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The Third Lesson I Learned from Competing is: Get in the Game

Once you’ve made a decision to do something, you must immediately act.  Acting is the key to attracting.  When I heard about the Oprah opportunity, I did not immediately jump into the game.  I had to think about what it would mean to my family.  I had to decide what kind of show would make a difference to the world and at the same time be something that I’d be excited and committed to for the long run.

You’ve heard it said before, “Do what you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”  And, one thing is for sure, I love this kind of work.  I talked it over with some of my family members and then I knew I had to do it.  I made the most important decision of my future and I did it with certitude.

Commit to Doing Your Best

Once you’re in the game, you must commit to doing your very best and be open to learning.  If this weren’t a challenge, I wouldn’t be pursuing it.  And since it a challenge, I know that I am going to learn, grow, and be transformed by the experience.  Every experience prepares us for an even greater challenge in the future.  This experience definitely raised the bar higher than I’ve ever raised it before.

Entering the competition was a self- affirmation that I believed enough in myself to at least take a chance on me.  Now back to those internal and external critics, they will reappear from time to time.  But, when they did  I had to consciously think about and focus on all the reasons why I should enter the competition as opposed to why I shouldn’t.

Once You’re in the Game, Have Fun

And, once you’re in the game, have fun.  Be detached from the outcome.   What is supposed to happen will happen, getting upset or stressed won’t change the outcome for the better, and they sabotage your happiness in the moment.   Of course you’d like to win, but never if you have to compromise your values.  And while you will be learning new things, there will be some things that you will want to protect from change.  So, don’t lose sight of your real values.  Don’t compromise your integrity.  And, make sure that you stay in the light.  That’s the topic of our next lesson, stay tuned.

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Decide and Commit

Everything isn’t for everybody.  And, even if it’s your thing, sometimes the timing is not right. But when you know it’s the right thing, the right time, and you are doing the right thing for the right reasons, then stop procrastinating, just decide and commit.  Nothing happens until we commit. We can think about, pray about, talk about, and complain about the odds or the possibilities, but nothing happens until we make a decision.

The Act of Deciding Unleashes Latent Powers

The act of deciding is in itself powerful.  It unleashes new untapped energy and attracts powerful ideas and people to you.  It informs our spirit, our allies, and even our detractors that we are serious and committed.  Commitment focuses our energy on a single point so that we can make greater strides.  It is difficult to stay focused when we are too distracted trying to do too many different things at once.  When we are iffy and not fully committed, we have less energy, less creativity, less faith, and less support.  In fact some even become paralyzed by indecision and can’t seem to make up their minds at all.   But, when we do decide, something magical happens.  It is even as though the angels come to aid, the waters of wisdom begin to flow, and the denizens of doubt begin to disappear.

Nothing Will Happen Until YOU Commit

So, if there is a goal that you are attempting, realize that nothing will happen until you commit.  I heard about the Oprah competition by accident.  I already had my plate full at the time, but opportunity was banging on my door. I had to make a decision and I didn’t have much time to make it.  Was this the big chance, I’d dreamed of and if so, how could I not take a chance?  I thought about it for a few days, and then I decided.  There is a big difference in thinking about something and committing to it.  There were lots of doubts and excuses before I made the decision, but when I decided, faith stepped in and silenced both the internal and external critics.  You can’t expect support, resources, and encouragement from others until they see that you are absolutely and wholeheartedly committed to your own success.  If there is something that you truly want to do right now, realize that the ball is in your court and the first step to manifesting your dream and making it real is simply for you to DECIDE.

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Define or Be Defined

In life there are people who derive a lot of power, esteem, and wealth by defining others.  They will dictate what you should wear, what you should eat, what kind of car you should drive, what type of jobs are important, and the list goes on.  Those with little self-esteem will fall into this trap and willfully step into the boxes defined for them.  What constitutes achievement, success, and winning are just of few of those boxes.  We can either define what constitutes winning and success in our lives or allow others to do it for us.  One theme that runs through all of my presentations is, ‘Define or be Defined!’ We are each creators of our own lives and have the authority and responsibility to create our own reality.  At any juncture I can choose to see myself as a winner or as a loser and so can you!  I choose to see myself as a winner and to define what winning means to me.

“When You Change the Way You Look at Things, The Things You Look at Change.”

9,504 people decided to take a chance on getting their own show on the Oprah Winfrey network, how many others who wanted to did not?  Let’s say hypothetically that another 50,000 others wanted to submit a show idea but allowed others or talked themselves out of entering the competition.  Wayne Dwyer quoting an unnamed author in one of his talks said,  “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” You could say instead that the 50,000 did not win, can not win, and did not try to win but that all 9504 entrants are already winners.

Let Me Define Winning

To some, the traditional definition of winning is the one who gets the prize, get’s there first, or who demolishes the opponent.  They might also argue that there can only be one winner and that makes everyone else by default, a loser.  Everyone is allowed their opinion; let them have it.  But realize that you and I are also entitled to ours.  I choose to see all 9504 entrants as winners.  Now let me define winning.  Everyone who takes a chance on their dream is a winner.  Anyone who has courage to get in the race is a winner.  Anyone that believes enough in their dreams to at least try is a winner.  Anyone that doesn’t give up or make excuses even though the odds are not in their favor is a winner.  Anyone who chooses to believe that the journey is just as important as the destination is a winner.  So, I choose to define as winning any effort that gets me closer to my goal, teaches me important life lessons, increases my faith, makes me more courageous, and expands my horizons.  Entering the Oprah Competition does all that.  That is why I say emphatically, “I WON!”

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Oprah Had A Competition and I Won!

I thought that might get your attention.  Yes, Oprah is having an on-line competition to find the next big star.  That person will have their own show on the new Oprah Winfrey network.  But they haven’t yet announced the winners.  So, how can I already have won, you ask, especially when the front-runner had over 8 million votes when I got into the race.  How can I possibly see myself as a winner when the competition ended with me having 5,297 votes?   Well, just getting in the game taught me quite a few life lessons.  I’ve already changed and doesn’t that make me a winner?  In the next few posts, I share the lessons I’ve learned from competing.

1. Define or be defined.  http://wp.me/ppImQ-xq
2. Decide and commit. http://wp.me/ppImQ-xx
3. Get in the game. http://wp.me/ppImQ-xG
4. Stay in the light. http://wp.me/ppImQ-yl
5. Ask for Help.  http://wp.me/ppImQ-xi
6. Integrate faith and works.
7. Play smart.  Play to win and win so you can play.
8. Keep your eye on the prize.
9. Stay balanced and focused.
10. Give it your best and finish.

Dear family, friends, and supporters:

Thank you for all that you have done in Phase I, the voting stage, which is now over.  We made a valiant effort together and the fact that I got 5,297 votes (because of you) within only  8 days cheers my heart. I woke up this morning happy that I had taken the chance on my dreams and that each of you supported me.  Your faith in me has made me a winner already.  Thank you for all the votes and the wonderful comments you left on the Oprah website.

During the next week the Oprah producers will scour over the auditions and select 35 additional folks to join the top five on-line vote-getters. “Energy flows where attention goes,” so let’s not lose any momentum now .  We must start Phase II immediately. This is the phase where you pray and visualize me getting my OWN show. Please know that I will get my own show, no doubt about it.  It will either be on the OWN network or some other. But make no mistake,  I WILL have my own show in 2011 because I BELIEVE it and I can  already SEE it.  Remember, “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.” So pray for me and visualize me on my own show, especially over the next week, while they are selecting the final cast members.

Will you commit to praying for me every day this week? And, don’t stop then, keep me in your prayers over the next few months,  pray that God’s Will be manifested in my life.  I believe America needs a show that showcases, ‘The Best of Us’ and if it is truly God’s Will, IF this door closes, surely another will open.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, again!  I love you all!!

Barbara