Seasons Greetings 2011

     First I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, although a day late.  It is tough at times to find the time to do all the things we'd like.  So with that in mind I'd like to also wish everyone a Happy New Year as well.  As 2011 comes to a quick close, I have been giving the past year a quick review.  The start of 2011 was a rough one with great financial strains throughout the world.  I had proclaimed that 2011 would be the year to overcome many of my personal challenges.  Financially, 2011 was a roller-coaster ride from hell.  Many of us fell off the ride, while others barely hung on to what we had.  Here again, from personal experience, I too clung on for dear life.  Yes, that's right, I did anything and everything to keep what little I had.  January to March was a battle of keeping my home, job and car.  Congress was playing with the taxes and delayed my return but in the end I still have all three.  I had mentioned in my last blog that I learned many things from my Dale Carnegie training.  Getting stressed out over things that might happen can kill you or in the least, make you very ill.  Everything that I worried about never came to pass.

     March to June looked promising and did fare pretty well, but with summer rolling in the financial woes started again.  Robbing Peter to pay Paul seemed to become a way of life.  I will tell you from this repeating experience, it DOESN'T work long and only make things worse.  Lucky for me, things seem to turn out right, one way or another.  July and August brought family issues and concerns that made for a very emotional time.  The decisions made during this time governed September.  We had to send my oldest daughter to stay with some friends over 1000 miles away.  October was a settling month, trying to get things back into some kind of order.  November is to be a month of thanksgiving.  This is where the financial company for our car lowered the boom.  When the statement came, my chin hit the floor.  The loan hit it's maturity and I owed a balance of $6000.00 by the due date.  Normally I would have panicked, but instead, I analyzed the situation and decided to try for a refinance to the balance.  Although the vehicle is blue booked for twice what I owed, no one would refinance it.  So I stuck to my guns and kept sending the normal payment.  They haven't come for the car and the December statement only states the same as the last but with a lower balance.  Again, here is an excellent example of why not to worry about things such as this.  December is here and Christmas has come at last.  Only days remain of 2011 and now I look towards 2012 with great promise.

     So what's in store for me in 2012?  Well first, the financial outlook is way better this coming year then last.  The 2011 tax return will pay off the remaining balance on the car.  This will free up all that money that has been going towards it all these years.  With that we can follow some of the principals that I have learned through several financial books I have read this past year.  I have vowed not to make the same mistakes that I have made in the past.  This will mark a new success in my life and your invited to follow along.  Discover the true meaning of Success from within.

     Recently, sometime in October, I had traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a service call.  When returning, I picked up a few gift items at the airport for my family.  I did find an item that I had some time ago and thought I should pick it up.  It's called a worry stone.  I had one years ago, when worry consumed me and was taking a huge toll on my health.  It came from an Irish stand at a mall that explained it's use and why you shouldn't worry.  Since we moved several times over the years, my worry stone has disappeared.  This presented me with opportunity to revisit it's use.  Simpy put, I will use part of my Dale Carnegie training with the help of my new found worry stone.  I write my worries down on a piece of paper and place it under the worry stone.  If I have new worries I right them down and place them under the stone.  After some time passes, a few weeks or a month, I check my list of worries.  I have come to find that most of my worries are meaningless and come to pass with no real issues.  This is a big key to finding success from within.  If we burden ourselves with worries, we'll have no time to realize our successes.

    

Have a Happy and Wonderful Holiday Season!

What is your definition of success?

What is your definition of success?

          When I started this blog, I gave the definition that Websters Dictionary had for success.  As noted by them, the definition changed.  I know it has been a while since my last posting but on occasion, everyone needs time to reflect.  Society today, looks very differently at success then we did in the past.  The whole point of this blog is to show everyone that our perception of success is wrong.  After spending 8 weeks in Dale Carnegie training, I have learned many things about getting my point across and giving my readers a true visualization of what I'm talking about.  First off, how can anyone relate to what I'm trying to convey without proper examples?  Real life examples, to show that everyone has experienced success at some point in their life.  Stories of real people who found out that success is not just being wealthy or having that high paying career.  I have also been travelling much of this year and found a lot of time to read several books on debt elimination.  This subject can be tied into ones desire to discover success from within.

          Let's start with the basics shall we...  Success to me is setting a goal and seeing it through to it's conclusion.  Resolving a problem or issue can also be called success.  Why?  Simple, if John needs some money to replace his tires he could go to the bank but if he doesn't have enough in his account, he will need to get the money somewhere.  With this example, John has two goals.  First is to get the money needed for the tires and second is to take the money and get the tires he needs.  John can solve first situation in a few ways.  John can save up the money, putting a few dollars away each pay period until he has enough for the tires.  He can work more hours and use the extra money earned to get the tires.  He can borrow the money, this is not recommended seeing how the value of the tires decrease over time.  All of the debt management books I have read agree that using credit to buy such an item is finacial suicide.  John can sell something he no longer wants or needs to pay for the tires.  So you see John has many options to get the money.  Once John has collected enough money to cover the costs, we can say that John was "successful" at reaching this first goal.  Next is getting the tires.  John simply needs to find a tire dealer, make the appointment and purchase the tires.  John now has "succeeded" in replacing the tires he needed.  Society doesn't see this as a success but John was successful in getting the tires by being successful in getting the money needed to purchase them.  It is the little successes we have that lead us to greater success.

          All the experts and guru's tend to agree, that we need to take little steps to reach a big goal.  A hand written plan that lays out little goals that help advance us to our final goal.  If a goal is set too big, we tend to get frustrated and give up easily but, if we set smaller goals, not achieving one is just a minor set back.  I, myself, have been battling a finacial crisis for the last fee years.  Every time I think I'm getting close to surmounting the situation, something new pops up to knock me down a few pegs.  I use to worry about this constantly, causing many nights of lost sleep and stomach ailments.  While attending the Dale Carnegie training, I was assigned to read How To Stop Worring & Start Living by Dale Carnegie.  The information contained within this book was life changing.  Sir William Osler was quoted "Live in Day-tight Compartments."  Shut the doors on the past and the future, live the day and the day alone.  With this the past is the past and should not be relived and the future hasn't happened yet so why fret over it?  I also learned to write my worries down and stick them in a drawer.  In a month or so pull them out and see the results.  Most of our worries are for nothing, by writing them down and later seeing the outcome reassures us of that.  I worried about my job, home and vehicle, just to see that my worries never materialized.  Now I use what is called a worry stone.  I take the worries I have writen down and place them under the worry stone.  Now the worry stone can worry about them.

          The last thing for today would be another quote from Dale Carnegie's book How To Stop Worrying & Start Living is "Thy will be done".  All the books that I have read dealing with overcoming financial burden mentioned giving and accepting the will of God.  Following the belief that if it is God's will for this to happen to me, than so be it.  It is said in the Bible that God provides for our every need and rewards us when we are deserving.  The mistake that most people make is that we, myself included, believe things are owed us but in God's eyes we truely are not deserving.  I will leave the giving discussion for another day but want to point out that unless we are thankful for the things we have, the Lord may take them away.  It has taken me many years to realize that I should be thankful for even the smallest things.  By being thankful everyday, my life has greatly improved and brought me to greater accomplishments.  With that in mind, be sincere and truely appreciative of the things and people in your life.  This will bring great opportunity to your door.

          In closing "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change... the Courage to change the things I can... and the Wisdom to know the difference."

How to get what you want in life...

How to get what you want in life...

The book I'm reading right now is How to Get What You Want in Life with the Money You Already Have by Carol Keeffe.  I highly recommend getting a copy of this book if you are struggling financially on a daily basis.  The book provides very revolutionary ideas for reaching your dreams while still paying your bills.  Reading this reminded my of something that I had already done in the past but somehow became side tracked.  Back in 2004 I was bringing in more money then I ever did in my life.  Things were looking good and I had set up some accounts that had automatic deposits.  I never missed the money that went into them and by the years end I had a nice chunk of change set aside for a family vacation.  I did this for 3 years and never missed a beat.  Bills were paid and we still went on a great vacation.  By the end of 2007 I had found a new job in a better community.  In moving I stopped the deposits, closed my checking account and opened a new one in the state we moved to.  The biggest mistake I made was that I didn't restart my automatic savings deposits.  I no longer had a safety net for the unexpected.  3 years later by the end of 2010 our financial outlook was very bleak.  I made the determination that the situation had to change and I wasn't going to lose anything that I valued.  Now midway through March our financial perspective is looking up.  So what did I change?  I went back to my basics and started paying myself first.  Placing money from every paycheck into a savings account before paying bills.

Now you may think this is ludicrous when you're already falling behind on bills but believe it or not it works.  You never miss the money and can still manage to get the bills paid.  When we look at our checking account balances, we think of what has to come out and get paid.  If the money already automatically comes out and is stashed away we tend not to miss it.  That little bit, no matter how small, will then grow.  When we see it growing, we start to find ways to add more.  The book explains something that worked for me and I had simply forgotten it.  The next part even sounded more ridiculous but I also seen the point of what I was doing wasn't working.  Remember that if what you are doing doesn't work then you need to change your strategy.  What I was doing evidently didn't work and hadn't for 3 years.  It was time to make a change.  I always felt that if only I paid something off it would get better.  It didn't, it just became worse.  I'd throw some extra money at the car payment or the mortgage but would fall short at the end of the month.  So the bill that I tried to get ahead of would now fall behind.  Carol Keeffe explains that if we concentrate on paying the minimum, we will have money to cover us until the next pay.  Our bills follow us through our lives and don't go away.  We get sucked into trying to pay them thinking we're getting ahead just to fall further behind.  By paying the minimum my bills were payed and I didn't have to worry about those little extra things that would pop up.

Next she has you make a list of your bills but list what you pay yourself first.  That's the priority, it's your money, you worked for it, you earned it and it's yours.  The bills will always be there so it's time to pay yourself so you can start enjoying life.  Don't sell yourself short by thinking that you can't and there just isn't enough money to go around.  In just 3 short months, I have been able to completely turn things around for the better.  Just by paying the minimum, my one major bill will be history in 8 months.  So why try to push it?  Why jeopardize my family by trying to shave part of a month off?  It is pointless and senseless.

I am half way through Carol's book and will keep sharing the advise she gives.  I will also let you know how it has helped change my financial outlook.  If you get a chance to pick up a copy I strongly suggest it.  It truly is making a difference in my life.

Have you set your expectations?

Have you set your expectations?

Quote of the day:

"The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least."

--Unknown Author

Remember when you were growing up and someone told you not to set your expectations too high, it will let you down?  Why set yourself up for disappointment?  Well I'm here to tell you, that is BULL!  If you don't set your expectations high enough, how do you expect to succeed?  Sure we are bound to be disappointed some time but by being confident and assertive we keep striving to reach our goals.  Great expectations lead to great outcomes.  Here is a wonderful story provided by Rich German and is a quote from his book

Keep Your Chin Up

by Jan Graham

About six months ago, I joined a gym. Every morning, there is one personal trainer there who works out at the same time that my little group does our workout. He does his routine with such a quiet determination that he makes it all look very easy, although I know all too well how hard he is working. When I am tempted to whine and quit, I watch him push himself to his own limits, and I find myself motivated to work as hard and without complaint.

One day, I was watching him do chin-ups. He made them look effortless. I broke away from my group and asked him if I could try a chin-up. I had never tried before, but he just made it look so easy. He eagerly stepped aside and encouraged me to step up to the bar. I pulled myself up without thinking … once … then twice. That was all I had in me; I had no strength left. I told him that was all I had, so he stepped up behind me and pushed me up for a third and fourth “pull.” It felt so good. I felt strong, and I smiled from ear to ear.

The next day, when I was done with my workout, I asked him to spot me again. Again, I did two. I did the same on day three and so on. I thought it was pathetic that I could only do two, but when I came to the gym at the end of the week, he was standing there just shaking his head. When I asked him what was up, he said he was impressed with my chin-ups. He told me that when they are training firefighters, the men are required to do five chin-ups, and women are required to do one or two. He explained that most people can’t do them at all and that he was impressed that I could. He further told me that if I practiced every day, I would be doing five or six in no time. At this point, I should probably add that I am fifty years old … and female.

The moral of this story … because I didn't know any better, because he told me I could, I saw no reason to doubt. I just jumped in and gave it a try—and I did it! I didn't see it as a great accomplishment because I didn't realize that it was difficult, and it became my goal to get stronger. No one told me I couldn't do it. In fact, I was encouraged to try. Had he told me initially how difficult it was, I more than likely would not have tried at all. Or, I might have tried but given it only half an effort, because failure would have been the expectation. I applaud him for letting me believe that for me, it was not only a possibility, but that success was a realistic expectation.

How many times have we decided not to try at all because we were told that we couldn't, that we shouldn't, that we had expectations that were too ambitious? How many times have we told our children, our friends, and our co-workers that they couldn't do something, that their ideas were impossible or beyond reach? How many times have we told ourselves that we would fail before we even started?

I started to ponder examples that I had witnessed and this came to mind: I recalled a conversation a friend of mine had with his daughter just prior to her heading off to university. He spoke to her (with good intentions) of how hard she would have to work in order to succeed. University wasn't like high school—this was the real world, and now she would have to grow up. This child quit after two years. Another friend spoke to her daughter of the adventure she was embarking on and how proud she was. I remember how we laughed because the mother already had her outfit picked out for convocation day! This child just graduated with her degree in physiology. Looking back, neither daughter was more intelligent than the other. Was it the silent expectations (or lack thereof) that predicted the outcome?

I have a new approach now. I have experience first hand how good it feels to rush in so innocently, to believe that we can do it, and go on to accomplish exactly what we set out to do, because no one told us we couldn't. I've learned how important it is to support others (and ourselves) in their endeavors and to let them know that we believe they can do it rather than telling them we think they can't.

I personally want to be like my trainer, standing there behind the people I love, encouraging them, believing in them, and being ready to catch them when they get tired. I will be the one who is there on the second and third day making sure they try again, because I know they can.

What a powerful lesson this has been for me. I'll be doing five in no time at all. Because I was told I can.

Message: Believe you can and you will.

Jan Graham is a full-time Realtor in Calgary, Alberta. Feel free to visit her Web site at www.jangraham.ca.

You can see that how we perceive our expectations relates strongly to our how the outcome will be.

Brain fitness-memory 43 second tip

Brain fitness-memory 43 second tip.

Here again someone shared this with me and I thought it was some valuable information that could improve your ability to become successful.

Hopefully this reinforces the point I have been trying to make over the last few blogs.  Simply put your mind and the way we use it plays a great part in how we direct ourselves towards our success.  One of the greatest ways to achieve success is by starting with the correct mind set.  Belief is over 90% of what is needed to reach our goals and dreams.  Have you ever become so determined to do something or get something that it was all you could think about until you had it?  Your mind constantly working on ways to reach that goal.  Even when you consciously weren't thinking about it, your subconscious was formulating the next move.  This move would just suddenly pop into your mind as an idea and you would rush off to try it.  Ideas are dreamed up and our bodies work to fulfill that dream.  If we can't seem to find the solution then our minds keep working on the problem to find it.  Don't give up, don't give in, don't despair, for the answer may be just around the corner.

Ever since the financial upheaval started, I've been looking for answers to the problem.  How do I get out of this mess and how do I keep from having happen again?  The answer was so simple that I already had it and used it in the past.  I went to some intense leadership training in the past for a former employer and used the information that they had given me with great success.  Unfortunately somewhere along the last few years I had lost that mind set.  The one that motivated me to do great things with my family.  Now that I have delved back into my books and previous training experiences, I have found the key to it all.  I stopped doing the things that made me successful and helped me to move forward.  I had regressed back to bad old habits which brought back the same old devastating results as before, financial instability.  My methods didn't work then and they sure weren't working now so it was time to change the situation.  Remember if you aren't getting the results you desire then it may be time to change your approach.  So now that I know what happened, I was able to change from an unsuccessful trend to a more positive and meaningful life.  Everyone has a moment where they lose track of what's important.  When we do this we give in to the negatives that brought us down in the first place.  The object is to not let this happen.  Make constant strides to move forward in a positive light.  This one thing in itself will lead you to great success.

Inspiration

Inspiration

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be. "

—Patanjali, (c. first to third century B.C.)

As you can see I have been focusing on how the mind can be used to get what we want - Success.  We need constant stimulation, motivation, inspiration, encouragement and a sense of well being to move forward.  I'd like to share another quote from an email I received.

 

Enlightenment Is About Being Available

By Jafree Ozwald

The most exquisite and enlightening experience of your life instantly shows up when you are fully open, receptive and available to the Universe. By being completely open, receptive and available to whatever the divine existence is offering you in this moment, the greatest experience of life simply pours in. Every deeply loving, successful, and magically divine experience will throw itself at your feet when you are open, available and receptive. This moment contains the magical state of enlightenment, and you can discover it spontaneously when you give up searching "out there" for the happiness, fulfillment or the "answers", and start trusting your ability to receive the grace that is inherently yours to be experienced.

Imagine you are like a wildflower, who is always opening and receptive to the warm gentle light from the Sun. The soft delicate flower petals must then also be open to experiencing the harsher elements, such as the wind, rain, fertilizer and competitive weeds for a growing life to persist. When you live your life like this wildflower, you root yourself deep into fertile soil and welcome whatever enlightening or not so enlightening experiences life brings you. You know that all the soft and hard elements you attract are necessary for your soul's highest evolution, and thus allow for each experience to enter you fully. As a result, a great strength and beauty is developed, and only is seen when you are consistently open and receptive to every experience life brings your way.

The experience of being open, receptive and available spontaneously happens when you have an unshakable trust that this highly intelligent loving existence always knows what's best for you. Unstoppable receptivity is your ticket into Heaven, and yet to open the door and walk through the gates you will need 100% trust. When you've reached absolute trust on your inner world, your outer world feels this divine quality radiating from you, and the spark of enlightenment instantly ignites within you.

Living in this supreme state of trust and enlightened availability means you need to be a spiritual warrior on your inner world. You get to constantly choose to be a radically free from all limitations that arise in the mind, and decide to live beyond the confines of every social belief the world presents. To go beyond the limits of your own ego/mind takes a very courageous warrior-like energy that is ready to die for freedom. This may be the most terrifying and/or a liberating experience you'll ever have in your life, yet it also means that you are ready to truly be alive, and live your truth on the deepest levels.

Inside your heart of hearts is a state of immense joy, unfathomable love and freedom that is independent of any outer cause or experience. This enlightening experience is found only through letting go of this constant struggle to attain some better, new and improved experience of life. As you slowly tire of the ego's constant outer search, you will naturally start being divinely receptive to the Light within and discover an exquisite infinite source of inner peace inside you. It is already here, at the core of your being, just underneath all your desires. This enlightening path leads you to a life that is naturally spontaneous, creative and devoted totally to this moment of existence. From here you don't have to search for any profound life experience, the enlightenment experience simply finds its way into you. As you become available to experienc e anything and everything that arises inside you, you'll see this enlightening existence naturally awakens within. Have a deeply profound and super enlightening week...enjoy!

As you can see that this message holds great meaning and is inspiring.  Find your inspiration and let it enlighten you to great success.

Think Bigg...

Think Bigg...

I mean BIGG -- it's a simple process that leads to success all the time.  Most people don't think BIGG... they just think and wonder why their lives never change or get better.  Thinking BIGG is simple... you're probably wondering what BIGG is or what's the BIGG deal.  When you think BIGG and stay on track you'll succeed, no matter what your goals.

Here's what thinking BIGG really means:

B - Believe in Yourself.

I - Inspiration from others.

G - Goal setting.

G - Go for it.

There is a process that you need to apply in order to make thinking BIGG work for you and today I'll show you exactly how to apply the process of thinking BIGG so that you get the results you want.  It's pretty simple and straight forward and when you follow what I outline you'll get the results you want.  So read on and enjoy...

When you think BIGG you get your subconscious mind focused on bringing you the people, situations and circumstances that will help you succeed.  Thinking BIGG is more than just having a few thoughts and big ideas.

The first step is to believe in yourself.

A lot of people want to make more money, they want to be in a great relationship, they want to have a great career, they want to enjoy life but they really don't believe they can.  Believing means you absolutely know that you can and will succeed.  Wanting is a yearning.  You want something to fill a void, it's a good starting point but you need to go from wanting to believing.  When you believe you basically tell your subconscious mind that you're ready for success and that you expect nothing less than success. It's not about saying I will instead, believe that you are succeeding and getting what you want (filling that void).

Next: Inspiration from others.

Draw inspiration from others.  I do this all the time.  Hey if they can succeed so can you.  You can do anything that they can do and you may even be able to do it better.  Learn from them but be inspired there are new achievements being made everyday and your achievements are just around the corner.  Every 4 years we see Olympic records being crushed.  Those athletes believe in themselves and they dray inspiration from their predecessors.  When you're inspired you basically light up your subconscious mind, you give it some extra energy and extra drive; it realizes that what you want is important and begins working harder for you.  When you see somebody succeed praise them and be inspired because you're next.  It's a message your subconscious mind picks up and drives you to succeed.

Step 3 - Goal setting.

Believe it or not this is where a lot of people fail.  They don't set clear goals, they don't know what they want and they don't have measurable goals.  So set a goal.  Be clear and be specific.  Understand why you want this goal.  The why helps you be clear and stay motivated.  Make sure you can measure your success otherwise you won't know if you're making any progress.  Then check your progress and make adjustments.  When you have clear goals, you can stay focused.  When you're focused on something and repeatedly give it attention you begin to draw the positive people who will help you succeed.  Your subconscious mind sees this as a clear instruction and it understands that it needs to get this done.  Your goal needs to be achieved.  Your subconscious says this is so important we have to make this happen.  At this point your subconscious begins to work overtime to help you achieve your goal.  But success won't happen without the final component.

That's the second G - Go for it.

You have to go for it.  You have to take action.  You can't sit around and wait for everything to come to you.  That's not how you succeed.  Olympic athletes train everyday for years... their success doesn't come overnight.  They have to keep going for it; even when they were tired, when they have setbacks, when they get sick or injured, they keep going.  You have to keep going for it.  You have to keep pursuing your goal because the minute you give up you fail and that's a certainty.  When you keep pursuing your goal, when you believe in yourself, when you draw inspiration from others, when you set clear goals and you go for it; you mind, subconscious mind and the universe get the message.  They realize that this is something that must happen and they have to make it happen for your.  You're doing everything you can to succeed and they have no choice but to help you.

Start thinking BIGG today.

Start achieving your goals today.

When you think BIGG you succeed.  When you direct the full power of your mind an subconscious mind you enjoy success sooner and it becomes a habit - so you succeed and achieve your goals more and more often.  Think of it as a way of programming yourself to get more of what you want.

Right now you've likely programmed your mind and subconscious mind to create more and more of what you don't want.  That's why nothing changes.  You may want change but your subconscious mind is programmed to create the same thing over and over again.  It's time to change the way your mind and subconscious mind works.  It's time to re-program your subconscious so that it creates more of what you want.  Begin applying a new thought process.  Begin seeing things differently and begin directing your mind and subconscious mind to create more of what you want.

Remember if you don't do anything - if you don't change the way your mind works and direct your subconscious mind to create the life you want - everything stays the same - nothing changes.  This is you life - make the most of it - begin working with the power of your mind and subconscious mind to create the life you want and deserve.

Super Manifesting Video

Super Manifesting Video

This is such a powerful video that I had to share it with you.  If you enjoy this video then go to Enlightened Messages to view more.

How badly do you want it?

How badly do you want it?

That is the question of the day.  How badly DO YOU want it?  How badly do you want Success?  I recently found myself asking that question.  When I look at how the past year turned out, I realized that it was time to change the strategy.  I had written down in "My book of knowledge" that you can't expect a change if you don't change the strategy.  If the results you are getting now are not what you want then you'll need to make a change.  How big of a change?  You may only need to make a small adjustment in order to get your desired results.  When I look back at the past few years I realized that I had made many mistakes.  I didn't stick with what was working for me.  I didn't even realize that I made that change until the results were near devastating.  I took a step back and formulated a new game plan to make this year the best yet.  It still comes down to how badly I want it.

I had mentioned in the past about conviction to yourself and your goals.  This still holds true and correlates to how big your desire is to achieve something.  I also spoke about perseverance and this also ties to your conviction and your desire for success.  This is why Writing your goals down is essential and placing reminders in plain sight.  This keeps that burning desire to drive forward towards your goal.  Success does not come from thin air.  I wish at times that I could just wave my magic wand and say "Abra freakin' cadabra" *POOF* your a success but that just isn't realistic.  I have had such burning desires to accomplish a task that I couldn't sleep at night.  My mind constantly thinking about the problem at hand, searching for a solution.  Sometimes the solution is so simple that is often overlooked.  So how badly do you want it, the success, the achievement, your dream, your goal?  Do you have that overwhelming desire and drive to see it through?  Here again I'm on top of the soap box, preaching about things I have found to work for me.  You may get tired of hearing it but I can't drive this home hard enough that everyone and I mean everyone runs into a state suspended animation.  By this I mean we literally stall out and float with no motivation to move forward.  Inspiration does not always just come to us, we need to find it.

I enjoy receiving The Daily Energize sent out by Rich German or receiving my daily Enlightened Messages.  They both help to keep me focused and on track.  They have a way of picking me up when I have fallen into a state of inactivity.  People like Rich German or Patric Chan are an inspiration by overcoming the obstacles and reaching a level of life that they enjoy. So as I had mentioned in a previous blog along with a Stevie Nicks video, don't let the "Landslide" bring you down.  Here is to all of your future successes.  Cheers! 

The power of positive thinking!

The power of positive thinking!

"Expect your every need to be met, expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level, expect to grow spiritually. You are not living by human laws. Expect miracles and see them take place. Hold ever before you the thought of prosperity and abundance, and know that doing so sets in motion forces that will bring it into being." ~Eileen Caddy

Every once and a while I receive an email that truly moves me.  The message above was received first thing this morning and I just had to share it with you.  I have been testing different products that deal with the mind.  These principles utilize many different aspects of how we think and perceive things.  Subliminal messages and brain entrainment are two of the many ways people have been trying to adapt their minds for a more positive outlook.  I have downloaded and listened to many of these programs.  I have been discovering some great results in how my everyday thinking has changed.  I have become more positive and outgoing.  I have been able to stay more focused and concentrate more on the tasks at hand.  I have also been able to reduce my over all stress that the last few years have presented me with.

Manifestation has been a topic of discussion for decades.  The purpose is to will what you want to happen or materialize in your life.  The object being that if you want something bad enough the universe will work in your favor to achieve it.  Everyone emits an energy or ora that is either positive or negative.  This energy effects things and people around us.  If start out positive, this energy can be transferred to other people and things throughout our day to create more positive energy.  Take for instance a simple smile.  Just by smiling at someone can cause a contagious reaction that will spread.  While on the other hand, negative energy, can bring other people and things around you down.  Both energies are equally powerful and have great effect on how your day may progress.  Though certain techniques you can actually learn to train yourself to manifest your way to a positive and glowing life.  Reduce stress and anxiety to produce a healthier outlook on life.  Once your reduce the negative, you can focus on producing the positive.  With creation of the positive energy and proper direction, your goals and dreams become unstoppable.

Imagine that you can write out your deepest desires and withing no time at all achieve them.  Once trained to think positively it will become second nature and you will automatically produce positive actions in your life.  You will only need to re-enforce those thoughts through occasional supplemental training.  The initial training may take days, weeks or even months to produce results.  This all depends on how truly receptive you are to the training program.  Belief is over 90% of the course.  Only through true belief that the program will work can a quick change be realized.  If you are sceptical then the training will take longer but your subconscious mind will slowly change to bring you the results that you desire.  Some downloads are free, so try it out for a few weeks and watch your life change for the better.

Perseverance!

Perseverance!

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

—Thomas A. Edison, on inventing the light bulb

These are words to live by and tie into what I had discussed earlier about conviction.  I'm not sure if I shared this following story before but even if I did, I believe it is well worth repeating.  It is an excellent example of how perseverance along with conviction would have made someones dreams come true.

During the gold rush, a prospector staked a claim on a piece of property that he felt had a large amount of gold buried on it.  He started digging and found various bits and pieces but nothing very significant.  He invested every bit of money he earned to buy equipment to dig his mine.  After years of digging the prospector started growing weary of his claim.  A man visited him one day with a proposal to buy his claim and all his equipment.  The prospector thought for a moment about all the years of hard work he had put into his mine but thought this was a way to recoup his lost money.  The prospector took the money joyfully thinking that this poor guy will find nothing as well.  Now the man that bought the claim had no intention of digging himself, in fact he hired a geologist to study the land.  He was very pleased when the results came back.  It seems that if the prospector would have stuck it out and dug about another 3 feet, he would have hit one of the largest veins of gold ever found.

So you see, perseverance pays off.  If Thomas Edison would have given up inventing, many of the great inventions that revolutionized our world today may not exist or may have taken many more years to be discovered.  Think about the light bulb, telephone, phonograph and even motion pictures all were invented because someone believed that it could exist.  In this day and age we tend to take for granted the modern conveniences we have.  Just visit a country that doesn't offer the electric, transportation or even the clean water that many of us enjoy today.  You will see how the perseverance and conviction of many great people in history has helped to mold the world in which we live in. 

If you are facing challenging times and are about to give up, don't!  Your salvation may be just around the corner.  I have been tested during these financially tough times.  I believe through my constant perseverance I will come out ahead and with that I want you to be able to say the same thing.  I realize that my definition of success is a little different from what many believe.  This brings to mind another topic I will share with you in the future about the concept of money and what it represents.  I have recently read some information that opened my eyes about the way I think and feel about money.  I have come to a part of my life where it is make it or break it.  The pinnacle of a new beginning of financial freedom.  To have one of the biggest debts payed for in full.  To be down to counting the months left until that fateful last payment is sent out.  To finally be on a cash for everything basis.  Now that is a success in my mind.  I have followed programs, guru's and advice from so many on how to handle a situation that came out of nowhere like a landslide.  Just to emphasize the point I have included an excellent version of Stevie Nicks singing "Landslide".





Remember not to let the landslide bring you down.  Perseverance will prevail.

What Time Is It?

What Time Is It?

This is a popular question that comes up on Cartoon Network.  What time is it?  It's Adventure Time!  That's what Jake on Adventure Time exclaims as he's off on some new, wild adventure.  For most of us though when asked "What Time Is It?" we just look for a clock or our watches for the actual time.  We don't really realize that time is more valuable then we perceive it.  How quickly time seems to pass us by.  Another quote that comes from a teachers wall above their clock is "Time Will Pass Will You?".  This quote made you think of your not so distant future of being able to pass or fail the class.  The truth in that statement is that time will pass.  Time is infinite and will never stop so what we do with our time is so very important.  So why am I bringing time up now in the midst of helping you focus on creating your convictions?  The answer is simple, there is no time like the present to get your life in order and make a difference in your success.

Tom Hanks as Forest Gump had said "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get".  This is true to a point and that point is whether or not you make the active decision to do what it takes to make a change in your life.  So many of us are constantly picking through the box of chocolates searching for what's best.  It's hard to figure out which one is the one we are looking for unless we are given a map to which chocolate is which.  This is why writing down our objectives is so important.  With out a map we become lost.  So what does time have to do with all this?  We can not reach our goals with the map alone, it takes time and effort to reach the end.  If we do not set a time to reach a goal we may never achieve our objectives.  Our mind will think that it's OK because there is no sense of urgency.  If we set a time to reach our goal then our mind will start to work on ways to reach the objective.

I have set many goals for 2011, some are very ambitious and others are not so but with one month down already I am on track.  Hopefully you have set your goals, have your objectives in sight and are on track with your resolutions as well.  If you haven't started yet then there is no time like the present to get started.  Goal setting and time management are a big part of a successful persons life.  I have personally started using several tools to strengthen my conviction towards my goals and objectives.  Better organizing my time and energy so I can be successful in achieving my goals sooner.  I have even looked into different programs that will strengthen my weaknesses and make me a better person in the future.  I have checked my lists to determine which goals are still valid and where I need to focus my attention so I can reach my objectives.  You will find yourself doing the same thing.  You may find that a goal you had set last month no longer applies and you will need to rethink your strategy to achieve your new goal.  As life goes on our goals and desires change as well.

I'd like to leave you with a song that's been on my mind a lot lately Joe Walsh "Life's Been Good".

Personal Convictions

Personal Convictions...



Have you created your Personal Convictions?  Have you made a list of what is important to yourself?  Are you living your dream?  Have you created that burning desire to succeed no matter what?  At the end of last year things looked pretty bleak but I made a commitment, a conviction to myself that this was going to be my year.  The year that I reach a new plateau in my life. 
Many of us have been faced with great challenges and have found it hard to keep our faith about our future.  I have prayed for guidance and even questioned my beliefs, finding no answers.  Many sleepless nights and mounting health issues due to over whelming stress.  I started to utilize the tools available to me through great speakers and motivators.  Rich German's The Daily Energize, Patric Chan's  Success Trace, Mark Joyner's Simpleology 101, Enlightened Messages super manifest manual and another great inspiration that I stumbled upon Merry Riana, who had conquered great adversity.  These people have brought their lives to fantastic levels of success and are willing to share their knowledge with anyone that is willing to learn.

It has been many years since I have made such a conviction.  When I had done so in the past, great things formed in my life.  Somehow I lost that in recent years and have been working hard to regain it.  Now I have found it!  I am using it and working towards the goals that seemed unattainable.  I have found my conviction, my passion, my place, my destiny, my true light at the end of the tunnel.  Yes I was down and out but using what is available to me, I am able to overcome the obstacles that were laid out in front of me.  Even using little known Mind Secrets to help manifest a new reality pushes me closer to my goals.  Dreams and desires can be reached with proper devotion (conviction) and focus.  I had accomplished it once before and will do it again.  If I can achieve my desired level of success then anyone can.  I personally challenge you to check these people out.  Follow them like I do on Twitter and Facebook.  Get to know them, think like them and all your dreams and desires will become a reality.

Rapport International in Nevada changed my life forever.  It was an intense 2 1/2 day event that brought out a part of me that I never knew existed.  When I lose focus, I go back through my notes and the team list.  I visualize my experience, relive it in a sense within my mind.  I remember the changes that occurred in me and I focus on bringing that back out.  I believe that I was sent there for a greater purpose.  Not just because my company wanted me to be a better employee but that I was destined to be a better person.  Many people when they reach their 40's either have a mid-life crisis or have a great revelation that changes their outlook on life.  I feel that I don't truly know how long I will live so I don't know when to have a mid-life crisis.  With that in mind I can easily avoid it with my messed up logic and focus more on having a great revelation.  The revelation I am having is this, life is too short no matter how long you live.  Live as though everyday is your last.  So make everyday count towards your convictions.  Believe in yourself and your ideals.  Have faith that what you are doing here is important.  Just as every grain of sand in an hour glass is important, so is your purpose in life.  No one ever thought that the sand on a beach was important until it was nearly all gone and washed away by the ocean.  We are but grains of sand in time on a beach and the ocean is life trying to wash us away with our dreams.  One tiny grain of sand is nothing to the power of the waves but put all the grains together to make a vast shoreline.  Some times life is winning but other times we ourselves, joined with a vast array of others can win at the game of life.

May your convictions be true to your nature.  Hold you up when life gets you down.  Pick you up when you fall and never,ever, ever fail you.

The Daily Energize

The Daily Energize

I opened my email today and BAM, there it was an email from Rich German.  It is The Daily Energize that I receive from Rich everyday.  It always has some sort of inspirational story, video or text but today's was special.  The theme for this week is CONVICTION.  Ironic how just only yesterday I decided to do a blog on creating convictions to live by and now this email comes to me as the theme of the week.

"Which is stronger: your belief or your circumstances?"

--Rich German 

So what is your motivation?  What is driving you to continue from day to day?  Are your circumstances causing a wave of disruption in your life?  Rich sends out The Daily Energize to start your day with a dose of energy and inspiration!  Sometimes that is all that is needed to kick start our day, get our mood set and get us underway to the opportunities that lie ahead.  Are you manifesting problems or solutions?  Is your passion and beliefs strong enough to help you overcome adversity?  These are questions that you need to answer and answer truthfully.  If not you are only lying to yourself about the direction your life is heading.  I've created this blog to show you how to learn by your mistakes and strengthen you pursuit of you goals, dreams and hearts desire.  I like to show you the people, places and literature that has inspired me to reach for greatness.

The Daily Energize has help me realize my potential, the potential within.  The potential of success and what it truly means to myself and my family.  I don't need to be a millionaire to find happiness.  I enjoy a fairly simple lifestyle with a few toys and some luxuries.  I don't need a mansion or a yacht, just a nice modest home and some water craft.  Land to look out upon and appreciate the wonders of the world.  A nice vehicle that I don't have to worry about breaking down when travelling around the country.  I enjoy my career and would keep it since I like what I do and the people I meet.  I would give back to my community that has showed my family kindness and support like no other.  These are the things I look for in my own success.  My success is truly unique and so is yours.  Only you can create the path you wish to travel.  Maybe a mansion and yacht are your thing.  Leaving the hustle and bustle of everyday life to do as you please.  Not worrying about money or waking up to an alarm clock.  Travelling the world and seeing sights that many dream about but never realize.  Yes, The Daily Energize will give you that motivation, power and inspiration to create a desire to achieve greatness in your life.

I've been working on another addition of this blog titled "Are you destined for greatness?"  May people are but haven't tapped their full potential yet.  They need direction and guidance to lead them down the correct path.  In order to be destined for greatness you must create your convictions and stick by them, live by them and utilize them in your everyday life.  I will be following Rich's Daily Energize and share with you his views on conviction.

Creating Convictions to Live By

Creating Convictions to Live By

How do we "Create Convictions to Live By"?  Through faith, focus and commitment, we create our goals.  Our desires and dreams can only become a reality if we completely commit ourselves to them.  We must live by these convictions that we have created or they will die and be lost forever.  As a student we strive for good grades and we study to get them.  As an athlete we practice or workout everyday to strengthen our weaknesses so we can perform at our best.  As parents we strive to provide for our children and give them the best the world has to offer.  Then there are those who do as little as possible to get by.  These are the critics and people who ridicule because they don't understand or know any better about what we are trying to accomplish.  They are the dream stealer's, the goal smasher's, the people who are only happy when the rest of the world is miserable.  Only through our own convictions can we overcome and surmount the negativity that these people spew out at us.

Are you stuck in the past?

Are you stuck in the past?

This is the question so many successful people will ask.  The past is the past and unless you are looking towards the future the past may actually bring you down.  It is great to have memories and reminisce about yesteryear but is it killing your chances for success?  I'm going to do something crazy here and show you some things that are from the past.  You may or may not remember any of these.  It is all dependant upon your age but see if these bring back some good memories of day's gone bye. 

My Blackberry is not working!

My Blackberry is not working!

Now you may think this is a strange topic for finding success from within but I would like to share with you some humor that I found about the real world technologies we have.  The British really do create a good chuckle with this video.

Remember that life is too short and anything that can bring a smile to your face is worth sharing.  All work and no play wrecks your chances of greater creativity.  I had an exercises in a power communication class that had us act as kids.  Showing us that if we don't take time out of our busy schedules to have some fun we would eventually end up in a rut.  Our careers or future plans would become stagnant and stall out.  When we were children, our creativity flowed, ideas and dreams grew into realities.  Even as adults we need to momentarily return to that state so we can refresh our ambitions to pursue our dreams.  With this we can truly achieve success from within.

Climbing the mountain of failure!

Climbing the mountain of failure!

So what does it mean to climb the mountain of failure?  Successful people do not become a success over night.  Just as with anything in life, when we strive to reach a goal and there are bound to be set backs.  Everyone who has achieved success has failed at some point but the key here is not to quit.  Never surrender your dreams or ambitions.  Many successful people keep a log or journal to track their journey to success.  With this they can keep track of what works and what does not work when achieving goals.  I have my own called my "Mystic Book of Knowledge".  I jot down my thoughts and things that I may tend to forget.  I would like to share some of these with you now. 

Directions?

Now I normally don't put 2 blogs out in a day but I have just received another email that I think drives home the point that our direction can cause us to succeed or fail.

 Scientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch standard 4 pound dead chickens at the windshields of airliners, military jets and the space shuttle, all traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.




British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the British engineers.

When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer's back-rest in two, and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin, like an arrow shot from a bow.



The horrified Brits sent NASA the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield and begged the U.S. scientists for suggestions.



NASA responded with a one-line memo --



"Defrost the chicken." (True Story)
 
You can clearly see that by missing a simple step or following the wrong direction can mean the difference between success and failure.  I hope in the least that this gave you a good chuckle and brightens your day.

It Don't Cost Nuthin' To Be Nice...

IT DON'T COST NUTHIN' TO BE NICE

You may think this is a strange title but I received an email yesterday that had very important message in a story about being nice.  I also believe it reflects on how we can utilize it in our search for success. 

Words to live by...

          Words to live by...  In our endless pursuit of happiness and success, we are left with many decisions.  Different paths to follow that will hopefully lead us to our goals, dreams and desires.  The one thing that always remains true is the fact that we each need a definite and defined purpose.  It is part of the Law of Attraction and is a key component to achieving success.  I have stumbled across a great video of Napoleon Hill that I'd like to share with you.

The future's so bright!

          Well it's dark out as I write this with some snow falling as well but waking up this morning I realized how bright the future really is.  I faced many challenges over the last several years and have met them head-on.  Now I eBay every so often, when they have a special like the past month.  I'll gather up my collection of "stuff", that my wife calls junk and put it online.  Now granted I may only get 99 cents for something but it's one less thing I'm tripping over.  I've been that pack rat for so many years and kept things I know I'll never use.  Some how I've been able to help someone find what they are looking for while putting some extra cash in my pocket. 

2011 Bring it on!

          That's right, 2010 is gone and aren't you glad?  So many problems affecting everything we do and love.  Making so many sacrifices to keep what we have.  Selling off precious heirlooms, 401k's, collectibles and what ever else may contain some sort of value just to maintain our ability to live.  Turning down the heat that you can see your breath and feel a cold breeze across the floor.  Giving up that vacation timeshare or any kind of vacation at all for the sake of paying bills.  Dodging the repo-man, tax collector, debt assessor or who ever else wants what you don't have.  Afraid to open the mailbox or answer the phone.  Getting nervous every time a strange vehicle pulls up to the front of your house.  These are all things that all too many of us have had to face some time in our lives.  We work long hours or multiple jobs to make ends meet and they only get further apart. 

Happy New Year and may 2011 be your year to shine!

          At one time I was never very optimistic about the future and just went with the flow of things.  This of course doesn't work for everyone.  In fact most people never find a positive flow.  So maybe I'm maturing or my life experiences are finally molding me to be better focused.  In any sense I have grown to look for opportunities and find the positive in any situation.  Although I hate stress or high pressure situations, I have done very well in these conditions.  Some how I become very focused and come up with a solution in no time.  The point is that in order to reach your goals or keep those New Year's resolutions, you need to stay focused.