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There is a single mental move you can make which, in a millisecond, will solve

enormous problems for you. It has the potential to improve almost any personal or

business situation you will ever encounter ... and it could literally propel you down the

path to incredible success. We have a name for this magic mental activity ... it is called

DECISION.

Decisions or the lack of them are responsible for the breaking or making of many a

career. Individuals who have become very proficient at making decisions, without being

influenced by the opinions of others, are the same people whose annual incomes fall into

the six and seven figure category. However, it's not just your income that is affected by

decisions; your whole life is dominated by this power. The health of your mind and

body, the well-being of your family, your social life, the type of relationships you

develop … all are dependent upon your ability to make sound decisions.

You would think anything as important as decision-making, when it has such farreaching

power would be taught in every school, but it is not. To compound the problem,

not only is decision-making missing from the curriculum of our educational institutions,

up until recently, it's also been absent from most of the corporate training and human

resource programs available.

So, how is a person expected to develop this mental ability? Quite simply, you

must do it on your own. However, I think it's important to understand that it's not

difficult to learn how to make wise decisions. Armed with the proper information and by

subjecting yourself to certain disciplines, you can become a very effective decision maker.

You can virtually eliminate conflict and confusion in your life by becoming proficient at

making decisions. Decision-making brings order to your mind, and of course, this order is

then reflected in your objective world ... your results.

James Allen may have been thinking of decisions when he wrote, "

secret and it comes to pass. Environment is but our looking glass

You do not require a doctorate degree in psychiatry to understand that you are

going to have difficulty in your life by permitting your mind to remain in an ambivalent

state for any period of time. The person who does permit it to exist will become very

despondent and virtually incapable of any type of productive activity. It is obvious that

anyone who finds themselves in such a mental state is not living; at best, they are merely

existing. A decision or a series of decisions would change everything.

A very basic law of the universe is "create or disintegrate". Indecision causes

disintegration. How often have you heard a person say, "I don't know what to do." How

often have you heard yourself say, "What should I do?" Think about some of the

indecisive feelings you and virtually everyone on this planet experience from time to time.

LOVE THEM - LEAVE THEM

QUIT - STAY

DO IT - DON'T DO IT

GO BANKRUPT - NO DON'T

GO TO WORK - WATCH TV

BUY IT - DON'T BUY IT

SAY IT - DON'T SAY IT

TELL THEM - DON'T TELL THEM

Everyone, on occasion, has experienced these feelings of ambivalence. If it

happens to you frequently, decide right now to stop it. The cause of ambivalence is

indecision, but we must keep in mind that the truth is not always in the appearance of

things. Indecision is a cause of ambivalence, however it is a secondary cause, it is not the

primary cause.

I have been studying the behavior of people who have become very proficient at

making decisions for over a quarter century. They all have one thing in common. They

have a very strong self image, a high degree of self-esteem. They may be as different as

night is to day in numerous other respects, but they certainly possess confidence. Low

self-esteem or a lack of confidence is the real culprit here. Decision makers are not afraid

of making an error. If and when they make an error in their decision, or fail at something,

they have the ability to shrug it off. They learn from the experience but they will never

submit to the failure.

Every decision maker was either fortunate enough to have been raised in an

environment where decision-making was a part of their upbringing, or they developed the

ability themselves at a later date. They are aware of something that everyone, who hopes

to live a full life, must understand: Decision making is something you cannot avoid.

That is the cardinal principle of decision making. DECIDE RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE

WITH WHATEVER YOU'VE GOT. This is precisely why most people never master

this important aspect of life. They permit their resources to dictate if and when a decision

will or can be made. When John Kennedy asked Werner Von Braun what it would take to

build a rocket that would carry a man to the moon and return him safely to earth, his

answer was simple and direct. "The will to do it." President Kennedy never asked if it

was possible. He never asked if they could afford it or any one of a thousand other

questions, all of which would have ... at that time ... been valid questions.

President Kennedy made a decision ... he said, we will put a man on the moon and

return him safely to earth before the end of the decade. The fact that it had never been

done before in all the hundreds of thousands of years of human history was not even a

consideration. He DECIDED where he was with what he had. The objective was

accomplished in his mind the second he made the decision. It was only a matter of time ...

which is governed by natural law before the goal was manifested in form for the whole

world to see.

I was ... just hours ago ... in an office with three people. We were discussing the

purchase of shares in a company. I was selling, they were buying. After a reasonable

amount of time, one of the partners asked me when I wanted a decision. I replied, "Right

now." I said, "You already know what you want to do." There was some discussion

about money. I pointed out that money had nothing to do with it. Once you make the

decision you will find the money ... every time. If that is the only benefit you receive

from this particular message on decision-making, burn it into your mind. It will change

your life. I explained to two of these people that I never let money enter my mind when I

am deciding whether I will or will not do something. Whether I can afford it or not is

never a consideration. Whether I want to or not is the only consideration. You can afford

anything, there is an infinite supply of money. All of the money in the world is available

to you, when the decision is firmly made. If you need money, you will attract it.

I am well aware there are any number of people who will say that is absurd. You

can't just decide to do something if you do not have the necessary resources. And that's

fine if that is the way they choose to think. I see that as a very limiting way of thinking.

In truth, it probably is not thinking at all ... it is very likely an opinion being expressed

that was inherited from another older member of their family who did not think either.

Thinking is very important. Decision makers are great thinkers. Do you ever give much

consideration to your thoughts? ... how they affect the various aspects of your life?

Although this should be one of our most serious considerations, for many people it is not.

There is a very small select few who make any attempt to control or govern their

thoughts.

Anyone who has made a study of the great thinkers, the great decision makers, the

achievers of history, will know they very rarely agreed on anything when it came to the

study of human life. However, there was one point on which they were in complete and

unanimous agreement and that was, "

What do YOU think about? You and I must realize that our thoughts ultimately

control every decision we make. You are the sum total of your thoughts. By taking charge

this very minute, you can guarantee yourself a good day. Refuse to let unhappy, negative

people or circumstances affect you.

The greatest stumbling block you will encounter when making important decisions

in your life is circumstance. We let circumstance get us off the hook when we should be

giving it everything we've got. More dreams are shattered and goals lost because of

circumstance than any other single factor.

How often have you caught yourself saying, "I would like to do or have this but I

can't because ..." Whatever follows "because" is the circumstance. Circumstances may

cause a detour in your life but you should never permit them to stop you from making

important decisions. Napoleon said, "Circumstances … I make them."

The next time you hear someone say they would like to vacation in Paris, or

purchase a particular automobile but they can't because they have no money, explain

they don't need the money until they make a decision to go to Paris or purchase the car.

When the decision is made, they will figure out a way to get the amount needed. They

always do.

Many misguided individuals try something once or twice and if they do not hit the

bullseye, they feel they are a failure. Failing does not make anyone a failure, but quitting

most certainly does and quitting is a decision. By following that form of reasoning, you

would have to say when you make a decision to quit, you make a decision to fail.

Every day in America, you hear about a baseball player signing a contract that will pay

him a few million dollars a year. You should try to keep in mind ... that same player

misses the ball more often than he hits it when he steps up to the plate.

Everyone remembers Babe Ruth for the 714 home runs he hit and they rarely

mention that he struck out 1,330 times.

Charles F. Kettering said, and I quote, "

999 times and succeed once, you're in

a decision.

Many years ago Helen Keller was asked if she thought there was anything worse

than being blind. She quickly replied that there was something much worse. She said,

"

vision

When a person has no vision of a better way of life, they automatically shut

themselves in a prison; they limit themselves to a life without hope. This frequently

happens when a person has seriously tried, on a number of occasions, to win, only to

meet with failure time after time. Repeated failures can damage a person's self-image and

cause them to lose sight of their potential. They, therefore make a decision to give up and

resign themselves to their fate.

Take the first step in predicting your own prosperous future. Build a mental

picture of exactly how you would like to live. Make a firm decision to hold on to that

vision and positive ways to improve everything will begin to flow into your mind.

Many people get a beautiful vision of how they would like to live but because

they cannot see how they are going to make it all happen, they let the vision go. If they

knew how they were going to get it or do it, they would have a plan not a vision. There is

no inspiration in a plan but there sure is in a vision. When you get the vision, freeze frame

it with a decision and don't worry about how you will do it or where the resources will

come from. Charge your decision with enthusiasm ... that is important. Refuse to worry

about how it will happen.

We make advanced bookings when we fly somewhere, that is quite common. We make

advanced reservations to eliminate any confusion or problems when the time arrives for

the journey. We do the same with renting a car, for the same reason. Think of the

problems you will eliminate by making many of the decisions you must make ... well in

advance. I'll give you an excellent example. As I am preparing this message it is

Ramadan, a time where all practicing Muslims fast. I was in an office yesterday in

Kuala Lumpur and was asked if I would like a cup of tea or coffee. I replied that I would

appreciate a cup of tea. The lady next to me was then asked if she would like a cup and

she replied ... "No, I'm fasting." When she was asked, she did not have to decide whether

she wanted anything or not. Whether she was thirsty or not was not a consideration. A

decision had previously been made and her advanced Decision was well tempered with

discipline.

The exact same concept works with a person when they are on a diet to release

weight. Their decisions are made in advance. If they are offered a big slice of chocolate

cake, they don't have to say, "Gee, that looks good ... I wonder if I should." The decision

is made in advance.

I made a decision a long time ago that I would not participate in discussions of

why something cannot be done. The only compensation you will ever receive for

participating in or giving energy to that type of discussion, is something you do not want.

I always find it amazing at the number of seemingly intelligent people who persist in

dragging you into these negative brainstorming sessions. In one breath these people tell

you they seriously want to accomplish a particular objective. And, in the next breath,

they begin talking about why they can't. Think of how much more of life they would

enjoy by making a decision that they will no longer participate in that type of negative

energy.

The humanistic psychologist, Dr. Abraham Maslow who devoted his life to

studying self actualized people, stated very clearly that we should follow our inner guide

and not be swayed by the opinion of others or outside circumstances. Maslow's research

showed that the decision makers in life had a number of things in common; most

importantly, they did work they felt was worthwhile and important. They found work a

pleasure, and there was little distinction between work and play. Dr. Maslow said, to be

self actualized you must not only be doing work you consider to be important, you must

do it well and enjoy it.

Dr. Maslow recorded that these superior performers had values, those qualities in

their personalities they considered to be worthwhile and important. Their values were not

imposed by society, parents or other people in their lives. They did make their own

decisions. Like their work, they chose and developed their values themselves.

You have the potential to do anything you choose, and to do it well. But, you

must make decisions and when the time for a decision arrives, you must make your

decision where you are with what you've got.

Let me leave you with the words of two great decision makers, William James and

Thomas Edison. William James suggested that, compared to what we ought to be, we are

making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources. Stating this concept

broadly, the human individual thus lives far within his limits. He possesses powers of

various sorts, which he habitually fails to use.

Years later, Thomas Edison said, and I quote, "

capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves

your wildest dreams into reality.

Put this valuable information to use and recognize the greatness that exists within

you. You have limitless resources of potential and ability waiting to be developed. Start

today – there's never any time better than the present. Be all that you are capable of

being!

My dictionary tells me that to risk is "to expose oneself to the chance of loss." I suppose that is

true. Another piece of literature I was once given (author unknown) suggests that:

You may avoid suffering and sorrow if you don't risk, but you simply cannot learn, feel, change,

grow, love, live. The greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does

nothing and has nothing. Only a person who risks is free.

What causes individuals to shy away from taking a risk, even if it is a low risk and will give them

something they really want? Well, certainly high on most people's list would be fear of loss,

failure and perceived humiliation if the loss were to occur. Why would we automatically think that

we would fail at something? Why wouldn't we first try and see, and then if we did fail, learn from

that experience and move on? What causes us to have these thoughts of inferiority?

Well, I believe it dates back to our little life. And, since risk-taking, to my knowledge, is not a

subject that is taught in school, it would lead me to believe that a person's fear of taking risks might

stem back from before they can even remember. When you were a child taking your very first

steps, it wasn't uncommon to hear one of your parents or guardians say, "Be careful, you might

fall." Or, "Don't do that, you'll …." Though some of this is rhetoric and you don't really pay

much attention to it, for some, it begins the pattern of playing it safe.

Think of how much better equipped we would be to face life's challenges and succeed, if we had

repetitively heard, "Take a chance and don't worry about falling, because you're going to fall …

probably quite often. Falling is an important part of learning." Many of the greatest lessons you'll

receive in life are going to come from falling … from your failures.

Failing will never make you a failure unless you quit. Unfortunately, very few people heard that

when they were small. The vast majority of our population have been mentally programmed to

play it safe.

In my seminars I have often said that a little baby is a natural born risk taker. The baby never

considers the consequences of falling when it is learning to walk. Falling is acknowledged as a

natural consequence to learning to walk. I guess you could call it a calculated gamble; it's a

prerequisite to mastering a myriad of motor skills required to get you on your feet and moving. It's

a natural progression in movement. Why then, wouldn't we stop to consider that any movement

into unchartered territory should be viewed with the same consideration? What happens to us?

Why is it that we do not see the process of reaching our goals as having steps similar to the ones the

baby must take in order to learn to walk? There will be some stumbling and falling in the learning

process, but success can only be reached when we are prepared to take those steps, all of them,

even the ones where we may fall down. The real win is the confidence and experience we acquire

which translates into new opportunities for growth, enjoyment and expansion in all areas of our

life.

When I was a youngster in school, I participated in track and field. Pole-vaulting was my specialty;

it was the one event I seemed to excel at. I clearly remember knocking that bar flying more often

than I cleared it. I also remember I was not very enthusiastic when that happened. Knocking the

bar off left me with a feeling that because I had failed, I was a failure. I had failed and as I

remember, no one advised me of anything different. In retrospect, it would have been an excellent

opportunity for one of my teachers to help me understand one of life's greatest lessons. But, it

never happened and it would be many years before I learned the truth, the hard way.

While we're still on the topic of children, I'll throw up another caution flag. There's a four letter

word that most parents use around their children so frequently, that the children pick it up and

before too long it is buried in the treasury of their sub-conscious mind. That four letter word is

CAN'T. This word has done more damage than a lot of other frowned-upon four letter words put

together. I know of some forward-thinking parents who have literally banned that word from their

children's vocabulary!

Can't is a word that paralyzes any constructive progress. It switches your mind into a negative

frequency. It is a four letter word that will open your mind to a never ending flow of logical,

practical reasons which will enable you to justify why you are not able to do something you

sincerely want to accomplish.

The only alternative to that four-letter word is its polar opposite – I CAN. I can is far more

important than IQ. You don't necessarily have to be very smart to win … but you must be willing.

Reaching the goal is not success; success is moving toward the goal. When I was knocking down

the cross bar, I was attempting to reach the goal. I was stretching, giving it everything I had. That

could hardly be considered failing. Every time I tried to clear the bar, I was risking being ridiculed

by the other kids. I risked having them laugh at me when I missed … and they did laugh.

However, every time I ran down the field and lowered the pole into the box, attempting to vault

myself over the bar, I was challenging myself. Taking risks is essential when you want to reach a

goal and the purpose of goals is growth. When you challenge yourself, you bring more of yourself

to the surface. If you knock the bar flying today, at least you will know you are challenging

yourself; you're a success!

If you dream of living your life in a really big way, you must accept risk-taking as a very real part

of the apprenticeship you must serve. Make a decision right now to change. Decide this very

moment there will be no more playing it safe … no more "saving it for a rainy day" type thinking

in your life. When people get caught up in the habit of saving for a rainy day, that is generally

what they get … a rainy day.

I clearly remember the first time I heard Earl Nightingale. Earl was telling a story about a farmer

who was out walking in a field. He looked down and saw a tiny pumpkin growing on a vine.

Nearby, he spotted a small glass jar. The farmer reached down and placed the tiny pumpkin inside

the small jar. The pumpkin continued to grow until it filled the inside of the jar. Beyond which it

could not grow.

There are a number of people like that tiny pumpkin. They limit themselves and refuse to take a

risk. They never truly test the strength of their abilities. You will never get to second base if you

keep one foot on first. Too many people go through their entire lives playing their cards close to

their chest. They never step out and bet on the surest thing in the world ... themselves.

If you hope to accumulate great wealth or achieve high goals, history records that the first few steps

have a high degree of risk. You must turn your back on safety and security. To make it big, you

must take big risks. You will very likely have to put yourself in a highly vulnerable position. It is

also worth remembering you cannot almost take a risk.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which

you really stop to look fear in the face." Follow her advice and liberate yourself from the crippling

emotional state of fear and enter into a world of freedom.