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Your Greatest Power by Steve Goodier "Becoming aware of my character defects leads me naturally to the next step of blaming my parents," one woman quips. Benjamin Franklin didn't feel that way. Becoming aware of his character defects led him to something quite remarkable. He exercised what author J. Martin Kohe calls YOUR GREATEST POWER — your power to choose. Franklin noticed that he had difficulty getting along with people. He tended to argue too much. He had trouble making and keeping friends. So he made a choice. He chose to examine his own personality and make a list of what he considered undesirable personality traits. (It's not known if other people helped him make this list.) It was New Year's Day. Franklin finished his list of personality traits he wanted to change. He identified 13 character flaws and determined to work on each one for a week. He did this for an entire year and finally checked each trait off his list. Benjamin Franklin developed one of the finest personalities in America. People looked up to him and admired him. When the colonies needed help from France, they sent Franklin. The French liked him and gave him what he wanted. Suppose Franklin had chosen to go through life without using his greatest power — his power to choose. Suppose he reasoned that there was really nothing he could do about himself. Would France have supported the colonies? The history of the world may have been significantly different. A good wish changes nothing. But one good decision changes everything. Your power to choose, to make a good decision, spells the difference between wishing and making those wishes come true. One man quipped, "When it comes to believing in myself, I'm an agnostic." One of the greatest problems many people experience is lack of confidence. Some don't believe in their ability to speak in public, others to accomplish something they've never done before, and still others do not have the confidence to overcome their shyness. Do you know that you can become more confident? One effective technique is to learn to do what you're afraid to do. I led a seminar a few years ago where I asked for three volunteers to speak to the group the next day. One young woman named Judy was the first to raise her hand. She explained to me later why she did so: "When you asked for three volunteers," Judy said, "I felt a knot of fear in my stomach. I've never done anything like this before and I've never really believed I could. But the fear was telling me something," she continued. "So...BECAUSE I felt so anxious, I decided that this was something I had to do. But I must to tell you, I'm terrified!" She made up her mind to DO that which she was afraid to do. And the following day, Judy's five-minute talk was superb! She was honest and genuine, speaking right from her heart. Now she is more confident about her ability to speak in public. People who are confident have choices. People who are fearful too often avoid much of life because they are afraid to venture into unknown territory. Jim Loehr said, "With confidence, you can reach truly amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp." When you make what you're afraid to do what you CHOOSE to do, you will soon have the confidence TO DO whatever you choose! Do you need to exercise your greatest power? Your power to choose can never be taken from you. It can be neglected. It can be ignored. But if used, it can make all the difference. Use your greatest power and, whether or not you change history, you will certainly change your future. About the Author: ~© 2002 Steve Goodier - Author and Publisher Life Support System.com |
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