I want to share with you a secret…
…okay… not much of a secret… more of a powerful piece of advice.

Have a mentor!

Yep, that’s it…

…sounds simple right…of course it is!

I have hundreds of them!

Well, okay, most don’t even know I am using them as my mentor.

But, hey, I seek their advice every day.

You see I want you to get into the habit of expanding your mindset and allowing the doors of opportunity to open. Having a mentor or mentors will do that precise thing for you.

I’m a firm believer in not having to deal with the learning curve…I just don’t have time to experiment with trial and error…nor failure. I need to keep moving…positively, financially, and spiritually.

So back to the hundreds of mentors…

What is a mentor?
Well, according to most dictionaries – the simplest way to explain it is “a trusted counselor or guide.” Now, most dictionaries go on to say… that a mentor should be older, wiser and more experienced in what you need help in. I say age doesn’t matter.

I have about 5 highly intelligent business oriented people I seek advice from day after day, and about another 100 or so that I can go to at a moment’s notice and get advice from.

What? How can you have 100 people who are available to you on a moment’s notice?

Well, let me explain!

Books! Audio Programs! Videos! … get the picture.

You see books, audio programs and video’s provide in depth advice and nuggets of valuable, bankable information… that when used correctly can propel you to new heights.

My favorites and yes, you can use them as mentors too…include…
Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Timothy Ferris, Dan Kennedy, Steven K. Scott, Joe Sugarman, Joe Vitale, Gary Vaynerchuck, Brian Tracy, Robert G. Allen, Lee Milteer, Bill Glazer, Steve Chandler, Marie Forleo, Ted Nicholas, Dr Lawrence Steinmetz, Pamela Yellen, Bill Philips, Michael Gerber, Dean Graziosi, and the list goes.

Back to the “age doesn’t matter” approach. I’ll be 41 this year and my 12 year old son is my mentor when it comes to video gaming… he knows all the moves and cheats in all the video games he plays. My family priest is younger than me, but I seek his mentorship when it comes to spiritual matters.

Age doesn’t matter. Seek those people out that have the knowledge and insight to help you along.

Until next time,

Live with passion

Rob Anspach
www.robanspach.com

P.S. When I do an interview with someone, they are my mentor for that hour…I learn from them and get to know them…plus, I develop a friendship with them.

P.P.S. If you’d like to listen to the 3 interviews I have on my website here is the link…
www.robanspach.com/passions2profits.html

Jack Canfield is the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series. He’s also the author of the best-selling The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.

In Jack’s chapter in the Power of The Platform: Speakers on Purpose, he states, “…You can choose to make ANY time the perfect time to uncover a whole new you! Life will always be a series of choices and YOU get to decide on what will move you close to your goals and your purpose or farther away from them.”

To accomplish our goals, it’s critical to take a personal inventory. And we’ll probably have to do something uncomfortable. Canfield tells us that, … “Successful people don’t waste time in denial (or complain or make excuses for that matter). They face situations like a warrior. And fixing requires problem solving, hard work, risk and a level of uncertainty.”

Canfield tells us it’s OK to identify a problem – even if we don’t have a clue about how to solve the problem. The first step, is recognizing there’s an issue and then having the faith you’ll figure it out with careful attention to it.

We need to constantly keep our eyes on three areas in pursuit of our goals and dreams. They are:

1. Awareness. Keep awareness on the feedback we’re getting from life and decide to address situations immediately;
2. Commitment. Commit to finding out why things aren’t working and learn what will fix them.
3. Trust. Trust that making changes to the situation will ultimately bring about the best results.

Finally, he suggests focusing on the 7 areas of life and asking ourselves “What’s not working here in each one?” and brainstorming three potential solutions. These areas include: 1. Financial goals; 2. Career/Business goals; 3. Free time/family time; 4. Health and appearance goals; 5. Relationship goals; 6. Personal growth; 7. Making a Difference.

Jack Canfield is a contributing author to a newly released compilation book to which I have also contributed a chapter: The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Purpose. This book contains a vast array of information from thought-leading speakers and authors from the field of leadership and personal development. In addition to my chapter on The Dirtiest Little Secret in Business: The Absence of Supportive Candor, several New York Times best-selling authors have contributed chapters, including Brian Tracy, Keith Ferrazzi, Marci Shimoff and Richard Bolles. For a copy of Jack’s chapter, click here; for a copy of my chapter, click here.

Dr Nick Hall- The Power of the Platform - Speakers on Success - Taming the Alligators in Your Life

the power-of-the-platform-speakers-on-success

Click Here to order the book from Amazon

Dr Nick Hall- Robin Jay – Chapter Two Book Review –  The Power of the Platform – Speakers on Success – Taming the Alligators in Your Life

taming the alligators in your life the power of the platform - speakers on success dr nick hall

Alligators like to snap, bite and eat anything in sight. (in the movies)

I’m not sure what they do in real life.

One thing I know is that this book shows me what I can do with the Alligators in my life.

Those things I fear that hold me back from achieving success.

Do you know that your brain has a neurological response mechanism built into it?

If you suffer a bad experience with ice cream, you will continue to avoid it at all costs.

It sounds silly doesn’t it?

But it’s entirely true.

Everytime you see a bowl of ice cream you will either have the fight or flight feeling. it will pass through your brain and a vivid picture of that bad experience will be staring at you.

Then you will associate anything that has something to do with ice cream with bad feelings too.

In this case your favorite ice cream store or dessert buffet.

A neurological response is based on a memory of something associated with pain or discomfort.

Everytime a thought passes about that one thing, you will automatically feel discomfort and want to run the other way.

That’s what fear does to you, it makes you want to avoid what you fear and run the other way.

The fear of failure can really hinder you in your goals.

You don’t even try because you’re afraid of what your family, friends and co-workers will say?

Phooey!  Go try it anyway!

If it fails, then so be it!

It’s not what you’re supposed to be doing.

If it doesn’t fail, then you are on the right track.

Dr Nick Hall gives some great advice in this Chapter.

Something to live by.

Take stock of what’s gone wrong.

Write it down.

Shift thoughts from emotions to reason.

Find a solution – List Resources available to you.

Focus on what you have.

Always go forward in life.

I Quote, “Success is achieved every time you make progress. Each day, establish a realistic and worthwhile objective that is within your control. Then watch as you create your success.”

Now this is a motto we can all live by and learn from.

Robin Jay once told me to stop being negative about the things that I want to do.  I appreciate her words of wisdom.

I realized that I am being too negative about what I want to do.  I was looking at how “impossible” my dream was.

If anything I’ve learned I can wrestle with my Alligators and do whatever I can.

Then I’ll let the Universe, the powers that be, take their course.

Eventually I’ll get on that road to success and say, I kept going toward the mark and I’ve accomplished another goal!

By Michael Griffin

How is your future vision? How well can you see the things that are to happen in your life? Does that sound like a crazy idea?

Napoleon Hill, who was perhaps the greatest success writer of the 20Th century had this to say:

Thoughts are things.

Wayne Dyer, who wrote many success books, put it this way:

You will see it when you believe it.

Wallace Wattles, who wrote “The Science of Getting Rich,” the book behind the movie “The Secret” put it like this:

By thought, the thing you want is brought to you; by action you receive it.

When the mind is open and expecting a thing held in vision it finds new connections and notices things and ideas related to the thing. If you allow your mind to put these ideas and observations together, it will begin to suggest things for you to do. Things that may or may not seem related to the vision. But these things, when integrated this way, will begin to form and bring to you the object of your future vision.

If you want anything — you must first think it. How can we think of the good things we want if our mind is polluted with all the negativity around. Are you a news junkie? Most of what is in the news and on the news channels is what other people want you to think about something that has happened. You don’t need that to overshadow your life. You need to form clear ideas and visions without the interpretation of others. When you create a future vision you must care for it and nurture it while you are bringing it about by holding the vision.

Some have described how this process works using quantum physics. Others relate it to an intelligence in the universe: that the universe contains a thinking substance that produces in kind after the pure thought held in it. Wallace Wattles, quoted above, is one of those who put forth this theory. I don’t think these two theories exclude each other so just take the one that is easiest on your head and begin to play with future vision.

Hold the vision of what you want in your mind with as pure a thought as you can. Practice this morning and night and write the ideas that spin off, write down the plans that come to mind — then act on these things.

Your vision creates the result, your actions bring it into your hands. This is what Wattles is saying.

Whether you have read “The Science of Getting Rich” or not you’ll want to experience it in a new way. You’ll want to experience it as delivered and interpeted by Bob Proctor with some help from Michael Beckwith and Jack Canfield. You will learn to use The Science of Getting Rich as your own secret weapon and as your key to success and creation.

I’m Mike Griffin, and I invite you to learn about these success secret weapons by visiting: http://therealmikegriffin.com/sgrp/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Griffin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Future-Visions,-Thoughts-Are-Things&id=3702717

Jack Canfield talks about trying to sell the manuscript for Chicken Soup for the Soul and they were turned down hundreds of times.

It’s now a billion dollar market for these books.

When the world says no,

Jack says … you say next…

chicken soup for the soul

Jack Canfield; Mark Victor Hansen

ManifestMyGoal youtube channel

chicken soup for the soul jack canfield mark victor hansen the idea girl linda randall

ManifestMyGoal youtube channel

Jack Canfield says:

So, youve got this big dream in your head and you have no flipping idea how you could possibly make it a reality in your life. Fact is, though, if youre able to dream it, youre able to live it so lets get down to business. Jack Canfield walks you through the simple steps it takes to get clarity, get mentally and emotionally attuned and Buy this DVD as part of Jack Canfields Dream Big System and get a free, 72-minute instant audio bonus:http://www.TheKeyToBetterLife.com

In this video Jack Canfield shares why we complain and focus on our negative thoughts and feelings.

When I heard the little voice in my head say, Today your life is going to change, it caught me off guard.

I said to myself, yeah right!

Within 24 hours it did change, to my surprise.

Something I had been praying for several months finally came into being.

It kind of makes me believe in prayer when one is answered.

I guess it takes time for the powers that be to put everything into place.

I had to act on my desires and go out there and do some legwork.

It paid off in the end.

I got the desires of my heart, and changes have been made.

I figured that would be it, that ONE thing.

But no!

The little voice inside my head tells me there will be other changes, big ones, if I just believe.

Then I pick up this book that was sent to me and start reading it.

The first chapter is – one day your life will change for the better if you only believe.

Jack Canfield words hit me right between the eyes.

WHOMP!

Knocked me off my socks, those little words dancing around in my head.

I finally made some changes of my own.

I started expecting things to get better for me.

Guess what?

They did!

You can do the same.

If you want things to change in your life, then take the baby steps towards your goal.

Even if it seems impossible, do whatever you can to make it happen.

then pray and believe that the universe will meet you half way and help you reach that goal.

These are my words of wisdom for today, from the idea girl .

I’m not setting the best example as I’m writing this a full month after everyone has begun their New Years resolutions but this will still be fitting.  In fact this timing is probably better as you’ve already had a month to evaluate the success of your resolutions.  Are you seeing results or do you keep putting things off until tomorrow?

I’ve read countless articles, books, etc on keys to success and goal setting. I’ve learned some very valuable lessons. Things that most teachers/gurus/coaches/mentors would agree

1. List your goals in terms of importance

2. List the top priority activities that will assist you in achieving these goals

3. Break down your goals into action steps- continue to do so until the steps achievable

3. Write “to do” lists and place priority activities at the top

4. delegate lower priority activites

5. set realistic deadlines that are measureable

6. Hold yourself accountable to these deadlines

7. Be adaptable to changes

etc etc….

All great points, but let’s look at one of the most common goals people set

“I want to make more $/I want to be financially independent”

If everyone has this system to follow, and holds themself accountable, then why are so many people still failing to reach their financial goals?

What I have found is this- They’re setting unrealistic goals. Now that could mean that they’re expecting to make $1 million in a year when the most they’ve ever made in their lifetime is $40k in 1 year. Yes this is a stretch but it’s very achievable. The problem isn’t that they’re aiming to big. The problem lies in that they’re not setting the right goal.

Clarification- Every single one of us has a unique value system. Think of it as a fingerprint. Most people don’t value money! If they did they’d have it… simple. When you set goals that are not congruent with your current value system then you’re fighting a losing battle. You don’t wake up inspired to do the necessary activities to achieve these goals, excuses are made, deadlines changed, you’re self worth drops and another year passes…

How do you change this pattern?

1. Figure out what you actually value (what do you think about, spend your money on, talk about, dream about, study, etc… there will be signs in your life, it may be education, family, travel… there is no right or wrong, just follow the signs)

2. Set goals that are congruent with your actual values. That is where your attention already lies. Those are the things that inspire you when you wake up. Whether you’re aware of it or not you subconsciously seek that which supports your value system and run from that which challenges it. the correct goals will involve that which you love to do.

3. break down action steps etc as listed above and track progress.

Proper goal setting will lead to a greater sense of self worth as goals are crossed off the list. This will open you up to bigger and better goals. On a side note what if you discover you don’t actually value money (which is most likely the case with over 90% of the population)? does this mean you’ll never have it?

The good news is NO. You can still have $$$

The key to getting is it either shifting your values (yes this is possible) or linking $$$ to your current value system. For example I link making $$$ to supporting my lifestyle. Some of my highest values would be my friends, travel and food. So I have made rather large lists detailing how having more money will serve to allow me more time with my friends, more plane tickets, better meals and of course more waves  I’m happy to say that I have successfully traveled the world for many years now and the money has always appeared as I needed it. In fact the extra $300 I made today is what inspired me to share this post from beautiful Bondi Beach Australia.

Cheers

d

prayforsurf

Jack Canfield has been a success coach and speaker / trainer / motivator for 30 ish years. He is the co-author with Mark Victor Hansen of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series. He has had more success than most people can imagine.

What does he have to do with you finding a job or changing a career? Everything. In this clip, Jack talks about the law of attraction. That is why I put “Legal” in this post’s headline. If you want to get a better, new, different job, vocation, career or calling, my advice is to “obey the law” and listen to Jack! Law of Attraction.

America’s Job Coach

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

Most of us, know what we want, but only a handful of us have learned how to get it…Wally Amos.

As last week’s blurs, I’ve been telling a little bit about me, hoping you can relate to those stories. I had help to start this blog after I watched the movie School of Rock  and when Jack Black followed his dream and got to be in the Battle of the Bands, that was the moment when all the puzzles and quotes from my mom and dad fit together. You have to get stickittothemaneosis, but what is that? if you are wondering, it is a fictional terminal disease.

People start thinking about themselves when they  are confronted with a life and death choice. Believe me I know but remember the past is the past.

You have to stick it to the man and if you are wondering who is the man? The man could be anyone who is telling you, that you cannot accomplish you dreams, the one who is laughing at you and waiting for you to fail. Believe me there will be those who will laugh at you and try to bring you down to their level, I call these people dream-stealers.

Getting stickittothemaneosis is a matter of attitude, start believing in yourself whether you call it self-esteem, self-confidence or self-assurance is a choice to live your life to the fullest no matter what other think about you.

Are you going those stealers getting your dreams?.

When I’m on the elipticals and I’ve got a long stretch to go I chunk it down. If it’s for 30 minutes I’ll note that after a minute I’m a thirtieth done, after 5 minutes I’m one sixth done, after 15 minutes I’m fifty percent done, and so on. It occupies my “monkey mind” and let’s the author in me receive the story via visual download.

There’s a part in the book where the hero runs for two days across a stretch of the Saharan desert covering over 200 miles. Running in sand, up and down dunes and in the heat of day and cold of night. At times he wants to give up. He knows he can’t—there’s too much at stake. And he’s in the middle of the desert miles from nowhere—there’s really only one way to go—ahead. Though his legs ache to the point of absolute misery and his lungs feel like he’s breathing fire he forges ahead.

In between halucinations, he chunks down his progress. It helps him keep going by keeping his mind occupied, and keeps him moving forward with incremental victories until he finally reaches his destination.

My friend David Delp first mentioned this process to me as a way of moving forward on large projects, and, frankly, when he mentioned it I was somewhat resistant. Now a few years later I’m open to any tool or technique that moves me closer to my goals and brings me joy. Jack Canfield in his amazing Success Principals, explains the “chunking it down” technique in eloquent detail and hammers the point home. Now it’s something I’ve integrated into my life.

Today both “my machines” at the gym were again occupied so I let it go. Starting up on another machine, I cranked up Salif Keita on my iPod and in a few minutes the scene I’ve been writing on started to unfold before my eyes. I specifically needed to re-view the scene I’ve been working on and fill out some missing details. I ended my session with the needed details and some new material to spice things up. A good workout all in all.

With this entry I’m one twelfth into the year and closer to my first draft!

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future…John F. Kennedy.

This is not rollerblading 101, you have to follow your own bliss.

I’m not here to tell you what you should do, you’ve already know that, yes hell yeah, you got your numbers and I bet, at least you know how to swim, to ride a bicycle, to roller-blade maybe you haven’t jump.

So what are you waiting for?, Just do it, do it for the fun. Quit waiting and start living your life without waiting for perfection, someone to change, more self-confidence, the pain to go away, the right person to come along. Most of us fail to take action on what we want and we settled for what life is handing us, are you happy with that? I bet you aren’t. Why are you so afraid? Remember when you learned to ride a bicycle or to swim, are you friends laughing at you? if they are, believe me they are not your friends. Stop living someone Else’s dreams, start following yours.

Mom taught me well, I stop worrying about everybody thinks of me and I don’t have to see it to believe it. Am I following my dreams? Yes Hell yeah.

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.

To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting…Sun Tzu.

This is not skateboarding 101, you have to buy your own board.

As I said, mom taught me well, why do I remember this year? because I learned a lot of things that I can recall when I’m in doubt and in sorrow. It was a year that I learned to follow my bliss and ride like the wind, and sneaking to my grandma’s house to take my aunts’ roller-blades with my cousin.

Do you know how to roller-blade? You need to conquer your fear, relax and find your inner balance, yes rollerblading is about balance. This means getting a feel first of the rollerblading shoes and being able to stand in it without holding on any post. You need to learn the skate stance. Have your feet in V shape, with your heels touching each other and the toes pointed outward. Then to push your left foot out to the side, and then the right foot out to the other side. After learning the basic stance and pushing skills, you should now start learning how to stop. To stop, you have to put the braking skate forward and allow the brake to touch the ground. Keep in mind that it will take some time to expertly Rollerblade; in fact, there will be a lot of falls, but it helps a lot to be patient. Don’t get disappointed if you can’t perform as well as you expected. Just keep practicing.There is no need to get a professional. A friend who plays rollerblading well can be a good teacher to provide lessons to a beginner. Did my cousin and I have one? no, we did it for the fun and do something for ourselves.

As my mom would quote” you need to learn to crawl before you can walk”. Yes she was right, we felt big time a lot of times to be precise but do you think that would stop us? nope we learned it anyway as matter of fact  we conquered that fear and taught  my little brother and my little cousins how to do it. Yeah we were like in cloud 9, we were giants, we followed our bliss and we rode like the wind. Did I miss those days? Yes, hell yeah.  Am I rollerblading again? I’ll buying my new blades next week with my daughter and I’m going to teach her how to follow her bliss and ride like the wind. So tell me, Are you ready to jump? Are you ready to follow your dreams? Are you still in your last lap? Are you still on the floor? Do you need a soup? Are you ready to say Yes, Hell yeah? Be ready to embrace your future and as my mom would say you don’t need to see it to believe it.

Dream as you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today

The phrase I can’t is the most powerful force of negation in the human psyche…..Paul R. Scheele.

This is not Parachuting 101, you have to learn how to pack your own parachute and believe me, no one will do it for you.

If you are following me, I’m still on 1986, why? why not?, told you that was not the only two things that I learned that year.

My brother got a skateboard that year but he wasn’t such an outdoors adventurer as I was, did I say I was?, yes I was. what happened to me? I’ve got tame like The Fox in The Little Prince’s book.

So do you know how to skateboard? First you are going to get frustrated, you have to struggle and conquer your board and gravity but that is not easy, comes with a lot a pain. Second you need to find a routine till your start loosen up your legs, yeah you need to learn tricks. Third you need to develop an aggressive attitude and try not to get stuck in any particular problem to long. Remember Rome was not built in one day, as you get smooth in your routine you will learn how to go with your own flow, skateboarding can really help strengthen your body and skills along with your confidence. Are you going to get hurt? yes hell yeah, will it suck? yeah, no doubt about it. But it will come in time and it will show your passion and determination, soon you will be turning heads and howls of appreciation and when you finally pull it through, it will be so cool and amazing.

Did I miss that? yes I missed my breaker board. Mom taught me well, any other mom would say; ( muchacha loca?) are you crazy? but mom said; “Follow your bliss and ride like the wind” and I did. Are you ready to follow your bliss? are you ready to follow your dreams? are you ready to follow your passion?.

I’m on a motivational high right now. I’m reading, listening, and watching, everything inspirational.

Lately, if the book isn’t taking me to where I need to be or isn’t work/book club related, I’m not picking it up. Right now, I’m reading The Success Principles by Jack Canfield and(yes, 2 book at once. I’m a book addict) Be the Media by David Mathison.  Be the Media is a how-to guide on how to tap into the power of podcasting, radio, blogs, books and other forms of media. The Success Principles is a how-to guide on how to increase your confidence and live your passion. 

Although each books speaks about totally different topics, the underlying theme is the same. I’ve gain so much insight from the first few pages of Be the Media, alone that I went on a Twitter frenzy, and sent tweets about the book as I was reading it. The Success Principles had so many ah-ha moments, I was walking around with a permanent imaginary light bulb on the top of my head flicking on and off.  

They both address the power of YOU and what you can accomplish if you only think about what you what to do and where you want to be. They both are helping me take big leaps of faith and go big in 2010.

I’m curious to know what your book of the month? What book has you staying up at night, pumping your fist in the air screaming “I can do it and now I know how!” and then calling your peoples early in the morning and saying “ohh you got to read this book!”

I’m on a motivational high right now. I’m reading, listening, and watching, everything inspirational.

Lately, if the book isn’t taking me to where I need to be or isn’t work/book club related, I’m not picking it up. Right now, I’m reading The Success Principles by Jack Canfield and(yes, 2 book at once. I’m a book addict) Be the Media by David Mathison.  Be the Media is a how-to guide on how to tap into the power of podcasting, radio, blogs, books and other forms of media. The Success Principles is a how-to guide on how to increase your confidence and live your passion. Although each books speaks about totally different topics, the underlying theme is the same. I’ve gain so much insight from the first few pages of Be the Media alone that I went on a Twitter frenzy, sending tweets about the book as I was reading it. The Success Principles has so many ah-ha moments that I had to begin writting them all down so I can dig deeper into them later on. They both address the power of YOU and what you can accomplish if you only think about what you what to do and where you want to be and than ACT.  They both are helping me take big leaps of faith and go big in 2010.

I’m curious to know what your book of the month? What book has you staying up at night, pumping your fist in the air screaming “I can do it and now I know how!” and then calling your peoples early in the morning and saying “ohh you got to read this book!”

I can't fly, but swimming is the next best thing.... The water is my sky.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand… Albert Einstein.

This is not swimming Lessons 101, you have to find your own pool.

As I was telling you yesterday, yeap, you have to read it. It was 1986, remember, I told you that was not the only thing that I learned.

How did I end up at the parachute tower? did I was scared, yes hell yeah, but my little brother was with me and I did put my brave face after all, tried to be cool and acted like it didn’t matter but believe me I was so freaking scared. Here is the little story; Mom and dad believed in discipline, as a matter of fact military education, they sent us to boot camp. Why? why not?

If you know me, you know that I have climacophobia, if you didn’t know, well now you know. Do you know to skydive? Parachuting is not an easy task, first you need to know 4 basic areas; safety, how the parachute works, free falling and how to land.

As you notice, I’m still talking about that leap of faith. On safety, you will learn how to pack your own parachute, believe me no one will do it for you. On free falling, you’ll learn how to arch your body maintaining your belly to earth, next you learn how to maneuver but still remaining your belly to earth, when are you going to deploy your parachute? that’s a matter of safety and the question that everybody ask. On how a parachute works,  you will learn 2 basic things, first of all it’s about air resistance  and second you will learn when to deploy it. On how to land, you learn how to avoid injury and to land where planned. Did I jump? yes I did. Are  you still on the floor? Did you finish your last lap? Are you ready to jump?

Life is like a combination lock; your job is to find the right numbers, in the right order, so you can have anything you want….Brian Tracy

But what if we are not safe-crackers…..How we differentiate those numbers? As my yesterday blur I ended with the question and an answer that we do really need a chicken soup…..why? why not!!!

Our souls are sick with the constant programming and beliefs from our parents, friends, teachers…etc…I came to realize this 5 years ago……every time someone asked me why? I replied why not?

Here is the little story why do we need the soup…when you have the flu you get a chicken soup no matter what…then you feel better, it’s like magic….do you believe in magic? if you are grown up, you don’t, if you are kid ,yes you do believe…..Tell me, when do you stop being a kid? I bet you are still going to the movies to watch all those superheroes movies so there is a kid inside of you….when do we stop dreaming? when do we became our parents?

I remember telling my mom, I’m not going to be like you!!! and I ended up being like her..funny huh, my mom meant well, she was just preparing me for the struggles in life that she found along her way but do I have to believe what she believed? nope, I’ m not here to pleased her or to pleased my dad….Before she died she told me: it does not matter what else thinks about you. It only matter what you think about yourself.  I was only 13, did I understand? no hell no, do I understand now? yes hell yes.

The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything”  [Edward Phelps].

Did you happen to watch the match-up between the Vikings and the Saints last night?  Not that I’m a big fan of either team, but it was painful to see Brett Farve throw so many interceptions — seven before the game went into sudden death overtime.

Ouch!

Regardless of your past success, the size of your salary, the experience listed on your resume, the diplomas hanging on your wall, or how much momentum you have propelling you forward, sometimes you make a huge mistake (or many small mistakes).

It could be any one of a number of things: distracted, tired, trying to do too much, or not taking advantage of an opportunity. You were rushed, or the ball slipped, or you didn’t see the opposing player ready to sneak in and steal it all.

Whatever you do, don’t let making a mistake deceive you into stopping what you’re doing.  ”While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior”  [Henry C. Link].

Keep at it. Yes, there will be mistakes and missteps, misinformation and interceptions. So what? No one is perfect — not 100% of the time.  Do the best you can with the knowledge and resources you have and keep moving forward. Make mistakes, learn from them. That’s the only way you will grow and eventually get it right.

As you begin to take action toward the fulfillment of your goals and dreams,
you must realize that not every action will be perfect.

Not every action will produce the desired result.
Not every action will work.

Making mistakes, getting it almost right,
and experimenting to see what happens
are all part of the process of eventually getting it right.
– Jack Canfield

See, you’re well on your way to greatness!  Learning from each mistake gets you that much closer to getting it right.

Whatever you are, learn from your mistakes!

Deanna

When it comes to making changes in our lives, many of the experts discuss the fact that you need to change your inside before you see changes on the outside. Working on the mind has to be one component, but I believe without a definite plan of action and the ability to execute in smaller steps, you’ll be right back into your old habits.

Why do you think diets don’t work for most people? People change everything about what they eat, other than getting to route of any emotional issues tied around their food consumption. We are currently facing a similar issue within our household, especially with our youngest daughter. She wants to make all of these changes without consistently making the right choice in a crisis situation, always reverting back to what’s comfortable for her but what doesn’t work for our family. It all starts with motivation and the will to want to change- and yet that’s not going to be the simple cure all to make sustainable life change.

I wanted to involve myself with music from the time I was a young child. I first started around the age of 5-6 by learning to read sheet music and playing the organ that we had in our living room. I would take lessons after school from the music teacher. I learned chords from my father as well, as he used to play in a country music cover band growing up. For some reason though, I couldn’t advance beyond a certain stage and found that I liked talking about music and writing about music rather than being the one on the instrumentation.

From the time I was 16 onward then I put myself out there in terms of letting people know how much I wanted to interview bands, write reviews and express my opinions. I found people who were already doing what I was doing, they gave me a chance and I’ve been writing about bands ever since, two decades plus later. I grabbed opportunities when they were available. When I received the chance to become a co-editor for a couple of magazines, I took the risk and felt like I made even more connections within this business.

But I didn’t get there by wishing and hoping. I took action, even if it was a little bit each day. The more trust you gain, the more credibility you gain in the future. If you come through according to deadlines, writing material, interviewing people, being at shows, etc.- people will come to know you. I’ve learned that you have to take an interest in their wants, their goals, their desires before people will care about you.

So while I recommend giving yourself a chance to read and listen to experts like Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Mark Victor Hansen, Joe Vitale, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield and a whole host of other self-help, personal development leaders- it’s worth nothing in the world if you don’t take action, even if it’s small steps, every day. Partner up if you have to when it comes to your personal goals, business goals, fitness goals, exercise goals, relationship goals, spiritual goals, etc. Write out how you envision your life to be from 10 years out and close it in to 30 day goals, then work on the steps you need to take to achieve these goals and go out and prosper!

water can take away your sorrows

It has been said, ‘time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.

This is one of my favorites quotes by Rose Kennedy……..and as my friends and relatives say the first one is the deepest……I woke this morning with the idea banging the back of my brain “why don’t you blog? ” So here I am with no idea of what am I doing but here is my 2 cents to the world.

I decided to blog with my still married name as a homage to my daughter, she is still Mendieta anyways, but where to begin?, what to write about? those were the questions of my day till I remembered writing is in my blood.

My dad wrote Ecuadorian’s history booklets and 2 parts of Ecuador’s new Constitution so how hard can it be? I did my share of poems a couple of years ago hum to be honest it was 15 years ago and today is the beginning without a pen, funny huh, how technology help us to reach more souls that need a little hope like a soup as Jack Canfield’s books.

Do we really need a soup? Yes we do.

We all want to feel a sense of belonging. If not within our close quarters of family and friends, but also in terms of people we surround ourselves with in the community, our interests and even our workplace. Appreciation and acknowledgment go a long ways to filling up the self-image and importance boost we need to get through the ups and downs of our daily journey.

I’ve heard many personal development authors and speakers discuss the fact that it’s often the little things in those two arenas that go the greatest distance. If you catch people doing things right and give them a nice job and specify what they do around you that you enjoyed or like, you’ll be surprised how that energy flows from them back into your world.

I enjoy the emails we get from our teachers that let us know when both of our daughters are putting in the effort at school. I’ll go out of my way to make a big deal when I see them using their effective communication skills- or even when they feel the need to clean up a space around the house without any prompting.

Jack Canfield on his Maximum Confidence audio series spoke of a situation when he went to his wife and asked for acknowledgment after tidying up their garage. She went out of her way to fully inspect the area and praising him for how he removed the trash, condensed certain messes and went out of his way to keep the space clean. He admits that many may feel that this is a little odd or ego driven to ask for appreciation and acknowledgment- but I think we as humans need that to feel like we are going about the world in the right way and contributing to society.

In my own life, I appreciate my bowling teammates who notice when I’m making an effort to perform well, moving out of my comfort zone or even lend me an ear when I’m facing the stresses of my family life. It doesn’t have to be every 5 seconds- and it also doesn’t have to be long-winded. Sometimes the material that stays with us the longest is usually short, sweet and to the point- be it “nice pitch”, “great spare pick up” or “great execution and adjustment”.

I praise everyone in my department for all the hard work they do. I let my wife know how impressed I am with her tenacity, her enthusiasm, her level of care and her consistent giving nature. I don’t think it’s wrong to set an acknowledgment and appreciation goal for yourself over the next 30 days. Look within your world and catch 5 people doing something right every day and let them know with your words and actions that you really enjoy what they are doing. Maybe at the end of each week get out some thank you cards and go about sending some written appreciation for people who’ve recently been there for you as well as long time family members who maybe need a pick me up.

Set yourself up to achieve more and let the negative go by the wayside. Fill your head with positive, good, uplifting memories and crumple up the energy-sucking ones, maybe write them up on paper and make a deposit in the trash for those that you want to vanquish out forever. Treat others well and I think you will receive great service from others tenfold. I thank all of you across this wonderful world who take the time to read, share and grow with me- I’m hopeful that you gain as much as I feel I do from the act of writing this.

During some of Jack Canfield’s audio program discussions, I remember his poker chip theory when it comes to life. People tend to play their hands of life in regards to how many poker chips they have at their disposal. If you feel like you have 10 chips and another person has 500 chips, the level of conservative play matters more to the person with less chips.

I think when it comes to life, since we only have a finite time to be on this earth, you might as well subscribe to going all in for what you want rather than approaching life with hesitancy, doubt or fear.

Today I went to have lunch with one of my friends who is an awesome bowler. I began peppering him with questions regarding his views on success and failure when it comes to the sport. He does learn from both experiences. He’s aware that no one person can win every league or every tournament- but he does have the mindset that he’s capable of winning every time. He definitely subscribes to putting it all out there so to speak- and leave nothing to chance.

When it came to adopting our daughters, my wife and I went in with the mindset that they would be our daughters forever. Even if other families couldn’t handle them, even if they needed to go for medical evaluations, even if they had to spend time at special treatment centers to get their minds back under control- we’ve always let them know they have a safe, secure place within our family. I think that’s why they’ve been able to achieve more successes and build solid relationships, because they now feel like they have a place they can call home and establish their roots without feeling like they are going to leave six months down the road.

I believe that’s why I spend so much time reading, so much time listening, so much time learning. I can’t be passive when it comes to acquiring knowledge. Once acquired, I want to work it into my life and also pass this on to others. If I can be helpful to my friends and family in any way, at least once a day, then I consider this one of my victories. Anthony Robbins often talks about that one moment in life where you see instantaneous change- but it may have taken 5 or 10 or 20 years of work to get up to that one point. I feel like this is what I’m doing when it comes to the books that I read, the entries I write, the interviews and seminars I listen to, the speakers that I view, and so forth.

I encourage you to really look at your own life and see if there are certain areas that you aren’t 100% committed to the outcome. Do you feel like you have one toe on the ground and the rest of your body floating in the air? Is there anything really wrong if you take total conviction and the result isn’t what you desire?

Look at one aspect of your life- it could be finances, it could be career, it could be hobbies/sports, it could be your partner or family, or it could be your own self-image and self-worth. Commit to excellence, commit to improvement, and strive to end up with a stronger mentality. You’ll be happier with what you achieve in the long run.