The Strangest Secret

At some point in your life, you may have had someone suggest you read something—or listen to something – and it REALLY made a difference for you.

For me, I was 17 – just starting college at UW Madison and it was SO BIG and SO DIFFERENT and SO EXCITING and SO SCARY. And it was not a book, but a cassette tape! (Yes, cassette!). The cassette was The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale, and when first released in 1957 – it was the first spoken record to sell 1,000,000 copies. It truly changed my life.

What’s the “secret”? We become what we think about.

 

Our thoughts shape our feelings, those feelings direct the energy and confidence we bring to our actions, and the actions we take ultimately create our results. Success isn’t luck or chance—it’s the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. When our mind is focused on what we want, and we take steady steps toward it, we succeed.

 

The challenging part is that sometimes we are not even AWARE of what we are thinking or the negative dialog we are telling ourselves.  Here’s an exercise I teach in my presentations – give it a try. It’s also attached here as a fillable worksheet.

 

Writing Your Reframe

This message has carried me through challenges in my decades of successful fundraising and in a joy-filled life. And here’s where I want to invite YOU into an exercise: Write Your Reframe.

Too often, our default thoughts sound like this:

• “People know I just want money.”
• “Why can’t people respond to my emails?”
• “This year it’s going to be hard to ______.”

Now, let’s reframe:

• “I want my giver to make the gift that brings them joy!”
• “How can I make it easier for them to get in touch with me?”
• “This year is an opportunity to ______.”

 

See the shift? Same reality, but a different lens. The reframe focuses on possibilities, joy, and service instead of frustration, fear, or lack.

 

The “Secret” in Context

The strangest secret isn’t really strange at all: thoughts are causative.  And it seems strange that our thoughts could be so powerful.

Most people never grasp or apply it — that’s why it feels like a secret.

When you can apply it – even a bit — it will align your thoughts, words, and actions with purpose and lead you to a fulfilled, impactful JOYFILLED life AND fundraising success!

 

Here are your Action Steps

• Start with YOU. Plant what you WANT in your life.
• Notice your thoughts.
• Write the reframe for those that don’t serve you.
• Live and inspire giving with JOY.

 

Why It Matters

When YOU choose your thoughts, YOU choose your results.

 

Nightingale’s challenge was to write down exactly what you want, carry it with you, and think about it constantly. I’d add—also attack those pesky, nagging negative thoughts that can haunt you. Reframe them and write down your reframe. Carry it with you. Let it guide not just your fundraising, but your living.

Because here’s the truth: when YOU invest in better thoughts, YOU maximize both your giving and your living.  SHINE ON!!!!

Invest in Joy™