June 2008: Building Your Success Team
By Cindy Ashton
Interview any super-successful person and
they will tell you that they have a success team behind them - also known as a
mastermind group. Similar to friends in that we have them to share our
lives and call in times of need and happiness, this group is a powerhouse of
resources and support, helping you to achieve your desires.
What is Mastermind Team?
A group of 5-6 people who meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis whose mission is
to help each other create outrageous success in all areas of their lives. They
could also do conferences calls. In each meeting, specific time is allotted to
focus on each person's needs.
What happens in the meetings?
- Brainstorming Solutions: Imagine having all those brilliant and creative
minds coming up with solutions to any blocks or problems you are
encountering. It is great to get the feedback of others who often see
things from an outside perspective - something you may not see when you
are caught up in situation. It is easy to create excuses as to why you can
not when you are trying to accomplish a huge goal. The mastermind group is
there to brainstorm how you can achieve what you desire - stretching you
beyond your limited box of what you know.
- Celebrating Success: It feels great to share successes and be
celebrated as it strengthens our confidence and self esteem. It is great
to know that you have a group of people who are genuinely thrilled for you
when you accomplish something.
- Creating Accountability: After brainstorming the solution and coming up
with an action plan as a group, you may sometimes feel afraid to follow
through. If you know that you have people to report to and who will hold
you accountable, you will most likely take that action. And if you don't,
then at the next meeting the group can help you discover what is blocking
you or perhaps brainstorm a better action plan for you.
What makes a great team?
- People who are trustworthy and will honour confidentiality.
- When someone is blocked, a group that will respond from a place of
compassion and non-judgment and are willing to be lovingly yet brutally
honest.
- Each person should bring a different strength and skill set to the
team. They need to be more successful than the others in some way so they
can pull the rest of the group up to their level in that aspect. For
example, one person may be money savvy and can teach others about this
part; another may be super creative and bring fresh ideas; another may
have excellent marketing know how, etc.
- People who want to genuinely see each other succeed. In other
words, they have worked on their issues and won't be behaving with
jealously or competitively.
How do you find your dream team?
You want to make sure you have the right team so take your time. It took me 6
months to find mine. I don't think there is a magic formula for this. I would
suggest that you look at the people you already know and go through your
rolodex. Look online for networking events, go out and meet new people.
As you do this, list the people who seem to be positive, focused and ambitious.
Review the qualities of what a great team is and ask yourself who would be the
best fit. Perhaps one of the people you recruit may have people they know that
would fit in as well. You may discover that you find a group and then do
some adjustments - subbing people in and out until the perfect team develops.
Watch out for the pitfall...
A mastermind group is not there to solve your problems and save you. They are
there to support you and get you to achievement at a quicker rate. You still
need to be willing to do the inner work and take the action. If you are in the
victim stage in your life and are looking for saviours, you will attract a
group of people like you. Guess what happens? ALL of you will be stuck in
that stage and end up feeding each other's neediness. So make sure you are
looking for a success team for the right reasons.
***Check out Chapter 46 (mastermind your way to
success) in Jack Canfield's The Success Principles if you want even
more detail! It is an outstanding book.
May 2008: Everything Happens for a Reason
By Cindy Ashton
From our daily routines to big events such as getting married, a new job or a well deserved vacation, we get fixed in our expectations. When our ‘perfect' plans go awry as they tend to do in life, it is easy to get negative, frustrated and doubtful. But when things don't go as you think they should or as you wanted them to, it is a fantastic opportunity to grow and learn. Here are some ways to look at why:
1. It may be a reflection of your thoughts and beliefs:
Imagine that Peter worked to the bone for months on end and finally got to go on a vacation. For weeks prior he was visioning himself relaxing on the beach, playing with the kids, and so on. The vacation came and it was a disaster ... from food poisoning to bad service to rainy weather. What happened? Perhaps Peter holds a belief deep inside that unless he is working and productive, he is not worthy. Or maybe he had a bad experience on his last trip and is still holding onto the past. This ‘disaster' is great opportunity for him to look inside and start to change his patterning.
2.There may be a better route for you:
Last month I talked about how I was desperate to be a dancer but got rejected from the only degree dance program in Ontario because my grades were 2% below the cut off. Although I was devastated at the time, it was truly a blessing. A month later I went and trained full time in a professional dance company, 6 hours a day. Within a week, I snapped a ligament in my ankle and damaged my knee; within a month the director heard me singing to myself and cast me to sing in the show; within 2 months, I was accepted into a post secondary diploma program for... singing, not dancing. Since I never had a lesson in my life, it was a big sign. When I applied for university again, I got into the music program on talent despite my grades still being too low. My big rejection forced me onto the path I am still on today... 14 years later. Can you imagine me not singing? So when things don't go your way, there may be something far greater for you. Have faith!
3.It is not the r ight timing:
Let's say you and your partner have been trying to get pregnant for over 2 years. Suddenly, a parent gets sick forcing all your energy towards helping them through their crisis. Can you imagine how difficult that would be if you have a small baby? Or maybe there was something you had to learn - perhaps by tending to the sick parent, you gained greater insight and compassion... tools that would make you a better parent when the timing was right.
4.We don't always know why:
Sometimes when we don't know why something happens, we have to come to a place of trust - have the faith that whatever the outcome is in our best and highest good. For example: Let's say Donna was on her way to an important interview for her ideal job - an opportunity she had worked towards for over 10 years. While driving, she realized she forgot her portfolio at home. She drove back home, got what she needed and drove off to her interview. Luck had it that she encountered lots of traffic and arrived 45 minutes late. The potential boss refused to see her and she lost her ‘dream' job. Although it seems like a disaster, it may have been a blessing. For all we know, if Donna would have had her portfolio and continued to drive, she would have got into a life threatening accident or maybe she would have got the job but ended up with a bully as a boss. We really don't know but ultimately, no matter what happens in our life, we must trust that it is in our bes t and highest good.
When things don't go as planned, look inside and start asking questions: Is there a belief or negativity within me that has blocked my good? Is there something I need to learn from this so I can have success next time? If all seems clear, then perhaps there is a better route for you or the timing needs to be right. Ultimately, we must always know that everything happens for a reason, so have faith that all will unfold as it needs to.
