The leadership challenges we’re facing today in our social, political and economic world are not so much about competency, as they are about integrity and character. This causes skepticism and distrust amongst many of us.

1. Know yourself authentically

Practice being what you wish others to become.

2. Listen authentically

In his book "The Inner Game of Tennis", Timothy Gallwey focuses on the game that's in the mind of each player. According to Gallwey, performance equals potential minus interference.

A tennis player faces two types of interferences. One is the outer opponent on the court, the other is the inner opponent in his or her mind. More often than not, the inner opponent is the tougher of the two. The inner game reflects the struggle each player has with his/her own mental limitations. Gallway identifies the inner opponent as that part of you that is judgmental, thinks too much, overanalyzes and tries too hard.

The first step in overcoming the limitations of your inner opponent is to become more aware, and focus on what you are actually doing, instead of what you should be doing. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is to let go and trust your natural ability to learn.

We all have been given the capacity to learn. In fact, most children learn to walk before they can be told how to do so by their parents. Children gain confidence from the natural learning process happening within them.

In our relationships, business and health, we all vow to do better. We all have an innate desire to grow and excel in the things we do. But as we grow older, the thinking (and trying) sometimes gets in the way of our innate ability to learn and grow!
 
Growing up, I remember watching a great tennis match on television with my two brothers. After watching the game we would go outside and replay the match. We modeled great tennis players,like Borg, Connors and McEnroe, from the way they hit the ball to the sights and sounds of their game. These were perhaps the best and most fun games we ever played.

A great way to tap into your natural ability is to model the people who have demonstrated excellence in your field. Look for the difference that made the difference! Find out how they do what they do so well. How do they think? What goals and values do they have? What are the beliefs they hold about themselves and others?

When you study and model excellence, while trusting your ability to learn and grow, you will get excellent results. In order to win in the game of life, you need to win the inner game first.

Have you ever been told: "You know you can do it!", or "All it takes it takes is willpower and discipline", but for some reason you did not succeed in following through? Or have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I should have known better…", but you did it anyway? Do you ever wonder why?

The answer lies within one of the most fundamental human conflicts; the conflict between the head and the heart. A conflict between what you know you should do, and what you really want for yourself, yet you are not always clear about what causes you to make those choices. This classical dilemma is about a conflict between your 'social' self and your 'authentic self'.

The world of your social self is conditioned by the rules of your upbringing, the beliefs and values of your family and culture you were born into. It determines the criteria by which you measure whether you fit in, feel accepted, acknowledged and validated.

It gives you a sense of security and a feeling of belonging. It outlines what you have to do, and how you are supposed to be, to be okay. The world of the social self is about how we respond to the expectations of others.

On the other hand, there is the world of your authentic self. Your authentic self is expressed through your heart's desires. It is what you truly want for yourself. It is more about being than about doing. It is the world of your inner feelings and intuition. It is the world of heart and passion.

When people experience inner turmoil, anxiety, or stress, often the voice of their authentic self is muffled, overwhelmed, even strangled, by the voices of other people's expectations or the voice of your own social self.

Past experiences and your sense of logic might lead you down a certain path, yet it cannot assure whether your heart will be in it!

I believe we all want to be happy, yet we don't always know what makes us happy! Unless you get very clear about your personal 'criteria', the things that are really important to our you, you remain stuck, feel anxious and sometimes even get depressed.

Each of us of has to create his own unique path in life. If you wish to experience more joy and fulfillment, listen to your own heart for direction, because these are sounds no one else can hear. Dare to be yourself.

As Montana Gray said so simply, "When you live your authentic life, you have no competition!"

If you want to discover a new path forward, or you feel stuck in your personal or professional life, sign up for an introduction life coaching session. Coaching provides the structure, feedback and support to keep you moving forward and create the results you really want.

The word 'intent' comes from the Latin 'intendere', which means to “stretch forward.” When you set your intent, you are opening the doors to create the kinds of life experiences that you want to have.

Setting your intent is about directing your focus in the present moment toward a future outcome. Because of the constantly changing environment of your life, setting your intent is an ever renewing process.

Your intentions are thoughts, and your thoughts are energy. The nature of your intentions will determine specifically how you experience your own reality. As such, your intention is like a filter for your experiences.

Setting your intention is quite different from establishing goals or objectives. It should precede any form of goal setting activity. Goal setting is your ability to act upon your intention. When you are clear about your true intention, you will automatically guide your attention toward those experiences that you choose to manifest in your life.

Let’s say for example that you are going to attend an important networking event and your intent is to have fun and connect with people, you will then naturally attract these kinds of experiences.

Setting your intention is making a conscious and committed decision to attract certain experiences and outcomes in your life, even when you are not sure how or when these will manifest in your life.

All too often we get so obsessed in reaching a certain goal or expecting an outcome to manifest a certain way, that we miss out on opportunities presented to us – right here, right now – and fail to notice the synchronicities and new resources along the way.

Imagine traveling to a certain destination, and because you’re going too fast, you not only miss the beautiful scenery along the way, but you also miss a sense of where you are now and why you are going to your destination in the first place.

Integrity means that you do what you say you will do, and authenticity means that you mean what you say. When you are grounded in intention, you establish high integrity and authenticity in your life.

When your thoughts and intention are conflicted you will have conflicted experiences, because your outer world is a reflection of your inner world.

Setting intent is a powerful tool in creating the life you choose. You can set your intent before important meetings, or simply state your intent before you start your day.

What is it that you intend or wish for? What kind of experiences would you like to manifest?
Some examples of intent could be to have fun, to connect with people, to learn, to explore, to be caring, to be healthy, to help others, to heal yourself, to grow, …

Success is a State of Mind
Building a Foundation for Your Future 
 

Dieter Pauwels, a St. Louis based Life & Business Coach  joins Deepak Chopra, Mark Victor Hansen & Les Brown in the new release of "Success is a State of Mind" - Building a Foundation for Your Future! 

About the book:
 
Success does not have easily defined boundaries. It's as varied as those who attempt to define it. Find out what some of the most successful people believe about success in this remarkable book, Success is a State of Mind.
You will learn elements that are critical to your success journey such as good communication, how to conquer fear, how to break out of "business as usual," and how to become unstoppable.
 
You will discover how to uncover your true gifts, which involves changing your limiting beliefs and creating new empowering ones that will enable you to honor your values and live the life you truly want.

You will be entertained as you learn new ways to look at the concept of success.

Success is a State of Mind will expand your knowledge and open up new channels of information from others who are well established in their success journeys.
 
Remember, a success mindset in action translates possibilities into success. Take advantage of this book and the valuable information these authors have to share.

They are not just students of life, business, and of success-they are active participants.
And so are you!

For more information, visit http://www.dieterpauwels.com/SuccessIsAStateofMind.aspx