Good Thinking: Key to Overcoming Peer Pressure

One of the things that keeps many youth from making progress in their lives is peer pressure - they go with the masses instead of using their quality of thinking to chart out a path that is truly theirs. While it might seem ‘cool’ to some people to be part of the “crew” and think like, talk like, behave like everyone else, that will not take you over the top in life.  To become a winner in life you must be a trailblazer. A true trailblazer is a pioneer – someone who goes his or her own way when all the pressure is driving him or her another way. The key to being a trailblazer is to be a good thinker.

A few years ago I really enjoyed reading John C. Maxwell’s book, Thinking for a Change. I had already been practicing some of the concepts he developed in the book but he added superb insight to my understaning of the essence of good thinking. Three of his ideas stood out:

1. Good Thinking Creates the Foundation for Good Results

What do you want to achieve in life? The key to that will be in developing a reservoir of good thoughts that are well implemented. Your progress in life is directly proportional to the quality of your thoughts.

2. Good Thinking Increases Your Potential

You need to understand your own full potential in life. Potential is simply the capacity that a person has for effectiveness in life. We can all attain our potential as we begin to elevate our thinking. Good thinking increases the level of results one can expect in life.

3. Good Thinking Produces More Good Thinking IF . . . You Make It a Habit

Nothing dominates life more than a habit. As you practice good thinking, you develop a foundation from which you can continue to harvest even better thinking. We have to continually raise our level of thinking – it takes a habit of good thinking to do that.

Will you climb out of the pile or will you stay rooted in it? As you climb out of the pile, remember the story of the crabs in a bucket. As one tries to climb out, the others will, without question, try to pull it back in. But know this one thing, there are encouragers who will make themselves available to push you out of the pile and I’m one of them.

Clawing Up the Leaderboard of Life

I love the game of golf. It gets me thinking and provides me with instant feedback and instant opportunities for self-correction. My vision is always great right before I tee off but somehow the execution never seems to be aligned to that which I had envisioned. I therefore have a lot of respect for a player like Tiger Woods, who has a way of making the game look like a Great Opportunity to Look Foolish (G.O.L.F) for many. What terrific rounds of golf he always plays! I always gasp in amazement as Tiger claws his way up the leaderboard! We also need CLAWs if we are to climb up the leaderboard of life. How does one avoid the cut and claw his way up the leaderboard of life? Here’s the key:

Create a powerful picture of your destiny – You have to see yourself as a champion. Tiger wins because he knows he is the best. Greatness comes to those who anticipate it because the world will stand aside and lets pass the man who knows where he is going. Winners start of with a powerful picture of their destiny.  

Leverage your potential by playing to win – Some people play not to lose. That is the prime recipe for failure. You have to play to win, not play to avoid losing. Mentality is the key to winning, perspective is the hand that turns the key. Play to win!

Adjust your swing using proven technique - Tiger makes constant adjustments. The key to winning in life is making adjustments. Change is not your enemy – change is your greatest friend. If you get stuck in one mode of doing things teh same way you’ve always done them, you will go insane. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting different results.

Widen your vision by developing a BHAG – You need a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). The quality of your vision depends on the magnitude of your BHAG. Think beyond your daily sustenance. Have a goal that will continously pull you into the future. A goal is simply a dream given substance, direction and timing (read my previous blogs).

My friend, you can CLAW your way up the leaderboard of life. Apply these techniques and I will see you over the top!!!!