Success...One Day At A Time

They Became Successful - So Why Can't You?

So - you really want to be successful, right?

I'm here to tell you an absolutely undeniable truth...

Think about that for a moment. If "Yes, but..." thoughts bubble up into your mind, just ask them "Why" or "Why Not?" until you discover that it is really YOU that is (currently, mind you) holding YOU back.

Don't believe me? Well, let's take a look at some people that might well have been worse off than YOU currently are:

There are many thousands of people who have achieved amazing things despite their medical condition. Climbed Everest. Ran across America. Walked when doctors said they couldn't.

There are many more who were written off as 'too small', 'too slow', or 'not talented enough' who went onto become Olympic champions, or top basketball, football, soccer, or baseball stars.

There are even more than that who started with literally just the shirts on their backs who became great CEOs, property moguls, entrepreneurs, or media stars. Even with little or no money in their pockets - they STILL managed to have amazing success in their lives.

Yet even more millions of people the same age as YOU (whatever age it may be) are living exciting, stress-free lives doing what they love, despite perhaps sitting in classroom just like yours, getting a 'D' in algebra like you at age 12. Their parents were no better off than yours, in fact, they could have been your neighbors, who even had the same types of jobs that YOUR parents did.

So - why are all these people different to YOU?

Why have they succeeded where perhaps you haven't (or at least to the degree that you wish you had)?

The answer is quite surprising...and also amazingly 'obvious' when you think about it.

I never really thought about it in this way until I took part in my Master Mind get-together a few weeks ago...and since that time, I have been realigning what I do in my life because of what I discovered - as it is such a fundamental 'piece' of the success puzzle.

(I've already shared it with my "It's Obvious, Stupid!" newsletter readers this month as their bonus Online Seminar. In fact, I went into great detail about how to apply it immediately in their lives. Shame you missed it if you're not a subscriber.)

So...what do YOU think it is?

The person who gets closest to the answer will get a FREE 1-on-1 coaching call with me. I don't do 1-on-1 calls any more - so this is a rare opportunity to have me pull apart your life and lead you kickin' and screamin' into your new future!

Is It A Risk - Or Just Your Self-Belief?

I wanted to share an observation I had recently. I've been looking at the difference in attitude people have to risk, and how it controls their life.

We all have an idea of how much risk we feel comfortable with, and, it is very unusual to be able to step outside your personal comfort zone in relation to it. That is, unless something happens that makes you re-assess what the relevant risk is.

For example, back in January 2001, I would have never had contemplated ditching my career (that I had worked very hard on for 15 years), and just quit my job without ANY form of income to pay the bills.

Yet, on 1st December 2001 - I did exactly that. Because something changed. I realized that my sanity and my family needed me more than the perceived risky position I would put myself in by doing so.

However, I don't recommend having a near-nervous breakdown in order to change your attitude to risk!

Quite often, what we feel as 'security' means nothing of the sort. The are many people who believed that they had secure jobs, yet end up losing them when the company they work for gets taken over, or the state of the economy changes.

We are conditioned to work ourselves to the bone now in order to live comfortably in retirement - yet, who KNOWS what's going to happen when we get there? (Unfortunately, there are some who don't even make it that far to enjoy their hard-earned 'prize').

I know that you are on certainly on the right track because YOU want to better yourself, don't you?

YOU realize that standing still means that in effect - you're left behind.

YOU realize that, unless you make some changes in what you do NOW - then you will be at the mercy of other peoples' decisions for the rest of your life.

That's why risk is something that you need to change your attitude towards. Now...I'm not for a moment recommending that you quit your job like I did - just to see if you can force yourself to make things happen.

What I am suggesting is that you look at things a little differently.

For example, I have a friend who is a multi-millionaire real estate investor. He has millions to his name in debt. In fact, he has gone on record to say that he LOVES being in debt - because it allows him to buy (and benefit from) real estate.

Yet, if you're like most of us - you look forward to the day when your mortgage is paid off, or when you can get that zero balance on those credit cards.

I was certainly like that up until the last year or so once I realized that I was viewing certain forms of debt as 'risk' when, in fact, all it is other peoples (banks) money that they are lending to me to allow me to make MORE than I would have if I had my own!

Of course, it helps if you know what you're doing, and not just borrowing to fuel dreams instead of following systems...but that's for another day.

What I am trying to get across to you is that, so what if something makes you feel a little uncomfortable - if it is bringing the best out in you.

I knew that sharing my life with YOU was a risk when I first started out back in 2001, but thanks to doing so, I now have many friends whom I've never met who know me, and like me.

Without taking that risk - I wouldn't be still writing today, as I would have talked myself out of it by now!

(Read that sentence again - it's a very powerful thing to remember!)

Once you start to believe in what you are capable of, then you will truly understand why most risks are entirely within your control - and THAT will change your life!

So...what do YOU currently think about the risks in YOUR life?

Any comments welcome as always here...

A Day Of Abundance Or Coincidence?

Something happened to my this last Wednesday that, no doubt, you will probably just put down to coincidence.

Knowing how the Law of Attraction and an abundance mindset works, I look upon it a little differently!

There I was, on my daily one mile walk to school with my 10-year-old, Katie.

About halfway through the walk, I spotted a 2 pence coin in the middle of the road as we crossed it.

After checking that I wouldn't get run over, I picked it up, and gave it to a smiling Katie.

Now, I never used to pick up pennies if I saw them, though my wife, Lesley always did.

In fact - it's part of my wealth and abundance mentality I share in my Our Wealth Partnership Newsletter

Part of having an abundance mindset, you see.

Anyway...

About 5 steps later, on the path in front of us...there was a penny.

So...we picked it up, and in it went into Katie's pocket.

About 10 steps later, we found ANOTHER penny!

By now, Katie was jumping up and down with excitement (don't you just love the way kids just enjoy the moment for what it is, without any embarrassment?).

Three coins and 4p in the space of a matter of seconds.

It beat my previous record of two coins on one journey!

It certainly gave us both something to talk about (I like to try and give her little mindset nudges as we walk)...and it certainly beat the regular-as-clockwork...

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'C'"
"Car"
"Yes"

...routine that we do most days - which usually involves 90% of the SAME eye-spies!

So...there we were, walking into the school playground, when there - staring up at me...was ANOTHER penny!

Katie was now jumping up and down, and couldn't wait to tell her grandad Dave (Lesley's dad) about it when she got home after school. (He prides himself on walking with his nose to the ground!)

Would you believe it - FOUR coins on one walk!

Katie now had 5p in her coat pocket and she ran off excitedly to tell her best friend about it.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention...

We hadn't been consciously making the effort of LOOKING for coins on the floor all this time, even after we found the first couple.

I'm a firm believer that if you are trying to search for something - you'll stand a better chance of finding it if you do something completely different and focus on something else.

On the walk home, I didn't think much about all this until approximately the same spot where we found the first coin.

Just for fun...I said to myself...

"OK, let's see if this is a sign. I'll believe you if I find another coi...."

Before I could finish the word 'coin'...a brand-new shiny 2p was staring up at me! (the other coins had all been old and a little battered).

I didn't need much more persuading about the message behind it all.

When I got home and told Lesley - she couldn't believe it. Four coins in the space of ten minutes.

You may be thinking "You're were just lucky" or perhaps "So what - it's only 7p!"

I know a little differently!

So...the day goes by and I have to do something that I'll share with you at the end of this little story.

Come 2:45pm - it's off for the walk to pick Katie up from school.

3pm and she comes running out screeching 'Dad, dad...guess what I found!"

(Go on...you know what she's going to say!)

"Just as we were getting changed for P.E. - I found a 20p on the floor! I've now got 25p!"

You should have seen her face when I told her that I found another coin on the way home that morning!

Katie was jumping up and down, a huge smile on her face...she couldn't believe her luck.

On the walk home, we had to go and pick up my two-year-old, Skye from nursery.

And...as I wheeled her buggy out of the school something caught my eye on the floor.

Yes, you've guessed it...it was a brand-new shiny penny - just as sparkling as the 2p I had found earlier.

I knew then that those two shiny coins would be stuck on my 'dream board' (I'm looking at them now, in fact) as a reminder to me.

So...SEVEN coins...28p (about 50c) richer...I had a little chuckle to myself.

As Katie was excitedly telling her grandad Dave on the phone about her amazing coin-discovering day, I had a little chuckle to myself.

On the day that the Universe had sent us about 50c...I had paid the sterling equivalent of $130k in tax!

Don't you just love it when 'coincidences' like that happen.

Or was it just a sign of the abundance out there? :-)

Decisions, Actions...And Numbers

My brand new "Our Wealth Partnership" newsletter is released this coming Wednesday 1st November.

Click here to discover the answers to twelve very important questions about it...and two reasons why it's in your interest to get on the 'Early Bird' list.

I want to share with you why it is so important to make decisions, and how to take action on those decisions.

There are many, many, people who are better qualified, more talented, more ‘clever’, and more driven than me.

(And you!)

And…there are also many people who take action more than I do.

But (and I say this without bragging) – I am more successful than 95% of my peers, both in the Internet marketing industry, and the self-improvement industry.

I often wondered why – because, let’s face it, I’m nobody special about from being very passionate about what I do.

(There’s a huge clue for YOUR success there.)

I’m also nobody special apart from being able to make MANY decisions about what I want to do with my life.

And, I’m also happy to ditch ideas that don’t ‘work’ for me – even if I thought that they were the best thing ever when I came up with them.

If you’ve been a subscriber for some time…you may well be aware of at least six different websites/products/ideas that I have started – yet never really got off of the ground.

ALL of the most successful (and honest!) gurus I have met have a graveyard of ideas that never made it – yet they have STILL achieved great things despite this.

The more you learn about what motivates and inspires you (whatever job or task you do), the more you will be able to make yourself more ‘bullet proof’ from a negativity and lack mindset.

The more ideas you have about what you want from life, you will be more likely to align yourself with the person (or people) who can help you get there.

The more decisions you make, the bigger chance you have of making the right one.

The more action you take (based on those decisions – not just action for action sake), the more likely you will make just ONE of them succeed.

The more you realize that everything is more down to mindset and application of that mindset, rather than the technical aspects of the action you take – the easier it will be to do ALL of the above!

Does any of this make sense to you?

To be honest…it’s the first time that I have ‘dumped’ my thinking path into the written word in this way, and I’ve just realized for the first time that I DO really have a structure to my past (and future) successes!

And, in this case, it doesn’t matter whether you are a strict task-list monster, or ‘wing it’ a little like I do.

It’s all about the numbers.

In the same way that network marketers know that, if you get the message in front of enough people, the more chance you will get it in front of the RIGHT people.

In the same way that, once you find a process that works for you, you continue to evolve it, instead of jumping off when the ‘next big thing’ comes along.

(I’ve been as guilty as anyone else in this respect in the past!)

But…the problems occur when you aren’t really sure what you want from your life, or lack the confidence/belief to move towards a goal that you have identified.

Then you have to be careful of those ‘false gurus’, as I mentioned on the "The Truth About Becoming Wealthy" Online Seminar.

But, even then, it’s still a numbers game…as it may take you a few ‘false gurus’ to find one or two that can really help you make a difference in your life.

Of course it isn’t easy to remain focused on what you REALLY want out of your life…but it’s much easier to do so once you understand that, if you work the numbers in your favour, it’s not a case of if…but WHEN!

Believe To Succeed? You'd Better Believe It!

Success is all about who you are and how you BELIEVE how talented you are.

There are many world-famous people whom are no more talented in their respective fields than many people who don't become famous.

For example...is Tom Cruise better at his craft than an actor who regularly stars in a Shakespeare play?

There are stories of many 'could have been' sportsmen and women who regularly beat future world champions when they were younger yet never quite made it.

There are many amazingly talented inventors that didn't have the world-wide success of James Dyson.

And...there are certainly more talented entrepreneurs in many different aspects of business who possess more raw 'natural talent' than Richard Branson or Bill Gates.

So...why did THEY make it...and the others didn't?

Well...dedication to consistently learning their craft is one reason.

Even Tiger Woods practices for hours a day and has a coach, both for the technical aspects of golf...but also to keep his mindset focused.

Tiger Woods may be a seriously talented player...but he knows not to take it for granted that he can just 'turn up' and win every tournament he plays in.

And...he knows that, just like he did, there is always the next pretender waiting in the wings to take his crown...who will probably be more naturally talented than he is.

But...as he BELIEVES in his ability to win tournaments - mentally he is ahead of the game compared to many of his (still hugely successful) competitors.

I do! (there...I've said it!)

I certainly believe that the ONLY thing holding me back from what I REALLY want in my life is myself.

The quality of my thoughts primarily...but also my ability to take ACTION based on those thoughts.

I used to spend half my life focusing on what I didn't have...or why I did or said something that worked out wrong...or even why someone else had something, and I didn't?

Sound familiar?

(Perhaps you've been there...or ARE there?)

I know that you and I are certainly no more talented than many of our peers. I know and accept that. Do you?

(Guess I finally worked out what that phrase I've heard many times really means!)

It's time for you to stop worrying about what you can't do, and people whose actions you can't control...and instead focus on what you COULD do if only you would let yourself.

Of course...it's always easy to read this sort of stuff...but putting it into practice is a different matter.

Guess why I'm now setting more time aside for just working on myself and my thoughts rather than my work and my business?

Irrespective of your financial situation, health, relationship problems, or anything else...I guarantee that someone who was worse off than you has made a huge success of their life...on THEIR terms.

It's time for you to start looking at what you really THINK about yourself.

The chance to have an amazing life is down to YOU...and it's time for YOU to take responsibility for your success or failure at it!

Happiness = Success, More or Less? It's Your Decision

I've lost track of how much I've written about this success stuff over the last few years.

But...even though I write about - I STILL need a reminder of the important things that I should be focusing on life!

As I believe should YOU, too.

Whilst all of the hustle and bustle of life goes on around us - it's easy to forget one very important thing...

Easier said than done, right?

Well...not really.

For example...despite my best efforts, there are still a few things in my life that I don't look forward to doing...

- my accounts
- cutting the grass
- DIY
- making and answering phone calls
- cleaning the kitchen
- Lesley moving the house around (yeh I know - it's a man thing!)
- being sociable because I am expected to
- doing the same thing more than once

(Bet you've got a list like that, too!)

But...it's only until the last year or so that I realized that the stuff I didn't like to do was under my complete control.

So...even though it's not particularly cost-effective - I now pay someone to cut my grass for me.

My return on investment has been HUGE!

Here's why...

1 - I no longer look at the long grass that needs cutting and feel miserable.
2 - I no longer beat myself up over the fact that I should be cutting the grass.
3 - I no longer have to feel guilty when Lesley gets fed up with waiting for me to do it, and does it herself.
4 - I no longer get sarcastic little comments from said wife enquiring as to when I would be likely to 'get on with it'.
5 - I no longer look at my landscaped garden and worry how much the uncut grass is ruining it.

You get the picture!

In fact...apart from the little bit of pain when I have to pay the money - the grass has now become a complete non-event in our house.

Except when Lesley and I both comment about how much nicer it looks, how much better it is taken care of, and how we no longer have to argue about it getting done.

All in all...happiness all round.

Which, to get back on the track of where we started is where YOU should be aiming ALL of your life towards!

Sure...sometimes it might not be an option to pay someone to cut your grass for example (to take your mind off of it - just put your Ipod or whatever on...and listen to some self-improvement audios while you do it, like I used to).

But...if you are constantly looking at how you can get more enjoyment and happiness out of your life, instead how bad things are...there will only be one way your life can go from that point on....

...and that is UP!!!

P.S. Why don't you share your little pet hates in the comments section below. Just getting 'em off of your chest can be a good thing!

Recommended Resource

I can say without hesitation that this book changed my life.

If you love Think and Grow Rich...then wait until you discover the book that started it all, one that I firmly believe is more life-changing that its smaller cousin. I loved it so much that I spent months scanning in every single page by hand just so that I could share it with you.

Go here and discover why The Law of Success is Napoleon Hill's greatest work...

Focusing On Your Successful Life?

It's been a while since I last wrote to you...perhaps the longest period of time I have not written anything motivational since I started back in 2001.

Why's that?

Well...as you probably know, I 'play' at different things on the Internet. I earn a lot of money from Google Adsense, and currently have a few people who are paying me to mentor them.

Also...I'm constantly evolving my knowledge about what currently works online, and also, working on applications that will 'meet up' with where I believe that the Internet is heading over the next year or two.

Plus, and perhaps most importantly - I'm spending a lot of my time just doing what I love to do...both in my business, and in my personal life.

So...why am I telling you all this?

Well, I was having a conversation the other day with someone who has been travelling around the world for a year. In fact, it was Connor's former community 'nurse' who helped us from the day he was born to the day we lost him.

After being out of the rat-race for a year, she now understands that, for the last 20 years of her working life...she had her blinkers on.

Sure...there IS a place in most peoples' lives for a job that is challenging, interesting, and pays well.

But, there is also a place for many other people (perhaps YOU) where there should be a reverse in the balance of working and living.

Of course, mortgages need to be paid and money needs to be earned to live a reasonable life in our world.

But...there is something BIGGER at play here.

Most of us stumble through our lives, paycheck to paycheck, wishing for the day when we can retire and enjoy life, wouldn't you agree?

Or we work hard all year - just so that we can take a vacation to recharge our batteries.

And...in the end, most of us just accept that this is the way it HAS to be, because millions of people like us do (and live for) exactly that, right?

Well...it doesn't HAVE to be like that!

Yet...I work longer than I ever have done. My PC is on seven days a week, almost every week.

But I don't need to go on vacation. I don't care about when (or if) I retire.

And, even though I have the sole responsibility of providing for my family...my life isn't the least bit stressful.

Now...I'm not for a moment suggesting that you up and quit your job and start out on your own.

In fact...it might be the WORST thing you could do for where you (and your mind) currently are.

And, there are many, many more stressful people who work for themselves.

So...why is my life relatively 'easy'?

It's because everything starts in my mind...not from a perspective of reacting to what other people say and do.

An example...

Sometimes Lesley gets wound up with family 'politics' and 'he-said-she-said' stuff that, quite often indirectly impacts upon us (I've got quite a large family!).

And it really gets on her nerves when I just say 'so what' or don't happen to have an opinion on the situation.

She just can't understand why I don't get angry (or even get involved!) when other people do and say stuff that they shouldn't.

Me. I am honestly not bothered because I KNOW that I have two choices:

1) Let the words and actions of other people decide the outcome of my day and my mood.
2) Let my day and my mood be decided by ME alone.

Guess why I love #2?

By not reacting...I remain in total control of the direction of my life.

I can tell you, though, that in a few situations...it's not always easy to step back and NOT let yourself get involved!

And this applies to YOU, too!

But...the way that I have found to work on this aspect of my life is to take it in stages.

- From 2001 onwards, I worked on my attitudes to work-life balance and 'job security'.
- It's also taken me since then to get to the point where I can TRUST my instincts about the role my mindset plays on my life.
- Last year was the year to sort out my finances.
- And this year it is my health.

Next year?

Well...it's going to be securing my family's financial future in the longer term.

And...all through this, there is the constant education of re-wiring my brain to believe that what you can't see plays the biggest role in your future, not just what action you take.

So...what will YOU be working on for the rest of this year?

The Law Of Attraction. Is There Anything New?

Well...I just finished going through something I mentioned to you last week.

It's got a stupid name - Banabu, but the quality of the content is far from stupid!

The author, Mike Kemski has done a great job of explaining the process of "The Law of Attraction" - in real life terms.

In fact...I would go so far to say that if you like my style of writing...then you'll certainly like his!

I recognized that Mike is someone who knows what he is talking about when I read things like this from the main ebook...

"The only thing that will ever change the quality of your life is a decision you make."

"Life is about experiencing it, not figuring it out."

He breaks everything down into 11 simple principles...which form the basis of they way he runs his (very successful) life.

Now...I'd like to think that I know a little about this success stuff...but I managed to find out something new about myself from Principle 9.

And, I couldn't agree more with the title of Principle 8.

Not only does Mike write well, he has also included audio sections which complement the additional workbook.

The most powerful 'idea' for me out of the whole thing was his 'why didn't I think of that' process of manifestation T.E.A.R.

Banabu is one of those resources...and I highly recommend that you go here and check it out for yourself.

If you're new to the idea of "The Law of Attraction" then this is a fantastic (and interesting) insight to the very process that has catapulted both my income and my confidence over the last couple of years.

And...if you think that you might have read it all (like I thought I did!) - then you will certainly get some 'food for thought' about how to refine what you already know about the subject.

Interesting stuff...and I believe that it is worth your while to at least read the 115-page main ebook, even if you can't manage to listen to the audios and work through the workbook.

Click here to find out more about Banabu.

I was going to write an article for you today, but, to be honest...your time would be better spent elsewhere today!

If you haven't already - go and get Mike's free The Human "D Cell" Report!. It's only 10 pages long and worth the short time it takes to read.

And...if you are really interested in seeing how to attract more of, well, everything, into your life - then go and get Banabu - and spend the time reading that instead!

That's it for this week...'normal service' will be resumed next week...when I might finally get around to sharing with you some of the exciting things I have planned!

That's unless life gets in the way again!

Your Wealth And Your Mindset.
What's The Connection Here?

Seems I've got a mixed response to my new "Our Wealth Partnership" idea.

If you want to read the comments, or just find out what I'm going on about - you can just click here...

Click here - Our Wealth Partnership - what do YOU think?

Michel Fortin is one of the Net's most successful copywriters...and speaks at many Internet marketing seminars.

Yet...he still has to deal with people not paying him, or trying to take advantage of him - even though he is looked upon as a 'guru'.

Even though he undoubtedly earns a serious amount of money by most peoples' expectations - I can tell by what he wrote in his blog post that, for some reason, he is STILL attracting the wrong sort of clients despite making a conscious effort not to do so.

If you're interested - check out this post on Michel Fortin's blog...and afterwards scroll down and read the comment I made about this very thing!

I look at money a lot differently than I used to less than two years ago.

Even though it is certainly nice to have a positive bank balance rather than huge credit card debts...my attitude to what constitutes 'wealth' has changed.

I realized that, by focusing on what I DID'T have (money)...I was consistently attracting a LACK of it into my life.

And...once I mentally turned the switch from building my business to earn a specific income, to building it around my required lifestyle and strengths - I've never looked back.

And...funnily enough...my income levels have increased because of it.

One key element that I should mention, however.

Sure...I didn't work particularly harder, I just worked a little smarter by playing to my strengths.

The rest seemed to fall into place very nicely, thank you.

Yet...there is still part of me that has a lack mentality - especially where this ezine is concerned.

For the last four-and-a-half years, I've missed writing about six weekly issues.

I've felt it necessary to over-deliver in terms of what I write because I want to help YOU make the most of YOUR life.

It's a little like many children of very rich people.

Because they haven't had to 'live' in the real world, make their own mistakes, and pay their own way - they can't possibly make the most of their skills and their lives - because 'daddy' will always bail them out.

So...what has all this got to do with YOU?

Well...the charity stops here. This week.

From next week...well, you'll find out.

But...things are going to be changing around here that's for sure!

You may not like it, or appreciate it.

But, it's something that needs to be done otherwise I, personally, aren't being true to what I believe about myself.

You'll find out next week...

Ignore What They Say - Be Inspired!

I've spent the last few days getting back up straight after spending most of the last month away from the day-to-day business of doing this stuff.

On my ideas notepad in front of me - I have nine things that I want to do that will move both myself and my business forward.

Yet..I probably have at least half a dozen other things that are already in motion, or have been started.

Most 'gurus' will tell you that you should always finish what you start before you go off and start something else.

Well...I'm certainly no guru...just a normal person like you, and if I find something new more challenging and exciting than stuff I thought of doing a year ago - then I'm going to move towards what inspires me!

Life has an uncanny habit of forcing you off of the easy path...and onto one that's a little more 'interesting'.

It's only when we look back that we often realize that the easy path wasn't the right one, nor the easiest one in the long term.

Once you get yourself away from day-to-day, and look at what really fires you up, you'll soon find that even the 'down' times can be fantastic steps forward.

Everything happens for a reason, whether we like it or not.

Sure...a lot of the time, you may not exactly have a say in it happening to you (like with my son), but ultimately - everything that happens to you enables you to refine what you really want from your life.

Let's face it...unless you know what 'bad' or 'failure' is - then how can you judge what 'good' or 'success' means to you?

The trouble starts when you evaluate what success is based on somebody else's criteria.

The how-to gurus, the biz-opp players...they'll all tell you that earning 'x' is the way to go if you follow their system, but, their system is usually flawed.

What's the point in you getting yourself into a position so that you can pay off your mortgage if your wife and kids have left you, and you are so ill that you can barely walk?

Take me, for example.

I could easily spend another six months on the road...making some very nice money in the process, but undoubtedly my relationship with my wife would suffer.

- And I'd miss spending time with my two daughters.
- And I'd be miserable schlepping from hotel to hotel.
- And I'd be bored teaching different people the same thing.
- And I wouldn't have time to work on my ideas.
- And I would be eating fast food regularly and getting fatter and more unhealthy
- And I'd just be creating another 'job' for myself where I can't just wake up in the morning and decide to do what I want.

In fact...even though I'd be earning some very nice money...the reason for me doing what I do would be lost.

Continue this for a few years...and sure, I'd be able to buy whatever I wanted...yet be as miserable as hell!

So...be careful not to take for granted the very reason why you want to make more of your life in the first place.

And, funnily enough, I have attracted so much more money into my own life once I stopped doing stuff solely to acquire it!

Of course...you need to eat. You need to pay the bills.

But...a lot of these things will take care of themselves once you decide to get out of your comfort zone and start pushing yourself to find out what really inspires you.

Start small...just a few hours a week, and eventually you'll find something that you are absolutely world-class at.

After...that's when the real fun begins!

Stop Comparing - Start Believing...

Sometimes it's not easy to find inspiration when everything seems to be going wrong.

Yet...we often need the 'down' times in order for us to realize that the 'not-down' times aren't so bad after all.

You and I are constantly comparing everything in our lives. We can't help it.

But...don't you realize that most of the time - you are comparing yourself and your achievements unfavorably?

I'm guilty as charged, too - so it's not just you!

But...you CAN turn the corner and start focusing on why you are BETTER than you think.

The first step is to just be happy with who you are what you are trying to achieve.

Stop trying to compare yourself against others as you will, quite naturally, focus on what THEY are better at than you - rather than the other way around!

And...now that YOU are aware of this - you can understand that doing so isn't going to help you much, is it?

The second step is to just accept that there are some things that you will NEVER be good at.

Let's face it - even the 'greatest' have their faults.

The most successful people don't dwell on why they can't do something - they just focus on what they KNOW that they are good at.

And...finally - the third and last step is to just consistently build on what comes naturally to you.

- If you are an excellent organizer - get yourself into positions that allow you to flourish.

- If you are a fantastic parent - then look at ways that you can make the most of this very desirable skill.

- If you are great at motivating people - then get in front of as many of them as you can!

I think that you get the idea!

Take it from me - quite often, you won't realize how great you really are at something until you realize that you find it easy to do.

And...if you can't put your finger on what you really excel at - just ask around.

Your family, friends, and work colleagues will soon be able to tell you exactly what you're good at.

And...once you have that confidence in your particular ability - nothing will be able to stop you!

The Answer To Everything IS There...

I love a challenge - especially when I haven't got a clue how I'm going to rise to it!

I have just this second, received an email from someone asking my advice about something Internet marketing related which, quite frankly, is out of my 'knowledge zone'...and my 'belief in my ability' level.

What would YOU do?

I'll tell you what I would have done a few years ago - admit defeat and just tell them that I can't help them.

Now?

Well...as I've literally just received this email - I'm sharing with you my absolute first reaction to it...

"How can I find a way to make this happen? There must be an answer somewhere!"

Don't you just love sentences beginning with 'How'?

Even though I don't consciously KNOW the answer...I also know that the answer to anything is not that far away!

I bet you're wondering what the key to finding it is?

Well...just get down everything you consciously know on paper. Give it a little creative thought.

Then leave well alone for a while so that you don't get in the way of your subconscious mind as it seeks a solution for you.

As I'm writing this to you - I don't have a solution.

But I know that the Universe does.

And it's waiting for me to find it!

Your De-Motivating Label?

It's easy to label yourself as a particular person.

Trouble is - it then restricts your way of thinking. For example, this week, I have taken on roles such as:

- project manager,
- writer,
- desktop publisher,
- coach,
- techy,
- trainer,
- speaker,
- copywriter,
- web designer (of sorts),
- (semi-)programmer,
- code installer.

And...don't forget father, husband, and tidy-upper!

In my old life I just worked in a bank. That's all I did, and that's all I told people - whether I did other stuff in the evenings or weekends.

You could argue that I am doing too many different things to make the best of the ones I'm good at.

Well, my argument to that is that YOU need to take on varied roles like these in order to:

1) Help yourself grow
2) Help yourself find out the stuff that you don't like doing

Plus...it will constantly remind you that you are 'bigger' than just the 'job' you do.

In my case, guess why I find it so difficult to explain what I do for a living when people ask me?

You're World-Class, Do You Know That?

I've had a few coaching telephone calls over the last week...and, even though they were with completely different people from completely different backgrounds with completely different issues - there were some amazing similarities.

Well...perhaps I should say amazing similarities in terms of what the most effective 'solution' to their current 'problems' were.

The more I think and talk about this - the more I realize how simple self-improvement CAN be - if you let it.

Of course - change doesn't usually happen overnight - but it can certainly happen a lot more quickly if you look at these very important areas of your life:

What are YOU good at?

What do YOU find comes naturally to you?

What talent do YOU have that other people wish they had?

What particular skill do YOU find challenging to develop (in a good way)?

What can YOU do that, when you've finished, you wonder where the time has gone?

Now...

I'm not talking about how good you are DOING someTHING.

I'm also talking about how good you are BEING someONE.

For example, it is only now, some years later - that I have realized that I was a great motivator of people who worked for me.

This was a few years before I even thought about 'teaching' self-improvement - yet, this was obviously the seed of a talent that I undoubtedly had - yet, until the age of thirty-two never even thought existed.

That's why I always challenge people who say that they aren't particularly skilled at something to actually think about those things that they find easy to DO.

Quite often - the fact that you find something easy to do means that you obviously have a talent for it.

Don't always take this literally.

Just because you are a good manager doesn't mean that you will be a good motivational speaker. It might mean that you are excellent at co-ordinating people of different talents.

Just because you are organized with your paperwork at home, it doesn't mean that you must show other people how to be that way - you might just be the world's best personal assistant.

The key here is to TRY something...ANY-thing that remotely interests and challenges you at the same time.

The more you experiment will doing different things in your life (whether home- or work-related) - the more you will find out about what REALLY inspires you, and what you EXCEL at.

I firmly believe that YOU have a talent, whether measurable or not, that is WORLD-CLASS, that other people would envy.

It's down to you alone to find it.

So - what are you waiting for?

Go On Then - Make That Decision...

Are you a decision maker?

Why am I asking?

Well...I've spent the last two days making some big decisions in relation the future direction of what I want to do with my business, and it go me thinking...

Isn't the ability to make quick decisions a trait of successful people?

I'd like to think so.

In fact, I KNOW so.

Why?

Well...a couple of weeks ago at a seminar I met a number of decision makers.

Sure, they had made a decision to be there, but they had also made the decision to take the opportunity to spend some time looking how they could apply their new knowledge.

The task-lists were flying!

One interesting thing I found was that, as I was out of my normal, sit-at-my-pc-all-day-in-my-study routine - it was easier for me to step outside of my business and think more long-term, instead of just dealing with the day-to-day.

The result?

Mr Lazy Entrepreneur has almost done a full working week this week - the first time in a fair few months, that's for sure!

Does that mean that I am succumbing to those people who tell you that you should be constantly working yourself into the ground?

Err - no.

What it means is that I am so full of ideas, action-plans, and focus on the future that all REAL inspiration should bring.

And, boy, am I having to make some serious decisions!

As you may have noticed - I released Self-Improvement Review this week, and next week I am finishing up on another project that relates to other things I do online.

In a sense - I'm also de-cluttering some of my long-term projects that have been started for some time (even years!) - yet haven't quite been finished.

Organizing the proper promotion of my Home Study Program - The Truth About Success is one of those items that has been on my agenda for some time.

It's a brilliant, and life-changing resource (not my words - just take a look at the testimonials on the site) - and I feel that it's about time that I gave it the attention it deserves.

I bet you've probably got a few things that you KNOW that you SHOULD have done by now but haven't, don't you?

It might be painting the house, clearing out the garage, making those phone calls, or working through that course you bought.

The thing is - and I've mentioned this a few times before - the very fact that something needs doing is taking your focus away from the GOOD stuff that challenges, inspires, and motivates you.

For example, I'm overdue on going through all my tax stuff - and it's constantly nagging away at me that I should have done it all a couple of months ago.

Guess what the first thing I'm going to do is when I finish the project I'm currently working on?

Not a nice decision to make - to do something that you can't be bothered to do - but, once it's out of the way, you'll be amazed at what opportunities and ideas will flood into your mind to replace it.

Perhaps that's why I let things build up - so that I can make the most of all that NEW space in my head?!

There's never a better time to make a decision when you don't want to.

The most successful people make the most difficult (but informed) decisions at various stages of their lives - so don't you think that YOU ought to try to think that way, too?

As always - it's up to you.

YOUR success is down to YOU - no one else.

The Split-Second Path To Lazy Abundance

One of the biggest realizations came to me when I decided to resign from a 'proper' job and work for myself.

Literally overnight I decided to quit...despite not having any prospective means of supporting my family.

As if by magic...my depression lifted. I felt healthier. I smiled more.

And, the biggest realization?

I realized that, in the that split second, NOTHING outward had changed...I had just decided to quit - and hadn't actually even told my wife, Lesley about it, nor had I actually handed in my notice to my employer.

Yet...physically, emotionally, and mentally - EVERYTHING changed!

In that split-second I realized that my mind and my thoughts have a huge effect on the quality of my life.

And...if I could stop taking anti-depressants in that split second...then surely there were greater things that I could achieve as well.

Just at that moment I realized that what I focused my thoughts upon created the reality that I lived in.

One moment...I was miserable, the next inspired.

Literally overnight, I changed as a person as I reached (and pushed past) mentally-imposed limits that I had set for myself.

In the four years since - I have reached higher highs and lower lows than at ANY other time in my life - yet, armed with the knowledge that I am the one who is ultimate control of what 'gets to me' - I lead a life that most people would call stress free.

Stress free enough that I spent four hours on a golf course with my brother, Mark, today - whilst all of my old colleagues stood by a coffee machine complaining at how 'unlucky' they were.

Stress free enough that, despite not necessarily needing to, I felt that I owed YOU some words of motivation this afternoon before I put my feet up and read some more of my book.

Now...I'm certainly not saying this to brag as some days I work longer hours than most people I know, plus do a little bit at weekends, too.

And, I certainly haven't taken it easy over the last four years...I've taken more action during that time than most people do in a lifetime.

My brother Mark laughs at me because he reckons that I must do the least amount of work amongst everyone he knows!

It's true. But...because I know when, how, and why I work - I do less but achieve much more.

Because I know that I can...as I know that YOU can, too.

Life isn't about working to live...it's about making the best of what it throws at you - good and bad.

Me - I could work MUCH 'harder'...make much more...yet miss out on spending time being a part of my daughters' lives.

YOU - I bet that, if you really thought about it...YOU could make decisions and take action that would change the QUALITY of YOUR life overnight.

I'm not talking about quitting your job like I did.

I'm talking about focusing on ONE single positive thing in your day that really INSPIRES you to make more of yourself.

I'm different in that I don't like to measure my success in monetary terms. I'd much rather be abundantly happy, challenged, and inspired than be saddled with the pressure to chase an ever-increasing need to earn to keep up with my spending.

New gadgets, TVs, or cars don't inspire me.

Having done less of what I don't enjoy and more of what I do, for what I get in return, is what REALLY lights my fire inside.

I can tell you...the satisfaction you get from knowing that you are 'on form' - just for minutes in a day really motivates you.

Yet...all it takes is clicking that switch over in your brain that screams 'victim'...and turn it to the satisfying hum of 'I'm in control of my own destiny'.

Once you realize, like I did, that life's more about what you can't see than what you can...there'll be no stopping you!

Just try it and see.

So - Why Aren't YOU Doing It Then?

It's easy to find ways not to do things, isn't it?

One minute, you're quite happily chugging along deeply involved in what you're doing - and next minute you're staring aimlessly out to space wondering if you can be bothered to carry on.

Bet you've been there too, right?

Most people will tell you that you should be inspired and 'fired-up' all of the time.

They're wrong.

You don't HAVE to be like that if you want to live the life of your dreams.

In fact - you only need to be inspired for just a few hours at a time - and STILL succeed.

The problem is that you have been conditioned to EXPECT to work hard, work long, and let work rule your life.

Me? I much prefer to let my life rule my work!

I can do this because I know that when I'm at my best - I can create amazing amounts of work and accomplish great things.

And...when I'm not really in the mood - then I'll just sit staring at my PC and start regular trips to the fridge!

So...instead of FORCING myself to constantly 'work' - I instead I make sure that, in those times that I don't really feel inspired - I do something constructive instead.

So...instead of complaining that I'm not motivated - I just do one of these things instead...

- Read a marketing newsletter that I'm a subscriber of
- Watch the DVDs of an Internet seminar that I couldn't manage to get to
- Play around with some program code that relates to my business
- Read a self improvement or marketing book
- Listen to similar recordings on my Ipod (I even listen to it as I go grocery shopping or on the walk back from taking Katie to school.)

Occasionally - I might give myself some 'mental' time off.

I was on vacation last week - and didn't do a SINGLE thing relating to work - just focused on spending quality time with my family. (Perhaps surprisingly - when I worked in a 9-5 job - I found it extremely difficult to 'switch off' like this.)

Also recently - that good old English game of cricket has been quite exciting to watch - so I've allowed myself the odd hour here or there to get caught up in the excitement of it all.

Remember - in my line of work I still HAVE to work regularly (and creatively) in order to provide for my family as my income is certainly not guaranteed every month.

Now - you may well be different to me in that you work in a 9-5 job.

Generally - your approach shouldn't be much different - though of course you have a real boss to answer to whereas I only have my wife, Lesley to answer to!

If at all possible in your work - make sure that you do your BEST work first.

Why?

Well - for a start - it gets your momentum going...and a little bit of 'success' under your belt before you approach the other stuff is always a good thing.

Secondly - challenge yourself to 'beat' that particular task that you might not be fond of. It may be that you aim to get it done more quickly every time - or that you do more of it each time you do it.

Perhaps most importantly - whatever line of work you do...

Use the time that you are NOT at work in a way that helps you get to where you want to go.

So...

- If you love your job and want a promotion - get in earlier or stay later to accomplish more and get noticed. And, especially - watch what your boss does and his boss does. Whether you like it or not - they have been promoted in the past for a reason!

- If you don't mind your job but have a great hobby - then look at ways you can become an 'expert' in that hobby by perhaps writing down/recording your knowledge about that subject. (This topic alone is a massive one too big to cover in one go!)

- If you hate your job then find out what sort of job you would really like to do - and read up on it, become involved in it (even unpaid) so that you will be prepared to take that step.

- And, if you work for yourself like I do - make sure that you constantly acquire and apply knowledge from ONLY two areas:
+ Your field of expertise
+ Marketing

You may not believe it - but knowledge and application of the last of these two is probably more important than the first...but that's a whole new subject!

Anyway - life's too short to be feeling down about what you feel that you SHOULD be doing - when instead you can be doing something that, if done consistently, WILL allow massive change to happen in YOUR life.

So - what are YOU waiting for?

Hey! Over Here! I Want More of What I Don't Want!

My apologies for it being another two weeks since you last heard from me.

Aside from the 'fun and games' of being a dad - I've been spending an awful lot of time on ideas.

As I mentioned last time, my prosperity this year has increased quite dramatically compared to the last few years.

The main reason for this is that I am spending less time actually WORKING - and more time planning, thinking, creating, and only THEN taking action!

In fact - I actually 'work' a damn site less (in terms of effort) than every person I know.

That's not to brag - it's just to show you that it IS possible to spend all day sitting at your PC - not get much 'done' in terms of output - yet STILL end up with a 'return'.

The Universe certainly moves in mysterious ways, I can tell you!

Sure - in many ways I am still pushing myself in new directions - but not at the expense of any 'pain' - if you get what I mean.

What about YOU? How are YOU doing?

Even though I don't write very often recently - I still DO appreciate YOU reading this.

After all - if it wasn't for YOU - I wouldn't be challenging myself as much as I have done over the last few years!

******
Even though I may only write infrequently these days - don't forget that my Ecourse - "To Our Success" will give you a constant reminder (every 2 days) of things you should be thinking about where success is concerned.

And don't forget - in my opinion, its THE best value on the 'Net! (Especially as I don't want ANYTHING in return for it!)

Go here and sign up if you haven't already done so - "To Our Success Ecourse"

******
As I was saying...

YOUR life could be 'easy' if you 'LET' it.

(Please notice the emphasis on LET!)

You see...I'd like to think that I knew a fair bit about leading a happy and successful life.

After all - you're reading this right now at this very moment because YOU may well believe that I do, too!

(If you don't - then WHY are you reading this?!!)

Anyway...

I certainly do feel that I am in a position to help both myself and other people (like YOU) make a better life for ourselves.

The trouble in the past was that there was always a little niggling thought in my mind that I still found it quite HARD work to make things happen in my life.

You get the picture...having to do stuff because you HAVE to...or SHOULD do.

Or doing things because you NEED to provide a living.

Yeh - sure - I could make things happen in this area - but not without EFFORT.

(Doesn't it make you feel just a little bit tired when you read that word - EFFORT?)

So...that's what I've been spending this year actually getting AWAY from.

To be honest - it's also one of the reasons why I haven't written much. With all the best will in the world - there are many people who don't do anything much with their lives.

Even when they KNOW that they should.

Or perhaps more importantly...COULD!

And...to be honest - despite my best efforts to get my readers to see the positive side to life...my 'email bag' would be chock-full of negativity and doubt.

Sure...that's human nature. And that's fine.

In fact...there are many people who draw strength from telling others how bad their situation is. Or how 'unlucky' they are. Or how little they have.

Trouble is...it's so EASY to get 'infected' by such people. Sometimes - you may even find that you turn into one of them YOURSELF! (I know - I used to be one of them...moaning by the coffee machine about how lucky someone else was at my expense)

Anyway...I'm getting off topic here...

You see...I used to spend half of my time trying to help people who THOUGHT that they wanted help...when in fact...most of the time they just wanted someone else to TELL them what they should be doing with their lives.

Sort of like blaming in reverse.

You ask for advice. You don't act on it. You blame your siutation, the world, the weather, me, your spouse, the kids, the neighbors. (I think you get the picture).

And STILL you wonder why things don't change.

And you still go around telling your work colleagues that your motto is:

"Life's a bitch and then you die"

Sorry if that offends you. Believe me. It should.

I'll let you in on a little secret. That used to be MY motto - for years when I worked in my 9-5 - getting results - but still wanting MORE from life.

Bet you know what I mean, right?

But...it doesn't HAVE to be all 'doom and gloom'.

It doesn't HAVE to be 'this' way.

Except that, perhaps for YOU, it DOES have to!

Until you really find out what you DON'T want from your life - how are you going to know what you DO want?

Yet - many millions of people go through their lives aiming for something that they probably don't want when they get there (if they get there!).

How many people do you know who are saving hard for their retirement - so that, after 40+ years of hard slog - they'll be able to FINALLY do what they want?

How many people do you know who view life as one big competiton vs family, friends, neighbors, colleagues...even if it is at the expense of their health, family life or wealth?

How many people do you know who are working themselves into the ground to prove a point...sadly not always to themselves!

Life doesn't HAVE to be this way...believe me.

I used to work with a guy who was counting the NINETEEN years until he retired on a full 2/3rds pension! What sort of LIFE is that?

Who's to say that he might even get there? Remember - this world of ours moves in ways that we can never explain - good or bad.

If YOU go through life sending out these LACK messages:

- Saving - just in case I don't have anything in the future.
- Competing - just in case there isn't 'enough' to go around.
- Struggling - just to prove something to someone who probably doesn't even care

What sort of messages do YOU think that you are sending out to the Universe?

"Hey Universe, over here! Look at me...I'm scared that I'm not going to be able to have enough of what I really want - can you send some more to me, please?"

Guess what you're going to end up with?

Not more of what you really want that's for sure.

Nope. You're just going to end up with more of wanting more of what you want.

In other words...LESS of what you really want!

A good friend of mine challenged me in front of an audience last year.

I was taking questions after a little talk I had done about "The Law of Attraction" - you know - 'You become what you think about most of the time".

He asked...

"If we become what we think about...how come I am constantly focusing on building my bank balance, and getting rid of my debts - yet I'm still in the 'hole' every month?"

To be honest...it wasn't a question that I had prepared for.

My friend's grin told me that he thought he was getting one over me...something that we'd chuckle over in the hotel bar later that evening.

My answer came to me immediately...without thinking.

"It's because you are focusing on a LACK of black figures in your bank account...and because you are focusing on a LACK of available funds needed to take care of that debt - so guess what you are RECEIVING?"

Let's just say HE bought the drinks that night!

I know...it's not through want of trying that you may not be getting all that you want from your life.

In fact - it may be BECAUSE you are trying too hard NOT to be in the situation you may be in that, by your very thoughts - leads you to get MORE of what you don't want.

Think about it...what you can start changing in order to focus on MORE of something you DO want...instead of focusing on MORE of what you DON' T want?

THAT is a question only YOU can answer.

And...even more importantly - only YOU can change YOUR thoughts in a way that ensures that you are AIMING FOR something instead of RUNNING AWAY from it.

It's up to YOU.

It always is. YOU and NOBODY else.

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

Your Prosperity Key Is In This Paragraph...

Every once in a while I like to just let randomness take me places...

In this case - I just took my often used and dog-eared copy of my favorite self-help book of all time - "The Law of Success In Sixteen Lessons" by Napoleon Hill - and just focused on the first paragraph that caught my eye.

As it turned out - this paragraph from page 9 of Lesson Four - "The Habit of Saving" decided to jump in front of my vision...a timely reminder that the world moves in ways we will never understand...

"Form the habit of thinking and talking of prosperity and abundance, and very soon material evidence of these will begin to manifest itself in the nature of wider opportunity and new and unexpected opportunity."

Guess what?

It DOES!

But it only took me until recently to understand why.

There is one single thing in that paragraph that, if you don't do it...then ALL of the rest will NEVER fall into place.

Now...read the paragraph again with a little more focus...and see if you can spot it. (it's OK...I'll wait)...

"Form the habit of thinking and talking of prosperity and abundance, and very soon material evidence of these will begin to manifest itself in the nature of wider opportunity and new and unexpected opportunity."

Got it?

I've written many times before about it - but, even though I THOUGHT that I put it into practice - looking back - I see that I hadn't.

Sure...I was THINKING about prosperity and abundance.

Of course...I was TALKING about prosperity and abundance.

I most certainly was...LOOKING for wider, new, and unexpected, opportunities to come my way.

(And...I was certainly ACTING on a few of them, too!)

Yet still...even though on many levels I was 'there' - I wasn't QUITE there (if you get my meaning!).

All this thinking, talking, and looking WAS getting me SOMEWHERE that was for certain.

But...

I was still not hitting the target consistently. (there's a clue for you right there!)

And I'll tell you WHY...next time!

But in the meantime - what do YOU think?

The Law Of Increasing Returns

The Law of Increasing Returns is no invention of mine, nor do I lay claim to the discovery of the principle of rendering more service and better service than paid for, as a means of utilizing this Law.

I merely appropriated them, after many years of careful observation of those forces which enter into the attainment of success, just as you will appropriate them after you understand their significance.

You might begin this appropriation process now by trying an experiment which may easily open your eyes and place back of your efforts powers that you did not know you possessed.

I am going to ask you to approach this experiment with full faith that it will mark one of the most important turning-points of your entire life.

I am going to ask you to make the object of this experiment the removal of a mountain that is standing where your temple of success should stand, but where it never can stand until you have removed the mountain.

You may never have noticed the mountain to which I refer, but it is standing there in your way just the same, unless you have already discovered and removed it.

"And what is this mountain?" you ask!

It is the feeling that you have been cheated unless you receive material pay for all the service you render.

That feeling may be unconsciously expressing itself and destroying the very foundation of your temple of success in scores of ways that you have not observed.

In the very lowly bred type of humanity, this feeling usually seeks outward expression in terms something like this:

"I am not paid to do this and I'll be blankety-blankety-blank if I'll do it!"

You know the type to which reference is made; you have met with it many times, but you have never found a single person of this type who was successful, and you never will.

Success must be attracted through understanding and application of laws which are as immutable as is the law of gravitation. It cannot be driven into the corner and captured as one would capture a wild steer.

For this reason you are requested to enter into the following experiment with the object of familiarizing yourself with one of the most important of these laws; namely, the Law of Increasing Returns.

The experiment:
During the next six months make it your business to render useful service to at least one person every day, for which you neither expect nor accept monetary pay.

Go at this experiment with faith that it will uncover for your use one of the most powerful laws that enter into the achievement of enduring success, and you will not be disappointed.

The rendering of this service may take on any one of more than a score of forms. For example, it may be rendered personally to one or more specific persons; or it may be rendered to your employer, in the nature of work that you perform after hours.

Again, it may be rendered to entire strangers whom you never expect to see again. It matters not to whom you render this service so long as you render it with willingness, and solely for the purpose of benefiting others.

If you carry out this experiment in the proper attitude of mind, you will discover that which all others who have become familiar with the law upon which it is based have discovered; namely, that...

You can no more render service without receiving compensation than you can withhold the rendering of it without suffering the loss of reward.

From The Law of Success In Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill

But Is All This Really THAT Important?

Have you ever considered how much you DO that actually doesn't help you one little bit?

We all seem to have so little time in our lives...but what do we do with all that time? I, for one, used to think that I had no 'spare time' whatsoever - yet now, I'm busier but at the same time have MORE free time!

How is that possible?

Well...it all comes down to what's important. Important in the sense that, if money was no object in your life, who and what would you still want from your life.

Yes, I know that money will always seem to be an issue (although it doesn't have to be)...but just humor me for a moment, and spend a little time with me considering the following...

- Who would you still want around you to share in your wealthy lifestyle?

- What activities/hobbies would you wake up looking forward to doing?

- What 'work' (yes, I DID say the dreaded four letter word!) would you actually WANT to do?

I bet you're wondering why you should 'work' even when you don't 'need' to.

Well...you DO need to!

Why?

Unless your mind has something to focus on apart from lying on a beach all day, or spending all day in bed watching TV, then you ARE going to get bored with life!

Honestly.

Ever wondered why people like Bill Gates and Richard Branson continue to work - when, quite obviously to the rest of us, the don't HAVE to?

Well...they do so because they WANT to...and get enjoyment out of doing so.

Richard Branson has said that "I don't think of work as work and play as play. It's all living."

I 100% totally agree with that.

As long, of course, that it doesn't get in the way of the OTHER things that are important in my life...like my family and my health.

Too many people forget that spending all hours to earn a big salary to 'provide for my family' almost always works to the disadvantage of the very same family 'unit' that they are trying to protect.

I've seen the looks on my daughter's classmate's faces as they are told that mummy or daddy can't come to the school play because they have an 'important meeting at work'.

Of course...in the real world...some sacrifices DO have to be made, but unfortunate though it seems, you will NEVER be able to tame that money 'monster'.

Remember a few years ago when you used to be able to live on HALF of what you might live on now?

The more you earn - the more you spend. It's practically one of those unwritten rules of human nature.

It doesn't HAVE to be that way.

But...until you come to a realization for yourself that all the money in the world can't replace being there to see your child's first steps, or to see the pride in their face as they read to you - then I will never be able to convince you otherwise.

For years - I used to be the sort of person whom I now wish that I never was where my family was concerned.

I got lucky...and got 'sent' a special needs son who needed the 24-hour care of both his parents.

I was even 'luckier' in a sense to be given my life back once he left us.

Even though, of course, I would rather have him around...I can now appreciate that just plain smiling and having fun is seriously underrated where leading a successful life is concerned!

YOU might well not be as lucky as I have been...but it's never too late to really look at what you do, day-in-day-out, and see whether what you are doing is THAT important.

People get ulcers because of stress at work...yet all it takes is a laugh with someone you love to wipe away all of that pressure (if you let it of course.)

Many things that we take for granted don't cost us a single thing - whether it's money, effort, or even time.

Yet, it's these very same things that we would most want to have in our lives when we 'make it'.

But, the time you have spent reading this is wasted unless you actually DO something about it.

Your life is in your OWN hands. You already know what's important to you.

I think that it's about time that you did something about it, don't you?

Achieve WHY More...Just By Doing Less

This week I have probably spent only about two hours actually sitting at my desk working.

Not because I was trying to be clever...but because my body finally called 'time' on my efforts at pushing my comfort zones!

Well...OK...the 'flu-type bug that I have had almost non-stop for a few weeks finally came to a head...and completely knocked me out for a few days.

Which was a GOOD thing.

Why?

Well...I probably needed the break away from working and creating for a while.

And...at the exact same time that I 'gave in' to feeling unwell instead of trying to carry on regardless...I began to feel better.

Once I had stopped fighting...everything became clearer.

So...I've spent the last few days lounging on the sofa reading, catching up on videos with Lesley...and generally letting the world of work get on without me.

Which, surprisingly perhaps...empowered me even more than before.

Why?

Well...as I'm writing this...I've been back at my desk for almost two hours - yet I KNOW that I probably accomplished as much *important* 'work' in the fifteen minute bursts I allowed myself for each of the last few days!

So...even though I am certainly feeling much better than I have done for a number of weeks...I'm going to continue with this 'experiment'.

So...in comes more 'quality' family time - out goes some of juggling that goes with trying to accomplish a number of often very different things at the same time!

In other words...it's back to basics...and the source of why I do what I do.

I do what I do because I want to ENJOY what I do...at the same time as enjoying LIFE.

Sometimes it can be difficult to remain focused on things as important as this when you are striving to make the most of what you've got.

Until the Universe pops up and reminds you WHY!

Looking For Lack?

The world is an abundant place.

Especially the developed world.

Yet - we fail to realize it...and instead go on about what we want that we don't have...and what other people have that we wish we had.

Sound familiar?

Prosperity is a mindset shift that unfortunately the vast majority of people just don't 'get'.

I blame money.

And...even now - it's VIRTUAL money that causes the problems!

It's 0s and 1s on a central computer somewhere owned by your credit card or bank.

It's not even money that we hold in our hands any more.

We get so hung-up trying to EARN money - that we forget that we're supposed to GIVE value in return for it FIRST!

Just like the farmer is rewarded with his year's worth of effort tending his land and crops.

It's not that people want something for nothing - it's that they want something MORE than they are prepared to give in return.

They complain when their neighbor gets 'lucky'. They moan when someone tries to make the most of their talents and charge for them accordingly.

They gripe about never having as much money as 'x' - yet constantly do NOTHING about their situation to make a CHANGE.

Remember...the ONLY way to get off of the road you're currently going down is to TURN!

Keeping going - doing the same things - they won't help you.

Neither will focusing on what's WRONG with your life instead of what is GOOD (or even GREAT) about your life.

If you think hard enough - you do have at least ONE thing going for you that some other people would give up all of the money in the world for...

- A partner
- A healthy child
- A reasonably secure job
- A home
- Your health
- A car

It's easy to hold yourself back because you think that the 'grass is greener' somewehere else.

It isn't.

Your grass will always be a green as YOU choose it to be!

Once you start to focus on what you HAVE and what you can DO - then your mind will have the fuel to THINK of ways to enhance what you already have.

Instead of just focusing on finding more of what you are 'wishing' for.

Isn't it about time that YOU mentally took CARE of you?

Isn't it about time that you looked for what is GOOD about your life instead of constantly worrying about what may not be?

YOU are a unique, talented individual - with passions and skills that other people could only wish for.

Isn't it about time to REALLY appreciate that you DO have a chance to make something of your life?

Only YOU really KNOW what you've got going for you. Start today to make a note of what you DO have.

It does make a difference.

You'll Know...

Having got out of the habit of writing daily - it's now a strange sensation to be writing twice within the space of twelve hours!

Well...that's the human mind and creativity for you!

It seems as if we spend so much time struggling to focus on what we should be doing that, quite often, trying to FORCE something out is the worst that we can do.

I know...I've tried it! Many times.

For example...I enjoy writing this stuff (whether you enjoy reading it or not!)...yet it would be awful if I HAD to do it at a certain time or day just because I HAD to.

And that's with something that I LOVE to do!

Imagine how bad it then gets if it's something that that you DON'T really enjoy doing!

Enough said.

The trick is to make the most of those times when you are in the 'flow' - and are able to do things almost effortlessly.

Yes...even I have been known to actually purposefully WANT to cut my grass (even though it's one of those things that always gets put off!)

Nothing changed...but my THOUGHTS about it did...that was all.

If you are in one of those "Let's Go!" moods - then you can usually tackle those things that you don't always want to.

And the easiest way to get into one of those moods?

Don't pressure yourself. (Not - I don't mean get lazy!)

What I mean is that usually, if something is IMPORTANT enough to you, you WILL eventually get it done.

Except that, quite often...most things are that important because they aren't really linked to WHY you do what you do.

If I know that I want to be successful in my business...I know that I need to develop many different skills.

Most of which may push me a little out of my comfort (or for most people - their "I can't be bothered") zone.

Yet - I know that, if I need to do something by next Tuesday - then, as long as it gets DONE by next Tuesday - it's irrelevant whether I get it done a week before, 2 days before...or even stay up to 2.a.m. the night before working on it!

As long as it gets done.

If you're not in the right frame of mind to do something (especially where creativity is required) - then, please, don't force yourself to do it!

Just wait.

You'll KNOW when it's the right time, believe me.

Just Think For A Moment

I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking lately.

Thinking about...

- WHY I do what I do
- WHAT I really want to do - both now and in the future
- WHOM the sort of person I am and want to evolve into
- HOW I can convert my knowledge in many different disciplines into focused results-generating ACTION
- WHEN I listen to that voice inside my head - how do I feel?

Some of the 'results' from this thinking doesn't always come out the way that you would expect it, I can tell you!

What about YOU?

If YOU were to think about these things - what would YOUR 'answers' be?

Of course...there are no real 'wrong' answers to these questions.

What could be crucial to MY future success - might be the worst thing that could ever happen to YOU!

That's why it's so important to reference YOURSELF whenever you read or listen to ANY personal development material.

Unless it's in YOUR frame of context - then what you may learn might well end up worthless.

Do this enough times...and you're literally wasting huge chunks of your life reading (and no little money) - without any form of 'return' from your investment...which, once gone is lost forever.

I've decided that LESS is certainly MORE where new information is concerned.

Of course...I still invest in learning about myself and my business (as YOU should) - as that is exactly what successful people do.

BUT...I'm also spending some time CONSOLIDATING my previously acquired knowledge to make sure that I have made the most of what I've learned in the past.

And...at the same time...take a step back, stop for a moment...and THINK!

Butterfly Wings, Five Minutes...And A New Habit

Let's face it - we're creatures of habit.

Who we are and what we do is entirely dependent on those little habits that consume our days.

Like...

- how we sleep at night
- what TV we watch
- what clothes we prefer
- who our friends are
- how we travel to work

And many more other things that people forget are really habits as they just form part of their everyday activities.

Yet - take yourself out of a particular routine that you have got used to...and something doesn't seem quite right.

It's the same whether we are trying to create a new GOOD habit...or trying to unwind ourselves from a BAD one.

You may have heard that some people say that a butterfly flapping its wings in South America has an impact on the weather patterns on the other side of the Atlantic.

All part of the supposed connectedness of nature to the Earth and how it works.

Well...I firmly believe that YOUR habits are like those butterfly wings.

One little change can have a HUGE effect on your future.

Don't believe me?

Well...what if you changed your habit of getting up at 7a.m. to getting up at 6:30a.m.?

What could you accomplish in those extra 30 minutes? How about if it was only 15 minutes? Or 5 minutes?

What if you decided that you would read 5 pages of a personal development book in that extra five minutes?

You could read an EXTRA 150-page book EVERY month - just by waking up 5 minutes earlier.

That's 12 EXTRA books every year. Just from 5 minutes a day.

Of course...you don't have to read 5 pages of a book.

You could speak affirmations
...or go for a jog to the end of the road and back
...or get into work 5 minutes earlier
...or spend 5 minutes reading with your child
...or write your task list for the day

Get the idea?

Just one little change and five minutes CAN have a big effect on your life - just by the cumulative effect of those five minutes day after day.

So...what daily habit could YOU get into for just five minutes?

Clicking Into Place With Tony Robbins?

There's no accounting for taste...

What may be the most exciting thing to ever happen to me...might just be the most pointless and boring then you've ever heard!

That's why YOU should always be careful if you are following any expert (or 'guru') religiously.

Remember...even though Tony Robbins has sold something like 200 million of his latest tape set - I reckon that less than 0.01% of people have changed thier lives dramatically because of it.

Now...I'm not saying this to slate Tony Robbins.

No. I just want to put YOUR own personal development into a little perspective.

All of those hundreds of millions of people for whom his program didn't really work are STILL therefore searching for the 'keys to the success kingdom'.

Although I haven't heard much of his latest stuff - I'm sure that Tony Robbins isn't necessarily saying that much different to what I, or anyone else involved in personal development might.

It's just that Tony's VERSION of what works might not work for YOU...when Zig Ziglar's, Jim Rohn's or Brian Tracy's MIGHT.

Or - (you never know) something that I write may well make thing crystal clear for you.

So...if things are necessarily working out 'as promised' - just remember that it's not that it doesn't work - that particular WAY of doing (and understanding) it doesn't work for YOU.

So...just because it seems that things aren't falling into place - don't give up.

Keep searching...because I guarantee that, if you search hard enough - eventually you WILL find something that just 'clicks' everything else into place.

You'll see.

What Would YOU Do If You Could Do It All Over Again?

What would you do differently if you could live your life over again?

What would you do?

Where would you go?

More importantly...how would you THINK?

Do you see yourself as happy...carefree...and enjoying life to the full?

Challenged in a good way...constantly improving as a person?

Well...what would YOU do if you could do it all again?

I bet that there are many things that perhaps you could STILL do - if you REALLY wanted to.

If you stop for a moment and think about what you really want from your life...what little steps could you take TODAY so that you could move that litttle bit closer to it?

We're our own worst enemy when we consider what we are CAPABLE of.

How many times have you silently told yourself that weren't talented enough...or that you would fail if you tried something new?

We are victims of our own self-imposed limitations as to what is possible in our lives.

Sure...you may have responsibilities...commitments - yet I bet that in some small way you COULD improve on where you are right now.

Now...this won't happen overnight! After all - it's probably taken you years to get to where you are now.

But...if you go back and look about what you WOULD do differently - how could you maybe TRY to apply that to what you are doing now?

The only limits in this life are set between your ears.

It's up to YOU to do something DIFFERENTLY. There IS still time.

It's NEVER too late to START. Never.

The Rise Of The Poverty Bandits

Are YOU one of THEM?

We all know someone like it.

They go around constantly complaining about why this doesn't work...or how unlucky there are.

Even worse...they're constantly harping on about how their neighbor or friend doesn't deserve to have what they've got - and that they themselves 'wish' they could have everything fall into place like them!

This 'passing the buck' sort of attitude, quite frankly, depresses me.

If these people spent HALF of the time they spend on gossiping and moaning on doing something POSITIVE and CONSTRUCTIVE then their world would be completely different.

I know...because I USED to be one of THEM!

I was always jealous of the person who go the promotion when I didn't...always angry and bitter that things seemed to work for one friend...and yet never quite came off for me.

Then I began to realize that, because I was constantly focusing on this LACK mentality - I was just turning into a POVERTY BANDIT!

Stealing the bad luck from other people purely because I focused on it so much!

What about YOU?

Are YOU turning into a Poverty Bandit?

Are you blaming everyone else for where YOU are...instead of looking at WHY you may not be as 'fortunate' as them?

Too many people spend all their lives complaining, whinging...and handing over responsibility for where they are to EVERYBODY else.

Shame that they don't realize that they're making true their worst fears by consistently focusing on the 'bad' stuff.

So...don't YOU turn into a lifetime Poverty Bandit...because, believe me...the more you 'steal'...the harder it is to go 'straight'!

The Ladder...And The BIG Goal

I've come to realize a very important thing the more I learn about how I 'work'.

Each rung of the ladder to success is made up of FOCUS.

What do I mean by this?

Well...

If you look at some of the most successful people...both past and present...they ALL were focused on ONE overriding objective (ie the TOP of their respective ladder).

- Bill Gates - a pc in every house
- NASA in 1962 - Get man on the moon by the end of the decade
- Arnold Schwarzenegger - become Mr Universe...become a top actor...(and more)

Three completely different situations...but, whether you actually LIKE the people involved...they ALL either succeeded in achieving their goal (I reckon Bill Gates will get there eventually!).

In order to reach the top of the ladder...you need to take each step - one at a time.

And...every SINGLE step needs to contribute to your climb...otherwise you either don't move up at all...or just take a step downwards.

The way to make sure that you are CONSISTENTLY moving UP the ladder to YOUR success is to make sure that EVERY single step is FOCUSED on CONTRIBUTING to the achievment of the one that FOLLOWS!

In many cases...the NEXT step might actually take you AWAY from where you THINK that you want to go...but it is NECESSARY for you to take it because it is a step you MUST take if you want to get to the TOP.

It's not easy to visualize EVERY step on that ladder that you need to focus on...so the BEST thing to do is make a good guess - then just GO FOR IT!

The very fact that you are attempting the climb will mean that you are actually ON the ladder to YOUR own success...when so many other people just write off their chances - and don't make that first step!

So...pick a BIG goal...and just FOCUS on the FIRST thing that you can do that will somehow take you TOWARDS it!

You never know where that ladder will take you...but it will certainly take you higher than if you don't even bother.

So...what are YOU waiting for?

In This Lottery Called Life...

Life is a little like a lottery.

Many people still try to 'play the game'...even knowing that they have practically no chance of winning.

Now...that may have sounded a little negative...so let me explain.

Too many people continue to do the same things over and over again...and WISH that things were different.

Whereas a much smaller minority continue to do DIFFERENT things over and again...and KNOW that things WILL be different.

Which one are you?

The person who plays the lottery wishing for a big win...or the person who becomes part of a syndicate in order to have a better probability of winning smaller amounts regularly?

That syndicate is made up of your opportunities.

And...the more chances you 'risk' on the opportunities that come your way...the greater the probability of your success.

Plus...you know that...even if one chance fails...it just means that you are just that LITTLE bit more closer to winning.

It's not easy to have such a mindset when things don't appear to be going your way often enough...but, when you stick with it...you WILL (as long as you learn from your adventures) eventually move towards the place you really want to be.

In this lottery called life...success is all about probability...and how you play the 'game' will determine how 'lucky' you are.

All you need to do is SPREAD your risk by looking out for the ideas and opportunities that come your way.

And just take ACTION!

Succeeding To Fail...Or Failing To Succeed?

To be honest...I make this stuff up as I go along.

I'm not clever...particularly gifted...nor possess a brain any bigger than yours.

I just sit and just 'dump' whatever is inside my head through my fingers and onto the keyboard.

Too many people get hung up worrying about whether anyone would listen to them.

I have an answer for that...

"Who cares?"

You see...where life (and leading a challenging life) is concerned...YOU should try to be aiming towards doing stuff that makes YOU happy, fulfilled...and content in that you are actually getting some enjoyment out of life!

Not an easy position to take, I know.

But...it's much better for your 'mental' health in the future!

It's EASY to get stuck in working out the process of something - rather than just getting on with it and learning by trial an error.

Unless you 'fail'...you'll never know what it feels like to succeed.

I 'fail' regularly.

Just over the last two days I have spent time writing salesletters for a couple of things that I am working on...and have got absolutely NO sales whatsover!

Hey - I call THAT learning!

It's easy to get disheartened when things don't always go your way...but if we could always GUESS what is going to happen as a result of our ACTIONS then we would all suddenly become successful, wouldn't we?

But...unless YOU actually take ACTION...you'll never, ever know if THIS one is the one that finally tips you over the 'edge' - and leads you towards the place that you think you want to go.

Notice I said THINK you want to go.

Why?

Well...believe me...once you begin to get closer to where you THOUGHT you wanted to go...you'll realize that you can go that much FURTHER.

But ONLY by continuing to take POSITIVE action...even if it means 'failing' your way to success!

The Write Way To Generate New Ideas

Inspiration can come from very strange places.

That's why I have a pen and paper by the side of my bed.

I've learned my lesson.

I've lost count of how many flashes of inspiration came into my mind as I was drifting off to sleep...and told myself to remember them in the morning.

Which, of course, I never did!

I've even been know to scribble an idea on a newspaper that we had just bought!

There are many people who claim that they NEVER come up with ideas.

Are YOU one of those people?

Does it annoy you that people like me constantly go on about this idea that we had...or that idea that literally just sprang into our minds?

Yeah...used to annoy me, too!

Until I realized that I wasn't helping myself...but not writing down the ideas that I DID have!

Like with all things to do with your mind...the more you feed it...the more it wants...and the more it creates.

That's why so many people stay in debt for their entire lives - whatever they try to do. They constantly fill their mind with lack...and guess what becomes a reality?

I've personally found that the more I make a note of my ideas (whether I actually DO anything with them or not) - the more ideas I get!

It's almost as if your mind has to constantly produce a certain amount of ideas just to keep it active.

And...this idea 'muscle' only seems to work this way once you constantly try to capture what it is coming up with!

Some of my best ideas have come from just a split-second thought - that, if I had ignored, and not written down, would have been lost forever...perhaps sent out into the 'Universe' for someone else who was more tuned-in to the process to make use of.

I'm certainly no more clever, nor more creative than you...I just make a note of what comes my way!

I have pads of paper covered with notes, doodles, diagrams, one-sentence ideas...most of which I very rarely look at.

But...whenever I'm lacking in inspiration...I have a whole treasure trove of ideas on paper that can spark off new ideas...or remind me of old ones that I thought were great at the time.

Plus...if I see an idea that is a couple of years old that I only thought of 'again' recently...it acts as a motivator in that perhaps I SHOULD actually follow-through on it because I first thought of it ages ago!

THAT is how ideas work...and how I am able to regularly come up with new ways to secure my financial future.

And YOU can, too...but only if you begin by writing your ideas down in ONE place!

Nobody Ever Told You That You Could

I expect that I have repeated myself often on this blog.

In fact...I'm almost certain that I have repeated that I have said that I repeated myself!

So what?

Your path through life is driven through what I call "channels".

These channels are like ski tracks through snow...sharply defined.

Until someone walks all over them - and you've no way of knowing exactly where your tracks were.

So...you just go ahead blindly...making MORE tracks until you realize that your tracks were PURPOSELY covered over because you were going the WRONG WAY!

So...in our lives...we blindly go through these channels that we've set ourselves based on what we BELIEVE to be TRUE about ourselves.

So...if you think that you're ugly...no matter what happens...that's the channel your're going to go down, whether it's 'right' for you or not.

Even when you have the opportunity to prove yourself wrong when you arrive at another channel going in a different direction - you STILL follow the same channel...and still continue along the SAME direction.

The complain about how unlucky you are!

Are YOU one of those people who literally forget that you DO have a CHOICE about which channel to follow?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Today I had conversations with two people who both said in a roundabout way...

"I can't do 'x' because 'y' MIGHT happen"

Shame really...because UNLESS they do 'x' - their 'y' might ALWAYS happen!

Your capacity for achievement is determined by how much you really BELIEVE that you CAN.

Except nobody ever told YOU that you COULD.

So you DON'T...and then make up reasons WHY you CAN'T.

Until you 'get it'...that you CAN if you REALLY want to.

I Am Not Them...And You Are Not Me!

Let's face it...we're all completely different.

What inspires and motivates me...might well put YOU off completely!

This is a big problem where leading a successful life is concerned.

We look up to those people who have achieved something in their lives...and, we try to COPY what they did...because it obviously worked for them.

Big, big mistake!

For example...one of my brothers is doing quite nicely running a travel agency business online.

Fair enough.

BUT...he has to be IN his office at least six days a week in order to make that happen!

Me...I'd much rather fit my work into my lifestyle rather than the other way around.

But...my brother loves what he does - so he's more than happy with what he is doing.

And...if I really wanted to...I could go into the same business as him...armed with my more experienced Internet marketing knowledge - and earn more money than him

But...I don't WANT to!

I WANT for YOU to be reading THIS...that's what I want!

(Plus, of course, I want to make a living doing it at the same time.)

I am successful in my own right because I purposely decided very early on that I wanted to do as much stuff that motivated me...and not just because I was told that doing 'x' would make me the most money.

For example...I now realize that I quite enjoy the challenge of public speaking...but I am not about to 'hit the road' and do it full-time because it will get in the way of some of the other stuff I want to do.

Yet...I KNOW that I COULD make my 'fortune' this way...but I don't really WANT to.

That's not me thinking that I'm the best...and I'm clever, blah, blah...it's just an example of what I know I could be successful at if I just COPIED what the experts do.

Yet...I am NOT them, and YOU are NOT me!

So...instead of YOU looking for the "one-size-fits-all" approach to success...look at what YOU really want to do that the experts do...and then look at how you can FIT that in the picture of what really INSPIRES you to get up in the morning.

Because, believe me, the worst place you want to be is committed to doing something that you THINK you should be doing...when you KNOW that it isn't quite what you WANT it to be...and all because you just did what someone else said worked for them.

Remember...it's YOUR life...unique as it is...so play to YOUR own strengths - not someone else's!

No Way Back...To The Old You

I'm a great believer in perpetual learning.

Constantly learning about your business and yourself...no matter how much you think that you know.

The value of this has always been made obvious to me when I come into contact with other successful people - whether their definition of successful may match yours or not.

The strength of these people has a foundation in the fact that they KNOW that they can never learn ENOUGH about themselves.

Plus...they also know that what they learn is useless unless they follow through on their new knowledge.

Which is where most people 'fail' when trying to change their lives FOREVER.

It's like a switch that goes off in your mind when you realize that there is NO way back to the 'old you'.

Take me, for example...I can categorically say that I will NEVER bee going back to a 9-5 job.

Never. I may be 34 years old and still have a few 'working years' left in me...but I KNOW for a FACT that what I am doing now is WHO I am!

Is what YOU are doing now who YOU are?

Changing the habits of a lifetime TO DATE isn't going to be easy - that's for sure.

But...once you begin to see the RESULTS of putting your KNOWLEDGE into ACTION - then you'll know that it is worth it. 100%.

Are You Walking Down The Wrong Path To Tomorrow?

Life is a very fickle thing.

One minute you can have no money...the next people are contacting you WITH money!

(Well...it's happened to me a couple of times before!)

One minute you can be down about something that didn't quite work out as planned...the next you could be overjoyed at the prospect of having time freed up for a brand new idea that you just had.

That's why it's impossible to fight it!

As I always say...

"You don't know what you don't know!"

So...trying to second-guess what is going to happen in the next hour, let alone the next year...is pointless!

Yet...I bet that many people use up so much 'mindspace' trying to do EXACTLY that!

Over the last few months...I've decided to really focus myself on doing what is absolutely necessary now...so that the future will begin to take care of itself.

This also means that I don't live in the "What if...?" and "If only..." worlds that so many people inhabit.

Why don't YOU try it?

Why don't YOU try and FORGET about what *might* happen in the future...and instead look at getting the most from what you are doing NOW - whether it's work or play.

Believe me...your stress levels certainly move down a notch when you KNOW that you are doing your BEST...and leveraging every idea that you have...and that you are taking the necessary ACTION to make things happen.

Once you begin to walk down this path...you'll soon realize that there can NEVER be a way back to the 'old you'.

You'll see.

Stop Doing What Isn't Working

Today is the day that YOU should begin working out what you REALLY want from your life.

Today. Not tomorrow. NOW!

It's easy to sit there and *wish* that your life were different...but it's much harder (though much more rewarding) to actually take ACTION and DO something about it!

So...what are YOU going to do TODAY?

Certainly not the same as what you did yesterday...or last week...especially if it's taken you to where you are today - and you're not happy with where that place is!

Remember...you will ALWAYS get the same RESULTS if you do the same THINGS!

It's like taking the same train to work every day. You know that it will leave around a certain time...willl stop at the same stations...and will go along the same track...and ALWAYS (hopefully!) end up at the same DESTINATION!

It's pointless trying to get to a different train station by taking a train that goes to a completely different one!

Yet...that's what so many people are TRYING to do!

Are YOU one of them?

Are YOU doing the SAME things...and hoping/wishing/praying that you will get DIFFERENT results?

Not only that...are YOU doing the same things...that consistently lead to the same 'mistakes'?

All dieters KNOW that eating chocolate won't help them lose weight...yet they STILL eat it!

It's the same as making a successful life for yourself.

STOP doing what ISN'T working...and START doing something different that WILL!

You be glad that you did!

It's Because...You Don't Do Something Different!

It's 7:30pm here...and it's just starting to get dark.

I remember only a few months ago when we'd lock up for the night at about 4:30pm during the Winter!

The mood changes in our house in the Spring.

Lesley has never been one for dark afternoons...and Katie loves the freedom of being able to play after school for hours!

Me...it just means that I have to turn my lights on in my office earlier!

Just as Lesley always EXPECTS to feel 'down' during the Winter...it's easy to EXPECT that, because you have only got so far in your life up until now...it will ALWAYS be that way!

Well...I can tell you from experience that the past doesn't HAVE TO bear ANY resemblance to your future!

I know...I live it every day...and my 'now' and my future have nothing to do with who I USED to be.

It's time for YOU to a little 'spring cleaning' - and wipe your mental slate clean.

YOU are here on this planet for a very good REASON...and...only YOU really know what it is!

Except...you just assume that the 'point of all this' is to build material wealth for when you retire.

Life's far too short to ONLY build for a future that may never even happen.

In my book...it's POINTLESS spending a second longer than necessary doing something "BECAUSE...".

You're here because YOU have a job to do.

And...that job is to see how FAR you can take your TALENTS that you undoubtedly have...but may not have discovered yet because you are trying to be someone you're not.

How far you get will be down to how much you BELIEVE in the process that will literally ENSURE your success.

And...it ALL starts with your THOUGHTS.

I fight all of the time against those little niggling negative thoughts...and, on the whole...I usually succeed...and that's when I'm CONSTANTLY trying to think positively!

The challenge for YOU is to re-evaluate what is REALLY important in your life...then look at how your talents can help you achieve that.

And...what if you don't know what your talents are?

Well, the MORE you TRY different things...the more CHANCES of FINDING what you are really HERE for!

And...you won't be able to do that if you are automatically ASSUMING that you can't CHANGE.

You CAN. You WILL.

But...only if YOU do something DIFFERENT to what you are doing NOW!

This One Question Can Open Doors For You...

It's something that I learned from a mentor of mine...

"What Can I Do To Help You?"

That question has probably opened more doors for me than anything else.

Why?

Well...isn't it just the complete OPPOSITE of what most people say?

They're either too self-obsessed, or too busy trying to sell you something to actually CARE about what YOU want!

Yet...if you ASK someone how YOU can help THEM...you'll certainly get SOME form of answer...once the surprised look has left their face!

You see...people aren't used to other people being GENEROUS!

They aren't used to other people actually CARING.

They aren't used to other people actually OFFERING something instead of trying to TAKE something first.

The power of this one sentence cannot be underestimated.

Sure...from YOUR perspective...it requires a 'leap of faith' in the process that what you 'put out' WILL come back at you.

Well...it DOES.

As long as you actually do it with the RIGHT intentions!

It's no good saying one thing and thinking another...as you'll soon get caught out.

So...if you ask the question...you must be PREPARED for the answer.

And...funnily enough, the Universe works in such a strange way that, quite often, YOU get a direct benefit from offering your help in this way.

Don't believe me?

Just try it and see!

Let's Go And Get Run Over By Ideas!

Every once in a while...I bet that YOU have an idea that just comes 'out of nowhere'.

But where IS 'nowhere'?

If you'd asked me a couple of years ago...I would have just put it down to luck...or just down to the 'way it is'.

But there IS more to YOUR life than meets you squarely in the eye.

And...just because you can't EXPLAIN it - it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist...even if it is only THROUGH your mind.

I have ideas all the time nowadays. In fact...I have TONS more ideas than I ever used to...because I am constantly putting myself in FRONT of them!

I liken this 'luck' business to crossing a busy road.

These ideas and opportunities are driving past on the 'Universal Highway'...and all YOU have to do...is step out in FRONT of them...and try to get hit!

(Sort of like one of those "let's run over the pedestrians" games on those games consoles but without the body count!)

I firmly believe that there are solutions to ANY problem you may have out there ALREADY...you just have to get your mind into a position to be able to receive them.

And...in some way...I'd like to think of myself as a 'facilitator' in some way...giving you a gentle mental 'nudge' in the right direction on a regular basis.

Don't forget that I was on anti-depressants and working in a job I hated less than 3 years ago - so I'd like to think that I've found a sort of path that WORKS.

Of course...it won't work in exactly the same way for YOU as it did for ME. (And...believe it or not...that's part of the fun of it!)

But...once YOU begin to CONSISTENTLY move forward on YOUR terms...you'll suddenly find that you, too will begin to get run over by ideas!

Just like me!

Isn't It All About Time?

I've been working every hard on my new project which is due to be released tomorrow - yep April Fool's Day!

Isn't it funny how there never seems enough hours in the day when you REALLY need to do something...yet the day seems to drag when you're doing something that you're not really enjoying?

Take swimming, for example.

I swam 12 lengths of the local pool today as Katie had her swimming lesson.

Yes. I know that it's good exercise....but I find swimming as boring as Lesley finds marketing!

I was only in that pool for half-an-hour...yet it seemed more like two!

Yet...here I am...racing against a deadline for something...and, when I realize that I've only realistically got half-an-hour left to do a particular element of it...it NEVER seems long enough!

Ever had that feeling?

In a way...it just goes to show how WE can easily 'manipulate time' depending on how we view what we are doing that takes up that time.

It's an interesting thought.

What if YOU could fill up your day with stuff that you are focused and passionate about? I bet that you could easily fit a LOT into it - but only, of course...if you REALLY want to use time to your advantage.

Or will you spend it in front of the TV instead?

It's your choice...but once that time has gone...it will be lost to you FOREVER.

It's In The Way That You FEEL...

It's difficult sometimes not to turn this into a guide to being a successful online entrepreneur...and I try very hard to make sure that WHATEVER you are currently in your life...what I write about can still APPLY to YOU.

But...nevertheless...because I spend hours sat in front of my computer screen thinking about marketing as well as personal development...I can't help myself!

However...that's not to say that how I might deal with 'x' in my online business can't help YOU deal with 'y' in your personal life.

You see...there is a saying - "Success leaves clues"...and, I know from experience how very true this is.

The PRINCIPLES of leading a successful life, having a successful career, having successful relationships, and losing weight...are ALL based on the same mental 'games' that you need to play on yourself.

I'm a firm believer that YOU already KNOW what YOU need to do in order to make your life that little bit better than what it is right now.

You KNOW that there are one or two things that you SHOULD be doing that you aren't.

And...you're not doing them because you don't even know if, by doing them...you'll get what you REALLY want!

And...what might that be?

Well...that feeling of...

- Happiness
- Acheivement
- Self-respect
- Confidence

...which TOGETHER will allow you to do MORE with your life.

Note that I didn't mention money. Money CAN be a 'means to an end'...but it's certainly easier to aim for those four FEELINGS instead of chasing the dream of fast cars, big houses, and the 'lifestyle' it supposedly brings.

Being rich won't automatically entitle YOU to have ANY of those feelings.

But...you CAN live a life FULL of those four without ANY money if you CHOOSE to.

The key to a REALLY successful life is not in $, £, or Yen...it's in the way that you FEEL - NOW!

It's A Risk. What Would YOU Do?

Risk is something that we usually view negatively.

I don't. In fact...I REFUSE to!

Why?

Well...because I can USE risk to my advantage...that's why!

But...I have to do it on MY terms.

What do I mean by that?

Well...let me explain.

I am a firm believer in laying strong foundations for my future. I constantly re-invest my time and money back into my business...quite often at the expense of short-term income.

Lesley hates it!

She'd rather have some money to spend when I make some...instead of me taking most of it to re-invest in something that will either make me more business-like...or speed up my path to success.

Take this week, for example.

I'm going to buy a laptop computer.

Now...I don't have the spare cash to buy one...so it's going on my credit card...along with an investment of a similar amount on something else that I made last week!

I already have a laptop. It's 4 years old...and is fast enough to do most of the things that I use it for...writing and surfing when I'm not on my desktop in my study.

It's fine except for ONE thing. It isn't really fast enough nor has enough hard-disk memory for me to record the audio properly for the online/offline marketing seminars that I'm doing in the UK at the moment.

I can just about manage to get it to work...but I cannot 100% guarantee its reliability - especially when the audio files start off as huge 700MB plus files!

And...this is allowing for the big portable hard-drive that I bought last month!

So...what would YOU do?

Accept it...knowing that, with no small amount of worry...and logistical 'fun and games' you could get it to work...or just by a new one which will handle it all with no problems whatsoever?

So...I'm buying a new one!

For me...I'm INVESTING into my business...because my new laptop is another asset in the sense that I will be able to ENSURE that these audios will work fine...plus it will enable me to have another option at home for when the summer comes and I might want to sit out in the garden.

Not only that...I don't need the worry of wondering whether my dear old laptop is going to seize up at the first opportunity of struggle!

Who knows...I might even sell the old one to my brother!

So...I am HAPPY to take this 'risk' in buying this laptop on credit because it will also force me to USE this new asset so that it 'pays its way'.

I'm not just buying a new toy...I'm buying something that will a) cause me less stress, and b) ensure that I don't have to tell my fellow speakers to wait before starting because the laptop is saving the last speaker's presentation!

So...what do YOU think...am I doing the right thing?

Stand Up And Be Counted...Take That First Step

Whatever happens in your life...I can guarantee that you will NEVER be able to predict your future.

The path that we take changes minute by minute based on the decisions that we make...and the people that we attract into our lives based on those decisions.

My online business has moved in a completely different tanget since the beginning of the year...purely because of the decisions that I've made.

I made a decision to step outside of my comfort zone regularly...and my levels of what I BELIEVE I can achieve have risen CONSIDERABLY because of it.

And...so can YOURS, too!

The realms of impossibility turn into shifting clouds once YOU realize that it is YOU who are in SOLE control of YOUR life!

I've taken on most of my new projects without knowing much about knowing HOW I will make them happen...based purely on the knowledge that, if OTHER people can do something similar - why can't I?

And...why can't YOU, too?

Now...I'm saying that you should dive headlong into something that you haven't got the faintest idea about!

I'm all for risk-taking...but CONTROLLED risk-taking!

I make sure that my potential loses...both mentally and financially are restricted to what I feel comfortable with.

Thanks to the Internet...I can 'try' new things out...and, if they don't work as well as I would have liked...it didn't cost me that much to find out.

But...the 'net aside...it's the MENTAL side of this game that is the KEY element here.

Once you BELIEVE that you CAN...then it is SO much EASIER to do whatever is necessary to PROVE that you WILL!

And...thanks to the 'Universe'...if you approach everything from OUTSIDE a pure "What's in it for me?" mentality...then, it WILL give you those little nudges in the right direction.

I know...because it HAPPENS...regularly! Even those events that seem not to go quite as planned turn out to have a seed of a future solution to something else inside of them.

But...you MUST stand up and be counted and take that first step in order for things to HAPPEN.

And - the first step is ALWAYS the hardest.

But...it gets EASIER the more you take!

Hate To Tell You This...The Future Doesn't Exist!

What do YOU really WANT from your life?

Wait. Before you answer...let me rephrase that question slightly...

"What do YOU really WANT from your life that doesn't include money?"

Yeah...I know...we do NEED money (although I believe that we need LESS of it than we think that we do)...but I'd rather get you to focus on something that is one million times more important!

Let me put this money thing into perspective...

Don't you think that I would gladly GIVE AWAY all of my money if I could have Connor back?

I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

I bet YOU wouldn't, either...if it meant that you could bring back someone you love, or get your health back, or re-wind that angry teenager back into that four-year-old that used to worship the ground that you walked on.

Life's all about PERSPECTIVE.

It whizzes by so quickly that we FORGET that, although money can help us buy THINGS...it can't buy us our thoughts, feelings, memories...nor our health or the health of our loved ones.

Sure...having a huge overdraft and loans coming out of your ears isn't a pleasant place to be...but, when all is said and done...if you look (perhaps not even that hard)...you WILL find something or someone to be SO grateful for.

Too many people in this materialistic and egotistic world of ours chase money at the expense of happiness...always believing that what they are doing is good for the FUTURE of themselves and their family.

Shame that the FUTURE doesn't exist...you can only ever live in the NOW.

And...it's the NOW that matters.

It's Now Or It Will Still Be The Same Now Forever

Life can pull us in many directions...but not usually the ones that we should be going.

There's a program on TV at the moment that I like to watch...but, here I am, typing away - just for you!

Well...not necessarily for YOU...because that's the aim of this site...but for ME as well.

Why?

Well...if I can't place more importance on writing something constructive (and perhaps useful) every day than watching TV...where will I be in a year's time?

It's like when you are on a diet...you want that chocolate even MORE than you usually do...because you KNOW you shouldn't have it!

It's the same where success is concerned.

You know that you SHOULD be spending time reading, or applying what you read...yet, most of the time...isn't it so much EASIER to just watch that TV program, or read that novel, or phone your friend for a chat.

Success...isn't necessarily EASY...but it is SIMPLE.

"Do something, every day, that takes you to where you want to go...and you'll get there eventually."

It's just a shame that eventually is a word that scares people because it doesn't solve 'problems' NOW.

But, then again...eventually you WILL have the SAME problems when you are sitting there in a year's time...and the NOW of TODAY has just turned into the same disppointing NOW of the FUTURE.

(Read it again - it does make sense!)

So...you CAN change what you are doing NOW...but are you going to?

Are You Trying To Change Your World Overnight?

Did you know that, if you REALLY wanted to, you could do literally ANYTHING that you choose to do?

It's just a shame that you don't.

It's nothing to be ashamed of...practically everyone never quite gets around to doing ANYTHING much with their lives.

Which is an even bigger shame.

You see...life is supposed to be CHALLENGING, FUN, and HAPPY.

The trouble is, when the lure of money steps out in front of you...it usually blurs your vision where these three things are concerned.

Not always...but more often than not.

Of course...that may not be a huge problem if you are contented with your 'lot'.

But...if you're reading this...then perhaps you're not?

So...in the short-term...begin by looking at ways where you can get more enjoyment out of what you do.

Stop thinking in terms of material things...and start thinking about experiences instead.

For example...over the last couple of years I've wanted (or I think that I've wanted) a huge plasma screen for my living room.

But...I've never quite got around to buying one...even though I've spent thousands on less material things like seminars, teleclasses, and vacations with Lesley and Katie.

To me...it's now more fun to 'invest' in myself and my business than it is to buy a 'boy's toy' like a plasma TV or fast car.

That's not to say that YOU shouldn't...just that you should look first at perhaps things that money CAN'T buy...like going for a walk along the beach on a bright Winter's day, or to just take a day 'out' and just spend it in bed watching TV and catching up on your reading (only if you DESERVE it, mind you!)

So...try not to think about changing your world overnight...just make the most of the GOOD parts of what you are ALREADY doing or what you already have.

You may surprise yourself and find that life may not be that bad after all!

Are You Impossibly Kidding Yourself?

The world moves to help those people who move around it.

What do I mean by that?

Well...if you are constantly struggling with 'bad luck'...I bet that this is what you focus on...

"I'm always unlucky".

Guess what happens the next time a 'chance' comes around? Yep...you live your self-fulfilled prophecy!

"I never have any money."

I bet that, if your thoughts are constantly directed in this way...then you WON'T ever have any money!

It's only when you begin to look at the possibilities and the positives in your life that things will (slowly) turn around for you.

But...it won't happen overnight!

If you've spent the last 25 years filling your mind with a poverty mindset...do you think that you could change it within hours or even days or weeks?

That's where most people go wrong.

They are too busy looking for a 'quick fix' that they don't realize that there ISN'T one!

Whether you like it or not...changing your life around isn't easy, simple, or straightforward, or quick.

But you CAN make leaps in what you are achieving by CONSTANTLY looking for possibilities!

Too many of us assume that the 'impossibles' in our lives are exactly that...when, in reality...we are kidding ourselves.

Once you open yourself up to what you REALLY can achieve...then, take it from me...NOTHING will stop you!

I Dare You To Prove Yourself Wrong!

To be honest...I am sick of the excuses that people have as to why they aren't more happier and successful in their lives.

So many people are just taking the easy way out by blaming everyone and everything else apart from THEMSELVES!

Now...I don't care if you disagree with me.

I'm fed up with people moaning about things like...

- How 'unlucky' they are.
- Why 'so-and-so' had it given to them on a plate.
- If they ONLY had 'x'...then they would be able to do 'y'.
- If they had a little more money...it would make a difference.

I could go on...but I think that YOU get the picture here.

What excuses are YOU using to stop yourself from REALLY making 'a go' of your life?

I KNOW that you have some. We all do. Even hugely successful people do, too.

Except they KNOW that just because that little voice inside their head is telling them of their limitations...it doesn't mean that they are REAL!

I can honestly say that YOU, right now, have ALL that you need to become a success in whatever you choose.

How?

Well...you can THINK, can't you?

Your thoughts are the ONLY weapon that YOU have complete control over...and that's the problem.

Because you have complete control over them...you constantly allow other people to influence you.

How?

In conversations. Via the TV. With offhand comments. By the books and newspapers you read.

So...isn't it any wonder that you CONSISTENTLY taint EVERYTHING with a negative slant when you are literally PROGRAMMED to do so?

But...now you KNOW that you ARE being influenced into finding excuses...what ACTION are you going to take in order to PROVE yourself wrong?

Well?

Why You Shouldn't Care

There's a guy I know who has a lot 'going for him' compared to many other people.

He's successful by most peoples' definition...yet something isn't still 'right' with him.

It's got to the point where he KNOWS that he is going to be 'down' as soon as he has finished being 'up'.

When things are going his way...he manages to get past his lack of belief and self-esteem...and do a great job.

People who don't know him believe him to be permanently happy and content in both his work and his life.

Yet...inside...he struggles with that voice that tells him that he's not good enough.

And...as soon as he has achieved something...he begins to spiral downwards...as if the 'happiness' drug has worn off...and 'normality' is returned.

Sad, really...isn't it?

This guy has SO much going for him...yet he is STILL finding ways (which he doesn't even consciously make happen) to trip himself up EVERY time he moves forward.

And all because he doesn't think that he is GOOD ENOUGH!

Good enough for whom...that's MY question.

I used to be like him in a lot of respects...then I realized that the ONLY measurement of success was one that I DEFINED MYSELF.

To be honest...how I compare to 'other people' doesn't matter to me.

I could earn a lot less money than one of my brothers, for example...but my LIFESTYLE is much more HAPPY, CONTENTED, and FULFILLING than his.

Simply because I don't CARE.

I don't CARE what 'other' people think of me...all I care about is that I am making PROGRESS on MY TERMS.

And...YOU shouldn't care, either!

The Disastrous Path Towards Success

Unless you try...you fail.

But...if you DO try...and it doesn't quite work out...isn't that a success in the sense that you now KNOW what doesn't WORK?

Which also means that, by a process of probability and deduction - one more step CLOSER to success in the future.

Yet...most people just believe that they failed. Miserably.

It's easy to let the stuff get to you that you believe is a 'cock-up' on your part.

I've developed quite a 'thick skin' over recent months as I have been TRYING more and more things.

And guess what?

More and more things don't work out in the way that I would have liked them to when I started them!

But...that's not to say that I am getting 'worse' at what I do.

What it means is that, as I am trying MORE things...of course I am likely to get MORE 'wrong'.

If you just try one thing and it goes wrong...then you might call it a disaster.

Try many things...and many go wrong...but the odd few go really well...then isn't that success?

For me it certainly is!

It's Pressure, Jim...But Not As We Know It

I thought about something to write just now...and I was sure that I had written something about it before.

I was right...in the post for October 1st 2002...I wrote what I was going to write about today.

Don't you think it's strange that you can have literally the same thoughts, on the same subject, 16 months apart?

It was only about me being sad by being able to memorize song titles and intros. (I've recently progressed to working out what the song is from just spoken lyrics from ANYWHERE in ANY remotely popular song of the last 20 years!)

You may laugh...but I'm really quite proud of myself for being able to do that!

Isn't life SO much easier and more fun when you don't need to TRY hard to think of stuff?

In the same way as I am with music...I'm getting a similar way with personal development and the Internet.

On Saturday, I was asked at almost no notice to speak for 15 minutes on the subject of Napoleon Hill's Law of Success.

As I stood there listening to my introduction...I only knew what I was going to say in the first SENTENCE!

(And...I even that came out the WRONG way!).

So...what did I do? Panic, stumble, umm and aah, turn red?

Nope. I just talked about one of my favorite subjects.

Even as I talked...I didn't really know what I was going to say next...but after almost twenty minutes of talking about how important this 'mind stuff' is...I had finished.

And...it seems that I did OK!

Afterwards I realized that I had succeeded precisely because I just let my SUBCONSCIOUS do the work...and didn't let any of CONSCIOUS worries get in the way.

And all because I KNOW that I LOVE the subject...so for me, there was NO pressure.

Me, Uncomfortable? Would You Credit It!

Sometimes...you have to be a little uncomfortable if you want to get along in life.

It may be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone...or spending money on something that may be on credit...but nevertheless is an investment in your future.

The money 'thing' is a big one for a lot of people.

I have always (and still do) use my credit card to buy things that I can't necessarily afford.

Why?

For two major reasons...

1) If I am serious about myself and my business...I need to think 'big enough' by investing in tools that, although more expensive, will help me get to where I want to go more quickly and efficiently.

Examples of this are buying an expensive microphone. flying to seminars in the U.S., getting more expensive (but more reliable) tools for my business 'infrastructure'

2) If I am spending more NOW to invest in my future...don't you think that I put myself under a little more PRESSURE (not in a nasty way) to actually DELIVER a RETURN on that investment?

If I don't...eventually I will run out of credit...with no way of being able to pay it back!

By literally extending myself in this way...don't you think that I am more motivated to succeed?

What I must stress, however, is that I don't spend 'credit' for spending's sake!

I make sure that, if I am investing in something...I will be able to look at getting some form of return from it.

For example...where I spent over $150 for a headset microphone...I KNOW that, if I had bought a cheaper one...I wouldn't have been ABLE to record audio on my PC because the quality wouldn't be good enough.

It's amazing how focused you can be on getting the most out of yourself if you are constantly challenging yourself to THINK and BECOME BIGGER!

It works for me...but you must make sure that you invest in yourself in a controlled way...that's the key.

If You Want It...You've Gotta Believe

Whatever you want to aim for in life...it pays to maintain an open mind.

For years I disreagrded the spiritual side of success...and, it wasn't until I began experiencing it firsthand (when Connor was around) that I started to consider the impact that THINKING has on your future.

Much more than the ACTION side...that's for sure.

Why?

Well...we're constantly listening to that little voice inside our heads that has been conditioned to unfavorably compare you to everyone else...and therefore just goes on about what you CAN'T do - instead of what you CAN.

Once I realized that my limits were determined by ME and that little voice...I began to start questioning them!

Of course...because we've had years of negative programming...it takes time to get past the hurdle of you only being able to go so high 'because...'!

Also...meeting up with some of the most successful people online over the years...I've come to the decision that I, too, can emulate them...but on MY terms!

In other words...if THEY can do it...I KNOW that I can, too!

(And so can you if you are willing to be a 'perpetual student' of both your passion and marketing).

Sure...it may take months or years instead of days and weeks...but as I can see how well other people do after say, seven years online compared to my 22 months...then there is no reason why I can't be where they are within the same timeframe.

The problem is...this is too long for most people.

Not only that...they don't BELIEVE that they WILL (unlike me).

So...what's holding YOU back (if you REALLY want it)?

Wishing And Laziness...

Do you find that some of your sentences begin with...

"I wish I could....."

Well...shouldn't they really begin with...

"I don't think I could....."

Or perhaps...

"I'd like to...but I'll never get around to....."

In my life...wishes play no part.

And neither should they in YOUR life, either!

I'm fast coming to the realization that if I stop believing that I CAN do what a lot of people whom I aspire to be like do...then I know that I will be defeated before I start!

In reality...most wishing comes down to laziness.

You either can't really be bothered that much...or you aren't willing to put in five solid years of effort (both mentally and physically) into turning your wishes into achievements.

For example...there are one or two things that, even a year or so ago, I used to wish that I could do.

Now...I just focus on what I KNOW that I CAN do that is just outside my comfort zone...and DO that!

Once you begin to push yourself...you'll realize that most of those people whom you don't believe that you will ever be on a par with...don't really SEEM that far away as they once were.

But...it's all about balance.

I'm more than happy to only reach SO high...but once it begins to encroach upon my LIFESTYLE on a day-to-day basis...then that will do for me!

But...as with all things success-related...if what you are doing doesn't really seem much like work...then sometimes it's good to see how far you can REALLY go now and again.

Wouldn't you agree?

Are You Up For The Challenge?

Let's face it...isn't it easier for somebody else to do all of the work...so that you can 'take it easy'?

Well...it MAY be easier...but, whether you agree with me or not...the novelty of not having ANY challenges in life will soon 'wear off'.

I regularly read stories about people who retire from a long career...only to unfortunately practically whither and die...because they haven't really got anything to keep them going anymore.

Believe it or not...there are many, many, multi-millionaires who retire early...then, after a couple of years, get bored of just doing nothing...and dive back into business where they belong.

In my opinion...retirement is something that was made up by corporations so that they would have an 'excuse' to bring in young blood at a lower salary!

Where my business is concerned...I KNOW that I will never 'officially' retire. Ever.

Sure...I may cut down a lot on what I do when I get to the usual retirement age or before...but I NEED some form of mental stimulation to keep me going...whatever my age is!

Us humans thrive on challenges...whether you enjoy them or not.

So...you might as well create your OWN ones.

Just like I do...by challenging myself to write this sort of stuff every day, and by pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone regularly

Aim to regularly do one thing that little bit faster or a little better...and you'll gradually see how, by moving forward on YOUR terms...you will still leave at least 99% of your competitors and peers behind.

Just by doing that LITTLE bit more...you can grow one helluva LOT more by proving to yourself that you CAN.

But only if you REALLY want to.

Planes. The Journey. And Your Destination

I once read somewhere that an aeroplane flies on the basis of 'error correction'.

Basically...what this means is that, although the autopilot knows the EXACT destination, it is constantly having to make sure that it stays on course because it is constantly being pushed in all directions by the wind.

Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong...but nevertheless, when I heard this, it struck me that this could be an excellent way to live YOUR life.

The trouble with this concept is that, for most people, it has two major problems...

1) They don't have a final 'destination' to aim for.
2) They look upon being pushed 'off course' as final...and ulitmately turn back the way that they came.

Are YOU like that?

Perhaps you are...and, believe me, there's nothing be ashamed about if you are.

The crucial thing now is...do you want to CONTINUE to be like that?

Personally...I DO have a 'destination' in mind...although, the more I think about it...the more I know that I should continue to add more detail to it so that I KNOW 100% where I want to end up.

And...I am a lot more 'philosophical' about things not necessarily going according to plan...as I know that, as long I continue working hard at what I love...then things WILL eventually 'fall into place'.

But...this realization didn't happen overnight, I can assure you.

The very first important step is that you fix your destination (for the moment...as it will undoubtedly change as you progress, that's for sure!).

So...where are YOU going?

Debts, Habit, And Time

New Year always used to hit home how much money I didn't have...and how much debt that I did have!

In my old 9-5...we always used to get paid a week early in December...which meant that it was always an almighty struggle to get through to January payday.

It's funny...but I probably had a pay rise to the equivalent of about 100% over a period of five years...yet every New Year...I still had the same problem!

My mind always followed my means!

In other words...when I earned more money...I spent more money!

Sound familiar?

It wasn't until I began to save a percentage of every pay rise every year that I realized that I COULD save money if I really wanted to.

And...because I mentally only got 75% of my pay rise each year (the rest was paid into investments as soon as I got paid)...I didn't MISS what I didn't have.

Just over two years worth of saving like that enabled me to take six months off of work just after Connor was born.

Money well spent.

As I've mentioned many times before...we are the product of our habits.

So...if you make sure that SOME money (even if it is only 1%) is taken out of your bank account (whether for savings or to pay off debts)...then you will find that it is MUCH easier to increase this to 2%, 3%, even 10% once you see the effect that it has.

It IS possible to become debt-free...but it takes HABIT and TIME.

Unfortunately...most people have no patience for either...but at least now YOU KNOW that YOU should.

It just comes down to how 'bad' you want to make changes in your life.

YOU Are BETTER Than YOU Think!

It's all relative.

Whatever you believe in...your life will become a mirror of that.

Based on my own experiences - I can say this 100% conviction.

I USED to believe that who I was as a person was defined by my role at work (and therefore in society).

So...I was a clerk, then supervisor, then section head, then manager...followed up by consultant as I changed jobs.

The trouble was...as a person...I wasn't ANY of those!

I was BETTER than my 'position'...except I hadn't rally convinced myself that I was.

Now...just a couple of years later...I KNOW that I was holding myself back for so many years.

Sad really.

It's even sadder...that I KNOW that YOU are holding YOURSELF back for those very same reasons!

It's time for that to change.

It's time for YOU to realize that YOU are talented enough to make a success of whatever YOU choose to do.

As long as you make sure that YOU are doing it for the RIGHT reasons!

You may think that you want to break away from your career...but you might not realize how much (on a non-monetary basis) YOU actually may get from going to work.

Even now...working at the 'job' that I love...I STILL miss the social side of working. (But...I'm now working on changing that!)

This time of year is always a time for reflection...and the FIRST thing that you should give some thought to is to the question...

"Aside from money...what do I WANT from my commitment of 35 (or more) hours per week?"

If there is a gap between what your job 'title' is...and what you KNOW you can get for yourself...then it might be time to start a little 'hobby' on the side that might test your abilities.

Who knows if your 'hobby' could turn into something else?

But...if it doesn't, then at least you will benefit from the knowledge of TRYING.

And perhaps you'll realize that YOU are BETTER than YOU think!

Doing Something Instead of What Thing?

Being the 'ideas man' that I am...I often have to challenge myself to actually do SOMETHING instead of worrying about WHAT THING to do!

When you have fifteen things going on in your mind at once...it can be easy to fall into the procrastination 'trap'.

So...I get around this by doing a small amount of work on many different things!

Now...this flies in the face of common wisdom which says that you should just focus on ONE thing at a time.

But...isn't it easy to get bored that way?

I don't know about YOU...but I do!

So...one day I might spend the entire day working on one thing...and then not touch it for a few weeks because something else more 'exciting' comes up!

Of course...this principle only works if you actually COMPLETE things by doing them this way.

(Which, of course...I'm working on!)

Doing things this way means that you MUST have a prosperity or abundance mindset as it can be a period of time before you actually finish something!

But...sometimes...you can be almost at the completion stage for a number of projects at the same time...which is where I am at the moment!

The key to making this 'work' is that you don't write your projects off as non-starters...just realize that, when YOU are ready...THEY will be completed (and not the other way around!).

Of course...this process isn't entirely limited to business projects for example.

There are many people who have a number of different books 'on the go' at the same time who will testify to that.

Variety IS the spice of life...and life DOES get boring if you are doing stuff you don't really want to do at that time.

So...am I mad...or do you agree with me?

What works for YOU?

Push through for success!

You know, some people don’t know when enough is enough.
Interestingly enough, this is where you will find the greatest of achievers.

Pushing and pushing and pushing a bit more until they break through. While others scoff, achievers brush it off and apply even greater focus on their goal. I know pushing through perceived limits works.

Having a healthy level of skepticism is fine if it helps you to be realistic enough to avoid major disasters. A little skepticism may serve you in planning stages but it doesn’t give you the wind under your sails or feed the burning desire that helps you achieve. Trying, failing, assessing, learning, trying again. It’s a cycle. Learning by persisting makes us better, more deserving of success.

Take this man – a real-life example of ultimate persistence to
achieve…

He was the son of a very ordinary man. He had rudimentary education. His mother died when he was only nine. He worked in a grocery store at 21. At 22, he decided to open his own store and as bankrupt a short time later!

When he was 23, he stood for a seat in parliament and was defeated. He was broke again at 25 when he attempted to build another business. When he found his true love and proposed, she died just before their wedding.

He suffered a nervous breakdown and studied part-time for 6 yrs to become a lawyer. Please note, mental sickness is not a pre-requisite to a law career, but working as a lawyer may cause the condition ;-)

When 29, he tried for parliament again and was defeated a second time. He tried again at 34 and again at 37 - defeated both times.

Finally he married, had four sons and three died. He was defeated in parliament once again at 39. That didn’t stop him from trying yet again at 46....

and at 49!

Do you think he listened to the scoffers around him? Do you think he bowed to pressure to give the career as a politician away? No!

He kept trying!

Finally at the age of 52, Abraham Lincoln became the President of the USA. This man was one of the greatest and should give us motivation to address what we really want to do, what we would want to do if we hung in there and worked the Success Cycle.

My point is this, the number of times we actually succeed is based on the number of times we try and not give up!!

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
Richest Man

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

You May Call It A Risk...I Call It Fun!

Today is Lesley's 34th birthday.

Being the dutiful husband I am, aside from buying her some flowers, I also reminded her that, as of tomorrow, she'll be closer to fifty than eighteen!

I'm still nursing the bruises!

All joking aside, doesn't it seem that the older you get, the amount of disbelief that you are actually NOT 'young' increases?

On 8th December I will be 34. Now...that may be younger than you, or older than you.

But...to me, whatever age you are is irrelevant.

In the last five years, I have done things, or had things happen to me (both good and bad) that I would have never dreamed of in the 29 years previously.

And...in the last 2 years alone, I have become a person that bears absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to who I was even 3 years ago! (but in a nice way, of course)

As the birthdays seem to speed up...it's easy to wish our lives away.

One guy where I used to work was 34 at the time...and he was staying put in his job because he could retire on a full pension at age 60! What sort of life is that?

It's all down to managing risk.

I was accused the other night of taking a risk with my family's future because I gave up a 'secure' and well-paying job to work for myself...so that I could live the lifestyle I wanted to.

My argument with that is...isn't risk something that is PERCEIVED in your future?

I don't call what I do as a risk if it means that I can spend time with my wife and daughter every day...and I can challenge myself on a number of different levels as I grow my business.

As Lesley said to me the other day - "It's hardly a risk if we can both go back to a 9-5 job if we had to."

As I get older my timeframes change.

I've stopped wishing that I was somewhere in the future...and instead I work on making the NOW as good as it could possibly be.

Is that risky? Maybe...but it certainly makes life more enjoyable!

What about you...do you agree with my views on what's risky?

Are YOU Compounding Your Little Efforts?

Every now and again...I like to take a few chances.

I know that, unless I make a split-second decision occasionally...then I might as well just be happy with where I am.

Now...don't get me wrong...I AM happy where I am...I am just constantly on the 'lookout' for ways to improve myself, my business, and my relationships.

I've realized that the ONLY way that you can possibly develop from where you is by accepting that you MUST make small improvements REGULARLY in EVERYTHING that you do!

So...I try to come up with a slightly better product than the last one.
I try to push myself that little bit further than I feel comfortable with.
I try to challenge that little voice in my head that says..."You won't be able to do..."
I try to make that little bit more effort where Katie and Lesley are concerned.
I try to give YOU for free a little bit more than ANYONE else.

Guess what?

I'm winning!

I'm winning because I KNOW that, even though I can't really see the results of my extra efforts on a daily basis...over time they are compounding to make my ideal future happen.

Are YOU compounding your little efforts?

It's not that easy to do, I know...but you HAVE to just be that little bit more creative, that little bit more generous, that little bit more positive.

The little things do make a HUGE difference, believe me.

Success Is There For You...You Just Need To Keep Looking

Can I ask you a question?

"What motivates and excites you?"

I mean REALLY motivates and excites you?

Does anything keep nagging at you when you're watching TV...or when you're trying to get to sleep at night?

You see...whether I like it or not...I can't stop the flood of ideas coming into MY head about what I want to do...

Both now...and in the future.
On a personal...and a business level.

My brain literally doesn't stop...because I am constantly looking for ways to improve my understanding both of myself AND of my 'business'.

What about you...is there ANYTHING that grabs your mind like a pit-bull...and won't let go?

What gets you really 'psyched up' and raring to go?

There must be SOMETHING!

If there isn't, then perhaps you should broadening your horizons a little bit further.

For fifteen years I read personal development books...and never had the slightest clue that I could actually WRITE the stuff!

I wonder where I would be now if I started this even two years earlier?

It's NEVER too late! In fact...some of the most prolific and respected personal development 'gurus' didn't 'get it' until their forties or fifties!

And...it's a well-known fact that Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame didn't even BEGIN his business until after his 65th birthday.

So...it's NEVER too late.

The only thing that will stop you from finding out who you really ARE...and what you really want to DO is if you stop looking.

The path to your future happiness and success is there...just for you.

You just need to try, and try, and try again until you find it! (Just like I have)

It's Not The Straight Path To Success You Want!

It may surprise you...but how successful you become isn't necessarily relevant to where you end up!

What I mean is...it's not the achievement of your goal that makes you into a successful person...it's the opportunities that come your way BECAUSE you are aiming for it!

Take me, for example.

I only got an opportunity to become a speaker because I went to a seminar that didn't really have a whole lot to do with what I was doing online at the time.

But...through a series of events that arose from that...I have been able to literally force myself to speak in public, do teleclasses...and have the self-confidence to run my Mentor Program during the summer.

But...none of this would have happened if I wasn't trying to learn more about MYSELF as well as the business I had chosen to be in!

And...in a funny sort of roundabout way...what I learned from doing the stuff that wasn't necessarily what I would have imagined...has resulted in helping me move in the direction that I wanted to go all along!

And...all because I was pushing my boundaries and making more of an effort than I had ever done before.

A lot of people look at things not going in the way they imagined as a negative thing...when in fact, it could be the BEST thing that could ever of happened to them...which, in turn, contributes more to their success than they realize.

So...don't worry if your path to success doesn't seem as 'straight' as you would like.

It's usually the little detours that will have the biggest impact of your future!

It Costs Money...But I Was Given It Earlier!

Another day of 'fun and games' on my house-moving front!

Out of nowhere it appears that we need to have some indemnity insurance for some work that was done way before our time...with no easy way out of it!

A bill of around $370 out-of-the-blue is never welcome!

But...

At the end of last week I was asked by someone if I could coach them...and my fees are $400 a month.

Take away credit card processing fees etc...and I come out a little ahead.

It's just a shame that Lesley doesn't see it that way...she just thinks that this whole episode has COST me money!

What do YOU think?

I would have agreed with her a few months ago...but I now KNOW that it wasn't just 'coincidence' that someone ASKED me to coach them (the thought hadn't even crossed my mind during our conversation!).

When you have a 'lack' mentality where money is concerned you do tend to forget that you are no 'worse off' than you were last week.

Just try telling Lesley that!

And...would you call it 'coincidence' that my first coaching call with this person was...about an hour after we received the bill!

They Are What You Are Here For!

Do you know what you're REALLY good at?

No?

Why not?

After all...if you are good at something that usually makes you BETTER at that very thing compared to most people.

You might even be good at something...but you haven't yet found out what it is yet!

Take me, for example. Up until less than two years ago...the only words I had ever written on ANY subject were reports and appraisals at the bank where I worked!

Now...I KNOW that I am good at getting my point across about personal development using the written word.

But...for fifteen years...I had a talent that I didn't even know that I had!

And...that talent is now the basis for my future financial security!

So...just because you may not currently realize that you DO have a talent...don't let it stop you.

Just 'get out there' and start making some improvements in your life on a daily basis.

Force yourself to do those exercises in all those books you read...or to apply what you read to what you're doing.

The only way that your TRUE talent will emerge is by you growing out of the position (mentally, physically, emotionally...and monetarily) that you are currently in.

Start tomorrow to commit just five or ten minutes EVERY day to making more of your undoubted talents.

After all, they are what YOU are here for!

What NOW? Forget About The Future!

OK...let's forget the future for a while...and focus on the NOW!

What about where your life is at THIS EXACT MOMENT is really 'right'?

Stop reading this for a couple of seconds and give it some thought...

Well?

Now...compare it to what you feel your ideal LIFESTYLE should be like.

So...what do you already HAVE now that you want as part of your future?

Perhaps a little more than you think? I hope so!

Too many people will tell you that you should make all those changes in your life...when in reality...you should be just focusing on enjoying what you DO have that's good already!

So focus on those things you CURRENTLY love...and do more of them...

It may be:

- spending more time playing with your kids
- walking the dog in the park
- having a coffee with your friends
- going to the cinema
- having a kiss and cuddle with your spouse

Wouldn't you still WANT to do those sort of things AFTER you've earned your millions?

So...just do more of them - NOW!

Most of them won't cost you a single penny...so you can 'afford' to do more of them...whatever your financial situation.

It's the quickest way I know to really make the MOST of your life.

It's Only Too Late If You're Not In Control

I had a phone conversation with a possible joint venture partner today.

And...I surprised myself by how I thought about the possible benefits from doing a 'deal'.

Because I now focus on the QUALITY of my lifestyle as opposed to the QUANTITY of money I earn from it...my entire way of thinking has changed.

"Sure"...you might think, "...but you are working for yourself...and don't have a crappy job to go to!"

And...you're right to think that, of course.

BUT...it's irrelevant WHAT you are doing when you are talking about how happy your life should be!

You may be in a 'bad' job...but WHY are you?

You may be there 'for the money'...but what use is that if it makes you and your family miserable?

Whether you realize it or not...YOU are in COMPLETE control of YOUR situation!

Two years ago...when I couldn't stand it any longer...I quit my then-well-paying job...kissed goodbye to supposed 'job security'...and finally did what I had always wanted to do (but never quite got around to)...work for myself.

I told Lesley that I needed to be at home...and that, if I wasn't earning a similar income after a year to what I was on when I quit...then I would go back to a 9-5. Two years on...and I'm NEVER going back!

It's amazing how much more focused you become when you are SOLELY accountable to yourself!

Remember...I DIDN'T have any savings to fall back on...just a few hundred dollars a month from government payments for Connor and his disabilities.

YOU may not be in such mental turmoil that you HAVE to do something.

So...make the MOST of what you DO get from doing what you do!

Life's to short to regret spending 40+ hours a week of it hating every moment of it!

Imagine what that sort of thinking is CREATING in your life? All of that mental negativity will literally create the bad luck that you are trying to run away from.

So...stop feeling sorry for yourself...and DO something, ANYTHING, that makes you more happy...even for a few hours a week!

And, please, think about what you ALREADY have going for you that you perhaps don't realize how lucky you are to have.

Things like...a spouse, your kids, a house, a car that works, weekends...I could go on and on (and on!)

Just look to what you LIKE about whatever you do...and TRY and do MORE of it.

And...look at what you don't like doing...and either work out a way to do LESS of it...or challenge yourself to really put the extra effort in to make the MOST of it!

You will only attract the sort of lifestyle you REALLY want if you make the most of where you ALREADY are first!

Don't Forget The WHY In Your Future!

It doesn't always help if you are an 'ideas person' like I am! lol

As long as I can remember...I always seem to find new things to come up with...even though I've still got some perfectly good (and 'doable') things lined up already!

How about you?

It's not easy to hold yourself back from getting really excited about something that's so brand-spanking-new-that-you-absolutely-must-have-it!

But...it's something that you NEED to do.

There is an old saying that goes "if it ain't broke - don't try to fix it".

That's never more true when you are looking at making a more successful future for yourself.

You see...you probably have a LOT more going for you than you think!

(Yes...you DO!)

If our aim here to have a more rewarding, fulfiliing...and ultimately wonderful life...then I know that we both have a lot of what we already need in our lives!

We just need to change our view of what we HAVE got...and appreciate it all for what it already is.

I know from experience what it is like to lose someone precious to me...and from that day I've vowed to ensure that whatever I do and wherever I go, in life...that I will make the most of the time that I DO have with those people who I LOVE to spend time with...whether family or otherwise.

So...next time you think that there is a new way to go because 'x' has said so...just remember that it's pointless going towards it if it compromises what (and who) you are trying to build a future for!

Go On...Give Me Just 1%!

It doesn't take much to change your life.

Honest!

You see...whatever you are doing wherever you are doing it...just a 1% improvement every day can make a huge difference!

Whether it's doing something that little bit better at work...or just making a cup of coffee for your spouse when you don't usually...little things DO make a difference.

Look at what you do tomorrow from this viewpoint.

What one SINGLE thing can you do just SLIGHTLY better than you usually do?

It's not that hard to make it happen...you just need to focus on the fact that for the little extra effort...you WILL benefit in the long-term.

Just think...if you took a different task every day for the next two weeks...and looked at how you could improve it by just 1%...

Guess what will happen?

Well...what will happen is that you'll realize that even though you've 'raised your game' by only 1% a day...you'll KNOW how easy it would be to raise it by another 5%...and then another...and another.

All you need to do is just start with that 1%...and then your own momentum will automatically move your forward.

I guarantee that it will work!

Why? Well..because that's ALL that I do!

They're Classics For A Very Good Reason

It's amazing what value you can get thanks to the Internet.

I can't remember the last time that I bought a book or CD offline!

In the personal development field, for example, you can get some excellent stuff...a lot of which you can't get in the same format offline.

But, because there is so much 'out there'...it's easy to ignore some fantastic (and life-changing if you actually USE it) stuff that's out there.

Just a couple of examples will show you what I mean.

Firstly...take the ebook version of Napoleon Hill's Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons.

It took me months to digitize and re-format all sixteen lessons...and that meant that I read and re-read it about fifteen times as I was converting it!

And...I can tell you...although 75 years old...it is perhaps MORE relevant than it has ever been.

After working 'with' it for so long...it now has gone above "Think & Grow Rich" as my favorite personal development book of all time.

But...it's not just that.

Because I also sourced almost ALL of the 'reference' material that Napoleon Hill recommends...the ebook version is the closest that you will ever get to having a true 'course' in book form...and one recommended by Napoleon Hill at that!

Now...I'm not going on about how amazing this book is because I publish it.

Nope...if a book lasts 75 years and STILL can teach us all something about ourselves...then in my opinion, anyway, it is well worth reading. (Especially when practically ALL of the millionaires I have talked to over the last year have read it...and prefer it over Think & Grow Rich")

Secondly...and more recently...

Dr. Robert Anthony sold millions of his books back in the seventies and eighties.

I'd never heard of him, either!

But...when I started to read some of his stuff that was available in ebook format for the first time...I knew why millions hadn't been wrong. (Just click here to see what I mean)

It's amazing to me how 'ahead of the times' he was back then.

I've been spending a lot of time reading books like Conversations With God...and other 'spiritual' stuff that, to me, made a lot of sense.

Yet, it shocked me when I was reading some of Dr. Anthony's stuff last week how it seemed almost to echo what these much more recent books where saying.

It further reinforced my beliefs about how to lead a happy, successful...and rewarding life...but without all that hassle.

What surprised me was that he is now selling a wonderful manifestation audio along with EIGHT of these former bestseller of his for only $39.95. (You can find them here if you are interested)

Just last week he was selling them for a more realistic $79.95 (in my opinion).

But...don't let this new low price put you off...this stuff is phenomenal value...and in terms of sheer knowledge is one of the best value packages online.

So...to sum up...you don't really need to spend hundreds of dollars on new 'cutting edge' stuff in order to have a more successful life.

The principles that I now live by are based on who successful people have lived for thousands of years.

There is NOTHING new where learning about success is concerned.

Sure...like everything, there are always better, or different, ways to do things...but essentially the logic that you need to apply is the same whatever you want in life.

And beginning with these sort of books that have lasted for decades will give you a clue about how simple, yet powerful, these concepts are.

Serious People Actually DO Something

Serious people actually DO something; other people just talk about doing something or plan to do something one day.

If you want to be wealthy, you must take action.

Action really is the key. You can have the best ideas in the world or be the most talented person on the planet, yet still if you do not take action you will remain poor. Anyone who actually does something will beat an inactive genius - every time!

You need to take action, but most people cannot master this one - it is far too hard for them.

We live in a physical world which has a tendency to decay. Food, clothing, shelter, - all require energy to make them exist. Without energy, all is dust and decay.

Thinking is not enough. To complete the equation, you must also act. You must DO something.

Here is the startling two-step secret of success:

A. THINK

B. ACT

Most people do neither – well, in a meaningful way...

Some act without thinking – not good enough!

Some think and never act – not good enough!

The winners, the rich, the successful all think first and then they put their ideas into a solid program of action.

This is what you MUST do if you wish to join them.

Please, do yourself and everyone else a favour and stop talking and thinking about 'one day' becoming wealthy.

The price is thought followed by action, so if you want to become wealthy, then start now today. You have probably written your goals, now ask yourself what actual steps you can do, right now, today, to move you closer towards your dream.

Would you like to know two ways of getting rich apart from luck or crime? Anyone can make a living, getting rich is far harder.

FIRST WAY…
To become wealthy, you need to come up with an original, creative idea for a product or service which you believe is in demand and people will pay for it because it adds value.

Then you must put in the hours to research and test this idea. If it looks no good, you must create another idea until you find a winner.

SECOND WAY…
Locate a hot, fresh idea which is working somewhere right now (maybe in another country) and then recreate the idea closer to home - without plagiarizing somebody else's work. In other words, you wait for someone else to find a winner, then jump in quickly.

When you have found a winner, then you must pursue your idea and dream with passion and exuberance. This is called 'paying the price’. The price is action and sometimes a little money. If you are broke, then you must choose an idea which doesn't take a lot of money. Don’t worry there are opportunities EVERYWHERE!

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
The Richest Man

It's Up To YOU...What's It To Be?

Hello...are you there?

Are you reading this and taking it in...or are you just too busy to apply what I'm trying to tell you?

It's difficult using this sort of format...as it is almost impossible to work out whether you (or anybody else for that matter) are actually reading this!

Only by the level (or otherwise) of comments can I judge if my 'messages' are getting through.

You see...I'm a little concerned.

Not for my own 'success welfare'...but yours!

Over the last year or so I have tried to explain to you in as much detail as possible why the lessons from my own journey to success will help yours.

But...I have a problem.

I can't really tell if I am helping you at all!

Now...this isn't a call for comments and emails telling me how good my work is etc etc.

Nope. I want to make sure that what I am writing here is actually being APPLIED by you...rather than just read.

And this is certainly not easy to gauge...especially if we only get a very brief 'discussion' (if at all) going after each post.

So...with this in mind...I am looking to find some positive RESULTS from what I write.

Of course...I am living proof of them in my OWN life...but that's not good enough for me...I want YOU to be living proof, too!

But...how can I achieve my aim?

Well...I have a few ideas floating around in my head at the moment which I'll be looking at giving birth to over the next few weeks.

But...the ENTIRE point of Our Success Partnership is the emphasis on the 'OUR'!

So...what would YOU like to see happening...with this blog, the ezine, product/service...or 'other' wise.

After all...when all is said and done...MY success will only be defined by YOURS...so it's your call...and you have free reign to begin to design what help you would like to enable US to get to YOUR ideal future TOGETHER.

So...what's it to be?

So...What's So Wrong NOW?

Today...I had another 'strange' experience...

I had a conversation with someone who aspired to have my lifestyle!

I tell you...it's a weird feeling...especially when they know that my lifestyle isn't based around having a huge income.

It seems that the more people I tell about why I don't feel any 'pressure' in my life...the more I seem to value what I've got.

The funny thing is....both monetarily and materialistically...I'm not that much better off than I was when I worked in my 9-5...but instead I THINK differently about who and what I am...and who and what I value.

So really...my world hasn't changed...my VIEW of it has!

It's a great feeling to know that I can honestly say that I don't have any REAL problems in my life (this isn't meant to be 'smart'...I mean that I don't PERCEIVE certain situations as 'problems' anymore.)

It's taken me some time...but I've realized that what I used to take for granted (my own happiness and my relationship with my family)...I now appreciate so much than I ever have done.

It's almost as if I have taken a 'step up' spiritually...and I've come to really understand that your life is as good as your thoughts about it.

And...there's no reason whatsoever why you can't FEEL the same way, too.

Just begin by looking at who (and what) you should REALLY value...and then ignore money as a motivator and measurement of how good life can be.

Remember...the sum total of who you are isn't a balance on a bank account...it's what you FEEL RIGHT NOW.

$150 or A Couple Of Hours? You Decide!

Today I made a decision that cost me over $150...and I'm proud of it!

I was booking my flights out to Miami in order to get out there for the Affiliate Masters Cruise at the end of October (at which I'm on the panel of experts).

Because of the length of the journey...I always try to fly direct wherever possible.

I learned my lesson from my trip to Vegas last years after some 'fun and games' with connections...which meant that it took me almost an entire day to get there!

Usually...the prices to the States from here in the UK are quite reasonable...although some journeys that you think might be cheaper aren't!

And...Miami is one of them! lol

However...since I last looked a couple of weeks ago...a couple of indirect flights appeared on the list which worked out at over $150 cheaper than the direct flights.

And...the flights were direct going there...but there was a connection on the way back that meant that the journey would be two-and-a-half hours longer.

So...would YOU pay $150 more for less flying time (and less chance of stress if connections go wrong?)

Well...I'll be honest with you...I almost talked myself out of it...but then my prosperity consciousness 'kicked in'...and I realized how bad I would feel sitting on a plane knowing that I still had over two hours to go...when I could have landed already!

So...lifestyle won AGAIN over money.

This may not seem like a big thing to you...but I KNOW for a fact that perhaps only a few months ago...I would have gladly extended my already-nine-hour journey by another two-and-a-half...just to save myself $150!

What would YOU have done?

Is That Give Out...Or Take Away?

Today I've spent the best part of three hours on coaching calls.

It made me realize that, despite whatever I MAY think of myself...I CAN (and do) make a positive contribution to other people's lives.

And...if you think about...so do YOU, too!

You see...EVERYONE that you meet tomorrow will be influenced by you in some way.

In every exchange...do you think that you ADD something to the other person's life?

Perhaps not?

You might turn your nose down at that foreign student who serves you in McDonalds.

You might be rude to the secretary of the boss you're trying to reach, well, because she's 'only a secretary'.

You might even ignore your kids at the breakfast table when they ask you a question and you're trying to read the newspaper.

Do you add VALUE to other people's lives?

Remember...what you give away comes back to you...so what do you think you'll get back from those sort of relationships with other people?

We are all part of the same worldwide 'family' whether we realize it or not.

And...who's to say the impact that ANYBODY you meet tomorrow could have on your future success?

You may not believe me...but who knows who you might need to rely on at a crucial moment in your future?

the debate continues...

Ever been stuck in a discussion with your partner about your desire to move your family's wealth forward?

Then these typical questions will inevitably arise…

Do we utilize the equity in our home to invest?
Do we continue to save to pay off our mortgage?
Do we wait before investing?
Do we continue to pay the standard mortgage installments and begin purchasing new investments immediately?
Should we sell our home, rent and focus all our efforts on investing?

These are good questions, and the list goes on…

Between the two of you, one will be prepared to take a risk; the other will be more risk averse.

One will have a deeper desire for abundance than the other.

Opinions will differ on this subject and we can’t consider all the possible scenarios right now.

What I will say is this.

The fact that you are coming from two different places due to your core values and beliefs will make getting to an agreed position difficult at best.

Some compromise will be required from both parties.

I can only assume that by reading this that your pursuit of abundance may be stronger than your partner. You will be successful at edging your way to your goals WITH your partner if you do it gradually and with a great deal of communication. Having some small wins in your investing activities along the way will help to re-inforce the value of your desire for abundance to your family.

That still leaves the issue of your family home.

In most countries, buying or owning your own home is a given fact.

Why would you do it any other way?

Let me pose a few questions…

Will you be wealthy one day if you earn a wage, pay tax and then spend, including your mortgage? Unlikely.
Will you become wealthy and gain freedom for your family if you wait and pay off your home before you start investing? Unlikely.
If you buy your family home and then a vacation shack, will you be wealthy sometime soon? Unlikely.

In time, good things come to those that use their God-given talents and brain power – create a plan and have joy in achieving it together.

The wealthy have a few basic tenets that make them who they are – free, sovereign individuals.

They structure their lives so that they pay themselves first, spend on primarily tax deductible debts, pay a little tax and invest the balance.

Simple right. Well infact, it is simple when you know the rules and live them.

So when it comes to the family home, what do the wealthy do?

They purchase an economical home – nothing too impressive – they buy something really special when they can afford to splash out.
They re-finance every year or two and keep mortgage payments to a similar % of their income but use the equity in their home to purchase investments – real estate, stocks, mutual funds, etc..
The wealthy will attempt to structure in such a way that their mortgage repayments are tax deductible as well.

They will budget so that they always have savings that they are investing to create wealth and residual income. As they invest they keep their money earning more money – using the power of compounding to amass a fortune. (See the compounding graphs with lesson 5 on http://www.the-richest-man-in-babylon.com/lesson5.htm) Not until they have significant wealth will the wealthy buy vacation shacks, or expensive cars or the like.

Don't sit on your capital and leave it in your home. Make it work for you and claim tax deductions on using the equity to invest.

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
The Richest Man

What Do You Do When Opportunity Runs You Down?

The trouble with being so open to new and exciting ways of improving myself is that I never seem to 'rest' until I fall asleep at night!

Now...I'm not saying this because it's a bad thing (it's not)...it's just that even when I'm doing nothing much in particular (like eating breakfast) - my mind is constantly 'whirring' away in the background.

I can't help myself! lol

I wonder how I managed to squander so much time for so long during the first fifteen years of my adulthood!

It's almost as if my mind has been 'switched on' to thinking 'outside of the box' (to use a nice management term!).

What about YOU? Are you 'tuned in' to looking for opportunities?

Now...I'm not talking about business opportunities...I'm referring to opportunities to move yourself forward in life.

Believe me...they're flying past you in the 'ether' even as you read this.

It's not a case of you finding opportunity...you have the literally just step out in FRONT of it!

You may think that I am exaggerating...but, by listening to my intuition, and watching for coincidences...and by keeping an open mind...opportunities and ideas have literally landed in my lap this past year.

Now...you may just put this down to 'luck'...but I KNOW otherwise.

You see...I know the 'secret!'

Want to know what it is?

OK.

It's all very well well getting yourself in front of opportunities...but the KEY thing here is that you need to make a DECISION to ACT on those that come your way.

That's all.

Unless you make that first step...your not on your journey towards a more successful and rewarding life..

I AM A Control 'Freak'...And I'm Proud Of It!

It's a strange thing...

I SHOULD be under more pressure from a work perspective as I now work for myself, and therefore don't have the 'security' of a regular income.

But...I'm probably more 'laid back' about the whole thing than I have probably been at eny time in my working life.

Why?

Well...it's because I no longer have one eye on the future instead of both eyes on the NOW, that's why!

What I mean is that I no longer give a second thought to the "what if.." monster.

-It doesn't bother me what other peoples' reactions MIGHT be.

-It doesn't bother me that I don't have a 'secure' (whatever that is) income.

-It doesn't bother me that I don't have much of a pension in place (I'm too busy re-investing in MYSELF instead)

- It doesn't bother me that I don't try to ASSUME what COULD happen if I did or didn't do 'x'.

I wish I had this mindset when I DID work in my 9-5. It would have saved me a lot of stress in the process...that's for sure.

It's taken me a while...but I've come to terms with the fact that it is me ALONE who is in control of where I will be in five years' time - NOBODY else!

And...if you look hard enough...I think that you'll see that you NEED to be in SOLE control of your future, too.

And Look At What The Universe Sends Me...

It's easy to let things get to you when you have no control of them.

Yet...that is PRECISELY why you SHOULDN'T let things get to you!

Today has been a dance of phone calls between our estate agent and prospective buyers of our house.

A few years ago I would have got seriously stressed about the whole situation...but not any more.

You see...I am in control of the situation.

We've had an offer that is about $3,500 less than the previous (failed) offer...and would result in us being out of pocket by a similar amount once our moving costs were taken into account.

Now...in the past...I would have got 'hung-up' on the fact that this offer was undervaluing our property...blah blah blah.

But...what it boils down to is this...

Do we want to lose my wife's 'dream house' for the sake of a few grand?

In the big scheme of things called 'quality of life'...does it really MATTER that I will have to find the money in the future?

Of course I would rather that I didn't...but I KNOW that the house we are buying is part of the quality of our future life...whereas an extra couple of grand on a credit card is just a bigger figure on a computer somewhere.

I KNOW that in the past...I would have been so attached to the MONETARY outcome...that I probably would have compromised what's REALLY important.

So...I am in control...and, with a couple more viewings lined up...who knows if the monetary side won't sort itself out eventually?

See...I go on about why you should focus on what's really important instead of money...and look at what the Universe sends me as a reminder that I should always 'walk my talk'! lol

Are You Not Trying To Fail?

I caught some TV programme this afternoon (I can't even remember what it was! lol)...and, the split second that I walked into the room some guy who was on it said...

"The only way you can fail is if you stop trying."

WOW! Trust my subconscious to get me into my front room at the exact moment that this wonderful quote was spoken!

Do YOU fail because you stop trying?

Because it is so much easier to give up than it is to keep trying...it's no wonder so many people view their life as a series of failures.

But...I bet you that, when they look back...they find one or two cases where they COULD have made more of a success of what they did...if only they carried on that little bit longer.

Are you one of those people who seem to have a bungee rope tied around their waist as they stretch themselves towards moving forward in their lives.

And...just at the point where they need to give the MOST effort...they just relax...and get pulled back to where they started off.

It's almost as if success was only a fingertip away...and it's only when they look back that they realize that it was exactly that!

Just a liitle bit more effort...just a little more time...just one more try...sometimes that's ALL it takes.

Your greatest achievement is probably immediately after your biggest challenge.

Do YOU rise to it and keep going...or do YOU let that bungee rope spring you back to where you started?

One more try...sometimes that's all it takes!

Are You Doing All This For THEM?

Have you ever wondered why seem more 'at peace' with their lives than others?

Even billionaires lead miserable existences...believe it or not!

Unless you build your life from the 'bottom up' by getting the balance right between what you HAVE to do...and what you WANT to do...then no amount of money will ever give a fulfilled life.

Ever.

It wasn't until I realized that I DID have control over the balance between what I had to do versus what I wanted to do...that my life began to change.

And...once I realized that money wasn't the thing that REALLY motivated me after all...literally overnight the stress in my life disappeared.

You see...all the worries that we have are, in most cases, built up in our minds!

Too often we are too busy wondering...

- What other people think of us
- What's in it for us.
- Why they are luckier than us
- Why we aren't just plain happy with where we are

It's all in our minds!

Unless you really do what you do for YOU...not for other people...not for money...not for any other reason...then I guarantee that, whatever you achieve in your life...you STILL won't be much happier than you are know.

Now that you know this...what's CHANGED?

What are you NOW going to for YOU?

It's OK to Try - It's OK to Fail

“A man can get discouraged many times but he is not a failure until he … stops trying.”
-- John Burroughs, 1926-, 1837-1921, American Naturalist, Author

I just realized this morning that many “success coaches” make success TOO MUCH of an “all or nothing” proposition. And in doing so, they actually overburden people rather than setting them free. I have one particular example of this in mind. I participated recently in a discussion group whose purpose was to share insights that would help us achieve greater success. In pursuit of that noble purpose, one person committed that unpardonable sin by saying he was “trying” to work on an area of his life where he was having a personal struggle. Now made vulnerable by this disclosure, the poor man was much more chastened for his use of the word “try” than he was commended for his efforts. I have to admit that I actually supported their chastening at the time, not realizing that I was putting a burden on both that individual and myself that no human being should EVER have to bear – the burden of being the god of outcomes.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “try” as “to make an attempt”. Now I ask you, what is wrong with making an attempt at something worthwhile? Or, for that matter, with making a series of failed attempts, while continually making progress? Many misinformed, but devout “success achievers” will tell you that the word “try” is self defeating and should be removed from your vocabulary, because it implies either lack of commitment or presumption of failure. To put it bluntly, that is utter nonsense, and they are not only DEAD WRONG despite their good intentions; they are selling you a sure-fire formula for needlessly multiplying the distress in your life! You can be fanatically committed, but you can’t escape the necessity of “making an attempt” if you want to accomplish something! And any attempt carries with it the unavoidable possibility of failure!

To illustrate, our extraordinary advances in weaponry have become common knowledge. This was dramatized during the Gulf War, when the media let us look through the video camera “eyes” of our missiles as they homed in with pinpoint accuracy on their targets. Did you know that these missiles are actually off course a good deal of the time? They arrive at their targets with deadly precision because they have extremely sophisticated systems built into them that continually adjust their course until their objective is reached. In other words, they continually try, fail, and adapt in flight with a specific goal, or target, in “mind”.

So clearly, as the opening quotation says, it is not in trying that we fail. It is in giving up! Instead, the first REAL issue is whether or not our objective is worthwhile. As Robert Schuller said, “I'd rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.” The second REAL issue is whether or not we can achieve it. Both of these are judgment calls for each individual based on their values and beliefs. Like Robert Schuller, I strongly recommend aiming as high as possible (or even higher), but with the knowledge that the more worthy the goal, the greater our commitment must be to achieve it.

And whether or not the “success achievers” approve of my use of the “F-word”, it is a fact of life that we are going to FAIL. That is as certain as the law of gravity. There will always be factors beyond our control or ability to anticipate, and when those occur, we will fail. We needn’t lose heart but for the moment. And we needn’t give up if our cause is worthy. Life doesn’t always play fair, and accepting that fact, even embracing the ultimate wisdom of it, gives us the serenity and dignity to rise from the dust of that failure and press on.

When we fail for our own lack of commitment, knowledge, skill or focus, let’s not punish ourselves for “trying”! It is also unwise either to waste our time on regret or close the door on our past. Instead, let’s “try, fail and adapt in flight”. Let’s learn and grow through our mistakes, and use our experience to help others along the way.

So go ahead and TRY! Break the shackles of perfectionism that say you must either “do it” or be a failure. Pick something really important to you – something great and worthy of your wholehearted commitment. Then go after it, knowing and accepting that you will fail along the way, but KEEP TRYING! As long as you’re still trying, failing and adapting, you ARE a success! You are a guided missile!

I Appreciate You,


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

Create Abundance in Your Life...Watching Movies!
GO TO: www.smashthemold.com

"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."
-- "Babe" Ruth

Time Is The New Money

You may wonder what this has to do with success...but stick with it for a few paragraphs...

You may have heard about the British Airways check-in staff's unofficial strike that happened last week.

It was about the introduction of 'swipe cards' that would be used by the staff to 'clock in' and off.

They walked out because they felt that BA were using these cards to eventually change their working practices...which BA has always denied.

The weekend walkout cost BA £30m ($50m)!

Yesterday, in meetings with the unions...both sides came out smiling after agreeing on exactly what would happen with these cards.

The most telling thing that arose from all of this were the comments made by one of the union leaders in the dispute - Kevin Curran of the GMB union.

Most of the 2,500 staff involved were women with families, he said, and BA had guaranteed that the information collected under the new system would not change their working patterns.

Now...THIS is the thing that you would NEVER have heard just a few short years ago...

"It was a 21st century dispute where low-paid, mainly women, workers stood up and demanded dignity, respect, and consultation from their employer," Mr Curran said. "I believe that THIS DISPUTE PROVES THAT TIME IS THE NEW MONEY, and work-life balance and the quality of people's lives will become a major part of the collective bargaining agenda."

Wow! My ears literally pricked up when I heard that!

I couldn't agree more!

So...if this is now the case...are you SPENDING your 'new' money wisely?

You're Worth More Than That!

Do you VALUE what you do?

I do.

Do you measure your contribution to the world by how much you are paid?

No, not really.

You see...over the last two years my view of how much value I can give has changed.

My life used to be measured by how much I earned (around $50,000 a year at the time)...and by my position at work.

Now...I KNOW that I make a contribution that far outweighs any form of income.

Why?

Because over 4,000 people are subscribed to my free 183 Lesson "To Our Success" E-course, that's why!

So...I KNOW that I am helping quite a few people make even tiny improvements in their lives at absolutely no charge whatsoever. I know because I get emails almost every day telling me so!

But...on the other side of the coin...I no longer de-value my actual WORTH.

Where I might have been glad to be paid in the region $25 an hour when I was working...I won't even take a look at something unless I am paid $200 an hour for it.

Now...I'm not saying that to appear smug or to gloat!

I'm saying this to show you that I believe that I can ADD more tha $200 worth of VALUE to whomever pays me.

I stand by that so strongly that I even offer a 100% gurantee on my coaching AFTER it has finished...which is almost unheard of.

I KNOW that I am undervaluing both myself and my contribution if I charge too low.

Do YOU stand by what you get paid?

If you are working and you think that you are worth more than your salary - how are going out of your way to PROVE it?

If you are self-employed...are you focusing on how much you charge...as opposed to how much VALUE that you add by providing your service? And...woudl you happily give somebody a refund...even if it meant that you 'lost out'?

YOU are unique in what you offer the world...but only as long as you actually give more than you expect in return.

If you want to prosper at the same time as believing in yourself and your abilities...then you need to raise your 'sights' a little!

Are You Standing Still To Go Backwards?

One of the most important things that I have found out so far on my own success 'journey' is this...

"Unless you are regularly moving forwards...you're really going backwards."

What this means is that you may think that you are standing still where your finances or your development is concerned...but you're wrong!

Unless you are actively improving and working towards what you really want to achieve in your life...then the only direction that you are going is backwards.

Why is this?

Well...every day...someone somewhere, is working on him(her)self.

Every day...there are people who are writing notes from the books that they read.

Every day...there are people who are making that little bit of extra effort in improving their career or their own business.

Every day...there are people who are spending time on improving their relationships with the people that they love.

Every day...there are people who are teaching themselves new skills so that what they know doesn't become obsolete within the next couple of years.

Every day...there are people who are pushing their comfort zones in order to make an impression on the world.

Are you one of those people?

No?

Well...because if YOU are not...then you are getting left behind by THEM!

If you can't commit to making even small changes on a daily and weekly basis...then how can you get out of debt...or get that promotion...or get that 'lucky break'?

You're fooling yourself if you think otherwise!

This success 'game' is all about LEARNING.

It's about learning about yourself and your chosen path...and then actually APPLYING what you've learned.

Now...this isn't rocket science...it's a FACT.

So...unless you want to be worse off than you are now in five years' time...then you'd better get STARTED!

No gain without....?

Seeing Gary's post about not letting Katie have everything she wants, when she wants it, reminds me of a story I heard about a little boy who found a butterfly cocoon.

A small boy was fascinated by butterflies; their colours, designs and habits. Whilst walking in the woods one day the boy found a cocoon at the side of the path. Somehow the twig had been knocked from the tree and the cocoon had survived undamaged, still woven to the branch. He gently protected it by wrapping it in his handkerchief and carried it home, where it found a temporary home in a wide-top jam jar with holes in the lid.

As the boy watched the silky envelope intensely, the cocoon moved. He watched more closely and soon the cocoon was trembling with activity. Nothing else happened. The cocoon remained tightly glued to the twig and there was no sign of wings. Finally the shaking became so intense, the boy thought the butterfly would die from the struggle. He removed the lid on the jar, took a sharp knife from the drawer, and carefully made a tiny slit in the side of the cocoon. Almost immediately, one wing appeared and then outstretched the other. The butterfly was free!

It seemed to enjoy its freedom and walked along the edge of the jar and along the edge of the table. But it didn't fly. At first the boy thought the wings needed time to dry, but time passed and still the butterfly did not take off.

The boy was frustrated and asked his father why the butterfly wasn’t flying. When the boy described how he had carefully made a small slit in the cocoon, his father stopped him. "Son, that is the reason. You see, the struggle is what gives the butterfly the strength to fly."

And so it is with us. Sometimes it's the struggles in life that strengthen us the most.

Yes! I've Scored Without Even Realizing It!

I have a bent and dog-eared index card wedged in with the pens on my desk.

It contains twelve statements that were my goals when I wrote them around two years ago.

I'll be honest...I probably haven't looked at this card for about 18 months until today.

Out of the twelve...I have achieved three of them, and I'm only a few months away from a fourth! (Unfortunately...one of the ones left is related to Connor, so I can never fulfil that one.)

So...it's not bad having a 25% success ratio in only two years!

Who knows what I might have achieved if I constantly referred to it every day?

It just goes to show the subconscious power of writing down your goals...you never know how things could turn out.

Of course...writing them down is useless if you don't actually DO anything about moving forward (but...you know that by now, right?).

But...it's always an important first step to actually think about what you REALLY want from your life...and just get them out of your head and onto paper.

You'll never know what might happen!

Come On. I KNOW That You're Special!

In Dr. Russel Conwell's excellent (and timeless) book and lecture "Acres of Diamonds", the Dr. relates a story of how a farmer spent his entire life searching for diamonds...when in fact they were on his farm already...to be discovered by the new owner!

Now...let me ask YOU a question.

"What are YOU searching for?"

I only have one restriction on your answer...it can't be related to money!

Are you one of those people that have a talent for something...yet ignore it and just become another nine-to-five drone?

You might not think that you have a talent...but I guarantee that there is something, somewhere that you have a talent for!

You might only find it by trying something different...or by expanding your horizons.

How do I know?

Well...up until 18 months ago I had never written a SINGLE word since school...about personal development or anything else, for that matter!

Since I started to write...I literally haven't stopped.

Unless I am on vacation...there isn't a day that goes by without me writing something!

It's a talent (and an enjoyable one at that) that I didn't even know that I had until I made that decision to make more of my life...and to push my boundaries out a little bit.

So...what about YOU? What's YOUR talent?

And...how are YOU going to USE it?

A Forgotten Pearl Of Wisdom

I wonder if this happens to you.

You learn something important.

You commit to yourself never to forget it.

Gradually, it moves to your sub-conscious mind.

Then someday you are reminded of it.

This process occurs a few times before it begins to stick.

If it’s so important, why don’t you act on it immediately?

Do you associate pain with it?

OK, I have been meandering, I’ll get to my point.

I don’t know how many times I have heard it lately.

There’s one thing that will bring money to anyone who does it
but at the same time most people fear doing it.

Most people dismiss it.

It’s one practice that is common to wealthy people across
our planet.

This is something that, if practiced even before you become
wealthy, it will expedite your state of financial abundance …

Have you guessed what this age old practice is?

Now don’t make the mistake of many and reject this principle.

I am referring to …

… the power of giving.

Give money away!

That's right. Give it away.

Give it to people without expecting them to return it. Give it
knowing that it will come back to you ten fold.

Your mindset will become one of abundance now, even
before you have achieved that physical state.

You will think and act as a Millionaire, knowing that people
depend on your success.

This is a universal law, believe it.

Give money to people who need it to survive, to be healed,
to serve others.

Take 10% of your gross earnings and give it away to a worthy
cause.

A church, a charity, a community service. You choose.

Yep, 10% and do it regularly – weekly, monthly. Be consistent.

Do it regularly so that you can experience the multiplying
blessings that will bounce right back at you. It WILL happen.

So remember the rules of the rich …

Earn, give 10%, save 10%, (pay 20% off your debts if you have
any), spend and then pay tax last.

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
Richest Man

Weather You Accept It Or Not...

Today the weather finally broke here in London after a week of heatwave proportions (for the UK anyway!)

Despite temperatures still being in the 90's...we have had some light relief with some storms today.

Boy...were people complaining!

They were moaning about it not being sunny...when yesterday they were moaning about how sunnt it was!

And...at the same time they were complaining about how hot and humid it has been!

Yet...when we have our usual overcast days...they complain that they never see the sun!

Some people are NEVER satisfied...whatever the conditions!

Are YOU one of them?

Do you look for clouds in your life when all is going well?

Do you forget that you might be a lot better off than most people when you are complaining about your 'lot'?

It's good to be never satisfied with what you've got if you are taking action to actually DO something about changing WHY you haven't got what you want.

Read that statement again...it DOES make sense, believe me!

I'm not satisfied that I am 100% 'on-focus' with what I am doing...so I am constantly evaluating where I can make improvements in my life.

But...I'm NOT complaining about how unlucky I am...or why certain things might not be working as well as they should etc.

Are YOU?

Group A or Group B - Your Choice

If you’re reading this, then you are probably at a major crossroads in your life, looking for ways to improve your future. The decisions you’ve made over the past years (and I believe a Higher Power) have brought you here. I’ve put together some thoughts below that I respectfully submit to clarify some of the fundamental issues of life that will require your earnest attention if you truly desire greater success. Please try to keep an open mind as we move ahead.

Consider this question for a moment. Some people could sell you cheap costume jewelry, get an enormous price for it, and leave you a happy customer. Other people couldn’t sell you the Hope Diamond for the price of a cubic zirconium, let alone leave you feeling good about it. Let’s call the first group of people who sell the costume jewelry “Group A”, and let’s call the second group who can’t sell the Hope Diamond “Group B”. I think we would all agree that the truly successful people in life, no matter what their occupation, belong to Group A. So what are the differences in those two groups of people? Here they are:

1. Group A has a true passion and belief in the beauty and value of themselves and what they’re selling, and Group B does not;
2. Group A has a true passion and belief that they can, and will, benefit others through their efforts, while Group B does not;
3. Because of their unfailing passion and belief, Group A persists in their efforts, and Group B does not; and
4. Group A has learned the communication skills to share those passions and beliefs effectively, and Group B has not.

Now what do both groups have in common? (Let’s assume that both groups have normal emotional and intellectual capacities.)

1. They are both born with the ability to have true passion and belief in beauty and value;
2. They are both born with the ability to have true passion and belief that they can, and will, benefit others through their efforts;
3. They are both born with the ability to persist in pursuing their true passion and belief; and
4. They are both born with the ability to learn effective communication skills.

Why then, is there a Group A and Group B in the first place, since they both have the same capabilities from birth? And if we all agree that Group A is happier, more productive, and wealthier, then why doesn’t Group B simply join Group A?

There are two basic reasons:

1. Group B has self imposed limitations in their thinking that prevent them from believing the simple truth that they can join Group A if they really want to. Now, if you’re a Group B person, you will attribute Group A’s success to: luck; natural ability; a “gift”' finding “the right” opportunity; knowing the right people; being born in the right neighborhood; getting all “the breaks”; or some other excuse. That is why people stay in Group B. They don’t take responsibility for developing the passion, belief and skills to join Group A. Instead, they make excuses, and defend their self imposed limitations as if they were truth; and
2. While this truth is simple, making the move from Group B to Group A isn’t necessarily easy. It requires a dedication that begins with overcoming those self imposed limitations. We’re prone to become discouraged and slide back into Group B, to become complacent, and ultimately to start rationalizing our retreat to mediocrity. Those disappointments become like rubber bands pulling us back from our potential.

Now, I admit that I’ve oversimplified things a bit. We certainly don’t want to stereotype people as Group A or Group B. Groups A and B are really two conflicting sets of values, beliefs and actions that exist in us all. It’s actually more a question of whether Group A or Group B is dominant. How do you know if Group B is dominating in your life? There are two basic areas to consider:

1. The most obvious and measurable test is your checkbook – are you happy with your finances?; and
2. How happy are you with your life in general – your social/family life, your spiritual/emotional life, your intellectual life, your physical condition?

If you're not content in either or both of these areas, then you definitely are at a crossroads RIGHT NOW. First, admit that the reasons for your discontent are primarily the result of your thinking up until now. YOU MUST recognize and take FULL responsibility for that Group B part of you.

Next, find and develop a goal, a purpose, a passion and belief that is bigger than you are, and stronger than any disappointments, fears or doubts. Make that rubber band pull you in the Group A direction. Having a Higher Power is essential here, even if it's just finding more successful associates of like mind for support and encouragement. Prayer and/or meditation daily will empower you as well.

Also, don't "hide your light under a bushel". Search out ways to actualize - to live - your new passion and belief. Make it your daily mission, and journal your progress in this one area until you start seeing victories that you can glory in! At the same time, give yourself a break (not an excuse) when you slip. After all, you're human, and you're seeking progress rather than perfection.

And finally, realize that true contentment comes from achieving that progress, not from reaching some "point" in life. Like a mountain climber, learn the exhiliration of reaching a "peak", but then go look for the next one. Sure, this means you'll have your "highs and lows", you'll take your risks, but would you trade in your "highs" in order to escape the "lows"? Of COURSE NOT! That is the essence of living. Cut off the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, and all you have left in the middle is the "quiet desperation" of a near lifeless existence in Group B.

Blessings to All,

Craig Lunde
clunde@adelphia.net
http://www.smashthemold.com

Rated In The Top 1% In This Lifetime

We all want to be in the top 1% of the wealthy right?

Well, I wouldn't be where I am today unless I sought the guidance of, and was blessed by the profound influence of entrepreneurial minds, wonderful selfless, successful people. My Multi-Millionaire mentors have been an awesome strength to me. They have been insightful about what to say or do, careful not to do too much for me. I have experienced constant growth while being stretched - happily uncomfortable!

"No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind." -- Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill.

If you want to know how to become wealthy, ask around, do some research, don't waste your time, only develop relationships with those who have strived and won the right to abundance. Your mentor relationships may be one-on-one, group or virtual/distant figures.

Find a mentor! Mix within their network of associates, study what they study, start thinking like them. Pick a few big names you would like to emulate. Research their public information. Get together often with like-minded people.

Create a regular study program – morning and evening are the best times to fill you mind with the right thoughts. The subconscious mind takes in more than you think and can aid us greatly. Listen to CDs and cassettes of your favorite people while you are in the car and doing routine chores. Whether you are listening intently or not, keep feeding your subconscious mind using audio.

You should also attend seminars regularly.

"Let us go to Arkad [The Richest Man In Babylon] this very day." -- The Richest Man In Babylon, George S. Clason.

Go on ... get yourself a mentor and catapult yourself into success in this life time!

Why don't you start by checking out Gary's mentor program. Click here

Yours in abundance!

The Richest Man
Richest Man

What...Another Mountain?

The more your progress in your life...the bigger the problems you will get.

It's great!

Whaaaat?

Well...the way I look at it is that if my problems (OK..I much prefer challenges) are bigger...then that means that I must have progressed further than when I used to have smaller problems!

And...as you know...the bigger the challenge...the bigger the lesson you can learn from it!

All in all...the more you grow...the more you challenged to grow even faster and further.

As you climb one previously-seen-as-impossible mountain...a new one suddenly appears in its place.

Which is great...because, as long as you climb...you are only moving forwards...and never backwards.

Yet...most people give up when they see the new mountain.

They forget that they have done the hard part by actually conquering the first one!

Which is a terrible shame.

Remember...as the saying goes..."The longest journey begins with a single step."

What step are YOU going to make today?

Before You Earn Your Million...You Have To Give The Equivalent In Value Away

Do you realize how much effort it takes to write something constructive almost every, single day?

Would YOU do it...for absolutely nothing?

How about giving away for free some of your absolute best work over an entire year so that your readers can have something really useful and helpful?

Well..I do with my "To Our Success" E-course.

Well...would you?

Perhaps not. So...why do I do it?

Well...I believe what we achieve is mirrored by what we do.

So...if I unselfishly give you something positive to think about for free...then I will get something back in return.

Not directly from you...of course (although that would be nice, thank you! lol), but from life in general.

I know that the only way that I will 'receive' is by giving as much as I can in the first place.

Now...I'm not a charity...I have a family to provide for.

But...I firmly believe that all of my efforts will be rewarded in some other way in the future.

And...the same rule applies to you.

So...are YOU?

Now...This Is THE Important Thing!

Did you know that there is a very important part of being a success that doesn't involve reading from books, or listening to tapes.

It all comes down to relationships...and the quality of them in your life.

Take me, for example.

I have made huge jumps in a number of ways (especially over the last few months)...because I have realized that I can learn so much more...so much quickly...from actually talking with other people.
Now...

These people aren't the millionaires of this world (although some are).

I learned a lot of things from people who are nowhere near that! I've learned from emails and phone calls that I receive that I can be my own worst enemy where my own success is concerned.

I have learned that whatever limits I place (whether consciously or otherwise)...I know that that's where I will end up.

It's all about pushing yourself that little bit harder than you think that you really can.

And...you need other people and outside influences to make that happen.

Believe me...once you are literally pushed out of your comfort zone...you will never easily fit back into it again!

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

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.

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?

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

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!

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?

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?

If You Want To Do Your Best...Give It A Rest!

Help...I'm overloaded!

Well..OK...I have a LOT to do...but 'overloaded' is not really in my vocabulary! lol

Let's stick with 'being challenged' instead...that's much better, don't you think?

When I get to this point I usually do the complete opposite of what most of the 'gurus' suggest.

I go out...and leave it all behind for a few hours!

I've found that the easiest way that you can deal with 'overwhelm' is to not let it overwhelm you! lol

So...I go for a walk...or follow my Lesley around the store...or push Katie on her swing.

And then...once I've completely stopped thinking about how much I've got to do...I then go back to it...and find two things...

1) It's not as bad as it at first seemed.
2) I'm able to 'hit the ground running' and get more done.

It's simple really.

I'm relying on the Law of Abundance...meaning that there will ALWAYS be enough of whatever you want...when you want it...as long as you accept that there will be always be enough.

Read that again...I'll wait.

In other words...by accepting that I will find the time to do whatever I need to do...I'm able to switch myself off from it...which at the same time allows me to re-focus and look at the 'true' picture when I get back to work.

How can YOU apply this Law in the things that you need to do?

It's another one of those that require a certain degree of belief...that's for sure!

But...when I need to apply it it works for me...and so there's no reason why it can't do the same for you (provided of course that you actually go back and actually DO something after your break! lol).

How To Get Some Help Completing Your Life Puzzle...

Your life is like one big puzzle...

Every action you take results in a reaction somewhere else.

But...you don't know where that reaction is taking place.

It could be that...

- Someone just happens to view your website by chance
- An old friend might think about calling you
- Someone that you've never met is told about you by someone that you have met

And...that's the problem for most people.

They are so busy weighing up whether they are going to get a return NOW...that they forget that this action/reaction process works unseen in the background anyway.

Take yesterday, for example.

I gave away my Ecourse (676 subscribers and counting!), when I could have sold it instead.

Late yesterday afternoon I got a call from someone who's never met me who was recommended to me by someone else who has never met me!

And...they were interested in me doing some consulting for them! (not bad, eh?)

Whether it works out or not remains to be seen.

This morning...I got cold-called by a marketing guy for a website...and, guess what? I might be advising them in the future!

This afternoon...I stumbled onto a website...and found an excellent product that was totally underpriced.

My gut-feeling was to email the owner and tell him so...and we're going to talk about how I can help him!

Now...you may say that these three separate 'coincidences' were just luck.

I know otherwise.

Why? Because I know that, because I have the overall picture of the finshed puzzle in my head...the Universe is going to help me put it together!
And, it will do the same for you if you let it!

The Problem With "Over-Thinking" Your Life

Sometimes I sit here wondering what else I can write about...

And then something just literally 'pops' into my head just at the right moment.

And...you know what...it just has! lol

Isn't it scary that, even though I don't consciously think about something...it just appears 'as if by magic' just at the right time?

But...it hasn't always been that way. For years I would 'over-think' my life, my job, my relationships, and my finances. By this I mean that I used to consciously focus my thoughts on why I couldn't do 'x'...or why I should be doing 'y'.

It's only now that I 'get it'.

I just go with something...and then just leave myself open to that little voice in my head that tells me what to type to just come up with an idea!

Now...you may think that this sounds ridiculous...but it's true! It's how I am able to have written so much in the last year or so.

It's the same where my decisions are concerned. I just do what I need to do...and I'll soon find out if it 'feels' right or not.

If that little voice keeps on at me to do something...I now know that it is doing it for a reason...and that I should listen to what it is saying.

I'll be honest with you...this didn't happen overnight!

What I needed to do first was begin to ignore that little voice that always used to say "But..." or "You can't..." or "What if...?".

I know that you hear it, too...we all do.

But...you CAN...and you MUST start looking at replacing those limiting thoughts with space that can be filled by consturctive suggestions.

And...the more space you make...the more 'help' you get!

You may not believe me...and that's fine...but, I can tell you that my life...and my self-belief are completely different since I started to ignore the negative voice...and make room for the idea generating one!

Try it...imagine what it will feel like when you are getting help...without even trying!

Your Biggest Problem Is Also Your Solution

One day it will happen.

One day millions of people will wake up to the fact that their biggest problem is also their solution.

What do I mean by this?

Well...I've come to realize over the last year or so that for the first fifteen years of my adult life...I was holding myself back.

How?

- I worried more about how much money I earned than my happiness.
- I worried about what other people thought of me more than I thought about myself.
- I worried that I could never achieve the status of those people that I admired.
- I worried that I couldn't possibly ever take a pay-cut, let alone quit work...so that I could really do what I wanted to do.

Fifteen years!

I can honestly say the only person I was kidding was myself!

And...as you're reading this, probably without even realizing it...I bet that YOU are, too!

But...did you notice that all of my worries were assumptions that I made?

All of my worries weren't based in reality...they were all based on what I thought of myself, my abilities, and my future.

And...once I consciously changed my thoughts about myself...I changed my life!

And, you know what? YOU can do it, too!

Just start focusing your thoughts on what your limits REALLY are...instead of self-imposing limits on yourself based on what you THINK they are.

It's simple. It's powerful. And...it works!

The Vertigo Sufferer's Guide To Success...

Don't look down!

I have just had another phone conversation with another millionaire...and I now know for a fact that I am not in awe of such people.

It's funny.

The more I have raised the bar in my own mind...the more I have attracted those sort of people that are living the life where I want to be.

Now...this isn't meant to sound pompous (I'm not that sort of guy).

I'm telling you because...just over a year ago the friends I had probably earned a maximum of $50,000 a year...and now my 'new' friends and contacts all earn at least $200,000 (some a helluva lot more) per year.

They haven't stooped down to my level...I have had to climb towards theirs.

For a man who hates heights...it can sometimes be a scary place, believe me.

But...because I know that I am as competent, as able, and as 'talented' as anyone I have met (in my own way)...I know that I will be joining them within five years.

(And no...I don't have that nagging 'oh yeah' voice answering that claim in my head.)

Ever get that? I very rarely do anymore.

Why? Because I KNOW that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve.

Sure...I'm going to have setbacks on the way. Sure...there are going to be times when I doubt myself, but, you know what?

I don't care!

I don't care because I know that I am laying the mental foundation for becoming the person who I really want to be.

And, I don't care who knows it!

I also know that by helping people like you to see that chink of future success in your life...I am going to do it on my terms.

And I'm going to try my best to help you join me!

The Secret of "Anti-Time Management"

It's mad rush time again...and this diary is usually the first thing that suffers!

As I mentioned before...once you get out of a routine...it's very difficult to get back into one!

The more ideas that I have...the more avenues open up to me...and the busier I become!

That's why time management is important...except, since last Saturday when I got back from a week's vacation...I've been practicing...

"Anti-time management!"

What's that? Well...I have purposely NOT focused on exactly what I need to do before I fly to Vancouver tomorrow.

Instead...I have made sure that I have spent as much time as I can with Katie...because, after all...I won't be seeing her for another week from tomorrow.

I've realized that there are the important things...and there are the VERY important things where my life is concerned!

It all comes down to which are the most important things for where you are at this precise moment...and, at this moment...spending time with my daughter is more important than any deadline (self-imposed or otherwise) that I have in my business.

Sure...whilst I am away...I won't be able to answer emails or work on my business...but, I will have two 9 hour-plus flights during which I can spend time working on ME and my knowledge.

The more challenges I face, the more I have realized that I need to focus on working smarter...and necessarily harder.

What about YOU?

These Two Things Are Going To Be The Key Hallmarks Of Successful People

It's a jungle out there...

Climbing to the top of the tree in any profession (career-wise or self-employed)...is both as difficult...yet, as easy as it ever has been!

Hold on...what do I mean by this? How can it be both difficult and easy?

Well...here's why.

Difficult
=====

- You have more competitors
- Your competitors (and peers) are willing to do anything to beat you.
- The cost of living is higher than it ever has been.
- You have less free time to do what you really want to do.
- Job security isn't what it used to be.

Well..pretty depressing, eh?

OK. Let's look at the 'easy' side...

Easy
====

- It's cheaper to make money than ever before (thanks to the Internet)
- Because you have so many competitors...being someone (or doing something) different makes you more noticeable.
- You have at your disposal so much free knowledge online that you could be an expert at a subject in six months without leaving your PC.
- Your reputation can spread through the entire world because of email.
- It's never been easier to contact those people who earn millions.

But...'easy' comes at a price.

You must be fully committed to making a difference in peoples' lives BEFORE you focus on what financial gain you can get out of it!

Now...this goes against a lot of standard business and career thinking, but, unless you distinguish yourself by being someone that is looking out for your customers' (or your boss's) interest...then you will get left behind when the 'real' world catches up.

What do I mean by that?

Well...the world is changing...day by day.

Gradually, honesty and integrity are going to be the key hallmarks of successful people. People have come to realize that life is too short to suffer those people and companies that only look out for themselves and their bottom-line.

You're ahead of the curve. It may take a bit longer...but the payoff in the end will be huge!

Remember...you read it here first!

What Have YOU Chosen To Do With Your Life?

It's not the type of problems that you face that establishes your success or failure...it's the 'frame' that you put them in.

Take me, for example.

I am in total control of my destiny. Whether I succeed or not depends entirely on what I do (or don't do).

Now...I have a family to provide for...and a fluctuating income that doesn't always live up to the 'image' of a successful Internet business. But...that comes with the territory!

It's my choice to throw away the 'security' of a well-paid full-time job to earn a living this way.

And...if you know me well enough by now...you'll know that I could be described as 'unlucky' or 'unfortunate' by some people.

But...I choose not to look at it that way.

I choose to look at all the bad things that have happened in my life as something to spur me on to make more of myself.

I was on anti-depressents a couple of years ago...but in a split-second I CHOSE to come off of them...but only after I had made the DECISION to give up 'security'...and see if I could make a go of realizing my dream of working for myself.

What about you...what have you CHOSEN to do with YOUR life?

How have you CHOSEN to deal with the problems in your life (I know - we wouldn't be human if we didn't have them!)

Once you make the DECISION to take whatever life throws at you on the chin...and CHOOSE to get up and start fighting again...your life will never be the same again, I promise you!

If you don't believe me...then see how long I last! lol

The Ten Step Blueprint Of Successful People

I came across an interesting article the other day...

A professor at the University of Wales grilled ten top athletes in order to come up with a definition of mental toughness.

By pinning this down so precisely...he also produced a blueprint for the elite businessman or woman.

Here it is...

1) You have to have unshakeable self-belief.
2) You bounce back from setbacks with increased determination to succeed.
3) You know that you are better than your opponents.
4) Your desire for success is overpowering.
5) You are fully focused on the task in hand.
6) You regain psychological control after unexpected events.
7) You ignore others' performances and focus on your own.
8) You thrive on the pressure of competition.
9) You can block out personal problems.
10) You can switch your professional focus on and off.

Now...I don't know about you..but isn't this a fantastic blueprint (with a few changes in wording, of courses) for living an 'elite' life?

It certainly got me looking at how I deal with things both in a business and personal sense.

What about you?

Why YOU Choose How Difficult Your Life Should Be

It's funny...

Just as I am working my way through the most important time of my online business...barriers are being put in my way at every step!

Lesley hasn't been around for three days a week because she has been helping one of my brothers with some admin work...and, in the two weeks since she started...

Katie has been very ill and off of school...and now Connor is very ill in hospital...and it's half-term week and Katie is on holiday! lol

Now - do you think that I would be able to put in ANY full day's worth of work? Err - nope!

Of course - the easy way out would be to tell Lesley to quit working for my brother...but, in two week's time when the kids are back in school...it won't make any difference to me either way!

So...I am literally 'managing' my business on a day-to-day basis...and not really making a lot of progress in regard to where I want to be.

I can chose to say how difficult my life is...or I can choose to use this time as a period of focusing on doing what matters...yet still have some 'quality' time with my kids.

Now - what would you choose to do? Clue - it's not the 'easy' option! lol

Why You Should Tap Into The Power of 'MasterMinding'

All things are relative...

I spent a few hours today working with my youngest brother, Mark on a project that we are aiming specifically at the UK market.

It reminded me of how powerful a team could be (or MasterMind as Napoleon Hill, author of "Think & Grow Rich" and "The Law of Success" called it).

We bounced ideas off of each other...and made a lot more progress than if one of us had done it alone.

Also...what really convinced me of the power of 'teamwork' is that he was more than happy to do the work that I didn't want to do...and I was able to do the work that he couldn't!

Ultimately - we will both profit because our skills complement each other.

I've made the mistake so far in my online career of attempting to do almost 100% of everything on my own...but not any more!

My challenge (and yours should be, too) will be to see how I can tap in the power of 'MasterMinding' in the future...so that I can start leveraging both my time and my income.

How can you find ways to use other peoples' skills and knowledge to help you both propel yourselves to greater heights?

The Difference Between You And Me...And A Millionaire

Another busy day almost over...

It's interesting to note that I have found a new 'level' of expectation recently.

What do I mean by this?

Well...I have started to think more in tune with where I want to be...and not where I am.

What that means is that I no longer worry about trying to 'mix' with people who have achieved much greater and success then me. I feel almost comfortable...and on equal terms with those successful people that I have met recently.

And...another thing...it's made me realize that I (or you, for that matter) are not really that different from the 'gurus' that we look up to.

They're human like us after all.

They have managed to achieve what they have, not because of any particular secrets...but by using their thoughts and their time wisely.

I met a personal development speaker here in the UK last night, whom, I didn't realize until after his speech, was a millionaire. His background was no better or worse than mine...his attitude was no worse or better than mine...but his philosophy was.

The key difference between me and him was the way that he learned from other more successful people...and then applied what he'd learned in his own life.

This didn't happen overnight...at least five years from 'start' to 'finish'.

Well...my own personal journey towards success has only been 'live' for about 18 months...and I'm staggered at what I've learned and what I have achieved in that time.

So...who knows where you and I can be in another three years?

The Joy Of The Power Of Momentum!

At last - it's finally finished!

After a 19 hour day yesterday (hence no diary)...I have finally managed to release the ebook version of "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons" by the late, great Napoleon Hill.

I have spent the best part of seven months on and off on a project that ended up being 1,170 pages long!

There were times where I wondered if it was worth it...but I always kept plugging away...even if it was a little, every single day!

Why?

Because I know what the power of momentum can do...and how it can literally cripple you if you stop moving forward.

Is there a 'big' task that you have to finish...yet never quite get around to?

We all have them...and some are more difficult to complete than others.

The secret is to turn it into a habit - just like checking your email has become in the last couple of years (who doesn't do it as soon as they turn on their computer?).

So...if you have a task, try to break it down into bitesize 'chunks'...and then 'nibble' away every single day (if possible).

And...make sure that you give yourself a reward (no matter how small) at the end of every little stage...it will help build a foundation of motivation (hey - that rhymes! lol)...for when you have those moments when you can't really be bothered anymore.

Try it...it works for me...and it might just work for you, too!

Are You In the 97% Who Don't Act On What They Know?

I have a dream...

A dream that I set myself apart from my peers on the Internet...and actually HELP people!

How?

- Through coaching...personal and group.
- Through accountability...both to myself and from you to me.
- Through interactivity...surveys, questions, forums etc.
- Through originality...and honesty.

So...that's enough about what I want to achieve...what about YOU?

The reason why I ask is that, although I've got up at 5 a.m. for four days on the trot...I am still 'fired up'!

Why?

Because I have something to aim for...focus on...push myself towards.

Well...what about you?

Are you more concerned with reading yesterday's news than learning more about what you can do for yourself?

Now...don't be offended.

I know that it's easier not to bother. I know, because I used to 'waste' my entire weekend with my head in a newspaper!

But...times-are-a-changing. Jobs for life won't even cover you to middle-age in dog years...the stock markets worldwide aren't going to generate enough income for your retirement...I could go on and on.

But...why the 'doom and gloom' you may ask...it's so unlike me!

Well...aside from being a positive person...I am also a realist who believes that, unless YOU do something about what you want to achieve with YOUR life...you will become another statistic.

You know the ones I mean...the 97% who don't act on what they know...the 65% who retire poor...those sort of statistics.

So...the ball is in your court...what are you going to do about it?

Was That 'Lose Yourself'...Or Make More Of Yourself?

Lesley and I went to the cinema to see "8 Mile" which stars the rapper Eminem.

Surprisingly (to me, anyway)...the film is excellent...and so is Eminem!

Another surprise is that the film is peppered with lots of 'make more of yourself' type messages...as Eminem's characters realizes that he is throwing his life away.

It hits him that he has a talent that he is literally wasting by not making a serious effort to 'knuckle down' and make more of himself.

Excellent film (it has a 'tagline' of "Every Moment Is Another Chance". Excellent script. Excellent acting.

Although the film may not be to everyone's tastes...its message is universal.

Unless you make the best of what you have got...then you are always going to struggle chasing after things that you haven't.

I left the cinema with that 'feel good' feeling that I very rarely get these days. Life isn't about goodies vs baddies...it's about the battle you have between you and that voice between your ears!

Are you making the most of YOUR talents?

The Message And The Big Red Dog

"Believe In Yourself."

An excellent point, don't you think? Well...it may surprise you that I heard this statement whilst Katie was watching one of her children's programmes on TV - "Clifford, The Big Red Dog"!

It's such a shame that as we jump from our childhood years to our teenage years...our self-belief takes a battering. We suddenly realize that we can't have anything we want whenever we want it...and find out that there are a lot of school 'bullies' around to crush any belief in ourselves we may have.

And...it doesn't stop there.

In the rush to get out to work and make a career for ourselves...we find that we never quite measure up to our best competitor. We know that we will never, ever, be promoted to a place where we can turn around to people and be proud to say what we have achieved.

But...it doesn't have to be that way!

The only thing that stops you from getting where you want to go is YOU! If you believe that you will never 'make it' - then your wishes will come true!

But...on the other side of the coin...if you can believe that you have unique talents that NOBODY on this entire planet has...then you can start to look at ways at which you can use that belief to make your mark on this world.

Sure - belief on it's own won't make you successful...but I can certainly guarantee that without it - you never will be!

There's Nothing Magical About Success

Every Thursday I have a task.

A task to write most of my ezine in time for the Friday edition.

Most weeks I haven't got the faintest idea about what I'm going to write.

It was the same today!

But...I find that once I get started I usually can find something to 'ramble' on about! (A bit like this, really! lol)

And guess what?

The article that I have written for tomorrow's issue is probably one of, if not the, best one that I have ever written!

It just goes to show that there is nothing 'magical' about how you achieve things in life.

YOU already have the abilities you require to get yourself to where you want to go. Guaranteed!

The problem is that, most of the time, you probably don't realise that your mind, when given a task or a problem to solve...will help you in inspirational ways that you couldn't possibly imagine!

We all suffer from self-doubt...and a lack of serious belief in ourselves.

It's about time that you threw the challenge down to your subsconcious...

Ask for inspiration...and you will certainly be surprised about what will come your way!

It's A Vacuum...Not A Hoover!

It's Sunday night...

...and I've spent most of the day clearing out the drawers and cupboards in my home office.

Why?

Well...it's for a very good reason.

Nature hates a vacuum. So - when a 'space' opens up...it rushes to fill it.

Now - you may think that I've lost the plot...but I have read so much about this concept lately that I though that it was about time that I actually tried it!

After all - what use are piles of papers that haven't been read for a few weeks or months?

It's easier to say to yourself that you might need one single piece of information from them - and stop yourself from throwing them away. So - I was feeling a little 'cluttered' - so I have had a BIG clear out! lol

Try it. Do the same with your wardrobe (that's next on my agenda).

After all - have YOU ever seen a wardrobe only HALF full of clothes?

If nothing else - at least you can make yourself feel good by donating the lot to your favorite charity!

Are You Thinking About What You Think About?

The more that I think and write about success...the more I come across the 'signs'.

Take today, for example...

I was tidying up this week's issue of my ezine, generally checking for spelling etc.

Whilst I was doing that I was listening to an interview from one of those internet 'radio' shows.

All of a sudden...it jumped out at me...

The guy said something that made me feel a tingle down my spine.

He mentioned that someone said that you should "think about what you think about". Not an 'original' idea, I grant you...but what shook me was what I myself had written just a few hours previously and was now looking at:

"...think about what you're thinking about!"

So - would YOU take this as a 'sign' that you were on the right track? Or would you just put it down as a coincidence?

I know what I WOULD have done...just a few months ago...but now I LOOK for signs like that. I use my instinct.

Coincidence...whether you believe it or not...happens for a reason.

The hard part is tuning your mind to accepting it!

Is Tithing The Secret To Success?

There was a big headline in the newspapers today...

Apparently, the British 'rock/pop' group - Coldplay, have set up a scheme to automatically take 10% off of ALL of their earnings...before they even see it!

Why?

For investments in stocks? For property? For their families?

Nope.

They are setting up a fund to allocate this 10% of their earnings to their favorite CHARITIES. Based on last year's earnings - that could well be in the region of £500,000 ($800,000).

Now...isn't this another fantastic example of how successful people are TITHING their way to success?

That's now two completely different examples in less than a week.

Makes you think, doesn't it? Perhaps they know something that we don't?

You, YOU...And YOU, Inc.

I have in front of me a list of fourteen things that I need to do...urgently!

And...I'm sure that I could add a few more as well!

But...whilst it would be easy to be overwhelmed and get depressed about it - I take it as a GOOD sign!

Why?

Well...if I didn't have a list of things that I need to do - then I wouldn't be busy would I? And...it would be a sure sign that my business would be on its 'last legs'.

Sure - I have a lot of work that I need to do, without, it seems, enough time to do it all in. But...I know that, if I look upon it as a positive thing then I will be more than likely to follow through on it.

Isn't it easy to procrastinate when you don't have a vested interest in something?

But I don't own a business like you, you might say.

Well, it's the same with your career. YOU are the CEO of the business called 'YOU'. It's up to you whether you look at working for someone else as a chore or as a long-term consultancy contract.

Whether you are paid weekly, monthly, or daily - you can easily work out how much you are paid by the hour by the company you work for.

Ask yourself...are you giving THEM value for money in return for the 'contract' they have with you?

The only way you can move upwards (and perhaps even onwards) is to provide more service than you are currently paid for.

This isn't some made-up rule I've just thought of - it's one of those unwritten 'Laws' of success.

Don't believe me? Try and find ANY famous successful person...and see if they don't (or haven't) put a lot of effort in (and taken a lot of calculated risks) to get where they are today.

The Only Way To Be Truly 'Lucky'

"I truly believe this is an opportunity for me to give testimony about tithing and spreading wealth."

This is one of the quotes from Andrew Jackson "Jack" Whittaker Jr. - the winner of the biggest ever advertised lottery jackpot of $314.9m (he is taking it in one lump sum of $111.7m after taxes).

'Jack' IS already a millionaire - so I expect many people will complain about how 'lucky' he is.

I don't think that he's lucky - I think that he deserves all of his winnings!

Why?

Well...for a start - he is tithing 10% of the gross ($170m - tithe of $17m) to three of his churches. He has always tithed - no matter how much he earned. He is also re-employing 25 workers who he had to lay off before Christmas.

Now tell me that he doesn't deserve it!

This is what else he said...

"My life has been blessed since I was a teenager, I've always had plenty of work, plenty of whatever I've wanted. I've always felt blessed to be alive, even when I've been sick or my family members have been sick."

Friends say that at least eight of his family members have died since 1994. His wife has fought and so far, beat, a serious form of Cancer twice (I know that it is serious because Lesley's sister just survived the very same type!).

He himself has also had eight operations in eight years...and yet...he works 90 hour weeks!

So - he works very hard, he cares for his family, he carries on despite all the setbacks, and he gives 10% of his gross income away.

Now...are YOU getting the idea about what you should do if you want to be as successful (and 'lucky') as him?

The Failures Guide To Missing The Opportunity To Become A Success

I was watching a TV programme last night where a top chef from the UK (Jamie Oliver) took 15 unemployed and almost 'down-and-out' people - and fast-tracked them into becoming chefs for his new restaurant called'15'.

It certainly was fascinating to watch as people with no real qualifications (or aptitude) struggled to go through catering college in 7 months instead of 3 years!

In the end - thirteen 'passed' - and now, less than a year after they first set foot in a proper kitchen - they are now cooking for paid guests.

The most interesting bit about the programme were the people who 'failed'.

One guy couldn't control his temper - and ended up being suspended by the catering college...but...he has now realised what he needs to do - so he has gone back to college so that he can join the next year's 'intake'. Good luck to him.

Unbelievably - there were a couple of girls (they were all teenagers or early twenties) who literally treated their big opportunity to make something for themselves like they had school. They would 'skive' off and not 'phone in...or go out shopping with their mums instead!

It was unbelievable that they couldn't see how lucky and privileged they were to be offered a career for just a little effort in return.

Perhaps most interesting of all was a coloured guy who was the 'clown' - always being cheeky to the teachers and generally 'showing off'.

When he concentrated - he was as good as (if not better) than anyone else.

After a few close 'scrapes' he commented to camera that it he thought that it was about time that he 'grew up' and not make a mess of yet another attempt to do something with his life. He had been suspended 62 times! whilst at school - but now he said that he realised that this was his 'big chance' to make something out of what had been a life of failure.

Go forward a few weeks - and he failed to turn up for an important event despite being warned the previous day that he would be sacked if he failed to show.

So - he is back in the 'gutter' whilst his new friends are carving out a career for themselves.

Sometimes it seems that, even with all of the best intentions in the world - there are people that don't take advantage of a gilt-edged opportunity provided for them in return for just showing up and working hard!

Of Course There's Nothing New Where Success Is Concerned!

I've been spending a lot of time recently reading "The Law Of Success" by Napoleon Hill.

It was written way back in 1928...yet it makes so much sense!

Of course - certain things are out-of-date, but most of it proves that where success is concerned...

There is NOTHING new!

It all comes down to one major fact -

Who you are is determined by what you think.

I, myself, am at a crossroads in regards where I want to make the next step in my business.

So far - all I have done is focus on the reasons why I won't be able to this or that - instead of using my thoughts in a much more constructive and positive way!

Are you like that?

Can you see (like I am finding out at the moment) - how easy it is to sabotage your dreams?

So - next time you find yourself thinking about the reasons why not - focus instead of the reasons WHY!

What Are You Thinking About Now That You Shouldn't Be?

Yet again...I've stumbled upon a little 'winner'.

I've found a fantastic ebook called "I'm Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams, I Am, I Am, I Am".

It is really a superb little ebook that clearly outlines a lot of very simple, yet effective techniques for getting what you want.

I won't go into too much detail - as I don't want to 'spoil' its message, but...

It certainly fits in with that recurring theme that the great Earl Nightingale highlighted:

"You Become What You Think About Most Of The Time"

I'm as skeptical as the next person about a 'Higher Power' - but I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that there IS something, somewhere, that we can tap into to give ourselves a little 'push' in the right direction.

This ebook certainly provides one of the most clear and, it seems, effective ways of harnessing that 'power'.

So remember - if you become what YOU think about - what are you thinking about now that you shouldn't be?

That Annoying Failure Mind Trick

It's amazing that, even after all these years, the fear of failure still rears its ugly head.

Within the last 24 hours I have contemplated a new project that, quite frankly, seems an excellent proposition.

The fact that it 'came out of the blue' means that it is even more welcome.

Yet...

Even though I know that...with quite a fair amount of effort...it could be a resounding success - I still have to fight those old demons in my head saying things like:

"It must be too good to be true."
"You'll begin it...but you'll never finish it."
"What if I get 'caught out' somehow?"

It's a good job that I can recognize them for what they are.

Tricks.

Tricks that your mind plays on you when an opportunity opens up to you.

You know what I mean - if something looks good - then we automatically have to find some excuses why it won't work.

They're not always easy to ignore - especially where some form of solid commitment is required!

So - watch this space as I force those voices out of the way and press on with my new project.

Just because it may look too good to be true - it doesn't necessarily mean that it is!

Only time will be the judge of whether my instincts are right or not.

The Secret To Making Those 'Big Decisions'

Lesley and I looked at a new housing development today.

It is one hour's drive away from where we currently live.

Let me ask you this question....

Would you swap a 1930's 3 bedroom, one bathroom terraced house for an as yet unbuilt 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom detached house without having to increase your mortgage?

You bet you would!

Well...that's the 'dilemma' facing us at the moment. Should we stay or should we go?

Isn't it funny how we put obstacles in the way when we are weighing up pros and cons?

Sure...because of Connor - we have a few more logistical problems (OK - a lot!) more than most...but the biggest 'excuse' we have come up with so far is that we would rather Katie moved during the summer break.

Yet - to do that it would probably cost us in the region of $10,000 when price rises and therefore additional taxes are taken into consideration!

Phew!

But...I have a secret when it comes to these 'big' decisions.

I did it for our very first house when we looked at the prospect of having to totally redevelop it - and I did the same when we bought this house from my sister when we hadn't set foot in it for 6 months!

Want to know what it is?

I just go with my gut feeling. My instinct...my sense of what is right.

On every occasion I have been proved right - despite each decision at the time being a seriously big financial step.

And so it will be with this one.

Somehow - we must find $20,000 to pay as a deposit to the developers of the new house BEFORE we get the sale proceeds from this one!

At the moment - I haven't the faintest idea how I will raise it.

But....I will find a way - my instinct will see to that!

Remember - just because you can't always touch the 'evidence' - it doesn't mean that its contribution isn't valuable.

I'll prove it in April next year when I am sitting in my new house!

"Are You Proud Of What You Are Achieving Right Now?"

Success comes in many forms....

What you might class as success - I might look at as failure...and vice-versa.

The only way you should therefore measure it is by your own yardstick.

Trying to keep up with your friends, neighbors, or enemies is a sure-fire way to hinder your advancement.

Rather than looking to the outside for recognition - look inside instead.

Ask yourself - "Am I proud of what I am achieving right now?"

Only YOU know the answer to that question. All that prodding by other 'well meaning' friends and family about what you should do or how you should be, won't get you very far.

Unless you are true to yourself...unless you are really happy with yourself...unless you are truly confident about what you are doing with your life - then it won't make a blind bit of difference whether you succeed in the 'real world' or not.

Success comes from within and isn't measured in $ signs.

The $ signs only come once the inside has sorted itself out!

Make The Most Of What You Have Got...Even If You Don't Realize It!

Inspiration can come at your from all angles.

There I was yesterday - going on about spam - when I received an email from a young disabled lady from Malaysia who once again made me realise how fortunate I was.

Her email urged me to make sure that Connor got the schooling he deserved - which was something that many people (including her) were denied by either parents who didn't care or facilities that did not cater for disabled people.

Her wonderful, unselfish email brough a tear to my eye. And inspired me.

It inspired me to write an article about the very problem she asked me about. It will be in this week's ezine.

It inspired me to focus my attention on what really matters - not money, or fame, or a big mailing list - no - my family.

So - off we took Katie to see the "Powerpuff Girls - The Movie". A complete load of rubbish, I might add! lol

But...

Katie absolutely loved it!

What could have turned into 99 minutes of boredom - turned into 99 minutes of joy as I watched her relive every scene - jumping around in her chair - and telling us for the 56th time which one was called Blossom!

And...the moral of this story?

"Don't wait until you are less fortunate than most to realise that you are already more fortunate than many."

Appreciate what special, unique talents you have - and use them! Life's too short to be bitter about what you haven't got.

If you make the most of what you have got - you will undoubtedly live a full, happy, and successful life!

What Are YOU Going To Do To Challenge Yourself Every Day?

Sometimes it's difficult to know what to write...

It's even more difficult to know that what I write has to be useful...

What are you doing that challenges you every day?

Is your biggest challenge every day deciding what you want to have for lunch? If it is...then unless you want to stay EXACTLY where you are...you're going to have to start to change.

It doesn't take much.

Have you ever seen those "World's Strongest Man" TV programmes? We get them regularly here in the UK.

Athletes and would-be "Mr Universe's" compete against each other in various challenges ranging from carrying rocks to lifting cars.

There is one 'race' that interests me, though.

It's the one where they see who can pull a huge lorry over a certain distance the fastest.

At the start...you can almost see the veins bursting out of their heads. The sheer weight of the lorry means that it certainly isn't very easy to get it going.

But...

Once its tyres start to roll - the competitor begins to speed up...

And...by the time he has finished the course - the lorry is starting to move along both quickly and almost effortlessly.

It's all down to momentum.

Where improving your life is concerned...starting is going to be the most difficult thing.

Once you begin to fill your mind with positive thoughts and actions...yet more will begin to flood in.

It's almost as if you have suddenly noticed that there is a world out there...and that it's not just a picture that you see on your window.

Believe me...the easiest way to get the wheels going on your success 'vehicle' is to challenge yourself regularly.

I'm no different to you. I could just as easily be watching TV at the moment....but I am not.

I'm not because I am challenging myself to come up with something useful for YOU every day.

So - what about you? What are YOU going to do to challenge yourself every day?

Are You Going Backwards By Standing Still?

As part of the ongoing development of my 'business' online - I am always looking at ways to make improvements in what I do.

But...

Any improvement must be weighed up between its cost and the benefits I gain from paying for it.

Take this weblog, for example. I reckon that it takes me, on average, around 15 minutes a day to sit down and write. (and...yes - I do write it every day at the time it says at the top of the entry - I don't just write them all in advance!).

So - I have the equation - 15 minutes of my time vs actual benefit towards my 'plan'.

Nothing in life is free - and my time certainly is not...but...I feel that it is necessary (at this time) to provide this 'service' to you for nothing.

Why?

1) You benefit from my knowledge for free.
2) My 'online presence' benefits from the increased exposure and credibility
3) I personally benefit from the routine (as I mentioned in a previous post)

So - it's a win-win-win situation.

But...

Nothing ever stands still. Those people that stand still are going backwards.

Once the equation starts to tip too far one way or another - then something must be changed to bring it back into a 'win-win-win' situation.

What lesson can you learn from this? Well...

Never accept that anything is 'written in stone'.

Just because you are able to do something NOW - doesn't necessarily mean that you should always have to do it.

Just because your career is static - doesn't mean that it has to be that way forever.
Just because you have been passed over for a salary increase - doesn't mean that you won't get one next time.
Just because you haven't found a partner - doesn't mean that you are going to be left 'on the shelf.'

But...they all will be the same next time or next year unless...YOU CHANGE.

Yes - you!

You can't expect the World to move towards helping you until you start helping yourself.

Take responsibility for your own future TODAY...and don't ever look back once you've made that decision.

It's working for me - and it will certainly work for you, too.

You Have To Build Your Credibility Before Your Bank Balance

Round One of "Stage 2" of my Internet 'plan' was completed today with the release of the To Our Success E-course.

And, perhaps surprisingly - everything has gone without a major hitch.

I'm now glad that I took my time and planned what I wanted to do!

I'll be honest with you - I could have probably released a 'cobbled-together' version a couple of months ago - but I decided early on that it was essential for me to do things properly - and to make sure that, on the day of its release - it would run smoothly. (which it has)

I've been told by more than a few people that I should really charge the $97 I intended to - instead of practically giving it away for free.

But all I say to them is that sometimes you have to build your credibility before you build your bank balance.

I hope that by releasing the E-course this way - I have gone some way to building my reputation as somebody who tries to give value instead of making a 'fast buck'.

Only time will tell if I am right.

No - I've got that wrong!

Time will show that I WAS right!

Value before cash can be a difficult call to make - but I know that if you 'follow my lead' you will certainly be rewarded (like I will) in the future.

We Don't Know What We Don't Know...

Do you think small or do you think BIG?

The reason why I ask is that I have caught myself thinking 'smaller' than I should do recently.

When we think of goals and targets - we always underestimate what we can achieve.

For example - if you don't believe that you could double your salary in a year or two - how can you expect your mind to believe that you should become a millionaire?

It brought to mind one of my favorite sayings:

We don't know what we don't know

What if we had the power to literally 'think' our way to success (with action of course)?

Wouldn't it be fantastic to know that if we thought long and hard enough for money to pay off our debts - it would eventually appear?

Ah...but who's to say that it won't?

Just because such a thing seems 'unbelievable' in our materialistic world - who's to say that it is impossible?

We can't say that it won't for sure - because, well - we don't know, do we?

I'm doing a lot of reading on prosperity thinking at the moment - and so far -

There are certainly more questions that we don't know the answers to than there are answers that we know the questions to.

(Read that again if you're not sure what I mean!)

NEVER ignore the power of your own mind. Who knows what it really knows?

"There Are No Straight Lines To Success"

I came across an interesting quote as I was 'surfing' today...

"There are no straight lines to success."

What this means is that your path will always be up,down,left, right, and there will be many dead-ends.

Take a cue from the most 'results-oriented' living things on earth - plants and trees. In the natural world - there are no 'perfect' straight lines. Stalks zig-zag up to catch the sun, roots stretch out in all directions in search of water, flowers only bloom and blossom for short periods every year.

There are a lot of flowers that only bloom for a few days every year - yet their whole 'reason' for growing and development the rest of the year is solely devoted to that very aim.

What if I was to say to you that you would have ups-and downs all year - except for one day when you get paid a year's salary as a bonus for getting through it. Would you accept that?

Would you look to learn from the 'disappointments' instead of letting them crush you?
Would you spend more time doing the things that excite you - rather than worrying about what you haven't got?

Wouldn't that be great?

What if I told you that you would have four YEARS of ups-and-downs in return for a wonderful, happy, wealthy rest of your life?

More difficult perhaps? But acheivable - nevertheless.

The practical ways of doing this could fill an entire encyclopaedia set - there are so many opportunities open to you to acheive it.

But...

Most people can't look beyond this minute, today, this week, this month - let alone this year. They let things get on top of them - and then fool themselves into thinking that, because they are facing the wrong way today - then they are always going to carry on in that direction.

You now know otherwise.

Remember - just because you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel - you know that it is always there.

I Think That I'm Clever...But My Wife Doesn't!

My "claim to fame" in the Vurnum household is that within 5 seconds of of any 'mainstream' song the last 25 years starting - I can tell you the song title and the artist.

Clever or what? (Lesley just thinks that I'm sad!)

But...

I must know thousands of song titles and artists (as well as all of the words to most of those songs)

Think about it. Doesn't that give you an idea of how huge our brain capacity must be?

If I can remember all of that without even really trying - then what else could I remember if I really wanted to?

I bet you can do the same. Hey - you might even be as 'clever' as me and rememder all those lyrics!

Or...

You might have a 'photographic' memory.
You might never forget a face.
You might know every single road route from A to B in your city
You might know the background to every character on yoru favorite soap.

You see - because we label things 'difficult' - we automatically assume that we couldn't possibly remember important facts - or even just learn from our mistakes.

Imagine what you could do if you could use that storage ability in your business, or in your career?

The possibilities are limited only be the degree that you can be 'bothered'.

But now that I KNOW that I have the ability - I'm going to try my hardest to work out a way to apply it in a more productive sense - and maybe you should, too!

How True Are These 40-Year-Old Lyrics?

I was driving along today after dropping Connor off at his 'special' school - and merrily singing along to a Beatles song...

Suddenly - the words jumped out at me -

"Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend."

So it doesn't annoy you - these lyrics are from "We Can Work It Out". Written almost 40 years ago - and they are still as true today!

If I could choose a catchphrase then this sentence would certainly be in my top 5. I see it every day - people getting stressed over petty things that they shouldn't give the time of day.

But they do. Why?

Is it because they live empty lives? Maybe.
Is it because they're bored? Perhaps
Is it because they haven't got more important things to worry about? Almost certainly.

If you have a purpose...a goal...a vision...a 'reason why'...then you won't want to clutter your thinking with little problems.

Your mind works like your stomach does in McDonalds. Once you've had one Big Mac - you fancy another!

If you can constantly feed your mind with positive thoughts, actions, and words - then all those stupid little arguments and annoyances won't matter anymore.

You'll be too busy moving forward to notice them as they get left behind.

The Wavelength Of Coincidence

We finally got to see the movie "Signs" today (see 19th September post)

In itself the movie is perhaps a little slow - and a 'hit-or-miss' affair - but for me, there was no getting away from the message it gave in its last ten minutes or so.

If you have seen it - you will know what it is - and I won't go into too much detail to spoil it if you haven't yet.

It's all about coincidence and belief.

It was until about 10 minutes after the film finished that I realised that its title had a 'double meaning'!

I left the cinema with a feeling that this movie's message further vindicated how I think. I am far from a 'believer' (and in that sense - I have probably been closer to an atheist for most of my life) - yet in the last couple of years I have realised that everything has a meaning.

Because the all-to-frequent instances of concidence saving the life of Connor - I have literally opened my mind to the fact that there is something that 'helps' us.

But...

I am also a firm believer that you must be on the correct 'wavelength' in order to receive this help.

I look upon it as learning another language. You can shout louder or wave your arms - but if the other person doesn't understand what you are saying you are always going to have difficulty getting your point across. If you master even the basics of their language you will find that your ability to communicate increases to a huge degree.

So...open your mind to coincidence. Open your mind to positive thinking. Open your mind to the wonderful abundance we have on this Earth.

Accept that you have an ability that the rest of the non-human inhabitants on this planet would die for - your conciousness. Don't waste it. Use its power to attract what you truly deserve.

We were put on this planet to further our species. The only way we can do that is to be successful.

As the title of a famous book says - Never allow yourself the luxury of a negative thought. Open your mind to what you can't comprehend - and what you can't comprehend will help you if you work hard enough to keep the 'channel' open.

P.S. If you have seen the movie you will see what I mean....
Just so that you can understand what I see in Lesley - I asked her what sort of 'message' she got from the film. Her answer - "Always listen to your wife!"

"Little Hinges Swing Big Doors"

I came across this 'quote' as I was reading an interview today. It jumped right off of the page at me - and set my mind off on another tangent!

The thinking behind it is that, even though a door is big and heavy - all it needs are two or three little hinges to support it and make it open (and close).

Have you let the hinges on the door to your ideal future get a little rusty recently? Have you neglected to do those little things that, on their own don't make a difference, but once added together represent a large chunk of time or money?

You know - those little things that perhaps you should be doing - but don't really want to.

I'm sure that there is no need to spell them out for you - I'm sure that you already know what they are - and anyway, these sort of things are always different depending on who you are and who you want to become!

You need to keep those hinges oiled - otherwise that door will never open again. Round up those little tasks that you know that you should start - and try to 'blitz' them all in a short a time as possible. Get them out of the way and make room in both your head and your life for those things that are going to help you push that heavy door open - and keep it wedged open!

The longer that you leave these things - the harder they become to 'start' (or start again!). Use those hinges to your advantage - and you'll find that you don't have to push that hard to at least see what's on the other side.

Lesson from Vacation #1

We came home via Thorpe Park theme park. We were there for over seven hours - and in that time we managed to go on nine rides! The queues ranged from 20 minutes to almost an hour for the newest - a 10 loop rollercoaster called Collosus.

As I stood there with all these hundreds of people patiently stepping a few paces every thirty seconds or so - I had one of my 'thoughts'.

Why don't we approach our goals in the same way?

You see, I queued for nearly an hour to go on a ride that took perhaps 30 seconds at most. Yes it was fun, scary, and exhilarating all at the same time - but what else would you patiently queue for so long in return for so 'little'? Imagine if you looked upon your dream as if it was that rollercoater. Wouldn't you gladly 'queue', spend time and a lot of money - just for the experience and thrill of achieving your goal?

In monetary terms - it probably worked out at around $5 to go on each ride when you take into account the entrance fee to the park. I would perhaps baulk at paying so much per ride at a fair - yet I gladly paid up and waited...

Another thing about the queuing. Isn't it amazing how they make it look as if you are much closer to the ride than you really are? The line snakes backwards and forwards - and you never really get to see exactly how far you've got to go. Because our dreams are often so far ahead of us - we tend to forget that we are already in the 'queue', and that as long as we keep taking those little, regular steps - up and down, backwards and forwards, eventually we will get there..

Sometimes you may seem further away than when you started - but believe me, it's just life's way of controlling the 'queue' to your success.

Who Says You Will Always Fail?

Did you know that drinking water is over 3 billion years old? (I know this because I took Katie, my six year-old to the Science Museum in London today).It makes you wonder how many other people have drunk the same water as you, doesn't it?

I look upon success the same way - it has always been there in almost infinite amounts in the history of the world - and can therefore there is always enough to 'go round'. Just because your brother is successful - doesn't mean that you can't be. Just because you have failed a few times - doesn't mean that you will always fail.

Look upon success just like that water you drink every day - you don't want to know where it's been - you just need to know that it is YOURS at that very moment.