The Secret to Maintaining a Winning Mindset

Do you find yourself struggling to consistently maintain a "winning" mindset or long for the secret to a winning mindset?

It's an intriguing question, and if you've been a student of personal growth for any length of time, you already know that the secret to the game of life is mindset. Mindset is everything because it's your mindset that frames all of your experiences and determines how you feel about them.

We recently watched the film Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. In the film, Dustin Hoffman plays Mr. Magorium and he offers this brilliant piece of advice:

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it."

You'll be hard pressed to find a better motivational quote to illustrate the importance of mindset ... and more specifically of a winning mindset.

Do you remember to treat your life like the occasion it is? And are you willing to rise to the occasion? In order to rise to the occasion, what mindset do you require?

The secret to maintaining a winning attitude is to remember what life is really about. All of the tools, principles and techniques of personal development that we read about -- meditation, affirmations, journaling, etc. -- are ways of assisting you to connecting with that remembrance.

And when you remember that your life is an occasion, how can you not help but be inspired to rise to it?

Using Law of Attraction: align and realign your intention

Becoming adept at using law of attraction requires consistency and persistence. I was reminded of that earlier this week as part of an energetic mentorship program I am taking.

And the message shouldn't come as a surprise.

We already know intuitively that persistence and consistency are important success traits. So why wouldn’t this also be true when it comes to using law of attraction?

Yet, how many times do you encounter people who claim that law of attraction isn’t working? Or how many times do you find yourself concluding law of attraction isn’t working.

In order to effectively use law of attraction, you must align and realign with your intention every day.

Do you do that?

Or do you instead align with your goal or desire once and then subsequently go back to your old thinking patterns whereby you primarily put your attention on the absence of what you said you wanted?

This is what most people do, and it’s what I continue to catch myself doing with surprising regularity. And yet this is where the work is in mastering the use of law of attraction.

Just because you’ve taken the time to visualize what you want with clarity and passion once, doesn’t mean the process is done. You must come back to that vision as regularly as you can – every day – and tap into the clarity and passion over and over again.

This is how you develop a consistency in your level of vibration and begin to stay more aligned with what you desire. And it’s through your increased level of consistent alignment that you begin to attract what you want more quickly.

As Wallace Wattles points out in his classic book The Science of Getting Rich, the more practiced you become at holding to your vision with full faith, belief and clarity, the more successfully you will become rich because you are in harmony with the natural laws of the Universe.

I’ve heard Andy Andrews stress “I will persist, without exception” as one of his seven decisions that determine personal success.

I’ve heard Bob Proctor talk about the importance of practice and repitition and the role that plays in raising one’s vibration.

This is a common directive from virtually all of the self improvement teachers. So why should it surprise me – or you – to understand the importance I making a point of reminding ourselves to align with our intention today, and again tomorrow, and the day after, and so on ?

Use Law of Attraction to Get Un-Stuck in Your Life

How would you like to use law of attraction to get yourself un-stuck in your life?

Are you feeling stuck right now in your life -- as though there is a noose tightening around your neck and from which there is no escape?

The economy sucks, everything is getting extremely expensive, your retirement fund has evaporated, and your wage has been cut ... what can you possibly do to begin to turn things around?



Well ... and this may sound redundant ... by law of attraction, you get what you focus on.

So often a large part of why we are stuck is because we're focused on the past or present circumstances rather than on what we want..

And because we are locked into our past decisions and outcomes, the tendency is to believe they are an accurate forecast of our future.

In his book The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles lays out the prescription by which any of us can can put the laws of the universe to work for ourselves and become rich.

And his prescription is the same as that of pretty much every self help teacher on the planet.

The trick is to take responsibility for leading yourself to where you want to go rather than where you've been or where you are.

You accomplish that by focusing on where you are going.

Wattles teaches that you place the full attention and focus of your mind on the vision you desire for yourself, on crafting and layering detail upon that vision, and by maintaining your full faith, belief and trust in that purpose.

By doing that, you begin to have thoughts and take actions that are inspired and which begin to attract (and move you closer towards) that vision for youself.

Once you are focused on where you're going, it enables you to make a decision to do something different to break the pattern that you've lived up to now.

And as you build this new discipline of thought, you get better at paying little attention to the past or to the present circumstances ... which frees up even more of your thought energy to be put towards where you are going instead.

Let where you are going serve as your guide to the decisions you make. And always make decisions that will move you closer to your goals.

Your results will immediately begin to improve.

So, at the risk of repeating myself, if you are stuck, odds are it's because you are primarily looking at what was or what is.

As Wallace Wattles points out in his book, until you look at where you intend to go, nothing can change.

Drop the drama of your past. Release it and move forward.

One step at a time, focus clearly on where you are going and what step you can take today -- right now -- to move closer to that place.

Then repeat the process. Over and over day by day. By doing that not only will you no longer feel so stuck in your life, you'll also be well on your way to your better future by leveraging the power of law of attraction.

Law of Attraction: Focus on What You Want

The law of attraction gurus all teach that deliberately creating what you want in your life is simple: all you have to do is focus on what you want.

By focusing our thoughts on what we want, we put ourselves into vibrational alignment and emit a frequency of thought energy to the Universe which attracts a match.

This is all very straight forward stuff.

So ... why is it then, that most people fail when they attempt to put this to practice? If it's really this simple, why do so few succeed?

While the principles of deliberate creation using law of attraction may be simple, they are clearly not easy. That's because to hold our attention on what we desire requires tremendous discipline of thought.

I've been spending a great deal of time pondering this question lately while completing my new Inspired Science of Getting Rich Program, which is based on the study of Wallace Wattles' book The Science of Getting Rich.

And I've come to the conclusion that the answer is simply this: it's hard work to stay focused on what we want regardless of present or past appearances.

"There is no labor from which most people shrink
as they do from that of sustained and consecutive thought."
-- Wallace Wattles

Wattles nailed it in his book. We live in a world where we've been conditioned to react to what's before us. With very few exceptions, we have forgotten how to choose our thoughts deliberately.

Focusing on what you want for more than a few seconds at a time is very hard work which requires strong mental focus. It requires a strong will to hold your attention on the prosperity you are looking to attract while the value of the stocks in your retirement account are plummeting, or while the price of gas is going through the roof, or while another unpaid bill sits in your mail box, or while your bank account sits empty.

And yet, if we are to be successful at using law of attraction, we must discipline our minds to do exactly that. We must learn to discipline our minds in order to stay fixed upon where we're going rather than where we are (or where we've been).

This is the pre-requisite to mastery of use of the law and it requires persistence and practice. Lots of persistence. And lots of practice.

After all, for most of us, there are decades upon decades of conditioning to be undone.

And it's the single biggest reason most people fail at this. They may have the self discipline to focus on what they want for a day, or maybe two, but rarely more than that.

It takes 30 days to build a habit -- in that time we're literally able to rewire the neural pathways in our brains so that a pattern of thinking becomes second nature.

If you want to begin to master the art of law of attraction, the place to start is to build that habit of thinking that sees you place your focus and attention only on where you intend to go. Resolve to do so every day for 30 days. Persist through the periods of doubt or fear that inevitably arise. Hold your thought on where you want to go, no matter how difficult. Focus only on what you want.

After 30 days, see what happens.

Attracting Prosperity: The Stories We Tell Ourselves

On our weekly Inspired Prosperity radio show this past Sunday, we were chatting about the stories we tell ourselves and the importance they play in attracting the abundance and prosperity we desire in our lives.

This has been a common message in so much of the material I've read and studied. It's a fundamental teaching of Abraham in the book Money and the Law of Attraction -- that is if you want a better life, start telling yourself a better story.

I remember seeing Bob Proctor speak about the idea of living your life as if you are the star of your own movie. Why settle for the role of an extra? Afterall, it's YOUR MOVIE!

This has always rung very true to me.

And yet it shouldn't be surprising at all that telling yourself a better story is sage advice. It's prevalent in all of the self help teachings.

One of the books that I've embraced and have studied deeply is The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles. It's the basis of my new Inspired Science of Getting Rich program.

In his book, which was published in 1910, Wattles talks about the importance of thinking in the "certain way". He discusses the importance of directing your will internally and holding the thought of what you want with full clarity and purpose ... regardless of appearances.

In other words, keep telling yourself the better story of where you're going.

As Wattles explains, thoughts are real things and we create through our thought. So by deliberately focusing on what we want and where we're going, we are framing the story we are telling ourselves. And then we get to watch the story unfold.

And so that's why the stories we tell ourselves are so vitally important in enabling us to attract the prosperity and abundance we desire in our lives. The better we get at consistently telling our story, the more rapidly we get to live it.

So what story are you telling yourself today?

Oprah, Did You Get the Book I Sent You?

Oprah, did you get the copy of the book The Power of Team that I sent you?

I wanted to quickly follow-up with you to see if you've had an opportunity to read it yet. I and my fellow co-authors are very excited about this book and we've even cracked the Barnes and Noble best sellers list!

And just so you know, although we're all very busy with our respective projects, if you'd like any us to guest with you on you're show, we'd be more than happy to accommodate you. Just let us know.

And if you've enjoyed the book as much as we've enjoyed creating it, feel free to mention us on your show. Of course you're also free to mention my website http://www.PowerofTeamBook.com.

Thanks for you support Oprah. I really appreciate your taking the time to read The Power of Team.

Money and Law of Attraction: Your Veritable Fortune

Recently I posted a review of Money and Law of Attraction, the latest book by Jerry and Esther Hicks covering the teachings of Abraham.

One of my favorite lessons from the book is the importance of the vibrational place from which any thought or statement comes. As Abraham points out in the book, it's the vibrational alignment with what you want that is so essential in order to begin attracting that the level of inspired abundance and prosperity you desire (or whatever you want) into your experience.

In this video, hear Abraham themselves walk through this lesson as they point out the misalignment in something as simple as self deprecating sarcasm. Apply this lesson to your thinking everyday and see whether or not you begin attracting more money into your life using law of attraction.

What is Leadership and Who are You Leading?

Leadership is a topic which seems to always be front and center when it comes to personal growth and development.

And there are key considerations to the topic of leadership: Who are you leading? And who's leading you?

I've come to understand that's a bit of a trick question -- because the answer to either question needs to be "me".

If I'm not leading me first, then who would want to follow me?

The key to what I'm getting is who I'm being. And who I'm being is an "inside job" ... it's about my thoughts and the inner focus I bring which sets the basesline from I take action.

"The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude;
be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful,
but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not
arrogant; have humor, but without folly."
Jim Rohn

So when I am confidently being the leader of me, then I find and exhibit the balancing of those challenges Jim Rohn speaks of. I'm strong, kind, bold, thoughtful, humble and proud in my thinking and my words with myself and with others. And I find the humour in things. I operate in a relaxed and confident manner.

Your level of leadership is merely a reflection of your internal energy, your focus, your expectation, and your willingness to step into action.

I can either be a leader or I can be a victim.

So which are you? What decision are you willing to make for yourself today about who you intend to be. What example will you set today for yourself, for your kids, for your partner, for your friends, or for your co-workers?

So, given this conversation, what is leadership for you today? And who are you choosing to lead today?

Choose well.

Money and the Law of Attraction: a book review

Money and the Law of Attraction is the newest book by Esther & Jerry Hicks covering the teachings of Abraham. I was lucky enough to find a copy of the book available at a local book store in advance of the official release date.

It's a terrific read! What I like about all of the Abraham books is that they are laid out in a very easy to follow fashion and provide lots of helpful examples.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the book for me is the notion of always being mindful of telling yourself a better story.

In the book, Abraham explains that our job is to align our vibration with what we want. That's it ... and yet it's the area where the vast majority of us have the most difficulty. We have difficulty because we're caught up in a story ... the story of "what was" or "what is", rather than the story of "what will be".

And of course -- by law of attraction -- we get more of what we focus on.

So the solution is very simple: focus our attention on telling ourselves a better story -- one that feels better and is focused on what we want. Start telling the story of what a life of inspired abundance looks like and feels like.

Abraham provides some clear examples of what a better story might sound like and so make it very easy to apply.

So the big take away from the book for me is to make a point of practicing telling myself a different story. And being diligent about doing so every single day, several times a day. Especially first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.

I've already begun to see a significant difference in how I feel.

It's only one take away from the book, but for me, it's already made the investment in the book more than worthwhile.

So if you're wanting to learn how to use law of attraction more deliberately -- and you in particular want to better understand how to improve your ability to attract money and wealth into your life -- then go out and buy yourself a copy of Money and Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks today.

And of course, if you'd like to learn more about law of attraction and Abraham, visit Jerry and Esther Hicks' website at http://www.abraham-hicks.com/.

Thanks for reading

The Power of Team: You Need Never Be Alone

The Power of Team is the newest motivational book in the Wake Up ... Live The Life You Love series and I'm a co-author of the book, along with the likes of Dr. Wayne Dyer, Anthony Robbins, Bill Bartmann and Steven E.

One of the key messages of the book is that there is tremendous power to be leveraged by being a part of a team. In other words, "you need never be alone".

That's in fact the title of my contribution to The Power of Team, "You Need Never Be Alone".

Here's a video I put together of my article which appears in the book -- this will give you a strong flavor of the quality of the information you will find in The Power of Team.

To learn more about the book The Power of Team, visit http://www.powerofteambook.com/.

Watch my video The Power of Team: You Never Need Be Alone now.

Dr. Randy Pausch: Carnegie Mellon Last Lecture

Sadly, Dr. Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon passed away this past Friday, July 25th, 2008 of pancreatic cancer.

Randy's lecture "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams", which he gave at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007, became a YouTube phenomenon. It was moving and yet inspiring lecture, one of the most powerful I've certainly ever seen. And of course this is because Dr. Pausch knew he was dying.

In tribute to Dr. Randy Pausch and the countless lives his story has impacted, here again is the full lecture in which he shares, before a packed McConomy Auditorium his lessons learned and his advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals.

It's 76 minutes long and well worth the entire time spent watching.

Using Law of Attraction: the Downside to Deliberate Creation

Law of attraction is a fundamental universal law and the foundation of deliberate creation -- that is deliberately creating the life you want.

The concept of law of attraction isn't new. It's been popularized as a term over the past 20 years or so, but it's also referred to or described throughout the "new thought" archives going back well over 100 years..

But here's the kicker: law of attraction has a downside. It works whether you are aware of it or not.

Self Limiting Beliefs: Overcome Obstacles to Success

Self limiting beliefs are the single most significant obstacles that we must learn to overcome in order to be successful in our lives.

In that regard, they are much like crocodiles lurking in the shadows of the swamps in our minds.

In today's post, I've put together a video with my thoughts about the nature of self limiting beliefs, explain where the "crocodile" analogy came from, and share my opinion about what success is possible for us if we believe, focus, and persist. Enjoy the video.

Create the Life You Want With a Simple Daily Recipe

Want to create the life you want by following a simple daily recipe?

It's a lot more straight forward than we tend to think. Today I've prepared a video for you that walks you through the steps.

It's a simple recipe that enable you to live the life you want every day ... a life of inspired abundance.

Enjoy

Empowering Language: Be Who You Want To Be

Empowering Language: Who Do You Want To Be?

Do you use empowering language that emphasizes who you want to be in your conversations?

Last night I was on a call in which the conversation focused upon the language we use with ourselves and other people.

The specific question that was raised was whether we make a point of speaking with people (and ourselves) in a fashion consistent with where people say they want to be rather than where they are.

So, for example, if you declare it's your intention to be a millionaire and to live a life of inspired abundance, travelling the world, do I have my conversations with you within that context?

If I were and there was, lets' say, a sporting event coming up we wanted to attend, I might say something such as "do you want 2 ringside seats or 4?"

Notice that this is very different than saying "can you afford to go?"

In one case I'm holding the space for you to be who you say you intend to be, whereas in the other I'm effectively holding the space for your limitations.

I find this a very interesting conversation.

It gets even more interesting when we consider the language we're using with ourselves.

By saying something like "I'd like 4 ringside seats, I wonder what would be the most effective way for me to get them," I'm holding the space for my being who I say I intend to be. This is very different than saying "there's no way I can afford to go".

Will you find a way to get to the event? Maybe. Regardless, you are utilizing much more empowering language with yourself and with others which will promote a successful mindset over time.

This is a simple example, but I believe the conversation is very pertinent to cultivating a wealthy, prosperity mindset.

What do you think? Are you using empowering language or disempowering language in your conversations?

Get the Results You Want: Persistence & Commitment

What results are you committed to in your life?

The results you've got today are a reflection of what you've been committed to in the past -- they reflect the personal persistence and commitment you've demonstrated through your past decisions, choices and actions.

The first time I heard someone tell me this, I rejected the suggestion outright. I hadn't chosen the results in my life that I dislike -- and I certainly didn't feel committed to negative results. Why would someone suggest such a thing?

And yet now, I've come to understand that this is precisely true.

That's not to say I wanted the results ... I clearly didn't. But there's no disputing the results come to me as a direct result of the decisions I chose to make (or not make), the choices I made about where and how to spend my time, and the actions I took along the way.

And this is true for you and your results as well.

This is a key tenet of the concept of personal responsibility. And it's at times a bitter pill to swallow.

And yet the solution is readily apparent. If the results I have today reflect the decisions, choices and actions I've made in the past, then the results I get in future will be determined by the decisions, choices and actions I take in the present.

So right now, based on where I'm at, what is it I want that's most important to me? What is it I'm committed to? What outcomes are reflective of the life of inspired abundance I truly desire?

Tomorrow's results are determined by today's choices

And how, from this moment forward, do I choose to operate differently than I have in the past? Because I know that in order to get a different outcome, I must make different decisions, better choices, and take different actions than I have in the past.

By now I'm sure you've come to realize, as have I, that the degree of persistence you bring to the party is reflective of your level of commitment.

If what I say I want is to lose weight, but I opt for 2 scoops of ice cream after dinner, how committed am I to the outcome? Apparently not very ...

And if I don't immediately see the results I want, do I choose to quit? If I quit and choose not to persist, then how committed am I to the outcome? Not committed enough.

Every day, we all get the opportunity to examine the results we're getting, take personal responsibility for them by acknowledging we took certain decisions, choices and actions which led to them, and then take stock and make the conscious choice to commit to something different.

And if you operate throughout your day within the context of understanding that it's the decisions, choices, and actions you take today that demonstrate the results you're committed to and want for tomorrow, then more often than not you'll find yourself getting more of the results you want over time.

So, with all that being said, what results are you committed to today? Are the choices, decisions, and actions you're taking reflective of that?

Benjamin Zander: classical music and passion for life

Benjamin Zander discusses the wonder of classical music in an address which serves as a wonderful analogy for anything we'd like to accomplish in life ... if we just persist, tune into our passion, and hold strong to our belief.

Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it -- and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections.

What inspires you as you watch (and listen) to this video?

An Instructive Week at Inspired Abundance

It's been a very instructive week here at Inspired Abundance.

I've been very focused on the launch of our 7 Steps to Happiness program. The eCourse is ready and we've already received testimonials from several people. The eBook and Audio Book are ready and the teleclasses are in progress. It's neat how it has all come together. And we're ecstatic with the positive feedback we're receiving from people who have had the opportunity to preview the material.

We're also within a week or so of launching a new membership based website, in which we're partners, focused on self growth and personal development. It's exciting because we've been working on the project for several months now and it's all coming together in a way in which I beleive is unique and will offer tremendous value.

And of course, we're also going to be restructuring our Inspired Abundance website and newsletter this summer to make it more focused.

So as a result of all of this "activity", I've found my blogging frequency has slowed right down.

But despair not, for we'll be picking up the pace again shortly with more focused and original posts and articles you can only find here at Inspired Abundance. Have a great week-end.

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

What is the meaning of life?

If you're like me, it's easy to get caught up in this question and even find yourself trapped in a kind of vicious circle trying to make sense of your purpose and balancing that with your "reality".

How do I live and fulfill my purpose? How will I still pay the bills? How will I put food on the table? Will I ever find the time to just enjoy my life, or am I destined to spend all of my time in the pursuit of it?

These are common questions that we all have from time to time ... or even most of the time.

This is the theme I'll be focusing on this week. To get us started, here's a brief 4 and a half minute clip from Abraham that talks about the meaning of life. Enjoy.

Announcing 7 Steps to Happiness eCourse

Announcing 7 Steps to Happiness.

Today's post is going to be a commercial, so please forgive me for that. I've been absent from posting the past week because I've been busily pulling together the website for our brand new 7 Steps to Happiness program.

We're pleased to announce that we're ready!

Visit our website at http://www.7stepstohappiness.com/ and sign up now for our free eCourse. We've also completed an eBook and Audio Book which are available as well.

In our program, we build on many of the concepts I've written about in this blog and/or on our Inspired Abundance website.

So if you'd like to discover a program that is simple to use, really works (it's based on what Michelle and I ourselves have learned) and which can begin to change your results almost instantly then check it out!

So follow the link to 7 Steps to Happiness and discover simple steps that can help you start living a better life.

The Secret of Fearless Living: Guy Finley

Do you know the secret to fearless living?

Today is the official launch of the new book from Guy Finley, entitled The Essential Laws of Fearless Living. In his book, Guy shows you new ways to lift your life to breathtaking heights -- including the one great secret to being wise, fearless, and free.

One of the key themes of Guy's book is that you have an unlimited storehouse of untapped energy lying within you.

This is a concept we've discussed often in this blog. And the secret to living fearlessly lies in your ability to tap into that storehouse, and learning to operate from a position of faith, trust and belief.

This will be the topic for tomorrow's post, but for today, go out and get Guy Finley's new book. Click here to discover the secret to fearless living and begin to set the course for your life of inspired abundance.

What Do You Want?

What do you want?

In my coaching practice, I've come to understand this may be the single most powerful question I can offer.

If you're like me, you no doubt catch yourself "raging against the machine" from time to time, complaining about the person who cut you off in traffic, your boss, the governement, the way the kids misbehaved, the credit card bills ... whatever.

There is stuff that pisses you off and so it's natural to want to complain about it.

Yet, the truth of the matter is that the more energy and focus you put into this complaining, the further away you push yourself from whatever it is you really want. As a matter of fact, what you're really accomplishing is entrenching yourself as a victim.

So how can we jolt ourselves out of this downward spiral and get refocused quickly when we catch ourselves doing this?

Simple ... come back this one magical question.

What do you want?

This question is very powerful. It can immediately enable you to shift out of the negativity and place your attention on what's really important to you now ... wealth and freedom, peace, a new car, a new house, more time with your spouse, a life of inspired abundance ... whatever it is that matters most to you.

Now, as you become more focused on what you want, you can picture yourself enjoying those things in your mind. The more you begin to visualize what you really want, the more clarity you are able to begin to find around it, and the further away from the negativity you move yourself.

Notice how this in turn assists you to refocus and begin to draw on inspiration to generate ideas about things that will move you closer to what you want.

It's a powerful technique. Next time you catch yourself raging about everything that's not right, ask yourself what it is you do want and see what happens.

Power of Team and Teamwork

The power of team is an astonishing concept.

Team work in any endeavor is paramount to success. Together, with focus on a common goal, we get to leverage each others energies, skills and creativity to accomplish amazing things. And there's an enhanced level of excitement when you get to celebrate your victories together.

If you're like me, you already know this intuitively, but find there are times where you insist on being the lone wolf. And rarely is that inclination going to be for your highest good.

But enough rhetoric about team work and the power of team. Sometimes pictures say everything ... even a short 24 second video.

So who's on your team?

Personal Development Success: The Art of Exceptional Living

Why is personal development so critical to personal success? Have you learned to master the art of exceptional living?

Today I have for you a video from Jim Rohn, who is one of the pre-eminent teachers of the past century in the field of self growth and personal development.

Jim Rohn is credited with inspiring and teaching the likes of Anthony Robbins, Les Brown, and countless others various success principles in the areas of personal development, financial independence, education, relationships, and much more! And he has been a prominent figure in our own growth as we travel on our path to a life of inspired abundance.

One of the key tenets of Jim Rohn's teachings is that you needn't be a super-achiever or unusually creative, but rather you need only work on developing yourself and increasing the value you provide to others.

You don’t have to endure great obstacles. You don’t even have to do exceptional things. You just have to do ordinary things exceptionally well by learning from both your own personal experience and from the experiences of other people.

In this 9 minute video, you begin to pick up some key principles from Jim Rohn as he discusses the art of exceptional living.

He discusses the importance of self education, developing new skills, and how to start your own personal development and success journey. After viewing the video, click on Jim's picture to learn more about Jim Rohn and his Art of Exceptional Living program.

Use Leisure Time Well: Build Your Dreams

Are you using your leisure time well? Are you spending that time working to build your dreams?

Let's assume you have taken the time to get clear on where you're going and have built the habit of planning ahead in all important aspects of your life. You have a clear vision of a life of inspired abundance that's well entrenched in your mind. And you feel passionate about it.

The next key element is to take action that will move you towards your goals. But how do I find the time to do that if I'm working a full time job, doing chores around the house, and raising a family?

Where on earth to I find the time?

You've no doubt heard the expression we all the same 24 hours in a day. And of course it's true.

Perhaps the key disinction between people who wish they were successful and people who are, is in the choices they make about how to use their time.

In my own experience, I notice that the most successful people I know tend to always be doing something with their time.

While others ... often including me ... are vegging in front of the television complaining that they don't have time to get things done, the most successful people I know seem to always be doing something purposeful.

Even when they are doing something leisurely with their time, there's still a notion of purpose around it ... "I'm relaxing watching the big game because I need to be well rested for a networking function I have tonight." And if they are reading or relaxing or doing "nothing", it always seems to be along the lines of reading a book that is assisting them in growing, or they're working on writing their next book.

So it all comes down to choices.

Every day, we make choices about where and how to spend our time. And when we have "free" time, we still make choices about how to use that time.

So the question becomes, how can I choose to better use my time to help me move towards my goals in life -- my vision of where I'm going?

For me, whenever I catch myself moping or feeling sorry for myself reaching for a beer and a bag of chips (they go so well together!), I know that's a clue that perhaps I can be making better use of my time and invest some of it working towards my dreams.

Here's another nostalgic, 10 minute video from the 1950s that raises many valid points about how to use your leisure time in that quaint by-gone way.

Know Where You're Going: Benefits of Looking Ahead

We've talked about the importance of knowing where you're going and the benefits of looking ahead to your future many times in this blog. The life list of a couple of posts ago is an example of this.

As the saying goes, "if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there".

This is a fundamental principle of personal success and development ... and it's not at all new.

What do you want from your life? Have you written it down? What is your plan? If you're intending to build a life of inspired abundance, what does it look like?

I love old vintage films. Here's a 1950 Coronet film that explores the benefits of career planning while in high school, as well as the benefits of planning ahead in your daily life. This film was designed as an educational film for kids, but as I watch and listen to it, it occurrs to me the "advice" still holds ... and not just for kids.

So here's your chance to invest 10 minutes in a a fun, nostalgic look at days gone by.

But at the same time, ask yourself whether you've really taken the time to know where you're going and are planning ahead. And if you aren't, what are you going to do about it?

The Power of Belief: Top 10 Quotes on Beliefs

The Power of Belief
"If you believe you can, you probably can.
If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't.
Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad."
(Denis Waitley)

Beliefs are such powerful little creatures ... without us even necessarily being conscious of them, they tend to govern what we do, what we aim for and how we feel about ourselves and our possibilities.

I'm continuing to learn first hand how tremendously empowering -- or limiting -- beliefs can be.

Here are some quotes on the power of belief that I believe provide a wonderful summation of the subject.

1. "Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives." (Anothony Robbins)


2. "In any project the important factor is your belief. Without belief there can be no successful outcome." (William James)


3. "I can believe anything provided it is incredible." (Oscar Wilde)


4. “Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” (Gail Devers)


5. “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.” (Stuart Chase)


6. “One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.” (Joan of Arc)


7. “If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” (Mahatma Ghandi)


8. “The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.” (James Allen)


9. “Miracles happen to those who believe in them.” (Bernard Berenson)


10. “One must marry one's feelings to one's beliefs and ideas. That is probably the only way to achieve a measure of harmony in one's life.” (Napoleon Hill)
    

Your Life List: 100 Things To Do Before You Die

Where is your life list of the 100 things you want to do before you die?

What would you most want to do in your life if you knew tomorrow was going to be you last day?

One of the most valuable exercises you can do for yourself is to set aside some quiet time, reflect on what it is you really would like to do or see in your life, and then start writing them down.

Your goal is to come up with a list of 100 things to do in your life -- your Life List.

If you can't come up with 100 things (I couldn't) ... that's okay. But keep adding to your list as you think of ideas. Carry the list around with you.

More importantly, begin looking for ways to do the things on your list. Start to make your life about living and experiencing your life list -- that list represents your path to a life of inspired abundance.

As you find yourself completing/living an item on your list, cross it off and then add another one. So at any point in time, you will always have a life list with 100 items that you are living towards.

I'm finding that when I remember to view my day in the context of me living my life list, I look at everything very differently than when I forget. It helps to create a sense of calmness and a feeling of being on purpose that is uplifting and energizing.

Try it and see whether your life list of 100 things to do before you die has the same positive impact on you. Here's a video I came across that might just assist you.

How Relevant Are Your Self Growth Teachers?

How relevant are your self growth teachers? Do you find that many of the spiritual and self help gurus' messages ring shallow to you or are unhelpful?

One of the blogs I discovered recently and which I've really come to enjoy is the Urban Monk by Albert Foong. One of the things I most like about Albert's blog is that the articles are in depth, insightful, and truly though provoking.

His blog's most recent post was an article written by Tom Stine entitled Separating the Spiritual Wheat from the Chaff. This post and the comments it provokes are a great example of what a blog should be. So I heartily recommend you check it out.

One of the key ideas in the article is developing a basis by which to discern the quality of the teaching being offered by anyone who is positioning themselves as a teacher. This can run the gammit from your church pastor to the latest new age guru.

How do you determine who is the snake oil salesman versus the enlightened master? Particularly these days where there's something of a spiritual revolution underway? (And that's another topic in itself for another day.)

Reading the article got me to thinking about the idea that any teacher or guru tends to have a "shelf life".

Why is it that quite often we will become dismissive of teachers and their message over time?

If you're like me, over time and as part of your journey to living a life of inspired abundance, you will tend to come to a point where you stop listening to a particular teacher and begin to discount what he or she has to say.

Why is that?

For me, I've observed that most teachers I've come across have a shelf life -- for me -- of around 2 years. There are certainly exceptions, but I'd say it's generally true that after 2 years, I've learned pretty much all I'm going to learn from a particular person.

Or at least I've learned pretty much all I'm prepared to learn.

Isn't that interesting ...

As my buddy Peter at The Wealthy Attitude is prone to say, "You must first drop your 'already' listening in order to have a 'ready' listening". In other words, you need to be willing and open to listen to new ideas and concepts rather than listening for proof of what you think you already know. When you decide you already know something, you stop listening for anything new.

That's the challenge in the relationship with student and teacher. There comes a point where the student's ready listening shifts to an already listening (with that teacher).

At that point, the student's new learnings must come from a new teacher for which there's a "ready" listening. So it's now a new teacher that has the most relevance.

That strikes me as part of the cycle of personal development.

So while it's important to be aware of and able to discern the value and quality of a teacher as we learn and grow through life, it's also important to remember that the relevance of the self growth teacher is as much a reflection of our own level of growth and "ready listening" as it is the quality of the teacher's message.

Persistence And Tenacity: Top 10 Quotes

Persistence, perseverance, or tenacity; I thought I'd offer some quotes today.

You can call this trait whatever you like -- persistence, perseverance, tenacity, determination, doggedness, tenaciousness, strength, or purpose -- but regardless of what you call it, it is a common trait in every successful person.

Here are some of my favorite quotes on the subject of persistence to inspire you to persist in your own path to a life of inspired abundance:

1. "Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." (Conrad Hilton)


2. "Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success." (Dale Carnegie)


3. "Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it's done right." (Walt Disney)


4. "I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards." (Abraham Lincoln)


5. "Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries." (John Albert Michener)


6. "Failure is the path of least persistence." (Anonymous)


7. "Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did." (Newt Gingrich)


8. "Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged." (Thomas Edison)


9. "When I thought I couldn't go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck." (Norman Lear)


10. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain)

What Do You Really Want: How To Persist

What do you really want that's important to you and how effectively will you persist, without exception on your path towards it?

After watching yesterday's video on persistence and perseverance, it caused me to realize how often I say I'm persisting in particular aspects of my life, but in reality -- if I examine it closely -- that's simply not true.

More typically, I will persist for a while until I'm uncomfortable, but then quit because I don't like the stretch.

I throw down the shirt in disgust and walk away.

Which I suppose ultimately means it's just not that important to me. Or, more accurately, I've failed to remind myself why it's important ot me.

Be remembering what it is I really want that's most important to me, I'm going to become much more able to persist through the tough spots. I will be more prepared to persist without exception.

Let's say I'm unhappy with my weight.

I want to lose 10 pounds so I begin a daily workout regimen. But after a few days, I feel tired and would rather not work out. So I skip the session. Which makes it easier to skip the next one. Pretty soon, I've abandoned my workout regimen altogether. And then I say I can't lose weight.

Well, at the point I am feeling too tired and don't feel like working out, what is it I really want?

Is it to skip the workout? Or maybe it's to find some energy to allow me to work out. What was it that led me to start the workout regimen in the first place? Oh yeah ... I want to lose 10 pounds. If that's still what I want that's most important to me, then what might I rather want right now. Is it to skip the workout or perhaps it's to do something that motivates me and gives me the energy to work out? Hmm ... given that, what do I want to do next ...

Perhaps I have the impulse to want to feel better, so I reach for the ice cream in the freezer. That will make me feel better ... oh, but what about the 10 pounds? What is it I really want that's important to me? Is it to lose the 10 pounds or is it to feel better right now in this moment?

And if it is to feel better right now in this moment, does it mean it has to be with the ice cream? What else might make me feel better that isn't going to conflict with what I really want, which is to lose the 10 pounds?

As I'm considering or about to make a choice or decision, when I take the time to pause and remind myself what it is I really want, it gives me the perspective to assess my choice. And in doing that, I'm more often than not going to make a better choice that allows me to persist with whatever it is I've chosen to take on.

I remember what I want, which makes it easier for me to persist.

Persistence And Perseverance

Persistence and perseverance are essential qualities to becoming successful in life.

We've talked about them a number of times in this blog. It's your willingness to persevere -- to persist without exception -- that is going to enable you to accomplish what you want to accomplish. And it's what enables you to discover your life of inspired abundance.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. I found this video clip today and it is a wonderful illustration of the concept of persistence and perseverance.

Pursue Your Dreams: Do The Impossible

Are you ready to pursue your dreams and do the impossible?

There comes a time in everyone’s life where when we have a dream to be someone “special” or to accomplish something special. It might be to hit the game-winning home run or to be the homecoming queen.

As we get older, we may dream of becoming rich and successful or to have a happy and healthy relationship.

But too often, we reach a point where we allow our dreams to become more fleeting and they begin to float away. We allow life and circumstance to get in the way and we begin to set our dreams aside, or put them on a shelf where they begin to collect dust and are then forgotten.

How many dreams have you let die in your life? At what point did you find yourself caught up in the daily monotony of life rather than experiencing the excitement of building your dreams?

We all have the inherent capacity to dream a bigger dream … to aim higher. And by doing so, life can become an exciting adventure again – like it is supposed to be.

It’s our aim that limits our results. By reaching beyond the boundaries of what we believe is possible, we begin to accomplish the impossible -- and it's then that we discover a life of inspired abundance and wonder.

That’s where all new breakthroughs in human accomplishment come from.

· The automobile
· The airplane
· The sub 4 minute mile
· The man on the moon

Limitations are perceptions you choose to believe in; they are nothing more.

Take the example of the bumblebee. Based on once known laws of aerodynamics and phsics, scientists asserted it should be able to fly. Yet, it does.

So begin to take inventory of your dreams and re-examine what you believe is impossible for you. Start to write down some dreams you’d really like to accomplish. Start out with littler dreams if you must, but begin adding to the list and once you’ve exhausted your ideas, pick the 3 to 5 that are most important to you right now.

Write them down in your journal and build a dream board. Get them in front of you and into your consciousness each day. And begin asking yourself, “what one little thing can I do today that will move me closer to my dream?”

Pretty soon, you will find you are not just ready to do the impossible, but are actually doing it.

7 Quotes about Ego: Friend or Enemy?

Is your ego your friend or your enemy?

Ego disguises itself cleverly within you and then goes about convincing you that it is you.

We invest so much effort and energy into preserving our ego, yet I'm learning that it's only by letting go of the ego that we can truly be set free to live a life of inspired abundance.

If I reflect on the teachings of Wallace Wattles in The Science of Getting Rich, I conclude ego is a vestige of the competitive plane, whereas lasting prosperity and freedom reside within the creative plane.

If you want to ponder this idea further, I recommend you watch the film Revolver, which is a very unusual and off beat reflection on the evils of the ego by Guy Ritchie.
Meanwhile, here are 7 quotes about ego as you consider whether your ego is your friend or enemy:

1. "Ego is the biggest enemy of humans" Rig Veda


2. "One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star" GK Chesterton


3. "Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called Ego" Friedrich Nietzsche


4. "It is the nature of the ego to take and the nature of the spirit to share" Proverb


5. "Today self-consciousness no longer means anything but reflection on the ego as embarrassment, as realization of impotence: knowing that one is nothing" Thedor Adorno


6. "The ultimate aim of the ego is not to see something, but to be something." Muhammed Iqbal


7. "Every normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average. His ego approximates to that of the psychotic in some part or other and to a greater or lesser extent." Sigmund Freud

3 Simple Steps To Raising Your Self Esteem

Your level of self esteem tends to drive your thoughts, feelings and actions in life and so learning how to raise your level of self esteem in a particular area or topic is a key element of overall self improvement and a key aspect of learning to live a life of inspired abundance.

If there's a particular area of your life where you feel your confidence and self esteem is low, try this simple 3 step process as a way of systematically raising your level of self esteem.



Let's use relationships as an example. Let's suppose your level of self-esteem is low when it comes to your confidence around creating new, healthy relationships.

Step 1: Your thinking habits

We often get into negative thinking habits that create a box in which we confine ourselves and our level of self confidence. Looking honestly at your tendencies, what are some of your habits that may be contributing to your lack of confidence in forming new relationships?

Write them down.

• I have the habit of worrying that everyone will laugh at me


• I have the habit of expecting people not to like me


• I always look at my feet while speaking

Step 2: Your present situation

How have those habits influenced your present results? More importantly, what are some obvious corrective steps you can focus on beginning right now, that will enable you to raise your level of confidence and self esteem?

Write them down.

• I can expect people to be interested in me


• I can expect people will like me


• I can make eye contact with people while speaking

Step 3: Your future vision

Now that you have identified some new habits you can begin to adopt, what is the result you expect in the future if you make a point of practising them every day?

Write them down.

• People find me interesting and listen intently to what I have to say


• People like me and want to spend time with me


• I am confident while speaking to new people and form new relationships easily

Now you have a set of affirmations you can use each day to reinforce the new you. As you recite these affirmations daily, you will be reminding yourself of the new habits you are focused on developing and your will be reprogramming your subconscious mind to focus on the new more confident you.

And you will gradually be raising your self esteem day by day and, with a little persistence, you will quickly achieve a substantial level of self improvement in your life. Try it.

Infinite Abundance: Our Oceans Hidden World

In order to expand and grow as individuals and as a species, we must remain open and willing to listen, willing to learn and willing to explore hidden worlds -- including our oceans.

When we're caught up in what we believe we already know, we can often find ourselves closed off to new information.

And often, we can be so locked in on what we're focusing that we're oblivious to the other things or opportunities around us. A world of inspired abundance is literally at our doorstep, yet most of us are so focused on what we see as missing that we've never taken the time to lift our gaze.

Here's a tremendous illustration of what we don't know about our own planet ... and how relatively little time and resource we've bothered to spend looking at the infinite abundance that exists in the hidden world of our oceans.

Law of Attraction: the Science of Getting Rich

Law of attraction has become all the rage the past couple of years, but the science of getting rich through deliberate use of law of attraction has been around as an idea for centuries.

In his classic 1910 book entitled The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles says the following:

"It is natural law that like causes always produce like effects; and, therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this Certain Way will infallibly get rich."

So what is this natural law that Wallace Wattles is referring to? What is behind this notion that like causes always produce like effects?

The answer of course is law of attraction.

When Wattles is talking about “doing things in a certain way”, he is describing a process by which to put law of attraction to deliberate use in your life -- the process by which you can live a life of inspired abundance.

The idea that there is a natural law at work has been touched upon in several classics over the past century. In his 1902 book As A Man Thinketh, James Allen wrote this:

"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires - and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own."

And of course, Napoleon Hill touched upon the natural law in his classic Think and Grow Rich.

So law of attraction is not a new idea. To me, its staying power suggests it's an idea worth spending more time studying.

There is indeed a "science" of getting rich we can learn to apply deliberately in our lives. We are indeed the sum of our thoughts and, by law of attraction, we always get more of what we think about.

Ready For Wealth and Riches: A Wealthy Mindset

Are you ready for wealth and riches? Do you have a wealthy mindset?

Think about the question for a moment and whether you are really, truly ready for wealth. Do you have the mindset and attitude necessary to allow wealth to not only come to you, but to then stay with you?

In our society, we are subjected to a lot of subtle (well, actually, not so subtle) negative messages that suggest there is something inherently wrong or inappropriate with wanting to be wealthy, rich and prosperous. And because of this programming, most of us really aren't ready for wealth -- which in large part explains why 97% of us are not wealthy.

The negative programming is inescapable. Our attitudes towards wealth and money are influenced from birth by images and expressions such as "money doesn't grow on trees" or "the filthy rich". We're taught that we must "work hard" for our money if we are to deserve it at all.

Yet, it is completely normal and natural to desire to be rich or wealthy or properous. This is a normal expression of the desire for expansion, which is inherent in all things. We must grow or we must die.

As a society, we seem prepared to accept the idea of growth and expansion as noble in most areas, but not necessarily when it comes to wealth and money.

Isn't that interesting ...

We carry beliefs around with us that in fact serve to sabotage our efforts to create wealth and build a life of inspired abundance. Underneath it all, most of us feel it's wrong to want to be rich and that we don't deserve it.

For must of us then, the road to wealth and freedom begins with letting go of the notion that we're somehow unworthy or that we should feel ashamed if we desire to become rich.

That is the reason I believe that the foundation of an wealth creation plan must begin with developing a healthy wealth mindset. And it means developing an understanding of what being rich and wealthy really is ... for it's much more than simply money.

In the absence of the mindset, we will never be ready for wealth. Here's a video summary of what real riches and wealth are, as narrated by Napoleon Hill, author of the classic book Think and Grow Rich.

Competitive Mind vs. Creative Mind

Do you approach life from your competitive mind or from your creative mind?

Today, I'd like to change gears completely and share a fascinating video with you.

But before we get to the video, I've been spending a lot of time studying Wallace Wattles' 1910 classic book, The Science of Getting Rich as I'm putting the finishing touches on my new audio study program built around the book.

One of the things Wattles talks about in his book is the distinction between the competitive mind and the creative mind and how living a life of inspired abundance is predicated upon operating from the creative mind.

According to Wattles, when we operate from the competitive mind, we are focused on winning and tend to develop an us versus them mentality. There's not enough of everything to go around and so there are winners and losers. Our actions are not focused on the greater good and expansion for all.

Conversely, when we operate from the creative mind, we are focused on growth and expansion for everyone and everything. We come from a position of abundance with an aim to benefit all. There are no losers.

From which mind do we operate as a human species, particularly when it comes to coexisting with other living species on the planet?

Sadly, it's generally from the competitive mind.

However, here's an example of what's possible when we choose to leave the competitive mind behind and to operate from the creative mind instead. Meet Joshua Kelin.

Tending the Garden of Your Dreams: Persistence and Belief

What seeds are you planting in the garden of your dreams ... and better still, are you demonstrating the persistence and belief to focus your energy on tending the garden so that you are providing the best growing environment for those dreams?

Picking up our conversation about beliefs from yesterday, what are your expectations regarding goals or intentions or goals you've set in your life? Do you trust that they are coming and focus your attention on supportive activities?

Let's use the analogy of a garden.

When you prepare your planting beds and actually plant the seeds, do you then dig the seeds up in a few days to see if they have started to sprout? Or do you trust that the seeds will grow and instead focus on properly watering and feeding the soil, and keeping the beds weed free?

When planting a garden, it's so easy for us to have the trust in nature that the seeds know what to do and we understand our job is to provide a supportive growth environment for the seedlings.

It's no different when we are planting the seeds of our dreams.

Yet how often might you find yourself literally digging up the seeds to look for evidence of growth ... that the seeds of your dreams have begun to take root? And of course, everytime we do that, we're potentially killing the seeds or at the very least their growth is stymied the second we disturb the roots in the ground.

Belief is about trusting enough that the seed will know how to grow and allowing it to do so by placing our focus and attention on maintaining a healthy growth environment. And living a life of inspired abundance is about then reaping the fruits of our garden tending.

But the reaping comes well after the sowing.

In the case of our dreams ... the garden and growth environment we must tend to are in our minds.

So ... with that thought, what weeding of your thought garden are you going to do today?

My buddy Peter at The Wealthy Attitude sent me the link to this video yesterday and it struck me as a wonderful illustration of the concept of persistence and faith in our purpose as we go about tending our gardens with peristence and belief, knowing that one day our dreams will grow magnificently.

Beliefs and Believing: Empower Yourself

What are your beliefs and why do you believe what you believe? Are you holding beliefs that empower you?

So often, we allow our beliefs to stand in the way of us getting what we really want in our lives. We buy into the idea that we're not good enough, or we don't deserve it, or that we're selfish if we want more, or that we're not special enough.

Where did these beliefs come from?

Here's what dictionary.com says is the definition of belief:

1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another: My belief in you is as strong as ever.


2. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something: His explanation of what happened defies belief.


3. Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.

We're told what to believe from the moment we're born. We're inundated with slogans and statements we're expected to accept as truth. We are subjected to authoritative assertions of "truth" from our parents, grand parents, teachers, clergy, government and the media.

Most of us don't have a chance of determining our own beliefs because by the time we're old enough to reason for ourselves, we've already developed the habit of not questioning statements from authoritative sources. We've been essentially socialized into blindly accepting what we're told to believe.

In my last post, I suggested that if you're choosing not to take the actions that best position yourself for success in whatever you wish to pursue, then it's an indication that you don't have the belief you can have it, do it, or deserve it.

What do you suppose would happen if you began to question those beliefs? What is it that has led you to accept those beliefs as truth? Why should you accept these beliefs if they don't serve your higher good?

Because someone else said so?

Living a life of inspired abundance includes learning to spot and question the underlying beliefs you hold that are getting in the way of your dreams. And it means having the confidence in your own ability to apply thinking and reason to develop a new set of beliefs that better serve you and your highest good.

It's about empowering yourself to make conscious decisions about what you choose to believe. And if you're not getting the results you want in your life so far, honestly examining your beliefs relative to what you want is where you must begin. Choose your own thoughts about things.

Change your thoughts and you'll change your beliefs. Change your beliefs and you change your results. Take ownership of your beliefs and empower yourself to make your dreams come true.

How To Position Yourself For Success

Do you know how to position yourself for success in reaching your goals?

This is a follow-up to my last post about the fickleness of my results working with law of attraction. In that post, I mentioned the importance of taking action to demonstrate to the universe that you are preparing to receive what you've set out as your intention.

In his power principle recording on action, Bob Proctor says that faith without action is useless. You can believe your goal will come, but in the absence of taking inspired action steps towards the goal, it's not going to come to you.

If you intend to live a life of inspired abundance, then there are action steps to be taken to attract that abundance towards you.

Bob Proctor also explains that your attitude towards your goal is the composite of your thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding it. And your attitude will either be positive or negative.

If you have a positive attitude, then you will be positioning yourself for success. If your attitude is negative, then you will be positioning yourself for failure.

Simple, isn't it?

Another thought occurs to me though -- your actions are a direct reflection of your belief.

So, if you are not taking the steps available to best position yourself for success, then you don't believe you will have the success ... or you don't believe you deserve it.

Do You Believe You Can?

Revisiting our law of attraction: are your results fickle? example of the new home business network marketing entrepreneur, if you choose not to make the investment to position yourself most favorably within the compensation plan (to maximize your profits the soonest), then your lack of action clearly reflects a lack of belief in your ability to earn those profits.

The good news is that your actions are a direct reflection of your belief.

So, if you are confused about a particular result you are getting and why it's not in alignment with your stated intention, simply examine the set of actions you have taken (or not taken) around the goal.

So here's the process:

• For the particular goal you have, identify all of the action steps you can be taking that best position you for success. This should be relatively easy to do.
  
• Now, rank the items in terms of their importance to achieving your goal. Again this should be relatively easy to do.

How many of the action steps have you not taken and how many rank near the top of the list?

Be honest.

If you find that you have not been taking the actions that best position yourself for success, then you know there is work for you to do in terms of building your belief. And that, my friend, is another conversation altogether ...

Law of attraction: are your results fickle?

As I continue to practice the deliberate use of law of attraction, I find my results are often very fickle.

Why is that?

Well, there are many nuances to sending out a consistent set of signals to the universe that represent a consistent vibration. Too often, I discover that there are subtle counter intentions at play which negate the original signal I am intending.

Let's walk through a simple example.

Let's suppose I have a strong desire to be successful with a new home business I've decided to start up. My desire is strong and I see myself earning 5 figures a month with my new enterprise. In fact I feel very excited.

The business I've chosen to begin happens to be a network marketing business (since that's one of the easiest businesses to get started with) and I know that to properly position myself for maximum success in its compensation plan requires an investment in myself and its products. (This is typically true for any any network marketing business ... really it's true for pretty much any business.)

What happens if I choose not to properly position myself until after I start making enough money with the business to cover the additional investment?

This is a very common decision people choose to make when they get started in a new business. But by law of attraction, what is the result that decision is most likely to attract?

On the one hand, I've said to the universe I expect to earn 5 figures a month with my new business.

But on the other hand, my hesitation to position myself for maximum success sends a different signal. It says, " I am not sure if I can really do this" or "I haven't decided if I'm really ready" or something like that.

So, have I positioned myself for success or "failure"?

The universe is going to mirror back to me what I am sending. And in this example, more often than not, that result is going to be far less than what I desire.

I lapse into this kind of inconsistency all the time. And I see others lapse into this all of the time.

Going back to the example above, I'm convinced it's one of the primary reasons most business start ups fail. The follow-up actions people start taking with their business are in conflict with their initial intent. They are not actions taken to position themselves for maximum success (which is what you said you want) and so the universe sees that you're not taking the subsequent steps that demonstrate you really mean it.

This inconsistency in follow-through action will for the most part negate the strength of the original intention in pretty much any example and in any aspect of your life. And sometimes the counter intention can be so subtle, it's very difficult to spot.

Yet, to live a life of inspired abundance means ensuring our actions are in full alignment with our intentions. It means taking the actions necessary to position ourselves for success -- to position ourselves to receive. When we fail to do so, when we fail to demonstrate follow through, our results are going to continue to be fickle at best.

The Perception of Truth: 10 Quotes About Truth

What is your perception of truth?

I've been reflecting on the word truth the past couple of days and have come to an interesting conclusion -- it's all a matter of perspective.

I find this interesting because I find that for the most part I've always taken to truth to be absolute. So I looked truth up in the dictionary and found these 3 definitions:

1. the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth
2. conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement
3. a verified or indisputable fact, propostion, principle, or the like

We're taught that the "truth is out there" and we're inundated with messages that promote a particular truth, but my truth and your truth may be very different. So who's is the correct truth?

So, in the spirit of finding the truth, here are my 10 favorite quotes about the nature of truth:

1. The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths. (William James)


2. The thought that provokes thought is much more valuable than the thought that is only an echo of an accepted truth. (Thomas W. Hanford)


3. Candor is a double-edged sword; it may heal or it may separate. (Wilhelm Stekel)


4. When in doubt, tell the truth. (Mark Twain)


5. The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. (Stephen Hawking)


6. The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth. (Niels Bohr)


7. The greatest friend of truth is time, her greatest enemy is prejudice, and her constant companion humility. (Chuck Colson)


8. It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. (Adrian Rodgers)


9. Truth is not determined by majority vote. (Doug Gwyn)


10. The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple. (Oscar Wilde)

What is your perception of truth? Or maybe, to quote another famous line, "you can't handle the truth!"

Do You Control Your Emotions?

Do you control your emotions or let your emotions control you?

The American Heritage Science Dictionary defines emotions as follows: A psychological state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is sometimes accompanied by physiological changes; a feeling.

I had occasion yesterday to observe what happens when we react to our emotions rather than choose how to respond to our feelings. The result was a heated exchange of emails that may have damaged or even ended a friendship.

And so it reminded me of the power of thought. Thoughts of course lead to feelings. Feelings create emotions and lead to actions. But when we react to our emotions, our thinking becomes muddled and our judgement clouded. We often say or do things we regret which begins a cycle of more unwanted thoughts and feelings. Law of attraction at work.

Becoming a victim of our emotions can quickly turn into a habit. And the path to inspired abundance is through the habit of choosing a response rather than the habit of reacting to an emotion.

That led me to find this quaint, dare I say "fun" video on controlling your emotions. It was produced by Coronet Instructional Films in 1950. I found it entertaining, yet at the same time there are still some very relevant points. What do you think? Any ideas about controlling your emotions that still hold water?

Part 2

3 Simple Steps To Overcoming Your Fears And Firewalk

Here are 3 simple steps you can take to overcome your fears. I'm going to use a firewalk as the analogy or context for these steps.

Last year, I -- make that we (since my wife Michelle and our daughter Jalyna, who just turned 12, also participated) -- participated in a firewalk while in Australia. The coals were 1200 degrees fahrenheit, glowing red and still flaring. It was an unnerving sight and it brought up more than a little bit of fear.

As I've written before, fear is for the most part all in your head. In my case, the primary fear was imagining that I'd end up with severe burns to my feet and unable to walk. Then of course that would lead me to fall down onto the hot coals, and have my clothing catch fire. Heck, perhaps I'd even spontaneously combust! (We did have to sign a waiver acknowledging death as a potential outcome.)

Of course, none of those things happened. We all successfully navigated the bed of burning coals and felt exhilarated when we got to the other side. We were able to successfully overcome our fear by following three simple steps.

Step 1: Decide

The first step is to decide you will proceed in the face of your worry, doubt, or fear. In the absence of the decision to proceed, nothing will overcome the inertia and fear will rule the day.

In the case of our fire walk, we each made the decision that it was something that was important for us to do. Why? Well, for me, it was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate to myself that I'm able to rise above my fears and do something my mind is telling me I can't or shouldn't do. This was important to me. Besides, other people were doing it, so why couldn't I do it?

A strong desire for something that's on the other side of your fear is a prerequisite to making the decision. But the decision is the foundation.

Step 2: Keep Moving Forward

Once you've embarked upon your goal, you must keep moving forward. If you allow fear to set in, you have a tendency to freeze (like a deer in the headlights) which is when things you don't want to happen are most likely to happen.

In the case of the firewalk, if we stopped part way along the path and simply stood there, then there was a very high likelihood that we were going to start suffering burns.

Moving forward means taking the step by step actions required to maintain momentum.

Step 3: Focus On Where You're Going

You must keep your eye on your destination ... don't look behind you or off to the side to see what's happening. When you do, you will be prone to misstep.

In the case of the firewalk, if we started to look behind us or at the crowd, we would be putting our safety in peril. That is how we'd most likely trip or misstep and then really hurt ourselves. We had to keep our eye on the other side of the coal bed, which served as our "lighthouse" of sorts that served to guide our navigation.

And then, celebrate!

You can be sure there were a lot of high fives and hugs in celebration when we made it to the other side of the hot coal bed ... as there should be. Living a life of inspired abundance means deciding to go after what you desire, moving constantly forward, and keeping your eye on where your're going at all times ... and then celebrating your successes along the way.

There you have it, 3 simple steps to overcoming your fears that I believe apply to literally any situation ... including doing a firewalk.