Gratitude: 11 Universal Laws for ThanksLiving

The Law of Thanksgiving

It's easy to be grateful around the Thanksgiving holiday. But what if we were able to find ourselves feeling grateful year round? What that might change about your life?

The Law of Who Past

To whom in the past are you grateful? Someone who gave you a break, someone who cared about you, inspired you, believed in you, or someone who simply listened to you? Have you ever sought them out to thank them, perhaps just a phone call to say thanks? As someone who has made those kind of calls, it really feels good to express your gratitude. And as someone who has had the privilege of being on the receiving end of those kind of calls, it sure can make your day, your week, or more.

The Law of Who Now

For whom are you grateful for in your life right now? Have you let them know lately how much you appreciate them? If not, give the gift today!

The Law of Attitude

Gratitude is simply an attitude. The one thing we can always choose each day, in any situation, is our attitude. Therefore, we always have the ability to choose an attitude of gratitude.

The Law of Abundance, Part 1

One great benefit of a gratitude attitude is you become much more aware of the abundance you already have in your life.

The Law of Abundance, Part 2

Another great and unexpected benefit of a gratitude attitude is that, with this consistent attitude of gratitude, you seem to be able to draw even more and more abundance into your life.

The Law of Abundance, Part 3

Author Stephen Glenn has this definition of abundance; "In terms of the population of the planet, you have abundance if, when you wake up each morning, you have:

a choice of what to eat
a choice of what to wear
a job to go to
a way to get there."

The Law of Lacking

If we focus on all the things we want and don't have, we wind up feeling lacking. Not a great state to be in.

The Law of Blessed

When we focus on all the many things we need and want that we do have, we wind up feeling blessed. A pretty great state to be in.

The Law of Focus

Have you ever noticed that what you consistently focus on tends to be what happens? I've also noticed that when we focus on what we lack, we tend to get selfish, looking out only for ourselves. On the other hand, when we focus on our blessings, it's much easier to look out for others as well as ourselves.

Power Affirmations Are Not Enough

I hope this article finds you safe and well. I'm sure you have been as moved as I have in watching the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. I want to use this as an opportunity to remind myself and everyone who reads this article that affirmations alone are not enough. They are only thought tools to help you take consistent, positive, focused action. If all you do is repeat Power Affirmations, listen to Power Affirmations, etc., but don't allow them to move you to action, they will have no effect.

The True Power in Power Affirmations

What is the power in Power Affirmations (or any other thought tool for that matter)? The power is thought transformed into intelligent and persistent action. Too many times we start moving in a positive direction, but we allow ourselves to get distracted. And as soon as that happens, we lose momentum. Then when we refocus our efforts, we have to start over again. This starting/stopping, starting/stopping habit is one that is often one of the reasons significant success is so difficult. One of the primary purposes of Power Affirmations is to keep yourself focused on your goals. To keep the momentum towards your goals going.

The point of this is that only action is action.

Positive People Must Show Leadership

The other point of this note is that I believe that those of us who are positive, proactive people have a responsibility to help others--especially when a major disaster strikes. If positive people don't step up to offer assistance, who will? There are hundreds of thousands of people whose lives will never be the same. The extent of the devastation is almost too great to comprehend.

If you have studied the Power Affirmations at www.poweraffirmations.com, you will see that one of the affirmations in the wealth section, is stated:

"I now give away massive amounts of wealth to causes that I believe in."

And another one is:

"I have a responsibility to accumulate vast sums of wealth through useful service to others and to give it back to society through gifts that benefit the entire community."

Why talk about giving money away in a section about accumulating wealth? It's because you cannot build true wealth without giving to others. When you give intelligently, it opens up channels to accumulate more wealth. When you hoard your wealth, the channels dry up. This is one of the great paradoxes of the universe.

Support the American Red Cross

I think one of the most outstanding organizations that is equipped to help in this kind of emergency is the American Red Cross. Time and again this organization is on the ground quickly and for the duration when unforeseen disaster strikes. They have the means and the expertise to help. What they need from us more than anything is money. They have the ability to transform money into the very supplies the victims need in this situation whether it's food, water, shelter, medicine, etc. They transform money into these supplies in the same way a business person transforms ideas into products that can be sold to create more money. There's an incredible lesson to be learned here for those who take the time to think about it.

So I've written this article in support of the American Red Cross. Of course, I've already made my contribution. If you choose to donate to the American Red Cross, their website address is http://www.redcross.org/. It's not the first donation I've made to the Red Cross and it certainly won't be my last.

Between this disaster and the tsunami, the rebuilding of these communities in the US and abroad will take years and billions of dollars. BILLIONS.

Personally, I prefer my giving to be private so as to never have the appearance of an ulterior motive. Watch the movie "The Magnificent Obsession" starring Rock Hudson if you want to know how I prefer to handle my giving.

The primary reason I have written this article is because the need is so great. This is about encouraging everyone to take collective positive action to help an outstanding organization help the victims of this disaster. Whether your donation is $5 or more, every bit helps them fulfill their mission.

If we work together, we will make this world into a more positive place for all of us. But affirmations alone are not enough. Our thoughts must be translated into positive, persistent, and focused action.

How to Escape Out of Thought Traps?

Have you ever been really sure about something, only to find out you were mistaken?

Did you notice how you operated "as if" you were correct? You may have even seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled the world in a way to support your stance. And perhaps you felt you had solid logic to support this position.

So how did the possibility of an opposite opinion make its way through your logic and basically the reality as you knew it, to get you to change your mind?

Did you fight hard to stay where you were? Did you go through so called "denial"? Did you lock in to your position, and build up a wall to prevent entry of any contrary thought?

Now the question I have for you is, "Were you keeping them out or were you trapping yourself in?"

In sales, a prospect may be dead-set in his view about a particular product or service. Now the sales rep may know that the prospect does not have all the facts yet, so he sets out trying to convey this to the prospect.

One of two things can result. One the prospect tightens the grip on his view or two he begins to shift his perception. Now this of course depends on the rapport and sales strategy used by the sales professional to enter into the prospect's "thought blockade" and free him from that "one" perspective. Listen to the conversations around you, perhaps even the words coming out of your own mouth, are you building your own thought blockade or "thought trap"?

If so, how do you get out? Then (If so desired!) how do you get others out?

RECOGNIZE THE TRAPS!

Let's start by looking at the traps of the intellectual mind, the one who weaves such wonderful webs of logic that leaves us feeling good while keeping us quite stuck.

Trap One: Being Right

I often tell the couples l work with, "Do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?" Surprisingly, I see quite a lot of incongruent responses. It is like they know they should say "be happy" and (that's why they do), but in fact, they really want to say "be right".

Now the real interesting thing is that the intellect wants to be right, regardless of you being right or not. Confused?

Then let's make an important distinction.

You are not your intellect! You the being (soul) are much, much more! The intellect's limitations are not your limitations to the degree that you can separate your "self" (soul) from the intellect. Recognizing these traps and how to avoid them will help in that separation process.

Trap Two: Validation

The intellect seeks constant validation. It is constantly saying recognize me, notice me, "Hey! I'm over here!" Whether it is validation from authorities or peers, this need for validation becomes a crucial trap to avoid.

Kids learn this early on. A child comes home with their report card in hand and an eager look of anticipation, waiting for those few key words, "Oh honey, you did great!" Yeah! The kids can now feel worthy. Now imagine what happens when this is compounded over a few decades. Pretty soon we are all looking for validation in every direction.

Trap Three: Sharing

I've just got to tell you about this one. Oh you won't believe it. The intellect likes to share things. Through sharing it can feel more validated and of course be right.

Ever felt like crap and wanted to let others know that you felt that way? Did you hope they would sympathize with your story and tell you how right you are in feeling this way? Hoping they would validate your stance?

If so, then you fell into another trap to feed the intellect while starving your real self.

Trap Four: Safety

As the intellect spins its logic, forming a thought blockade, it is also creating a sense of safety. If it constructs well-thought-out logic that sounds reasonable, it is safe from any challenges.

So what happens when a contrary idea comes knocking on the door? The intellect's internal safety procedure is kicked in. You may have seen the behaviors that go along with such an internal process if you have ever challenged someone's "sacred cow."

A woman called me up a few weeks back and wanted me to see her son because he was very messy. She asked if I could hypnotize him to always clean up after himself. I told her that it certainly was possible; however I wanted to know a few things first.

So I asked her what happens to her when she sees that he hasn't cleaned up after himself? She replied with great tension in her voice, "Well that just makes my blood boil!" So I asked if it always made her blood boil. She stammered, "Yes!"

Then I asked her what she thought about her response she had to his messiness. I asked her what kinds of effects she thinks this may be having on her own body, her health. I continued by saying, what if she could see a messy room and her blood not boil. Talk about running full force right into a sacred cow. (Moooove!)

Her intellect's safety alerts kicked in immediately. She got very defensive and went on tirade about how she was right, and no one could see all that she went through day in and day out, raising three kids while working, and if her blood didn't boil she would become just as lazy as her son, and the whole house would be a wreck.

Then she ended the call by saying that she was perfectly fine, and it was her son who had the problem.

Now how many of you identified with her story, sympathized with her stance? Did you get sucked into the trap? Did you let her logical retort validate your own stance?

Go back and read it again. What did she do? How did she trap herself? Her intellect screamed bloody murder the moment we came up on her sacred cow of cleanliness.

It started by building a logical argument around why she was right and he (or me, for challenging her) was in the wrong. She used that along with the lack of validation and recognition from everyone else to validate her logic. And finally, she felt compelled to share it with me to externalize the trap and manifest it into reality.

By sharing, the logic is not just a construct in her mind anymore. Adding voice and breath to it begins to give it a life of its own. This is where the pointing begins. And remember whenever there is one finger pointing outwards, there are three fingers pointing back to the person doing the pointing.

Getting Out of the Trap

Now that you know what to look out for, you can begin using the tools below to stay out as well as help others to stay out of those thought traps. Remember this takes practice. The hardest step is to recognize it. The moment you do recognize it you are in a sense already on your way out. But then it is about freeing yourself from the logic that the intellect has spun around the trap.

Even then you may find it is easier to spot other people's traps quicker than your own. And the reason for that is because your own logic is most seductive to you not to others. So while they may be seduced by their logic, you can clearly see through it. And it certainly works the other way around as well. So go slowly with this at first. You don't want to find yourself at the end of the week with no friends because you challenged all their sacred cows without maintaining rapport.

Now the simplest way is to first recognize the trap and then begin questioning it.

Who, What, Where, When, and How.

Avoid "Why" because you will only get justifications, which only help build the thought blockade stronger.

For example, when working on your own thought trap, you may want to begin like this:

Who says you're right? How do you know? According to what criteria? When am I wrong? When was the last time? Where was it? What was going on then? Who was I wanting validation from then? How did I get it then? What did I do as a result of it? What other choices did I have available to me then? What about now? How would things be different if I responded differently?

If you are familiar with the meta-model, you can use it to guide you to different ways of looking at the trap? And as you start finding the edges, the boundaries of the confine, you can find the doorway out of the trap.

Another tool is to use your vertical and lateral thinking strategies to leap you or others out of the trap. In some cases, these strategies will not get you totally out of the trap, but it will begin expand the boundaries, giving you an opportunity to find your way out. Let's use the lady who called me as an example.

(Staying vertical to her position) I could have said to her, "Well, if you can't keep a house a clean without your blood boiling, then perhaps you should hire a 24-hour maid."

Vertical thinking leads you up and down the same line of thinking, regardless of whether you are speaking at levels of abstraction or levels of specificity; the topic doesn't change.

(Going lateral to her position) Or I could have said, "A friend of mine had a problem with a wrecked house, so she went out and got herself an apartment-No more wrecked homes."

Lateral thinking begins one place and ends up at an entirely different place. A conversation may begin at A and end up at D, with transitions B and C explicitly stated or just processed internally by one or both parties.

As you begin discovering your own traps, whether they appear as beliefs, values, or ideals, and regardless of how many layers of logic that are piled on top, you now know how to dig your way out. The more you do this, the more flexibility you will create within your own system. You will find that you don't fall into your own thought traps or anyone else's.

The Universal Law of Attraction Never, Ever Goes On Strike

There are numerous sources on the store bookshelves and the Internet that cover the topic of how our Consciousness shapes our reality through thought and feeling.

.. and it's easy to glaze over it when you've read it over and over:

Like Attracts Like, and staying focused on a single goal gets you to that goal.

And what eventually happens after reading enough material on this, is that this constant re-hash of this principle of The Law Of Attraction can start to blur on your scale of importance. It just loses its position on your radar.

You might then make the mistake of seeing these Universal principles as merely: Inspirational and Feel-Good. The new ideas then start sounding old, and they get relegated to merely being something that promote a "Positive Attitude" and "something I will try out some day".

The Law of Attraction is always at work in your life every second of every minute. It doesn't stop working just because you quickly make a mental note to "get back into these techniques" later, and then close a particular book you're reading on these concepts.

You are an electromagnetic being Attracting that which you ARE, vibrationally-speaking, all the time.

One of my favorite websites has concrete techniques that supercharge your clarity on a particular objective you have, and at times I will close my internet browser without doing anything, promising myself to use a particular technique later.

But it is faulty to expect that the Universal Principle - that supplies the power behind this technique - will "turn off" while I go about the rest of my day generating feelings of being a victim and thinking thoughts of being deprived of what I want.

It's always "ON", and ... Even If I *DO* faithfully immerse myself in positive feelings by doing a Gratitude List in the morning, if I then later that day silently wish that the next door neighbor's new Infinite gets scratched so that I will feel better about not having one, what do you think my world will be like? That goes for all other thoughts of scarcity, jealousy, and judgements about others throughout the day.

So what I'm doing is basically applying the Universal Laws against me to a seriously detrimental and negative result. And this is what the vast majority of the people on this planet are doing: taking as evidence what they see in the current physical circumstances to prove what gifts that the gods decided they are worthy of receiving.

It is not an exaggeration to say that most people are in a Trance of believing that they are not the Source of their own environment and circumstances. They look for the Truth - outside in the material world - instead of inside themselves and in who are they are Being.

By "doing Life" this way, they are magnetizing more of this evidence, using their own allotment of the Infinite Power available to everyone.

Why not use this Power, consciously, to create a life worth waking up at 5AM every morning for? There will never be an instance when a Cosmic "Judge" decides that you have been unconsciously creating your life for too many years, and that because of that, you have to wait for another chance, in another life somewhere, some other time.

It's a dependable, immutable LAW that when you change Who You Are Being (through your vibratory thought frequency), even if you're 11

The Universal Law of Attraction Never, Ever Goes On Strike

There are numerous sources on the store bookshelves and the Internet that cover the topic of how our Consciousness shapes our reality through thought and feeling.

.. and it's easy to glaze over it when you've read it over and over:

Like Attracts Like, and staying focused on a single goal gets you to that goal.

And what eventually happens after reading enough material on this, is that this constant re-hash of this principle of The Law Of Attraction can start to blur on your scale of importance. It just loses its position on your radar.

You might then make the mistake of seeing these Universal principles as merely: Inspirational and Feel-Good. The new ideas then start sounding old, and they get relegated to merely being something that promote a "Positive Attitude" and "something I will try out some day".

The Law of Attraction is always at work in your life every second of every minute. It doesn't stop working just because you quickly make a mental note to "get back into these techniques" later, and then close a particular book you're reading on these concepts.

You are an electromagnetic being Attracting that which you ARE, vibrationally-speaking, all the time.

One of my favorite websites has concrete techniques that supercharge your clarity on a particular objective you have, and at times I will close my internet browser without doing anything, promising myself to use a particular technique later.

But it is faulty to expect that the Universal Principle - that supplies the power behind this technique - will "turn off" while I go about the rest of my day generating feelings of being a victim and thinking thoughts of being deprived of what I want.

It's always "ON", and ... Even If I *DO* faithfully immerse myself in positive feelings by doing a Gratitude List in the morning, if I then later that day silently wish that the next door neighbor's new Infinite gets scratched so that I will feel better about not having one, what do you think my world will be like? That goes for all other thoughts of scarcity, jealousy, and judgements about others throughout the day.

So what I'm doing is basically applying the Universal Laws against me to a seriously detrimental and negative result. And this is what the vast majority of the people on this planet are doing: taking as evidence what they see in the current physical circumstances to prove what gifts that the gods decided they are worthy of receiving.

It is not an exaggeration to say that most people are in a Trance of believing that they are not the Source of their own environment and circumstances. They look for the Truth - outside in the material world - instead of inside themselves and in who are they are Being.

By "doing Life" this way, they are magnetizing more of this evidence, using their own allotment of the Infinite Power available to everyone.

Why not use this Power, consciously, to create a life worth waking up at 5AM every morning for? There will never be an instance when a Cosmic "Judge" decides that you have been unconsciously creating your life for too many years, and that because of that, you have to wait for another chance, in another life somewhere, some other time.

It's a dependable, immutable LAW that when you change Who You Are Being (through your vibratory thought frequency), even if you're 115 years old, you begin attracting a new set of circumstances that match that new quality of Being.

If you are still alive with pumping blood, your Earthly life is being shaped by the frequencies of your thoughts, but more so the emotionally-carved beliefs that act as 24/7 thought- generators attracting those material equivalents.

5 years old, you begin attracting a new set of circumstances that match that new quality of Being.

If you are still alive with pumping blood, your Earthly life is being shaped by the frequencies of your thoughts, but more so the emotionally-carved beliefs that act as 24/7 thought- generators attracting those material equivalents.

Motivation for Life: What Would You Do if You Could Have a Do Over?

"The only thing it takes 365 days to change is a year" - Hypnotherapist David Block

"If at any time you make a mistake and want to change your selection, press the star key on the telephone pad." - AMC 20 Movie Theater recording

Both of the above quotes imply a radical shift in popular thinking about change. They imply that changes can be made quickly, and don't have to take a long, long time.

I am constantly searching for the very best "change tools" I can find to help the people with whom I work. I look for tools that offer rapid and effective change, and meet at least three criteria:

1) Simple - any one can use them

2) Profound - they work quickly and they last

3) Dependable - they work just about every time

Recently a friend shared with me a wonderful quote from professional speaker Brian Tracy that meets all these criteria and has the potential to be a very rapid and effective change tool. Here's the quote, in the form of a question:

"If you were starting over today, what would you do differently? Whatever your answer, start doing it now."

All of us would like to have a chance for a "do over" in some area of our lives. Well, maybe in many areas. Although we cannot change the past, this question offers great direction for making both the present and the future more like we would want it to be.

Let's look at several areas of our lives and some questions about what we might do over, and then start doing now.

In the area of relationships, would you:

Be closer to those around you? Stay in touch with people? Let those close to you know how much you value them?

In the area of family, would you:

Spend more time with them? Go more places with them? Throw out the ridiculous notion of quality time and replace it with quantify time?

In the area of marriage, would you:

Learn how to communicate more effectively? Make sure, on a regular basis, that your spouse knows they are #1 with you? Honor and cherish them. Remember those words? Ask your self, what am I contributing to making this a cool place to be?

In the area of education, would you:

Go back to school? Find out about something you've always wanted to know? Take a class you've always wanted to take? Take the time to get really good at something?

In the area of health, would you:

Get in and stay in the best shape you can? Get rid of some extra pounds? Remember, there's overweight people and there's old people, but there's not a whole lot of old overweight people. Eat in a way that supports you?

In the area of finances, would you:

Design a life instead of just making a living? Keep track of where the money goes? Work and live within a budget? Put away something for the future on a regular basis?

In the area of attitude, would you: Pay attention to yours? Model an attitude you would want friends and family to model? Find something positive in almost any situation?

I'm certain there are other areas of your life that you can apply this question. Remember folks, life is not a dress rehearsal, although most of us act like it is.

How to Get that It Factor Happening

Sitting here today in sunny Queensland Australia, I'm reflecting on what makes one person more attractive than another. Not just by physical attraction, but what makes them captivating. I've met absolutely gorgeous guys and girls that after spending five minutes with them, I'm already trying to find my escape route.

An occasion I remember as clearly as if it were yesterday, happened about 25 years ago. A friend of mine invited my family to visit him at a television station he worked at in Sydney. Of course we jumped at the chance! It's not every day you got such an opportunity!

We were met at the gate and were led down a corridor on the way to a sound stage. As I was passing by a room with an open door, I noticed blonde haired lady was having her hair done. It was Pamela Stephenson (Dr Pamela Connolly), wife of Billy Connolly. Our eyes met and she smiled at me. Her smile radiated the most amazing brilliant light which extended into and filled the entire dressing room! It was as if I was in the presence of an angel! Although I haven't followed her life, I vividly remember that 'it' quality about her.

Jennifer Hawkins has the 'it' quality as well. When she smiles she absolutely radiates with light. I have yet to speak with any woman who feels threatened by her or has said anything nasty about her.

John Travolta is another who is extremely charismatic and has the 'it' factor.

For me personally, I'm attracted to people who are confident, kind, humorous, smart and at peace with themselves.

So how can you get some of whatever 'it' is?

1. Peaceful individual's - those standing in their personal power - are relaxing to be around, so if you're not peaceful, get some meditation in, or yoga, tai chi, anything really that involves stilling the mind. Once you know how, apply it across all parts of your life. Tap into peace whenever you need and want.

2. Self-confidence is a huge attractor. Start moving out of your comfort zone by taking baby steps first. Increase the size of your steps as you become more familiar with what it is you're doing. I started to manage my website several months ago and this was very scary in the beginning. As I gradually became more adept my confidence in my ability grew and continues to do so.

3. Self-love follows closely behind the self-confidence. When you have love of self like a ripple on a pond it will permeate across all time and space.

4. Positive people inspire and motivate me. However, before you go ahead and start a huge positive talk fest with anyone and everyone, check out the mood of others around you. There's nothing worse than listening to someone talking to you about fabulously positive and great things if you're walking the dark night of the soul. Meet (or match) others where they're at first, then gradually build up the positive talk and watch the relationship unfold.

5. More on matching body gestures?move in unison with people, breath using their rhythm, always subtly and always with respect.

6. This is one point I always mention because of its importance. Be in the present moment. When you start a conversation with someone or they with you, be attentive, curious and interested in what they're saying. If you're matching their facial expressions remember to stop smiling and nodding when they're talking about something they find very distressing (unless you have a close relationship with them?).

7. Start reading newspapers, magazines, books (fiction and non-fiction). Then you will always have something to talk about. Find out what others are talking about.

8. Share some of yourself with others - not too much at the beginning of new relationships, and never reveal your entire life history in your first conversation!

9. Smile! A sincere smile is when it reaches your eyes.

10. Use your sense of humour, just make sure it's at an appropriate time and place. I once opened a speaking engagement with a funny story - all I heard were crickets! My next words were "moving right along now?."

So You Want To Win the Lottery

If we all got everything we wanted, most of us would have won the lottery by now. So what happens when we notice that we aren't getting what we want, even when we've been using Law of Attraction to manifest a particular desire for an extended period of time?

Wanting to win the lottery is a clear desire, therefore, you need to use Law of Attraction deliberately. If you're not getting evidence that your desire to win the lottery is manifesting, then you need to review the Law of Attraction formula and check to see if all three conditions for Deliberate Attraction are being met. All desires you may have, for example, attracting an ideal mate, an ideal client base, ideal health or an ideal abundance of money require these same three conditions.

Step 1: Clearly identify your desire
Step 2: Raise your vibration (Give Your Desire Attention)
Step 3: Allow it

So let's examine these three conditions with respect to manifesting a winning lottery ticket.

Step 1: Clearly identify your desire (You bought a ticket and you WANT to win.) Step 1 is done.

Step 2: Raise your vibration (You talk about and daydream about all the things you'll do with the money you win.) Step 2 is done.

If the only thing we needed to do is Step 1 and Step 2, most people would have everything they've ever become excited about. So as you observe that you've NOT attracted what you've been desiring (in this case, a winning lottery ticket), you'll need to check the three step process to find out what step needs your attention more often. In most cases it's Step 3 - Allowing.

Allowing is the absence of doubt. Doubt is a negative vibration that cancels out the positive vibration of your desire, so removing doubt will allow your desire to come to you. Removing doubt will speed up the manifestation of your desire.

One of the best tools for removing doubt is to start keeping a log or journal of all the ways in which you are attracting more abundance into your life, thus, you are finding proof! Abundance is simply energy and the more often you discover that you are aligned with the energy of abundance, the more often you will be removing doubt that you are Allowing your desire to win the lottery. For example, if you find money or someone buys you lunch or you find a great sale on an item you want to buy-this is all evidence that you are in alignment with abundance. Logging this evidence or tracking it in a journal will help you prove to yourself that you are aligning yourself more and more with abundance.

In short, how soon you'll win the lottery is determined by how much doubt you have about winning, and winning is all about removing that doubt thereby aligning yourself with the energy of abundance.

How Often Each Day Should I Read or Say My Desire Statement?

The purpose of the Desire Statement is to support you in giving attention, energy and focus to your newly birthed desire. It teaches you how to language desires so they feel good.

The key to the Desire Statement is it needs to be TRUE for you. You'll notice that one of the recommended sentences is "I love how it feels knowing...." Using this sentence allows you to state your desire in a way that makes it true for you. When it is true for you, you send out a positive vibration. It's not a matter of how often you read or say your Desire Statement each day. Your goal is to give your desire positive attention, knowing that as you do that you are sending out a positive vibration.

Once you create a Desire Statement, you have completed step 1 and 2 of the three step Law of Attraction formula. Now you work is to Allow. Spend most of your time and energy there. Keep finding proof that you are manifesting something that is in alignment to your desire. When you celebrate and acknowledge something you have manifested, this proof helps remove the doubt and negative vibrations that prevent you from receiving your desire.

In short, it's not about how often you do each step of the Law of Attraction formula. The key point is to send out or offer a positive vibration with respect to your desire. Identify what you want, give positive attention, energy and focus to it, and remove the doubt and negative vibration you may be sending by celebrating proof as you find it.

Pretending Your Life As You Want It - True Power Series

This is the sixth article in our "True Power" series. If you haven't been following the series, visit The ARTrepreneur to read the foundational material on beliefs before continuing.

All people live a structured existence that is entirely make-believe. For example, though we act as if it's true, there is no such thing as days of the week or hours in a day. These things are completely fabricated conventions. If an alien were to visit New York, and someone said, "Well it's Monday morning, everyone's off to work," the alien would nod politely and think, "How quaint. They regulate their lives into compartments." The alien would in no way mistake the custom for reality. He would recognize the custom as an idea. We pretend it's real, but we could pretend other customs just as easily.

There is no such thing as time really - no minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months. We pretend they exist, and structure our lives accordingly, but we could just as easily do it a different way. The day could be split in half and called "up" and "down." Someone named some cycles. There are other cycles and other names. Musicians, for example, often operate in a no-time zone. Lots of writers have inverted or highly individualistic work schedules. Many artists have made successful careers by following their own personal rhythms and beliefs. They never fell for, "That's the way it is," because they knew it was all pretend, and they could pretend their own structure just as easily as following someone else's.

If someone says to you, "the music business is brutal," refuse to believe it. If they want to pretend it's brutal, then they'll get that result. You won't be so easily deceived. There are actors who have made careers quickly in Hollywood because they didn't realize it was supposed to be hard. They weren't aware of the convention. Realize that all conventions that we call modern society are just ideas. Ideas are mobile. You can use them, discard them, and invent new ideas. In reality, there is no movie industry or art industry. In reality, there are never "Seven Steps to Anything." There are only ideas, and your ideas are as valid as anyone's, and certainly more valid for you.

Pretending Your Life As You Want It Exercise

There are two ways to do this exercise. Choose a time everyday, and pretend your life just the way you want it. See yourself in your mind doing the things you want to do the way you want to do them. This is much like the internal visualization exercises. You try to trick your mind into believing you're experiencing the ideal now.

If you are bolder, you can pick a day or even a longer period of time, and while you go about your day-to-day life, pretend that what you really want is happening. Have imaginary meetings, imaginary bank deposits, imaginary shows, imaginary dinners out. Physically, you may be doing the dishes, but mentally you're making your subconscious become accustomed to the ideal. The minute you do this, it starts to create the circumstances to make it happen. The less you negate the ideal, the less you say to yourself, "That's not realistic. I can't have it," the easier and faster it will be produced. By thinking freely about the ideal, you begin to whittle away at doubts. At some point you'll accept the ideal, and the pretend world and the actual world will begin to mesh.

Every successful person ignored the pretend circumstances outside themselves, and pretended, instead, to be who they wanted to be and live how they wanted to live. Pretending, then, is the essence of experience and, therefore, an essential quality. Your life is a masterpiece composed of ideas that motivate you to act. Be the creator of those ideas. Be moved by your own impulses and desires. Pretend your existence into what you want it to be. That's all anyone's doing anyways.

Follow Your Dream

If you have a dream, follow it. No matter how wild, outrageous, and improbable it may seem. If possible travel on your journey with friends who will support you. Friendship can keep your faith alive long after your energy and hope have been worn away.

Another thing you might want to do is to go where your probability of success is greatest.

When you work long and hard at the apparently futile, remember that your sense of futility is a lie; it is merely your conditioned mind reminding you of your limits; the lie seeks to eliminate your future promise.

Sooner or later, you'll get results.

Above all, in the throes of failure persist. Persistence can initiate success. When talent and effort have been exhausted, persistence will carry you through to the end. Sometimes all that is needed to change a hopeless situation is hanging on until you find the millionth pebble.

In the memorable words of Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never, never give up."

The mass appeal of movie-character Indiana Jones is that he symbolizes the quality of persistence. No matter how bad things get, he keeps on trying one more time.

Eventually, somehow, despite every reversal, he breaks through to his goal.

You, too, must learn the art of persistence. Persist when you're completely exhausted. Persist when all efforts fail. Persist when you feel hopeless. You will find your dream if you can persist long enough.

You may sometimes win through sheer luck. You may sometimes win through broad talent. But, eventually, neither luck nor talent will be enough, and the principle of persistence is all that you will have left. In the end, it may be that persistence is your only abiding friend. It will pull you through all the pain, all the toil, all the hardship. In the long run, persistence, more than any other trait of success, makes a true winner. Persistence pays. It pays handsomely. With persistence comes learning and adaptation. With persistence comes luck and change.

To succeed in anything, learn how to endure adversity, learn how to feel confident in the midst of obvious failure. Let no-one and nothing deter you from your heart's desire.

Water persistently washing against the hardest rock will eventually erode it away. Be as water. "Beware of no-one more than of yourself," said Charles Spurgeon. "We carry our worst enemies within us." When you give up, you let yourself down. You lose your chance at success. You also lose your self-confidence

Part II--The Journey to a State Called Authentic

Are you on the road yet? If not, pony up your?.um, pony and pretend that you are gracefully cantering down the road toward that state called Authentic. Imagine that you're riding smoothly just like in the movies. But all of a sudden, your pony hits a rock and you go flying. This will happen. Perhaps not while riding a pony, but in some way as you are living your Authentic Self. Roadblocks surface usually when you're in a wonderful flow, suddenly turning harmonious song into banshee wail. Here are a few tricky roadblocks to watch out for:

Invisible Rules-These are declarations which appear to be universally subscribed to as long-accepted truisms. They seem unquestionably abided by but they actually aren't. We are often not aware of the Invisible Rules that we follow: "My hair & make-up have to be 'done' before I leave the house" or "Women over a certain age should not work short skirts." Invisible Rules create an obstacle because they stop us in our Authentic Self tracks by requiring that we change who we are in order to be like 'everybody else', to conform. They trip us up by their false appearance. 'Everybody else' does their hair before they head out the front door. Or do they?

Bright Shiny Objects- They glitter, vibrate, bounce or blink. In short, they distract. While BSO's might not lead you away from your Authentic Self forever, they do prevent you from fully living your Authentic Self. BSOs act like sugar; they don't add anything to our Authentic Self diet, just a momentary false high. BSOs are different for everyone. To determine yours, ask yourself what your not-so-obvious weaknesses are. These can be an area that has been a strength but presently may be over-accessed or used as a crutch. BSO's sometimes show up in these areas. One huge BSO for me is the Internet. I sometimes gorge myself by replying to non-essential emails right away or perusing various sites under the guise of 'research' when I really need to be working on program design for a new client. The distracting dazzle doesn't last long once you feel the absence of Authentic fulfillment.

Indigenous Excuses- These suckers are so deeply ingrained in your persona that you probably don't even notice their presence. Indigenous Excuses are dangerous because they become like a truth in our mind so since we aren't tuned into hearing the difference, we live our life by a false truth. Some examples are: "I can't afford to advertise" or "It's not the right time to _____ (fill in the blank here: look for a new job, buy a house, start dating again)". Be aware that what you're really saying here is "I won't" as in "I won't advertise my company" or "I won't admit that I am looking for a perfect {read: non-existent} time to start _____." Indigenous Excuses don't allow our Authentic Self to move forward because they keep us stuck in the realm of the changeless past that wasn't working in the first place.

Temptation of Perfection- Perfection can creep into an Authentic Self project or it can worm its way into a conversation. Perfect is the anti-Authentic. When we attempt to introduce perfectionism into something, the Authentic Self ceases to exist. One way that perfection enters conversations is by the need to have the last word or to make someone else's point of view wrong. Instead of allowing perfection in, develop your outside eye-the watcher who observes your actions and thoughts with detachment. Allow that eye to peer into your interactions and act as a guard against the tendency toward perfection. Once perfectionism is spotted, it is easier to stop, drop and roll?and get back to living your Authentic Self.

Once you've identified what roadblocks you are the most susceptible to, it is easier to deal with them. Acknowledge them for what they are. Ultimately these roadblocks are non-essential Authentic Self traps that we fall into, either deliberately as an avoidance method or unintentionally as a bad habit that we hadn't known we had. What distracts you from your Authentic Self? Which roadblock causes particular chaos in your life? Let me know. Now, where did that pony go?

Successful Living: 9 Universal Laws

1. The Law of Balance

I got an email from a wise friend the other day who had this to say,

"Whenever I am out of balance in one area of my life, I usually end up binging, (going to excess) in some other area of my life."

Even sunshine burns if you get too much.

2. The Law of Competition

There are many times when competition is an extremely healthy thing. There are other times, however, when it can get in our way. Because there will always be people who we do better than and there will always be people who do better than us, the danger is to feel either arrogant or inferior, neither of which is a very useful emotion.

One answer is to be in competition with your self. This simply means to commit to doing better and better in each day. As Colonel Potter said to Hawkeye on an episode of M*A*S*H, "The only person you need to do better than is your self, and that's a big enough challenge."

3. The Law of QTIP

Here's an instant stress buster & perspective changer from professional speaker Tim O'Brien:

"Quit Taking It Personally."

4. The Law of Perspective

Author Richard Back said, "Perspective: use it or lose it."

Losing perspective is one of the quickest ways to lose your way in life. On the other hand, using your perspective, even seeing a different perspective is a most effective tool.

5. The Law of Stress

Believe it or not, we all need a little stress in our lives. Too little, and there is no motivation for change. Too much, and we begin to shut down and get overwhelmed. It's important to know your optimal level of stress and then do all the necessary things to keep your stress in balance.

6. The Law of Passion

The happiest people I know are those that are passionate about something in their lives. Even happier people get to earn their living pursuing their passion. What's your passion? How could it support you?

7. The Law of Freud

I've never been a big fan of Freud. At the same time, he did have this usefeul thing to say:

"To be happy, we all need some one to love, something to do, and something to hope for."

8. The Law of Hope

Never, ever, never give up hope. Hope for the future, in and of itself, keeps us moving in the right direction.

9. The Law of 10,000

One of my favorite change stories is called "The Room of 10,000 Monsters." In this room, all your worst fears, anxieties and nightmares are played out in front of you as if they were real. You walk in and close the door behind you. There is no handle on the inside of the door. The only door with a handle is across the room. If you can walk across the room and reach the door, you will reach Nirvana. (Not the rock group, but happiness and contentment.) You have to go by yourself, with only two pieces of advice. The first is no matter what you see, hear or feel, remember that it's not real, it's just taken from your own imagination. That's good advice, but if your biggest fear is of heights and you see your self on the edge of a 20 story building, you're not likely to get anywhere. The second piece of advice is that no matter what you see, hear, or feel, keep your feet moving, and you will get to the other side.

A Story Of Unbelievable Persistence

Dick and Jay sat on the ground outside the shed. The rain pelted down on them. They stared in disbelief at the lake of mud all around them. The Piper Cub slumped in the mud a few feet in front of them. Neither a wet bird nor muddy squirrel could be seen.

"It's going to be like this for some time," said Jay, gloomily, "according to the weather report."

Dick feebly told the joke about the weatherman who left town because the weather didn't agree with him--but neither of them laughed. The rain fell without remorse.

"Boy, boys, boys," said a beautiful woman with auburn hair. She had a fresh complexion. She wore a wet, slightly muddy, mauve dress. She sat down between them, covering them with her pink umbrella.

Dick kissed his wife on the cheek. He reached down into the vanilla box for his sandwich. The box tumbled out of his hands and landed in a puddle. It floated.

"That's it," shouted Jay. He grabbed Dick's elbow. "Don't you see- that's it!"

It only took a day to add the inflated pontoon boats to the Piper Cub. Now instead of wheels, it had floats. Now, instead of the muddy runway, they used the river.

But another calamity awaited: a lightning storm. A bolt of lightning struck the hut, shattering it.

Without an office, it was hard to run operations.

Dick, however, found a solution. He bought a chicken coop from the farmer down the road for $25.

"One last yard," said Dick, talking to the old mare. The mare grunted as it dragged along the chicken coop.

After propping up the chicken coop, Dick began whitewashing it.

"There," said Dick, slapping on the last coat.

He stepped back to join his wife, Doreen, and his partner, Jay. All of them admired the bright chicken coop. It proudly bore the blue legend "Wolverine Air Service."

"Soon," said Dick, "Millions will be flying their own planes. They'll come to us and we'll teach them."

"And it only cost us $200 to get this Piper Cub," added Jay.

"Airplanes will swarm the air, the way cars do the ground," predicted Dick.

Just then a freckled-faced young man came up to them.

"Is this your school?" he asked, squinting at Dick.

"Have you come for lessons?" asked Dick.

"Darn right!"

"We'd love to teach you, but we don't know how to fly!" confessed Dick.

A few days later, however, they found a flight instructor. Dick straightened out the sheaf of papers on his ramshackle desk as the last interviewee walked out of the shack. He looked over at Jay. "Well?" Jay nodded. "I like him."

"Then we have a new flight instructor," said Dick, smiling broadly.

The next day, Dick and the new flight instructor stood outside the chicken coop office.

"How are you going to pay me?" asked the flight instructor, a tall man with thick dark hair and brilliant blue eyes.

"Cash," said Dick, unruffled.

"But you said a moment ago that you don't have any money?"

"I don't," confirmed Dick, "but they do."

The flight instructor turned around to follow Dick's finger. He had to chuckle. On the edge of the field was Jay whooping in a group of three eager students, all trussed up in flight gear. They were wet to their thighs from wading across the river.

"They'll be the first to graduate," affirmed Bob, the new flight instructor.

This is the story of Richard M. DeVos and his high-school buddy, Jay Van Andel, who came home after the Second World War convinced that the aviation business would be the trend of the future.

What the Samurai Can Teach Us About Self-Improvement

A Seventeenth Century Samurai maxim states:

"A man who has attained mastery of an art reveals it in his every action"

This saying is one of my personal favorites. There is so much depth to its meaning. Allow me to discuss it a little and explain how it will be able to benefit you.

First, a question: What is the single greatest thing that you can do with mastery and excellence? Don't say: "nothing." Everybody is good at something. Just think for a moment.

There will be one thing that you can do perfectly time and time again. It is the thing that is so ridiculously easy for you to do that you can do it with your eyes closed, almost standing on your head - so to speak. It may be a simple thing or it may be something quite complex, but whatever it is you make it look easy.

In fact, you are so good at it you make other people think that they can do it easily too - until they try. It might be a sport like tennis or something as mundane as making scones or cupcakes.

It's amazing how a champion tennis player can make the game look so simple. Or how a master cook can seemingly slap ingredients together and come up with an absolute masterpiece of culinary delight.

So what is it? What are you a master at? Keep that thing in mind while I diverge back to the samurai for a moment - a little bit of history.

The samurai lived by the sword and died by it. They were so adept at reading body movement that they were able to draw their swords and use them with deadly effect against opponents in the mere blink of an eye. Their observations and reflexes were finely honed, principally because their very existence depended on it. But did you know that they were able to transcend their ability with the sword into other arts? Many of them were also master poets. Others were highly skilled calligraphers. Others became very skilled in the art of the tea ceremony. Some became master carpenters.

Have you noticed how these "ancillary" skills are so diametrically opposed to their military expertise with the sword? So how and why did they engage in these things? Could it be that they were "balancing"

Wise Hericlitus

"You cannot step into the same river twice"

Hericlitus spoke those words around 500BC. A very wise man, Hericlitus.

The phrase points out to us that just as rivers flow on, so does time. Just as your foot will dip into the river, but it wont be the same water as before, so too, we only get one shot at each moment.

We must make full use of each of our moments, each toe in the river. For we cannot have them back, should we waste them.

Take today and make a commitment to your OWN health. Make a commitment to live as fully and healthfully as you can. Make a commitment to be good to yourself, by pushing yourself to full health.

We are like the river. We change moment by moment. You are not exactly the same person you were an hour ago. New cells have grown, hair is longer (if only by a micro-bit) and you have had thoughts for an hour longer than before. Perhaps a new piece of wisdom has been gained.

The trick, is to accept and revel in the ever-changing flow of life. Allow yourself to change. Grow.

When we try to make life remain the same, we wonder why we fail. Life changes just like the river. Just like us. Life moves along, with no attention to whether we're moving with it. Life doesn't care if we do or not.

Life offers us its new self each moment. It is up to us whether we reach out and embrace it in all its panoramic change.

One can never know what lies ahead on this ever-changing road. Might be good, might be not so good. But we cannot know until we set out. We cannot reap the possible rewards unless we keep on going.

Do You Have an Exit Plan?

Recently, I came across something strikingly shocking, fascinating, obscure, and yet, completely obvious.

Few of us have an "Exit Plan."

An Exit Plan is a comprehensive, compelling, strategy for leaving feeling fantastic.

When you aren't experiencing exactly what you expected; when it's clear that the vision you see has become blurry-or is simply no longer your own-it's not uncommon to contemplate moving on.

In the scorching heat of any moment, it's very easy (and most times, unwise) to say, "I'm out of here!"

Resist the temptation.

More often than not, leaving on a wilted whim will wreak havoc in the immediate hours, days, and quite possibly, years to come.

Remember that.

Whether your departure is involuntary or not, walking out any door for the last time need not lead you to the end of your world.

Consider an Exit Plan. Whether you're irritated, frustrated, agitated or just exceptionally motivated ... it's imperative that you have a strategic plan for exit, before you move on. An exceptional Exit Plan will bring steady to your rocked world and prepare you for your "what's next." It automatically leads you to an exciting future, because you adopted-in advance- a willingness to let go of your past.

The key is to create your exit plan before moving on. Make sure it details not only how you are going to manage your resources and immediate needs, but why you are going to sustain your lightheartedness, self-esteem, humor and what's most important to you.

The intrinsic value of your Exit Plan is determined by your ability to implement it. You must know exactly what it is you are seeking. Revisit who you are, what you truly desire to do, and where you want to go.

"Why am I committed to enthusiastically pursue new opportunities?"

"Who are the resources, supporters and mentors of my God-given gifts and talents?"

Questions like these will empower, encourage, and ultimately connect you with your vision.

Get very clear. What is it that will give you the greatest fulfillment? Don't just think in financial terms. Think in terms of contribution, relationships and your personal values.

Overcoming Underearning - Recognizing the Problem and Taking the First Steps Towards A Solution

Underearning is a process of not really making enough to support oneself wisely and comfortably. It is usually rooted in a combination of poor information about how money actually works in the real world, limiting beliefs and attitudes about money, and a set of financially destructive habits related to organization and money management.

Many underearners start to naturally move out of this cycle and toward higher earning but are unable to complete the process. They never make the full transition from underearner to comfortable earners and seem to struggle with these money issues most of their lives despite genuine effort to change. The reason for this is that most underearners either do not know that they are underearners or they do not know what the process of leaving underearning behind actually looks like.

If you ask, many underearners will tell you that they are doing just fine - that they are making enough money to get by and take care of themselves. These same underearners will also readily tell you that they have had bad luck, unexpected expenses, and personal crisis that have thrown them financially off track and have caused stress. Usually these setbacks happen on a fairly regular basis. It seems that they start to get ahead and then something happens and they fall behind again.

For some this may be an economic reality related to skills, education, and cultural opportunities. For many however it is something much different:

1. They were not doing fine in the first place- they were underearning and
2. They confuse progress with setbacks when overcoming underearning and either give up altogether or retard their progress with unnecessary effort and worry.

Underearners need to get in the habit of acknowledging that they need to earn more than they think they do. Part of the cycle of crisis and defeat that underearners experience is created by the fact that many expenses seem unexpected when they in fact should be expected. If there is not extra money on hand for health emergencies, equipment failures, vacations, and time spent being out of a job, then there is not really enough money. None of these things are fun, but all of these things are facts of life in our times and we need to plan and earn for them.

Although most underearners know this on some level, they often ignore it because they feel powerless and overwhelmed. This is particularly true when those "unexpected" expenses do come up that they simply did not have the cash to deal with before; even if they had planned on them. One tool for breaking the cycle of underearning is to realize that those discouraging expenses may not be a sign of failure; instead they may be a call to action and a significant opportunity for change.

The most common sign of progress in overcoming underearning is in fact the unexpected expense. Something good will happen, either a better job or reduced daily expenses and it will seem as if things are really going to change financially, and then spending seems to suddenly increase. The underearner on their way to higher earning seems to lose all progress and confidence in the face of expenses and/or debts that are once again increasing. Huge progress is available to the underearner who does not fall into this trap and instead uses the setback as a tool for exploring their underlying relationship to money.

For most underearners overspending is not the issue, not earning enough to pay for life's normal setbacks is the issue. Paradoxically, the first key to breaking the earnings barrier actually is not to try to earn more but to change how you respond when you spend more. How you emotionally respond to spending to clean up old debts, obligations and needs can help you to change the way you think about money and the options you have for earning it.

Most underearners go through a period on their road to wealth where they have to clean up the old effects of not having had enough ready cash on a consistent basis in the past. The irony of the universe is that this usually happens about the time that the underearner is suddenly starting to earn more, and or encounter more professional opportunities. An example of this is when you get a bonus at work and then suddenly your car breaks down and you spend everything extra on getting it fixed. It is a process that can be very discouraging, if you do not see it for the opportunity it is. Unfortunately most people become so discouraged that they return to destructive thinking habits and action habits.

They say to themselves "Earning more just means spending more, why bother? I will never really get ahead!" What is more, they often follow this internal statement up with the external action of spending money impulsively and/or ignoring bills and financial duties they need to attend to, because they "just can't deal with it right now."

One of the keys to permanently breaking through the underearning barrier is to realize that sometimes unexpected expenses are not a sign that life is hard and you can never get ahead. Sometimes they are a sign that you are gaining new sources of energy, clearing up the financial drains that lead to debt and underearning and creating a new relationship with money!

As you move your financial "set point" you will go through a phase of earning more and at the same time spending more on "old business" and unexpected expenses. Plan on it. This is natural. When it happens congratulate yourself. Even if it means you could not put your money toward what you planned on putting it toward. Realize you are making progress and resist the urge to judge yourself or others, and slip into thinking like a victim.

One of the keys here is to remember that money moves in cycles just like relationships do. On a date it is your job to appear as confident and attractive as you can. Even when you are nervous. When more money seems to be going out than coming in, or when you are increasing your income but not yet seeing an increase in discretionary spending you need to remember this analogy and "date" your money. Be as appreciative of it as you can, get to know it better and show it your attractive side.

When you are on a date and your companion gets up to go to the restroom, you do not chase after them for fear they will leave and never come back. That is not an attractive strategy. Likewise when you find yourself spending more than you want to be spending fear, resentment and chasing after the money does not usually work. You end up communicating stress and resentment to others and to your own sub-conscious. You will therefore become LESS attractive to new sources of money.

When you find yourself with unexpected financial stress and expenses try the following things to facilitate change:

1) Acknowledge to yourself that you have been underearning. You don't have to know the solution right now, simply name the problem. Commit to yourself that you are open and willing to find a way to make more money with the same amount or less effort doing something you can enjoy and be proud of. It may seem impossible now, but if you do not set your intention that this is what you want, you will never find the opportunity to create it. Remember life is full of the unexpected there are probably unexpected options right around the corner you just have to focus on looking for them.

2) Take a moment to realize that your fear, stress and resistance might be more about the past than the present. Make a statement of forgiveness for yourself and others about your money past and then turn your attention to the present.

3) Show gratitude for spending money as well as earning money. When you spend money, you are getting something of value - whether it be an item you have a strong emotional desire for like a new toy, or one that does not seem so fun like paying off a debt. Get specifically grateful about your opportunity to spend money cleaning up your financial worries and energy drains and for the opportunity to increase your financial integrity. Try meditating on the phrase: I am grateful for clearing up my financial incompletes and reducing the ways in which I draw debt and underearning to me.

4) Increase your confidence, energy, and attractiveness around money by taking physical steps to improve your situation-that are not related to money. Reduce clutter by simply getting rid of 20 items you no longer want or need. Reduce overwhelm and self judgment by picking five phone calls you need to return or tasks you need to do that you have been avoiding and just DO IT. By getting into productive action you will change your attitude. By getting the systems working in your life just a little bit better you will be more available for opportunity when it knocks.

5) Stop saying no to offers of money, help or material goods unless it is clearly immoral, illegal or comes with significant strings attached. Do not try to control when, if, or how you are going to receive money. Instead just try to focus on the fact that it IS possible that you will continue to receive until what is coming in is more than what is going out. Focus on this even if you cannot personally imagine how that might be the case. Then stay in action and keep doing what you can to take specific practical actions to be more organized and caught up on your tasks.

Just taking these five steps can change your world. I cannot tell you how many underearners we have worked with through My Creative Prosperity who have taken the steps of acknowledgement, forgiveness, gratitude, action and receiving and have immediately seen significant financial results. People find cash, have jobs offered to them, effortlessly increase their sales and reduce expenses or get debts forgiven on a regular basis when they take these steps. Usually the money coming in defies logic or does not seem to be directly related to the steps the student was taking to change their relationship to money. And yet the money is there in cold hard cash - so does it really matter how it got there?

Living Life to the Full: 20 Steps

1. Emotion: We are emotional creatures and as in all things avoid excess.

2. Do not hurry. Do not react to a "situation" whilst emotional. Always sleep on it for a day or two. A situation that needs to be settled immediately - quite simply it does not. It can wait.

3. Set goals. We need something to look forward too

4. Trust: we are not islands we must trust others. The secret is in choosing ones inner circle wisely.

5. Let your hurts go: it is just easier that way.

6. Seek wise council. Never listen to you heart when making an important decision. This is allowing emotions to rule your life and it is dangerous.

7. Network with others. The secret to success is always who you know.

8. The more pressure you are under the slower you must go.

9. Expect and embrace change as it brings success.

10. Develop a thick skin in life but don't become hard

11. Live every day to its full potential - this does not mean be as busy as possible - think about it. There are times to do nothing can be the most productive.

12. Do not blame others for your calamities [do not whine it is not attractive]

13. Live your own life and share it. Do not depend on other to live your life.

14. Find a soul mate with whom you can share you thoughts.

15. Look at your self first and do not be critical of others

16. There is more to life than highs and lows. Don't live life according to the next peak or the next valley. The small things in life are wonderful too.

17. Respect yourself but be not proud. No one loves the self seeking and proud

18. Look inward for happiness and then share it with others

19. Do not allow miserable feelings into your heart - take time to count your blessings.

20. Truly you place you own limitation - and remember one persons weakness is another's strength.

How to Develop the Awesome Power of Getting Other People to Cooperate With You

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you never had to "lock horns" with other people? Well, there are some skills that you can learn.

Try this. Ask somebody to raise both arms so that they can touch the palms of their hands against yours. Don't worry about explaining anything to them. Tell them it is an experiment if you like.

Now you are facing the other person, you both have your arms raised and are "palm to palm." Start pushing. What happens? What does the other person do? Do it. The outcome is 100% predictable.

So, why, when you are seeking co-operation with another person should you be confronting to them? It doesn't make sense when you see it in this light, does it? What is your 100% predictable response when somebody starts forcing his or her wishes onto you?

Let's use an example. Do you say to your partner: "I want a cup of tea!"? Or, would it be better to say something like: "Darling, I'm really busy at the moment. I'd really like a cup of tea if you have the time to make it."

What does the second approach convey to your partner?

1 - You are really busy right now,

2 - You would really appreciate your partner making that cup of tea for you,

3 - You have shown concern for your partner's time.

Conversely, what does the first approach convey?

1 - You are rude

2 - You are arrogant

3 - You are lazy

It is far easier to attract bees to pollen than it is to gasoline.

Look at your language. When you desire somebody to do something for you do you sound like a military commander? What sort of body language do you use?

The easiest way to get co-operation from other people is to place yourself in their position. How would you like to be approached? How do you react to "orders?"

People are reluctant to respond favorably to orders, unless, of course, they are in the armed forces. But that is a different matter.

Governments, banks, insurance companies, lawyers, courts, politicians and employers all issue orders. How do most people react? They become defensive, unco-operative, resentful and at times, hostile.

Can you now see the awesome power of getting other people to co-operate with you with a willing heart? Might you now make a concentrated effort to couch your requests in terms that they find palatable?

Yes, this is an art. But like all arts, the more you practice it the more skillful you will become. Try it. You will be amazed at how co-operative people will become.

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Maximizing Your Potential - How To Optimize Your Off-Peak Performance?

We human beings naturally have two kinds of state that exist in us at any given time: peak state and off-peak state. Peak performance can be defined as "performing at your most optimal best at this time". An off-peak state would mean that we are not performing at the optimal level.

So "optimizing your off-peak performance" simply means to convert your non-peak performance to a peak performance state.

Suppose you hold a full-time job and you do Internet Marketing part-time. By the time you got home, you would quite likely be too tired to work on your online venture. At this moment, you are in an off-peak state because you cannot perform at an optimal level as compared to your work rate in your primary job. By using an "off-peak performance optimization" technique, you would be able to perform at your optimal level even though you are tired. In this scenario, a peak state would mean that you would be able to work just as effectively during 'off-hours'.

Regardless of any state that you are in, whether you procrastinate or you don't have the mood to write a special report just because you have a bad hair day, you will be ready, set and GO using this technique!

Now, let's imagine. If we could achieve X amounts of result during our peak state, what would it be like if we can double or even triple our results just by converting our non-peak state into a peak state? The effect is mind-blowing!

This technique is called "anchoring". An anchor is a stimulus that enables you to fire off any state that you want in an instant. A stimulus is anything you see, hear or feel.

There are 3 kinds of anchors: visual anchor, auditory anchor and kinesthetic anchor.

1) Visual anchors are visual sights that are neurologically linked to a particular state. Does your nasty supervisor's face makes you feel lousy when you go to work? At the sight of your girlfriend, do you have a wonderful feeling? Do you feel sleepy when you start reading your textbook?

2) Auditory anchors are sounds that are neurologically linked to a particular state. When someone shouts "FIRE" or "FIRE SALE!", does the sound of "FIRE" make you panicky? Does hearing beautiful sounds leave you a romantic feeling?

3) Kinesthetic anchor is when someone touches you in a certain way or you move in a certain way that fires off a particular state. Do you feel loved when you are hug by your loved ones? Do you feel like laughing when a clown moves in a funny way?

Whenever you are in an intense associated state, the state will be neurologically linked to the anchor. When this happens, all you have to do is to apply the same anchor repeatedly and you will immediately experience the same state consistently.

Here are 4 steps to creating a powerful anchor for any resourceful state:

1) Get into an intense, fully associated state. Think back to a time in the past when you felt a particular intense, fully associated state. Adopt the same physiology you were in. Assuming you wanted to anchor the state of motivation to work in front of your PC (or MAC!). Think of the time you felt totally motivated and adopt the same physiology, e.g. the same kind of sitting posture and breathing pattern when you felt totally motivated.

2) Apply the anchor at the peak of the state! A combination of an auditory and kinesthetic anchor would yield the best results, e.g. you could snap your fingers and shout "YES!"

3) Break the state, then repeat steps 1 & 2 at least five to ten times. Think of something else to break an unwanted state. Repeat steps 1 & 2 for five to ten times until the new anchor is successfully installed.

4) Test the anchor. Test the anchor to see whether it works. Get into the normal state and apply the anchor e.g. snap finger and shout "YES!" If it works, the anchor is installed successfully. The best way to test the anchor would be the time when you are not feeling motivated.

Success Is In Your Hands - For Things To Change, I Must Change First!

Do you know that many people feel they cannot achieve what they want in life because they are not in control of their circumstances? Is it really so?

How many times have you heard this: "If only I had creativity like him, I would be able to develop innovative Internet Marketing products," or "if only I had the money to start the e-commerce business, then I would be able to set up a business"? Do you know that all these things are within our control the moment we change ourselves?

It sounds unbelievable but it's true! This requires a shift in your paradigm of thinking and it moves you from a powerless state to a state where you can actually take control. We will now take a look at 3 ordinary people like you and me who are able to achieve what they want in life through this simple principle.

David was a guy in his late 30s who was still actively looking for a partner to settle down. When I ask him why he had not settled down, he replied that he was still looking for his ideal partner. His idea of an ideal partner is a beautiful, smart, elegant and well-mannered lady. I started to ask him, "Would this ideal partner want to take you as her partner?" Immediately, he gets the idea. As David had messy hair, liked to drink and smoke, he realized that his ideal partner would never be attracted to somebody like him. He started to make an effort to comb his hair neatly and kicked his drinking and smoking habits. In a couple of months down the road, he finally found the ideal partner that he was looking for.

Mark was in the Internet Marketing business. He was not getting the sales result that he wanted to achieve. After attending a teleconference call by one of the Internet Marketing gurus, he realized the reason why he was not achieving the sales result he wanted was due to lack of planning and insufficient market research for his product. Mark evaluated his methods and began to make a conscious effort to change the way he works. He started to plan well and do sufficient market research before launching his product. The next product that he released was a runaway success!

Ken was a new teacher. He was allocated to teach the most mischievous class in the whole school. Many teachers in the school had already given up on this class. Initially, Ken tried the usual approach to teach the class, but it didn't work well. Ken started evaluating his method and decided to change his approach of teaching them. Instead of the usual one-way communication to the student, Ken engaged the students in the class through fun interactions and games. When the exam results was out, the class had dramatically improved their result.

Based on the above stories, we saw that in order to change the situation, the first change must come from within ourselves. Very often, we feel powerless to change our situation when we feel that things are not within our control. Through this simple principle of changing ourselves in order to change things, we have the power to take control rather than being a victim of the circumstances. When we take responsibility for what we get and change ourselves, everything and everybody will change with us! For things to change, I must change...FIRST!

So?

If you want to be the top Internet Marketer, work hard and work smart.

If you want to be the best employee, constantly value-add to the company.

If you want to find the perfect girlfriend, be that perfect boyfriend first.

Take a piece of paper and write down the top 5 things that you want to change and list down the 5 changes that you would take in order to change the situation. If you do not know what the problem is, kindly seek the help of a friend or loved one who can point it out to you. Start changing your life today!

Seeing Is Believing! - Visualize The Result In Your Life Today!

"If you can see it, you can have it." Is it really so simple? The answer is 'Yes'...and 'No'. If you can see it, you already got your first step right but if you can't even see it, your first step would be fatal right from the start. Let me put this in perspective. If you cannot 'see' where you are heading in your direction or 'see' the end results that you want to achieve, most likely you would give up halfway or even if you did have results, you wouldn't reap the maximum result had you first 'seen' it in your mind with maximum clarity.

For example, you are driving a car with no destination (not 'seeing') in your mind initially. After hours of driving along the road, you would still be on the road thinking of going back to your starting point (giving up) as you did not have a destination in the first place at all. Or you finally 'see' your destination at the end, but it took you 4 hours to reach the destination when it could have just taken you 1 hour to reach it had you 'seen' the destination right from the beginning.

Most people like to use the phrase "seeing is believing", meaning they must see it physically with their naked eye, and only then would they believe. However, if you could embrace this concept of 'seeing' the result in your mind, you are one step ahead of your competitors. Of course, to see the end result in your mind would take a lot of faith and belief to do so.

Does that really mean that if I can 'see' money fall from the sky, it would happen? Absolutely not, 'seeing' is the first step; the second step is to take massive action into achieving your end result (if that means one year's worth of prayer to make money fall from the sky).

I am going to associate the word 'see' with the word 'visualize'. Suppose you are earning $2,000 per month in your Internet Marketing business and you wanted to achieve $5,000 per month. First of all, see the end result in your mind and connect emotionally to it. You could visualize in your mind that $5,000 is deposited in your Paypal account and that you went to the bank to draw out the money. As you count the money, you wouldn't help but feel the fresh, warm and crispy notes in your hand. That's what I meant by 'seeing': to 'see' and to connect emotionally to it. You could take this further by visualizing the detailed process that helps you to earn $5,000 per month. You could also visualize the type of strategies that you could take and the type of new creative ideas that explode your sales in the Internet Marketing business.

For visualization to take place effectively, set aside some time like 15 minutes each day in a conducive quiet environment to visualize. As you visualize, go deep into it as if you are in it. If you visualize superficially on the surface, you wouldn't be able to reap the full benefit of visualization. Always have a pen and paper ready next to you as any new ideas that you visualized across can be jotted down immediately. I cannot discount how powerful this idea of visualization is as many of our money-making ideas are done in this way.