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A lot of people are afraid of failure, but do you know anyone who's afraid of success? Let's talk about this rather common problem. 

Abraham Maslow, one of the 20th Century's great psychologists, called it a "Jonah Complex," because Jonah chose to turn his back on the great things God had planned for him. Of course, the Bible tells us that Jonah eventually found himself inside the belly of a great fish, but most people who fear success eventually find themselves consumed with regrets for things that might have been. 

We turn away from the challenges that will bring us… >>>

Today, let's talk about frustration - a feeling all of us experience from time to time - and how to overcome it.

One of the roadblocks on the path to success is frustration. Everyone feels it from time to time. It's kind of like anxiety with a little anger thrown in, isn't it? You feel like a tiger in a cage, filled with tension and negative energy but accomplishing nothing. And that tension and negative energy represent both the danger and the opportunity in frustration.

The danger is the tension and the negativity, because negativity blocks all the positive feelings… >>>

Today, I want to say a few words about peak performance to everyone who would like to improve at a sport or game, and I am not talking about performance-enhancing substances. 

People are finally starting to realize that "the right stuff" isn't something you have to be born with. The fact that we can learn to tap previously unexplored potential has been quickest, perhaps, to take hold in the world of professional sports. However, the principles involved will work just as well for weekend and high school athletes, too. 

One of the best-known techniques, for what sports psychologists and counselors… >>>

Did you know that there is an important difference between efficiency and effectiveness? Let's talk about that difference and why it matters.

Most businesses focus a lot of energy on running an efficient operation - efficient in the sense that things get done with a minimum of effort and motion. It's low input and high output. In other words, efficiency is doing things right. But doing what things? Ah! This is a very important question.

You see, effectiveness, to me, is doing the right things right. And effectiveness is what you want to aim for, because you can be extremely… >>>

Today, I want to share with you one of the most powerful techniques I know for personal growth - and it works for individuals, teams, organizations, communities, even nations.

It is a simple technique that has incredible power to change lives and expand potential. In fact, I don't know of anything that has more power. It's a technique you can use to help your own life grow richer and to help others, as well. 

When you can see yourself, not as you are, but as you can become, you stimulate incredible growth and previously unbelievable change. People who find life… >>>

Have you ever watched highly competitive sports with your kids? Let's talk about the kinds of messages our kids get from these games.

Many years ago, I coached high school football, and I still do a lot of work with college and professional athletes. Now it's always been clear to me, and I always tried to make it clear to the kids I coached, that the point of competition is to bring out the best in us. It's great to win, but for every winner there's a loser, and sports isn't about always being the winner. It's about playing the… >>>

Some people say that long-term goals are the kind you need to set if you really want to get anywhere. Other people say that long-term goals are too distant to get their arms around. Here's what I think, and it's backed up by research out of Stanford University as well as other leading edge studies. 

The best kind of goals to have is a combination of short- and long-term. If you have only long-term goals, you may indeed find it rough going. The realities of life are that most of us have many pressing goals in the present - things… >>>

Are you planning to make a change in yourself? If you are, I would like to share some tips on how to go about getting the best results.

Maybe you want to lose weight, get into good physical shape, or quit smoking. Maybe you'd like to learn to do something new, or do something you already do better. Maybe you want to work on your anger, like we talked about yesterday. Whatever it is you want to do, there are three things we now know about self-directed change that can help you. 

First, set goals that aren't too big, too… >>>

Do you find yourself feeling out of sorts or angry a lot? What do you do when you get angry?  Let's talk about this powerful feeling.

Anger is a powerful emotion that reveals itself in many different ways. Some folks seem to go through life with a chip on their shoulder. They are quick to find things to be angry about, always fix the cause of their anger as somewhere outside themselves, and occasionally erupt into rage. Other people seem to run on a pretty even keel most of the time, but when they get angry they explode and feel… >>>

As you might have guessed, I do a lot of reflective writing, whether it is in preparation for a presentation, a weekend seminar, or a taping session.  Often, I go through old journals, checking on my own personal progression toward growth. I came across some personal reflections recently, about some information I found in early 2000. I'd like to share them with you today.

When the new century had settled down, some fascinating, but not entirely unexpected data appeared concerning death rates in the month of January 2000.  You see, they went up - higher than any January before.  It… >>>