Success...One Day At A Time

Are You In The Running For A Successful Life?

Back in 2004, Barack Obama asked one of his experienced political friends whether he should run for President or not, and this was the advice he got...

The same could be said about life. Are YOU 'running' or not?!!

This piece of advice reminded me of what Benjamin Franklin said almost 300 years ago.

It's something that YOU should think about as each day passes that you don't get around to 'running'...

When you're gone - will YOUR life have had an impact.. not only your family, but on many other people who have never actually met you?

Mine will.

Yours COULD too.

So...what's stopping YOU?

My Christmas And New Year Message...

For a change, I'd thought I'd share with you a little motivational (and hopefully inspirational!) message for Christmas and New Year...

Around this time of year many people start to look at making work what doesn't (getting along with family that they usually don't get along with, or try to get past Christmas without an argument!) - and, as Christmas turns into New Year - start to look at putting 'right' what is 'wrong' in their life (their New Year resolutions)

Boy, is that the WRONG way of going about things!

We've been trained to believe that this time of year is for giving...and then for turning our lives around. Yet - why should you try to fit all this into two days that fall within a week of each other?

Sure - every now and again, you might actually not feel awkward listening your old grandma going on about the same thing for the 100th time, or you DO actually follow through on your resolution to quit smoking or eat less chocolate.

Yet - come the middle of January, when you're desperately waiting for your paycheck to pay for your Christmas spending - the last thing you really want to do is to go through more 'pain' - the pain of changing the person you've been all year last year!

Goal setting as a motivational tool is dangerous - as having a 'goal' implies that when you reach it - you will 'score' (ie win). Yet - the most successful people will tell you that, unless you're actually enjoying the challenge of the journey towards the goal - then you might as well not bother - as THAT is what you should be aiming for!

For a start, it's so much easier to do something better that you already do well.

And secondly, because you can ALREADY do it - then you won't have to go through the pain of trying to be someone you haven't been for years!

Of course, I'm certainly not suggesting that you don't aim high...but let's face it - you've probably tried it enough times and 'failed' - so why make an attempt at something that you actually stand a chance of succeeding at?

You don't need to invest in any fancy goal setting software, or buy this year's latest goal setting ebook. You KNOW what you're good at - so just bloody well get on and get even better at it!

Happy Christmas...and a happy, healthy, and wealthy New Year!

Inspiration In The Most Unlikely Of Places...

Since my seperation, I've rediscovered my love for movies. Except that now, instead of just watching them for what they are, I tend to look at the general message behind them.

Of course, there are the fairly generic ones like the hero survives, gets the girl, or generally succeeds at the end. After all, some of the most successful movies show us how 'good' always triumphs over 'evil' and all that stuff.

What's interesting for me is that bad news sells newspapers, yet happy endings sell movies! Perhaps it's because people want an escape from the 'bad news reality' - although personally I'm focusing my life on aiming for 'happy endings' wherever I can - despite whatever my circumstances may be.

And so should YOU too!

There's another thing I like to pick up on when I watch a movie. It's the little sentences of dialogue that actually MEAN something. The fascinating these 'pearls of wisdom' are...quite often, in the most unlikely of movies! Some of the most interesting ones actually came from films that didn't exactly fit in the 'everyone wins' category.

For example, here are just a couple of such quotes...

From Mr Magorium's Wonderful Emporium - "Your life is an occasion. Rise to it"
(Uttered by Mr Magorium just as he's about to die)

From Flashbacks of a Fool - "He lived his life in the present moment, just like a child. That's so rare in a man."
(Said by the wife of a man who suddenly died young)

There are certainly more that I picked up on at the time that I can't remember at the moment.

I can guarantee that practically every other person in the auditorium watching these movies NEVER pick up on these nuggets of wisdom.

If they did, I bet that they didn't take it out of the context of the story and realize that where their life is actually concerned - these quotes are seriously powerful!

I'm certainly trying wherever possible to move my life around to 'rise to it'...and I can certainly tell you that the more YOU live (and enjoy) the 'present moment' then the better and more rewarding your life will be.

Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places - and hidden in movies where you least expect it!

IMPORTANT! Your exclusive $1 trial to the first Lesson of my and Napoleon Hill's "The Law of Success for the 21st Century" Program runs out tomorrow! If you like what you just read here - then you'll LOVE what I share with you in this Program! - just click here to read more about it...

Why You Should Refuse To Be Normal...

I gladly tell anyone who asks me that I never want to be 'normal'. However, a good friend of friend of mine couldn't understand why I DIDN'T want to be normal!

I had to explain to her that my version of normal meant that I...

- Refused to accept that I had to work hard until I retired
- Knew that I was as 'special', 'talented', or 'gifted' as anyone else
- Didn't have to limit myself just because everyone else does for various reasons
- Had complete responsibility and control for both where I currently am, and where I am going
- Refused to even entertain thoughts that anything other than my thoughts, feelings, and their resulting actions could influence my life
- Understood that any crap in my life could either drag me down, or be used as a learning experience - even if it may sometimes be difficult to do so.
- Live a life of my own choosing, whatever the consequences

There are a few more, but I can't think of them at the moment!

I see it all the time. It's just what we're brought up to believe, and further 'educated' on by the media as the years go on.

Even my own family laugh at me because my priorities are different to everyone else's (and I mean EVERYONE!). They think that I am chasing a 'dream', when in fact I'm just getting closer to the purpose I am here for - to experience what this life brings me, or more accurately, to experience what I bring into my life as a result of the way that I think and feel.

Whether you may hate me for saying so - it's not good enough for you to accept that leading a 'NORMAL' life is something that you aim for! You can moan all you like about why you can't do something with your life, but I can guarantee that, without a doubt, YOU yourself are holding yourself back in some way.

I devote my life to learning this stuff, and teaching what I learn about it, and I can tell you - the more you realize that YOU alone have the control and the power of your own destiny - the more chance you will have of creating one that you really want!

The Manifestation 2-Step

I've been tinkering recently with a few manifestation techniques as part of my ongoing "I live what I teach" process that I share with my "It's Obvious, Stupid!" print newsletter subscribers. Naturally, I'm keeping the specifics of what I am doing (and also the interesting results I'm getting!) for them, but it's interesting to note a couple of things that I thought might be worth sharing with you.

Firstly, there is always a challenge of getting the balance of your thinking right. Even the most positive people in the world (like myself) have times where, no matter what they try and do, they can't easily get out of a down mood.

Now, in the past, I may have beaten myself up over the fact that I wasn't thinking positively, but now I realize that its much better to just let my mood get on with it, and accept that I'm much better off focus my positive thoughts and energy when I'm in a much more positive mood!

Life is about balance...and sometimes due to circumstances in your life, it's not always easy to stay on the positive side. The less you let it get to you the better, and just accept that, as long as you try to look for feeling a little bit better, then that's all you can do until your mood shifts.

Secondly...I see so many people just literally wandering around in a daze, just going through the motions of life. What a waste! I can see the (often negative) thoughts whirring around behind their eyes as they walk around. Little do they know that most of the time, they are literally creating what they fear!

I know this stuff because it's exactly what I did with my separation last year from my wife of 14 years, Lesley. Almost everything I dread happening actually happened, almost as if I had scripted it myself! The hours I spent before we split up expecting the worst actually came true!

So, whatever you may be doing, and (more importantly) whatever you may be thinking - PLEASE just at least look for what you want in your life rather than focusing on what you don't want.

I can't stress how truly important this point is.

What Can I Help You To Achieve?

I have just a very short message for you to think about (and comment on!) this week.

This isn't a pitch for an upcoming product, nor some subliminal mind-trick to get you to invest in my current products.

I've been writing this ezine for over five years, have written almost 800 posts on this blog, give you a free ecourse over at To Our Success, have written a few ebooks, a home study course, and have a printed newsletter.

Yet so few people are taking advantage of the help I make available...and I want that to change!

This is why this question is your opportunity to tell me what I can do for you. It's designed to :

- Help you focus on what you really want
- Help me understand your needs better so that I can tailor what I provide more for you

So...the stage is yours...

"What can I do to help YOU achieve what you want from life?"

Please comment below and let me know...

Is Your Success Down To Imagination Or Failure? You Choose!

"The two great major influences that cause the mind of man to grow are the urge of necessity and the urge of desire to create.
Some minds develop only after they have undergone failure and defeat and other forms of punishment which arouse them to greater action. Other minds wither away and die under punishment, but grow to unbelievable heights when provided with the opportunity to use their imaginative forces in a creative way."

So says Napoleon Hill in what I believe to be the greatest self improvement book of all time - The Law of Success.

It's tucked away at the end of Lesson Eight - Self-Control, in his 'after-the-lesson' comment called "The Evolution Of Transportation" (of all things!). Whilst everyone else bangs on about his Master Mind concept...there are literally hundreds of gems like this one, 'lost' within the book.

It's lucky then that I'm probably one of the top experts where The Law of Success is concerned. When you've scanned and edited by hand 1,170 pages yourself over a number of months as I did - then you'll soon understand why this book is so great.

Anyway...let's get back to the quote. It's a very important one when you are looking to lead a continuously successful life.

We'll deal with each sentence in turn...

"The two great major influences that cause the mind of man to grow are the urge of necessity and the urge of desire to create."

Ever heard that before? I certainly hadn't - but doesn't it make perfect SENSE?

Brillant stuff in my opinion. Couldn't have said it better myself.

It's just a shame that most people can't be bothered to grow at all - and don't have any urge to do ANYTHING apart from go through the motions at work, and perhaps live for the weekends. Sad but true.

I hope that, as you're here and reading this - you are proving that you're not one of those people who are literally wasting their lives doing practically nothing.

OK...let's move onto the next sentence in the quote...

"Some minds develop only after they have undergone failure and defeat and other forms of punishment which arouse them to greater action."

I can certainly count myself as one of these people! It wasn't until 'bad things' happened in my life that I realized I actually COULD do something about it! I haven't looked back since, and haven't had any regrets at all about quitting my job without a clue about how I was going to pay the mortgage and support a young family.

This also explains why many 'gurus' have been bankrupt or homeless turn their lives around. Once you've hit what seems like rock-bottom, there is only one way you can turn...and that's upwards!

Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey are just two examples of this type of person who succeeds despite the odds.

Inspiring though it is...I wouldn't wish such things to happen to you, just to PROVE to you that there IS more to life than the daily grind. Fortunately, not every successful person has benefitted from a serious dose of adversity like I have!

Let's look at the other side of the coin from the last part of Napoleon Hill's quote...

"Other minds wither away and die under punishment, but grow to unbelievable heights when provided with the opportunity to use their imaginative forces in a creative way."

Now, you may be the type that collapses under pressure. I certainly know that a couple of members of my family wouldn't have been able to cope with what we did - just because they struggle ALL of the time just going through the day-to-day stuff of life!

As I also mentioned earlier - you don't particularly want to have something bad happen anyway as a learning experience, do you?

So...the path for you might be the way that practically the other half of successful people use for inspiration. You get inspired by the ideas that you have.

Look at Richard Branson and Bill Gates as two examples of this type of person. They are fired up by the exciting things and businesses they can create. They didn't need to be inspired by adversity - their own MASSIVE ideas are what keeps them STILL working despite their huge wealth.

So...if you need a little punishment to inspire you - by all means hit the floor if that's what it will take!

But perhaps it's a much better decision to start using that thing between your ears, and start making the most of the strengths you ALREADY have. No idea is necessarily a bad idea. It's the lack of execution of it, and the refusal to keep on keeping on at all costs that usually ends in failure.

That's why you need to have something in your life to DRIVE you forward, whatever life puts in front of you.

The thing is...I can't TELL you what that should be. Only YOU knows what is inspiring enough for you (good or bad) to make you do WHATEVER is necessary to make you succeed.

I'd wish you luck...but you certainly won't need it if you continue to educate yourself about how your mind works, and what inspires you.

I believe in you. The more important thing is - do YOU?

Note:
If you like this sort of analysis of what Napoleon Hill has written...then you'll love my Our Wealth Partnership newsletter, as every single month I have an entire section devoted solely to 'Napoleon Hill's Big Lesson'.

In this month's issue - Issue #5 due out in the next week, I'm getting to the root of what a Master Mind should REALLY be based upon, based on the exact formula Napoleon Hill himself specified in The Law of Success. You'd be surprised at how many people completely get it wrong! ('Experts' included)

In previous months in Napoleon Hill's Big Lesson in Our Wealth Partnership, I've...

- 'Outed' the secret that Napoleon Hill says is contained in Think & Grow Rich (and prove what it is by what he wrote in the Law of Success).

- Analyzed Hill's 'Golden Rule' and why it is so crucial to EVERYONE'S success, whatever their abilities, income, or background.

-Investigated his simple, yet effective, way of instantly discovering whether an opportunity is right for you or not.

So...you can see that the keys to success are timeless, and you'd be a fool to think otherwise. It's facinating stuff...and it is one of the SIX sections in my monthly print newsletter.

Self-Improvement, Accountability, And Why Masterminds Don't Work...

Wednesday 1st November. Just over three weeks away. Make a note of it in your diary.

I'm going to be sharing something with you that I know will make a *continuous* difference in your life.

I'll give you more details as we get closer to the time.

So...another two weeks has passed since I last wrote to you.

I've been a little lax in writing to you over the last few months because of two very important things...

1) I'm spending most of my time focusing on my December 31st deadline for the execution of my 100% hands-off passive revenue system. (which has nothing to do with self-improvement)

2) I've been taking some time to tie-down exactly where my strengths lie in the self-improvement arena, so that I can help you the most, at the same time as continuing to enjoy what I do. (which is why November 1st is an important day)

Yet...it's not until you are doing it for the tenth time you realize that you aren't enjoying it anymore that it becomes a 'challenge' to keep delivering to the best of your ability.

For example...I used to write on this blog almost every single day for TWO YEARS...yet now I sometimes find it a challenge to write every two WEEKS!

Partly because I got out of the habit...but also because it was something I challenged myself to be disciplined to do.

Like in 2005 when I decided that I would earn $200,000 completely passive revenue (not from my self improvement business!) during that year. (I reached my target by August...and taught my wife to do the same...and she earned a similar amount, too!)

Similarly...I made the decision in April to lose some weight...and now I'm around fifty pounds lighter...and much more healthy because of it.

And like when I wrote in my success journal last year that I would earn more in two hours than I did in my last year of 'working for a living' in 2001...and I achieved that in February.

Over the years I have spent a lot of time training to be accountable to myself for achieving the goals I set.

But, I'm sure that you'll agree...it's not always easy to do that.

I know from experience that I certainly don't achieve every goal I set myself - but I certainly make a damn good effort at trying!

You might be like me, and can use your own mind to make yourself accountable for success...or you might sometimes have difficulties in following through.

I realized (properly) a few months ago...that, even though I have achieved a great deal myself...I STILL need other people who aren't 'emotionally attached' to my outcome to keep pushing me (as YOU do, too.)

That's why, in conjunction with a few friends in the Internet world, I set up a Master Mind group that will really come into full swing early next year.

BUT...it's not just me and a bunch of my mates getting together under a label called a 'Mastermind' (as many gurus out there proclaim to create - at the same time as spelling it incorrectly!).

Nope. You see...I've spent too much time reading, analyzing, applying...and helping other people implement, Napoleon Hill's Law of Success to understand HOW and WHY it works.

Well...it MIGHT work for certain people if you manage (by chance) to get the people in the group right.

That's why I purposely SELECTED those people in my small group (in conjunction with the OTHER people in the group) to ensure that we all had KEY strengths in different areas to each other.

In other words...we're not getting together because we are good at the same things - we're getting together because we are not so good at things that another member of the group EXCELS at.

And...you can't possibly make this work at the level Napoleon Hill intended by just throwing a group of people together because they happen to be at the same seminar together, or are able to afford the cost of 'participation'.

I think you can see what I mean!

So...even though I KNOW I will continue to achieve great things in my life...I also know that there are some things that I would probably NEVER get around to doing because they aren't my strengths.

And...because they aren't my strengths - then I know that it will be a massive challenge to keep myself accountable to achieving them.

And that is also why that, even though I am hugely successful by most peoples' standards, I know that I STILL need other people to keep me on track in a way that I can't do myself.

A little like what I do here with YOU when what I write really makes sense to you!

So enough about me, and what makes me tick...

Just make a comment below and share it with us all...

Goal Setting? It's Pointless Trying To Aim For It Unless You Know Why

It's been a few weeks since I last wrote to you, but I've been busy with a number of things that have taken up my time...

Like having a week on vacation where I didn't go on the Internet once...nor even take my laptop.

And...working up for my presentation at the Underground Online Seminar which I did last Sunday at the wonderful time of 8 a.m.!

To give you an idea of how well I did at the seminar...here's a picture of the standing ovation I received...

Well...OK, I'm being a little economical with the truth.

I got the attendees to do a slow hand clap whilst I quickly spun around for the shot!

Still...it does slightly resemble the standing ovation I MIGHT get one day!

One of the most interesting things to come out of that seminar was the discussion I've since had about my style of presenting.

To say that it is a little sarcastic, 'funny', and relaxed is an understatement.

I also apparently offended a number of people because of some of my comments!

I don't think that there was any other speaker there who had as many people dislike them.

BUT...I also had many people come up to me and tell me how great it was that I was so 'honest'.

What it boils down to is...I was myself, whereas many of the other presenters certainly spoke in a different manner to who they really are, or how they write in their emails.

Life's too short to try to be someone you are not, as one day you'll wake up and wonder why things haven't quite gone according to plan as you've spent most of your life trying to please other people.

When you should REALLY be looking to please yourself first!

Now...I might not appear as 'silly/stupid/rude/sarcastic' when I write to you as I do when I am presenting, but one of the reasons is that the written word doesn't always translate my dry sense of humor as well as it could.

But...you DO see the more thoughtful and challenging side to me that is always beneath my joking around.

The people I work closely with in a Mentoring capacity appreciate it that I will call them out if I think that they aren't doing what they should be.

They know that even the most driven people occasionally need a good kick up the backside to make sure that they get something from their life.

The big question is, what are YOU going to do about it?

Me? I'm starting to look towards getting people around me who will challenge me when I decide to move onto other things.

And, I'm looking at using some of the lessons learned from working with my other Mentees to find a way to help YOU, too.

The question is...what sort of help do YOU need?

Because...unless you know your goal, its pointless trying to aim for it, whether you get help doing so or not.

Does Goal Setting Really Work?

Where success is concerned, I have a big problem with goals.

The whole purpose of goal setting is to have a target, work backwards from it, then break down what you need to do in manageable chunks.

Sounds fine on paper...and it seems to work for some people (especially for the authors who write books about goal setting!).

But...

- I have achieved things I wouldn't have imagined being able to
- I have NOT done things that I really thought I wanted to do...and now know that I would hate.
- Had situations thrown at me that overnight changed my whole perspective about who I am and what I wanted to do
- Met people and read books that, through single ideas, made immediate decisions about directions I wanted to take
- Realized that my 'ideal' five years ago meant that I would spend more time doing stuff that I didn't like, unlike today, where most of my day is spent doing stuff that is interesting and challenging.

I could go on.

Now...before you get angry with me about slating goals...I want to tell you that I DO believe in having them.

But...not in the sense that most people do.

You see...I set my goals purposely to be fluid, dynamic, moving targets...which I haven't got a hope in hell of back-working to nail down what I should be doing today instead of sharing this with you!

My goals are BIG, certainly...but they are missing an ingredient that most people tell you that you should include...

A specific income figure.

Why?

Well...I MAY end up earning a million dollars a year/month/day/minute...but if it means that I am doing stuff I don't really enjoy, or that I am missing out on being able to do things with my family etc...then it ain't for me.

I once even wrote an article when I started out online that is published in a book that talks about how I would become a millionaire in three years.

How naive I was back then!

Since then, I've realized that a BIG goal is all you need to aim.

I now aim for between one and three a year.

Last year was to sort out my finances.
This year was my health and the automation of my business.
Next year will be laying the foundation for the long-term future, and seeing how I can achieve even more (and better) work with less 'effort' (effort being having to do stuff I don't enjoy)

The year after that?

Well...that can wait until the other stuff is out of the way!

By using goals in this way...I don't force myself into doing specific tasks at specific times.

I always have an easy checklist whenever I do anything...

If it isn't, then I either find some way of getting done differently, or just move on and focus on something else that DOES move me towards my target.

It's simple because it has to be.

You may be a methodical, task-oriented person who enjoys ticking off the next task...but I'm too laid back for that.

Above all where goals are concerned is that you know what sort of person you are.

For example, I'm pretty self-motivated, and have some discipline for getting things done when I need to.

You may be someone who needs structure, daily routines, and set hours, to get things done....in which case, my type of goal setting may not work for you.

Remember, is it YOU that it has to work for...and if you find that you are struggling to follow something because you feel that you should, give some thought to the fact that the system may not suit you...and not the other way around!

Is Your Future Wealth And Success Important? Don't Waste This Then...

Over the next few weeks...you will begin to see these ezine issues shorten in length.

Why?

Well...I've come to realize that my time is a very precious thing, and, even with the best intentions in the world...giving it away for free isn't always the best way to make the most of it.

So...I've decided to focus more on the projects that leverage my time, and which therefore allow me to spend more time with my family (which is the whole purpose of doing what I do).

Over the last few months I have been working harder than I would have liked...so it's time for me to reign in my working hours at the expense of some of the stuff I do for free.

And...after I have spoken at Yanik Silver's Underground Online Seminar in September...I'm even considering 'retiring' from teaching others how to earn a full-time salary from Adsense websites like I do.

Now...if my entire life revolved around how much money I could make, and how much stuff I could sell to people, then that wouldn't be an option - but in my case - there is a whole list of things ahead of earning money in my life that are more important to me.

Let's face it - you can get any sort of advice from many self-improvement experts for free online, so I'm sure that you won't miss out if I don't give you as much free content as usual.

Anyway...you've got more than 800 entries in the archive on this site to go through if you ever think you're going to run out of free!

The trouble with free is that, as you haven't had to give some value in return (money, time, or otherwise) - you usually don't make the most of what you learn.

I'm as guilty as anyone where that is concerned...so you're not alone.

And...perhaps it not a coincidence that the more wealthy I become...the more importance I place on those things that money can't buy.

That's not to say that I didn't believe that they were important when I was in debt up to my eyeballs...it's just that, especially where the background to my family is concerned, I'm a lot more aware of the QUALITY of my life instead of just the QUANTITY of my income.

I've seen many self-proclaimed gurus (in the Internet marketing world especially) over the last few years literally stand up on the stage, and use their talent as a speaker to relieve people like YOU from their hard-earned money just to be able to say that they made 'x' dollars from an hour presentation.

Irrespective of whether what they sold actually got results for any of their buyers.

Stuff like that really sticks in my throat...where people are sucked in by promises of life-changing information - yet they are being sold empty promises.

I certainly don't view people as dollar figures as many speakers do...and that's why I'd much rather spend my time helping those people who can really make the most of what I teach them...which I KNOW will change their lives if they actually apply what they learn.

And those people who take action (and who also therefore take up my time) are the very people who I want to work with in the longer term.

I value my contribution to the world higher than just giving away my time for free - just because other people tell me that I should.

And YOU should keep an eye on whether you are doing something because conventional wisdom tells you that you ought to be doing it, too.

Sure...you can't just quit your job and go off and paint landscapes for the rest of your life, but you can certainly make the most of where you currently are...and consistently focus your mind on where you want to be.

You then might even realize that the job that you believe you hate actually isn't that bad when you weigh it up with the freedom it gives you at the weekends.

Or that there is one particular element of it that you really enjoy. And that single thing is the foundation of looking at how you can do more it in your job in the future.

Life is about looking at what you are currently doing that you don't want to - and then focusing on how you can do less of it in the future.

And then using that time to do more of the things that allow you to spend the time to make the most of the inspired talents that you undoubtedly have!

And THAT'S why you won't see many more long ezine issues from me.

My time is important to me...and never forget that YOUR time is too.

Are You Living To Earn...Or To Achieve Something?

Do you really know what you want from your life?

Really?

Are you chasing a target set by your parents, spouse, or neighbors?

Are you driven by what you KNOW that you can achieve, or are you running from day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month - just trying to deal with what happens to you?

Or do you feel that you are in control of the outcome of some parts of your life?

We're funny, you and me.

We are our own worst enemy.

It's very unusual to meet someone whose sole measure of wealth and success is NOT how much money they make.

And...many successful people still trumpet the fact that they are millionaires...yet as they are saying this...they know inside that it doesn't mean a thing because the rest of their life is crap.

One of the by-products of making such a decision is that your self-esteem will rocket.

(I know...I now value MYSELF and my contribution to the human race more highly than I ever have done.)

Once you stop trying to prove yourself to others...you'll suddenly find that people will start trying to prove themselves to YOU!

And, in the funny way that this thing called life works...once you stop chasing something...you'll inevitably find that that very thing turns up anyway!

Of course...if outwardly you are telling others that you are no longer in the chasing game, yet inside you still are - then you ain't going to kid the Universe, I can tell you!

In the same way that I KNOW that I will never go back to a 9-5 job ever again - YOU must know deep-down that, once you decide to 'Stop Worrying and Start Living' (as the great Dale Carnegie titled one of his books) - then a weight WILL be lifted off of your shoulders.

Of course...everything won't suddenly all go according to plan.

Everything won't suddenly, as-if-by-magic, change.

Like it takes years to put on weight...it may take months to lose it - not minutes.

And...if you've got the weight of many years of fire-fighting situations that you've got yourself into - then it WILL take you a while to change your thinking.

Even though I write about this stuff on a regular basis - it still took me a few years to really convince myself that I WAS good enough to achieve whatever I wanted on MY terms.

And YOU are, too!

Yet...I've seen one or two people I know begin to change, and see the results of that change - yet still end up taking the 'easy' path of going back to their old way of thinking and acting when things don't quite go according to plan for a period of time.

And yes, you DO deserve to have a wonderful life (whatever people may tell you).

But...if you keep chasing it, it will take you longer to find it!

Yet...if you just concentrate on the job of just being YOU and work on what you can achieve (rather than earn) - then there will be no stopping you!

It's never too late to start...and YOU are as capable as ANYONE else on this planet.

You just have to BELIEVE in your ability to make things happen!

Why Are You Doing This...?

Sometimes the last thing you want to do is the very thing that you think you need to do.

Bit like needing to write this when I haven't got the faintest idea what I'm going to write!

Isn't life...interesting?

I've long realized that, if I begin to find something 'difficult' - then I should look at ways that I can either...

a) make it more interesting
b) stop doing it altogether

So...

When even writing this weekly article begins to become more of a 'challenge' than it ever used to be then this means that change is not far away!

Now...it's not that I'm going to stop writing this stuff.

Nope.

I'm just going to shift my focus from feeling the 'need' to do it, to finding a path where doing this, once again, just - flows!

Many people will tell you not to change a 'winning formula'.

I'm here to tell you that ANY formula whether it's 'winning' or not - will soon become a chore if you don't listen to the signals your mind is sending you.

I'm not a fan of just going through the motions for the sake of just doing something (or so that I can tell others that I have done something) - if it means that I am not inspired and motivated when the time comes to do it.

Over the last few years, I've began to understand why so many successful people have become so despite what many other people told them.

If you continue to search for and refine the actions that inspire you...then YOU, too will be well on the way to leading a much happier, focused, challenging, and ultimately wealthy life.

Being stuck in a rut 'just because' isn't a good enough excuse for me at least, any more.

I spent fifteen years accepting my fate...when in fact, over the last four, I've come to the conclusion that I was master of my own all along!

And YOU are, too...even if you might not think so at the moment.

Life has a habit of fooling us into thinking that we aren't in control of how it shapes up.

Never forget that you ARE in control.

As long as you constantly look at why you do what you do.

It's You - Make The Most Of It!

Having been on the road for almost the whole of the last seven days...I've had some time to think about what's really important, why I do what I do, and what I don't do what I think I should do!

Tens of hours of driving left me with one overriding thought...

"It's about time that we play to our own rules, rather than trying to play by somebody else's"

I've met some interesting people on my travels...and I have had some very interesting conversations over the last week.

But...I never quite realized how much different my thinking is to many people.

Not that I am 'right' and they are 'wrong'.

Far from it.

Just that many of my thoughts, beliefs, and plans for what I want to do with my working life are the complete opposite of most people!

And...of course, what 'works' for me might well not suit you at all!

We're all different...and, although we do certainly share some common goals - what could be the best thing in the world to one person - might be awful to someone else.

Quite often - that's where many peoples' problems start.

They're too busy trying to fit into someone else's idea of success that they forget that they have their own skills and needs.

Just because your brother is successful at something and (supposedly) is living the life of YOUR dreams - it doesn't necessarily mean that YOU cannot be the happiest person on Earth if you don't reach the same 'levels' as he does.

YOU are YOU...and there is no changing that.

YOU are someone who is special, talented, and above all, ABLE to be successful in whatever area of life you play to your strengths in.

But...you MUST stop comparing yourself to other people - as who THEY are is nothing to do with YOU.

Plus - if you compare yourself to someone else you'll likely find something negative in that comparison.

Your life and success is all down to being YOU...and not trying to aim for someone or something who wouldn't allow you to be happy at all if you ever got there!

Sound familiar?

Those Little Life-Changers...

You are the sum total of your regular habits.

If you aren't happy with your current situation - in whatever area of your life...then you'll certainly find the root of it in what you regularly do (or perhaps don't do!).

For example...if you consistently:

- Eat the wrong things - you'll put on weight.
- Put off doing stuff you know you should be doing - then you'll get behind.
- Dream instead of do - then you will never reach your goals.
- Blame others for your failures - then you'll never be responsible for your success.
- Find excuses instead of possibilities - then opportunity will continue to pass you by.

In short - it's the little things that shape your life.

Yet - most 'gurus' will tell you that you need to make BIG changes in order to make things happen!

Perhaps it's because they have an expensive 'big change' package to sell you?

Remember - if you only aimed for big changes in other areas of your life - you would never end up living in your home until you had saved up for it.

Nor would you marry someone on your first date until you got to know them a little better over a period of time, would you?

Just start doing something, ANYTHING - that moves you that little, tiny bit closer to who and where you want to be - and let these little changes take care of the big life-changing ones all by themselves!

So what little thing are YOU going to do today?

Your Guru Isn't Helping Your Motivation!

Aren't us humans wonderful things?

What motivates me might stress you out.

How I juggle lots of things at once might put you into a tailspin because you only want to focus on one thing at a time.

How that my preferred method of learning by reading makes your eyes glaze over as you prefer to learn by listening.

I've seen it a few times this week.

I'm all inspired because I'm doing my thing my way - yet the other person can't believe that I could even be thinking about doing things that way!

That's why (and, yes - I have said it many times before), 'one size' NEVER fits all when leading a happy and successful life is concerned!

Just because someone tells you what works for them - doesn't necessarily work for you.

Thinking about it - that's probably how I ended up writing about this stuff for a living.

I spent so many years trying to fit my life around what I was told I SHOULD be doing that nothing seemed to work at all.

Sound familiar?

Ever had the feeling that, even though you are trying your hardest NOT to be YOU - you still feel that it's not going according to plan?

That's what sometimes bothers me about a lot of the successful people I see on the Internet.

I've seen many Internet marketers try to turn themselves into self-improvement experts recently.

And, they believe that because they got successful selling information using their talents - they know that there is an opportunity to earn something from people like YOU who might be interested in how they motivated themselves to do it.

Now - I'm not getting on my high horse here - some of what they teach CAN be helpful, but it is doing no favors whatsoever to most of the people who look up to the guru as an expert.

But WE know, don't we...that YOU are not THEM!

- YOU know that you don't have their particular reason for motivation.
- YOU know that you don't have the same particular skill at doing something like they do.
- YOU know that you don't want to work in the same way as they do.

It's not all gloom and doom, however.

YOU do know the best ways in which YOU work, and what inspires YOU.

And...yes, you DO have some wonderful talents hidden behind that disbelieving face of yours!

What I'm really saying is - make sure that you 'follow' someone for the right reasons.

Yes - you CAN learn from ANY successful person.

But - just because someone is successful at selling how-to information - doesn't mean that they are the best person to MENTOR you in how to make more of YOUR life.

It's easy to get caught up in the hype - but remember that if you spent some time looking at what ALREADY motivates you, and what you do well - then you will be halfway there.

I purposely go out of my way to tell you that 'MY' way isn't THE way for YOU.

Any 'guru' who tells you otherwise is a fool, in my opinion.

YOUR success will be achieved from a huge combination of different elements that you will (hopefully) pick up along the way from many different people - and it WILL be unique to YOU.

And...I bet that you know most of it already.

Plus - you don't need to try and change yourself because someone you respect tells you to.

You just need someone like me to give you a kick occasionally to remind you to make more of what you DO have!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...It's Your Decision

Change is a wonderful thing.

Just one little step in a different direction can change the outcome of your entire life.

I know...with the benefit of looking back - I've realized that my whole life has spun on an axis of circumstances and quickly-taken 'gut-feeling' decisions.

And...if YOU really examine the path that you took to get to wherever you are today - then you will no doubt find that quite often, what you thought was nothing much at the time, changed the path of your future.

But...that's all well and good, but how will that help you now?

Well...

If your future success (or failure) is usually determined by the 'little things' - then at least you don't have to always aim for BIG changes (no matter what some of the 'gurus' may tell you).

It's easy to get hung up on the fact that you should be x pounds lighter, or y amount better off - but that figure means absolutely nothing in the context of REAL life.

Making the decision to eat that chocolate or buy that 'toy' is all that matters where those particular problems in your life are concerned.

Isn't it easier to make a decision NOT to do something like that ONCE - rather than projecting yourself into your future and trying to convince yourself that you will have to do it every day for the next few years?!!

I don't know about you - but I find it easier to stop myself from eating something I shouldn't by distracting myself, rather than telling myself that I'm bad for wanting to eating it!

Take yesterday, for example...

It was about 11:30am and I was starting to feel a little hungry - and could easily have made myself a sandwich for my lunch.

But...I had something that I needed to do first that couldn't wait - so I made the 'little' decision to postpone my food until I got that job done.

At 2:30pm - long after I had finished that particular project - I realized that I hadn't had my lunch!!!

Because I had distracted my lazy willpower with something else to focus on - I ended up missing a 'snack' that would have undoubtedly passed my lips by then if I had eaten at 11:30am.

Now...that may not sound like much in terms of an achievement, but what if I ended up doing this every couple of days?

I may not actually lose any weight - but I would certainly be at least seven pounds lighter than I WOULD have been come the end of next year!

At the time - these decisions don't have to be huge in terms of the effort you need to take to 'get them done'...but when they're added together - the difference CAN be massive.

That's why continually educating yourself about how to develop you own skills and talents is a fantastic thing to do.

The more that you do something a little better, a little more quickly, a little more enjoyably - the easier your life is going to be compared to where it is now.

Of course it takes time.

The best way of long-term growth always does.

But...when you look back this time next year and see what all these little positive decisions have added up to - you'll realize that it was worth it!

I think that today is a great day to start making those little decisions, don't YOU?

Whose Buddy Are You?

My nine-year-old daughter Katie, came home from school yesterday - full of excitement about the fact that she had been chosen as a 'buddy' to a younger child.

"What's a buddy then?" I asked.

"Well...you look after them and you play with them and you make sure they're alright and Jade is looking after someone but Melissa is not and I don't really like my buddy really but as I'm a buddy I'll look after them and I'm going to get a badge with 'buddy' written on it and..."

"I think I get the idea!"

(She likes to fit in as much as she can when she gets an opportunity to talk!)

"And we had to line up by the buddy sign and I called Jade over because her buddy was waiting for her and I should be getting my buddy badge soon..."

(She has also inherited a family trait passed down from my father to me to her - that of repeating ourselves!)

So...what has Katie being a buddy got to do with YOU?

Well...I was wondering - do YOU have a 'buddy'?

You know, someone you can go to to ask questions, ask for advice, talk through stuff with?

Someone who understands what you're going through?

"Yeh...and Melissa was angry with me because she said that I was showing off about being a buddy because she wasn't, and I said to her..."

(Alright Katie - I think they get the idea already - you can stop now!)

So...

The challenge for you is to find someone whom you can short-cut the learning process.

Someone who can just say "Yeh - just do this..." when you've spent hours trying to work something out.

Someone who can just say "Don't do that - I tried it last year and this happened" when you come up with a new idea.

Someone who can just say "You don't need to know all that - I didn't" when you are faced with what seems like a daunting learning curve.

Can you see where I'm going with this?

You CAN do it all yourself and make your own mistakes (like I did) - or you can take a few months (or even years) off of your learning timeframe by linking up with someone who has been there before.

Bet you're wondering where you can find such a person if you haven't already got someone, aren't you.

Well...

You could pay someone to be your 'coach' or mentor.
- Many of the very top household names do it this way...and even top actors have an acting coach.

You could attend a seminar and meet up with someone who is in the same boat as you.
- Quite often, even if this person isn't an 'expert' - they probably could share some knowledge about what works and what doesn't for them.

You can get an ebook, book, or course on your topic written by an expert.
- The trouble with this is that most of the 'experts' aren't...and, unless you have an implementation mentality, all that new knowledge may be waster by inaction.

You could participate on online forums.
- Not necessarily the best way, but many relationships have been started from answering each other's posts and progressed to email, phone calls etc

You could participate in a 'networking' type online (or offline) club.
- More business-oriented generally, but, if you invest the time to cultivate relationships, can be worthwhile

(I'm thinking about developing a similar type of website to those networking sites - not with a business-building focus - but just to get people like you connected to others with similar ideas, challenges etc.)

It's not always easy to find the right buddy for you - but it is certainly worth the effort in terms of the return you get from your time invested.

Just reading an autobiography from an expert in your area can give you some ideas about how to overcome obstacles or short-cut your learning curve.

There IS someone out there who is a perfect match for helping you get to where you want to go - you just need to make a little effort to find them.

Believe me - it's time well invested if it enables you to chop a few years off of learning stuff that you might not even need to learn!

At the very least - you will be able to talk to someone who understands what you're going through, which is always an excellent thing.

"And you need to help them just in case they are sad or fall over or don't know where they are going or something and..."

Yes, Katie - I think that they get the picture now!

Go Down The Driving Range Of Ambition Instead...

Why is it that we don't do the things that we know we should do...

Yet usually end up doing the things that we know we shouldn't?

I've got a confession to make.

Over the last week - I've been sitting on something that I know I should do - yet can't quite bring myself to complete.

So - you're not alone!

In fact - in the past, this lack of action on a project would have had my mind coming up with all sorts of excuses why I couldn't get going, or whether I would EVER get around to it.

The days would have built up into weeks. The weeks would have grown into months.

And then I would find myself a year later wondering why I hadn't finished something that I was motivated, excited, and passionate about the year before.

(Actually - I've got a couple of unfinished projects sitting on my hard drive that have been there for a couple of years!)

Well...at least it shows I'm not perfect, and that Lesley is right.

If I'm supposed to be a positive-minded, motivational 'expert' (her words not mine!) - then why am I such a miserable sod?!!

Anyway...

I've realized recently that I DON'T have to get hung up on the fact that there are some things in my working life not quite finished.

Sure...in an ideal world, we would all wake up in the morning and spend our day completing everything in 'gold star' fashion.

Then we'd go to sleep again...and do the same tomorrow!

But, as I'm sure you'll agree...life isn't like that, is it?

Both you and I have those times where we can't really be motivated to do much.

I bet we both have more of those times that we would like, too.

But...as long as we still have times were we DO fire on all cylinders and are taking some serious action towards our goals - then I don't think that it's a bad thing.

Instead of moping around beating yourself up that you're not as perfect as guru 'x' says he (or she) is - just spend the time doing something that gets you interested, excited, passionate, and focused that doesn't have anything to do with hard work in your mind.

Me? When I don't feel particularly creative...

- I just read my marketing courses I've still got to go through.
- Or go down the golf driving range.
- Or go for a walk and listen to some self-improvement stuff.
- Or go and pick up Katie from school.
- Or phone someone whom I know will never get off of the phone - but I will still have a great time catching up with.

Or perhaps I'll just sit down and watch some TV that interests me. No, not soap-opera stuff or the 'bad' news, but thought-provoking quality stuff like The Apprentice or Lost that gets my brain working.

An hour of escapism is worth so much more to your long-term motivation than just getting angry at yourself for not doing what you should, that's for certain.

Remember, though. There's no excuse for spending ALL of your time 'playing' when you should be 'working' on yourself.

Yet - you already know that, don't you?

But...YOU alone are responsible for what you do with your future.

So if you take my advice but get a little carried away, and use it as an excuse - then perhaps you'd better just accept that where you currently are is where you really want to be.

Unless you want to really do something about it, that is!

To Get Out Of Your Rut - Get Off Your Butt!

No more 'Mr Nice Guy'.

I've decided.

I've spent almost four years online writing constructive and positive articles.

I've gone out of my way to write in a way that gently supports you...at the same time as attempting to challenge you to make more of yourself.

I get emails from subscribers just like you who benefit greatly from this approach.

But...I also get to hear from those people who believe that they need MORE support.

You see...their situation is different...they are struggling, they're facing impossible challenges, they don't have time....blah blah blah.

If YOU are one of those people, you can do two things...

1) Get OVER IT! And get used to me challenging you to get up and DO something with your life.

2) Stop reading what I write. You know what to do to unsubscribe.

Over the last few years I, personally, have...

- Spent 20 hour days for four years caring for my disabled son, Connor. Believe me, having to resuscitate your child in the back of the car in rush-hour whilst your wife is driving is not fun.

- Lost him despite it all (and, if you've ever been to your own child's funeral, you'll know how difficult that is.)

- Had to tell his older sister (who was six at the time) - that the light of her life was never coming back.

- Been fired from a job after 11 years for something that I wasn't responsible for - with no job to go to.

- Suffered from (and beat) severe depression.

- In debt more than the equivalent of 2 years' worth of hard work.

- Seen the woman I love suffer from panic attacks because of all of the stress.

So...I think that I am qualified to be the judge as to whether I became successful BECAUSE of feeling sorry for myself, or IN SPITE OF all that happened.

I'm not telling you this to feel sorry for me - or to hold up a badge of 'my life has been worse than yours'.

Far from it. (In fact, whilst in hospital I realized how lucky my family was having only one disabled child!)

I'm telling you this because I am sick of the moaners, whiners, whingers, and complainers, who just sit feeling sorry about their lives - and expect OTHER people to sort it out for them!

They don't realize that the ONLY way that they will actually make more of themselves is by taking steps to do SOMETHING about it - instead of complaining how unlucky they are.

To be honest - I go out of my way to be constructive when I write because I know that the vast majority of people are motivated by a positive challenge.

Yet - even that isn't enough.

It's time for YOU to actually do something DIFFERENT than you did yesterday, last week, last month, last year.

The ONLY way things are going to change is if YOU change!

I'll let you into a little secret where success is concerned...

If you continue to go down the same path...then you're always going to end up in the same place!

NOBODY else can get you to a different place unless YOU physically take yourself there!

Of course, I can guide you based on what works for me - but YOU alone have to take the path that works for YOU.

Sitting at the beginning crying your eyes out isn't the best way to work out how to get there - that's for certain.

I make no apologies if I've offended you - sometimes you need to get a reaction - whether good or bad - to make some people take stock of their lives.

It's time for YOU to start looking at what you CAN do instead of why you can't.

And...if you're too stubborn to bother - then I cannot help you.

Recession? Admit It. It's All Your Fault...

There's a trap waiting for you.

It's one that you literally fall into on a quite regular basis.

It's called blame...passing the buck...having an excuse.

We've both been there, you and I.

It's quite often hard not to when from the very top of our society down - everyone blames everyone else.

"It's the government's fault that I can't."

"If they gave me more I would be able to do this."

"If only I had a chance of a better job then I would. "

"If only I had talent like them then I would be able to."

"If only I...replace with suitable excuse."

Sound familiar?

Welcome to the 'Blame Game'.

With the talk of 'recession', house price collapse, rising gas prices, and every other doomsday scenario being predicted at the moment - everyone is starting to blame everyone else.

Everyone is trying to make someone accountable when they are probably just as 'guilty' as anyone else.

When all is said and done - in this case anyway - WHO is to 'blame' is irrelevant. Taking decisive action now and learning from the 'mistakes' made in the past is what is important.

Blaming other people for the lack of YOUR success is a sure-fire way to failure.

Read that sentence again - just to make sure that you get it.

What goes in between those ears of yours is THE most important barometer of how successful you will be.

Many people are in worse situations than you may be in - yet 'deal' with it and make something of their lives.

Many people have 'survived' worse financial situations than you may be in - and end up living the life of their dreams.

Many people have actually made their fortunes during the worst 'recessions'!

Many people lost everything a few days ago - yet some will bounce back stronger than before...and others will complain about how unlucky they were and look to blame their situation on their lack of getting back on their feet.

Using excuses and placing the blame is the EASY way out.

And, not surprisingly - it's the EASY way to getting more of what you DON'T want.

It's time for you to stand up and accept complete responsibility for where you currently are.

Whatever situation you are currently in.

It's the ONLY way.

You can only fight your way out if you understand completely that it is YOU alone who are responsible for the success or failure of YOUR fight.

The world is full of miserable people who are full of excuses.

Don't let yourself be just another one of them.

YOU are so much better than that!

Are You Being Conditioned To Fail?

Whether you realize it or not - you've been conditioned from the moment you opened your eyes.

You've been conditioned by your parents, your schooling, the TV, your colleagues, and the people whose ezines you read online.

Most of the time - without even knowing that it's happening!

Welcome to the world we live in.

One that you live primarily based upon how OTHER people think.

Now...some of this conditioning you can trace directly back to the views your parents had (for example about food, politics, relationships, religion, and money).

Others can be traced back to your own experiences - like the fears you may have about heights, spiders, snakes, success, and failure etc.

But...it may surprise you to find out that some of the most powerful beliefs you have were probably put into your mind without you having the faintest clue about how they got there!

This is the realm of unconscious (or what most people call subliminal) conditioning.

- Do you read a newspaper?
- Watch the news on TV?
- Catch the occasional Oprah or perhaps the Jerry Springer-type 'chat' show?
- Read books?
- Visit the shopping mall or grocery store?

Unless you're a hermit then I bet that you may do a few of these things.

Which means that your world is partly defined by the opinions and views of OTHER people based on their OWN experiences.

Of course...most of it (if purposely done) might well be with good intentions - but that can often be just as bad as being influenced in a 'negative' way.

Let me illustrate a point so you see what I mean...

==========

You read a novel about an ex-government hero who finds out about a plot by the director of the CIA to cause an explosion on a train, blame the terrorists, whom are then caught with a great fanfare thanks to the knowledge of the director of the CIA and his team, and sentenced to life in Guantanamo Bay without a trial.

The director becomes a public figure - and this PR enables him to leapfrog the political ladder and become a close allay of the president, and favorite to become the next president of the current terrorism-fearing country.

==========

Bet you've now got an opinion about the director of the CIA now, right? Well...even if you don't consciously have - your little brain is ticking away there - weighing up the injustice of the story and perhaps adding to your distrust of the government etc etc.

The trouble with all this is that your brain hasn't got a CLUE what is 'real' or not!

If the story is exciting, involving, and well-written - then you can't help to involve your FEELINGS about what you are reading.

And...once your feelings get involved - then a stronger connection is made to similar (based on real experiences) feelings you already have on a particular topic.

The result?

You now have some other 'truth' to back up what you already believe.

Now...perhaps you may not agree with that example - so let me give you another one based on MY own 'actual' experiences...

==========

The Internet's culture is U.S. based. It's currency is the $. The vast majority of (English language) users live in the U.S. You automatically expect ME to be American - that's just the way it is.

I live in the UK...but I have been to a number of seminars in the U.S. over the last couple of years, and have many friends from 'over the pond' because of it. I even write in U.S. English!

So...I'd like to think that I have some experience of how us 'entrepreneurs' are viewed.

==========

Here's my take on the cultural (and therefore conditioning) differences between how most people view entrepreneurs and self-starters in the UK and U.S. -

U.S.

- Respected for what they have done.
- Admired for the amount of money they earn.
- Being bankrupt in the past is often part of making them a success.
- People whom do a great service to the economy.

(Remember - this is MY take from the outside looking in)

UK

- Grudgingly respected for what they have done.
- Disgust shown at the amount of money they earn.
- Being made bankrupt in the past means they were lucky this time.
- Should be taxed more so that the less fortunate can benefit more.

These opinions, of course, aren't totally across the board - though you would be surprised at the sheer numbers of people who share them.

So can you see from this how much more 'difficult' is to be seen to be successful here in the UK than in the U.S.?

Of course - we are gradually getting more into the 'celebrity' model of success like our U.S. cousins i.e. famous for being a sportsman, famous for being famous, famous for not actually having a job but for having photographs taken - that sort of thing.

What this ultimately means is that my 12-year-old daughter is conditioned at an early age (unless I teach her differently) that the best way to earn your fortune is not to become an entrepreneur - but to be seen with the latest soccer player on her arm!

So what does this mean for YOU?

Well...for a start - a lot of your beliefs are someone else's put upon you.

Secondly - a lot of what you ASSUME about how your life 'will' turn out is based very little on actual fact.

Thirdly - what you think about yourself and your capabilities is a product primarily based upon parents, friends, colleagues, and even advertising.

And lastly - you don't have to become bankrupt first before you can lead the life of your dreams!

Remember - just because someone else tells you something it doesn't mean that it's a FACT!

In fact, where your ability to be successful is concerned - when you really think about it - there are very few 'facts' out there that are exactly that.

Unless you choose to believe them, of course.

Procrastination IS A Good Thing!

I bet you're thinking that I've finally flipped, right?

Thought so.

How can procrastination possibly be a good thing, I bet you're wondering.

Well...it can...but only if you use it in the right way.

If you're like me - I bet that you suffer from the odd dose of not really wanting to get started.

Then that builds as time moves on...and you find yourself hours (or even days) later still fretting about getting around to actually do what you already SHOULD have done!

It's not a great feeling, is it?

That dull ache in your brain constantly reminding you that you should be doing something you can't quite get around to.

Ever wonder why that actually is?

I have...especially over the last few weeks where I have been procrastinating on things that I think that I should be doing - yet aren't.

Now...many teachers of self-improvment (myself included) can give you tips on how to overcome what can be a very nasty habit.

I've probably written about at least ten different ways you can try to overcome it (my favorite way of doing it is just START!).

Yet - it's not very often that we look at the reasons WHY you are procrastinating rather than the fact that you are.

So...as I like a challenge I decided to look at why I myself never quite get around to doing some things - yet others I can stay motivated to do, and focused on, for hours on end.

Why do YOU think that is?

Well...in my opinion - your procrastination habit is directly related to three things:

1. Whether you like what you need to do
==========================

I bet you've had that 'Monday Morning Feeling' too, right?

One of the landscapers who was working on my garden recently told me that it isn't until he wakes up on a Thursday morning that his Monday morning feeling goes away!

How can you live your life like that?

Even though he seems to like his job - he still tells himself that he doesn't really!

Most people don't necessarily enjoy what they do - and, of course, that translates into constant procrastination!

2. Whether what you need to do is part of a bigger picture
=====================================

Even if you don't enjoy what you do generally - if you know that the time and effort you are putting in now is an investment towards a fulfilling and rewarding future - then it's a lot easier to get started.

Most people just live from paycheck to paycheck and NEVER have a goal that really inspires them.

If you know that working overtime is going to mean that you can go on the vacation of your dreams in six months time - then isn't it easy to be motivated enough to offer to do it in the first place?

Also - if your job enables you to do what you really love all weekend, every weekend - then its so much easier to push yourself when you need to if it translates into a better experience or a new toy to play with come Saturday and Sunday.

3. Whether you can get an immediate reward from doing it
======================================

For some people - doing stuff today that pays for a vacation in six months time is not enough to motivate them.

It can be very difficult to STAY motivated when you cannot see immediate results from what you are going to do.

Sure - there are those people who just 'go through the motions' because they know that their paycheck is due every month, but, if YOU are like me - you want to make MORE of your life, don't you?

The degree to which you will procrastinate on any particular task is directly linked to these three reasons - and how tolerant you are of how much effort you can put into something before you see a reward.

Now that you know WHY you procrastinate - is that going to STOP you from doing so in the future?

Maybe.

Knowing why isn't going to help you next week when the task you need to do is still waiting there - eating up your brain-time, is it?

But...perhaps that's a GOOD thing!

Why?

Well...if the task that needs doing isn't being done because of one or more of those three reasons above - then SHOULD you be attempting to do it anyway?

Surely - if you need to do something that:

- You don't like
- Doesn't inspire you
- Doesn't at least make you feel good for doing it

Then don't YOU think that perhaps you should be trying to do MORE of the things that :

- You do like
- Inspires you
- Makes you feel great

Wouldn't you agree?

Sure...I know that you're thinking that we all need to work and do stuff that we don't like because we have to survive.

Yet - I would argue that it doesn't HAVE to be that way!

Sure, you might not (currently) be in a position to do what you really love to do...but I bet that there is at least something about what you currently do that you DO like, does inspire you (maybe a little?), and does make you feel like you achieve something from doing it.

And...if there isn't - then perhaps you should try to at least think about doing something for yourself outside of your current working hours that DOES accomplish all of those things.

At least then you WILL have something to do that will PROVE to you that procrastination isn't a habit that you 'always' have.

So...why do I believe procrastination is a good thing for you?

Well...the key to a rewarding life - financially, mentally, and emotionally is being able to spend MOST of your waking hours actually 'working' and 'playing' at the things that challenge and inspire you.

Believe me - if something REALLY inspires you - then you will NEVER procrastinate where it is concerned - even when you aren't getting paid for it (a bit like why I am able to write this article really).

Procrastination is an excellent barometer of whether what you are going to do is RIGHT for who you really want to be.

So - when do we get started?

Everything Is Palsy-ble - But Only If It Makes You Feel Good

After my scary appearance two weeks ago due to my Bell's Palsy 'episode' - I am practically back to normal.

Of course - I KNEW that I would be one of the 50% who go back to normal within the first month!

A little bit of application of what I have been learning about creating the life I REALLY want helped, of course.

And THAT'S a major key to YOUR (continuing) happiness and success.

YOU should be aiming to create the life that YOU want.

Not the life that other people tell you that you SHOULD be aspiring to.

Not the life that YOU believe that you SHOULD be aiming for.

Nope.

Just the life that makes you feel, well, GOOD!

One of the biggest lessons I've learned - especially over the last few months - is that I am in sole control of how I REACT to other people and events.

I can let the latest scaremongering about the (remote) possibility of being sued for creating mp3 files ruin my day - or I can just get on with what I was doing anyway.

(Which - generally at the moment is watching the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament with my feet up whilst the landscapers toil away in 90 degree heat in my garden!)

I can let the latest moan about whatever a member of my family has or hasn't done make me mad - or I can just let them get on with it and not let the negative talk infect MY thoughts.

It's easy to REACT to other people and situations.

It's so much more difficult to be in CONTROL of what YOU are thinking, doing, and behaving - irrespective of what other people are saying or doing.

The challenge for YOU is to get into your own little 'world' of focusing on what YOU really want for YOURSELF - because, after all - nobody else understands what makes YOU really happy.

Of course - the situation you are currently in might not inspire any particular good-feelings for you.

But I bet that you can LEARN something about what makes you HAPPY by being there!

It's easy to wish your life away - to another job, another relationship, another card paid off, a long-term holiday.

Yet - unless you find something to be happy about NOW - right this moment - then all you are going to do is get more of the same.

Two hours of feeling sorry for yourself at work will NEVER result in you getting a better, more challenging role - that I can guarantee.

The people that make the most of their lives aren't always the ones who drive fast cars, have a massive house with a swimming pool and tennis court.

Quite often - these people are working 100-hour weeks - mortgaged up to their eyeballs - trying to project an image of affluence to other people.

Yet inside - they are literally wasting their lives away.

Happiness (and ultimately success - however you define it) is only the result of a continual process of feeling GOOD about who you are, what you are doing, and why you are doing it.

THAT certainly can't be measured in numbers, property, or awards.

Yet - it's THE most powerful and inspiring thing there is.

YOU can't expect to be happy in your FUTURE when you constantly sit in a place of MISERY now.

Life doesn't work like that.

That's why you can't feel miserable or angry if you are SMILING (properly).

Try it - and you'll see what I mean!

Me - I've just got both sides of MY smile back - and, after having some weeks with only one side of it - I'm glad that, because of that, I can SEE for myself how feeling good about yourself NOW absolutely impacts on how good YOU will feel about yourself in the FUTURE.

Now - back to feeling good about myself!

Don't Let Its Apparent Simplicity Fool You...

Resource Mentioned In This Issue
================================

Title : The Power Pause
Author : John Harricharan

Comment :

No doubt that you may have seen the promotion of this ebook that is 'doing the rounds' at the moment.

In my opinion - all of the plaudits are justified for what is perhaps the biggest selling 'sleeper' ebook of recent years (even though it carried a rather 'hefty' price tag!)

The simplicity of the 3-step Power Pause described in the ebook disguises the real power behind it.

In short...after you read it - you'll never look at the 'challenges' in your life in the same again.

Powerful stuff.

I met the author of this amazing ebook - John Harricharan, last January at an internet marketing seminar...he was sitting directly in the row behind me!

We had a brief discussion...and, well, there is something about his presence that certainly stuck with me since we spoke.

Anyway...

Over the next couple of days this ebook is available at a fraction of what it has been in the past.

In fact...the ebook alone is easily worth as much as it originally sold for.

BUT...

It's very rare these days to find bonuses with these sorts of 'offers' that are actually worth looking at.

Not in this case.

For example...one of the bonuses is an ebook I recommend a couple of years ago (at $27) - and is still one of my favorites - The Emotion Prism.

Another bonus - "Success - A Spiritual Matter" is a book I rated so highly that I paid hundreds to get the rights to sell it myself.

Plus...there are a couple of other ebooks and transcripts in there (including the excellent "Intuition" special report) that are worth FAR more than your investment in this excellent package.

I don't recommend much these days - but "The Power Pause" is one of those ebooks that has stood the test of time, and will still work as powerfully for YOU now as when it was first released.

Go here to find out more about it for yourself...

The Power Pause

Two Sentences To Make A Difference...

Yes...it's been a while.

But...sometimes there are things that have to take place behind new babies and the holidays.

So...to start off the New Year, instead of asking you what your resolutions would be...

I want to ask you TWO things...

"What are you going to do this year that you haven't done yet (for whatever reason) but know that you should have?"

"WHEN are you going to do it?"

That's it. Nothing else.

We're talking specifics here...no - 'I want to lose weight'...or 'get fit' or 'get a better job'!

What EXACTLY will you do...and by WHEN?

And...just so that you don't feel left out...here's mine:

"I will get Lesley involved with some of the admin and accounting functions of my business so that the extra time will allow me to work ON the business...instead of IN it!"

"I will begin 'training' her by January 31st."

Believe me - this task is something that I have put off for a few years...even though Lesley doesn't mind helping out - and I'm useless at the admin stuff!

So...this is quite a BIG thing for me to achieve going into this year!

What about YOU?

Why ARE You Doing Those Things That You Find Difficult?

Did you know that I lost my marbles for a whole six months a few years ago?

I lost my sharpness, my intelligence, my motivation, and my sense of humor.

How did I do it?

I vegetated. Stagnated. Flopped. Shuffled. Sighed.

Every day I watched at least 8 hours of daytime TV every day.

My brain was shrinking right behind my very eyes. I knew more about what was going on in daytime soaps than what was going on in my life.

I had become one of those bit-part actors without a speaking role who pretend to have a conversation in the background. Except that I wasn’t in a soap opera, I was a nobody in my own life!

Ever felt like that?

Ever spent more energy worry about the people in the Big Brother house instead of concentrating on improving your own life?

One day it hit me. My life was an exact reflection of what I was doing –

NOTHING!

I had ‘caught’ a mild depression because I believed that I hated my life and my job.

The truth was that I hated myself for getting into such a position in the first place.

One day I woke up.

That day was the first day of the rest of my life. I was fed up of gradually losing the potential that I knew I had. Fed up of seeing a ghostly figure in the mirror every morning.

I read, then read some more. How to run your own business. How to focus your mind. How to THINK success.

I went back to work the next week – knowing that within six months I would resign.

Knowing that I was the ONLY person responsible for my future.

I had read many books before…but it took reaching the lowest point in my life to realise that I had to do something with what I read if I wanted to be somebody – somebody of whom my family could be proud.

You can do it, too.

You don’t have to be a TV zombie before you realize that YOU already hold all of the cards. Whatever hand you have been dealt – you’ve got to play them – because you can’t give them back!

To quote an email I received from a lady who is certainly worse off than you – “Every day, I suit up and show up with a smile”.

Don’t waste the opportunity of making something out of the only life you have got – stop being and start DOING.

Don’t wait for a disaster to happen like I did before you realize it.

Life isn't about bank balances, the lastest computer or TV, or even that flash car your neighbor has that will take him four years to pay off.

Life is about being able to wake up in the morning - ANY morning - and not having to wish it away because you don't like what you do during it.

Life is about playing the game on YOUR terms...using the undoubted talents that you DO have.

It's pointless me telling YOU what you should be doing to make more of your life.

YOU and you alone KNOW what you are good at, what you enjoy doing, what you find 'easy' to do without much stress.

Life only becomes difficult when you're having to try too hard to do the things that don't come easy to you.

Of course...things aren't going to change overnight. If you've spent years moving in one direction - you're not going to turn it around overnight.

But...once you find the strength to START...then you're on your way.

If I can look at myself in the mirror and be happy with my life compared to where I was just a couple of years ago - then there is NO reason why YOU can't, too.

And...if you don't believe me...then you'd better before you start!

Have You Changed To Decide In A Minute?

Quite often...the easiest thing is to just carry on what you've always been doing.

You know...

- Just reading and not applying
- Surfing instead of working
- Watching TV instead of reading
- Doing just enough instead of your best

It seems that we have an in-built capacity to not be that bothered when it comes to taking action about what bothers us!

Why is it so difficult to just stop doing the 'wrong' things...and start doing more of the 'right' things?

Well...we're all essentially lazy, that's why.

Now...I don't necessarily mean lazy in terms of sitting-and-there-not-doing-anything lazy.

Nope. I mean that we're lazy when it comes to making the effort to CHANGE...even one little bit.

Quite often...it's not even that the process of changing is particularly difficult.

After all - how difficult is it to pick up a personal development book at the same time as using a remote control to turn off the TV program that we are just idly watching for something to do?

See what I mean?

I'm going to hold my hands up here - I'm certainly far from perfect where full-on 100% focused action is concerned.

Quite often I'm happy yo just give myself some 'nothing time' to let what I've been focusing on percolate in my brain.

BUT...that doesn't mean to say that I spend hours (or even days) at a time not moving myself forward in some way.

And...neither should YOU!

YOU are here to DO something with the talents you have been given. YOU are here to EXPERIENCE life instead of watching someone else experience it on some reality TV program!

That's why, if you're not moving towards where you (think you) want to go EVERY day - then it's time you changed something. Anything!

One thing to remember, though...is that you musn't just FILL UP your time.

It's all very well spending a week's worth of bedtime reading on a book if all you do is pile it up on your bookcase once you've read it!

At least aim to get some return on your invested time by highlighting the sentences and paragraphs that really mean something to you.

It's also easy to spend hours surfing the 'Net under the disguise of 'investigation'.

I'll be honest - I used to spend DAYS doing that - then wonder what the hell I had achieved the week before!

The outcome of YOUR life is determined by the DECISIONS you make - every minute of every day.

The sad fact for most people is that they will continue to make the SAME ones day-in day-out for the rest of their lives - and spend all of that time wishing things were different.

Things CAN be different (in some cases quite dramatically) - but ONLY if you CHANGE those little DECISIONS you make.

You can decide to do nothing...or you can decide to ACT.

What's it to be?

Are There No Limits To Excuses?

It's easy to assume that you can only go as high as you think that you can.

To someone who is cleaning the streets...the salary of a bank manager may well be far beyond their perception of what is POSSIBLE to achieve.

Yet...many people DO achieve the (not necessarily so) lofty status of manager...who can't ever comprehend earning a salary equivalent to what their CEO earns.

Yet there are many CEOs in this world...and many people who earn sums far in advacne of what the CEOs THINK is possible for THEM.

So...what's going on here?

Surely the guys like Bill Gates at the top of the tree couldn't have just got there because of luck?

Not if you define how lucky you are by the opportunities you create and implement.

It's so easy to wish your life away - yet never truly BELIEVE in what you are able to achieve.

It's not all your fault, though.

Your parents had a huge influence in how you view yourself, your abilities, and the degree to which you believe in yourself.

The area you were brought up in easily could just have influenced your view off people who are very well-off in comparison to others.

Even how your boss treats you NOW could have a seriously limiting effect on your self-esteem, and therefore your capacity for 'greatness'.

But...it's not ALL 'doom and gloom'.

Far from it.

Half of the winning of the war is understanding that you are in a battle in the first place.

Too many people ignore that voice in their head saying 'you're not good enough' - and try to carry on regardless with predictable results.

If you REALLY wanted to change...then don't you think that you would have stopped...

- Watching so much TV
- Reading newspapers
- Wasting your money on needless things
- Slacking at work for years

Well?

Of course...you will certainly come up with excuses as to WHY you don't have the time, or money, or talents to be better than who you are.

Which...to be honest...I would expect if you were a person who limits themselves by looking for why they CAN'T instead of how they CAN?

Your mind constantly is trying to please you by bringing into your life what you think about most of the time.

Isn't it about time that you actually got it to go and fetch something that you might actually WANT for a change?

It's up to YOU.

Tough Hurdling Over Procrastination

Last week I probably did a month's worth of work.

Even better...I did a month's worth of work on things that had been sitting there waiting to be done for the last six months!

How?

Well...to coin a phrase I've used often myself...

"If you could have done it yourself...you would have done so by now!"

Or in other words (in this case, anyway)...if I hadn't had the motivation to do it by now...then I needed help!

So I went out and 'created' help.

How?

I made myself accountable.

Better still...I made four other people accountable to me, too!

I established a little 'master mind' group that meets via phone every week...who collectively share their experiences and advice...and sets targets for the next week - the completion of which they are accountable for to the other members in the group.

Not only that...I have implemented a 'three strikes and you're out' rule for those who either...

a) Don't turn up every week
b) Don't complete their targets every week

Of course...we make allowance for the serious stuff of life getting in the way like family issues and vacations.

Aside from those - there are NO excuses!

And, by the way...I am included in this as well!

Sure...in some cases this may seem tough...but, to be honest, sometimes we ALL need a little 'tough love' to get us over that procrastination hurdle.

This accountability call is part of a little experiment I am conducting to see if my theories are right about a few things where success is concerned.

Time will tell whether it goes the way I imagine it will...but, at the very least...ALL of us who are accountable have ALREADY started/finished/worked on stuff that we had all put off for longer than we should have.

By any definition - THAT is progress!

And...in my book, that's a good a reason as any for YOU to find out ways to become accountable to other people for your (and their) success.

Taking Inspiration From I Can't Be Bothered-Dom!

It's so easy to just accept that you will never quite be able to achieve what you really want in your life.

There's always some reason or excuse why we can't (or won't) do certain things.

Something that I've been finding out about myself recently.

We ALL go through those periods where we just...well...for want of a better phrase - "can't be bothered"!

When was your LAST one?

Well...although I have them a lot less frequently than I used to - I usually find that I am motivated the least when there is something that I know I SHOULD be doing...but doesn't really excite me.

Yet...working for myself as I do - these things still MUST be done!

So...how do you get over those minutes, hours...or even days of can't be bothered-dom?

Well...for a start...don't let the fact that you can't be bothered - bother you!

It's how we react to the things that happen in our life that shapes our future...not what actually happens.

If you keep worrying about why you're not so motivated...then it's just going to make this 'problem' worse!

So...if you can...just do something that DOES inspire you INSTEAD.

Once you get back into the groove of the good old work ethic - then you'll find it so much easier to tackle those things that don't inspire you as much as the others.

Of course...it takes a little practice to be able to detach yourself from constantly beating yourself up because you're not accomplishing what you need to.

But...at least if you're doing SOMETHING...rather than worrying about this stuff...then isn't that a GOOD thing?

Success - It Isn't Really All That Bad, Is It?

Success is one of those things that is aimed for - yet very rarely reached!

Why?

Well...the trouble with 'chasing' success is that it is a moving target.

What you may have defined as success five years ago - you might class as a failure now.

That's why it's so important to keep a little perspective on your life...and where you're going.

It's so easy to focus on the things that we haven't done...instead of giving ourselves a huge 'pat on the back' for what we HAVE achieved!

Of course - it's human nature to dwell on the what could have beens - but nevertheless - it's certainly worthwhile taking the time and effort to challenge your ingrained thinking about who you are and what you have achieved.

By all accounts (and perhaps by many other peoples' standards) you may ALREADY be a 'roaring' success...you just don't realize it.

If you're happy and content in a at least one area of your life whether it's work, your family, your fitness, your hobbies, or your friends then...

THAT IS A GOOD THING!

Remember...don't 'infect' the good areas of your life with the 'bad'.

Life is all about how YOU react to the challenges that are thrown your way...and how you deal with them in relation to how they impact the other areas of your life.

So...life can't be ALL that bad can it, really?

If it seems that way - just spend some time looking at what WORKS for you right now - this very moment...and work from there.

It WILL be worth it.

Beating The Confidence Trick

Doesn't it sometimes seem that the whole world is laughing whilst you are feeling the opposite?

Does it feel to you that life is sometimes like one big 'confidence trick'...and YOU are the loser?

Sometimes it can be a challenge to be positive when things seem to go against you.

But IT is possible to be confident DESPITE what the 'real world' says.

I am of the firm opinion that part of who we are is defined by how well we deal with the failures in our life.

I know...over the last few years it has seemed that sometimes my life has been going downhill whilst other people were confidently going around without a care in the world!

Until...I realized that MY world (and my place in it, as well as my view of it) was defined by what I did or didn't do when faced with the challenges in my life.

In short...YOU can either 'roll over' and blame the world for your troubles...or you can look at WHY these things are happeing to you.

Believe me...there is ALWAYS a 'big picture' reason why things happen to YOU in YOUR life.

Things happen because the next step in your development is to become the person that is capable with dealing with such a challenge.

Whether you like it or not...you NEED to face up to these 'hits' on your confidence so that you learn - and move up.

Blaming others doesn't allow you to learn from an experience.

Passing the 'buck' is a sure-fire way to remain where you are. Guaranteed.

If you accept that you need these challenges to become the person you REALLY should be, then over time, YOU will be that person to whom OTHERS look towards!

Not only that...once you learn to face the smaller challenges head on...you'll find it SO much easier to deal with the bigger things that life throws you.

Go On - Flutter Your Success Wings!

We all change.

In fact...you're probably a different person that you were a few hours ago!

Why?

Well...even over the last few MINUTES - you've made decisions that will shape your life for YEARS to come.

Don't believe me?

Well...it's like the old saying that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest can affect weather patterns on the other side of the world.

Who knows...but you can't PROVE it! And...just because you can't prove something doesn't mean that you should disregard it!

So...who's to say that going up in one elevator instead of another one this morning at work didn't change the outcome of something else in the future?

By taking that elevator instead of another one, you could...

- Be at your desk 10 seconds earlier
- Say hello to someone that you wouldn't have met
- Replied to an email earlier than you would have done
- Answered your ringing phone instead of missing it

You get the idea. Life's like that film called "Sliding Doors" that starred Gwyneth Paltrow.

Who's to say how different your life COULD have been if you had made a split-second decision that took you on a different path.

Achieving success is like that.

Once you have REALLY decided NEVER to go back to the 'old you'...your world begins to change...because your DECISIONS will be different than before.

And...as EVERY decision that you make undoubtedly impacts on your future...then, once you've fluttered your own success wings - who knows what ELSE you are changing - miles and years away.

It's NEVER too late to start making DIFFERENT decisions.

Every single one that you make will either have a positive or a negative effect on your future...so you'd better make sure that you start making the right ones!

Success Is For Wimps Who Are...

You may have heard the saying...

"Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole"

In other words...trying to make something fit that has absolutely NO chance whatsoever!

My life used to be like that.

I was spending 40 hours a week doing ONE thing...when I desperately wanted ANYTHING else!

I even used to spend my weekends thinking about what I needed to do on Monday morning!

How sad is that?

Sad...but unfortunately true for a lot of people who believe that success is entirely down to how far up the career ladder you go.

Shame, really...because there is a whole other LIFE out there that was MADE for you.

Imagine what it would be like...actually enjoying what you do...and never having that 'Monday morning feeling' EVER again.

Think about it. Wouldn't it be great?

Great...but impossible?

Well...no, not really.

I personally don't have a Monday morning feeling...yet I probably site at my desk in my home office longer than I used to in the bank I used to work in!

And...if you look on a per-hour basis in terms of income...I'm probably worse off!

Yet...I can safely say that I am a thousand times more content with my life.

Not because I work for myself. Not because I have a six second commute. Not because I can go for a walk along the beach a 2pm if I want.

Nope.

I'm happier because I do what I ENJOY doing (generally!).

But...if you LOVE being a banker, salesman, security guard or whatever and all that entails...go for it! But...make sure that you don't forget how important it is to be part of your family.

Father, mother, son, daughter...without our emotional foundations...it would be pointless to be the most successful ANYTHING...because you sure as hell won't enjoy it much on your own!

So...the first step is to try to do more of what you actually enjoy...but also make sure that you look at what you want from your ENTIRE life...both now and in the future.

Success is for wimps who are miserable when they achieve everything that they've ever dreamed of...and wished that they had spent more time with the people they love in the process.

So...always make sure that you leave some 'room' in your life for those people whom you want with you when you 'make it'.

Otherwise...there won't really be much point!

Habit. Habit. Habit.

It's back to basics time.

Unless you DO something differently - then nothing much is going to change.

I know...I did EXACTLY the same for years...and then wondered why my life never got any better.

Sound familiar?

We are all creatures of HABIT...and, the more you use this to your advantage...the better results you will have.

But...you MUST start small...otherwise you will be attempting to climb a mountain without knowing the 'ropes'...and will undoubtedly try and give up at the very first attempt.

Or maybe after the second or third if you really try to stick at it!

So...

- If you want to lose weight...just begin by eating one 'treat' less than you usually do.
- If you want a new job...just start by getting out your old CV and re-writing it.
- If you're looking to earning a second income...just write a couple of hundreds words about WHY you want to do it!
- If you want a promotion at work...start noting down what impresses you most about the people who are successful where you work.

Sure...they may be LITTLE things...but nevertheless very IMPORTANT little things!

And...once you've given up ONE treat every day for two weeks...then it will certainly be easier to give up another one!

The ONLY way things are going to CHANGE for good is if you change your HABITS!

One little baby step at a time.

Sure...it takes longer this way...but I guarantee that it is certainly that much HARDER to fall 'off the wagon' when you are taking it one step at a time.

Not only that...it's a hell of a lot more difficult to 'go back' to the OLD you when you have replaced your bad habits with good ones!

Six Years Today...My Life Changed

It would have been Connor's sixth birthday today.

It seems like so much more than 15 months ago that we lost him.

Yet...for me...he's still there - making sure that coincidences come our way...and STILL shaping the lives of my close family.

Take today, for example.

Every 'anniversary' (and a few other occasions, too) we visit the rememberance garden at his old children's hospice - Demelza House.

Quite often our parents come too...but today, unfortunately, my mother couldn't come along because she had a medical appointment that could only be arranged for today.

Fair enough...but the place she had to go for this appointment was none other than the site of Connor's pre-school...a place where he always used to laugh and smile as soon as he was pushed through the doors.

We didn't know that they dealt with patients other than children...until today.

Not only that...apart from Demelza House - this place is the ONLY other place that we could possibly associate with Connor.

Lesley still gets goosebumps every time we drive by.

Now...you may be thinking that this is a coincidence.

But we KNOW otherwise!

In my opinion...coincidences are sent to us as reminders that something (or someone) is important.

And...I can't think of a more important reminder than this one today!

Isn't This A Better Place To Be?

I've decided...

I have spent too much of my time over the last few months increasing my workload.

The net result in income terms isn't all that different...yet I have quite often felt that I was 'working' for a living too much!

Which...when you are writing motivational stuff like I do...that's NOT a good thing.

Sure...I still need to be productive...and contribute to where I really want to go.

Yet...at the same time I still need to make sure that my lifestyle dictates my work and not the other way around.

So...I am concentrating on "less is more"...meaning that I want to make sure that I focus most of my energies on things that will benefit me most...as opposed to what fills my day.

It's not an easy decision to make for someone like me who likes to be 'busy'.

So...I am laying down the challenge to myself to be more productive for shorter bursts so that I can still move forward in the way that I want to...but more driven by what I want.

What about YOU?

Do YOU quite often end up taking on too much...when not so much might be a much better place to be?

It's almost an ingrained trait to expect to be working all of the time...yet THINKING time is AS important as ANY amount of ACTION you may take.

So...things are changing for me (as they always seem to do every six months or so)...what about YOU?

If you're not quite feeling right where YOU are...what are you going to do about it?

Will You Miss Me...Or Will I Miss It?

After today's entry...I will be taking a week off from writing this blog.

Why?

Well...just to see if you miss me!

Or perhaps more accurately...to see if I miss writing this!

I've always told myself that I should only 'work' in terms of writing...when I actually FEEL like doing so...because even stuff you really enjoy can become a negative if you are literally forcing yourself to do it instead of it coming naturally.

Sure...these entries eventually DO come out quite naturally once I start writing...but as a process...I am finding it increasingly a challenge to approach starting in the manner I would like to!

It's the same with anything YOU do, too.

Don't do it just "because..."

Try to find a way to either be a little more creative and do it slightly differently...or look at how perhaps you can re-structure what you do so that it becomes more meaningful.

Life's too short to not actually ENJOY what you do...yet it isn't always possible to do things that you would REALLY like to do as much as you would like to.

I personally DO like to write this stuff...but, only if it is challenging enough for ME to do the best 'job' that I possibly can to help YOU.

See you next week...

A Spotless Mind And A Meaning

As you may know...I occasionally go and see the odd movie now and again when I need a little break from work.

Today, Lesley and I went to see "The Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind" which stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.

It's certainly one of those films that keep you 'on your toes'!

I love movies that make me think...yet still make me think about...WHY?

This one certainly did that!

Now...if you haven't seen it then I'm not going to spoil it for you by going into any details...but I also like to come away with a phrase that represents what I think is the 'lesson' behind any film I see.

And...the lesson from this one was...

"Good or bad...things are MEANT to happen"
Which seems to go against a LOT of peoples' thinking!

I'm a a firm believer that, although there may be a 'fate'...YOU can INFLUENCE it!

Our destiny is a changing sea that can be charted via different courses...yet we can still end up at the same place.

And...it's down to YOU which course you take - the challenging one with the bigger rewards...or just the plain old rough force 10 gale!

I certainly know which course I would prefer to steer on - that's for sure.

Remember...quite often, the very people and things that you take for granted are quite often the very same things that you would miss if they weren't there!

So...make the most of EVERYTHING that matters in your life...you only get a chance to live it once!

Focusing On Your Successful Future

Focus is one of those things that we all know that we should have...but don't quite often manage!

How well can YOU focus on the important stuff?

I always found it difficult until I realized that unless I actually sat down and concentrated on something...then I would never get to where I wanted to go.

Easier said than done, of course.

I'm a firm believer that, however good you think your ability to focus is, you STILL need to 'train' yourself by getting into some good habits.

I bit like what I do when I write every day. If I'm in my office...then I MUST write EVERY single day...even if I don't 'want' to.

Why?

Well...it helps train my focus so that I can at least concentrate for 15-20 minutes EVERY day.

And...once you're able to do that...focusing for longer periods becomes that much more easier to do.

In a way...YOU need to build up your focus 'muscle' just like any other. And...the more you 'train'...the stronger and better you become.

Yet, even after all this training over the last two years...I STILL need a little 'reminding' ocassionally!

I STILL need to actually close down emails and stop surfing...to focus on getting things done.

So...you DO need to practice!

The rewards are well worth it. Without a degree of focus on whatever task you are doing...you might as well not bother doing it.

We both know that we NEED to be able to concentrate for certain periods during the day...so it is ESSENTIAL that you begin by doing something like I do...focus on something for just 15-20 minutes a day, that's all.

After that...there will be no stopping you!

The Cure For Those Who Never Quite Get Around To Fin...

It's a very rare day that I have to THINK for inspiration where writing this is concerned.

Usually...I just begin by writing the first thing that comes into my head - and then one idea leads to another...and I end up with an entry!

Like this entry.

As I clicked on the "New Entry" button on my blog program...I hadn't a CLUE about what I was going to write - I just KNEW that I HAD to write SOMETHING!

And the words..."It's a very rare day" came into my head almost immediately.

Now...I'm not telling you this to make myself appear to look 'clever'.

I am telling you this because I firmly believe that we try too hard to make things happen...when, quite literally, the solution to whatever we are chasing is already inside our heads.
It's almost as if the process is connected to positive, focused intention.

In other words...I know that I WILL write this (no matter what) - so my mind HAS to find something for me to write about!

And...I've gone from never having written ANYTHING since school...to writing this every day...as well as at least the equivalent of a book every six months in addition.

The thing is...all I literally do is write what I am thinking about.

Which is why I think that, if YOU were interested enough in a topic, YOU could write a lot about it, too.

The biggest failing of anyone trying to achieve something (whether a writer or not) is that they get so caught up in the process of self-analysis - that it gets in the way of just getting what's inside their head - out!

That's why it's so easy to fall into the 'procrastination trap'...because you are so busy wondering 'if this' or 'why that'...instead of just DOING whatever it is.

Part of it also stems from the fact that you may be doing something because you HAVE to (or FEEL that you have to)...which then gives you another excuse to put off the inevitable.

Bet you've been there, right?

The lesson from all of this is just to forget about thinking about stuff to much...and just 'get it out there'...no matter how 'bad' you may think that it is.

Believe me...if YOU do actually follow-through and do 'stuff' on a regular basis whether at work, at home, or in your own business - then you will be leaving the vcast majority of people behind.

Plus...you will kill off your procrastination worries for good!

Are YOU One Of Those People?

Already...I've noticed people this week who are going places.

Attendees at my seminar. Focused. Taking action. Getting results.

But also...there are a couple of people whom I would have EXPECTED to 'do' something...perhaps haven't?

Are YOU one of those people, who, despite all of your good intentions often gets waylaid when it comes to the DOING part?

It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all do it.

Except the most successful people allow themselves to be pushed off course far less than those who aren't quite making it.

I'll admit it.

Sometimes I need one almighty dose of focus just to get going (from surfing to work) somedays.

But that's why I do something like write this every day.

I do it because I know that I MUST create something new every day - otherwise I will lose momentum.

Trouble is...when you are constantly coming up with ideas...the less exciting parts of the 'job' tend to lose their attraction.

In the same way that you like certain parts of your job - but aren't really bothered about the others.

What is it that really INSPIRES you?

I mean, really focuses you on actually take ACTION on a regular basis?

Even the most focused people can veer off-course...but they know that all they need to do is do or find something that EXCITES them...and that will make it easier to do the more 'routine' things that we have to do.

So...what focuses YOU?

"As If By Magic...The Shopkeeper Appeared"

If you're from the UK (like me) and you're anything from 25 to 40 years old - you'll KNOW where that saying comes from.

It's from a children's TV cartoon.

The shopkeeper was on hand to take the 'hero' back to 'real' life after each of his many adventures as different characters.

Are YOU waiting for that shopkeeper to appear in YOUR life?

Are YOU waiting for SOMEONE ELSE to 'rescue' you from the life that YOU have chosen for yourself?

Are YOU one of those people who don't think that they WILL be able to succeed WITHOUT someone else 'stepping in' to save them?

Well...I hate to disappoint you.

Your shopkeeper is NOT going to appear - no matter how hard you may wish for him or her to!

What happens in this life of YOURS - is ALL down to YOU!

Nobody else.

No genie is going to come and give you three wishes. You're not going to win the lotto.

Sorry...I'm just trying to be TRUTHFUL here.

But...it's NEVER too late to BEGIN out on your own. It's NEVER too late to accept RESPONSIBILITY for what happens in your life.

So...stop WAITING...and start LIVING!

Is It Really What YOU Want?

I want to ask you a question...

"Are you choosing what you DON'T want instead of what you DO?"

In other words...are you THINKING about what you've currently got that you DON'T want...instead of thinking about what you DO want that you haven't got?

As every 'guru' worth his salt will tell you...

"You become what you THINK about most of the time" (as the late Earl Nightingale put it)

So...logic tells me that if you are constantly focusing on what you don't want...then surely you're going to get MORE of it?

Is that what YOU want?

Of course it's not!

So...you need to start thinking the RIGHT things.

Sure...of course it's difficult NOT to focus on how much money you havn't got when in debt...or how heavy you are if you're overweight.

But - that's EXACTLY what you NEED to do!

Starting from NOW. Today.

Start focusing on the sort of person you want to BECOME - instead of the person whom you wish you weren't!

This SINGLE change can bring about enormous differences in what you can achieve in your life.

I'm not saying that you should just ignore your situation and don't do anything about it.

What I am saying is that you should take ACTION to work on resolving whatever bothers you - at the same time as FOCUSING on what a successful end result WILL be.

You DO become what you THINK about...so isn't time that you began to think the RIGHT thoughts that will HELP you instead of the ones that will only make things worse?

Success Isn't A 'One-Off' Exercise!

Sometimes it can be a challenge to come up with something that YOU would find useful.

Especially when I write so much that I forget what I've written!

So...here goes.

If you're reading this...this means that I have your attention.

DON'T I?

Which, in the scheme of things...is a GOOD thing...because I firmly believe that what I write SHOULD be useful to you.

And, of course, POSITIVE.

What ELSE captures your attention?

The TV, the newspaper, a good novel, a good surf on the 'Net?

All worthwhile things I'm sure...but like most things...they should be taken in MODERATION!

If something has your attention then it can only be GOOD or BAD for you in success terms.

So...let me phrase my original question slighty differently...

What captures your attention...which makes a positive CONTRIBUTION towards getting you to where you want to go?

Now...I bet that changes things.

-Does that novel...howver good it is...contribute towards your future?

-Does reading about yesterdays (negative) news help you to make more of your life?

-Does watching the TV help make you into a more focused and confident person?

-Does three hours of aimless surfing with nothing to show for it help you find out what you REALLY want from your life?

See what I'm getting at here?

We spent MOST of our free time doing NOTHING useful...yet it's easy to find reasons why we will 'never' become successful?

Sure...you may have kids and run a house...but I bet that you can STILL find some time to be a little more constructive in every day.

Being a success isn't a 'one-off' exercise...it's a lifestyle change.

The sooner that you are aware of this...the sooner you will find the motivation to re-think what you do with your spare time.

Only THEN will things REALLY begin to change for you.

This Is How You Will Never Get Bored

I used to be bored all of the time.

It was like a disease that visited me every Sunday afternoon...week after week...year after year.

Now, because I actually have a POINT to my life...I don't get bored...I just do something!

Katie is going through that 'I'm bored' stage today.

This game isn't right...this dvd is 'boring' - yet she THINKS that she wants to do something that she KNOWS she can't!

It's great having kids, isn't it?

I've realized that I got 'bored' simply because I wasn't aware of how VALUABLE my time is.

I would vegetate in front of the TV watching stuff that I wasn't even remotely interested in - just for something to do!

Now...I'm much too busy to bother!

It's not that I am being a workaholic...it's just that I can now EASILY find something to INTEREST me without looking very far...

- I could read one of my marketing or personal development books.
- I could write stuff like this.
- I could go for a walk by the sea
- I could get a pad of paper and jot down a few ideas

In fact...there are quite a few MORE things that I COULD do if I wanted to.

To me...boredom is the state of mind that people who don't want MORE from their life have.

You may disagree...but I firmly believe that it is true.

If you are PASSIONATE about being successful...you will NEVER get bored!

Think Bigger! Just Try It And See...

I've learned something VERY valuable over the last couple of years.

"Once you THINK bigger - you automatically BECOME bigger!"

It's always easy to put yourself into a little box that reflects what you do for a living.

And...whatever position you are in...you (and other people) will have an expectation of WHO you are because of what you do.

You know...if you heard that someone was an accountant, for example...you will automatically base your opinion of them based on your assumptions associated with their job.

Things like what they may earn, the sort of personality they have...and perhaps their style of dress.

Scary really, when you think about it.

By the same token...whatever YOUR job is - it's putting a subconcious 'block' on what YOU can do with your life.

I bet that if you're a clerk in an office...your expectations of what is POSSIBLE for you, both in career, and monetary terms are almost certainly lower than mine.

Now...that's not to make out that I am someone I am not...I was a bank clerk about 10 years ago...and I know what MY aspirations were!

Because your degree of responsibility is fixed by your role at work...it's EASY to assume that you can't break out of those expectations...and actually do things that even your BOSS can't comprehend doing!

Yet...from my own experience...I've found that the harder I push my 'ceilings'...the EASIER I have found to push them even FURTHER in the future.

And YOU can, too...once you realize that you are BIGGER than who you think you are...and you THINK bigger accordingly!

You. Me. Every Day. It's All Up To YOU!

Today I'm going to be 'short and sweet'.

You've probably heard of that famous saying...

"Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better"

I agree with it wholeheartedly.

But...I much prefer...

"Every day, in any way, I am doing something that moves me forward"

It's up to YOU to decide if you really WANT to move forward...and, if YOU do...then it's also up to YOU to DECIDE to DO something about it!

So...can YOU honestly say...

"Every day, in any way, I am doing something that moves me forward"

If not...WHY not?

Success is up to YOU...nobody else!

It's YOUR Life...Not Theirs!

If you know me by now...you'll know that I see the old movie now and again.

Today, Lesley and I saw "Mona Lisa Smile" which starred Julia Roberts.

It surprised me.

It surprised me because it wasn't necessarily the 'girlie film' (as I call them) that I expected.

More of a female version of 'Dead Poets Society', really.

I'm always looking out for the underlying message behind movies these days...I can't help myself.

It amazes me how movies can change the outlook of your entire day...just by what you learn from them in those 2 hours or so.

This film certainly had a message -

"Just because other people EXPECT you to be a certain way...it doesn't mean that you HAVE to be like that"

Take me, for example.

My family STILL don't 'get' what I do...both from an Internet and from a personal development perspective.

And...I bet that a few of my ex-colleagues would laugh at what I'm doing now.

But...WE know different, don't we?

YOU and I KNOW that sometimes you need to 'stand up and be counted'...and go against the masses...just to give ourselves the opportunity to BE someone.

I like to think that I'm on MY way to some degree...to live the life that I want to live.

But...what about YOU?

YOU know that you CAN do whatever you CHOOSE with YOUR life...yet you may not be letting yourself.

WHY?

Remember...it's up to YOU.

It's YOUR life you're living...NOT theirs!

You. Me. Life. It's Simple, Really

It's easy for me to sit here in my study at home...looking out at this sunny but chilly world of ours...and tell you that you can be a success.

But...if you've read what I've written over the last couple of years...you'll know that I MYSELF live what I tell you.

Sure...I have 'down' days sometimes.

Sure...things don't always go to plan.

Sure...I still get nervous before doing a teleclass or before doing some speaking.

Hello! I'm human, after all!

Just.....like....YOU!

I trod the corporate path for 15 years...and told myself that I was happy.

I probably was for most of it...but in a self-centered way, of course.

It's not until now when I looked back...that I didn't REALLY like my job that much. The work quite often used to bore me...ticking off one set of figures against another...dealing with bosses who weren't in the least bit supportive ot helpful.

Yet...that was my LIFE.

But...I WAS improving...probably more than I realized at the time.

I read personal development books on my daily commute. I listened to tapes. I put into practice a lot of positive stuff I'd learned where my department was concerned.

I had the best, most-highly-motivated, and confident, team around.

Of course...I was 'sent' a way out of it all because of Connor.

Yet...I STILL tried to carry on regardless...and almost 'lost the plot' at one point.

But...then I realized something VERY important.

I ALREADY knew ENOUGH about MYSELF to KNOW what I should do with my life.

I already knew how to motivate myself at work.
I already knew that the best way to believe in myself was to see that other people believed in me (thank you)
I already knew that I could NEVER be happy in a job I hated...HOWEVER much money they paid me.

And...the funny thing is...YOU are just like ME.

YOU can DO what YOU WANT TO.

Except, usually...it's a little too much effort for you, isn't it?

At the first sign of things not going according to plan...it's back to 'square one' isn't it?

WRONG!

Even over the last few WEEKS I've had to try to deal with unexpected events that I could never have planned for.

What do I do?

I just take a deep breath...and look at how I can find the POSITIVE...and then take ACTION...and do SOMETHING!

Life is like driving a car with a flat and you haven't got a spare...you'll get where you want to go eventually...but it just takes that little bit more concentration than usual to negotiate the road ahead.

There IS a road ahead for YOU...but you MUST make sure that you are in that car first!

I'll Have The Variety Pack, Please

Every day...something new seems to come along.

It may be a chance remark...or it may be a new idea that can lead to something else.

But...if you look hard enough...there SHOULD be something different that happens every day.

But...what if there isn't?

Well...perhaps you're not looking for it!

Or...perhaps you are such a person of routine that you don't EXPOSE yourself to something new coming along.

For fifteen years I was a 'corporate clone'...same train, same time...every day. Same walk to the train station. Same route at the other end.

Same routine at work. Coat off. PC on. First coffee of the day.

Sure...the work varied (most days)....but something was MISSING.

I bet that you know what I mean, right?

I've now realized what it was that was missing...

VARIETY.

Even though I now work for myself...if I had a routine to my day...day after day...week after week...I think that I'd go mad!

A lot of people do. Well...they don't necessarily get mad...just angry that there SHOULD be more to life.

If you are...then don't try to make the big changes...just change your routine a little.

Take a different route to work (or an earlier train). Go for a walk at lunch time instead of working through it.

Take an afternoon off for no reason...do something for you...then unexpectedly pick your kids up from school...or meet your spouse for a drink after work.

Variety leads to variety...and more variety stops you from stagnating where you are.

Sure...you SHOULD be doing more with your life if you aren't doing what you want to do...but, you'd be surprised at how doing something NEW or DIFFERENT can put that little 'spring in your step'...and give you some breathing space to think a little.

As the saying goes - "Variety IS the spice of life"...and, in the short-term at least - it's something that you CAN do...which WILL have a positive effect on you NOW.

So...what are YOU waiting for?

I'm Here To Give YOU That Kick...

Now...you may be forgiven in thinking that this weblog is just a 'diary' or some comments on life in general.

After all...that's what blogs are for, right?

Well...in MY case...you DO get a little bit of life thrown in, but I much prefer to call these entries little LESSONS can help YOU live an easier, less stressful, and more happier, life.

Don't underestimate them just because they are 'chatty' in tone.

I'm not trying to make out that I am someone I am not here...but...the intention of these entries is not for ENTERTAINMENT.

Nope. Definitely not.

The SOLE purpose of EVERY single entry that I write is to get YOU to think about your life a LITTLE differently.

If you don't believe me...go back through ALL of the 400+ entries that I have written...there is an element of YOU in every single one of them.

I know from my stats that you might be in a serious minority if you are reading this...but it doesn't make what I am saying any LESS effective because of it.

To be honest...I wouldn't be INVESTING 15-20 minutes of MY life almost every day writing something if I didn't KNOW that it CAN be helpful to YOU in some way.

In this age of information overload...the OBVIOUS can easily be overlooked because it's just THERE...pretty much like these entries.

Only a couple of other people I know online write as regularly as I do.

And...to a person...we aren't doing it solely for OUR sakes...we're doing it because we KNOW that we can help YOU...even if it is only every now and again in some small way.

It's the same where success is concerned.

All it takes is a little 'kick' every once in a while...and that will keep you going until you need the next one...or you're able to focus yourself on your own.

In the meantime...that's what I'm here for...and that's what these entries are about.

Giving YOU that kick to start THINKING more about who you are, what you do, and why you do it.

Once you sort that out...there will be no stopping you!

It's Time For You To Change (Because...)

As seems to happen about every six months during my online 'travels'...I am, once again, beginning the process of evaluating what I do.

Or perhaps more accurately...evaluating what I spend my time on in relation to what I really want to spend my time on!

Have YOU ever gone through that process of really looking at EVERYTHING that you do...just to see if you STILL want to do it?

Now..I'm not about to give up writing or anything like that.

I'm just going to spend some time looking at whether I ENJOY everything that I do as much as I did when I started.

It's easy to get 'stuck'...not necessarily in a rut...but in an 'easy groove' that doesn't always serve you best in the long run!

Too many people go through their lives assuming that they CAN'T change...when, in fact, a lot of the time...it's because they WON'T -

"Because...(fill in the gaps)"

A regular 'spring clean' is certainly a useful thing to do...even on a relatively small scale.

Any time spent on reflection on whether what you do contributes to where you want to go is, in my opinion, a very wise investment.

So...will YOU join me in looking at what you are doing that perhaps you don't really need (or want) to do anymore?

Are Your Building Your Wall To Success Properly?

I was playing Lego(tm) with Katie the other day.

We were building a house...and she desperately wanted to build it as quickly as possible.

It was only when she was about halfway through that she realized that she had a MAJOR problem!

Because she had just stacked each block - one of top of another...her house was beginning to become seriously wobbly!

You could literally hear the bricks creak every time she added a new one.

It was no surprise to me that, as she was desperately racing to fit on the roof...the entire building just collapsed under the pressure.

To say that she wasn't happy was an understatement!

Katie hadn't grasped the fact that you MUST use the strength of each block as support for OTHER blocks...by making sure that, like a normal brick wall, there are NO 'joins' where one layer of bricks doesn't overlap with another.

YOUR success 'foundations' MUST be exactly the same as that brick wall.

It's pointless running around 'fire-fighting' your way through life.

You MUST make sure that YOU are in CONTROL of where the 'bricks' end up in YOUR wall.

YOU need to make sure that YOU are the person who decides what YOU are going to do.

It's pointless relying on someone else to build YOUR wall...they're hardly going to take as much care with it as you are, aren't they?

By the same token...if you approach what you want in life in a haphazard way, then you WILL get some 'weak spots'...some of which won't become apparent until much later on...when the pressure gets too much for them to bear.

So...if you are going to do SOMETHING with YOUR life...do it RIGHT!

Never forget the saying that 'a bad workman always blames his tools'.

YOUR tools are YOU...so you've only YOURSELF to blame if, because you haven't built it properly, YOUR wall comes tumbling down!

So...What's Changed?

It's easy to let things get on top of you when a few things (one after the other) don't seem to go your way.

Whether you may like it or not...your mind starts chattering away...desperately trying to 'complete the picture'...and make you out as a TOTAL 'failure'.

Your mind is constantly searching for a 'result'...constantly looking to 'complete the picture' that you present to it.

So...isn't it any wonder that, when a couple of things go wrong back-to-back...it starts telling you that it's ALWAYS going to be like that in future.

It's not.

Definitely. 100%

NOT!

I've got into the habit of looking at how I interpret the 'setbacks' that happen in my life.

Your 'world' could change in an instant if you receive an email or phone call that goes against what you thought was an amazing idea, for example.

So...stop and ask yourself - "What's changed?"

Sure...you now might have the opinion of one (or more) people that doesn't necessarily agree with yours

You now have more INFORMATION than you did...but does that mean that the thing you were really excited and motivated about has changed in ANY way?

Nope. It's just that, because you've got some feedback that didn't agree with what you were thinking...all of those amazing ideas will come to nothing?

Now...I'm not saying that you should completely disregard other peoples' opinions. In my business, for example, that's valuable feedback.

No...what I am saying is, try to stop your EMOTIONS from getting in the way of clear thinking.

The wheels of many of the best ideas of the future have surely come off because of an offhand remark by a friend or relative...I'm absolutely sure of that.

So...always make sure that, when you find out something (or that someone) doesn't agree with your opinion or idea...just ask yourself...

"What's changed?"

That Broken-Down Car Called Procrastination

Procrastination is a very dangerous thing.

It's also very infectious!

The more you procrastinate...the harder it is not to do so in the future.

As you may know...I always say that the cure is just to START.

But...perhaps I really should mean start SMALL.

Why?

Welll...I don't know if you have ever had to push a car that has broken-down. It takes some serious effort to get the thing moving, I can tell you!

But...in the 3 or 4 times that I have had to do it in the past...EVERY time I end up just jogging beside it (not even behind it) just gently helping it along.

The hardest part is getting the thing going...and then the physical law of momemtum takes hold...and then it's just a cause of KEEPING it moving.

Procrastination IS that broken down car.

ACTION is what you need to take to get it moving. (That's why it seems so hard.)

And...your MOMENTUM will ensure that it WILL be easier to 'speed up'...but only as long as you make a regular HABIT out of taking ACTION.

All you need is just to start...even if that means making a single phone call, writing a single goal down, or writing that first sentence of your novel-to-be.

Just ONE little thing...APPLIED regularly...and you WILL be getting rid of that procrastination 'curse' once and for all!

Start Stepping Out Into The Unknown!

You never know where your decisions will take you.

But...I can guarantee that, if you continue to make the same ones...day after day...your life isn't going to change that much.

It's only when I look back over the last couple of years that I realize that for the fifteen years before them...I didn't really progress personally much.

Sure...I moved up in my career and earned more money...and learned a couple of new skills.

But...that was nothing compared to the last couple of years where I have HAD to challenge myself into new directions...by taking MORE decisions.

Especially those where I don't already know how to arrive at the results I want!

That's a BIG thing to understand.

Most people go through their lives making ONLY those decisions where they KNOW how to achieve the outcome.

Shame that the vast MINORITY are stepping out into the 'unknown'...and making decisions that will affect their future...without knowing EXACTLY how to make it happen!

There is a HUGE difference in how much you develop as a person depending on which 'school' of decision making YOU fall into.

Practically every decision I make relating to my business over the last 2 years was based on the fact that I personally didn't know how I could achieve the result I wanted...but...I knew that OTHER people were able to achieve it...so why couldn't I?

Guess what happened?

I achieved them, too!

I either found out through focused effort of my own...or ask someone who was more experienced than I was.

As a person...it has changed the way I view ALL of my life.

And...it WILL change YOURS, too!

Are You At The Mercy Of Those People Who Act?

Life is one big learning curve...whether you like it or not!

Most people seem to go through life RE-acting to other people instead of ACTING for themselves!

Why?

Because they don't want to learn...they then become led by those people who DO!

What do I mean by this?

Well...let's look at an example...

Let's say that you don't get that salary increase that you wanted. If you are like most people...you'll blame somebody else...usually your boss.

But...in the grand scheme of things called life...the fact that things didn't work out for YOU probably meant that the 'Universe' was working for someone else instead.

Now...I don't mean directly. I don't mean that it was working for the other guy in your department instead.

What I mean is that the 'Universe' was working 'behind the scenes' (more than likely for someone who you will NEVER probably meet) so that the circumstances will 'fall into place' for that person who is ATTRACTING success into their lives through POSITIVE mental and physical ACTION.

Now...you may be cynical that this isn't the case, but let me ask you one thing...

What if life works in this way?

Wouldn't that make you a little more aware of whether you were actually compromising YOUR success or not?

I hope so...because, funnily enough...once I 'got it'...MY life began to 'fall into place'.

The people who are REACTING to events in their lives are STILL struggling...and wondering why things aren't working out for them.

It's such a shame that it doesn't have to be this way, does it?

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

Don't Try To Fool Yourself...You'll Only Get Caught

Ever get the feeling that something is missing in your life?

You know...you have a nagging feeling that you aren't quite happy doing what you're doing...but can't really work out what to DO about it?

Well...I can't help you!

Whaaaaat?

I can't.

You see...YOU are the ONLY person who can help YOURSELF!

All of my many thousands of words...written or spoken...are meaningless unless you can APPLY them in YOUR own life.

That's why I suggest that you don't tie yourself too closely to one 'guru'...unless EVERYTHING that they do makes complete and utter sense to you.

Even then...I would still suggest that you broaden your horizons a little a read stuff by people that you have NEVER heard of before.

Why?

Because...every thing that you read is based on the EXPERIENCES of the writer...and, as I've mentioned before - what works for them might not work for YOU.

It MIGHT...but, it probably won't.

You see - if you read this every day...you'll know what my viwepoints are on a number of things.

You'll also be getting a regular dose of REINFORCEMENT of a number of what I think are KEY points for success.

But...remember...this is what WORKS for ME. Never forget that.

Don't take what I write as 'gospel'...just look at what makes sense to YOU...and then look at how YOU can make it workable for YOUR situation.

Literally taking an idea and trying to 'bolt' it onto something that's not working in your life is a HUGE mistake.

Unless you make a fundamental CHANGE on YOUR terms...then what you are trying to do will just work its way back OUT of your life again - in the same way that your body will reject a donated organ unless it's made to LOOK like your own!

Your mind is too clever enough to be fooled into thinking that 'one size fits all' where success is concerned.

Unless you do it YOUR way...then whatever changes you make are never going to last.

Yes, You DO Have A Lot Going For You!

Stop for a moment and think.

Now...forget about what might have 'gone wrong' in your past...or what might 'go wrong' in your future.

What have you got that you WANT - NOW, this second?

- Do you have your health?
- Do you have a supportive wife/husband/significant other?
- Do you have healthy children?
- Do you earn enough money to be able to eat (and maybe have the odd vacation once in a while)?
- Do you have a roof over your head...and enough heating/air conditioning to make it bearable most of the time?

Well, DO YOU?

Sure...you might not have ALL of the above...but I bet that you have MOST of them.

So - what are you WORRYING about?

Are you worrying about...

- That mistake you made yesterday at work?
- Why you friends earn more than you?
- Why you 'hate' your job?
- How 'unlucky' you are?
- Why you can't have a better vacation?
- Why you can't afford a better house/car/whatever?

SO WHAT!

The ONLY important thing in this life is being HAPPY with your life NOW - this minute, this second...this snapshot in time.

STOP.

And think about if your life isn't ALL THAT BAD AFTER ALL.

Think about it...NOW.

..
..
..
..

Well?

Did you?

Did you notice that your mind tried to put those...

REFLECTIVE thoughts about your past, and those
PROJECTIVE thoughts about your future

...into your head - just as you were trying to think about NOW?

It can't help it.

But...now that you are AWARE of what it is TRYING to do...don't you think that you should think more about whether life isn't ALL that bad, really.

Sure...we ALL want MORE in our lives...we wouldn't have evolved as a species if we didn't.

But...please...don't let your mind kid yourself that EVERYTHING is bad.

It's not....if you REALLY think about what you DO have.

Don't believe me?

Welll...I used to think that I was stressed in my job until I found out that trying to resuscitate your son in the back of a car whilst speeding to hospital was a little bit more important.

Take it from me...you ARE so much better off than you give yourself credit for.

You're Useless....That's What 'They' Say

Whichever way you look at life...things aren't always going to go your way.

I know...I've been there!

It's so easy to think that the 'world is against' you...or that you are 'unlucky'...or that you can't succeed because you haven't got any/enough money.

If you are constantly focusing on these negatives...guess what you are going to ATTRACT more of in your life?

There is only ONE single thing that YOU have COMPLETE control over...and that's your thoughts.

People can take away your money, your health can be 'bad', things can go 'wrong'...but whatever happens...YOU alone are in CONTROL.

How?

Well..we all view life through our minds...not through our senses.

Our brain translates the input from our senses...and matches it up against that huge database called EXPERIENCE....before (in the tiniest of moments) telling us what we are experiencing in the NOW.

So...as YOU are reading this now...it's not the words that you see...it's the wdors that your MIND is telling you to see!

How do I know?

Just check that last sentence...and find the serious spelling mistake!

It's been proved that we can read words when ONLY the first and last letters are in the right order (as long as all of the other letters that make up the word are there).

My guess is...even though you might have KNOWN that it was a spelling mistake...you were still able to read it as quickly as if it was spelt correctly.

So...if our mind can work out words AUTOMATICALLY without us consciously reading them properly...doesn't it make you think what ELSE it does in this way?

So...next time you believe that things are against you, ask yourself if they REALLY are...or if your mind is TELLING you that they are...based purely on your experience.

Once you can see so-called 'truth' for what it really is...it will be SO much easier to realize that YOU could be holding YOURSELF back more than you realize!

So Will You...If You Think You Can

I came across a very profound statement by Napoleon Hill as I was teaching a teleclass on his Law of Success course.

He said...

"Remember that your only limitation, within reason, is the one which YOU set up in YOUR OWN mind."

When I read that...it just made perfect sense!

It hit home how I had mentally been holding myself back for years.

Read his quote again.

Are YOU setting up some form of limitation in YOUR OWN mind?

Without knowing you personally...I bet that you are.

Well all do.

I STILL do...even though my so-called 'limits' have been breached on a number of occasions over the last couple of years.

Remember...it's not what holds you back that shapes your life...it's what YOU THINK holds you back that makes the difference!

So...if you now KNOW that you are setting your own limits (even if you don't realize it)...what are you going to do about changing it?

I make sure that I push my comfort zone levels regularly...and so far, it has seemed to work for me.

Never forget that the bigger you aim...the less chance you have of not being better off by the whole experience.

It's something that I constantly prove to myself all of the time...that I CAN and WILL go further than I ever dreamed possible a few years ago.

And so will YOU...if you THINK you can!

Decisions. Decisions. And A Hectic, Challenged Life

I'll tell you something...you never know what the consequences of your decisions might be.

I know for a fact that almost split second decisions in my past have led to me doing things like speaking...all from just just a few seconds of "shall I or shan't I?"

The thing is...as long as you are 'brave' enough to make some of the more 'difficult' decisions...then you will find that opportunities WILL open up for you.

Sometimes it may take guts...and sometimes, in retrospect...the outcome of your decision may not go the way you expect it.

But...that's part of the fun!

You see...I'm of the opinion that, as long as you are making SOME positive decsions with the aim of getting to where you want to go...then things WILL begin to happen for you.

Quite often, they may happen differently...but with the benefit of hindsight...the path that you ended up taking was usually the better one for your long term success...even though it may not have seemed like it.

Honest!

I guarantee that, if you make more decisions more quickly, your life WILL often seem hectic...and a challenge.

But...it's being hectic and challenged that will bring the BEST out of you...and go some way to proving to yourself that you CAN do what you really want to do.

Try it...you KNOW that you CAN if you really want.

You just have to make that first DECISION that you aren't going to settle for what you've got!

Are you up to the challenge?

It's Specifically In Your Future

Someone, somewhere...knows exactly what you need to know in order to get whatever you want out of your live.

The catch is...you have to find them!

(Instead of trying to work out how to do it yourself...like I always used to!)

But where do you find these people?

Well...perhaps that's the wrong starting point.

You see...you may have an IDEA of what you want to achieve...but that's not usually enough to enable you to KNOW what you want.

The secret here is knowing SPECIFICALLY want you want.

I'm not talking about the BIG things that you want to aim for...just the stuff that will take you to the next level.

I only begin to make BIG changes in my life once I realized that I needed to progress more quickly on the LITTLE things...instead of getting hung-up on not knowing EVERYTHING.

And...I'm sure you'll agree that this is not always an easy realization to come to!

So, think about what the NEXT step that you need to take is.

You may be able to get what you need from a book...or from surfing the 'net...or by contacting someone via email or on the 'phone.

The key is that you USE whatever knowledge that you find...and make sure that you put it into ACTION as SOON as possible.

Otherwise...it will just get left...and you will suddenly find that other things begin to take more importance that what you really NEED to be doing.

And...there's no better time than now to start finding out what you REALLY want...is there?

Are You Stealing Or Investing?

The biggest asset that we have is time.

It's such a shame that so many billions of people waste it!

Thanks to inventions like the TV, Playstation, and the Internet...we will soon be people who spend most of their waking lives either doing something that they don't really enjoy (work) or doing stuff that doesn't help us improve our lives much at all!

Do YOU really want to be one of those people?

If the average child watches four hours of TV a day...how much time does the average teenager spend on the 'net or on the Playstation?

The Internet will be the worst...that I have no doubt.

Why?

Well...where the 'net is concerned YOU can easily 'disguise' your aimless surfing as something constructive.

I know...it's a challenge I myself constantly face as I am online all day long!

Next thing you know...you're 2 years down the line...and NOTHING has really changed.

Do YOU want that to happen to YOU?

(I sincerely hope not!)

So...look more carefully at where you are WASTING your time...time that you could otherwise INVEST in creating the future that you REALLY want instead of re-inforcing forever what you currently have.

It doesn't take a lot of physical effort to actually DO something...but, where most people are concerned...it usually takes a huge MENTAL effort to actually ACT on what they already know.

So...what's it to be...

Are you STEALING FROM your future...or are you INVESTING IN it?

Only YOU can decide.

It's Only A Muscle...What's In It For Me?

Lesley told me today about something really interesting that she saw on TV yesterday on a chat show.

She went into great detail about how this guy was able to push the hosts' outstretched arms down...just because they were focusing on someone or something negative.

The thing is...I told Lesley about the principle behind this very same process (muscle-testing or kinesiology) only last week as I explained a little about the book I was reading.

Shame that it went 'in one ear and out of the other'!

After I told her, Lesley said that she vaguely remembered me telling her about something similar...but couldn't say exactly what it was.

Just goes to show that it's not what you SAY or DO...it is HOW you say it and HOW you do it that are more important.

It's a similar principle where success coaches are concerned (or any coaches for that matter).

So many of them get so hung up explaining the PROCESS of what they are doing...when a simple coaching session will soon answer the question that their prospect is asking - "What's in it for me?"

Just because I don't speak to you personally on the phone doesn't mean that I am not coaching YOU...even as you are reading this.

I am. (cue outrage amongst 'proper' coaches)

You see...if I can get YOU to make decisions and ask yourself questions based on what YOU ALREADY KNOW...then that is EXACTLY what the process of coaching stems from.

Sure...there may be other things that work better on a one-to-one basis...but whether I am 'coaching' you in the 'normal' way or not...aren't you STILL getting something out of this?

That's the key.

Everyone asks "Yeah...but what's in it for me?"...and therefore the easier you can make it obvious what THAT is...then you are on the way to make people take notice of YOU.

Whatever you may want to do in your life.

The Importance Of Doing Nothing

There I was the other day...telling people how just starting cures procrastination...

Guess what happens?

I've just started!

Except that this entry won't be about curing procrastination (that would be cheating!).

Nope...this entry is about nothing much, really.

Well...it's more about the IMPORTANCE of DOING nothing much every now and again.

It's something that I am rather proud of, in a way!

Why?

Well...part of the way I work is based around the fact that I don't want to HAVE to work ALL of the time.

You see...I did that for 15 years...usually at the expense of the people who mattered most to me.

Not only that...I now KNOW how important it is to just STOP occasionally...and just let your mind do what it is made to do...

Think for itself.

We constantly throw in so much information into our heads that it's little wonder that we easily get overwhelmed.

And...I've noticed that, if I actually give myself time to THINK...as opposed to 'DO'...then I tap into the vast storehouse of knowledge and experience that I have consumed over the years...and am able to come up with new ideas almost at will.

Of course...it's not 'accepted' in today's society to actually VALUE time spent 'wasted' (as other people on the treadmill of life call it).

But...I can tell you from personal experience that deciding to devote time to doing NOTHING is probably one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

Except that, of course, I still have to 'struggle' with that little voice inside my head telling me that I should be working (like everyone else).

Good job that I'm getting used to ignoring him now!

And so should YOU!

Power vs Force...You Choose

When I hear about a book from more than a couple of people...I know that I should at least make the effort to read it for myself.

The book is "Power vs Force" by Dr. David R. Hawkins.

I'm about half-way through it...and it's certainly one of those books that CHANGES you after you have read it.

Its premise is based on kinesiology (muscle-testing)...which, whether you believe the results from the tests or not...this book certainly throws out a few very interesting questions.

Apparently testing whether your muscles are 'weak' or 'strong' when asked a yes/no question determines the true answer to the question.

There's a lot more to it, of course...but, even if you think that this sounds like 'new-agey' stuff...then, all I can say is...what if it ISN'T?

An open mind leads to an open future in my opinion.

It's been around since 1995...but, I KNEW that it was TIME for me to read it when, the day after I ordered on Amazon...I saw a copy on the shelves at my local bookstore (in an area that it shouldn't have been).

Now...you know what I am like where coincidence is concerned...I certainly 'got the message'!

All I can say is that...if YOU want to be more 'in tune' with the spiritual (as opposed to religious) side of WHO you are...then this will certainly make you think.

Not since I read Neale Donald Walsch's "Conversations With God" (which, if you aren't particularly religious (like me) is THE book for you) have I read something that just MADE PERFECT SENSE to me as I find my path to a better way of thinking.

"Power vs Force" may NOT be for you. (If you haven't read the first "Conversations With God" I would suggest you read THAT first.)

It's one of those books that you either agree with or don't.

A few years ago I would have just dismissed it. Now I KNOW better.

Even if you don't agree with the basis upon which the book is based...it is still one of those books that REALLY changes you after you've read it.

Isn't that what books are supposed to be about?

I Don't Care Whether You Understand Me Or Not...

"Gary, I've read 'Magnetic Wealth' a couple of times...and you are spot on with it. I now have made the great realization that I have been reading tons of self-help material and not acting on it! I just keep buying more stuff to read instead of taking action on the ideas. This is going to be a breakthrough point for me and I REALLY appreciate it! Best wishes." - Richard Duszczak, Derbyshire, UK, http://www.cartoonstudio.co.uk Remember...part one of the Magnetic Wealth ebook - a guide to the basic principles for attracting wealth into your life, was just one of the bonuses for the Our Wealth Partnership newsletter subscribers!

It's so easy just to conform to what 'society' expects from you that, well, that's exactly what the vast majority of people do!

I'm still looked at as the 'black sheep' of my family because I 'do that motivational stuff'.

And...earn a living from it!

It would make much more sense to my parents, for example, if I just worked in bank like I used to. At least they wouldn't have trouble explaining to other people what I 'do'.

And that's the problem.

You see...because what I 'do' changes almost from day to day...it's not easy for ME to label myself!

So...I might be a writer, a coach, a marketer, an entrepreneur, an speaker, and information-seller...and soon to be mail order businessman.

That's not easy to put into one simple sentence when people don't really understand HOW you can make money from the Internet!

But...do you think that this holds me back...or stops me from pushing myself even harder in the direction that I want to go?

Err...nope!

Even though I know that a couple of my brothers who are on my list could read this (oh the shame!)...or that Lesley might be surprised at how much I tell YOU about what I do...

I DON'T CARE!

And...neither should YOU!

I KNOW that I am on MY right path to the future that I want...and, to be honest, I don't care whether other people 'get it' or not.

All I know is that...it's pointless trying to be someone or something that YOU are NOT.

It's taken me close on twenty years to realize this...and, now I'm not going to let go of that!

What about YOU?

It's A Mad World. Are You 'Going Nowhere'?

"All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places – worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere – going nowhere"

Here in the UK...we always have a race for the "Christmas No. 1" in the top 40 singles' charts.

It's a mixed bag between re-issues, new songs, and novelty records.

This year, however...a dark horse has emerged...and, although it will only probably get to #2...it will be one of the top sellers of the year.

Why am I telling you this?

Well...the song is by an 'unknown' American called Gary Jules. It's called "Mad World"...and is a cover version of a song by Tears For Fears released in the eighties.

Not only is it a striking re-working...it made me listen to lyrics when, in the original, they were more drowned out by the music.

The lyrics at the top of this entry start the song...and they certainly got ME thinking!

What about YOU. Look at them again...

"All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places – worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere – going nowhere"

What does it make you think about?

For me...it reminds of how I USED to be like on my daily commute into work for fifteen years.

That glazed expression of 'people going somewhere to do something they don't like doing just to earn enough money to survive'.

Is that YOU?

Are YOU 'going nowhere'?

I sincerely hope not.

Whatever YOUR age or background...it's NEVER too late to START living the life YOU want.

The first step is being aware that you need to.

I hope that now...YOU are.

Me? Planning? But...It Might Be Right For You.

There is one thing that you can be certain of in life...and that is that most things never go according to plan!

To me, a plan is a useful tool...but really, all I concern myself with is what I need to do NOW!

Sure...you need to know what you want to achieve, but, as far as I am concerned...I don't want to get 'bogged down' in the details.

I just want to get on with it and just do ANYTHING that moves me towards it!

Now...if you have an analytical or structured mind...then that will be total nonsense to you I expect!

But...I can only tell you what works for ME...and it's entirely up to YOU how you APPLY it to YOUR life.

That viewpoint is VERY important.

Too many people assume that, as it works for 'x' then it will, of course, work for them!

Wrong!

Whoever 'x' is...is not YOU.

So...whether you agree with me or not...it's up to YOU to make a decision on whether to APPLY it based on who YOU are!

THAT is THE most important thing!

Are You Thinking Your Way Out Of It?

It's easy to THINK yourself out of doing something.

I know...it's exactly what I used to do...and sometimes still struggle with.

What do I mean by this?

Well...have you ever been in the position where you KNOW that, if you did something, it will be 'good' for you...yet you find some way of getting out of doing it?

Most people hate change more than they think that they will enjoy the possible benefits from doing it!

When...in fact...the very REASON that the opportunity for a change has come about is because they NEED to do so in order to move forward in their lives.

You may think that this seems like those people are almost afraid of success...afraid of the possibilities that will, of course, open up to them when they put the change into practice.

You'd be right of course.

If it isn't enough to be scared of NOT changing...for a lot of people, it's almost as if changing is just as bad!

Are YOU like that?

Remember...what we ASSUME to be the outcome of any decision that we may make is usually way off what ACTUALLY happens.

So...if YOU are THINKING your way out of making some decisions...isn't it about time that you just got on and DID them?

It's My Birthday...For A Change

Today is my 34th birthday.

It's scary to think how old I would seem to an 18-year-old!

But...as far as I am concerned...I'm just STARTING!

So many things have changed in my life over the last few years that I dread to think how bored, depressed, under-valued, and under-appreciated I would feel if my life hadn't apparently taken a 'turn for the worst'.

On my birthday six years ago...I was just a supervisor in a bank...wishing that I could do more with my life.

Then Connor came along and my life changed forever.

On my birthday four years ago...Connor made one of his very few 'public outings' at my surprise 30th birthday dinner arranged by Lesley.

Little did we know how much more difficult and frightening our life would become.

On my birthday two years ago I had just quit my job a week earlier...without a clue of how I would earn a living.

If you've been along with me for the ride since my ezine started on 10th March 2002...then you'll know the rest of the story!

(You can still catch up with the last 20 months through this very blog.

One thing that I have realized...

Is that your life ONLY changes when YOU start pushing out your boundaries.

Don't wait until another brithday (and another...and another) passes you by before you realize that YOUR life CAN change.

But...do you REALLY want it to bad enough to do something about it?

Choices. Choices. Choices.

I realized today how much impact your choices have on how successful you can be.

Most people seem to try to go through life without making any real choices apart from the same ones that they have been making for years.

Are YOU one of them?

Do YOU find an excuse when the more 'difficult' choices come along?

Do you suddenly become ill...or tell yourself that you're not capable...or just plain avoid the whole situation?

If you do...you're not alone.

The thing is...the easy option is not usually the BEST choice for getting you to where you really want to go.

Whether you may like it or not...you usually have to 'work' a little to make things happen.

All of us are guilty of just 'treading water' at various times in our lives.

But...

The strange thing is - once you start making the more challenging choices more often...you'll find that you begin to find that, in retrospect...they were the RIGHT choices for your long-term future!

So...start pushing yourself that little bit harder in the direction of feeling a little uncomfortable every now and again.

You certainly won't regret it in the long term...that's for sure.

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

Another day...another entry!

What's life all about?

I mean...what are you HERE for?

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

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

I doubt it!

Aren't you here...

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

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

I think that they do.

In fact, I KNOW that they do!

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

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

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

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

What else are YOU here for?

One Question CAN Make A Difference

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

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

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

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

Why?

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

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

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

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

That question above will help YOU do that.

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

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

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

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

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

So...Have YOU Decided?

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

Every day you decide...

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

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

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

Sound familiar?

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

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

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

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

DECIDE that YOU are in CONTROL of YOUR future.

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

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

Let NOBODY tell you how YOU should live your life.

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

So...have YOU decided?

So...Why Did That Happen To YOU?

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

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

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

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

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

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

But...you know what?

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

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

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

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

It works for me!

Me, Ivana Trump, And The Tour Bus Driver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's the same, yet unfulfilling, story.

Yet, this guy has TALENT.

How do I know?

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

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

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

That's ALL he ever could be!

What ARE you?

Are You Clogging Up YOUR Success Channels?

It's not very often that I can't find something to ramble on about.

Today is one of those days!

But...even though I don't know what I'm going to say...I just START.

(I've mentioned this before in my ezine).

Whenever I feel that I'm at a loss for something to write about...I just write what comes into my head.

Then...once I start...I realize that, because that first sentence is written...another thought follows it...and then another...and another.

It's amazing what your mind does when you throw it something to 'play' with.

That's why I hate watching TV just for the sake of it. Most of it is negative 'supposed-real-life-gritty-drama' stuff...or some other piece of 'educational-yet-not-very-useful-to-where-I-want-to-go' type stuff.

Why should I fill my senses with thoughts that don't help me get to where I want to go one tiny little bit?

Sure...I love the odd dose of reality TV (if it's got a good angle)...but I do so because it stimulates conversation, and gives me the opportunity to 'preach' to Lesley why so-and-so should be acting like 'x' instead of 'y'!

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that the ONLY thing that YOU control are your thoughts...so make sure that you feed your mind with some 'good stuff' instead of 'sludge'!

Unfortunately...most TV and newspapers are the WORST thing for clogging up your success channels!

I ask practically all of the successful people I meet how much TV they watch...and whether they read a newspaper.

You can guess their answer!

If You Don't Look For This...Then You Will Never Find It!

Do you know where your strengths?

I mean...do you REALLY know what you are GOOD at?

Or...perhaps you are too concerned with trying to improve your weaknesses to notice.

The other night I was called "lucky" because my job enabled me to spend time at home with my family etc.

My answer was that I wasn't lucky...I was just being true to where my REAL talents lie...and was making the most of them to craft the sort of lifestyle I want.

Still...the reply came back that I was lucky because I had found something that I was good at.

'Found' being the crucial word here.

Remember...it is less than two years since I first started writing about this stuff...and just over 18 months since I put my first website up.

Yet...to some, I am classed (and paid as) an expert in both personal development...and Internet marketing.

These weren't skills that I was even aware that I had until two years ago, remember.

It's a crucial thing to remember that, unless it's blindingly obvious where your talent is, for most of us, we need to literally 'discover' what it is!

For fifteen years I spent my time wishing that I could do this, or could change that...without ever really doing it.

Know that feeling?

Now, I have realized that the ONLY way you will discover your natural talents that could make your fortune is by LOOKING for them!

So...instead of trying to correct that particular 'problem' you have with your personality...work on pushing the boundaries of what comes NATURALLY to you!

It was only when I put my family's financial future on the block that I FOUND that I was able to do what I earn a living from now.

YOU (yes, you!) have a talent in something that far surpasses 99% of the world's population, but, I guarantee that, if you don't look for it...then you will never find it!

So...let's begin by finding out what you have a TALENT for...it's YOUR turn to admit to the world that you ARE good at something!

So...what is it?

The Time To Start Is NOW!

Ever since we lost Connor, I've come to consider myself fortunate to have many things that I took for granted for too many years.

What about you?

Do you really appreciate how LUCKY you really are?

It's such a shame that it took both Connor's birth...and his untimely loss...to literally 'wake me up' to what I should look for out of my life.

In the months after his birth...I fought (and ultimately won) against my conditioning of job security and a career, with the 'guaranteed' monthly income that came with it.

Since we lost him in February...I've come to realize that my 'freedom', and the strength of my relationship with Lesley and Katie, are FAR more important than any amount of money that I COULD earn...if perhaps I 'worked a little harder'.

Are YOU still struggling with how you define what's REALLY important in your life?

I agree that it's not an easy decision to make to stop focusing on a monetary figure as your 'goal'.

I also agree that it's not an easy decision to make to stop looking for what you haven't got...instead of focusing on what you HAVE.

From my own experience...I spent at least 15 years doing EXACTLY that!

So...don't wait until you get a serious 'wake-up' call like I did. I wouldn't wish my worst 'enemies' to go through what we have over the last five years or so.

And...although I KNOW that it would focus your life on a much more balanced future...the last thing I would want would be for something like what happened to us...to happen to YOU.

The time to start focusing on what's important is NOW...so don't put it off until it is 'too late'!

What are YOU going to do about it?

Hey You! Yes, You! I'm Doing This Because of YOU!

Almost every day...I haven't got a CLUE about what I'm going to write about here!

But...although most of the time it would be easier to not bother...something literally FORCES me to write!

Well, two things, actually.

They are:

1) The force of habit
2) The force of accountability

Because this blog is the last thing that I ALWAYS do before I turn my PC off at night...it feels, well, strange not to do it!

It's not that I 'miss' it when I am travelling...but it is something that is almost essential to do when I am working at home.

Because I have set aside a time for it (just before I turn my PC off)...and because I do it practically every day...I have built myself a little habit which certainly won't do me any harm in the future.

Which leads me on to the second part...accountability.

Look...I am as lazy as anyone else! lol

If I don't have a very good reason...or a compelling desire to do something...then my subconscious will automatically find something more interesting for me to focus on!

So...that's why I need some form of accountability built into what I do.

And...that's where YOU come in!

You see...when I first started this I announced to my ezine subscribers that I would write something at least five days a week.

Of course...when life gets in the way (especially earlier in the year) that has not always been possible.

But...the very fact that I am accountable to YOU to come up with something readable practically every day means that I make an extra special effort to actually DO it!

So...there you have it....my simple 2-step for making sure that things get done.

If you think about it...it's a lot easier to follow through on something when it's become a habit...and you're accountable in some way to someone else for its completion.

It's simple...but it works! Try it and see for yourself.

Are They Controlling You...Or Are You Feeling YOUR Way?

It's time to ask you some serious questions.

Questions like...

- What are you HERE for?
- What inspires you above everything else?
- What makes you REALLY laugh?
- Who are in your fondest memories?
- What would you do if you could guarantee that you wouldn't fail?
- How does it feel when something just goes RIGHT?

They make you think, don't they? (That's the idea! lol).

Right...I've one more question...

"What's stopping you from having those FEELINGS right NOW?"

Well?

Life is about challenging the perceptions of other people that we have been conditioned by ever since we first opened our eyes.

(That's a mouthful...but please read it again so it 'sinks in')

Ultimately...you will fly only as high as you CHOOSE to do so.

Unfortunately...you might not be aware that what you are choosing is based upon the 'faulty logic' of your parents, friends, or work colleagues!

So...move AWAY from what you THINK you believe about what you want from life...and look deep INSIDE yourself to find out what you REALLY want to FEEL from EXPERIENCING your life.

I know from experience that there is a big difference!

What do YOU think?

It's Time For You To Commit 10 Seconds To Your Future!

Do you know what you REALLY want from your life?

No...apart from being a millionaire! lol

If you were to close your eyes for 10 seconds...and picture your ideal LIFESTYLE...what would it be?

Would your family be there?

Would your children be happy?

Would you feel inspired and challenged...but in a good way?

Would you have time to do whatever you want?

What else?

Close your eyes for those 10 seconds now...and then add a comment at the bottom of this message and tell me what you see!

This is a little test for you...to see how serious you are about having a more successful life.

I can categorically say that unless you visualize this...you won't have much chance of 'making it'.

So...if you DON'T comment...then I can only assume that you don't KNOW what you want from your life.

So...are you going to invest only 10 seconds in your future...and tell me about it?

Or are you just going to read this...not think about your future...and wander off into the virtual world?

I can only judge if you are serious or not by whether you post your comment or not.

It's up to YOU...after all, it's only YOUR future at stake, isn't it?

You May Not Realize It...But You've Just Been Coached!

As you know...I'm passionate about success.

I'm passionate about my OWN success...which, of course, will only happen if I help YOU become more passionate about YOUR success!

I'm a simple sort of guy...and the coaching seminar over the last couple of days proved it! lol

Coaching as a 'profession' is a strange thing.

Coaches spend so much time trying to explain the 'concept' of coaching...that they forget that all you are interested in is how they can HELP you.

I know from my own experience that coaching IS a powerful thing...but it's pointless me trying to 'sell' it to you because it's not something that you can directly see the value of.

So...I cheat a little!

As you are reading this...I am COACHING you!

Yep...without you even realizing it!

Why?

Well...coaching is all about asking questions. You see...the best coaches know that YOU are the 'expert' where YOUR life is concerned...and that their role is to help you work out for YOURSELF how to do 'x' or solve 'y'.

Which, in effect...is what I do practically every day here.

Do you notice that I often put questions to you in my writing?

Do you notice how I encourage you to make your OWN decisions...instead of just believing what I tell you because I'm a so-called 'expert'.

That's coaching!

(But...don't let a coach hear me say that to you! lol)

It's easy to get hung up on what coaching might be...and, of course, most coaches will argue that I do nothing of the sort because you are not talking to me on the 'phone.

But WE know different, don't we?

It's just a shame that more people aren't more aware of how truly POWERFUL coaching as a concept really is.

It really is an 'inside-track' to success when you align yourself with someone who is a little further along the path than you...who, just by offering advice and asking questions...can help you avoid the big obstacles along the way.

THAT'S what coaching is all about.

The Truth...And Why It Can Change Lives

This weekend I had one of the most amazing feelings.

Late Friday afternoon...I did a speech about goal achievement at a marketing seminar for carpet cleaners here in the UK.

I debated for some time as to whether I would give a little bit of background about why I do what I do...instead of just going straight into talking about goals.

Now...what happened in my life with my son, Connor...is something that I NEVER want to use to 'brag' about how unlucky I am, blah blah blah

BUT...Connor (and what happened during his life) is the SOLE reason why I'm not still wasting away in a bank like I had done for fifteen years previously...so I feel that it is IMPORTANT to let people KNOW where I come from.

I can tell you...when I was up there on the platform on Friday...I nearly 'lost it' as I was talking about what happened.

BUT...

Because I did...I've changed FOREVER at least two families' lives.

How?

Well...because my 'story' made two men in the audience realize that there were more important things than chasing money in their lives.

I'm not going to go into detail about their situations...but, I know for a fact, that because of my experiences with my son...their lives will now be a lot more balanced (and less stressful) in the future.

My eyes were welling up as I told my wife how proud I was that I could have such a dramatic POSITIVE effect on other peoples' lives.

No money could ever, ever replace that feeling when you help improve someone else's future...even if you don't know them.

I'm PROUD to be here NOW writing this to YOU...and I hope that, in some small way, I am helping shape a much more balanced and HAPPY future lifestyle for YOU.

That means more to me than any figures on a bank account, believe me.

There's NO Way Back. Are You With Me?

It's always a challenge to come up with something worthwhile (and not too boring) to tell you when I've spent all day long staring at a computer screen.

But...I live by my habits so here I am! lol

On the whole in retrospect...I wonder how many times I have repeated myself?

But...funnily enough...this isn't really a BAD thing because that means that I am just finding different ways to get across the points that I think are valuable to you.

One thing, though.

The more I write and learn about this thing called personal development...the more spiritual I have become.

What do I mean by this?

Well...I'm now more aware of the more important role my habitual THINKING plays in my success...even more so than my habitual ACTIONS.

I'm not the meditative sort...nor do I read affirmations out loud.

In fact, in 'new age' terms...I'm probably a little 'square'! lol

But...over the coming weeks and months my aim is to find ways that suit ME that will allow me to give more REAL time for thinking and reading about my thoughts (if you get what I mean).

As time goes on...I am beginning to see a number of threads emerge in regards to living a full and rewarding life.

From Napoleon Hill to the Kabballah to Wayne Dyer to Stuart Goldsmith to Neale Donald Walsch to Stuart Lichtmann and back again...the clues ARE there if you look for them...and look at how you can APPLY them in your life.

We are always too busy occupying ourselves with DOING that we've 'unlearned' the rules for just LIVING and having fun!

I'm sure that YOU already have ways that work for you that don't involve building up as much money as possible at the expense of leading a life that you can enjoy.

I'd love to hear about them.

I'm on a path now in my life from which there is NO way back to the 'old' me.

I'd love for you to stumble along with me...both of us learning as we go along.

Watch this space...the second stage of our development is beginning to fall into place!

Oh Come On! That's Not Cricket!

We spent all afternoon and the early evening at a cricket match today...as my brother-in-law needed 32 runs to beat the record for most runs ever scored for his cricket club.

He has been freely scoring runs all season long...and only last week he got a 68 in double-quick time.

All of the family turned out to watch him get the record in the last home game of the season.

You can guess what happened next...

He only got 11 runs!

Still...luckily he has two away games left to get the record.

But...his score was one of the lowest he had achieved during the entire season.

He was the first person to admit that he couldn't quite get into the 'swing of it' today for some reason.

Well...I KNOW the reason.

He 'psyched' himself out of it because he felt under pressure to perform as everyone had turned up especially to share his 'big moment'.

I bet that it's probably happened to you in some form in the past, hasn't it?

It just goes to show how what we think determines whether we succeed at something or not.

What if nobody had turned up...would my brother-in-law have beaten the record?

What if the record was hundreds away...would he have scored more today?

Or...perhaps if he had only need eleven runs...would he have scored less today?

Who knows...but we can certainly agree that had the circumstances been different...he almost certainly would have scored a different amount of runs.

Makes you think, doesn't it...about how powerful our minds really are...and how our thoughts can change our outcomes...despite nothing being different in the 'real' world?

Are YOUR thoughts determining what happens to YOU in that way too?

Ask Me Ask Me Ask Me!

Let me ask you something...

"Do you ASK for what you want?"

Or...are you too busy worrying about what the response may be that you NEVER get around to doing it...even if you really NEED an answer to something?

Sure...it's not always easy to do...but it becomes easier through practice.

How do I know?

Well...let's just say that I've been practicing it a little bit more myself lately!

Take today, for example...

I had an estate agent come around to value our house as we are thinking of moving.

The trouble was...I was also meeting Lesley for lunch in town...which was 15 minutes away.

And...I knew that I would REALLY have to run if I didn't want to be late!

So...I asked a favor from the valuation guy (whom I'd only known for 20 minutes)...and asked if he could drop me into town!

You see...I knew that he was going back to his office...which was in town...so, I thought - "why not?"

I asked. He agreed. I made it into town with minutes to spare. And I got a subject for today's entry! lol

I'll be honest with you...even a few short months ago...I WOULDN'T have forced myself to ask...and I would have been running for a mile in temperatures of over 90 degrees!

So...do you think that I'm going to ask more in future? You bet!

And...so should YOU...even if they are only 'little' questions like mine!

What are YOU going to DO, TODAY?

Here in the UK...another series of 'Big Brother' has finished on TV after 64 days.

I can safely say that a few million people spent the equivalent of a working week tuning into it for 30 minutes every night!

Yet...the vast majority of them would never contemplate spending this time doing something that would move them away from the life they've got...but don't want!

I always wonder why this is the case...but then I remember that I was THERE for the best part of fifteen years.

How about you? Are you...

- Worried about your job security
- Concerned that you should be earning more
- Struggling to pay debts at the same time as creating new ones
- Wondering why you don't seem better off than five years ago

If you are...you're not alone.

But...if you think about it...all these things are PERCEPTIONS that your CONDITIONING has presented you with.

Don't believe me?

Well...let's take a closer look...

1. Worried about job security

What IS job 'security'? There is NO such thing! Both my boss and I thought that I was indispensable until I couldn't come in for two months!

What are the chances of the company you work for even being AROUND in, say, twenty years time? Not much if history is anything to go by.

2. Concerned that you should be earning more

Do you DESERVE to earn more? Are you putting in the sort of extra effort that JUSTIFIES a rise in salary?

If you are...why the hell are you staying at a company that doesn't reward you for it? Go and join a company that does!

3. Struggling to pay debts at the same time as creating new ones

If you're creating new debt...then you can't really be that concerned about paying the old ones off, can you?

This may seem harsh...but, really, what have you got to show for your debt...aside from some material possessions that you will throw away in a few years' time or have done so already.

Credit is good if you use it wisely to invest in yourself, your career, or your business...so that what you learn you can use to pay it back.

4. Wondering why you don't seem better off than five years ago

Are you actually doing anything DIFFERENT to what you were five years ago?

- Are you still living above your means?
- Has your mortgage grown as your salary has?
- Do you have very little to show for five years of effort?
- Do you still watch three hours of TV a night...then complain about how 'unlucky' you are?
- Do you only do enough to 'get by' because you hate it so much?

Unless you change something...you are going to be in EXACTLY the same position in another five years (probably worse!)

So...

Can you see how your perceptions are affecting your entire life?

It's time to WAKE UP...and spend some time looking at WHY your life, career, and relationships are as good as you would like them.

Now...I'm not preaching to you...

I'm just telling you from experience that life DOESN'T have to be that way...if you are prepared to challenge your conditioning and make some serious EFFORT in applying what you read here...and in those hundreds of other self-help books that you have undoubtedly read.

The very fact that YOU are reading this means that you are AWARE that something MUST change.

You are therefore ahead of the majority of the population who don't even REALIZE that they are sitting on a literal time-bomb of failure and unhappiness.

So...it's up to YOU.

What are YOU going to DO, TODAY?

A Kite...But No Wind. So THAT'S Why It Doesn't Fly!

I spent the best part of 45 minutes trying to get Katie's homemade kite to fly without much success.

I would manage to get it to about 7 feet...and then it would shoot down towards me...spinning as it went.

No matter what I tried...running around like an idiot...or twisting the string it was attached to...it just wouldn't work.

It took Lesley to make me come to my senses.

"It's because it's not windy enough, stupid!"

I admit (to you anyway! lol)...that she had a point.

It WAS windy for 10 seconds at a time...but it was neither strong enough or gusted for long enough to get that damned kite up in the air!

Even if it was the most aero-dynamic kite in the world...it STILL wouldn't have got up there because of the lack of a strong wind.

Life's the same.

You can struggle...you can huff and puff...you can change direction...yet STILL you can't 'take off'!

Why?

Because you haven't got the right sort of wind behind you to propel you forward, that's why!

If you are doing what you are doing for completely the wrong reasons...then you will NEVER get off of the ground!

Unless you approach your life from a TOTAL perspective...where your work fits into your family fits in what makes you fulfilled fits back into your work...then, well, you are going to struggle to reach the heights that you REALLY want to.

So before you reach for the stars...as well as having a kite...make sure that you are able to support it on its way up!

You're Just Too Busy Chasing 'It' To Notice!

Are you fascinated by life?

Are you passionate about what you do?

Are you excited by what you can achieve?

No?

Well WHY NOT?

You have in your possession a brain more powerful than any supercomputer.

A conscious so developed that you can choose EXACTLY what you want to do...when you want it.

A body that deals amazingly with all of the stuff that you throw into it every day.

And...a future that YOU can decide!

But...you know all of these things...yet you may still be 'searching'....searching for whatever 'it' is!

Well...I have something to tell you!

IT is already here!

It's not in the future...it is right here, right now.

YOU are only limited by your own imagination. YOU have the power to choose to be whoever you want to be.

Every day...one little bit at a time...strive to do something that moves you closer to whatever the 'it' is in your life.

Believe me...once you start small...you'll find it easier to become bigger...and it will help you realize that 'it' was there all along.

You were just too busy chasing it to notice!

Do You Remember What You've Learned?

Never let it be said that I don't learn anything!

Thanks to my Cable provider...I accidentally lost my Internet connection for about four hours.

To compound this fact I managed to reset my new wireless network...and generally muck most of my system up!

But...instead of panicking...after some trial and error...I decided to go back to basics and start from scratch from before I had my wireless network set up last Friday.

It took me about an hour...but, it worked!

Now...how would you think that I would have reacted had I not LEARNED from what I had done before?

It's just a shame that in 'real' life...we easily forget what we have learned...and just make the same mistakes over and over again.

What would have been the point in you learning in the first place if you don't actually KEEP and USE this knowledge in the future?

It's not always easy to stop yourself from repeatedly making the same mistakes...but the more you 'catch yourself' doing it...the more easier it will be in the future to stop it happening.

Remember...you learn from EVERY single experience that you have...make sure that you never forget it!

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

Are You Too Busy Fighting With Your Weaknesses To Notice?

Day by day...life goes on.

Little by little...your life is either improving...or going backwards.

Which way are YOU going?

If you are having a struggle to stay afloat...then you'd better become a stronger swimmer...

- Learn to do what you already do well better!
- Learn what aren't good at and do less of it!
- Learn what you need to find out to be able to get to where you want to go...and begin doing it!

In short...

Unless you play to your strengths...then you will soon find that you are too busy trying to fight with your weaknesses to notice them!

YOU have a God-given talent for something that NOBODY else on this planet is capable of in the way that YOU are.

What are you doing with it?

Perhaps...more importantly...do you even KNOW what it is?

If the answer is no...then I strongly suggest that you stop looking for a 'magic bullet' that will solve all of your problems...and instead look for ways you can use the talents that you already have more effectively.

You may not yet know what your talent is...but unless you start to get out of your 'comfort zone' by trying new things and stretching yourself...then you will NEVER know!

So...what's stopping you?

You CAN Have Instant Success

Remember waiting in line at the bank? Or at the grocery store? How about at the tollbooth?

Technology is certainly making those things distant memories. I can recall standing in line for 20 minutes and more just waiting to get to the bank teller. Then it was another ten minutes or so watching the clerk do a 'paper-and-ink-pad' juggling show just to process a simple transaction. Today I cuss when the ATM doesn't spit out my money in 1 minute or less.

Just yesterday, I scanned my own groceries for the first time. I'll need a little practice to get that one up to speed but hey, it's a start.

Here in southern Ontario, Canada we also have an electronic toll road. Cameras take a picture of the license plate as you enter and exit the highway. No more waiting at tollbooths and fussing with change. The only time I cuss now is when I get the bill at the end of the month!

BUT I DIGRESS... :)

The point is we have come to expect everything to be instant, as in NOW! Anything less than that is impatiently rejected... as in IMMEDIATELY!

The good news is you CAN have instant success in whatever you do. The secret is all in the measuring. If you can answer yes to either of the following two questions, then you can consider yourself an instant success:

Am I CLOSER to my goal today than I was yesterday?

Am I BETTER today than I was yesterday?

Let's add three more tools to help measure your progress.

1) FREQUENCY - If you are trying to break a bad habit, are you bothered by it as frequently today as you were, say a week ago?

Conversely, if you are trying to establish a new and empowering habit, are you finding yourself doing the desired action more frequently and less consciously today than you were a week ago?

2) INTENSITY - How are those cravings? Are they as strong as they were a week ago?

If you are aiming for a positive goal, do an intensity check on your desire. Are you more determined to get what you want today than you were last week?

3) DURATION - In my younger days I could work myself into a foul mood that would last for several days. Today, 'stewing sessions' last no longer than a minute or two... ok, 15 minutes if it's a real stinker.

Back then, when it came to stretching and growing towards something positive, I could change my plans at the speed of thought. Today I am able to control my focus long enough to actually see my most important projects through to completion!

When you measure yourself this way, using CLOSER and/or BETTER than yesterday as a guide along with FREQUENCY, INTENSITY and DURATION, it's possible to always feel successful. And since the main reason people want success is because of the way it makes them feel, you are ALREADY THERE!

Remember, success is not a destination - it's a journey. Enjoy the trip!

So...WHO are YOU, Really?

I want to ask you a question...

WHO are you?

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

Do you?

And that's the problem!

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

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

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

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

Think about it!

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

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

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

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

So...WHO are YOU?

We Teach What We Need To Learn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We Attract Who We Are

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

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

Cathy Perry
www.findfreedom.com/cathyperry

Don't Change Your Job

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Or my computer!

Or my favorite sports teams!

OR

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't Change Your Job

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Or my computer!

Or my favorite sports teams!

OR

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have a Vision?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Give me your comments.

agabriel@cytanet.com.cy

Your Hearts Desires Are Already Yours

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

Make Space For Living

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

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

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

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

> Feeling that the seasons are passing you by?

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

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

Where can YOU make some space in your life?

Where I Am Today

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

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

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

Taking Care Of Your Rooms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Sibyl McLendon

Teaching A Pig To Sing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Sibyl McLendon

What Are You Going To Be In YOUR Future?

Your Past DOES NOT equal your future!

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

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

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

What about YOU?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Success...And The Creature Of Habit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ah...The Joys Of Being Under Pressure!

Another day...another website almost written.

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

It's funny...

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

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

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

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

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

The Choices We Make...And The Movies We Watch

I went to see "Matrix Reloaded" today...and, although it sometimes seemed that I was watching a video game...is was a good and enjoyable film.

But...of course, films like this one get me thinking! lol

I won't go into the basic premise behind the films...but some of the ideas that it suggests how we are literally 'plugged into' our world (being a computer-generated 'matrix') are certainly relevant where success is concerned.

This sequel suggested that although we are always resigned to some form of fate...we can influence our path along the way by the choices we make.

It's simple...but powerful, stuff.

What choices did you make today that will influence your tomorrow?

It's a serious question that you should ask yourself every day.

Your life is, by default, based on the decisions that you made yesterday, last week, last year, twenty years ago.

But...let me ask you something.

What if all of your choices were the RIGHT ones for you? What - even the bad ones?

Oh yes! Especially the bad ones!

How else would you have learned how to do something without first failing at it?

I'm not for a moment suggesting that you should revel in your failures...just that you should just accept them for what they really are - learning experiences!

Remember...if your past choices have got you to where you are today...imagine where today's choices can get you if you focus on making the ones that are right for you!

And the ones that are right for you are the ones that lead you to where you really want to go.

What...you don't know where you want to go...well you'd better decide soon otherwise how can you expect yourself to make the right choices, then?

Don't Let Who You Are Restrict Who You Know You Can Really Be

It's all down to motivation...

I am an excellent guy for ideas...but I'm not always the most focused person when it comes to completely following them through...the files on my hard drive prove that!

But...I CAN deliver when I REALLY want to!

So...how do I get myself to the point where I really DO want to?

Well...I make sure that I either get technology or people around me that make sure that I am reminded that I have to do 'x'.

For example...

I know that, unless I state that my ezine comes out every Friday...I know that I probably wouldn't have written half of the issues that I have.

I also know that, unless I had Lesley to 'remind' me of the importance I had placed on "The Law Of Success", I would still be thinking about writing the copy for the website!

And...I know that with certain other commitments that I have coming up, I will need a little reminder occasionally to keep me on track.

I know that I am fully capable of delivering what I promise...but I also know that, as a human being...I lean towards my strengths (which are idea related!)

So...

Don't make the mistakes that I used to.

Don't let who you are restrict who you know you can really be.

Put some form of accountability or control into your life and your work...and you will find that you will have all of the motivation you need...at the time when you really need it!

I know it works...because that's why I am writing this at half-past eight on a Saturday evening! lol

How One Single Action Can Have A Ripple Effect On Your Future

I had an interesting experience today with a salesman...

We were buying a new dishwasher (how domesticated! lol) for around $300...and he was pushing a five-year warranty for an extra $130 or so!

What was interesting was not the fact that he was offering it...it was the way he was!

He was literally arguing with me as I was saying "No"!

Me, being me...wanted to give him some reasons why we didn't want it (apart from it being a rip-off! lol)...but, instead of just accepting that I didn't want it, he insisted on challenging every reason that I gave him.

It felt that I was having a debate with him...and not just being offered insurance that I didn't want!

I can tell you that I walked out of the store thoroughly disgusted with his attitude.

Now...do you think that his actions have tainted the entire store in my eyes?

Do you think that I am more likely to go back there in future or not?

Do you think that if the general topic of buying anything cropped up in conversation with our friends...that I would relate this story (and, at the same time let them know what store it was?)

Now...can you see how one single action can have a 'ripple effect' on the future?

What if you were rude to a colleague? Or gossiped behind their back?

Or...how about you turned up for work late every now and again? Or had too many long lunches?

Don't you think that this could cause some 'ripples'?

All it takes is one single action...and you can set a chain of events in play, the impact of which you could never believe.

And...you'll never, ever, know whether it will have a seriously negative effect on YOUR future aspirations and dreams.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

The Answer Is On The Tip Of Your Nose!

"Become Great Where You Are"

My apologies to the author of this quote...but I can remember who it is!

It echoes the "Acres of Diamonds" quoted by Russell Conwell in his lecture of that name in the early 20th Century.

In other words...

"Don't look at trying to be someone you're not...or find something that you don't have...just look wherever you are!"

Or perhaps, more to the point...

"The anwer is on the tip of your nose!"

Evolve...but don't leave behind what you already know. Without you realizing it, this alone could be the key to your future success.

Many people try to just change their life...instead of first working on changing (and improving) who they ARE.

Never forget that YOU are you for a very good reason (whatever that may be). There is (and only ever will be) one of YOU...so don't waste your unqiue talents on trying to be someone that you're not...or someone that somebody else thinks you should be.

Be true to yourself...and treat anything you posses that is 'different' as the key benefit that you 'bring to the party' compared to everyone else.

It's not always easy to be YOU...but it is the only way to go if you want a truly rewarding and successful life!

Are You Listening To Your Values?

What's REALLY important to you?

The reason why I ask is that recently I've talked to a few people who are wondering really what the point of 'it' is.

They are going through the motions of working hard, earning decent money...and spending it, yet something still seems to be missing from their lives.

What they don't realize is that this feeling is a sign that they are doing something that goes against one of their values.

These values are the drivers in our lives...they provide the fuel for our engine...and we get the most satisfaction from life when we achieve things that fit exactly in with them.

In other words...the important things!

So...if your family is (perhaps without you even realizing it) more important than your career...yet you're at work all of the time - then you are going to get that 'isn't there more to life than this?' feeling.

You know the one that I mean.

It's not easy to always spot for yourself if you really are going against one of your values...but once you have the tools to do so...and therefore aware that you are doing so, what's really important to you takes on an entire new meaning!

That'e why it is VERY important for you to work out what is important to you!

Isn't It Amazing How Kids Just 'Live In The Moment'?

It's Katie's 7th Birthday today.

She loved every minute of opening her presents...and her party with over 40 of her friends.

Isn't it amazing how kids just 'live in the moment'?

They enjoy the 'now' and all the excitement that comes with it...and spend very little time worrying about the 'when'.

When we grow up we soon get caught up with expectation, responsibility, and self-esteem issues that make us less of an 'achiever' than when we were only a kid.

Sad really, isn't it?

Imagine how fantastic it would be to be able to just enjoy life for what it is - rather than what it should be.

True - money is a huge factor when we consider how different we are from when we were kids...the worries about earning a decent wage...and being able to pay the bills.

But...what if we could forget about that - just for a short period of time each day?

What if we could just enjoy the NOW instead of fretting about our future?

Wouldn't that be a great thing to do - just for a little bit...just reliving how much we used to enjoy just being ourselves...and getting full 'value' from every experience we have?

Don't you think that would be a worthwhile thing to do?

Why A Positive Attitude Is Useless Without This!

"It's your aptitude, not just your attitude that determines your ultimate altitude."
- Zig Ziglar

Part of the 'battle' of making more of your life is dealt with entirely in your head.

Everyone has ideas on how they can make progress...whether at home or at work...yet, most of the time, these ideas are just forgotten about.

Having a positive attitude goes some way towards rectifiying this as, if you are thinking positively and constructively about your 'problems', then you are automatically more aware of ways that you can move forward.

But...unfortunately, being positive is not enough on its own.

You need to follow up your positive attitude with some action!

You can be the most positive person in the world...yet still suffer constant defeat (as I know from experience)...because you don't actually apply what you have learned.

You can be a self-improvement or a seminar 'junkie' - and yet you still can't make things happen. Why?

Well...because you need to translate what you have learned into your life...and then work towards playing around with it until it works for you. It's no good just trying to copy someone else as they are an entirely different person from YOU.

So - keep positive, by all means...but make sure that you are working to build a solid foundation for your successful future in the meantime.

Go On...You Tell That Little Nagging Voice In Your Head...

I've had a very interesting day...

First...I spent an hour giving some marketing 'advice' to my brother, Mark, this afternoon.

"So what?" you might say.

Well...perhaps for the first time I realised that I do actually have a 'talent' for marketing...something which has perhaps held me back in the past.

Then...I spend an hour and a half on the phone with my mentor, Mitch Axelrod...and, once again surprised myself by doing some informal 'coaching' of my own on him! lol

Then...I spent another hour with my eldest brother, Paul, talking about the best way for him to 'bluff' his way through a staff motivation seminar he is going on tomorrow.

What surprised was that a) he even bothered to ask, b) I actually enjoyed the process, and c) I actually sounded as if I knew what I was talking about!

So what's that got to do with you?

Well...I've just proved that I can do at least three things I didn't believe I could - in one day!

It just proves how our thoughts hold us back where 'getting on' is concerned. I could have easily have side-stepped some of the questions that I have had today...and stayed where I was...but I didn't.

And...I've benefited tremendously from the process!

So - what can YOU do today to prove to that little nagging voice in your head that you CAN do something that it thinks you can't?

Creating Targets Without A Clue Of Where They Are...Now That Is Fun!

I've just been listening to an Internet marketing audio, and I heard the following piece of advice -

"Find the market before you produce your product."

Now...this is a very true statement that most people ignore when they are attempting to get online.

But what has it got to do with success? I bet you're wondering.

EVERYTHING!

It's the same where success is concerned!

Unless you don't know where you want to go, and how you intend to get there...it's pointless trying to 'create' targets for yourself.

Most people are too busy looking for the 'quick fix' that they forget that must KNOW what they are trying to achieve overall!

So you want to be your company's CEO? Are you prepared to put in the necessary hours of extra work - and perhaps years of study for an MBA?
Do you want to start your own business? Are you prepared to work evenings for a couple of years to build up your business to the point that you can leave your 9-5?

The idea is that you need to be 'congruent' - meaning that what you are aiming for now should be consistent with where you want to be.

Think about it.

Are you building foundations for a future that you don't really want?

It's Not Resolution...It's Revolution!

It's New Year's Eve...and resolutions beckon for most people!

But not for me.

I don't believe in them! Why? Well...I believe that they tend to do more harm than good.

Every year you make a resolution just because it's a New Year...and I guarantee that 99% of the time you will fail miserably!

How self-defeating is that?

One of the keys to setting goals and achieving them is having an emotional attachment to the result. It's difficult to do that when you are just 'following the herd'...and making resolutions just because everyone else is!

So - if you really want to change...you need to fear your current situation continuing more than the prospect of failure.

Re-read that again. Think about it. Unless you REALLY want to change bad enough - it ain't gonna happen!

So...I'll leave you with this final thought as the beginning of a New Year approaches...

"This time next year...what would you like to look back on as your major achievement in 2003?"

Practice, Practice, Practice...That's All It Takes

Even though today was a Monday...it seemed like a Saturday!

People rushing everywhere...roads busy...last minute 'panic buying' of presents.

It made me laugh!

I used to get stressed whilst I was waiting in long queues...whatever time of the year. Then I realised that there was nothing I could do about it - so why let it get to me?

Again...it's all down to habit. The first time you tell yourself to calm down - yet deep inside you are still hopping on one leg wishing it would hurry up!

But...practice, practice, practice...that's ALL it takes.

Whatever you want to change won't want to be changed...I guarantee it! (If you didn't really have a good reason to actually do it in the first place then you wouldn't have started it, would you? lol)

It can be a long, slow, tiresome, and yes, stressful, process to change a habit that is holding you back from moving you towards where you want to go.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that it may be holding you back from moving towards something you SHOULD be. Beware of family and friends giving you the idea that you SHOULD be this or that.

Trying to change to aspire to be something YOU don't really WANT to be is like trying to climb up a greasy pole...you may get so far...but you will only slip back down to where you started in the first place!

So...as Christmas Eve approaches for another year...I ask you...who do YOU want to BE...and are you willing to change YOUR habits to get there?

Are YOU Failing Your Way To Success?

You may have heard of the term...

"Are you failing your way to success?"

Perhaps you haven't. The idea is that...in order for us to achieve success we need to have learned from a number of failures on the way.

After all, it took Thomas Edison 10,000 attempts to invent a lightbulb!

But...it's not easy, is it? Failure is a very difficult thing to cope with if it keeps on happening. Regular 'failure' can be a good thing - as long as you aren't making the 'same' mistake twice.

And that's the problem.

There are too many people who "Fail their way to failure!"

What this means is that, instead of learning and benefitting froim the failure 'experience' - they just never seem to actually learn anything - and just carry on doing what they've always done.

You probably know someone who lives like this - they are the ones who usually blame someone or something else for their 'terrible' situation.

Failing your way to success is a good way to go - providing that you do actually LEARN from each failure along the way...and vow NEVER to give up when it seems that failing is all that you seem capable of doing.

It's a very tough thing to be able to do - but it certainly worth the effort in the end.

The Key Difference Between The Winners And The Runners-Up

Can you be bothered?

You know...do you really CARE about what's important in your life?

- Do you have that extra piece of cake when you know that you shouldn't?
- Do you always skip breakfast only to buy it on the way to work?
- Do you have all these ideas in your head - yet never do anything about them?

Do you stand up for yourself? After all...you can wait and wait for someone to come along and 'save' you - or YOU can make the effort to move towards making some positive changes in your life!

It doesn't have to be drastic...and you certainly don't need to spend any money to do it.

All you need to do is to force yourself to do that little bit 'extra' in your life.

- Force yourself to get up that little bit earlier...and get into work a little earlier.
- Force yourself to work that little bit harder on your own development in your free time.
- Force yourself to actually USE all those books that you read.

It's what makes the difference between the winners and the runners-up. They both have occasions where they desperately want to give up - and what separates them is that the winners know that a little extra makes a big difference.

So - what little extra are you going to work on today?

Are You Fighting Battles That You Cannot Win?

Bitterness can be such a terrible...and debilitating, thing.

We have been let down by our community nursing support team for probably the hundreth time.

It's easy to get angry. It's easy to be bitter. It's easy to be upset.

But...it doesn't solve anything. The only thing you end up with is a headache!

Lesley was suprised today that I didn't seem too bothered about something which really frustrated and angered her. Don't get me wrong - I am not a robot - but...

I know that fighting a battle where neither side can win is the last thing you should do.

What about you? Are you trying to 'fight' against opponents even though you know that doing so won't solve or achieve anything?

It's easy to fall into the trap of doing it to make you feel better - but why give the other side the satisfaction of knowing that it's 'got to you'.?

So - next time you do feel the rage building up inside of you...

Take a deep breath - and ask yourself...

"So What?"

Be Careful...You Might Get What You Wish For!

Back from vacation...and back into the 'old' routine.

Well...we call it a routine - but really life is a series of challenges that need to be controlled and managed, wouldn't you say?

Life is, in fact, far from routine...

- We don't always sleep for the same amount of time every night.
- We very rarely eat the same foods every day.
- We are always encountering new faces on the commute into work.
- We are constantly updating our minds with 'real-time' information from newspapers, books, and TV.

So - our lives are more complicated and non-routine than we realise.

And that's why we need to filter everything we see and do.

Our subconscious limits what we see by filtering out the stuff we 'tell' it that we're not interested in.

And that's the problem.

If you always find a negative slant on everything - then that's what your subsconcious will 'look' for on your behalf.

But...on the other hand - if you are constantly on the lookout for opportunities - then you will attract those very same things.

So - next time you find yourself thinking how boring, mundane, and poor your life is - be careful - because you might just get what you wish for!

The Secret of Decision Making

On reflection...it's amazing how many of my decisions are based on 'instinct'.

I am certain that a good 90% of the decisions I make are based on split second judgements of which course of action is 'right' or not.

But...I never used to be like this. I used to focus only on the 'facts' at the expense of all else.

What a mistake.

Whether you want to admit it or not - there are 'factors' in how we live our lives that we cannot explain.

Things like:

- Intuition
- Coincidence
- Instinct
- Gut feeling

All of these things should be acceptable forms of your decision making process.

No - I'm not asking you to go all 'new-agey' and denounce capitalism! All I am suggesting is that perhaps you should look for signs of what is right 'inside of you' as well as out.

Who knows why these things happen - or what real role they play in our lives?

If you don't look for these sort of 'signs' - it's like ignoring one of your other senses. I'm sure you'll agree that, without your hearing, for example, your view on life would be different.

So - don't ignore what could be an important 'weapon' in your success arsenal. Who knows how valuable it could be?

The Day Before You Go On Vacation Syndrome

I have achieved a lot today - both in the online and offline worlds.

Compared to a 'normal' day I have probably achieved about 100% 'more' in each world!

It just goes to show what you can do if you really set your mind to it - and if what you are doing is important enough to keep you focused.

I call it the "day before you go on vacation" syndrome. (I'm not, BTW)

You know - it's the day before you are due to go on vacation - and you rush around making sure that everything is finished so that you don't leave any work whilst you're away.

Ever notice that?

I bet, if you're like me - you probably write down a list of exactly what needs to be done - so that you can be sure that you don't miss anything important.

It's funny how goal-oriented we become when we have the prospect of a nice vacation in front of us, isn't it?

Why don't you try to have a "day before you go on vacation" day tomorrow?

Draw up a list of all those tasks that you have put off for too long - and prioritise them - then just do them as if you were going on vacation!

Wouldn't it be great to come in work the next day knowing that you had a clean 'slate' to start the day with.

You proved that you can do it the day before your real vacation - so why not play 'pretend' - and get rid of that backlog once and for all?

I promise that you will be glad that you did!

Do You Remember A Time When You Re-Invented Yourself?

"Every great artist draws inspiration from re-inventing themselves."

Wise words, don't you think?

Ah...but who do YOU think said them?

I'll give you a clue...they were said by the head of a VERY famous TV family (and it's not the Cosbys! lol)

I'll tell you tomorrow who said it - and I guarantee that you'll be surprised!

Anyway...

Do you remember a time when you re-invented yourself?

No? Well - I can only think of one time (or maybe two) in my life...

It was when I was aged 19 and I was dumped by my girlfriend at the time.

I was sad - but focused. I vowed to 'show her' that she was wrong about dumping me!

Within 6 months I finally learned to drive (after putting it off for a while), bought a car, changed my hairstyle and got a more exciting and demanding job that eventually led me to be who I am today.

I'd call that a re-invention, wouldn't you? lol

But...such re-inventions are rare.

Which is a pity.

In fact I KNOW that I am beginning to go through one at the moment.

My life is going to change beyond recognition in the next 6 months. How?

Well...you'll just have to 'stay tuned' to watch how I do it!

Isn't there a part of you that you would like to re-invent?

- What would you LOVE to do?
- Who would you LOVE to be?

The sky's the limit.

The only limitations we have on what we can achieve with our lives...are put there by ourselves.

The 'closer' I get to understanding how people 'tick' the more obvious it becomes.

So - don't wait until something HAPPENS in your life before you re-evaluate WHO you are and WHAT you are.

Time won't wait for you to change - so you'd better start soon.

Join me on my journey - and we'll do it together!

Would You Like To Join Me In 'National Focus Day"?

Guilt is such an unproductive thing!

I feel guilty because I working on my PC instead of sitting watching TV with my family.

Yet...

I feel guilty when I'm watching TV with my family that I should be working.

It's one of those perils of working from home - it becomes very difficult to 'switch off'.

But...I made an interesting discovery the other day.

I realised that I shouldn't be worrying about one thing whilst doing another.

Why?

Well...I can hardly focus on being a good dad and husband if my mind is elsewhere...and not very focused on my work if I'm worry about upsetting Lesley.

Ever feel like that sometimes?

So - I have an idea.

Would you like to join me in 'National Focus Day"? (OK - I made it up!)

When is it? Well...it's the day after you first read this...

Here's what we're going to do.

On National Focus Day we're going to be totally focused on:

1) Each task we do at work without being sidetracked by gossip.
2) Reading (or listening to) something that will improve our lives on the way to and from work.
3) Our spouse (or parents etc) when we first get in from work - and don't just moan about what a miserable day we've had.
4) Our children - and really take an interest in what they are doing.
5) Doing absolutely nothing in particular for the last hour or two of our day as a reward for staying so focused during the rest of the day.
6) Reviewing what we have achieved during the day in the last five minutes before we go to sleep.

So - are you going to join me in 'celebrating' National Focus Day?

Who knows - if it works well enough for me tomorrow - then I might extend it to a week...or a year...

You'll never know unless you try it!

Let me know how you get on, won't you?

Why You Will Never Become An Overnight Success

Its amazing how many people out there believe that they can 'get rich quick'.

Over the course of a week - I must receive 'business opportunity' emails in the hundreds.

Added to the viagra, dating agency, and chain letter emails - all they seem to do is waste both mine, and the senders', time.

I am certain that the vast majority of these emails are not sent by scam artists or fraudsters. I'm sure that there are a huge amount of naive people who have been 'taken in' - and think that by spending anything from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars for these 'programs' that their financial future is assured.

They just don't get it!

They don't understand that it is impossible to 'get-rich-quick'!

However hard you try - you will never be able to break one of the Laws.

Such Laws govern how we live - and what we can and can't do. There have been many books written about them over the years (and maybe one of mine in the future! lol) - so I'm not going to go into too much detail with the room I have available here.

Suffice to say that...unless you put in the required effort - you won't get the desired reward.

"But what about those people who have 'got-rich-quick'?" you may ask.

Well...nothing can break that simple Law - one that is close to economists' hearts - that of Supply and Demand.

Except where success concerned - there is a slight twist on this theory.

How much you demand of your time, effort, and knowledge will be reflected exactly in how much you are supplied with in return.

This works for money, happiness, or health, in fact anything that can be reflected in your life.

So - if you think that you can find a 'short-cut' in this system - think again.

This Law always evens itself out in the end. Guaranteed.

You can't run a marathon without training for it first - so why would you expect to be able to make a success of your life overnight?

The Success Secret Of Learning In Stages

It's easy to get overwhelmed with information - especially now that the Internet has a virtually unlimited capacity for free information.

I must have hundreds of both free and paid ebooks and reports on my hard drive.

And that's the problem...

Too much information pulls you in too many different directions.

Like you cannot focus your eyes clearly on more than one subject at a time - your mind can only clearly apply one concrete piece of information at a time.

That's why jumping to the next self-help book immediately after finishing the first one is not the best way to learn how to be successful.

You need to fully work with and understand what you read - before you move onto the next thing.

So - if you want to conquer fear - read and apply the most popular book you can find. Then find another one on the same subject. Carry this on until you have achieved what you set out to do. This may seem repetitive (after all - there are only so many ways you can conquer fear!) - but it imprints that information on your brain.

The more you saturate your mind with the same principles - the more chance you have of making it work for you.

General self-help books are excellent starting points to this process - but trying to conquer your fear of cold calling at the same time as focusing on being more organized...at the same time as trying to give up smoking....well - it's not going to work, is it?

Look at when you learned to drive. You were taught how to drive a car. Not a lorry. Not a van. Not a motorcycle. A car. Your whole training was focused on what you had to do in order to drive it.

You weren't concerned about the "cyclist's code", or how many hours you were allowed to drive a lorry on a shift. You knew that all you need to be concerned about was how to drive that car, NOW.

And how did you learn? You learned in stages. First you learned about what the instruments were for - where they were and what they did. Before you ever drove yourself - you did a lot of practicing. You didn't care about where to put the gas in - or how regularly you should service the car - all you were concerned about was what you needed to learn NOW.

So - don't take a 'scatter gun' approach to your future. Focus on improving one area of your life at a time - and stick with it until you get results.

It's such a simple plan - but most people just ignore it. Don't let yourself be one of them.

There's More To Life Than Money And Work...

Time-out in the Vurnum household today as Lesley and I spent some quality time together.

I'm completely 'snowed-under' because of the E-course - but, as I am always fond of saying - there is more to life than money and work!

I could have easily spent the whole day 'catching up' - but why should I?

Having spent most of the weekend on getting it right - I felt that it was time to do the right thing - and stick to my priorities.

Success can be like a drug.

And perhaps like all drugs - it has its 'kick' - but then also the 'hangover' afterwards.

I've always wondered who are the bigger fools - the father who never sees his children because of his career - or the average 'man on the street' who just does his 9-5 and goes home?

Success should be nutured...developed...relived...enhanced - and not just put to the back of your mind as you blindly rush towards your next project.

I may be accused of talking 'out-of-turn' - but sometimes you need to take stock of where you are at the very moment that you finish a project. Sometimes - you need to focus on your priorities even when you are being pulled in other directions.

It's the only way to make sure that your 'Big Plan' stays on track.

Are You Learning As Much As You Are Earning?

Over the last year I have probably used my brain more than at any other period of my life.

It's great!

Even during exam time during my teenage years I only had to fully 'function' in short bursts.

I can honestly say that I am pushing myself harder (but smarter) every day.

Can you say that?

Are you learning as much as you are earning?

Is your free time 'wasted' time - or valuable development time?

You don't have to suddenly stop everything and go back to college - just fill your 'spare' time with things that will help YOU get to where you want to go.

I'm not saying that it is easy (if it was - everybody would be successful). Take me for example. I could sit here all day surfing the 'net as I have a ready-made excuse - "I'm researching!"

But...

One way to ensure that I don't completely 'waste' a day is to make sure that I have a routine. My daily routine is writing this. My weekly routine is writing my ezine. Of course I am writing my books at the same time, answering emails, and writing code etc - but by having a routine - I know that I am constantly adding to my 'body' of work.

Think about it. If I didn't write an article a week - then I would certainly find it difficult (if not impossible) to write 52 articles at the end of the year! Also - I've written over 60 pages of this 'diary' over two months - so it all 'adds up'.

Stop for a moment and think about how you can add some 'routine' to your life.

The trick to sticking to it is to become accountable to someone else for its completion. It's the way I manage to do it - and, if I can - then you certainly can to!

Why You Should Dress For Success...

After again spending most of the day in hospital - I remembered another lesson that I had learned whilst I was in there...

Despite trying to maintain my career after Connor was born - I always made sure that I never missed a day by his side when he was in hospital. It certainly caused problems at work - but I was determined to get my priorities right.

On one occassion we were having problems trying to get our point across about a sickness bug he kept getting - so we asked to see his consultant.

The consultant was held in such awe by the nursing staff that they almost bowed to him whenever he was on the ward! To us he had always been polite - but quite abrupt.

On this particular day I had to attend a very important meeting at work and therefore went to the hospital in my suit and tie for the first time.

"Ooh, you look smart!" said one of the nurses almost wolf-whistling. (OK - I thought she did!)

We were waiting in Connor's room as the consultant breezed in as usual.

I can honestly say that he almost stood to attantion as soon as he saw me standing there in my suit! Almost immediately, his attitude towards me completely changed.

He was nodding and agreeing with me as I voiced our concerns about Connor. At one point he even blamed a nurse for something that he himself had forgotten to do!

At the end of our conversation he thanked me and left. We had our request for more tests - and a promise of more vigilance by his nurses in the future!

Without a doubt we wouldn't have got half of what we wanted if I hadn't been wearing my suit and tie.

Sometimes our appearance is the last thing we consider when we are being passed over for promotion yet again - or when we are trying to catch the attention of someone important.

Whether you like it or not - you are judged by what you wear and how you act. You'd be surprised how much difference a new smart suit or dress could make. Just wearing will make you feel taller and more important.

Just because you need to work on your 'inside' - don't forget that the outside creates the first impression of you in other people's eyes.

Are You A 'Doer' And 'Tryer' Or Just A Talker?

"Success is achieved by those who try"
- W. Clement Stone

And...failure is undoubtedly assured for those who don't!

I always used to 'talk a good game' - that is - say that I was going to do this or become that...but I never did quite manage to actually do anything about it! It took me some time before I realised that you have to actually do something if you want to expect something in return for it! There are certainly no 'free rides'.

It's easy to talk - it's much harder to follow through and actually start. Are you saying one thing - yet doing the complete opposite in your life?

Successful people are 'doers' and 'tryers' - not talkers. If you hung around a successful person long enough - you would see that they commit themselves as soon as they open their mouths.

They understand that you have to be in the race to have a chance of winning it.

What can you do NOW, today - to begin to put your dreams in motion? There is never a better time than the present to start something that challenges and scares you!

The Power Of Your Momentum

Is your brain tuned for success?

Do you search for opportunities wherever you go?

Do you manage to see the positive side to most situations?

Do you regularly have those 'Ah-Ha' moments when that lightbulb goes off in your head?

If you're not - then you need to work on this foundation before you begin any new project with the aim to improve your life. It's easy to pick up a pen and write - but it's harder to pick up a pen and write every day for a year unless you are convinced that you are destined to succeed.

It may be difficult for you to take even the first step to changing your life - but I would be a liar if I said that once you were 'up-and-running' it would get a lot easier. Your success depends on your momentum.

It's like if you were trying to push a car down the street. The hardest part is getting the thing moving - but, once you're away, its momentum begins to help you - and makes pushing it a lot easier.

But...

Unless you have someone steering the car - you are going to have to manage that as well - and the braking when you come to a junction. The whole exercise needs to be co-ordinated carefully otherwise you will have trouble on your hands!

Having a happy and successful life is the same. You need to start pushing yourself - but you also need to make sure that you are aware of the adjustments that you need to make along the way. And...you must also make sure that you actually make those adjustments. The best way to do this is by being open to any possibilities that you might come across which could help you on your journey.

That's why you need to be alert to the opportunities around you. Constantly. The path to success is never a straight one - and so you need to be in a position to change direction at a moment's notice - and the only way to know which way to go is to always look out for the signs around you.

The 'McDonalds Syndrome'

It's where you you go back for more despite the terrible experience you had before.

I'm having that experience with my new PC right now. It took 3 DAYS to get here (don't ask!). It's a good job that I have the patience of a saint! Now that it's here - I love it and would like to get another one! OK - I don't really need another one - but I've fallen in love with the faster processor, more features, and of course - my lovely flat screen That's why I would willingly order another one if I was a little weaker!

What about you? Do you still go back depsite the 'poor' service? I'm not talking about fast food restaurants or PCs - I'm talking about life in general. Do you just 'hang around' because you can't be bothered to take a chance?

I'm not for one moment suggesting that you quit your job or dump your spouse - I'm talking about what you do in your spare time! Do you aimlessly spend 40 hours a week watching TV or lying in until midday on a Saturday?

If you were buying a new TV, or stereo, or a car - you would choose the one that represented the best value for the money you had available to spend, wouldn't you? Don't begin to think about accepting second best for your spare time! Don't keep going back for more and filling your mind with 'stuff' that won't help you become successful.

Change what you do in your spare time - and you can change your life. Even an hour a week devoted your own development works out at the equivalent of seven working days a year that you can use to your advantage. Don't waste them in front of the TV.

My Own Private 9/11.

9/11.

A date that will be etched forever in the memory of a generation.

Also, perhaps to many - a turning point in their lives. Even those lucky enough not be directly effected realised how unpredictable life can be. They realised that there was more to life than drudgery, misery, and unhappiness. They realised that we only get one shot at this life - however long - at that we should make the most of it.

In my life I have a date just like 9/11 - a date on which events marked a turning point in my life - and a realisation that I could live a happy, fulfilled life - a life that I could smile to myself at when I looked back in my old age. That date is 2nd June 1998. The day that my son Connor was born with severe mental and physical disabilities. As far as we were concerned he was going to be a normal, healthy baby. In my mind I can still remember what I felt, saw, and heard.

That day marked a turning point in my life. That day made me realise that a career and job 'security' weren't as important as the health and happiness of my family. I knew then that there was no way back to the old life for me. It took a few years - but my life is now on track to where I want it to go on a personal level.

Don't wait until you experience an event that forces you to realise that you can do something with your life. Don't let it take something terrible to shake you out of your slumber. Do something, anything...but don't wait until it's too late.

The Joy Of Getting Your Priorities Right.

Yet again my 7 p.m. cut-off time comes and goes!

If I were a single man without any responsibilites then I would no doubt spend all day and all night sitting in front of a PC screen.

But I'm not. My life has a purpose other than that of a becoming a millionaire. Having all of the money in the world may buy you more material things - but it can never, ever buy you a family.

I have had less than 12 hours sleep in three nights because of Connor becoming unwell. So - I haven't been able to do as much work as I would of liked. It would be easy to blame him and my circumstances - but I know where my priorities are. Where family and business are concerned - there is only one winner (and no - it's not the business!)

Do you know where your priorities are?

- Do you work an extra hour in the evening at the expense of spending time with your kids? (Why not get in earlier instead?)
- Do you take your spouse for granted? (We've all been guilty of that!)
- Do you value your TV more than you value your health? (I know - it's easy to do)

What I am trying to say is that unless you have friends, family, food, drink, and your health - it won't matter if you're poor or a millionaire - you'll be miserable!

Take some time to think about it. Don't get seduced by the lure of wealth at the expense of 'life'. You'll never hear someone on their deathbed say - "I wish that I had spent less time with my kids" or "I wish that I could have worked longer hours".

Get your priorities in their rightful places. Take it from me - there's no better way to live.

"Life Doesn't Come With A Map."

"Life doesn't come with a map -
So it doesn't matter if you take a wrong turn."

I saw this on a board outside a church whilst I was out today. Read it again. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Too many of us worry about the bigger implications of what we do. In plain English I call this the "Fear of What-if".

Are you putting off making more of your life because of what *might* happen?
Are you more concerned about how much your pension *might* be if you stay at your job for another five years?
Are you worried what sort of reaction you *might* get if you start taking your success more seriously?

Remember, there are no wrong decisions! Whatever you decide to do, now, today - it's right for you now. In a year's time it *might* look wrong with hindsight - but you certainly won't know that until you get there.

Stop worrying about "what-if" - and start focusing on "why not?". That decision alone will be one of the best 'right' decisions you could ever make!

A Self-Confessed 'Information Junkie' Repents

Being a self-confessed 'information junkie' - it is easy for me to get sucked into a subject once I have decided to work on it.

I spent many years of my life reading (but not using) personal development books and courses. I probably read every semi-popular book on the market - yet I still stood still. My career undoubtedly benefited from my new-found wisdom, but deep down my life wasn't going where I wanted it to go. So I stopped reading. I realised that I already had read enough to get me to where I wanted to go - and that I should be working on how to use this knowledge to actually affect my life.

The rest is history.

So fast-forward a few years. I have a website (or two). I have big plans. But I still have the same amount of time as I did before, yet - emails to answer, products to develop, ezines to write, relationships to build...it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that comes my way.

So - prioritisation is the key. What is important...what should I do that helps me achieve my goals?

What do YOU really want out of life? A big car? A big house? A happy, debt free life? What are YOU going to do about it? There is too much information available out there -and it's so easy to get dragged down by the apparent lack of time you might have to go through it all.

Look at everything that you do, every day. Does it in some contribute to your journey to success? If it doesn't, then make sure that you fill the time doing something that does build your foundation. It's easy to sit and read a newspaper or watch TV for an hour, and it may be hard to work on your future instead.

But I bet that you would swap 5 years of hard, focused effort for the life of your dreams, wouldn't you?

The Steepest Learning Curve Money Can Buy!

I've put myself on a serious learning curve over the last couple of weeks - one which will be continuing for at least another month or so.

I've decided that my first efforts at copywriting for my websites are OK - but need to do much better if I want to achieve the life I desire. So far I have bought (and read, highlighted, and summarized) three ebooks - and I have also read three hardback books. All in the last two weeks or so!. Thanks to my vacation - I was able to to focus on reading and learning for a couple of extra hours every day last week.

But...

As I was going through my hard drive I realised that I probably already have all of the information that I need to achieve my aims. And guess what - practically all of it I got for free from various sites on the 'net. I almost found myself buying at least two or three new ebooks on the subject (I'm an information junkie!) - but once I realised that I could save myself $100+, I decided that I should use the information that I already have before I go on another credit card spree.

The easy option would be to 'persuade' myself that the new 'exciting' ebooks are better than the millions of words of free information that I have already got...but I would be wrong. Never get 'sucked in' to the buying process when you have everything that you need available for free.

The playing field has never been as level as it is now. Don't pass up the opportunity to learn what you need to be a success in whatever subject your strength lies. And never, ever, write off something because it's free!

Let's Go On A Vacation

We're off on vacation tomorrow (or on holiday as us Brits like to call it!).

The day before is always such a frenzied rush - especially for us! Connor has to have all of his medical gear packed up in two suitcases - and mine, Lesley's, and Katie's things all go in two more. Connor is off to a wonderful respite home for 10 days, while we go to a place in the Forest of Dean, near the Welsh border.

Charging around as we are doing - Lesley organizing the packing, me organizing my business - it reminds me of how much we 'underachieve' compared to the day before we go away. We make a list of tasks to complete, we make sure that everything is taken care of - yet, on a normal day, we might not bother to finish that task because, well, there's always tomorrow.

Well, tommorrow always turns into today - it never comes.

Why not play a pretend game with me? Let's pretend that you are going on vacation tomorrow...just like me.

What would you do to make sure that you finished everything?
How would you go about planning your day?
What will you 'reward' yourself with, once you complete everything?

Try it, just for one day. You know that you can do it because you manage to do it (like me) on the day before you go on vacation every year!

Two TV Shows - Two Lessons

I have 'found' out two interesting facts from watching daytime TV as I looked after Connor this afternoon.

1) Did you know that top author Jack Higgins (The Eagle Has Landed) generally takes only three and a half weeks to write a book? Once, he even wrote one in 15 days on a subject which he didn't think his publisher would publish (he had to do it to fulfil his contract) - and yet it went on to #1 in the UK, #7 in the US, and made into a popular movie!

What this showed to me was that if I really, truly, want to make something out of my life - I must devote time to it. If I really wanted to write a book in less than a month - could I do it? Or, as is usually the case - would I get sidetracked by the bells and whistles of internet publishing. It definitely gave me food for thought.

2) I turned over to QVC as they started a two-hour special on the 'Painter of Light' - Thomas Kinkade. His paintings are amazing - and one day I will certainly have the money to buy a large canvas to hang in my living room.

It struck me that Kinkade is living proof of the power of residual income. He takes however long to paint one of is (undoubtedly amazing) pictures - then the 'corporate' roll-out begins.

- First - there's the original (God knows how much he could sell that for)
- Second - Reproductions on Canvas
- Third - High Quality full size Print Reproductions
- Fourth - Basic Print Reproductions
- Fifth - Smaller versions of the above
- Sixth - Postcards, Figurines, Plates, Calenders, 'Collectors Club', Lamps, Christmas Tree Decorations - and on and on....

All of these income streams from ONE painting done ONCE in the past! There is certainly a lesson there that can be applied to any business, whether online of off.
I know that it certainly got my 'thinking cap' one. So maybe one day you'll see a quote from The Science of Success on a Christmas decoration!

So What? I'm An Asthmatic!

OK. I'll admit it. I'm a wheezer (well, asthmatic anyway).

I'm currently going short of breath about every couple of hours between 'puffs' of my inhaler. The last thing in the world I couldn't go without are my prized collection of Ventolin inhalers. One upstairs, one downstairs, one in Lesley's handbag. At the moment, I RELY on them to get me through the day. I know that I won't achieve my target (to stop wheezing) without the necessary tool (my inhaler) and the plans to back it up (one strategically placed wherever I might suddenly need it.)

What's stopping you from reaching your target? Is it because you don't have a target in the first place? You'd be surprised at how many people wander around complaining that they want more out of life - yet don't even know what 'more' is.

If you know what you want - do you have the correct tools to do the job? Are you learning more about what you need top do to get to where you want to go? Do you spend the money necessary to get the best 'education' of the subject that you can find? Yet again - how many people shy away from spending $30 on a book that could change their lives if they applied what is written in it?

Do you have the plans to back all this up? Are you setting aside a specific period of time each day, or every week, to follow through on what needs to be done? Are you making sure that you are putting the required effort into your success 'project'. This is the crucial aspect that a lot of almost successful people miss. They try to find the shortest, and easiest route to something when the longest, and hardest route is usually the most beneficial in the long run.

Don't be like an asthmatic without an inhaler. Don't get short of breath before it's too late.

The Jobs I Could Never Do...

My wife (Lesley) has been quite ill and bed-ridden for the last couple of days and I have been in full charge of the kids and the housework. It takes me three times longer than Lesley to do the household chores - and it always seems to take so much more effort when I'm not really motivated to do it.

It made me realise that there are certain 'jobs' that I could never happily do to my full potential. Don't make the same mistake if you are looking to get out of your 9-5. Never take on a job or task that doesn't suit you - no matter how 'exciting' it may be, or how 'rich' other people have become because of it. It amazes me how many people bend themselves to fit a job, rather than finding a job that fits them.

Work out what you're good at (and don't mind doing) - then find a way to make an income from it.