What I want to talk to you about today is the difference between the stories that people mentally write and agree to. People that are successful write their mental stories differently than people that are unsuccessful. Unsuccessful people, many times have what we will call defensive buttons. The defensive buttons are like little satellites in our head. These defense buttons react and employ our defense mechanisms when we feel threatened or when we've been made out to be wrong or even if we only thought this was the case. These buttons can keep us so busy that we are never looking at the (full reality) that is before us, instead they are only looking at supposed threats. The buttons have been put there to help us from being hurt. Their purpose is not to listen, their purpose is to stop things. They are stop buttons, they are fear buttons. They are there to react to perceived threats. Where you find yourself stopped you will find buttons. They are preprogrammed fight or flight buttons.

These buttons tell us what to look at. The buttons also tell us how to look at it. Because of this these buttons limit our view of things. Because of this limited view of things, it is hard for us to understand fully what is in front of us or the truth, which is presented to us. These buttons can make us appear to be dumb and stupid. They are like stop signs, when they appear we stop. This limits our ability to be all that we can be. We are so busy reacting. It is difficult to make the right actions. When we are reacting, we are not able to have choices.

Being able to make the right choice
is what describes successful people.

Not being able to make the right choice
is what describes unsuccessful people.

Successful people tell themselves what they need
to know to be able to make the right choices.

They tell themselves that they can make the right choice.

Unsuccessful people tell themselves the story that
they can't make the right choice or that they can't
decide, that they can't make it go right
and that they will make the wrong choice.

All of what we tell ourselves is nothing more than short stories. What you tell yourself can make the difference between a good story and a bad story. What you tell yourself over and over tends to become your story. This is what you tend to believe and act upon. This becomes your own reality. If you don't like the reality you’re having, change the story. To change the story it most often is necessary to change what you're agreeing to. If you have agreed you can't change then change your agreement to " I can." Remember to tell yourself over and over that I can. Over and over is a known way to make something stick.

Everything is made of something and that includes good stories and bad stories. We see success as a good story. We see failure as a bad story. Listen to the story. It will tell you what it's made of. It is made up of ideas and language, like - - - it feels good, I can, I will, it's possible, I like, I agree, I have decided, no doubt about it, I am certain, there is a way, that's easy, no doubt about that, I can make sure it's done, I can finish that, I can start now, should work, I'm happy, it's okay, it works for me. These are but a few of the sounds, ideas and language of a good story. A bad story, or an unsuccessful story might sound just the opposite. I hope you can see that each one of the short phrases that was mentioned was in itself an idea and a short story and an agreement.

Are you agreeing to a good story. It might be very wise to listen closely to the story being sent to you or the story you are telling and determine if it is a good story or a bad story. Am I in it? Or am I about to be in it? What does that story sound like, what does is it feel like, what am I agreeing to in that story. It is important to note that you may get what you agree to. You may even get what you believe to be true.

It is interesting to observe that most of us tell the same story in a similar way over and over. From this we can see that, over and over is our story, whether we like it or not or believe it or not. Again, I must point out that if you don't like the story, find and change your agreements. The reason I say this is that the determining factor in the story is most often your agreements. So you see, what you personally agree to and make a decision about, what you tell yourself over and over really is important to you. It really does matter what you tell yourself.

There is one other thing I will point out about the writing of unsuccessful stories is this. I call this the missing story or the incomplete story. Here's a good example of a successful story and an unsuccessful story regarding the missing story.

" He came, He Saw, He conquered !"

He came, he saw he, _______?????

As you can see the unfinished story is an undecided story. This makes it an incomplete story. As you might also see in a missing decision that there is also missing agreement and missing action. One story had an ending, the other story had no ending it was incomplete. The decision is the determining factor in the story. To be self determined one must be willing and able to decide. This is our personal power. It is our chance to be responsible for what we have and what we want. We can have what we can be responsible for i.e. that which we agree to and decide upon. Do not be afraid to be responsible, it is your right, your privilege, your strength and your wealth. It is also your truth and personal power.

" Responsibility is basically just owning up
to what you decide upon."