About Success

Reach Your Goals - Never Settle For What You Can Currently Imagine

2006-08-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Never settle for what you can currently imagine

You are a captive of your own imagination. In other words, your wildest dreams form the outer limit of what you believe to be achievable. However, there are many people who are living lives, doing things, and creating realities that are so far beyond what you could ever imagine that it will simply never occur to you to think about it - unless you consciously make the effort to suspend all disbelief in furtherance of your ideal life.

At one time, the running a 4-minute mile was thought by the top physical scientists of the day to be beyond the farthest bounds of what a human body could do - the physiology quite simply could not withstand the stresses needed to break this barrier. All their research supported these ideas and proved them to be true over and over again.

Too bad for them it wasn't true. When Roger Bannister beat the 4-minute mile in 1954, he was almost immediately followed by another, and then another and then hundreds of "anothers", all running miles in under 4 minutes, until the point was reached where a 4-minute mile was less a wild success and more of a minimal time to beat as a measure of competitive racing base talent. What happened? It's simple. Bannister went to the edge of everyone's wildest dreams about how fast a runner could go and he used that point as a starting block, rather than a finish line. And you can do the same.

What are your wildest dreams surrounding your goal? Consider relocating your starting point to that accomplishment as the least you are willing to accomplish, rather than setting it up as a destination you one day hope to claw and drag your poor, worn carcass up to. Dream big, then run your race from the finish line onward.

Reach Your Goals - Step Into Your Own Truth

2006-07-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Create a truth and step into it

There is a saying in self-help circles that states, "Your mind can't take a joke." What this means is that whatever you believe to be true is true, at least as far as your mind is concerned. One dramatic example of this is what most people refer to as psychosomatic illnesses. There are many examples of this, such as false pregnancies and allergies that trigger severe, life-threatening reactions when the person believes (incorrectly) they have come into contact with the allergen. On a more psychological note, people who constantly repeat negative beliefs in their mind (I'm too ugly to attract men, my boss hates me, I will never be successful) create a reality where what they think is what they experience, unfortunately reinforcing the very belief that created the problem in the first place.

Although this can create problems for the people who suffer from the negative aspects of the phenomenon, you can harness the positive side of this extraordinary power for your own use by creating a truth and then stepping into it. For example, creating a powerful and professional website, complete with all the whiz-bang features of the big boys, creates a truth in the mind of your customers that you are one of the big boys and they will treat you as such, encouraging you to respond in kind.

Set yourself up with the trappings of success as it relates to your goal, behave as you would expect a successful person to behave and speak and think of your success in the present tense rather than future tense - and almost imperceptibly, you will step into the truth that you have created. Before you know it, you will be what you behave yourself to be, because your mind (which, let's face it, creates your reality as you know it on a very tangible level) can't tell the difference between, as it were, a Hollywood set and a real house. Make that ability work for you.

Reach Your Goals - Create A Nurturing Environment

2006-06-30T02:05:00.000-07:00

Create an environment that is so inspiring and nurturing that it does half the work for you

When your work and living space are cluttered and dirty, when dishes are piled up in the sink or when your wardrobe is uninspiring, energy that you need to meet your goals will be bled out of you like a battery being run down by a forgotten dome light. You need all of the energy you currently have just to run your life, and you need to generate more to reach your goals. Do so by ensuring that your environment doesn't just meet your needs (organizing, cleaning, maintaining, restocking, etc.) but goes the extra step to ensure that it actually creates energy by anticipating your needs and providing you with a reserve. How? Simple - overcompensation.

For example, if you feel better in bright colors, don't just throw out your "blahs" and pick up a few nice colored pieces - recreate your wardrobe starting with a few basic neutrals and then fill the rest of the closet with a handful of the brightest, most flatteringly-colored and styled clothes you can afford. This way, you will not only feel fantastic when you wear them, but when you look into your closet, you will feel inspired and energized by everything that is in there and not dragged down by having to fight your way through another "How can I throw together something decent out of this mess" battle.

If your problem is clutter and mess, organizing and maintaining is a great way to keep it under control, but having a "stuff audit" - where you toss out everything (furniture included) that you don't absolutely love or absolutely need, and that doesn't fit your perfect life ideal - ends up giving you less that you have to clean or organize, more room and more emotional energy to apply to other activities, plus the space to move in some choice, consciously chosen items that inspire you and move you forward, such as great art, a truly wonderful sectional set or that professional kitchen knife set you've always wanted (and never bought because your drawer was already full of inferior, but reasonably serviceable, knives).

Don't settle for less than what you want out of life - but less can be more if your new environment supports, encourages and energizes you.

Reach Your Goals - A Higher Purpose

2006-06-21T01:19:00.000-07:00

Find a higher reason to reach your goal than just the goal itself

I need to be mentally sharp, physically and emotionally alert, and spiritually on top of things in order to do a good job for my clients. Knowing that none of these are possible without good physical fitness, when I feel like skipping or cutting a workout short, I repeat my mantra "Strong body, strong mind, strong spirit," and picture all of the people counting on me to help them. This is a far more effective motivator than simply visualizing a fit body (which doesn't cut it for me after about 15 minutes on the rowing machine!) and reminds me of the higher purposes for getting fit.

Figure out for yourself how you can expand your perspective on reaching your goal - what things will it bring into your life besides the obvious, immediate benefits? Who else will benefit and how might that inspire you to greater effort? For example, a goal of getting up an hour earlier to have time for meditation might be hard to maintain on its own merits if you're not a morning person. But if you focus on how the calmer mindset and less rushed schedule will make you a better parent, spouse or employee, you may find that the higher benefits outweigh your immediate resistance.

Reach Your Goals - Using Eastern Wisdom

2006-06-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Take a page from Eastern wisdom

Meditation, martial arts that focus on disciplining the mind as well as the body, and chi-releasing massage and yoga can all help you reach your goals by clearing your mind, teaching you how to block out distractions, and showing you how to deal effectively with obstacles. The disciplines of Eastern mind-body arts are a great help when stress or outside influences threaten your progress, and the meditative mindset helps keep the link between the sub-conscious and conscious mind open, streamlining the flow of creativity and flexibility and promoting the intelligent use of internal resources - and, not incidentally, short circuiting some of the resistance and negative self-talk that often create failure where there was none before.

Following a regimen of meditation and mind-body-spirit exercises also has a tendency to bring up old, suppressed issues and emotions that could be blocking forward movement without you even realizing it. Just think of these issues as psychological and emotional computer viruses lurking in your "hard drive", quietly and invisibly throwing all sorts of otherwise normal functions off kilter, sometimes dangerously, and even protecting themselves by creating negative thought patterns which not only prevent you from removing them, but which prevent you from even seeing them in the first place. Yoga, meditation, deep prayer, hypnotic chants and other reflective practices are sort of like virus scanners that can root out such problems, bring them to the surface and isolate them more or less safely in a "quarantine" of conscious awareness where you can study them and their effects, and then get rid of them, in your own time.

Reach Your Goals - The Fine Art Of The End Run

2006-06-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Perfect the fine art of the end run

From time to time, the path to your goals is going to run smack into someone else's version of reality, which they may not be happy to have you "play through." In these cases, shift your direction of movement off-road and work around, rather than through, the problem. There are two important points to remember when doing an end run:

Win-win is always better than win-lose, even if you have to work harder. Burnt bridges can come back to haunt you later.

Creating your own version of reality, which is non-negotiable, is vital to a successful end run.

Example: You need a day off from your day job to make a goal-related trip or get some work done. You can either ask "Can I have a day off?" (?to which we can all guess the likely answer), or you can do an end run around their arguments and objections by simply stating "I've got to go out of town next month. Which is better for you, Wednesdays or Thursdays?" This creates the new reality (you will be out of town one day next month), but leaves those in charge still feeling in charge (win-win) by getting to pick the best day for you to do so. If they say that neither is good, then you counter with a set span of days by which you have to have this done ("I have to have this out of the way no later than the fifth") and let them deal with that.

Similar end-run approaches to different goals are definitely achievable. If you need a permit to open a business and the town council says that there are no such permits available, end-run solutions would include building outside the city limits or running a local campaign (backed by other city businesses) to change the laws. An end run around a college that doesn't offer your preferred major would be to create an independent study course in that field or to use a distance-learning college to flesh out the core classes you're taking on campus.

Does this always work? Of course, nothing in life is ever guaranteed. But with this new reality framework, your odds are way better than with simple "yes or no" questions, which have a base 50% chance of "no" right off the bat. To be effective, you must instill your actions with a mature approach that puts you on the same level as the person you're talking to.

Reach Your Goals - Start A Round Robin

2006-06-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Start a "round robin" goal letter with others who need a little motivation and accountability

If you know a few people who are working on projects of their own (and lets face it, how many people do you know who aren't) ask them if they'd be interested in starting a "success round robin." Participants do not have to be aiming for the same goals for this to work.

Start by writing a letter or email that briefly notes what your goal is and what you have done about reaching it and what tips, techniques and other helpful hints you may have (why not send along a link to this e-book, as well!). Send your letter on to the next person on the list, who then does the same before sending it on to the next person. By the time it gets back to you, not only should you have plenty to write about regarding your own progress (hey, you can't let the guys/gals down, can you), but you should also have plenty of inspiration and ideas to borrow from!

Reach Your Goals - Get Your Act Together

2006-06-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Get your act together

Make sure that you have all the equipment, tools, resources, clothes and attitude you need to successfully reach your goal - before you start in on it. Nothing spoils a motivated mood faster than having to drop everything to find a pair of well-hidden tin snips, or getting to the gym and discovering that the skin-tight leotard you borrowed at the last minute from your sister doesn't meet their more conservative shorts-and-shirts-only dress code.

Before embarking on any venture, always make sure that you know what you'll need. Think like a journalist writing a how-to of your particular goal. Envision each step and look around at your mental image - what are you doing, wearing, using, etc. Watch out in particular for those tricky "hidden" steps that can throw your whole schedule off - like getting halfway through a bread recipe for tonight's potluck and finding the instruction, "Now let dough set overnight in a cool, dry place"!

Reach Your Goals - Temp Your Way To The Top

2006-06-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Temp your way to the top

Want to take the test for a software certification, but feeling a bit rusty? Need to brush up on your mechanic skills before tackling the full rebuild of that gas-and-oil-guzzler staining up your driveway? Or perhaps you need to re-enter the networking circle of your chosen work-from-home career after a few years out of the loop, but don't want to get trapped into the office-bound aspects of it. One visit to your local temporary staffing agency could have you on your way to meeting your goals and getting paid for it at the same time.

Temp agencies are well known for their desire to work with their employee-clients (that's you) on times, shifts, days and skill specifications. If you find out that you and a particular employer don't see eye to eye on what you need, you can just say "no" ("no's" are no big deal - the temp agency would rather find out before you walk out of an employer's office mid-shift and leave them with a PR hassle). By the time you've gotten what you needed out of the bargain, you and the agency have made some extra cash and the local businesses will know your name (and hopefully, that'll be a good thing).

Reach Your Goals - Aim For The Impossible

2006-06-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

Choose "impossible" goals

When faced with a hard-to-reach goal, your best strategy may be to shoot even higher. Like aiming a punch or a kick "beyond" the target, aiming impossibly high will at least get you where you need to be, and will quite likely create a vacuum-like momentum that will pull you far beyond what you thought possible.

One of the reasons that this works is that by setting such high goals, you instinctively understand that what has worked before isn't going to work now - which ensures that "the way we've always done things" will be the first item on the chopping block. For example, if no one has ever made more than 30 sales in a month in your showroom, and if you determine that you're going to shoot for 50, it's quite obvious that the thinking and behavior that is normally employed to pursue sales simply isn't going to cut it. You'll have to sit down and figure out what sorts of things a person with 50 sales would have to have done to get them. Harebrained and even absurd possibilities that pop up in such brainstorming sessions suddenly become reasonable achievement strategies. Perhaps the thought comes that maybe there's a better source of clientele than walk-ins - instead of just waiting for customers to come in, maybe you could host a series of classes showing how to get the best out of your product. Or perhaps you might start having sales lunches with old or repeat customers to pick their brains for ways to enhance your sales package. Or maybe researching mass-purchase possibilities by corporate-level buyers is a better option than focusing on the single-purchase buyers that normally generate your commission check.

Of course, despite all your creativity, it might not work. You may never hit 50 sales. But, at the very least, with your new strategies, high-level targeting and newly generated enthusiasm, you're more or less guaranteed to hit the previous ceiling of 30 sales without batting an eye.

Reach Your Goals - Creative Multi-Tasking

2006-06-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Multi-task goal-completion work with everyday, "have to" activities

If you need to lose weight, don't take the dogs for a leisurely stroll - jog or power-walk them. Use the time you spend waiting at various appointments for catching up on trade reading or creating the materials/writing the outline for your next stunning teleclass or seminar. Take the opportunity to practice your character drawing or writing during your subway commute. If you need to do a job that is relatively mindless (weeding, ironing, dishes), use that time to listen to training MP3s/CDs or other goal-related recordings. The possibilities for implementing this tip are only limited by your imagination and lifestyle.

Always having something on hand to do that brings you closer to your goals during such "downtimes" not only frees up hours of otherwise lost time for your personal pursuits, but having something interesting and self-improving to do makes your chore time go by quicker, too.

Reach Your Goals - Bring In The Big Guns

2006-06-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

Bring in the big guns

People love to be needed, and love to be thought of as a leader in their field even more. If you could use a hand reaching a goal, ask around until you find someone in the field who seems universally respected and on the ball. Call them up and explain that you are trying to break into the field (be sure and choose someone for whom you will not represent up-and-coming competition) and that you've heard that they are the as the go-to person for the inside scoop. Ask them for what's known as an "informational interview", and offer to treat them to lunch so that you don't take up their valuable work time. Pick the nicest place within your budget, or ask where they like to eat - and don't forget your checkbook or credit card (call the restaurant first if you're unfamiliar with the place, to ensure your card or check will be accepted). Have a backup payment option on hand, just in case their credit card swiper is down that day. If your target decides to meet in their office, make sure you don't take up any more of their time than you originally asked for, unless they specifically ask you to stay on - and even then, use good judgment about overstaying your welcome.

Prepare a list of questions beforehand and make sure that you listen carefully to everything they say. Taking notes is nothing if not flattering to the speaker, so feel free to do so. If they start to wander off on a conversational tangent, a good way to bring them back on target is to say something like "Wow, someday I'd really love to hear all about (whatever they're talking about), but since I know you're very busy, I really have to ask you about (your question) before you/I have to leave."

After the interview, write a brief thank you note (on paper, not email) and get it in the mail that day or the very next morning at the latest. Then add that person to your network list!

Reach Your Goals - Get Professional Help

2006-06-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Get professional help

There's no rule that says you have to do it all yourself. There is a whole world of people outside your door (and maybe even in your house) who are capable of tackling parts of your project that you can't handle, or don't have the time for. Take advantage of them if that's what it takes to get the job done! After all, success is the issue, not proving you're Superman or Superwoman.

For example, let's say that your goal is to get your house ready for a move or an open house if you're trying to sell. If finances permit (and even if they don't, it can still be worth it in terms of mental health preserved), call in a maid service for a day to do basic cleaning, hire professional carpet cleaners, take the animals to a kennel and send the kids off with your sister to Chuck E. Cheese. Let the pros handle the crummy stuff while you focus on ensuring the safe transport of Great Aunt Gemma's priceless Ming vase to your new home, or while you get busy filling the house with that scent of baking bread that your realtor swears will close the sale.

Reach Your Goals - Delegate Your Life

2006-06-06T00:42:00.000-07:00

Delegate your life

If you're having problems finding the time or energy to handle your everyday activities, let alone getting to your goal, "hire out" the other stuff in your life to clear up mental and physical energy for the sole purpose of reaching your goal. Assign distractions that don't require your personal involvement - like dinner-making, house-cleaning, errand-running and phone-and-door duty - to other family members. Do this until you reach your goal (or for as long as is practical, if doing it all at once isn't), with the understanding that you will reciprocate when it's their turn.

This can even be done in a work setting. If you are trying to study for a new certification, learn a new program to improve the company's database or some other job-enhancement goal, your boss may approve shifting some of your non-essential tasks to other employees (or even outsourcing them, if reaching your goal is important enough to the company). Just be sure and make it clear that reciprocation at a later date is part of the deal, so no one feels dumped on.

You might even consider suggesting that this become a standard company policy. The exchange of individual efforts for the good of the whole could just be the key to enhanced productivity for all!

Reach Your Goals - Progressive Goal Party

2006-06-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hold a "progressive" goal party

If you have a group of friends with the same goal who live in close proximity (or who can meet up comfortably in a third-party establishment), get them involved in a progressive goal party. The idea is to meet at one location, where you all complete one part of the goal as a group, then move on to the next (carpool or walk) to complete the second part, and so on. This can be extended to include shops and other buildings as well as houses. Be sure to have appropriate snacks, fun activities, etc., at each stop to make it a special day.

A good example would be a Christmas shopping/preparation party: Everybody starts at one house making lists, planning the day's activities and eating a light brunch. Next, hit the malls (or other predetermined shopping areas) together, making sure to help each other hunt down those hard-to-find items - and don't forget to stop by the coffee bar or other dining place to fuel flagging energy and regroup. Afterwards, it's on to the next house to wrap (and have a late lunch or early supper), then on to the next to bake cookies (don't forget the eggnog and late-night snacks!). It's good fun, great camaraderie, and everybody gets their stuff done and over with at one time.

Reach Your Goals - Measure Twice, Cut Once

2006-06-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Measure twice, cut once

Just as in carpentry, making sure that your decisions are based on sound data is essential to reaching your goals. Ensure that you know precisely what is going to be required to make your dreams come true, and that you meet these criteria and are capable of the sustained effort necessary. For some goals, such as being a pitcher for the New York Yankees, a certain set of basic skills and physical attributes are non-negotiable. Making sure that you possess these skills and attributes before you put your house in hock to pay for a Major League baseball camp is only common sense. If you're unsure whether or not you have what it takes, ask someone who does know - but be choosy about who you ask. If you want advice about making the Major League, ask someone with that sort of inside info - a scouting-level college baseball coach, a sports agent, a sports journalist, etc. Don't ask cousin Bob just because he watches the game all the time and knows everyone's stats. Sure, he might be able to give you an unbiased viewpoint, but it is unlikely. Family baggage (he thinks you're the greatest thing since chipped beef, or he's still smarting over the fact that you ended up with "his" girl) can seriously impair his outlook. Friends and family members are usually the worst options for fair and objective evaluations, even if they are professionals in whatever field holds your interest. Only in the rarest of cases can someone be a professional first and a family member second - after all, they've probably been your (cousin, friend, etc) for much longer than they've been at their job.

That said, once you've double-checked the time, money and commitment necessary, and you're still sure you have what it takes - go for it!

Reach Your Goals - Visualize Success

2006-05-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

Visualize success, and what you'll do to reward yourself

A goal envisioned is a goal half completed. Most people find it difficult if not impossible to expend large amounts of energy on something that they can't "see" as existing in their reality. Creating that vision before starting out on your journey creates a real destination in your mind, which is infinitely preferable to just wandering off in the general direction of whatever it is you want and hoping you end up somewhere acceptable. The stronger and more realistically detailed you make your visualizations, the better chance you have of succeeding. Why leave anything to chance - picture your goal right down to the stitching, as it were, to ensure that your energy is being focused in the right direction and is concentrated on creating the most effective and appropriate result.

Visualizing your "attaboy" (your gift to yourself for reaching your goal) works the same way, except with the added bonus of creating a higher level of motivation if it is a particularly, well, rewarding reward. Sometimes, if the work to get to your goal is especially difficult or unpleasant (weight loss, getting up an hour earlier every day, not yelling at the kids all week, etc) the treat can be far more energizing than the goal itself!

Reach Your Goals - Review and Refine

2006-05-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Periodically re-check and refine (or redefine) your goals

It's no use struggling to meet a goal that, by the time you get there, no longer fits in with your life. During obvious stopping spots along the way (say, every 10 lbs on a weight loss goal, or when you've saved enough for a down payment as part of a house-ownership goal), take a few days to sit back and really feel how you are reacting to reaching this milestone. Are you excited, chomping at the bit - or nervous, with slight overtones of dread or entrapment?

Some nervousness is to be expected if you're reaching out in a totally new direction in life, and it's only fair to expect that not all feelings you have will be cheery and rosy, even if you truly want the goal you're heading for. There is, at the very least, some mourning to go through for the loss of your old ways and your old life. But take time to make sure that you aren't ignoring obvious signals that are screaming, "Run away! Run away!" for good reasons. Wedding jitters, for example, are perfectly normal; however, trepidation about abusive behavior, which doesn't seem to be declining (despite promises to the contrary), is another ball game altogether. Make sure that the goal you reach is the goal you want.

How To Reverse Engineer Your Success

2006-05-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

The best and fastest way to learn how to make moneyon the Internet is to buy the marketing books ofsuccessful web marketers. You can find a selection ofmarketing books at these sites:

http://www.ebooksnbytes.com http://www.freezineweb.com/mktg-books.html http://www.free-ebooks.net/ http://www.ebookdirectory.com/

But there's also another way: study their web sitesand reverse engineer their success.

The great thing about the Internet is that everythingis visible - nothing is hidden. If it's working forthem, you can find out exactly how they're doing it bystudying their site.

=> Subscribe to their Newsletter and examine their Welcome Message.

=> Analyze their Newsletter and see exactly how they use it to generate income.

=> Sign up for their free autoresponder course and find out why it produces sales.

=> Check out which affiliate programs they promote.

=> Read their free eBooks and discover how they bring in new customers.

Here are some examples:

(1) Recently I signed up for the Newsletter ofsomeone who makes $130,000 a year just from affiliateprograms. I wanted to see how he was doing it. What Inoticed was that he doesn't even try to sell theaffiliate products - he tells his readers how much hemakes from those programs. Naturally, they join(through his link). The result? He has an army ofsub-affiliates who do the selling for him.

(2) In another Ezine I recently saw a 40 word adthat interested me. I clicked on the link, and insteadof taking me to the home page of the product, it tookme straight to the order form. Very clever, and veryeffective.

(3) A few weeks ago I subscribed to a freeautoresponder course - 12 daily web marketing lessons.Many people never finish these free courses. Theyunsubscribe half way through.

But this marketer made sure that people finished hiscourse - he announced in the first lesson that the12th lesson contained the download link for a veryuseful free eBook that I wanted. Naturally, I stayedwith it till the last lesson.

(4) Last week I signed up for a marketing guru's15-day free autoresponder course and I was amazed tosee how easily it had been put together. Each modulewas simply a freely-available article by a recognizedweb marketing expert, with a sprinkling of affiliatelinks.

To sum up, when you visit the website of a marketingexpert, pay close attention to everything you see. Askyourself "Why is s/he doing that?". Everything isthere for a reason.

If you make this a habit you'll quickly learn the artof making money on the Internet.

The Core Curriculum Of A Wonderful Life

2006-05-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

An acquaintance of mine once lamented that she was utterly frustrated with her lack of progress toward her dreams, given her age. According to her outlook, if you hadn't made it by then, you weren't anywhere near as likely to do so afterwards. A very late bloomer indeed, she ranted, and going to seed before the blush was off the rose, to boot. Ouch. Fortunately, I didn't believe a word of it and now she is happily off proving herself wrong in many ways - but I digress.

Far too many of us try too hard to jump right out of childhood and into long-term success before we've even figured out what we want. Sure, there are plenty of people doing it all around us - 20-something MBAs, 30-something CEOs and 40-something retirees. But what we fail to realize is that all the stuff we do until we move onto our dreams is hardly wasted effort, and all the stuff that these preternaturally speedy "reference points" skip over may well hurt them in the end.

Perhaps a little exercise in imagination will make clearer what I'm saying. If you had a child in college who was no less brilliant, no less studious and no less wise than any other, would you - in their first year at university - encourage them to take the advanced classes immediately, wringing your hands and bemoaning the fact that even though they've been attending a top-flight engineering school for 6 months already, they aren't anywhere near being a top-flight engineer?

Of course not! It would be ridiculous. A sound course of study is to spend the first few years taking basic, core curriculum classes that provide the foundation for the advance studies yet to come, and to use that basic-ed time to ensure that they are on the right major track while they still have time to switch - because, after all, the core curriculum is a required part of all degrees and nearly all such classes are entirely transferable to any major course of study.

Well, the same thing is true in life, but too few of us see that clearly or well. Just as too many students trip and stumble through expensive and exhausting majors as if the wolves of hell were nipping at their heels, only to find themselves suddenly shaking hands with the Dean and holding a degree that they can't even bring themselves to look at (not to mention the student loan bills that hit the mailbox the month after), lots of folks jump right into to what they've "always wanted to do" in life without even pausing to learn the basics skills necessary to live, love, survive and (most important) figure out for sure what they want to do in life. If you watch carefully, you'll see many of those eager-beaver corporate prodigies, early adopters and always-on-the-ball whiz kids sporting increasingly haunting shadows in the backs of their eyes as they begin to realize that maybe they jumped into things a little too hastily, that "on the ball" isn't exactly a stable place to be and that now they're stuck with responsibilities, expectations and "sunk costs" that are just too weighty to get out from under with any grace or dignity.

Sometimes it's good to be a late bloomer, seeds and all. After all, whatever we learn in the core curriculum of life will apply to nearly anything we choose to do with it later. Saving the advanced courses in life - the following of dreams, the searching for inner peace, the quest for the perfect mate - until after we learn how to balance our checkbook, love ourselves, think and act with honesty and integrity, and cook a decent meal - is not just a wise decision. It is absolutely, fundamentally the only way we stand a chance of getting it right when it counts.

How To Acheive Your Full Potential

2006-05-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

If you want to make more of your talents - live up to your full potential - you have to learn to use them. You have the power to change your habits - to acquire new skills and fully use the skills you now have. You can improve your performance, your productivity, and the quality of your whole life.

What makes a high achiever? Is it luck, intelligence, talent, dedication? All of these things figure in - they all make a difference. But we all know intelligent, talented, hard-working people who do not consider themselves very successful or even happy. And we know people who are not exceptionally bright but seem happy and successful.

So there must be something else, some secret to success. Actually there are several secrets to achieving your peak performance - living up to your full potential.

Your success at business is largely determined by your own self-image. Your unhappiness is something you choose. So, you're thinking no one chooses to be unhappy. Well, maybe not - but you have to consciously choose to be happy, self-confident, and successful.

Happiness is elusive when we go after it directly. So is self-confidence. Both seem to be more "side-products" than something you can achieve in and for itself. So how, then, can consciously choosing to be these things be of any value? Well, the secret is to focus on other things.

First, focus on your potential. Begin by making a complete and accurate assessment of your potential. To do this you must take an inventory of yourself - you will make a few lists. Sit down and make a list of all the things you can do well. Be honest with yourself. When that list is done, make a list of all the things you like to do, even if you think you can't do them well. Then, make a list of all the things you would like to do, if you could. Now list your hobbies.

Then, go back to the list of things you can do well. You are probably being much too hard on yourself. Most of us are. We have this little voice in our heads telling us things like: "You're so dumb," or "You can't learn to do that," or "You never do anything right," or similar nasty things. And even worse, we listen to that voice as if it's telling us the gospel truth. So now, shut off that voice - you can do it - and add a few more things to the list of things you can do well. Pretend you are your best friend - it's amazing how much more forgiving and charitable we are with our friends than we are with ourselves. Now that you are your best friend, you should be able to add a few more items to your "do well" list. But do be honest - don't list things you feel you really can't do well.

Next, go to your list of things you like to do but you feel you don't do well. Speaking as your own best friend, do you think there are some things on this list that could be moved to your "do well" list? There probably are. If you like to do it, chances are you do pretty well at it. Treat your hobby list in the same manner.

Next, go to your list of things you would like to do if you could. Ask yourself, "Why can't I do this, if I'd like to?" Put your reasons on another list. OK. So you have a lot of lists going - what good is that going to do? Well, you have just made an assessment of yourself. If you have been truly honest in making these lists, it may even be a fairly accurate assessment. Probably it isn't, but that's OK. This assessment isn't carved in stone. It's subject to change. But for now we will work with what's on the lists. At least you have a place to start.

Look over your lists again. You are focusing on all the things you feel you can't do and the reasons why you can't do them, right? Well, don't. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO - FOCUS ON YOUR POTENTIAL. Make it a habit to focus on your strengths. Don't forget to include your undeveloped potential, as well. Train yourself to focus on your potential instead of your limitations.

Now that's not to say that you should ignore your list of reasons for not doing some of the things you would like to do. Not at all! But look at them from the viewpoint of your strengths. For instance, you'd like to play basketball but you think you are too short, so you don't even try. In this case, you are looking at it from the viewpoint of your limitations. Now, when you look at it from the viewpoint of your strengths, you would say, "Well, I may be pretty short to play, BUT I am fast. I can handle the ball well. I have a lot of stamina. I can't change being short, but I can refuse to let my limitations overcome my strengths."

You see the difference? Focusing on your limitations lets those limitations make your decisions for you. Focusing on your strengths lets YOU make the decision. To go back to our example: when you've decided to overcome your height limitations to play basketball - something you really want to do - you will be more determined to develop your strengths to compensate. You will do well, because you will be doing what you really want to do and you will be determined to develop the full potential of your strengths. Very few people concentrate on fully developing any of their strengths. That's where you will have the edge. You know your true disadvantages but your determination, your singleness of purpose, will inspire you to fully develop the talents and skills you do have.

OK. You probably have no interest in playing basketball. Then go to your assessment of yourself. What do you have a major interest in? What do you have a natural aptitude for? Go for it. Devote yourself to something you really like to do. Don't choose something just because you think you could make more money at it than you could by doing something else that you would really rather work at. You won't work to develop your full potential. You may start out with enthusiasm, but you will soon flag. It will be a chore to go to work. You'll probably find yourself hating to go. It'll be difficult to work on improving your skills because you don't like what you are doing. You probably won't be working up to your potential. Your success will probably be limited by your growing lack of interest and your happiness will surely be affected.

If, however, you devote yourself to something you really like to do, you'll enjoy your work, you'll be enthusiastic, and you'll probably find yourself working on improving your skills just for the sheer joy of it. You will be working to reach your full potential. You'll probably soon find you are making more money at this truly interesting occupation than you ever dreamed possible. And because you like what you are doing, you will be happier.

When you know you are working to your full potential and you enjoy your work and begin to feel successful, you will find that self-confidence and happiness soon follow.

But, you must be realistic and honest with yourself. If you set goals that you can't possibly reach, you are setting yourself up for failure. You will make yourself frustrated and unhappy. The key here is a realistic and honest assessment of your potential.

Although most people will be unnecessarily harsh in their assessments, it is easy to become too hopeful when you start breaking down barriers. If, for instance, you're extremely interested in and fond of music and would love to be a singer, it would be unreasonable to set a singing career as your goal if you can't sing a note (some talents are inborn). But if you are knowledgeable about the music business and would be happy being involved in some other capacity, then it would be reasonable to pursue a career in the business.

Be wary of making otherwise perfectly reasonable goals unattainable because of stringent time frames. When you set a goal, you will most likely set times for achieving certain steps along your way to achieving your final goal. Even if you don't set the time frames formally, you will probably have a pretty good idea of how long you are giving yourself. It's wise to sit down and formally set these goals. Think about it and give yourself reasonable time to achieve them. Make a deal with yourself to view these time limits as flexible.

Don't get discouraged if things don't work out as planned. Sometimes finding our place takes both time and error. All of us experience failures of one magnitude or another. The key is to view the failures as a learning experience - if nothing else, failures teach us what not to do. Remain flexible. As long as you keep focusing on your strengths and potential, the right thing will come along - and probably sooner rather than later. But don't quit at the first sign of boredom. Even if you have truly found your niche, you will not feel enthusiastic 100 percent of the time.

Don't worry about others - don't compare your progress with that of others. No matter how successful you are, there will be someone else who, to you, looks like she's got it made - who looks like she's getting where you want to go faster and easier than you are. Maybe she is. Maybe she isn't. Who cares? Focus on your own achievements. Work to develop your skills and talents to their full potential. Compete with yourself - your short term goals should be based on today's accomplishments. If you have reached Point A today, make Point B your next objective - improve yourself and don't worry about the other guy.

OK. You have decided what your ultimate goal is. Make sure it is a definitely defined goal. "Someday I want to be famous" just won't cut it. Define exactly what you want to do. Define a reasonable time frame. Know what you have to do to get there. You don't need to know every little detail, but you do have to have the big picture and many of the details. If you have a goal in mind but don't know what it takes to reach it, then you need to find out. Do some reading, talk to people who know, ask questions and LISTEN to the answers. Think that sounds like a lot of work? Well, remember what you are preparing for - your success and happiness. Surely you want to put a little effort into that! Anyway, a little reseach into what it will take for you to reach your goals isn't too difficult.

Train yourself into making this "research" the next focus of your life. You will be focusing on your strengths, on your purpose, and on learning and doing. If you have chosen a goal that is right for you, focusing on these things and devoting the necessary time should not be too difficult. It may take a bit of self-discipline at first, but your determination and interest will carry you through until the focusing process becomes a habit. When you have a real desire to accomplish something, initiatative should only require an occasional shove - but you may need to give it a nudge now and again.

Get into the habit of visualizing your success. Now sitting around and daydreaming in generalizations about it is not what we mean. You need to visualize specifics. To return to the basketball example, daydreaming about being carried off the court on your teammates' shoulders is just daydreaming. Picturing in your mind how you will work a play if your opponent makes a particular move, picturing your exact response to it, is visualizing specifics. If you run through specific moves in your mind, you will be prepared when the need for those moves arises.

Don't be afraid to use your imagination to visualize new and better ways to accomplish things, as well. Here in your mind, you can try doing things in ways that are different from the usual. This is a creative process - you may have heard of creative thinking. Training yourself to think creatively is largely learning to let your imagination work on methods that are different from the "way things have always been done." It's breaking away from the idea that a thing can be done effectively in only one way. It's looking at a problem from all angles. Just play a game of "what if." Ask yourself, "What if I did this thing this way?" It's OK to get a little crazy sometimes. But, you must also spend some of your thinking time at specific visualizations of the moves you need to make to accomplish your goals.

Visualizations are important but actual physical practice of your skills is important, too. Practice the boring little skills that are necessary as well as the skills that you enjoy. Don't let yourself rely on just the things that come naturally and easy to you. Develop your limited potentials as well as those that you feel are your assets.

Work on developing the more general attributes that are important to almost any goal:

Success comes more easily to those who have a pleasing personality. This is not to say that you should bend to eveyone's wishes or scrape and bow. Rather, develop an attitude that is respectful of other's opinions but true to your own beliefs. Be flexible - don't be so rigid that you can't accept another's opinion when it is superior to your own. Be willing, even eager, to learn from others. Changing your opinion in light of more facts is a sign of strength of character, not weakness. Be willing to extend a helpful hand, be a team player. Develop a sense of humor. Be polite and caring - but be your own person.

Learn to guard against emotional responses. You are susceptible to errors of judgement when you let your emotions get in the way. Of course, everything we do is done based somewhat on our emotions, but strong emotions have little place in decision making. Hold your emotions in check. Try to delay decisions if you are in an emotional state. Learn to ignore your emotions and use reasoning to arrive at your decisions.

Develop the habit of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm works like a magnet - it draws people and success. It's a pleasing personality trait that people like to be a part of. It seems to be contagious - the people around you become enthusiastic, too, and become more cooperative. Enthusiasm sparks initiative and singleness of purpose.

We've talked of working to develop habits - the habit of focusing on your goals, the habit of focusing on your strengths, the habit of learning and "researching," the habit of visualizing, the habit of enthusiasm. Now we will talk of habits in a little different light - breaking them. First, assess your habits looking for the ones that may be displeasing to others. Offensive habits can hold you back from success - they are often a part of an unpleasing personality. Look for things like grumbling or grunting at people instead of answering, gazing at anything but the speaker when conversing, smirking or sneering when you don't agree - anything that is an automatic, displeasing mannerism. It will be very difficult to assess your habits accurately. After all, a habit is something that we do without thinking much about it. You will have to spend some time at this and be very conscious of yourself. Ask someone you trust to help you with this assessment. It may take a lot of work to break yourself of displeasing habits. Try substituting a different, more pleasing behavior for the habit you wish to break.

OK. You have set definite goals, you have a definiteness of purpose, you have researched and know the specific steps to take to achieve the goals, you have resolved to be flexible and to develop a more pleasing personality. Now what?

Well, just because you have a clear purpose, know what you want, are willing to work on developing your potential, and willing to be a nice person, success will not drop into your lap overnight.

Be prepared to face people who are not calm and reasonable. Don't let them get to you. Remain calm and reasonable and even be a little sympathetic. Suppose you have an irate customer even though you have done nothing wrong. Just remain calm and offer a solution that will benefit your customer. Never let an irate customer make you

forget to be professional.

Play "Let's Make A Deal." Be prepared to deal. Don't expect to get everything you want. If you are willing to gracefully make some concessions, you will be more likely to arrive at a satisfactory deal. After all, a negotiation has at least two opposing sides. This means someone else has something they want, too - even if that something is simply to leave things as they are. Arrive at a compromise that everyone can live with. Remember, you are working at long-range goals, and you may be negotiating with them again.

Three Gratifying Ways To Add Abundance To Your Life

2006-05-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Abundance is intangible, spiritual and attracts energy. To attract this type of energy you need to define it, for when you name it, you can claim it. Your definition of abundance is as personal as your DNA.

Abundance is the same feeling you have when all the toothpaste is gone and you realize with a sigh that there is a spare in the cabinet. Emotional abundance is having reserves available when you need them -- a loving safety net for you to pull from when needed to balance.

Reserves also assist in maintaining a strong personal foundation or who you are. Awareness and a place to keep those reserves, even if they are only clearly defined in your mind, are emotionally important. When committing those reserves to memory, it helps to work through them in writing and record them.

Since the definition of abundance is vast and personal, let us focus on four areas of reserves for now -- peace, joy, happiness and love -- to awaken awareness and build those reserves for added support to your personal foundation.

Peace.

Peace begins within the soul and is felt in the present moment. Negative emotions still lingering from the past hold you hostage and need to be let go in order to have abundance in the present.

Here is a simple and effective way to let go. Close your eyes and allow any past negative energy to emerge into active memory. At the same time, visualize picking up a small stone with your non-dominant hand and placing it carefully in your dominant hand. Close that hand gently on the stone. Take the built up energy and move it into the stone. Feel it leaving your body. When that energy has moved into the stone, open your eyes. Now throw the stone, as if tossing it across a river, and begin repeating something such as: "X, you are gone forever. Good riddance."

Repeat this mantra faster and faster over the next few days until it is a quick thought and feeling that whooshes through your body until it's emotional hold is gone. Afterwards, write an affirmation statement such as: "I am..." to replace it with positive energy. To enrich this visualization, throw a real stone into water and place that sound into memory.

Here is another technique that helps you switch from past to present. Journal for 10 minutes. At the end of that time, write a summary sentence, then rewrite it and begin to change it's energy with statements such as: "I am no longer a hostage of X. I am no longer allowing this to place my life on hold. I am free and at peace with it once and for all." Then shorten into an affirmation statement of ten or less words. Keep repeating this affirmation either eye-to- eye in front of a mirror or eye-to-eye with a friend until there is no longer any emotion attached.

Joy.

Joy and happiness have similar exhilaration powers. To name your joys reminisce through your past, especially those moments when the world slowed down or there was a lot of excitement in your heart. Was it the birth of a child, a promotion or something from a vacation? Make a list about those times and/or share them with others to extend the joy.

To change the energy on a current challenge, select a joy, then close your eyes and bring up a strong visualization and emotion of that joy. Feel its warmth embrace you. Now transfer that feeling, not its memory, to that challenge. The energy is now replaced and the challenge is no longer a challenge and will be easy to complete.

Happiness.

Define your happiness by finishing the following sentence with a list of 100 thoughts, feelings and experiences: "Happiness for me is...." Repeat this exercise periodically and keep stretching the list for even greater results. Some of my favorites are: an adventure movie, American Indian flute music, watching the tide come in, and playing in the sand. Now, what are yours?

Love.

Love...aaah, it curls your toes and makes your heart sing. Define the love you want to receive and the love you want to give. Separate the two and write out your definitions of each of these. What do you need to feel loved? What do others in your life need to feel loved?

Having the right intention for your love is important. If you give it away freely and don't expect it to come back, it will return. When you expect it back it is owed or a trade for something. Knowing what type of love you need sends the right energy into the Universe and it will return.

Now, stand back. It's time to smile. See how you have grown with these exercises. See their meaning and feel their warmth. Now you are sending out clear and definable signals and the Universal Laws of Attraction will send them back to you.

Techniques to Help e-Learning

2006-05-22T01:17:00.000-07:00

e-Learning is doubling yearly. Classes, e-courses, e-books on how-to and what-to appear by the thousands online weekly. In-person seminars and workshops are limited to location and access. e-Learning allows easy access, creation, and international distribution to a whole new world of experiences -- negative and positive.

Avid learners now feel like there is a smorgasbord laid out before them. It's like having teachers and trainers crowded into your den. Yet, no sooner do you buy one e-learning material, start reading, and another enticement grabs your attention that is suppose to be even better, even grander. The flow of new material never seems to end -- a high percentage poorly written.

Online learning is now starting its climb up the product maturity bell curve. This means that buyer's dollars are voting, demanding, more well thought-out and written material. As an avid on-line reader, I let out a deep sigh of relief and look forward for this next wave to occur across the board.

Studying on a computer screen requires different uses of the mind and eyes. Normally we read in a scanning method when browsing the Net. Now, with studying, reading will require more deliberate and careful. This increases material understanding, comprehension, critical evaluation and practical application.

Adults who have been away from educational studying for awhile, will need to review again the scope of skills needed to study again. Ones they learned back in school. For some just thinking about studying again makes them crawl under the bed covers. Those with less break time since their studying days, the skills will return much quicker. If good study skills were not previously learned, there will be some struggle or frustration that might be experiences while learning the correct methods and creating new habits. For them it will be like creating a cake from scratch instead from a package mix.

Note taking

Save your printer ink. Don't print out the material, rely on your notes and your memory. Taking ink-created notes is just as important with e-Learning as in any other type of learning environment. Yes, I did recommend using good old ink and paper. Note taking isn't just set aside because the learning material is online. Taking handwritten notes is a key element in moving new short-term information into long-term accessibility.

If you would like to have a checkpoint or a measuring stick on what you are retaining, take note taking to the next level. You will want to preview the material, as mentioned next, then begin reading and taking notes. After this, take a break, return, and then type up your notes. While you are typing add information that you remember from the material or what you have learned from other sources. Add whatever is swirling in your mind. This is best way to measure what you have retained and what is still missing. If there is something in your notes that doesn't make sense, then you will know what you need to reread and start the process again within that smaller scope. You can even ask further in-depth questions (see below).

Preview

Review and scan all the material. If the material is large, scan the entire area, then return to one smaller section at a time and chunk it. Read titles, subheadings, and spend a few extra minutes on any diagrams or memory aids. Look for patterns in the material. If the material is well-written you will always discover one or more patterns. Patterns help mind-visual-understanding associations. Is there a quick summary at the end of each chapter? If yes, read this during your preview. Previewing is important whether the new material feels comfortable or is stretching you.

When previewing follow ideas and major concepts more closely rather than words. Let titles and heading provide clues and guidance. If the author is playing cutesy with the headings - the title doesn't match the contents--rewrite the headings so that they fit something that can help your memory.

By reading the introductory and concluding paragraphs first, you will also be able to calculate what you're reading pace will need to be, how much time you will need to set aside, and the amount of effort.

Environment

Take special care of your eyes when reading from the computer screen. Take frequent eye breaks by refocusing them on some object far away. If your eyes are bothering you, there are special computer reading eye drops available. If you wear bifocals, ask your eye doctor or the lens manufacturer to raise the starting line to accommodate computer use. This will also stop neck strain caused by the slight movement of up and down to align the bifocal line so that you can read the screen. Bless the doctor who told me about this. This adjustment removed the neck pain since.

Don't slouch. Frequently it is easy to lower shoulders and neck. This occurs most often when the monitor is not at the ideal position -- eye level. This also adds tension to the neck and shoulders resulting in muscle cramping. If you tilt the screen up, at a higher angle, where the screen's center points toward your nose, you will reduce tension and cramping.

Pace

We tend to assume that our reading pace remains the same for Net browsing and for e-Learning. Not true. e-Learning requires the same flexibility as if you are reading a book. The pace depends on reading skills, type of material, and the quality of its presentation. Allow your pace to change depending on the information. Let go of comparing how long it takes when you read it in printed form vs. online form. Allow flexibility in study time until you learn to gage the material with your own level.

Questions

Allow your inquisitiveness to be open while studying. Record questions that appear within your thoughts. A great way to expand or answer the question is to write the question on the top of a blank page. Set a timer for 7 to 10 minutes and write fast anything that shows up. At the end of the writing, write a summary sentence or two of what you wrote.

Did your free write answer the question? If not, you may want to continue through a few more timed exercises. Or let it go for the moment, return to your studying, and add it to your research list. Free writing is always a great way to access deeper meaning being stored in your subconscious.

The most important key to any type of learning is to find your own rhythm and stride and have fun with the whole process. Retention is best absorbed while relaxed, open and curious.

Practical Nine-Step Guide to Max Productivity

2006-05-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Step 1: List all the business activities that you complete (regularly or not). Examples: phone calls, meetings, paperwork, projects, sales, follow-up procedures, writing, learning/researching, web site design, delivering core services (substitute name), etc. Yes, this might seem time consuming. You will need to trust in this process and wait for the benefits to appear.

You can create the list two ways: (1) focus and write all in a list, or (2) track your activities, even the 5-minute items, for a few days. Don't need to add to the list what already exists, thus, the time required to complete the list will become less and less. Be specific clear and as brief as possible (less than 5 words). Use separate sheet to track activities.

Step 2: Place a star in front of three items that you are brilliant at, that you can rate as having a #10 energy level (1 little energy, 10 passion).

Step 3: List the three most important activities that produce income for the business?

Step 4: Mark three activities from list (Step 1) that you don't like to do or are weak at completing?

Step 5: Review the list from step 4. Who would be good candidates for complete the items you don't like doing? Is it a virtual assistance? Significant other? Assistant?

Step 6: What would be an ideal method for you that you could work with the three people you want to allow other people to handle for you?

Step 7: What one time-consuming activity will you delegate right away?

Step 8: What first step can you take to start this process?

Step 9: What immediate benefit will you get from delegating this out? How much time would it free up? What will you replace that time with?

Hip-Hop, Michael Phelps, and Peak Performance

2006-05-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

I am unashamed to copy the peak performance techniques of peak performers.

Since "imitation is the highest form of flattery," I am pleased to flatter one whose success I admire.

After all, I am after the success. Originality is great, but reaching my goal is the issue.

However, there are limits.

Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps, winner of six goal medals and eight overall, likes hip-hop. Some even follow the word "hip-hop" with "music."

When asked, "What do you think about when you are in the water?" he responds, "When I'm swimming one thing that's going through my head is doing anything I can to get my hand on the wall first.

"Sometimes it doesn't always happen but there's always a positive thought in my mind.

"And also I'm singing a song in my head ... whatever I was listening to before I got into the water."

That song is likely to be Eminem's "Till I Collapse," Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready To Die," or something from Twista.

(Ah, right. I could do a search, but maybe later.)

"I just like the sound of hip-hop," Phelps says. "I love Jay-Z and 50 Cent and I'm a huge Biggie (Smalls) fan. I listen to rap on the way to practice and whatever I've been playing just loops through my head as I swim."

And his daily workout lasts two-and-a-half hours and covers ten miles.

Fortunately, I suspect that audio art forms besides hip-hop (or, perhaps, an actual form of music), played on the internal audio system will also occupy the conscious mind and unleash the power of the unconscious.

So, whenever you have to engage the mind and body for an extended period, play your own internal music.

Fortunately, peak performance is the issue and there's no accounting for taste.

A Simple Idea from a Billionaire

2006-05-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

It's simple and powerful.

The philosophy of successful people is often easy to understand.

The more I look at how successful people got that way, the more I realize how straightforward they think.

For example, consider these comments from Mark Cuban, billionaire, mercurial owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and star of the reality TV series "The Benefactor."

When asked the key to recognizing opportunity, he sites doing one's homework as the most important factor.

"The hard part is doing the homework to know if the idea could work in an industry," he says. "Then doing the preparation to be able to execute on the idea."

He admits that he does not have original ideas. He combines existing ideas in unique ways that no one else is doing. Of course, he knows no one else is doing it because he has thoroughly studied his industry.

He says that the characteristics of an entrepreneur are willingness to learn, focus, ability to absorb information, and no illusions about competitors' desire to overtake you.

Cuban says that when he set the goal to retire at 35, he studied everything he could find about business and the industries that interested him. He actually considered any job as a paid opportunity to learn more about a business.

He advises entrepreneurs to learn as much about their businesses as possible and never take shortcuts. Over and over again, he emphasizes homework, superior knowledge, the drive to learn, and the need to get to work.

Nothing complicated in this philosophy, is there?

Anyone could adopt his ideas and do well at anything.

Regardless of your dream, if you do your homework, you greatly enhance your odds of success.

Do yourself a favor. Do your homework.

It's simple and insures success.

And you can be your own benefactor.

A Field of Multiple Opportunity

2006-05-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

Opportunity is all around us and has many facets, but it's not always obvious.

It hides behind the same appearance that everyone else sees, but it reveals itself depending on who you are.

Even though everyone sees the same appearance, different people recognize different aspects of opportunity.

What you see depends on the vision with which you start.

Consider a farmer's field.

Sam Walton had his own vision regarding fields.

The founder of Wal-Mart needed to open stores and lots of them. His discounting philosophy meant that he needed to drive costs down, cut profit margins to the bone, and generate huge volume.

He did this by seeing opportunity where others saw a field.

Walton flew his own airplane. He would fly low over an area of potential expansion, especially noticing any new subdivisions growing around existing small communities. When he found a key intersection between a few small towns and in the path of growth, he would land his plane, buy a piece of farmland, and build a new store.

To most people, it looked like a field. To Sam Walton, it looked like a field of opportunity.

But it was a field of opportunity for others as well.

The same land upon which now stands a thriving Wall-Mart looked very different to different people.

It was a farm for the farmer, an thumbnail sketch of economic indicators for the commodity speculator, a microcosm of the local environment for the scientist, a trend indicator for the demographer, a rustic landscape for a photographer, and a source of tax revenue for the county assessor.

The field was the same, but it embodied multiple opportunities.

What makes the difference is your vision.

If you know your vision, you will recognize your opportunities.

The Secret Behind All Great Masterpieces: Lessons Learned!

2006-05-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

The ten-year period which followed the stock market crash of October 1929 is referred to as the Great Depression. This time frame is considered to be the worst and most difficult of Modern American History by business historians. Unemployment was as high as 27% among White Americans and reached 60% in the African American community. In Mississippi, on a single day in 1932, one quarter of the entire state was auctioned off. Scarcity and limitations were everywhere to be seen. The Gross National Product of the country, that unit of measurement which represents everything that is produced nationwide fell by as much as 43%. The prices of wheat and corn and cotton fell so low, the crops were left to rot in the fields. Many businesses and families were wiped out.

We all try to forget unpleasant moments in our lives.

However, the central premise of any meaningful philosophy is to look back upon the hardest times of our lives and locate the wisdom and insight necessary from which success and joy can occur. It has been my experience that usually within the anxiety there are seeds of wisdom for us to learn from if we will only learn to look and understand the experience. When you examine your business, life or relationships it is the tough times that will teach you the most.

During the rough times of the Great Depression the music business also almost collapsed. American record companies, which had sold in excess of 200 million records in the mid 1920's, had seen unit sales drop by 97% by the mid 1930's. To put it mildly, things were tough! Even the giant Victor phonograph company stopped making phonograph players altogether. However, there was a tiny silver lining in all of this hardship. A certain type of music was gripping regions of the country and offering hope. There was no political message attached to the tunes. No lyrics. It was an earthy, rhythmic, emotional and dynamic music. Its purpose was to make people dance. Huge parties would emerge that would often last for days. Even today music historians marvel how a distinctive and repetitive bass line and energetic rhythm could change the focus of an entire community.

To classify this music as infectious would be an understatement! At its inception this music would be played solo by only one piano player. Since times were tough sometimes two piano players would share the same instrument. Later, there would be as many as six musicians on three pianos all contributing to the infectious power. The result was a celebration of creative energy that everyone could recognize. It was magical. In spite of the economic hardships, people could find genuine joy even if only for a short moment.

The celebrations grew. House parties would turn into block parties. The refrains and melodies would often be played non-stop for what seemed like hours at a time.

Top Musicians of the day could locate work easily once they mastered this art form.

Hope was born against the horrendous economic landscape.

Then in 1938, legendary Jazz Promoter John Hammond saw a huge business opportunity. He organized and promoted a concert in New York City featuring the three masters of this art form. When Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and Meade "Lux" Lewis performed in Carnegie Hall, it launched a national craze. Businesses and clubs had to hop on the bandwagon and get with the program. Newspapers began to assign special editors to cover the 'music beat' and report about this incredible energy as its popularity spread into the clubs. Soon all of the "happening" places were featuring top musicians playing these infectious energetic tunes. Club owners seeking to get good reviews and "cash in" would do whatever necessary to bribe the music editors so they could acquire good press. Bribes of free food, free drinks, free women were commonplace. Musicians and club owners understood that one bad review from the critics would kill the good times! Or so they thought?

The name of this musical art form was Boogie-Woogie. The slang term that the musicians gave to the critics was the Boogie Man!

Yes the Boogie Man was the monster who could criticize and sit in judgment.

In spite of his inability to create or understand music they somehow were qualified to evaluate it. The Boogie Man, like an executioner could determine the fate of musicians and club owners with his words. The Boogie Man was fear incarnate. He could kill the party as quickly as the review could be published. The Boogie Man was bad news! Funny thing is most people do not believe in the Boogie Man. At least that is what they tell you to your face! However within this story is the understanding of how success and joy is born and how it dies. Did you "get it?"

In the words of Earl Nightingale, "Don't Compete. Create!"

Regardless of what is going on in your life you can always play the music and do the dance! Sometimes the most therapeutic thing we can ever create is to purposely put our focus on joy and creation. We are happiest in life when we create and can easily take responsibility for our creations. However we squelch this inherent ability when we consider the evaluation of the creation as being more important than the act of creation itself. Quite frankly joy is perverted and distorted when creation is done primarily for approval. The misery is amplified even further when we make others responsible for the quality of our lives. This is the big lie of the Boogie Man.

Ralph Waldo Emerson stated?."Do not die with your music still in you."

Very appropriate advice. We all have a mission in life. A purpose which unfolds before our eyes when we manage to overcome our fear of the Boogie Man and just PLAY. Our beliefs determine our reality. Be careful how you interpret the world. It is EXACTLY like that.

It is horrifying to think about how the Boogie Man turns the possibility of a dream into a nightmare. Or how the Boogie Man distorts our own ideas of success and happiness by making us believe that he can stop the music in our lives! All illusions that unfortunately every great artist has embraced at some point in their careers. You are the Music. You are the Dance. Be careful what you agree with!

Stop and think about what life would be like without the telephone, the car, airplanes, electricity, the internet or any other incredible creation that man has created to resolve the problems related to survival. I can assure that these blessed inventions would never have seen the light of day if their creators were concerned about the boogie man. The boogie man is not only a concern over the judgment of others. The boogie man is much more insidious, he represents everything in our life that we cannot take responsibility for. Our blame list so to speak. The boogie man is that part of us that makes us believe that the problem is somewhere over there.

The late Jack Paar once said, "My life seems like one long obstacle course, with me as the chief obstacle." Sounds to me like he knew how to do battle with the boogie man.

The secret to all masterpieces is that they fuel the imagination with the great possibilities of the human spirit. They transport us from the world of limitations that we regularly experience and remind us of our potential. Whenever we experience a masterpiece it reminds us that the shackles we feel in our daily lives are optional. The funny thing about greatness is that it will always invite you along for the journey. Masterpieces teach us to recognize the joy of creation for the sake of creation. They spur us on to pursue excellence as our birthright. All masterpieces are embodiments of meaning that would have never occurred had they been concerned with the opinions of critics. If you feel something is holding you back look in the mirror and you will discover your boogie man. All great masterpieces are the reminders of what life can be like when we learn to get out of our own way. Create for the sake of creating. Respond to the joy of the moment and dance for the sake of dancing. Play for the sake of playing. Laugh for the sake of laughing. Everything else is a chorus of excuses and limitations.

Once asked to describe the key to creativity, Thomas Alva Edison said said, "Never quit working on your subject until you get what you're after." Well, aren't we ourselves a work in progress? If you plan on creating a masterpiece of your life its time to take the stage, do the dance in spite of the critics. That is the masterpiece lesson of Boogie-Woogie. Create!

Sometimes it takes death to teach us about life. Occasionally we must go through misery to understand joy. And sometimes it takes the slang born in the Great Depression to understand that we will always get whatever we put out attention on. You can Boogie Woogie or you can waltz with the Boogie Man. The choice is always yours!

The happiest you will ever be in life is when you take responsibility for your creations and create! It is what it is. Take the stage, do the dance and know that the only thing that can squash the music is YOU! The Boogie Man has no power over those who create for the simple joy they receive from the act of creation. That's the bees knees, the eels hips and the elephants eyebrows. Got it? Therein lies the Secret of All the Great Masterpieces daddy-o! Your life is your Music. Do the dance!

"Stix you start bangin those tubs! Chops you lay down the line?it's time to get this party happening! One?Two?Three?Four!"

Be Careful What You Agree With!

Scientific Discovery Reveals How You Can Live Better Forever

2006-05-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

If you are not experiencing perfect, harmonious, pressure-free life experiences right now, it is because there are some unresolved problems in your world that are preventing it from happening. Simple logic compels the conclusion that if you could somehow resolve these problems, harmony would be restored.

It would seem that everybody has nagging problems that they'd give anything to be rid of. But too few know how to do it and in their frantic search for the elusive "something" that might resolve them they find that their efforts are less than effective and too often produce more frustrations than solutions.

Not only are these struggles non-productive, they are completely unnecessary.

Self-help, motivational gurus seldom offer any lasting solutions because their messages are predicated on academic theory, emotional "fluff" or philosophical abstractions. These lack substance and are devoid of any demonstrable operating principle. I know. I've been there.

Years ago, I was sure that I had more than my fair share of problems and felt that I was trapped between the sword and the wall with no means of escape. But, gratefully, I found that there IS a way out!

I recalled that one of the things that impressed me most from my old college physics books was that this universe operates in absolute harmony with irrevocable natural laws and principles that have not varied throughout all time. Here was a refreshingly impersonal operating premise that was truly scientific. "Scientific" is defined by Webster as, "the knowledge or discovery of the operation of laws, principles and facts subject to proof and not subject to speculation, conjecture or any assumptions without proof".

What are these natural laws and principles? Webster's dictionary seemed to be a good place to find out because the definitions found there are completely objective and uncontaminated by any faulty reasoning or interpretations. I could accept this source as being an absolute authority.

I found that Webster defines natural laws and principles as, "principles that are proved to be invariable through observed regularities of nature; the creative and controlling forces of the universe".

Here was a definition that was truly scientific, irrevocable, invariable and fixed throughout all time. I reasoned that because I am an integral part of this perfect universe, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to experience the same predictable harmony, balance and perfection and be free of all conflicts, problems and their resultant pressures, anxieties and fears.

I could interpolate this to mean, then, that success, prosperity, freedom and a pressure-free way of life are as natural to us as wet is to water? To think otherwise would be to deny the "creative and controlling forces of the universe" and believe that these laws and principles could somehow be set aside or be flawed. Simple logic compels us to conclude that if problems were supported by any irrevocable law or principle, problems would be equally absolute and could never be resolved. We know from personal experience that this is not the case.

Reasoning from the logic of these facts, I made an exciting discovery. I discovered that there is only one primary cause of all problems. When this root cause is understood and properly applied, all problems, regardless of their nature or apparent severity, will disappear like snowflakes on a hot griddle.

Here was the key element missing from all traditionally accepted self-help, personal development and problem solving techniques that are not built on a scientific foundation.. This discovery fills this void and renders all other methodologies more effectively productive.

For more than 40 years I have field tested, fine tuned and proven the viability of this discovery to the benefit of a widely diverse personal, professional and corporate client base that has included many of the giants of American business.

Being rooted in the very basic structure of the universe, this discovery operates with absolute accuracy and predictability. Its irrevocable, unchallenged dominance supports and sustains its own nature to the exclusion of any implied opposite. When these "creative and controlling forces of the universe" are allowed to impact our affairs, the resolution of any problem is assured.

Details of this discovery are disclosed in my book, "The DYNAMICS of ACHIEVEMENT". This book is unique in its content and format. It identifies these "natural laws and principles" in an orderly continuity of facts, logic and reasoning This scientific approach leads to irrefutable conclusions that establishes a firm foundation on which to build permanent harmonious life experiences.

The 7 Ultimate Laws Of Success

2006-05-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

There are certain laws that when obeyed will bring great success to the people who practice them. These are the 7 Ultimate Laws Of Success. These laws are universal laws that operate whether or not one believes in them. To achieve success, you will need to know and obey these laws.

1. The Law of Oneness The Law of Oneness states that we are all connected to the superconscious mind which is the root of all creativity and potential. Therefore, being one with the superconscious mind, we also have the power to create whatever we desire.

Your superconscious mind is your wellspring of infinite creativity and potential. It is the source of all material wealth. Do not mistake it for God. It is simply the third state of consciousness that is the source of pure creativity. It is the power that many successful people have used to propel them from rags to riches, from frustration to self-fulfillment. The great inventors, composers and artists of history tapped into the superconscious mind on a regular basis.

This great power is as available to you at this very minute as it has always been to anyone, anytime, anywhere. The reason many people have not succeeded is because they have not tapped into this infinite source of potential. Thomas Edison, Beethoven, Mozart and many other success people who have tapped into their superconscious mind have enjoyed great success.

2. The Law of Giving and Receiving The Law of Giving and receiving states that whatever you give, that you will receive.

Whatever form of energy you want to receive, you have to keep it flowing in your life. Whatever you want to receive, that you must give to sustain the flow of it in your life. If you stop this flow of energy, you are disrupting both the outflow as well as the inflow of it. It will only cause damage and does not bring any benefit to anyone.

Money is also a form of energy. The law of giving and receiving applies as much to money as to anything else. If one hoards money, he or she is stopping the flow of this energy into his or her life. Money is like water. It flows in a cycle. If you stop the flow of the cycle, you are stopping the circulation of money in your life.

In giving, you receive even more. There is no scarcity but everything is in abundance to those with the Abundance mentality. Some people think that if they give, they will only have less of what they gave. They think that in order for them to prosper, someone else has to lose. This is the scarcity mentality and it is detrimental to your goal achievement.

However, the most important aspect of giving is the intention behind it. When you give, it must be out of the pure desire to give joy to the receiver.

3. The Law of Attraction The Universal Law of Attraction states that all forms of matter and energy are attracted to that which is of a like vibration. Therefore, we attract whatever we choose to give our attention to, whether wanted or unwanted.

In this world, everything is vibrating at its own frequency; nothing is static. Thoughts are things. There exist frequencies that are beyond what the human eye can see (such as X-rays) and beyond what the human ear can hear. In fact, we now know that 99.9% of all reality is invisible. Your thoughts have their own frequencies and the frequency of a thought depends on the nature of that thought. When you have a thought, you send out a particular frequency specific to the nature of that thought.

In fact, you are already experiencing the Law of Attraction. You may not be aware of it but you are practicing it all the time. You are sending out thoughts all the time and reaping the results of it. These thoughts have a drawing power. They attract to you the circumstances, people, things etc that you have given your attention to. Look at your life and see what you have been attracting.

4. The Law of Cause and Effect

The universal Law of Cause and Effect states that every cause has a resulting effect, and every effect becomes the cause of another effect. Therefore, for every current effect in your life, there has been a specific cause. Every thought and every action you had in the past generated a force of energy that returns to you in like kind, giving rise to the kind of life you have today.

What you think and do today directly affects your reality in the future. "As you think, so you become". All of your thoughts and actions are a part of a net of causes and effects. Each action is a cause and effect on its own. Because of an action or a thought you had, there will be a reaction that follows, an effect, which was caused by your thoughts and actions.

Therefore you must be aware of the effects that you cause by your thoughts and actions or the lack of it. Even the lack of doing something, neglecting someone, or procrastinating something you should have done has an effect.

Take a moment now to reflect on your life. Has it been the way you wanted it to be? Whether it is or it isn't, whatever you are reaping today is the effect of your past thoughts, actions and reactions. Can you recognize what causes from the past have created your present situation?

The good news that comes with understanding the Law of Cause and Effect is that you have complete control over your future! You must become consciously aware of all your choices today, because they will all become causes of your results in your future.

5. The Law of Polarity The Law of Polarity states that everything has an opposite. When there is a negative, there is a positive. Just as there is hot and cold, light and darkness, male and female, North and South Pole, there is a bad side and a good side to every earthly situation. The worse the situation seems, the more positive a situation is lying underneath. Thus, if something you perceive as negative happens, recognize the positive in it and focus on the positive. Many people have the habit of looking or focusing only on the negative side of situations and other people.

Sometimes in your life, something perceived as negative may happen. Focusing on how negative the situation is and brooding over it means that you are attracting even more negative energy. Instead, apply the Law of Polarity. For every negative situation that happens, there is a positive side to it. Therefore, focus on the positive aspect of the situation. Ask yourself "How can I benefit from this?" By doing so, you redirect your energy to attract more positive energy instead of negative energy.

Something can happen to you. But it is you who choose to let it get you down or to make the most of it. It is up to you to choose to focus on the negative and let it get you down or to see the positive of the situation and make use of it to help you in your life. One great challenge that everyone faces today is something known as "failure" to most people.

For every perceived failure, there is an opportunity to step out and move into a better situation. When you have an outcome that you perceive as failure, it is only a perceived failure. Use it and take advantage of it. Be aware that it is a sign that you should change your strategy. Every perceived failure is not permanent failure but feedback. It is only permanent failure if you let it stop you from achieving your goals.

6. The Law of Detachment The Law of Detachment states that one should be detached from the process by which one's goals are realized or whether the goal is replaced by something higher and better. You may be at point A and your goal is to get to point B. You will have your own plans to get from point A to point B, but do not be too fixated on these plans; be open to the fact that there may be other routes that will take you to point B. This does not mean that you do not research, plan and take actions towards the attainment of your goals. The principle in the Law of Detachment is to be detached from the result and the process of getting it. In not fixating on any one approach you know of to get to point B, you are stepping into the world of Uncertainty. Another word for uncertainty is Infinite Possibilities. In being detached from the process of getting what you want, you open yourself to the wisdom of uncertainty which brings along infinite possibilities.

When you are too attached, you suffocate creativity, fluidity and spontaneity which interfere with the process of achieving your goals.

So if something perceived as unpleasant or negative happens to you and you attach yourself to the meaning you give it, it will be nothing more than a negative event in your life. But if you detach yourself from the meaning you give to it, you will be able to see other meanings which could accelerate your success.

Detachment from the negative meaning of an event or thing will bring you into the realm of infinite possibilities. Many opportunities came about from a problem when someone detached from its negative meaning. 7. The Law of Energy Transmutation

The Law Of Energy Transmutation is one of the most powerful laws that can help you realize your goals. "Transmute" means to change from one form to another. The Law Of Energy Transmutation states that energy from the formless realm is constantly being transmuted into its physical form in the physical world. Know that this energy in the formless realm is inexhaustible and limitless.

The successful understand this law while the unsuccessful are too blinded by what they see with their physical eyes. Because the successful understand this law, they are much less affected if at all by what they see. They know that whatever they see is only a manifestation of their desires.

What you see in this physical world is only a manifestation of someone's desires. All the wealth and achievements of great men like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and many more were only the manifestations of their desires. Their wealth and achievements were once non-existent in the physical form but they were brought into physical existence from the formless realm by the practice of this law together with the other success techniques.

Start unlocking the power within you and learn the success techniques to tap into your superconscious mind to transmute your desires from the formless realm into their physical equivalent.

Now that you know this great power that is within you, make this powerful law a part of your life, thoughts and actions and see your desires become manifested. Transmute any form of energy be it negative or neutral into a more useful and success-oriented form to achieve unlimited success.

The 2-Word Phrase That Conquers Adversity and Breaks Through Obstacles

2006-05-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. . . . You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. "
Walt(er) Elias Disney (1901-66)
American animator, showman, film producer

Throughout our lives we are often faced with Obstacles or Adversity. All too often however, we let our obstacles become our adversity or our adversity become our obstacles.

If you look back on your life, you may see this as well.

What I've found is a simple two word phrase for a person who is ready to conquer both.

That phrase is "R.E.A.L. S.M.A.R.T." It's an acronym that tells us the steps we need to take in order to achieve our objective of conquering our obstacle or adversity.

Here's why a person who is ready to conquer their adversity is R.E.A.L. S.M.A.R.T.

A "R.E.A.L." person is a person who: Realizes Everything's Always Learned

This simply means taking the time to think, understand and most of all learn what and where our obstacles are. The next part of the process is learning what we need to know in order to overcome our obstacle or adverstiy.

When you Realize Everything's Always Learned, you will also realize that this is a circular process, and one that must be repeated for each obstacle or adversity we face in our lives.

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow." Anthony J. D'Angelo

Now although the S.M.A.R.T. principle is one that is used in business, I firmly believe that many of the principles of business can and must me applied in our lives.

So here it is:

SMART = Specific + Measurable + Achievable + Realistic + Timely

Specific: A goal needs to be exact and clearly stated. Vague and general terms are not goals. Your brain needs to focus on a specific target.

Measurable: How do you know when the goal is completed? When stating your goal you should state how you are going to measure when it is complete. If you don't know the measurement then you will never know that you have achieved it.

Achievable: Your goal must be attainable. If you have not learned what you need to know in order to attain your goal, then you must either learn it and then apply or find someone to assist you that already knows what you don't. Think about past achievements or failures in your life and apply some of the lessons that you learned.

Realistic: Being realistic is a bit tricky. What may be realistic for you may not be realistic for others. You can see this truth throughout your life. Keep your goal within boundaries that you set and upgrade how realistic it is as you get closer or achieve more.

Timely: Keep a specific time of day for working towards your goal. In addition to that, keep a timeline of when you intend on completing each portion of your goal. Keep track of each item completed and when. Tracking is an essential element in achievement.

This was taken from another article I wrote called "Why Taking Action Is Not The Answer". Where ever the word "goal" is mentioned, you will realize that conquering your obstacle or adversity is now your goal.

The REAL SMART principle should be applied any time an obstacle or adversity presents itself in our lives or businesses. There is more to be learned from them than any other time in our lives. With that said, I leave you this...

"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind." Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, scientist

Five Formulas for Committing to Success!

2006-05-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

1. Clear vision + Intention + Purpose + Focus = Success! A vision is many things: the original blueprint of the successful outcome you desire, a thought picture turned into visual action, a full expression of you! If you are given a vision, then it is within your power to make it happen, if you choose. You would not have been given the vision without the ability to make it come true. Visions are so powerful, it is essential that you know exactly what you are visioning and why. Intention and purpose are partners. Your purpose, or mission, must also be very clear and firm. Your integrity is bound closely with this pair. If it is your intention to truly make your dreams materialize, then a commitment must be made to focus on the specific outcome you desire. Goal planning works well for focus. Make your goals realistic, specific and have a definite timetable for meeting your objectives.

2. Authenticity + Passion + Commitment = Success! Being authentic means that the real you is showing up all the time - in words, thoughts and actions. First - you are true to yourself above all. You are dedicated to knowing what you are all about - your integrity, passion, strengths, honesty and reliability. Knowing your values and acting in alignment with them are crucial to your authenticity. Passion is what stirs from within that motivates you - inspires you to get up each morning, eagerly, to continue working on a job or project that excites you to want to do more. Passion is the unique message that you want to bring to the world. Commitment is a "can-do" attitude. You want to accomplish something so intensely that you are willing to use whatever resources of time and energy to make it so! You have an unabiding passion to stay committed to your project until it is complete.

3. Spiritual Practice + Flow = Success! A spiritual connection is essential for the unlimited and energetic flow in moving forward on your journey to self-commitment and success. Webster defines 'spirit' as a "person's essential nature, an emotional state characterized by vigor and animation, strong loyalty or dedication." Spiritual practices may include everything from organized religion to pagan ritual and ceremony. Since there is no one universal definition that fits all, one must explore and define his or her own description. How does your spiritual path make a difference, not only in your own life, but how might it connect to a global flow of energy? Your personal definition of spirit is one of your own making, touching the honesty of your own soul. You get to choose how you wish to walk in this world and how you want to be connected to a higher source. A strong spiritual practice allows you to flow with a vibrational frequency that will energize and ground you on the 'success' journey.

4. Energy + Expectations + Perseverance = Success! Being energetic and creating reserves of energy are essential for success. If your energy is depleted, you do not have the stamina to carry out the plans for your success. One way to create energy is by taking extremely good care of yourself - even being selfish with your needs! If you support a healthy, energetic, life-affirming style, than you can continue working towards the expectations you have for yourself. One way to identify whether or not your expectations are realistic is to take a piece of paper and make two columns. On the left side, write your expectation. On the right side, write how you might accomplish that. You do have the ability to reach your own expectations, and each one of them needs its own plan. When you look at the columns, you may recognize that some of the expectations are not realistic and that in order for you retain your energy and persevere to the final outcome, the items may need to be adjusted. Perseverance is continuing firmly on your path, regardless of unexpected challenges. If you believe in yourself, and are committed to your processes, you will solve every conceivable quandary or roadblock that appears. You know what the rewards will be if you persevere with your plan.

5. Strong Mission Statement + Plan of Action + Focus = Success! Your mission in life is simply your purpose - and your purpose, your mission. You've heard the saying, "If you don't know where you're going, that's exactly where you'll end up - nowhere!" Mission statements act as a rudder for your entrepreneurial-ship. When you know exactly what you want and how you're going to get there, you can make better decisions along the way knowing that all of your steps must support the mission. If questions arise and you're not sure of the answer, or direction, look to your mission statement to see if it supports the quandary. OK, everything is in place: your vision is clarified, you're feeling passionate about the path you're on, you are connected to your own flow, you're energized and focused, your mission is clear and NOW - you're ready to execute the "plan"! Plans of action do not have to be ten pages long. Your plan is whatever you want it to be - however, you must have one if you want to proceed firmly on your way and reach the pinnacle of your success. A simple plan can consist of lists: i.e. your business name and legal entity (LLC, C or S Corp, sole proprietor etc.), accountant (essential for cash/flow analyses), your mission, administrative needs, budget, competitor research, services you offer, advisory team members...and so forth. There are hundreds of books on the market to help you specifically with business plans. The goal is to move into action at whatever pace you choose to set and keep a steady course to completion. Oh yes, focus again! You can have it all - one focussed step a time! copyright by Sharon Hooper, Commit To Your Success, LLC

Three Key Behaviors That Determine Our Success

2006-05-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Success is a journey and along the way we need to correct our course by unlearning the behavior that derails us and invite in a new behavior to continue our success. If you feel you want to change your success, take a measure of your current key behaviors.

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Listening
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Listening is not a passive activity. It is unfair to the person who is speaking to have a person there in body but not in mind. Just because we are the person being quiet does not mean we are listening. As a listener we must be in the present and taking in the speakers message in the proper context. It's not the time to be thinking about what to have for lunch or your next witty comeback. Be fair to the speaker and have a clear and open mind.

Active listening requires us to set aside our own agenda, uses our best internal language skills, and takes present energy. The best gift to yourself and your speaker if the energy isn't available is to say so. Yet, due to the perception management masks we've learned from society, we don't usually provide this honest feedback. So, we passively listen, like pretending as a child to hear, and say something quick, something we think they want to hear, just so we can move on.

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Choice
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The Power of Choice is the energy we send out and is exactly what the Universe sends us back. No choice is a choice too. I believe that we are where we are today because of the accumulative effect of all our choices. We made thousands of choices each day and we control our lives by those choices. Having the ability to choose equals power. When we don't choose, you give someone else the ability to make choices for you, whatever they may be, and you give up any possible power with it. Once you realize you have the power of choice, life happens for you, not to you!

Feel your power. It is a powerful resource to success.

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Internal Dialogue
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All day long, everyday, we talk to ourselves. Sometimes we even talk to ourselves out loud. When we talk to ourselves what we are really doing is giving commands to our subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is a very powerful tool and it can carry out its orders efficiently and effectively.

We've been listening to ourselves talk for so long, we have just learned to hear past it. The noise of our inner dialogue can usually and only be hear if its screaming or if someone points it out.

This discussion is telling us what we need, how we want it, and what we will and will not do in order to get it. We assume, we don't know what we want, until we begin to listen. Until we begin to stop long enough to ask what it is that our internal dialogue wants or needs.

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Success Begins Here
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These are the three toughest keys to behaving our way to success. Are you listening to yourself? Are you listening to people who are already successful? All excellent questions to ponder on from time to time. To check in with our self frequently to see where we stand on them. They are keys that are continuously evolving as we mature and actually will not stop. They require gentle nudging, gentle understanding, gentleness all around.

Job and Life Rules to Follow

2006-05-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

# Decide which game to play. Is winning that important all of the time?

# Jump in, ready or not. Take risks, you may not be able to tomorrow.

# Keep on truckin'. You know the highway, keep up with the flow.

# Grab opportunities. Can you recognize one or are you always thinking about it?

# No excuses allowed. Of course not, don't whine either.

# Ignore naysayers. They don't know any more than you do.

# Never personalize. It's just a game, your next boss may be around the corner.

# Whistle while you work!

# Don't yell fire when you're downsized.

# Smiling helps a lot.

Tools for Constructing the Road to Success

2006-05-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

Too many times in the pursuit of our dreams, we loose sight of the total picture and instead settle on a small piece of it. A job, any job, whether it is in the conventional job market or any one of a number of work from home ventures all require the same thing - people of vision.

Vision sees the entire portrait, balanced, controlled, and proportionate while focus concentrates solely on one aspect of the portrait. Don't misunderstand, having focus is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't loose sight of vision.

In building your road to success you must take several things into account if you want your road to remain stable and strong. These are;

Objectives:

Ask yourself the following questions. Why do you want to go into business? Where do you want to be in 3 months, 6 months and 1 year? What will it take to get you there? Do you believe in what you're selling? Think about these and write down your answers. They will be the foundation upon which the rest of your business goals will be built.

Knowledge Base:

What we want to know here is how well you know your subject. Are you familiar with the products or services you will be representing? Do you have immediate access to training materials and technical support if you need it? Do you know where to get the materials and training? Have you researched your subject? As you are going to build these roads to success for yourself approach this part of your learning curve with a child like appetite for knowledge. You can never have enough tools! Just make sure they're the one's you need for the task at hand.

Using Your Resources:

A good manager regardless of industry knows his people. He knows their strengths and their weaknesses and will use these resources appropriately in helping his team achieve a particular goal. That same manager if he's true to himself, will also recognize his own weaknesses and strengths and surround himself with knowledgeable people that will offset or compliment the team.

Motivation:

You have to realistically find out what drives or motivates you towards success. For each one of us it will be something different. Maybe you're looking for financial freedom, extra time to enjoy life or perhaps you've just had enough of the rat race. Whatever your reasons, write them down and keep them somewhere so you can see them. If you're looking at a new car or house, cut out their picture and put them on your "wish" board so you can see what you're working towards.

Brass Tacks:

Finally, if we're going to put this all together we need to learn how to lead. But before we can do that, we need to learn how to follow first. Great leaders, people in authority, business owners and Entrepreneurs all need to learn how to temper their judgment with wisdom. We can learn a lot from people just by using our senses. Take a moment to stand back, listen, observe. By doing so, you are literally guaranteeing your success.

Keeping The Road On Terra Firma:

A final thought on keeping your "Road" on solid ground. You've got your objectives identified, your resources have come together nicely and everything is starting to gel - at the end of your day you need to ask; would I hire myself? If you have trouble answering that, start over again with the basics and re-examine your motivations and your goals. Be honest with yourself then move on. The road will have bumps. That's to be expected. Don't let these bog you down - use them to your advantage! If you think about it, that's the beauty of a mistake, it can be your best friend or worst enemy depending upon how you approach it.

Business Ethics:

I couldn't let this article go without mentioning business ethics - a trait that seems to be sorely misunderstood, often abused, and seldom used. If you don't possess a strong business ethic, in the end you will be found out and your credibility will be forever damaged. Too many times ethics are driven by politics within an office atmosphere to the point where the mission statement is just that - a statement and nothing more.

To many times I have sat in on meetings that either discussed rules, company ethics or customer service. I have also attended several seminars in which these themes were quite prevalent. What always amazed me however is that the "new" and "improved" ways of attracting customers or quality associates to your business were the same things that were in practice over 30 years ago! Someone tried to re-invent the wheel, re-packaged it in something shiny and is selling it to you as the cure for all your business woes.

Above all else, always remember that regardless of your business or station in life, you are a consumer and as such you should have a pretty good idea of your likes and dislikes.

While the statement "honesty is the best policy" is nothing new, my grandfather telling me it was always easier to tell the truth because a lie would always have to be remembered so it could be told over and over again, is new - not to me, but to others.

Something will have to drive you to the front away from the pack! What will it be? Each of use must choose those attributes and find the combination that will work but we must never loose sight of our goals or "sell" our souls to achieve them.

Regardless of what you may think, you can not teach someone Honor, Integrity, Loyalty or Truthfulness. They either have it or they don't. Remember, while you can lead a horse to water, you can't make him drink however, you can make him thirsty!

Vision -- What Are You Doing Today Towards Achieving Your Vision?

2006-05-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Every man who accomplishes things sees first in his mind what he wishes to do. He puts away all doubt. It makes no difference how small or how large the thing you want to do may be; if you have an unlimited confidence in your ability to do it, you will do it. - Charles Fillmore

By definition, vision is a future orientation, a broad stroke picture that serves as the basis for making decisions or taking actions towards achieving the vision. In order for a vision to become a reality, there are certain elements that must be present.

Most importantly, the vision must be anchored in truth. If there is no or little truth, the vision will not be obtainable. For example: If a client says that she wants to be an opera singer despite the fact that she truly can't sing-can't carry a tune, has no pitch, etc. it's not impossible for her to achieve some level of singing ability with singing lessons. However, the struggle and the reality is so far fetched, that it really doesn't make sense to have this as an aspiration.

Accordingly, it would be important to find out just what she would hope to gain or could expect her life to be like as an opera singer. Upon investigation and exploration, it would be discovered that she loves to be on stage, get attention, and perform in some way. Those qualities can be used in many ways besides being an opera singer - and surely would be anchored more in truth.

It is also important that the vision is aligned with your purpose in life. If she wants to make this world a better place by sharing her talents and gifts, then singing would probably not be a wise choice. On the other hand, if she chooses some form of teaching and reaching many people so that she is sharing her ideas and wisdom, she's probably aligned with her purpose. Perhaps some form of public speaking might be more appropriate.

A vision must be exciting and compelling. If not, there is no incentive to take steps towards making it happen. If she chose to have a vision of becoming a nurse and caring for sick people when in fact, she doesn't particularly enjoy being around sick people, it's not going to pull her forward to wanting it to become a reality. In fact, there will most likely be lots of struggle and sabotaging along the way. Could it be a possible vision with truth? "Yes, but..." She could learn nursing and she could care for sick people, and it does align with her vision of sharing talents and gifts, BUT for her, it's not exciting or compelling. Therefore, the chances of her finishing the necessary course work aren't great and even if she did, it would feel more like drudgery.

So in creating a vision, it's important to think about what experience you would like to have. It would be helpful to notice and check if it's anchored in truth - for you. Does it align with your purpose? Is it compelling and exciting to you? Could it pull you forward and be an incentive and is it motivating you to wanting to take steps towards it?

Invitation to Experiment: Create a vision for your life. Include the type of experiences you want to have - include ALL of the elements possible: such as where you will be living, how you will be living, with whom, what type of work you'll be doing, etc. Don't leave anything out from your dream. Once it's crafted, look at the truth in it. Does it align with your truth? Look at your purpose for being on the planet. Does it align with your purpose? And lastly, is it exciting and compelling? Could it motivate and inspire you to take steps to move towards it? If so, take your first step, and then the next. It may at first seem like a pipe dream, but if it's aligned and compelling enough, it can become reality. You may modify your vision along the way, but all the while, you are moving towards a life that truly fits who you are and what you want.

Self-Improvement Secrets

2006-05-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

* Perfectionism is a time waster.

Strive for excellence on important issues and ordinary best for everyday tasks. Do not waste your time on needless details.

* Be flexible.

Organize things the way they work for you. The principle of organizing is to be able to find what you want when you want it.

* Simplify.

No matter how much you seek change, it is impossible if there is no room for change. Busyness and over spending leaves you feeling overwhelmed, stressed and yearning for a simpler life. Letting go of clutter and attachments can be painful. Ask for help. Consider a trusted friend, family member or professional organizer who can keep you focused. (Telephone and email coaching are available. For more information contact: Judith@OrganizingResources.com)

* Clean out your closets.

Take time to remove what you no longer wear or use. Statistics show that we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. That means that there are a whole lot of clothes just waiting for the infrequent occasion to wear them. Do you really need to keep so many?

* Measure progress in terms of percentages.

The point of Self-Improvement is to increase your batting average. Changing a habit 10% of the time is a positive step in the right direction. Give yourself credit for the progress you are making. (Ty Cobb, baseball's legendary all-time leading hitter, had a lifetime batting average of 367, which means nearly five out of eight times at bat he made an out.)

* Treat yourself kindly.

Positive self-talk produces better results than degradation. ("I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career; I have lost almost 300 games; on 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot...and missed; I have failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed," states Michael Jordan, basketball's greatest.)

* Someone once said, "It is not how much you make that counts, it is how much you KEEP."

Pay attention to where you are spending and start a savings plan with spare change. It will mount up and your abundance will grow.

* Relax.

Stress depletes the immune system. Seek balance in your life and learn deep breathing exercises. Press your tongue onto the roof of your mouth and slowly breathe in through your nose continuing until you are fully inflated. Hold and notice how much oxygen you bring into your starving tissues. Release your breath by exhaling through your mouth. Repeat as often as necessary.

* Laugh.

Why does it feel so good to laugh? Because endorphins are released from the brain every time you do it. Endorphins have a morphine-like affect and are often referred to as the body's own opiates. Endorphin pushers: smiling and laughing, exercising, positive thinking, connecting with family and friends, celebrations, receiving recognition and experiencing nature up close and personal.

* Get a life!

This cliché is usually said with sarcasm. However, it is actually very good advice. Are you among the multitude that invests in an abundant lifestyle? Do you think you need that new car, boat or expensive vacation to feel successful? Would life be perfect if you had that new suit, a diamond ring or a bigger TV? Our homes have become a warehouse for possessions that enhance our lifestyle but fall short of enhancing our life.

* Choose to be happy.

Happiness is not found in ownership of material possessions. Rather, it comes from deep within. Each morning make a conscious decision to have a good day. Instead of waiting for things to get better, be grateful for what you already have. "Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get," stated Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955, American Author and Self-Improvement Trainer

Wait, Thats Not on the Map

2006-05-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Back from my amazing summer excursion, a month long drive through Spain! Well, I mean, I didn't do any of the driving, my partner did. See, I only know how to drive an automatic and since we have a stick here in Belgium, my partner kindly agreed to do all the driving. In total it ended up being close to 5000 kilometers and he did beautifully without so much as a complaint. Nice, huh?

My part in this adventure was to be the navigator. A role that I take with great relish and responsibility! I had my several large maps along with the trip planner for each leg printed out from the internet. I would sit in the passenger seat with the big detail map open on my lap and the turn by turn internet guide at close reach (oh, and I was also in charge of the CD's - but I digress).

Everything all prepared for, right? No surprises, right? Well, not exactly. While we were totally prepped about 80% of the time, there were still a few glitches. Occasionally, the signs on the roads - I mean even the road numbers - were different than what they were supposed to be. We would be going along just fine and then everything would change suddenly and without warning. No names or directions or numbers matched anything remotely familiar. I, of course, went into a tizzy. Flipping pages, shuffling papers, barking at Brad all because I was venturing into uncharted territory.

I mean I was ticked! This was absolutely not the way it was supposed to be. Those silly traffic people putting up these confusing signs - I mean, didn't they know what I needed? Thus I began the "blame game" - the stupid internet map people, the stupid sign people, the stupid government and finally, stupid me. (Hmmm, coaching opportunity here? Read on.)

Then there was the event of entering a new city for the first time. More often than not, while our maps were terrific they did not give the detail that we needed in each individual city to be able to totally navigate where we wanted to go. The internet map was our savior here, but still... in every city the street signs were in different places and the names for the streets weren't always what we were expecting. Picture this: two guys and their dog, in some big city in Spain circling on one of those "roundabouts" over and over trying to figure out which off-shoot we should take and which direction all the while dodging incoming and out going drivers who grew up on these roads and are late for work. I hope that image makes you smile, it does me - at least now looking back.

Inevitably, we always made it to our destination and usually without a hitch. In fact sometimes, when things would look hopeless and nothing was familiar, we would wander and see what came up and strangely enough all of a sudden we would be right where we needed to be and in a better spot than we could have ever planned with all the maps in the world.

I learned several things from this that actually shook me up a bit. Here are a few of the lessons that I got:
? If you stare at the route on the map too much you miss some amazing scenery.
? Most of the time, the signs are very clear and point you in the direction of the destination. When they don't, you can choose to a) get all agitated and scared fearing that you might "fall of the edge of the earth," or b) adventure into the unknown, look for things you recognize and back track when necessary - remember the world won't come to an end.
? When you are stuck on a roundabout and you feel the pressure of everyone else zipping in and out on familiar territory, remember that a) with time, this can become familiar territory for you too; b) the roundabout is there to help you get where you want to go; c) after a couple spins around, make a decision and go for it - after all you can always back track!
? New situations can be disorienting. Accept that and relax into the adventure as best you can.
? Learn to drive a stick when you are young - not profound but simply the truth!

Next time we will talk about the joys of wandering and finding unexpected gems! Below you will find some experiments to help you enjoy the journey more and worry less!

Some Experiments
# Are you so focused on the "route" and how you will get to your goals that you lose sight of the scenery around you? Plan for the future with focus and determination but LIVE in the moment. Journal regularly on what is happening now and pick out the special lessons that you learn on the way to your goals. Often they are more valuable than the goal itself.
# When things aren't as they should be what or who do you blame? Circumstances, others, situations, even yourself? Sure there are reasons and explanations that we can use to learn for the future but sometimes we use blame as an excuse to stay suck right where we are. What if for this month you promised not to blame anyone of anything? Instead, all you did was use your non-judgmental self to collect the information that comes in and then made a choice. Look and see what kind of freedom that gives you and keep a journal to see the results.
# What lessons do YOU see for yourself that come up around this article? Put together a program for this month that is tailor made to what you need to learn. E-mail me what exercise you come up with.

Creating A Life You Love

2006-05-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Imagine that right now, right here, today? there is within your grasp not one but several opportunities to redesign specific aspects of your life so that the sum total is a life you absolutely love. Then imagine that the only thing standing between you and your opportunities is a closed mind, fear, habits, concern, worry, drama, or perhaps mental, physical, and emotional clutter. Do you know what a default is? It's what you get when you don't choose to get something else and for most of us a default life is average and mediocre with sprinkles of joy in between. A default life is living for the weekend. A default like is hanging on 'til retirement. A default life is waiting for the kids to grow up, move out, and finish college. A default life is waiting, and waiting, and waiting for things to get better someday?one day.

Most people don't accidentally have a great life, a great job, a great marriage, a great body, or great children. I don't know about you but I am not touched, moved, or inspired by mediocrity. I don't aspire to live an average life, with an average job, and celebrate twenty-something anniversaries in an average marriage. My spirit longs for relationships and experiences that cause me to love deeply, grow profoundly, and see the magnificence in all of life. I can't have that kind of life if I am settling for the default. My name is Robin Harris and I am a coach, an author, a certified Highlands Natural Abilities Counsultant, and I am the CEO of DesignerLife, a transformational business dedicated to helping individuals live by design; not by default. And today I just want to talk to you about designing a life you absolutely love. I call it the DesignerLife.

What's a DesignerLife? Think of a piece of art that is not only beautiful but extremely functional. Just like a beautiful warm and cozy home provides sanctuary and focus for a family, a DesignerLife provides sanctuary and focus for the soul. Just like each room in that house has its own motif and purpose, each area of the DesignerLife has its own motif and purpose. Just like all of the rooms together, even the hallways and pantry make up the house, all of the areas of our lives make up the DesignerLife. A DesignerLife has been lovingly designed and architected to honor your best and your highest good and it includes spiritual hallways and pantries, too. Mmm, it sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

I want you to consider a show home that has never been lived in. Everything is just so beautifully pristine and sterile. That's because it's for show but when the family moves in they bring their energy, their style, their nuances, their touch and the house becomes a home. It's not perfect?but it is. It's not immaculate buts it's naturally inviting. The DesignerLife is a life you design that is natural, expanding, and very, very inviting not only to you but to other sojourners, also. We have so long been looking to the system, the companies we work for, the businesses we have built, the country we live in to sustain our way of life. Today is a new day, and the comfort of what we knew has passed away, it's time to excavate, renovate, and develop our most precious resources: our soul's dreams, our natural gifts, and our talents. It's time for us to evolve to the next level and some sojourners are going to go kicking and screaming, and some won't go at all. You probably thought the creation was completed millions of years ago, oh no. Human's are still in process and every so often life says "hold on, wait a minute, it's time to shift and leap baby". You can plod along for only so long before life demands that you run fast or get eaten. The new paradigm is not for survivors, it's for thrivers; people who are ready to unleash their potential into the world.

You see, the magnificent being that you are is not your doing. You didn't design it, you didn't create it, so there no reason to be arrogant about it. It's a gift. Don't just say thank you. Gratitude is only the beginning, there's also a measure of responsibility and accountability that fall on the shoulders of the gifted. And we all are gifted. It is our responsibility to nurture our magnificence, to develop it, and express it profoundly in the world that we live in. Your magnificence is not only going to give you a life you love, it's going to touch, move and inspire others. Divine intention will have your be great in ways you cannot even imagine. Divine intention will have your biggest mistakes sow seeds of wisdom and contribution to other. Divine intention will have you become the student and the teacher in life's next evolution. The next evolution will have human beings manifest the Creator's abundant, loving, creative nature.

What would it look like to have a life you absolutely love? When you really think about it, I mean see it with your minds eye, in living Technicolor, it should be so awesome it sends chills up your spine. I'm not talking about a superficial life where people are pretending to be happy, pretending that the marriage is working, pretending that the kids aren't driving them crazy, pretending that life is in order when chaos is actually the king. I'm not talking about having more, more, more while feeling less, less, less. I'm talking about a life where your soul is satisfied. This is a life where you have peace of mind, finances in order, and a healthy mind, body, and spirit. This is a life with relationships that inspire and stimulate you, intimacy that heals and thrills you, and family and community for mutual love and support. This is a life complete with meaningful and fulfilling work that uses your gifts and talents and honors your uniqueness. This is a life where there is adequate time for self-nourishment, self-investment, fun and relaxation. And? this is a life where you receive an abundance of joy by contributing to the well being of others who are on the planet with you now, as well as those who will be coming in the future.

I can't tell you the details of your DesignerLife. I can't tell you how living a life you absolutely love will show up for you. I only know that the process of designing that kind of life will rock your world. I know somebody out there is saying, pfff you must be dreaming? and my response is "yes, and your point is?"

You see if it were left up to the practical people, the realists of the world, we'd still be huddled in a cold cave without a fire to warm us. I'm not just a dreamer, oh no: I'm a possibility chick with a plan. You see a designer life is not just about dreaming about it, thinking about it, longing for it, hoping for it, praying for it. A DesignerLife is about intention; the kind of intention that produces action, the kind of action that produces results.

The road less traveled is full of uncertainty, but the other road, the popular one can only take you where you've already been. Having an extraordinary life, a life you absolutely love is gonna seem like way too much work to the average person. It's not going to appeal to the person courting mediocrity. It's not going to excite the person who is content with waiting for some day, one day. It doesn't call to the practical or the realist. So if you fall into one of these categories, cover your ears cause this message isn't for you. I'm talking to the people who caught a glimpse of possibility for their own life, for the sojourners who are ready to unleash their potential out in the real world, and for the people who can't stand the thought of settling for the default life.

The message I want to bring to you is simple. Your most challenging obstacle is not the present or past circumstances of your life, the things you did or didn't do, it's not your age, your gender, your race, it's not the naysayers or critics or the practical realist who are convinced your dreams and aspirations are a waste of time, oh these are all challenges to be dealt with on their own terms but by far the biggest challenge you will face is your own self doubt, lack of commitment, and fear. Getting over yourself is the single most forwarding action you can take to move toward your own magnificence. I want to ask you for a huge favor and here it is?Get over yourself and just be magnificent.

How To Use The Past, Future, And Present In Attaining Success

2006-04-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Did you know that your past, present, and future can affect
directly or indirectly your outlook in life?

THE PAST

Have you ever done something that is so regrettable you couldn't
forgive yourself? Have you ever made a mistake that up to the
present time you're still blaming yourself? Are you still torturing
yourself with the thought that only if you could've done it
differently, you're living a much better life right now?

Good news for you! You don't have to keep this burden in your heart
for as long as you live. Release it. Set yourself free.

If you keep bad memories, you're depriving yourself of good mental
and emotional health. You're making yourself a prisoner of the past.
This will adversely affect your capacity to act at the present moment.
You will not be able to think clearly and you will lose your focus
if you are still lingering in the shadows of your dark past.

No matter what you do, you couldn't reverse or otherwise change
history. So let bygones be bygones. Why worry about something you
have no control of?

Let go of the past, but keep the LESSONS. Whatever lesson you've
learned will be of utmost importance to the fulfillment of your goals
in the future. These lessons are your mentors that may sometimes
teach you the hard way; but nevertheless, success comes to those
who are willing to take the risk and pay the price for their actions.

And what about the successes you had in the past? How did you feel
when you've accomplished something exceptional? It feels great isn't
it?

Well then , use these past experiences in your present endeavors
to encourage you and to motivate you. These memorable experiences
will bring a positive aura of enthusiasm and will remind you that
you have the power to achieve anything with the right attitude.

Recall these affirmative memories in everything that you do and you
will see amazing results in all your undertakings.

THE FUTURE

Now how can the future influence your success if it hasn't occurred yet?
The answer is simple.

Your burning passion to attain your ideal life in the future will become
the motivating factor that will prod and push you to take the essential
steps at the present moment.

Conceive your future in the most vivid and comprehensive way possible.
For instance, if you want to get rich, then take into consideration:
1) How much money you desire to make, when you intend to get them,
and your action plan to have that exact amount by your target date;
2) The vision of your lifestyle when you've attained the money; like the
people you are in contact with, the activities you are engaging in, the
food you are eating, the places you are visiting...Well, you get the
picture.

These are the guiding forces that will chart the right path to your
intended destination. If you envision yourself as having attained them
and focus all your efforts regardless of the impending obstacles ahead,
then your inner power will release the right kind of energy that will
enable you to do nearly anything in pursuit of your desired end.

THE PRESENT

The present moment is the time to ACT. Ready or not, you must do some
action now! Mistakes will be made, but you could always revise them.

Put procrastination aside. One delay or excuse will generate a chain
reaction of more postponements and alibis that will never end. Before
you knew it, open opportunities have already passed you by.

Never let fear get on your way. Some people are struck by the threats
of failures, setbacks, or criticisms. What they don't realize is that
majority of successful people had to pass through "the eye of the needle"
in order to get where they are now.

Act intelligently. Use your past mistakes as guides to avoid future
blunders. Let the vision of your ideal life in the future compel you to
carry out your plans and catapult you to reach your deepest desires.

Live Your Life To The Fullest

2006-04-29T00:31:00.000-07:00

Do you sometimes feel that you're living a boring life? You
just can't seem to find anything exciting.

You wake up in the morning, then do the same old rituals.
You go to the office or to school. You meet the same people,
do the same job, travel the same road, booooring. Next
day, same story.

Do you want a change in your life? The solution is YOU!
You're the master of your destiny. You decide if you want
to have a change or not.

Take the situation of a high school graduate. He have 2
choices - to continue through college or earn money working
as a clerk.

He's intimidated by the difficulties of studying, thesis, etc.
He doesn't think he will pass the exams because he thinks he's
below average. He doesn't like to take the risk of failing
college and earning no money at present.

So he works as a clerk earning meager income. He's happy
because he's earning money at such a young age while his
friends are having a hard time.

But then his friends graduated and got high-paying jobs. He
envies them. If only he have sacrificed a few years and
faced all the challenges of college, then he could've had
a better life. If only he had taken the risk!

There are also some people who want to improve their lives,
but they're just too afraid to come out of their comfort
zones and explore the endless opportunities out there.

Yes, there may be challenges and problems; but if you try
your best to move forward, you'll get more out of life.

Explore and diversify. Take a different route to work,
eat exotic foods you've never tasted, do something
outrageous (not dangerous).

Life could be exciting. It's your choice. Are you
satisfied with your life right now? If not, then you
need to do the things that you think will make your
life complete and meaningful.

You've got only one life to live. Maximize every opportunity.
Go out and do those things which will leave lasting memories
in your mind. Live every day as if it's your last.

Seize every moment!

Control Your Fear Before It Controls You

2006-04-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

"Fear Factor" is one of my favorite TV shows. It
highlights the courage of the participants to engage in
the most fearsome and disgusting acts.

Most of the contestants are willing to sacrifice their
dignity for the sake of the prize money. So what does
that imply? It implies that with the proper mindset,
determination, and will power, you can conquer your fear.

Everyone has some sort of fear. It may be brought about
by any one or more of the following reasons.

1) by a traumatic past incident (like being bitten by a
dog)
2) by the influence of other people
3) by their own negative way of thinking

But are you going to let fear take over your life? Will
you remain a hostage of your fear forever?

You must take the necessary steps to overcome your fright.
It's all in the mind.

Do you envy other people when you see them enjoying wild
rides, and you're just stuck in a corner because you're
too terrified to give it a try?

My suggestion is to face your fear head-on. Imagine
yourself enjoying the experience instead of exaggerating
the things that make you worry. (Unless of course you
have health problems, then taking wild rides may not be
a good idea).

Do you want to be a doctor but you're afraid that your
intellect can't handle the pressure or you're worried
about financial insecurity?

Well here's the good news. If you're really determined
to achieve your deepest desires, a powerful force will
enable you to reach them amidst every obstacle that comes
in the way. I'm not kidding.

Someone or something will always be there to help you
attain your goals. Just have faith in your abilities.
Your will power have the utmost capacity to accomplish
anything with the proper mindset.

You could use visualization to help you in defeating
any kind of fear.

Are you afraid of heights? Then imagine yourself being on
top of a mountain, overseeing the magnificent sights. Enjoy
and feel the moment. Take away all worries and anxieties.

Then just do it! Face it head on! Go to the top of a
building and savor the great feeling of being able to
face your fear.

This applies to whatever thing that triggers your fear
factor. Just imagine being able to defeat it, then
confront it with the definite belief that you have the
capacity to do everything you want if you just put your
mind to it.

Face the thing you fear the most and you'll never have to
fear anything again in your life.

The Gravitational Pull of ANTs, WORMS & FEARS

2006-04-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

What is an ANT?

An ANT is an acronym for Automatic Negative Thoughts.

What is a WORM?

A WORM is a metaphor for deep-seated, unconscious beliefs that lye dormant in our consciousness analogous to a computer virus that only activates when a certain button is pushed on our keyboard.

What is a FEAR?

A FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real; an optical illusion that makes you believe it is impossible to move beyond this point so why even try. FEAR is a lie!

ANTs are pre-conscious thoughts, beliefs, ideas that keep us trapped in our comfort zone. They exist to stop us from moving to far ahead of our current environment. They cause us to become uncomfortable with our potential and possibility.

They exist to keep us in a holding pattern where we don't act or do anything to better ourselves. They keep us stagnated and stifled. They cause us to sabotage our good.

WORMS are much stronger than ANTs and are more insidious and pervasive. If we are focused, we can overcome an ANT with sheer will power, but will power up against a WORM [deep seated, dominant belief] is like one soldier up against an entire army. A WORM will destroy will power and we will automatically sabotage our life and act in a manner consistent with our dominant beliefs.

For instance, we might have an ANT that says, "I'm not good enough to be with this person." If we force our way through that automatic negative thought using shear will power and continue to stay in the relationship, the ANT may be crushed but then the WORM will appear and may say, "You ARE NOT good enough to be with that person so why are you trying - LOSER!" At that moment when the unconscious, dominant belief has you in its grips, you will begin to slowly or abruptly (depending on frequency) sabotage the relationship in some shape, form or fashion.

The Law of Attraction

The law of attraction simply means that you attract in life what you are not what you want and what you are is what you think about when you are not thinking about anything. The law of attraction states who you are - your dominant beliefs and unconscious thoughts; i.e., DNA (see SHOCKphilosophy? Principle #4) -- ANTs, WORMS and FEARS.

I am sure you have heard the term, like attracts like. It's the reason why rich people hang out with rich people and poor people hang out with poor people. What we must be mindful of is our DNA programming is designed not to go outside of its comfort zone for extended periods of time. With that said, it's understandable why we feel uncomfortable when we are around something or someone we have never been exposed to that stretches us, challenges us to be more, do more and having more. So it is our DNA programming; ANTs, WOMRS, and FEARS that keep us locked into this vicious cycle that gives the illusion of progression when in fact we are on auto-repeat; just standing still. We then attract people, places and things in our life to confirm this process and keep us in a holding pattern.

The law of attraction is so powerful that if you had two pianos in different rooms and struck the c-note on the first piano the other piano's c-chord would be vibrating as well. The law of attraction is gravitational which is why in order to move to the next quantum or level in life we must first move and expand our consciousness so that we can attract a different outcome.

In order to move from one gravitational pull to another, we must become comfortable with being uncomfortable, face our ANTs, WORMS and FEARS and learn how to handle next level thinking. When you expand consciousness, expand spiritually, emotionally and psychologically, you automatically move into another vibration or gravitational pull. You will also bring along with you for the ride and new set of ANTs, WORMS and FEARS whose soul purpose is to push or pull you to yet another level by making your current level content and hopefully unconformable.

This is why it is so very important and necessary to learn how to neutralize your ANTs, WORMS and FEARS because it causes you to move in quantum steps verses minute steps. You shorten your learning curve and lesson your barriers to entry at the next level in life when you confront the DNA programming that is keeping you where you are - within the Gravitational Pull of ANTs, WORMS & FEARS.

The Reasons Why We Fear Success

2006-04-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

In the book, The SHOCKwealth System?, it is discussed that there are four fears that must be overcome in order to experience true success. One of those fears is the fear of success itself. The Fear Of Success is the self-sabotaging fear.

Have you ever come close to actualizing a goal that you have put forth--- only to walk away from it or sabotage it when it appeared that victory was finally near?

The fear of success is what I refer to as ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) and WORMS (Deep seated, unconscious beliefs and fears that act like computer viruses) in the Principles outlined in the SHOCKphilosophy?. You may fear spiritual enlightenment; successful relationships, success in finances, success in health and so on. Regardless of what kind of success you fear, it's an insidious fear virus that must be dealt with as pervasively as the fear itself.

Do you recognize these ANTs?:

? Mo money, mo problems

? I won't know how to manage all of that money

? My parents or grandparents had money and they are miserable because of it

? I don't have the education to be rich

? God, my religion says that I should be poor and live below my means

I'm sure you can add to the list. Here are a few more reasons why we fear success in life?

Accountability/Responsibility

When I was a Personal Trainer, I had a fellow trainer who used to tell me that he didn't want to become too successful or rich. In fact, he said, 'I just want to be comfortable.' Whatever the hell that means. He continued to explain to me why he didn't want wealth and success in life. 'I don't want to become too rich or successful because that is when people start coming after you.'

I thought about what he said and he is partially right. As Dr. John F. Demartini once said, "Life doesn't become easier, it only becomes more accountable." You've heard the phrase, "To whom much is given, much is required?" That is a fact and this is why the SHOCKphilosophy & the SHOCKprocess? is liberating so many lives. It gives you a tool or a weapon against the counter-thoughts/beliefs toward your desired level of success.

What if you had a process that could quickly identify the type of fear you have toward success and began the process of neutralizing that fear or finding how that fear serves your higher good and best interest?

With wealth, success, happiness and just being highly competent at anything, creates an accountability and responsibility to be the best that you can be at what you wish to be. Learning how to harness the power of the fear of success rather than run away from it requires a process, a SHOCKprocess. But, once you understand that fear is and always will be your best friend, you are no longer hindered by fear you are forever liberating from fear.

The Fear of the Unknown

We fear success because we have never been successful at that which we wish to become successful, so there is an inherent fear of the unknown or the 'What if.'

If I asked you to go into a darkened room where you could not see your hand before your face and you didn't know if there were ceilings or floors but you heard the sound of a growling tiger - what would you feel? What if I told you that in this room are billions of combinations that can make you instantly rich, improve your health, rekindle your current relationship or help you find the love of your life - what would you do? Would you go it this room and at least check it out?

Would you take the chance? Most people would not and this is the essence of the Fear Of Success. As I discuss in the SHOCKphilosophy? most people have ANTs, or Automatic Negative Thoughts that automatically hinder them and talk them out of their greatness and potential for success, wealth and happiness.

By identifying what your individual, unconscious fear looks like, you will be able to transcend repeat failure and trends in your life.

The Fear of Public Scrutiny/Resentment

Yes, it is true; poor-minded people hate rich-minded people. Notice I said, 'poor-minded.' Not all poor people hate the rich and wealthy, but if you haven't been watching the news lately, you may have noticed that it is an all out war on those who have publicly announced their wealth.

If you are a Celebrity, a successful Entrepreneur, a noted Author on wealth, or have become so rich in business that it has garnered media attention, you will more than likely be put on public display to defend your so-called, 'SHOCKwealth?.'

The message that the media sends out to the masses is, 'Don't get too big or rich for your britches, or we will come after you and expose your innermost turmoil to the public.' This dynamic creates and breeds a WORM; that causes us to fear success at the public level. There was even a Rap Song made famous by P Diddy and Biggie Smalls called, 'Mo Money, Mo Problems.'

Do you have the fear of success? Would you like to know how to identify and neutralize this deep seated fear/belief? Check out the SHOCKphilosophy?, and signup for the next SHOCKprocess? Focus Group to truly begin to identify and neutralize your WORMS and ANTs - the fear of success.

The One-Two Punch for Success: Authenticity and Alignment

2006-04-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt as if you are beating your head against a wall? You repeatedly try to reach a goal but you never seem to achieve it. Instead you are struggling rather than moving forward and achieving your goals with grace and ease.

You are not alone. The struggle to move from what we don't want to what we do want is, unfortunately, a fundamental struggle for many individuals. Believe it or not, it is very common for people to struggle against what they want and to actively limit their good.

In order to have what you want, you must be willing to end the struggle and move into action. Your success is dependent on your ability to reach your goals and achieve.

The easiest way to move from "stuck" into action without struggle is to be authentic and to be in alignment with your authenticity. Authenticity means that you are connected to your core and that your desires are a true reflection of your inner self and soul.

Alignment means that your entire being is in agreement with the goal you want to achieve. For example, you come home from work one evening and you are very tired. But this evening is your work-out night. You sit on the couch and actually have to talk yourself into getting into your gym clothes and heading off to the gym. What you did in convincing part of yourself to go to the gym when it really wanted to rest on the couch is called alignment. You got yourself into alignment with the idea and intention of going to the gym no matter how tired a part of you felt.

To end struggle and successfully achieve goals, all parts of you must work together for manifestation. That means all bodies, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual, must be in agreement concerning a goal. There can be no doubts, limiting beliefs or attachments. The following describes a process you can use to do an authenticity check concerning your goals and bring yourself into alignment with your goals.

Step One: Sit quietly - create a peaceful, serene and nurturing space for yourself. It must be a space where you feel comfortable and secure. Spend several minutes in quiet and inner reflection upon your goal. Have paper and pen handy.

Step Two: The Authenticity Check: Ask within if this goal is the appropriate goal for you to achieve at this time. If the answer is yes, skip to the next step. If the answer is no, ask what a more appropriate goal would be for you right now.

By asking this question, you move from being ruled by the needs of the mind (survival issues) and begin to access the soul within. You leave behind the petty desires of the ego and move into realizing the desires of the soul. As a result, your goals become truer and more authentic.

Write down the response you receive. If you need additional clarity concerning the response, ask for it. Keep asking within until you feel complete.

Step Three: Alignment. Once you have a defined and authentic goal, it is time to create alignment. Remain in your space of quiet and comfort; ask to speak to your mental body. (You will repeat step Three with each of the bodies) Ask your mental body if it is willing to be in alignment with you goal. The purpose of this question is to uncover any blocks or limitations that reside in the mental body concerning the goal. If the answer is yes, proceed to the next body: physical, spiritual and emotional.

If the answer is no, simply begin a conversation with this part of you. Some questions to begin with are: Why are you not willing to be in alignment with this goal? What would it take for you to be in alignment with this goal?

When a part is not willing to be in alignment with an authentic goal, the cause may be fear or insecurity. Usually the situation is remedied by helping the part understand that it is taken care of, that it is safe and that it has nothing to fear. Simply, have a conversation with the part and inform it of the truth.

Once you receive the willingness of all the bodies, remember to thank them for supporting the manifestation of this authentic goal. Affirm your alignment with this goal and your intention to manifest it.

By completing this process, you have created an authentic goal and brought yourself into full alignment with this goal. You can now move forward without struggle because all blocks have been removed. Success shall be yours.

Life Versus Lifestyle

2006-04-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

There is a difference but what constitutes a life and what constitutes a lifestyle is pretty ambiguous. One thing that seems pretty clear to me is the lifestyle is observable while a life can have many internal aspects to it. A lifestyle can include people, material things, environments, how we spend our time, energy, and money. A life includes things like our beliefs, our values, our commitments, our soul's dream, and our vision. If you choose a lifestyle first you could wind up with an empty fortress. If you choose the life first, you will design your lifestyle to support the life.

Since most of us already have a lifestyle, and a default life, we usually have to do some redesign work. Choose a life and then redesign our lifestyle. It is possible that the lifestyle you currently have will never support the life you truly want to live. It is possible the lifestyle you currently have has many supporting structures and only minor renovations need to occur. It is possible that you are a highly intuitive person and your lifestyle is in perfect alignment. I know very few people who fall into that category. My dad does but what I notice about him, is he and my mother made a conscious decision to structure their lives around their spiritual values. They made that decision early in their marriage and lived true to it. Now it's interesting that my parents are actually old enough to be my grandparents, (my mother is no long living) and I noticed that many earlier generations were not given to having transformational conversations so learning was a very different process then than it is now. The fact that we have e-courses and teleclasses and magazines and tons of books that are created to help people learn to live more meaningful and personally fulfilling lives represents a shift from how things use to be.

As we evolve we begin to look at various aspects of our lives for congruence to our values and commitments. The disparity shows up with exclamation marks behind them and sometimes our response is discouragement and self-disappointment. We act as if we should have known better when the truth is how could we have known better? So the first thing to get over is "I didn't know" and then after we get over that we come to "but I know now?now what?" It takes a courageous person to see this and then set their intentions on bringing integrity into their life so that their lifestyle gives them a life that serves their higher self. You will notice some people trying to work around it, pretending it doesn't matter that their lifestyles don't measure up to their core values.

The real problem is once you see the inconsistency, not doing anything actually makes things worse and you lose ground really fast. It cost you big time to keep that inconsistency in place. You can't be with yourself and be at peace in your life. It wears you down like water will wear down a mountain over time. Your life will devolve instead of evolve. If that is not a price that's too high to pay, I don't know what is. Just think about it and choose wisely the path you will follow.

Make The Second Half The Best Half

2006-04-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

Something happens when you come to the intersection called mid-life; you can look back in retrospect and see your life from an entirely different context. For many this mid-life review brings about a sense of urgency that ignites what is formally called "the mid-life crisis". It's where we can trace the effects back to causes that were initiated by our own poor decision, our inattention to important details, our recklessness, our fear, our misplaced priorities, and our ignorance. It can be a pretty bleak experience to really understand, maybe for the first time, that your life really could have been much better if you only knew then what you know now.

Ah but there is a subtle sweetness in enduring the emotional upheaval of a mid-life review and that is the fact that you can decide that the second half will be the best half. You can garner the lessons from your past life by taking the knowledge and the wisdom, and leaving the rest behind. You may also experience grief, regret, anger, and blame. Whatever gut-wrenching emotions you feel should be acknowledged and then gently released. You can choose rather you will continue down your current path or if you will choose a new direction for your life. By consciously deciding how you will live the rest of your life, you can create a life that is extraordinary.

It's a mighty sweet deal when you think about it but how do you make it happen?

Here is a 5-point plan that you can customize and implement in 2 to 5 years that will make the next 40 mean more than you could possibly imagine.

Step 1. Create a life vision, not fantasy, that is worth living into that includes personal, professional, and spiritual growth, leveraging your abilities, gifts, and life experiences, contributing to others, having accomplishments that take you beyond lifestyle and status, and building relationships that are life-enhancing.

Step 2. Form alliances with those who walk in front of you, beside you, and behind you. There are those who will be teachers and role models in your life, those who will be companions and friends, and those who will be students. Honor each type of relationship for they will all help you advance in life.

Step 3. Remove barriers to success by installing new personal qualities, beliefs, habits, skills, and relationships as required. Learn to observe your sticking points, your hot buttons, your negative patterns and work to dismantle them one by one with the understanding that this is a lifetime commitment that requires diligence, patience, and self-care.

Step 4. Learn to fan the fires of your own burning desire. Replenish and renew yourself in healthy ways and learn to balance the various aspects of your life so that you are left feeling whole.

Step 5. Stay in the game and expect to win. Know that the Universe is on your side and life embraces and supports evolution and you are playing a critical role in your own personal evolution.

Why should you expect to spend at least 2 years in this redesign process?

Society has programmed us to expect glorified results instantly but upon closer examination, it becomes obvious that the value of a microwave life is commensurate with the investment of time, energy, and resources. The value of life is not just measured by outcomes but also by the process that produces those outcomes. In other words, the joy of living?is living. In 2 to 5 years you will discover aspects of yourself that reveal your true brilliance. You will shed many false perceptions that have restricted and confined you. The rigorous work you will do will be accompanied by a manifold of rewards; expected and unexpected.

Of course, it could happen in less time because the time it actually takes is totally dependant on how much you resist change and how willing you are leave the your herded existence behind. You see, a great life is available to the masses but the masses will not forsake their average existence to claim their inheritance. To create an extraordinary life requires that we learn from our mistakes and our victories and continuously reexamine our personal paradigms adjusting them as needed. When you are making the second half the best half, you will find that you will be in a constant state of personal evolution. As you move toward your life's purpose your envisioned life will become the master plan that will guide your life's choices if it has been carefully designed to holistically reflect your individual uniqueness, which is woven into the expression of your values, contributions, and priorities.

What Am I Going To Do With The Rest Of My Life ?

2006-04-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

Unexpected life changes. Anticipated transitions. Long, sleepless nights. What do these three things have in common? The ability to provoke one of the most haunting questions in the library of human introspectives:

"What on earth am I going to do with the rest of my life?"

While I can't pretend to answer to this question for anyone other than myself, I can offer those in this position some basic tips on how to ensure that their future turns out as bright as their class valedictorian said it would be.

Take Time To Create A Map

Too often, when faced with a major (or even not so major) life decision, we tend to either take the first decent choice that presents itself or we allow circumstances to choose for us by default - putting off the decision until the inexorable current of life sweeps us past the turning point. As you can imagine, this is not the best way to get what you want out of life. But the options we are faced with in life can be so wildly divergent, or so deceptively similar, that it is difficult to know which turning to take. Wouldn't it be great if we had some kind of road map that would help us know which paths to follow and which to pass by?

Below are five questions that everybody should ask himself or herself before starting out on any new path. The answers to these questions should then be used to guide decisions and to direct actions - when a choice comes up, simply compare the various options with your stated desires and choose the option that takes you closer to (or at least moves you the least farthest away from) your destination - your stated goals and desires.

1. What does success mean to me?

Be very specific. "I want to be rich," is not an answer - just what does "rich" mean, anyway? Are you thinking of a set number? And if so, why? Or is the term "rich" a substitute for certain freedoms and opportunities that you view as coming only with money - and by limiting them to being accessed only through money, are you missing out on other alternative pathways?

Some more specific alternatives to "I want to be rich," depending on the individual, might be: "I want to have enough net income to meet my current financial responsibilities without strain, plus have time and money left over for travel," or "I want to be able to comfortably afford a jet-setting lifestyle in New York City," or "I want to spend 4 days a week at home with my kids," etc. You should try to come up with at least three answers to the question of what success really means to you personally, with each one reflecting a different facet of what you feel makes up a truly successful life. And keep the money issue to just one statement - after all, such things as personal fulfillment, spiritual meaning and other essential needs and values cannot be solved, acquired or even influenced by money

One of the biggest obstacles to success is that most of us have never consciously explored what that means to us, aside from some vague and nebulous idea of fame, fortune or other worldly success. Knowing what success really means to you - what you hope or imagine that these generic definitions of success would actually provide and how you want those things to physically look like in your life - allows you to weigh your choices more accurately.

2. What are my non-negotiable needs?

List all the things that you envision as inescapable parameters of a successful and enjoyable life. Family, travel, no debt, pleasant work environment, social status, contributions to society, spiritual involvement, public acclaim, love, excitement, comfort - any or all of these, and any others you can think of are legitimate needs that when not met create an environment of stress, want and disempowerment in your life. Knowing what you are not willing to do without makes the relative values of different options clearer.

3. What are my non-negotiable boundaries?

List all the things that you absolutely do not want present in your life. If the idea of working in a standard hierarchical office environment makes you ill, put that down. If you can't stand the thought of living in a cold climate, add that to the list. If being poked fun at about your physical condition or other attributes makes life unlivable, note that as well. By knowing what you will not tolerate, many choices become much easier to make. Plus, it allows you to set down rules and policies about who and what you will invite into your life and the standards of behavior you will, and will not, tolerate.

4. What are my key values?

Spend some time searching your soul to come up with a list of your basic values, creating a life around which would make you the person you want to be and allow you to live the life you want to live. Are you the type who values honesty, clean/green living and a deep love of nature above all things? Or are you more of a 'comforts of home', family and fun kind of person? Do you value charity over letting others find their way on their own, or is it the other way around? Knowing what you truly stand for is a vital component of good decision-making.

5. What do I want to be remembered for?

What legacy do you want to leave here when you pass on? What do you want people to say about your life and you as a person? What do you want to be known for? What would you like your obituary to say about you? Knowing where you want to end up makes choosing the path to get there, and keeping track of your progress, infinitely easier.

Key Points To Consider

There are three key points to keep in mind when you are faced with making life-changing decisions.

1. Look before you leap.

In life, as in commercial marketing, "Buy now before this opportunity is gone!" is almost always code-speak for, "Buy now, before you have time to read the fine print." True, from time to time real, honest-to-goodness, amazing, once-in-a-lifetime offers do come around. But if you have laid down a foundation of well-considered choices and clear-minded focus before this happens, you will have the presence of mind and strength of purpose to know when to jump and when to pass, and be much more capable of telling the difference between a missed opportunity and a close call.

2. Life is no longer a "one chance per person" event.

The times, they are definitely a'changing, and one of the best things to come out of that change is that we now understand that people change as well and that not only is this normal, it is to be expected. The career or life that suited you perfectly in your 20's will most likely not fit the middle-aged you, no more than the same wardrobe or lifestyle would. Sometimes this is merely the result of the normal process of personal evolution we all go through as we age and mature, and sometimes it comes about suddenly in response to reality-shifting events and life-changing transitions such as living through a traumatic event, losing a job or getting married.

However change comes, be prepared to go with the flow. Don't worry about "all that time I spent in grad school," or what your friends and family will say. In the first instance, there is no such thing as "sunk costs" in life - 90% of nearly any education or life experience is 100% transferable to new situations and new outlets. In sports they call it "cross-training," and an athlete doesn't consider his or her training complete without in. In the second instance, well, if they love you they will want you to be happy and if they don't love you, then who cares what they think? Besides, they're not the ones who have to live this life - you are.

Also falling under this heading is the admonition not to trade a good life now for some nebulous "better tomorrow," such as spending your life zombie-ing through a career you hate for the promise of a pensioned retirement. All too often, these "tomorrows," if they ever do come, are no better than the "nows" you wasted. And as often as not the stress of living an unhappy life permanently cripples or even kills people, physically or otherwise, well before they can get to their imagined golden "tomorrow."

3. Trying to find your "one, true purpose" is a waste of life.

We are all put here on this earth for any number of reasons - some big, some small and most of which we will never understand or even realize we've participated in until well after they've become distant memory. Spending too much time trying to scry your "true purpose" in the tea leaves of life can take your attention and energy away from creating the kind of life that would actually support the accomplishment these purposes in the first place.

A far better is alternative to create what I call a "Groundhog Day-Proof Life." Based on the Bill Murray movie in which his character has to live the same day over and over, this concept involves creating a life that reflects your values, offers you opportunities to challenge yourself and is fulfilling enough and just plain pleasant enough so that if by some strange cosmic fluke you became trapped in any given day of your life, it would be a good thing rather than a tragedy. Living this sort of life virtually ensures that you will be who and wherer you need to be to fulfill any purpose you may have been sent here to accomplish, while at the same time providing you with a wonderful and rewarding "rest of your life" in the process.

Summary

Getting the most out of life isn't about living "right". It's about living well. Learning to consciously steer your life in the direction you want to take it, making the choice to live by your own set of values and desires and making sure that you get the most out of the limited days you are given to work with ensures that when the time comes for your life to pass before your eyes in review, the show will definitely be worth the price of the admission.

Five Tips for Perfect Transition Decisions

2006-04-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

You're considering a new career, new place to live or new business, retirement, or any other move. You ask, "Will I be happy?" If you remember the old, old song, "What will be" may not be the answer you're looking for.

There are no one-size-fits-all guidelines, but there are five questions that can help you anticipate how you'll enjoy what you get.

1. "Did I choose to make this move or am I being pressured?" When you feel in control, you are most likely to be happy after you make a move. When you feel you have few or no options, begin to explore strategies to regain your power.

2. "Am I moving to or moving from?" We've all been tempted to take a big leap and just leave whatever we'd like to escape. Sometimes the results bring surprising rewards. When you analyze what you want, rather than what you want to leave, you can make more effective decisions about your next career, city and business.

3. "Can I still be me?" I live in a town where many people move specifically for retirement. Many choose the most rural areas of the county, assuming they'll find nirvana when they've left city life behind. And many are miserable because they didn't realize what they needed to be happy - more stimulation and satisfaction than you can find in the country.

4. "Does my happiness depend on another person or organization?" You move to be closer to your grandchildren - and they're all grown up. You move for a company - and your job disappears due to a policy change. You can't prevent all surprises, but you can make contingency plans and create safety nets.

5. "What options will I have three years after I make the move? Five years?" Will you have more opportunities than you do now or will you feel trapped?

There's no way to predict what will happen, whether you turn left or right at the fork in the road. But the odds are something will change in three to five years. You'll be different. Your professional field will be different. Your workplace will be different. And you'll be ready to make another move.

Average Sucks!

2006-04-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

The very first "motivational speaker" I heard as an adult was a gentleman named Mort Utley. I experienced his speech in May of 1989 in Nashville, Tennessee, at the end of a week of Sales School with the Southwestern Company. I was 19 years old and had just finished my freshman year at the University of Wisconsin, and Mr. Utley's speech was the final component of my formal training to sell educational books door-to-door for the summer. I was absolutely coming out of my skin with an indescribable combination of intense excitement and great fear. Mort Utley's speech made one of the most "un-motivational" statements I had ever heard. He said:

"Most people do not get what they want out of Life."

How depressing, I thought. This guy gets paid large amounts of money to "motivate" people and he comes on stage and says that most people do not get what they want out of Life. Thanks for the tip, Mister genius - I suppose next you'll tell me that people from France all speak French. No kidding most people don't get what they want out of Life, I thought - WHY DO YOU THINK I AM LISTENING TO YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!?!

I didn't want to be most people, and my guess is that you don't either. If you want to be most people - broke, unhealthy, and with too little time to actually enjoy your Life - then I doubt you would be receiving this newsletter in the first place. However, throughout these installments you will have some of the things you might believe are "just the way the world is" challenged very directly, and this is the first one. We spend so much of our lives wanting to fit in and be normal that we often unconsciously find ourselves striving to be like most people. In other words, we are actually trying to be average.

In America at the beginning of 2003, here is what "average" really means...

Physically - roughly half of Americans are clinically obese.
Relationships - over half of American marriages end in divorce.
Professionally - somewhere between 75% and 85% of Americans do not like their jobs.
Financially - at least half of American households regularly struggle with "too much month at the end of money."

And I could go on and on and on. Why do I spend the first part of this supposedly inspirational article being such a bummer? Well, it's mainly because if you are serious in your quest to lead the kind of Life that you really want and really deserve, the first realization that needs to happen is that even now - in the most technologically advanced and prosperous society the world has ever seen - AVERAGE SUCKS!

But like we said earlier, you don't want to be average - congratulations. The fact that you even subscribe to this newsletter tells me that you are already on the path to being way out of the ordinary. In the coming months you are going to learn some very basic principles - principles that have been proven over literally thousand of years to help individuals and organizations see consistent upward growth in every area of Life - professionally, financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually and in all types of relationships. The great thing about success it that it's simple. Not easy, mind you, but simple. If you learn the fundamentals of successful working and living (and there are really only a few) and then apply then diligently, you definitely will achieve the things you want to be in Life. A bold statement, to be sure, but it's not really up for debate. A mentor of mine once gave me some advice that

"Success leaves clues," and
"If you do the right things long enough consistently, your success is assured."

Some of the best advice I ever received, and I've never found it to be false. I've seen these principles bring real joy and success to thousands of individuals who've followed them. At the same time, when I counsel individuals or groups that are not seeing the results they desire, they are invariably in violation of one or more of the principles we teach in our workshops and in our writing.

So to sum up; people are always asking the big questions - what is the key to success? They ask God, gurus, mentors, speakers, themselves, parents, friends, the boss, the coach, sometimes they even ask us here at Freedom Speakers & Trainers - which is why we created this newsletter. I am here to tell you that if your question is "what's the key?" your first challenge is that there is no key. It's a combination lock. The principles we teach will simply help you determine what the combination is for you. I congratulate you on walking the path - feel free to call and ask directions.