From The Web: Jim Stovall - Changing our minds

There are a number of people in my life right now that are facing the challenges of reinventing themselves due to layoff, divorce and other misfortunes. We all experience these things from time to time and it can be very scary as the outcome or/and the destination is unknown and we must follow our instincts. Why is this so nerve racking?!

I get Jim Stovall's weekly column via email. I wouldn't call him a motivational speaker, although some people would. To me he is just a guy who gets it. This weeks title is "Learning to Re-Learn", I thought I'd post it and this video to help those in my life who are in the valley and are looking for support and encouragement to start climbing the peak.

February 25, 2010
"Learning to Re-Learn"
By:Jim Stovall

You've probably heard it said that once you learn how to ride a bicycle, you never forget. This may be true, but if you haven't ridden the bicycle in 20 or 30 years, you may want to avoid heavy traffic areas when you first try to ride the bicycle again. Likely, your cycling skills will have diminished to a point where you will have some close encounters with curbs and mailboxes. You may even crash and burn several times before you re-learn the skills you once mastered and, therefore, begin to call yourself a bicycle rider again.

There are many skills we had once mastered that have atrophied over the years. There are certain skills that come naturally to us, and we lose them over time. When we are born, we do not know fear except for loud noises and falling. All other fear is learned. When you hear about someone overcoming their fear, they are actually re-learning a skill they were born with which is not being afraid. They have to re-learn being fearless.

I spend a great deal of my speaking and writing time dealing with helping people find and reach their dreams. Reaching your dreams or making your goals a reality is actually easier than establishing the dream or goal itself. Most people never really adopt a dream or a goal as something they intend to achieve to an extent they begin moving toward it.

It is hard to establish dreams and goals, because we have learned how to fear failure. Our maturity has given us the knowledge to understand all the reasons why our dreams might not come true.

We were all born with the ability to dream. When we were four or five years old, the world was full of endless possibilities. When I was first exploring this concept, I made a video with a group of preschool dreaming experts. I would like to share that video with you and those you want to pass it on to in your personal and professional life.



When you watch the video, with these marvelous preschool kids exhibiting the innate ability we all have to dream, avoid the temptation to begin mentally calculating their odds of success and formulating rational reasons why they can't achieve their goals. This process of rejecting and rationalizing is the great dream killer we all develop that obliterates the natural gift of dreaming we each had when we were born.

As you go through your day today, re-learn how to dream and unlearn how to rationalize and reject the dreams you have.

Today's the day!

Jim Stovall PortraitJim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082, or by e-mail at Jim@JimStovall.com.