PHASE II

DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK TO EXCELLENCE

The quote above applies to the process of self-improvement. Unlike any road trip you’re likely to take, though, the road to self-improvement demands the driver himself must create the map to success. That is where introspective analysis comes into play. It is a personal inventory of self, from several distinct perspectives, which yields a ‘working model’ from which to fashion systematic self-improvement.

It takes courage to objectively look at oneself! To see areas of weakness or personal shortcomings is not pleasant. Yet it is precisely in seeing our areas of weakness that we are given our ticket to self-esteem and happiness. Only by overcoming these obstacles do we, as individuals, grow.

Why is it then, that so many people want to put their head into the sand, to block reality, and to eliminate the very essence of life: LIVING. I believe it boils down to something we talked about earlier: FEAR.

As children, Dr.Seuss provided us with a challenge of Life:

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…or right and three quarters? Or maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple its not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

These words show the challenges we all face, even as adults, to overcome our fear of the unknown, expand our opportunities, and make the most of what little time we have on this planet. Every conscious being reflects on his or her life’s accomplishments as the time for leaving draws closer. No amount of television, Internet, music, or drugs can change that. When that time comes, those who have done their best to be their best will have peace.

Which is why the first step to a lifetime of peace is to assess ourselves and ensure we’re living up to our full potential at the earliest possible point in life. And it’s never too late to make that commitment to personal excellence.

Be Proactive

Each of us has the ability to create the eyes through which we see the world, process information, and make decisions. Most people simply react to stimulus as it hits the brain, process the information along a predetermined mind set, and behave accordingly. A Personal Framework provides a mechanism by which you gain greater control in how information is delivered to your brain, processed, and acted upon.

Developing your own Personal Framework involves several key steps:

·                     Select a framework through which to process information and Life. This framework should contain three philosophies of life that you consider important, and must be positive for this framework to do you any good. While the list of philosophies is as limitless as the human mind, here are some that are typically effective. You can, of course, create your own, or you may wish to try choosing three principles from the following list which you consider most important.

Once they are selected, you will have created a ‘framework’ which can be

used for processing information and making decisions.

Putting It Into Action

My friend Gus is a 45 year-old attorney who is happily married and lives in a nice home in Tampa , FL with his wife and two wonderful daughters. Gus knew he had a good life, but tended to complain about work. In summertime Gus complained daily about the weather, lamenting his move from California to Florida . While he realized his complaining was counterproductive, he felt powerless to stop it.

Gus took on the challenge of applying PTE, trying to change his existence into a life. He carefully examined himself, his life, his career, where he wanted to be going and where he actually was going. Concluding his life wasn’t being guided by what he felt was important; he developed a personal framework that emphasized Family, Positiveness & Purpose.

A year later, Gus is now more aware of what had been lacking in his life. He has been making a conscious effort to incorporate what he feels is important. He finds himself asking more often “How will this new activity affect my family and my sense of purpose?” And when he doesn’t like the answer, he is more likely to choose not to do the new activity.

Gus’ instinct to complain about summer heat has now been replaced by a realization that he and his family can spend the day at the beach or the pool. He reflects often on how much more time he has with his family than he did while in California . He is focusing on enjoying this special time in his life and appreciating what he has, rather than always wishing for something more. He now recognizes the benefits of the lower cost-of-living found in Florida . Having conditioned his mind to respond positively, he has already seen a dramatic personal improvement, and his family has started responding in kind.

Gus’ overhaul of his negative attitudes was not a simplistic affair. It probably took him a good six months just to overcome his old habits and appreciate that he really has nothing to complain about: His life is really pretty good. His new attitude and approach to life were not an overnight miracle, though his wife considers them to be just short of miraculous. He also needs to constantly remind himself that life is better than he has given it credit for. However, a year after committing himself to a more positive outlook, four lives – Gus, wife Suzette, and daughters Gina and Marie – have been made considerably better because Gus had the courage to eliminate “the blame game” and look inside himself for a better way of living.

There are two general ways of looking at daily life. Like most people, I spent the first 20 years or so of my life frustrated by an inability to focus on what I considered important. I desperately wanted to improve; yet I could not make my mind remember what I wanted it to.

Yet, with the simple step of writing my personal framework onto an index card and carrying it with me wherever I went, I was able to change all that. Every time I inadvertently reached into my pocket and touched the index card, I would take it out of my pocket and review it.  In essence, I was training my mind to focus where I wanted it to focus. The simple act of writing down the things I considered important and referring to it every time I reached into my pocket made me constantly aware of the areas upon which I wanted to focus. I began making a more conscious effort to see everything around me through this framework of ideas. I gradually remembered the ideas for longer periods, and now, after years of constant reminding, have these ideas in my thoughts most of every day.  One of the exciting things about the Program is that once certain ideas have been incorporated into the brain, new frameworks can be created  generating more improvement each time!

Practice. Practice. Practice.