Success and happiness are not often thought to co-exist in todayfs society. As people work harder to accomplish more successful careers and more expensive toys, they find themselves unhappy with their lives. This is largely due to imbalance. People are spending entirely too much time working to be successful and not nearly enough time with family and stopping to smell the roses. These poor habits began in the nineties, and are being passed down to the next generation. But as young people, you can start planning now to have both success and happiness in your life as you grow older.
The first step toward achieving both success and happiness is to determine your definition of successful. Is it a certain type of career, a certain pay level, or the ability to have certain expensive items? The answers will be different for everyone, so this is definitely something that you should evaluate on your own, or with someone that knows and understands you and your core values. If you have not done so yet, now is also the time to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, skills, talents, and interests to begin choosing a career path.
Your next step toward achieving both success and happiness is to determine what makes you happy, or what will make you happy in the future. Is family of great importance to you? Do you want to get married and have children in the future (or the present)? Is not needing to worry about money and bills enough to make you happy, or do you need less substantial methods of happiness such as a good support system and time with friends? Again, answers will be different for everyone.
Once you have an understanding of your core values, you will be better able to create a plan that will give you both success and happiness. When you start choosing a career, you will need to take into consideration what you need for happiness rather than simply focusing on success. If family and time with friends is important to you, you may want to choose a less demanding career that will likely have set work hours. If this is not as important to you as helping others, then a career in law or medicine might be more feasible.
Once you have determined your career path, you will need to set a series of smaller goals that, when completed, will lead you to your ultimate goal of success and happiness. When you set these goals, you should not simply focus on how fast you can get to your final goal of success. If you work extra hard and get to your career goal within a few years, but you lose all of your friends and values in the process, you will not have success and happiness. But, if you take your goals in stride, allowing for plenty of time for yourself and your loved ones, you will find yourself in a much happier disposition as you reach your success goals.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A Guide To Success And Happiness For Young People
Seeking Success in Midlife
By the time a woman reaches her midlife she has shed many of the idealistic and romantic notions that her previous goals and dreams were founded on. The middle years can bring unwelcome revelations about a woman’s marriage or relationships, health, career path, spirituality and overall personal development. So it’s not too surprising that seeking success in midlife is both a touchy subject and a hot topic.
While you may not be convinced that all the symptoms of middle age are to be enjoyed, there is reason for a positive outlook. If you look you’ll find significant scientific and anecdotal evidence supporting the fact that the midlife years can be used for unusual personal growth and development. “In a 1997 survey by the North American Menopause Society, more than half of American women aged forty-five to sixty viewed menopause as the beginning of a new and fulfilling stage of life.” Women who tend to feel successful during the midlife years are those who are able to use their struggles as an impetus for change.
* Transforming Struggles into Success in Midlife
From menopause to illness and death, midlife tends to pile on the responsibilities and burdens. This happens at a time when many women expect to be enjoying greater freedom and rewards for their years of hard work. For instance, your own experience may seem to suggest that life is just a struggle and you need to accept it.
Yes, life is hard. But successful midlife women find a way to use their struggles to better their lives. The first step is to acknowledge and accept fully your discontent. Then start turning to what would make you smile. It could mean a new and more fulfilling career, a better relationship, better physical condition or an improved financial state.
* Defining Success for Women in Midlife
Success-coaches find that most women know exactly what they don’t want in their lives: e.g., poverty, loneliness, illness. However the key to building a successful midlife experience is to invest fully in gaining with full clarity and detail the vision you want to create.
Coaching women through midlife has become one of the fastest growing careers because permanent change is so hard to implement. Just think of how many struggle and fail trying to lose weight, manage money or start exercising. When a woman seeking success in midlife employs a life coach to guide her they both will need to take some very specific steps regardless of the individual journey.
Since all permanent change is rooted in your underlying beliefs you must be willing to examine your preconceived notions about your self and the world. For instance, if your mother raised you to believe that a healthy woman “has a little meat on her bones” your attempts to lose weight are combated by your subconscious believing that that is an unwise move. We are full of beliefs that don’t serve us. Most of us cannot see ourselves without bias, which is why a life coach can add clarity and perspective to this process.
Once you have identified your coach she needs to have the resources to help you rewire key thoughts so you won’t recreate the past. Also from your dreams and list of “wants” for your life, you need to dig deep to find out what the best idea of your life purpose is. What goals would be in line with this life purpose? Then you and your coach will need to outline an action based on achieving those goals. Finally, you will embark on the journey with your coach guiding, prompting and helping you along the way.
* Build a Community for Success in Midlife
The concept of a life coach really goes back centuries. They were referred to as wise elders and given much respect. We have lost that tribal connection, and women need to build community and seek out mentors in other ways. One of the benefits of choosing a life coach is that you can seek out someone who has already been down the path that you are traveling and can point out both barriers and shortcuts to midlife success.
In addition, you can look for or create a support group of midlife women within your community, church or other organization. Having other women who intend to create the best opportunity for themselves in their present challenges are good to have on your side. Mastermind groups as described by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich are a specific form of a support group.
The challenges of the midlife years can be seen as a wake-up call. Stop to take a long look at your life and the path you are traveling. Remember Lao-tsu said: "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
Your struggles can be transformed into the power to pave a new path that leads toward a more fulfilling future. Midlife offers a huge opportunity if you are willing to invest in you and adopt new ways of thinking.
The Key to Efficiency
by: Trina Lamarche
Over the last five years of being part of the working class, I have noticed some key points to being efficient.
1. Time Management
This is one of the biggest factors to being efficient. You can be well organized by keeping a schedule in your business and personal life. Even by having a calendar on the wall and writing your appointments or important phone calls is a good way of keeping organized.
2. Setting Priorities
Knowing what’s most important on your to-do list is an easy way of getting all of the tasks you need done completed in a timely manner. This might even allow you to do all the other smaller tasks on your list that you were putting off. Setting and keeping priorities, whether it be by client or task, is going to improve your relationships with your clients and then your clients will know what to expect when it comes to the completion of their work.
3. Learning to Breathe!
This might sound funny but it will save you from “blowing up” at one of your clients! Learning to breathe and not get frustrated with the business decisions you need to make is key to being efficient. Sometimes it’s best just to walk away from your desk and take a walk when you’re feeling frustrated. Frustration is not going to help you or your business.
4. Keeping a To-Do List
This goes along with being aware of your time and keeping your priorities. Keeping a to-do list is one of the best things I could have done to improve my business. I have a Hilroy notebook all the time and as I get new tasks, I write them down. As I think of new ways to improve my business, I write those down as well. It’s so easy and cheap to do and it will save you so much time. You won’t have to try to think back at everything you’ve done, all you have to do is simply look in your book and there it is.
As many of you know, there are tons of ways of being efficient in your business and personal life. Finding the right way for you makes all the difference in the world. It took me three years to find the best way! Being aware of these small things will help to improve your business and keep you on track to being efficient.
Looking forward to sharing many successes with you!
Trina Lamarche
Efficient VA
Discover How You, Too, Can Have It All
by: Pamela Glynn
Impossible? No – or yes, depending on how you see yourself and your environment. So much depends on our own perceptions and on our ability to discover that abundance is not just for others. If, consistently, we have more month than money it is natural to think that that’s the way it is and that there’s not much we can do to change it. Bosses don’t exactly dish out largess, do they? They run their business to make a profit and most of them tend not to pay employees over the odds. For this and a myriad of other reasons, debt is increasingly common … and when we are heavily in debt despair can quickly follow on.
That is a sad fact of life. But by changing our thinking we can change our circumstances.
Not overnight, of course. Nothing is that simple. The thing to remember is that contrary to appearances abundance is available to everyone.
Most of us have not been taught to see its availability. As a ‘war baby’ I was certainly brought up with a lack mentality. During the war itself, of course, and during the immediate post-war years there was much more lack than plenty and in my family – as in many others - it was a case of ‘make do and mend’. In other words, we had to make do with what we had rather than hanker after something totally unobtainable … and if socks, stockings, sweaters or whatever had a hole in them, then out came the darning needle and the hole was painstakingly mended.
We live in a different society now, though, don’t we? These days few things are mended while much is thrown away. That seems rather a sad reflection on our so-called ‘affluent society’ – and it isn’t helping our planet, either.
But getting back to lack versus abundance: I think many of us are conditioned during our formative years to believe it’s almost a sin to be rich – or at least that riches are for others, not for us.
We don’t need to take that conditioning with us through life, though, do we? It’s our undeniable right to question it … and to re-think.
I have found that if I focus on the money (or item) I lack, my focus brings more lack. I’m so busy thinking about what I don’t have that I depress myself thoroughly. Whereas, if I picture what I’d like to have - and spend time imagining how it will feel to still have money at the end of the month, or to be driving a more reliable car, or to be having a carefree holiday – my mood changes from downbeat to upbeat and I begin to see new possibilities. It’s important not just to picture these things, but also to experience in advance the emotion that their acquisition will bring. It’s also important to be patient and not expect overnight miracles. When we take ourselves in hand and practise new thinking, time is needed for this to begin taking effect.
For example, six years ago I took a picture of my dream-house. This had three stories and from each floor there were breathtaking views across the marina and ocean. I had never lived in such a house before and initially had some difficulty imagining myself living there. But I placed the picture prominently on a ‘dream board’ I had placed on the wall opposite the desk in my study. So I saw ‘my house’ every day and in this way it became easier to absorb it into my thinking as a part of my existence.
Mentally I moved in, living my new lifestyle and breathing fresh sea air.
Seven months later a sale-board went up outside ‘my house’. Hardly believing my eyes, I inquired about the price … and found that thanks to some financial good fortune of just a few days before I could actually afford it! The timing was almost unbelievable, since even a week earlier I’d lacked the necessary means to make an offer.
My offer was accepted, I eventually moved in … and I’ve been living happily in my dream-house ever since. And because of this and other amazing developments I’ve learned the importance of thinking the ‘right’ thoughts.
Truly, you too can discover how to have it all!
Copyright: Pamela Glynn
Finding Happiness
by: Brenda Davis
In the world that we live in today, it is too easy to become overwhelmed by it all with our busy schedules and reports from the daily news. Negative thinking can infiltrate even the most positive minds when we start to focus on all of the daily challenges that we face.
But when we choose to keep our focus on what makes us happy, we begin to shift the energy back to the positive. Finding something to be happy about each day is the first step in making this happen. Once we do this, we can see that being alive is truly a wonderful gift that is meant to be enjoyed and savored.
There is always something that we can think about to be happy about.
You may choose to remember a life-changing event such as the birth of a child. You may find your happiness in receiving a cup of your favorite coffee while enjoying the aroma and flavor of the brew. You might catch a glimpse of a beautiful sparkle of light shining through a piece of colored glass.
If you find yourself unable to bring up a happy memory or are unable to enjoy a simple pleasure, you need to take the time to examine what is blocking you from experiencing your happiness.
Keeping a happiness or gratitude journal may help you take that first step.
Each evening before you go to bed, write down in your journal a happy thought, memory or experience. Include the emotions that arise as you consider these thoughts and events. This may give you the insight into the factors that are compelling you to resist your happiness.
Happiness doesn’t always come easily into our lives. You might have been conditioned by society to believe that you are not worthy of happiness unless you have achieved certain expectations. So thoughts of happiness can actually trigger feelings of anger, guilt, fear and/or sadness. Accept that you have the power to choose happiness over unhappiness every day of your life. Each day make a conscious choice to discover a new source of happiness. It may not be easy at first, but eventually the idea of happiness will find its way into your heart.
Find one thing that makes you happy today and smile!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Have an Idea for the Next Great Invention?
We’ve all been disappointed at some time or another by products that didn’t live up to manufacturers’ claims. Just take a look around your home or office: How many items do you see that could use a bit of tweaking to make them more useful, make them work better – or make them work, period!
You’ve probably never considered following through on your simple ideas for besting design engineers at their own game. But chances are that once I explain how easy and affordable it is to test the waters, you’ll be canvassing your surroundings for items that could use your personal touch or be motivated to hatch the next blockbuster idea.
Many of my clients come to me with what they think are million-dollar ideas. They’ve polled a trusted group of family and friends on the merits and marketability of their invention and the consensus is that it’s a shoo-in. Lucky for them, these clients approached me at a critical juncture in the product development process– a crossroads where guidance in choosing the right path could help them avoid costly mistakes and wasting thousands of dollars.
Unlike firms that offer to shepherd your product idea to market in exchange for exorbitant up-front fees, my job is to act as your product development coach. In this role, I help clients on limited budgets to do it all themselves and to engage professionals on an as-needed basis along the way.
My overriding objective is to steer clients in the right direction – which means I might point you to China or back to the drawing board. I learned firsthand the ins and outs of the process when I brought my own new invention to market over 10 years ago – the Bowdabra. Since then, I’ve undertaken several personal projects on a limited budget and gained valuable experience in deciding when to proceed with a new idea and how to monetize it as efficiently as possible.
In my first session with a new client I discuss the viability of the product idea, as well as the do-it-yourself method of exploring whether an idea is patentable using the online services of the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). If you’re on a tight budget and can devote several hours to this task, you’ll find the process user friendly enough. Otherwise, you can hire a lawyer to conduct a patent search for +/- $750. One way to locate a registered patent attorney or agent is through the USPTO’s directory (www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/roster/index.html).
If your search results reveal that your idea is indeed unique and patentable, you’ve got a green light to proceed to the provisional patent – a powerful option that is little-known outside the realm of experienced inventors. The provisional patent helps would-be inventors overcome one of the biggest obstacles they face: reluctance to reveal their idea to the very audience who is the bona fide market for the product.
It’s a common “catch 22”: Do I take the risk that someone will copy my idea or proceed with just the encouragement of family and friends. Clearly, it’s a valid concern among the uninitiated who do not understand the “patent pending” features that come with the provisional patent.
The provisional patent provides a low-cost way to protect your idea from potential competitors for 12 months while you do your market research. This is important because conducting demos and surveys among sizable target market segments is the only way to see if your idea has legs long enough for sustained profitability.
The provisional patent gives you the breathing room you need to assess whether it makes financial sense to go on to the next step of applying for a utility patent, which protects the way a product is used and works for a 20-year period, and/or an international patent.
Healthy Guilt, Unhealthy Guilt
Guilt is the feeling that results when you tell yourself that you have done something wrong.
HEALTHY GUILT
Healthy guilt is the feeling that occurs when you have actually done something wrong - such as deliberately harming someone. This is an important feeling, which results from having developed a conscience - a loving adult self who is concerned with your highest good and the highest good of all. People who never developed a conscience and feel no guilt or remorse over harming others are called sociopaths. These people have no loving adult self and can wreck havoc - stealing, raping, killing - without ever feeling badly about it.
Healthy guilt results in taking responsibility for our choices and being accountable for our actions. When we have not behaved in a way that is in our highest good and the highest good of all, our loving adult self will feel remorse and take over, doing whatever we have to do to remedy the situation.
UNHEALTHY GUILT
Unhealthy guilt results from telling yourself that you have done something wrong when you haven't actually done something wrong. For example, if you decide to do something for yourself with no intent to harm anyone, and someone gets upset with you for doing what you want instead of doing what he or she wants, what do you tell yourself? Here are some of the inner statements that can lead to unhealthy guilt:
"It's my fault that he is feeling angry."
"I should have done what she wanted instead of what I wanted. I have caused her to feel hurt."
"I'm being selfish in doing what I want to do."
"It's my duty to put myself aside and do what others want me to do."
"If he gets angry with me, then I must have done something wrong."
"If she is hurt, then I must have done something wrong."
Many of us have been trained to believe that we are responsible for others' feelings, so that when others are angry or hurt, it is our fault. But unless you deliberately intended to harm someone, his or her feelings are not your responsibility. Others get hurt when they take your behavior personally, and they get angry when they make you responsible for their feelings. But this does not mean that you are responsible for their feelings.
You are responsible for your own intent. When you intend to harm someone, then you are responsible for the results of that. But when you just want to take care of yourself with no intent to harm anyone - such as want some time alone when your partner wants to spend time with you - then you are not responsible for your partner's upset.
Unhealthy guilt comes from telling yourself a lie. When the wounded, programmed critical part of you takes over and tells you that doing what you want with no intent to harm anyone is wrong, that is when you will feel unhealthy guilt. This critical part of you wants to control how others feel about you, and so tells you the lie that you are responsible for others' feelings.
Unhealthy guilt also arises when someone blames you for his or her feelings and you take on the blame. Many people have learned to blame others for their feelings rather than take responsible for their own feelings. When you accept this blame, it is because you want to believe that you can control others' feelings. You will feel unhealthy guilt when you accept blame for others' feelings.
Healthy guilt is an important feeling and leads to positive action, but unhealthy guilt is a waste of energy.
If We All Start Thinking A Certain Way
by: Laila Siddique
We all want to better ourselves, make a bigger income, buy a bigger house, travel ,learn and be free or better have the financial freedom to make our dreams a reality.
Is it circumstances? is it the place we live? The people that surrounds us? The economic situation we are in ? Are all these factors that can influence our way to success?
I don't know about you but as far as I am concerned till not too long ago I thought my life was sort of "controlled" by the events and situations happening around me.
But then how come there are people that live in a certain place and some are rich and some are poor? How come there are people doing certain jobs and some improve themselves while others get stuck in the same position for ever? How come that there are people that are very very smart and can't find a good job and there are others that are "less" smart and seem to have all the luck of the world?
I know plenty of times when I looked in the past at someone and wondered how come I was working hard, doing the right thing, and still didn't seem to go anywhere and there were friends that were doing much less but seemed to be so fortunate in always achieveing their goals?
Could it be that maybe I was brought up in a certain way, and taught to think and see money as something that unless you work really really hard you can't get it and even when you are working hard just be satisfied with what you have, it is the normal way of life.
I am not here to blame how I was brought up, my mum certainly did the best that she could with me and I love her unconditionally, she didn't have any other way to see money or reality, she had been brought up that way.
So let me get to the point, can we change and start thinking the right way?
I believe that if we have a clear mental picture of the things we want and we hold on to this picture in our thoughts with the fixed purpose to get what we ant and with the unwavering faith that we will get what we want, closing our mind to all that may tend to shake our purpose we will achieve our goals, and live a full , bright and wonderful life.
Think about these words, I did not write them someone else did long long time ago still they are extremly powerfull today , maybe more than ever.
You can be anything you want to be, think it, feel it, do it, believe it's your already and your life will begin to change today.
Love Laila
Desire, believe and expect
http://ismailandlaila.thesgrprogram.com
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ways to Connect and Give Back
Summer is a time to reconnect with people, be outside, take life a little less seriously, and enjoy the warm weather. One of the most precious aspects of being alive is sharing our lives, and connecting to others. Our relationships with friends, family, and co-workers reminds us that we are all connected to each other.
Other people are our mirrors, reminding us of our own humanity,. Even a short exchange with a stranger or acquaintance can brighten our day. It's that connection, love in all its forms, that we all seek and need on a daily basis. The times we begin feeling down or depressed often have to do with dwelling on our own problems, going inward, or feeling isolated and unloved. When we stay connected to others on a regular basis and share positive experiences, there is often less of a tendency to dwell on our own problems. When we look outside of ourselves and focus on others, we really see them. We all are dying to be seen and heard.
Take some time to start finding small ways you can connect more to others. is there a card you've been meaning to send someone you care about to tell them how much you miss and love them? Can you really see the person at work you are talking to, and give them a real compliment on their new hair style or great attitude at work? The difference we can make in another person's life by simply noticing them, is really quite remarkable. It also makes us feel happier and lighter to touch someone else, and takes the focus off of ourselves. We are all in the same world together after all.
A wonderful way to feel more connected, get out of the house, and outside of oneself, is to give back to others. Whether it is talking for one hour a week to an elderly person, helping the sick or homeless, or reading to a child in need, giving back is a wonderful gift.
There are several organizations to volunteer with in New York City. I have listed a few of them below. If you are in another city or state, look on the internet under Volunteer organizations and choose the population you are most interested in working with.
VolunteerNYC.org--has a large listing of many different types of volunteer organizations in the city.
NYcares.org--has a wide range of volunteer opportunities including working with animals, children, and adults throughout the year and on holidays in a wide range of fields
www.NYCgovparks.org--work on volunteer projects outdoors in the parks and cleaning up the environment
Using Positive Affirmations to Achieve Success
by: Roshawn Hall
Although people do not always realize it, they can often be limited in what they can achieve by mental boundaries. These mental boundaries can in turn be overcome by positive affirmations and affirmation enhancement. When a person is mentally limited, they may find that they are unable to complete a task or goal that they are aiming for. Whether this is career progression, overcoming money problems or even passing a driving test; being able to understand and achieve your full potential can be difficult.
Very few people manage to achieve exactly what they want to in life. Those that manage to achieve everything that they want to tend to be good at entering into a dialogue with their sub-conscious and they also tend to be open-minded as far as their perception of the potential for human-achievement goes. Positive affirmations help people achieve what they want to, and live a more fulfilling life; those that are able to free their mind to the potential for physiological modeling often manage to achieve much more than those who are skeptical from the outset.
While some people may decide that they wish to achieve financial success, others may wish to find love, or re-unite with their family for example. The truth is that everyone has the power within, and the ability to absorb enough power, to achieve their absolute full potential – through using the process of affirmation enhancement coupled with daily affirmation you can achieve exactly what you have set as your goals. While goal setting is important, you should not lose sight of how you enjoy yourself on a daily basis. That is why, with experience, you may start to use your daily affirmations as a means of ensuring that you are able to enjoy yourself on a day-to-day basis, as well as achieving strategic happiness.
As people realize, our goals can often change. One day we may wish that we were able to play an instrument for example, and then as we start to learn how to play it, the fun associated with it can often disappear. This is an example of a gateway to happiness, rather than happiness itself. For example, you may wish to learn to drive; however you only want to be able to drive so that you can work in your dream job that deems that you need a driver’s license. The driver’s license is a gateway, and in fact so is the job – everyone makes goals which they set as a means of achieving happiness. Which begs the question: can you merely affirm towards happiness, rather than the means of getting you there?
The answer is no. Through merely aiming towards your end goal of happiness, rather than the strategy to get you there, you will lose focus on what you enjoy, as well as the trial and tribulation involved in finding true happiness. While happiness is subjective, using affirmations as a means to get there can be the best solution for those with an open mind.
The Science of Getting Rich
What Happens When 3 Extraordinary Teachers from "the Secret" Come Together to Teach the Science of Getting Rich?
The Science of Getting Rich is a timeless classic written in 1910 by Wallace D. Wattles. It is a bold title for a book and suggests that getting rich is a predictable outcome if one can master the principles outlined in the book. Here is how Wallace D. Wattles puts it in his own words, "The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way. Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich. Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor. It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects. Therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich."
Certainly, this book is well referenced by many of the great teachers today and it is the same book that inspired Rhonda Byrne to produce that runaway success "the Secret". Here is what Rhonda Byrne said on her introductory note to the book, "I can honestly say that, since that first night when a tattered printed manuscript found its way to me (thanks to one of my daughters), my life has never been the same. Once you read it for yourself, you will understand why". Rhonda went on to produce the movie "the Secret" and the best-selling book of the same title which has sold millions of copies worldwide.
However, learning how to do things in that "certain way" as described by Wallace D. Wattles may be more challenging for some as the book was written nearly 100 years ago. Some of the language is a little dated and much of its wisdom lost from a modern day perspective.
Fortunately, a new training seminar for the Science of Getting Rich has brought the wisdom of this timeless classic back to life for modern readers. Called "the Science of Getting Rich", this program is the most comprehensive training system for mastering Wallace D. Wattles wealth creation philosophies and principles since its creation. It comprises written, audio and live seminar formats for learning, applying and mastering the Science of Getting Rich.
A unique "twist" to the program is the fact that it has an in-built vehicle for creating substantial financial wealth through its affiliate program. This is truly a unique wealth eduction and wealth building program designed to empower any individual with the resources to get rich. It is a program whose time has come. The program would not be possible without the original text from Wallace D. Wattles, the skills of leading teachers of our time, the phenomenal success of "the Secret" and the Internet as a learning and distribution tool.
Click here to learn more about the Secret Science of Getting Rich and the details of the program.
http://www.markrkhalil.thesgrprogram.com
The Science of Getting Rich Teachers:
Bob Proctor
Bob Proctor is an author, lecturer, counselor, business consultant, entrepreneur, and teacher preaching the gospel of positive thinking, self-motivation and maximizing human potential. In that endeavor, he follows in the footsteps of such motivational giants as Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale and Wallace D. Wattles.
His extraordinary teaching ability has won Proctor acclaim around the globe and has carried the Canadian-born motivator to the far reaches of the earth. He is as well known in Australia and Malaysia as he is in Alberta and Mississippi.
Born in a little town in northern Ontario, Canada with the low self-esteem that often befalls a family's middle child, he performed poorly in school, dropped out and did a hitch in the navy. Afterward he drifted from one dead-end job to another until a friend introduced Bob to the concept of self-development through Napoleon Hill's classic Think and Grow Rich.
With the spark generated by Hill's words, Proctor found the initiative to start an office cleaning business which he grew to international scope in his first year of operation. From that experience - after seeing what he had been able to accomplish with just a rudimentary knowledge of personal motivation and goal-setting - he hungered for more information.
His quest took him to the Nightingale-Conant organization to study under his mentor, Earl Nightingale. Once on board, he rose swiftly through the ranks. Eventually, while the Nightingale-Conant organization assumed the forefront in wide-scale distribution of personal development programs, Bob felt the need to take his ideas and methods directly to the individual, to the one-on-one level which had proved so successful for himself.
In the mid 1970's, Proctor established his own seminar company and secured a contract to work with a few hundred agents of Prudential Life Insurance Co. of America in Chicago. During his first seminar Bob made the suggestion that any agent present could write $5 million in business that year if the agent made a decision to do so.
The fact that the seminar took place in July with the year half over and that no agent in that region had ever written so much business in the 100-year history of the company made Bob's suggestion appear to be outrageous. However, when the performance level of the entire division increased substantially with more than one agent actually accomplishing the deed, Bob's reputation as a motivator was established.
Over the ensuing years, Proctor has shared his special message and expertise with hundreds of business entities worldwide and, through a program of live seminars, with thousands of people of all ages in all walks of life.
Meanwhile, in addition to his international best-seller You Were Born Rich, he found time to author other works as well, including Mission in Commission, The Winner's Image, The Goal Achiever, The Success Series, The Success Puzzle, The Recruiting Puzzle, and Being Your Very Best.
Jack Canfield
Jack Canfield is an American motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of The New York Times No. 1 best-selling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series, which currently has over 65 titles and 80 million copies in print in over 37 languages. According to USA Today, Canfield and his writing partner, Mark Victor Hansen, were the top-selling authors in the United States in 1997.
With a BA from Harvard University, a Masters from University of Massachusetts, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Santa Monica, Canfield has been a high school and university teacher, a workshop facilitator, a psychotherapist, and for the past 30 years, a leading authority in the area of self-esteem and personal development.
Canfield is the founder of "Self Esteem Seminars" in Santa Barbara, and "The Foundation for Self Esteem" in Culver City, California. Self Esteem Seminars trains entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders and employees on how to accelerate the achievement of their personal and professional goals, while The Foundation for Self Esteem provides self-esteem resources and trainings to social workers, welfare recipients and human resource professionals. Canfield is also the President of Souperspeakers.com, a speaking resource service that provides inspirational speakers for event planners worldwide.
Canfield has traveled to over 21 countries, delivering hundreds of keynote speeches, workshops and trainings each year. As part of his presentation style, he always uses inspirational, motivational and uplifting stories to help his audiences discover, experience and retain key concepts and approaches. After each session, audiences everywhere had encouraged him to put his stories into a single book.
In 1990, while on an airplane home, he felt that it was time. He shared his idea with author Mark Victor Hansen during breakfast one day. Hansen liked the idea, and so began the Chicken Soup for the Soul phenomenon. But with their busy schedules, translating what worked on the podium onto the written page proved more challenging than either of them had anticipated. After three long years, the two had compiled just sixty-eight stories — a far cry from the 101 they believed was the magic number for a successful book. Nonetheless, their successful partnership has spawned many other titles that have made them enormously famous.
Canfield has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Eye to Eye, CNN’s Talk Back Live, PBS and the BBC. Today, he speaks shares his success strategies with companies and associations worldwide.
The most recent book Canfield has written was the 2005 publication of The Success Principles. In it Canfield shares 64 principles that he and other people have utilized to achieve great levels of success.
Please be sure to visit my website for more information on the science of getting rich program and also sign up for the 7 free lessons on the law of attraction!!!
http://www.markrkhalil.thesgrprogram.com
Thursday, April 2, 2009
How to Foster a Champion
by: Karen Kay
Can you think of someone you know who exudes courage? Take a second and picture someone in your mind who is particularly courageous. What do they do that makes them seem like this to you?
A couple of weeks ago, I took on a challenge: I decided that my team would adopt a few contestants in the race for the "Next Internet Millionaire" contest. I found some participants who seemed to have a positive message, then posted in the forum offering to promote them. The response was phenomenal and for the next 5 days, I did everything I could to build them up. I sent emails to my lists and blogs encouraging votes. I set up Squidoo pages for each of them. I even ran a small Google adwords campaign offering free advertisements to my list for those who would send positive comments.
What was interesting in this process was the fact that most of the contestants who wanted my help were not the ones I originally chose. Other participants asked me to add them in, make room for another one, or otherwise gave me good reasons why they were worthy of my help, and for the most part, I agreed. Why did I do this? The answer is simple: because I admired their courage in asking. I could have spent a lot less time overall on the project if I had only promoted the original favorites who responded. Instead, I took on most of those who asked because I felt the act of asking in and of itself showed their strength as a leader...and leaders like to work with other leaders!
Think now of the person or people you thought of at the beginning of this article. Have they ever asked for your help? How do you feel generally when someone asks for your help? For me it is validating. Someone thinks enough of me that my actions will somehow improve their situation. I am certain that at least a few of those who asked for my help did not need it at all. They were extending a hand to me as a way of validating me, lifting me up. They were being a leader.
Asking for help is not an easy thing for many of us to do. I have trouble with it quite often. Pride, fear, or for whatever reason, many of us simply do not like to ask for help. This has to change if we are to make it, especially if we are to lead a team. Showing vulnerability is actually an attractive quality. Why is that? Because people are innately, I believe, born to give. Helpful women, problem-solving men, all want to give. Ask someone for help; give them something of value in return, and you are well on your way to fostering a nice relationship. The leader in you is borne.
Copyright (c) 2007 Karen Kay
Cut The Funk
by: Zoe Routh
Phew! All this focus on manifesting, wealth and changing your circumstances can be exhausting. Change requires effort, that’s for sure. Sometimes you can just get sick of it all: sick of trying to be happy, focussed, and positive. You’re now in a funk. Ugh. And you know that you need to get out of it because you don’t want to be vibrating ‘funk’. Double ugh.
So how do you get out of your funk when you really just want to wallow in it for a while?
By all means wallow. For a short time. Just don’t stay there. Staying there would really suck. You deserve better than that.
Now that you’re done wallowing, here are some tricks to get you in the flow again.
Give yourself a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself! You’ve been working hard at resetting your wealth vibration, using manifestation tools, and turning your life around. It’s time to just enjoy yourself for a bit.
Make a list of 100 things that make you feel good. Yup – a whole 100 things. Then go and do five of them.
Here’s my top 10:
1. Be outside. Breathing in fresh air, looking at a blue sky, and being in nature just feels good.
2. Exercise. Even a few minutes can feel good. Moving the body is so releasing and energising. Stretching is my minimum movement when I can’t be bothered to do anything else. Even that feels good!
3. Clean something. There is just something satisfying about clean surfaces and the gleam of shiny chrome.
4. Pat something furry and cuddly, like a cat, dog, or guinea pig. Caring for something more vulnerable than you is a real heart-melter.
5. Music. Music is all energy vibrations, so it is no wonder it has such a profound effect on mood shifting. I love Norah Jones for relaxing, and ABBA for a boogie.
6. Hug someone. Personal contact is lovely. ‘Nuffsaid.
7. Watch a funny movie. Leslie Nielsen movies (Airplane, Police Academy) are so silly it hurts!
8. Read something inspiring and enjoyable. See my blogJ
9. Smile at someone. Watch how their face totally changes when they smile back. Very, very cool.
10. Say a little thank you for all the good stuff and people in your life.
That’s it. Nothing more to do. Just go out and enjoy.
Lots of love to you
Zoe
How To Develop Into A Better Tomorrow
Personal development AKA personal growth comprises the development of the self. Learn how to identify the deferent areas of personal growth and how to use personal development techniques to improve your personal and professional life.
Personal development, also known as personal growth, comprises the development of the self. There are many types of personal development such as inner self, mental growth, physical growth, metaphysical, and spiritual growth to name a few. It also covers many different areas of your life such as personal self, relationships, health, careers, family, financial, and your social circle. Personal development can mean many things to many people that’s why there are thousands of different programs available. It is up to you to find the right one that’s a fit for you and your personal needs.
There are important areas of life that are considered in personal development and growth. Personal development involves growth in all these areas. Intellectual knowledge and learning something knew each day of your life is imperative. Development and growth in this area will stimulate your mind, stretching your thoughts to remain open to new experiences and skills. Develop your true self, your character, spirituality and emotions and you will become able to control your feelings, how you view others and your perceptions of the world around you. Learn to make friends with your self, and your higher power. If a person has no joy in his heart, he will not find joy in his life. This will also enable you to have more desire to improve your physical health. Exercise will not only improve your body’s health, and physical appearance you’ll also feel so much more motivated and mentally relaxed.
You’ll find yourself enjoying, experiencing, and exploring more of your life and engaging yourself into more activities, fun and adventures. Learning to feel better about yourself will also make your family life so much better. Make your life more interesting by doing things you didn’t normally do but have always enjoyed. You will have more energy and motivation to do daily task such as cooking, cleaning, washing, and one of the most important is quality family time. No longer distancing yourself from your family, your family will enjoy the change and will grow closer as well as become proud of your accomplishments. Becoming more in-touch with your personal and intimate relationships you’ll develop and grow more aware of your sensitive side as well as your partners, enabling you to listen more to your partners needs. Your relationship will be so much more enjoyable and fulfilling creating a better social life, friends and develop more long lasting relationships with them. You will learn how to approach people you don’t know. And convey the message you want to send. Your working environment will improve and you will gain more wealth working less. Learn to be more aware of your finances and money management. Financial management is one I think we all are working on.
When ever life acts we respond to it. If something great happens in your life you may be very happy. But on the other hand if something really horrible happens you may be angry , upset or even sad. What ever the reaction is it all depends on you and your attitude. We all chose our feelings and control our attitude fortunately. So that gives us the ability to control our reactions to situations as they arrive. What ever you think about you bring about. If you don’t want negative things in your life change your attitude, change how you think.
Think of and only allow positive thoughts and beliefs into your mind. You will have positive results in your life. Your subconscious mind is being fed with information every second of the day, and you are not even aware of it. You need to change your negative habits to positive habits and learn to take charge of your thoughts, your feelings and emotions. Think positive, peaceful and prosperity thoughts. And your life will grow so wonderfully and you will regain true happiness and prosperity in your life. Personal development is a daily personal growth exercise that allows you to enjoy life. I hope you enjoy yours, as I enjoy mine. I used to be extremely depressed and my life was miserable. I began an incredible personal development program, now my life is incredible, my family life, personal life, spiritually, physically, emotional, financial, it’s all great; I have grown in so many ways. I now do the things I used to love but had lost all interest in. I have bigger and better goals and dreams, I get to travel and just enjoy my life without limitation. My personal development is better than what I thought possible. I have learned how to enjoy my life to the fullest and I’m so much happier. You have the opportunity to find out whats possible for you.