Posted 10/26/2003 by Josh Hinds

Throwing Interceptions In The Game Of Life
By Charles Lalonde

Steve Young, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers who led his team to a Super Bowl victory in 1995, said the following in his forward for Gordon B. Hinckley's book, Way To Be:

"From my experience, life is a lot like football. I can tell you from painful personal experience that throwing an interception on Monday Night Football with 80,000 fans
screaming at you in the stadium and millions more watching on television is embarrassing and depressing.

The boos from the crowd ring in your ears. Your teammates look at you as if you had stolen their lunch. At those moments, you just want to dig a hole and disappear."

Rich Gannon, the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders who led his team to the Super Bowl this past season, set an NFL record for pass completions (418) and was voted the league's MVP, can empathize with Steve's sentiments.

During the 16 regular season games, Gannon only threw a total of 10 interceptions. However, in the Super Bowl-the most important game of the year-he threw 5 interceptions, which resulted in 3 touchdowns and a field goal (a total of 24 points) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

When considering the final score of the game, Tampa Bay-48 Oakland-21, the 24 points off interceptions was most likely the difference between winning and losing.

Many times in the game of life, no matter how prepared we are, we throw interceptions that set us back or even cause temporary defeat in our quest for success and prosperity. You may ask, how can this happen?

Steve Young shares his point of view on this question: "Often we face situations in which it feels as though we are throwing blind--we must make decisions without knowing exactly what the consequences will be."

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill said this about defeat: "No follower of this philosophy can reasonably expect to accumulate a fortune without experiencing temporary defeat."

Defeat, refines our character and develops a greater depth of knowledge, experience, confidence and an awareness of our dependence on Infinite Intelligence.

Our response to throwing an interception in the game of life is the key to ultimate victory or defeat. This was very apparent during the Super Bowl.

After Rich Gannon's first interception, which led to a Buccaneer's touchdown, the countenance of the Raiders' players changed and they began to look defeated. And even though two touchdowns in the third quarter sparked the Raiders to life, another Buccaneer interception in the fourth quarter quickly extinguished this spark.

As Steve Young said in his forward, "If we are going to play the game of life we can assume that we're going to throw a few interceptions or make a few mistakes from time to time." The following five steps will help you deal positively with an interception or temporary defeat:

1. Keep your focus on the goal and purpose for playing the game. In your mind, continue to see the successful completion of your goal.

2. Have a good friend/associate be your coach and mentor to encourage you, pick you up when you make mistakes, and reinforce the fundamentals that you've learned for winning.

3. Have a reliable support system to track your results and encourage you through discouragement and defeat.

4. Surround yourself with those who believe in your dream as much as you do.

5. Never be prepared to accept losing the game (your dream) even when momentary defeat overtakes you--losing a battle is different than losing the war.

Will it be easy to succeed? That all depends on the magnitude of your purpose and goal(s)--the greater the magnitude, the greater the number of challenges, obstacles and demands on your talents that you will have to overcome.

Great rewards come with great challenges. The choice is up to each of us--either we seek the safety and security of aiming low, or we develop the fundamentals for success and then shoot for the stars, accepting the challenges and temporary defeat along the way.

Helen Keller, the epitome of one who, with the right frame of mind, overcame severe challenges and defeats, said: "Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing."

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Charles Lalonde is a Certified trainer, writer and speaker who believes in always being a student. He is the author of Revealing The Secret Formula In Think and Grow Rich. For a complimentary copy of the Success and Wealth Secret Revealed Insider Report, go here! End your search for the key to outstanding success and prosperity. (c) 2003 Futures Management Services Inc.

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4 Ways to Staying Highly Motivated
By Tracy Brinkmann

Where you are today is a direct result of the actions you have taken in your past. The degree of happiness and success you enjoy today is the fruits of your past labor. If you are not where you want to be today - then you need take action - dailyand consistent action to be specific.

The level of success and happiness we all achieve is the direct result of our consistent actions. Not those actions we take every now and then. Like those actions we take towards our New Year's resolution that usually die out by this time of year.

No our success is in fact the result of our habits (consistent actions). For those habits are the rudders that steer our course of success in life. Suffice to say we all need to develop good habits if we are looking to reach our goal of success.

Unfortunately for most of us our habits are not a result of logical decision-making and conscious thought. Generally the habits we have are the reactions to our experiences (stimuli). If we have had a heavy dosage of negative experiences, then we will tend to produce negative reactions. What do you think you'll get from those consistent negative reactions? That is right - bad habits.

A powerful tool at your disposal to help you take control of your habits is your level of motivation. If you are motivated and are driven - then your unstoppable desire for success will outstrip your fear of failure.

A motivated person is far more willing to step outside their comfort zone and take that all-important life changing chance. They become more, they do more, and thus they have more.

If you are looking to build your level of motivation here are some steps that will serve you well.

1 - Set your Goals

Know what you want! Goals give your life purpose. Your desire to reach these goals will become a great motivator in your life. Big goals, little goals, personal, professional, financial and spiritual goals - write them all down. Long term and short term - write them down in clear and specific terms. Then set out to work on them.

2 - DAILY Action

Once you set your goals. Put in place a plan that requires you to execute at least on step each day. No matter how small or how big. A phone call, some reading, a contact, a letter, whatever just do something everyday. Each of these steps will bring you closer to your goal - and motivate you to higher achievements.

Remember a habit is nothing more that a repeated behavior. Taking daily actions will form your successful habit so strongly that eventually you will be taking action without conscious thought. It will just be who you are - a successful and motivated person.

3 - Feel it!

We are not creatures of pure logic - we are emotional creatures. While our minds will work out the most successful business plan ever conceived. It is our emotion, our desire, which moves us to execute the plan. Connect all the good feelings you have to your action. Every time you succeed, small or large, at one of your action steps, know and feel that you are now one step closer to your goal.

These repeated connections shall reinforce your emotional drive to achieve your goals. Another good technique is to sit down and list all the reasons why you want to or must reach this goal - all positive reasons. Then do the flip side, list all the things you will miss out on, be forced into or dislike about your life, yourself etc. if you do not achieve your goal.

Now your using both of the two primary emotions you have, desire & fear, to your advantage.

4 - Take Responsibility!

Don't give yourself an out. Stop blaming your parents, your childhood, your kids, your wife, the economy, your boss, your dog, your postman or any other thing/person in your life.

It is in fact YOUR life. Don't say if I could I would, say I can and I will. You may have many reasons why, but only you can change them, so take responsibility. Step up and remember the words of Oprah Winfrey "My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."


Think Successfully.
Tracy
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Written by Tracy Brinkmann. Brinkmann and Associates provides motivational and educational material spiced up with humor and entertainment. Visit www.tracybrinkmann.bizhosting.com -- be sure to subscribe to their newsletter while you're there.

Posted 10/22/2003 by Josh Hinds

Using Your Mistakes To Springboard To Success
By Zig Ziglar

Each of us at one time or another has thought about how wonderful it would be to have as much foresight as hindsight. Then we could avoid making mistakes! Not only is that hope unrealistic, it's also unwise. Mistakes are often the springboard for major accomplishments.

Here's a good example: Thomas Edison was working with a lab assistant who was coming up dry after over 700 experiments. In discouragement, the assistant told Edison that after all these mistakes, errors, and false starts, he simply didn't believe that the project was valid.

Edison quickly told him that he wasn't wasting his time and that the assistant now knew more about the project than anybody alive. Edison wisely observed that the assistant hadn't made mistakes but instead had acquired an education as to what didn't work. Needless to say, the assistant went back to his project with renewed vigor.

If you take Edison's approach to life, you end up accomplishing much, much more. You need to understand that after every mistake you can look back and grow from the experience so that you can move forward with confidence and avoid making the same mistake again.

Here are three tips for handling a mistake, either at home or work:

1. Don't let a mistake depress or discourage you. See a mistake as a step on the road to a solution. Realize that depression and discouragement are negatives that limit the future.

2. Admit the mistake. Yes, admitting your mistakes takes courage, but recognition of errors is a sign of maturity. Not to recognize them is to deny them, and denial limits your future.

3. Understand that when you confront your mistakes, you can take full advantage of them as the positive experiences they can be. When you ignore mistakes or try to conceal them, they almost always have a negative impact.
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Zig Ziglar offers weekly newsletter filled with more of his inspiring stories as well as practical ideas to help you in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service, and related topics. You can subscribe going to http://www.zigziglar.com

Posted 10/16/2003 by Josh Hinds

7 Keys for Joyful Living
By Chris Widener

Here are some thoughts for finding and experiencing joy in your life. If there were one thing I could wish upon my family, friends and the readers of this column, it would be joy in everything the do!

Know your purpose. Nothing will bring you joy more than knowing what it is that you are about on this earth. Not knowing bring sadness, wondering, fear and lack of fulfillment.

Above all, find out what your unique purpose is here on this earth - then fulfill it! As you do, you will experience joy!

Live purposefully. This is a follow up to number one. It is one thing to know your purpose, but then you need to live according to that purpose. This is a matter of priorities.

Let your actions and schedule reflect your purpose. Don’t react to circumstances and let them cause you to live without your purpose fully in site. Living without your purpose will cause frustration. Living purposefully will bring you deep satisfaction and joy!

Stretch yourself. Don’t settle into the status quo. That will leave you unfulfilled. Always look to stretch yourself. Whatever you are doing, stretch yourself to do more! Stretching yourself will break the limits you have set for yourself and will cause you to find joy in your expanded horizons!

Give more than you take. It brings happiness to accumulate. It brings joy to give away. Sure, getting the car you worked hard for will bring you a sense of satisfaction and even happiness. But it won’t bring you joy. Giving something away to the less fortunate will bring you deep, abiding joy.

Surprise yourself, and others too. The words here are spontaneity and surprise! Every once in a while, do the unexpected. It will cause everybody to sit back and say, "Wow, where did that come from?" It will put a little joy in your life, and theirs.

Indulge yourself sometimes. To much indulgence and you are caught in the happiness trap. Looking for the next purchase, celebration etc to bring you a little "happiness high." But if you will allow yourself an infrequent indulgence as a reward for a job well done and a life well lived, you will appreciate the indulgence and experience the joy of it.

Laugh a little - no, a lot! Most people are just too serious. We need to laugh a little - no, a lot! Learn to laugh daily, even if you have to learn to laugh in bad situations. This life is to be enjoyed! The next time you go to the movie rental store, get a comedy and let loose! Let yourself laugh!

Joy can be yours! Look for it, pursue it and enjoy it!
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Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, and succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams. Visit his web site and take advantage of the many resources available -- while you're there take advantage of his newsletters.

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No Regrets!
By Ron Henley

It all boils down to one simple thing. Taking action or not taking action on your dreams is the foundational key to success or failure in life! It doesn't matter how bad you are at something you want to do, just get started and stick with it! If you'll do that I can promise that if you do it long enough, you will be successful at it!

I recently saw a "famous" comedian that sums up what I'm talking about here. I won't mention names but this lady is a horrible comedian! Nobody was laughing except her! Less than halfway through the show, over half the crowd had got up and
walked out! She didn't seem to care because she was having so much fun!

She has been in several TV sit-coms and has even been the host comedian showcasing new talent. Incredible! She is so well known that if I were to say her name, you would immediately know who it is, yet she has proven to have very little talent in the field she is famous for!

How can someone with little to zero talent be such a raving success? Simple answer:

She took ACTION on her dreams!

She dreamed of being a comedian, and the funny (pardon the pun) part is, not having any talent hasn't slowed her down one bit. She knew what she wanted and went after it with a fire that nothing could put out!

More than anything else, what has made her famous is the fact that she's been around for going on 20 years and refuses to quit! She refuses to let anything stand in the way of her ambition and she gets herself booked doing anything and everything to get her name out there. She is having the time of her life and is living her dreams each and every day.

How about you?

Have you given up? Is there something you really want to do with your life but you've given up because you weren't "successful" right off the bat? Maybe you need to change your definition of success! Sheryl Crow has a line in a song of hers that I like. It goes "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad!"

Take ACTION on your dreams and NEVER give up!

That, my friends, is the true definition of a successful life.

It's not fame, it's not fortune, it's having no regrets!

It was while watching a show the other day that I heard one of the greatest lines I've ever heard. A lady had lost an aunt to a freak accident and was very sad. Trying to make sense of it all, she asked the funeral director why we have to die. His simple and brilliant answer will go down in his tory. He smiled, looked her in the eyes, and said:

"To make life VALUABLE!"

I immediately shut off the TV and sat there trying to absorb the lesson of all lessons. Life is too valuable to waste it doing what you don't want to do! Go after your dreams with a fire and passion that nothing or no one can put out.

If you do this, your life will be a genuine masterpiece and a shining example of exceptional living! I have been asked several times over the years how I want to be remembered when I am gone.

It is simply this...

No Regrets!

In Achievement,
Ron Henley
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Have you heard the buzz? See for yourself why Ron Henley is being hailed as "The hottest new voice in personal development!" Visit www.RonHenley.com and sign up for Ron's newsletter "Prosperity Power." Join subscribers from around the world who are learning the secrets of success in all areas of life!

Posted 10/11/2003 by Josh Hinds

Focus On Solvable Problems
By Zig Ziglar

I want to challenge you to write down your ten greatest fears, doubts and worries. Now some of you might say, "But I have more than ten fears, doubts and worries." Relax; I said your ten greatest fears, doubts and worries. If you have the courage to write them down, here is what you will find.

Out of the ten items you listed, seven or eight will already have happened or cannot happen. Of the remaining items, you have absolutely no control over one or two of them. And you will find that only one or two items are within your control.

Question: Does it make sense to dissipate your energies over a long list of things you cannot control instead of focusing your energies on the one or two things you can effectively handle?

Since the answer is obviously no, why do we fail to focus our energies on solvable problems?

Answer: Because we are creatures of habit. We have an everyday routine that we are involved in and if the routine is changed, it upsets us and can even spoil our whole day.

Unfortunately for our society, one of our most destructive habits is griping, complaining, and moaning... Do you realize that some people would rather complain than succeed? If that sounds absurd to you, prove me wrong. Try eliminating the complaining and see if it doesn't help you move toward success more quickly.

We live in a society that is used to being negative more than positive. For example, as my speaker friend Don Hutson says, economists have predicted 18 of the last two recessions! People find fault as if there were a reward for it! Too many people look for the worst and never pass up the chance to cut down or criticize others.

... Adapted from Top Performance by Zig Ziglar, with Krish Dhanam, Bryan Flanagan and Jim Savage.
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Zig Ziglar offers a weekly newsletter filled with more of his inspiring stories as well as practical ideas to help you in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service, and related topics. You can subscribe to the Zig Ziglar Newsletter by going to http://www.zigziglar.com

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How to Set Goals
By Gayle Carson

Timing is a critical part of any success story. And the goals which you write down are the script for yours. Goal-setting works infinitely better when the goals are written down. Not only is there a ready checklist of your objectives and priorities, but the very act of writing them forces you to take control and get organized.

If you are to chart a course for yourself, you must have an idea of where you want to go! Written lists of goals do that. More basically, they help you to order and control your day.

1. Goals must be specific and measurable.

2. They must be stated positively and in the present. (No, "I will not's")

3. They must be attainable.

4. They must aim at basic personality changes.

5. They must start with "I" or "We".

6. They should be fun.

Keep your goals in a small notebook which you carry with you at all times, and add "a-ha's" to it as you think of them. Haven't you had a brilliant brainstorm in the middle of the night and by the time morning came you had forgotten the idea that you were sure was going to change the world!

Unfortunately, our minds only allow us to remember, on average, 40% of what we want to when we want to, so write it down.

Keep the notebooks in sections according to ideas. Your ideas, properly implemented, are what will make or break your success script. Make room for them. As they accumulate, having the ideas organized by section will make it easier for you to find them. Also write your daily "to do" list in this notebook.
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Dr. Gayle Carson, CSP, CPCM
Carson Research Center
2957 Flamingo Drive
Miami Beach, Florida 33140-3916
Phone:3053-534-8846
Fax: 305-532-8826
Web: http://www.gaylecarson.com

Posted 10/08/2003 by Josh Hinds

Being True to Ourselves
By Frederick Zappone

Happiness is a by-product of being true to ourselves. The fact is, many people are not being true to themselves. They are true to other people, or beliefs and philosophies that do not serve them.

In my lifetime, I have spent a great deal of time and energy trying to please other people. In the end, I pleased no one - not even myself - until I dramatically altered my thinking and learned how to live, fully, in the present moment.

Living in the present moment is a habitual way of thinking and acting that must be practised and developed like any other life-affirming skill. If you look at your own life and see the times when you were not happy, chances are that you were upset because you were chewing on the old bones from your past.

Perhaps you were also worried about the future. Worrying about the future and chewing on "old bones" from your past have little value to offer you other than to cause you to be upset, anxious or stressed out.

You should think about the future only long enough to see if there is anything you can do in the present moment to make sure your future turns out the way you want it to turn out. The moment your thoughts about the future turn into "worry thought" that is telling you there is nothing you can do about the future, right now! It also tells you that you are living in the future rather than being fully present in the moment of now.

What are the roadblocks to living in the present moment? Our physical bodies always live in the present moment, but often times, our minds live elsewhere. How many times have you been in meeting, physically present, but you found your mind wandering off to other places?

How many times have you listened to a speaker and found your mind drifting off to somewhere else? How many times have you had a conversation with someone, but you were not really present with them? These are all incidents of not living fully in the moment.

If we cannot get our minds to be where our bodies are, it causes us to feel pressure and stress. The solution is to bring our minds back to where our bodies are located. If we cannot bring our minds back to our bodies, then I suggest that we take our bodies to where our minds are located. A simple example: Your body is in church, but your mind is out fishing at your favorite stream or lake. If your mind refuses to come back to church, then go to the lake and meet your God there.

The moment our bodies and minds are both located in the same place at the same time, we are fully present. And it is only in the present moment where we will find the true happiness we seek.

© 2003 Frederick Zappone
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Start your day on a positive note with Frederick Zappone's daily Inspirational Cup Of Coffee newsletter.

Posted 10/07/2003 by Josh Hinds

We've added a few new articles throughout the site that you're sure to enjoy...

* The Connection Between Thought and Circumstance by Randy Gage
* 2 Goal Affirmations You Should Never Ever Use! by Gordon Bryan.

I've also added a new column I wrote called "Intuition ... Are You Listening To The Clues All Around You?" available in my Motivational & Inspirational Journal.

-- Have a super day, Josh Hinds :-)

Posted 10/05/2003 by Josh Hinds

I Am The Greatest
By Rod Moore

When a young Muhammad Ali burst onto the International boxing scene proclaiming before the world media that 'I AM THE GREATEST!' few would doubt him. Ali was filled with a unique quality that people who win in life all seem to have. It's that unique intangible quality known as Self-Confidence. Ali had it in bucket loads.

On 25th May 1965 When cameras snapped as Ali stood before Sonny Liston out cold on the floor we all believed that he was one hundred percent correct. Ali was the greatest! Knocking out Sonny Liston in the first minute of the first round was the manifestation of total self-belief and self-confidence.

Ali walked tall, talked tall and acted tall. He already belived he was the greatest long before he took the heavy weight crown. He knew it in his mind, in his heart and in his spirit that this was his destiny. Total self-confidence that not even a giant of a man like George Foreman could stop.

What was Ali's secret? What made him so special? What was the spark of self-confidence and self-belief that Ali had?

Well in truth Ali spoke it into existence. In proclaiming it before the world media that he was the greatest boxer that ever lived, he was in reality proclaiming it to his own brain. That it was spoken with such conviction could leave little doubt about the neural programmes he was creating for himself. Ali was the greatest because he totally believed it!

So what about you? Do you believe that you are the greatest? Do you believe that you are destined to achieve your goals and dreams? Do you believe that nothing can stand in your way, not even Sonny Liston and George Foreman? Do you have total self-belief and self-confidence in yourself?

In order that you have self-confidence in the direction you have chosen you simply need to do three things:

1. Decide on what you want - Set a goal with clarity. For Ali that goal was simply to be the greatest boxer in the world.

2. Talk it & Think it into existence. Thats right start talking like it is already true, start thinking of yourself as already having achieved the goal. Talk it up and talk yourself up and believe your own propoganda.

3. Finally act as if you have already achieved it. When Ali stepped into the ring he was already the champ, the actual match was merely a formality. Act like you have achieved the goal.

You to can be the GREATEST in what ever it is you are pursuing in your life. Believe it! Think it!, Dream it! Talk it! and Act it! If not you then who else? You are the greatest!

- By Rod Moore, Creator of Goals Magic System
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Rod Moore is the creator of the "Unleash the Magic in Goals" audio program, a comprehensive course on goal setting and achieving which includes the bonus program "Goals Magic Workshop". To learn more click here!

Posted 10/04/2003 by Josh Hinds

Stop Living a Life of Mediocrity
By Jon Nare

For the past five years I have asked hundreds of students and clients to think about their friends, acquaintances, and coarser in a special sort of way. Specifically, I asked them to rate on a 10-point scale (1=awful - 10=great) the following:

o Job satisfaction
o Marital satisfaction
o Satisfaction with Life, in general

The results have been consistent and disturbing. On average, most people rate their friends, acquaintances, and co-workers as follows:

o Job -- 4.5
o Marriage -- 5.5
o Life -- 6.5

Now, those averages may not seem too bad, so let me try to put them into some perspective. How would you feel if you took a 100-point test and only scored 65, 55, or 45? I think the answer is obvious. The point I'm trying to make is this:

Most jobs, most marriages and most lives are MEDIOCRE, at best.

As Thoreau once said, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation." It's sad to say that most people seem to be living a mediocre life filled with desperation. Mediocrity is the bad news. Let me give you the good and hopeful news:

The good news is that you only have to be a little bit better than mediocre to be successful and happy!

Many self-help books intimate people. Words like "excellence", "exceptional", and "highly effective" often appear in their titles. And when you're feeling depressed or discouraged with your life, those words seem beyond the grasp of average people.

But if it were really true that you only had to be just "a little bit better than average" to be happy, anyone could manage that. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with being excellent and exceptional, possibly the best way to get there is to be "just a bit better than mediocre."

Many people, unfortunately, have bought into the Hollywood stereotype of success. They believe that unless you are a Bill Gates, a US Senator, a movie star or the CEO of a large company, you can't be successful or happy. Some of the happiest people I know are cab drivers, school crossing guards, parents, teachers and factory workers.

They all have two things in common: First, whether they were conscious of it or not, they use and live the formula [(DxPxC.F.xA-R=Change]. Secondly, they make it a point to work ON as well as IN their job, marriage and life.

It is so easy to get buried IN our lives. We get so busy doing, doing, doing "it", that we never take the time to step back and examine whether doing "it" has any real meaning. One of the universals I have found in successful and happy people is that they make the absolute commitment to regularly work ON as well as IN their life.

Many churches ask their members to tithe. That means they give 10% of their income to the church. I encourage people to get in the habit of a Personal Growth Tithe. If you would devote just 10% of your time to working ON your life, marriage, job, etc., it would make an enormous difference. Make that difference today and leave mediocrity behind.
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Excerpt from "The Journey - A Home Study Course That Changes Lives!" Discover the exact thing you should be working on in your life that will make all the difference and take advantage of our special offer while it lasts. Learn more...