Affirmations are the key to achievement and self talk is the most important conversation a person can have. Whether you ‘can’ or ‘can’t’, you’re correct. Use positive self-talk with conviction and you start down the path to success.  

One of my great passions is flying. My first airplane was a 1946 Taylorcraft. Buying the plane was a dream come true. Learning to land, however, was one of the most difficult skills I’d ever tried.  

The decision to buy the T-craft was purely emotional, fueled by a lifelong dream. Flying, I reasoned, would be a great hobby, an excellent escape, and a fun pursuit. I knew I could learn to fly. Besides, how could a lifelong aspiration be anything but fun? Any forethought of complication was immediately dismissed…

Flash forward a few weeks. During one very long and difficult lesson, reality struck: I was struggling with learning to land. It was evident to my flight instructor long before it occurred to me. In one session, I attempted eleven landings – all of which ended badly. For some reason, my mind did not reconcile with the idea of gently returning to earth. 

1.    Landing is an important skill to master

2.    Landing is the key to competent flying

3.    I am not the first pilot to face this challenge

4.    Confronting this challenge will test my resolve

So I decided then and there to ‘love to land.’ At least 100 times per day I said quietly to myself, out loud to no one in particular, and in hand-written notes later discarded, “I love to land.” This self-talk, repeated regularly, over and over and over, cannot be ignored by the mind. Affirmations are the key to success they serve as verbal reminders of our determination.

Master landing I did. Since then, I’ve used affirmations in the face of some very challenging situations. Give it a try the next time you face a daunting challenge.  
 

On Succession Planning:

• Meet the Farmers In the Dell –  by Pam Smith for Farm Journal, July 2009
• Communication: Your Survival Depends on It – Leave a Legacy, November 2009
• Register for AgConnect – Orlando, January 13-15, 2010