life tends to throw us unexpected things, but more importantly it will cut us short from the best things life has to offer.

So yes disappointments can be painful, but if you want to live your life to the fullest you need to live boldly with great expectations.Will you get all the things you expect? Maybe not, but that's okay if you learn to be content with what you get and what you have. Earl Nightingale known as the 'Dean of Personal Development' said: "Expect more good out of life than bad. Expect to succeed more often than you fail, and you will".

jeandorff@googlemail.com
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http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/




"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~JD

The power of being thankful

Dear...

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I'm not a born American citizen but I love this holiday. It is not only about remembering the first pilgrims, it is about being thankful for what you have. I understand that you could be in a challenging situation in which it is may be hard to feel thankful for anything, but especially in those situations its spirit lifting to find something to hold on to.

A few years ago I went through one of my most challenging periods in my life. Being grateful was definitely not on top of my mind at the time. It was easier to be angry and to blame. I was worried and had fear for what the future would bring me and I suppressed grief and unbelief of the situation I was in.

I'm not saying that I used careful processed thoughts to find things in my life to be still thankful for, but the fact is I did and know now that it gave me strength to accept and change my circumstances.

On hindsight  I used a simple 5 steps process:

1. I made a list for the things I still could be thankful for (material and non material).
2. I made a habit finding each day at least one thing to be grateful for.
3. I focused on the things I could change and accepted the things I couldn't (at least not then).
4. I went over this list every night before going to bed.
5. I shared both griefs and gratefulness with someone I fully trusted. 

Now this sounds maybe too simple and even scilly, but I'm inviting you to try it if you are in a 'challenging' period yourself. 

Mary J. Lore writes in her book 'Managing thoughts and the power of thankfulness':

"Thankfulness is one of the quickest and most powerful ways to create a change in our circumstances and move us in a direction that serves our purpose. Being thankful raises individuals to a new level of consciousness. It gives us access to our highest awareness and our ability to see the myriad of possibilities, discover what we truly want, and create and realize a vision for the future."

I can only testify that in my darkest period of life, I found purpose and strength by being grateful for what I have. Does that mean I never feel pain anger or grief anymore? Of course it doesn't, but I can give these emotions a place now and am not dragged down by them. I found that there is great power in being thankful and I hope you can find that too when you need it.

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/




"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~JD

Successful people do what less successful people don't like to do...

Dear...

Recently someone asked me, how do you keep yourself motivated to go to the gym consistently. This person had clearly not developed a habit of regular exercising yet. Some people say if you do something for 21 days, you have created a new habit. It is unfortunately not as simple as that. If it was, everyone would be thin and we all would be super fit. To create a new habit and make sure it sticks, you have to do this deliberately. You have to break down an old habit and replace it with a better one.

First, you need to understand why you want to break the old habit. Just doing exercises because it is trendy won't hold for long. You need to find some good personal motivators. Getting a better looking body could be a good motivator. Having experienced that you can't keep up with your kids anymore when they are playing in the park, might be an even stronger motivator.

There is no new habit that you like to do the first time you do it. Bob Proctor in his 'Freedom series' describes it as follows: "successful people make a habit of doing things that less successful people don't like to do". This sounds maybe a little harsh but it is absolutely true. Unsuccessful people are often  led by things they like to do, successful people on the other hand, are driven by the results they are after and are willing to do things that they (at first) don't like to do.

So in short, for you to keep going consistently and frequently to the gym, you have to have a clear objective in mind, be proud of every achievement you make, keep reciting your personal motivators and don't give up. If you do that, you will find yourself one day, going to the gym because you want to... not because you have to.

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~JD

New Years Resolutions I.

Dear...

You might think, New Years Resolutions, isn't that a little early? Maybe you are right it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But then again if you know that people who succeed with just about anything, always work with a well defined plan, you might want to reconsider. In the case of New Years Resolutions only 8% of the people who make resolutions succeed to achieve them. I bet you these are the same people who know how to plan their goals before they go after them. So over the course of the coming weeks I would like to offer some tips and tricks how you can succeed with any plan you make and since it is so close to New Year, why not taking 'how to achieve  New Years Resolutions' as an example.

Let me start you of with some hard facts first:

• About 50% of us make new years resolutions every year.
• Half of us never succeeds and fails to achieve their resolution each year. 
• Only 8% actually achieve their resolution.

What are the most made resolutions each year

• Weight loss
• Achieve a personal goal (in business, sport, relationship)
• Relationship (fall in love, improve etc) 
• Be more healthy, fitness more (quit smoking)
• Getting organized (clean, plan) 
• Financial (spend Less, save More)
• Spend more time with family
• Enjoy life to the fullest

Now depending where you're from, the order of these resolutions might change, but the number one through 4 are pretty solid everywhere. 

So follow my blogs or drop me an email if you want to get serious about achieving your 2014 resolution or any other goal you want to achieve.

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff
http://www.pinterest.com/jeandorff/inspiration/

"Be inspired and you shall inspired." ~JD

The source for the data used in this blog is: University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Pshychology. Published 12/13/12.

How to get more lucky

Dear....

Did you ever do a test at school without doing your homework, in the hope that you could wing it? I have to admit I did and to be completely honest more than once. There were a few times I got away with it, but luckily for me I flunked most of the tests I didn't prepare well for. Yes, you hear me well I said luckily. Of course that's not how I felt about it at the time, then I only cared about grades and didn't care so much about the correlation between preparation and succeeding or failing.
Later I learned that people with sustained success, prepared for success; although others would often call this luck.
Benjamin Franklin said: "by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail".
When you read this you probably think duh, that's so obvious. It is indeed obvious but that doesn't make it less true, does it?
Tony Robbins said: "the meeting of opportunity with preparation generates an offspring called luck".
Yes, preparations will allow you to successfully seize opportunities, but at the same time when you start preparing, opportunities will come your way as well. So like a blacksmith forge steel you can forge your luck. For steel to be forged, you have to have the right tools and heat the steel up to above 2000 degrees fahrenheit. Forging steel looks like brute force but if you see how a Japanese sword master forges a samurai sword, you know it is a delicate process which can only be achieved with the right knowledge, skills, tools and preparation. The master knows exactly how and when to hit the steel. In the same way, your luck can be forged: know what you are aiming for, prepare well for the results you want and then boldly, without being afraid of the heat, seize the opportunity when it occurs.

jeandorff@googlemail.com
facebook.com/jean.dorff

"Be inspired and you shall inspire." ~ JD

Give up on your dreams and your dreams will give up on you

Dear...

What are your dreams? Do you still have any? What popped up in your mind when you read the first question? Are you someone who secretly thinks their dreams will never happen? Or are you someone who says dreaming is for when we are asleep? Or maybe you are one of the few who still dares to dream big?
Did you know that a vast majority either gave up on their dreams or have no dreams at all? A smaller group still have dreams, but deep in their heart don't really believe that they can be achieved. And only a few of us have a clear vision how to get to their dreams or are already living them. The people that belong to the last group are the game changers of the world. These are the people that don't give up on their dreams and achieve the impossible.

For example the Wright Brothers, they pursued with unstopable persistency their dreams until they were finally able to fly. Only a handful of people were witness of what was believed to be impossible.  History however showed something remarkable. Orville Wright said after his first flights: "No machine will ever fly from New York to Paris because no engine can run for four days without stopping". Today we fly in about 5 hours from New York to Paris. You see even the Wright brothers didn't dream big enough.


Do you still dare to dream big, to pursuit your dreams and to make the impossible possible?
Nelson Mandela said: "It always seems impossible until its done."


Respond to this post or drop me an email if you want to know more how to pursue your dreams.

"Be inspired and you shall inspire" ~JD