Posted 9/28/2006 by Josh Hinds

Inspiring Video -- The Free Hugs Campaign

I thought this was a rather cool video -- as well as inspirational. It's about a guy whose doing a "free hug campaign"! And they say one person can't encourage and make a positive impact on many. You can play the video below... To your success, Josh Hinds

Posted 9/25/2006 by Josh Hinds

In Case Cobblestone Whispers
by Julie Clark Robinson

“Be still in silence and listen to your heart. When it speaks to you, arise and go where it brings you.” -- Susan Tamaro, Va' Dove Ti Porta il Cuore

I think the sound of my own voice has finally gotten to me. Here it is, four years after I sat down to write my book, (ambitiously entitled Live in the Moment), two years after it was published, and countless book signings, speeches and interviews later, I'm finally going to take my own advice. I'm off to Italiana!

Can I afford it? Nope. Will my husband and kids be able to stay alive for ten whole days without me? Hope so. Is this something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember? You bet it is.

One of the things I tell people in my book is to not put off their own joy. Don't save that soft new sweater for a special occasion, break it out at the first sign of brisk fall air. Treat yourself to the pumpkin candle even if it costs more than the unscented one. So, after months of prodding from my in-laws to join them on their annual fall trip, I'm going to indulge in a bit of la dolce vita for myself!

Now that the decision is made and my suitcase is nearly packed, all liquids dutifully removed from my carry-on, (thank God airline security has decided to let lipstick through!), I can't stop thinking about what I actually expect to feel once my feet finally touch the other side of the world.

Somehow I'm anticipating that the centuries-old cobblestone streets will fill me with, I don't know exactly what. A feeling? Secret wisdom from the past? Will seeing Michelangelo's David change me somehow? Will watching the glass blowers of Murano give me an appreciation that I don't already have? If I close my eyes, will a gondola ride feel all that different from a canoe?
I'm betting around $5000 that it will.

My father-in-law has good-naturedly planned our trip so that it offers something for each of us. My mother-in-law is interested in art, so we will visit the main galleries. My sister-in-law is a fashionista, so I'm hearing the word "Gucci" being bantered about. When asked what I'd like to do while in Italy, it was hard for me to pinpoint. After some deep thought, I told him… "cheese".

I must explain myself. Years ago when I was on the bridesmaid circuit, I started to agonize whether I would find ever someone to share my life with. Tired of feeling "half" of something instead of whole, I saw a therapist to try to fill myself up. This woman challenged me to go out and do something that interested me, and I surprised myself and chose a cooking class. A Northern Italian cooking class. To this day if I want to make any day a tad more special, I grate some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and sprinkle it on whatever it is that I'm cooking. That's it! I want to go to the home of the good cheese. Hence a day trip to Emilia-Romagna was added our itinerary, along with five days to wander the Tuscan countryside during harvest so that we have some wine to wash our cheese down with, of course.

All that's left for me to do is buy a little journal that I can take along with me. I don't want to rely on pictures that I can see in any travel book, I want to record my feelings so that I can tap into them once I return. Next month, I'll share them with you. Ciao!

Action Exercise: (You can pretty much guess what I'm going to say, can't you?) Take one thing off of your "life list" and make it happen. And, if you haven't made your list of things you want to do in your life, do it now!
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Julie Clark Robinson is the author of Live in the Moment a fresh, funny and blatantly honest book about creating one's own daily joy. Visit her site at www.JulieClarkRobinson.com.

Posted 9/21/2006 by Josh Hinds

Dr. Robert Anthony Articles Added...

I just added two new articles to the Prosperity and Abundance section from Personal Performance Trainer Dr. Robert Anthony. They are: The Top 7 Signs of Self-Sabotaging Behaviors and The Secret Of “Doing Without Doing”.

--To your success, Josh Hinds :-)

Posted 9/16/2006 by Josh Hinds

Motivational Speaker Jim Rohn -- Video Clip

I found the following video clip of Motivational Speaker and Author Jim Rohn. Mr. Rohn has influenced a whole generation of personal development experts including Tony Robbins and many others.

Posted 9/01/2006 by Josh Hinds

Burn Your Boat!
By John Boe

I believe that the great NFL Hall of Fame coach, Vince Lombardi, had it right when he said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."

Do you agree with coach Lombardi or are you the type of person who has difficulty staying focused and keeping commitments? Do you allow the negative influences of fear, anxiety, self-doubt and worry to dominate your thinking and sabotage your results?

Sadly, most people fail to achieve their goals, not because they're lazy or lack self-motivation, but because they were never "fully committed" to succeed! I can't think of a single great achievement that has ever been attained without first a plan of action and then an unshakable commitment to its accomplishment. Walt Disney was arguably one of the most creative dreamers and determined men of the twentieth century.

Walt understood the power of commitment and would frequently tell those around him, "When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably."

The ancient Greek warriors were both feared and respected by their enemies. In battle, the Greeks established a well-deserved reputation for their unsurpassed bravery and unshakable commitment to victory. The key to their overwhelming success on the battlefield had far more to do with how the Greek commanders motivated the warriors than it did with issues of tactics or training.

The Greeks were master motivators who understood how to use a "dramatic demonstration" to infuse a spirit of commitment into the heart of every warrior. Once the warriors had been offloaded from their boats onto their enemy's shore, the Greek commanders would shout out their first order, "burn the boats!" The sight of burning boats removed any notion of retreat from their hearts and any thoughts of surrender from their heads.

Imagine the tremendous psychological impact on the soldiers as they watched their boats being set to the torch. As the boats turned to ash and slipped quietly out of sight into the water, each man understood there was no turning back and the only way home was through victory.

In your sales career your battles are not fought with weapons on foreign shores, but within the confines of your own mind. A truly committed salesperson does not have the luxury or the time for the self-indulgence of negative thinking. The true underlying motivation for all success is a deep and unwavering commitment to the task at hand. The sales profession is a demanding and challenging career, but it is also personally rewarding and financially lucrative for those who are fully committed to becoming successful.

If you are being pushed around mentally by thoughts of fear, anxiety, self-doubt and worry, it's time to "burn your boat" and become fully committed to your sales career!

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.JohnBoe.com or call 877 725-3750. Free Newsletter available on his website.

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