Friday, March 28, 2008

Reflections On Andy Andrews Seven Decisions

Today I'd like to share some more reflections on Andy Andrews' Seven Decisions.

Here is another winning submission to the Inspired Abundance Andy Andrews give away we held in celebration of the upcoming release of Andy Andrews newest book Mastering the Seven Decisions.

Today's article was written by Jan Wehner.

Reflections on The Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews

Andy Andrews’ Seven Decisions from his book “The Traveler’s Gift” provide a solid framework within which to build a successful life. They crystallize the principles which guide my life.

Through my own spiritual growth, I have come to understand that every experience holds within it the seeds of opportunity. Opportunities are provided by the experiences of my life and they will be ‘negative’ – unpleasant or wasted – if I allow them to be. On the other hand, they can be fuel for my growth if I take responsibility for my response to them and if I look past the apparent meaning on the surface to find the deeper meaning – the gifts or treasure in the experience. These are the keys that are held within to open new doors of discovery in my life. I know that I am the only one who can take responsibility for creating the life I choose – therefore, as Andy says, “The Buck Stops Here – Adversity is preparation for greatness.”

A seed is very much influenced by the conditions it is placed in – the soil conditions, amount of sunlight and water it receives. In a similar fashion, the path of my life is influenced by the messages I take in and accept as true. Supportive and constructive messages nurture me and help me to have the strength and stamina to continue to grow through all of the experiences I face. Destructive messages, if I accept them, will hold me back. The company I keep and the books I read or recordings I listen to provide the messages that set the conditions the seed of my life faces. I can choose to surround myself with friends and teachers who will support and encourage my growth I can also choose to not associate with those who would tear me down – perhaps to wallow with them in their state of self-pity or jealousy. Andy states, “I Will Seek Wisdom – I will choose my friends with care.”

The only ‘time’ in which I can live and grow and take action is the present. Anything else – remembering the past or dreaming about the future – is simply a way of passing or wasting time. Procrastination – dreaming of what I will do ‘some day’ – is a way of avoiding life. It is important to gather facts and to ensure safety – and then one must act. Each moment offers a new chance to choose, so, if in a new moment I decide that the choice I made is no longer serving me, I can make a new choice and head in a different direction. Andy says, “I Am A Person of Action – I can make a decision and I can make it now.”

I Have A Decided Heart – My destiny is assured.” is Andy’s fourth principle. This one is closely related to the first and third and seventh principles. When I understand and accept that I am responsible for my own life and how it ‘turns out’, I have great power within me. I will then make the decision to be the ‘Sovereign in my Castle’ to borrow from Carl Jung’s archetypes. I will have a clear vision and will engage my ‘Warrior’ to take the appropriate action to lead me along the path of my higher purpose. Living out my higher purpose puts me on the path of my ‘destiny’ - the realization of the gift that only I can bring to the world – rather than in the way of ‘fate’ – ill-fortune that befalls someone who is in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ because they are not on their clear path.

Andy says, “Today I Will Choose To Be Happy – I am the possessor of a grateful heart.”
I am alive today – that is cause for celebration. I have the opportunity to learn and grow today whether the lesson is pleasant or less so. An experience does not hold the ‘power’ to make us feel happy, sad, angry, or any other emotion – we choose how to respond to the experience. I can choose to celebrate the opportunity to grow and all of the gifts that are already in my life. The vibration of gratitude draws to it more to be grateful for, therefore, if I want more ‘good’ in my life, I will begin by being grateful for what I already have. The energy of gratitude moves us forward – so why not decide to be happy and grateful for the life you are learning from?

I Will Greet This Day With A Forgiving Spirit – I will forgive myself.” The sixth principle is to recognize the value in every person and every experience – as a source of learning and growth. There is no benefit to be derived from blame, shame or holding grudges. These only drain energy away from the one who is ‘frozen’ in these emotions. When you recognize that everything serves a purpose, you can release these draining emotions, and reclaim the energy they trap. This is done by ‘forgiving’ – or as I prefer to say – ‘accepting’ – the people and situations as just ‘being’. The first and most important one of all to accept is yourself. If you believe as I do that ‘we all do the best we can in any given moment based on the resources we have at hand’ and that these resources come from our past experiences and learning, then there is nothing to forgive – we can simply accept ‘what is’ for what it is – and perhaps even move on to gratitude for the lesson it has provided us.

The last principle – “I Will Persist Without Exception – I will find a way where there is no way” – is an interesting one. I once understood it to mean that, once I have chosen a course of action, I must commit to following that forever. I have come to understand that there is flexibility and grace in this one. When one sees that experiences and relationships are there to contribute to our learning and growth, it becomes possible to recognize that, sometimes, a course of action serves its purpose and then offers no further value. To stay on that path may actually take us further away from the realization of our destiny or higher purpose. A great quality in living all of these principles is the discernment to see the gifts and to see when the path is moving us forward and when it is not. We can then choose to take a different fork of the path or to step onto an entirely new path.

The book, “The Traveler’s Gift’, adds a wonderful narrative that illustrates these principles in memorable ways. Making the decision to follow these principles opens the possibility of great joy in the discovery of the path of your life and in claiming all of the gifts that are waiting for you. Decide now to implement these Seven Decisions in your life in this moment – and this – and this… and watch as your life unfolds before you.

Thanks so much for the article Jan.

If you've never read The Travelers Gift, now you have much incentive to do so.


Persist Without Exception and more on Andy Andrews

Persist without exception has certainly been one of the dominant themes as I've been reviewing the emails that have been sent to me lately in response to our Andy Andrews feature.

Today I am sharing another submission I received as part of the Inspired Abundance contest focused on Andy Andrews.

Today's post is from Colleen Walmsley. Visit Colleen's website.

When I first pondered what “persist without exception” was, my default reaction was it was a verb, action, or character trait that one possessed to have success.

Yes, persistence or perseverance is about continuing to take right action to achieve the desired outcome; however, it also applies to controlling your thoughts or mind as well.

My new awareness: Persistence is a state of being. It is the conviction and commitment ones puts forth in a consistent manner to achieve their next level of greatness. Persistence goes beyond “trying.” It is the conviction that there is real value in your dreams. It is about staying the course and embracing the challenges and stretching that is required on the path of achieving ones goals and dreams. It is about holding true to the deep seeded belief and faith or space from within for the new desired outcome or result.

Persistence is about being your end result as you walk the journey. This encompasses your actions and the thoughts that run through your mind while on this journey.

I now realize that obstacles and challenges are necessary and will appear along the journey. A challenge can either:

  1. drag you into the old conditioning pattern and reroute you from achieving your goal OR

  2. Instil a new awakening from within and activate new thinking.

Every challenge presents a choice. It is how you react to those thoughts and events that will shape your new path.(As a result of this new awareness, I have elected to reread The Traveller’s Gift and take time out to really reflect on the significance these foundations. Thank you Warren for drawing my attention to this work again.)

Wonderful sharing Colleen. Thanks for the terrific feedback.

Andy Andrews Reflections On The Travelers Gift

Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions I've thoroughly enjoyed the past week in which we've revisited Andy Andrews and his book The Travelers Gift in celebration of the upcoming release of his new book Mastering the Seven Decisions.

And of course, it means we've concluded our Inspired Abundance contest. The vast majority of people preferred to email me their comments. So what I'm going to do is post the submissions of each of the five winners.

Congratulations to the contest winners:

Jan Wehner
Collen Walmsley
Mario Adel
Maxine Pich
Rosemarieywg

Congratulations to each of the winners. I have a hard cover copy of Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions ready to send to you. I will be sending you an email requesting your shipping address.

A note to Rosemarieywg ... I do not have your email address or contact information. Please email me at warren@inspiredabundance.com with your contact details so I can send your book out to you.

Now, let's look at a couple of the email submissions today.

Maxine Pich had this to say:

Thomas Edison has stated, " Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up".

Every business has its peaks and valleys. Economic trends, business cycles, and what people want more or less of at different times are, for the most part, out of our control. What we can control, in both our attitude and our approach to our business, is to maintain a state of "persistence".

People who rise to the top in business do not allow themselves to get caught up in the roller-coaster ride of other people's emotions. They keep "doing the thing" with a sense of purpose or persistence. Children are an excellent example of persistence in action!

If you'd like to, you can visit Maxine's website at http://www.wealthynomad.ca/

And Mario Adel submitted this comment:

This book is really amazing and a must read inspirational genius. Absolutely, because life is a matter of choice. As I always believe, our future depends on us, our success depends on our actions, persistence, and our choosing. One must be determined, focused and willing to pay to the price for attaining success of his GOAL.

Thanks to both of you for your comments. You both reference persistence in your comments and, as Andy Andrews points out in his book, it's the degree of willingness to persist without exception that tends to separate people.

Well done and thanks again for your comments.

Tomorrow I will be back and will profile another winning entry about Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success as described in his book The Travelers Gift. And if you haven't done so yet, go ahead and buy a copy of his new book, Mastering the Seven Decisions. It's well worth it.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Andy Andrews I Will Persist Without Exception

Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions
I will persit without exception.

In celebration of the upcoming release of his newest book, Mastering The Seven Decisions, we are revisiting Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success from his classic book The Traveler's Gift.

Today we conclude our profile on Andy Andrews with decision number seven: I will persist without exception.
In his book Mastering the Seven Decisions, Andy Andrews says that without the decision to persist, without exception, the other six decisions are meaningless.
Of course, it's the phrase "without exception" that is the key to this principle. Most people decide to persist until they quit ... which is not the same thing as persisting, without exception.
If you have truly decided that you are going to achieve what you set out to do, then you control the rules of the game, and the game is on until you win.
No matter how long it takes.
Without exception.
Anytime that you attempt something that is truly worth having, you are going to encounter obstacles. Most great achievements are difficult; that's part of what makes them great. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
Adversity is preparation for greatness.
In Andy Andrews' book Traveler's Gift, David Ponder recieves the seventh decision of personal success from the Archangel Gabriel. "God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing!"
Here's another video from my wealth creation newsletter series in which I reflect specifically on Andy Andrews' seventh decision, I will persist without exception.




Today is the final day of our contest! Remember Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new copies of Andy Andrews new book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Simply post a comment about the 7 decisions to this blog and you are automatically entered.
I will announce the winners tomorrow.
But I can't just leave it at that. This is such an important decision to make in life that it merits reinforcing. So I have one more video for you. As you watch it, repeat the seventh decision to yourself: I will persist without exception.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Andy Andrews I Will Greet This Day With A Forgiving Spirit

Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions
I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

In celebration of the upcoming release of his newest book, Mastering The Seven Decisions, we are revisiting Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success from his classic book The Traveler's Gift.

Today we are talking about decision number six: I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.
If you do not have a forgiving spirit, you are instead focused on the negative events of the past.

Focusing on past frustrations, events and wrongs creates some very heavy baggage you must carry around. And it impedes your ability to move forward in life.
If you're looking backwards, how can you see where you're going?
This is why forgiveness is so important. By forgiving, you can let yesterday go and devote all of your energy to who you are being today and to where you want to go.
In Andy Andrews' book Traveler's Gift, David Ponder recieves the sixth decision of personal success from Abraham Lincoln. "Forgiveness is a secret that is hidden in plain sight. It is available to everyone and used by few."
Of course, there is one person, above all others, you likely must absolutely make a point of offering forgiveness to ... you. I know that's certainly the case for me. I often catch myself beating myself up for perceived transgressions.
Here's another video from my wealth creation newsletter series in which I reflect specifically on Andy Andrews' sixth decision, I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.




Only one day left in our contest!
Remember Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new copies of Andy Andrews new book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Simply post a comment about the 7 decisions to this blog and you are automatically entered. And remember decision number six as you move through your day today: I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Andy Andrews Today I Will Choose To Be Happy

Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions
Today I will choose to be happy.

In celebration of the upcoming release of his newest book, Mastering The Seven Decisions, we are revisiting Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success from his classic book The Traveler's Gift.

Today we are talking about decision number five: today I will choose to be happy.
Andy refers to this decision as the joyful decision.
Many people do not believe being happy is a choice. We've undergone a myriad of conditioning which teaches us that life is a struggle and happiness is some far off destination.
But happiness really is simply a choice we can make at any moment and based on that choice we can begin to feel better and allow the joy of the moment into our lives.
As we've discussed many times, our thoughts are the one thing over which we do have control. It's the thoughts we choose that lead to a feeling, which leads to an action, which leads to an outcome. This is the "essence" of law of attraction.
Our experiences in life are the outcome of the choices we've made. Happiness is about enjoying the ride as we go along. It's not a destination point at all. Rather it's a spirit in which we travel the journey.
And by choosing to engage in that spirit, we ourselves become engaging, joyful, fun, happy people others love to be around. We become magnets for friendship and prosperity which gives us even more to choose to be joyful for.
In Andy Andrews' book Traveler's Gift, David Ponder recieves the fifth decision of personal success from Anne Frank. "Our very lives are fashioned by choice. First we make choices. Then our choices make us."
So smile, choose to be happy today, and see what that choice then makes you.
This is such a powerful decision, I'm going to give you two videos on the subject of happiness today. First, here's a video from my wealth creation newsletter series in which I reflect specifically on Andy Andrews' fifth decision, today I will choose to be happy.


And now if you're up to it, here's a second video I put together from our newsletter series which also speaks to the subject of how to live a happy life.

Two days left in our contest!
Remember Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new copies of Andy Andrews new book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Simply post a comment about the 7 decisions to this blog and you are automatically entered. And remember decision number five as you move through your day today: today I will choose to be happy.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Andy Andrews I Have A Decided Heart

Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions
I have a decided heart.

In celebration of the upcoming release of his newest book, Mastering The Seven Decisions, we are revisiting Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success from his classic book The Traveler's Gift.

Today we are talking about decision number four: I have a decided heart.
How often do you find yourself failing to make a decision because you are feeling fearful, doubtful, or worried about the decision and so opt for the status quo?
And how does that typically work out for you? Have you found you missed out on some terrific opportunities or experiences?
Did you know that most of the regrets people have are over things they didn't do -- in other words over decisions they didn't make?
Courage is the ability to act decisively in spite of your fears. So strive to be courageous and be decisive based on the information that you do have. Decide based on what your intuition and instincts are telling you. Learn to trust them.
Be decisive. Decisiveness and commitment to the decision is a common trait of all successful people. So choose to be successful by being decisive and then commit to making that decision right.
In Andy Andrews' book Traveler's Gift, David Ponder recieves the fourth decision of personal success from Christopher Columbus. "I have found that it is better to be alone and acting upon the truth in my heart than to follow a gaggle of silly geese doomed to mediocrity."
Your decisivenes ... the clarity and conviction to your decisions regardless of setbacks and circumstances ... is what determines the effectiveness of your actions.
Here's a video from my wealth creation newsletter series in which I reflect on the Andy Andrews' fourth decision, I have a decided heart.


Our contest is still running. Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new copies of Andy Andrews new book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Simply post a comment about the 7 decisions to this blog and you are automatically entered. And remember decision number four as you move through your day today: I have a decided heart.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Andy Andrews I Am A Person Of Action

Warren & Michelle Wojnowski with Andy Andrews Warren & Michelle with Andy Andrews


I am a person of action.

In celebration of the upcoming release of his newest book, Mastering The Seven Decisions, we are revisiting Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success from his classic book The Traveler's Gift.

Today we are talking about decision number three: I am a person of action.

Without the action, nothing gets done.
Particularly in times where we face adversity, it is easy to curl up on the couch and wallow in self pity and choose to feel sorry for ourselves. I know ... I've been there.

But the true leader, the successful person who claims greatness, resists these inclinations and recognizes instead that the future is dependent on what he or she will choose to do right now. That is what creates energy and builds momentum.

Your future need not be tied to your past.

But, creating your new future means creating a new you. And that implies taking action to change the decisions you’ve been making, changing the thoughts you’ve been thinking and changing the actions you’ve been making.

You have a vision of where you are going and now you are the leader in your life taking decisive action to move yourself closer to that vision.

Too often, our biggest regrets are about the things we did not do. Be courageous. Seize the moment.

Be a person of action and move steadfastly forward on the path towards your dreams. You will inspire others and, most importantly, you will inspire yourself.

In Andy Andrews' book Traveler's Gift, David Ponder is able to observe this decision in full illustration by watching and listening to Joshua Chamerlain as he chooses to take one definitive action which alters history.

After witnessing Chamberlain's encounter at Gettysburg, Ponder learned that "I am a person of action" is a funamental principle of success in any endeavor.

Here's a video from my wealth creation newsletter series in which I reflect on the Andy Andrews' third decision, I am a person of action.





Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions
Don't forget about our contest. Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new copies of Andy Andrews new book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Simply post a comment about the 7 decisions to this blog and you are automatically entered. And remember decision number three as you move through your day today: I am a person of action.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Andy Andrews I Will Seek Wisdom

Warren & Michelle Wojnowski with Andy Andrews Warren & Michelle with Andy Andrews


I will seek wisdom.

In celebration of the upcoming release of his newest book, Mastering The Seven Decisions, we are revisiting Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success from his classic book The Traveler's Gift.

Today we are talking about decision number two: I will seek wisdom.

Who do you hang out with and what learning are you applying in your life so that you are continuously raising your financial IQ, your social IQ, your relationship IQ, or any other IQ?
Your results will only ever reflect the level of learning you are embracing. So seeking the counsel of others is a key aspect of seeking and finding wisdom that can then be applied in your life, regardless of the area on which you prefer to focus.
There are many ways to do this. One of the simplest is to pay close attention to what you are reading and to whom you are listening.

What's the last book you read and finished? Do you know? If so, good for you. Most people don't know because most people aren't reading and aren't actively learning. There's much wisdom out there for the taking if you commit yourself to reading one book a month on a topic such as wealth building or personal improvement.

And by reading just one book a month, you will have separated yourself from the pack in a huge way.

One of my favorite ways of reading a book is by listening to them on audio in my car. It doesn't take any extra time on my part, and I get to hear and learn something useful in the process. Andy Andrews' Traveler's Gift audio book is phenomenal.

Here's another video from my wealth creation newsletter series in which I reflect on the second decision, I will seek wisdom.




Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven DecisionsAnd finally, don't forget about our contest. Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new copies of Andy Andrews new book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Simply post a comment about the 7 decisions to this blog and you are automatically entered. And remember, decision number two is very simple: I will seek wisdom.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Andy Andrews The Buck Stops Here

Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven DecisionsThe buck stops here.

In celebration of the upcoming release of his newest book, Mastering The Seven Decisions, we are revisitng Andy Andrews and the seven decisions that determine personal success from his classic book The Traveler's Gift.

Today we are talking about decision number one: the buck stops here.

The term "the buck stop here" was popularized by US President Harry S. Truman. Truman made a point of emphasizing that as president, he had to make the decisions and be fully responsible and accountable for the results of those decisions. It was not an option for him to hand off the decision to somebody else, to "pass the buck", or to blame someone else if a decision went awry.

As David Ponder (the main character in The Traveler's Gift) learns, the first success principle is to take responsibility for your own decisions. The buck stops here.

This first decision is a key one to understand because it is about personal leadership. It is about taking responsibility for your own results and realizing it's your past decisions and your past best thinking that has determined the results you are getting right now.

So "the buck stops here" means that you are personally responsible for leading yourself.

This can be a very uncomfortable decision to make because it implies that you are accountable for the results you get in your own life. There's no room to pass the buck or blame anyone else once you've made this decision.

And that's also a very empowering place from which to operate.

Here's a video from my wealth creation newsletter I put together quite some time ago in which I reflect on Andy Andrews and his assertion that the buck stops here is the first decision in the journey to personal success.



Don't forget about our contest. Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new copies of Andy Andrews new book, Mastering The Seven Decisions. Simply post a comment about the 7 decisions to this blog and you are automatically entered. And remember, decision number one is very simple: the buck stops here.

Andy Andrews Mastering The Seven Decisions

Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions Andy Andrews is amongst my favorite authors and speakers, and he has a new book about to be released entitled Mastering The Seven Decisions.

If you've been a subscriber to my newsletter for any length of time, you'll be familiar with Andy as I've done videos on each of the seven decisions for personal success that he identifies in his book The Traveler's Gift.

I consider The Traveler's Gift to be one of the most important contributions to the arena of personal development and success ever written. Few books have ever had as profound an impact on me or have been as relevant to me as The Traveler's Gift.

In celebration of the release of Andy's newest book, I'd like to introduce a contest. Andy's new book will be available for shipping from popular online book stores beginning April 15th. But if you'd rather not wait until April 15, take heart.

Inspired Abundance is giving away 5 brand new, hard cover copies of Andy Andrews' new book Mastering The Seven Decisions.

What do you have to do to enter to win one of these copies?

Simply post a comment to this blog talking about the power of the 7 decisions and what they mean to you. Or ... if you prefer, you can email me your comment at warren@inspiredabundance.com. I will choose the 5 winners at random. Your comment doesn't have to be lengthy; I just ask that it be sincere.

Contest terms are simple. To enter, post or email me a comment in which you share your thoughts about the power of the 7 decisions. You agree to letting the world see your comment on this blog. The contest will be open for the next 7 days, over which time, I will post on one of the 7 decisions each day. So, assuming I keep to my intended blogging schedule, the contest will close on March 26. I will choose 5 winners at random at that time.

If you require a refresher on the seven decisions, here they are.

1. The buck stops here
2. I will seek wisdom
3. I am a person of action
4. I have a decided heart
5. Today I will choose to be happy
6. I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit
7. I will persist without exception

Now if you are new to Andy and his work, you really should buy his book The Traveler's Gift and then utilize his newest book as a companion to get the most out of it. Click here for more Andy Andrews and to purchase his books.

We'll be talking about decision #1 tomorrow. So get your contest submissions in now!

Enjoy this series on Andy Andrews Mastering the Seven Decisions.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

The science of getting rich

Are you familiar with the book The Science of Getting Rich? I just finished reading this book yet again, and I find myself almost haunted by the simplicity of its teachings.

The Science of Getting Rich was originally published in 1910 and was written by Wallace Wattles. It's gained something of a rebirth in popularity over the past several years, particularly with the more recent popularity of the film The Secret.

Wattles' book outlines the the process of creative visualization, which is one of the foundations upon which The Science of Getting Rich is based. It has gained strong popularity within the self help industry because, while he doesn't use the exact language, it is really about harnessing law of attraction.

In addition, his book precedes the far more popular classic Think And Grow Rich, which was written by Napoleon Hill. Upon reading the two books, one can't help but wonder to what degree if any, Wattles' work influenced Hill.

For the student of law of attraction and for anyone looking to understand the mechanics of the process of deliberate creation and creating a life of inspired abundance, The Science of Getting Rich is a very valuable read.

Wattles' book is so deceptively simple, it's easy to dismiss. Yet, upon closer review ... and appreciate this is at least the 4th time I've read his book ... it speaks volumes about the process of how to utilize creative thought and visualization in order to put the laws of the universe at work for you. It's truly a brilliant little book.

In fact it is so brilliant, check back at our InspiredAbundance.com website and this blog soon, for something called the Inspired Science of Getting Rich. You'll be glad you did.