9 Ways to Guarantee Success

http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/05/the-nine-ways-to-guarantee-success/

Happy New Year To All!!!!

With a New Year approaching you have a fresh start and you can use this fresh start
to give your subconscious and your inner powers fresh, new directions.
Direct your subconscious to bring you the success you want.
Change the habit with this fresh start.
Tell your inner powers that this year you are going to succeed, you are making those
changes and you are achieving your goals.
Create new habits for success - start today

Motivate your Employees...other than Money!!!

The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did.

Josh had 12 years in the corporate world, which included running a major department at Comcast. I knew he was seasoned, but I was still skeptical at first. We were going through some tough growing pains, and I thought that a lack of cash would make it extremely difficult to improve the company morale.

I was wrong.

With his help and the help of the great team leaders he put in place, Josh not only rebuilt the culture, but also created a passionate, hard-working team that is as committed to growing and improving the company as I am. 

Here are nine things I learned from him:

1. Be generous with praise. Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.  
2. Get rid of the managers. Projects without project managers? That doesn’t seem right! Try it. Removing the project lead or supervisor and empowering your staff to work together as a team rather then everyone reporting to one individual can do wonders. Think about it. What’s worse than letting your supervisor down? Letting your team down! Allowing people to work together as a team, on an equal level with their co-workers, will often produce better projects faster. People will come in early, stay late, and devote more of their energy to solving problems.  
3. Make your ideas theirs. People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”  
4. Never criticize or correct. No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.  
5. Make everyone a leader. Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader.  
6. Take an employee to lunch once a week. Surprise them. Don’t make an announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of your employees, and invite them to lunch with you. It’s an easy way to remind them that you notice and appreciate their work.  
7. Give recognition and small rewards. These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Run contests or internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too. Try things like dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques. 
8. Throw company parties. Doing things as a group can go a long way. Have a company picnic. Organize birthday parties. Hold a happy hour. Don’t just wait until the holidays to do a company activity; organize events throughout the year to remind your staff that you’re all in it together. 
9. Share the rewards—and the pain. When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and transparent

MOVE THE TARGET CLOSER!

One of the best ways to grow our belief sets is by moving the target closer.  Let's say you have a big target (like an archery target) and this target encompasses the great, ultimate vision you have for your life. That's great - but chances are good that the target is so far off in the distance and feels so foreign to you that you can't even see it clearly. So what do you do?
MOVE THE TARGET CLOSER! Ask yourself this - "What is the next level from where I am right now - that would make me know I am moving toward my target but that I KNOW I can achieve?" Whatever your answer is - ask yourself these questions:
 "Do I REALLY believe I can achieve this level?"
"When I achieve this level will I KNOW I am closer to my target?"
"Will achieving this level push my comfort zone but not break it?"
Once you have found a next level that you truly believe you can achieve - then you have successfully moved the target closer - keep repeating this process and your momentum will be incredible - and you will achieve that great, ultimate target sooner than you ever believed possible

Wishing you continued success...

This time it's gonna be different.
This time it will work.
This time you will succeed.
You say it every time you set out to accomplish a goal or finish a project.
You want to make more money.
Meet the right person.
Lose some weight.
Be healthy.
Be happy.
You know you can do this.
You know you can succeed.
You tell yourself that you're going to succeed.
That this time you will.
But then those negative thoughts sneak in.
They tell you that you can't.
That you won't.
What's the point? - You ask yourself.
How can things change?
Then you convince yourself that... you can't succeed.
And so you give up.
You try again later.
And you go through the process again.
You give up or quit before you get started.
It happens over and over again.
It will keep happening because that's the habit that you've planted on
your subconscious mind.
Your subconscious likes to follow habits.
It creates your life based on your thought habits.
You do things, like get dressed a certain way, because your subconscious has
picked up on the habit.
You don't even have to think about it - you just do it.
You do the same thing when you try to achieve a goal, change something in your life or
accomplish something.
Your subconscious follows your pattern of thinking, believing and acting.
It compels you to do things that fit the pattern that you created.
And so you you then do them automatically.
If you're always starting something and not finishing, find it difficult to make
money, give up before you really get started, or can't accomplish something then it's
because your subconscious is following a pattern that stops you or leads to failure.
It's just doing what you told it to do.
And it will happen over and over again.
It will keep happening until you change that pattern, until you give your subconscious a new
pattern or new directions.
It's a lot easier than you think.
You just need to keep at it.
You need to have a little patience and you need to send the right messages to your
subconscious mind.
The sooner you start the sooner you'll see changes
Your subconscious is your great partner in life.
It will do anything you ask.
Give it the right instructions and it will lead you to success.
Give it the wrong instructions and it will lead you to more failure and more struggle.
So think about what you want and not what you don't want.
If you want to be debt free - think about making more money.
If you always think about debt your subconscious will bring you more debt.
But if you think about making more money your subconscious will lead you to more money.
If you want to be in a relationship don't think about how difficult it is to meet the right person.
Instead, just think about meeting the right person and how you can be in a great relationship.
If you want to lose weight, think about being healthy and don't focus on all the weight.
It's a simple and powerful process.
Just keep directing your mind and subconscious mind to bring you what you want.
Send your subconscious the right instructions.
Go one step at a time.
Don't put things off, break that habit today.
And you start by working with your mind and subconscious mind.
You direct all your powers to create the life you want

Watch out for this SCAM

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The competition for "cash flow notes" is fierce. That's a good thing.  In my experience, any time you have heavy competitive the money is often lucrative.
Think about iPhone apps, SEO, security software, carpet cleaning, window washing, car rentals, and handyman repairs. These can be very lucrative even in a sluggish economy.  But there's a right way and a "hard way" to do things. 
The note market much larger today than it was five or six years.  This is partly due to the economy and the collapse of the real estate market. Cash flow notes thrive in this environment because people are forced to get money fast.
Cash Flow Notes in All Its Glory
Most of the time, people on the inside track always land the best notes.  These insiders are usually: 1. seasoned note investors 2. Bankers 3. Real estate lawyers (and judges)
I'll show you a short cut and how to find the best cash flow notes.  You'll also need to find qualified buyers or sellers.  There are only a couple of things you need to know to be successful in this market.
What is a cash flow note?
Cash flow notes are IOUs.  They are an agreement to pay someone a specific amount of money, with interest, over a specific period of time.  The most popular cash flow notes are commercial and residential "paper" (also known as a mortgage).  There are cash flow notes available in almost every conceivable real estate investment. Most (but not all) cash flow notes are secured with a title deed.
But the neat thing is you can find cash flow notes for everything from accounts payable, structured settlements, royalties, leases, pre-construction deals, and more.  I'll focus on real estate cash flow notes in this week's issue.
Here's an example of a simple cash flow note...
The Johnsons sell their $250,000 home with owner financing.
The Johnsons ask for $25,000 down and finance the balance of $225,000 at 10 percent interest. The Johnsons receive monthly payments on this "note" until it's paid off.  That's where the "cash flow" part comes in.
An entrepreneur calls the Johnsons and offers them $220,000 for the note on their home. The Johnsons agree. The entrepreneur buys the note and resells it to another buyer who is willing to pay $225,000 for it.
The first entrepreneur keeps the $5,000 difference and the Johnsons get $220,000.  This process is contingent upon locating note sellers and brokering a deal for each note to willing buyers.
In the real world...which is how I look at business opportunities... it takes a lot of time, energy, and money to build a network of qualified cash flow note sellers and buyers.  But entrepreneurs are making money in this business.
What's more, there's an established network of entrepreneurs already doing these deals... they're called bankers, lawyers, judges and real estate investors!
Little-Known Cash Flow Secret
One secret to "winning" in the cash flow business is target marketing. Who would've guessed direct marketing is a key?  But it's logical. You need to find and reach qualified cash note sellers.
Cash note sellers are typically home owners, business owners, and other real estate investors who have provided financing to buyers.  One of the best ways to reach a large targeted audience quickly (if you don't have an established in-house list of contacts) is with TV.

Are you stressed out and losing sight of the blessings at this time of year?

There is a lot going on: crowds in public places jammed together, long lines to see Santa, too much sugar and not enough sleep, the excitement of gifts.

Many parents can't wait to get through the holidays because it's more stressful than joyful. It doesn't have to be this way. Enjoy these 5 ways to plan ahead and ENJOY this holiday season.
(1) Set clear expectations repeatedly. Let your kids know ahead of time who is going to be at their grandparent's house, what time you are going to open presents. Eliminate surprises.
(2) Plan down time. Your kids NEED down time. Find a room-even if it's a bedroom-where they can get away, play contentedly with toys, listen to music and be refreshed. Ask a relative to take your child out for a short walk.

(3) Give your child specific jobs and responsibilities so they can help out and feel important. Can they help set the table, greet guests, hang lights with Grandma, take care of the younger kids, put on a show, create decorations for the house, like paper snowflakes?

(4) Keep your perspective and expect imperfection. Don't expect your child to act like an adult. This time of year is exciting and kids will be kids.  Expect your teens to be bored--have them plan activities to do ahead of time. And don't be affected by their moods. Be prepared for things to not go as planned and laugh about it!

(5) Plan alone time for YOU. Yes, you need it. Don't feel guilty. Your alone time is good for everyone around you! Take advantage of the free sitters in the house. Talk, enjoy the quiet, grab a coffee and snack with your spouse or relative you haven't seen in awhile. When you take care of yourself, you can be calm and in charge. 
Remember to take some deep breathes, slow down a bit and be grateful for your blessings
Hapy Holidays and Happy Parenting

The Secret Qualities of Successful Information Products

By Gary Scott
If someone asked you, "What's the biggest chunk of the U.S. economy?" ... you probably wouldn't say "information."
But, expenditures on information and information products account for over half of this country's economy. That's roughly $5 TRILLION!
Why so much? Americans have an unquenchable thirst for information. We crave information to make us healthier ... wealthier ... more beautiful. But most of all, we want information so we can show others how much we know.
I've developed a highly-successful publishing business selling information that people want. You can, too.
The key is developing an information product that people not only want to buy but want to continue to buy (or renew). This isn't hard - if you understand the following 7 Qualities of Successful Information Product Development.
Quality #1: Is the Idea Interesting?
Interesting ideas connect with a genuine fundamental aspect of life. And, the first person they have to interest is you. If you pick ideas that interest you, research and writing will be fun. But, interest goes beyond that. Your idea has to be truly interesting to your reader.
For example, my first retail publishing idea in the early 1970s was for U.S. investors to invest globally. The idea was sound and remained very interesting for a long time.
On the other hand, look at collectables. There will always be a collectables market. Yet, many collectables are attractive only because they are in vogue.
If, for example, you had a publication about Beanie Babies back when they were in vogue, you could have done well. Today, that publication would fall on its face.
Fads offer attractive publishing opportunities, but they don't last. Publications about interesting topics survive.
Quality #2: Is the Idea Legal and Ethical?
I once got a letter about how I could mail First Class letters for only 3 cents! Indeed, the stamp on the envelope was 3 cents.
This seemed interesting, since I spend hundreds of thousands a year on postage. The letter promised that, for $12, I could get details on how to mail First Class letters for 3 cents.
This was too good to be true, but I was interested. A few days later, I got one photocopied page telling me how to do it. The page claimed that, as a business, the Post Office had made an offer to send my mail at the current rate. And it claimed that, as a businessman, I could counteroffer by putting a 3-cent stamp on my letters instead. If the Post Office accepted and mailed my letters, they accepted my offer. The idea was to simply mail all your letters with a 3-cent stamp, because most would get through. And, the idea was neither legal nor ethical.
The Postal Service's Revenue Protection Department operates by spot inspection, true enough. So, yes, many of these 3-cent letters would get through. But, anyone mailing lots of them could expect to be investigated by the U.S. government. So, in the long run, it wouldn't have been profitable. The fines (not to mention prison time) for these kinds of actions are very heavy.
Quality #3: Is the Idea Attractive?
Your idea has to attract first-time buyers. It doesn't have to be pretty or pleasant. But, it must attract.
Attractiveness appeals to emotions in some way. The emotions can be good, bad, or even ugly. For example, one ad that worked well read, "I'm mad as heck at the government for cheating us - here's how to get even." It's not a very pretty idea. But, it's certainly attractive.
A publication must hold your reader's interest to succeed in the long-term. But, attractiveness gets potential readers to drop everything, read a sales story, and buy your publication.
Quality #4: Is the Idea Usable?
Your idea has to fill some need for your reader. This is vital to gaining repeat customers for your publication. The idea has to work for its readers.
A publication can be entertaining. With a golf publication, for instance, the pleasure of reading about golf courses may be enough to make it useful if the main goal is to give the reader satisfaction through description.
On the other hand, the goal might be to help the reader know how to get lower golf scores (pride). Or, show times at various courses when greens fees are reduced (savings).
Quality #5: Is the Idea Understandable?
Some years ago, the book A Brief History of Time was a New York Times bestseller for over a year. It was called one of the most-purchased/least-read books of all time. The author's next books didn't sell well. His books - all of them about quantum science - were just too complicated.
Ask: Is my information understandable for my target market? As A Brief History of Time shows, being interesting can sell a book. But if it's not understandable, you won't build repeat business.
Quality #6: Is the Idea Timely?
A successful publication is tuned to the times. If it's too far ahead of or behind its time, it won't do well in the long run.
I failed to understand this quality in the 1970s when I was first writing about investing internationally. I'd lived abroad for nearly a decade, so this idea seemed obvious. However, it ran contrary to public thought.
Twenty years later, most U.S. investors were ready for this idea. Today, it is so common that local stockbrokers give free talks on the subject, so we've had to adapt. Because I understand this quality, I'm able to change, update, and innovate my publications constantly.
Quality #7: Is the Idea Sellable?
In publishing, marketing is a very important part of success. You can have the timeliest, most usable, interesting, easy-to-apply idea in the world. But if you cannot sell it, you won't make money. Defining your market and deciding how to sell your idea correctly is an integral part of the product creation.
I learned this lesson while pioneering the idea of investing abroad. As I said, my idea was right ... but ahead of its time. Because I was out of sync with most American investors, my original selling failed.
The product wasn't salable until I discovered avenues that led me closer to the small percentage of Americans who were interested. This process of understanding the customer is called "focus," and it's crucial to publishing success. For example, I found that though I marketed across the country to all professions and religions, a large percentage of my original readers were Jewish, Southern, or chiropractors - groups that had less trust in the establishment. Once I understood that all three of these groups perceived that the establishment had been, at one time or another, biased against them, I was able to zero in and focus my sales in those areas

Finding the Perfect Job

by W. Mason Preddy

I worked as a healthcare recruiter for an awesome community hospital. In my time there, I was responsible for helping achieve record-low vacancy rates (there is a worldwide shortage of healthcare professionals) and increasing retention. I started new programs, and was responsible for applying for national and local awards, many of which we won. We then merged with a chain of hospitals in the area.

My position was eliminated, and I was devastated. I couldn’t understand how they could do something so nasty to someone who had given them so much. I received a severance package and was able to use some of the money to work on a double master’s certificate program from Tulane University. In looking back and examining what had happened, I realized that the work environment had really become miserable, and it was not a fun place to work anymore.

At first, I had my sights set on joining a consulting firm that did work in the healthcare industry. They were interested in me, and I went through a series of interviews. I was constantly writing affirmations that I got this job with “X” company, making “X” amount, etc. The job required constant travel—four or five days every week all over the country. While this was really not appealing to me, I told myself I would like it and it would be okay. Well, you can’t “trick” the Universe!

It knows just by the way you feel. I didn’t get the job. I was upset but knew that all the travel would have been a real drag. A series of other opportunities came along, and for various reasons, either I wasn’t interested when I learned more or I didn’t get the job. I continued to write affirmations with each position. What I didn’t realize is that you are not supposed to be telling the Universe “how” or “who,” etc. You are supposed to let the Universe handle that for you. That is a very difficult thing to do.

I decided to quit writing so many affirmations and just start concentrating on the way I felt. Looking back at the other jobs, I knew they really weren’t the best jobs for me, but I kept telling myself they would be great and everything would work out. Instead, I started talking about what I really wanted in a job. I would write an occasional affirmation, but rather than naming the company, I let the Universe work on what the organization would be. I just focused on what was important to me.

I wanted flexibility, to make a lot of money, to be happy at what I was doing, to like my co-workers and have them like me, to have the “perfect amount” of travel to pleasant places, and to be successful at what I was doing. Well, the Universe has presented me with an awesome new opportunity—with all of the above. I am very excited and start soon!

The major things I learned were: Don’t worry about the “how.” That is the job of the Universe. When something doesn’t work out, know that something better will come along. The Universe had a plan for me, and even though I was disappointed along the way, it has all worked out perfectly. This opportunity will definitely make me the happiest and has all the things I wanted. 

The Right Way to Look to Your Future-Coming To Grips With "The Gap"

You can strive for perfection, but you'll always be dissatisfied because nothing turns out perfect. Or you can use this unique mindset, described by guest author Dan Sullivan today, to bring you greater happiness and satisfaction with your progress.
Craig Ballantyne
"Working for someone else gives you little chance to make a fortune. By owning your own business, you only have to be good to become wealthy." – Kekich Credo #25

By Dan Sullivan
Some people look toward the future and feel a rush of inspiration and excitement. Others look forward and feel guilty, anxious, dissatisfied, or paralyzed by perfectionism: They never feel like they've done quite enough or achieved everything they should have. These feelings drive them to be hard on themselves – and on others around them.
Even the most successful people can be demanding and critical of themselves. Why is that? The answer lies in the way the human brain works, which makes us all susceptible to a kind of negative self-evaluation I call "The Gap." It's often especially evident among people who have big ambitions, like entrepreneurs. In this article, we'll give you a handle on what The Gap is and show you how you can get out of The Gap once you recognize that you're in it.
Ideals, goals, and the actual.
Lets start by examining some structures that exist in all of our minds. As humans, we have the ability to conceive of perfection–the ideal–in any situation. An ideal is like the horizon: Even though you move in its direction, it always seems to be just as far away. Just like the horizon, ideals are mental constructs. Rather than relating to them as attainable, the best way to treat the ideal is as an infinite source of inspiration for creating goals.
Goals, on the other hand, are more concrete and measurable. Goals require that you look at where you actually are now, then set measurable objectives for where you'd like to be in the future. When you get to that point, you can look back and identify exactly how much progress you've made.
Definition of The Gap.
The Gap is the permanent distance between the ideal and the actual. When you're in The Gap, it's because you're measuring your progress against an ideal that is, by nature, unattainable, instead of looking back to where you started and comparing that to where you are now.
Achieving your goals gives you the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to celebrate. People fixated on ideals seldom find reasons to celebrate; they're too busy making demands of themselves to stop and acknowledge the progress they've made. They may feel that the constant pursuit of ideals keeps them in motion, but what they're missing out on is any enjoyment of their accomplishments and the opportunity to use these wins as a platform for increased confidence and capability.
Uses of ideals.
Ideals do serve a vital function. They can inspire us to create big goals, help us endure hard times, and lift us from our everyday perspective so we can glimpse the big picture. They're indispensable – as long as we recognize them for what they are.
In working with your future as a tool, use the ideal as a beacon to show you the direction, but be sure to honestly acknowledge where you are now and translate your ideals into workable, attainable goals.
Your get-out-of-The-Gap-free card.
If you find yourself feeling stuck, unable to take action, you might be in The Gap. The way to free yourself is to shift your focus from perfection to the progress you've already achieved.
Here's where your past is a valuable resource: Set aside some regular time for yourself, perhaps at the beginning of the week, and write down your 10 biggest achievements from the past week, along with what makes them significant to you.
You might be surprised at how much you've accomplished, and you'll be able to see what you can do next to continue this progress. Now is always the time to enjoy your success

The Magic of Repetition

By Robert Ringer
People who can never seem to grab the brass ring are often guilty of nothing more than overlooking the basics. By basics, I'm talking about fundamental skills and activities such as time management, reading, organization, and developing an accurate perception of reality ... the list goes on and on.
But perhaps the most consistently overlooked basic of all is an innocuous little item called "repetition." Repetition is how you become good at any sport, artistic endeavor, math, writing ... just about any activity one can think of. We've all heard, many times over, the truism that "practice makes perfect."
Repetition is how I became a certified Microsoft Word expert. In the late nineties, I spent a year and a half writing a Microsoft Word reference guide, a project that required my learning, then repeating, every conceivable Word function hundreds of times.
As a result of all that repetition, today I can perform most Word functions very quickly and without consciously thinking about it. My Word expertise is not because I'm a computer whiz, but because of the enormous amount of repetition I invested in the program.
It's the same with writing. I'd like to think I've improved a great deal as a writer over the past twenty-five years, and I attribute that improvement to having written millions of words during that period of time. In this regard, I often quote Mario Puzo, who summed it clearly nicely when he said, "Rewriting is the whole secret to writing."
An interesting paradox of repetition is that if you practice something slowly, you'll actually learn it more quickly. I can think of many instances in my life where this was obvious to me. One in particular that comes to mind is when I was in my teens. Though I wasn't a great athlete, I loved basketball and practiced it hours on end.
Like most right-handed kids, I couldn't shoot a left-handed lay-up worth beans. I was having a terrible time not only shooting the ball with my left hand, but also trying to figure out how to push off with my right foot. If you've played basketball, you know how awkward this maneuver can be.
I vividly recall practicing the correct technique hours on end in my backyard, where my dad had installed a basket for me. (This was long before the days of Huffy, so it was a big deal to have your own backboard and basket setup.) I would walk through my approach to the basket, literally thousands of times, making certain I ended up on my right foot just as I was about to lay the ball up with my left hand. Little by little, I increased my speed, until I finally was able to make left-handed lay-ups at full throttle.
As a result of having the technique ingrained in my head, I ultimately was able to make left-handed lay-ups in the heat of games, even if a defender was breathing down my neck. The reason I was able to perform under game conditions was because I didn't have to think about it. I had done all my thinking thousands of times in practice, which allowed my brain to go on autopilot once a game began.
I have since found that this same strategy produces results in just about any area of adult life. For example, any professional speaker will tell you that repetition is the key to becoming a good speaker. A professional speaker is well aware of the importance of practicing his lines slowly until they become indelibly stamped on his forebrain.
From time to time, every speaker comes across a sentence – or even a whole story – that causes his tongue and brain to become tangled. The best solution to this obstacle is to practice the material slowly – a hundred times or more, if necessary – until you get it right. Then, it's like riding a bicycle: You never forget it.
In practical terms, what all this means is that virtually anyone with average intelligence can become an expert at just about anything by employing repetition. It's one of those basics that are so essential to success, yet so often overlooked.
When all else fails, make sure that you're not forgetting the importance of repetition in your business– and personal-life strategies. More often than not, so-called overnight successes are really just people who have endlessly repeated the same actions – over a period of many years – usually very slowly in the early going and increasing their speed as they progress.
As advertising legend Claude Hopkins put it nearly one hundred years ago: "Genius is the art of taking pains."

How to Protect Yourself From Failure

By Craig Ballantyne
An alcoholic walks into a bar. An hour later, he's drunk. Two hours later, he stumbles home.
Um, alright, that wasn't a very good "guy walks into a bar joke", I'm sorry.
But it is an excellent, albeit extreme example of a point I want to make today.
If we have a bad habit, putting ourselves into an environment that promotes the bad habit is the first step in making the bad habit worse. Therefore, we need to identify not only the bad habits in our lives that we want to change, but also the environments we must avoid in order to foster this change.
The other night while driving from the big city to my home in the country, I was listening to an interview with Dan Kennedy. On the call he described how he structures his weekly errand's route so that he doesn't drive by a donut shop. For Dan, a diabetic, he's struggled with a lifelong "addiction" to donuts. So he makes the effort to remove himself from the environment that would support the addiction.
Likewise, almost every bad habit we have in our lives can be limited by removing ourselves from particular environments. For example, let's say that you have a problem with gossip. Every day at 10am you find yourself at the proverbial water cooler in your office with the same people having the same useless, negative conversations about other people.
What's part of the solution?
Avoiding the water cooler at 10am.
You see, most bad habits can be significantly reduced by avoiding the environment, yet often we think we can have the willpower to put ourselves in that environment and somehow resist the urge to give in to the bad behaviour.
Do you really think you can go to the all-you-can-eat pizza buffet at lunch while on your diet and just order a salad? That takes a strong-willed person, and really, that willpower is best left to fight against something else more important in your life. Instead of wasting the willpower on this environment, just keep yourself out of the offending environment altogether.
This also applies to the people and items you bring into your environment. For example, one of my friends, nutrition expert Brad Pilon, simply recommends a "no eating in the car" rule for his readers, and this simple little suggestion helps eliminate unwanted and unnecessary calories. After all, the majority of foods you can eat in your car are on the "do not eat" list from your diet.
When you control the environment, you remove the opportunity to fall back into a bad habit. Lead yourself not into temptation and you shall do no evil.
Of course, there will be times when you're thrown into an environment that is no good for you, and you'll need to develop coping strategies for those times as well. But that's another lesson for another day. Today, I simply want you to focus on two things.
First, identify the bad habits and where they most often occur. What people, places, and things contribute to your participation in activities that you want to remove from your life?
Second, identify solutions to these obstacles. For example, in the case of the water cooler gossip, avoid engaging these people in non-work related conversations. Avoid the water cooler at 10am.
I speak from experience. When I was young and foolish I would often meet my best friend in a bar on Saturday evenings. Needless to say this was not conducive to a Sunday full of relaxation and preparation for the week ahead.
In order to maintain our regular meetings and 30-year friendship, we both identified the offending environment and removed ourselves from it. Today we meet on Sunday afternoons (a day on which neither of us drink alcohol) in locations that don't lead us into temptation and our friendship is stronger than ever.
You don't have to lose relationships in order to better your life. You often just need to lose the offending environments that put you in harm's way.
Put yourself in a positive environment with positive people who provide you social support and you'll build better habits without draining your limited willpower.

Procrastinate no longer.

Craig Ballantyne
"What may be done at any time will be done at no time." – Scottish Proverb...This week, I encourage you to take action on that "thing" that you have been meaning to do for so long. Get it done.

Focus On Clean-ups And Multiply Your Energy:
Transform your messes into progress and breakthroughs.

By Dan Sullivan
As you progress through life and your business grows, it's natural that some messes will accumulate in your life. We define a "mess" as an obligation you're not committed to. You can remember this as "M = O – C," or "Mess equals Obligation minus Commitment."
Common messes entrepreneurs experience are legal issues, financial concerns, and problems that arise out of the complexity of running an evolving business. As messes build up over the years, they can start to block your progress and bog you down in minutiae.
When you leave a situation in a mess, a part of your brain stays with it. That bit of mental energy isn't able to contribute to solving other problems or creating new opportunities. With each clean-up you do, a portion of your brain is set free again.
The clean-up two-step.
The process for cleaning up a mess involves two steps. The first is to face it. Until you've looked at the messes in your life head-on, acknowledging and identifying what they are, you can't begin to clean them up.
The second step is to deal with it. Messes are often the result of guilt, justification, and avoidance, so a little action goes a long way toward dealing with them. Complexity and negative emotion then turn into a new sense of simplicity and confidence.
The Monday morning invasion.
Your office can be a constant source of messes. For instance, you might not even use your desk drawers anymore. Many people's drawers turn into time capsules and their closets become museums, while the bulk of their work sits on their desk. If you have piles of paper to get past just to reach your chair, Monday morning might feel more like storming the beaches.
A mess in your physical space goes beyond mere untidiness. There's nothing inherently wrong with a cluttered or haphazard workspace (no matter what a compulsive organizer might say!). What really matters is whether your space contributes to your ability to think, communicate, and act, or if it gets in the way.
There are many solutions for getting your space set up so it helps you do your best work. One strategy I recommend to my clients is "The No-Office Solution": Instead of having a space where "stuff" can pile up, work off-site or use a temporary space in the office. When you're finished, a team member takes your stuff away, so there's nowhere for more of it to accumulate while you're out of the office.
At first, many people think they couldn't possibly do this. Those who try it, though, find that it provides a huge boost in confidence. Being faced each day with stacks of stuff can keep you from recognizing the progress you've made. The No-Office Solution™ focuses your attention on active tasks and projects that you can deal with one by one.
Doing deals with the world.
Many people get into messes when they work outside their area of expertise. When there's something you know you have to do, but you don't enjoy doing it and don't do it well, it's easy to put it off until it becomes a problem. While it's up to you to say what needs to be cleaned up in your life, you're not necessarily the person to have to do the clean-up. You can get anything accomplished in the world as long as you're not always the person who has to do it!
Delegation is a key strategy for cleaning up a situation and preventing it from becoming an issue again. The power of delegation lies in the way it extends your abilities. By surrendering a task to someone with a talent and passion in that area, you make sure it'll be handled now and into the future, and you also open up the opportunity to have it handled well.
Wondering what to delegate?
There are a few key things in life you do really well and that give you energy. Then there's everything else. Some of these other activities are things you're simply not good at. These "incompetent activities" can be very frustrating, and are dangerously easy to ignore because you dislike them so much. There are other activities you're competent at, but you don't add anything special to the way you do them; anyone could get the same result as you. Then there are things you do exceptionally well, but aren't passionate about. You might enjoy the attention or the results these excellent activities get you, but they don't really ignite your passion.
These three types of activities–incompetent, competent, or excellent–are good candidates for delegation, starting with incompetent activities. In these areas, you might find that your energy drops after the novelty wears off, and you have trouble finding the motivation to complete projects. Someone else, however, might have the energy to finish the job, or to add a new element that makes it interesting for you again. They might enjoy tasks that you don't, and have a different perspective or abilities to bring to them.
The trick is to draw a circle around those few activities you're great at, then make deals with the world to take care of everything outside that circle. In doing this, you multiply your abilities and preserve your energy for those activities that distinguish you from everyone else.
Releasing potential energy.
The initial thought of doing clean-ups may not excite you–after all, aren't these things you were avoiding in the first place? But think of how good you'll feel once they're done. With every mess you clean up, you'll transform a source of guilt, frustration, and suffering into a source of confidence, energy, and progress. This releases an enormous amount of energy, freeing you up to shift your attention from dealing with little problems to the much more rewarding business of creating the future you want to see.

Things that matter in a JOB apart from Salary

The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did.
Josh had 12 years in the corporate world, which included running a major department at Comcast. I knew he was seasoned, but I was still skeptical at first. We were going through some tough growing pains, and I thought that a lack of cash would make it extremely difficult to improve the company morale.
I was wrong.
With his help and the help of the great team leaders he put in place, Josh not only rebuilt the culture, but also created a passionate, hard-working team that is as committed to growing and improving the company as I am.
Here are nine things I learned from him:

1. Be generous with praise. Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.  
2. Get rid of the managers. Projects without project managers? That doesn’t seem right! Try it. Removing the project lead or supervisor and empowering your staff to work together as a team rather then everyone reporting to one individual can do wonders. Think about it. What’s worse than letting your supervisor down? Letting your team down! Allowing people to work together as a team, on an equal level with their co-workers, will often produce better projects faster. People will come in early, stay late, and devote more of their energy to solving problems.  
3. Make your ideas theirs. People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”  
4. Never criticize or correct. No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.  
5. Make everyone a leader. Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader.  
6. Take an employee to lunch once a week. Surprise them. Don’t make an announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of your employees, and invite them to lunch with you. It’s an easy way to remind them that you notice and appreciate their work.  
7. Give recognition and small rewards. These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Run contests or internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too. Try things like dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques. 
8. Throw company parties. Doing things as a group can go a long way. Have a company picnic. Organize birthday parties. Hold a happy hour. Don’t just wait until the holidays to do a company activity; organize events throughout the year to remind your staff that you’re all in it together. 
9. Share the rewards—and the pain. When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and transparent.

Stop Being A Wall Flower!!!

To some extent, having social anxiety is normal.  There are some
cases where fear is a natural reaction during certain contexts.
For instance, it's ok to feel a little giddy if you're at a
prospective employer's office for a job and you're waiting for your
turn to be called.  Or maybe there was a time when you were jittery
because you had to speak or perform in front of a large crowd.
For scenarios like those, it's common for the average person to
feel a bit nervous from the anticipation.  But what if the most
ordinary of interactions terrified you?
You've got a bigger challenge ahead of you if you're unnecessarily
wound up from simply talking to strangers in ordinary situations.
If the thought of chatting with the barista at your local coffee
shop makes you want to shy away, then you have to do something
about it.
You'll need a way to deal with this unusual amount of anxiety if
you want to have a better dating life.  If it's difficult for you
to make small talk during "low pressure" situations, you'll
definitely have a harder time holding a full conversation during an
emotionally-charged event such as a date.
There are individuals who went through a phase of bashfulness in
their lives (such as childhood or adolescence), but eventually
outgrew it.  Then there are people that had no problems with
shyness in the past, but experience social anxiety later on.
You see, fearfully reacting to a given situation is NOT who you are
as a person, but simply a BEHAVIOR that you can learn to OVERCOME.
Being shy isn't part of your personality; you're just having
trouble dealing with self-consciousness when made to face people
you don't know.
Besides, sometimes it's actually OK to hold back and evaluate an
unfamiliar situation before diving in.  In some circumstances,
you'll need to have a good feel of the social boundaries before
saying or doing something.
Otherwise, you could risk offending the people around you or end up
embarrassing yourself.
However, there are unusual cases where a woman avoids interaction
in ANY situation in her life.  For these girls, they'd rather not
talk to anyone because their shyness has become a "security
blanket" to protect them from committing a social blunder.
In short, this habitual anxiety can develop into a sort of crutch
to help someone get by.  The problem is that you'll always pass up
the different opportunities and eventually regret not having
accomplished much.
Here's another nasty side effect of shyness: it can actually AFFECT
OTHERS, even if they're naturally outspoken!
If a cute guy started a conversation with you and all you did was
give him a bunch of "go away" signals, he'll feel uncomfortable -
or worse, rejected!  It's pretty funny to think that you DO want
him to talk to you, yet you're simultaneously terrified by the very
possibility.
On a larger scale, a lack of reception or responsiveness causes
people to see you as snobbish, when in reality you'd make a great
friend (or girlfriend for that matter).  It's tough for a reserved
person to want company since they LACK the social SKILLS to have
it.
So, just because you're shy doesn't mean you don't want to have
more friends or a quality man in your life.  Therefore, it's
crucial to take the steps in ridding yourself of this excessive
shyness because it could be affecting the general quality of your
life.
If you truly WANT to address this issue, you'll have to PROMISE to
yourself that you'll do what's needed to pull this off.  I'll walk
you through some very effective ways to eventually lose your sense
of fear in social situations.
# 1: Acknowledge your fear
Sounds simple enough, right?  Well, it is.  Nonetheless, it's still
very important to ADMIT to yourself that you do have a problem with
social anxiety.
How could you begin to deal with your social anxiety if you can't
even bring yourself to face truth in the first place?  As such,
owning up to your shortcomings is the first step towards
self-improvement.
It doesn't make you less of a woman to acknowledge these things.
All you're really doing is facing a problem, just like everybody
else does.
Speaking of everybody, don't forget about the human tendency to
fear the unknown.  It's pretty normal to feel some form of anxiety
if you're thrust into unfamiliar territory.
While the level of fear varies among different people, anyone
treading on new ground will inevitably experience a measure of
uncertainty, whether they like it or not.  So don't think you're
defective in some way - you're simply coming to terms with an issue
and finding the strength to deal with it.
#2: Baby steps are better than big ones
Don't try getting into the thick of a large social occasion (like a
party) without any preparation.  This sort of "shock therapy" won't
cure you of your anxiety!
Remember that you still need to work on your social skills before
moving on to the big leagues.  If you rush too far ahead, you could
just be getting into an awkward situation when you run out of
things to say or freeze up during a conversation.
A better approach is to start off small and go from there.  I
suggest you begin your "training" with minor things like chatting
up the bank clerk or the good-looking fellow at the grocery line.
Look around you - life is full of opportunities for you to initiate
a casual conversation with total strangers.  It may not seem like a
big deal, but in fact, it's tremendously helpful in overcoming your
shyness.
(Just be mindful of good timing - you wouldn't be making good
rapport if you walked up behind someone in a dark alley just to ask
them what time it was!)
Just the other day, I watched an online video made by a guy who did
it as a sort of a social experiment.  His goal was to approach and
start a conversation with at least twenty different people in a
shopping mall.
So he had a friend film him as he walked up to various strangers
and stated talking to them.  At the end of the shoot, he explained
how LIBERATING it was to free himself of the fear of interacting
with so many people.
While I don't really recommend you to do that yourself, it does say
something about the value of developing IMMUNITY to social anxiety.
So the next time you get the chance to talk to someone you might
never see again, TAKE IT.  If that feels like taking a huge step
for you, then it probably is.
What's important is that you're taking it anyway.  Besides, there
are fringe benefits to be had as well.
Bonding with someone through talking can actually make your day a
little better.  The act of having of a conversation is in fact a
pleasurable activity, so get out there and start chatting!
#2:  Align yourself with outgoing folks
One of the other problems related to shyness is that such an
attitude only begets even more shyness.  Like I said earlier, your
aversion towards conversation can make others uncomfortable, thus
causing them to be shy in the process.
So, another good solution is by hanging around people who have no
problems with shyness.  Their outgoing nature is actually
contagious.  It's just a matter of allowing them to "infect" you
with their positive energy.
Make an effort to be open to such people whenever they're nearby.
Whether it's the bubbly co-worker who sits next you at the office
or the equally effervescent attendant waiting tables at your
favorite restaurant, make sure to be receptive when they start
talking to you.
On another note, you can learn a lot from their easy and
free-flowing style of communication.  You essentially have a better
shot at being better at something by observing the folks who are
good at it.
Pay attention to their body language: notice their big gestures,
uncrossed arms and great posture.  All of these things are the mark
of an approachable person who's great at putting others at ease, so
make mental notes!
#3: Build up your conversation game
Now, there are several aspects to getting this right.  First of
all, you can make better conversation by having something RELEVANT
to talk about.
That's why you need to raise your awareness of the world around
you.  Check out the web, your morning paper or listen to the news
on the radio on the way to work to get a better grasp of what's
going on.
Being up-to-date on culture is a great way to establish some common
ground to start on with a stranger.  Furthermore, read up on stuff
that interests you.
It doesn't have to be deeply philosophical stuff - unless you
happen to be into that, which is just as cool.  The point is to
have something interesting to say so that you can use it as a
springboard for a conversation.
Here's another tip: think of great anecdotes that you can insert
into your chat.  As much as possible, it should be a funny story
about the time when you got into a bit of a jam but turned out
fine.
The beauty of this is that it implies you have social value since
you had it in you to deal with a problem.  Furthermore, recounting
it in a humorous way doesn't make it sound like you're bragging;
also, jokes put the other person at ease.
Oh, avoid being self-centered as well.  People like it when you're
genuinely interested in what they have to say.  Have an open ear
and ask related questions as a follow-up to their input.
For instance, if THEY told you a funny story, try asking with a
smile, "Well, how'd that work out?"  Responses like these really
help get the conversation in high gear.
Lastly, a good conversationalist is excellent at rephrasing another
person's thoughts in their own words.  Let's say the person you're
talking to tells you about their love of traveling.
You can say, "That's really cool, I know where you're coming from.
Just last week, my friends and I went to the other town to attend a
concert.  I just love the feeling of packing my stuff and hitting
the road to go off somewhere, don't you?"
Bingo!  You've now taken what they value and REFLECTED it by
echoing their own sentiments back to them.  That just creates GOOD
VIBES all around, trust me!
To wrap things up, I have to tell you that being a more sociable
woman is the key to getting that date.  A good set of social skills
helps greatly in drawing quality guys instead of repelling them.
And if you want to guarantee you don't drive him away with your
fears and insecurities, it's time to deal to your self confidence
once and for all

How to Use OPC to Make Money Fast

By Craig Ballantyne
Here’s the situation. You want to be an entrepreneur and to start a new business because you know that this is the fastest way to building wealth. You even have a good idea, but how on earth do you get customers when starting from scratch?
Well, the correct answers are rarely the ones you want to hear. Other guru’s like to tell you that you can make millions overnight with no effort, but that’s not what you’ll get here. Instead, we’ll give you the unadulterated truth. But it’s the truth that shall make you wealthy.
Today you’re going to discover the power of OPC. It’s a little acronym that describes the fastest way for building a business, whether it’s Internet-based or one that resides on Main Street in your hometown. The rule of OPC holds true for all new opportunities, as do the strategies for getting OPC.
To give you an example of the power of OPC, let’s take a look at my bookshelf. It’s packed with many investing books and newsletters from many different companies. I haven’t just bought from one specific author or organization. Does that give you a hint about what OPC is and how it applies to your business?
And as I mentioned, the OPC strategy works just as well in ‘real-world’ businesses as it does online. After all, why do you think the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker were such good friends?
You see, you need to be ‘partners’ with other businesses who serve the same marketplace as you, and yes, this might even mean teaming up with your competition, because nothing can boost your business faster than OPC – Other People’s Customers.
Earlier I mentioned my friend Joel. He’s the guy who made both his 1st sale and his 1000th sale on the same day. How did he accomplish that? With other people’s customers, of course. Joel did something called an online product launch. By leveraging his contacts and goodwill, Joel was able to persuade other business owners to recommend his products to their customers. He did this by incentivizing these business owners with a large commission on each sale and bonuses for hitting certain sales levels.
That’s the basic premise of online affiliate marketing. If you send me your customers, I’ll pay you and make it worth your while. (In fact, that’s what Joel and I did in our recent 247FatLoss.com product launch, and you’ll get a full review of the launch on December 1st when the new issue of Financial Independence Monthly is delivered to subscribers.)
That’s the most important strategy in using the OPC system. No matter if you have a real-world business or an online business, you must make it worthwhile for your business partners to share their customer list with you.
In Joel’s situation, he ran a product launch and gave his affiliates 75% commission on each sale that his business partners sent his way. That allowed him to buy customers while still making money. When you set-up your online business, you should do the same. (Full disclosure: We do this for affiliates of our Financial Independence Monthly program, too.)
Give as much money in affiliate commissions as you can afford to give. I even give away 100% commission to affiliates on front-end offers during my annual membership drive in my Turbulence Training business. This makes affiliates stand up and take notice and participate in your promotions. When you can pay someone a lot of money for their customers, they’re much happier to share them with you.
But again, this works off the Internet as well. Let’s say for example that you have a store that sells flooring. Your best ‘advertisers’ could be stores that sell appliances, blinds, and all other products related to renovations. You should also be working out deals with contractors so that they send their customers to you.
It doesn’t matter what type of business you have (or want to start). The fastest way to grow your customer list is to get other people’s customers to become your customers too. Here are the simple steps you need to take to get the ball rolling.
1.     Identify your partners. Build up goodwill with these partners by helping them first. Leverage your goodwill when you request their help.
2.     Incentivize your partners through extra commissions and contests. For example, if a business partner sends you X number of sales each month, give them a cash bonus.
3.     Continually remind your partners to promote your business and resell them on participating. Create done-for-them marketing materials and referral scripts that automates this process for them.
Selling partners on promoting your business is extremely important. I can’t emphasize it enough. You need to focus on selling them and delivering customer service to your business partners almost as much as you do to your end-user customers.
But make sure you have a proven sales system in place before you start selling business partners on referring their customers to you. If you ask for referrals prematurely, before you are ready to serve those customers properly, you’ll end up hurting their business and yours.
There is little else that can damage a relationship more than over-promising and under-delivering. You’ve got one shot with a product launch and you can’t be caught firing blanks. As my business partner, Matt Smith, likes to remind me, “You’ve spent a lot of time building up this goodwill, you don’t want to waste it on a trivial matter.”
Take the OPC lessons seriously, and start applying them to your business today. I wish I could tell you that just ‘being the best darn little shop on main street’ (or best little website on the Internet) was enough to keep a business alive and profitable, but that’s just not the politically correct truth. You need become a master salesperson to acquire both customers on your own and OPC, too.

Live Your Life and Be Happy About It

I don't own a lot of stuff. Never have. Don't really want to. As Steve Sjuggerud says in today's essay, "It wouldn't make me any happier". And I agree.
What makes me really happy is the sound of my dogs feet hitting the ground as he gallops around at the dog park in full pursuit of another dog.
You can't buy that. (Not sure how you'd store it, anyways.)
Most ETR readers have enough to be happy.
But there's still a really good reason to be producing, saving, and investing.
More from Steve below...
Craig Ballantyne
"Recognize your highest calling as early as possible in life." – Frank McKinney

What's the Point of Investing?

By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
"Nice to meet you... Hang on a sec... Let me text my husband."
My wife and I stood there waiting. The girl busily tapped out a text message on her new iPhone.
She wasn't so quick with the typing, but we knew what was going on... She was just showing off that she owned a $500 phone – hot stuff in rural Georgia.
We saw her arrive... She drove a black Suburban of some sort, with enough chrome to make a Detroit drug dealer blush.
She and her husband were young... probably in their late twenties. He was apparently a builder in Georgia. Of course, homebuilding in Georgia died several years ago... But even though their income must be down, their spending hadn't changed.
These aren't the only people out there sporting an iPhone and a blingy black Suburban. What's going on here?
Me? I don't have an iPhone... or a blingy Suburban... But I probably have one thing these conspicuous consumers don't: The house I live in is fully paid for.
I handle my money differently. I could buy an iPhone or a Suburban tomorrow. I wouldn't need a penny of debt to do it. But I won't... Why? Because I know those things won't make me the slightest bit happier. I'd be the same dolt I was before... only I'd be $50,000 poorer!
It took me a while to get to this point in my life. But I'm glad I made it... I'm at the point where I can buy what I want. But I don't. It's an important point to reach.
I don't try to keep up with the Joneses. I'm doing the opposite, actually. I'm downsizing. I'm reducing my "stuff."
Think about this... What good is all this stuff, really? You can't take it with you when you die... Legendary newsletter writer Doug Casey says it best:
"I've never seen a hearse with luggage racks."
Doug is extremely wealthy... and has been for a while. But he doesn't drive around a decked out Suburban, chatting on an iPhone.
My friend Bob Bishop is a wealthy guy like Doug. Bob wrote the excellent Gold Mining Stock Report newsletter for a few decades. He retired a couple years ago. Bob decided to sell some of his extraordinary possessions... for no particular reason that I could see. He didn't need the money. And they weren't really taking up space. I asked him why he was selling. He said...
"After a while, you don't own your stuff... Your stuff owns you. Steve, you're young... so you're probably in the accumulation phase. Me? I've been there. Now I want to downsize and simplify. I don't need all this stuff."
Bob can buy anything he wants. But, like Doug, he doesn't drive a blingy Suburban, and I doubt he's got an iPhone. It's just stuff!
This brings me to the point of this essay... What's the point of saving money anyway? What's the point of investing?
When you get older (if you're not already older!), just what are you going to buy with that money you've saved?
Jonathan Clements gave a good answer to this in his final column for the Wall Street Journal in 2008. (Clements has written more than 1,000 columns for the Wall Street Journal.)
Clements says your savings "can deliver three key benefits." Even better, he says, "you can enjoy this trio of benefits even if you don't have great wads of cash." Here's how:
If you have money, you don't have to worry about it.
Money can give you the freedom to pursue your passions.
Money can buy you time with friends and family.
When I think about it, these three things are exactly what Doug and Bob are doing with their lives. The great thing is, it doesn't (usually) take millions of dollars to spend time with friends and family or pursue your passions. You don't need a fortune to live well.
But in order to get there, the Georgia-homebuilder couple needs to skip out on his and hers blingmobiles.
The quicker you grasp this about saving versus spending, the quicker you'll be able to start living like Doug and Bob... even if you don't have many millions of dollars in the bank.
You might think it's hard to stop buying ultimately useless stuff... You might think it's hard to stop keeping up with the Joneses.
But actually, it is quite liberating... And even better, you'll be financially free much quicker. Give it a try.

Open Your Heart and Allow the Good things to Filter in...

 

BY The Barefoot Doctor
When you communicate with someone, whether having a conversation for the sake of it or to get to know each other better, asking salient questions always works wonders so don’t be too shy or self-absorbed to ask about what you want to know.
But with the purpose of achieving some sort of consensus that could lead to a mutually desirable result (when you’re negotiating, in other words), the result you achieve is determined directly by how much you’re willing to remove limits in your mind about what can happen between you both – the breadth of the parameters you’re willing to give life/the Tao within which to operate. The wider the parameters you set, the bigger the possibilities achievable in negotiation.
Choose the highest possible good as an outcome
So if you begin by intending that whatever the outcome is, it will be something that’s for the highest good of all concerned, even if that doesn’t look anything like what you’d have initially thought should be the result, you’ll invariably be delighted with the outcome.
Steps to instigating a viable dialogue
The steps instigating such a conversation are to:
1. Centre yourself, relax your body, breathe slowly, sink your weight, arrive on the planet, make yourself aware of the presence (the Tao) informing and expressing itself through you and the other.
2. Clarify the intention, which is to elicit a result that will be optimally mutually beneficial, even though you don’t know how or in what form that might eventually materialize.
3. Empty your forebrain of egocentric agenda, to give space for the Tao of the situation to operate freely.
4. Open your heart and allow your love, your innate natural goodness to radiate freely, from the midst of your chest in a parabolic arc to encompass the other and simultaneously enable you to be encompassed by theirs (if even just in its latent form).
5. Arrange your body posture to face them squarely as much as possible (do this mentally if talking remotely on the phone for instance) and allow whatever communication arises from deep in your pelvic floor to surface and pass through your lips as a string of words.
Of all these steps the most important is to open your heart to embrace the other with love.
Empty yourself to receive the other
Having instigated the dialogue, the next step is to sink your consciousness back into the midbrain, let go of your own agenda again, and make space in your heart for the other to respond.
Naturally it’s impossible to exemplify this sufficiently to cover all possible types of negotiation or outcome, but using the above template is a start to achieving a wholly different set of outcomes in future negotiations of any sort.
The most important communicational step of all is to open your heart to embrace the other with love.

Below are 10 timeless tips for getting happier right now!

These likely won’t come as shock revelations, and are more ever-friendly reminders – ones I personally never tire of! I trust they will serve you too.
1. Gratitude
Gratitude opens your heart and directs your energy to that which you love and what brings you joy, and in so magically attracts more of the same. What you appreciate, appreciates! Feeling grateful both gives (in its appreciation) and receives (through the opening created in that giving).
The more you value and feel grateful for ANYTHING, the more there will be to feel grateful for per se. Furthermore, when you feel grateful you experience all the beautiful qualities you feel grateful for all over again!
Gratitude is the sweet song of appreciation and turns any experience into a gift that is received.”
2. Suspend Judgment
Judging others, or yourself, lowers your energy and separates you from love and joy. Having an opinion isn’t the same as judging and doesn’t hold the harsh energy that judgment does. Even with forming or holding an opinion, be sure you know the truth of any person or situation.
Be mindful what you decide about someone you don’t know, for it will invariably reveal less of them and more of you.”
What you judge in another may be something you secretly judge in yourself that you have not yet owned and are projecting outwards. Use judgment as a means to become more conscious of yourself, you inner buttons, beliefs and repressed aspects.
If you’re pointing a finger, be sure to look in the mirror first.”
The more you love and accept yourself, the less you will judge others or be affected by the judgments of others. This doesn’t mean tolerating a situation or behaviour that you feel doesn’t honour you, more it frees you to walk your own path and leave others to theirs.
When you judge you project your shadows onto others, when you love you project your light.”
3. Trust
Trust takes you towards positive desired outcomes in a magical, effortless way. Trust yourself and your power as a creator. Trust the universe and the love, gifts, guidance and blessings it has for you. Trust the doors that are opening and the ones that are closing. Relinquish control and allow yourself to be carried along the river of trust, the universal flow that will take you to bright realities aligned to your soul’s purpose with grace and ease.
4. Honour Your Emotions
Honour your emotions and listen to what they are telling you about what’s going on inside. If they are negative or uncomfortable, what thoughts or beliefs are they pointing to that may need changing or aligning?
Express and release your feelings rather than deny, repress, control or judge them. This doesn’t mean wallowing in them or giving them undue attention if they do not serve you (i.e. nip that self-pity in the bud), nor does it mean venting them at another inappropriately (writing a letter and burning it might be far ‘cleaner’ as a means of processing before communication in some instances, for example). Honour your emotions by accepting them and allowing them to be experienced and released, be that by feeling them, writing them down, sharing them with a friend, or expressing them through creativity, for example.
5. Meditate
Meditation has so many benefits, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically, as science is now recognising and documenting. Meditation brings calm and balanced perspectives and dissipates negative states and denser energy, washing away stress and lower vibrations as you centre and realign.
Meditation creates a gateway through which divine inspiration and higher guidance can be accessed and received, as you still your conscious mind and open channels to spiritual realms and your Higher Self, enhancing intuitive senses.
Your energy field can clear, renew and recharge, and lower energies dissolve as you come to centre, connect to the light within, and ‘plug-in’ to higher realms through dedicating the time and space to honour the sacred – the sacred in you, and the sacred of the all-and-One, or whatever name you hold for the heart of creation.
6. Take Responsibility
Responsibility brings freedom and empowerment. The more you take responsibility for your life, the better able you are to change it. You create or allow your experience at some level, whether you are aware of that, or the roots and whys.
Become aware of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes and choices that are creating your reality. Take responsibility for them and choose those that serve you and your world. Get exciting about the future, own your power and get manifesting! Shift gears from fear and problems to solutions and desired outcomes, from blame to gain, wounded to winner, falling to soaring.
One of the fastest ways to change your life is to start realising that you are its author and get writing a new script!”
7. Know You Are Loved
You are loved totally and unconditionally by the source of creation. If you do not hold spiritual beliefs, think of it as though there is a part of you that loves you completely, beyond need of a reason. There is nothing you need do to win that love, and nothing you can do to lose it. Open to this truth and allow it in, and the love that wants to be given to you in every moment. You are loved more than you will ever know, in ways beyond that which you may be able to currently conceive, understand or make sense of from your human perspective.
Opening to this love that is always there for you will help you experience more of your true value, worth and inherent deserving, and heal pain of separation and loneliness. Start by allowing in the possibility that you are totally and unconditionally loved right now, just as you are.
You are loved beyond reasons, you are loved beyond seasons, unconditionally, eternally, you are loved. “
8. Forgive Yourself and Others
Forgiveness of self and others is the ultimate mind-body-soul detox. It liberates you from toxic emotions and sets you free from the draining attachments and darker emotions non-forgiveness holds you captive to. Self-forgiveness dispels guilt, shame and undeserving that can otherwise block happiness and success. It is an immensely powerful force for healing and transformation and a most gracious gift you can give yourself.
9. Have Fun!
Fun will attract success into your life like iron filings to a magnet. In fact, fun is so much of what True Success is all about, and what your heart seeks.
If you have fun on the way to achieving your goals, you will have achieved one of life’s greatest goals.”
Fun is the antidote to stress, struggle, tediousness and seriousness. When you are having fun you are open and sharing of who you are and ride on the current of spontaneity and joy. What brings you fun, happiness and joy? Commit to more of it in all areas of your life!
Be sure to play, to make your day, sparkle with joy, so your heart says yay!”
10. Love, Love, Love!
Love yourself and others. There may be times this is easier than others, yet make it your overriding intention. There may be some people you choose to love from a distance, yet that love is still a healing energy nonetheless.
The beauty with love is, whether near or far, you can love from wherever you are.”
Love lies at the heart of all that you seek, and separation from it lies at the root of your troubles and pain. Let love be a guiding light in your life that will steer your ship through stormy waters back to the shore of happiness and joy. We all love to love and be loved! It doesn’t get better than that! It is the highest vibration there is. The more you love yourself and others, the happier, brighter and more successful your life will become.

Wednesday, 23 November 2011

A New Order of Self-Understanding

All of us know what it's like to be dogged by parts of us that want to drag us down. Call it what you will: some compulsion or obsession seems to follow us into all our relationships, only to wreck them in one way or another. We struggle as best we can to free ourselves from these dark states but invariably find ourselves short of the mark. Slowly but surely, one thing becomes clear: we start to see that calling upon who and what we have been to save us from our suffering is like asking a windstorm to neatly pile our autumn leaves. So, without giving up, we begin to open our eyes to the truth of our condition and, somewhere in the midst of our misery, we suddenly see our lives in a new kind of light. In this new awareness, a whole new order of self-understanding dawns; and, as it does, our old dark sense of self departs, taking its suffering along with it. In these healing moments, where we seem to awaken from a bad dream, there comes a new understanding of something we've always known but had somehow forgotten! Revelations like these can mean only one thing: all that we need to know to grow beyond who we currently are is already a part of our true nature.
The Masters Speak...
All of us who are human beings are in the image of God. But to be in his likeness belongs only to those who by great love have attached their freedom to God. —Diadochus of Photike (5th c., Greece)
So, in regard to disagreeable and formidable things, prudence does not consist in evasion or flight, but in courage. He who wishes to walk in the most peaceful parts of life with any serenity must screw himself up to resolution. Let him front the object of his worst apprehension, and his stoutness will commonly make his fear groundless. —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, United States)
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that

Monday, 21 November 2011

Just a Little Smile

by John W. Schlatter

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life."

Wall-Sign Wisdom

By Robert Ringer
I recently ran across three heirloom, handwritten signs that I had pinned on my wall in my early days as a writer. The signs were positioned so that whenever I looked up from my Selectric typewriter, they were staring me in the face. Had it not been for my internalizing the words on these three signs, I doubt I would have become a successful author.
The reason I want to share these signs with you today is because I believe the rules they convey apply pretty much to any profession.
Sign No. 1: Force yourself to write; once you get going, don't stop to congratulate yourself.
Most wannabe writers make both of these mistakes. They wait to become motivated before they begin writing, which is why they remain wannabes. After more than two decades of experience, trust me: You will rarely be motivated to write.
What separates most writers from non-writers is that true writers take action and start putting words on the computer regardlessof whether or not they are motivated. In my experience, after I force myself to start writing, I find that a seamless transition takes place and I become motivated.
There is no mystery to this. What happens is that once you begin writing, it stimulates your brain and body cells and gets your creative juices flowing. Which in turn revs up your motivation. I learned this through experience while writing my first book. I felt it was such an important point that I made up a sign, tacked it on my wall, and read it every morning before I had a chance to start piddling around with procrastination projects. Writing is not about the future; writing is about putting your hands on the keyboard now.
As to the second part of the sign – once you get going, don't stop to congratulate yourself – I added these words because I found I had a tendency to stop and admire my work every time I got on a roll. While it may have appeared to be self-adulation, the truth of the matter is that I just possessed an ingenious knack for coming up with excuses for procrastinating.
I finally faced up to the reality that I had mastered the art of procrastination. But it wasn't until years later that it occurred to me that the words on this sign applied not only to writing but to just about any other profession. For example, if you're in sales – which, to one extent or another, just about everyone is – you have to force yourself to make contact with potential buyers.
Every salesperson knows that the most important determinant when it comes to achieving consistent results is his willingness to apply action and rely on a powerful universal principle known as the law of averages. If you want results, the law of averages literally guarantees to deliver them to you, provided you supply the action.
Likewise, salespeople have to avoid falling into the trap of congratulating themselves after every sale. One of the reasons I achieved mega-success as a real estate broker years before I became a writer is that as soon as I got a check in my hand, no matter how big it was, I was off to work on the next deal.
Regardless of the business you're in, don't coddle yourself. Celebrating deal closings is for amateurs. If you want to celebrate, do it by quickly moving on to the next deal.
Sign No. 2: Simplicity is crucial. Can the reader quickly and clearly understand what you are trying to say? Eliminate verbal furniture.
I learned this little gem from William Strunk's timeless classicThe Elements of Style. Even though the book is very old, everything Strunk said in it still holds true today, especially the little jewel that follows:
"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."
Simplicity is a crucial aspect of quality writing. I constantly remind would-be writers that the power of the understatement is enormous.
I'm always amazed at how many extraneous words and sentences I find in draft after draft of everything I write. I'm even more amazed by how many extraneous words and sentences people leave in their finished works – from books to e-mails. Day in and day out, I read words and sentences that detract from the main point that the writer appears to be attempting to make.
Each of the three sentences on Sign No. 2 applies to your business, whatever it may be. For example, when you present a deal to someone, simplicity is crucial. Don't clutter up your presentation with verbal furniture. If you add unnecessary words or sentences, all you accomplish is to make it more difficult for the prospect to understand your main point or points.
That, in turn, makes it more difficult for him to make a decision. When making a presentation, remember that you're not there to give a speech or impress the other person with your knowledge. Your sole focus should be on closing the deal.
This is especially true if you're trying to raise money: (1) Tell the person exactly what you want from him; (2) tell him precisely what you intend to do with the money; then, (3) tell him what's in it for him if things work out precisely as you have projected. Everything else is fluff.
Sign No. 3: Don't try to be all things to all people. Go after a specific market, and don't make apologies to those who aren't part of that market.
Authors are just like anyone else – they want to be loved. Or at least admired and respected. But this is a human need that can be fatal to a writer. If you try to please everyone – or, the corollary, try not to offend anyone – you become a "mushy" writer. Bymushy, I mean someone whose message is not clear-cut.
If you're an author, you don't want to sell ten thousand books to sleepwalking people who see you as a politically correct boy scout who preaches conventional wisdom. The idea is to sell one million books to a market of people who see you as differentfrom other writers in your genre who are all preaching the same thing.
However, when you're different from others in the pack, realize that there will be a lot of people who will not like what you have to say, and some who will even hate it for it. Which is okay. It's a big marketplace out there.
Regardless of the business you're in, if you try to be all things to all people, you're likely to end up without an enthusiastic, loyal group of customers. Go after a specific market, and don't make apologies to those who don't like your product or service.
People who have no interest in what you're selling haven't committed a crime. They've just voted with their pocketbooks. No big deal. They just aren't part of your market.
Instead of letting it bother you, take your desire to please everyone and convert it into energy aimed at improving the product or service you sell to your market. The people who like what you produce are the ones who deserve your time and attention. A relatively small but loyal following can secure, at a minimum, a very nice lifestyle for you and your family.
Please be my guest and customize these three signs to fit your own unique situation. Then, hang them on your wall where you can review them daily. I guarantee that they'll make a difference in your results.

Role Modeling For Success

By Ryan Murdock
Do you struggle with Goal Setting?
I'm not surprised.
"Goal setting" has either been beaten into unbearable dullness by the anal retentive authors of certain business books, or it's been co-opted by unicorn-riding New Age "thinkers" who tell you all you've gotta do is imagine really hard and that Lotus Esprit will show up in your driveway. So you're either doomed to drooling boredom or confined to strait jackets and padded rooms.
It doesn't have to be that way. Goal setting is simple, and it forms a key pillar of the Shapeshifter Lifestyle strategies I share with my fitness clients.
So you've got your big dream. You know what you want. But how do you break it down into concrete, achievable steps? That's exactly what one of my readers wanted to know...
Dale asked me: "I know what I want to achieve, but trying to set all the little goals to get to that point kills me. If your goal is something you have never achieved, how do you realistically know the steps to get there?"
It's an excellent question, and an honest one. Your goal is pretty much always something you've never achieved. Otherwise why would you bother? But how the heck do you orient your compass when you don't have a map?
It's actually pretty easy. You just map the process of another person who has achieved the same or a similar goal.
Find a "role model" who has the sort of lifestyle you're trying to create. What did he or she go through to get there? What specific things worked, and which "dead ends" should you avoid? What skills or traits does this person embody?
Compare these details to where you are right now. Then figure out what's missing from YOUR equation – and how you're going to get it.
I'll share a personal story that illustrates exactly what I mean.
When I'm not helping average folks redesign beautiful bodies with the Shapeshifter fitness program, I'm also a professional travel writer. How did I learn to write well enough that magazines would want to send me on expeditions at their expense? I didn't have a teacher, that's for sure! I did it by myself, sitting alone in a room. Writing isn't something you can be taught – but it IS something that can be learned.
When I was first starting to write, I devoured the work of a writer whose style and worldview I admired. His name was Lawrence Durrell. I read absolutely everything he published, right down to the most obscure collection in university libraries. Then I read his published letters. Then I read all the biographies that had been written about him. Finally, I read critical articles about his work to see if I agreed with the opinions formed by these authors, or if I'd missed any nuances.
By the time I was finished I knew so much about Lawrence Durrell's life, and I'd followed his creative process at such a deep level through his work, that I had a pretty clear sense of the skills he developed and how he got there. I also assessed myself – clearly and honestly – to see where my own writing fell short. And then I worked backwards from my vision to my current state to build the skills I needed, step by step.
Yeah, that sounds like a lot of work. But it wasn't enough...
I followed this same process with every writer whose work resonated with me on a deep level: Paul Theroux (who I consider the greatest living travel writer), Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Arthur Rimbaud, and Steve Kilbey.
I lived and breathed my craft. I read the classics. I read poetry to understand how to manipulate images in original ways. I read history and psychology to inform my work. I read old explorer's journals to honour those who came before me. And I'm still doing it a decade and a half later.
So yeah, that's it. That's how you do it.
Mapping is a sure fire way to discover the path to the dream you want to live rather than just wish for. All it takes is a little work.
So who do YOU admire? Who has the type of business you aspire to create? Who lives with the kind of energy and joie de vivre you'd like to experience? Who has surrounded themselves with the kind relationships and friendships you want in your life? And who embodies the career of your dreams?
Pick one person and start your own modeling process. This person can be someone close to you, someone famous, or even a fictional character. The important thing is to go deep and truly feel, know and understand what makes that person someone you admire. How do they act, think and feel? What would they do in a given situation?
Then start imagining, practicing and applying those actions and reactions to yourself

Be Happy at Any Age… By Living in the Moment

Remember the good old days when we would proudly state how old we were? “I’m Sweet 16!” or “I’m finally going to be 21!!” Now, we may share our birth month and day, but rarely the year—unless prodded to do so. I, for one, was not excited to be creeping up on 30 and still not be married or have children. As an only child, my parents sure weren’t pleased either… But then, an idea hit me one day: When I dwell on the future and what I don’t have now (yet want so badly), am I not pressuring myself to age faster? Why am I not enjoying the things I have in this moment of time, like a great career and a new home, instead of always keeping my focus on the next thing I want to achieve? If I hold on to this mindset, then I will eventually find myself married with children and then not enjoying those experiences because I’ll be looking forward to retirement and my kids going off to college! That would not be a life of happiness; that would be a life of impatience.
This profound realization, to live in the moment so I can enjoy my current age, came as a result of reading a famous quote from Abraham Lincoln that I found randomly on the Internet: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” After reading this aphorism several times and letting it resonate, I thought back about each year of my life and noticed that age 28 (my current age) has been the best year ever because I have been living my life to the absolute fullest.Specifically, I started going to social gatherings whenever invited, I more aggressively worked toward meeting my personal and professional goals, and I am doing the things I have always wanted to do but never made time for, such as going to all the restaurants on my “Must-Eat-There” list. These fun, light activities brought me back to life, made the year memorable, and showed me that I can be happy at any age, but only if I make the things I enjoy happen! Happiness doesn’t just fall in one’s lap; happiness comes as a result of actively pursuing whatever makes you content. When you do this, you are not only more pleased on the inside, but also you exude joy on the outside, which makes you appear more youthful