I'll start with the "Once was." History, autobiography, water under the bridge. All that great, terrible, wonderful, unique experience in your life that makes you who you are. If you look back in your life I'll bet you remember those pivotal experiences in life that were surprises not looked for as well as those experiences you wanted to happen and then found not so rewarding as you anticipated. Remember the old saying "Be careful what you ask for, you might get it"? I certainly remember what I got and often it did not make that much difference to me after I got it. I perceived a new perspective afterwards and found out more about what really makes me tick.

You see failure or disappointment are just as important a teacher as success and self-awareness. Any time you find out what gives you a sense of worth and value that experience is worth whatever it costs you. All of this is your "Once was." Pay attention to it , but don't live in it.

"As is" is your today. Is it what you expected? Are you happy, fulfilled and motivated? Or are you blaming someone else for the failures in your life? Do you even know why you don't feel fulfilled, motivated or happy or sad or upset? A lot of us are not even aware what causes these feelings .

As part of my journey to answer what makes me tick better I spent a lot of time working on what makes everyone tick. I wasn't particularly interested in psychology, but I was interested in what psychology was trying to answer. I knew that if I kept looking the right questions would finally appear and then the answers would come from that.

The point is, never quit looking, asking questions, reading and studying. If you quit being curious about what is going around you when you left high school or college then you have missed most of what living is all about. Those two venues were only there to prepare you for a lifetime of discovery and adventure. I have changed careers over three times in my 30 years of working history, and I fully expect to change several more times before I expire. It is never too late to change and learn something new. Your brain grows every time you do, so use it and it gets better and better.

"As is" sets the stage for what "Can be" with lots of diligent thinking, hard work and perserverence. If someone told you it would be easy, they told you a lie. If they told you it would be the greatest thing you ever lived, they told you the truth.

"Can be" is the jar full of dreams, possibility and glory. It is the stuff that drives anyone to achieve anything. I know many of you watched the Summer Olympics last month. So many examples of "can be" showed up on the gym floor, the running track and the swimming pool that they are too numerous to recount. Every one probably has their favorite story of supreme performance, and excellence from the Summer Games. But there is one common thread in every story, the thread of belief in the "can be" inside each athlete.

"Can be" is born out of a lot of practice, study, and focused effort over many years. These all program our minds to recognize those moments of serendipity and discovery for us. All this means having a central point of principle which drives us to measure all our actions in light of our central desires. It often means taking risk for our actions.

If you come to me and say "Andrew, you just don't understand my situation. It just isn't possible right now to..." I do understand. You are afraid to risk what you have now in order to get what you really want in the future. You think it is more important to hold on to what you have now, than to reach for a life-time dream. You haven't really assessed what you really have to have and what you can give up. You haven't determined where your center principles are and how you are going to change your own actions to realize that dream.

Now it's time to combine the "once was", "as is" and "can be" into the "become." I learned a great truth about myself about 15 years ago when I discovered -- I "am", I "become." I just didn't put it down in a recognizable way until about a year or so ago and recently it became PINT. When I combine the past, present and future into the image of what I want to become, I am successful every time, without fail. It's part of how everyone of us is made. It isn't just for a select few or the rich, or famous or brightest. Your brain was made wonderfully to allow you to grow into who you want to become. The sad fact is many of us grew into what someone told us to be and never listened to the still voice inside that said we "will become" the "can be."

Now it's up to you. Educate yourself about your interests, be your best-everytime. Develop an inner discipline and find your central principles that drive you. Then you will have the dream you dreamed so long ago.

Now you have the keys to your success.

It's time to Get Started!

Andrew Abernathy

Founder, Put It iN Thought (PINT)

About The Author

© 2004 All rights reserved to Andrew Abernathy and PutItiNThought.com. Your may reproduce this article without permission if the entire article, including this information tag is included. For other articles like this one visit www.aeautomation.com/newsarchives.htm

Mr. Abernathy presents a creative and clear body of work that is based on experience, scientific research and common sense. He created the PINT Web Workshop to train others in the practical use of proven neuroscientific discoveries that reveal how you can change your life. See www.PutItiNThought.com for a ten day introduction to the PINT Web Workshop.

andrew@putitinthought.com

Google News Updated : Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:55:50 GMT Obama cites faith as key to change - Boston Globe Obama cites faith as key to change Boston Globe - 17 hours ago Barack Obama called "active faith" an obligation of religious Americans and a chief agent of societal change in a speech yesterday at the national meeting of a black church group. Veterans Group Urges Support to 'Finish the Job' Washington Post Veterans’ Group Critical of Obama Plans Costly Ad Campaign FOXNews The Associated Press - KPVI-TV - Telegraph.co.uk - New York Times Blogs all 129 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:58:31 GMT Bosox, Cubs each put 7 players on All-Star rosters - The Associated Press AFP Bosox, Cubs each put 7 players on All-Star rosters The Associated Press - 54 minutes ago NEW YORK (AP) - Maybe Manny Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and the rest of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs should just play their own All-Star game. All-Star rosters revealed Sports Network Cubs win 7-1 and seven All-Stars; I'd say it was a good day Bleacher Report MLB.com - Chicago Sun-Times - WSBT-TV - Atlanta Journal Constitution all 421 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:58 GMT AT&T's Odd iPhone Offer - TechNewsWorld Computerworld AT&T's Odd iPhone Offer TechNewsWorld - 13 hours ago By Eric Benderoff Some of the details surrounding AT&T's iPhone prices make little sense, writes Eric Benderoff. The company will sell a 3G iPhone with no contract for a $400 premium. iPhone 3G line forms in NYC for a green cause Ars Technica New iPhone Can Decouple From AT&T, for a Price Washington Post TMCnet - Slashdot - CRN - CNNMoney.com all 568 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:04:21 GMT 'Hancock' a signature opening for Smith - Los Angeles Times Ottawa Citizen 'Hancock' a signature opening for Smith Los Angeles Times - 52 minutes ago The offbeat superhero story brings in $66 million over the holiday weekend, marking the star's eighth straight No. 1. He's hot, but the reviews were not. ‘Hancock’ Powers to the Top of Box Office New York Times Will Smith is box office superhero with 'Hancock' Reuters USA Today - Celebrity News - The Associated Press - BloggingStocks all 322 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:03:03 GMT Obama Campaign Criticizes Rival McCain's Economic Proposals - Bloomberg Wall Street Journal Blogs Obama Campaign Criticizes Rival McCain's Economic Proposals Bloomberg - 5 hours ago By Alison Vekshin July 6 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's advisers criticized Republican rival John McCain's economic proposals as both candidates prepared to focus on the US economy this week. Obama Advisers Tout Tax Plan FOXNews That topic we love to hate Atlanta Journal Constitution Wall Street Journal - Newsweek - NewsMax.com - Wall Street Journal Blogs all 10 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:27:55 GMT Weather Channel Is Sold to NBC and Equity Firms - New York Times Weather Channel Is Sold to NBC and Equity Firms New York Times - 3 hours ago By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED An investor group led by NBC Universal and two private equity firms clinched a deal for the Weather Channel on Sunday after three weeks of negotiations. NBC Universal, Bain, Blackstone Buy Weather Channel (Update1) Bloomberg NBC and its Partners Announce Deal To Buy Weather Channel and Assets Wall Street Journal The Associated Press - Hollywood Reporter - Variety - New York Times Blogs all 360 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:48:12 GMT Google, Zen Master of the Market - New York Times Times Online Google, Zen Master of the Market New York Times - 1 hour ago By STEVE LOHR Bill Gates, who walked away from full-time work at Microsoft last month, was perhaps the foremost applied economist of the second half of the 20th century. Why Microsoft will win Yahoo CNNMoney.com Yahoo! re-enters merger talks with Time Warner Times Online TheNewsTribune.com - CNET News - Washington Post - InformationWeek all 244 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:57:50 GMT RSS Parser Website Traffic Promotion