Success...One Day At A Time

It's Not About THEM...It's About YOU.

It's easy to let your life get stale.

I personally fight against it...all of the time...even though I don't necessarily have as much of a routine as you might have in your job.

It's easy to just 'not be bothered'...and just carry on regardless...even though you may wish for something different.

Apathy is a dangerous place to live.

It's so sad that the sum total of a lot of peoples' lives is what's wrong with them...or is based around what they haven't got.

It's such a waste of a life that should be EXPERIENCED...to try to 'use' it to its full potential!

Just because you feel that you should be in a 'safe' occupation, instead of leveraging what you can actually do...doesn't make it right, does it?

It takes a strong man (or woman) to stand up against the 'norm'...and decide that perhaps after all...there IS more to life than just working all hours to fund a particular lifestyle.

The vast majority of us start off from a similar place when we are born...yet there are relatively few people (rich, poor, or otherwise) who actually ENJOY most of their days.

I like to consider myself as one of them.

What about YOU?

Look inwards to what YOU CAN DO before you look towards other people to try and emulate what THEY do.

They are living THEIR life based on what 'works' for them...shouldn't YOU be doing so, too?

Life. Is It All In Your Mind?

It's scary how your mind can play tricks on you.

Today we are visiting my mother's house for the first time since we moved a couple of weeks ago.

Both Lesley and I have just had a 'discussion' with Katie because she is frightened that my mother's tiny shi-tzu dog is going to chase after the tassles on her clothes!

Yet...normally Katie is more than happy to play with 'Charlie'.

But today...she is almost beside herself with worry that he might chase after her!

It's amazing how...despite nothing whatsoever changing in the external environment...YOU change.

Of course it might not be as obvious as Katie's behavior...but it still happens - probably more than you think.

For example...a passing comment in a conversation may have a dramatic effect on your self-confiedence.

I've personally received emails that 'have a go' at me for some unjustifiable reason...but it does have an impact...even though nothing has really changed!

So...be careful how much you 'talk yourself into' (or out of) situations that are really only based upon the tricks that your mind plays on you.

Always remember...YOU are more in control than you think!

It's Up To You. It's ALL Up To YOU

Another day...another entry!

What's life all about?

I mean...what are you HERE for?

- Is it to worry about how much debt you have?
- Is it to wish for something...yet when you get it you want something more?
- Is it to take for granted what you already HAVE that isn't really that bad?
- Is it to spend time being bored?

What do YOU think? Are YOU here for any of those?

I doubt it!

Aren't you here...

- To have fun?
- To EXPERIENCE life?
- To learn as much as you can about your abilities?
- To be relaxed?
- To appreciate what abundance there is in the world?

Now...these may seem great to aim for...but do they work in the 'real world'?

I think that they do.

In fact, I KNOW that they do!

I KNOW because, for one, I live them...and only a couple of years ago I lived the first lot!

So...it IS possible to lead a life that you should, well, be happy with.

It all comes down to what you REALLY want...and whether you are willing to put the necessary EFFORT into achieving it.

It's up to you. It's ALL up to YOU.

What else are YOU here for?

It's Down To Your Assumptions And Perceptions

To be honest...there is perhaps too much 'stuff' out there that will help you succeed.

The more that you read and listen to...the more viewpoints and experiences based in the SAME principles you will learn.

It's so easy to be taken in by 'the next best thing' when really, one of the may free ebooks that are out there would probably do just as good.

I'm as guilty as anyone of wanting to find that little extra 'tidbit' of information that will make a 'difference'.

But...now that I have read (and written, and taught) so much about personal development over the last couple of years...I've realized that, even 10 years ago...I knew ENOUGH to make some changes in my life.

The trouble was...I didn't BELIEVE that I could.

Do YOU?

Do YOU believe that you are, in fact, a person who is MORE than capable of producing something that people would gladly pay money for?

I KNOW that you are.

And...perhaps, one day, in the not too distant future, YOU will prove me right!

But...only if you BELIEVE in yourself a little bit more than you do NOW.

Making a small move in the right direction as soon as possible is one of the best ways to make that happen.

Once you realize that it is only your assumptions and perceptions that are REALLY holding you back...you will KNOW that you CAN grow from wherever you are.

You just need to START.

Do it NOW...what's stopping you?

One Question CAN Make A Difference

Today...I released a website that, although very straightforward, will help both YOU and ME.

On it I ask you a very simple question...

"What's the single most important question you have about leading a more SUCCESSFUL and HAPPY life?"

Although I will be using some of the questions as a basis for a free teleclass...I also believe that it is a useful tool for us both.

Why?

Well...I get the opportunity to do a little 'market research' by finding out what YOU really want help with.

And...it gives YOU the chance to really think about the ONE thing that is most important to you to resolve.

I'm sure that you'll agree that usually we are not FOCUSED enough to come up with just a single thing about our lives that we would like to change.

Just like a focused jet of water how more power than a shower of water (despite using the same amount)...we need to really get down to the 'basics' of what REALLY matters to us in our lives.

That question above will help YOU do that.

When we take stock of where we are...it's easy to come up with any number of reasons why our lives aren't the way that we want them to be.

But usually...there is a single root cause of most of them.

It may be the lack of fulfillment at work...or a failing relationship.

The first step towards making these things 'better' is to be aware of them in the first place.

And...that's what that question is all about.

What Will YOUR First Decision Be?

Did you know that you don't really have a CLUE about the effect your decisions will have on your life.

Sure...you can try to make the 'best' ones...but isn't EVERY decision that you make the RIGHT one for you at the time?

How can you possibly know what will happen in your future if you choose 'x'...or perhaps what won't if you choose 'y'.

It's so easy to over-analyze your decisions to the point of not actually making many.

Through making considered decisions, you CAN make your path through life a little easier, but in truth, the BEST decisions are the ones which force you into getting out of your comfort zone.

It's essential that YOU put yourself into a position where you MUST make some decisions that could be uncomfortable!

Why?

Well...if you really want to move on from where you currently are, the only way that you can do so is to become MORE of something...

- more knowledgeable
- more self-confident
- more experienced
- more passionate
- more competent

To become ANY of these...you need to make some decisions that will ensure that you GROW.

And...with growth usually comes a little bit of (sometimes painful) effort.

Take me, for example.

I'm forcing myself to do things like teleclasses and public speaking...even though I don't enjoy at all the period building up to them.

But...I KNOW that, once I start them...I'm fine...and I also get a sense of achievement from completing something that pushed me that little bit harder.

I'm just like YOU...I hate that uncomfortable feeling that accompanies stretching yourself.

But I know that, if I want to move upwards from where I currently am...then I MUST do so...otherwise I won't be able to get to where I want to go.

And...it all begins with making a few decisions that commit yourself to things that, although they may feel awkward...help you to grow.

What will YOUR first decision be?

Are You Using It To Waste Your Time?

Are you sitting comfortably?

How long have been idly 'surfing' today?

Five minutes? Half an hour? An hour? More?

Can you put you hand on your heart and say that you have got something of VALUE from that time you have just spent?

Well?

Now...I'll admit that I'm no 'angel' either where surfing is concerned! (But...I have an excuse in that I need to keep up with what's going on in my business! Honest!)

Seriously though...are you just replacing your TV time with surfing time?

Are you kidding yourself that you are doing something more valuable than just watching TV?

Maybe.

The key question here is...

"What concrete, measurable, and usable information have you APPLIED in return for the time you have spent acquiring it?"

The Internet is, and will continue to be, the biggest 'time thief' in the history of the world.

Within a few short years...our 'addiction' to TV will be surpassed by our quest for 'knowledge' on the Internet.

And...like the TV...the vast majority of people who use this medium will get absolutely NO value whatsoever from the time that they have committed to it.

Now's the time to start thinking of your online 'education' as something that you MUST get a return on.

I believe that it was Einstein who said that you could become a world expert at something within three years if you spent an hour every day learning about it.

YOU have the ideal resource available to you to begin this NOW.

What are YOU going to do about starting to USE it properly?

Did I Trick Myself Well?

I've been feeling a little 'under the weather' today.

Apparently...there is a 'bug' going around at the moment.

Can you tell what effect those two sentences alone can have on me.

I'm not well. I feel sorry for myself. I'm bound to catch 'it' because everyone else has 'it'.

Do you think that I am literally commanding my body to feel like crap?

It's easy to do. So easy in fact...that we ALL do it!

So...this morning I tried a little experiment on myself.

I DO have a few cold symptons...but I caught myself lounging on the sofa sniffing and thinking about my aches!

So...I closed my eyes.

Breathed deeply.

And...for 30 seconds I visualized the germs in my body being literally 'sucked out' and being replaced by a warm orange light instead.

(I won't mention it to my mother...she'll think that I've gone mad!)

But...you know what...I certainly felt better for a fair few hours afterwards.

Whether it 'worked' or was just a pyschological 'trick' I played on myself...who cares?

So...the next time that YOU feel a little 'out of sorts'...think about how your thoughts are affecting your body.

You never know how much better it could make you feel.

It's Not Who You Are...But How You Are Perceived

It's a strange thing...perception.

In my opinion, most people don't put enough importance on it...whether in business, or at home.

Take an online business, for example.

I can tell immediately whether someone is serious or not by the way their website is designed...or by what domain name they have.

The Internet is a prime example of free getting in the way of what you really want to achieve.

Sure...you CAN get most of the 'tools' that you need to run an online business for free...but at what expense?

- A crappy domain name that bears no resemblance to who or what you are.
- Autoresponder messages which contain an advert that have nothing to do with your business.
- Websites that look like they were designed by my seven-year-old daughter!

Believe me...all of these 'mistakes' are more common than you imagine.

How would you be perceived by someone if you were doing all of these three?

Yet...most people don't even think about perception at all...and then expect prospective customers to cough up hundreds of dollars for a product or coaching.

It's not solely restricted to the online world.

You need to make sure that your entire 'package' is perceived by your prospective customers (partner/lover) in the right way.

So...step back a little and look at yourself from someone else's point of view...

- Do you 'dress' for the part?
- Does your business match up to your advertising?
- Do you honestly stand by everything that you sell, say, and do?
- Do you invest both your time and money in proportion to how 'big' you want to become.

When I started out online some 20 months ago...I purposely invested in the more expensive (but more reliable) tools that were out there.

I paid for my hosting, autoresponders, graphics, and associated web packages.

I also have invested thousands of dollars on buying, reading, and applying knowledge from those people who already are where I want to be.

I hope that, despite me only working from a study in my house...you have the perception of me as someone who is reliable, trustworthy, honest...and above all, business-like.

Can you say that about everything YOU do?

It's Love Actually...But Not In That Split Second

Isn't it strange how your view of life can change in just a split second?

It happened to me and Lesley today.

We went to the cinema to see the new movie starring (amongst others) Hugh Grant - "Love Actually".

I'll tell you now that if you loved films like Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones' Diary - then you'll LOVE this!

And we did...up until about three quarters of the way through.

As with all movies these days...there is a soundtrack that accompanies different scenes.

As soon as the opening bars of a song in a particular scene began...our hearts dropped.

The song was "Songbird" by Eva Cassidy...and the last time that we heard it was as everybody walked into Connor's funeral in February this year.

Not only that...the film is set in London...and guess what image flashed up just thirty seconds later?

Guy's Hospital...where Connor had all of his operations...and spent a fair few months of his life in.

The rest of the movie could have been the best thing ever made...but Lesley and I didn't really notice it.

In fact...we have been a little 'strange' all day because of it.

And...this is the ONLY thing that I can bring myself to do work-wise today.

It goes to show that you NEVER know what is around the corner that might knock you off of the path that you are on.

So...doesn't it make sense to accept that, whatever happens in life, there will ALWAYS be people and events that you cannot control...no matter how hard you try.

All you can do is accept that life has a habit of tripping you occasionally.

You just have to make sure that you force yourself to get back up, dust yourself down, and 'get on with it'.

Just like I will be doing when I wake up tomorrow.

Will You Join Me In Acting The Fool?

I'm not ashamed to say that today I danced around the room like an idiot as I listened to some of my favorite music.

It's great now and again to just let off steam and make a fool of yourself without anybody looking.

I don't do it nearly enough as much as I should,

And, I expect that neither do you.

It's easy to look at life as a serious thing. Bills. Work. Getting by.

But...it shouldn't be like that!

We don't seem to laugh anymore, do we?

As of today...I am purposely going to 'act the fool' more often (yes...even if it embarrases Lesley and Katie!)

It doesn't really take that much effort...and you can't beat the feeling of really 'going for it'!

Would you like to join me in some 'air guitar' practice?

Or how about some 'dodgy' dancing?

Life's too short to worry about what other people think...just have some fun and enjoy yourself!

So...Have YOU Decided?

Whichever way you look at life...it is just a series of challenges that you need to make decisions upon.

Every day you decide...

- What time to get up
- What to eat at mealtimes
- Who to talk to
- What to read or write
- Which direction you go out of your front door
- Whether you start 'x' before you finish 'y'
- And a million other things!

So...it's no wonder that so many people just let OTHER people make the decisions for them.

- They form their opinions based on the TV and newspapers
- They do only just enough to justify their 'position' at work
- They buy the car that the advertisers want them to...and not the one that they need
- They struggle to keep up with the neighbors...whilst the neighbors struggle to keep up with them
- They expect to get paid more for no more effort on their part
- They blame other people for making the decisions for them that THEY should have

Sound familiar?

It seems to me (based on my experience, anyway)...that, once you accept RESPONSIBILITY for your OWN decisions...then your life changes.

Immediately...it becomes more scary, more challenging, more 'pressured'...yet strangely rewarding and satisfying.

Don't YOU always feel better when YOU achieve something that you perhaps never believed that you could?

So...make the only REAL decision that you ever need take.

DECIDE that YOU are in CONTROL of YOUR future.

You're the boss. The CEO of You, Inc.

Only accept decisions that are made by YOU, and you alone.

Let NOBODY tell you how YOU should live your life.

It's YOURS...and it's the ONLY one you've got!

So...have YOU decided?

So...Why Did That Happen To YOU?

It can be hard sometimes to keep your momentum going when you are constantly striving towards a more successful life.

In my experience...it seems like you sometimes MUST take a couple of steps back in order for you to be in a much better position going forward.

So...don't be disheartened if things don't always go your way. They never always go right for me, either!

Well...they don't go right in the way that I might have wanted them to...but, in hindsight (isn't it a wonderful thing?) the perceived 'setback' usually makes a lot of sense.

Part of the challenge we BOTH face is how we look upon these events.

The easy thing to do is blame this or that...or just put things down to 'bad luck'.

But...you know what?

I've found that, if I REALLY look for the 'message' behind EVERY setback in my life (yes...even the terrible ones)...there is usually something that comes out of it that will shape my future.

Sure...it's not always easy to...but now that I have experienced it for myself on a number of occasions...I now know that it is how I VIEW these setbacks that determines how much impact they have on my life.

One of the rules of this game called life is that EVERYTHING happens BECAUSE of something else...whether due to a decision you made in the past...or to move you towards your future.

Isn't it about time that YOU started to control what happens to YOU by at least THINKING about the lesson in everything that happens to you?

It works for me!

The New School Of Adaptability

Katie had her first day at her brand new school today.

I think that both Lesley and I were more nervous than she was!

We didn't need to be.

Come 3 o'clock...and seven-year-old Katie is all smiles...and had already made a friend.

And, we couldn't stop her from talking about her new school!

Isn't it scary how easily children adapt?

Why do WE lose that ability to be able to just automatically adjust to our new surroundings?

We were worried that Katie would miss her friends, the school, her teacher. After all - she had been with them all for the last three years.

Yet - Katie is too concerned with making the most of the situation that she is in NOW to worry about missing someone or something in the past.

Are YOU focusing SOLELY on the NOW instead of worry about the implications of what you may or may not have done in your past?

Of course...it's not easy to just 'forget' and move on.

But...if YOU had the ability to do so when you were a child...why can't you STILL have that ability NOW?

Isn't It Time That YOU Thought About It Too?

Today I spent most of the day assisting as my brother-in-law put up pictures and lights in our new house.

Of course...I'm able to do it myself...but I didn't for two reasons:

1) It would take me forever.
2) Lesley didn't want two or three 'wrong' holes for every one that I got right!

I was more than happy to take a back seat where these things are concerned.

Why?

Well...what's the point in me struggling to do something that I neither have the ability for, or the inclination to do?

It's something that I've been thinking a lot about recently...especially where my 'work' is concerned.

I KNOW that my strengths lie in creating and marketing my knowledge...and not necessarily in the clerical or technical stuff that goes with an online business.

So...as from a couple of weeks time...I will be getting Lesley more involved in my admin stuff...and I will be looking NOT to spend too much time teaching myself any of the more complicated technical stuff.

I've managed to get to grips with enough to get me this far...so I'm sure that I still get by in the future.

And...Lesley is far better at the admin stuff than I am...much more thorough!

It's hard for an-almost-control-freak like me to force myself into a position where I can hand off parts of my 'duties' to other people...but I know that, when I do...both myself and my business will benefit in the long run.

Remember...YOU should ALWAYS look to play to your strengths FIRST instead of trying to overcome your 'weaknesses'.

It's taken me a long time to realize how true that statement really is.

Isn't it time that YOU thought about it, too?

How To Do Nothing With Change

It's not always easy to 'cope' when change is thrust in your way.

Because of my move...my whole routine has been turned upside-down...and it isn't easy to adjust overnight!

Half the battle with change, though...is how you react to it.

Once you begin to 'wish' that things were back the way they used to be...you're in trouble.

It's no good letting that little negative 'monster' eat away at you. It will only make a challenging situation a LOT worse!

So...what do you do?

Well...from my own experience over the last couple of days...NOTHING!

Nothing?

That's right. If you let yourself get worked up by the fact that things are different then you won't help yourself adjust to the situation one little bit.

Remember...your natural reaction to change is to compare the 'before' and 'after'...even if you have changed to something much better.

And...guess what the natural human reaction is when you compare where you are now with something (or someone).

You will ALWAYS be able to find something negative when you make the comparison. You won't be able to help yourself.

So...at the moment I'm trying to just ease into a routine that, although completely different...is one that I KNOW makes sense where my future is concerned.

And that's the key.

Remember...if the change (whether you may think that it is good or bad) is contributing towards your 'ideal' future...then what have you got to worry about?

Just relax, take a deep breath...and give yourself enough mental breathing space so that you DON'T beat yourself up about the fact that things may not seem quite as good as they 'used to be'.

Well, that's the way I deal with change...what about YOU?

Your Big Decision To Success

Despite my best intentions...I had to miss posting an entry yesterday because of the fact that I couldn't even find the cables for my PC amongst the hundreds of boxes that made up our worldly possessions.

Lesley feels right at home in our new house...but I currently feel like a lodger!

It's funny that all through our working lives we avoid change like the plague...yet most of us move every 5-10 years or so. In our two previous houses we have lasted five and six years respectively.

All of the upheaval and cost that goes with moving means that it is not something that is never trouble-free...yet don't we make the decision to do so on emotion and gut feeling?

Why can't we do that in our normal day-to-day lives as easily?

Why do YOU think that this is?

Could it be that, where moving is concerned...we are always making a POSITIVE move TOWARDS something 'better'...yet, the humdrum of ordinary life and career doesn't provide us with the necessary push to make things happen?

I believe that whatever you are moving towards day-to-day is, as a whole, only going forward a little at a time...it therefore can be hard for you to see that, you ARE moving towards where you really want to go...it just doesn't seem that way.

It's only when we literally GROW out of our present position at work that we finally get around to changing jobs. Or perhaps that we have allowed ourselves to 'suffer' enough that spurs us to finally get out.

But what if you could capture that sort of inspiration to make the BIG decisions...and USE it to help you move forward daily?

Perhaps without realising it...I do it in many forms - through writing this...through pushing myself out of my comfort zone...through being held accountable.

How could YOU tap into those feelings and emotions of the BIG decisions that are usually made more easily than the small ones...so that you are able to make some inroads in moving forward that little bit more regularly.

Of course...this 'theory' may be a little abstract to you to be able to apply...but try to think of the times that you made one of those big decisions - to quit your job, to move house, to try for a family, to 'pop the question'.

How were you motivated to make those life-changing decisions that forever would impact upon your future?

How you can tap into that STRENGTH of character that you DO possess to make things happen NOW?

I'd be interested to know...

YOUR time is NOW. It's time to MOVE.

Our house is almost a bare shell of what it used to be now that practically anything that moves has been boxed up!

Not only that...my Broadband connection has been taken away so I am playing 'dial-up modem tag' all afternoon.

The house stays...but we take everything that defines us and our past...and walk away.

Wouldn't it be so much easier if we could leave our mental 'baggage' behind us as we make our way through the different phases of our lives.

It's so sad that we can be influenced by our past so much that it can have a terminal effect on our future.

We're leaving quite a few sad (but still a number of happy) memories behind in the walls of our house...yet all that they represent in regards to my future is coming with me.

The six years we have had at this house defined a period in my life that I feel sad about...yet still feel exhilarated about.

So...I'm going to leave this house an entirely DIFFERENT person to the one I was when I first set foot in it.

The rollercoaster ride over that time has defined me and my relationships so much that their mark (and Connor's smile) will remain etched deep within my memory until my last days.

Not only that...I feel that, even though you know me...yet I don't really know you...I know that, because of all this...we would meet each other as friends if we were to ever meet in person.

How powerful is that?

I've gone from worrying about what newspaper to read to focusing on how I can have even a minor impact on the lives of 25,000 people worldwide.

The journey may have taken me six years...but it only really began just under two years ago when I quit my job.

Everything that I previously 'stood' for in regards to my career or my 'position' in society means nothing now...a whole fifteen years of peer pressure 'wasted' before my very eyes.

Who knows what the NEXT couple of years may bring? New house, new life, new 'start'.

Why don't you join me...and start by writing down what YOU would leave behind in that old mental 'house' of yours when you finally make that decision to MOVE ON to a better lifestyle.

But don't wait too long. The 'if onlys' and 'what ifs' are always there to fool you that some OTHER time is the time.

They're wrong.

YOUR time is NOW. It's time to MOVE. What baggage are you going to leave behind?

Your ticket to an abundant life

As some of you may know, over the years I have conducted a great deal of research on those that society would class as wealthy and successful.

I have more of a personal interest in those people that fit into this category and really feel abundance flowing in their lives; people who know and experience freedom in every sense.

Do you know someone like this, someone around you who seems to have it all together?

Someone that;
- is at one with themselves and their Maker
- has wonderful relationships with their spouse, family and friends
- packs plenty of challenges into their lives
- reads to increase their intellectual capacity, learning to improve themselves
- looks after their body through regular exercise and a quality diet
- works with commitment and intelligence, balancing their time for other essential areas of their lives
- has what they need and most of what they want materially
- wants to give back by serving in the community
- displays a sense of humor, yet firm, communicative and welcoming

If this person sounds like you, I salute you and congratulate you for excelling.

I have been fortunate to have some people, similar to the above description, in my life from early in mortality.

We can learn from the example of these people. In fact, we can always do with driven, exemplary people in our lives.

Welcome these people into our lives.

Seek to attract them.

We gain some of these wholesome and dynamic qualities when we have people with these characteristics in our lives.

It’s no secret that these people enjoy true freedom and abundance.

If we want true freedom, start with recognizing the abundance in your life. We all enjoy abundance in some shape or form. Feeling abundance leads to a genuine sense of freedom.

If you are a well-balanced person, an achiever, you probably possess an aura of abundance – an abundant consciousness.

The platform for creating riches across all aspects of our life lies in our mind and spirit.

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
The Richest Man

The Coincidence Of Moving And Connor's Nurse

As we're moving this Thursday...Lesley sent out the usual 'We're Moving' letters to our friends...and those people who you know...but don't really see that much!

We got a phone call from one of 'those' just now.

It was from Connor's old nurse who did home visits for his first three years or so...whom we had lost touch with recently.

It turns out that she had moved areas in the last month.

And...guess where she had just done a 'home visit' to a special needs child just like Connor?

The same town that we are moving to!

Now...you may call this 'spooky'...or a 'coincidence', but both Lesley and I know otherwise.

Don't you think that our son is trying to tell us that he's still 'around'?

If there was one person who could 'represent' Connor in this way...it would be this lady (whom he also smiled at a lot, 'coincidentally').

Not only that...she is looking to move to...the same area we are moving to.

Now...I used to be cynical of stuff like this...and you may be thinking that about me at the moment.

But...these things have a way of proving me right eventually!

A Master Mind Lifestyle Choice

I've just re-read through the first Lesson of "The Law of Success In Sixteen Lessons" in preparation for tomorrow night's first class of my Teleclass Program of the same name.

I've lost count of how many times I have read "Master Mind"...yet each time I find something new about it...and how I can apply it to my life.

I've been a little slow on the 'uptake' in regards to how powerful it REALLY can be.

So...in an effort to continue to push myself out of my comfort zone...I am literally forcing myself to 'Master Mind' with someone on one of my new projects.

I can tell you...that's a challenge for a control-freak like me!

But...even before launch (watch out early December for it)...I KNOW that 'sharing the load' means more than doubling the results.

So far...it's one of the best decisions I have ever made in regards to my business online.

I tap into the power of someone who is strong in the areas where I am 'weak'.

In the past I would have done it all myself...because I wouldn't have wanted to split the profits...but now I see the bigger LIFESTYLE picture.

Not only that...doing a joint venture like this certainly brings a huge dose of ACCOUNTABILITY with it

And you know how important I think THAT is!

So...could this be the first Master Mind of many? I've got a feeling that it may be.

My Opinion On The Latest 'Next Big Thing' - Mastery TV

I've received many emails over the couple of weeks asking me to join "Mastery TV"...and a few emails asking my opinion about it.

Basically what it contains are digitized videos and audios from some of the 'top' names in personal development that you can watch online in a TV-like format.

And, aside from the usual 'suspects' who promote any of these 'mlm-type' programs...there are one or two people whom I respect involved.

So...on your behalf...I thought that I'd take a closer look.

When you sign up...you are presented with a blurb about how to promote Mastery TV.

And that's when the warning bells started!

Here's an excerpt...

=========================================================

WHY YOU SHOULD PROMOTE MASTERY TV

1. You will help us positively impact 1 billion people in the next 5 years
2. You are part of a team that makes a difference
3. You will be financially rewarded in a big way when we launch
4. You are one of the FIRST to know about this and that gives you a huge advantage

=========================================================

I don't know about you...but doesn't this sound a little 'hypey' to you?

Are the first two points really just disguising what they are REALLY trying to say on points 3) and 4)?

What do YOU think?

Not sure?

Well...perhaps this next part will give you a clue where they are coming from:

=========================================================

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NEXT

1. Your website is: http://www.masterytv.biz/sofsuccess
2. Promote this site to everyone you know. Let the system do the work.
3. Login to your system (you're in now). Check how many have taken the tour and how many have told others (click "View Your Organization" on the right)
4. Continue to follow-up with people and get them on any conference calls we announce.

During this pre-launch phase, we will not be accepting Affiliate applications, but by taking this tour you have automatically reserved a spot in our database. Everyone who enrolls from your website, will be connected to you.

There is already massive buzz about Mastery Television, but it is still very new. You only get this pre-launch opportunity once. If you get the big players first, you get them forever. Promote your pre-launch website below. Go for it! NO SPAM. (Spammers and their entire organizations will be permanently deleted from the database)

http://www.masterytv.biz/sofsuccess

IMPORTANT : Once we announce the Affiliate program, you will be given just 72 hours to maintain your spot in our compensation plan. Its CRITICAL that the email you gave us is checked on a daily basis. You can change your account information on the right of the screen.

NOTE: Mastery Television strongly supports those who take action and produce results. Just before our official launch, we will be placing all of the company's enrollments under the people who were the most successful during the pre launch. Everyone you enroll will be yours forever. If there was ever a time to go for it, this is the time. This intro period will never happen again. Carpe Diem, Gary !

============================================================

Now...call me a cynic...but haven't they lost the 'personal development' message somewhere along the way...and are just desperate to get YOU to sign up as many people as possible in as short amount of time as possible?

Now...let's be a little realistic here.

There is no reason why you CAN'T make a little money from this 'opportunity'.

But, it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth where they tout the "first mover's advantage".

This is where the 'great' Cash Evolutions, Guerilla Marketing Bombshells, Desktop Money Machines and Free Agent Paths have come unstuck to various degrees over the last couple of years.

Playing on the 'little guy' so that the so-called 'big guys' end up making all of the money at the start...and people like you make very little.

Sure...at least in the case of Mastery TV they actually have a good 'product' behind it.

My only concern is that most people don't use the Internet like a TV...and there are still an awful lot of people out there who are still on dial-up modems that won't be able to use it without a huge cost.

So...for me...the jury is out at the moment in terms of the content. The idea IS great...but I would like to see for myself a little more before I was convinced enough to recommend Mastery TV because of that.

To be honest...it would be easy for me with my list of 25,000 people like you to recommend this...and make some nice money in the process.

But...I'm not convinced that YOU would.

Why?

Here's another clip from the site...

===========================================================

The 'Automated Internet Marketing System' will make running a business on the Internet so simple that virtually anyone can succeed. It contains some never-before-seen tools that will SHOCK and AMAZE you. Details will be released soon.

===========================================================

Now...I run a mile when I see words like "will make running a business on the Internet so simple that virtually anyone can succeed."

I TOTALLY DISAGREE with that statement.

Sure...they will give you a website will bells and whistles that will do a reasonable job of converting prospects to the site.

But my guess is that the site they will give you will focus on the OPPORTUNITY instead of the CONTENT.

Which is where most of the mlm programs go wrong.

As I said before...this DOES have some good content behind it...but where an mlm is concerned...you soon will run out of prospects if you are aiming it solely at a biz opp level.

So...do I recommend that you sign up?

Well...that is of course, entirely up to you.

I have...and that may surprise you. (Well...I HAD to - to find out more about it!)

But...I will be waiting to see what they are offering in terms of content before I decide whether to recommend it or not.

All I can say is...if you are looking for a 'way out' and an 'easy way' to make money online...then steer well clear, at least until the 'dust settles'.

But...if you're interested to see what they are offering, and are willing to take their marketing 'claims' with a pinch of salt...then go and take a look at the video on the site and see what you think.

http://www.masterytv.biz/sofsuccess

Remember...this is only MY opinion...based on what I have seen and experienced online over the last few years.

It MAY work for you...and I sincerely hope that it does.

But PLEASE...base your decision on what you think of the CONTENT instead of how much MONEY you could supposedly earn.

So...what do YOU think?

It Shouldn't Have To Be Like That!

I have a quote for you...

"The degree to which you are successful in life will be determined by the degree to which you handle your failures."

Want to know who said it?

It was...ME!

I can safely say that, if it wasn't for the 'failures' in my life over the last few years...I wouldn't be where I am today.

Now...of course...I would rather NOT have had to go through what I have during that time...but nevertheless it has made me a better, stronger, and 'nicer' person because of it.

Until you are in the shoes of the people who go through certain things in life...then you can never possibly imagine how HARD life can be sometimes.

But...I've found that a HUGE majority of those people who (like me) have faced some serious life challenges seem to come out of it a much more positive and focused person.

It's almost as if we have been knocked so hard that our subconscious vows NEVER to just stumble through life...and instead pushes us towards doing something that WE want to do instead!

It's such a shame that events like the loss of a child, having cancer, or becoming bankrupt have to act as a catalyst for changing your life to the way you REALLY want it.

But it shouldn't have to be like that!

That's one of the reasons why I do this. I want to try and get this 'message' out before it comes to the point where you may be literally forced to realize that there is more to life than just complaining about x or y, watching TV, and wondering 'if only'!

So...don't wait for life to catch you up and threaten to trip you up (or worse).

Life is too short to wish it away.

Just begin by focusing on what you can do NOW to start making even a minor improvement in your life.

It might just be making that phone call, or taking notes from that book you are reading.

It might just be a simple gesture like buying flowers for someone you love.

Life is meant to be ENJOYED...at the same time as being a CHALLENGE.

Don't let it get to the point where the ONLY option is upwards...you're too special for that.

Ice Hockey And Procrastination

It seems that you can only moving forward to the degree that you are willing to try different things.

I used to TRY...but not really quite get around to doing much.

Now...I TRY...and actually APPLY myself to do whatever I need to do.

What about you?

Today, I've worked on a few different projects...some of which I only though about a couple of days ago!

I've realized that unless I get on and DO...I will never quite get around to HAVING what I really want from my life.

Even now, I struggle sometimes when I know that I am extending myself, or that I am beginning something that I don't know how to finish.

The simple answer to stop me from procrastinating is to just get on and DO it!

It's no good good any more for me to come up with excuses why I CAN'T do something...when I KNOW full well that I CAN do whatever I set myself to do...if I TRY hard enough.

Sure...things might not go quite right all of the time, but as the ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky said...

"You miss all of the shots you don't take"

Are YOU?

Are YOU? EVERY Single Day?

I'm in a reflective mood today.

We have exchanged contracts on our new house some 50 miles away...and we are all set for moving next Thursday 13th November.

It's hard to believe what has happened in my (and my family's) life during the six years that we have been at our current house.

What about YOU? How have the last six years treated YOU?

The funny thing is that, I am only the way I am because of the bad things that happened to me.

As they say in the movie Star Wars - "Once you go over to the Dark Side - there is no way back".

It's EXACTLY the same the other way around, too!

Once you focus your mind on improving yourself, keeping a positive outlook on EVERYTHING, stretching yourself further than you think...and actually DOING something about making changes in your life - GOOD things DO start to happen!

It's never too late to start from 'scratch'.

The past NEVER equals your future where your success is concerned.

It's the NOW that matters.

What are you doing NOW that is moving you towards your ideal LIFESTYLE? (note - not your ideal amount of income!)

The old saying still holds true - "Every day in every way, I'm getting better and better".

Except that now it should be -

"Every day in every way, I'm GROWING bigger and bigger!"

Are YOU? EVERY single day?

Me, Ivana Trump, And The Tour Bus Driver

Perhaps one of the defining moments of my trip last week had nothing to do with either the seminar or the cruise!

It was the ten minute conversation that I had with the bus driver of a short tour I took to South Beach in Miami on the morning before I flew home.

He was a Chilean immigrant who was very knowledgeable and did a good job.

I can never help myself when I have a few minutes alone with a tour guide!

I always ask them - "What do you REALLY want to do?"

It turns out that this guy was a painter in the afternoons.

Not a painter and decorator - a REAL painter of what he called 'real things' - people, animals, life in general.

Apparently he has had his work exhibited before...and each painting has sold from between $2,000 to $4,000!

Not bad, I'm sure that you'll agree.

If YOU could sell YOUR paintings for that sort of money - wouldn't YOU try to paint as many of them as possible...even if it meant a little short-term financial pain...or an erratic income for the first few months?

I asked this guy when he painted. Most afternoons, he told me.

It usually took him a couple of days to do a painting...and his paintings of Ocean Drive always sell, he continued.

Don't you think that by this time - the alarm bells were ringing in my head?

So...I asked him (what to me anyway) was THE obvious question?

"Why are you driving a bus when you could be painting all day long?"

Not surprisingly - he answered that he NEEDED the regular income of his bus tour job to help provide for his family.

I'm sure that you can associate with that, right?

But...if he was painting all day - he agreed that he could probably paint at least ten to fifteen paintings a month, instead of the few he does because he only does it in the afternoons...and then easily gets distracted by the night-life in Miami.

Wouldn't YOU leverage YOUR talent KNOWING that there is a market for what you do?

Well...he's still driving his bus...and doing a good job, and getting a few dollars in tips from the tourists.

I'm almost certain that he will NEVER become a full-time painter - even though that's what he WANTS to do!

The short-term 'need' for money gets in the way of long-term ambition.

It's the same, yet unfulfilling, story.

Yet, this guy has TALENT.

How do I know?

Well...if you manage to get a visit to Ivana Trump's yacht when it is next moored in Miami...make sure that you look for a painting of Ocean Drive that cost her $4,000.

It's his. And she bought it from him after he was introduced to her as a painter, and not a tour bus driver.

Yet...wouldn't you agree that this guy IS - and always WILL BE - a painter?

That's ALL he ever could be!

What ARE you?

I'm All At Sea...But I Know Their 'Secret'

Who said that the Caribbean Sea wasn't CHOPPY?

After experiencing a couple of 'London weather days' at sea (you know - wind, rain, cold!)...I'm glad to be back home and on dry land!

Except...even though I got off of the ship about 36 hours ago...it wasn't until I walked into my house back in the UK that I felt like my balance had deserted me!

It seems that my inner ears were quite happy when I was sitting at the "News Cafe" on Ocean Drive, or whilst I was counting sleeping ground staff whilst in the airport lounge at Miami for three hours.

They were still OK on the eight hours of the most turbulent flight I have ever had overnight....and on the train/tube/train/car combo on my journey home from the airport.

Yet...as soon as I set foot in my front door...I'm 'all at sea'!

Even as I am writing this...it feels like I'm still sailing towards the Bahamas!

On the seminar/cruise I renewed some old friendships...and made some new ones.

And...it reinforced my belief that the guys (and gals) like Armand Morin, Alex Mandossian, Tony Blake...and the other very successful (and soon to be well-known) entrepreneurs...aren't that much different to you and I.

They're not superhuman. They're not 'lucky'.

They just work at what they love. They ACT on their ideas.

And...they just make sure that there are always some RESULTS from their ACTIONS...whether it seems good or bad.

One day I will speak to these guys in more detail about what MENTALLY makes them succeed.

Sure...some of them have marketing backgrounds. But most of them used to be in jobs that they hated...had debts coming out of their ears...and constantly battled with self-esteem.

It's not about your background. Your race. Your color. How much money you 'start' with.

It's about coming up with ideas that excite you enough to ACT on...and then making sure that you come up with ENOUGH so that, through the laws of probability...you will practically ENSURE your success.

They know it. I've come to realize it over the last couple of years.

And now...YOU know it, too.

So...what are YOU going to do about it?

Come on...stop reading...and start ACTING.

What's the FIRST thing that you are going to ACT upon now that you KNOW how important it is to your success?

The clock is ticking...it's only YOUR time that you are wasting!