Napoleon Hill said “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” The words are powerful and true. The author meant it as inspiration to go after your dreams however the statement can mean the opposite.
If you conceive failure, you’ll likely move in that direction. So make sure what you’re conceiving is an outcome you want, not one you don’t want.
From my viewpoint, this world as divided into two groups of people…
The first being those who are forward-looking, achievement-driven, learning-minded, action-takers. The second group is made of those stuck in today or yesterday. They don’t believe conditions can or will improve. Therefor they become powerless to change or fix anything and therefore do not try.
Everyone can understand that if you want more out of life - be in the first group. The second group is made up of complainers, blamers, and finger-pointers, never taking responsibility or ownership for where they are in life.
Nancy Dornan often shares that your past does not have to be your future. Think about that – if you want to change, you can do it. Set a course to what you want.
A growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Everyone can change and grow through application and experience.
Conversely, a fixed mindset is based on the belief that a person’s qualities are carved in stone and unchangeable. Should you attempt to improve your lot in life or achieve any degree of success beyond where you currently are, is impossible, futile, and seldom worth any effort.
This past week I witnessed this concept. In 2002, Bobbie helped a community believe they could change their lot in life. She invested her time, money and sweat working with others helping them by remodeling 21 small houses in what was a bad part of Elberton. Working with a few people they cleaned up a cemetery that had long been forgotten. Bobbie worked with the new tenants of the small homes, encouraging them to believe that they can make a difference, a new start in life.
This week we attended what I call the Next Step for that small community. They had commissioned UGA to help them see what they could do with three “relics” of buildings in their community. The presentation was enlightening and eye opening, but that was not the real story.
The real story is how that community has changed. Fourteen years ago, this area was a drug infested and no way out community. People living there never had a thought about being able to change their life’s course. Today it is completely changed.
The community has changed, taken on a “can do it” mind set.
Over the last 14 years, that cemetery that was covered in Kudzu and lost, is still maintained – yet no one knows who owns it. The rental houses still are freshly painted, clean and people taking pride on where they live. The “project housing” is kept up and clean, and I am told drug free. These areas are examples of what can be done when you believe you can change your future.
About 100 people from the community were at the presentation. Many were recognized for the efforts and time devoted each week in maintaining their community and the idea initially started by Bobbie. Those ideas of spending time with the children and adults sharing that you can do anything you want to in life if you dream it and work on your dream.
Their next goal is to raise $100,000 to start the rehabilitation of what will be their community center. The goal was to have 100 black men provide $1,000 each. I was impressed that these people of modest means stepped up to the challenge to help their community, especially the kids of their community. They are doing it to keep their boys out of jail and their girls from getting pregnant.
Fourteen years ago that would never have been a thought, and now it is a community goal. All because a women had a dream that you can change someone’s life by giving them an ability to dream.
ACTIONS FOR YOU
There are two actions I want you to think about
How can you help someone develop a dream and then work with them to nurture it and have it grow to where they take it on themselves. Help feed the dream – not do it for them but help them by continued encouragement.
The second action, if you are so inclined, is to join me in encouraging the local community by joining with those 100 black men and contribute to the Blackwell Community Center in Elberton GA. I was moved and hope you are too and will send a donation of $100 or more to them with a “note of encouragement” that “Dreams are achievable when you believe”.
Blackwell Community Center
c/o Granit City Life Skills (501c corp)
8 North Oliver Street, Suite 409
PO Box 354
Elberton, GA 30635
If you conceive failure, you’ll likely move in that direction. So make sure what you’re conceiving is an outcome you want, not one you don’t want.
From my viewpoint, this world as divided into two groups of people…
The first being those who are forward-looking, achievement-driven, learning-minded, action-takers. The second group is made of those stuck in today or yesterday. They don’t believe conditions can or will improve. Therefor they become powerless to change or fix anything and therefore do not try.
Everyone can understand that if you want more out of life - be in the first group. The second group is made up of complainers, blamers, and finger-pointers, never taking responsibility or ownership for where they are in life.
Nancy Dornan often shares that your past does not have to be your future. Think about that – if you want to change, you can do it. Set a course to what you want.
A growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Everyone can change and grow through application and experience.
Conversely, a fixed mindset is based on the belief that a person’s qualities are carved in stone and unchangeable. Should you attempt to improve your lot in life or achieve any degree of success beyond where you currently are, is impossible, futile, and seldom worth any effort.
This past week I witnessed this concept. In 2002, Bobbie helped a community believe they could change their lot in life. She invested her time, money and sweat working with others helping them by remodeling 21 small houses in what was a bad part of Elberton. Working with a few people they cleaned up a cemetery that had long been forgotten. Bobbie worked with the new tenants of the small homes, encouraging them to believe that they can make a difference, a new start in life.
This week we attended what I call the Next Step for that small community. They had commissioned UGA to help them see what they could do with three “relics” of buildings in their community. The presentation was enlightening and eye opening, but that was not the real story.
The real story is how that community has changed. Fourteen years ago, this area was a drug infested and no way out community. People living there never had a thought about being able to change their life’s course. Today it is completely changed.
The community has changed, taken on a “can do it” mind set.
Over the last 14 years, that cemetery that was covered in Kudzu and lost, is still maintained – yet no one knows who owns it. The rental houses still are freshly painted, clean and people taking pride on where they live. The “project housing” is kept up and clean, and I am told drug free. These areas are examples of what can be done when you believe you can change your future.
About 100 people from the community were at the presentation. Many were recognized for the efforts and time devoted each week in maintaining their community and the idea initially started by Bobbie. Those ideas of spending time with the children and adults sharing that you can do anything you want to in life if you dream it and work on your dream.
Their next goal is to raise $100,000 to start the rehabilitation of what will be their community center. The goal was to have 100 black men provide $1,000 each. I was impressed that these people of modest means stepped up to the challenge to help their community, especially the kids of their community. They are doing it to keep their boys out of jail and their girls from getting pregnant.
Fourteen years ago that would never have been a thought, and now it is a community goal. All because a women had a dream that you can change someone’s life by giving them an ability to dream.
ACTIONS FOR YOU
There are two actions I want you to think about
How can you help someone develop a dream and then work with them to nurture it and have it grow to where they take it on themselves. Help feed the dream – not do it for them but help them by continued encouragement.
The second action, if you are so inclined, is to join me in encouraging the local community by joining with those 100 black men and contribute to the Blackwell Community Center in Elberton GA. I was moved and hope you are too and will send a donation of $100 or more to them with a “note of encouragement” that “Dreams are achievable when you believe”.
Blackwell Community Center
c/o Granit City Life Skills (501c corp)
8 North Oliver Street, Suite 409
PO Box 354
Elberton, GA 30635