Pursuing Your Passion

We all have talents and gifts. Some people's are apparent, such as Beethoven, Michael Jordan, or Winston Churchill. Others live out their personal and professional lives in less conspicuous ways but no less valuable ways.

Only you can define your passion. The fact that your mother wants you to be a doctor, your father wants you to conquer Wall Street, your spouse wants you to be an architect, or the coach wants you to play first base really doesn't matter.

Your passion is, quite simply, nothing more or less than your passion. It is, very simply, that thing in this world about which you are passionate. It does not have to be justified nor quantified to anyone's satisfaction other than yours.

Consider the following:

1. What activities cause you to be excited and energized?
2. What activities tend to make you tired and worn out?
3. What passions in your life are you proud to share with others?
4. What do you want to be known for?
5. If you had to pursue one course to make a difference in the world, what would it be?

Once you have identified your passion, it is important to find the best way to turn your passion into your profession. The late, great George Burns once told me that "If you love your job, you never work a day in your life." George Burns was passionate about his career as an entertainer, and he pursued that passion joyously for almost a century.

Recently, I've had the true privilege of getting to know 97- year-old Coach John Wooden who has, by far, more NCAA National Basketball Championships than anyone ever.

Coach Wooden considers himself a teacher. Had he not been a basketball coach, he feels he would have taught English. He sees very little difference between training seven-foot super athletes and instructing college freshmen in the basic rudiments of the English language.

Coach Wooden understands the key principle. His passion is the act of teaching, but it can be implemented in many ways.

I have a good friend who was a struggling night club comedian. Comedy was his passion, but he had reached a point where he could no longer survive financially. Then he made what some people would consider a drastic career move and became a humorist, speaking at corporate events.

Now he makes an amazing living and still pursues his passion. My friend understands that his passion is the comedy, whether it's in a smoky nightclub or a corporate convention setting.

As you go through your day today, look for more and unique ways to pursue your passion.

Today's the day!

[Source: jimstovall.com, by Jim Stovall]

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How You Start Your Day Counts

Whether or not we choose to believe it, for the most part you and I have a clean slate with each new sun rise. Whatever happened yesterday, good or bad is now rooted in the past.

In the moment in which we now find ourselves, we have the ability to focus in on and do the things which will serve us for the better, or we can give our attention to those things which will re-ignite whatever thoughts were causing us to remain stuck.

We have a choice, and fortunately, it isn't all that difficult to set the tone early on in your day. Does that mean you're guaranteed not to meet with a challenge early on that will knock you off course or throw you for a loop? Of course not, but in the event that something (or someone) shows up with such an agenda you'll find yourself a lot more prepared to deal with it and be able to adjust course accordingly.

Here are some simple, but effective ideas you can use to start your day out on a positive note.

Upon waking up, name at least ten people you're thankful for - recount those in your life who've had a positive impact on you. Think of those who have in some way helped to make you the unique person you are.

Don't sell yourself short here. No matter what place you may find yourself in now, you're still an amazing person, with unique gifts and talents. You don't have to believe it, but it's still the absolute truth!

Practicing gratitude is a powerful thing that helps to reconnect us with our inner power, and the abilities which make up who we are.

Give thanks for your talents and skills - each of us has been blessed with special skills and talents. You may not feel as though you've completely developed all of yours up to this point in your life, but that doesn't change the fact that you've got them.

Think through those things that others compliment you on, those are talents. Don't underestimate all the amazing bits and pieces that go into making you the person you are. As you identify and give thanks for the talents that were bestowed upon you commit to develop them and become more proficient in their use.

Write down your days most important action steps the night before - The simple act of writing down the following days most important tasks will give you a plan to move on the next day. Keep in mind that you can get the most productive mileage if you'll put your "super tasks" at the top, where you'll complete them first.

For the purpose of this article consider Super Tasks as those things which upon their completion will give you the absolute most bang for your buck. Consider the difference between a "super task" and say one of lesser importance. A super task might be: calling on a prospective client, while one that doesn't quite hold such importance in the grand scheme of things might be: cut the grass.

While both are important, and you may very well want to get both done, the simple fact is the first example is going to lead towards a greater reward then the latter. You see, it's more a matter of separating items which fall into the category of "busy work" versus those which can move us forward at a maximum pace. Another such "super task" might be to spend time studying your industry or chosen profession.

Review the actions steps you wrote down the night before - As you are looking over the items you wrote down, close your eyes and see yourself completing them and experiencing the wonderful sense of accomplishment for having done so.

After you have visualized yourself finishing the items on your daily action list take a deep breath and begin your day working on and completing them.

Keep in mind that each new day is just that -- an opportunity to turn the page, and implement daily actions that can steer your life in the direction you wish it to go.

You can sail your ship, or choose to remain mired in inaction and float aimlessly, dependent upon whatever life may throw your way. My sincere hope for you is that you will choose the first option.

It's your life, LIVE BIG!

[Source: JoshHinds.com, by Josh Hinds]

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Borrow Someone Else's Brain!

One of the things I hear most from people, and that I notice about myself, is that when you get an idea about going after some cool goal, often it's dismissed in a millisecond because you can't imagine taking the steps necessary to reach it.

Imagining something that doesn't exist yet is a skill that very few people have...

But it just may be the single most important factor or skill in living a happy, contented, and productive life.

Usually, we don't get the outcomes we want simply because we can't imagine it. We aren't able to imagine saying the right thing or being confident no matter how much we prepared.

We don't feel creative or successful, so that part of our mind stays hidden behind a brick wall. It's there, but we don't "let" it out. We "can't imagine it..."

Microwave ovens, disposable diapers, fax machines and email grew out of someone's mind. Forks had to be invented, too. All from the mind of a person. In fact, simply learning anything old requires imagination.

What you may not realize is that in just a few minutes a day, you can use your imagination for some other very interesting things... useful things. And if your ability to make real something that doesn't exist today is lacking, I have a new and simple tool for you. I'm amazed every time I do it.

It's literally a "no-brainer."

If you want to learn something or do something you've never done or done well, try this.

You can do this for absolutely anything, but let's say you're trying out for a play. Ask yourself who's done this before? Who's good at this? The simplest answer is to think of an actor you admire for their talent and range.

My stepdaughter is going through this right now. So she chose Sarah Michelle Gellar, one of her favorite actresses.

What you do is this: When you need to perform at your best or if you need to get great ideas, replace your own head (or mind), figuratively speaking, with theirs. You imagine their head is put in the place of yours. Got the picture?

Once you've done that, ask yourself what they would do now.

• How would they stand?
• What would they think about their chances? What is their confidence level?
• What kind of look would they have on their face?
• How would they walk?
• What kind of pictures would they see in their mind's eye?
• What would they be imagining?
• What would they do? And after that, what? And on and on...

Sit down, close your eyes and imagine it. Have a piece of paper and a pencil next to you. Give yourself 5 minutes. Have all the questions above and more in your mind.

Become that person...

Studies have been done on this phenomenon and frequently found that at the exact moment the imagining exercise was being done by a person, others observed that person to be actually doing, saying or acting in the manner that they were imagining!

School children who've never been good students have been transformed into 'A' students literally in minutes, just by imagining themselves as top students.

It's simple. You don't need training. But the more often you take these 5-10 minute "breaks," the faster you'll get the answers you want, the better you'll do your job or the better your grades will be.

Use it to improve your work performance and get that promotion and raise.

But if you're a gotta-have-it-now person, keep in mind that this will work and work quickly. But if you think that next week you'll be getting a raise, based on your great performance of the week before, success still demands that you continue to perform daily. Long-term rewards come in the long term.

So pack this one in your arsenal and pull it out whenever you need to effortlessly overachieve or when you're stuck. And if no one is there to pat you on the back, do it yourself. Or imagine someone you respect doing it.

Do this. It only takes 5 minutes. You just may get an idea that will revolutionize your entire life; and maybe everyone else's too!

Keep in mind that success is seldom complex. Just because this "seems" too simple to be effective, don't dismiss it. If your success and happiness are important to you, choose an area of life where you want to perform well and do this exercise.

5 minutes. How about right now?

[Source: thinkrightnow.com, by Mike Brescia]

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Improve Your Memory, Improve Your Life

One way of keeping your head clear and not getting into a perceptual rot is by walking different ways to work every day... Take a left where you usually take a right. Do the scenic tour instead of the shortest trip.

Have you heard it before? Sure you have.

Have you done it?

Uhm...

Once, maybe?

Uhm. Maybe.

I've certainly heard it many times. And I've even done it... uhm ... a couple of times. But soon, I'm back to taking the quickest way. Hey, it's the morning. I am sleepy. I need to get to work. Shortest way is best.

Going back home, there's some other reason. Have to get back home to my wife. Have to get the kid in kindergarten. And I'm tired after a full day of working. Give me a break. I'm going the shortest way.

And that's how the days go by.

At least, that's how they went by... Until last year.

I'd been thinking about the teachings of our old friend William Walker Atkinson (author of "Memory, How to Develop, Train and Use It"), and I thought: why on Earth don't I use his technique when walking to work?

There's probably a thousand and one small things I never notice every day — things that are really there, clear, vivid, real — and in my line of vision — and I really never notice them.

Instead of changing my route, I changed my head.

I opened up. I wanted to be like a child, and see the world freshly. Why do kids always seem to get too late to school? It is because they see everything, they are totally taken in by what they see, they are lost in the present, isn't it?

So I looked. I just used my eyes as I walked. At first, I was somewhat freaked out by this experiment. I had resolved to discover something new every day — something new that was clearly visible, for all to see, on this road that I walked five days a week — and had been walking for about a year.

And I was freaked because I was thinking: What if I don't notice anything new? What if I am really not open to seeing anything I haven't noticed before...

So I did some easy discovering. I looked at every tree, and I could honestly say I'd never noticed most of them before. I knew there were trees, but I hadn't seen them, any one of them, and actually thought about it... lingered by the thought.

But now I did. I saw a birch, and this was the autumn, and the birch was really burning with red and yellow leaves, and I realized that not only had I never noticed this birch before, I had never really noticed how beautiful the birches could be when fired up by that magnificent autumn display.

I hadn't changed the way I walked; I'd changed my head.

Day by day, I noticed new things. Things you'd find it hard to believe could be ignored. Whole houses. A kindergarten. A super market. All things on the way I'd been walking, back and forth, five days a week, for a year.

It was exhilarating, gratifying... and extremely frightening.

It wasn't frightening in the beginning, but as I saw thing after thing, noticed beautiful houses, vintage cars, apple trees, I started thinking about other aspects of my life.

What was I missing because I never really looked?

Not just birches, but how beautiful they can actually be, when lit up by autumn magic.

What didn't I see in my life, that was there every day? With my son... With my wife. Me? What about me? Were there things about me, obviously visible, plain out into the open, that I never saw? That I could see, if only I looked?

I did see something in me. And it was beautiful, and not what I expected.

Later.

How about my wife? I saw things I'd known, that I could have told you before, but that I still never really saw. I mean, I didn't see it clearly, I didn't see its implications, or where it came from, or how it affected her and those around her... until I started looking openly.

I saw something surprising. I saw how she could see a lot of things that I was usually unaware of. I noticed that she actually saw a lot of things... that few people see.

So what did that do to me?

It helped me value her even more. I admire her even more as a human being, and I also know that even more than I knew before, she is strengthening the team that is our family. Her clear-sightedness is one of the most valuable assets a family (or business, or person) could have.

Now of course she doesn't see everything. But more than I did. So I learned this...

Memory is a skill. It can be taught, and learned.

Some have it more than others, but it is easy to acquire. I did it. The basic skill can be acquired in an instant. All it takes is a shift of how you think about the world around you. At first you will forget to do it, but if you force yourself for a few days, pretty soon it will become automatic.

So what did I learn about me?

I saw that I had all the skills that I needed. I had all the knowledge. I had the time, and the experience. I had the right tools. I had everything I needed, except for the mindset.

I was always searching outside of me, looking for a secret weapon, a better tool, smarter knowledge. I was looking and looking, consuming and consuming, instead of producing.

I had everything I needed. For what? I had everything I needed to accomplish my goals. I had some goals I had written down and was chasing, reverently, desperately.

When I realized I had everything I needed to accomplish those goals, everything changed. I started writing, producing, believing in my own value, my own ability to succeed.

And that is a great feeling!

It gave me peace. It took away the stress. It let me relax when I needed to, and work, efficiently and effectively, when I needed to. It gave me sorely needed balance.

And all that just because I paid better attention. I saw things that had always been there. I saw the beautiful birch, alight with the magic of autumn.

Not only did it allow me to create my Corelizer System (complimentary ebook download, no email required). It also had a profound implication...

When I turned from a consumer to a producer, from a reader to a writer, from a doubter to a believer, I also turned from a dreamer to a doer. I did! I did all the things I'd been reading about, thinking about, dreaming about.

And do you know what?

It isn't dreaming that gets you results.

It is doing. It is doing the right things, doing the things your strengths tell you to do.

If you do stuff because you are desperate, you do the wrong things. And even if you do the right things, you do them the wrong way. You won't see the results you want.

When you do things based on your strengths, you create value. You are an asset to humanity. You are a pillar of society.

How can you utilize that strength if you do not see it? When you do not even know it is there?

(Hint: You can't.)

That's why even if you don't care about memorizing more stuff, enhancing your memory is a powerful and easy to learn skill that will impact you positively throughout every aspect of your life.

[Source: youcantbeatme.com, by Sten Anderson]

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Words Without Actions

Not long ago, I was interviewing two people applying for the same position. When the first candidate was asked what her goals were, Becky replied that continuous learning was her goal. When asked what steps she had taken to accomplish her goal, Becky said that she was going to sign up for a course in the fall.

The next candidate had a similar goal, but, in this case, Rebecca had actually taken several courses to help her achieve what she wanted. This action showed not only did Rebecca have a goal; she had been implementing an action plan to achieve here desired results.

"Words without actions are the assassins of idealism." -- Herbert Hoover

In the end Rebecca had created stress for herself in using "words without action". When you find yourself in stressful situations, rather than using words to reduce your stress, take action to create less stress in your life.

A great way to take action is to set goals for your life. Setting goals and taking action can result in less stress in your life. It prepares you for other opportunities. It gives you a focus on the future rather than being stuck where you are.

So often people are stressed but do little to reduce their stress. Setting goals for yourself is the first step in changing your life. But more importantly, taking action towards achieving these goals will actually create less stress in your life, as you will see yourself progressing towards "a goal that you want".

[Source: stresslesscountry.com, by Catherine Pulsifer]

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Habit Is as Habit Does

Let's begin with the painfully obvious truth:

• Successful people have successful habits.
• Losers in life have loser habits.
• Habits are behavior, and behavior never lies.
• Your habits determine you're your past, present and your future.
• If you want change in your life, you must change your habits.

Let's do a simple fill in the blank exercise to determine how well your current habits are serving you.

Here's a health related example with two possible answers:

• My health, exercise and eating habits have... turned me into a firm, energetic and unstoppable powerhouse.

• My health, exercise and eating habits have... turned me into a flabby, lethargic and unmotivated person.

Now, take a few moments to answer these questions regarding your habits.

1. My savings and spending habits have...
2. My sales and marketing habits have...
3. My relationship habits have...
4. My parenting habits have...
5. My time management habits have...
6. My demonstrated leadership habits have...
7. My communication habits have...
8. My work habits have...

So, how did you do? Are your habits helping or hurting your performance?

The one true path to success and happiness in life is to change your behavior by replacing your bad habits with positive habits that move you in the direction that you want.

It's easy for me to say that if you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting, so change your behavior.

And that's exactly what I'm going to tell you to do-just change!

I want you to look at your results year to date, right now-- today and determine what habits you must change in order to secure a better tomorrow.

Don't procrastinate as that's a destructive habit that is definitely not worth repeating as it bears no desirable fruit and most likely will lead to regret and missed opportunity.

Everything Counts!

[source: personalstrategicplan.com, by Gary Ryan Blair]

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Peace of Mind Tips and Advice

Most people would be glad to have some peace of mind in their life. They would be happy to forget their troubles, problems and worries, and enjoy a few moments of inner calmness and freedom from obsessing thoughts.

What is peace of mind? It is a state of inner calmness and tranquility, together with a sense of freedom, when thoughts and worries cease, and there is no stress, strain or fear. Such moments are not so rare. They may be experienced while being engaged in some kind of an absorbing or interesting activity, such as while watching an interesting movie or TV program, while being with someone you love, while reading a book or while lying on the sand at the beach.

Such and similar activities take away the mind from its usual thoughts and worries, and bring some temporary inner peace.

The question is, how to bring more peace of mind into our life, and more importantly, how to experience it in times of trouble. You might also ask whether it is possible to make it a habit, and enjoy it always and under all circumstances. First, you need to learn to bring more moments of inner peace into your daily life. Later, you will be able to experience these moments in times of trouble or difficulties too, when you most need inner calmness and tranquility.

Here are a few simple things that can help you:
• Reduce the amount of time you read the newspapers or watch the news on TV.
• Stay away from negative conversations and from negative people.
• Don't hold grudges. Learn to forget and forgive. Nurturing ill feelings and grievances hurts you and causes lack of sleep.
• Don't be jealous of others. Being jealous means that you have low self-esteem and consider yourself inferior to others. This again, causes lack of inner peace.
• Accept what cannot be changed. This saves a lot of time, energy and worries.
• Every day we face numerous inconveniences, irritations and situations that are beyond our control. If we can change them, that's fine, but this is not always possible. We must learn to put up with such things and accept them cheerfully.
• Learn to be more patient and tolerant with people and events.
• Don't take everything too personally. Some emotional and mental detachment is desirable. Try to view your life and other people with a little detachment and less involvement. Detachment is not indifference, lack of interest or coldness. It is the ability to think and judge impartially and logically. Don't worry if again and again you fail to manifest detachment. Just keep trying.
• Let bygones be gone. Forget the past and concentrate on the present moment. There is no need to evoke unpleasant memories and immerse yourself in them.
• Practice some concentration exercises. This will help you to reject unpleasant thoughts and worries that steal away your peace of mind.
• Learn to practice meditation. Even a few minutes a day will make a change in your life.

Inner peace ultimately leads to external peace. By creating peace in our inner world, we bring it into the external world, affecting other people too.

[Source: Unknown, by Remez Sasson]

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Focus on Your Primary Aim

As we go through life we have many goals we wish to accomplish. Sometimes our wants are so numerous they seem to overwhelm us -- we don't know how to do them all at once.

The solution? Focus on our goals one at a time until we accomplish them all. Carry a list of your goals with you everywhere. Individuals will be on your path, who - when you show them your goals - may be able to help you achieve them.

Action Step:

To see our dreams come true we need to discover the natural talents we were born with. Think about the things that you love to do, things that make you feel like a million bucks, things that you really don't have to try too hard at to be successful.

For example, when I stand in front of an auditorium filled with thousands of people, and speak to them about fulfilling their dreams, my mind and body are filled with energy -- so much that I'm practically buzzing all over.

When I'm speaking to people I'm so excited I can hardly stand still. Speaking and writing are my right livelihood. I love it and it loves me.

To discover your strengths, ask yourself a few questions, like:

1. What are some activities that I excel at without a lot of effort, study or preparation?

2. What do I do well that most people find difficult?

3. What skills do I have that makes people make "wow!" comments and compliments?

4. If I had all the money I could ever spend -- meaning money is not a concern -- what would I do?

Take this list of activities and on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being what you feel you're most talented at) rank these activities. Your biggest rewards will come from the activities you've ranked 7 and higher.

Once you have your top activities -- you should have 5 or fewer -- choose the one you love to do the most, because that is your primary aim. Over a lifetime, a well-chosen primary aim tends to extend itself into many possibilities.

Yours in success,

Live a Beautiful Life

[Source: markvictorhansen.com, by Mark Victor Hansen]

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How Do You Attract Opportunity Into Your Life?

Someone recently asked me the question: "How can I have more opportunities come into my life?" Good question, but I think my answer surprised them a bit.

I bypassed the obvious (and necessary) points about hard work, persistence and preparation. They actually were very hard workers. And they had the great attribute of being seekers, they were on the outlook. But I felt maybe they were missing this next and most valuable point - attraction.

I always thought opportunities and success were something you went after, then I found out that I needed to turn it around. Opportunities and success are not something you go after necessarily, but something you attract - by becoming an attractive person.

That's why I teach development of skills. If you can develop your skills, keep refining all the parts of your character and yourself, your health, your relationships, etc. so that you become an attractive person to the marketplace - you'll attract opportunity.

Opportunity will probably seek you out. Your reputation will probably precede you and someone will want to do business with you. All of the possibilities are there by working on the philosophy that success is something you attract.

The key is to continue making yourself a more attractive person by the skills you have, the disciplines you have, the personality you've acquired, the character and reputation you have established, the language and speech you use

Personal development - the never-ending chance to improve not only yourself, but also to attract opportunities and affect others.

To Your Success,

Live a Beautiful Life

[Source: jimrohn.com, by Jim Rohn]

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Purpose, Vision And Goals

Do you have a definite purpose that guides your ambitions, vision, and goals?

It doesn't matter how you think you arrived here on this planet or under whose direction -- the fact remains that each of us has specific talents and gifts that are uniquely coded within our own DNA.

As you go through life, you don't just pick up things you like doing by chance. You discover what you're good at because you were meant to discover it, just as you were meant to figure out what your fingers do, and how your elbows work. Your unique gifts are hardwired into your system just as surely as your lungs are given their blueprint to breathe.

And it's from these specific talents and gifts that you're able to define and determine your definite purpose... the reason why you're here. What's in you cannot be found in another living human being.

In fact, it's quite possible that what you bring to the table hasn't been duplicated -- ever -- since time began.

That's right! This "purpose" is serious business.

If you fail to determine your definite purpose, everything else is wrong.

It's like working with a broken compass -- you may think you're going North, but you're not. You're not sure which direction you're heading, so, you're just wandering aimlessly.

Without your purpose identified firmly in your mind, you will wander through life, never quite feeling that you're "in the flow." I say, then, that it's imperative you recognize what it is you're good at -- what it is you really love to do.

Your purpose in this lifetime is to do the thing that you love.

People will tell you they already know what they're good at, and what they love to do most, but they'll never earn money doing it. Whoever gave you that idea? When you're sorting out your purpose, I don't want you thinking about THAT non-issue at all.

You can earn money at anything. Once you determine your purpose, you won't even have to think hard on how to earn money -- it's as if you're being guided by an unseen hand, heading in the right direction... and everything falls into place.

The key to your life is not that you settle for the "safe" thing that will bring in the money. The key is to turn and do what you really love. Fall in love with an idea. That's your life! That's your purpose.

[Source: sixminutestosuccess.com, by Bob Proctor]

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The Greatest Salesman in the World

by Og Mandino

Only principles endure and these I now possess, for the laws that will lead me to greatness are contained in the words of these scrolls.

Principle #1 – Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.

Keep it always in mind and you will overcome seemingly impossible obstacles that are certain to confront you as they do everyone with ambition. Never feel shame for trying and failing for he who has never failed is he who has never tried.

Principle #2 – I will form good habits and become their slave.

If I must be a slave to habit let me be a slave to good habits.
My bad habits must be destroyed and new furrows prepared for good seed.
Each principle in these scrolls will drive a bad habit from my life and replace it with one which brings me closer to success.
For it is another of nature’s laws that only a habit can subdue another habit.
As I repeat the words daily contained in these scrolls they will soon become a part of my active mind.
Eventually I will find myself reacting to all situations which confront me as I was commanded in the scrolls to react.
Thus a new and good habit is born.

Principle #3 – I will greet this day with love in my heart.

Love is the greatest secret of success in all ventures.
I will laud my enemies and they will become my friends; I will encourage my friends and they will become my brothers.
Always will I dig for reasons to applaud; never will I scratch for excuses to gossip.
I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they be hidden.
But how will I react to the adversity of others? With love.
For just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger.

Principle #4 – I will persist until I succeed.

I was not delivered into this world in defeat, nor does failure course through my veins.
I am not a sheep waiting to be led to the slaughter.
I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep.
I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good.
I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt.

Principle #5 – I will increase my knowledge of the world.

Within me burns a flame which has been passed from generations uncounted and its heat is a constant irritation to my spirit to become better than I am, and I will.
I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell, thus my sales will multiply.
I will practice, and improve, and polish the words I utter to sell my goods, for this is the foundation on which I will build my career… Also I will seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.
I have been given eyes to see and a mind to think and now I know a great secret of life for I perceive, at last, that all my problems are in truth great opportunities in disguise.

Principle #6 – I will live this day as if it is my last.

Yesterday is buried forever and I will think of it no more.
Forgetting yesterday neither will I think of tomorrow.
Should I torment myself with problems that may never come to pass? No!
I will avoid with fury the killers of time.
Procrastination I will destroy with action; doubt I will bury under faith; fear I will dismember with confidence.
The duties of today I shall fulfill today. I will maketh every hour count and each minute I will trade only for something of value.
And if this day is not my last, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.

Principle #7 – Today I will be master of my emotions.

All nature is a cycle of moods and I am a part of nature and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my moods will fall.
If I bring joy and enthusiasm and brightness and laughter to my customers they will react with joy and enthusiasm and brightness and
laughter and my weather will produce a harvest of sales and a granary of gold for me.
Weak is he who permits his emotions to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his emotions.

If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I become overconfident I will recall my failures.
If I feel complacency I will remember my competition.

I will master my moods through positive action and when I master my moods I will control my destiny.

Principle #8 – I will laugh at the world.

I will chuckle and my burdens will be lightened; I will laugh and my life will be lengthened for this is the great secret of long life.
And most of all, I will laugh at myself for man is most comical when he takes himself too seriously.
Four words I will train myself to say until they become a habit so strong that immediately they will appear in my mind whenever good humor threatens to depart from me.
These four words are: This too shall pass.
And with my laughter all things will be reduced to their proper size.
I will laugh at my failures and they will vanish in clouds of new dreams; I will laugh at my successes and they will shrink to their true value.

Principle #9 – Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

And how will I accomplish this? First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life.
Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout, so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize.
The height of my goals will not hold me in awe.
If I stumble I will rise and my falls will not concern me for all men must stumble often to reach the hearth.
I will always announce my goals to the world.
I will always raise my goals as soon as they are attained.
Yet, never will I proclaim my accomplishments.
Let the world instead, approach me with praise and may I have the wisdom to receive it in humility.

Principle #10 – I will act now.

My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible.
All are of no value unless they are followed by action.
I will act now.
I will act now.
I will act now.

Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and again each day until the words become as much a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids.
Only action determines my value in the market place and to multiply my value I will multiply my actions.
I will walk where the failure fears to walk.
I will work when the failure seeks rest. Success will not wait. If I delay she will become betrothed to another.

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Stop Thinking "If Only"

"If only I could get a better break."
"If only I had some money."
"If only I would've married the right person."
"If only I worked for the right company."
"If only I had the right parents."

Do you pull back from taking full personal responsibility for yourself? Many of us do. We think that a parent, a teacher, a friend, a boss, a spouse, the company we worked for, or some governmental program should shoulder our burden for turning our lives into what we want them to be.

This approach can't get the job done. Other people and organizations have too many pressing challenges and priorities of their own.

What does this mean? That you'll always be disappointed when you depend on others for the things you must do for yourself.

It's so easy to justify the temptations of freeloading, to slide into being a follower, to fail to see the hidden price tag in the handout. Unless you take complete control of your life and assume full personal responsibility for yourself, who will? No one will.

Every dollar you earn is worth ten given to you. Earned money creates the self-image of self-reliance; given money creates the self-image of other-dependence. This is why some families stay on welfare for generations.

Hangers-on and free-loaders are the most frustrated people on earth because they have created their own frustrations. You can't be successful and happy until you earn the respect of the toughest, hardest to fool, and most important judge in the world: yourself.

[Source: tomhopkins.com, by Tom Hopkins]

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Evaluating Your Goals

In a sporting event, the players are given a break at the half in order to refresh themselves, look at how they played in the first half, and set strategy for the second half. So as you approach halftime, here are some thoughts.

Do you have a vacation planned in the next two months that will give you the needed break and refreshment? If not, schedule one this week! How did you "play" in the first half of this year?

Have you met your goals that you established at the beginning of the year? Here are a few ideas to evaluate where you are at with your goals as you approach the halfway mark.

Take some time to sit down alone and review your goals. How many are you on mark to make? How many have you not even begun on? How many have you achieved?

For those you haven't even begun, my suggestion would be to reset your goal at 10 percent of the original goal. Obviously this goal hasn't been a priority, for whatever reason, and most likely won't suddenly become so. But you can make some ground. Set a small increase for the remaining six months and get ahead a little in these areas.

For the goals you are on pace to achieve, try to stretch about 10 percent. So, to give it a numerical value, if your original goal was 10 and you have already reached 5 after halfway, stretch yourself to try to achieve 11 by the end of the year. This will give you a good reason to kick into high gear as the year progresses.

For those goals you are on pace to break strongly through, try an increase of 50 percent.

And finally, for the goals you have already reached, try to set the new goal at 100 percent of the original goal.

In all of these remember that it is better to try hard, and even fail at a higher goal, than to take the easy route and attain nothing at all!

Best of luck as you re-evaluate your goals!

You Are Made for Success!

[Source: chriswidener.com, by Chris Widener]

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How to Improve Productivity: All Tasks Are Not Created Equal

If there's one thing you must grasp if you wish to experience an increase in productivity and a strong sense of achievement day to day it's the concept that not every task is created equal.

This is especially true when it comes to those things which when completed will lead to a greater sense of accomplishment & feeling of success and achievement.

Far too many people look at having completed the items on their To Do lists as a sure sign that they're achieving at a great level.

The problem with this line of thinking is that in many cases the items which make it onto our lists are little more than busy work -- items which do require attention, but in the grand scheme of things having completed them doesn't serve us in a greater capacity with respect to our larger, more important goals -- the big things that when completed actually move us closer to our grand vision -- the one we hold for our lives, whether personal or professional.

The challenge is that while you may feel like you're making progress, because after all, you are checking items off during the day -- if you're not taking a careful inventory and ensuring that the things you are working on in the first place will yield your greatest R.O.I.O.T (return on investment of time) then it's likely that you will end up feeling as though the larger life plans you hold for yourself aren't making any headway.

Which by the way you would be correct, they aren't, not because you aren't working, but because you're not working and putting forth the necessary effort into the specific task needed to yield the exact true result you are after.

That's why I say, all tasks aren't created equal. Commit this to memory -- and always be asking the question "If I work on this task, when completed will it yield the greatest overall result and sense of accomplishment for me.

Will having achieved it move me closer to my larger plan?" If the answer you get back is anything but a resounding yes then you need to reschedule what it is you're planning to work on and replace it with a task that will yield you the greatest return on investment of time (R.O.I.O.T). It's that simple.

You and I have a choice as to what we give our time to. We don't have a choice as to how much time we have. No matter how hard we try we're not going to be able to squeeze anymore than 24 hours out of our day. The good news is you don't even have to try IF you'll grasp and put into practice the ongoing habit of asking the question mentioned above, and working on those items which when completed will yield the greatest results.

To clarify here's a make believe To Do list item -- I've made reference to an example which will serve you the best and one which might be more in line with "busy work", which may make you feel good to get them done, but in the grand scheme of things won't serve you had you instead chosen to spend your time on other things.

Example item that might appear on your To Do list...

* Vacuuming the house - while this can certainly be a worthwhile undertaking, is it really as important say if you're larger goal was to "increase your sales for the month"?

No of course it isn't.

A far more effective use of your time would be to schedule this as a lower priority item, or find a way to have someone else do it for you if that's a possibility. While it may feel nice to complete this task, it's not going to yield the same result if you were to replace this task with one such as "give a follow-up call to the people I met at the seminar I attended who showed an interest in my product or service".

As you can see the latter is going to move you closer to what you've identified as your most important goals. Plus, once you've completed the tasks which will have the greatest return on your investment of time then you can go ahead and knock out the other things.

The key thing to remember is that you've got to be vigilant in working on and first completing those items which will give you the greatest return on your time spent.

[Source: JoshHinds.com, by Josh Hinds]

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