For centuries Protestant Christians have argued that you can reach heaven through faith (belief) alone while Roman Catholics have argued that both faith and works are necessary for salvation. However, both groups agree that faith and works are essential in the life of the true Christian.
This truth applies not only to religion but to all of life. Whether you want to be a true believer or just to succeed in achieving your dreams, you need both faith and works or, in more modern language, belief and action.
Believing that you are a writer is not enough. You have to do some works i.e. take action. You have to actually write something and it helps if you write every day.
I am writing this article at 5 a.m. on a Monday morning. I will finish it today and then write another one. I have been doing this since December 1st 2004 and have now written well over a hundred articles. Daily action or work (whatever you like to call it) has achieved this. I also believed that I could write an article a day.
A necessary part of any action is to keep going until you have finished whatever you are doing. What isn't finished is as useful as a two legged chair. Robert Louis Stevenson failed to finish 9 novels before he completed "Treasure Island". The action has to be persistent as well as daily.
Big dreams about being a top guitarist won't cut it. Hourly, daily practice is essential. This practice has to be focused. Trying to be a classical guitarist and a rock guitarist does not usually work unless you are just playing for your own pleasure.
I learned this lesson the hard way by trying to learn flamenco guitar, blues guitar, bottle neck guitar and rock guitar not to mention banjo, blues harp, drums and bagpipes all at the same time. Not surprisingly I never achieved a high standard at any of them though I was paid to play some of them!
Who loses weight? Is it the person who longs to lose weight or the one who walks a few miles every day and eats at least one apple or orange a day?
Again, specific daily actions rule. This cannot be stressed enough.
Who achieves their black belt? Is it the one who watches all the Bruce Lee movies and sees himself in the hero's role or the one who turns up at the training hall in cold and wet weather and trains hard on a daily basis?
Chris Widener, whose article inspired this one, gives some cogent examples of the contrasts between the dreamer and the doer:
"Who retires early? The one who dreams of a house on the beach, or the one who invests $300 a month?"
"Who has the best marital relationship? The one who knows how much spending time with their spouse can improve their relationship, or the one who sits down and talks with their spouse every night?"
Of course, belief is also very important. Unless you believe you can achieve your goals, you are not likely to take the necessary daily actions to achieve them. However the quickest way to increase your belief is to take action and see the progress you have made.
If you do not believe you can rid your desk of the mountain of paper work start by filing at least one piece of paper a day. Before you know it your desk will be clear. As you may guess, I am staring at a cluttered desk right now!
Believe and take daily action and you may surprise yourself with your own achievements.
About the author
John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.
The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"
The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com
The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.
You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.
weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..So you want to be successful (whatever that means to... Read More
There have been a lot of really good movies made... Read More
Why is it that most people still equate being successful... Read More
We all want to improve our top line - our... Read More
A few weeks ago I took my boy on a... Read More
In this brief article we will explore four methods that... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
If you want to be rich and famous, you have... Read More
I don't need to be a gypsy fortune teller to... Read More
For centuries Protestant Christians have argued that you can reach... Read More
Human beings are visual creatures. Our imaginations are powerful tools... Read More
Ask yourself the following:1. I have created a life-strategy plan... Read More
1)Failure is normal.Everyone has faced failure. Some people talk about... Read More
There are no two greater ironic comparisons than that of... Read More
You can achieve whatever you want by incorporating the following... Read More
I always say to my children, as long as you... Read More
Walt Disney coined a special phrase for persistence and determination;... Read More
I confess, I love westerns. There is nothing like those... Read More
How many of you have ever thought about the link... Read More
It was one of the worst periods of time in... Read More
Are you looking for the secret or magical formula for... Read More
If you have a choice each day in the tasks... Read More
In a recent article (What is The Ultimate Lifestyle), I... Read More
Don't expect results over night - what??If you were to... Read More
You may not realise it yet but you may have... Read More
whole house cleaning Park Ridge ..Let me ask you a question? What must happen for... Read More
How many people do you hear complaining about their job,... Read More
Many among us, on many instances, have the habit of... Read More
Signs of DiscontentYou don't need a degree in psychology to... Read More
The starting point of all great success and achievement is... Read More
Life is not a competition.Not at all. Life itself is... Read More
Nicholas Darvas, escaping his war-torn homeland, Hungary, sought refuge in... Read More
Everyone talks about how to be successful through hard work... Read More
Authors such as Napoleon Hill have produced a great deal... Read More
Opportunity is all around us and has many facets, but... Read More
As I have worked with people over the years I... Read More
Do not make the mistake of looking at your failures... Read More
I wrote an article on this very subject, with the... Read More
Many UK citizens want to settle or retire in Spain... Read More
One of the questions that I am asked most often... Read More
I succeeded. I achieved my goal. I am successful. I... Read More
There is one big "secret" to success that can help... Read More
Everybody wants to get to the top, whether it is... Read More
Bank account bare? Bedroom barren? Body running on empty? Buddha... Read More
I've just sent an email to my mailing list based... Read More
For each of us, how successful we feel will depend... Read More
Don't expect results over night - what??If you were to... Read More
When you hear the words "abundance" and "prosperity", what immediately... Read More
As a work-life and career coach, I regularly work with... Read More
"Write checks on a regular basis to those who you... Read More
Success |