Critical Success Factor

A world outside the US

2011-04-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

by: Dave Collins

Copyright 2004 Dave Collins

With the exception of myself and a small handful of very remote and isolated journalists, no-one today bothers writing about the growth of the web. It's old news, and we already get it. Today's buzz is more about reaping the benefits of what's already there. Global business is now the norm, and the world is our marketplace.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to be making a living writing and selling software have the luxury of riding on the very crest of the wave of good fortune. The whole Try Before You Buy concept allows us to send our software across the whole world quite literally in minutes, and users from almost every part of the globe can download, try and hopefully buy our products. If our business deals exclusively with downloads and avoids working with physical media, then we have nothing to worry about with getting our products from A to B, and no packaging, shipping, customs or tax issues to keep us awake at night.

But the reality is somewhat different, and the vast majority of websites selling products or services online are doing so almost exclusively with the US market in mind. If you truly want to sell your products to the rest of the world, chances are that you'll need to make some changes.

Change the way you think!

The very first step is the most important, and requires a change in attitude. The world extends beyond the US borders, and to assume that the rest of the world follows the same norms as the US is wrong. A potential buyer may not speak English as their main language, may have no access to US Dollars, and may not have, use or want to use a credit card.

Assuming you'd still like to sell your products to a buyer like this, you have to consider the practicalities. Setting up a link to an online currency converter is child's play, and there's no shortage of options to choose from. Doing so not only reassures the buyer that you take international considerations into account, but also makes the buying process easier for them. And making it easy sells.

Make sure that you provide this information before the actual order page. Many people's first question when a product catches their eye will be how much it costs, and they shouldn't have to go searching for it. Again, make it easy.

The same principle should also be applied within the software itself. If your application deals with different currencies for example, then you shouldn't assume that the user will automatically want the US Dollar as their base currency, or even that they will want to use the Dollar at all. And I'm assuming that you have already included the Euro, haven't you? Many users will be unfamiliar with the concept of sales tax, and other countries have different names, such as VAT in the UK, and GST in Australia.

Regional variations in numerical formats are also important - most countries outside the US don't use the MM/DD/YYYY format, and many will use a comma for a decimal symbol, and a period for the digit grouping symbol.

If your icons and interface are non-standard, then make sure they're clear to all users. There's a reason for sticking with the standards and familiar icons, and that's the fact that they have become instantly recognisable to most users, all over the world. If you're going to use something a little more original, make sure that other people will understand the symbols and images that you use. Having a US stop sign might not mean as much to someone who's never actually seen one before.

What about your web forms?

But even once your potential buyer has found your website, understood how much your software costs and even decided to buy it, the battle may be far from over. If you've ever tried ordering from an "international" store on the web, and you live outside the US and Canada, you'll already know how frustrating the process can be, and how the dreaded web forms can often make the process near impossible for us to work with.

I've tried to buy products from sites that don't have Finland listed in their pull-down menu, that demand a State and/or County even when I don't live in one, and don't leave enough room for my phone or fax numbers.

Even though my wallet, bills and bank statements are all full of Euros, there are still (at the time of writing) a huge number of sites that allow me to pay in everything from Algerian Dinars to Zambian Kwacha, but still don't consider the EURO a real currency. I'd suggest they wake up.

And even the more flexible forms that allow all these options may still fall over when it comes to shipping costs. I can enter my delivery and credit card addresses in Finland, but when it comes to choosing my shipping option, I frequently have US POSTAL SERVICES and US FED-EX DOMESTIC only. More than once this has resulted in my simply giving up and looking elsewhere. Wasted opportunities don't get any easier to avoid!

If you use a third party to handle your sales, then make sure you use one with flexible options. I use SWREG, who can handle everything under the sun, including fax, phone, online, check, international money orders, direct payment and more. Can yours?

And if your software involves a large file download, then you have to consider the many users around the world connecting at a theoretical 56 KBPS, who simply cannot even consider downloading a 15 MB file. If you want to reach those people, then you have to make it easy for them. Even if you don't want the headache of burning a CD and mailing it yourself, there are services out there that can do this for you, and their prices are very reasonable. Make it easy.

If you don't want their business - let them know!

But ultimately if your business cannot or will not adapt to the rest of the world, then I have one humble request. Please make it clear from the start. I've filled out so many of your long forms, only to find out at the very end of the process that you can't deliver to Europe.

Amazon is considered by many to be one of the world's most successful online stores, yet even they are guilty of these sins. Assuming I don't mind paying the shipping, I can order books and software through their US website. But when I go to software downloads, and add these items to my Shopping Cart, everything is fine until it comes to checkout time. At this point I get a message informing me that they do not offer digital downloads to my country. Go figure - and ask yourself why they waited until that moment to tell me.

I've also filled out other long forms and received an email 24 hours later explaining that you don't normally ship outside the US; but if I will pay an additional $35, you'll send your $30 product direct by courier.

And when your international user has already downloaded, installed, used and admired your software, falling at the final hurdle is a very painful and frustrating process.

The irony in writing this article is that while preaching the concept of internationalism, many of the ideas I suggest for achieving it are aimed primarily at US developers. But it's not only the US developers who need to expand their views.

The ability to reach across the globe is yours for the taking. But if your software, website or ordering options aren't up to the task, then you're throwing away a whole world of opportunities. Think international. Be seen, be sold.

About the author:
About the Author: Dave Collins is the CEO of SharewarePromotions Ltd., a well established UK-based company working with software and shareware marketing activities, utilising all aspects of the internet. and

This article may be used freely in opt-in publications, RSS feeds, printed material and websites, provided that the full and unedited resource box (About the author paragraph) is included and all links remain active. A copy of the issue/material or a link to any online posting would be appreciated but is not equired. Send an email to dave@sharewarepromotions.com

A world outside the US

Jim Rohn Weekend Seminar

2011-03-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Topics covered on this classic product by Jim Rohn include:

SEMINAR DAY ONE CD 1

- Introduction/View of the 21st Century Unprecedented Opportunity

- Advanced Civilization

- The Use of Power

- America, the Blending of all Ethnic Streams

- Keen Competition

- Sincerity

- Truth

CD 2

- Ideas/Inspiration/Enlightened Self Interest Mysteries of the Mind

- Learn Refine and Pass It On

- Response Into Results

- Thanksgiving

- Keys to Greatness

- Service to Many

- Searching

- Life Rewards Its Benefactors

CD 3

- Personal Development/The Seasons Value to the Marketplace

- Attracting Success

- Ant Philosophy

- Four Steps to Success

- Problem Solving

CD 4

- Imagination/Faith/Discipline/Formula for Success How to Turn Nothing Into Something

- Being a Genius

- Handling the Passing of Time

- Ambition Versus Greed

- Three Questions to Solving Problems

CD 5

- Three Major Parts to Personal Development Physical/Spiritual/Mental/

- Behavior in the Marketplace

- Code of Conduct

- Building Your Library

CD 6

- The Five Abilities/Lifestyle/Communication Absorb

- Respond

- Reflect

- Act

- Lifestyle

- Create Abundance

- Words are God-like

SEMINAR DAY TWO CD 7

- Communication (continued) Four Steps to Achieve Communication

- Preparation

- The Four Ifs

- Style

CD 8

- Communication (cont'd.)/Presentation Versus Persuasion Measure Emotion

- Identification

- Story Telling

- Oratory

- Straight Talk

- Passionate Belief

CD 9

- Time Management Balancing Your Life

- Set Priorities

- Major Versus Minor

- Concentration

- Ask Questions

- Think on Paper

- Three Treasures to Leave Behind

CD 10

- Setting Goals Designing Your Life

- Goals Workshop

- Price Versus Promise

- Why Become a Millionaire

CD 11 Click here to download the mp3

- Financial Independence What is Financial Independence?

- Modesty Versus Extravagance

- Having the Right Plan

- Financial Statements

- A Child and a Dollar

- Saving, Investing and Giving

- It's the Plan that Counts

- Resources are Greater than Money

CD 12

- Leadership The Challenge of Leadership

- Basic Laws of Leadership

- Law of Averages

- The Seed and the Sower

- 80/20 Rule

- Law of Faith

- I'm Wealthy Because

- Let Others Lead Small Lives

- Your Gift Will Make Room for Itself

Download mp3

Jim Rohn - The Weekend Seminar Disc 11 of 12.mp3

Jim Rohn

Develop A Prosperity Consciousness

2010-12-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

By: Brian Tracy

The starting point of all riches is the development of a prosperity consciousness. You must become a financial success in your thinking long before you achieve it in your reality. Both poverty and riches are the result of a state of mind, and the most important single step you ever take on the road to wealth and financial independence is the decision to change your thinking, to impress into your mind an unshakable belief that you can and will achieve your financial goals. This must happen before anything else happens.

Think And Grow Rich
When I was growing up, I was fascinated by stories of successful men and women and how they made and lost their fortunes, and then made them over again. I read about the importance of a prosperity consciousness in the book, Think And Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, several times. But I never fully understood what it meant until about five years ago. Then it hit me and I've never been quite the same since. Every aspect of my life has improved dramatically, especially in the area of accumulating wealth, since I finally understood what is meant by a prosperity consciousness.

"Why are some people more successful
than others?"

I found that there are governing laws of success and achievement that are at work in the world whether you know about them or not. By knowing and applying these laws and principles, you can have them work in our favor and unlock your true potential. This program will show you how.
Click for more >>

Two Great Discoveries
Here are two of the most exciting principles ever discovered in the long search by mankind for the secrets of health, happiness and great personal wealth.

All Causation is Mental
The first principle is this. All causation is mental. That means that everything that you are or ever will be will be a result of how you use your mind. You are merely a mind with a body to carry it around with. The entire man made world that you see is simply an expression of thought. Your entire life is an expression of your own thinking. And since the quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life, if you improve the quality of your thinking, you must, you will, inevitably improve the quality of your life.

The Law of Expectations
The second principle is what we call the law of expectations. This law says that whatever you expect with confidence, positive or negative, becomes your reality. If you confidently expect to succeed, if you confidently expect to learn something from every experience, if you confidently expect to become wealthy as a result of applying your talents and abilities to your opportunities and you maintain that attitude of confident expectations long enough, it will become your reality. It will give you a positive optimistic cheerful attitude that will cause people to want to help you, and will cause things to happen the way you want them to happen.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to practice these principles in your day to day life:

First, start thinking today in a positive, optimistic, confident way about personal and financial success. Continually imagine what differences it would make in your life if you were financially independent. This is the starting point of developing a prosperity consciousness.

Second, develop your own attitude of positive expectations. Look for the good in every situation. Look for the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty. Be positive and cheerful about everything that happens and you will be amazed at the difference it makes in your life.

"Perform at Your Best - No Matter What!"

YOU Can Reach Your Goals and Achieve the Unthinkable.

The real secret to living the life of your dreams is this: learn to live at Peak Performance every day and you will be unstoppable. Click for more >>

Success and Self-Motivation

The Law of Competence

2010-12-16T00:09:00.000-08:00

By Brian Tracy

You can increase your efficiency and your effectiveness by becoming better and better at your key tasks. One of the most powerful of all time management techniques is for you to get better at the most important things you do. Your core competencies, your key skill areas, the places where you are absolutely excellent at what you do, are the key determinants of your productivity, your standard of living, and the level of achievement you reach in your field.

Work Excellence
The market pays excellent rewards only for excellent work. You are therefore successful to the degree to which you do more things better than the average person. Your great responsibility in life is to determine what things you can and should do very well and then develop a plan to become very, very good in those vital areas.

Key Question
Here is the key question: What one skill, if you developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on your career? Your weakest important skill sets the height at which you can use all your other skills. Be honest with yourself. What is your limiting skill? What is the one skill that determines the speed at which you complete your major tasks and achieve your goals? What is the one skill, the lack of which may be holding you back?

"Reach Your Maximum Level of Achievement"

While many people have "dreams and aspirations" about how they want their futures to turn out, very few people actually have a plan to get there. No matter what your dreams and aspirations are, one thing is certain: To achieve them, you must have the right tools to guarantee your success. Click for more>>

Pareto Principle
The Pareto Principle, the 80/20 Rule, applies to those skills that are limiting to your success. Eighty percent of the reasons you are not moving ahead as fast as you want is explained by the 20 percent of skills and abilities that you lack. This rule also says that 80 percent of your limits in life are contained within yourself. Eighty percent of the reasons you are not achieving your goals as quickly as you want is because of the lack of a particular skill, ability, or quality within yourself.

Look Within Yourself
The underachiever always looks for the reasons for his or her problems in the outer world. The high achiever looks within. The high-achieving person always asks, what is it in me that is holding me back? Successful people look into themselves for the answers to their questions and for the solutions to their problems. Unsuccessful people always look outside. Who do you think finds the solutions first?

Ask Others to Evaluate
Ask people around you to evaluate you in your critical skill areas on a scale of one to ten. The more accurate you can be about this exercise, the easier it will be for you to focus on the one or two skill areas that help you the most.

Action Exercise
Identify the one skill, the most important skill, the one that, if you developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on your career. Whatever it is, set a goal, make a plan, and go to work to become excellent in that area. You will be absolutely amazed at the difference it will make in your career.

"How can we compete more effectively in such a rapidly changing world?"

That is the most crucial question to ask in today's economy...it has become increasingly more competitive. Now more than ever, we need to be equipped with sharp skills, fresh ideas, more drive, and new techniques in order to achieve our goals. Click for more>>

Achievement

Outstanding

2010-12-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

The Messenger of Allah, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said,
"Allah has commanded that everything (one does) they should do it with excellence (ihsan). When you sacrifice, sacrifice well. Sharpen your knife and make it easy for the animal to be slaughtered." - Muslim

[Lessons from this hadith]

Don't just aim to be 'good', be outstanding! This is what is required of a Muslim, in everything they do!

With best wishes to see you succeed at the highest level!
- Muhammad Alshareef
http://discoverulife.com

The Law of Clarity

2010-12-14T02:28:00.000-08:00

By: Brian Tracy

Clarity accounts for probably 80% of success and happiness. Lack of clarity is probably more responsible for frustration and underachievement than any other single factor. That's why we say that "Success is goals, and all else is commentary." People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine. This is true everywhere and under all circumstances.

The Three Keys to High Achievement
You could even say that the three keys to high achievement are, "Clarity, Clarity, Clarity," with regard to your goals. Your success in life will be largely determined by how clear you are about what it is you really, really want.

Write and Rewrite Your Goals
The more you write and rewrite your goals and the more you think about them, the clearer you will become about them. The clearer you are about what you want, the more likely you are to do more and more of the things that are consistent with achieving them. Meanwhile, you will do fewer and fewer of the things that don't help to get the things you really want.

The Power of Clarity by Brian Tracy

In The Power of Clarity, you'll learn to: - get control of your time and your life - double your time off, with no loss of productivity - form good habits and make them your masters - double your income - focus your energy and attention on valuable tasks - reduce the number of hours you need to work each week - dramatically improve the quality of your relationships The Power of Clarity

The Seven Step Process for Achieving Goals
Here, once more, is the simple, seven-step process that you can use to achieve your goals faster and easier than ever before.

First, decide exactly what you want in each area of your life. Be specific!

Second, write it down, clearly and in detail;

Third, set a specific deadline. If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down in order;

Fourth, make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new items, add them to your list;

Fifth, organize the items on your list into a plan by placing them in the proper sequence and priority;

Sixth, take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan. This is very important!

Seventh, do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals. Maintain the momentum!

Join the Top 3%
Fewer than three percent of adults have written goals and plans that they work on every single day. When you sit down and write out your goals, you move yourself into the top 3% of people in our society. And you will soon start to get the same results that they do.

Review Your Goals Daily
Study and review your goals every day to be sure they are still your most important goals. You will find yourself adding goals to your list as time passes. You will also find yourself deleting goals that are no longer as important as you once thought. Whatever your goals are, plan them out thoroughly, on paper, and work on them every single day. This is the key to peak performance and maximum achievement.

Action Exercises
Here is how you can apply this law immediately:

First, make a list of ten goals that you would like to achieve in the coming year. Write them down in the present tense, as though a year has passed and you have already accomplished them.

Second, from your list of ten goals, ask yourself, "What one goal, if I were to accomplish it, would have the greatest positive impact on my life?" Whatever it is, put a circle around this goal and move it to a separate sheet of paper.

Third, practice the seven-step method described above on this goal. Set a deadline, make a plan, and put it into action and work on it every day. Make this goal your major definite purpose for the weeks and months ahead.

Get ready for some amazing changes in your life.

"The Way to Wealth in Action: Building a Highly Profitable Business"

An expert course in personal and financial success from renowned business expert Brian Tracy

In his groundbreaking series, The Way to Wealth, legendary business guru Brian Tracy reveals his secrets to plan, organize and execute powerful business strategies. It’s an advanced course to put you solidly on your way to wealth. The Way to Wealth in Action: Building a Highly Profitable Business

Brian Tracy

Key to Attracting Money is to Save It

2010-12-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Joe Vitale of the hit movie "The Secret" is a Law of Attraction expert who teaches people how to attract money to help their families, their city and the world.

His new program is the best thing I've seen yet. It's all explained below.

Take a look.

The Secret to Attracting Money

Great news! There's now a proven new way to attract money fast.

The Secret to Attracting Money

It's an audio course, with CDs, DVD and guidebook, called *The Secret to Attracting Money*.

It is the *only* audio program I've ever produced that goes in-depth on how to...ATTRACT MONEY.

"The Secret to Attracting Money" is a spiritual and practical system for bringing in cash.

In it --

* I reveal new clearing methods for money.

* I explain new marketing methods. (Based on love and passion.)

* I deliver new insights about money and you. (These are eye-opening.)

* I talk about the Law of Attraction but also reveal the Law of Right Action. (Important!)

* I also created a wealth assessment quiz to help you understand your own hidden beliefs about money. It reveals your "Money Attractor IQ."

* I even explain a paint-by-the-numbers approach to making money online that anyone (yes that means you too) can use.

* I also teach you a way to "rewrite your past" so you can create a profitable future. (Whew!)

* I also explain the money myths holding you back

--- 9 ways to attract money

--- the best reason in the world to want money

--- how to determine your life's purpose

--- the 7 principles for turning on your money magnet right now

--- my counter-intuitive way for attracting cash

--- my personal time management system

--- AND the list just goes on and on.

This is all very different than my book, "Attract Money Now." It supplements it, while going way beyond the book.

The Secret to Attracting Money

The Secret to Attracting Money is organized into six strategy-packed sessions that will lead you through my foolproof process for attracting money.

Not only will you learn how to have a mindset that attracts money - you will learn step-by-step, exactly how I started and succeeded building my own financial empire. (I have never shared these details so vividly and precisely before.)

The Secret to Attracting Money hits the ground running with a session called...

"The Spirit of Wealth Building: Your Money Attractor Assessment" (Which I've never discussed before.)

This is where you will once and for all, identify, eliminate, and replace your money-blocking beliefs with my 33-point Money Attractor Assessment.

This will empower you to peer into the depths of your mind, see the hurdles that are standing between you and prosperity, and jump over them right then and there.

The Secret to Attracting Money

Next is Session Two (the timing for this information has never ever been better)...

"How to Make Money in Any Economic Climate" (Intriguing title isn't it?)

Did you know that many of the greatest fortunes in history, and plenty of under-the-radar ones too, have been made during economic downturns, recessions and depressions? And it¹s happening right now too.

You know it. Now I'll show you how to do it.

This session will help you expand your own wealth-attracting force with the secrets I'll share with you in this extremely timely session.

The Secret to Attracting Money

This brings us to Session Three (one of my personal favorites)...

"The Nine Secrets to Attracting Money"

Here I present the core principles of the money-attracting process. The secrets I share in this session are among the most powerful ones I know, including...

- Why you need to give money away if you want to attract it later. (In fact, right now, people are being so tight-fisted, it is hurting the entire economy in a number of ways.)

- How to shift your mind so it always expects opportunities. You become, just like me - an opportunity magnet.

If you stopped here, you would have already made back the small investment you made in this program.

The Secret to Attracting Money

On to Session Four...

"Money Myths Revealed"

This session alone will prove to be a real eye-opener for you. (Don't take these myths for granted - they could be causing you all sorts of money issues and you don't even realize it.)

One of the unfortunate realities for most of us (me included), is that we were conditioned from birth and encouraged all our lives to believe all kinds of things about money that are outright lies.

These lies are messing you up and blocking your power, and you need to stop them from taking over your life right now. Not tomorrow - right now.

Here's a small sample of what this session alone includes...

- If you want to do good things in the world, help people, and make a difference --- there is a myth you need to dispel from your mind right away. You'll learn it in this session.

- The dangerous myth about financial crises.

Financial institutions are real, and so are the bad things that sometimes happen to them. But the perceived notions of how people should respond to these events are wrong. If you're stressing over the current economy, you need to hear this now. (This is mind-boggling.)

The Secret to Attracting Money

Now we really turn up the heat and cultivate all the unseen money all around you in Session Five...

"Shortcuts to Attracting Whatever You Want"

The title of this one session alone is intriguing isn't it?

You may be tempted to skip the first four sessions and start here. As tempting as that is - remember, that this program is designed as a step-by-step process and you need to go through everything in the proper order. I always say, you have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run. The same logic applies here.

These shortcuts work like magic.

Here, you'll learn:

- The most profound shortcut I can give you. Do this (it's something so easy) and you'll actually create a new vibrational signal that will cut through all the blocks and attract exactly what you want in that very moment.

- What you must do if you need money now.

- A mantra that will change everything for you.

Words can't describe it. You just have to experience it.

I know this seems like quite a bit - I pulled out all the stops. And guess what...

There's lots more. Way more!

The Secret to Attracting Money

As you've probably noticed, I subtitled this program, "A Practical Spiritual System." Well, in the sixth and final session, Money Mastery

Seminar: 10 Wealth-Building Innovations (not available anywhere else), we get down to the nuts and bolts - it is where the rubber meets the road and riches are generated.

This is where attraction meets action in an explosive combination that's going to pump money into your life from sources, in amounts, and with a speed that will stun you.

I've spent 30 years creating, launching, marketing and profiting from more businesses, products, and enterprises than I can count, while helping my friends and students do the same.

In this session I download the very best of everything I've learned and done in simple to follow terms and processes. I'm going to give you moneymaking tools, strategies, website recommendations, actual turnkey business ideas and way more.

There's way too much information on in this CD to give you here, so here is just a small sampling to wet your whistle...

- My own personal golden shelf. Knowledge has gotten me where I am today. And the more than a dozen book and audio titles I share with you in this session are, to me, the Holy Grail of knowledge. The ideas they contain are remarkable, priceless, and life-changing. Read.

Listen. Profit. (I've never shared them before.)

- The most important time-management secrets you'll ever hear. My income multiplied ten times over when I finally figured this one out.

- How to put your to-do list on autopilot. Most days I wake up with fewer things to do than I had when I went to sleep. The simple technique I reveal works like a charm, and will virtually double your results with no extra work.

- The thing you should always work on first in the morning. (You would never guess it.)

- How to create an information empire. You know, have, or can do something that can make you rich.

Everyone does. All you have to do is figure out what it is and how to get it out to the world.

I'll help you do just that: start to finish, step by step. (I'll even walk you through an exercise to help you come up with a business idea.)

- Seldom used, little-known tricks for getting word of your business out to huge numbers of people. You don't need a huge advertising budget or major marketing know-how to create a huge splash, massive buzz, and the major cash flow that comes along with it. Here you'll learn how to market like a miser but profit like a king.

- Zero-effort businesses you can start today.

How can it be zero effort? Well, I sold tens of thousands of copies of a book I didn't write, using an ad I didn't create, and raked in all the profits myself. It was incredibly easy. You can do the exact same thing. I'll tell you exactly what and exactly how.

- Websites that will make launching your online business a cinch to set up and run. Don't let the Internet wilderness scare you off. I'll direct you to the handful of sites you need to get things going. No tech-expertise necessary.

If you can hunt and peck on your computer keyboard, you can do this. (I write everything, including this email, with just two fingers.)

- The Million Dollar Secret Formula. Big name, big promise, and BIG payoff. A completely customizable 5-step formula for attracting money on YOUR terms.

- And tons, tons, more. All of which will help you to attract money on an accelerated, turbocharged level.

The Secret to Attracting Money

And this is still just the tip of the iceberg.

As I've said over and over and over again, this program isn't just about attraction. It's about taking action. Decisive inspired action. It's not just about listening. It's about doing. The workbook is an absolutely critical component of the program for that very reason.

Packed with exercises, assessments, and information you won't even hear on the CDs, the workbook will engage all of your senses in the active process of money-attraction and help reinforce what you learn at both the conscious and subconscious levels. Don't even think about leaving it in the package. This system is not the same without it.

And there's even more...

Order "The Secret to Attracting Money" now and you'll also get...

"The Secret to Attracting Money LIVE!" DVD

This incredible DVD puts you in the front row at one of my very favorite events: my Miracles Weekend seminar. In this life transforming presentation, I go further and deeper into many of the key ideas I share in the audio sessions, including an exploration of...

* The 4-step process of awakening, and why it is critically important for you to make this journey now.

* How to experience real miracles every single day of your life.

* The secret to removing your struggles and eliminating your worries.

* How to know the best actions to take moment to moment.

* Why your past doesn't matter, and how to leave it behind once and for all.

If you've ever attended a really great seminar or speech, you know that nothing quite equals the energy and enthusiasm a live event generates.

You'll really feel like you're there. And seeing these profound ideas presented will make them come alive for you on yet another level of awareness, further strengthening your powers of attraction.

The Secret to Attracting Money

And if this is not enough for you...

You'll also get two bonus CDs.

First you'll get a CD called...

"The 10 Most Important Lessons I've Learned"

Here, I share the things I discovered as I was formulating my system for attracting wealth and give you my own, personal take on how to...

- Face your fears and conquer them.

- Find your voice and speak your truth.

- Learn from the past and then let it go.

- Appreciate the present moment.

I'll also share some of the missteps I made along the way. (This way you can avoid repeating them.) It's pretty personal stuff. But this program wouldn't be complete without it. (This CD can save you thousands of dollars on making the same mistakes I made.)

And last, but certainly not least, you'll also get one more bonus...

"From Homeless to Millionaire" - an exclusive interview

In this one-on-one interview with my VP of Marketing, Peter Wink, I tell all. It's a story of hope and accomplishment, more than worth hearing. It illustrates the transformational power of these principles. If it was possible for me to go from homeless to millionaire, then just imagine what's possible for you!

All in all, "The Secret to Attracting Money" is by far, the most comprehensive collection of wealth-attracting ideas, information and strategies I have ever presented, anywhere, in any format. (And it is tailor-made for today's economy.)

This program is for anyone who...

- Wants to attract money to buy a car, start a business, purchase a dream home, pay their child's tuition, get better healthcare or anything else.

- Has been laid off, fired, downsized or otherwise unemployed - or may be soon. (This is affecting millions right now. Even if you have a job you need this program before it is too late.)

- Wants to learn how to start a business online or offline.

- Has lost their savings thanks to Wall Street bigwigs.

- Needs to reprogram their mind from past poverty consciousness conditioning.

- Wants to take control of their financial future once and for all.

- Does not want to work for anyone ever again.

- Is committed to learning all my money, marketing and business strategies and following through on them.

This program is for you.

So, there you have it.

You get everything...

- 6 moneymaking audio CD sessions

- Secret to Attracting Money guidebook

- Secret to Attracting Money Live DVD

- And 2 bonus CD sessions ("The 10 Most Important Lessons I've Learned" & "From Homeless to Millionaire")

I priced "The Secret to Attracting Money" so inexpensively, anyone can take advantage of it.

In fact, if someone is not willing to invest in themselves, this program will probably not work for them anyway.

Oh...and last but not least...

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So, now you have to ask yourself some tough questions...

- Am I ready to take control of my financial future?

- Am I tired of putting my financial future in the hands of some who could really care less about me?

- Am I sick and tired of getting up way too early, dragging myself to work and working for a company that sees me as nothing but a social security number?

- Am I willing to have faith in myself and my abilities?

- Am I prepared to invest a few dollars in myself for a change - and live the life I've always wanted - by my rules?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you need to order "The Secret to Attracting Money" right now (not tomorrow) by going to...

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And remember...

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Expect Miracles.

Love,

Joe

PS. This is the ONLY time I've ever put all my spiritual and marketing techniques together in an audio/DVD program dedicated to attracting money.

(If you had all of my other books, DVDs, and home study courses - everything - you still would not even have a fraction of all the information in "The Secret to Attracting Money" course. "The Secret to Attracting Money" program is unique and truly one of a kind. You'll get everything...6 moneymaking audio CD sessions, The Secret to Attracting Money workbook, The Secret to Attracting Money Live DVD and two bonus CD sessions (The 10 Most Important Lessons I've Learned & From Homeless to Millionaire) for an incredibly low investment. PLUS, it all comes with a 60-day no-questions-asked, money back guarantee. Order today at...

The Secret to Attracting Money

Remember -- money likes speed. Act THIS minute.

Joe Vitale

The Power of Charm

2010-11-24T01:18:00.000-08:00

By: Brian Tracy

Fully 85 percent of your success in business and personal life will be determined by your ability to communicate effectively with others. "Social intelligence," or the ability to interact, converse, negotiate with, and persuade others, is the most highly paid and respected form of intelligence you can have, and this intelligence can be developed.

You can learn to be a warm, friendly, likable, and charming individual just by practicing some of the communication methods and techniques used by the most influential and effective people in our world today.

The "secrets" of great communicators are not secrets at all. They are simply proven methods of interacting with others in a way that makes them open to you and receptive to your message. As a result, they are more willing to be influenced by you, to buy from you, to enter into business and personal relationships with you, and to think of you in positive terms.

Your ability to be charming, to be a genuinely likable and pleasant person, will likely open more doors for you than any other quality. The more people like you and think of you warmly, the more they will want to see you, listen to you, be in your presence, and invite you into theirs.

In the hundreds of speeches we've given and to the thousands of people we've trained, we have repeatedly said, "The most valuable commodity in the world isn't gold or diamonds -- it's charm." Your reputation, how people think and talk about you when you are not there, is your most valuable personal and professional asset. It is the sum total of the impression you make on others when they spend time in your presence.

By learning the simple truths about charm and practicing the techniques that follow, you can dramatically improve the effectiveness and enjoyment of your interactions with all others, starting with your family and extending to everyone you meet.

You will be more successful, earn more money, get promoted faster, make more sales, prevail in more negotiations, and be more persuasive and influential with everyone you meet.

The Power of Charm

The Map

2010-11-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

The lesson is basic:

Before you embark on any journey, know in advance how to get where you want to go.

Otherwise, you start doing something and then end up all lost and confused.

That's what happens for most people in the "expert" and guru space.

They TRY to make money online with their advice or training, they TRY to get published, or create products, or get hired as speakers, or get on tv, or start a life or business coaching practice.

But they fail because they never had the MAP.

Brendon Burchard, has this great saying:

"The time you want the map ... is before you enter the woods."

Brendon learned this the hard way. But then he got the map and made $4.6 million in under two years.

Now he's giving people the most comprehensive map I've ever seen to succeeding as an expert through books, speeches, seminars, coaching, and online information marketing.

Check it out:

https://burchardgroup.infusionsoft.com/go/ealive/mded

Brendon believes the biggest opportunity in the world right now is to help others with your how-to advice for improving their life or growing their business.

Perhaps it's time you take a new journey and craft a new story of yourself as an expert.

This can be part of YOUR STORY:

-- Best-selling books and information products
-- High-paying speaking gigs and super lucrative seminars
-- Big-time coaching clients
-- Recurring online revenue from your advice and content
-- Millions of people inspired by your story and training materials

Here's your MAP:

https://burchardgroup.infusionsoft.com/go/ealive/mded

Brendon is offering to hold your hand for 12 months, guide you to success, and give you over $65,000 of training and bonuses to get you started.

It's really an unbelievable offer and I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Look, I don't know what's on your agenda today.

But I DO know it's worth you watching this and getting your map now versus later.

Before you try anything else or wander into unknown territorry in the next few months, get this program. Having the plan is everything. The urgency right now is that next week is the holidays, so Brendon will close this thing down fast. Besides, he'll probably sell out anyway because there's got to be a limit on this thing.

Roadmap to Success

HA7BRP4C4H53

How to Avoid the Time/Money Trap

2010-11-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

The story goes that a time-management expert was speaking to a class of ambitious young business students. To drive home a point, he used an illustration they would never forget. As the man stood in front of the group, he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon wide-mouth jar and sat it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-size rocks and carefully placed them one at a time into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in it and shook the jar, causing the pieces of gravel to work themselves down the spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good." He replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in, and it went in all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question. "Is the jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good."

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What's the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you really try hard, you can always fit some more things into it." "No," the speaker replied. "That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."

What are the big rocks in your life? A project that you want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith? Your education? Your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring of others? Remember to put these big rocks in first, or you'll never get them in at all. So tonight or in the morning, when you're reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question, What are the big rocks in my life or business? Put those in your jar first. And the key to doing that is learning to manage your time.

Time management is the critical skill for effective living. As Peter Drucker pointed out, time is basic. Unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed. Despite all the books, CDs, and seminars on the topic, the key to making good use of your time consists of practicing just three simple steps. First, decide what's most important. Second, set goals and priorities to do what's most important. And third, develop good habits to do what's most important most efficiently.

It doesn't matter if you're a student, an employee, a small-business owner or a Fortune 500 CEO. It doesn't matter whether you're talking about an hour, a day, a week, a year, or a lifetime. It doesn't matter how much you have to do and how little time you have to do it. If you habitually practice those three simple steps, you'll make excellent use of your time. As the journalist Sydney Harris so aptly put it, "Winners focus; losers spray."

The first step is learning how to set lifetime goals. Those are the big rocks in your life and the first step. You also need to set intermediate goals and write a project plan to help you achieve one or more of your lifetime goals. That's the second step. The final important step is learning the techniques and tactics for achieving those goals efficiently, without being hassled, rushed, or constrained. We'll get to that shortly.

But right now, let's answer a very important question: Why are so many of us pressed for time? The short answer is because we try to do too much and spread ourselves too thin. A number of major changes have converged to create a world where we perceive time as the scarce resource.

First, there's the changing role of women in society. In earlier days, men's and women's roles were well defined. Dad was the wage earner, and Mom was the homemaker. Today's women are wage earners, homemakers, soccer moms, cooks, community volunteers, and a litany of other roles. All those roles compete for time and energy. As one time-starved corporate executive jokingly told her husband, "We sure could use a wife."

Another change has been corporate restructuring, where the workforce has been downsized and the workload has not. Those left to do the work have to work longer hours to get the work done.

A third major change is the blurring of the line between work and the rest of our lives. Thanks largely to technology, the distinction between work time and non-work time is much less clear. More of us are working from home with every passing year. Cell phones, beepers, digital assistance, voicemail, and laptops keep us continuously on tap for those at work who need to reach us. Welcome to the workday that never ends.

Finally, there's the emergence of the free-agent economy. Instead of steady employment, work comes without a guaranteed future income. This creates a make-money-while-you-can mentality. Sure you want to see your daughter in the school play or attend the ball game your son is playing in, but you've been offered an incredible amount of money to work on a project out of town for the next two weeks. It's just too good to turn down. It could lead to more work. And another opportunity this good may not come along for a long time.

Yet, despite all the changes, one overwhelming truth still remains. None of those changes and circumstances can enter your life without your permission. All the roles you feel compelled to fill are there because you chose them. All the things you have to get done are there because you agreed to do them. All the high-tech gadgets that make you always available are there because you allow them. All the long hours you put in at work are put in with your cooperation. With all the economic, societal, and technological changes, it's still a free country. In the final analysis, how you choose to spend your time is up to you.

The truth is that time is totally unmanageable and uncontrollable. It plods along at the same unfaltering pace of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, regardless of what we do. What we call time management is really self-management. The paradox of time is that nobody has enough, but everybody has all there is. While life is unfair about many things, it's unquestionably fair when it comes to time. We all get the exact same 24 hours in a day.

There's a paradox of self-management, too. The way to get more done is to do less better. The more you try to be all things to all people, the greater are the odds you'll end up being nobody to everybody. The more things you try to do, the less are the odds of your doing any one of them extremely well.

Don't scatter your efforts like buckshot; concentrate them and be a big gun. Remember the 80/20 rule, and invest the bulk of your time in the few activities with the highest payoffs.

Here are two traps you need to avoid in order to make good use of time. I assume you've made the commitment to invest your time actively. You've decided what's most important and are working to achieve your lifetime goals. In the shuffle of daily activities, you need to be alert for these time traps because they'll cost you dearly if you let them.

The first trap is confusing activity with productivity. There's an enormous difference between being busy and getting results. People have a tendency to be busiest when they're least secure about what they should be doing. An old saying from the French Foreign Legion says, "When in doubt, gallop."

In my university teaching days it amazed me at how those who were seen in their offices late at night or who busily rushed from meeting to meeting were perceived as highly productive. One semester I shared an office with a faculty member who came in every day at 9 a.m. and didn't leave the office until 9 p.m. Many considered him to be a dedicated scholar simply because he put in a lot of face time. In fact, he spent most of that time poring over the stock market pages of The Wall Street Journal trying to pick hot stocks for his portfolio. As Lawrence Peter told us, "An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance." Focus on getting results, and make it your business to work for people who reward you for the results you produce. If your boss rewards you for working long hours or being busy, you've got the wrong boss.

The second trap is confusing urgency with importance. Every day we have things to do and things that happen. Some are urgent; some are important. Some are both, and some are neither. Here's a very important point to remember: Urgent things are seldom important, and important things are seldom urgent. When we confuse the two, we end up responding to everything that's urgent as if it's important. And what's truly important gets ignored. Speeding to get to a luncheon appointment on time is urgent. Getting there safely is important. Rushing to finish a job under a tight deadline is urgent. Doing a quality job is important. Working endless hours to get your career or your business off the ground is urgent. Making time to exercise, eat properly, and get enough rest is important. Making the sale is urgent. Building a business on great service and repeat customers is important. Feeling compelled to own that hot new sports car or take an expensive vacation is urgent. Saving and investing to get to the winner's circle is important.

Responding to the tyranny of the urgent is a surefire recipe for less wealth and more stress. It's a key reason why so many of us are in a time/money trap. We passively allow what's urgent to dictate how our time and money are spent, while the less urgent and more important items get neglected. Sooner or later, important items left unattended become urgent and important. They're called crisis. Health crisis, money crisis, family crisis. Most can be prevented with a little planning, forethought, and preventive action. Problems rarely rise to the crisis level without warning.

Choose to spend your time doing what's really important, and shield yourself from urgent but unimportant distractions. As General and President Dwight Eisenhower warned us, "The more important an item, the less likely it is urgent. And the more urgent an item, the less likely it is important."

People who reach the winner's circle don't work harder, they work smarter. Success doesn't hinge on how much you work; it depends on how intelligently you work. Making effective use of your time isn't running around with a stopwatch or becoming a compulsive time nut. Rather, it's a way of managing your life to achieve fulfillment and personal freedom.

Michael LeBoeuf

You deserve to become wealthy, in advance

2010-11-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

One of the secrets of self-made multimillionaires is that their self-worth greatly influences their net worth. You should feel that you deserve to become wealthy, in advance.

Abandon the idea that there is nobility in poverty. Wealth can help you become a stronger influence and power for good in the world. Money isn’t just for self-indulgence. It is for building factories and schools, communication networks, research centers, hospitals, laboratories and youth centers. It also helps feed hungry masses in impoverished communities and villages and victims of terrible natural disasters.
And, financial independence gives you dignity in your senior years.

Most people live the so-called “golden years” depending on state and federal agencies, or their relatives, for their survival needs. Retirement, for most people, means being cast aside and no longer relevant. The problem is, because of medical intervention, we are living a lot longer than we can afford to, and the quality doesn’t match the quantity. Make it your goal to live as long as you can in good health, with the abundance mentality instead of the scarcity mentality. You owe it to yourself and loved ones.

This week, start saving more than you spend!

-- Denis Waitley

How To Always Win

2010-09-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

By John Colanzi

Good old Archimedes said it best, "Give me a place to stand and I'll move the Earth".

Powerful statement.

He was talking about the lever, but there are all types of levers.

We live in a society that's lost sight of how everything is connected. We look at the trunk and mistake it for the elephant.

But if we just open our mind's eye and look at our world with a more open view, we can see how "Give me a place to stand", relates to succeeding at every endeavor we put our hands to.

Want to leave the rat race and succeed in your own business?

Find a place to stand.

Pick your vehicle.

I see marketers struggling over

* What really sells online?

* What is the best product to promote?

Forget about it.

1. Pick your place to stand.

2. Plant your feet.

3. Take your lever and move the Earth.

Your place to stand is any product or service that fits you. Stop wasting your time on the internal debate.

Are you ready to assure your success?

If you answered yes, here goes.

1. Find a product or service that excites you, gets your adrenaline pumping and makes your blood flow.

2. Make a decision.

The difference between winning and losing can be seen in how you make decisions.

Those that succeed reach decisions promptly and stick with them come hello there or high water.

Those who never succeed reach decisions slowly. They run for the hills the first time they have a set back.

3. Plant your feet and keep plugging until you've reached your goal.

It's that simple, but simple doesn't make it easy.

You can succeed at anything.

I know you can.

Wishing You Success,

John Colanzi

John Colanzi uses the Plug-In Profit Site to earn multiple streams of income from

home on the Internet. What about you?... http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-5689

****************************************

The Four Rules of Time

2010-06-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

By: Brian Tracy

Time is Perishable

There are four rules of time. The first is that time is perishable. This means that it cannot be saved. In fact, time can only be spent. Because time is perishable, the only thing you can do with it is to spend it differently, to reallocate your time away from activities of low value and toward activities of higher value. But once it is gone, it is gone forever.
Time is Indispensable
The second rule of time is that time is indispensable. All work requires time. No matter what it is you want to do in life, even looking out a window or sleeping in for a few extra minutes, it requires a certain amount of time. And according to the 10/90 Rule, the 10% of time that you take to plan your activities carefully in advance will save you 90% of the effort involved in achieving your goals later. The very act of thinking through and planning your work in advance will dramatically reduce the amount of time that it takes you to do the actual job.
Time is Irreplaceable

The third rule of time is that time is irreplaceable. Nothing else will do, especially in relationships. Time is the only currency that means anything in your relationships with the members of your family, your friends, colleagues, customers and coworkers. Truly effective people give a lot of thought to creating blocks of time that they can then spend, without interruption, with the important people in their lives.

Time is Essential for Accomplishment
The fourth rule is that time is essential for accomplishment. Every goal you want to achieve, everything you want to accomplish, requires time. In fact, one of the smartest things you ever do, when you set a goal, is to sit down and allocate the exact amount of time that you are going to have to invest to achieve that goal. The failure to do this almost always leaves the goal unaccomplished.

Spell The Word Correctly
There is a question: “How do children spell the word ‘Love?’”
And the answer is “T-I-M-E.” It is the same with your spouse, as well. The important people in your life equate the amount of time that you spend with them, face to face, head to head, knee to knee, with the amount that you actually love them.
Grow Your Relationships
The more time that you spend with another person, especially a member of your family, the deeper grows your understanding and affection for that person. If you get too busy to spend time with your children, you eventually lose contact with them and they go off into their own personal world of school, peers and other activities.

Why You Procrastinate
A major reason for procrastinating on big, important tasks is that they appear so large and formidable when you first approach them. One technique that you can use to cut a big task down to size is the "Salami slice" method of getting work done. With this method, you lay out the task in detail and then resolve to do just one slice of the job for the time being, like eating a roll of salami, one slice at a time. Or like eating one piece of a frog at a time.

Do One Small Part To Start
Psychologically, you will find it easier to do a single, small piece of a large project than to start on the whole job. Often, once you have started and completed a single part of the job, you will feel like doing just one more "slice." Soon, you will find yourself working through the job one part at a time, and before you know it, the job will be completed.
Just Get Started Once you start working, you develop a sense of forward momentum and a feeling of accomplishment. You become energized and excited. You feel yourself internally motivated and propelled to keep going until the task is complete.

Action Exercises
1. Select one big important task and lay it out in front of you. Decide today to redirect and reallocate your time away from low-value tasks and toward high-value activities.

2. Select one part of the task and do it immediately. Make a plan to spend more time face-to-face with the most important people in your life. The more you think about the use of your time, the better you will become.

The Key to Riches

2010-05-17T04:19:00.001-07:00

By: Brian Tracy
Anyone, Starting From Wherever They Are, Can Become Wealthy In America
Here is some great news. Wherever you are in your financial life, you can become wealthy over the course of your working lifetime. If you start early enough, work hard enough and do what other successful people do, you may even become a millionaire.
Looking Back
In 1900, there were less than 5000 millionaires in the United States. Today, there are more than five million millionaires and the number is growing rapidly. There are more than two hundred billionaires as well.
Everyone Starts From Nothing
Most of these wealthy people are self-made. That is, they started with nothing and they earned every penny by applying their talents and abilities to the opportunities that came along. The number of millionaires is growing at the rate of 15% or more per year. Someone, somewhere becomes a millionaire every 3-4 minutes. And what these other self-made millionaires have done, you can do as well.

You Can Do It, Too
The wealthy are not very different from you and me. They have simply used more of their God-given talents and done things in a different way from the majority. The wonderful thing is this. And I cannot repeat it often enough. If you do what other successful, wealthy people do, you will eventually get the same results. You can start right where you are, even deeply in debt, and achieve financial independence if you do the right things over and over again until you get the results you desire.
Save $100 Per Month
If you save $100 per month from the age of 21 to the age of 65 and it grows at a compound rate of 10% per year, you will have more than one million dollars when you retire.

If you earn $25,000 per year and save just 10% of your income, or $2500 per year, and invest it carefully so that you earn 10% compounded over the course of your working lifetime, you will be worth $1,794,762 through the miracle of compound interest.

The key to riches is simple. Save and invest 10% of your income throughout your working lifetime and you will become rich. It is as simple as that.
Action Exercises
First, make a decision today that you are going to save 10% of your income for the rest of your working lifetime. Set it as a goal, make a plan and then discipline yourself to save that amount for the rest of your career.

Second, go to the bank today and open a special account for financial independence. Deposit whatever amount you can in that account. From now on, think every day about how you can put more money into that account and then invest it wisely. This will change your financial life.

Listening with Your Heart, Not Your Head

2010-05-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

by Joan C. Curtis

What is the biggest communications challenge my clients face? The simple answer is listening. My clients struggle with listening because their heads get in the way. They grapple with ways to communicate their messages and often ask me about how to go about saying what they want to say the best way. As we work through this question, the logical next question surfaces: What is the other person saying? Often, the response I get tells me that my clients are not listening with their hearts. They are listening with their heads.

When our heads get in the way, we cannot hear. Our heads say things like, “The other person isn’t interested in what I have to say,” or “The other person is only concerned with their agenda,” or "The other person doesn't like me." Our heads tune out the real messages and reinterpret what we hear. To listen with your heart requires a different kind of listening.

Here are the steps you need to take to listen with your heart:

•Really focus on the other person. What emotions do you hear? How does the voice sound? Lively, sad, angry?

•Don’t take what the other person says personally. Get out of the way of the message. Instead ask the person what he or she really means. Ask open, probing questions to better understand what might be going on.

•Get next to the other person. Instead of trying to solve the problem (That’s above the person), listen for where the person is. If your friend is hurting, feel the hurt with him. Don’t try and fix the hurt. If your teenage daughter is angry at you, feel her anger rather than defend yourself.

•Use your intuition to hear the messages behind the words. If you feel something inside, you are probably listening with your heart. Take a risk and share what you are feeling inside. “I sense that you are afraid of your boss.”

•Practice using metaphors to explain your intuition or to explain the other person’s feeling. Putting what we feel into a visual image helps us cope with it. “As you talk, I keep getting this image of a deep, dark well. Tell me how that works for you?”

Listening with your heart takes practice. The next time you feel frustrated with the way your communication is going, get out of the way and let your heart take over.

Find out how good a listener you are by taking this free assessment http://www.totalcommunicationscoach.com/how-good-a-listener-are-you.htm

Author's Bio

Dr. Curtis is CEO of Total Communications Coaching. She's been a leadership consultant for over 20 years and is a communication and business coach. Her clients include executives in a variety of industry. Find out more at http://www.TotalCommunicationsCoach.com

2010-01-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

Article: Flying to the Top - By Julie Jordan Scott

It started out well enough. I was talking to my two older brothers about
the last six months of my life. We do not see each other often. In fact,
twice in a calendar year is amazing! I got very excited at the prospect of
telling them all that has been happening in my life. There have been so
many significant changes in the past six months!

I quit my job with local government. I began the joyful path to a
full-time coaching, writing and speaking career. I published my first
electronic book. I have put on my running shoes and started sprinting
towards all my dreams! I am not sure when exactly it hit me that they had
stopped listening. They were standing there nodding.

Yes, they even maintained eye contact. But they were not present. One of
them was wondering when I would stop talking and serve dinner. The other
one was probably dying to go check on the scores on the TV. All those
memories rushed back from childhood, when I was nothing more than a little
bit kooky younger sister who was always a little bit different from them.
They liked Bob Dylan, I liked Jackson Browne. They liked McDonald's, I
liked Burger King. They went to public universities, I went to a private
one.

I swore I heard one of them say, as I was telling about my plans and
projects, "Yeah, Julie, when Pigs fly."

Naturally I can be very assertive everywhere and with everyone else except
my family, so I simply smiled and got the meal on the table and made more
light hearted conversation in the acceptable Julie way. Forget presenting
myself as an International Business Woman! As far as they were concerned,
my success would come only after Pigs started floating in the atmosphere.
I learned early on that the biggest dream stealers are frequently family
and long-time friends. The tragedy is we allow for it to happen
repeatedly. People smirk at our idea, or question our judgment or decision
making, and we buy into it.

We wonder, "Sheesh, did I make the right decision? Am I sure about that?
Should I have done something else instead?" The When Pigs Fly Sourdough
Bread Company in York, Maine doesn't think so. One brother started baking
loaves of delicious sourdough bread starting his business with 80 loaves.
He has since had another brother join him, and their business is thriving!
They also have some adorable merchandise with Flying Pigs all over
T-shirts and hats. http://www.sendbread.com. I value their slogan, "When
Pigs Fly, Anything is Possible." Pig Bread is flying all over Maine, New
Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Why do people insist on minimizing the dreams of others? I am not talking
fantasy land at all, I am talking about people with workable plans. Plans
to create something out of nothing, Something that perhaps in the past
would have been considered fantasy land, but now is tangible. After
contemplating my brother's reaction to my amazing life, the tables turned.
I feel sorry that they can not capture my vision. There are many out there
who are, and who will continue to.

It makes me sad that those who grew up with me can not see my vision. So
now, I focus instead on creating a "family" of friends who share in my
miraculous life on a daily basis. We all have miraculous lives, don't we?
Who is sharing yours with you? Do you have a Dream Team in place, to share
and grow your future? Start thinking of people who could be Partners in
Possibility alongside you. Start a list of names, carefully considering
whether they will be your dream builders or dream stealers.

I went to Pismo Beach on my personal retreat day this month. I take one
day a month when I soak in the peace and quiet as I make my plans for the
next month and recap my wins and setbacks during the prior month. This
time I took my daughter Katherine with me. We walked along the crisp, cool
beach. She quickly made a friend. I walked up to a kite flier and asked
for a lesson, which he gladly gave me. And then I saw it. An immense
windsock was being hoisted into the air. I watched from my perch as the
kite enthusiast went through his ritual. The sock started taking shape. It
was a very large, pink, windsock pig. I watched and laughed as it flew
higher and higher and higher in the sky. A pig was flying. Soaring.
Gliding. I was laughing. The pigs have it! As do I! As do YOU! You can
have an incredïble life, with rich dreams, and a powerfully crafted
future. When Pigs Fly, anything is possible!

About the Author:
Julie Jordan Scott is a Speaker, Writer and Life Purpose Coach who
believes in living each moment with joy and passion. Visit her website for
many free passion resources. http://www.5passions.com. Or email with
comments or questions: julieja@lightspeed.net

The Seven Cures for a Lean Purse

2009-12-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

There's a reason why nobody receives financial education in the public school system. It's because they don't want you to have it.

Without financial education, you make a more docile sheep, and you pay more taxes. But you can still find the info you need! The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clayson is a text that we recommend in our coaching programs for learning financial literacy.

In the book, we meet Arkad, the richest man in Babylon. This man started off as a youth with no advantages and no money--just like every other Babylonian kid. Early on, he was ambitious and discovered the laws of success.

So, the king approaches Arkad and asks him, "Arkad, will you teach our citizens more about the way to acquire wealth that you have discovered?" Arkad says, "Well, Your Honor, it is learnable. What one has done, others can do. At your request, yes I will."

A fortnight later he finds himself in the Great Hall, in the Temple of Learning. Approximately 100 people are there; there's a spirited discussion going on. They all want to know what the richest man in Babylon has to share with them.

So he teaches them the seven cures for a weak wallet.

The first cure is, "Start thy purse to fattening". It's real simple. Take 10% of your income out, set it aside, and live on nine-tenths of your income.

Live on less than you are making to get your nest egg started. Many people wonder, "How can I live on nine-tenths, when I can't live on ten-tenths?" And Arkad's basic reply is, "It's not going to make much difference."

The second cure is, "Control they expenditures". Often when people get a raise their expenses go up, and they come out no better off. So, what you want to do is, of course, control your outgo.

Subordinate the passions and pleasures of the present moment against the future that you have designed, with discipline, foresight, and forethought.

As he puts it, "Realize thy most cherished desires by defending them from thy casual wishes." Have a budget, stay within it, make sure you get your dollar's worth out of everything that you invest in.

The third cure for a lean purse is, "Make thy gold to multiply". You started setting some aside, you're controlling your expenses, and now it's time to put your investment money to work. A person's wealth is not in their purse or the car they drive, it's in the income that they have coming in. So put your money to work.

Start small. You don't start off by putting all your money in investments that you don't know anything about.

With the magic of compounding interest, over time this money will increase.

This, then, Arkad says, is the third cure for a lean purse--to put each coin to laboring, that it may reproduce its kind and help bring a stream of wealth that shall flow constantly into thy purse.

The fourth cure for a lean purse is, "Guard thy treasures from loss". Arkad says, "Misfortune loves a shining mark. Make sure your principal is secure." Do not get sucked in to rosy-sounding deals. Get the advice of people who know.

The fifth cure is, "Make thy dwelling a profitable investment". He talks about how good it makes your heart feel to have your own place, in addition to the fact that it's cheaper, and when it's paid off you only have to pay the king--that is, the government--their taxes. You're living practically free. Many blessings come to a person who owns thy own home.

The sixth cure is, "Ensure a future income." Real estate is one of the best investments to make. This kind of thing requires a plan over time. We're talking about leveraging over time--five years, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, and more, to become wealthy.

Also, make sure you have insurance to care for your family if you're taken away. Ensure a future income for them, and ensure a future income for yourself.

The seventh cure is, "Increase thy ability to earn". In other words, get more education, take on bigger tasks, make more money, develop more interest in your work.

With that you earn more, and therefore your 10% is more. You have the ability to do more all the way along, and leveraging over time is miraculous.

These, then, are the seven cures for a lean purse, as originally taught by Arkad in the Temple of Learning. Find out more in George S. Clayson's book, The Richest Man in Babylon!

About the Author:

Ted Ciuba, a leader in both the marketing & human potential fields, helps entrepreneurs, salespersons, & small-medium-sized businesses discover & adapt their mindset to success, increasing incomes, multiplying profits, reducing stress, liberating joy. Get the inside scoop on how you can benefit from his insights and practices: http://www.PayOnlyFromResults.com

Two Be’s

2009-12-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season gets rolling, chances are you’ll find yourself at a social gathering or two. Whether it’s with family, friends or, especially, co-workers, I want you to think about what I call the “Two Be’s.” If you want to know how to connect with other people, these are central:

“Be Interesting.” People like to be around interesting people. They like to learn from them. The last thing you want to be if you want to lead is boring. People’s eyes rolling back in their heads is a sign that you need to kick it up a notch. Read good books, stay on top of the news, and learn new things. That will help you be interesting and develop your conversational skills. But there is something even more important—the next “Be.”

“Be Interested.” More than wanting to talk about yourself, talk about the other person. Be interested in who they are, what they do, and what they like. That will endear them to you and attract them to you. People want to know that you care about them and their needs. The next time you are around someone you lead, spend the time focusing on them and see the magic that happens with your personal leadership!

Positive Discipline for Your Elementary Age Child

2009-07-08T04:34:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Denis Waitley and Dr. Maryann Rosenthal

Teaching our children right from wrong requires disciplining with love, and relying more on influence and rewards than on power and control. We teach parents every day that their children need to learn that "no" is a good thing so, of course, parents must establish rules and consequences and be willing to put them into effect. It is not possible to be a good parent without giving a child, especially a small child, negative attention, but the issue becomes one of degree. If the parent predominantly takes positive actions (such as giving praise, listening non-judgmentally, relaxing with the kid or working together side by side), the child will get the message that he is loved. And that's the most important message of all. The child who knows that he is loved is able to accept his parent's guidance without hostility and resentment and understands the difference between free choice and boundaries.

When children are young, parents have almost full responsibility in determining their behavior and one common mistake many parents make is explaining too much. The goal of discipline is to help young children to understand, and understanding should be age appropriate. When young children are old enough, they should be as responsible for keeping their personal belongings in order as a regular routine. This includes their beds, clothing, toys and school materials. In order to set appropriate limits, parents and caregivers need to stay close by, offer frequent reminders, and be involved with what their children are doing.

Responsibility should be set for family members for operating the home, which becomes training for life management when children are on their own. There should be regular chores at certain times on certain days, in addition to a spirit of cooperation at mealtime and in other routines and family projects like yard work, windows and car washing and shopping. There is no question the some kids are more challenging than others to raise, but the parents who have the most success disciplining with love:

Always treat their children with respect no matter how frustrated or disappointed they are;

Avoid all "put down" actions and language;

Remain emotionally accessible;

Maintain a sense of humor;

Are confidential. Gaining your child's trust should be at the top of your list because a great inhibitor for our children is the fear of being exposed or embarrassed.

An effective disciplinarian has:

Foresight - it's important to set family rules before discipline situations occur. Once a problem occurs you have to go into crisis control and teach the desired behavior later when things are calmer.

Empathy - "Yes, I am angry... I know that you are capable and competent".

Good communication skills - let them know why you are saying "no" and what they have to do the next time to get a "yes".

Ability to modify negative scripts in ourselves and others - When your child says: "Our team can't win for losing"; redirect with something like, "You made a really good shot and I'm proud of you".

Addresses the problem without laying the blame. Blame placing wastes time and creates negative results. Move right into the solution: "What do we do now?" Teach your children to ask: "What do we do now?"

Appreciation of each child's unique temperament.

As you discipline your child, you should look for the source of her misbehavior. Kids sometimes misbehave out of frustration because they are feeling unhappy or unsuccessful in school. Family problems, such as a new baby, mom going back to work, or sibling rivalry can make a child feel disconnected and left out and cause a child to act out in a negative way to get attention. Of course, you must set limits, but make sure that you are expressing disapproval of your child's misbehavior and not disapproval of your child. By setting limits you are letting your child know that you care about her behavior. By letting her share her feelings, you will gain insight into her behavior.

Remember, it's a child's nature to want what they want when they want it. In fact, delayed gratification is one of the most difficult principles for parents to teach, because parents want children to have everything the parents have or don't have. Parents often spoil their children because of this and are truly spoiling the children's ability to become independent adults, who learn the cause and effect of their decisions, actions, and choices.

A parent, who gives in to a child's whining and temper tantrums, simply reinforces the behavior and teaches immediate gratification. This permissiveness leads to spoiled, irresponsible and dependent teenagers. As they become adults, they blame their parents, society and externals for their own failures.

Conversely, when parents are domineering, with strict rule, stern punishment and no flexibility, the children may conform outwardly, but inside there's a revolution in progress. When a child's behavior is controlled by an authority figure, the behavior usually lasts only as long as the authority is present, and then the child goes on a permanent "Spring Break" when he or she leaves home. Or, that child becomes intimidated by all authority figures in the future.

Help your children to understand that they cause their own effects in life, good and bad. Teach them: "If it is to be, it's up to me." Life is a do-it-for-others, do-it-yourself project and rewards in life will be in direct proportion to the quality and amount of effort they give.
Denis Waitley and Maryann Rosenthal This article was excerpted from Dr. Denis Waitley and Dr. Maryann Rosenthal's newest release, The Seeds of Greatness - The Value-based, Family Enrichment System for the 21st Century - to learn more go to http://parenting.jimrohn.com

The Efficiency Curve

2008-10-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

By: Brian Tracy

The more you discipline yourself to working non-stop on a single task, the more you move down the "Efficiency Curve." You get more and more high quality work done in less and less time.

Each time you stop working however, you break this cycle and move back up the curve to where every part of the task is more difficult and time consuming.

Self Discipline Is The Key
Elbert Hubbard defined self discipline as, "The ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not."

In the final analysis, success in any area requires tons of discipline. Self-discipline, self-mastery and self-control are the basic building blocks of character and high performance.

The True Test of Willpower
Starting a high priority task and persisting with that task until it is 100% complete is the true test of your character, your willpower and your resolve.

Persistence is actually self-discipline in action. The good news is that the more you discipline yourself to persist on a major task, the more you like and respect yourself, and the higher is your self-esteem.

And the more you like and respect yourself, the easier it is for you to discipline yourself to persist even more.

Focus Clearly on Your Number One Task
By focusing clearly on your most valuable task and concentrating single mindedly until it is 100% complete, you actually shape and mold your own character. You become a superior person.

You become a stronger, more competent, confident and happier person. You feel more powerful and productive.

Build Your Self-Confidence
You eventually feel capable of setting and achieving any goal. You become the master of your own destiny. You place yourself on an ascending spiral of personal effectiveness on which your future is absolutely guaranteed.

And the key to all of this is for you to determine the most valuable and important thing you could possibly do at every single moment and then, "Eat That Frog!"

Action Exercises
Once you start your most important task, discipline yourself to persevere without diversion or distraction until it is 100% complete. See it as a “test” to determine whether you are the kind of person who can make a decision to complete something and then carry it out. Once you begin, refuse to stop until the job is finished.

Is Body Conditioning Karate's Lost Art?

2008-10-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

Copyright remains the property of: George Chaplin, C/O Dr. N. G. Jablonski, Dept. of Anthropology, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. CA 94118 - 4599 U.S.A email: njablonsk.cal.org.

Biographical Details George Chaplin is an Uechi Ryu Karate Do Yon Dan, and has taught and practiced karate in Hong Kong and Perth Western Australia. He was registered at Futenma Dojo where he trained with Grandmaster Kanei Uechi, and has spent a total of one year studying on Okinawa. He spent five years as Chief Instructor of the Hong Kong Dojo with Mr. Robert Campbell Renshi who was Senior Instructor and head of the branch. He has recently moved to San Francisco. .

Introduction:

This article is offered to the audience with the hope that it will inspire further discussion about the topic of conditioning. Here conditioning refers to the body's accommodation to getting hit and not getting bruised. It does not mean physical or cardio-vascular conditioning. It is an attempt to explain the observation that conditioning takes place. It may or may not be the answer and although the medical implications are pondered by the author, he must point out from the start that he has no medical training.

He welcomes any input from health professionals into this debate. He advises that conditioning must be done carefully and under supervision. If it is not undertaken then there is a risk that sparring and training accidents will cause greater injuries than they would otherwise. If you are in doubt about any health aspects of karate training the correct person to consult is a health professional. Unfortunately their most frequent advice, to the author at least, has been to give up karate!

Despite its importance for most forms of modern martial arts training, body conditioning has either been totally dropped or is sadly neglected. Traditional forms of kung fu and karate, such as Uechi Ryu, have always incorporated a system of body conditioning. It was by means of body conditioning that the body was prepared for the rigors of combat.
Today many of these exercises to "toughen" the body have been discarded. The emphasis has shifted to sport karate and body conditioning has been replaced with muscle and cardiovascular conditioning because now it is fitness that is of paramount importance. It can be said, however, that conditioning is vital to all forms of karate because it gives the body the ability to stand up to the constant knocks and blows. The ability to withstand the small but constant injuries sustained in normal training is important because it gives rise to greater confidence in the practice of karate. In addition to this confidence conditioning done correctly will help to maintain good health. For these reasons conditioning should again become an essential part of martial arts practice.

Training Methods:

Traditionally, conditioning was achieved by practicing very slightly injurious routines slowly and sustainedly over many years. The important word here is slightly. The inflicting of serious injury is detrimental to body conditioning, karate spirit, and general well being. Neither masochism nor sadism should have a place in training. It must be noted that vigorous training may seem to approach these extremes but at no time should the boundary separating safe from injurious training be crossed.

There are no absolutes and it necessary for the training partners to set their own limits with which each is comfortable. It is up to the instructors and seniors to ensure that the training is continuing within orderly and safe bounds.

So what areas do traditional karate individuals try to train? To answer that question we will look at Uechi Ryu Karate Do, a conservative Okinawan form of karate, which has a number of specific exercise to train particular places. These exercises are done against the resistance of a partner and so increase muscular strength at the same time as conferring conditioning. The slight trauma is provided by means of rubbing and hitting. These exercises are performed at every training session and last for approximately 10 - 15 minutes. In Okinawa, Japan, karate training sessions consist of two or more hours three times a week. Conditioning is started at the first lesson.

In the first place these conditioning exercises are used to strengthen those areas on the outer arm used for the majority of blocking, that is, the dorsal, medial, and lateral aspects of the forearm. Care is taken to avoid the tendons, nerves and blood vessels of the ventral (inner) aspect and also around the elbow and wrist joints. This whole area is referred to as the Kote in Japanese. These areas are conditioned by practicing repeated blocks and strikes to each of the areas in turn, each time hitting a slightly different place. Next in importance to the blocking areas, are the areas that are not so successful in avoiding getting hit or kicked such as the; thighs, and calves (which in this system is also used in blocking against kicking techniques). Lesser amounts of conditioning in other areas that also occasional become hit, such as, the stomach, pectorals, and the latissimus dorsii muscles, is also undertaken. In Okinawa conditioning of the frontal lower throat area has been observed, the resistance being provided by forceful contraction of the neck muscles. This practice the author considers doubtful. This and other extreme methods of conditioning seems to be a recent introduction to Uechi Ryu. In conditioning the pectoral region of women care must be taken to avoid the breast tissue as bruising can cause fat necrosis. Besides the undisireablibity of necrosis, these post trauma, necrotic, lumps may potentially lead to a cancerous lump being missed or confused in manual breast examination.

Coincidentally with this protective conditioning the exercises are training the striking weapons so as to improve their strength and ability to withstand constant impacts. They use techniques such as striking with (knife hand, using body of the Abductor Digiti Minimi muscle on the edge of the hand), (hammer fist, which utilizes and reinforces the same area as shuto by having the digits tightly flexed to form a fist), and (full fist, striking with knuckles of index and middle fingers). Parts of the foot such as tips of toes, top of instep and occasionally the lower shin just above the ankle is used for conditioning the legs by means of (front kicks) and (circular or round house kicks). The areas of the leg that are conditioned are the lateral and anterior (outer and front) aspects of the thigh and to a lesser extent the inner or medial aspects above the adductor canal (well above the knee but low enough to avoid the groin). The lower leg is conditioned at lateral and medial sides of the shin and at the front, above the shin bone proper, where the Tibialis Anterior muscle joins the top 1/3 of the tibia below the tibial plateau. The shin itself is also conditioned by repeated very light taps with the toes. In addition in Okinawa the front of the shin is conditioned by rolling a smooth heavy weight up and down on it. Kote Tikkai (arm rubbing) is also used for conditioning in addition to the (blocking) and (striking) techniques described above. This is where the three blocking areas of the forearms are massaged against those of a partner very forcefully. It is said to be used to spread the micro bruises out and increase the blood supply. Sometimes the calve is rubbed by using a rising front kick into a rubbing X or cross block to the lower leg.

Chinese Kung Fu practitioners also use similar methods as well as preparations of herbal medicines to enhance blood flow into the regions that are being conditioned. An herbal remedy is used in Uechi Ryu Karate Do but only to ameliorate over-enthusiastic conditioning that has caused severe or extensive bruising. The so called "Uechi Grass" preparation of an herbal grass grown at the masters home soaked in (Okinawan rice spirit) is applied topically and internally, but it is not used routinely as it would be in Chinese systems. Besides partner work Chinese practitioners employ such training aids as lightly and repeatedly hitting the "wooden man" so often seen in Wing Chun academies.

Observations of Students:

Although the methods employed vary from style to style, the end result appears to be the same. Unfortunately it is impossible to state what physiological changes conditioning actually brings about, without the opportunity of dissecting a practitioner's arm. We can speculate about how it is most likely effected, from observing the changes seen in the proponents of Uechi Ryu and in particular, those changes arising and developing in students new to karate. The author has had the opportunities to observe this training both in students and high ranking masters in Okinawa for one year and among his own students over periods as long as twelve years.

All students report bruising, on first starting body conditioning. This soon lessens and usually disappears within six months. Severe bruising is a sign of over vigorous application, if it continues with a lower intensity of conditioning bruising needs to be investigated as it could be indicative of blood or other medical disorders. The bruising appears to be more common in students of poor physical condition and weak muscle tone. Younger students frequently achieve conditioning more quickly. Once it has been achieved, conditioning seems to last for a period of years after the cessation of active training. The muscle tone and resistance to depression in actively conditioned areas appears to be very high. There is no sign of obvious damage and no changes in skin texture or coloration were observable.

The conditioned areas show very little subcutaneous fat deposits. All students report lesser amounts of injuries, less severe pain in injuries that are accidentally sustained and enhanced healing of such injuries. At least for the author medical nurses who have had to give injections or draw blood, have complained that the blood vessels are hard to find, that they are deep and the skin itself is thick.

Mechanisms of Body Conditioning:
Training appears to cause the loose connective tissue and fascia underlying the skin to change in such a way that they can withstand knocks and blows better. Besides the sub-cutaneous fascia there is a compartmental fascia, that is, a covering around bundles of muscle fibers, individual muscles, and around groups of muscles. Fascia is the tough unchewable substance found in the middle of the leg muscles used in a typical Sunday roast beef. Its natural purpose is to provide the muscle fibers something to push against when they are contracting. Hence, fascia is very tough and weight for weight is comparable to steel in tensile strength. It seems that with repeated slight trauma the fascia thickens slightly so as to provide an even stronger cover.

This covering of sub-cutaneous fascia cushions blows and can be thought of as a tough extra skin underlying the outer skin. Cushioning from the fascia is achieved by account of it being totally inelastic and when it is stressed against contracted muscles it spreads the impact over the surface of the muscle allowing no penetration into the muscle body. This lowers peak impact pressures at the point of contact. Equally important to the actual fascia's thickness and strength is muscle tone. The stronger the muscles are contracted the more tension would be exerted in the subcutaneous fascial layer. The tighter it is stretched the more are the penetrative force would be dissipated over. The deep compartmental layers in and around muscles are quite possibly also implicated in this cushioning.

Other structures are probably also involved in conditioning. The dermis may develop a protective callusing over areas that are frequently hit or abraded. The loose connective tissues are those tissues that lie between the fascia and the lowest levels of the outer skin or epidermis. It is made up of collagen, the same tough connective tissue as that of fascia and tendons and it is in the loose connective tissues that fat is stored. This layer too may change as a result of training and also work to slightly cushion the effect of blows. One way could be a change in the proportion of collagen to fat.

The loose connective tissue has a rich blood supply and is able to repair and regenerate itself quickly and quite easily. The deep fascia is also bathed, although mostly indirectly, in a rich blood supply from the loose connective tissue and from the muscles themselves. It also has a very limited direct blood supply. As a result of the micro damage and regular training the blood supply to the loose connective tissue and fascia might increase as they thicken. Besides the cushioning effect of this thickening, the increased blood supply would provide another benefit, in that, the body's ability to repair micro damage is much enhanced -- small bruises healing almost before they are noticed.

The mechanisms for conditioning bones is much more problematic to describe if it even happens because the author suspects that it is more likely an artifact of pain tolerance. If any conditioning can be given to bones it is more from the effects of muscle stress than repeated trauma, because bones thicken depending on the loads they have to endure. Denser boner could be more resistant to impact forces but it is doubtful to the author that this would be to any significant degree.

An increase in the density of the bone would stimulate the periosteum, and it may be possible by repeated very gentle stimulation to make it thicken and hence "condition". With bone's slow regenerative ability any useful conditioning will also be very slow to develop. Any apparent bone conditioning, other than that insignificant amount explained by increased bone density and minimal thickening of the periosteum, is more probably better explained by accommodation to pain. It is not recommended by the author to seek to condition bones and this activity has been abandoned by him.

This abandonment was is due to the attendant risks of bone conditioning. The slightest over zealousness in conditioning bony areas and the periosteum will separate from the bone because the bone becomes depressed away from the periosteum. Once it has lifted from the surface of the bone it will lose its indirect blood supply and take a long time to re-attach. Whilst it is unattached blood will collect between the bone proper and the periosteum. This is the dreaded and very painful bone bruise. Other problems are much worse.

Complications of Over Training:

Bones:

Bruised bones take a very long time to heal due to the almost non-existent blood supply. This can lead to some very potentially serious complications. The most unusual and worst these complications being Osteosarcoma or Bone cancer. This is where the regenerative properties of the bone go haywire. In Osteosarcoma the cells change and go mad, proliferating at such a rate they destroy the bone they are supposed to be repairing. This very serious illness is often, but by no means always, set off by a severe bone bruise. Like all cancers, if it is not caught in time, it can be fatal and anyway it is always serious. In young people it is more difficult to catch as it develops at an even faster rate than adults. The other serious complication of bone conditioning is infected bones, osteomyelitis.

This is where an infection sets into the body of the bone. Its main non-surgical cause is almost always trauma. The infection will eventually ulcerate out through the skin. It too can be life threatening because it can cause blood toxicity complications and very high fevers. It is always quite difficult to cure and will often break out again as the infection slowly smolders, undetected, through the bone. Bad bone bruises can leave areas where there is too much calcium deposited or the deposits are wrongly laid down, which may have health implications in old age.

Muscles:

Deep muscles have such a rich blood supply that they bruise easily. In fact they can bruise so badly that they become flooded with blood. This can cause the muscle to swell in its fascial covering. When this happens in the calf it can cause the blood supply to the lower leg to become shut off. This carries the possible risk of gangrene in the lower leg if the circulation is impaired for a long period. If the blockage is total gangrene will start in less than half an hour. This condition only likely to happen in the calf and is then known as Anterior Compartment Syndrome. It can usually be detected by acute pain in the calf itself and numbness around the second and third toes as the nerves serving those areas are similarly compressed along with the arteries. The seriousness of Gangrene does not need amplifying and it too is associated with fever. Bad diabetics with impaired peripheral blood flow should be particularly concerned about gangrene in the foot. A very high fever associated with any bad bruise is a certain sign of serious difficulty and needs prompt investigation.

Another concern with bruises is those in the body of the large muscles themselves, usually the muscles of the thigh; Although the author has seen one in the biceps. When flooded with blood from a bad bruise haemotoma, the blood starts to form a new bone in the body of the muscle. This is heterotopic bone formation associated with charley horse or chronic cramps it is called myositis-ossificans. The small fragments of bone in the body of the muscle cause severe pain.

The ability of the muscles to form bone in this way is a method the body has developed for reinforcing areas of high stress. With trauma this useful ability is confused and forms bone in an inappropriate place. The chance of myositis-ossificans forming is often exacerbated by deep massage to a bruised large muscle.

Tendons, Nerves and Other:
To avoid serious injuries it is of course prudent to avoid damaging blood vessels and nerves, however, these are mostly well placed to avoid damage except, maybe around joints, e.g., around the wrist and elbow. It goes without saying that joints of any kind can never be strengthened by conditioning. The last major complication to be concerned about in body conditioning is in the fascia of the tendon sheaths, tendons, and ligaments. These do not have a direct blood supply and like periosteum they collect their nutriments from the thin fluid that passes between the cells. It is called the interstitial fluid. Therefore, without a blood supply they will not bruise.

Fascia, tendons, and ligaments don't really bruise anyway because they are made of inelastic, tightly bonded molecules of collagen. These are so inelastic that they tear instead of bruising. Small tears are not very serious or complicated and will usually clear up with some rest. Sudden impact onto a highly stressed tendon or ligament can often cause complete separation that will require surgical repair. Major tears, whether complete or not, will weaken a ligament or tendon and the resultant scarring will leave it susceptible to more tears. This weakening can become chronic and cause the cessation of training. Tendons run in a protective sheath. Bruise this and you run the risk of having the smooth slippery surface of the sheath roughening, the tendon will then grate every time it moves causing acute pain.

This can be seen in the knuckles of people over doing the Makiwara and punching hard objects like bricks as in Tamashiwara training. This condition, tenosynovitis, is not normally serious although it may be become chronic and require the cessation of karate training.

Why if there are so many dangers to over-zealous body conditioning do we do it at all? And indeed aren't these dangers the reason why most systems practiced today don't do it anyway? Well, the complications found in body conditioning are present in everyday practice when doing forms of fighting and sparring. What karate practitioner has never had a major bruise? If you are going to become bruised -- and every one is -- then it is best to prepare the body for the eventuality. A forceful punch that is wrongly blocked or not blocked at all will connect.

When it strikes the blocking surface it will hurt and could injure. This is such a regular occurrence that it is not even considered or thought about in most karate circles. A potentially stronger danger can come from actions such as leg sweeps and especially from poorly prepared demonstrations involving breaking techniques. Because conditioning can protect the body from inevitable contacts it should be started with the first lesson and kept up through out a karate practitioner's life. They will then always be well protected. Protecting oneself from injury is surely the raison d'être" of karate training.

The Yin and Yang of Body Conditioning:

It is useful to compare the injunctions given above, with those practices and explanations of the old Chinese masters. It is hardly surprising that the old masters arrived at the same knowledge, but that they did so by trial and error and centuries of tradition is much harder for us of the scientific age to accept. The old masters were almost always doctors too, although their medical system was that of the Chinese herbalist. This system often arrived at the same conclusions as Western medicine, but with an archaic explanation that is considered scientifically wrong. From a functional point of view, however, the Chinese paradigms are as valid as Western ones.

Body conditioning is explained in terms of Yin and Yang. The dark soft forces and the strong hard forces. Nothing is ever purely one or the other but every thing is a different admixture of the two principals of the universe. In the body the yin and yang areas can be determined by standing in the midday sun. The areas in shadow are yin those in full sun are yang. The energy traverses the body in channels Yang channels are on the outer sides of the body and limbs and Yin channels on the inside shaded area of the body. The depth of the shadow determines the amount of yin present in an area. Therefore, the arm pit, groin, and throat, are the weakest area being almost pure Yin.

It becomes immediately evident that this "theory" has some validity as these are the major striking points of the body to cause injury. Lesser shadows become apparent on closer inspection, such as those under the pectoral region, covering the inner arm and leg, below the knees, around the ankles, bridge of the nose, etc.. The major muscles of chest, thighs, calves, forearms, etc. all stand out in brilliant light; being infused with yang.

The components of the body are each assigned to either yin or yang. Muscles are the most yang. Hollows and spaces are the most yin; armpit, groin, back of the knee. The internal organs are considered uniformly soft and vulnerable. Tendons are a mixture of yin and yang. Tendons along with blood vessels and nerves are considered the areas where the flow (movement) of energy takes place. Therefore, the yin element can easily be disrupted there; as it can at the joints. Bones are surprisingly considered as being almost all yin with only a tiny fraction of yang that is concentrated on their surface.

Although the terms and labels are different this must sound very familiar by now.

Apply to this knowledge of the body a few simple rules and we have the outline of the principles of body conditioning training methods as formulated by the old Chinese masters. Yang will be repulsed by yang (strength repulses strength). Greater yang overcomes lesser yang. Yang (being strong) damages yin (soft). Yin will eventually overcome yang -- as water will wear away rocks (energy takes strength which will ultimately cause tiredness). Too much yang and the body will burn up (heat exhaustion).

So the methods become simply: Hit strong areas as hard as the strong area can withstand it. Therefore, muscles can be trained to ever increasing amounts of conditioning. Hit mixed areas only hard enough so as not to damage the soft parts. Only apply soft force to area belonging to yin (soft parts and bones). Do not become permanently tense but apply focus (kime) as it is needed. Therefore, it can be seen from the above that functionally, an identical solution as that of modern medicine and sports science, has been arrived at by the old Chinese masters.

Conclusion:

All in all, conditioning is a useful adjunct to martial arts training, giving participants an opportunity to strengthen their techniques, and offensive and defensive natural weapons. It will enable the students to come face to face with the fear of being struck and to learn to accept and overcome this fear. It will also help to avoid, in their daily training, the potentially life threatening injuries that rarely but unavoidably do happen.

George Chaplin, 4th dan, Uechi-ryu Karate-Do.

The 21 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Money

2008-10-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

You can become a master of money! Follow these laws to build your financial
wealth.

Over the years I have studied successful business owners, and self-made
millionaires to find the real secrets about money. My studies have revealed
the 21 absolutely unbreakable laws of money.

By listening to this 60 minute CD you will learn how to:

Become a money magnet

Increase your income immediately

Learn the secrets of wealth building

Build a financial fortress

Now is the time to become the master of your money. Learn the 21 absolutely unbreakable laws of money now and begin the life you’ve always wanted to live.

Becoming A Master of Persuasion

2008-10-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

Becoming A Master of Persuasion
By: Brian Tracy

Persuasion power can help you get more of the things you want faster than anything else you do. It can mean the difference between success and failure. It can guarantee your progress and enable you to use all of your other skills and abilities at the very highest level. Your persuasion power will earn you the support of others.

You Have Two Choices

There are always two choices: either you can persuade others to help you or you can be persuaded to help them. It is one or the other.

Most people are not aware that every human interaction involves a complex process of persuasion and influence. And being unaware, they are usually the ones being persuaded to help others rather than the ones who are doing the persuading.

The Key to Persuasion

The key to persuasion is motivation. Every human action is motivated by something. Your job is to find out what motivates other people and then to provide that motivation.

People have two major motivations: the desire for gain and the fear of loss. The desire for gain motivates people to want more of the things they value in life.

They want more money, more success, more health, more influence, more respect, more love and more happiness.

Human wants are limited only by individual imagination. No matter how much a person has, he or she still wants more and more. When you can show a person how he or she can get more of the things he or she wants by helping you achieve your goals, you can motivate them to act in your behalf.

A Presidential Insight

President Eisenhower once said that, "Persuasion is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do, and to like it." You need always to be thinking about how you can get people to want to do the things that
you need them to do to attain your objectives.

The Fear of Loss

People are also motivated to act by the fear of loss. This fear, in all its various forms, is often stronger than the desire for gain.

People fear financial loss, loss of health, anger or disapproval of others, loss of the love of someone and the loss of anything they have worked hard to accomplish.

They fear change, risk and uncertainty because these threaten them with potential losses.

Use Dual Motivation

Whenever you can show a person that, by doing what you want them to do, they can avoid a loss of some kind, you can influence them to take a particular action. The very best appeals are those where you offer an
opportunity to gain and an opportunity to avoid loss at the same time.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, before trying to convince someone of something, take a little time to think and ask questions to find out what it is he really wants. Then, motivate him to act by showing him how you can help him get it.

Remember, people are motivated for their reasons, not yours.

------------------------------------------
Brian Tracy is the most listened to audio author on personal and business success in the world today. His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can immediately apply to get better results in every area. For more information, please go to www.BrianTracy.com.

I know that!

2006-07-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

The three most dangerous words in the English language are: I know that!

Those three words stop people in their tracks faster than a speeding train. As soon as we say, "I know that!" then we shut down to new growth. Humans were designed to be naturally curious and constantly growing beings, but as I always say, "If you're not growing, you are automatically dying."

If you are still struggling with your greenbacks, then you may unconsciously be saying to yourself, “I already know about the almighty buck!" It's the psychology of abundance that has literally changed the lives of thousands upon thousands of people through our highly popular Millionaire Mind Intensive^TM seminars.

Three Sports Related Lessons We All Can Learn From

2006-06-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

Copyright � 2006 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success
Shortcut 2 Success
http://www.Shortcut2Success.com



Everyone in some form or fashion is exposed to sports on a very
regular basis either through participation, watching an event on
television, reading an article about a team or athlete. Even if
you are not an avid sports fan, you will inevitably come across a
sports related situation on a daily basis. Due to the popularity
of sports and increased media exposure, I think sports are a
great teaching tool for all of us; young and old, if put in
proper perspective.  Proper perspective from my standpoint is
categorized in three general groups.

* Win humbly and lose graciously:   Easy to put into words, very
difficult to implement especially when you are on the losing end
of a sporting event.  Look at the NBA Finals and how Dallas
reacted after game 5; these are professional people that let
losing take each of them in some way out of character for a
moment. Ok, so what is the lesson here? Look introspectively at
yourself and children, talk about the reaction of the team,
owner, management, fans and with how you might have felt in a
similar situation. Point out the power of emotion, both positive
and negative; discuss the need to let emotions out but, in a
controllable manner.  Review the way almost every person stood up
and was accountable for their reaction *PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY*,
understand what drove them to that level and frustration and yet
got past it.  The great thing about most sporting events is at
the end of the game, there are only two possible outcomes; a
winner and loser. How you mange the outcome and perspective can
go a long way in building personal character and teaching our
children correct values.

* Teamwork: For a team to be successful, all of the members must
work together and accept different roles and responsibilities.
Not everyone can be a quarterback, someone has to block. When you
participate in a team sport, you recognize the different talents
and personalities very quickly. Pretty soon the dynamics of a
team focuses people to different roles, sometimes reluctantly.
When a person is exposed to the team environment for the first,
their behavior is interesting to observe.  This is simply due to
the fact they have a predetermined role defined in their mind
prior to going into the team situation.  What tells a lot about
the team dynamics is how people adjust to the personalities,
values, leader and attempt to focus on what the collective
efforts are trying to achieve.  There are books on the dynamics
if teams and their effectiveness, if you want more team
information the resources are endless. I just wanted to briefly
point out, participation on a team is an important  part of
personal development, learning to cooperate, and teaching the
favorite clich�; there is no *I* in the word team.

* Can a sports person be a Role Model?  Not as a stand alone
Role Model. Why, the reason is simply because on a daily basis we
do not observe all of the aspects of that persons daily life, we
see only the person in one aspect, a sporting event. The Role
Model you choose, in my opinion needs to be someone that can be
observed frequently, approachable to the point of engaging in
conversations, observed in different social and professional
situations and consistent in the application of their values.
This may sound a little strange, but I developed a morphed Role
Model with multiple traits of people close to me. I took from my
parent's patience and teaching skill, my grandparent's
unconditional expressive love, the power of family and faith from
all my relatives. Can a sports person be the example for a
specific achievement or trait that forms part of a person's
character, you bet. Pick a sport, choose your Role Model and try
to play the game that way. An example of this would be John
Elway, why because he a great example of perseverance and a never
give up attitude.  Have open conversations about Role Models with
your family and friends, the conversations can get very
entertaining.

In many ways, sports participation and involvement opens up
learning experiences for the body as well as the mind at a young
age. As we get older, a sport gives us opportunity to relive
moments of successes and failures that we can share with our
friends and family.  **Go out and enjoy a sporting event soon, be
careful you are not as young as you were last time you played
football with your children and the grandchildren**




---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the
success field and provides valuable success information for free
through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com . You can
also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at:
http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog


--- END ARTICLE ---

My Future Starts Today!

2006-06-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

Copyright � 2006 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success
Shortcut 2 Success
http://www.Shortcut2Success.com

My future starts today, say it out loud, say it silently to yourself, just say it! Like a lot of people, I looked at my past in an attempt to see what my future would be. After years of thinking about my future in this manner, I came to realize I'm actually stuck in the past in a lot of ways. Why, because of the comfort zone the past provides for us. I liked my routine, I was comfortable doing my job in a familiar work environment, I drove the same way to and from work everyday. I could even tell you how much extra time the school zones added to my drive; jeez I was stuck and did not realize it. Sure I thought about the future, my goals and dreams, but for some reason I could not take the step out of the past. My advice to you, do not let the past dictate your future.

I found it difficult to break from the habit of reflecting back to my past, even when I was trying to determine my next step towards the future. This reflection to the past was a very annoying cycle I that I fond myself stuck in. My breakthrough came after I started reading about successful people and learning about their mind set. A major amount of focus and effort during
this period of time was trying to determine and improve my financial future. As a result, I set out to research and read about financially successful people to see if I could gain some perspective on improving my financial future. A few of the books I read included; Donald Trump's Think Like a Billionaire, T. Harv Eker's Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, Robert Kiyosaki Rich Dad Poor Dad , granted most of the content is about how they made their money, but they also offer valuable insight into their thinking habits. What I found during this research was for you to understand the past and learn from the past, but do not let the past dictate your future. Look forward, take chances, sure there is going to be risk involved because you will be out of your comfort zone. This is the breakthrough I needed and will you need to make in trying to achieve your goals and step towards the future. If you have tried and not done so well on your own trying to change your mind set, do not get frustrated.

There are a number of companies offering courses, seminars and training opportunities to help you out. Success University (http://www.successuniversity.com) is a terrific resource. Some
of you may be familiar with Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) (http://www.nlp.com/), again there are many. Figure out what mattes to you, be willing to change, get over the blame game, and trust in yourself and others thus allowing yourself to be successful.

When I talk to people about change in general or why they argue not to change a behavior, or habit, I often refer to Albert Einstein and his definition of Insanity; Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Step into the future, if and when you have set backs just say, what's next...and move on.

Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the success field and provides valuable success information for free through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com.
You can also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at:
http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog

Managing Your Fears, Anxieties, And Phobias Takes Practice

2006-06-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Stanley Popovich
http://www.managingfear.com/
A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear

Like everything in life, managing your fears and anxieties takes practice. The more you do it, the better you will become. Here are a few reminders on how you can become better at dealing with your fears, depression, and anxieties.

In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to learn what works, what doesn't work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. For instance, you have a lot of anxiety and you decide to take a walk to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk. This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety the next time around.

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make your fearful or anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, you are afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don't get this job promotion doesn't mean that you will never get one. In addition, people change jobs all the time, and you always have that option of going elsewhere if you are unhappy at your present location. Changing your thinking can help you manage your fears.

Sometimes, we may be nervous doing a certain task that may be scary. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you and your team have to play in the championship hockey game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. Imagine that your playing in front of a large audience. By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes.

Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time.
Completing these smaller tasks will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Managing your fears and anxieties takes practice. The more you practice, the better you will become.

Remember that sometimes our worrying and fears can make the problem even worse. Take things in stride and try not focus too much on the problem. Patience, persistence, education, and being committed in trying to solve your problem will go along way in fixing your problems. In time, you will find the ways to overcome your phobias.

BIOGRAPHY:

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

It is never too late to communicate

2006-06-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

It is never too late to communicate. Always be the first to forgive and say "I'm sorry." Don't wait for fear of what the response might be. Remember Parkinson's latest law: "The vacuum created by a failure to communicate will quickly be filled with rumor, misrepresentation, doubt and poison."

In the communication process, knowledge is not always wisdom; sensitivity is not always accuracy and sympathy is not always understanding. Empathy is never assuming anything until you have, "walked a mile in the other person's moccasins." Take full responsibility for success in the communication process. As a listener, take full responsibility for hearing the meaning behind what the others are trying to say. As a talker, take full responsibility for being certain that they understand what you are saying. Never meet anyone halfway in your relationships. Always give 100 percent.

This week make the call or have the conversation you have been putting off or dreading.

-- Denis Waitley

The cure for stress and anxiety

2006-06-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Question:

"So how do I get rid of stress/fear/anxiety, all those things that keep me limited, all those
things that are lurking in the dark parts of my mind and stop me in life?"

The answer is, "You don't."

Getting "rid" of something would imply you took some conscious action first to "GET" that.

It also assumes that you "Have" it...

Most of the self-esteem/confidence building industry is all based on this tiny, tiny, subconcious assumption that... somewhere a long the road you made a conscious decision to become fearful. As if we purchased it on the road somewhere.

Have you noticed?

Any process at "removing" fear always has that slight little angle of self GUILT about it.

It's baloney.

The other assumtion is that when you were a little child you were fearless... and some big hairy monster implanted fear in you... and now you have it...

Big monster, aka: Mom, Dad, World, Life...

This perpetuates the feeling that we have no choice to explore this internal demon of fear and anxiety that keeps you from peace and happiness.

I don't know, but I can't find my receipt for a "life-time of fear" anywhere in my tax return files. And the memory of that monster, just doesn't seem that clear.

This is so obvious... which is exactly why it's overlooked. Either way... people keep buying books, spending thousand of dollars on seminars...and everyone is , happy...their lives are
changing... or are they?

Don't take me wrong... none of these things are "bad", I'm sure some of them are very helpful and are written by the rare beings that have stumbled onto truth just like this guy writing to you today.

When you stumble onto it, the first thing you want to do is share it with others... "How could anyone else not see this?" is the realization you have.

It's probably why they write their books. It's why I'm writing this to you in the best way I can.

But what about the 95% of useless books, seminars, tapes, and home study courses people waste their time and money with?

..nothing is really happening...and fear ain't going no-where. It's like spinning in circles deluding yourself into believing that you're going somewhere.

Let's see how deep this rabbit hole really gets...

Join me in a 2 part event, during which I and my dear friend J Sun are going to take you through a powerful process called "The Alchemy of Fear into Gold", during which your deepest
fears are plucked out by the roots, and seen for what they really are.

when you see it for what it truly is... it will begin to transform into the very thing that you've wanted all your life. How?

Just imagine you've been sitting on a goldmine your whole life... everyone who you've ever known has always told you: "Don't go there, it's fully of dark scary things! Here, I'll help you burn them!"

Then... one lucky day... someone comes along and instead, says...

"Hey buddy! There a gold-mine down there! Don't believe me? -- Here! I've got polaroids, I took photos, Look!"

...would would you do then?

These little emails I'm sending you are just polaroid photos from a totally different world I've discovered.

This isn't some "other" world. It's the same world you're in right now as you're reading this email. The same thing is available to you right now.

I don't want to sell you on some wacky idea, I just want to prove it to you that you can discover the same real thing for yourself. I really don't give a rats bum if you sign up or not, this isn't about me.

It's about you, and your freedom.

I want to give you the keys in the same way they've been handed to me. Join me in this event, don't miss out on it.

http://www.IAmNow.com/freedom

Kacper M. Postawski

PS. I always usually paste links twice so that certain people have less incentive to procrastinate the decision for signing up for a transformational event. I usually write something catchy in the end, but couldn't think of it this time. Here it is again:

http://www.IamNow.com/freedom

[MdedBiz Success Tips #6] Do You Love Yourself Too Much?

2005-10-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

[MdedBiz Success Tips #6] Do You Love Yourself Too Much? By: Henry Gold (Part I) I know you may say "Of Course" I love myself. But "Do you know the truth?" Most people say that they love themselves, but they still eat junk food, which tortures their body. They still listen to the negative people, who will always stop them from achieving what they want in their lives. They still listen to their egos, which will block the positive input that could help them travel to their preferred destination. ....And much much more. In the past, I admitted that whenever someone criticized me, I would show them that I was smarter than they. My ego would take over, where I argued until the end to prove how wrong he or she was to say anything bad about me. The Result: None of the people who cared about my existence would tell me the truth, instead they just mentioned words that I would like to hear, as they were scared that we would end up arguing. Very soon, most of the sincere people left me alone, as they felt it took too much energy to be around me. Eventually, all the friends that surrounded me were the people who would always "praise me " and say how good I was. This behavior was actually blocking all the information that was supposed to make me achieve what I wanted. Instead of receiving the correct input for my business, I had to stand alone, as if I knew everything. People whom I called "Close Friends" were looking down on me. After my ego took over, my business decreased from $4,000,000 to Minus $90,000 in less than 1 year. I was in pain. I was suffering. It seemed as if the world was moving by without my presence. In fact, as soon as the word spread out to those so-called "Close Friends", they all fled as they couldn't see the advantage of getting close to me. This was very sad, which has made me very strong today. Think back and realize... "Did I Really Love Myself?" or "Was My Ego Taking Control of My Life?" You see, we all have self-pride. We always want to hear people say great things about us. The truth is the ego within ourselves is the first key to "Massive Failure" in our life. It is also the poison that destroys all the strong friendships you have with honest and sincere people. Instead, you "attract" those "hangers on" who are just trying to get a piece of your gold. We all want to be loved. We all want people to look up to us and say great thing about us. This is the "Natural Human Reaction". BUT... We need to understand being loved and self-ego are two very different things in life. Being loved: People love you for what you've done in their lives and what you've given them to make them realize that they are able to do something in their lives. Self-ego: You are looking for other people's respect because you want people to think that you are good. To believe that you are strong. Most of the time, in desperation for getting their respect use the material power to shut people's mouths. This is totally wrong. Without sincerity, those "Sugar-Coated" friends that surround you will stick with you as long as you can provide them with a material comfort zone, such as: go to movie together where you are the one to pay for the tickets etc. How long will it last? It is all depending on your finances for sure. Once it ends, they flee. The result: You cry. You are depressed. "Why would you want those friends in the beginning anyway?" Discard them. Find new ones. Find people that truly care about you, as YOU, and not for what you have. Listen to their advice even though it may be bitter, as they are telling you the truth, not something that you would like to hear. This is the friendship that will last forever. Coming Soon Part II... "How To Choose The Right Friends" Please share with friends. Thank you. - Henry :)

Points to Ponder

2005-10-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

Develop Definiteness of Purpose

Success and progress towards achieving your goals in life begin with knowing where you are going.
Any dominating idea, plan, or purpose held in your conscious mind through repeated effort and emotionalized by a burning desire for its realization is taken over by the subconscious and acted upon through whatever natural and logical means may be available.
Your mental attitude gives power to everything you do. If your attitude is positive, your actions and thoughts further your ends? If your attitude is negative, you are constantly undermining your own efforts.
The starting point of all human achievement is the development of a Definite Major Purpose.
Without a definite major purpose, you are as helpless as a ship without a compass.

Establish a Mastermind Alliance

A mastermind alliance consists of two or more minds working actively together in perfect harmony toward a common definite objective.
Through a mastermind alliance you can appropriate and use the full strength of the experience, training, and knowledge of others just as if they were your own.
No individual has ever achieved success without the help and cooperation of others.
The value of "gathering together those of a like mind" is self-evident.
A group of brains coordinated in a spirit of harmony will provide more thought energy than a single brain, just as a group of electric batteries will provide more energy than a single battery,

Assemble an Attractive Personality

A Positive Mental Attitude is the right mental attitude in any given situation.
Courtesy is your most profitable asset… and it is absolutely free!
Emotions are nothing but reflections of your mental attitude, which you can organize, guide, and completely control.
Your personality is your greatest asset or your greatest liability because it embraces everything you control ...your mind, body, and soul.
To be happy, make someone else happy!

Use Applied Faith

Faith is awareness of, belief in, and harmonizing with the universal powers.
Faith is a state of mind which must be active not passive, to be useful in achieving lasting success.
Close the door to fear behind you and you will quickly see the door of faith open before you.
Fear is nothing more than a state of mind, which is subject to your own direction and control.
Faith will not bring you what you desire, but it will show you the way to go after it for yourself.

Go the Extra Mile

Strength and struggle go hand in hand.
Render more and better service than you are paid for, and sooner or later you will receive compound interest from your investment.
The end of the rainbow is at the end of the second mile.
The quality of the service rendered, plus the quantity of service rendered, plus the mental attitude in which it is rendered, equals your compensation.
The more you give, the more you get.

Control Your Attention

Keep your mind ON the things you want and OFF the things you don't want!
It is much easier to focus your attention on something you believe will happen than on something you believe is unlikely.
Controlled attention is the act of coordinating all the faculties of your mind and directing their combined power to a specific end.
Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy your mind at the same time.
Independence starts with self-dependence.

Inspire Teamwork

There is no record of any great contribution to civilization without the cooperation of others.
Enthusiasm is contagious and teamwork is the inevitable result.
A good football team relies more on harmonious coordination of effort than individual skill.
Most people will respond more freely to a request than they will to an order.
Helping others solve their problems will help you solve your own.

Learn From Adversity and Defeat

Everyone faces defeat. It may be a stepping-stone or a stumbling block, depending on the mental attitude with which it is faced.
Failure and pain are one language through which nature speaks to every living creature.
You are never a failure until you accept defeat as permanent and quit trying.
Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the electric light bulb. Don't worry if you fail once.
Every adversity, every failure, and every unpleasant experience carries with it the seed of an equivalent benefit which may prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Cultivate Creative Vision

Creative imagination has its base in the subconscious and is the medium through which you recognize new ideas and newly learned facts.
Synthetic imagination springs from experience and reason; creative imagination springs from your commitment to your definite purpose.
Imagination recognizes limitations. Creative vision sees no limitations.
Your imaginative faculty will become weak through inaction. It can be revived through use.
The man who dipped a chunk of ice cream in chocolate and called it "Eskimo Pie" made a fortune for the five seconds of imagination it took to create the idea!

Maintain Sound Health

To maintain a Positive Mental Attitude and develop a healthy mind and body, you must conquer fear and anxiety.
Anything that affects your physical health also affects your mental health.
A Positive Mental Attitude is the most important quality for sound mental and physical health.
Exercise produces both physical and mental buoyancy. It clears sluggishness and dullness from body and mind.
If you haven't the willpower to keep your physical body in repair, you lack the power of will to maintain a positive mental attitude in other important circumstances that control your life.

Budget Your Time and Money

Tell me how you use your time and how you spend your money, and I will tell you where and what you'll be ten years from now.
Take regular inventory of yourself to learn how and where you are spending your time and money.
The secret of getting things done is: DO IT NOW!
Time is too precious to be wasted on arguments and discontent.
Some mistakes can be corrected, but not the mistake of wasting time. When time is gone, it's gone forever.

Use of Cosmic Habitforce

It takes a habit to replace a habit.
All of your successes and failures are results of habits you have formed.
The orderliness of the world of natural laws gives evidence that they are under control of a universal plan.
For every result there is a cause, and results are brought about through the use of cosmic habitforce.
First you get a habit, then it gets you.

Create Personal Initiative

It is better to act on a plan that is still weak than to delay acting at all.
Procrastination is the archenemy of personal initiative.
Personal Initiative:
is contagious
succeeds where others fail
creates work
creates opportunity
creates the future
creates advancement
Procrastinators are experts in creating alibis.
Personal initiative is the inner power that starts all action.

Build a Positive Mental Attitude

A Positive Mental Attitude is the single most important principle of the science of success, without which you cannot get the maximum benefit from the other sixteen principles.
Success attracts success and failure attracts more failure.
Your mental attitude is the only thing over which you, and only you, have complete control.
A Positive Mental Attitude attracts opportunities for success, while a Negative Mental Attitude repels opportunities and doesn't even take advantage of them when they do come along.
A positive mind finds a way it can be done... a negative mind looks for all the ways it can't be done.

Control Your Enthusiasm

To be enthusiastic-act enthusiastically!
Enthusiasm is to progress toward success as gasoline is to a car's engine. It is the fuel that drives things forward.
Enthusiasm stimulates your subconscious mind. By feeding your conscious mind with enthusiasm, you impress upon your subconscious that your burning desire and your plan for attaining it are certain.
Enthusiasm is a state of mind. It inspires action and is the most contagious of all emotions.
Enthusiasm is more powerful than logic, reason, or rhetoric in getting your ideas across and in winning over others to your viewpoint.

Enforce Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is the process that ties together all your efforts of controlling your mind, your personal initiative, positive mental attitude and controlling your enthusiasm.
Self-discipline makes you think before you act.
The subconscious has access to all departments of the mind, but is not under the control of any.
If you don't discipline yourself, you are sure to be disciplined by others.
Without self-discipline, you are as dangerous as a car running downhill without brakes or steering wheel.

Think Accurately

Thoughts have power, are under your control, and can be used wisely or unwisely.
Accurate thinkers accept no political, religious, or other type of thought, regardless of its source, until it is carefully analyzed.
Accurate thinkers are the masters of their emotions.
Accurate thought involves two fundamentals. First you must separate facts from information. Second you must separate facts into two classes? The important and unimportant.
Accurate thinkers allow no one to do their thinking for them.

[MdedBiz Success Tips #6] After Hurricane Katrina - Seven Things You Can Do

2005-09-07T00:07:00.000-07:00

[MdedBiz Success Tips #6] After Hurricane Katrina
- Seven Things You Can Do

-------------------------------------------------
*** Article: After Hurricane Katrina
- Seven Things You Can Do
– By Kevin Eikenberry ***
-------------------------------------------------

If you are like me, you are living some distance
from the devastation wrought by Katrina. If you
are like me you are not physically impacted and
can watch the plight of others on television in
the comfort of your home. And if you are like me,
you are wondering what you can do.

I believe the answer to that question is an
important one. It can help define who you are and
what you have and choose to give to the world. The
list that follows is not meant to stimulate your
thinking. It is meant to stimulate action. All of
us can do all of these things. And in doing them
we will not only be helping others, we will be
helping ourselves deal with and grow from these
events as well.

Give Resources. You have heard it and will hear
it often. The resources required by these events
will be unprecedented. Open your wallet and give.
It doesn’t matter which charity you choose, just
give. Pick a number, then add to it. Do a search
on Katrina relief to find places to contribute.
You can give more than monëy though. Perhaps you
have other resources that you could offer. Spare
blankets or other supplies will inevitably be
leaving from your community in the coming days.
Watch for these announcements and donate. If you
know someone affected, or know someone who knows
someone, perhaps you can provide a spare bedroom.
You can even support relief efforts each time you
search the internet. Go to http://allgive.com to
search and learn more.

Give Yourself. If your situation allows, perhaps
you feel drawn to go and help. If you are thinking
about that and you can, go. Many of us won’t be
able to go and lend a hand directly. You can still
give of time and talents locally and have a direct
impact on efforts there. Organizations like The
Salvation Army and The Red Cross will be spread
thin for months. If you volunteer in your town,
more physical resources can remain on the Gulf
Coast longer.

Encourage Others to Give. This is a way for you
to give of your talents.Use the leadership and
influence skills that you have to encourage others
to give. If you own a business, match employee
contributions to relief efforts. If you are
involved in any sort of organization, start a fund
raising effort. A colleague of mine sent an email
saying he would match any gifts given by those on
his list up to a total of $500. Every person
could do this. Ask yourself who you could influence
and how you could personally help increase giving.
Get creative! And get started.

Say a Prayer. Regardless of your religious beliefs,
or how you would state this, say a prayer. Say one
for those who have lost family. For those who have
lost their homes. For those who are sick or thirsty
or hungry. And say a special prayer for those
involved in rescue and recovery efforts - those
giving of themselves to make things better for others.

Keep Your Perspective. It is sometimes hard to keep
a healthy perspective as you watch the events on
television. It is easy to let the worry and concern
become overwhelming. Do yourself a favor and don’t
let these events overpower your life. Be grateful for
your situation. Rethink how upset or frustrated you
become at little inconveniences or challenges,
because these situations mean little in the bïgger
scheme of things, and the events of recent days
should make this very clear to us.

Conserve. Our country is going to be dealing with
the aftermath of Katrina for a long time. There are
other little things that we can do that will make a
difference. Conserve fuel. Carpool to work. Combine
your errands, or just stay home. Turn off your air
conditioning and turn off the lights. Fossil fuels
will be in short supply and every little bit helps.
Plus every dollar you don’t spend on fuel, is another
dollar you could choose to donate to relief efforts.

Give Again, Later. Many will give nöw, but agencies
like The Red Cross will tell you that after the
situation leaves most people’s conscious thoughts,
the needs will still be great. Make a commitment nöw
to make another contribution later in the year. One
way to do this is to reduce your holiday spending
and earmarking the difference for Katrina relief.

I’m sure there are many more things that you can do
to help both yourself and others in the coming weeks.
It matters less what you do than that you do s
omething. That is my urging to you. You can make a
difference, but only if you take action.

Special Note: One of the ways I am taking my own
advice to “Encourage Others to Give” is by offering
you (and anyone you know) a choice of a 6 month
membership to our Powerquotes Plus service, a $30 value,
or a seat in our tele-seminar, The Leader as a Coach,
a $49 value, if you simply let us know you made any
donation at all. Visit
http://www.kevineikenberry.com/katrina.asp to learn
more and contact us with your choice.

About the Author:
Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief
Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group
( http://KevinEikenberry.com ), a learning
consulting company. To receive a frëe Special Report
on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and
advice go to
http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or
call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

----------------------------------------------

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Thanks for reading.

Warmest regards,

Mahadzir Jaafar
http://successtips.mded.biz

If you have found my Frëe Self Improvement
Newsletter inspiring, beneficial, interesting
or entertaining, don't forget to recommend it
to your friends y sending them to:
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To view previous issues of the newsletter,
please go to
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[MdedBiz Success Tips #5] Law And Order Of The Spiritual Kind

2005-09-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

[MdedBiz Success Tips #5] Law And Order Of The
Spiritual Kind

Law And Order Of The Spiritual Kind
Copyright © 2004-2005 Geela
Author of "The American Dream"
http://www.Geela.com

There is no such thing as a coincidence. Albert Einstein
reasoned that, "God simply does not play dice." While we
may not fully understand the reasons behind certain events,
there are laws and order in the universe specifically
designed to facilitate harmony and prosperity for all
living things. Yet, as humans, we violate not only man's
laws, but also the laws of the universe. It's as if an
"insanity" bug has plagued the world community which has
now reached epidemic proportions.

Perhaps that's because knowingly, or unknowingly, we choose
not to live in harmony with the laws of the universe and as
a result of our actions we experience failure,
powerlessness and discord.

Take for example one law - the law of cause and effect.
Chaos seems to be the norm these days rather than the
exception, but that is not the cause for our collective
pain and misery. That's only the effect resulting from an
underlying cause that has to do with our own failure to
observe and cooperate with the laws of the universe
characterized by honoring all living things. Since
personal accountability is demanded of us in our daily
lives, why should we expect things to be any different on a
grander scale - such as in the universe?

When greed, lack of awareness (the ability to see the unity
in all living things) and the erosion of solid moral
values, so inherent in a society driven by a materialist
values system, cloud our thinking and numb our hearts to
the point where we can't tell the difference between right
and wrong, we invariably experience failure and lack - lack
of prosperity and security to lack of real joy, real love
and a sense of meaning and purpose. Perhaps we need law
and order to save us from ourselves.

Law and order are there for a reason.

In order to illustrate the value of having law and order on
a grander and spiritual scale, imagine for a moment if
there were no traffic lights - there would be nothing but
chaos and every one would stand to lose. Law and order are
necessary "tools," not so much to restrict us but rather to
enhance the quality of our lives by preventing us from
"bumping" into each other, causing accidental mayhem and
bringing destruction and chaos upon ourselves by default.

But of course, rather than taking a good look at ourselves
in the mirror, it's always much easier to point the finger
at someone or something else, like God. After all, no one
can really prove it or disprove it either.

Remember the classic story of the kid who failed to bring
his homework to school and blamed it on the "monster" who
ate it? Perhaps it's time to make peace with the fact
that there are laws and order in the universe that are
actually good for us all. So, if you don't like the effect
(the current climate of world insanity that erodes any
sense of security and joy), why not remove the root cause
first.

It's easier than you think. Just by living in harmony with
the laws of the universe, we can all achieve security,
prosperity and freedom. And if it's peace and cultural
harmony you wish to experience, perhaps the words of Jimi
Hendrix that "only when the power of love replaces the love
of power, can there be peace on earth," will resonate with
you too and inspire you to be the change you wish to see in
the world.

Who knows maybe we can even all use the name of God without
embarrassment either...

------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2004-2005, Geela
Author of “The American Dream”
http://www.Geela.com

Geela is an award winning singer/songwriter/composer, columnist,
and author of the best-selling book “THE AMERICAN DREAM,” her
true- life story of how she came to America as a young immigrant
with nothing and overcame incredible obstacles to achieve
mega-success. She founded ONE SPIRIT, ONE WORLD to help children
and promote a culture of peace and harmony. Get a free sample of
her music and her book at http://www.Geela.com

--------------------------------------------------------

How to Avoid Being Awkward when Appearing
in Front of People? Learn Charisma

Visit: http://mded.biz/goto/charisma.html

--------------------------------------------------------

[MdedBiz Success Tips #4] When Perfect Isn't Good

2005-08-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

[MdedBiz Success Tips #4] When Perfect Isn't
Good Enough.

By Susan Dunn, M.A.

Being a perfectionist can do you in. Excellence is good
enough; don't saddle yourself with perfectionism.

If there's one thing that can really hamper a person,
it's perfectionism.

It's like a wolf in sheep's clothing, because it seems
to be heading in the right direction, but it's actually
way too much of a good thing. It's good to be interested
in excellence, but when you feel that your work (or
relationship) has to be perfect you're saddling yourself
with a burden nobody needs and one that can affect every
area of your life.

You won't be able to please yourself at wörk or at
höme
because nothing and no one is perfect, or ever will be.

Hëre are some other ways perfectionism hampers you:

1. Perfectionism can lead to isolation. You won't want
to let people get too close to you lest they perceive
your short-comings.

This leaves you without alliances, and out of the loop
at work, and alone at home.

2. Perfectionism also makes you a poor risk-taker and
taking risks is often required in business.

Perfectionists become dysfunctional when something comes
up that they've nevër seen before, or if they're
asked to try something different that seems risky to
them. It can also keep you from meeting deadlines.

3. When you're a perfectionist, your timidity and
concern won't always be perceived as that; more often
it's perceived as arrogance. It appears to others that
you think you're better than them, because you have an
exalted standard of perförmance for yourself.

4. When your goal is perfection, it becomes difficult to
make decisions and to meet deadlines. You're always
trying to out-think yourself.

5. Perfectionists are often micro-managers. They're
afraid to let anyone else do anything, because of the
unrealistic standard of perfection.

As you can see, there are many ways perfectionism holds
you back, and very little good it does. Excellence is
good; perfectionism is not, so don't let yourself fall
in that trap. If you have tendencies in that direction,
change your self-talk and be easier on yourself. You'll
do better, and everyone else will appreciate it.

About the Author:
Susan Dunn, M.A., is a personal life coach who helps her
clients succeed by developing their emotional
intelligence, understanding their strengths better, and
doing the inner work. You can visit her on the web at:
http://www.susandunn.cc

--------------------------------------------------------

How to Avoid Being Awkward when Appearing
in Front of People? Learn Charisma

Visit: http://mded.biz/goto/charisma.html

--------------------------------------------------------

[MdedBiz Success Tips #3] Why Goal Setting Is Important For You.

2005-08-07T03:25:00.000-07:00

[MdedBiz Success Tips #3] Why Goal Setting Is Important For You.

Why Goal Setting Is Important For You.

Copyright by Patric Chan, Author Of
How To Make More Mone.y Easily at
http://www.MakeMoreMoneyLessons.com

Goal setting is such a normal task to do,
but so many people have neglected the
importance of this task.

If you do not have a specific goal, you will
not know when you have achieved your
financially desired result.

Assuming you make $100,000.00 a year
and you do not have a goal on how much
you want to increase it. So, maybe you make
$150,000.00 next year. But, because you
did not set a goal on how much you want
to increase it, you’ll be unhappy because
you WANT to earn more. If you have set
your goal to have a 30% increase by
next year, you’ll be happy because you are
making more than your expectation.

You will never be happy no matter how
much you have earned because it will never
be enough without a financial goal in mind.

Goal setting also helps self-confidence.
By setting goals, and measuring their
achievement, you are able to see what you
have done and what you are capable of.

The process of achieving goals and seeing
their achievement gives you the confidence and
a belief in yourself that you need to be able to
achieve higher and more difficult goals.

Providing that you have the self-discipline to
carry it through, goal setting is also relatively
easy. The following section on goal setting will
give you effective guidelines to help you to
use this technique effectively.

How to choose the right goals to focus on?

Sometimes setting goals alone is not the only
problem that you must face. Sometimes,
choosing the right goals to begin with is harder.

Basically, you can choose to work any goal that
you feel is necessary for your health, stability
and happiness.

Goal setting is nothing more than a formal
process for personal planning. By setting goals
on a routine basis you decide what you want to
achieve, and then move in a step-by-step
manner towards the achievement of these goals.

The process of setting goals and targets allows
you to choose where you want to go in life. By
knowing exactly what you want to achieve,
you know what you have to concentrate on to
do it. You also know what nothing more than
a distraction is.

Goal setting is a standard technique used by
professional athletes, successful business
people and high achievers in all fields. It gives
you long term vision and provides you with
short term motivation.

It helps to focus your attention and knowledge
which helps you to organize your resources.
By setting sharp and clearly defined goals,
you can measure and take pride in the
achievement of those goals. You can see
forward progress in what might previously
have seemed a long pointless effort.

By setting goals, you will also raise your
self confidence, as you recognize your and
ability to meet the goals that you have set. The
process of achieving goals and seeing this
achievement gives you confidence that you
will be able to achieve higher and more
difficult goals later on.

Goals are set on a number of different levels.
In the first place, you decide what you want to
do with your life and what large scale goals
you want to achieve.

Second, you break these down into the smaller
aims that you must hit so that you reach your
overall lifetime goals.

Finally, once you have your plan, you start
working towards achieving it.

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

This article is extracted from the ebook, How
To Make More Money Easily by Patric Chan at
http://www.MakeMoreMoneyLessons.com

[MdedBiz Success Tips #2] Goal Setting

2005-08-06T01:40:00.000-07:00

[MdedBiz Success Tips] Goals Setting

Forget New Year's Resolutions - They Don't Work

Goal setting expert explains real success lies in life
plans, not in making resolutions.

"You can forget about making New Year's Resolutions if
you're hoping for a successful outcome. Most aren't worth
the paper they're written on," says Vic Johnson, a leading
goal setting and motivation expert.

Most New Year's Resolutions have gone by the wayside
before January is over and most won't even be remembered
six months later.

And the reason is pretty simple. Most are made in response
to something negative; a habit or situation that the person
wants to change or end. And therein lies the problem - it's
hard to develop momentum from a negative response. It is
always easier to move toward something than away from
something.

Consider one of the most adopted goals --- weight loss.
No one can get excited about losing weight - it requires
deprivation. It's a negative response to concerns about
appearance, health, etc. The results of weight loss New
Year's Resolutions demonstrate their weakness.

A 1998 survey sponsored by Gardenburger found that more
than three-fourths of all women between the ages of 25 and
54 make diet and weight-loss plans each year. Nearly nine
of 10 respondents reported only occasional or no success,
while almost half lost little or actually gained weight
instead.

"The people who succeed at losing weight and maintaining
the loss have usually been motivated by a dream much bigger
and more positive than just losing weight," explains
Johnson. "They see themselves living a healthy lifestyle.
They begin to act and think like people who are in good
physical shape.

There's more of a radical change in a person's thinking
and actions than you see with most resolutions. It wouldn't
be possible to effect and sustain such a radical change
unless the person is motivated by a big dream that is positive
in nature."

Another popular aim is to quit smoking. Johnson himself
was a three-pack-a-day smoker until he celebrated a smoke-free
New Year's eleven years ago. "For over twenty years I had
tried to quit many times using every tool and technique I'd
hear about. But as long as I was trying to quit, I couldn't
break the grip.

Instead, I developed a dream to become a non-smoker. I fell
in love with the idea of breathing clean air instead of smoky air,
of my body and clothes smelling nice instead of smoky. I
thought about how wonderful it would be to taste food again. I
decided to start acting and thinking like a non-smoker, and when
the thinking took hold I simply quit smoking. In all the years
since, I've never wanted another cigarette, never even thought
about wanting one."

According to Johnson, the best goal to set is one that
calls for the individual to create a plan for their life
based on a set of personal dreams. "Most people are in a
free-fall through life, careening from one crisis to the
next.

If you were going to build a new house and you had
this idea for a fabulous master bedroom suite, you wouldn't
rush out and start building the master bedroom. You'd have
a complete plan before you started.

When you approach resolutions and goals in the same manner,
you end up with a much better chance of achieving success."

Adapted from Vic Johnson's

MdedBiz Success Tips
email me: mded@time.net.my

See the past posting on this blog:
http://mdedbizsuccesstips.blogspot.com

[MdedBiz Success Tips #1] Dream Big Goals

2005-08-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

[MdedBiz Success Tips #1] Dream Big Goals DREAM BIG GOALS Excerpt from The Modern Day (Real Life) Indiana Jones by Vic Johnson There was a story about a 15 year old boy by the name of John Goddard. John, one day, happened to hear his parents and another adult talking, and the other adult had been telling John's parents about how miserable his life was and how much he had failed. He wished he was John's age again and could live his life over and do some things differently. Well, John heard the anguish in his voice, I suppose, and he made a vow that he was going to do something at 15 years old. So at 15 years old he took out a legal pad and began to write the things he wanted to do in his life, what he wanted to accomplish. Before he was finished he had 127 things on his list. He called it, "My Life List". Today John is in his mid 70's. Of his original 127 goals, John over the last 55-60 years has accomplished 111 of them, plus 400 other ones that he set along the way. And just so you know these weren't some small goals, here are some of the goals that John Goddard has accomplished that were on his list: - He's climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, he's climbed Mount Ararat, in fact, he's climbed every major peak in the world. Now just that, how many people just doing that, would be one great life experience? But that's just one of 500+ for John Goddard. - He took Marco Polo's route through all of Asia and China. - He ran a mile in five minutes, he broad jumped 15 feet, high jumped five feet, and so on... - He was the first person to explore the entire 420 mile length of the Nile River (that was his number one goal!). When he was in 15 years old, no person had ever done it, but that fifteen year old boy didn't know that, it didn't matter to him. He put it on his list and when he did it, USA Today named him the modern day Indiana Jones. He's been down not just the Nile River. He's been down the Amazon, down the Congo, etc. - He's been to 122 countries and lived with 260 different tribes. - He's explored the Reefs of Florida, the Great Barrier Reefs and so on... - He's flown 40 different types of aircrafts. Still holds civilian air speed records. Just that alone would be a great life experience, that was just one of John Goddard's goals. - He's read the Bible cover to cover. - He's taught himself French, Spanish, Arabic (who reading this could not learn a foreign language in the next couple of years?). And that is just a portion of over 500 dreams that John Goddard has accomplished. I hope we all learn from John Goddard! Here are two major points that were impressed upon me: 1) John Goddard's goals (dreams) were written down. How many of you have heard that before, to write your goals and dreams down? Because for 20 years I heard it and I had never written mine down, until just three years ago. Brian Tracy says if you'll write your goals down you have a 100 times greater chance of success, just by writing them down. Now I look at that mathematically and then by an inverse way, from an opposite way. What it says to me that if I don't write my goals down, I only have a 1 in 100 chance of succeeding. Write your goals and dreams down. 2) His dreams were BIG! I've found that a small dream will not give you the bullet proofing you are going to need. A small dream won't protect you when bad times come. A small dream does not have any power at all - it has to be BIG! So get started today! How? Go get a journal (or wipe the dust off the one you have) and write down your BIG goals! And then get started on your life story! Excerpt from The Modern Day (Real Life) Indiana Jones by Vic Johnson Vic Johnson can be contacted at: http://www.asamanthinketh.net This email was sent by: MdedBiz Success Tips email: mded@time.net.my