Success...One Day At A Time

Change Your Image Or Work With What You've Got? You Choose!

It's amazing how technical people haven't got the faintest idea about how people use their systems!

My mailing list / autoresponder system has 'upgraded' to a better looking system.

Except...they forget to bring all of my autoresponder messages with them!

And...they suddenly have 'lost' two very KEY parts of the old system's functionality...things that are essential to make my business run the way that I want it to.

It's the same old story...

To busy wondering how things 'look' like than how things actually work!

It's just proved to me that companies are just run by people! People who try to 'run before they can walk'...and try to focus on their image above everything else!

Sound familiar?

All of us are guilty in some way of trying to live up to other peoples' expectations of who whe should be or look like...when in fact we should be focusing on how we can improve what we currently DO have!

It's just a shame that I was reminded of this by the management of a top company who should really know better!

Did YOU Move Closer To Where You Want To Go Today?

Today has been a day of total commitment...and NO work!

Today I spent literally ten hours 'on the go'...finally doing some of those manual tasks around the house that have been left for too long (some...even years!)

I bet you have some of those, too, don't you?

I've been meaning for a very long time to finally rid my thoughts (and my life) of those little tasks that constantly nag away at me every weekend.

So...it's been a day of putting up shelves, filling holes, clearing out old books, fixing broken curtain poles...and I even had time to cut my lawn!

All in all...it has been a VERY tiring...but nevertheless rewarding day.

And...I've got plans to do the rest of those little tasks (some are seven years old...since we moved to this house!)...next weekend.

I feel a million times better for actually doing them...and I know that I can fill the space in my mind with more constructive things instead...which, to me...is probably as important!

Also...an excellent by-product of doing all this stuff is that I know that it is clearing the way for me to use my weekend time more productively in the future!

So...what did you do today?

And...did it move YOU to where YOU want to go?

Creating Internet Relationships

The internet and email is a fascinating and evolving arena where you can grow your business. While there are lots of ways to create relationships, one of the best ways I've found is to create a newsletter or something of value to your target market.

Remember your existing customers by sending them a monthly newsletter. Encourage them to respond to you with stories about how they've used your product or service and use these stories in your newsletter as much as possible. Recognize that most of us receive a lot of junk mail and spam, so we are quick with our filters and delete buttons, however, if you can create a newsletter that has value for your customers and it doesn't come too often, they will likely read it. It's a good idea to include your phone number on all correspondence. Many people will not call, but it leads credibility to yourself as a business person.

I also send my newsletter to people I am interested in having as customers but haven't decided to do so yet. These are people I've spoken to about my business online and in person. This keeps my name in front of them on a regular basis and when the time is right, they may become a customer.

People like to do business with those they like and trust. It's not necessary for them to know you in person, but it is important to them that you'll be there for them if they need you. By keeping in touch periodically, you'll be able to accomplish that and it won't take a lot of time or administration on your part.

If you're interested in receiving a copy of the newsletter I'm sending out to my customers, please send me an email to walacey@telus.net. If you like the template, then you can substitute your company information and utilize a similar format for yourself.

Cathy Perry
Independant Associate
Prepaid Legal Services Inc.
www.prepaidlegal.com/info/cperry
(403) 901-1065

So...WHO are YOU, Really?

I want to ask you a question...

WHO are you?

Now...practically EVERY person that I have asked this question replies with WHAT they do for a living!

Do you?

And that's the problem!

You are automatically positioning yourself as a person who 'fits' in the stereotype of what your job is like.

So...for example...if you respond that you ARE a clerk...then you are subconsciously reinforcing the fact that you are the stereotypical clerk.

You know...someone who might be at the bottom of the corporate ladder whose earnings ceiling might only ever reach $30,000.

Is that WHO you really ARE (or want to be?)

Think about it!

You could be a clerk with an MBA...or a clerk with no qualifications at all...but that isn't WHO you are!

Now...I can't TELL you who YOU really are...you'll have to work that out for yourself.

But...please...please...don't 'pigeon-hole' yourself into a particular role or job description.

It's too limiting...and it is guaranteed to hold you back!

So...WHO are YOU?

Accountability BUILDS Self-Esteem

Is she Lazy?

A liar?

Or both?

Rather harsh thoughts from someone who fancies himself as a "builder" of self-esteem. However, there ARE times when the carrot ceases to work. Then it's time to bring out the stick. And 8-year-old Tammy (not her real name) has me grasping for a baseball bat!

They say that a dog knows the difference between being kicked and being tripped over. Well, this teacher of 31 years knows the difference between a student who "doesn't get it" and a student who is simply slacking off.

After 5 weeks of drilling the same song, Tammy still can't find the first note on her own. CORRECTION: Tammy can do it... apparently; she has made up her mind that she WILL NOT DO IT.

FINE! Patiently, I try running the drill.... AGAIN!

Me: "What's the name of the first note?" (I demand that my students THINK for themselves)

Tammy: (without any sign of effort) "I don't know."

Me: "Is it a line note or a space note?"

Tammy: (rolling her eyes, mumbles) "Line"

it's a space note

Me: (persistent as always) "It's a space note. Which space is it in?"

Tammy: (huge sigh, clearly she wants no part of this) "I don't know."

Me: (quietly but unmistakably firm) "Tammy, turn around and look at me. Your assignment book says that you practiced 5 days for 30 minutes each of those days. (my students are required to keep a practice log and have it signed by their parents before each class) This is your fifth week on the same song. Not only can't you play it, but also now you are not even trying. Worse, you are showing me a very poor attitude. This behavior is not acceptable. I'll be calling your parents later this evening." (I never see her parents after class. They drop Tammy off in front of the building and pick her up 30 minutes after her class is done.)

I should end the class and send Tammy out of the room. That's exactly what she wants but not necessarily what she needs right now. So we continue to drill for the remaining 20 minutes, but as you can imagine, the atmosphere isn't exactly conducive to anything productive at this point.

Well, Tammy might not be able to play a note on the piano, but she certainly knows how to PLAY her parents. Before I have the chance to call Tammy's parents I am put into a position of having to defend myself!

According to Tammy's father, she is absolutely inconsolable since returning home from music class that night. Between deep sobs, she tells her parents of how I went completely crazy, yelling and screaming, berating and totally humiliating her. In an effort to manipulate me with guilt, the dad tries to blame me for destroying Tammy's fragile self-esteem.

I won't say that Tammy is spoiled. I will say she is quite the little salesperson as her parents buy the whole act. For them, this is the last straw, and they withdraw Tammy from my school.

Through parents of other students I learn that this is not a "premier performance" for Tammy. It is actually a regular scene that works for her whenever she doesn't feel like making the effort in school or any other extra-curricular activity.

In a follow-up letter to Tammy's parents, I state that I am deeply concerned for her development and well-being. I explain to them in detail how my program demands accountability from both the student and the parents. I advise them to allow Tammy to suffer the consequences of her actions (or lack thereof) and to stop running to her aid every time she whimpers. I strongly urge them to seek the advice of other family members and friends, and maybe some professional counseling if what I wrote makes sense.

I tell them the story of the hiker walking through the forest. On the trail, he finds a bird's egg that has fallen from a nest high above the ground. Upon closer inspection, he notices a tiny creature trying to break free from its shell.

The hiker's heart fills with compassion and he gently "helps" the baby bird by separating the shell. Within minutes, the young bird dies.

Later on that day, the hiker learns that his "help" is what kills the bird. You see, the bird needs that struggle to get out of the shell in order to build enough strength to survive. Without the resistance, the bird never develops and quickly dies.

To my surprise, the mom actually responded to my 7-page letter. She admitted that she really had no idea what Tammy had to practice, or if she actually practiced at all. She didn't know Tammy was doing so poorly nor had an attitude problem. She wrote, "Why didn't you tell me all this before?"

Mom, the weekly practice report which YOU SIGNED should have given you a small clue! You would have seen the same song assigned for 5 weeks in a row. You would have seen my suggestions on how to practice and comments on what specifically to pay attention to.

Thankfully, this 'worst-case' scenario is very rare. In all my 31+ years of teaching, I have probably encountered it no more than two or three times.

In a previous post you will know that I am all for parental support. In my experience, it is far more common for a parent to be critical with the child. However, in the above example, this is not a case of parental support. It is more of a case of TOTAL DEPENDENCY. Moreover, I honestly do not know of anyone building a strong self-esteem while remaining totally dependant on someone else.

Should this happen again, I will immediately call the parents in for a group discussion together with the child to explain my methods as well as my expectations. Close monitoring and communication will follow for the next several weeks. Full cooperation and improvement will be required for continuation in my program.

I mean, the money is nice and I do need to eat... but sometimes the aggravation is just not worth it.

What would you do? You may have a similar situation (not necessarily child related) with a subordinate, for example. Your comments and suggestions will be most welcomed!

Why Are You Beating Yourself Up About It?

The title of this blog is "Success...One Day At A Time"...and this has certainly been apparent to me this week.

It is the first time that Lesley has been away for a week...it's usually the other way around!

And...as I have been 'rattling' around the house alone all day EVERY day whilst Katie has been at school (and sometimes after)...I have had a chance to observe myself!

I found it incredibly easy just to lounge around...and get annoyed with myself for not getting on with my 'work'.

But...then I realized that since Lesley has been away...I've worked all last weeked, and most nights once I had put Katie to bed.

So...no wonder that I couldn't 'perform' all day every day!

Because of this I decided over the last few days that I should be focusing on the times of the day when I WAS focused...and then do the work that I would get the most value (and future income from) in that time.

So..I spent time reading the ebook that I reviewed - "7 Secrets of the Millionaires"...and then focused on writing a good 'review' of it.

So far - I've made almost $900 from that one letter...so at least I can feel justified that I used my time well.

Aside from the six hours of teleclasses for Coachville that I've done...I also wrote and re-wrote the email for my new "21 Truths About Success" Mentor Program.

Basically...what I am getting at is that you shouldn't beat yourself up if you feel that you are letting yourself down.

Just focus on the best return you can get with the best use of the time that you do feel 'like it'...then just DO IT!

It will all work out in the end...you'll see!

Are You Focusing On Clouds...And Ignoring The Silver Linings?

I've been playing single dad all week as Lesley has been away looking at hotels in Cuba for my brother's travel company.

I realize that I miss her more than I thought that I would do when she was around...and annoying me last week! (ah!)

It's easy to take the important things in your life for granted.

Believe me...until you lose someone close to you...you don't realize how really, truly, lucky you are to have them in your life.

But...unfortunately that's us humans for you!

We're too busy complaining about what we haven't got instead of making the 100% absolute best we can with what we ALREADY have!

Wouldn't you agree?

I reckon that there are a lot of people that, even if they find a 'cloud with a silver lining'...they will just focus on the cloud!

Are YOU one of those people?

It's easy to be like that...if you blame other people for what you lack.

The reality is...it is only YOU who 'makes' your life.

YOU can take it for granted...and waste it complaining.

Or you take charge...and push yourself further than you ever felt possible.

It's up to you...it is ENTIRELY up to YOU!

You Must Try Harder!

Last year while attending a local music festival I overheard a parent telling his child, "You must try harder. Next year I want to see you win three trophies."

What made this especially difficult to take was the fact the girl had just won two first place trophies for both of the classes she entered. There were no words of congratulations or any show of pride on the man's part. As you can imagine, there wasn't much happiness showing on the young girl's face either.

Not surprisingly, the follow-up on that story is the girl is no longer taking music lessons. My guess is it's just one of many things she will try and quit in an effort to please her dad. Eventually, she will give up trying altogether.

One of my pet peeves is the parent who not only withholds praise from their child, but takes every opportunity to keep the pressure turned up to unbearable limits. The thinking goes something like this, "If I let him relax for even a second, he will slack off for the rest of his life."

A huge part of a teacher's job is to motivate and encourage the student; to give each person a sense of confidence that (s)he can accomplish the task at hand. Often I will work one-on-one with a child for 30-60 minutes to boost their skills as well as their self-esteem, only to have it totally destroyed within seconds after reviewing the child's work with the parent after class. "Oh, he is SO LAZY!", the mom exclaims in front of the child and everyone else in the waiting area.

Hey, mom! You just told your kid in front of the whole world that he is virtually worthless. And this is supposed to make the child want to work harder? And I suppose taking a sledge hammer to your computer will make it work better? Same mentality!

Children live up to their expectations. In order to get postive results, you have to give them some encouragement and positive praise. After all, they tend to believe anything that their primary authority figures (usually parents and teachers) tell them. "If mom says I'm lazy, it must be true! Why would she lie?"

"I'm going to do whatever I can to prove her right! THEN she'll be proud of me."

Too often, the only kind of attention a child gets from the parents is negative attention. And negative attention is better than NO ATTENTION. Trust me, this is exactly how a child thinks!

Occasionally, it may appear that a student needs a "rectum rocket" or two to get motivated. I've had cases where no amount of praise or encouragement on my part seems to work because the student realizes this condition is only temporary. As soon as (s)he steps out of my class and back into the "real world", the negative harping and criticizing starts up again. They are literally afraid to feel good and so they desensitize themselves to the pain they experience at home.

In such cases I will pull the parent aside and let them know how they can join the 'success team' that I am creating with the child. Fortunately, this works most of the time as parents are usually grateful for any advice they can get to help their children.

Trouble develops when all three parties are not on the same page, with the child getting most of the damage. "Mom says I'm lazy. Teacher says I've got great potential." Confused, the child gives up and stands back on the sidelines of life to watch the adults fight it out.

Of course, there are the parents whose children can do no wrong! This offers a different set of challenges. Stay tuned for the next installment.

Are You Too Lazy To Notice?

For the first time in a couple of months...I've finally found an ebook that I could recommend!

It's called "7 Secrets of the Millionaires" by a British multi-millionaire called Stuart Goldsmith.

The strength of the ebook is that Stuart doesn't pull any punches...and certainly tells it like it is!

Which...in a way, is THE best way. After all "honesty is the best policy"!

The sad thing is that I know that although a few people will read the ebook...perhaps only one or two will actually APPLY what they have learned.

Unfortunately...that's the way it is...and, with all the best intentions in the world...I can't change that fact.

YOU already know enough about success to make huge changes in your life...you're just too lazy to apply them!

Now...I don't mean specifically to criticize you alone...we are ALL lazy!

We forget that that little bit of extra effort applied regularly can make a massive difference.

It's just that we are too busy looking for the 'new best thing' to notice!

We Teach What We Need To Learn

There's an old saying that we teach what we need to learn. Now, if that were REALLY true I would be teaching math! :-) I'll spare you my math 'tales-of-woe' at least for the time being.

What I'm talking about are the 'lessons behind the lessons'; the life skills that apply to just about everyone regardless of the subject. And the people you think your are trying to teach are really a mirror for yourself.

Lately I've been noticing some of my students struggling with less than winning attitudes. Our conversations usually go something like this:

Me: "Whoa, what exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"

Student: "I'd like to pass this level and do well on my exam."

Me: "Define doing well. What score would you be getting if you did well?"

Student: "I guess anything over 85% would be pretty good."

Me: "How would you feel if you got 85% or better?"

Student: "Wow! I'd be really happy about that!"

Me: "And how are you feeling about your studies right now?"

Student: "Gosh, it's kinda hard and I'm getting really frustrated. Sometimes I don't think I'll ever get this stuff."

Me: "Would you say you're happy right now?"

Student (very sarcastically): "You're joking, aren't you?"

This leads to a discussion of the importance of practicing the FEELINGS of the desired results as much, if not more, than the actual subject itself. I tell my students that if they can imagine themselves being happy with a certain result, then they absolutely MUST study with that happy attitude. In other words, BE HAPPY NOW!

Happiness isn't the result of something. Happiness is a state of being and it's always a matter of choice. Furthermore, what you have and share with others MULTIPLIES in your life.

Day after day, for the past month or so I've been having these chats with my students. Then just the other day I stopped and asked myself, "Do you hear what you are saying? Don't you get it? Practice what you preach!"

You see, I haven't been very happy with the way a few things have been going in my life. Merely thinking of these situations could start my blood boiling. Of course, the more I focused on these things, the faster my life would spiral downward. My misery wasn't just adding up... it was MULTIPLYING!

This isn't something new. I've often caught myself teaching some important priciple that I most needed myself.

Now you may not define your role in life as a 'teacher'. But I'll bet there are situations that continue to come up for you over and over again. Usually, it's something about SOMEONE ELSE that bothers you. You may feel a strong urge to 'help' or 'correct' that person.

Before you do, ask yourself if your 'advice' might best be applied to you! If it is true that we teach what we need to learn, then become your own best student.

Are You Turning Your Back On What's Important In Your Life?

I took Katie to the the park this afternoon and I noticed something that bothered me.

There was a little girl who couldn't have been three years who was just wandering around the playpark...climbing on things that she shouldn't...and almost getting knocked out by the kids on swings.

Her mother was reading a book...with her back to where all of the children were playing!

Now...my values may be different to yours...but even though Katie is now seven...I would NEVER take my eyes off of her when we are out.

Who knows what can happen in that split second when you look away?

It got me thinking that there are some people who treat life just the same.

- They turn their back on the opportunities that come their way because they are too 'hard'.
- They are more engrossed in reading novels instead of focusing on what's important in their lives.
- They are too busy thinking of themselves to worry about how they could help others.
- They complain how 'unlucky' they are because they are never in the right place at the right time.

Are you one of them?

Are you looking the wrong way to look out for what's really important?

If you are...you'd better change...as otherwise, who knows how your life can change in a split second.

What do you REALLY want?

Generally speaking, people want to be certain that in the future they will not struggle financially or experience substantial pain.

People want to know they will have the financial freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want, with whomever they want, as much as they want.

Does that sound like you?

Well, the above statement is probably accurate for most of us because it represents the essence of freedom.

You might consider yourself close to achieving this state in life, yet many are still meandering along without really knowing where they want to be, let alone how they might achieve it.

A common mistake is that the meaning of wealth is never defined. If you don’t define what a wealthy state is for you, you can never target it accurately.

So, in summary …

Define wealth and you can pursue it.

Consistently believe you can achieve it and this will lead to effective actions to attain your desires.

Never give up.

Make wealth a necessity.

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
Richest Man

Are You Conquering Your Demons?

Sometimes all it takes is a little effort...

Today I've taken the first two teleclasses in my role as Coachville's "Dean of the School of Emarketing".

They were the first teleclasses that I managed by myself!

And...I can tell you...did I NOT want to do them! lol

You know...you get those...'do I really want to be doing this'-type questions running through your head for 24 hours before you do something?

The easy option for me would have been not to put myself up for them in the first place!

I've been typing so much over the last 18 months that I had to convince myself that I WAS able to talk properly about my subject.

And...of course...these things are never as bad as they seem.

It just goes to show that the easy option tends to be the worst option where you success is concerned.

I've got eighteen more teleclasses to do over the next four weeks....and I reckon that I will be able to do them in my sleep once I finished.

Another demon conquered!

Just because I did something that I felt uncomfortable doing.

So...what about YOUR demons...are YOU pushing yourself to conquer yours?

To Overcome Fear

Yesterday, I attended a wonderful workshop on integrity given by Rev. Edwene Gaines of Unity. She described an experience she had several years ago at a workshop she attended on conquering fear. The first exercise was to rappel 200 feet down into a dark cave. Her nugget of wisdom about this experience was that in order to conquer fear, you have to give up your attachment to surviving.

That statement really stuck in my brain. The implications are obvious, I think, when one is talking about physical fears, such as rappelling into dark caves, walking on fire, or hang gliding off a cliff. It really struck me, though, how it applies to any of our fears.

For most of us, we are very attached to just surviving: to paying our bills, to keeping our jobs or keeping our busineses afloat, to hanging on to our relationships, and so on. We dream about great things like becoming rich, or having great relationships, or work we really love, or, dare I say, changing the world. Until we can loosen our attachment to just surviving and take that step off the cliff, we will be incapable of conquering our fears and of soaring to such great heights. Only then can we become great!

Just Get On And Do It!

No, not an entry to publicise trendy sports shoes!

Don't you find that the only things you regret are the things that you DIDN'T do? Not the ones that you actually did.

How much time do we all spend procrastinating, thinking that we will wait 'until the time is right' before we do something, or 'until we have some more information'? Yet the year moves on so fast (here we are half way through this one) and, before you know it, you'll be looking back on 2003 with a glass in your hand and thinking...why didn't I do more with my year?

If you make a decision - it's always going to be the right decision for that particular point in time. Why? Well, you're a logical, reasonable human being, and you're making plans and taking action based on everything you know at the time. If, later, the decision turns out to have been the wrong one, then it's because things have changed, or that other information has become apparent since you made the original decision.

The danger is that you'll wait and wait and never know any better.

If it feels right - Just Do It!

Teach Me Something NEW!

It must be our human nature. I know I fall into this category. Every single one of my students falls into this category. And if you are reading this page, searching for THE ANSWER, then my friend, you fall into this category as well unless this is your introduction to positive thinking/motivation sites.

I can't tell you how many books I've read, tapes I've listened to, and seminars I've attended since I got hooked on self-help materials back in the early 70s.

You'd think by now I would have the answer. Well, I DO! You'd think by now my incredible quest would have ended. Not a chance. "I know that stuff already" I cry. "Teach me something NEW!"

In my music classes, I teach only one lesson. You get EVERYTHING I know on the first day you study with me. Then, even if you stay with me for 10 years, I simply become your coach; pushing, prodding, cajoling, encouraging, motivating you to DO THE THINGS I taught you on the first lesson.

No matter how difficult the song gets, it all boils down to the same basic skills to figure it out and play it.

Your life is like that, too. Again, unless this is your introduction to this sort of stuff (rather unlikely), then your search ends here. Stop saying, "Teach me something NEW" because you already know the answer(s) to your deepest, most perplexing problems.

Why not try APPLYING what you already know for a change. As Tony Robbins often says, "What a Concept!" :-)

At Its Simplest

Hi all, just thought I'd tell you about about a great program just shown on BBC television. Basically its a Monastary in Thailand that helps drug addicts without all the usual mumbo jumbo about 'it's not your fault etc' these guys have a 75 - 80% rehabilitation success rate.
One of the monks put success very simply and in terms which we could all understand.
'In life you can see both dark and light, sometimes people can see only the dark but others can see both. If you want to succeed always move toward the light even when the dark is the greater. In this way will you succeed in all you aspire to.'
To put this in perspective the usual rehabilitation rates are about 5% so these guys have definately got the right idea.

“You cannot teach a man anything.
You can only help him discover it within himself.”
Galileo

You Already Know It, Stupid!

I've spent the last week or so converting into mp3 format the tapes from a seminar on Internet marketing that I went to at the end of January.

Like most things...when you are actually there...you get those 'ah ha' moments...and tell yourself that you are going to do this or implement that as soon as you get back.

Yeah, right!

Well...to be honest, I HAVE implemented one or two things from seminars that I have been because I firmly believe that I need to justify the cost and the time that I am away from my family and my business.

But...I've spent about over 20 hours listening to the audios from the seminar, and I realize that there are so many things that I learned that I SHOULD have implemented but haven't.

I also realized that, as I was listening to the speakers, I remembered what they were going to say...yet I still hadn't USED this information that I already knew!

So...I'm going to do something about it!

What about you?

I bet that YOU already have enough information from those books and tape sets that you read and listened to from all of those gurus - self-help or otherwise.

What are YOU going to do with it?

We both now know that you already know enough to make HUGE changes in your life...so what are YOU going to do with it?

Perhaps the best thing for you would be to go back to what you already know before you buy something new to learn, don't you?

We Attract Who We Are

Ever ask yourself why others are more successful than you are? I did too until I understood that who we are is who we attract. We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.

If you are aspiring to be successful (whatever success means to you), then you need to find a way to surround yourself with successful people. One of the easiest ways to do this in the beginning is through audio tapes & books. Set aside 30 minutes a day on personal development and over the course of a year, you'll be amazed at some of the changes.

Cathy Perry
www.findfreedom.com/cathyperry

That's Why It's Called A Practice

That's Why It's Called A Practice
by Russ Hamel

One of my adult students recently passed her level six piano exam. During our discussion at her first class after the examination she commented, "Even though I passed, I still don't feel adequate to perform at this level."

Right away, the 'Life Skills' teacher in me kicked in. "Who would you rather have operating on you: a top intern fresh out of school, or a doctor with decades of experience on your condition?"

"Who would you rather have defending you: the #1 graduate, or the seasoned veteran with hundreds of case victories to her credit?"

In both instances, she chose the experienced professional over the top-of-the-class graduate.

"And do you know what both of these professionals call their work?" I asked. "That's right. Both of them are called PRACTICES! These people didn't get most of their expertise from the classroom. They got it through continued practice and application of what they learned and experienced."

Just last year, I was grooming another one of my top students to become a teacher. This young lady was known throughout my school as a dedicated worker and a high achiever. However, when it came time to arrange some students for her we had no success. Because of her young age (18) people did not want to study with her, even at a most attractive discounted price. Instead they were willing to pay full price for the older, more experienced teachers, even if they had to be put on a waiting list.

While it may take only a few years to acquire a document that says you can do something, it could take another decade or so to add value to that document. There is a huge difference between knowing ABOUT something and KNOWING something. True knowing comes only with years of practical experience. Given the choice of 'Book-smart' vs. 'Street-smart', many people will opt for the latter.

My adult student realized this and gained a deeper and greater appreciation for the many wonderful and talented concert artists and performers of the world who have given 30-40 years or more to their craft.

And I guess this is also why graduation ceremonies are called "Commencement Exercises". That little rolled up document is only the beginning.

Are You Just Plain Lying To Yourself?

Today...I've done something that I have only done once in the last year.

And that time was last week!

I cooked dinner (fanfare!)

Now...for a man like myself that is no mean achievement!

Me and kitchens don't mix! I have never had the inclination...nor the need to actually cook anything much before.

Sure...I have cooked many 'prepared' meals (thank God for the microwave!)...but I don't really 'do' proper meals.

But...I did a dinner for my tenth anniversary last week...and I realized that it wasn't that difficult.

What made it difficult was the way that I thought about it!

I purposely made myself get worried about how I would do this...how I would time that etc etc etc.

But...once I did it once without any problems (and some success, I might add!)...I realized that my mind was positioning me to fail when it fact it was probably easier for me to succeed!

And...that's the problem with most things that we are not too sure about.

We make it difficult for ourselves because we are just plain LYING to ourselves because, because, because...

So...next time that you know that you can't do something...just give some consideration to the fact that you probably just THINK that you WON'T!

Travel Light

"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears."
-- Glenn Clark

To that list of "leave behinds", I would add arrogance, narrow-mindedness, apathy, and disrespect.

Any other "leave behinds" you can think of? Please send them to me. I'll start a collection. Then I'll study, inventory, catalog and organize the collection for future reference. Finally, I'll lock it up in a storage space so I can refer back to it occasionally when I might need to reopen the experience to help others. But mostly, I'll be grateful that I've got them locked up where they belong.

Then when I discover some of the more refined, insidious versions of these degenerative handicaps on my journey, I'll have just the place to put them in my collection.

When I know what they are and how to keep them secured and organized for reference, then I can not only go wherever I want at maximum speed, I'll also know the best places to go.

I Appreciate You,

Craig Lunde
President
EnviroMark, Inc.
909-427-1165
clunde@adelphia.net

Make A Fortune Using Movies!
http://www.smashthemold.com

Trust Your Support Team

One of the most powerful skills in the universe is the ability to delegate, motivate and inspire other people to get things done in the same way or even better than you would have been able to do yourself!

The great power of delegation is that, by letting others take responsibility for tasks, you make space to think and achieve even greater things yourself.

Yet it's amazing how rare these skills are. In a business context - there are many people stressed out and driving themselves to distraction through the inability to delegate to others effectively. Parents are running around trying to fix the domestics and keep the house tidy while the kids watch TV. Sometimes it's "quicker to do it myself", or "I don't think they will be able to do it as well as I can". Other times it's simply that the person is so busy being busy that they haven't got the space to put their head above water to prioritise and see how they could spend their time better.

To be a true delegator means being able to trust others to do something - my disctionary says "to entrust another person with a task". The key word being TRUST. And if you've been trusted yourself, you know what a powerful feeling that is - to know that another human being rates you and your abilities.

If you can't trust someone else to do things for you, what does that say about you?

Are you surrounding yourself with the wrong people?

Are you worried that, by letting go of some activities, your own role and status will be impacted?

Are you simply too busy and disorganised to sort out and brief the tasks that could be done by someone else?

Maybe the task doesn't HAVE to be done as you would do it? Perhaps someone else could bring a new perspective?

Looking at the world's successful people; no one makes it on their own. We are all part of a support community and, deep down, we all feel more fulfilled by helping each other and collaborating than by working in isolation.

Think about children - how do they ever learn to cope or develop life skills if they aren't trusted with tasks and responsibilities of their own? And often, they'll surprise you by coming up with a completely new twist on getting things done!

What are you doing today that could be trusted to someone else? Embrace your support team!

You'll See It When You Believe It

The title - You'll see it when you believe it - will be familiar to anyone who has read Dr Wayne Dyer's books or listened to his tapes. I have a *knowing*, to use another of Wayne Dyer's favourite expressions, that some of my current business ventures are going to turn very cash positive very soon.

I'm also challenged because it hasn't happened yet on the material plane!

When I meditate, when I focus on what is really real, I am very calm and confident. When I look at the bank balance and wonder when the figures will get a few more noughts on them, I get a bit rattled.

What has brought this mood on today is that:
a) a supplier for a project that was looking potentially lucrative has turned out to be incompetent for the task so I am having to finish the job myself in the time-honoured but fundamentally dumb practice of small business; and
b) a potentially great client has just been called away interstate and has postponed till next week a meeting that I was fairly well hyped up for.

And then I suddenly remember that yesterday, "out of the blue", I was offered a very exciting (read "challenging") coaching project which has the potential to lead on to a lot of work.

The Universe has it's own ways. I'll see it when I believe it.

Don't Change Your Job

Don't Change Your Job... Just Change Your Job Description
by Russ Hamel

Don't change your job, unless you're really in the wrong place. Instead, do what I did about six years ago. I changed my job description and I can't begin tell you what a change that has made in my life!

You see, I never consciously chose my career. When I was a kid I didn't say, "When I grow up, I want to be a ____" I did pretty much what I saw other people around me doing. I got up; ran the daily routine; went to bed. The next day I repeated the process. CHOICES? It never occured to me when I was growing up that there were choices! Life sort of just happened... well, didn't it?

However, when it came time to graduate from high school, I found out that I had to make some kind of decision about what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I honestly had no clue! So with the help of the guidance department it was determined that since my main talent (ok, my ONLY talent) at the time was in music, I would pursue a career in that field.

I was advised to go for a degree in teaching because, "You could ALWAYS fall back on that!" And that's how I became a 'music' teacher.

I can count at least five times that I actually attempted to change careers since I began teaching in 1972. Those were the MAJOR attempts. I'm not going to count the hundreds of times I wanted to pack it all in, because everyone has to deal with those kind of days. Reluctantly, I would come back to teaching music. It seemed to be my only talent. And I never saw myself as having any choice!

Heck, to this day I'm still not that passionate about music. I don't even listen to the radio at home!

You want to see passion? Talk to me about my cat!

Or my computer!

Or my favorite sports teams!

OR

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT!

For years, I've been soaking up self-help, psychology and philosophy material like a dry, thirsty sponge. And in my 'music' classes I found myself telling the students more about how a particular challenge related to their personal lives. The more personal I got, the more passionate I became about my work.

Then one day, about six years ago I consciously made a choice! I was no longer a 'music' teacher. From that day, I became a teacher of life skills. see ITeachLifeSkills.com

I tell people now that I could be flipping hamburgers at McDonalds and I would still be teaching life skills. That's really who I am. That's what I do!

To me, there is no greater satisfaction in the world than to have one of my former students come up to me and say, "I remember what you said about such-and-such and this is how it helped me." And during that entire conversation, not ONE WORD is spoken about 'music'!

Music is just something I was good at as a kid. Personal development is my true passion. Now I simply use my natural talents in music as a platform to teach the more important things in life.

If you are like me and fell into a career because of a certain set of skills, you don't have to throw those talents away. Don't change your job... just change your job description!

Do you have a Vision?

Vision is the beginning of all and the ultimate purpose to achieve in life.

Every human being has come to this earth because it has something good to give and something to receive. The law of action and reaction, Cause and effect guides our present and future.

All of us have come with qualities unique to us which, if we properly understand will make us successful. We become successful because we have something good to give, something that will not only provide us with wealth but also make us happy.

Unfortunately most of us never find out our best qualities. We take life as it comes never thinking of what to do to be happy. We finish high school, go to a college or get the first job we find, during our studies we fail a course and we change our major for something that does not need too much hassle. We get a blue collar job that we hate and always feel bored, frustrated, and unhappy.

The wrong influences of our surrounding make us acquire the qualities of hate, jealousy, envy, greed, destruction and so many more. This now becomes without even knowing it our purpose.

I ask you. Is it possible for someone with this mentality, without knowing his gifts, without a purpose and a vision to reach anywhere?

The man that has no vision, can not reach anywhere.

My friends,
You must first find out what you can do, and then, find oud out what you should have done. When you do that create your Vision and ACT.

Search deep into your soul, that which makes you happy, that which you desire. What are your inclinations and what is that you are doing better than anything else? Doing something you don’t like it’s a waste of time. Doing something that you love it’s a pleasure even if you get tired.

My friends,
Do you want to find out more of what you have to do to find your happiness? to reach your vision? to acquire the qualities you need to have or develop for success?

Give me your comments.

agabriel@cytanet.com.cy

Striking Out Does Not Equal Failure

Striking Out Does Not Equal Failure
By Josh Hinds
(c)

There's one thing that holds true no matter what goals we hold for ourselves. At some point we're going to be faced with disappointing results. I could get into a whole discussion here on the importance that persistence will play in reaching our goals.

Instead I'd like to give you some baseball statistics to illustrate my point. Baseball statistics you say? Trust me it'll all make sense soon enough :-). The name's you will see listed are all in their own right amazing players. What's ironic about them is that they all are in top 10 listed under the category of "All-Time Leaders - Strikeouts" (note: over time all stats can change).

Even more ironic is that had I not done the research I never would have known this. You see these people are not remembered for their failures, or how many times they happened to strikeout are they? People only remember their achievements. Life works that way. So the next time you're pondering a missed opportunity keep in mind that doubling your number of strikes might just lead to your ultimate success. Now on with the list...

1 REGGIE JACKSON 2,597
2 WILLIE STARGELL 1,936
3 MIKE SCHMIDT 1,883
4 TONY PEREZ 1,867
5 DAVE KINGMAN 1,816
6 BOBBY BONDS 1,757
7 DALE MURPHY 1,748
8 LOU BROCK 1,730
9 MICKEY MANTLE 1,710
10 HARMON KILLEBREW 1,699

Pretty darn impressive wouldn't you say? The point is persistence pays. Of course after a list like above you don't need me to remind you of that. Have a fantastic day!...Your friend in success, Josh Hinds

Perception...And The Art Of Fooling Yourself

Perception is everything in this world.

I come across so many products online as I am literally at my computer for ten hours a day minimum.

And...you know what?

Some of the best products by the best people get left behind.

Why? Well...it's all down to appearances.

Appearances can be deceptive...and on the Internet it is perhaps more obvious that the 'real world'.

Take, for example...a website that sells an ebook.

The one with a professionally designed graphic will out-sell one that isn't. I know because that's what happened when I first started out for myself with "The Science of Success" - here it is before...and then after.

My sales more than doubled...just because I changed the graphic and tweaked the design.

But...my 'product' never changed!

It's the same in life.

Unfortunately...whether you like it or not...other peoples' perception of you play a HUGE part in how you get along.

Believe it or not...I read something today about taller men being more likely to become CEOs...even above more qualified peers (strange, or what?).

It CAN work to your advantage, though...if you play the game in the right way.

Well...your subconscious is fooled by perception as well!

So...if you think and act like you are a successful and wealthy person NOW...and believe it with 100% total conviction (which is the hard part)...then your subconscious will begin to attract towards you the very life that it perceives that you have now.

So...I think that you'd better start thinking about what perception your subconscious has of you, don't you?

Out of the Mouth...

Maybe I'm too demanding! I mean, making my students THINK... what's up with that?

So, we're sitting in class one day going over the same piece we've had for several weeks and she still isn't getting it. The easy thing would be to show her how to do it by rote and get the song good enough to pass.

But 31 years of teaching experience tells me that the short way is the long way, and the long way is really the short way.

She sighs, rolls her eyes and then braces herself for the inevitable questions. I ask A LOT of questions.

"What's the name of the note?"
"What finger should you use?"
"Where is it on the keys?"
"How long do you hold that note?"

And that's just one note! We've got some serious work to plough through here.

But we persist and plod on. Finally, we get across the first line... enough notes to string a little melody together. Then the FUN starts. Together, we attempt to play the entire line while reading the music OUT LOUD saying both the notes and the finger numbers. It's what I call 'mental weight lifting'; better known as resistance training, because most of the students I know vehemently RESIST doing this drill.

She is no different. She struggles mightily from her piano while I try to pull her through the line from my piano. Suddenly, in frustration she looks at me and cries out, "The reason why YOU'RE so good at this is 'cuz you do it ALL THE TIME!"

That was SUPPOSED to be my cue to let her off the hook! After all, how could I expect her to be as good as me?

But as soon as those words come out of her mouth, she KNOWS I have her right where I want her. In fact, I want to hug her for those words of wisdom!

"Did you hear what you just said?" I excitedly ask her. At only 8 years old, she has figured out what most people take a lifetime to comprehend. Imagine that... the reason I am so good at something is simply because I do it all the time!

"What if YOU do it ALL THE TIME?" (I told you I ask a lot of questions)

Eventually, she became a strong and independent reader, able to figure out some pretty complex pieces on her own.

Did she learn a valuable music lesson that day? Maybe. However, the truth is that the vast majority of my music students will go on to careers having nothing to do with music. That's why I emphasise the lesson behind the lesson... the Life Skills.

As a life skill, there is no question she learned something important that she can apply to any area for the rest of her life. She learned that doing SOMETHING yields better results than doing NOTHING. She also learned that the MORE she does something, the better and easier it gets.

Where do you need to improve? What if you do something about it just a little more today? Gosh, what if you do it ALL THE TIME?

Heck, you might even get to be as good as me.

Step Into The Ring With Your Negative Champion

I get it all the time...

That little voice directing me the wrong way.

Telling me that I can't be bothered...or that I'll mess up in some way.

Every day!

What about you? I bet that you do too, right?

You see this voice held me back for years...literally.

So now I fight back against it. I dare to challenge it. I dare to stick up for my TRUE self...against that 'lightweight' lazy person that sits all day talking to me inside my head.

It's not always easy...I can tell you.

So...I just 'bite the bullet'...and just get on with it!

Sure...some days its easier than others...but I'm learning to watch for the times during the day when I'm not at my 'best'...and so I go for a walk instead...or read a book for fifteen minutes.

It's no good fighting that voice when you have one hand mentally tied behind your back!

I make sure that I 'show up' when I know that my creativity and focus is at its best...and therefore I've gradually become a lot better at overriding that little voice.

What about YOU...do you know what the best time is for you to step into the ring with your 'negative champion'?

Until you find it...you'll never find it easy to step up to the challenge!

Your Hearts Desires Are Already Yours

You can have what you want, but you have to know what you want. One of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself is to dream big, to be outrageous in your desires. Do you know what you want? Have you written it down so that you have a concrete list? This week, brainstorm 100 things that you desire in your life. There is no limit to what you can have, be, and do.

Make Space For Living

Recently, I realised that I hardly ever have anyone over to my house in the summer. In the winter - yes, lots of times. So why not in the summer?

Well, the last couple of years I didn't find the time to clear the garden properly while the weather was still warm. I spent goodness knows how much time clearing my house, my emotions, my working practices and making space for clarity and new things to come into my life. I had almost forgotten what it meant to have clutter around - until I stepped outside.

Now, with clutter of old pots of dead spring bulbs removed, twigs and leaves blown in over the winter brushed away, and the patio hosed down, I'm able to have friends over all the time, for drinks, for parties, just to sit and be outdoors in the fresh air. It's great!

> Are you lacking space for fun and happiness in your life?

> Feeling that the seasons are passing you by?

> Realising that your environment is dictating the way you live?

Without space in our lives, we don't have room for new and better things to come in. We get bogged down by possessions and habits and, quite frankly, just clutter. Emotional clutter. Physical clutter. And, in my case, garden clutter!

Where can YOU make some space in your life?

Whenever The World Seems To Be Against You... Ask Yourself These Two Questions

I'll tell you...

My life is never boring!

Even though I have a 'full-on' success mindset...and live my life through positive thinking, I still get everything 'thrown' at me!

Every time it seems that I am 'stepping up'...something suddenly happens...or someone suddenly appears to test my resolve.

A couple of years ago, I would have just held me hands up and shouted "I give up!".

But not any more. Oh no.

Now...I KNOW that, just because I am acting the 'right' way, it doesn't mean that things aren't going to go wrong...BIG TIME! lol

And...every time that I stretch myself that little bit further...these 'tests' get that little bit harder...or a little more complicated.

But...I also KNOW that they are exactly that - TESTS!

They are not...'bad luck.
They are not...'failure'.
They are not...'fate'

I don't ask myself 'Why me?'

I just ask myself two things...

1) What is the lesson that I can learn from this?
2) How I can I ensure that it won't happen again?

YOU should ask yourself these questions whenever the world seems to be going against you.

Remember...YOU are in complete control of your life...and how you learn from it.

So...LEARN from your 'bad' experiences...don't suffer them!

Where I Am Today

I view my current situation as one of being at a point in my life where I must
go forward in my life living from my heart and my purpose as I know and
understand it at this time. Three years ago I was 4 and ½ months into a 6 month
court ordered rehab and sinking fast. I was not willing to let go of my
intellect that I thought had served me so well up to this point. Yea, it served
me so well. I was 42 years old and facing 2 years in the state jail for
burglary. I had developed a nasty crack cocaine habit. That is where my
intellect had led me. A very insightful therapist I saw at the rehab empowered
me to understand where my intellect had gotten me and to think about where it
was leading me. Straight to jail. So, I got honest with myself and surrendered
and became transformed that very instant. It was immediately noticeable to all I
was a changed person. I left the program successfully and went through the next
phases of my court imposed regimen. I got a job doing what I had always
done-working beneath my abilities in low paying restaurant jobs, but with the abilities I had learned to this
point. This only served me for about 3-4 months and then I got a job in commission
sales selling wireless phones. I did very well and learned some self reliance and became an earner and
did something in my life I had never done before-stayed at this job for over a
year. In October of 2002 I came to the next juncture of my life when I made a
conscious decision to live life from and inward perspective instead of one that
was outwardly centered. I came to the conclusion that all going on in my life was in my inward control and manifested outside by my inner thoughts and positive emotions.My life again took an immediate and noticeable (inward
and outward) change. I became very self motivated and began to live with faith,
desire and a lot of purpose, You might say I became very self possessed. Like I
was all of a sudden an entity with a purpose. At that point, I changed jobs to
one that was a little more challenging and 100% commission sales. You might say
I took a leap of faith. A little before this time I got interested in the
internet and how I could use it for self change and financial profit. Using the
net I was led to several seminal ebooks and authors that I read and used to make
more changes in my life. I made up my mind that this was the way I was going to
live in the future. I used my faith and desire to make a nice living selling and
learned some interesting thing about myself and my ablities. The money I was
making enabled me to personally work with Ann Taylor Harcus in several sessions
to clear some blocks that were holding me back.

Now it is June of 2003 and I have taken another leap of faith and quit a job
that was making me over $1300 per week and enabling my fiancé and I to step up
to a higher life. I had set my weekly earning goal to $2000 per week and had to
reach for it and it was not going to happen in my current job. I am not so sure
I want to see if it is going to happen with this newest job. I want to take the
leap of faith and go to the next level of living and being that is living with
faith, trust and adherence to Universal Laws and Principles.

I view my current situation as one of never being able to turn back now that I
know certain truths about the universe and my relationship to it and how it
enables us to apply specialized knowledge and wisdom and have all that we want
and need. My association with Joe Vitale and reading and using his book
“Spiritual Marketing” has led me to your program and I was intrigued with the
email I received. I followed my heart and am placing myself in your “classroom”
and I am going to put the things I have learned into action. There is no way I
can turn back and go return to my old way of living or the way most “average”
people live today. I am placing myself in the position to profit from your
book because I think I need a push to jettison myself into action. I have all
the things in place to gain from this next step. I am looking forward to
everything that is coming in my future. Thanks, Gary, for letting me have this forum to begin to write my story and eventually reach my goal of telling the world my story. At the risk of sounding cocky(I think bold!), the readers of this site are getting to see a work in progress as I am in the next pahse of my life and using everything I have learned up to now and putting it into action to manifest the riches I know and trust will arrive. I will keep posting here as things develop. I am going to jump off the cliff and grow wings.

Who Are They To Say It Can't Be Done?

Who are they to say it can't be done?
by Josh Hinds (c)

Doesn't it just burn you up when you have just shared your 'great idea' with someone and not only are they not as enthusiastic as you, they even go as far as to say your idea won't work! Trust me if this has happened to you you're not alone.

In such instances we generally have two choices. One, we can let go of the idea and be left with the dreaded "what if I'd only tried" question running through our minds . Or two, we can get a second opinion!

Luckily for us the people from the next few examples did just that!

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 15 tons." - Popular Mechanics," forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." - The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957.

"But what...is it good for?" - Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM commenting on the microchip, 1968.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" - David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible." - A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

Who the heck wants to hear actors talk?" - Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." - Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone with the Wind."

"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." - Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting her company, Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." - Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." - Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." - Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives or 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.

"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you; you haven't got through college yet.'" - Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.

"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." - New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work, 1921.

"You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training." -Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by inventing Nautilus.

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." - Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." - Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." - Mrechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction". - Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872.

"The abdomen, the chest and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon." - Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria, 1873.

"640k ought to be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates, 1981

Wow! can you imagine what would have happened if the folks who heard these "expert opinions" hadn't gone for a second opinion? Never fear following your passion... Your friend in success, Josh Hinds :-)

Visualize It, Feel It, Live It

Hi folks!

My experience has been as an entrepreneur, investor and in latter years, info-preneur. I am thankful to Gary for allowing the opportunity for me to share some of my views around 'prosperity thinking'. I'm here to help you, so I only hope you find my contributions worthwhile.

Although my life primarily involves 'actions' behind the meaning of prosperity, you would be well aware that the precursor to financial success involves positive leveraging of your mental state.

In my extensive research, analysis and business dealings, I have had the opportunity to move with some remarkably successful human beings. What a blessing this has been.

As I have listened intently to their stories, as I have studied the lives of others that I would rate in the same class, I have witnessed a consistent thread, a few secrets if you will.

May I share a few snippets with you?

Have you wondered what the keys to wealth really are?

1. The wealthy have studied other successful people & developed relationships with mentors.

2. They know exactly what they want – and what they don’t want.

3. They lay out a detailed plan.

4. They set specific targets.

5. They work incessantly to achieve.

6. Many experience near soul-destroying adversity and hardships prior to achieving greatness.

7. They have an enduring belief and desire to win.

8. They start each day with a clear vision and plan.

The crux of all those words is born in the 7th item – possessing an enduring belief and desire to win.

Creating wealth requires some meaningful preparation - Know what you want, map it out in detail and, with focus, attaining your goals becomes a whole lot easier. Visualize it, feel it, live it within yourself, make it feel real.

"If you can DREAM it, you can DO it." -- Walt Disney

Gary has done an immense amount of work to compile just one man’s findings into what drives the wealthy. Study it here

Until next time,

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
Richest Man

Are You Really Playing To Your Strengths?

On 8th October last year I released my Ecourse - "To Our Success".

Today I finally finished writing it!

All-in-all...it's taken me the best part of a year on an off to write it in my spare time.

And, you know what? I wouldn't would never have finished it unless I actually released it!

It all comes down to accountability.

I knew that it was a huge task to write 183 lessons that were full of good, usable content.

So...I decided that, as the Lessons only had to be completed when they were due...then I could afford to commit myself to the biggest project that I have ever undertaken time-wise.

I knew that I would lose interest if I was just writing an ebook...so I didn't!

I just played to my strengths.

Do you?

Do you do what you do in the best way for you to do it?

Think about it.

Do you write your book at the best time for YOU to write?
Do you read when you are your most alert...and not when you are tired?
Do you find a way to do something that fits in with your personality?
Do you work when YOU feel like you want to?

Well...do you?

It's no good listening to what they gurus unless you actually apply what they are teaching you.

And...there's no point in applying what they teach you unless you do it in a way that suits YOU!

If you don't feel 'right' because you are not doing something because you feel like doing it...then DON'T DO IT!

You are in complete control of what you do and when you do it...so make sure that you do it when it fits in with who you are!

De-Clutter Your Life...And The Rest Will Follow

Today has been a 'spring cleaning' day in our house.

Lesley goes through these stages sometimes where she devotes entire weekends to moving things around or re-decorating.

It bugs the hell out of me! lol

But...I've learned that it's a GOOD thing to do...and I've set myself a challenge of regularly going through all of my accumulated 'stuff' in my office...and throwing out the things I haven't looked at for a few months.

And...the more often that I do this...the more I find that I am able to focus more on the tasks and ideas that I need to...as all that stuff isn't in the way anymore...out of my vision...as well as my thoughts!

It's almost as if the physical act of clearing something out results in a mental 'de-clutter'...which certainly is no bad thing when you're bombarded with things to do!

What could YOU clear up...or throw out?

What is stopping you from just going through your wardrobe and just giving everything that you haven't worn for 6 months to charity?

It will make you feel good at the same time as making room for some nice new clothes to come your way!

So...start today thinking about how you can 'de-junk' your life. It may be painful to start with...but the results are more than worth it, believe me!

Life Is Like Swimming In A River...

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

This a line from my song for Connor - "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon...and, funnily enough, it was quoted in a book that I was reading today.

To me...these words are perhaps some of the most true words ever written.

Here's why...

Too many people are either looking back or planning forward that they forget that the most important place to focus on is NOW!

Your life is evolving around you...even as you read this. The world is moving forward...millions of people are going from A to B...and millions are going back again.

Your clock is ticking...yet you are paralysing your own momentum because of what you are focusing on!

Life is like swimming in a river.

No matter how hard you try...you will never be able to swim forever against the current.

Yet...as soon as you turn to swim with it...you are suddenly propelled faster than you ever have before.

And...that is EXACTLY what is happening to you!

You are fighting against the current if you are too busy thinking, planning, debating, wondering, complaining, worrying...and not ACTING!

So...stop what you are doing...and start doing something else right now!

Taking Care Of Your Rooms

There is an Indian Belief that everyone is in a house of four rooms:
A physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to
live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room
everyday, even if only to keep it aired, we are not complete.
~Rumer Godden

If you are allowing the dust to collect in one or more of your rooms, it is most likely affecting you more than you realize. We all know that our physical beings affect our emotional ones easily; when we are sick we get down or grumpy, when we feel great we are happy and confident. But in reverse, our emotions will affect our physical beings in ways we may not be able to realize.

Always feeling we are carrying the burdens of the world on our shoulders will most certainly make our shoulders hurt!

If we ignore our spiritual being, the collected dust makes our physical life less rewarding. Spiritual has little to do with religion, and everything to do with how we perceive our world. Faith will carry us through many a hard time.

And to you of little faith: like it or not, you profess faith in unseen energies every day. Each time you turn a switch and expect electricity to turn on the lights we have exhibited faith in an unseen
power.

Our mental state affects all as well. If we are mentally exhausted, what else works in our lives?
Is it time to visit your rooms and do some cleaning? There is time every day to do this if we just can see it.

Even something as small as greeting each day with a prayer of thanks, or thinking of the blessings of the day before bed visits the spiritual room.

Passing up on the junk food and eating an apple, or going to bed a little earlier cleans our physical room.

Expressing love, or allowing someone to give us a compliment and to accept it with grace opens the door to the emotional room.

And taking a few moments to just relax, or read a few pages in an uplifting book will open the curtains on the mental room.

It isn't hard. It just takes desire and intent. You will open your life up to health on every level. Aren't you worth it?

by Sibyl McLendon

Do You Look For Your Faults Before You Work On Your Strengths?

You are what you are despite what you think about yourself.

Confused?

Well...perhaps you are...because, let's face it...the less you think of yourself the less likely it is that you are going to be successful.

Don't believe me?

Well...let me ask you something...

Do you look for your faults before you work on your strengths?

It seems that most of the gurus out there are telling you that you should work on getting your faults right before you do anything else.

Well...I'm going to tell you the complete opposite!

YOU have talents that very few other people possess...yes YOU!

And, to be quite honest...you're kidding yourself if you are not using them to your full potential.

Your talents are like a muscle.

If you work on building that muscle up...it will be become stronger every single day that you work on it.

Every day...without fail.

It's no good trying to work on muscles that you are not even sure that you have...or feel uncomfortable when you work on them.

Work on the stuff that responds to the challenge of pushing itself harder first.

All athletes play to their strengths...so why aren't you?

Teaching A Pig To Sing

Never try to teach a pig to sing.
It wastes your time and annoys the pig.
~Unknown

The subtitle of this article could be “trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” I mean no disrespect to pigs, either. I am, in fact, a pig advocate here. I believe in leaving the pig to be a pig, even if living with it is driving you crazy.

What I am getting at here is the futility of trying to change people. It is impossible for you and frustrating for the object of your attempts. Everyone is entitled to be who they are, even if who they are is negative, abusive, mean or dysfunctional. The only issue that should be going on with you is whether or not you want the pig in your house.

One of the most useless occupations in the universe is trying to change another person. It means that we don’t accept them and we think we know better than they do what is good for them. It makes us want to control the other person. We attempt to become the arbiters of what is right and wrong.

I feel that this also applies to children. Children are born with personalities. As they grow, they develop their own wants, goals and desires. Just because you always wanted a doctor in the family is no reason to force a child who is, say, a musician to do what you want. Of course you are going to guide them, and teach them your values. But they are not miniatures of you! Allow them their own goals. Trying to force them into your desired patterns will only hurt you both.

I know, from first-hand experience, it is painful to see someone you care about on a destructive path. However, I also know that you can’t alter the path for them. They are making their own decisions and will continue to do so irregardless of how you feel about it. You can only be supportive, or not; you can only tell them how you feel about what they are doing, or not. All the nagging, screaming, crying and interference you can muster will not alter another person if they have made up their minds.

I know, from first-hand experience, it is painful to be in love with someone who is disrespectful, abusive and a cheater. I also know that you can’t stop them. They are making their own decisions and will continue to treat you this way irregardless of how you feel about it. The only thing you can do is to learn to respect yourself and move on. Wishing and hoping and praying they will change is a fruitless endeavor. They are who they are, even if who they are is hurtful. Get strong and move on.

The only person you can change is yourself. Put your effort into that and reap the rewards.

In the end, a pig is going to be a pig, and no amount of work on your part is going to turn a pig into a dog. Consider how many years of effort you care to put into the impossible, while you are making the pig and yourself miserable. Life is too short! Ditch the pig or learn to live with it just as it is. You and the pig will be a lot happier.

by Sibyl McLendon

What Are You Going To Be In YOUR Future?

Your Past DOES NOT equal your future!

Read that again...just so that you get it clear.

What I am doing today...and what I have achieved because of it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the last fifteen years of my life!

I could still be 'pigeon-holing' myself into a particularly unrewarding career...but instead I am doing things that I had wished that I had had the guts to do years ago.

What about YOU?

Are you letting your view of your current limitations and your past so-called 'failures' hold you back from being the sort of person that you KNOW that you could really become?

Whatever you have been up this point...forget it! Your life can change from this very moment once you decide that you aren't your past...you ARE what you CAN be in your future!

Whatever mistakes you may have made...whatever decisions that may have been viewed as wrong...have all led you to this very point...reading this right now.

So...I challenge you...what are you going to be in YOUR future...that has nothing to do with the baggage from your past?

It's a long journey that we take on the path towards success...and it will be a darn sight more difficult if you have the weight of your past decisions on your back.

So...isn't it about time that you 'lightened the load'?

Are You Talking Your Way Out Of Success?

I get them every day...

The 'begging' emails...the 'I feel sorry for myself' emails...the 'my life is so bad that I can't see a way out' emails...and of course, the 'I am so unlucky' emails.

Straight away, I can tell what sort of person the writer is without ever having met them.

Their language gives them away!

Every word that could possibly used in the negative is there. Every situation is explained in painstaking detail...which usually is the result of somebody else's fault.

It saddens me that these people don't 'get it'.

They don't get it because...

- Their thoughts are negative so what do they expect to attract into their lives?
- They find excuses and reasons to blame other people for the life that they are 100% responsible for.
- They are looking for a 'magic bullet' that will literally turn around in minutes a life and mindset that has been built up over decades.

Basically...they are their own worst enemy!

And so can YOU be, too...if you're not careful!

Changing your life is a difficult, challenging...yet ultimately very rewarding, process.

It won't happen overnight.

You can't just flick a switch and expect to erase all of that negative programming that you have filled your head with over the years.

It doesn't work that way!

It takes time, study, effort...and the application of what you have learned in a way that fits YOU for it to work.

But...it does work.

Change your thoughts...and change your life. 100% success rate guaranteed...but just not overnight.

I've gone from being a supervisor earning less than $40,000 a year about three years ago...to the point where, from today...I KNOW that I will be financially secure for life within five years.

Notice...it's taken me three years to get to this point...and I've allowed myself another five to get everything in place.

That's an eight-year commitment to investing in learning more about myself and my business...a neverending education.

And...if you can commit yourself to at least five years, then YOU can definitely do it, too.

But...I guarantee that you WILL have a few more lows on the way...that's the way it works.

It's nature's way of testing us to make sure that we do 'get it'...and can be positive and bounce back accordingly.

So...do you want to join me...or do you want to find some more excuses why you can't?

To Be The Same...But In Half Of The Time!

The more that I analyze what I really do...the more I have realized that I must literally 'waste' so much time on things that aren't important to me.

From things like admin tasks that I could hand off to someone else...to watching the odd TV programme just for the sake of being 'sociable'.

I'm re-evaluating what I do in a business context because I know that I could earn as much as I do now...but probably actually 'work' about half of the time! (It may seem strange...but it's almost certainly true)

It comes down to that old issue - 'quality' vs 'quantity'.

In the end...you can spend half of your life doing the sort of things that you don't really want to...just so that you are able to do the things that you do want to do!

But...I'm not happy with that! I want MORE than that.

I believe that I should be able to lead the life that I want to lead - 100% in the way that I want to lead it!

Now...all that I've got to do is to start thinking more about what I am really doing...and start delegating some more!

How could you work smarter...but not necessarily harder? I'm sure that you can find ways if you think hard enough.

Don't Tell Yourself Why You Can't...Ask Yourself "Why Not"!

We took Katie away for the weekend to a place called "Cadbury World"...which is basically a mini-Disneyworld for chocoholics!

The thing was, though...at 11 am on Saturday, Lesley came up with the idea...and by midday...we were in our car, and on our way for the three-hour journey to the hotel that we were staying in overnight!

In the five minutes that we discussed it...we soon got the 'why nots' out of the way.

We booked a hotel on the Internet...and we were away for the weekend!

It would have been easier to just stay at home and think of some reasons why we couldn't suddenly just 'pack-up' and go...but we just asked ourselves 'Why not?'.

It got me thinking that I tend to be like that with most things now...in business as well as at home.

Instead of telling yourself why you can't...ASK yourself "Why Not?"

It will certainly surprise you once you start asking that question because you'll start to realize that you are putting artificial limits on what you can physically do...just because you kid yourself that it's not possible.

Try it...and see what happens!

Fighting That Thing Called An Excuse

There are certain things in my life over the past five years that I could have used as an excuse for failing at whatever I chose to do...whether it was my career, marriage or my own company.

But I chose (and, I still choose) not to.

Why?

Well...I look at being positive as a challenge. I try to see the 'reason' or lesson behind everything that happens to me.

Yes - even the truly awful things.

To be honest...it's the only way I can be, because otherwise if I sat down for a weekend and just dwelled on how 'unlucky' I have been over the last few years...I would probably be back on anti-depressants.

Yep...I was on them...for two months. Until, that is...I realized that it wasn't my situation that was making me depressed, it was the fact that I never really got around to doing anything about it!

So one day I stopped taking them. That was less than 21 months ago...and, from that day...my entire attitude to life has changed.

I now REFUSE to accept that I am 'unlucky'.
I now REFUSE to accept that I will be limited by my 'talents' (or lack of)
I now REFUSE to take for granted how much more I have (and have had) than a lot of people.

Despite everything...I am not going to give in. I'm going to fight my conditioning that tells me to blame everyone else except myself.

So...what about YOU?

Success...And The Creature Of Habit

It's not easy to write when you haven't got anything to say!

But...sometimes, in cases like this...it's better just to START...and see what happens.

You see...success is all down to habit.

The more that you 'train your brain'...the more likely that you will be able to stick with something.

And...when the time comes (which it will) when you feel as if you can't be bothered to write, or to go for a run, or to listen to that tape...it will be easier to persuade yourself that you SHOULD be doing it!

Of course...it helps if you are fully committed to whatever you are doing.

Getting into the habit of doing something that you hate is certainly not the best way to go! lol

So...start doing something, anything that moves you a little step closer to who and where you want to be.

You may not believe it...but by training your brain...you are putting in place one of the fundamental 'secrets' of all successful people.

And once you start...it becomes almost 'habit forming' to regaularly start a new one!

Ah...The Joys Of Being Under Pressure!

Another day...another website almost written.

As I've put myself under 'pressure' with my new projects...I am literally 'firing on all cylinders'.

It's funny...

But I seem to function better when I have a strict time limit to stick to!

I can be as lazy as the next man (perhaps sometimes more lazy! lol)...but I know that, when I have a serious challenge in front of me...I thrive!

Do YOU know in what situations you operate at your peak?

It's not always easy to 'sit back' and look at how you operate...but any investment of time that you make in this exercise is well worth it!

So...I'm off to push myself towards my challenge...what are YOU going to do?

I Have An Idea!

Today began an intensive 19-day program for my brand-new website - Coach Emarketing.

Now...you read it here first. I only thought about the idea last night...and have only registered the domain name today.

So...I've set myself a little (OK - huge! lol) challenge to have a fully-fledged membership site on Emarketing for coaches fully up and running by the time of my first teleclass for the Coachville School of Emarketing on Monday June 23rd!

Who knows what life may throw in the way in the meantime...but, as you know, I LOVE to set myself these sorts of challenges!

What about YOU?

Do you have some ideas floating around inside your head that can inspire you?

You know...those sort of ideas where you actually get excited about them?

No? If not...why not?

You MUST have ideas...we all have.

What do you do with yours? Do you forget about them as soon as you come up with them...or do you write them off before you start?

Take my idea, for instance. I could think of many ways in which I couldn't achieve what I would like to.

There are probably hundreds!

But...I choose not to focus on them...and instead focus on what I alone have control over...and then make sure that I do the best 'job' that I possibly can.

If I do that and things don't work out as planned...well...at least I would have learned something about my capabilities in the mean time.

So...don't hold back because you think that things might not work. So what if they don't...just doing something, anything is better than doing nothing at all!

The Legacy Of The Bravest Little Boy In The World

Today would have been Connor's 5th birthday.

Instead of having a big party and a bouncy inflatable castle to celebrate...Lesley and I spent a couple of hours where his ashes were scattered in the 'Garden of Tranquility' at the Demelza House Children's Hospice.

He always seemed to love going there...and because of what they are...they had a special place just for him.

It's a very sad day in the Vurnum household...but at the same time I feel so very proud of a little boy who couldn't talk or sit or walk...yet had a profound effect on everyone that he met.

Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself...I remind myself how lucky I was to have been the father of such a wonderful, strong, little boy...who bravely fought everything that the world could throw at him.

Despite the many terrible experiences that we shared with Connor, it's his smile and his silent laugh as you tickled him that are the strongest memories for us.

Whatever I may be blessed with in the future...I know not to take it for granted.

And neither should you.

You can chase all the prestige or money in the world...but it will never replace the people that are important to you...nor the incredible effect that your relationships with them can have on you.

So...don't take what you have for granted...however poor or little you may think it is.

After all...there are a LOT of people who are certainly more worse off than you...and they are still grateful for what they HAVE got...instead of complaining about what they HAVEN'T.

And so should you.

We Have All The Time In The World...

There is a saying that goes something like...

"If you want something done...ask a busy person."

Ever heard that before?

Well...I can tell you from experience that it's true!

Why?

I know that the more busy I am...the more ideas that I seem to have...and the more I seem to be able to acheive...and the more eager I am to try out new ideas!

It's strange to remember just a couple of years ago where I would spend all weekend with my head buried in a newspaper reading about yesterday's news.

Now...it seems that I have an adrenaline rush every time I find a new product idea inside my head!

It's almost as if I can find more capacity in my mind (and in my day) to accomodate whatever I seem to take on. It's strange, really!

I bet that you could, too. I bet that, even though you may think that you don't have any more time in the day...you could find it if you REALLY want to.

And that's the key to all this success stuff...MAKING time...not finding it!

I still have the same amount of hours available at my disposal as I used to have...yet in the last 18 months or so I have accomplished more in my life than the previous 15 YEARS!

Why do you think that this is?

Well...I'll tell you.

It's because I know that I REALLY want to be the best that I can be...and I know that, if I put my mind to it...I can be who I REALLY want to be!

Can you say the same thing about what you're currently doing in your life right now?

If not...why not?