Rainbow over Maui
Special Note: I am thrilled to present the following guest post from blogger Jill Brown of The Duchess Guide.
Beliefs are only thoughts you keep thinking about over and over. So let me ask you this? What are your thoughts about success?
On January 15th, 2009 an Airbus A320 commercial airline took off from New York City’s La Guardia Airport en route to North Carolina. The crew of five and one hundred and fifty passengers enjoyed roughly six minutes of ascent into the clouds as they departed Manhattan on their journey. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the plane experienced what is known in the aviation world as “bird strike.” The behemoth plane, already on its way up, crossed paths with a flock of comparatively small and insignificant Canadian Geese. The only problem for US Airways Flight 1549, and all other aircraft, is that while small in comparison – birds of a feather are incredibly dangerous to safe flight. The Canadian Geese caused the jet engines to fail and the pilot was forced to ditch the plane into the frigid waters of the Hudson.
Luckily in the story of Flight 1549 – we already know that all 155 individuals on the plane lived and were safely rescued from the floating airplane in the Hudson River. However, there are countless flights that have encountered the bird strike scenario and not lived to tell about it.
How can something so relatively tiny be so totally destructive? How can a twenty pound bird bring down a high-flying, powerful 93,000 pound plane?
Speed, velocity and the energy of aerodynamics are the answer!
And this story is a perfect illustration of how your beliefs about success, money and what is important in life are often just programmed illusions since birth. Yes, money is important. But what about other meanings of success? How many times have you been flying high, happy, unstoppable, an object in blissful motion toward your pie in the sky dreams – only to have a negative “bird strike” thought or comment from another bring you crashing down? Don’t let these old beliefs or unhappy naysayers sabotage your journey and high flying dreams! There is a broader definition of success that includes health, going after your dreams, loving what you do, making time for love and family and caring for your spirit and body which are absolute essentials in a wealthy life.
As certain as there are planes which are downed by bird strikes, there are even more that encounter this scenario and have the strength and power (through great design and planning) to stay in the air. Don’t let others bring drag you down into the keeping up with the neighbors game. Use the tools of meditation, affirmations and self-assessment to dig deep inside into what you really believe success and wealth mean. These tools will keep you properly prepared for the next time an ugly, negative belief (or discouraging comment from a disconnected person) rears its head and tries to bring you down. When you have the strength, the tools and the knowledge – you can keep yourself flying ahead, on course and experiencing your own belief of what success really means.
Jill is a Los Angeles, California-based coach and writer. She is the author of the weekly inspirational column, Duchess Digest, on Single Minded Woman.com and is the founder of Duchess, LLC; a business dedicated to helping and inspiring the best in all women. Additionally she is the co-host of a bi-weekly podcast show, Your Life Your Style, on blog talk radio. You can join her free weekly newsletter packed with tools, tips and inspiration through her website: www.theduchessequation.com and follow her on twitter: @JilltheDuchess. When Jill isn’t writing or coaching, she loves to travel, study cultures and do anything outdoors with her Labrador Betty.
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