Posted 1/25/2005 by Josh Hinds

Faith Will Help You Realize Your Dreams
By Marcia Wieder

To prove that we still have faith and courage, we have forged a community that is dedicated to helping people realize these dreams.

Even if you tend to be overly realistic, you still have dreams. During those days when there is no evidence that your dream is possible, it’s essential to have a place to go. Turn to your fellow dreamers and turn inward toward your faith. As we believe and take risks, we can raise the proverbial bar because as we succeed, we will also dream bigger dreams.

Many think, “I’ll believe in my dream when I see there’s proof that it’s likely to happen.” But the secret to living a “dream come true” life is to believe in your dream simply because it matters to you. In other words, looking for certainty “out in the world” is not the answer. Look in your own heart and choose to believe in your dream. Then, take action to demonstrate (to yourself and others) that you really do have faith.

As we bring our intentions, offer support and resources to aid each other, what’s possible? During a time when many have lost hope, are afraid of dreaming or taking risks, this is the essential time for us to be bold.

• What would you do if you believed in yourself?
• What might you change if you believed in your dreams?
• And how would you alter your life if you knew people would stand by and help you to achieve your heart’s desire?

Let’s prove that we still have faith and dreams and demonstrate that our dreams are important by pursuing them. The conversation about dreams will change from one of fear, uncertainty and doubt to one of hope and possibility as we dream out loud for all to hear.
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Marcia Wieder is a motivational speaker, specializing in goal setting, visionary thinking and team building. Her clients include Lucent, AT&T, American Express and the Young Presidents Organization. She is the author of several books, and is the founder of Dream University(R), her week-long program on igniting passion and discovering your purpose. Reach her by visiting her website at http://www.marciaw.com

* Books written by Marcia Weider.

Posted 1/22/2005 by Josh Hinds

Ambitiously Pursuing Your Own Self-direction
by Jim Rohn

(Excerpted from The Power of Ambition series**)

What is the origin of true ambition? There exists really only one place to find true ambition and that is within you – in every thought, in every movement, in every motivation. Your ambition is an expression of who you truly are, your own self-expression.

Self-expression. Isn't self-expression really self-direction? How you think, how you move, how you motivate yourself. Ambition is a result of self-direction and self-direction is one of the six key principles necessary for building ambition.

Positive self-direction says, "I know who I am and I know where I want to go. I'm accumulating knowledge and experiences and feelings and philosophies that will help prepare me for opportunities that I know will show up without notice or any help on my part." Because you know where you want to go, you have already been working on the parts of your personality that will make you better.

Working on your attitude, working on your health, working on your time management skills. Putting it all down on paper. And you constantly see yourself in the place you want to be, going in the direction you want to go.

Direction determines destination. So here is a question you must ask yourself, "Are all the disciplines that I'm currently engaged in taking me where I want to go?" What an important question to ask yourself at the beginning of the month, the beginning of the week, the beginning of the day. Because here is what you don't ever want to do - kid yourself. Kid your neighbor, kid me and kid the marketplace, but don't kid yourself - fingers crossed - hoping you will arrive at a good destination when you're not even headed that way.

You have to ask yourself often, AM I? Am I doing the disciplines that are taking me in the direction I want to go? Don't neglect to ask these important questions, questions that help determine your direction, the set of your sail, your destination.

Is this the direction I want for my life?

Is this someone else's direction?

Is this a goal I have been ingrained with since my childhood?

Is this goal my parent's, my spouse's, my boss', my children's or is it MINE?

Ask yourself these questions and then debate them. After you have answered these questions within yourself, then take it one step further and ask, "What am I doing that is working or not working?" Debate it all. Work with your mind to figure out the best possible direction for you - your self-direction. And then ambitiously pursue your own self-direction.

Let the power of your own ambition take you where you want to go, to do what you want to do, to create the life you want to live!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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Article Submitted by Jim Rohn - Announcing 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! Learn more about the Jim Rohn One Year Success Plan here.

Posted 1/20/2005 by Josh Hinds

The Mysterious Problem of Goals
By Matt Clarkson, Author of "Secrets of Meditation, Health and Manifestation"

Why is it that some people successfully achieve their goals and New Year's resolutions while others don't?

Why is it that sometimes we get what we want and other times we don't?

Since Tony Robbins, motivational guru after motivational guru has told us the same story:

1. Consciously decide what you want.
2. Write down your goals.
3. Take (massive) action in the direction of your goals.
4. Notice whether or not it's working and change your approach accordingly.

But there's something missing from that picture ...

Here's the problem:

Nearly everybody in the field of self-help assumes the conscious mind is in control of everything that happens in our lives.

Not so.

The conscious mind is only the tip of the iceberg. It believes it's always right. It likes to think it's in control, but it isn't.

It's just like something Sopan Greene said in this month's interview at SpiritualGrowthMonthly.com. I'm not quoting him exactly but he said something like:

'If the personality is like a 5-year-old child, the Higher Self is the wise adult.'

It's like visiting your friend who, let's say, happens to be a great financial advisor. He might give the very best financial advice. But would you make the same person responsible for planning your relationships, your kids'' education, and your career?

Of course not!

But that's exactly what we do when assume that our conscious mind is in charge of every part of our lives.

This helps to explain the mystery that's haunted self-help since the beginning ...

Why is it that 'goal setting' often **does not** work?

Have you ever had the experience of setting a goal, or thinking you wanted something and no matter how hard you tried, you never actualized it?

I know I have.

But maybe it wasn't the setback it appeared to be. I know if I'd 'achieved' half the goals I set, I'd probably be in a total mess right now! And that leads me to the secret no one else talks about ...

** There's often a big difference between what we think we want and what would deeply fulfil us. **

If your goal is not right for you at the deepest levels, then something inside you will not allow it to happen. For example ...

Maybe you'll find yourself losing interest in your goal.
Maybe you'll start suffering from 'procrastination.'
Maybe it will feel like you're banging your head against a brick wall.

But the fact remains, unless you seek the assistance of your Higher Self -- the part of you that knows much more than you do consciously -- you may *never know* why things aren't working.
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Matt Clarkson has created a free e-course teaching simple meditation exercises for busy people. You'll get audio meditations, tips and inspirational messages to help you calm the mind, improve health and find your path. If your health and happiness are important, get your meditation e-course here.

Posted 1/14/2005 by Josh Hinds

The Key to Enhanced Reading Skills – The Vital Role of Vocabulary!
By Richard Sutz, President and Founder of The Literacy Company

I begin this month’s Fluent Reading Tips with a common sense suggestion: “To be successful in any endeavor one should do what successful people do and avoid doing what unsuccessful people do.”

How does this common sense strategy relate to the vital role vocabulary plays in improving one's reading skills? Vocabulary knowledge is the core skill of successful Fluent Readers that enables them to read faster and better with much greater comprehension, along with much improved recall.

Let me explain: Last month we pointed out that slow readers read one word at a time and vocalize each word as they are read. On the other hand, Fluent Readers read more than one word at a time (groups of words) and do NOT vocalize when reading.

The importance of vocabulary knowledge is the fundamental tool that enables one to read groups of words. Why? Because if you read a word that is immediately recognizable and you already know its meaning (without decoding), you eyes will not fixate on that word.

For example, if you read a group of words such as "at the restaurant," the eye does not fixate on "at," and does not fixate on "the," but perhaps you might momentarily fixate on "restaurant" - if you don’t know what that word means. However, when the next group of words is "you will be served food," from the context of these two groups of words, you will understand the word "restaurant" refers to a facility where food is served. At that point, you understand the meaning of the word, and that word (restaurant) is then added your vocabulary.

Research demonstrates a positive correlation between Vocabulary Knowledge and one’s ability to successfully transition from being a Oral Reader to becoming a Fluent Reader. The amount one reads is the major contributor to building one’s vocabulary. A typical daily conversation, in which we all participate, does not contain enough new or less frequently used words to bring about a significant increase in vocabulary.

Through the use of The Reader’s Edge 1,500+ Prime Words, users become familiar with words that represent approximately 75% of all words in print. In The Reader’s Edge exercises we use these Prime Words to construct 2 to 8 word phrases. This dramatically facilitates teaching one to see, read and process groups of words with each eye fixation... without vocalizing.

Once you become familiar with our list of Prime Words, you dramatically improve your ability to read groups of words, allowing you to read two to three times faster with improved comprehension and recall.

Remember, the more you read, the more your vocabulary will grow. You will be expanding on The Reader's Edge Prime Words list to develop your own personal list of Prime Words.

We GUARANTEE you will at least double your reading speed and improve your comprehension and recall with only 15 minutes of practice every other day for a few weeks.
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The Literacy Company has excerpts like the one you just read from various authors such as Zig Ziglar, Glenna Salsbury, Mark Victor Hansen, Harvey Mackay, Tom Hopkins, Jim Rohn, Josh Hinds, and Robert Kiyosaki just to name a few. The Literacy Co. affiliated with the world famous Evelyn Wood Speed Reading program has created software called The Reader's Edge. Endorsed by NASA this program is as good as it gets. Learn to read faster & more fluently and at the same time read selections like the one above. Learn more about The Readers Edge here.

Posted 1/10/2005 by Josh Hinds

Top 5 Sources of Energy Drain
By Helaine Iris
(C) 2004

Along with time and money, energy is one of your most valuable resources. And if you're a professional woman, it's a resource that's most likely in short supply. With the myriad number of professional and personal tasks you need to accomplish, while taking care of your family, you have very little - if any - energy left over for you. It's easy to understand your dilemma.

Energy is defined as "having the internal or inherent power or capacity to act, operate or produce an effect." Mental, physical and emotional energy is the fuel that drives your creativity, your thinking and your ability to take action. Energy drains limit your capacity to act and create. They also deplete the inspiration and motivation that is such a crucial part of a complete and balanced life.

Here are the top 5 sources of energy drain I see most often in my clients' lives, as well as some suggestions for how to eliminate them.

Energy Drain #1: Keeping Details In Your Head, Instead Of In A System

Your brain, like a computer, only has so much RAM (random access memory). And RAM is mental energy. When you rely on yourself to remember your shopping list, your to-do list and your dentist appointment, it eats away at mental energy you could be using elsewhere to create a greater impact in your life.

It's not that all those tasks aren't important, but what if you had the mental energy to complete that major report, write your book or create a more powerful business strategy?

Think of each item you need to remember as an energy unit. How many energy units do you spend keeping details in your head? Find (or create) and begin using a system to track and remember things for you. Use it daily, and you'll free up more mental energy to accomplish higher leverage projects and tasks.

Energy Drain #2: Making Assumptions and Taking Things Personally

Humans are exceptionally good at creating meaning. With every occurrence in our lives or every statement someone makes, we're constantly asking: "what does that mean?" Sometimes meaning helps us to know where we stand, but much of the time the meaning we create is, frankly, an incorrect assumption. How many energy units go down the drain each time you second-guess the meaning of someone's words, actions or inactions?

Think of the last time you spent an hour, a month, a year (or longer) having made the wrong assumption about an interaction with someone. How much energy did it cost you? The next time you find yourself making things up about someone's words or actions, ask them for clarity so you can deal with the truth, and move on.

Energy Drain #3: Tolerating Friction In Your Environment and Relationships

The squeaky door. The leaky faucet. The tired paint color on your bedroom walls. By themselves, the energy drain is minor. Add them all up, however, and you have a gaping hole in your energy system. It's time to clean it all up. Make a list of all the things in your home, office or car that you continually notice needing attention. Set aside some time and tick them off your list once and for all.

Likewise, when you tolerate a dysfunctional relationship or have unfinished business with anyone, you're losing energy. Confront the relationship issues you have. Clean up unfinished business. If necessary, get support from someone who can help you negotiate such confrontations skillfully and responsibly. Think of the energy it takes to avoid someone versus the energy you'd gain in the long run having the issue cleared up.

Energy Drain #4: Disorganization

According to a USA Today report, Americans waste 9 million hours every day looking for misplaced items. Every time you can't find your keys, you waste energy. Each time you have to shuffle through a stack of papers to find an important document you waste energy.

Each time you feel like you'd be embarrassed to have a friend drop by, you are depleting your energy account.

The solution is simple. Get organized. Although it may seem a daunting task, what you'll gain in energy and satisfaction is well worth the initial investment. Julie Morgenstern, the organizational goddess, recommends handling it in small chunks. Start with one room at a time. You've got to start somewhere. It's well worth the effort for the feeling of peace and tranquility that an organized space offers.

Energy Drain #5: Taking Care Of Yourself Last

It's been drilled into us. Meet everyone's needs before your own. While taking care of our loved ones provides a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, it also requires precious energy. In worse cases, it can even breed resentment - another huge source of energy drain.

A famous person once said, "only give from an overflowing cup." Try this on. What if your criteria for giving was based on how full your own cup was? In other words, you can only afford to give when you have an ample supply yourself.

What does it take to ensure a full cup? A good place to start is to follow the suggestions from the above four examples. You'll begin accumulating a reserve of energy until you have plenty for yourself, as well as enough to give to others.

It's YOUR life . . . live it completely!
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Helaine Iris is a certified Life Coach, writer and teacher who loves her life. She works with individuals, and self-employed professionals, who want to thrive in their business while crafting a life that's in absolute alignment with their highest ideals, deepest values and gracefully masters the complexities of modern living. For a solution focused, free initial consultation visit her website http://www.pathofpurpose.com or call her 603-357-8546 or email her helaine@pathofpurpose.com

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P.S. I'd like invite you to Unleash Your Greatness in 2005...
Over 65 (and counting :-)) success experts and mentors are available to you to learn from at my members site... Yours in success, Josh Hinds :-)

Posted 1/07/2005 by Josh Hinds

Making Your Goals Count in 2005
by Jim Rohn (Excerpted from Week Five of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan)

As we enter into this New Year we all tend to have a heightened sense of the opportunities and possibilities that 2005 can bring. The need for goal-setting becomes more obvious and clear. And the great thing about goal-setting is you can keep it as simple or get as elaborate as you would like.

In fact, we have spent the last month in the One-Year Success Plan solely on the subject of goal-setting and have dedicated over 125 pages in the One-Year Plan to exercises on the subject. Space and time won't allow that here, but below are some abbreviated points on goal-setting for the New Year.

I've often said the major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. That is why goals are so powerful - they are part of the fabric that makes up our lives. And goal-setting is where we create our goals.

Goal-setting is powerful, partly because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are GREAT because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better. We must change and grow.

Also, goals provide long-term vision in our lives. We all need lots of powerful, long-range goals to help us get past short-term obstacles. Life is designed in such a way that we look long-term and live short-term. We dream for the future and live in the present.

Unfortunately, the present can produce many difficult obstacles. But fortunately, the more powerful our goals (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!

So, let's take a closer look at the topic of goal-setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the key aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?

1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time and think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point - is that okay?

The purpose of evaluation is twofold. First, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and your pursuit of the vision you have for your life. Secondly, it is to show you where you are so you can determine where you need to go. In other words, it gives you a baseline from which to work.

I would strongly encourage you to take a couple of hours this week to evaluate and reflect. At the beginning of this month we encourage you to see where you are and write it down so that as the months progress and you continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection, you will see just how much ground you will be gaining - and that will be exciting!

2. What are Your Dreams and Goals? These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your own heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. So second, make a list of all the things you desire for the future.

One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives.

But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not just pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful!

What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want?

Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.

So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.

Here are some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:

Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within.

It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.

Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy?

When you answer these questions you will feel GREAT and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what OUR dreams are!

Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.

3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.

I really like this acronym S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let's take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific: Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.

Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say "specifically measurable" to take into account our principle of being specific as well.

Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do - and they do it with good intentions - is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable.

Realistic: The root word of realistic is "real." A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make "real" or a "reality" in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic -- that you could make it.

You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn't be a big goal, but it must be realistic.

Time: Every goal should have a timeframe attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a timeframe connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get "around to it." We could always put it off.

One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work on it because you don't want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline.

You may even have to break down a big goal into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time. A S.M.A.R.T. goal has a timeline.

4. Accountability (A contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to "give an account" of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn't as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal.

So: Evaluate/Reflect; Decide What You Want; Be S.M.A.R.T.; Have Accountability. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.

Let's Do Something Remarkable in 2005!

Jim Rohn
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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 Introductory Offer go here. Also subscribe to the FREE! Weekly Jim Rohn Ezine while you're there.

Posted 1/07/2005 by Josh Hinds

Mistakes: Friend Or Foe?
By Mike Brescia

This is a sticky subject...

Fear of making a mistake is often the last thing you feel just before you start to do something really cool; and it stops most people dead in their tracks.

As usual, I'm not putting myself above this. I'll point out that for what is still more than half my life, I was dominated by fear. Fear of mistakes. Fear of looking like a fool. Fear of failure and success.

One of the most ludicrous situations I can recall where I was afraid of appearing stupid was in Junior High School. I was told by no less than a half dozen friends that a certain girl, who I did like very much, wanted me to ask her to the upcoming Saturday night dance. It was very obvious that she liked me.

I planned to ask her as soon as I could muster up the courage.

Well, I waited and waited...

Pretty soon, it's Friday afternoon. The last class of the day let out and everyone was making a mad dash for the buses to go home for the weekend. And she just "happened by" my locker.

Here was my chance...

A few seconds of small talk and I finally start, "Would you like to, um..."

And that was all I could get out. She waited for what seemed like a minute without me saying another word.

Thankfully, she helped me out, "...go to the dance?"

What a relief! I said, "Yes!"

"I'd love to," she said.

Happily, my fear of women subsided somewhat over the years, but it was just one more pattern that kept me from enjoying a normal part of life that we can all experience if we just stop being so "self" conscious.

Part of my growth was due to my new passion for reading self help books in my early twenties. Failure and poverty was starting to get old. I then started to learn what makes us humans tick. Common themes ran through many of these works.

One recurring and potent suggestion I recall as sticking out was simply doing what you fear.

How could this help?

Well, as simple as it sounds, if you do what you fear enough times, you'll find that there is nothing to fear. You'll become comfortable doing it. The thing you feared will soon become routine. End of story.

I found out that girls didn't hold any special power over me. I learned that making mistakes actually gave me more opportunities to learn and gain proficiency... and that most mistakes weren't going to kill me.

But a HUGE lesson in life (and make a note of this because it's profound) I learned was that I could learn more from other people's mistakes than I even had time to make myself...

... if I paid attention.

I know. "Duh!"

But in the last 14 years, I have been able to succeed in business to a degree I never even dreamed of because my competitors (and most everyone else) don't do this.

If you keep your eyes open, each day can teach you dozens and even hundreds of important lessons that you CAN use.

Think about it. Do you need to get hit before you learn not to step in front of a moving vehicle?

Every second of every day provides you with lessons...

...If you have your eyes and ears open to them.

Watch and listen to other people. Pay attention to what causes the failure and success of others in even the most tiny of situations.

This little used but powerful habit can erase most of your fears, give you a feeling of power and put you in control of your emotions in just about any situation.

Watch. Listen. Learn.

Every minute.

Live life. Have fun. But take your blinders off. There's a lot going on around you every minute that can teach you about how to eliminate fear of making mistakes.

Mistakes are a part of life. Don't just accept that truth. Embrace it, and your life will be a whole lot happier and filled with accomplishment.

Remember, the people who are laughing at you as you're falling down are pointing at you to keep people from looking at them!
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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. Details available here.

Posted 1/03/2005 by Josh Hinds

Success In Time: Action Steps
By Pegine Echevarria

Enough of the whining about how hard your life is and how everyone doesn't understand. The truth is anyone who is a winner understands. When I asked my friend Bob about his success and whether or not it was easy, he replied, "yeah I'm an 20 year overnight success!"

The truth of the matter is this - if it were easy everyone would be doing it. Think about that.

1. If running your own business were easy - why aren't there more people doing it?

2. If being a manager were easy - why aren't there more people doing it?

3. If being married were easy - why are divorce rates over 50 percent?

4. If finishing college and going to the next level were easy - why aren't there more people doing it?

5. If putting 15% of you savings away were easy - why aren't there more people doing it?

If you really want to live a life of dreams, you need to know up front that it is not easy. There are things that you can do to help you stay persistent, they are:

1. Continually take action. It may be a small action step but if you do it daily you will accomplish enormous tasks.

2. Talk to yourself in positive, affirming ways. If you hear yourself saying things like "What's the point?" "I can't do this" "I'll never get it" you must IMMEDIATELY say the opposite to yourself. This must become a habit. The bottom line is if you don't believe in yourself, who will?

3. Have a buddy that you can call up and tell that you will keep going on no matter what. Make sure that this person doesn't tolerate your whining but does encourage you to keep on keeping on.

4. Review you plans, projects and dreams. Keep them in front of you.

5. Do not give up!
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Pegine's has over 15 years of experience as a nationally recognized expert on success, leadership, and teambuilding, and 30 years of experience in the workplace, ranging from corporate America to public service. Visit her site at http://pegine.com

Posted 1/02/2005 by Josh Hinds

Goal Setting: Pops proves it's never too late
By Vic Johnson

Pops first set the goal in high school, but when he graduated he thought he wasn’t mature enough to pursue it so he enlisted in the U.S. Army.

He dreamed about it as a member of the 82nd Airborne as he became an Army Ranger. Later, in the first Gulf War, he thought about his goal again, as he also did during his service in the Kosovo conflict. For 20 years, through his Army career, a war, marriage and six children, Pops kept the dream and the goal alive.

Never mind that he was considered far too old to pursue his dream, Pops just couldn’t let go.

When he retired from the Army at 39, he decided it was finally time to do something about the goal he’d set so many years before. He moved his family to Columbia, South Carolina and enrolled as a freshman at the University of South Carolina.

No, he wasn’t considered too old for that. Many others, much older, have pursued college degrees for the first time. What Tim “Pops” Frisby did was even more special. At an age when even most professional players have hung up there helmets, he began working out with the South Carolina Gamecocks football team during the winter. Working out with players half his age, all of whom were young enough to be his son, he competed for a position on a Division One major College Football Team.

It was a goal that Pops had lived with for a long time and he began to realize it when coaches invited him back for fall drills. When South Carolina kicked off their season against the University of Georgia, Tim Frisby was on the sidelines wearing Gamecock jersey number 89. On September 25th, against Troy, the legendary Lou Holtz, head coach at South Carolina, sent Pops into the game for its final four plays. “I have a lot of respect for the guy,” Holtz said. “A Ranger, 20 years in the Army, six kids. He loves this team. I thought it would be good to get him in. I’m sorry we could not throw it to him.”

But knowing the way that Pops Frisby makes his dreams come true, that’s just a matter of time.

Frisby, who turns 40 in February, who has been featured on ESPN’s College GameDay, was recently awarded the Walt Disney World of Sports Spirit Award in front of a national television audience.

Incidentally, the father of six between the ages of six months and 16, also maintains a 3.88 (out of a possible 4.0) grade point average.

Still think it’s too late for your dream? Goal setting and goal starting is a process that can start at any age and at any time. There’s no need to wait until January 1st to set or start a goal. Goal setting and goal starting doesn’t have to take place at the first of the month, or even the first of the week. I once started on a big goal at midnight on the 24th of the month.

Tim Frisby accomplished his goal and realized his dream for two simple reasons: he never let time take his dream away, and when the time finally came, he took action. It worked for Pops -- and it’ll work for you too!

Copyright © 2004-2005 Vic Johnson

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