The Power of Burning Desire

All great success ultimately begins with an idea, but what makes ideas become reality is the fuel of human desire. An idea by itself can give you a temporary feeling of inspiration, but burning desire is what gets you through all the perspiration necessary to overcome the inevitable obstacles along the way.

Take a moment to think about the goals you have set for yourself.  How committed are you to achieving these goals? Under what conditions would you give up? What if you could significantly increase your desire to achieve these goals? What if you wanted them so badly that you knew with absolute certainty that you would absolutely, positively never ever give up? When you are truly 100% committed to reaching your goals, you move from hoping to knowing. If you want something badly enough, then quitting is simply not an option. You either find a way or make one. You pay the price, whatever it takes.

Those with an intense, burning desire to achieve their goals are often referred to as being "driven." But is this special quality reserved only for a privileged few? Certainly not. With the right approach, anyone can cultivate a deep, burning desire within themselves and move to a state of total commitment, knowing with certainty that success is as inevitable as the sunrise.

So how do you cultivate burning desire? You begin with an outside-in approach, altering your environment in ways that will strengthen your resolve while eliminating doubt. If you take the time to do it right, you will establish a positive feedback cycle, such that your desire will continue to increase on a daily basis.

Here are eight steps you can take to cultivate burning desire to achieve any goal you set for yourself:

1. Burn The Sips

If your goals are really important enough to you, then you can start by burning the proverbial ships, such that you have no choice but to press on. For instance, if you want to launch your own business, you can begin by making the commitment to quitting your job. Write a letter of resignation, put it in a stamped envelope addressed to your boss, and give it to a trusted friend with firm instructions to mail the letter if you have not quit your job by a certain date.

You use a small bit of willpower to establish a consequence that will virtually compel you to keep your commitment. As Andrew Carnegie (Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich) once said, "Put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket!"

In the classic book The Art of War, Sun Tzu notes that soldiers fight the most ferociously when they believe they are fighting to the death. A good general knows that when attacking an opposing force, it's important to create the illusion of a potential escape route for the enemy, so they will not fight as hard. What escape routes are you keeping open that are causing you not to fight as hard?

If you do not burn those ships, you are sending the message to your subconscious mind that it is OK to quit. When the going gets tough, as it inevitably does for any worthwhile goal, you will quit. If you really want to achieve your goals, then you have got to burn those ships to the ground, and scatter the ashes. If you are thinking that the average person will not do this, you are right -- that's why they are average.

2. Fill your environment with desire boosters.

Let us say one of your important goals is to lose weight. Get some poster board, and make your own posters that say, "I weigh X pounds," where X is your goal weight, and put them up around your house. Change your screensaver to a text message that says the same thing (or to some equally motivational imagery). Get some magazines, cut out pictures of people who have bodies similar to what you would like to have, and put them up around your house. Cut out pictures of healthy food that looks good to you, and post those around your kitchen. If you work in an office, then alter your office in the same manner. Do not worry about what your co-workers will think, just do it! They may poke a little fun at you at first, but they will  begin to see how committed you are.

3. Surround yourself with positive people.

Make friends with people who will encourage you on the path to your goals, and find ways to spend more time with them. Share your goals only with people who will support you, not those who will respond with cynicism or indifference. If you want to lose weight, for instance, get yourself into a gym, and start befriending those who are already in great shape. You will find that their attitudes become infectious, and you will start believing that you can do it too. Meeting people who have lost one hundred pounds or more can be extremely motivating. If you want to start a new business, join the local chamber of commerce or a trade association. Do whatever it takes to make new friends who will help you keep your commitment.

Although this can be difficult for some people, you need to fire the negative people from your life. You can see your future just by looking at the six people with whom you spend the most time. If you do not like what you see, then change those people. There is no honour in remaining loyal to people who expect you to fail. One of the reasons people fail to start their own businesses, for instance, is that they spend most of their time associating with other employees. The way out of this trap is to start spending a lot more time associating with business owners, try joining a trade association. Mindsets are contagious. Spend your time with people whose mindsets are worth catching.

4. Feed your mind with empowering information on a daily basis.

Inspirational books and audio programs are one of the best fuel sources for cultivating desire. If you want to quit smoking, read a dozen books written by ex-smokers on how to quit the habit. If you want to start a business, then start devouring business books. Go to seminars on occasion. Feed your mind with some form of motivational material (books, articles, audio programs) for at least fifteen minutes a day. This will continually recharge your batteries and keep your desire impenetrably strong.

When you absorb material created by an extremely passionate person, you will often find yourself feeling more passionate as well. Get a copy of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich to get you started. 

5. Replace sources of negative energy with positive energy.

Take an inventory of all the sensory inputs in your life that affect your attitude -- what you read, what you watch on TV, the cleanliness of your home, etc. Note which inputs influence you negatively, and strive to replace them with positive inputs. First, avoid watching TV news -- it is overwhelmingly negative. Do you really need to hear about the woman who was mauled to death by her neighbour's dog? Fill that time with positive inputs instead, like motivational and educational audio programs. If you like to watch movies, then watch movies that are full of positive energy, such as light-hearted comedies and stories of triumph over adversity. Avoid dark, tragic movies that leave you feeling empty afterwards. Dump the horror books, and replace them with humour books. Spend more time laughing and less time worrying. If you have a messy desk, clean it up! If you have young children or grandchildren, spend some time playing with them. Some of this may sound a bit corny, but it will really help increase your overall motivation. If you have a hard time motivating yourself, chances are that your life is overflowing with too many sources of negativity. It's far better to happily achieve than it is to feel you must achieve in order to be happy.

6. Dress for success.

Whenever you pass by a mirror, which is probably several times a day, you get an instant dose of image reinforcement. So what image are you currently reinforcing? Would you dress any differently if your goals were already achieved? Would you sport a different hairstyle? Would you shower a bit more often?

If you always go for the the ripped jeans and T-shirt look, visualise yourself in the future, having achieved certain goals. Would you not dress a lot better? With some experimentation adopt a style of clothing that looks professional and is also comfortable. Donate old clothes to charity and replaced your wardrobe with clothes that fit the new identity. It is so important to take pride in your appearance, it definitely makes a noticeable difference. So make sure the clothes you wear each day are consistent with your new self-image.

7. Use mental programming.

This is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) technique that will help you associate strong positive emotions to whatever goal you are working to achieve. Find some music that really energises and inspires you. Put on your headphones and listen to it for fifteen to twenty minutes, and as you do this, form a clear mental picture of yourself having already achieved the results you want. Make your imagery big, bright, vivid, colorful, three-dimensional, panoramic, and animated. Picture the scene as if looking through your own eyes (this is very important). This will help you form a neuro-association between the positive emotions elicited by the music and the goal you want to achieve, thus strengthening your desire. This is a great way to begin each day, and you can even do it while lying in bed when you first awaken if you set things up the night before. You should cycle the music periodically, since the emotional charge you get will tend to diminish if you listen to the same songs each time.

Keep in mind that this form of mental programming is already being used on you by advertisers. Watch a fast-food TV commercial, and you will note that the food is big, bright, and animated-- and don't forget the catchy tune. So instead of letting others program your desires for you, take charge and mentally reprogram yourself.

8. Take immediate action.

Once you set a goal for yourself, act immediately. As you begin working on a fresh new goal, do not worry so much about making detailed long-term plans. Too often people get stuck in the state of analysis paralysis and never reach the action stage. You can develop your plan later, but get moving first. Just identify the very first physical action you need to take, and then do it. For instance, if you have decided to lose weight, go straight to your refrigerator, and throw out all of the junk food. Do not think about it. Do not ponder the consequences. Just do it immediately.

One of the secrets to success is recognising that motivation follows action. The momentum of continuous action fuels motivation, while procrastination kills motivation. So act boldly, as if it is impossible to fail. If you keep adding fuel to your desire, you will reach the point of knowing that you will never quit, and ultimate success will be nothing more than a matter of time.

If you apply these eight strategies, you will add so much fuel to your desire that the fire will never burn out. You will move towards your goals like a guided missile to its target, and you will enjoy the process because you will be so focused on the positive rewards instead of the difficulty of the tasks. If you get enough positive energy flowing into you, you will soon have positive results flowing out of you. And you will quickly become the kind of person that others refer to as "driven."

With thanks to Steve Pavlina to read the complete article go to

https://www.stevepavlina.com/articles/cultivating-burning-desire.htm

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The Crystallization of Desire Into Action

We have learned that thoughts are things and we bring them into physical form. It starts with us having a DESIRE. In this chapter Mr. Hill tells us the method or recipe of ORGANIZED PLANNING. It began with the instructions given in chapter 2.

The 6 steps of the instructions are:

• First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is important to have a clear goal.
• Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. There is no such reality as   “something for nothing”.
• Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire. Without this step, it could take the rest of your life or longer.
• Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.

This step is the ORGANIZED PLANNING.

Mr. Hill’s recipe is: Take DESIRE (the first step toward riches) and hand it over to your IMAGINATION (the 5th step toward riches, the workshop of the mind) to create plans to reach the DESIRE. Take the PLAN and create a MASTERMIND that is appropriately motivated and that meets frequently to work on the plan.

• Fifth. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it. In other words, write the first 4 steps down.
• Sixth. Read your written statement out loud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning.

This becomes your self-talk or AUTO-SUGGESTION to your SUBCONSCIOUS which automatically attaches memories (SYNTHETIC IMAGINATION) or, will search the ether for thoughts (through CREATIVE IMAGINATION and THE SIXTH SENSE) of other THOUGHTS that will cause actions for the requested DESIRE to become known to you. The subconscious has no other choice than to do what you tell it to do. As you read what you have written, see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money. Also make sure to attach the positive emotions, assuming you are after a positive outcome.

Mr. Hill says that these steps are the most important to reach the goal of the PLAN. You must work with others that are interested in seeing the plan come to fruition. Your mastermind group need not be large. It could be one other person. The point is that together, you create a third collective mind that is capable of trouble-shooting the plan. They have different life experiences form you. Perhaps they’ve tried what you are doing before and are able to shortcut or emphasize on steps that should be taken. They also have their own pool of other people they can call on if you both reach a place of unknown for the both of you.

If and when you come upon failure or TEMPORARY DEFEAT, the plans should be examined and reworked with the mastermind. PERSISTENCE (the 8th step toward riches) should be applied to power FAITH (the 2nd step toward riches) in the DESIRE and use the recipe in step 4 again. Repeat as needed and never give up. Thus the steps in chapter 2 ultimately craft the auto-suggestion and the reason for the mastermind to be.

“Some people foolishly believe that only MONEY can make money. This is not true! DESIRE, transmuted into its monetary equivalent, through the principles laid down here, is the agency through which money is “made.” Money, of itself, is nothing but inert matter. It cannot move, think, or talk, but it can “hear” when a man who DESIRES it, calls it to come!” – Napoleon Hill.

To read the full article go to http://vanessaharts.wordpress.com/tag/crystallization-of-desire-into-action/

Two Forms of Imagination

The imaginative faculty functions in two forms. One is known as “synthetic imagination,” and the other as “creative imagination.”

Synthetic Imagination:- Through this faculty, one may arrange old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations. This faculty creates nothing. It merely works with the material of experience, education, and observation with which it is fed. It is the faculty used most by the inventor, with the exception of the who draws upon the creative imagination, when he cannot solve his problem through synthetic imagination.

Creative Imagination:-Through the faculty of creative imagination, the finite mind of man has direct communication with Infinite Intelligence. It is the faculty through which “hunches” and “inspirations” are received. It is by this faculty that all basic, or new ideas are handed over to man.

It is through this faculty that thought vibrations from the minds of others are received. It is through this faculty that one individual may “tune in,” or communicate with the subconscious minds of other men.

The creative imagination works automatically, in the manner described in subsequent pages. This faculty functions ONLY when the conscious mind is vibrating at an exceedingly rapid rate, as for example, when the conscious mind is stimulated through the emotion of a strong desire.

The creative faculty becomes more alert, more receptive to vibrations from the sources mentioned, in proportion to its development through USE. This statement is significant! Ponder over it before passing on.

The great leaders of business, industry, finance, and the great artists, musicians, poets, and writers became great, because they developed the faculty of creative imagination.

Both the synthetic and creative faculties of imagination become more alert with use, just as any muscle or organ of the body develops through use.

Desire is only a thought, an impulse. It is nebulous and ephemeral. It is abstract. and of no value, until it has been transformed into its physical counterpart. While the synthetic imagination is the one which will be used most frequently, in the process of transforming the impulse of DESIRE into money, you must keep in mind the fact, that you may face circumstances and situations which demand use of the creative imagination as well.

Your imagination faculty may have become weak through inaction. It can be revived and made alert through USE. This faculty does not die, though it may become quiescent through lack of use. Center your attention for the time being on the development of the synthetic imagination, because this is the faculty which you will use more often in the process of converting desire into money.

Transformation of the intangible impulse of DESIRE into the tangible reality of MONEY calls for the use of a plan or plans. These plans must be formed with the aid of imagination and mainly, with the synthetic faculty.

This is an excerpt from the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Go to http://www.successconsciousness.com/blog/creative-visualization/two-forms-of-imagination/

Cultivating Burning Desire

When asked during an interview how he managed to reach the top as a professional bodybuilder and Hollywood actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger replied with a single word, "Drive!" All great success ultimately begins with an idea, but what makes ideas become reality is the fuel of human desire. An idea by itself can give you a temporary feeling of inspiration, but burning desire is what gets you through all the perspiration necessary to overcome the inevitable obstacles along the way.

Take a moment to think about the goals you've set for yourself. (You have set goals, haven't you? If not, go read the article on setting clear goals.) How committed are you to achieving these goals? Under what conditions would you give up? What if you could significantly increase your desire to achieve these goals? What if you wanted them so badly that you knew with absolute certainty that you would absolutely, positively never ever give up? When you are truly 100% committed to reaching your goals, you move from hoping to knowing. If you want something badly enough, then quitting is simply not an option. You either find a way or make one. You pay the price, whatever it takes.

Those with an intense, burning desire to achieve their goals are often referred to as being "driven." But is this special quality reserved only for a privileged few? Certainly not. With the right approach, anyone can cultivate a deep, burning desire within themselves and move to a state of total commitment, knowing with certainty that success is as inevitable as the sunrise.

So how do you cultivate burning desire? You begin with an outside-in approach, altering your environment in ways that will strengthen your resolve while eliminating doubt. If you take the time to do it right, you'll establish a positive feedback cycle, such that your desire will continue to increase on a daily basis.

To read Cultivating a BurningDesire article in full

Go to http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles/cultivating-burning-desire.htm