As I was writing this few days ago, I got so absorbed that I did not even realize that the 20 minutes had lapsed and I lost what I was writing. In previous times I would have been worked up and looked at it as something that always happens to me, but rather I was laughing at myself for not paying attention to time, and it felt great. Kaizen Challenge has changed my life in ways that I feel words can’t precisely express. I used to think that I am very good with money, but with Kaizen Challenge I realized how much money I wasted. I would buy staff I did not plan for and also realized that I have a lot of staff I do not need. It has made me to give more. My husband and I used to go through our wardrobes from time to time and give away clothes, but I realized just how much more we would acquire each year. We would normally fill two big "rubbish bags", but because this time a lot of thought went into it, we filled about 6 plastic bags and we still have more than enough.
I used to be a very negative person. There were times in my life when I did not only wish I could die but I would even pray and fast to ask God to take my life. Just to give a brief background, I had very bad endometriosis and I used to spend all my salary on medical bills, to the point where I would have to be given money for transport even though I was working.
I had very low self esteem and I was very unhappy, that there would be many times when I would cry buckets for no reason. To cut to the chase, my health got to a point where I had to have a total hysterectomy at the age of 33.
Based on the above and a few other reasons I felt it was justified to be unhappy, pessimistic and have a low self esteem. When I started with the Kaizen Challenge, I was fighting to change my life but it was like being in a rut. I would be happy for a few days and then go right back to my old self, and each time I was happy I would EXPECT for it to not last.
There were times when it was difficult for me to even laugh. When my husband told me that a friend asked him to attend a business presentation I went with him. I normally just dismiss business presentations because I had attended many of them before. I had been extremely busy in my job and also traveled a lot and felt I needed something more in my life. The rest is history.
My husband has endured the wrath of my negative thoughts and actions the most. I would always point out what he needed to change and wouldn’t say much about what he was doing right.
I can’t claim to have completely changed, but I know for sure that the Kaizen Challenge has made me to be more gracious and to always ask myself what is it that I’m trying to achieve before saying or doing anything. I always blamed him for everything going wrong in my life, and the funny thing is he is still the same, but I am much happier (Hmmm! I wonder who really needed that change).
Like you said ‘I am learning to accept the facts that I can’t change and change the facts I can with a positive attitude". This has helped me to deal with the fact of having had a total hysterectomy, before having my own children. I am looking forward to adopting and am overcoming my fear of wondering how I could choose a child or children among others and leave the others behind.
I am patiently working through the symptoms of premature menopause, that’s why you were God sent because to do that, I needed to work on my LIFE as a whole, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I became more focused on my business and the daily plans were very helpful because they made me become focused. The best thing of me was to go back to the plans I had made and felt soooo… happy to see myself achieve them. It really made me become accountable.
When I was writing this my keyboard was so wet with tears, but I thank God that this time my tears stem from GRATITUDE and JOY that God led me to the workshop. I used to read my Bible and pray and I would get more frustrated that I would have the really low times, because I would think I should be one of the happiest people because I loved God. I have realized that the same way I need to have faith I also need to watch my thoughts.
I was looking for instant changes, but I have now learned that small changes lead to really BIG ones. I also expected the "big bang" of change when I started with the Kaizen Challenge, and am I glad that God gave me the strength to persist.
Thank you sooooooooo… much Hannes for being so selfless and sharing your experiences. I have talked to people about things that hurt me and I actually realized in my journey that I used to make too many wrong (negative) assumptions about situations.
The KC has helped me to work on my relationships, and I have experienced relationships in ways that I never thought I would ever experience. To put the cherry on top the "4 AGREEMENTS" (which I call "IPAB" for easy recollection) have made a huge impact in my life and my relationships. I share with everyone I talk to about the Kaizen Challenge, and even though I feel they don’t understand, I always visualize them being able to not only understand but share in the same experiences by doing actually it.
Day 43 was very challenging for me, because I found it difficult to accept that deceased conditions are a manifestation of fear, worry, anxiety, hatred and similar thoughts and that my present physical condition is all the result of past methods of thinking. I thought, how can what I think be what I create because my pain was real?
Wow! Was I glad that that particular lesson was only addressed towards the end when I had already made progress in so many other areas in my life.
I have also read so many encouraging books that I used to buy and hope to read and never did because I thought "I did not have time". Cutting out the amount of time I spend watching TV has made a huge difference. I have read many books, and am planning to finish reading all the books I bought, before buying some of the ones you recommended.
Not only has not watching TV helped me to read but also it made a tremendous impact in my relationship with my wonderful husband. In that he would sometimes feel a bit awkward watching TV alone and he would switch it off and we would just sit and talk and have the most wonderful quality time together.
It’s almost as though every single lesson was meant for me.
This has been such an AMAZING experience that I am even thinking of writing a book about the things I’m grateful for. There is so much that I have learned and so much that has changed in my life that I can’t even fit them all here.
I actually feel like 49 days were too short. I know for sure that this has been the experience of a lifetime and I will repeat the lessons for the rest of my life. I am planning to start them again when I come back from out of town next week. I still need to focus more on just being still and have my quiet time, practicing affirmation and visualization (WOW! this was definitely the shortest 49 days of my life). I am EXCITED to say that ever since I started with the Kaizen Challenge (following my attendance of your Business and Marketing Development Workshop to be precise), my low moments are very short and far apart.
Each time I find myself in a situation I ask myself how will this benefit me, others and the greater good and its amazing how that alters my emotions and actions. When you were talking about perfectionists and how they procrastinate and end up not doing anything because the situation is never perfect enough for them to act, I thought who told Hannes about me, because I am the only one who knows that? I am so glad you did because I make every effort to act on things and stop waiting for the perfect moment which does not come most of the time.
There is so much I could still say, because one has achieved more than what was included in the plans.
My relationship with money and how I view it have changed, I can now say YES I want to have lots of money, but also know that it forms only a small portion of what TRUE WEALTH really is.
Thank you once again, may God continue to bless your life. I really pray that everyone that ever has the opportunity to do the Kaizen Challenge will actually finish it because it’s definitely more than what anyone could give.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you………….WOW!!!!!!!!!! this has been AMAZING.
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