What you do today prepares you for your future

One of the most powerful things that struck me this week while listening to Jim Rohn (2004 Weekend Event 24 CD set) was, what you do today prepares you for your future. In fact, I sat down recently and wrote out 100 things that I wanted to do, places I wanted to see, etc., before I die--pretty powerful stuff. One of the best things you can do to guarantee your future success is to be sure that you envision it today. Make sure that you have a vision for what you want out of life.

But just as importantly is acting upon your dreams today. This significant truth is so impactful! What you do today produces what you will become tomorrow. If you want to weigh 20 pounds less in three months, work out today. If you want to save $1000 in two months, put $16.66 in the bank today.

Everything you do today will make you what you will be tomorrow and in the future; you can be sure of that. So take the mindset that you are going to be proactive and purposefully create the life of your dreams by acting today.

A second powerful thing was that our character is forged when we confront our limitations. Limitations are a part of life. We all have them. Even the greatest athletes hit points where they think it is physically impossible to go further. Limitations are one of life's greatest opportunities because of how we react to them and what we become through them.

Every single person from time to time will be confronted with their own limitations. You may be experiencing some now. What separates the successful from the unsuccessful is what happens when we face them. Some people simply look at them and become so intimidated that they say, "I can't," and walk away, never knowing what could have been. But successful people see their limitations and say, "I can." At the very least they say, "I will try."

What do you do? Do you confront your limitations and see them as a growth opportunity? I hope so! And when you get through your limitations, be sure that there will be others. It is in breaking through each new barrier that we continue to climb higher and higher and achieve new levels of character, skill and success.

And thirdly, are you going to be a casualty or a survivor? A victim or a victor? These are great questions that Donna asked. From hearing her story you see how many times she could have chosen to be a casualty. She could have chosen to be a victim. But living a victorious life means choosing to be a survivor and a victor, no matter what the circumstances.

Victor Frankl wrote in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning," about being in a concentration camp. He could have chosen to be a victim when they came to torture him. Instead, he decided that he would choose how he would respond, and what kind of attitude he would have. Certainly, most of us will never have to be confronted with anything remotely like the horrors of a WWII concentration camp, which means that the choice to be a victor is all the more within your grasp! Spend some time this week when you are confronted with tough circumstances, to remind yourself that you have a choice on how you will respond and how you will see yourself.

My thoughts come from TC Cummings' section. I don't believe that most people really understand what it means to be a Navy SEAL.

Perhaps five percent of the world's population has the physical ability to be a SEAL. Probably two percent have the mental toughness and less than one percent have both. When TC Cummings speaks you should listen, take notes and memorize it.

The greatest take-away that I got from TC, was that when you confront a self-imposed limitation and conquer it, you will build character and self-esteem. I have heard so many speakers talk about goal setting. However, I never really understood what it does to your mental toughness and character when you accomplish a goal. I have a few things in my life that I have wanted to change for a while, yet I kept putting them off. But when I heard TC speak, I realized that by overcoming these things in my life, not only would I be rid of them, but I would also build self-esteem and character in the process.

Now, I have set my goals, and the payoff is not only the life change by changing the habits that I have designated...it will also be the character and self-esteem. Perhaps I have heard other speakers explain it that way, yet I have never understood it until TC said it. I've now listened to TC's segment more than five times, and it is by far my favorite.