I cannot believe 2019 is upon us already.  So many wonderful things happened in 2018, that I cannot count them all. Of course, there were struggles and difficulties and a bit of discouragement here and there, but I choose to focus on what was right with 2018 because there was a lot more “right” than there was “wrong.”

I watched a Tony Robbins (motivational speaker/coach) video recently.  In the video, he asked the audience to look around and try to spot as many brown colored objects as possible until he told them to stop.  He gave them a few minutes then asked them to stop and close their eyes.

He asked “how many red things did you see?”  Most of the audience was dumbfounded.  Why would he asked how many red things when he told them to look for brown?

Next, he asked them to do the experiment again, this time looking for as many red objects as possible.  This time, when they opened their eyes, he asked the obvious.  “How many red things did you see?”

The audience spotted so many red objects and even counted things that were similar to red, like maroon colored, because they wanted to find as many red things as possible.

What did all of this mean?

The point was, that when you know what to look for, you will see it and you will find it in abundance.

When a martial artist learns a martial art, they typically have an end point in mind.  Usually it is a black belt, although it might be better self-confidence or self-defense.  They look around at others who have achieved, and they practice diligently to improve.  Eventually, their achievements  come to fruition because they look for success in every crevice of their training and begin to see it in abundance.  Every twist and turn confirms that they are headed in the right direction.  Because they saw opportunity unfold around them, and great examples of success in others, they worked diligently and focused on their goals.  They found success because they looked for it and they saw it all around them in many different and faceted ways.

Today, as you face 2019, decide on what success you want to focus.  If it is losing weight, then look for it  (weight loss options in magazine articles, personal trainers, the gym, or eating better).  If it is making fewer mistakes at work, assess the mistakes from last year and pinpoint why they happened and come up with a plan for improvement.  If it is a relationship, look at your significant other and remember why you love them so much, and then you will see why they love you.  The point is, you must decide on what you want to focus and look for it.  You will find it in abundance.

When I decided my mission was to change the world for the better through martial arts and positivity, miraculously, I found ways to express it that I never considered:  A blog, two books, magazine writing, podcasting, and being interviewed on numerous motivational and martial art podcasts.  It happened because I knew my focus and I looked for it.  I was open to finding ways to make it happen, and they found me.

Speaking of books, new beginnings, and motivation, if you need a little direction, both of my books were written with my mission in mind, and both will give you the push that you need to focus and literally see the opportunity around you.  The links are below, if you are interested.

Let’s make 2019 a better year than 2018.  Let’s focus on our dreams and goals and look for success in every corner.  Let’s find a way to break free of negative and limited thinking.  Make it happen in 2019 by taking action – one step, one decision, one undeniable focus – but don’t stop there.

Look for it.

xoxo

Andrea

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Pick up one of my motivational books to help you focus on your goals for 2019: 

The Martial Arts Woman: https://goo.gl/Yco5GF

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone: https://goo.gl/Yco5GF