Need a little new year inspiration after surviving 2020? 

I have a few stories here that may help. 

Successful people leave clues to success. Many people think the clues are in what they did. I believe it is in how they think. 

As you read through these short bios, see if you can pick up on how they think and how you might incorporate that into your thought process.

Bethany Hamilton- At the age of 13 with a promising professional surfing career ahead of her, Bethany was attacked by a 14 foot tiger shark while surfing.  She lost her arm in the attack and almost died. Instead of giving up, she started surfing again just 26 days after the attack. About 2 months later she was competing in major competitions and went on to win several global matches. The attack could have stopped her and left her depressed and reclusive, but she chose to move forward. As a result, she is a global beacon of hope and faith. “I know life can be hard, but I've learned that even the biggest challenges and scariest fears can be overcome, no matter what you're facing.” Bethany Hamilton. Check out her website to learn more about her life and mission: https://bethanyhamilton.com/

Oprah Winfrey- As a child, Oprah felt unloved and alone as she was neglected, physically and sexually abused and she was passed between the homes of her mother and grandmother. After becoming pregnant and losing the baby shortly after birth at age 14, she went to live with her father. He shared his strong value of education with her and taught her she could be more. Later in life she shared: “I am so grateful for my years literally living in poverty, because it makes the experience of creating success and building success that much more rewarding.” Her gratitude for the good and the hard times is one of her core beliefs today. Oprah has created her own charitable foundation that serves many needs including those that might be in the same situation she was in as a child. Check out her causes here: https://www.oprah.com/sp/owcf_resource.html

JK Rowling - She wrote the first book of Harry Potter as a young single mother of an infant and living on unemployment. She had just left an abusive marriage and was lonely.  “I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain without being homeless,” she later shared. By every measure she could think of she was a failure. She contemplated suicide. The Dementor characters in her book were drawn from her own experience with depression. Her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was rejected by 12 publishers. The 13ths publisher agreed to print it at his 8 year old daughter’s request but warned Rowling to get a day job because she wasn’t going to make money as a children’s author. She went on to become one of the best selling authors of all time as well as the first female author to become a billionaire. Ironically enough the title of billionaire was taken away from her because of all her charitable giving. She gives to several charities as well as founded her own, Lumos, with the goal of getting children out of orphanages/institutions. https://www.wearelumos.org/

Why were these women able to overcome barriers that would have stopped 90% of others? 

One of the things that really strikes me is how different each of their mindsets had to be in order to handle the adversity and then change it into possibility.

It gives me some areas to look at in my own mindset.

What area of your mindset could use some work? 

I love how all three of these women used their influence and abundance for good. If you have blocks about making money you might consider thinking like a philanthroper. 

Confused on how to bring more positive thoughts into your life? Look for my next blog post on how to change the negative chatter in your head to something that will propel you forward in your goals. 

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