Dear Jack,
I had no idea I would be writing this letter, tonight or any night, but as I checked my email I saw that someone had read my last open letter to you (April1st) and requested an update on my progress.
The timing was impeccable. While posting on this blog was the furthest thing from my mind, to write this now at this time, might be the most appropriate.
There's two answers to the question, based on how it came but the end result is the same. To wit: Is the Success Principals Coaching working for me? And How am I now doing?
To answer the first question, I do continue to use the coaching service. Sometimes a lot, several calls a week, and sometimes sparsely, a couple a month. I have read the book again, redone most of the exercises and listened to the tapes again (some repeatedly). It's all good and it's all helpful. The coaches are excellent and often do really help me to better understand myself and frame things better in my mind. Other times, not so much. It depends on who you get and what you're asking them. Coach X might guide you to an absolute insight in relation to question A but not really terribly helpful with question B, however Coach Y might be awesome on Question B. So when I have a really burning question, I keep on calling until I get the right coach for that question. Or just a lot of different perspectives. Yes, that's right, a lot of different perspectives. They all have backgrounds with other coaching companies and have different ways of doing things. Although it's 'Jack Canfield's coach line' it's not Jack's way or the highway. If anything, they refer back to The Success Principals too rarely.
However, and my use of 'however' is never a good sign, I cannot say the coaching program has helped me make any kind of substantial breakthrough. It has been useful, it has been helpful, and I continue to use it (damn straight, I PAID for it, I'm going to use it!) However, The Success Principals and the whole program has been more educational than transformational. As the old 80's cartoon 'GI Joe' use to say, 'Knowing is half the battle!' Which is apt. It's half. The problem lies in the other half.
If you were to ask me 'Was it worth the money?' I'd have to say yes and no. I do not feel that it's been worth the investment, in and of itself. That is to say, it wasn't the magic bullet and if that's someone's expectation, they might be disappointed, then again, they might not. However, there are other options out there (cheaper ones too) that I believe might serve as well or better. If you're someone reading my blog, that's good, you're looking into them and trying to figure out what's best for you. Now that's where the 'yes' comes in...
What I have found, and what has made an absolutely monumental shift in my life is that Napoleon Hill and all who came after are right as per this quote which is commonly attributed to Goethe (or Faust) but is neither:
'Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!'
~ W. H. Murray in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, 1951
I had absolutely committed myself to making a difference this year, to changing who I was in a profound meaningful way, and I pushed as hard as I could for that. Even going to far as to spend the equivalent of a small used car on Canfield's program. Money I did not have nor have the means to repay. I did the program, redid it. Tried other programs (which were also helpful) and finally, out of ideas, out of money and out of hope, unable to get myself out of the rut my life had become (a comfortable rut, but a rut nonetheless) I asked, no rather begged, God to slay the poor, pathetic person I was and just do for me what I could not do for myself.
God answered. And he has done exactly that. For the last three weeks exactly now, God has been very active in my life and transforming me. Giving me insight after insight.
Now the irony to me, is that in writing this I am reconfirming what God has been showing me all this week.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." ~ John 15:5
I was constantly holding back because I didn't feel I had what it took. Holding back from truly pursuing my dreams, the woman I love, the life I want and from those three pillars God gave me oh, so many years ago - to Lead, to Love and to use Literature to reach the people and help them transform their lives. I now see that, frankly, it's true. I don't have what it takes. I'm not suppose to. "Apart from me you can do nothing."
When God asked Moses to go back to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh 'Let my people go' what did Moses say? He said he couldn't do it. That no one would listen to his voice. That it held no authority. Finally God consented to send Aaron with him. Sadly, even after 40 years of seeing God's power and plans and even being the tool God used to perform many miracles, when God told him to use his voice to call water from the rock, Moses instead tried to use his staff. Twice. Foolish, stubborn man. Much like me.
When God gives you something to do, it's not like your ability matters! Really, if Aaron hadn't gone would it have been different? It was God's ability not Moses that mattered.
"If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit"
The key, is obedience, trusting that God will see you through. To go as far as we are able, to push ourselves as far as we can go, then when we're tapped out, when all the world is aligned against us, when the enemy is about to overwhelm us if you will, then God steps in and overthrows. Suddenly things happen in our favour.
Providence moves too.
I get it now. My ability, or my own perception of my ability, is irrelevant. The fact that I haven't accomplished what I wanted (the past) is irrelevant. All that is relevant, is that I commit myself to doing those things fully and absolutely. Am I good enough? Lol. No. Irrelevant. My God, Allah, the universe, the Law of Attraction, however you want to understand it (my understanding and connection is my Lord Jesus Christ and that's working just fine for me, thank you) IS powerful enough. God WILL see me the rest of the way. The world likely will come against me (or certainly seem that way) and that's perfectly okay, in fact, it's a great sign things are about to get interesting and it's time to start celebrating. For when I hit that wall, when everything seems doomed, when I'm overpowered, that's when God steps in and starts setting things right. But I have to be willing to go the distance first. I must be absolutely committed, because until I am 'there is the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness'. 'Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!'
So in effect, taking that risk with the Canfield program, putting it all out there and going as far as I could was absolutely necessary for me to be where I am now. I had to be committed, and ironically, had to be beaten before I could be victorious.
So 'How am I doing now?' Wonderfully. I am not at this moment rich, or uber-successful, or whatnot, but I have just paid off all my debts, completely, am reshaping my life, have enrolled in a series of programs that will result in me being a Life Coach, I am making and prepared to make radical changes in my life.
In one sense, as I write this letter, I am in the same place I was last letter, looking to make a permanent change in my life for the better.
In another sense, I am in a completely different place. In April, I was full of doubt, fear, frustration and looking for an answer. Now I have my answer. I have no doubt, no fear and only jubilation (and some residual anxiety) over what the future holds. My life has changed. I am a different man. I will be living a much different life a year from now, and far different ten years from now. Of that I am convinced and convicted. I am ready to do whatever it takes, not because I feel like I have some gift to do it, but because I understand that I don't, except through Him, but with Him my success (re: His success and glory) already a foregone conclusion.
Jack Canfield, for your part in making this happens, and to Tony Robbins, and Napoleon Hill and countless others and to Gary, Lee, all the coaches on the coach line; Thank you. A huge, gracious, warm thank you.
In this relay race of life; I have the baton, and I'm running with it.
Yours Truly,
Preston Squire
See the follow-up to this post here
I had no idea I would be writing this letter, tonight or any night, but as I checked my email I saw that someone had read my last open letter to you (April1st) and requested an update on my progress.
The timing was impeccable. While posting on this blog was the furthest thing from my mind, to write this now at this time, might be the most appropriate.
There's two answers to the question, based on how it came but the end result is the same. To wit: Is the Success Principals Coaching working for me? And How am I now doing?
To answer the first question, I do continue to use the coaching service. Sometimes a lot, several calls a week, and sometimes sparsely, a couple a month. I have read the book again, redone most of the exercises and listened to the tapes again (some repeatedly). It's all good and it's all helpful. The coaches are excellent and often do really help me to better understand myself and frame things better in my mind. Other times, not so much. It depends on who you get and what you're asking them. Coach X might guide you to an absolute insight in relation to question A but not really terribly helpful with question B, however Coach Y might be awesome on Question B. So when I have a really burning question, I keep on calling until I get the right coach for that question. Or just a lot of different perspectives. Yes, that's right, a lot of different perspectives. They all have backgrounds with other coaching companies and have different ways of doing things. Although it's 'Jack Canfield's coach line' it's not Jack's way or the highway. If anything, they refer back to The Success Principals too rarely.
However, and my use of 'however' is never a good sign, I cannot say the coaching program has helped me make any kind of substantial breakthrough. It has been useful, it has been helpful, and I continue to use it (damn straight, I PAID for it, I'm going to use it!) However, The Success Principals and the whole program has been more educational than transformational. As the old 80's cartoon 'GI Joe' use to say, 'Knowing is half the battle!' Which is apt. It's half. The problem lies in the other half.
If you were to ask me 'Was it worth the money?' I'd have to say yes and no. I do not feel that it's been worth the investment, in and of itself. That is to say, it wasn't the magic bullet and if that's someone's expectation, they might be disappointed, then again, they might not. However, there are other options out there (cheaper ones too) that I believe might serve as well or better. If you're someone reading my blog, that's good, you're looking into them and trying to figure out what's best for you. Now that's where the 'yes' comes in...
What I have found, and what has made an absolutely monumental shift in my life is that Napoleon Hill and all who came after are right as per this quote which is commonly attributed to Goethe (or Faust) but is neither:
'Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!'
~ W. H. Murray in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, 1951
I had absolutely committed myself to making a difference this year, to changing who I was in a profound meaningful way, and I pushed as hard as I could for that. Even going to far as to spend the equivalent of a small used car on Canfield's program. Money I did not have nor have the means to repay. I did the program, redid it. Tried other programs (which were also helpful) and finally, out of ideas, out of money and out of hope, unable to get myself out of the rut my life had become (a comfortable rut, but a rut nonetheless) I asked, no rather begged, God to slay the poor, pathetic person I was and just do for me what I could not do for myself.
God answered. And he has done exactly that. For the last three weeks exactly now, God has been very active in my life and transforming me. Giving me insight after insight.
Now the irony to me, is that in writing this I am reconfirming what God has been showing me all this week.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." ~ John 15:5
I was constantly holding back because I didn't feel I had what it took. Holding back from truly pursuing my dreams, the woman I love, the life I want and from those three pillars God gave me oh, so many years ago - to Lead, to Love and to use Literature to reach the people and help them transform their lives. I now see that, frankly, it's true. I don't have what it takes. I'm not suppose to. "Apart from me you can do nothing."
When God asked Moses to go back to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh 'Let my people go' what did Moses say? He said he couldn't do it. That no one would listen to his voice. That it held no authority. Finally God consented to send Aaron with him. Sadly, even after 40 years of seeing God's power and plans and even being the tool God used to perform many miracles, when God told him to use his voice to call water from the rock, Moses instead tried to use his staff. Twice. Foolish, stubborn man. Much like me.
When God gives you something to do, it's not like your ability matters! Really, if Aaron hadn't gone would it have been different? It was God's ability not Moses that mattered.
"If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit"
The key, is obedience, trusting that God will see you through. To go as far as we are able, to push ourselves as far as we can go, then when we're tapped out, when all the world is aligned against us, when the enemy is about to overwhelm us if you will, then God steps in and overthrows. Suddenly things happen in our favour.
Providence moves too.
I get it now. My ability, or my own perception of my ability, is irrelevant. The fact that I haven't accomplished what I wanted (the past) is irrelevant. All that is relevant, is that I commit myself to doing those things fully and absolutely. Am I good enough? Lol. No. Irrelevant. My God, Allah, the universe, the Law of Attraction, however you want to understand it (my understanding and connection is my Lord Jesus Christ and that's working just fine for me, thank you) IS powerful enough. God WILL see me the rest of the way. The world likely will come against me (or certainly seem that way) and that's perfectly okay, in fact, it's a great sign things are about to get interesting and it's time to start celebrating. For when I hit that wall, when everything seems doomed, when I'm overpowered, that's when God steps in and starts setting things right. But I have to be willing to go the distance first. I must be absolutely committed, because until I am 'there is the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness'. 'Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!'
So in effect, taking that risk with the Canfield program, putting it all out there and going as far as I could was absolutely necessary for me to be where I am now. I had to be committed, and ironically, had to be beaten before I could be victorious.
So 'How am I doing now?' Wonderfully. I am not at this moment rich, or uber-successful, or whatnot, but I have just paid off all my debts, completely, am reshaping my life, have enrolled in a series of programs that will result in me being a Life Coach, I am making and prepared to make radical changes in my life.
In one sense, as I write this letter, I am in the same place I was last letter, looking to make a permanent change in my life for the better.
In another sense, I am in a completely different place. In April, I was full of doubt, fear, frustration and looking for an answer. Now I have my answer. I have no doubt, no fear and only jubilation (and some residual anxiety) over what the future holds. My life has changed. I am a different man. I will be living a much different life a year from now, and far different ten years from now. Of that I am convinced and convicted. I am ready to do whatever it takes, not because I feel like I have some gift to do it, but because I understand that I don't, except through Him, but with Him my success (re: His success and glory) already a foregone conclusion.
Jack Canfield, for your part in making this happens, and to Tony Robbins, and Napoleon Hill and countless others and to Gary, Lee, all the coaches on the coach line; Thank you. A huge, gracious, warm thank you.
In this relay race of life; I have the baton, and I'm running with it.
Yours Truly,
Preston Squire
See the follow-up to this post here
