Bilden ovan föreställer mångsysslaren och författaren Napoleon Hill, en man som arbetat sida vid sida med bla Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Rockefeller, Thomas A Edison mfl och på nära håll studerat framgångens mystiska formula. Hans bok “Nyckeln till framgång: Tänk rätt bli framgångsrik” är återigen, trots att den kom ut för första gången 1937, plötsligt aktuellare än någonsin bland entreprenörer och företagsledare. Nu släpps den åter på svenska efter att ha varit praktiskt taget försvunnen från bokhandlarnas hyllor under de senaste 20 åren. Hur kommer det sig att just denna bok inspirerat och fortfarande inspirerar så många?

Av de alla böcker man plöjjer igenom under ett liv så är det egentligen ganska få som verkligen har kapaciteten att på allvar förändra och påverka läsarens tankar och medvetande. Man kan bli både engagerad och som besatt av både skönlitteratur och fackböcker men oftast är det snarast i rollen som åskådare man följer handlingen. De flesta av oss har också kommit i kontakt med olika typer av “själv-hjälps-böcker” och managementguider som vältrar sig i fyndiga självklarheter och tänkvärda punktlistor. När jag för första gången kom i kontakt med Napoleon Hills bok hade jag också just de förväntningarna. Särkilt som boken gjorde anspråk på att leverera någon slags formel för hur fragång skapas. Men, tack vare en envis livskamrat började jag läsa och det slutade med att vi tillsammans läste boken högt från första till sista sidan (något som jag verkligen kan rekommendera). För det som gör “Nyckeln” unik det är att det någonstans mellan raderna finns ett budskap, eller en “hemlighet” om man nu vill kalla det så, att utläsa. Visst, boken är fylld av en hel del självklarheter men lästa av en kreativ hjärna får dessa liv på ett sätt som jag inte tidigare upplevt.

För den som följer Napoleon Hills läror är det inte omgivningen som blir det viktigaste för att nå framgång – utan din egna mentala inställning. Budskapet bygger också till skillnad från många andra böcker på att du som individ har total kontroll över ditt liv och ditt eget öde på ett sätt som egentligen ger dig obegränsade möjligheter att förverkliga dina drömmar och målsättningar. Genom att använda sig av självsuggestion, affirmation och en positiv mental inställning lär sig läsaren att fokusera på de byggstenar i ett liv som leder framåt och att skära bort de element som leder åt fel håll. Mycket av bokens idéer handlar också om mod – att våga säga ja till vad som är möjligt och ta steget i en given situation. Läsaren lär sig bla undvika och överbrygga de största och vanligaste hindren för framgång som listas som bla “ärftlig belastning, brist på målsättning/ambition/utbildning/självdisciplin/uthållighet, dålig hälsa, olycklig uppväxt, senfärdighet, negativitet, lathet, obeslutsamhet, rädslor, överdriven försiktighet, vidskepelse, fördomar, koncentrationssvårigheter, slösaktighet, brist på entusiasm, intolerans, omåttlighet, brist på samarbetsförmåga, maktmissbruk, oärlighet, egoism, fåfänga, gissande, oförmåga att välja en bra partner, pengabrist” m.m. Dessa negativt verkande krafter bör på alla sätt bekämpas med författarens framgångsrecept som består av “13 steg till rikedom” vilka alla representerar karaktärsdrag som varje förmögen, framgångsrik och inflytelserik man eller kvinna besitter. Napoleon Hill menar nämligen att många av oss naturligt saknar dessa drag men att de kan läras och utvecklas till att bli mer eller mindre automatiska.

Av de 13 karakteristika som listas anges följande fem vara mest centrala och viktiga att bemästra:

1. Du måste ha ett brinnande intresse för det du gör.

2. Du måste ha specialiserad kunskap och fokusera på den.

3. Du måste vara handlingskraftig och våga fatta beslut.

4. Du måste ha en entreprenörssjäl. De stora belöningarna finns alltid att hämta där risken är som störst.

5. Du måste omge dig med briljanta människor och bygga en sk “hjärntrust”

Självklarheter? Absolut. Men nedbrutna i detalj och exemplifierade efter Napoleon Hills synsätt händer något hos läsaren. Särskilt om du har en kreativ själ. Läs boken när du har tid att reflektera, stryk under viktiga passager som berör dig och kom tillbaka till den när du behöver inspireras på nytt. Detta är en bok att studera, smälta stegvis och meditera över. Du kommer att absorbera innehållet och göra det till ditt eget, det lovar jag. Och någonstans mellan raderna träder förhoppningsvis svaret på den stora frågan fram med en kraft som nästan knockar dig av stolen – vad vill du ha mest av allt?

Text: George Samuelson

(Källa: “Tänk rätt bli framgångsrik”, Spectacular Events AB 2008)

I was telling my sister recently to just keep going.  She was sharing with me how she’s having a hard time landing a job and was ready to quit.

I had my share of those moments when things seem to not favors me no matter how hard I try.  Many times I kind of given up too.  Other times,  I just had kept on.. something  made me go on and I did.  And looking back, those were the times when I kept going that I was able to reap rewards.

I started reading Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich free ebook and I got pass the Three Feet From Gold story that reminded me of an experience about a wild trip to Baguio.

It was  ”…three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling that the gold is found.” by the ‘Junk’ man to whom Mr. Darby sold his machinery for mining ore for a few hundred dollars .

Indeed, one of life’s irony is just when we feel so defeated and about to give up on something that the answer shows up all of a sudden.  And we later realize the lesson.

The Baguio Wild Trip

It was a chapter in my life when I decided to start over.  I talked my  friend Leo into accompanying me and since he’s never been to Baguio he was delighted. Not to mention that it’ll be an all-expense paid  for him which I shouldered. He was kind of broke at that time.  I didn’t have much either.  But it was the way to go for me.

Another buddy named Joey went along.  So it was three of us.  I told them my plan which is to look for a job and stay for good.  I kind of gave myself a one-week target to get settled.  It was a do-or-die situation.

We got very limited money and no definite place to go in an unfamiliar place. It was crazy.. and perfect.  Amidst the uncertainty is the incomparable freedom of a dare-devil adventure.

We got there late in the afternoon and set out to our first task of finding a place to stay for the night.  The boarding house hunting started the next day.

Our first stop at Joey’s church friend in Crystal Cave did not go well.  I remember how some of the house structures there with base posts on slopes kind of given me a scare and wonderment at the same time.  I was used to seeing and inhabiting level ground houses.

Come dark we were exhausted and so beat, we settled with the second immediate option we got.  They slept over at one of the church centers, I in one of the several market stalls owned by another of Joey’s church friends, walking distance from them, which I remember to be nearby the airport.

It was frightening for me to be separated from them on that first night in a cold place and to be sleeping at someone’s stall that has wood strips for a door.  I scolded them in the morning for making me sleep there alone.

We grab some quick food along the way as we search for a boarding house.  It started out exciting as we explore the roads and sites of Baguio until after several failed inquiries for a prospect pad.  The thought of sleeping again in that stall made me cringe, we have to find a house to crash in tonight, I told myself.

So, after several more road blocks covered and seen houses, still no success. It’s either beyond our budget, not so cool for our tastes (but we’re not that choosy alright.. ), no vacancy, or the owner or landlord simply doesn’t want to take us in.. maybe for some ethical reasons.

Imagine a girl with two bisexual-looking guys with baggages and a sleeping bag, who looks like stowaways without much, looking for a place to stay.  Hmmp.. maybe I would think twice too if I were in their shoes.

By late afternoon we were tired and desperate.  The guys were deciding to call it a day.  I feel them but wasn’t gonna give up yet and so beg for one more house.

We trudged wearily up the hill as the sun was setting down and knocked on one more door.  Finally, a sense of hope.. the owners seemed accommodating and empathic of our situation.  We know we’re not that appealing group of boarders.. we told them our story, of me staying for good…  They probably took pity and admitted us that night.  What a relief. Whew!

And thank goodness we decided to check one more house.

The days that followed were mixed feelings of ecstasy being in ‘paradise’ and the stress of job-hunt and getting by each day with mainly noodles or canned sardines, rice and bread.  It was a humbling and empowering experience all at the same time.  We had to call long-distance for some money support from close sources to survive that week. We weren’t let down.

Before the week ended, I scored a job as a graphic designer for a mall with a very minimal pay compared to my last in Manila.  I was culture-shocked.  Anyway, that will do for now I thought.  One day at a time.

On the seventh day, I move in to a new room-for-rent just a stone’s throw away from work.  We were evicted from the first boarding house by this time.

It was the last day of our adventure together, as planned.  So that same day Leo and Joey bid me goodbye and good luck as I escorted them to the bus terminal.

I welcomed my new life in ‘paradise’ and the new work the next day with a smile.  The end.

What a grand thing, to be loved! What a grander thing still, to love! – Victor Hugo, 1802-1885, French Poet/Dramatist/Novelist

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.” - Helen Keller, famous deaf-blind American author and educator

November 27, 2009

I hope you and your loved ones had the greatest Thanksgiving holiday yesterday.

Earlier this week I facetiously remarked about one of my writing coaches saying to always include a topical reference to your messages, so I’m doing it again this morning… but not jokingly.

I honestly was very impressed with the Beyoncé Knowles “I’m Yours” special that aired on ABC last night.

She seems she’s really smart. She’s also really driven and quite the contrarian (my kind of people). She’s got an all-girl band… something I haven’t seen in a while… in one song she had two drummers and one percussionist… Now come on, when’s the last time you saw that on a stage doing her kind of music?

And she’s a practitioner of “Definiteness of Purpose” number one of Napoleon Hill’s 17 Principles of Personal Achievement, which we’ve been discussing.

In one clip she says that she’s known since age 5 that she wanted to be a singer! And there were a couple clips of her performing as a child.

She’s also very socially conscious and has no problem admitting that she’s all about empowering (young and old) women… that makes her very cool in my book.

Did you know that if he were alive today Bruce Lee would be celebrating his 67^th birthday? Would have been very interesting to see what he would’ve been like and what the state of his Jeet Kune Do would be today.

Quite appropriately today I got this link from CLRG to a YouTube video of my Sifu Dan Inosanto talking about Bruce Lee and JKD.

As you well know, I consider Bruce Lee to be one of the greatest examples of human achievement and I always recommend that you use him whenever possible as a reference point for your own development.

We’ll return to personal achievement Principle #5, Going The Extra Mile on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. Remember tomorrow’s Academy schedule… Lil’ Ds at 10a, FKB at 10.30a and PFC/Review at 11.30a.

P.P.S. You can also make orders tomorrow from the Martial Art Gifts and Supplies catalogues.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

©2009 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

So you know I LOVE Napoleon HIll. I am working on my Thinking and Growing Rich. My goal is to manifest $480 million dollars in the next 4 years. The book says to name your price, so I named one I think would make me happy. Whatever it is. Name it. Named it. Claim it. Claiming it. Manifesting what I think.

Part of getting the money–the main part really for me is gaining my freedom. Freedom to do what I want to do from moment to moment. Feeling freedom now–what will it feel like–working at the things I LOVE to do–inventing, business, working out, personal coaching, helping people with weight loss, and this…manifesting their dreams.

I have experienced this already. Sure it sounds nuts, but it’s not really. I manifested a size 10 from a size 20 and have maintained it after seeing it in my head I made it happen. The book says this and I knew it before I read the book as I experienced it from time to time previously. You have to feel what it’s like. I felt what my smaller body was like.

I know it works. I’m now working on a size 6–ripped and lean for good.

Anyway…so far I’ve been manifesting good parking spaces. Not $480 million dollars. But it’s a start.

Alissa

We have 24 hours in a day, yet feel like we can never accomplish everything we desire in that time frame. It’s so easy to procrastinate, put things off and wait until someone else comes along to give us that push to action. Why do we struggle with self-motivation? To take a page out of Shakespeare’s world with a minor substitution, to do or not to do can be the statement that sends your world to new heights or keeps your life in stall out mode.

When I first started living on my own in college, I learned that the professors give you a syllabus for the semester that outlines when papers, quizzes, tests and projects are due- along with percentages of what your grade will be based on. They won’t tell you how to manage your workload amongst all your classes. They won’t be urging you on to get that book read, that paper written, the studying you need to put in for the big mid-term or final. It’s all left up to you. If you didn’t develop good study skills in your formative years, you’ll certainly have to develop the mindset in college to know how to manage your time effectively- or you’ll be swimming in stress and possible failure.

It was at this point that I learned to break tasks down into smaller chunks, and understand that if I have 20 books to read in a semester, I need to look at how much I can realistically accomplish each day as well as fitting in my normal daily living activities, socializing, meal times and adequate sleep. I would write out daily and weekly to do lists and cross each off as they were accomplished. If I needed assistance in the form of studying for tests, I would seek out teaching assistant or my professors during their office hours. I worked on teamwork to get the material embedded in my head- so we would form study session groups in our dorm.

I wasn’t very good at waiting until the last minute to accomplish major 15-20 page papers. I often volunteered to be first when it came to class presentations- because I felt my preparation and attention to detail would be a good barometer for my classmates to aspire to. If I want to accomplish my dreams, I know I have to be one to come up with the desire, the plans, writing it down, breaking it up into manageable tasks and then taking each step forward every day to achieving my goals.

So I’m urging you to develop lists called “To Do Now”, starting with your most difficult tasks at the top and working your way down to your easiest tasks. If you aren’t able to accomplish something that day- transfer this task to your “To Do Now” list for the following day. Write out what you want to accomplish the night before you go to bed- it will give you the impetus to know what you have to get going on when you awake. If you need some inspiration in the morning, seek out the comfort of positive material from Success magazine or authors such as W. Clement Stone, Napoleon Hill, John Maxwell, Brian Tracy, Deepka Chopra, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley, T. Harv Eker, Marcus Buckingham, and hundreds of others. Look in the mirror and reflect on how wonderful, special and unique of a person you are. You have talents and abilities the world needs in their lives everyday- so shine like the bright beacon of light you are.

You don’t want to look back at the end of the year and wonder where the time went- you want to feel like you have more to offer to this world and can’t wait to tackle each day with gusto.

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing”. - George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, 1925 Nobel Prize winner for Literature, 1938 Academy Award winner for screenplay for Pygmalion

“Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.” ~ Frank Herbert, author of the SF classic, Dune

November 23, 2009

Many writing coaches recommend that when you write your messages you tie them into what’s topical and current… so here goes… did you see all those “attractive” personalities on the American Music Awards last night like the Black-Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga?

There. Mission accomplished. Now we can move on to Principle #3 of Napoleon Hill’s 17 Principles of Personal Achievement, Assemble An Attractive Personality.

I’ve always explained to new and/or prospective Academy students that Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do is a martial art philosophy and that one of the principles JKD practises is the development of well-roundedness… well-roundedness as a martial artist as well as a human being.

So you can imagine how satisfied I felt when I read this “a pleasant personality is a well-rounded one”. Enough said, huh?

And here are the 25 different but closely related aspects of your personality that you must strive to perfect. And always remember that working on one aspect will help you develop the others:

(a)Positive mental attitude (b) flexibility (c) sincerity of purpose (d) promptness of decision (e) courtesy (f) tact (g) tone of voice (h) the habit of smiling (i) facial expression (j) tolerance (k) frankness of manner and speech (l)  a keen sense of humour (m) faith in infinite intelligence (n) a keen sense of justice (o) the appropriate use of words (p) effective speech (q) emotional control (r) alertness of interest (s) versatility (t) fondness for people (u) humility (v) effective showmanship (w) clean sportsmanship (x) a good handshake (y) personal magnetism

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. After an encouraging response on Friday and Saturday, I’ve extended the Martial Arts Supplies and Gift Sales Event until Wednesday the 25^th. The Academy website has been updated to show several suggestions for our different programs.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

©2009 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

]]> http://thinkyourwaytosuccess.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/the-power-of-thought/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:09:40 +0000 thinkyourwaytosuccess http://thinkyourwaytosuccess.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/the-power-of-thought/

Napoleon Hill says, “Truly, ‘thoughts are things’, and powerful things at that, when mixed with purpose, persistence and a burning desire for their translation into riches or other material objects”.

Our thoughts are what move us to be who we are. If we tell ourselves we can’t do or have something, then we won’t. On the other hand, if we tell ourselves we CAN do something and WILL have something, then we WILL.

The other day my grandson told me he and his family are poor. I was taken aback by his comment. “Who told you that?”, I asked. “Mommy”, was his reply. That evening I approached my grandson’s mother and told her about my conversation with her son. She freely admitted that she told him they were poor.

I was saddened that she felt that she was poor and she felt compelled to tell her son.  Children are going to believe their parents when they tell them something. If mom and dad say it is so – then it must be. My grandson believes he is poor. 

His parents are not poor. Both work hard at what they do, and they both live a decent life. They both drive newer model trucks, frequently eat out, have many of the newest multi-media toys – flat screen TV, one of those huge TV’s that take up as much room as a full-sized refrigerator, surround sound speakers, and my grandson has many of the popular video games for his X-Box.  They have closets full of clothes and shoes, they eat healthy foods (and sometimes not so healthy foods)… all of which do not indicate that they are poor.

Yes, they are watching their pennies right now, but that’s so different from being labeled as poor. 

My grandson’s thoughts of being poor will be held in his subconscious mind and will be internalized as the truth.  And the more his mom thinks of them being poor, the more it will become the truth.

Think positive, think success, think abundance….don’t think poor.

Success,

E.H. Dickson

Our thoughts and minds are like wild horses; they naturally wish to roam free. Before they will allow themselves to be ridden and take you where you wish to go, they must first be tamed and controlled. Just like with horse riding, initially as children we are led around by a rope on a small pony by our parents and close friends (this represents their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, etc.) It isn’t the fault of our parents, friends and relatives that they unknowingly give us wrong or false paradigms to follow and believe in – they probably didn’t know any better. The important thing for us to learn is that, if we never take the time to catch, tame and control our own horses (our thoughts and minds) we will forever be led around on that little pony by others that are holding the rope.

Read that again, it’s simple, yet powerful stuff. Is somebody else holding the reigns to your pony still? Have you ever tamed your own wild horses? Perhaps you are wondering how you do that. One of the greatest motivators and self-help practicioners of the last century was Napoleon Hill. There are many videos on YouTube worth watching and acting upon, he has also authored many incredible books, the most popular being, “Think and Grow Rich.”

The best way I have found to begin to take control of your thoughts and mind is to first be aware of your thoughts and mind more. It will take time, practice, and some effort on your part – exactly like taming a horse! – but the rewards are well worth the small price you will have to pay. Our thoughts and the power of our mind are incredible gifts, if used correctly. Everything you see, touch, feel and use around you that was man-made was born out of thought first.

You have the power, once you have tamed the horses of your mind, to take full control of your life and create whatever your heart and mind desires: more money, a bigger house, a better job, better health, anything. Allowing your thoughts to dwell less and less on negative things, and focussing more and more on positive things you want, very quickly you will start to see good things manefest in your reality.

Like everything, it takes practice, time, and a little effort, but one day at a time, one small percent change at a time, you’ll see, you too can move mountains in your world. Enjoy taming your wild horses, enjoy the wonderful changes that you will experience…

La mayoría de la gente importante ha alcanzado su más importante éxito justo un paso tras su mayor fracaso.

Napoleón Hill.

Porque si te caes… ¡te levantas con mayor ímpetu! Todo está en la actitud, en vez de desanimarnos, cualquier obstáculo ha de ser superado y reforzarnos. ¡Ánimo!

Many times the fear of what is to come is much worse than what is to come. Don’t forget that the enemy tries diligently to remind you that life and all it will bring is very daunting. Those thoughts can paralyze you, and keep you from actually living. Take this truthful reminder to heart – that God has placed a spirit of love and self-control within you. That means you choose what you’re going to focus your energy on – not someone else. Exercise those gifts and experience the freedom promised to you. (thedailyverse.com)

…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Power Thoughts  

1. “There is no failure except in no longer trying. ” ~ Elbert Hubbard
2. “Winners lose more than losers. They win and lose more than losers, because they stay in the game. ” ~ Terry Paulson
3. “No man is ever whipped until he quits – in his own mind.” ~ Napoleon Hill

Agent Andy. I got about $1million dollars worth of advice yesterday from Andrew Abrams yesterday. Truly a priceless 45 minute conversation. He is a designer, licensing agent, genius all around to bringing products such as mine to market. Do this Alissa!

What I took from the conversation.

My price point is too high. Will make that adjustment on the website tomorrow.

Gift show representation…HUH? Knew nothing about it, now I know something and have a contact.

Retail packaging…I knew a bit about this, but got more detailed information about showing for gift shows (spindle, J hook).

Hope. There is a market for this product. Getting out to it won’t be as hard (or as easy) as I thought.

Yay for Andy!

Much love,

Alissa

Twenty years ago I worked for a man that believed in ‘re-programming’ his mind by reading books about positive thinking. He also listened to audio tapes in his car and on airplanes (now, of course, you can download audio books to your iPod or Kindle). He didn’t like reading local newspapers because they emphasized too many negative stories. I also remember he listened to classical music because it is inspiring and uplifting.

I adapted many of my boss’ good habits because he had discovered a method I could follow to become more successful. He was a self-made millionaire who believed in setting goals and using the power of your mind to achieve your goals. I learned that even though I wasn’t born an optimist (like my mother), that I could become more optimistic. If you really want to change the way you think, as well as other personality or character traits,  I can tell you from my personal experience, it is possible. But, it takes a lot of commitment and effort.

I also learned that I needed to slowly pull away from the negative thinkers in my life. At first this seemed selfish, but now I believe it was a matter of self preservation. Of course, if you want to bring others up with you as you climb the ladder of success and find your way on the path to personal growth, that’s terrific. But, it’s their choice to join you (or not). If they don’t want to leave their comfort-zone, don’t let them keep you down.

Here are the three books my boss recommended because they  ‘changed his life’ (they changed mine, too):

The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale

Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill

Psycho-Cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz — You can find this book in the library or online for as low as 49 cents! (Here is a video interview with Dr. Maltz on YouTube . Check it out.)

(If you click the links above, you can read most of the book content online.)

© Sheri Jordan and Aunt Sheri Says, 2009-2010.

“Your difficulty is not contained, primarily, in the situation which gave rise to it, but in the mental state with which you regard that situation and which you bring to bear upon it.” – Byways of Blessedness

It is one of the most difficult lessons to accept, understand and learn.

Circumstances are not negative or positive, circumstances are neutral.

It is our thinking, our mental state, our perspective, that makes a circumstance positive or negative.

Bob Proctor does some of the best teaching on this subject, using a universal law he refers to as the Law of Polarity.

“Everything in the universe has its opposite. There would be no inside to a room without an outside. You have a right and left side to your body, a front and a back. Every up has a down and every down has an up. The Law of Polarity not only states that everything has an opposite — it is equal and opposite. If it was three feet from the floor up to the table, it would be three feet from the table down to the floor. If it is 150 miles from Manchester to London, by law it must be 150 miles from London to Manchester; it could not be any other way.

“If something you considered bad happens in your life, there has to be something good about it. If it was only a little bad, when you mentally work your way around to the other side, you will find it will only be a little good.” Using Bob’s example, when I find myself in trying circumstances I put the circumstance in the middle of a circle.  I then mentally walk around the circumstance until I’m on the other side.  Then I let my mind go to work examining things from that perspective.  And I’m never disappointed at what I find.

During a tele-seminar I conducted with Randy Gage, he used a very good example of this. While the flat tire you have seems to be a negative circumstance to you, it’s a very positive circumstance for your local tire dealer. Looking even further it’s possible that while changing the tire the dealer discovers a much more serious problem that would have cost you a large sum of money if discovered later.

So it’s even more clear from Bob’s teaching that every circumstance can be viewed two ways. It’s the way we view a circumstance that determines it’s impact on our thinking and mental state. And we know from James Allen’s teaching that that determines the quality of life that we live.

No matter how bad the circumstance appears to be, taking another look, from another perspective, reveals to us the good. Or, as Napoleon Hill, author of the classic Think and Grow Rich, wrote, “Every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.”

And that’s worth thinking about.

Have an awesome week!

Vic Johnson

If you’re in business for yourself, if you want to be or you’re just thinking about it, and you haven’t read Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich“, don’t hesitate…get it and read it…NOW.

Over the next few days, I’ll be reviewing parts of this classic work, written originally in 1937, and more relevant now than it was then. Call this the Cliff Notes version (anyone besides me remember Cliff notes?)

There will be some inspiring quotes, but there will also be some deeper points brought out.

It’s my hope that you will gain enough perspective from this great work to want to read it in its entirety. It has the potential to help create more wealth than most single things you can do.

Stay tuned for Chapter 1.

Cheers,
Ron
txhilo@yahoo.com

I wrote a note on my town website about the product. It was risky because (and I had forgotten but was quickly reminded) how touchy people are on that message board. I got my hand slapped right away for advertising there. OUCH, that stings!

The person who slapped my hand is probably right, but the way he did it. YUCK. I was so upset, annoyed, hurt I got shaken for half a day. Now I have had lots and lots and lots of positive comments from people who have tried the product, bought the product and all and one guy, who has never seen it, and may tend toward the snarky makes a comment and WHAM I hit the mat and it takes hours for me to get back up again. This ish is fragile, but getting tougher.

And then some people are NOT jerks….I did have some very good news. I’m connecting with a man (thanks Barbara!) who can help me move the business to business end of things forward. I hope to work with him to get into gift shows and make contact with corporations and other vendors/orgs who could use the product as a promotional vehicle. Every time a customer or alumni looks at their iPod they’d see the logo of that company. Pretty cool. Looking forward to that!

Much love,

Alissa

p.s. my dear friends via facebook backed me up on the jerk thing.

In The Success Principles (which I highly recommend) Jack Canfield mentions how his friend Martin Rutte told him that whenever he wants to bring in new business, he thoroughly cleans his office, home, car, and garage.  “Every time he does, he starts getting calls and letters from people who want to work with him.”

That got me thinking about the state of my home office.  If it’s the epicenter of my work and creativity in my home, it would serve me to get organized and allow the flow of energy a clear path.

Then, in a completely unrelated conversation with my awesome astrologer friend Tony Howard, he mentioned that it might be helpful for me to consider how, in Japanese culture, great care is taken in the placement and order of every item in their home.

All of this within the last few days.  Hmm… noticing a theme?

And then, in a conversation last night regarding Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, someone mentioned this line:  “Resolve to throw off the influences of any unfortunate environment and to build your own life to order.”  He may have meant order as in made to order, but the first thing that came to mind was ORDER, i.e. the opposite of chaos.

This is how the universe teaches me… through the people in my life and the material I read.  It shows me the same lesson, time and time again, in a different presentation, until I get it.  My job is to listen, learn, and take action.

Done!

As Napoleon Hill writes in Think and Grow Rich,

“Our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts which we hold in our minds, and, by means with which no man is familiar, these “magnets” attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.”

Just like what The Secret by Rhonda Byrne has taught or in the words of Jack Canfield and many others, “Since “like” attracts “like,” you attract the things you like or want.”

So basically, we have to be in a “Money Consciousness” – Napoleon Hill

We have to think about money in order to attain money. Easier said than done, I’ve known this for a while yet I still have trouble keeping my money consciousness…  (practice makes perfect) All of us have to build an obsessive desire to Money.  (note:  this is honest money, not dishonest money.  The money we think about is money coming from the good products and good services we provide.

A big part of LifeStyle Living is having the kind of lifestyle we truly want to live.  Such as having a big house, a nice car, a great spouse, great kids and most of all true happiness.  In the 21st Century, freedom to do anything we want is bought by money.  Money gives us freedom, especially time freedom and this is a good thing!!!  So we must be in a money conciousness to be a money magnet!

Look, You and I have this in common – we look at the glass half full… and I feel that it’s served me well. It still does. Hope you agree. I say, “Assume the best but put it to the test!”
The test?
You bet. Its all about critical thinking. Be willing to test assumptions, ask penetrating questions and have the courage to inquire.
Now, dig this research. It’s ‘counter intuitive’ and may press buttons. However, as Illuminate: Harnessing The Positive Power of Negative Thinking reveals, it is ‘mission critical’ to focus on all aspects of the topic- both positive AND negative- expect the best, prepare for the worst! And, as the bumper sticker professes, “question authority” for to accept it without question puts us in the same arena as sheep. And that’s just baaaaaaaaaaad.
Take a look at this research on the power of ‘negative thinking’ : http://tinyurl.com/ylxwf34

There is one quality which one must possess to win,
and that is definiteness of purpose,
the knowledge of what one wants,
and a burning desire to possess it.”
~ Napoleon Hill

It’s the beginning of the week . . . you’d better come out swinging!

Today is the perfect day to fight battles.

Slay dragons.

Test your courage.

Prove your determination.

Refuse to take “no” for an answer.

Stay in the ring for one more round.

Disregard the buzzer.

Ignore the crowds.

Keep fighting until you are victorious.

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.  I don’t believe in circumstances.  The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them“ [G. B. Shaw].

Today is your day to make history!

Circle this date on your calendar, draw a line in the sand, issue a challenge, sound the battle cry, and saddle up your horses . . . you have an enemy to engage, a giant to face, a battle to win!

Whatever you are, be a victorious one!

Deanna

I’m actually quite a funny person, witty, sarcastic, teasing…but you can’t tell lately. Heavy. I’m glad I have some friends with whom I can laugh. My cousin is number one on that list. I SO glad she is coming to New Jersey. We LAUGH all the time and she thinks I’m the most hilarious thing out there. (It helps to have a good audience!). I think we’ll do a podcast when she gets here. We say the most ridculous things when we’re together. You’ll laugh.

I could use some more joy. Joy makes it all flow. I carved out a bit of time to a little of my bible…Think and Grow Rich. I know my mind is in charge of all of this. Working on controlling that.

I used to laugh with my dad and I still can sometimes, but only one the good days, which is about 1 out of 3 for him. My poor darling dad.

Today sent a note to ilounge.com to ask them to review my product. Fingers crossed. I will talk to my neighbor tomorrow who writes about technolgy about who can review the IMP. He kindly offered to do this a month ago, but I’ve been a bit nuts (to say the least, eh?). It’s a good time as holiday shopping is just beginning. FOR REALZ I never thought I would be in a position to be getting ready for holiday shopping…from this end of thing. GET YOUR STOCKING STUFFERS RIGHT HERE! LOL.

Much love,

Alissa

I like this business stuff. I have a challenge ahead of me because my product is so new (it came out of my brain, you know) I have to EXPLAIN what it is to people THEN convince them to buy it. The solution is really sort of obvious and once people see it they like it. BRILLIANT! MAKES SENSE. AWESOME. YOU’RE a GENIUS. …thanks!

Tangled cords…AHHHHHH!

Orderly cords!

IMP

It is rather genius…in it’s simplicity and functionality. If I do say so myself.

So I talk about it and it works…to educate people about it. And encourage them to solve their tangled cord problems. I’ll talk. And keep talking.

In a recent conversation with a client on a hot day, she said she would be cycling home after work. I commented that at least there was a nice breeze. “More like a headwind” she said. She went on to say that from work she rides about 1 kilometre in a straight line then turns a 90 degree corner with another kilometre to get home. She said it was funny that even as she turned the corner the wind would seem to change direction and that she always seemed to ride into a headwind.
I laughed and commented that one woman’s breeze was another woman’s headwind. Everything that we see, hear, feel, and experience are just our perceptions. I see the world one way and you see it in another. So who’s right? Who’s wrong?
Who knows! It doesn’t matter, what does matter is that our perceptions is fulfil and enrich our lives. If the way we see the world fills us full of fear and anxiety then how can we possibly see all that is good and fun.
You could start by turning off the commercial news. It just a negative entertainment offering, which according to Michael Moore is designed to encourage us to shop and spend more as a way of reducing our stress, unfortunately the stress goes back up when you get your credit card bill.
Have fun today
Ian Newton

PS if you want to think differently Click Here

(Inspired by Dr. Robert C. Worstell)

The Tasmania Gold mine, Australia…

The Battle Mountain Gold mine, USA…

The Beatrix Gold mine, South Africa

The Pokrovskiy Rudnik, Russia…

The Red Lake Gold, Canada…

What do these mines have in common?

They all have “Gold treasures” and obviously they are all hundreds of meters in depth!

Why do people take such a valiant effort to dig deeper?

To find Gold!

What if they don’t dig deeper, mostly hundreds of meters?

NO GOLD!

This is same for every person as well. Nature has always been conveying some great truth and success principles.

The gold mines—they find the place to dig and they just start digging! Digging deeper, until they find GOLD!

When you find where your gold mine is (Passion) and start digging deeper and deeper, despite all the obstacles and adversities that come your way,there’s no stopping you! You move forward on your own initiative without being pushed by anybody or following other’s dreams.

Andrew Carnegie, probably the richest man to ever live in the recorded history whose net worth would be 300+ billion dollars today, once spilled and sprinkled the following pearls for us to ponder,

“You can keep all your eggs in one basket – just watch that basket real closely.”

Now what does he mean?

He means that, to achieve anything that’s really really significant and great, one must gather all his/her concentration and resources that have been given naturally, toward a single end or on one a single passion/major purpose/primary objective/thing in their life.

When one focuses all his/her energies, thoughts and capital on a single thing, on a single profession that’s his/her passion in which he/she has natural ability and interest, they can expect things that are not normally, under normal conditions expected and accomplished—and monetary rewards are only one of the many rewards one receives by this powerful principle.

Renowned authors like Napoleon Hill and William Walker Atkinson emphasized this truth all through their life for the men and women to have the kind of life which is their congenital privilege!

“God doesn’t give one a challenge without giving the equivalent or greater ability to face and overcome the challenge”

It seems that everyone who is born on this planet are previously assigned a GREAT TASK OR SPECIAL THING and more importantly, and quite interestingly, also given the attitude and aptitude to carry out their undertaking successfully and to the fulfillment of their life’s purpose leaving a permanent mark of their stay and accomplishments on this planet.

But somewhere along the line, life threatens them and they completely forget their task on earth or compelled to do so, and start concentrating and supporting on the task that’s been assigned to others!

What’s next after following a certain passion for some time?

Multi-millionaires and billionaires do have diversified streams of income. They are doing service in more than one area and cater to motley of people and markets. Nevertheless,  before they diversified, they MASTERED HOW TO SERVE ONE TYPE OF PEOPLE FIRST.

In the same way, you too would start concentrating on your passion, developing it, catering one area or few at first. But by the passage of time, you’d start to diversify yourself finding other avenues of interest with things related to your passion, now rendering service to a wider array of people and in various different areas that are connected to your passion or area of interest.

Find your passion today and start finding things fall in to places.

So, it’s time for a Gold Rush!

Wish you all the riches to come with God’s blessings

Peter Anand

“Optimism is a matter of mental habit. You can learn to practice the habit of optimism and thereby greatly enhance your chances of achieving success. Or you can drive yourself into the pit of pessimism and failure.” - Napoleon Hill

How would you rate your level of optimism? When asked, “Would you consider yourself an optimistic or pessimistic person?” most people would answer, “Optimistic, of course!” Are you really? A great many attitudes, behaviors, and actions you witness in the world around you are often more negative than positive, pessimistic rather than optimistic.

I was driving back to the office today from an appointment when a black blazer turned left through and into oncoming traffic and missed hitting me by inches. Thankfully I caught him in my peripheral vision and was able to defensively swerve in order to get out of his way. We both proceeded safely. My first reaction was not to have the “inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events, or to anticipate the best possible outcome” as Webster defines optimism. My first reaction was of anger and annoyance.

As I proceeded to my destination I was pondering my reaction and thought to myself, what if he truly did not see me? There was a passenger in the blazer and they were talking, so there is the possibility that he just did not see me. His responsible driving skills are a subject for another discussion; however, I really don’t believe people get in their car and drive through life with the intention of having an accident. Accidents are just too inconvenient for all involved. So I decided to focus on the fact that maybe he didn’t see me, nothing happened, and all is good—take a positive approach.

But you know as well as I, so many people can have an incident like an “almost car accident” affect their attitude and their optimistic view toward the world and others. It is so easy to focus on the negative, the bad, or the wrong that it becomes all consuming.

I was early to a staff meeting the other day and there was general chitchat going on before the meeting started. One woman started talking about the weather and since it is November in Pennsylvania snow can be part of the forecast. The weather folks were calling for the possibility of snow showers in the areas of higher elevation that evening. The woman sitting next to her voiced her immediate reaction, “I hate snow! I hate everything about snow!” The intensity with which she made those comments confirmed without a doubt her hate for snow.

Pessimism is a state of mind, which negatively colors the perception of life. We spend so much time being pessimistic about things that we cannot control, that we literally give away our ability to be optimistic about what we can control. Having an optimistic attitude and view on life is a choice, and sometimes based on the world around us it can literally be a minute-by-minute choice. We are bombarded with so much negativity that it is easy to slip into the status quo of negativity. I challenge you to not accept the status quo, take control, and choose to be optimistic. You will see measurable results personally and professionally when you make the shift!

Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.