Friday Story - 29th October 2010

"I hope your box is empty!"
It was on the sixteenth day of the 12th month celebrating his 75th birthday when he decided it was time.
Having been happily married, raising three boys, and continuing with great success, the family business handed down from generations before him, this now frail man had to make a decision.
His health had not been good over the past few years and the stress of keeping the business on course was beginning to wear on him.
The challenge was in deciding which one of his sons would take his place.
Each boy had the experience. Each one was capable of helping it grow in the future.
But each had different personal values.
As they gathered together to celebrate Father's birthday, he quietly pulled them aside from the rest of the family to announce his retirement.
"Father, I can't imagine a day without you as the head of the business," one said.
"We are sure to falter without you, but you deserve some rest," another said.
"You are this company," the last chimed in.
Then there was an uneasy silence. Surely the question playing on their minds was "who would take his place?"
The old man turned and walked toward the corner of the room where there were three boxes.
"Come, each of you take one of these boxes. They are of equal size. By the first day of the new year when we return here to celebrate, I want each of you to bring your box filled with what you believe to be the most valuable assets of this business. Based on your choices, I will decide who will take over as the chairman," father said.

There was much grumbling, confusion and discussion as father left the room.

During the next 15 days the families and employees could sense a strong competitive spirit between the boys. One carried the box nearly everywhere he went. Another ran from department to department asking for records and inventories. The third simply left the box at his desk.

It was January 1st and the family had once again gathered to celebrate. Right after dinner father called the boys aside.
"Well, it is time. Please share with me what you have placed in your box," father said.
The first son, eager to outdo the others, jumped to his feet and began sharing.
From the box he pulled the business ledger, saying "This father, is the true measure of our success. There is no greater representation than the bottom line."

"Simple and direct," father said.

Pointing to the second son, he asked for him to share.

"Where is your box?" father asked.
"It is outside on the back of truck. The box you gave me was much too small. I have ten of our employees out there ready to bring in each of the items I have gathered."
Father walked to the window and from that distance could see his son had gathered many of his own personal possessions; a boat hitched to the back, collections of rare art, antiques and what appeared to be two uniformed guards standing next to a large box.
"What is in the box?" fathered asked.
"My wife's jewels," the son replied. "Shall I order them to bring them in?"
"No! I have seen enough," father said.
With a deep sigh and tone of sadness, he said to the last son, "What valuables do you have to share?"
The son rose to his feet and handed his father the box.
The old man looked inside and with great shock and surprise looked up at his son.
"It's empty!" father said. "Are you telling me that you have found nothing of value in the family business?"
"To the contrary," he said. "What I found most valuable I could not place in a box, on the back of a thousand trucks, or scribbled on the bottom line of a ledger."

Father's face lit up as he returned to his chair.

"How does one measure the value of commitment, quality, honesty, and trustworthiness? What size box would hold the loyalty of our employees and customers? Would the charities we supported through the years fit into the largest trucks in our fleet? How big of an auditorium would I need to gather the families of our coworkers who have benefited from our generous pay and health plan? Where would I place the local companies we have committed to deal with so that the community we live in stays strong?

Finally, father, the most valuable possessions I personally hold are the love of you and mother, family values, your wisdom, compassion and love of God. Look again inside that box. They are not there. The result of all of that is here standing before you."

It was clear what decision was made that day.

There will come a time when each of us will be asked by our Father to share what we value most.

I hope your box is empty.

Bob Perks

Friday Story - 8th October 2010

WE CAN DO HARD THINGS
By Tim Burningham

My family and I recently returned from a trip to Utah. During the trip we spent much of our time at a beautiful lake near the Bear River Mountains. One day our group planned various hikes through the majestic mountains with rugged terrain and peaks that soared to nearly 10,000 feet.

With a pregnant wife and three young children my family decided we'd stick to the flat, even surfaced three quarter mile hike. However, at the last minute we decided to try the somewhat steep and rocky 8-mile hike-just to see how far we could make it before turning back. To my surprise, and with my 2 year old son in arms nearly the entire trip, our family completed the eight mile hike together.

In life, we are often faced with challenges and opportunities that are difficult and often seem impossible. However, our potential and capacity is amazing. Many times we underestimate or do not realize what we can do. Many times we put self-imposed limits on ourselves and fail to venture to the unknown or dare to do the impossible.

Whether it's fear, a lack of confidence, complacency, or other reasons, we often hold back and do not push ourselves. For some reason, somewhere along our life journey, we begin to believe we cannot do hard things. I have learned through this hiking experience and other life adventures and challenges though, that we can do hard things. We can do things that are beyond our own wildest imaginations if we allow ourselves to believe and try.

At the beginning of the day, I never believed my family could or would complete the trip. I thought it would be too difficult for us but we did it. It wasn't always easy and at times I doubted we'd make it all the way but we did. And because we did we were able to view some of the most spectacular images and enjoy the peace and serenity of the mountains. We saw wild flowers blooming in colorful, luscious fields, majestic peaks soaring high above us in the air, a buck scampering across snow in search of food, and a calm crystal-clear hidden lake.

The reward for our efforts was beauty and tranquility all around us as well as a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. And for my 5 and 6 year olds who walked the entire trip on their own, they can look back on this experience often and feel good about who they are and what they can achieve.

So what rewards are we missing because we are unwilling to do hard things? And why do we deny ourselves of the incredible sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes from achieving difficult tasks? Our potential is great and each of us has the capacity to do great things. Let's stop holding back and start believing that we can do hard things!

Friday Story - Handling Change.

Change: We can actually choose to embrace it; or completely resist it!

We are at a time in our lives when there is much change occurring; and we are more frequently being faced with choices! We often don't see them as choices; but that's what they are!

We are being given a multitude of opportunities to actually embrace change; or to resist it!  This applies equally in our business and personal lives.

Sometimes the necessity for change just happens, and sometimes it is forced upon us quite unexpectedly!
Either way, we are often faced with tough decisions to make and our attitude towards our circumstance s are critical to whether we just survive, or come out thriving! At other times we need to instigate the change ourselves: and its times like these that we often have to admit to ourselves that something, or someone, just isn't working in our lives any more. You might be feeling like you're in one of those ruts which creep into our lives from time to time? If you are, remember that a rut is really a grave with the ends kicked out of it, and it is time to do something, perhaps!

Sure, we have very challenging choices to make when this sort of stuff occurs in our lives; but we need to make those choices; act upon them; and move on as wiser people.
Whether you are faced with change that creeps up and bites you on the butt; or whether you have to create a change for your own sake; the ability to accept things as they are, and move forward, is critical. One door closes; another one opens!

Do your best to remember this paradox of life: We can often stare for so long at the door which has closed; that we can miss a new one which has opened!
It is actually very easy to resist change; but keep in mind that resisting change is actually hard work! Quite often, we don't even know that we are resisting it; so like most other things in life, it's about being aware!

Right now, change is being forced upon us in many ways; and for some of us, that could possibly be overwhelming. My No 1 suggestion for anyone who is feeling the pinch, is to remember that 'necessity is the mother of invention'; so if you can get yourself into embracing the change which is forcing itself upon you, and get creative, then you may come out of your own situation absolutely shining!

Yes folks, our attitude towards change, does make all the difference!
We can choose to Embrace it ... or Resist it!
If you are hurting in any way whatsoever: then you can choose to reach out to others, and seek help.
Remember: None of us have to do it tough on our own ... ever!
Because: doing it tough on our own ... is also a choice!

Friday Thoughts

It is Friday 11th June 2010.  I am sitting in my office going through my daily visualisation routine.  I usually watch a 3 min animoto video I created with all my goals picture on it (the house, car, money, leisure pursuits, successful businesses etc) and then I watch a visualistion video from The Secret.  Its only 10 mins in the morning and it sets me up for the day.  This morning, I read a story from Bob Proctor and in it he asks the question..'What do you want?'.  'What do you REALLY want?'
Now, this has made me think today..well, what is it I really want?  Is it the car, the house, the money...or is it the feeling of freedom, not having to worry about bills, being able to live a life of joy and to be able to give back to the people I love?  For the first time I really think I understand this question and what it means. The last year has been one of tremendous growth but at the same time, I have still to make the breakthrough with my business career.  It feels like I am 3 inches from gold and if I keep digging I will get there soon.  It's trying to keep believing when the results are just not showing yet and people are questioning you..'why don't you get a real job just now?' is a question I get asked a lot.  Makes me question myself but then I read a motivational story or a comment by someone on Facebook about following your dreams and I know that this is the right path for me.

So, what do I want?  I want to wake up everyday with purpose, energy and drive.  I want to experience the feeling of freedom and be able to inspire others.  I want to be able to provide for my kids and show them the world and all the amazing things it has to offer...and open their minds to their potential.  I want to grow my businesses and get the dream house, car and travel..not for materialistic purposes but to feel the achievement and contentment from doing it under my own steam.  I want to write my poems and get them published..have been thinking a lot about this recently.

Now, ask yourself the same question today and really think about it...'WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT?'

I hope this question has the same effect on you as it did on me.

Have a great day
x

Visualization Techniques

Visualization is creating a mental picture of something. Visualization is important because it makes the future become more clear. Seeing yourself already achieving your goal makes your brain believe that attaining that goal is possible. Focusing consistently on any given goal will enable you to manifest it far sooner than if you didn't focus on it at all. Focus brings the goal closer to you.

Have you attempted visualizing, but find it difficult or impossible? Try this. Pick up a photo and study it closely; then close your eyes and tell me what you see. If you see anything resembling the picture, you are visualizing. It's that simple. If this doesn't work, or if you want to improve your visualization skills, take the same picture and while looking at it, close your eyes and open your eyes and close your eyes again. Do this as many times as possible for a few minutes. Soon you'll be seeing the picture, but you won't know if your eyes are open or closed -- and you will be visualizing better than before. Practice this technique often. You can focus on anything: people's faces, pictures, buttons. Get creative and have fun with it.

Additional Visualization Tips

• When visualizing, it's important to view the action from the first person -- that is, see yourself achieving your goal through your own eyes, rather than watching yourself from the outside. This method is very powerful because this is the way you already see and experience everything.
•  Less powerful is viewing your goal from the third-person perspective, seeing yourself achieving the goal as if you were watching a movie. It still works, but it's not as effective as viewing from the first-person perspective.
• Make visualization fun -- the more real your image is, the better this works. Make the image not just a still picture, but a full-length movie staring you. Replay it over and over, seeing yourself as the hero, achieving your goal. Create background music, pump it up, make it feel real, and have fun with it. This is how you want to see your goal -- in vibrant Technicolor on an IMAX screen -- not in dim, dreary, out-of-focus scenes shown on a shoebox-size theatre in the multiplex.
• Your goal is a picture located somewhere in your mental image frame. When you close your eyes and see the image of your goal, determine where your mind is locating the picture: top, bottom, right, upper left, etc. Now, recall an important goal you have already accomplished, and find out where that goal is located in your mental image frame.

So now you have two goals in mind: one you've already achieved and one you want to achieve. Note every little detail about these goals: Where are they located? What are the colors of the images? Are they big, bright, and clear -- or are they small, blurry, and distant?

How do these images feel to you? Does one make you feel happy, excited, and thrilled? Does the other make you feel depressed, wistful, etc.?

Once you've noted every detail about the two images, take the goal you have not yet achieved and give it the same qualities as the goal you have achieved. Make it bigger and brighter; move it to the same location as the image of the already-achieved goal; make it feel the same by inserting every detail. Adjusting your mental image of the current goal to mirror one you've already achieved makes your new goal seem easier and gives you the feeling that you have already achieved it.

Physically act out your goal in action moves. For example, with your eyes closed, envision yourself buying a new home, walking through every detail. First, you get on the phone and talk to your estate agent; later you shake his or her hand (yes, pick up an actual phone and really shake a hand). Greet the estate agent and explain, in detail, what you want your house to look like. Take them to the house you want to buy (yes, really walk in place and explain the details out loud, using lots of gestures). I know this seems silly, and you may feel like a kid playacting, but this is a great visualization technique, not to mention a great stress reliever. Go through all the motions and experiences, as if they were really happening. Notice your emotions, and have fun with this!

Allow yourself 10 to 30 minutes every day or every other day for visualizing your goal. Set aside time to rest and remove yourself from everything else going on. Find a quiet, uninterrupted area to perform these techniques. Remember, the more you focus on your goals, the sooner you will achieve them.

Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination, the habit of putting tasks off to the last possible minute, can be a major problem in both your career and your personal life. Side effects include missed opportunities, frenzied work hours, stress, overwhelm, resentment, and guilt. This article will explore the root causes of procrastination and give you several practical tools to overcome it.

The behavior pattern of procrastination can be triggered in many different ways, so you won't always procrastinate for the same reason. Sometimes you'll procrastinate because you're overwhelmed with too much on your plate, and procrastination gives you an escape. Other times you'll feel tired and lazy, and you just can't get going.

Let's now address these various causes of procrastination and consider intelligent ways to respond.

1. Stress

When you feel stressed, worried, or anxious, it's hard to work productively. In certain situations procrastination works as a coping mechanism to keep your stress levels under control. A wise solution is to reduce the amount of stress in your life when possible, such that you can spend more time working because you want to, not because you have to. One of the simplest ways to reduce stress is to take more time for play.

In his book The Now Habit, Dr. Neil Fiore suggests that making time for guaranteed fun can be an effective way to overcome procrastination. Decide in advance what blocks of time you'll allocate each week to family time, entertainment, exercise, social activities, and personal hobbies. Then schedule your work hours using whatever time is left. This can reduce the urge to procrastinate because you work will not encroach on your leisure time, so you don't have to procrastinate on work in order to relax and enjoy life. I caution against overusing this strategy, however, as your work should normally be enjoyable enough that you're motivated to do it. If you aren't inspired by your daily work, admit that you made a mistake in choosing the wrong career path; then seek out a new direction that does inspire you.

Benjamin Franklin advised that the optimal strategy for high productivity is to split your days into one third work, one third play, and one third rest. Once again the suggestion is to guarantee your leisure time. Hold your work time and your play time as equally important, so one doesn't encroach upon the other.

I'm most productive when I take abundant time for play. This helps me burn off excess stress and enjoy life more, and my work life is better when I'm happier. I also create a relaxed office environment that reduces stress levels. My office includes healthy plants, a fountain, and several scented candles. I often listen to relaxing music while I work. Despite all the tech equipment, my office has a very relaxed feel to it. Because I enjoy being there, I can work a full day without feeling overly stressed or anxious, even when I have a lot to do.

2. Overwhelm

Sometimes you may have more items on your to-do list than you can reasonably complete. This can quickly lead to overwhelm, and ironically you may be more likely to procrastinate when you can least afford it. Think of it as your brain refusing to cooperate with a schedule that you know is unreasonable. In this case the message is that you need to stop, reassess your true priorities, and simplify.

Options for reducing schedule overwhelm include elimination, delegation, and negotiation. First, review your to-dos and cut as much as you can. Cut everything that isn't truly important. This should be a no-brainer, but it's amazing how poorly people actually implement it. People cut things like exercise while leaving plenty of time for TV, even though exercise invigorates them and TV drains them. When you cut items, be honest about removing the most worthless ones first, and retain those that provide real value. Secondly, delegate tasks to others as much as possible. Ask for extra help if necessary. And thirdly, negotiate with others to free up more time for what's really important. If you happen to have a job that overloads you with more work than you feel is reasonable, it's up to you to decide if it's worthwhile to continue in that situation. Personally I wouldn't tolerate a job that pushed me to overwork myself to the point of feeling overwhelmed; that's counterproductive for both the employer and the employee.

Be aware that the peak performers in any field tend to take more vacation time and work shorter hours than the workaholics. Peak performers get more done in less time by keeping themselves fresh, relaxed, and creative. By treating your working time as a scarce resource rather than an uncontrollable monster that can gobble up every other area of your life, you'll be more balanced, focused, and effective.

It's been shown that the optimal work week for most people is 40-45 hours. Working longer hours than this actually has such an adverse effect on productivity and motivation that less real work gets done. This is especially true for creative, information age work.

3. Laziness

Often we procrastinate because we feel too physically and/or emotionally drained to work. Once we fall into this pattern, it's easy to get stuck due to inertia because an object at rest tends to remain at rest. When you feel lazy, even simple tasks seem like too much work because your energy is too low compared to the energy required by the task. If you blame the task for being too difficult or tedious, you'll procrastinate to conserve energy. But the longer you do this, the more your resolve will weaken, and your procrastination habit may begin spiraling toward depression. Feeling weak and unmotivated shouldn't be your norm, so it's important to disrupt this pattern as soon as you become aware of it.

The solution is straightforward: get off your butt and physically move your body. Exercise helps to raise your energy levels. When your energy is high, tasks will seem to get easier, and you'll be less resistant to taking action. A fit person can handle more activity than an unfit person, even though the difficulty of the tasks remains the same.

4. Lack of Motivation

We all experience temporary laziness at times, but if you suffer from chronically low motivation and just can't seem to get anything going, then it's time for you to let go of immature thought patterns, to embrace life as a mature adult, and to discover your true purpose in life. Until you identify an inspiring purpose, you'll never come close to achieving your potential, and your motivation will always remain weak.

Center your work around an inspiring purpose, and you'll greatly reduce your tendency to procrastinate.  Finding your purpose is a powerful way to defeat procrastination problems because you won't procrastinate on what you love to do. Chronic procrastination is actually a big warning sign that tells us, "You're going the wrong way. Take a different path!"  Once you've centered your life around an inspiring purpose, then you can take advantage of certain motivational techniques to boost your motivation even higher.

5. Lack of Discipline

Even when motivation is high, you may still encounter tasks you don't want to do. In these situations self-discipline works like a motivational backup system. When you feel motivated, you don't need much discipline, but it sure comes in handy when you need to get something done but really don't want to do the work. If your self-discipline is weak, however, procrastinating will be too tempting to resist.

6. Poor Time Management Habits

Do you ever find yourself falling behind because you overslept, because you were too disorganized, or because certain tasks just fell through the cracks? Bad habits like these often lead to procrastination, often unintentionally.
The solution in this case is to diagnose the bad habit that's hurting you and devise a new habit to replace it. For example, if you have a problem oversleeping, take up the challenge of becoming an early riser. To de-condition the old habit and install the new one, I recommend the 30-day trial method. Many readers have found this method extremely effective because it makes permanent change much easier.

For tasks you've been putting off for a while, I recommend using the timeboxing method to get started. Here's how it works: First, select a small piece of the task you can work on for just 30 minutes. Then choose a reward you will give yourself immediately afterwards. The reward is guaranteed if you simply put in the time; it doesn't depend on any meaningful accomplishment. Examples include watching your favorite TV show, seeing a movie, enjoying a meal or snack, going out with friends, going for a walk, or doing anything you find pleasurable. Because the amount of time you'll be working on the task is so short, your focus will shift to the impending pleasure of the reward instead of the difficulty of the task. No matter how unpleasant the task, there's virtually nothing you can't endure for just 30 minutes if you have a big enough reward waiting for you.

When you timebox your tasks, you may discover that something very interesting happens. You will probably find that you continue working much longer than 30 minutes. You will often get so involved in a task, even a difficult one, that you actually want to keep working on it. Before you know it, you've put in an hour or even several hours. The certainty of your reward is still there, so you know you can enjoy it whenever you're ready to stop. Once you begin taking action, your focus shifts away from worrying about the difficulty of the task and toward finishing the current piece of the task which now has your full attention.

When you do decide to stop working, claim and enjoy your reward. Then schedule another 30-minute period to work on the task with another reward. This will help you associate more and more pleasure to the task, knowing that you will always be immediately rewarded for your efforts. Working toward distant and uncertain long-term rewards is not nearly as motivating as immediate short-term rewards. By rewarding yourself for simply putting in the time, instead of for any specific achievements, you'll be eager to return to work on your task again and again, and you'll ultimately finish it. You may also want to read my article on Timeboxing.

7. Lack of Skill

If you lack sufficient skill to complete a task at a reasonable level of quality, you may procrastinate to avoid a failure experience. You then have three viable options to overcome this type of pattern: educate, delegate, or eliminate.

First, you can acquire the skill level you need by training up. Just because you can't do something today doesn't mean you'll never be able to do it. Someday you may even master that skill. If you can't do something, don't whine about it. Educate yourself to gain skill until you become proficient.

A second option is to delegate tasks you lack the skill to do. There are far too many interesting skills for you to master, so you must rely on others for help. You may not realize it, but you're already a master at delegation. Do you grow all your own food? Did you sew your own clothes? Did you build your own house? Chances are that you depend on others for your very survival. If you want a certain result but don't want to acquire the skills to get that result, you can recruit others to help you.

Thirdly, you may conclude that a result isn't needed badly enough to justify the effort of either education or delegation. In that case the smart choice is to eliminate the task. Sometimes procrastination is a sign that a task needn't be done at all.

8. Perfectionism

A common form of erroneous thinking that leads to procrastination is perfectionism. Believing that you must do something perfectly is a recipe for stress, and you'll associate that stress with the task and thus condition yourself to avoid it. So you put the task off to the last possible minute until you finally have a way out of this trap. Now there isn't enough time to do the job perfectly, so you're off the hook because you can tell yourself that you could have been perfect if you only had more time. But if you have no specific deadline for a task, perfectionism can cause you to delay indefinitely.
The solution to perfectionism is to give yourself permission to be human.  Realize that an imperfect job completed today is always superior to the perfect job delayed indefinitely.

Perfectionism also arises when you think of a project as one gigantic whole. Replace that one big "must be perfect" project in your mind with one small imperfect first step. Your first draft can be very, very rough. You're always free to revise it later. For example, if you want to write a 5000-word article, allow your first draft be only 100 words if it helps you get started.

Some of these cures are challenging to implement, but they're effective. If you really want to tame the procrastination beast, you'll need something stronger than quick-fix motivational rah-rah. This problem isn't going away on its own. You must take the initiative. The upside is that tackling this problem yields tremendous personal growth. You'll become stronger, braver, more disciplined, more driven, and more focused. These benefits will become hugely significant over your lifetime, so recognize that the challenge of overcoming procrastination is truly a blessing in disguise. The whole point is to grow stronger.

Friday Story - Advice for Life

· By all means, set goals and go after your dreams, but know that your ultimate happiness will depend not on your plans but your ability to cope with unexpected turns and unavoidable ups and downs. You may not get what you thought you wanted, but if you're willing to adapt, you can get something even better.

· Don't ever underestimate the power of character. If you want to win, don't whine. Success is made from hard work, perseverance, and integrity, not luck.

· Listen to both your heart and your head. Pursue your passions, but don't confuse feelings with facts. Almost nothing is as good or as bad as it first appears, and all things change.

· Remember, pain and disappointment are inevitable, but tough times are temporary. The enduring impact of experiences and the true nature of relationships are only revealed by time. Persist with confidence that no negative emotion can withstand your will to be happy.

· Fill your life with laughter, but don't confuse fun or pleasure with happiness. Don't sacrifice a thousand tomorrows for a few todays.

· Live within your means and don't overestimate your ability to resist temptations that threaten your relationships or reputation.

· How you make a living is important, but how you make a life is vital. If you don't pay attention to your personal relationships, no amount career success will be enough.

Taken from 'Graduation Advice' by Michael Josephson

Law of Attraction Daily Quote - Joyful Action

Action that is inspired from aligned thought is joyful action. Action that is offered from a place of contridicted thought is hard work that is not satisfying and does not yield good results. When you really feel like jumping into action, that is a clear sign that your vibration is pure and you are not offering contridicting thoughts to your own desire. When you are having a hard time making yourself do something, or when the action you offer does not produce the results you are seeking, it is always because you are offering thoughts in opposition to your desire.

Law of Attraction - Daily Quote

"That which is like unto itself is drawn." Vibrations are always matched. So, as you experience the contrast which inspires the new desire, this new desire, whether it is a strong one or a soft one, is summoning unto itself proportionately. And as it summons, it is always answered. It is the basis of our Universe: When it is asked, it is always given. Humans think they are asking with their words, or even with their action, and sometimes you are, but the Universe is not responding to your words or your action. The Universe is responding to your vibrational calling.


--- Abraham

The 8th Habit

Express Your Voice -- Vision, Discipline, Passion and Conscience

When you study the lives of all great achievers-those who have had the greatest influence on others, those who have made significant contributions, those who have simply made things happen -- you will find a pattern. Through their persistent efforts and inner struggle, they have greatly expanded their four native human intelligences or capacities. The highest manifestations of these four intelligences (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual) are: for the mental, vision; for the physical, discipline; for the emotional, passion; for the spiritual, conscience. These manifestations also represent our highest means of expressing our voice.

Vision is seeing with the mind's eye what is possible in people, in projects, in causes and in enterprises. Vision results when our mind joins need with possibility. As William Blake once said, "What is now proved was once only imagined." When people have no vision, when they neglect the development of the mind's capacity to create, they fall prey to the human tendency toward victimism.

Discipline is paying the price to bring that vision into reality. It's dealing with the hard, pragmatic, brutal facts of reality and doing what it takes to make things happen. Discipline arises when vision joins with commitment. The opposite of discipline and the commitment that inspires sacrifice is indulgence-sacrificing what matters most in life for the pleasure or thrill of the moment.

Passion is the fire, the desire, the strength of conviction and the drive that sustains the discipline to achieve the vision. Passion arises when human need overlaps unique human talent. When one does not have the passion that flows from finding and using one's voice to serve great purposes, the void is filled with insecurity and the empty chatter of a thousand voices that drive the social mirror. In relationship and organizational settings, passion includes compassion.

Conscience is the inward moral sense of what is right and what is wrong, the drive toward meaning and contribution. It is the guiding force to vision, discipline and passion. It stands in stark contrast to the life dominated by ego.

These four words-vision, discipline, passion and conscience-essentially embody many, many other characteristics used to describe those traits we associate with people whose influence is great, whether known to many or few.

Habit 7 - Sharpen The Saw

Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Here are some examples of activities:

• Physical: Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting
• Social/Emotional: Making social and meaningful connections with others
• Mental: Learning, reading, writing, and teaching
• Spiritual: Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or service

As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, you create growth and change in your life. Sharpen the Saw keeps you fresh so you can continue to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and handle the challenges around you. Without this renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?

Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you. You can renew yourself through relaxation. Or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything. You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go through life oblivious to your well-being. You can experience vibrant energy. Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health and exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for renewal--a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall. All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.

Habit 6 - Synergize

To put it simply, synergy means "two heads are better than one." Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually. Synergy lets us discover jointly things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty--you name it.
When people begin to interact together genuinely, and they're open to each other's influence, they begin to gain new insight. The capability of inventing new approaches is increased exponentially because of differences.
Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word--boring! Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life.

Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Communication is the most important skill in life. You spend years learning how to read and write, and years learning how to speak. But what about listening? What training have you had that enables you to listen so you really, deeply understand another human being? Probably none, right?

If you're like most people, you probably seek first to be understood; you want to get your point across. And in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you're listening, selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely. So why does this happen? Because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. You listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going to ask, etc. You filter everything you hear through your life experiences, your frame of reference. You check what you hear against your autobiography and see how it measures up. And consequently, you decide prematurely what the other person means before he/she finishes communicating. Do any of the following sound familiar?

"Oh, I know just how you feel. I felt the same way." "I had that same thing happen to me." "Let me tell you what I did in a similar situation."

Because you so often listen autobiographically, you tend to respond in one of four ways:
Evaluating: You judge and then either agree or disagree.
Probing: You ask questions from your own frame of reference.
Advising: You give counsel, advice, and solutions to problems.
Interpreting: You analyze others' motives and behaviors based on your own experiences.

You might be saying, "Hey, now wait a minute. I'm just trying to relate to the person by drawing on my own experiences. Is that so bad?" In some situations, autobiographical responses may be appropriate, such as when another person specifically asks for help from your point of view or when there is already a very high level of trust in the relationship.

Habit 4 - Think Win-Win

Think Win-Win isn't about being nice, nor is it a quick-fix technique. It is a character-based code for human interaction and collaboration.

Most of us learn to base our self-worth on comparisons and competition. We think about succeeding in terms of someone else failing--that is, if I win, you lose; or if you win, I lose. Life becomes a zero-sum game. There is only so much pie to go around, and if you get a big piece, there is less for me; it's not fair, and I'm going to make sure you don't get anymore. We all play the game, but how much fun is it really?

Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!

A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three vital character traits:
1.Integrity: sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments
2.Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of others
3.Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty for everyone

Many people think in terms of either/or: either you're nice or you're tough. Win-win requires that you be both. It is a balancing act between courage and consideration. To go for win-win, you not only have to be empathic, but you also have to be confident. You not only have to be considerate and sensitive, you also have to be brave. To do that--to achieve that balance between courage and consideration--is the essence of real maturity and is fundamental to win-win.

Habit 3 - Put First Things First

To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes along is okay. There's no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realizing that it's all right to say no when necessary and then focus on your highest priorities.

Habit 1 says, "You're in charge. You're the creator." Being proactive is about choice. Habit 2 is the first, or mental, creation. Beginning with the End in Mind is about vision. Habit 3 is the second creation, the physical creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come together. It happens day in and day out, moment-by-moment. It deals with many of the questions addressed in the field of time management. But that's not all it's about.

Habit 3 is about life management as well--your purpose, values, roles, and priorities. What are "first things?" First things are those things you, personally, find of most worth. If you put first things first, you are organizing and managing time and events according to the personal priorities you established in Habit 2.

Habit 2 - Begin With The End In Mind

 So, what do you want to be when you grow up? That question may appear a little trite, but think about it for a moment. Are you--right now--who you want to be, what you dreamed you'd be, doing what you always wanted to do? Be honest. Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty--successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster.

Habit 2 is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. It's about connecting again with your own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill. Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.

One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision.

Habit 1 - Be Proactive

Your life doesn't just "happen." Whether you know it or not, it is carefully designed by you. The choices, after all, are yours. You choose happiness. you choose sadness. you choose decisiveness. You choose ambivalence. You choose success. You choose failure. You choose courage. You choose fear. Just remember that every moment, every situation, provides a new choice. And in doing so, it gives you a perfect opportunity to do things differently to produce more positive results.

Habit 1: Be Proactive is about taking responsibility for your life. You can't keep blaming everything on your parents or grandparents. Proactive people recognize that they are "response-able." They don't blame genetics, circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. They know they choose their behavior. Reactive people, on the other hand, are often affected by their physical environment. They find external sources to blame for their behavior. If the weather is good, they feel good. If it isn't, it affects their attitude and performance, and they blame the weather. All of these external forces act as stimuli that we respond to. Between the stimulus and the response is your greatest power--you have the freedom to choose your response. One of the most important things you choose is what you say. Your language is a good indicator of how you see yourself. A proactive person uses proactive language--I can, I will, I prefer, etc. A reactive person uses reactive language--I can't, I have to, if only. Reactive people believe they are not responsible for what they say and do--they have no choice.

Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which they have little or no control, proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control. The problems, challenges, and opportunities we face fall into two areas--Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence.

Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about: health, children, problems at work. Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern--things over which they have little or no control: the national debt, terrorism, the weather. Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we expend our energies in is a giant step in becoming proactive.

Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood.

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
Habit 5 -- Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Principles of Empathic Communication
Character and Communication

Communication is the most important skill in life
If you want to interact effectively with me, to influence me, you first need to understand me.
You have to build the skills of empathic listening on a base of character that inspires openness and trust.

Empathic Listening
Most people listen with the intent to reply.
When another person speaks, we are usually 'listening' at one of four levels:

• ignoring  
• pretending  
• selective listening  
• attentive listening

 Very few of us ever practice the highest form of listening -- empathic listening.

 Only 10 percent of our communication is represented by the words we say, another 30 percent by our sounds, and 60 percent by body language.  

Empathic listening is risky.

Diagnose Before You Prescribe

Diagnose before you prescribe is a correct principle in many areas of life.
It is the mark of all true professionals
The amateur salesman sells products, the professional salesman sells solutions to needs and problems.

Four Autobiographical Responses
Because we listen autobiographically (from the perspective of our own paradigms), we tend to respond in one of four ways:

• We evaluate  
• We probe  
• We advise 
• We interpret 

The language of logic is different from the language of sentiment and emotion.
As long as responses are logical, we are at liberty to ask questions and give counsel. The moment responses become emotional, empathic listening is necessary.

Empathic listening involves four developmental stages:

•  mimic content  
• ephrase the content 
• reflect feeling  
• rephrase the content and reflect the feeling 

Empathic listening enables us to turn transactional opportunities into transformational opportunities. 
The key to empathic listening is to genuinely seek the welfare of the individual to whom you are listening.

Understanding and Perception

As you learn to listen deeply to other people, you will discover tremendous differences in perception.
Habit 5 is the first step in the process of Win/Win. 
Then Seek to Be Understood
Knowing how to be understood is the other half of Habit 5 and is crucial in reaching Win/Win solutions. 
The essence of making effective presentations: 
Ethos -- your personal credibility. 
Pathos -- the empathic side.
Logos -- the logic. 
When you can present your own ideas clearly, specifically, visually and in the context of the paradigms of your audience, you significantly increase the credibility of your ideas.

One on One
Habit 5 is right in the middle of your circle of influence. You can always seek first to understand. 
Spend time with your spouse and children, one on one.

HAPPINESS

There are times in our lives where things may not seem happy or joyous at all. Events happen and steal our joy. How do you recover from this? Where are you getting your joy? I must confess, life is not all roses. One of my six year-old daughter's favorite sayings is, "It's not fair". She is learning that life isn't fair at times.

What would life be like if we had everything we wanted? King Solomon in the Bible had it all: power, fame, fortune, and wisdom. Yet, he put his happiness in temporal things and became very unhappy. Have you ever said to yourself, I will be really happy when I get that new car? How long does this happiness last? Or what about an accomplishment you have achieved. The next one must be bigger and better. It's never enough and the cycle continues, searching for the happiness "high" that you experienced before.

What makes you happy? I'm not just talking about for a few hours or days. I'm talking about happiness for a while longer.

Here are four suggestions on living a happier life:

1. Think of the small things that make you happy and write them down. This could be a sunny day, the smell of freshly cut grass, or hearing your favorite song on the radio.
2. Keep everything in perspective. Put things in their proper place. If something makes you unhappy, consider the scenario in the big scheme of things. Will it really matter when you are 80 years old?
3. Look at the root cause of what makes you happy in your life. Remember what gives you joy.
4. Put yourself second and serve others, which is contradictory to what the world says. Happiness in serving another person first, rather than ourselves, is a humbling experience that shows others that they matter more than us.

Have you heard of the saying, "Giving the shirt off of your back"? Happiness is a great feeling. The wonderful thing about being happy is that it can be found in small packages. Why not take time to look for the small stuff that makes you happy today?

A Creed To Live By

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others,
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important,
Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart
Cling to that as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give
Nothing is really over … until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect,
It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks,
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tightly,
And the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't dismiss your Dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope.
To be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget where you've been,
But also know where you're going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored every step of the way.

Author Unknown

The Next Step (poem by Alison Wilson)

The first step needs action to start it,

The last requires patience to end,

So we question, which one's most important,

When we realize our dreams' our best friend.

Well, the answer is neither, they're equal,

But the one that will help you win through

And connect what you start to the finish,

Is the next step that's waiting for you.


Life's dreamers are great Goal Achievers!

Their faith and persistence just blends

Into one awesome cocktail of knowledge,

That whatever they want they can get.

You see, they never visualize failure,

It's success that they see shining through.

It's essential to start and to finish,

But the next step is what you must do.


Alison Wilson

Motivational Poem

Just One
One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true,
One life can make a difference,
You see, it's up to you!

Tips for Success in your Network Marketing Business

There are 5 key steps in the network marketing opportunity that I am involved with and I believe that these would stand you in good stead with most, if not all, network marketing type opportunities:

1. Self Development (Books, DVD's, CD's etc) - this can be described as the understanding phase
2. Work with / Be Teachable (listen/learn from those who are successful in the business) - this fuels your belief that it works.
3. Retail the products - this takes commitment.
4. Introduce others (sponsor and build your team) - take the correct action and lead by example.
5. Build for & attend events (training meetings/conferences etc) - this produces results as it keeps the motivation and skills levels high.

Other Tips

• Have personal targets and know what it takes to get there.
• If you never learn the things you don't know, you can never grow.
• The book you don't read cannot help you.
• Learn to apply what you know, so that you can ATTRACT what you want. (Law of Attraction)
• If you do NOTHING you will attract what you don't want!
• All you need to do is become more effective in applying the system (see 5 points above!)
• Your future is in YOUR hands..if you want your future in someone else's hands..get a job!
• The only lid you have is the lid you put on yourself..and your dreams.
• Time - we can: Waste it, Kill it, Spend it..or Invest it. Invest time on yourself and your business...use YOUR time wisely.
•  Comfort NEVER produces greatness...so take a step outside of your comfort zone and see the results!
• Keep reminding yourself WHY you joined the business in the first place. What is it you want? What do you want to achieve? What steps do you need to achieve what you want? If you don't take them, no-one will do it for you.
• Continually move forward and make progress towards your goals.
• Goals produce PASSION!
• Most people procrastinate...it takes 21 days to create a new habit. You need to be disciplined to make it work. Don't QUIT!
• Use an 'anchoring' technique - attach a strong reason why to your goals (eg your kids/wife/family etc).
• Commitment and Determination are NOT a skill...they are an ATTITUDE!
• Have the right attitude and you are half way there. 

Thought of the Day

I create my own destiny. Other people and events can try to influence the direction in which I may travel; but it is me, and me alone, that decides which path I take.

Motivational Poem

Here is a poem I really like.  It has a powerful message that I can relate to and I read this when I feel that I may be struggling to keep hold of my dreams..


You Can Be Whatever You Want To Be!
by: Donna Levine

There is inside you

All of the potential

To be whatever you want to be;

All of the energy

To do whatever you want to do.

Imagine yourself as you would like to be,

Doing what you want to do,

And each day, take one step

Towards your dream.

And though at times it may seem too

difficult to continue,

Hold on to your dream.

One morning you will awake to find

That you are the person you dreamed of,

Doing what you wanted to do,

Simply because you had the courage

To believe in your potential

And to hold on to your dream.

Friday Story...You Are Amazing!

YOU ARE AMAZING! (And I Can Prove It)
By Michael Murphy

Has anyone told you lately that you are truly amazing? Probably not unless you are one of the very blessed few who have at least one powerful encourager in your life that truly does care about you.

I was 6 feet tall when I was in the 7th grade. I weighed all of 140 lbs. Skinny doesn't begin to describe it. Toothpick would come a little closer. With the unruly and wiry hair that I tried to grow long and fight to keep straight, most of my friends called me 'Q-tip.' You can imagine how that did wonders for my self esteem. Yeah, not much.

I was reminded by my father that I wasn't planned when I was born. I guess not. Three kids in LESS THAN three years. My brother was 2 years old, about to turn 3. My sister was 1 year old, 9 days before she turned 2.
My father suffered most of his life with what we now know as bi-polar disorder. Major moods swings and a plethora of attitudes that did not serve in my best interest (or anyone else's for that matter.) He constantly reminded me that I was an "accident" and with the constant psychological abuse that he put on me, I felt more like an intruder on this planet than a little boy.

As I got older and begin to discover personal development and what it could do for me to heal my past and create my future, I begin to develop new beliefs about myself. What I discovered changed my life. I discovered that the facts proved that I was not an "accident", but indeed, my life was/is a miracle.

I discovered through reading personal development books that the chances that I was ever conceived to begin with were tens of millions to one. In fact, I learned that I had beaten out somewhere between 10 and 90 million other 'seeds' that were all vying to fertilize one egg. Tens of millions of potential suitors and only one was going to get a date. In fact, the others were going to die. It wasn't just a race and competition for affection. It was a battle for life.

Stop and think about this. If any other seed had fertilized that one egg, neither you nor I would be here right now. Ever wonder why you've always felt ''special''? Maybe you felt ''lucky''? Well, you gained access into the inner sanctum to fertilize the egg and millions others died off who didn't make it.

I don't know about you, but that fact alone makes me feel pretty amazing! Now I'm not asking to you believe in some kind of esoteric, metaphysical or spiritual concept. I'm sharing this as an established fact. Go check out these stats with a medical doctor. Now, if those odds haven't made you feel as amazing as they make me feel, then think about this.

Go back 5 generations in your family. That would be to a great-great-great grandparent. Having extensive genealogy records for my family, I know who my great-great-great grandfather was and where he was born.

He was born in 1795 in Kentucky. Just 18 years after our country declared its independence. He met his wife by some set of circumstances, which I'm not aware of. Nonetheless, just imagine your own experience, or perhaps that of your parents (or grandparents) and know that the odds weren't good that he and this particular woman got together.

Now add to the equation that the odds that they ever conceived and had the particular child that they had, were also in the 1 in several millions odds. Now, THAT child grew up and met someone else and the process goes on and on.

My point? Imagine the odds that you ever arrived here on this planet. Trillions to one. Your life is amazing. You may not feel like it. You may feel the lowest emotions that a human can feel. Nonetheless, the FACT remains that YOU ARE A MIRACLE!!!

Perhaps in another article, I'll get into to the amazing biological, skeletal/muscular make up of your body (which is itself a miracle.) For right now, just allow yourself to consider and deeply think about, how YOU got HERE.

You, my dear friend, are no accident. You are amazing! You were a miracle the day you began your existence on this planet. And, you still are. Most people are never taught to love themselves.

Most people are never taught to really understand how awesome they really are. Through a lot of emotional and psychological damage that we get from very ill informed sources in this world, we never face the REALITY of who and what we really are.

I'm here, telling you, YOU ARE AMAZING! I know it. You have talents, skills, intelligence and heart to do miracles in your own life. You have potential that you haven't even begun to tap into its power.

You've likely either forgotten or, you never knew how the facts that supports you as being a phenomenal being. Take some time today and think about what I've shared with you here. Think about the dreams, hopes, desires and incredible vision inside of your mind. I'm not asking you to ''believe'' anything.

I'm just giving you the FACTS. You are amazing! You can do, be and have more than you've ever dreamed possible. Let yourself awakened to the TRUTH about you. Get your dreams off of the shelf and dust them off. Let them live again in your heart, soul and mind.

Keep believing that you can and will accomplish them. Then, expect them and watch your awesome life unfold.

Dreams for my kids..

I sat yesterday and watched Ross, my 3 year old son (nearly 4) as he took part in a hip hop dance class for the first time. Isn't it amazing how proud and grateful you can feel?  He was a bit shy at first but got into the class and was doing really well.  Seems like only yesterday I was changing his nappy and feeding him and now he can do cool dance moves!!  Watched my 6 year old daughter Emma doing backflips and somersaults today! Incredible.  They are becoming real little citizens of the world and are growing and learning..life is an adventure and there is a glint in their eyes as they take on new tasks and their self confidence and awareness grows.  Isn't it amazing the attitude we have as kids?  Where, when, why and how do we allow this attitude to be knocked out of us as adults. Is it at school?  Is it at home?  How many times do you hear stories where someone has been told by a teacher, parent or some other person in authority that they need to 'get a real job' or 'stop dreaming' or that they will 'never be able to make a living from that' etc.  I am determined to make sure my kids know that they must follow their dreams and not settle for the norm..cos the norm just aint happening!!  It's no way to live..unfulfilled potential is a sin in my eyes.  Settling for the mediocre and average is not on the agenda.  If I have learned anything this last year, its that there is so much more to life than what we are taught and brain-washed into thinking. Ross and Emma will be encouraged to express themselves and not to think they have to follow the path trodden by the masses.  We were all made to be extraordinary..but we are conditioned to become ordinary.  Well, not while I have a say and can open their eyes to the abundant possibilities of their dreams.

Stay young at heart and keep dreaming....

Friday Story

A JOYFUL LIFE
by Miles Patrick Yohnke

I've never seen a u-haul behind a hearse. The only thing you take with you when you're gone is what you leave behind. We are slapped when we come into this world and they shovel dirt on us in the end. This is our life. Everyone's life. These are the bookends of life. But what really matters is what goes on in the middle. That we are passionate people. That we are caring people. That we LIVE!

The people I've been privileged to watch succeed have intensity about them. They demand everything from themselves. They show up everyday, in fact every moment, and they are accountable to themselves. Everything they do has a hard statement, and they know when to stop. Very impressive.

Real beauty is found in oneself. That's the tranquil beach. The beautiful sunset. It's not a location, the location is you. To travel is to travel inward. That's the ultimate vacation.

Turn your weaknesses into your strengths. Success is failure turned inside out. We need to find a deeper meaning in life. Our duty, as artists, is to tap into those notes that resonate in us all. Not to sleep walk through life, like an outpatient program; but to strike a chord.

We can't catch kindness in a net or a gun. When kindness is given to you, it's by choice. One must adopt an attitude of gratitude.

We can become prisoners of self. One must dig tunnels; escape one's own mind. We get just this one life. We have to stop doing time. But live lives like we planned in our youth. No matter where we are, how old, we can always reach our dreams.

All your life you're going to be judged, what matters is keeping your soul intact and making work that matters. We have to stop telling people what we are going to do, what we have not yet accomplished, and tell them instead what we have accomplished. Only in this way can we be accountable for our actions. I am not accountable for achievements I have not yet reached, but I am what I have accomplished.

It's when we stop forcing it ... trying to impress, that we really shine through; we start having strong people like us, just fall into our laps - and those that are weak are empowered by the tone of our voice. Get off your knees and do. Words without action is death. One has to stop sitting in the back, waiting. Come to the front. The front row of life. A joyful life.

My mother told me at a very young age, "Miles, we are placed on this planet to help others. Go out and help others." So, it is by her words that I try to shape and reshape my life. Yes, each day we will be challenged by indifferent people and for the most part it isn't their fault. We are just so conditioned by life (media, society) to live like caveman or barbarians (non-contemplating spoon-fed society). To live like the subjects in mindless beer commercials. Their ideals perhaps "you deserve better, more than another, you are the most important."

After a while we believe it. Brainwashed. Let's have "fun." Fun? Fun is a limiting word. Why would one limit their existence to only this? Is that all we appreciate for the life we've been given?

Life is a 24/7 celebration of the word itself (existence). So maybe one needs to replace the word "fun" (a word created by media to keep you down, to bait you, to sell you things, tell you what you need) to the word "joyful."

Maybe we could be way happier if we lived a life that from each waking day till sleep time is joyful. You get but one life. We are each only given one shot at getting it right in the long run. Find a job you love and you'll start to bring joy to yourself and all others in your life.
Words are either negative or positive. Could it be that all this time "fun" is really a negative word and "joy" a positive one? Perhaps a little rethinking is in order.

Finish Strong....

This guy is an inspiration...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlTdkYXuzE&feature=related

Quote Of The Day

Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.

Denis Waitley

Human Spirit

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light."

Four Steps To Reaching Your Goals

Step 1
Be clear about what you want and commit this list to paper.  Be specific and use the present tense to describe your goal.
'I am so happy and grateful to be driving my BMW X6 in Deep Sea Blue'

Step 2
Consistently focus on this list and visualise with emotion those things that you want to manifest.

Step 3
Start to take action in the direction of your goals.  Just a small step every day is enough to create momentum!

Step 4
Consciously adopt daily habits that will turn you into a manifesting magnet. This can be reading a chapter from a personal development book, listening to your favourite motivational CD, watching 'The Secret' DVD etc.  Keep your vibrations in the positive, be happy and focus on gratitude..watch the results!!

Friday Story - Happy Easter Everyone!

The Daffodil Principle
Author Anonymous

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"
My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."
"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ...

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So work like you don't need money.

Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching.

Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Dreams - Finding Your Purpose and Passion In Life

Here is a short movie that just gives a little inspiration and encouragement to keep on following those dreams...

http://www.thedreamsmovie.com/

Forgiving Yourself

Your experience is ultimately a product of what you choose or allow, consciously or otherwise.

What you do not consciously create you allow into your reality under the umbrella of your beliefs, attitudes, thoughts and feelings, sense of deserving & self-value, ego agendas, scripts, stories, patterns, unhealed hurts, and so on.

There are many reasons why you may create, or more likely allow, something negative in your life, including bad treatment from another.

Below are just a few examples:

* You may create it to bring up old pain that needs healing.
* It may be a product of existing limiting beliefs about yourself, others, or life itself (which you can of course change)
* Perhaps you have a victim or martyr story or self-pity agenda running.
* May be you love the drama of it all.
* Perhaps you are avoiding success, love or intimacy, or sabotaging yourself.
* It may be that you are already upset with someone from your past and are repeating the pattern as a means to release buried emotions.
* It could be a situation from which you will learn and grow and become more of who you are.
* Perhaps it is a soul-level contract you have agreed to, whether you are conscious of it or not.

Whatever the reason, and whether you have any idea what that reason is or not, Self-forgiveness (as well as forgiving others) is a way through!  It is a way to let go, heal, change and move beyond to allow more successful loving realities into your life!

We all have 'stuff', yet our stuff is not who we are. Nor is it bad or wrong.
It's what we came here to explore in this lifetime, to learn from, grow, heal, let go of, and evolve, etc.
This does not mean you ever have to experience struggle or hardship, however.
"You can learn more through joy, beauty, wonder, laughter, excitement, love and curiosity than through pain." - Lazaris

There are many ways to heal, release and move beyond inner blocks and patterns.
The more you awaken to the inherent love, truth and magnificence of your being, the more you will let go of what you're not to receive more of your heart's desires.

Self-forgiveness can release much of the negativity, guilt, shame, undeserving, and so on and so forth that blocks happiness and success.

You may not even be conscious of what your blocks are. Self-forgiveness is a place to start.

"Forgiveness is choosing to love. It is the first skill of self-giving love."
- Gandhi

You are loved, loving and loveable, ever and always.
You deserve all your heart desires and more!
Know this! Open to receive :-)

Taken from an article by Mark Myhre (the Emotional Healing Wizard)

Tidalwave Seminar - Ed Ludbrook

I was on an awesome webinar by Ed Ludbrook last night.  The topic was 'How do you get success in the  network marketing business'.  Here are my notes - hope you get some value from them.

Success is reached by earning a little bit of money from a lot of people (residual income).  Therefore, you need to create numbers.  Duplications is what creates numbers.

Momentum = state of growth when your business grows by itself.

What is success as a network builder?
Success = when the investment you made is worth it!  This usually comes at the 'Team Leader' status of most network marketing companies and is where you are earning an income PLUS the company incentives (eg cars, holidays, bonus cheques etc).
Therefore, you need to set your goal at this level and know what is required to get there (sales volumes, number of sponsored members).
To do this..you need to create MOMENTUM!

Momentum = Team Leader = Success.

Momentum = Sponsoring Speed. 
It is possible to create growth WITHOUT creating momentum but this will not allow your business to TAKE-OFF!
You need to create a tidalwave of momentum so as to avoid the situation where new team members lose focus and stop working.

3 Enemies to Creating Momentum

1. 
   
   Confusion (kills confidence) - this can be created when your system is too complex or is incomplete. Effective coaching eliminates confusion.
2. 
   
   Attrition (people stop working) - to achieve momentum, your sponsoring must be faster than your rate of attrition. You need to build an 'active' group.  There are 2 types of attrition: Natural = people stop for their own reasons = their fault.  Excessive = something wrong with your system = your fault. Coaching kills excessive attrition and increases productivity. Coaching is the key to confidence; confidence creates action; action creates momentum.
3. 
   
   Gravity (negative emotions kills confidence, optimism and creates procrastination) - people need to have the BELIEF that they will succeed (get rich).  Rich = choices / relationships / freedom. There are 3 kinds of action/belief. i) Inspirational - 'I think I can succeed' ii) Competence - 'I am learning to succeed' iii) Performance - 'I am succeeding'.  The problem is most people jump from Inspirational to Performance too quickly and this leaves a Competence gap.  It is important to become competent!

Massive urgent action is required.  This comes about through opportunity and fear of loss.  This allows your business to TAKE-OFF!

It's important to always have a full-time attitude (even if you are part time in your network marketing business).  Work flat out for 6-18 months and reap the rewards. There can be a short-term confidence period but still have the full-time attitude.  The confidence period is where the correct skills are learned.

2% of people will go straight into the Take-Off period.  98% will either go into the confidence period or will stop.  Therefore it is important for your business that you give this 98% the correct coaching to allow these guys to enter the Take Off phase.

Challenges

• 
  
  Keep it simple
• 
  
  Do NOT ignore learning
• 
  
  Build confidence
• 
  
  Build independence

Final Thoughts

• 
  
  How many people could you sponsor if you knew they would succeed?
• 
  
  You need to believe that new prospects will succeed.
• 
  
  If your coaching is correct, people will succeed.
• 
  
  Build confidence through effective coaching
• 
  
  A potential business builder will join something they believe they can succeed in - but there has to be a buzz around the business to attract and hold onto these people.

Quote Of The Day

The secret of success is consistency of purpose.
Benjamin Disraeli

Friday Story

Your Wish Is My Command!

I am going to take a little idea from The Secret - and expand upon it - and also introduce a principle to those of you who haven't yet seen The Secret. I recommend that you do see it as soon as possible!

OK - here's the principle: That each and every thought you have is actually heard by your very own genie!
Stick with me here - because I do understand just how challenging this suggestion might be to some of you. I'm asking you to look at this light-heartedly - as it doesn't have to shake your foundations completely - it can be absorbed in a light-hearted way - and used in the same manner.

We've all been getting told for years to "be careful what you ask for - you just might get it"!

Some of us have been told this in a light hearted way; some in the form of a joke; some in the form of reference to prayer in a religious sense; and some in a very serious way. Whichever way we tend to view this - it is in itself part of the relationship we have with our genie... our thought processes.

The Law of Attraction which is the main focus of The Secret, is about owning what we create within our lives - and taking responsibility for our thoughts and understanding just how powerful they can be.
OK - the genie principle.

I truly believe that if each of us can embrace the simple idea that we have a friendly genie paying attention to each and every thought we have - then we will learn to grasp in a light-hearted way that we do actually create our own results in life.

If we can imagine that each thought (and our verbalizing of those thoughts) is being heard, and responded to like this; "OK - your wish is my command"! "I'll get right onto that for you"!

Whether the thoughts and words we use are positive - or negative - the results will be in alignment with those thoughts and words. Too many sages down through the ages and into the present have been agreeing on this for too long for it not to be true!

Remember - the votes have been unanimous for centuries!

What we think - we will manifest!
What we think - we will become!
What we think - we will continue to think - unless we take action to change our habitual thinking.

Thinking that has been put there by life; by our experiences in life; by other people who have had the same thought patterns put there by life; by their experiences in life; and by other people in their lives... and so it goes. Generations of thoughts which have created reality for millions of people - have been passed down to us.

Right now we all have a choice: To continue living under other people's opinions passed down to us about life; or to embrace change here and now and begin to create our own positive thoughts based upon a few pinnacle principles...
Unconditional Love; Abundance; Forgiveness; Spiritual Awareness; Inner Peace (which will spread to your community, then to your state, then to your country, and eventually globally); Deserving; Kindness; and Mind/Body/Spirit balance.

Of course there are other pinnacle principles on which to base new thoughts and ideas - but those just given above are some of the main ones necessary for each of us to manifest abundance, good health, a balanced lifestyle, peace and happiness in our lives.

I am very aware that many of you reading this will already be relating to your own genie as being God, and of course I encourage and respect that thought process, and the feelings surrounding those beliefs. My reasoning in writing this is to encourage a light-hearted aspect to our relationship with our thought processor.

A genie is something that most of us can actually visualize - so being capable of visualizing someone taking notes - then acting on those notes - is one slightly different way to view the importance of how our thoughts turn into reality!

Written by Phil Evans

We Shall Overcome

Picture this:

It's a hard day. Challenging.
You know the kind.
You wake up feeling defeated. Before you even start.
It's not a lazy feeling.
Someday's it's an aimless feeling.
Some days it's a powerless feeling.
Sometimes it's a lonely feeling.

Perhaps at its core, it's a broke-down, unmotivated, somewhat agitated feeling.
Something is not right, and you're feeling beaten.
Beaten. Yes. Feeling beaten before you get out of the shower.
You might lose the whole day to this beaten feeling.
You might lose your dream to this beaten feeling.
You might lose everything because of this beaten-down feeling.

SO, what to do?? What to do? Because if you can't conquer this feeling, it will conquer you.
I've battled this beaten down feeling so many times before. I've found what works is to Name it, Accept it, Share it, Flip it, Escape it, Detour it, Use it, or Thank it.

1. Name It.

Until you name it, it owns you.
If you feel you've lost control over an important aspect of your life, admit it to yourself.
Maybe you feel that no matter how hard you try, you just can't win.
Maybe it feels like everyone can win except you. If that's what's bringing you down today, admit it to yourself.
Maybe you feel bad about yourself. Admit it. Naming a bad feeling is self-honesty. Without self-honesty you'll stay stuck.

2. Embrace It

Embrace whatever it is as a very normal human way to feel. Because it is. We all get down. Life is f-in hard on us all now and again. If you don't have hard hard days, you're (a) not alive, (b) not living, (c) not human. So appreciate your humanity, strong and weak. Don't kick yourself. Love your own beat-down feelings like you'd love your own child's cries of frustration while learning to ride a bike.

3. Share it.

Confide in someone how you're feeling and why. Speaking to someone about it will take the weight off it. Hiding the feeling from everyone else will turn the feeling into shame. You can't afford to let it turn into shame. Shame is the mother of all confidence killers. And if you are feeling ashamed, confiding in someone about it - someone who loves you and who won't judge you - will release the shame and get your power stirring again.

4. Flip it.

Usually when you feel beaten down, it's because you've slipped into feeling like a victim.
So you've got to flip it back to a knowingness that you still have control. Because you do.
Feeling like we're victim makes us feel weak, powerless, inadequate and lonely. It's not that some person
has got the best of you, rather it's that some person's behavior is challenging you to your core. And it's hard. But it's never out of your control. Never. You still have options. You still have the ability to choose your response. You still have the ability to grow.
It's not that the world has got the best of you, rather it's that circumstances are challenging you, to you core. And it's hard. But never out of your control. Never. Because you still have moves.

5. Escape it.

Think like Harry Houdini. You can get yourself out of this.
What you're facing can feel so hard. Indeed. But it only starts to feel like the death of your dreams when you're forgetting you still have many options to transform the situation. You have infinite options.
You always have many successful options that that you haven't tried yet - or even thought of. And you have a deep well of personal power, strength and brilliance. You haven't begun to find the bottom of your well of power yet. Your power runs infinitely deep. And the deeper you have to go, the more brilliant you'll find you are. You can get yourself out of anything. You can transform any problem into a prize.

6. Detour It.

If you can't face the problem today, do something you can feel good about.
Sometimes when we're tired and beaten down, our problem starts to own us, and when it owns us, we give it too much of our attention, everyday, no matter what.
It becomes a Kyrptonite hung around our neck. Take it off. Put it down. Walk away from it for a while.
Do something you can enjoy and easily control instead.
Bring your mood up with an easier more enjoyable activity.
Something that's good for your personal power. Something that gets your creative juices flowing.
Or your confidence up. Or something that enlarges your heart. Just do anything that gives you back your knowingness that you have power, ability, creativity, possibility, potential and the ability to move your life forward.
If you can't think of something to do for yourself, do something good for someone else. You can't give someone else a ittle lift without lifting your own mood.

7. Use it.

When your mood is restored a bit, look at your challenge and use it - as fuel.
Rocket fuel. Let it be the challenge that pushes you to grow.
Let it be the obstacle that vaults you to a new level of personal motivation.
Let it be the roadblock that stirs up your creativity, passion, and ferocity.
Let it be the problem that defined your relentless determination.

8. Thank it.

Thank it for showing up in your life. It came to help you grow. It did.
Because you asked for something more. And it came as the price of admission.
It's what your individualized Golden Ticket looks like.
Respond to your challenge with your massive personal power and you will gain entrance to your dreams made real.

Just don't quit. Or internalize it (meaning don't take an outside problem and internalize it as something that is wrong inside of you).

You're an infinitely powerful person and you can overcome anything. It's just the journey. It's just an obstacle along the path. It's not you. You're wonderful. And you're capable. And you're successful.

Sometimes you just get tired. It's understandable. You're working on something big.

So you've got some big things to overcome. You may be tired. Damned tired. But you're capable. Infinitely capable.

I know you get tired. I know you get beaten down. I know because I do too.

That's why I wrote this. Because I felt so beaten down today by my challenges that I didn't want to get out of bed. I wanted to say "Forget it. I can't do it. I give up. I'm too tired. I'm not strong enough. Uncle."

But I did get out of bed. I got myself up and wrote this article. For one reason: I've faced this feeling all too many times before. It has come with the territory of pursuing my dreams. It's the Destiny Maker that has come knocking with regularity on my door to find out How Bad Do You Want It? It's the Destiny Maker that comes to extract a decision: Quit or Grow? Love yourself or Not?

My success is not built on an absence of hard days. My success is built upon a response to many hard days. So when you feel feel beaten-down:

Don't quit it.

Don't internalize it.

Overcome it.

You can overcome anything. That's who you are.

 
Article written by Patrick Combs

The Butterfly Effect

Watch this great movie from http://www.simpletruths.com/.  When you life your life on purpose, your actions are more focussed and thought out.  Every action you take, has an effect far beyond your comprehension.

http://www.butterflyeffectbook.com/index.html

Quote Of The Day

"Your real purpose in life is to develop yourself. To successfully do this you must always be working toward a goal."
Bob Proctor

Sunday Thoughts

It's amazing what a nice long walk in the fresh country air will do for your mindset.  90 minutes is all it took to get my mind clear on what goals I want to achieve this year.  Ideas popped into my head and I had a few laughs to myself thinking about my kids.  Feel really grateful for my time with them and its fascinating the way that their characters are developing and blossoming.  They are both very different but amazing in their own ways.  Came home and felt really positive..I will now schedule in one walk per week for 'thinking' time.

Personal Development Course - 'The Covenant'

Here are my study notes from the new personal development course from Andrew Reynolds called 'The Covenant'. Follows on from my previous post a few days ago.

• Let go of need and addiction and just take INSPIRED ACTION to propel you to your goals.  Forget about the how and focus on the what.  When inspiration calls...follow it.
• In the bigger picture, the divine has much more in store for you than you can possibly imagine and love is the key to the divine.
• When you are doing something you LOVE, your vibrational energy is higher and more powerful and this accelerates the speed at which the Universe attracts to you the things you want.
• Joe Vitale talks about a 'cleansing mantra' that he uses to bring him back to a sense of good vibrational energy whenever he feels that his path is blocked or he faces a challenging situation.  The mantra consists of 4 phrases.  1) I love you. 2) I'm sorry. 3) Please forgive me. 4) Thank You. The order is not important and you can choose to say it in any order that you feel comfortable with. You are saying these phrases to yourself and to the divine (or the Universe).
• Whenever you feel that The Law of Attraction is not working for you, don't stop believing, but instead look at other ways/routes to get to where you want to go..maybe what you are doing is not the way it is meant to be done.
• To increase the amount you receive, you must first raise the threshold of deservedness.  Open up and ACCEPT it!  Welcome the gifts the Universe provides and feel grateful..not guilty!
• If things come to you and they feel right, then go with it. It could be the window of opportunity to direct you towards your goals.  Trust inspiration and have faith.
• To remind yourself of your goals and also the methods of manifesting these goals, have your own triggers - this could be a wrist band or a badge with some trigger slogans on them, a goals book or board etc
• The Law of Giving can SUPERCHARGE the Law of Attraction.  The more time, energy, love, attention, money you give away, the more you will get back in return.  When you give these away, it triggers feelings of abundance. Give away when you feel that you have been given spiritual nourishment. 
• Everyone is MAGNIFICENT in their own way..most people just don't realise it or feel it!
• Keeping your word - you need to try and keep your word on everything.  Train yourself to have integrity. This will make you feel stronger mentally as you keep your word to yourself and to others.  The Universe will see this too and will believe you when you say you are going to achieve your goals.

More to follow tomorrow...