What books should I read?

I love reading and am a firm believer of what Zig Ziglar says how we will be the same person we are today in 5 years time except the people we meet and the books we read. I have a vast library which covers many areas of interest. I love the opportunity to explore different countries, places and minds through the use of thought.
I write and underline most books I read. I have refined the way I study books and many I reread. Think and Grow Rich I have read 15+ times. Each time it is like the first time I have picked it up. I keep discovering so many hidden gems inside it.
I know it is so easy to select a book, read it and then jump to a new one without too much thought about how to use it.
Today I thought I would take some time and look at how we can glean the most out of the books we read.
My library mainly consists of self help and personal development...with the slight sprinkling of fiction.

The modern person believes that blogs and social media are effective means of learning new material. Yes I agree they are a source of information, however not as effective as books for getting the whole concept across.

Yet, although you’re getting some good advice and putting some tips into practice from blogs and social media, you might feel like you need a bit more. You’re skimming blogs on coffee breaks at work, or in between childcare duties at home. And with bite-sized posts of 600 words or so, bloggers are only covering individual topics in discreet sections.

If you want to take yourself to a new level, you need to read books as well as blogs.

Why Should I Read Books?

Don’t get me wrong, blogs are great, and you can get true and deep insights from individual blog posts. They’re also easy to fit into your day, and there tends to be a focus on practical, easy-to-implement advice. But books can complement blogs powerfully:

Books Give You Greater Depth

It’s an obvious point, but a three hundred page book allows an author to fully explore a particular theme or theory: a three hundred word blog post doesn’t allow for much depth. Books can help you to make a paradigm shift or step up a level in your thinking.

When You Read Books, You Focus More

Are you skimming this? Look how I’ve put in subheaders to help you follow the argument. If this was a book, the paragraphs would be longer and you might have pages and pages without a subheading. When we read on paper, we tend to be much more focused than when reading online: no stopping to answer emails or see what’s being said on Twitter.

You’ve Paid For The Book

We often value things we’ve paid for over things that are free. Whilst I’m fully in favour of the amount of free content available online, I do find that I’m more likely to commit myself to in-depth reading when I’ve paid for a book.

Hopefully I’ve convinced you of the “why” – now you just need to find time to do some reading…

Finding Time To Read Books

With most of us spending a lot of the day in front of a computer screen, blogs slip easily into little gaps of time, with content designed to be read in just a few minutes. Books are trickier – do you buy books and leave them unread on a shelf for months, even years? Do you make resolutions to read every day, but end up falling into bed each evening without having cracked the spine of your book?

I find that the best way to “make time” is simply to get into a book: once I’m hooked, the extra time seems to materialize from nowhere! Having said that, you might find it easier if you can establish a routine of reading at a particular time of day:

First Thing In The Morning

Reading something motivational can be a great start to your day. The beginning of the day is a great time to work on any big goal: it means that your reading won’t be squeezed out by other demands on your time.

In Your Lunch Hour

If you tend to work through lunch – or if you end up watching YouTube clips and looking at LOLcats – try reading a book instead. It gives your eyes a break from the glowing screen. Find a park bench (which means you’re actually outside!) and steal half an hour away from fluorescent lights and glowing computer screens to really immerse yourself in a different world. Just this switch in environment will allow more absorption and enjoyment of the material.

End Of The Working Day

If you’re a freelancer, or if you have a lot of control over your own hours, you might find that reading a few pages of your book is a good way to close the working day. This can also help you to “switch off” from work mode.

What Should I Read?

So you’ve got the time and the desire to read some useful, insightful books … now you just need to find the reading matter.

I’ve got a few favorites, but I won’t recommend them here: your needs might well differ from mine. This is how I found the books that I now love…

Read Book Reviews

Most popular books are heavily reviewed on Amazon.com. Don’t focus too much on the star rating – instead, read some of the reviews. You can often get a feel for which reviewers have similar objectives to yours. Sometimes, one or two star reviews don’t mean a book is bad – they just mean that a reader thought it would be a different sort of book!

Don’t just rely on Amazon though: I’ve found it very useful to read book reviews by bloggers who I admire. You might want to check out these lists of reviews:

If you find that everyone seems to be recommending one book, it’s probably worth checking it out!

• Steve Pavlina’s list of Personal Development Books (very short description of each book)
• Tim Brownson’s Inspirational Books By Inspirational Authors (short reviews of each book)
• Trent Hamm’s Twenty Big Ideas: Detailed Summaries and Reviews of Great Personal Finance and Development Books (does what it says in the title!)

Study Tips
Underline key points
Write in the margin thoughts as you read
Summarise the chapter in your own words
Write key ideas down at the start of the chapter
Use a highlighter
Reread the book again
Reread one chapter several times

The key thing is that you read and take time to soak the wisdom of the great messengers before us.

Till next time

How to set goals that will motivate you?

It is easy to set goals, but before long they can be discarded and we are back to where we were. So what do you do in order to set goals that are going to keep you moving towards your worthy ideal?

Resolve today to make the coming year the very best year of your life. Resolve today to draw a line under your past and to focus very clearly on your future. Resolve today that you are going to set goals, make plans, take actions and achieve more in the coming year than perhaps you have ever accomplished in any one single year before.

One of the great rules for success is this: "It doesn't matter where you're coming from; all that really matters is where you're going!"

No matter what you have done or accomplished in the past, "that was then and this is now."

The very best days, weeks, months and years of your life lie ahead. The most exciting accomplishments and the greatest achievements are still to come. As Shakespeare said, "The past is merely a prelude."

As it happens, everyone has goals. But some people seem to accomplish their goals far more systematically and with greater assurance than others. Why is this? The answer is simple. People who accomplish goals at a higher rate than the average are people who use a systematic, proven method of goal setting and goal attainment.

Perhaps the two most important qualities of success are focus and concentration. Focus means knowing exactly what it is you want and concentration means having the discipline to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, until it is complete.

If you have these qualities, and both of these qualities are learned through practice, you can accomplish virtually anything. There are no limits on your future if you can focus and concentrate every hour of every single day.

The starting point of setting goals for the coming year is for you to project forward and think back. Practice what we call "Back from the Future" thinking. Project forward to the end of the next twelve months and ask yourself, "If everything happens perfectly, what will it look like?"

The one quality of men and women who become leaders in their own lives and societies, throughout all of history is the quality of vision. They have the ability to visualize. They can see the future well in advance of it becoming a reality. They can then see the steps that they will need to take to get from where they are to where they want to go.

So if your next twelve months were ideal, in every respect, what would happen or, what would have happened, at the end of that twelve month period?
You need to set goals that are multi-dimensional. You need to set goals for every part of your life so that you function like a well-oiled machine, like a balanced wheel that goes around smoothly in every respect. You need goals for your health, for your career, for your finances, for your relationships, for your personal and professional development, for your community and for your spiritual growth. Nothing happens by accident. Everything happens for a reason. And you are the "primary creative force" in your own life. You are the reason. Things are happening in your life because you make them happen, not because you sit around and wait for them to happen.

Here is the basic seven-step model of goal setting. You can use this like breathing in and breathing out on a regular basis to accelerate your attainment of any goal you can imagine for yourself.

Step number one is for you to decide exactly what you want. This immediately moves you into a separate category of people because most people have no idea of what they really want. Clarity is the most important single quality of goal-setting and perhaps the most important single quality of success. Decide exactly what you want in each area of your life. Instead of fuzzy goals like more money, better health and happiness, be specific about exactly how much more money you want to earn in a specific period of time and combine that with exactly what level of health and fitness you desire.

Most people are unconsciously preoccupied with the fear of failure. It is the greatest single obstacle to success in adult life. And the fear of failure can work on you unconsciously by blocking you from setting clear specific goals. Why? Well, if you don't set clear, specific goals, then you can't fail to achieve them. So your subconscious mind is actually protecting you by helping you to avoid failure.

You must resist and overcome this tendency by having the courage to be bold and specific about exactly what you want. This is step number one.

Step number two is for you to write it down. Only three percent of living Americans, or adults anywhere for that matter, have written goals. Everyone else that thinks about a written goal and plans to write them down, someday. But they never get around to it. Most people spend more time making a list of groceries before they go shopping or planning a vacation than they do in planning their lives. But again, this is not for you. Success begins with a pad of paper, a pen and a few minutes of your time. One of the most important keys to success is to "think on paper."

All successful people "think on paper." And here are two important points. If you cannot write it down clearly and specifically on a piece of paper, then it means that you are not really clear about it yourself. Perhaps you don't even want it. What is worse, it may be that you are afraid that you may not attain it. Nonetheless, a goal that is written down is merely a fantasy or a wish. A goal that is clearly written and described on a piece of paper takes on a power of its own, it is now something concrete that you can touch and feel and work with.

The second principle of writing goals down is that something miraculous happens between the head and the hand. When you actually write a goal down, it is as if you are programming it into your subconscious mind and activating a whole series of mental powers that will enable you to accomplish more than you ever dreamed of. By writing it down you intensify your desire for the goal and you increase your belief that the goal is possible. You begin to expect to achieve the goal and you start to attract people and circumstances into your life that are consistent with the attainment of the goal. Writing your goal down is one of the most amazing of all goal-setting skills and it is a key to your success.

The third step is for you to set a deadline. If it is a large goal, set a series of sub-deadlines. A deadline acts as a "forcing system" on your subconscious mind and begins to move you toward your goal rapidly while it moves your goal toward you.

Sometimes people ask me, "What if I set a goal and I don't achieve it by the deadline?" The answer is simple. Set another deadline. Remember, a deadline is a guess-timate of when you will achieve it. Sometimes you will achieve your goal well in advance of your deadline. Sometimes goals will take much longer than you expect. But you must have a target time before you set off.

It is like making a reservation at a restaurant. You may be five minutes early or five minutes late, but you always have a specific time for which your dinner is reserved.
The fourth step is for you to make a list of everything you could possibly think of that you will have to do to achieve your goal. The more comprehensive your list, the more motivated you will become, the more intense will be your desire and the more you will believe it possible.

One of the things that hold people back is even if they get to the point of a written goal; they do not take the time to lay out a list of all the little things they will have to do to get there. And with additional experience, you will add new items to your list until it finally becomes complete.

The fifth step of goal setting is for you to take your list and organize it into a plan. A plan is really quite simple. It is a list organized by priority and importance. You decide what you will do first and what you will do later. You decide what is more important and what is less important. And most of all, you decide upon the one thing that is more important than anything else that you can do immediately to begin moving more rapidly towards your goal.

Step number six is for you to "take action!" This is the big killer for most people. They are procrastinators. They have great ideas combined with great hopes and dreams. They may even get to the point of writing down their goals. But when it comes to taking action, they always have a reason or excuse to procrastinate to put it off until a later time. However, as the Bible says, "Faith without deeds is dead."

It is when you launch toward your goal that you begin to feel the desire and power that goes along with goal setting. And once you have launched toward your goal, it is much easier for you to continue moving in that direction.

Step number seven is for you to do something every day to move you toward your major goal. Never let a day go by without you engaging in some action that helps you move another step in the direction of what you really, really want in life.

Remember, you can't hit a target that you can't see. And if you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. The simple seven step act of deciding exactly what you want, writing it down, setting a deadline, making a list, organizing the list into a plan, taking action on the most important item on your list and then doing something every day towards your goal will change your life and your future in ways that you cannot even dream of today.

What makes a leader?

I have been thinking about how I can become better in a leadership capacity.
Like anything we can always improve.
This is a list that I like to use and reflect on and ask how am I measuring against them.

• Personal initiative.
• The adoption of a definite major purpose.
• A motive to inspire continuous action in pursuit of a definite major purpose.
• A Master mind alliance through which you may acquire the power to attain your definite purpose.
• Self-reliance in proportion to the scope and object of your major purpose.
• Self-discipline sufficient to insure mastery of the head and the heart, and to sustain your motives until they have been realized.
• Persistence, based on the will to win.
• A well-developed imagination, controlled and directed.
• The habit of reaching definite and prompt decisions.
• The habit of basing opinions on known facts instead of relying on guesswork.
• The habit of going the extra mile.
• The capacity to generate enthusiasm at will, and to control it.
• A well-developed sense of details.
• The capacity to take criticism without resentment.
• Familiarity with the ten basic motives that inspire all human action.
• The capacity to concentrate your full attention upon one task at a time.
• Willingness to accept full responsibility for the mistakes of subordinates.
• The habit of recognizing the merits and abilities of others.
• A positive mental attitude at all times.
• The habit of assuming full responsibility for any job or task undertaken.
• The capacity for applied faith.
• Patience with subordinates and associates.
• The habit of following through with any task once begun.
• The habit of emphasizing thoroughness instead of speed.
• Dependability, the only requirement of leadership that can be stated with one word – but no less important to success on that account.

Food for thought.

Fraser

Wondering how to start gaining momentum?

Sometimes we wonder why we are just treading water...

Here is a great article by Napoleon Hill

Things you give to others, through expression, are the only things you are able to retain, remember, or keep for yourself. Any gems of thought or wisdom which you are anxious to remember, you must repeatedly give to others, or they will elude your grasp at the critical moment. Here is a simple way to test the truth of what has been said. Listen to a good story someone tells you, one worth remembering, one you would like to tell others. Do you know that if you do not tell it to someone right away you will forget it yourself? And do you know that if you do tell it, not only to one person, but to many persons, you will never forget it?

You have heard of the saying, It's better to give than to receive. Here is one place where this is literally and particularly true, because in order to retain the understanding of this or any other subject you are studying, you must give it away to someone else. That is, share it, explain it, pass it along to another person. If you try to hoard it to yourself, you will forget some of the subtle points which may be important at a certain place in your career. Share these principles with others, not the details of your purpose or plan. These details you are cautioned to share only with the greatest discretion and to keep strictly to yourself at certain times.

Giving is a form of expression and giving is living. Let us read a story which perfectly illustrates this point. The story has been adapted from a book by Bruce Barton.

There are two seas in Palestine. One, the Sea of Galilee, is fresh and fish live in it. Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its nourishing water. Christ loved this spot. He looked out across its silver surface when He spoke. And on a rolling plain not far away, He fed 5,000 on loaves and fish from this very sea. The river Jordan fills this sea with sparkling water from the hills and then flows on south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of bird, no children's laughter. Travelers choose another route unless they are on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its waters, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink of them.

What makes this mighty difference in these neighboring seas? Not the river Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil on which they lie; nor the country about. No, none of these; but there is a difference. The Sea of Galilee receives, but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it, another drop flows out. The giving and receiving are in equal measure. The other sea is selfish, hoarding its income jealously. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. The Dead Sea gives nothing. It is indeed dead. There are two kinds of people in this world – just as there are two seas in Palestine.

In this business of becoming successful, you will find you will need both hands. One hand will be stretched upward, to receive the blessing of Infinite Intelligence, with the other extended down and outward, sharing and giving to others who are helping you in the climb. No one ever achieved outstanding success without the cooperation of others; and you realize, of course, that you must give something in return for this cooperation.

Habits of the mind

After speaking about focus, I came accross this by Napoleon Hill.

Habits of Thought
by Napoleon Hill
The drifter makes no attempt to discipline or control his thoughts, and he never learns the difference between positive thinking and negative thinking. He allows his mind to drift with any stray thought which may float into it. People who drift in connection with their thought habits are sure to drift on other subjects as well.

In an allegorical account of an interview with the devil it was stated that the devil said he feared nothing except that the world might sometime produce a thinker who would use his own mind, adding significantly that he controlled all drifters who neglected to use their own minds. The devil is not the only individual who exploits the drifter. And the drifter is the victim not only of all those who wish to exploit him, but he is also the victim of all the stray, negative thoughts which park themselves in his mind.

The non-drifter takes full possession of his own mind through self-discipline, and organizes definite plans and purposes. He directs his mind to whatever ends he desires, and he keeps his mind occupied with the things he wants and off the things he does not want.

A positive mental attitude is the first and the most important of the twelve riches of life, and it cannot be attained by the drifter. It can be attained only by a scrupulous regard for time, through habits of self-discipline. No amount of time devoted to one’s occupation can compensate for the benefits of a positive mental attitude, for this is the power which makes the use of time effective and productive.

A positive mental attitude does not grow voluntarily, like the weeds of the fields. It requires cultivation, through carefully disciplined habits of thought. And the greatest of all training grounds for the cultivation of a positive mental attitude is provided by one’s chosen occupation, where he spends the greatest part of his life. Here you may combine your efforts to make them financially productive and to develop a positive mental attitude.

When you get your own thought habits under control, you will have yourself under control, but you cannot do it by drifting. Organize your thoughts. Decide what you want, to what position in life you aspire. Then plan ways and means to express your thoughts in terms of organized action. Follow through with applied faith and unremitting persistence. This is the means by which you can become the master of your fate, the captain of your soul.

Waste no time worrying about what others may think. The important thing is what you think and do.



Fraser

Why you need a vision board!!!!!

I have recently been working on my goals for the year. For me it is not something that is done quickly. I take time and review them before finalizing what they will be. I have just got near the end of finalizing my goals for the coming year and my mind has started to think how can I show this on a vision board as I believe it is essential that we visually show what we are in the process of creating.
Therefore today i thought I would share some ideas of the believes behind why they are so essential in creating your goals.

A vision board is a simple yet powerful visualization tool that activates the universal law of attraction to begin manifesting your dreams into reality. The concept of the vision board (also known as a goal board, goal map, or treasure map) has been around for generations, but it’s gained a renewed interest and popularity after success expert John Assaraf related his story of using vision boards to achieve his dreams in the best-selling DVD documentary The Secret.

WHAT'S A VISION BOARD?

A vision board is simply a visual representation or collage of the things that you want to have, be, or do in your life. It consists of a poster or foam board with cut-out pictures, drawings and/or writing on it of the things that you want in your life or the things that you want to become. The purpose of a vision board is to activate the law of attraction to begin to pull things from your external environment that will enable you to realize your dream. By selecting pictures and writing that charges your emotions with feelings of passion, you will begin to manifest those things into your life.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

What exactly is the law of attraction? The law of attraction states that we attract into our lives anything that we give attention to, regardless whether it be positive or negative. From a psychological view, the law of attraction can be best explained by the information filtering system of the brain known as the reticular activating system (RAS). Vision boards serve the role of programming the RAS to tune into external stimuli that can help us move closer towards our intentions.

HOW TO MAKE AND USE YOUR VISION BOARD

Your personal vision board is only limited by the extent of your own creativity. Some of my students have produced simple vision boards and others have made vision boards that could probably sell at an art show for hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Having artistic ability is not a prerequisite for creating a functional vision board however and the procedures I’ve outlined below can be used by anyone.

The general elements that a well-designed vision board should include are:

Visual. Your subconscious mind works in pictures and images, so make your vision board as visual as possible with as many pictures as you can. You can supplement your pictures with words and phrases to increase the emotional response you get from it.

Emotional. Each picture on your vision board should evoke a positive emotional response from you. The mere sight of your vision board should make you happy and fuel your passion to achieve it every time you look at it.

Strategically-placed. Your vision board should be strategically placed in a location that gives you maximum exposure to it. You need to constantly bath your subconscious mind with it’s energy in order to manifest your desires quicker than you hope.

Personal. Negative feelings, self-doubt, and criticism can damage the delicate energy that your vision board emits. If you fear criticism or justification of your vision board from others, then place it in a private location so it can only be seen by yourself.

Step 1—Compile your pictures. Start by going through your magazines and compiling all the pictures that you can find that are relevant to your goal. Don’t evaluate the pictures or start pasting them onto your board. Just stack them into a pile. If you are internet saavy, then a much quicker method that I do myself is to use an internet search engine to find good pictures that I can use for my board. You can either print the pictures out on paper and then glue it to the board, or print the pictures out onto a self-adhesive label so that it becomes a sticker. This is the preferred method because it is takes much less time to do and you can pinpoint your pictures using very good technology at your hands. Make sure that each image that you put on your board resonates with your heart and makes you excited at the mere look of it. It’s also important when selecting pictures to include anything that is congruent with your goal, such as any changes in your life that might result from obtaining your goal. So if your goal is to have a six figure income, then select pictures of a lifestyle that is congruent with your six figure income. Asking yourself the following questions might help you design a congruent vision board:

What would you do differently when you realize your goal?
Where would you travel?
Where would you live?
What would you wear?
What things would you own?
What kind of vehicle would you drive?
What would you do for work?...Or would you work?
Who would you help?

Step 2—Sort and Cut. Go through your pile of pictures and select the ones that impact you the most emotionally. Cut the extraneous material away from the image.

Step 3—Arrange and glue. Start arranging your pictures creatively on your board. Don’t worry about being artistic—that’s not the point. The point is that your board should resonate with your emotions. Arrange your pictures in a way that gives you an emotional connection to your vision board. After you are satisfied with the arrangement, glue all your pictures in place. Additionally, you might want to add writing or drawing on your vision board if you feel that it would better resonate with your emotions. A feature unique to my vision boards is that I also put two labels on the bottom of board that read: “Date created: [today’s date]” and “Date Manifested: [blank]” This lets me know how long my vision has been gestating since its creation and also every time I look at my vision board, not only am I emotionally charged with the pictures, but I also feel an overwhelming sense to see it manifested to completion.

Step 4—Strategic positioning. The most important part of having a vision board is having it in a strategic location that gives you as much visual exposure to it throughout the day. For most of us, this is in the office, but if that is not possible or appropriate, then try your living room or your bedroom. Some people I know mount their vision boards on the ceiling above their bed so that it is the first thing they see when they wake up and the last thing they see when they go to sleep. If you are sensitive to what others might say of your vision board, then be sure to keep it in a safe area where only you will see it. Negative criticism or justification of your dreams can kill the energy that your vision board releases. As Brian Tracy states, “What they don’t know, can’t hurt you.”[7]

Step 5— Update your vision board. Your vision board has to inspire you. It has to charge you with renewed passion everytime you look at it and over time and as you progress closer towards your vision, you might find that some of the images or pictures on your vision board don’t really carry as much emotional impact on you as they did before. When this happens, you’ll want to update your vision board with new fresh images that do inspire you. You’re vision board is not a finished piece of art after its initial creation. It’s a dynamic piece of art that shifts and changes as your vision shifts and changes. Therefore, if you find your level of passion that your vision board gives you is growing weaker, then update it to bring fresh new emotions to it.

FAMOUS EXAMPLES OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

Here are three examples of famous people who have used the techniques of visualization to activate the law of attraction in their lives. Although not all of them specifically used vision boards to get what they wanted, the applications that they used were similar in function.

John Assaraf’s Vision Board. Successful entrepreneur and author, John Assaraf, brought the age-old concept of a vision board to the mainstream public by relating his story of it in the motivational documentary, The Secret. In May of 2000, John was working in his home office inside his beautiful new home in Southern California when his five-year old son came in and asked him what were in the dusty boxes in the corner of his home office. John told him that it contained his vision boards. His son didn’t understand what they were, so John opened one of the boxes to show him. When John pulled out the second board from the box, he began to cry. On it was a picture of a 7000 square foot house on top of six acres of spectacular land that he had seen and cut out from Dream Homes magazine in 1995. It was the exact house that he had just purchased several weeks prior—A sure testament to the law of attraction at work.

Bruce Lee’s Letter. The late martial arts legend and my own personal role-model, Bruce Lee, understood the power of the law of attraction. As a struggling entrepreneur and actor, Bruce sat down one day and wrote the following letter to himself: “By 1980, I will be the best known oriental movie star in the United States and will have secured $10 million dollars… And in return, I will give the very best acting I could possibly give every single time I am in front of the camera and I will live in peace and harmony.” In 1973, months after Bruce’s untimely death, the blockbuster movie Enter the Dragon was released in both the United States and China, elevating Bruce to the level of an international star. According to Jack Canfield, that very letter that Bruce wrote to himself is hanging up on one of the walls at Planet Hollywood in New York City.[8]

Jim Carrey’s Check. As a struggling young comedian trying to make it in the make or break city of Hollywood, Jim Carrey was just about ready to give up his dream of becoming a professional actor and comedian. He had just performed at an open mic session at one of the nightclubs in Los Angeles and had been booed off the stage by his audience. He sat by himself at the top of Mulholand Drive and looked out at the city below him—the city that held his future success or failure. He then pulled out his check book and wrote himself a check for $10 million dollars and made a note on it: “for acting services rendered.” He then carried that check with him in his wallet everywhere he went from that day forward. By 1995, after the success of his blockbuster movies: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask, his contract price had risen to the price of $20 million dollars.[8]

Conclusion

Vision boards are an important tool in your success tool box. They are cheap to make and their potential value to you is immeasurable. Figure out what you want in your life and then commit yourself 100% towards making that first step of creating your vision board and activating the law of attraction to pull your dreams into reality.

Have fun

It's Time to Clear The Clutter!!!!

It's Time to Clear The Clutter


“If you want to feel better, clean your desk.”
– David Allen

I've always said that if I ever get into another business after the personal development industry, in will be the self-storage business in America.

Why? Because people are obsessed with buying stuff!

And when there's too much stuff in the house, do they get rid of it? No, they get another storage unit. You can't even get the car in the garage – your poor car has to sit outside because you've got so much stuff.

But WHY is clutter a problem in the first place?

Why Clutter Is a Costly Problem

If you have physical or emotional clutter – meaning clutter in your Inner or Outer Environments – then it's very difficult for something BETTER to come in to your life.

Have you ever noticed that when you clear stuff out, you feel better? I know you've experienced this.

For example, someone cleared the clutter from her office, her business doubled in 40 days!
Someone couldn't even see the rug in her office because she had so much clutter. When she cleaned out the clutter, she took out 17 garbage bags of clutter from her little office.

Guess what? In 30 days, she made enough extra money in her business to replace the carpet she couldn't even see before.

In this article, I'll show you how to clear the clutter from your Outer Environment. In the next article, I show you how to clear the clutter from your Inner Environment.

Exercise: Installing Your Outer Environment System

1. What are the biggest blocks in my HOME Environment?

2. What are the biggest blocks in my WORK Environment?

3. What ACTIONS can I take this week to clear the clutter from my Outer Environment?

4. WHO can help me clear the clutter – and WHEN will I ask for their support?

OUTER ENVIRONMENT QUESTIONS 1 & 2 — What are the biggest blocks in my Home and Work Environment?

Write 10, 20 or more blocks. Be honest about what your biggest blocks are in your Outer Environment.

At Home, it may be that out-of-control closet, your desk that hasn't been cleaned since the Carter administration, the garage you can't get in.

Whatever your blocks are — and you know what they are — write them down.

What about your Work Environment? "I can't find my papers. I don't have the right software. I don't know where my computer is. I have an old computer that doesn’t work properly."

And clutter doesn't always mean a bunch of junk. It might mean that you need tools you don't currently have.

Would you expect to build a nice house with just a hammer, a screwdriver and two nails? You need all the correct tools and systems to do the job.

If you want to grow your business, yet don't have the tools you need to grow, it's going to cost you.

So write what's MISSING as well as what's IN YOUR WAY.

Your head trash is going to say, "But I don't have the money, I can't afford it!" What else is new? Write it anyway.

Question 3: What ACTIONS can I take to clear the clutter from my Outer Environment this week?

"when I'm starting to clear the clutter from my life, which should I start with - the Inner or the Outer?"

I always tell them: Start with the Outer.

I know that sounds counter intuitive, because you say, "But I want to feel good on the inside!"

Don't worry, you will.

Your Outer Environment includes the things you can see and touch. In case you haven't noticed, your Outer Environment greatly affects your emotional and spiritual well-being.

You can't find your papers. You're tripping over too much stuff. You have clutter. Isn't that frustrating?

Well, to be frustrated is a feeling, and feelings are caused by something. Therefore, when you remove the outer cause of the inner feeling, you will feel better.

So go through that closet, go through your files, clear off your desk and unload your inbox. Throw stuff away. (We'll get to the emotional stuff in the next article.)

4. WHO can help me clear the clutter - and WHEN will I ask for their support?

You know that friend you can't stand - the one whose house is always neat and whose desk is always perfect? Yeah, that one.

That's exactly the person you need to ask for support.

If this just feels overwhelming to you, ask a neat friend to help you.

We all know someone like this. Call them and ask for their help!

You are not alone.

Ask your Loving Mirrors at home and your Safe Havens at work.

Because life gets much easier when you let yourself have the support you need to succeed.

Spend time this weekend clearing your mind and physical environment

Doreen Virtue

Recently I have come across the writer...light bearer Doreen Virtue. She has a lot of insights and useful information that is well worth reading and exploring.

This is an article that I enjoyed.


Ten Lessons I Learned From the Angels

The more I talk to my angels, the more I learn. Here are ten lessons they have taught me that have changed my life.

1. Live in integrity.
The angels said to me, "Spend your time doing activities that match your highest intentions. Let go of things that your intuition prompts you to surrender. Those things may then either become healed so that you enjoy them, or else the activity will easily drop away."

The angels urged me to trust my heart. They assured me that I would be safe to turn down work that didn't match my true interests. I quickly found that the angels were right!

2. There is only now.
"You are complete and whole now. Don't cast your eyes on what tomorrow may bring — this implies you are imperfect or lacking now, and that you will be whole when something external comes into your life in the future."

When the angels said this, I realized that I had been living for the future. My focus was on what tomorrow would bring me, instead of my present blessings. I now make a mental "gratitude list" each night.

3. All conflict is inside your mind.
"Any conflict you see or experience in the outside world is a projection of your ego. In truth, the world is completely at peace and you project your fear of peace onto the world. You don't want to resolve your inner conflict, but you do want to get it away from yourself. So, you project it onto other people and think that 'they' are the ones who are causing you discomfort. Other people are neutral, blank slates and you color them with your own meaning and definitions. Then, you react to them as if these colorations and definitions were real. Other people, in turn, treat you in the way that you expect, in a self-fulfilling prophecy."

As the angels explained this, I realized how often I had allowed fear to create miserable times for me. But always, I had the power to choose the thoughts and feelings I ascribed to all situations.

4. Purify your diet.
"All food has vibration, and you want to vibrate as high and fine as you feel attuned to. Eat a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, which have the highest vibrational frequencies. Avoid meats, dairy, alcohol, sugar, chocolate, and caffeine, which have the lowest vibrations. And remember that the essence of all foods you eat affects you long after the food is digested and gone."

At the time that the angels told me Lesson #4, my diet was already quite healthful. I had given up meats, fowl, and alcohol. Still, there was room for improvement so I followed my guardian angel's dietary advice and adopted a Vegan approach to eating. The improvement in my energy and outlook was drastic and immediate! Instead of feeling deprived, choosing healthful foods felt easy and natural.

5. Don't give in order to get.
"Let go of outlining the results that you expect from giving. You will get results from giving; that is the universal law. But it is not up to you how the cause and effect will be circulated. Plus, if you expect something in return, you haven't truly given away anything. Instead, you're holding it in consciousness, expecting to get something first before you fully release it."

Once again, I felt embarrassed as the angels saw into the depths of my soul. They knew that I was a giving person. Yet, I had to admit that I'd sometimes given with expectations of receiving something in return. With full trust in my guardian angels, I decided to let go of all strings attached to my gifts to others. Almost immediately, I began receiving surprising rewards, such as new business opportunities and wonderful experiences with friends.

6. Spend time alone in nature.
"Sounds and smells of nature are invisible, so they take your mind to the invisible realm of spirit, where things vibrate higher and faster than matter. There are healing properties in nature. Also, there are very real nature angels. You can ask these nature angels to heal you. Being in nature helps you to adapt to the natural rhythm of the earth, and since timing and cycles are a part of everything, you become more in sync with the rhythm of life."

At the angels' urging, I ventured away from my desk more and began spending my lunch hour outdoors. The fresh air, sunshine, and fragrance of flowers all help me to meditate on deeper levels. I sit outside and ask the nature angels to surround me.

7. Detach from matter.
"When you are attached to matter in thought, you stay attached to the products of the ego mind, and thus stay attached to the ego. There is no way of escaping this law. Mind upon matter is the ego mind."

My guardian angels made it clear that there is nothing wrong with material items. Matter is neutral, according to the angels. They also realize that we humans have material needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. However, when we overly contemplate material items — such as continuously thinking about money or possessions — we are focused on our lower-self nature, instead of our higher self.

8. Judge not.
"You judge others as a way of protecting yourself, to keep them away from you so you won't get close to them and get hurt. But we have told you that you don't need to think about your safety. You are safe, and an overwhelming thought pattern of concern about your safety can bring the very thing you fear into your life."

The angels explained that we draw to us whatever we think about. If I obsessively think about physical or emotional danger, I create a climate in which my worst fears come true. With practice, I began noticing the moment when I'd judge other people. I began releasing my fears to the angels, and felt my judgmental habits gradually disappear.

9. You live where your consciousness is focused.
"If you think an unloving thought or a thought devoid of love — competition, envy, or worry, you feel pain. You ARE your consciousness and you feel the effects of where your consciousness is focused. You do not want pain. Therefore, choose to give your unloving thoughts to the light."

At first, this lesson was painful for me to face. I'd always thought that my outer circumstances influenced my happiness. Yet, the angels insisted that this was backwards, and that my thoughts colored my world. They told me that my happiness didn't hinge upon what I had, but instead upon, what I thought.

10. In all things, give glory to God.
"Seek not glory for yourself. In essence, though, when you give glory to God, you are giving glory to that part of yourself that is one with God. By giving glory to God, you stay out of your ego state, and stay centered in your higher self consciousness."

Initially, my lesson humbled me. But before I could slip into feelings of shame, my angels boosted me with the reminder that — since my true self is one with God — I was praising the real me every time I gave glory to God. The ten lessons are now ingrained and permanent parts of my daily living. When my clients compliment me about the crisp clarity of the Divine guidance I receive during our sessions, I say, "Thank you, but all credit goes to God and the angels. They taught me how to receive the Divine guidance. I deserve credit merely for following that guidance,because — thanks to them — I'm now a very good listener."

Doing the best we can!!!!

It is very easy to slip into same old same old. Something I do to help avoid this, is to ask myself if I am doing the best I can? Am I performing excellence in all I do?
So today I wanted to share some ideas on excellence:

“With regard to excellence, it’s not enough to know, but we must try to have and use it.” Aristotle

Developing excellence doesn’t happen overnight. There are no quick and easy ways to develop excellence in our families, lives or careers. We can’t attend a seminar and as a result magically become excellent. We can’t read a book and have it all figured out in a day. And we can’t just tell ourselves we have excellence and then automatically possess it. Developing excellence takes time; it’s hard work and can take a lifetime to develop.

The word excellence is defined as the quality of excelling, possessing good qualities in high degree. It also means to excel in something. The word excellent means something is very good of its kind, eminently good or first class. In other words, something that is excellent is superior.

Excellence is not perfection. It’s not performing flawlessly or without mistakes. Excellence is a process and developing excellence is a mind-set, a mind-set that says, “I’m working toward excelling at something and I desire to possess good qualities in high degree.” It can also mean that I am striving to be excellent, a mind-set that says, “I want to be very good at what I do. I want my life and work to be superior.”

Developing excellence is a process in which we strive to excel and live a life full of good qualities. Excellence is not a one-time event – it’s a way of life. And to possess anything in high degree or to be first class, we need to practice.

Practice

In my own life I haven’t always liked to practice. This is probably the reason I was never good in sports. I always wanted to be good without the practice it took to get good. I wanted results without the work. Unfortunately, that’s not possible. To achieve anything in life we must work at it. We must practice it. And then we become excellent.
Practise doesn't make perfect....perfect pratise makes perfect.

I’ve spent many years trying to do things quickly and wanting results fast. When I published my first book, I wrote it quickly, got it published and went out into the marketplace to begin selling it. I didn’t do any research, ask for any feedback or make a plan as to how I would sell it. I just did it.

And while I’m glad I did it, I would do it differently if I had it to do over again. I would have taken more time, asked for feedback and done research on books similar to mine. I would have asked more questions, taken more time to brainstorm and been willing to be critiqued.

Live Without Regret

Being excellent also means living without regret.I believe developing excellence means we learn from the past and use it to excel in our future endeavors. It’s not about bashing ourselves for past mistakes – that only keeps us from developing excellence. Developing excellence means learning from the past, deciding what worked and what could have worked better, and then applying our learnings to future projects.

Some of the things I learned from my first publishing experience can apply to all areas of my life.

I learned to slow down and think through any project before forging ahead.

I learned to let go of my need for immediate results.

I learned to look at the big picture before moving ahead.

I learned to ask for help and to get feedback from people I trust.

I learned to research my ideas and the resources available.

Another Chance

One of the neatest things about developing excellence is that we always have another chance – we’re never done. Developing excellence is a work in progress.

I now have an opportunity to apply what I learned from my first book and use the knowledge as I begin writing my second book. I did my homework this time. I asked for feedback, held a focus group and researched my market. I’ve also taken the time to let my ideas come to life and to really think about the focus of my book, its audience and the results I desire through this publishing effort.

It feels good to be able to put into practice some new ways of developing excellence. I know my business will never be perfect but I’m committed to continually developing excellence in business and in my personal life.

And as you take steps to further create excellence in you life, remember to practice, live without regret and take full advantage of second chances.

7 Keys to Developing Excellence

Take the time. Excellence takes time. Be patient with yourself, as results do not always come overnight.

Think through the process. No matter what type of project you are undertaking, be sure to think through the entire process. Look at the big picture or end results before diving in.

Be persistent. Keep moving forward despite setbacks. Things will get in the way – that’s life. Just keep moving ahead and you’ll develop more excellence in your life.

Ask for feedback. Receiving feedback is a great way to make sure your project will get the results you desire and it may keep you from going down the wrong path. Though receiving feedback is not always fun, just remember it will help you develop excellence.

Study excellence. Research your ideas as well as any experts in your field. There are people out there who have accomplished what you want to accomplish – study them. Learn how they accomplished their goals and look for the ways they were excellent.

Practice new techniques. Practice makes excellence. You will never be perfect at anything but you can be excellent at many things.

Celebrate small successes. It’s essential to recognize your achievements, no matter how small. If you have taken steps toward excellence development and have results – applaud yourself!

Make it a habit!!!

Making the Day...making the week better

It is so easy to get tied up and get buried under all the have to for the day and week. Today I thought I would share some ideas to make the most of today and the week and to make it even better.

What are you doing right now to further your highest-priority goals?

1. Write it down. You’ve heard it before, but the truth is writing down your goals forces you to get clear about what you want. Use a pen and paper (you can transfer it to your computer later). That simple physical act helps cement the desire in your brain. The more time you spend on this the better...make it clear. Remember to use present tense.

2. Find a replacement. In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy explains one way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. What can you choose to add to your life that will fill the void left by eliminating a bad habit? For example, replace TV time with family time, candy with fresh fruit, talk radio with inspiring audios. Jack Canfield also uses this concept in the success principles.

3. Tell someone. Talking about your goal—or sharing with others to encourage and help you by providing resources and information you may need. Napoleon Hill calls this the mastermind team. Get a group pf 4 people and hold each other accountable.

4. Take baby steps every day. Just like Bill Murray in What About Bob, even small steps taken toward your goal consistently will move you in the right direction. Once you experience a few small wins, taking bigger steps becomes easier.

5. Take BIG steps, too. Don’t take all year to do what you can accomplish in a day. Once you’ve written down your list of goals for the year, figure out which goals could be accomplished this month—or even today.

Make sure you take steps daily...momentum.

Are you living your dreams?

Are You Living Your Dreams?

If the answer is no, then ask yourself “why not”? Life is short, and you never know when it will come to an end. Do you really want to say that you lived a life of unfulfilled dreams?

But “hold it!” you say. “I’m waiting for the perfect time” or “I’m waiting for the perfect situation”. All this waiting is an excuse not to go out and try. Or, maybe it’s not that you are “waiting” per se, but rather that you are afraid.

So, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of making a mistake? Afraid of making the wrong choice? Are you afraid that you may not be good enough, or that the people around you might laugh at your dreams, or won’t support you? Are your fears enough to stop you?

And what happens if you do end up living your dreams? Are you afraid that once you get there then you’ll have to live them? Meaning that what you’ve been talking about for so long will now come to fruition and you might not actually succeed?

As a coach, I find that fear is the number one reason that people do not live their dreams. Fear holds us back, sometimes paralyzing us, and prevents us from moving forward. But, when you look back at your life, what do you want it to be about? Do you want to say, “I could have” or “I did”? The choice is yours. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

How do you move past your fears and live your dreams? Follow these easy steps:

1. Acknowledge That You Have Dreams:

I meet so many people who say that they don’t have dreams or they can’t remember what they are. You know what your dreams are, you really do. You’ve just pushed them down so deep that it might take some time to bring them to the surface again. Let them out, you deserve to live them.

2. Write Down Your Dreams:

How can you live your dreams if you can’t see what they are? Write them down. Don’t judge your dreams or wonder “how?” Just do it!

3. Realize That Dreams Come True In Steps:

Your dreams cannot come true until you take a small step. It doesn’t have to be a large one. It just has to get you moving. Small steps are the steps that will get you to your dreams. Until, one day, you realize that you are there.

4. Face The Barriers That Are Keeping You From Living Your Dreams:

What’s keeping you from living your dreams? Not enough money or time? Too many responsibilities? Look for ways to overcome this. There will always be a reason not to do something. It’s up to you if you want to give into these reasons or not.

5. Find People Who Will Support You:

Select people who will love you and cheer you on as you move toward your dreams. Tell them how much you love and appreciate them. You do not want to live your dreams by yourself.

6. Pat Yourself On The Back For Your Successes:

You deserve it! The fun part of living your dreams is the journey. It is the road to success that builds character and the part that you will remember the most.

7. Be Comfortable With Fear:

There are times when you will wonder if you have what it takes to fulfill your dreams or if you deserve to live them. Fear is a normal part of the process. If you can accept that sooner or later you will be afraid, then you don’t have to spend time worrying about what you will do when fear sets in. The only way past fear is through it and not around it. There is no other way.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Remain focused!!!

You Must Live In The Moment

Living in the moment means focusing entirely on what you're doing and nothing else. By living in the moment and putting your whole focus on the present moment situation you are in, you allow your mind to increase in focus on the tasks you are performing and achieving the best from it. Your creative energy will increase and allow you to exhibit greater control over the creative process. Your enjoyment from the tasks you are performing will also increase immeasurably, as you feel good about what you're doing and experience mental ecstasy from living in "the zone" of peak performance.

You Must Follow A Plan Of Action

By following a plan of action, you allow your focus to increase. This is because you are following a set plan with a clear structure which allows your focus to increase on that. You can contrast this with a situation in which there is no structure and no plan - the focus will obviously then be all over the place, leading to little discipline of the mind. So by following a set plan of action, you allow for your focus to increase and the magnetism of your thoughts to increase as a result. Next to this, is the requirement to follow a diligence plan. This is a plan which follows the laws of diligent action, which are incredibly specific. The actions must lead to a pure return on investment, by performed with full concentration and focus, and follow the laws of thought magnetism. When doing that, the return on investment will always increase and grow larger as time goes on.

You Must Follow The Laws Of Thought Magnetism

These are essentially, the Laws of Your Mind. The mind operates on certain laws, and complementing these laws will allow you to achieve exceptional levels of success extremely quickly. When you complement the laws correctly, you will have a high level of thought magnetism: your thoughts will seem to flow easily and enlarge quickly to allow you to achieve your goals.

The mind will become a lot more quieter and success will seem to come from all corners out of nowhere. All of this will happen when thought magnetism is maintained. It also dramatically increases the effectiveness of living in the moment and following a set plan of action. Everything will lead to a positive result for you, and it will seem miraculous to put it mildly.


Fraser

Same old same old?

The new year seems an age ago and I guess many of you you are thinking already same old same old.
Unless we do something different we will end up with the same result...therefore we must change and be and do what we want.

"We generate our own environment. We get exactly what we deserve. How can we resent a life we've created ourselves? Who's to blame, who's to credit but us? Who can change it, anytime we wish, but us?"
— Richard Bach

Every one of us lives in two Environments— our Outer Environment and our Inner Environment. Your Outer Environment consists of your Home and Work lives; your Inner Environment consists of your Emotional and Spiritual lives.
Your Quality of Life

Your Outer Environment is the physical environment you can see and touch. You can’t see your Inner Environment directly; you can only see the effects of it.

The only two things that determine your quality of life are: the quality of your communication with the world outside of you, and the quality of your communication with the world inside of you.

We live in two worlds. We experience our Outer Environment, but who’s the experiencer? You. You experience the Outer through the Inner: with your emotions, spirit, soul and mind.
Break Out of Your Familiar Zone

During my live seminars, I ask people: "How many people feel that CLUTTER is a problem in your life?" About 75% of the hands go up.

Why do we have such a problem with clutter? While I could give you a lot of surface answers, it always comes down to fear.

Fear keeps us in our Familiar Zone. You've heard a million times that you need to "get out of your comfort zone". But consider this:

Let’s say you're driving down the road of life with one foot on the brake. You're aware that you're holding yourself back, and you don't like it. You wouldn't be reading this right now if that weren't true.

So here's my question to you: Is the feeling of going down the road of life with your foot on the brake comfortable?

You and I both know that it isn't comfortable at all. In fact, it's decidedly UNcomfortable. It is, however, familiar.

When you look at that word "familiar", what does that word look like to you?

Right—family.

Family is the root of the word familiar. Some people in my seminars say "family-liar!" The point is:

You don't need to break out of your "comfort zone" – because your "comfort zone" doesn’t exist.

What you need is to break out of your FAMILIAR Zone.

You may be familiar with clutter.

You may be familiar with holding yourself back from the success you're capable of.

You may be familiar with stopping yourself from success.

Most people are.

But you're probably not comfortable with it, let alone happy about it.

Exercise: Break Out of Your Familiar Zone

Answer these questions:

1. What parts of my life am I familiar with, that I am tired of?

2. What would I like to change about my life?

3. What would I like to change about my business?

4. Who can help me make these changes?

5. How will I benefit from making these changes?

6. What will I have to GIVE UP to make these changes?

7. Am I willing to give up something in order to have what I really want?