Posted 10/24/2004 by Josh Hinds

Empowering Beliefs To Help Control Your Thoughts
By Mike Brescia

If you want to change your life fast, even though it might seem like it's slow, then take the statements below, put them on index cards and read them 3 times/day. Morning, noon and just before you close your eyes at night.

They'll seep into your consciousness. And since you'll be saying them so often, you'll soon begin to believe them. That's how most beliefs start. Spaced repetition of thought. Your attitudes will then positively change your emotions, and you'll be compelled to do more... And you'll love it.

If you own Think Right Now for Windows, just paste them into the appropriate file or make a new one -AND read them three times per day. Think Right Now For Windows will help put this re-scripting in overdrive.

-- I have a great sense of humor
-- I look for and find the humor in all situations
-- I release all tension and worry from my mind and body
-- Tension and worry has left me now
-- My sense of humor puts others at ease
___________
What if you had the same minute-by-minute thoughts as the super successful? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life... Learn more.

Posted 10/22/2004 by Josh Hinds

The View from my Window
By Jean Gatz

Sitting at my desk in my newly remodeled office, I have a fabulous view of the world outside my window. And it's QUITE a window- measuring 6 feet tall and 9 feet wide! Why am I telling you about my new window? We all enjoy some parts of our jobs more than others. I love to travel to new places to present keynotes and workshops and make new friends. But I don't enjoy the days when I'm in the office feeling "trapped" at my computer terminal.

Since I can't eliminate that part of my job, I found a way to make my job more enjoyable by adding my "window wall." I'm not going to describe the view, because I want you to imagine what you would see outside your "window wall" if you could create one.

I mentioned feeling trapped sometimes. Do you ever feel "trapped" in your job- like you're doing the work of several people? With fewer resources? On a tighter budget? With a demanding time schedule? Are you worried about restructuring and downsizing?

Dealing with difficult coworkers and with customers who don't appreciate you? Have you noticed that, although you're getting enough sleep and exercise, and eating healthy, you still don't have the energy you need to do your job well? Has your comfortable job become boring ?

Maybe you can't knock out a wall and replace it with a window. You may not be able to remodel your workplace, but you can remodel your attitude. Begin by finding some creative ways to put more joy back into your life. What do you do for recreation-for fun-something that is just for YOU?

When I ask audience members why they're no longer doing the things they used to enjoy, they always answer, in unison: "Not enough time." We're all busy people. But no matter how busy we are, we can make time to do something that brings us great joy and helps us recreate the spirit we need to come to work every day and give our best. And some of that spirit and passion is sure to spill over into our personal lives as well.

The possibilities are endless. The task is up to you. Your own window--of opportunity-- awaits!
___________
Written by Jean Gatz -- You can reach Jean through her website or by phone at (225) 769-6800

Posted 10/20/2004 by Josh Hinds

Stop Wasting Your Time on The Wrong Mountain

I have two friends who are avid backpackers. There is a portion of New York’s Adirondack Mountains that is called the “High Peaks” region. It consists of 46 mountains with an elevation of over 4,000 feet.

The Adirondack Mountain Club gives special recognition, and a patch, to anyone who climbs all 46 mountains. My two friends decided to go for this award. It took them several years to accomplish it.

Now what you have to understand is that many of the 46 mountains have well-marked and well-used trails to their summits.

Others, however, are not marked at all. These mountains are really hard to climb because you have to “bushwhack” them using a compass and a typography map.

My friends had climbed 45 of the mountains. They one left—it was the most remote, requiring bushwhacking. A hiking trail led past the base of the mountain, but from that point they were on their own.

Early one morning they left their camp site and walked 5 miles on the hiking trail to the base of a chain of mountains. One of the mountains in this chain was the last one they needed for their “46er” patch.

When they reached the base of the mountain chain they discovered that they had left their compass and map back in camp. Rather than returning to camp (a round-trip of 10 miles), they decided to bushwhack without the compass and map.

For hours they walked uphill enduring heat, thick brush, and black flies. Finally, late in the afternoon they found themselves on the top of a mountain. They were exhausted but elated.

The elation was short-lived however. When they looked across the valley, they saw another higher mountain. They had climbed the wrong hill! It was too late that weekend to rectify their error. They had to wait another 4 months to climb the right mountain.

I think this story illustrates an important lesson. Often in life we exert tremendous effort toward some goal. But without the right “map” and “personal compass” it is easy to get “lost”.

Knowing your life purpose gives you a powerful personal “map” and “compass” that ensures you are always climbing the right mountain.
____________
Excerpt from “The Journey”
Stop wasting time and effort climbing the wrong mountain. Get your personal map and compass today and take advantage of our special offer while it lasts... click for details.

Posted 10/19/2004 by Josh Hinds

Stop Living a Life of Mediocrity

For the past five years I have asked hundreds of students and clients to think about their friends, acquaintances, and co-workers 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-pointtest 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.
____________
Excerpt from “The Journey”
Where have you been looking for happiness in your life? Stop wasting time and learn the secret to unleashing lasting happiness in your life. Click Here to learn more.

Posted 10/18/2004 by Josh Hinds

Where Does Happiness Come From?

I was asked to interview five people and ask them what 3 things would make them happier or more successful. As I compiled the list, here are some of the recurring things I heard:

What People Say Would Make Them Happier/More Successful

* more money
* better relationships
* better job
* more time
* more recognition
* a vacation
* better education
* a reliable car
* a bigger house
* better health
* get out of debt
* better neighbors
* better in-laws
* different co-workers
* never getting laid off
* better behaving children

Do any of those sound familiar to you?

I was also asked to put together a second list. This list consisted of how happy or successful people managed to be that way. Here are some of the things I found:

Characteristics of Happy/Successful People

* open-minded
* in control
* passionate
* energetic
* sense of humor
* worry-free
* goal-driven
* good listener
* reliable
* great attitude
* optimistic
* loving
* visionary
* ambitious
* self-confident
* “spiritual”
* value-driven
* helpful

Now looking at those two lists, what differences do you see?

The first thing I noticed was that several things people said would make them happier/more successful were nouns while many of the characteristics of already successful/happy people were verbs or adjectives.

As I thought about it, verbs and adjectives suggest that you have to take some action while nouns don’t.

That’s when it really began to hit me. What people say would make them happier and more successful are almost all external to them. In other words, happiness and success can only come from the outside. On the other hand, people who are already happy and successful almost always have characteristics that are internal. In other words, happiness and success is seen by them as something inside of them.

So if you think that happiness is something external, you really have little control. Success will always depend on something or someone outside of you. But already successful and happy people can control their own destiny, because they see happiness and success as something internal.

I then realized that the verbs and adjectives in the second list get you what you want on the first list—not the other way around. If I wanted to be happy and successful, I had to develop and change on the inside.

I knew this intellectually before but it never really registered until just then. Happiness and success come from the inside, not the outside. Like most people, I had been looking for happiness in all the wrong places.

Why didn’t we learn this in first grade?
____________
Excerpt from “The Journey”
Where have you been looking for happiness in your life? Stop wasting time and learn the secret to unleashing lasting happiness in your life. Click Here for complete details.

Posted 10/17/2004 by Josh Hinds

In the Goal Setting Section we added two new articles by Vic Johnson: 'Goal Setting Secrets of the Real Life Indiana Jones' & 'Goal Setting: Pops Proves Its Never Too Late'. We've also added a number of new motivational writings in the Articles Library. Enjoy :) ... Josh Hinds

----L@@K------

Introducing Affirmation Success Software
Have affirmations running on your computer while you work! Reprogram your subconscious for total success! Click for details.
--------------------

Consistency: The Major Key To Your Success
By Michael Angier

We live in an age where the desire for Instant gratification is common. People expect quick results.

And in some cases, we DO get results quickly.

However, real, lasting and meaningful success requires sustained and consistent effort. Anyone can diet for a day. Anyone can work hard for brief periods of time. We can take a class to increase our knowledge or generate and act upon a good idea.

But to really produce what we want, we must consistently think and act in productive ways. Sometimes the results come rapidly, but most of the time they come over time from hanging in there and constantly and religiously practicing the things we need to do.

The same is true for NEGATIVE results. We don't become obese with a one-timë, high-fat indulgence. One cigarette probably won't kill us--although it might--and one lapse in judgment will rarely ruine our future.

But sustained and prolonged, unhealthy or counterproductive activities will almost certainly produce catastrophic outcomes.

Consistency is an admired trait in our political leaders--when we can find it. We value consistency in our health care. We require consistency in accounting principles. We appreciate consistency in government. So why should we be any different?

The flash in the pan may be dramatic, but it can't stand up to the constant heat and the resulting success that comes from consistent, steady and reliable efforts.

Action Point
What are the things you know you need to do on a consistent basis to accomplish your goals and live an abundant life? Determine the things you're NOT regularly doing and decide which ones you're willing to commit to doing every day. Then, stick to it. Your consistency will pay off.
___________
Copyright Success Networks International. Part of Success Net's mission is to position you for success. Free subscriptions, eCourses, memberships, eBooks and SuccessMark Cards available through the following link.

Posted 10/12/2004 by Josh Hinds

It Is Up To You
by Jim Rohn

One of the first things successful people realize is the old adage, "if it is to be, it is up to me." That is, for you, the fact that your success and your course is up to you. This doesn't mean that you do it all alone. It simply means that you take responsibility for your life and your career.

Too many people today look at opportunity and figure it is up to someone else to make sure they get it. They look at financial security and hope that the government will make sure they live safely in retirement or in case of disability. They wait and wait, figuring that it is up to someone else. And then the wait is over, and it is too late to do anything. Their life is over and they are filled with regret.

This isn't true for you however. You know that you must take responsibility for your life. It is up to you.

The fact is that nobody else is going to do it for you -- you must do it yourself.

Now, some people may say, "Jim, that's a lot of responsibility." Friends, that is the best news you can ever hear. You get to choose your life. Hundreds of millions of people all around this world would give anything to live in the situation you do -- just for the chance to have the opportunity to take control of their destiny. "It is up to you" is a great blessing!

Here's why:

1. You get to chart your own destiny. Maybe you want to start a small business and stay there. That's great because you can choose that. Maybe you want to create a small chain of stores. Maybe you want to have a net worth of $100 million. That's okay too. The idea is that you get to choose. You can do whatever you like. Different people have different dreams and they should live them accordingly.

2. You can reap what you sow. Sleep in and go to work late and reap the return. Or get up early and outwork the others and earn a greater return. Place your capital at risk and earn a return -- or place it at greater risk and perhaps reap a greater return. You decide what you will sow and thus what you will reap.

3. No one else can stop you from getting your dream. Yes, there will always be things that come up and people who may not like what you are doing, but you can just move on and chart your own course. There is great freedom in that.

4. You experience the joy of self-determination. There is no greater pride than knowing you set your mind on something and accomplished it. Those who live with a victim mentality never get to experience the joy of accomplishment because they are always waiting for someone else to come to the rescue. Those who take responsibility get to live the joy of seeing a job well done.

Let me ask you a question: Where will you be in 5 years? 10 years? Or 25 years? Do you know? Do you have an idea? Have you ever dreamed about it or set a goal for it? Are you willing to take responsibility and recognize that, "It is up to you?"

You will be wherever you decide to be in those timeframes. You decide. It is up to you.

And that is very exciting!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
____________
Article Submitted by Jim Rohn - Announcing a Very Special Invitation - The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan! One of the Most Comprehensive Resource and Success Plans Ever Created For You To Reach All Of Your Goals in the Next 12 Months! For details and/or to take advantage of the Special Offer click here.

Posted 10/11/2004 by Josh Hinds

Here are a few quotes I had emailed to me that I thought you'd enjoy...

"it is not the stuff I lack but the friends I love that make today easier and tomorrow hopeful." -- by Bob Perks

"We are like one-winged angels. It is only when we help each other that we can fly." -- Luciano deCrescenzo

"Hugs are like people glue. They hold us together to appreciate moments in time." -- Ellie Braun-Haley

"A good friend looks past the problems to the potential." -- Ellie Braun-Haley

"Look for the positives and where there are none... make some!" -- Ellie Braun-Haley

"Each good deed you do will ripple out to positively affect great numbers of lives, including your own." -- Ellie Braun-Haley

"The sidewalks of life may be filled with breaks and cracks but the scenery enroute is worth the walk." -- Ellie Braun-Haley

"The choices we make in life often provide us with more than we bargained for, but having the choices guarantees us all of a unique experience." -- Ellie Braun-Haley

Explaining how to do good will never be as powerful as "showing" by example. -- Ellie Braun-Haley

Since you are the captain of your soul, and of your own choices, having a good day will rest primarily on your shoulders. -- Ellie Braun-Haley

** For even more inspiring quotes visit our Motivational Quotes Database by clicking here.

Posted 10/02/2004 by Josh Hinds

Be Responsible
By Michael Angier

Mayor Rudy Giuliani has a two-word sign on his desk that says, 'I'm Responsible.' And he lives by it.

He does his best to be fully accountable for what he does and what he fails to do. And he always expects full accountability from everyone who works for him--when he was mayor, when he was a prosecutor and now as a highly sought-after consultant.

Unfortunately, people who take full responsibility for themselves are the exception rather than the rule. Today, too many people refuse to take responsibility for themselves and instead sue others not because they were negligent, but because they simply have deep pockets. And all of us pay for this in higher insurance premiums and added service costs.

Most people are too quick to fix the blame instead of fixing the problem.

Taking responsibility is not just the right thing to do, it's a practical and effective thing to do. When you explain away your actions and make excuses, you weaken yourself--in your own estimation and in the eyes of others. People don't expect you to be perfect; they DO want you to be responsible.

Action point: Resolve to be responsible. Don't complain or explain. Instead, take responsibility. Be accountable, and you'll stand head and shoulders above the masses.
___________
Copyright Success Networks International. Part of Success Net's mission is to position you for success. Free subscriptions, eCourses, memberships, eBooks and SuccessMark Cards available by clicking here.