Desire - What You Need to Achieve Greatness - By Stan Mann

You worked hard creating your business. You suffered through all the expenses of getting your worksite and equipping it. You’ve assembled your support team - sales, marketing and administration. You thought that by now your business would be demanding less of your time and energy. But what’s happening? You’re still working too many hours putting out fires, still struggling with those hard decisions and still doing those things you’re not good at and don’t like doing.

That’s the Problem! What’s the Solution?

You’ve read every book relating to your business, attended workshops, maybe you even hired consultants to help you tweak your business. Yet the problem persists. You wondered, “What could possibly be wrong with the way I designed my business?”

What probably is wrong is that you’re asking the wrong question. You may not realize this, but what separates the highly successful and highly satisfied business owners from the rest is not the design and makeup of their business. It is the design and the makeup of themselves.

There are certain attitudes and emotions you need to achieve greatness. This article addresses the most important one - desire.

Most of the people who have achieved greatness did so NOT because they were so brilliant, but because they developed the inner power within them to go for the gusto. They learned how to keep stoking the fire in the belly. They kept their desire and passion burning.

Ask yourself this question. How successful are you right now? I guarantee you, whatever level of success you have achieved so far is more tied to your attitude than your aptitude. Success in business or any other playing field ultimately depends upon the level of your desire.

Desire motivates you, makes you courageous and keeps you going when the going gets tough. Desire is the fuel that drives you to achieve greatness. Desire is the number one attitude you need for success.

If you have “fire in your belly”, anything is possible.

I remember when I was just a kid during the Great Depression. Dad was out of work. Mom took in washing when she could find somebody who could pay her. There was just enough money for food, hardly any for clothes. Anything else, like toys, was out of the question.

I knew how to have fun with empty boxes, using a stick for a sword and my finger for a gun. But there was one toy I really wanted - a new Buck Rogers rocket ship. I saw it in the local hardware store. I watched with fascination as the salesman demonstrated it. It was really neat. Wind it up and sparks shot out of its tail. I had to have it. How could I get money to buy it?

We had an apple tree in the backyard. It was fall and the apples were ripe. I would sell apples to raise the money I needed. I quickly picked the reddest ones and polished them to a bright shine.

I took my treasures out in the street and found grown men on the street corners selling apples too. “Beat it kid,” the man told me. Discouraged, I started walking home. I kept thinking about that Buck Rogers rocket ship with its sparks shooting out of the tail.

On my way I passed some business places. I looked into a barbershop and saw some men waiting. I went in and was able to sell two apples before the owner gently ushered me out. “This will work,” I thought.

I went to the next store and just got in before the owner chased me out. I was discouraged and scared, but I thought of the two apples I did sell and that Buck Rogers rocket ship. That renewed my courage. I did not understand it then, but that Buck Rogers rocket ship had become a trigger. Every time I thought about it, it triggered me into action.

I kept on going, store after store. Some owners were nice and let me come in and sell my apples, others ushered me out. Not all of them were kind. Every time I got discouraged I thought of my successes and of that Buck Rogers rocket ship. I had two triggers now, the memory of my getting money for my apples and the thought of that Buck Rogers rocket ship. I kept on going until I sold all the apples.

I ran to the store and bought my toy.

That simple story is an example of the power of desire. This is the same principle that works on any enterprise, from selling apples to landing a rocket ship on the moon. Desire can trigger your motivation and move you into action.

To strengthen your desire, you need to review all the reasons why you want that goal - all the things you will gain. Then you need to list what you will miss out on - all the things you will lose - if you don’t reach your goal.

You can even create conditioned reflexes to program your mind to give you unstoppable motivation whenever you need it. The details to do this are in my book, Triggers: A New Approach to Self Motivation, by Prentice Hall. http://www.stanmann.com/triggers.html.

Strong desire is essential to create a highly successful and highly satisfying business. Take the time to practice strengthening your desire. It is extremely important to do this when you are feeling lacking in energy or discouraged. I deliver customized coaching programs to help you become the leader of a highly successful and highly satisfying business. For more information, contact me at win@stanmann.com.

© 2006 Stan Mann

Stan Mann, C.P.C. supports business owners, top executives and commission salespeople to substantially grow their business and have a balanced life. He is a Certified Professional Coach. For additional articles and resources please visit http://www.stanmann.com.

Facing the Truth About Ourselves - By Stan Mann

This eZine continues with the theme of building the bedrock foundation of your business—you!

Welcome to Biz Success Newsletter. I believe in you. We all were born to win, but you have a leg up on the others because you read self-improvement messages like this one. You will improve yourself and, because you improve yourself, you will improve the world.

We've been talking about how important it is to work on who we are. Unless you have the mindset of a winner, your performance will always be below par.

To achieve the mindset of a winner, it is very important to face the truth about ourselves and not make excuses for our behavior. It is very easy just to blame something else and try to rationalize the way we are.

To be at our best, to be a winner, all we have to take responsibility. Too many businesspeople just live on the surface. They do not look inside and take a good honest look. In other words, they never get down to the basic causes of their problems. They just deal with the symptoms. They are pessimistic, have trouble getting along with people, their self-esteem is low and they are always trying to fix their behavior. They are always trying to fix the symptoms.

It's good that you're trying to improve yourself, but many times your fixes are only temporary because as long as the basic causes are still there, you're going to continue to have poor results. It's like the saying, "bad root bad fruit".

We should never let resentment cloud our attitude and contaminate our life. Don't hang onto that old stuff. Take the lessons learned from the experience and forget the rest. Today is a new day with a new set of circumstances and unlimited potential.

If you have done any gardening at all, you know that if you keep on cutting off weeds at the surface, they just keep coming back again. You have to get to the root.

I want to challenge you today to look inside yourself and not just look at what you do, but why you do it. Why do I keep presenting that person? Why do I always let little things get under my skin? Why am I always comparing myself to others and have to prove that I'm as good as them?

When we really get to the source of the problem and start dealing with that, then we can make lasting changes, then we can free ourselves.

A friend of mine started having stomach aches. She began taking some medicines designed to soothe the symptoms, like Alka-Seltzer. Her stomach aches went away for awhile, but they kept coming back and she kept taking those symptom-relieving medications. After awhile, she decided to see a doctor. The doctor got to the source of her symptoms. She had gallstones. She was operated on with those new minimally invasive techniques and in a few days she was back without the symptoms, her gallstones.

This is what we often do. We only try to fix the surface things. "Let me just try to fix my behavior, let me just turn over a new leaf.” The doctor had gotten to the root of the problem, the source. “I'm going to stop trying to do everything myself. I'll try to trust people enough to delegate all those little tasks that I really shouldn't be doing in my business. I'm going to try not to be so fearful and stop avoiding people that I should be calling on.”

Let me repeat that is good that you're trying, but so often, just like the lady with a stomach ache, you're not dealing with the real source. So no matter how much you try, that problem just keeps coming back.

You have to learn to get to the real root of your problems. You need to examine your life and find those areas that you're constantly struggling in. Is it really your employees' fault? Is it really your spoiled customers?

Or could it be you are going about things like the woman with a stomach ache, you are not dealing with the true cause but only the symptoms.

Remember: don't keep just trying to fix the surface behavior. Look deep in yourself and find the real cause. Then you know what you have to fix and have a much better chance of fixing it.

Yes, you were born to win. All you need to do is get all that junk out of the way.

© 2006 Stan Mann.

Stan Mann, C.P.C. supports business owners, top executives and commission salespeople to substantially grow their business and have a balanced life. He is a Certified Professional Coach. For additional articles and resources please visit http://www.stanmann.com.

Plains Of Hesitation

"On the Plains of Hesitation bleach the bones of countless
millions, who, at the Dawn of Victory, sat down to wait,
and waiting."

*--Sam Ewing


"The doors of wisdom are never shut."

*-- Benjamin Franklin


"Resentment or grudges do no harm to the person against whom you
hold these feelings but every day and every night of your life,
they are eating at you."

*-- Norman Vincent Peale

Don't Build A Case Against Yourself - By John L. Mason

A son and his father were walking in the mountains.

Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams:

"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating
somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"

He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"

He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."

And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"

The voice answers: "I admire you!"

Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"

The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO,
but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. Life will give you back everything you have given to it. “ (Anonymous)

Your life is not a coincidence. It’s a reflection of you! Proverbs declares, “As a man thinks, so is he, and as a man chooses, so is he.” If you would like to know who is responsible for most of your troubles, take a look in the mirror. If you could kick the person responsible for most of your problems, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for three weeks. It’s time for us to stay out of our own way.

Stop looking only at where you are and start looking at what you can be. Be careful of where your mind wanders; your words and actions follow it.

No one can defeat you unless you first defeat yourself. Self-image sets the boundaries and limits of each of our individual accomplishments. If you doubt yourself, listen to Alexander Dumas: “A person who doubts himself is like a man who enlists in the ranks of his enemy and bears arms against himself.”

You carry with you the world in which you must live. Know this: when you have a great dream, your mind will be your biggest enemy. Remember you are your own doctor when it comes to curing cold feet, a hot head and a stuffy attitude.

You may succeed if nobody else believes in you, but you will never succeed if you don’t believe in yourself. Whatever you attach consistently to the words “I am,” you will become.

- John Mason, from the book Imitation is Limitation (Want to purchase this book? Go to www.freshword.com/resources)

John Mason is a national best-selling author, nationally recognized speaker and book coach. You can visit his site at http://www.freshword.com/signup to receive this nugget and ones just like it in your email inbox every week. Very inspiring!

Vigor Is Contagious

"Vigor is contagious, and whatever makes us either think or feel
strongly adds to our power and enlarges our field of action."

*--Ralph Waldo Emerson


"Hope is always available to us. When we feel defeated, we need
only take a deep breath and say, "Yes," and hope will reappear."

*-- Monroe Forester


"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your oldnonsense."

*-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Catalyst For Success - By Saheed Badru

Most times, people begin a task or goal with great enthusiasm but some do not end up achieving thier best.You might ask why is this the result after so much effort and zeal at the beginning ? It is simplybecause such individuals fail to acquire the required catalyst which will drive thier reaction to thier dreams. As we know in science that catalysts speed up the rate of a chemical reaction, so we have catalysts that speed up the RATE OF SUCCESS. Do you really know what this catalyst is ?

It is known as MOTIVATION. Motivation is simply a process in which an individual takes suitable steps to boost his interest in something. Motivation goes a long way in inspiring you and taking you to your dreams. You must know that the best motivator is YOURSELF. Mentors, books, speakers, amongst others could be sources of motivation for you. But if you don't possess that instrument of SELF-MOTIVATION, you will end up like a wealthy merchant lost in the desert. Quite unfortunate!

In motivating yourself, you must first-of all discover yourself and know from the depth of your heart what you like best. Relate this to your desired goal and create ways in which you can make use of one to benefit the other. This could be aided with meditation and positive thinking. You have to be creative !

Moreover, make use of external motivators alongside your self-motivator. With these, you can create a combined effort. You must also identify LOW SELF-ESTEEM as an ENEMY and you must destroy it with every possible weapon. See yourself as an achiever having attained your heights. At the same time, do not dwell in a fool's paradise by inviting pride to your personality. In otherwords, strike a balance !

Also, INFERIORITY COMPLEX should be something you must give no room to get into your way. Focus on your goals and assist others but don't disturb yourself about other people's matters. Judging yourself by other people's efforts and goals is a waste of time. Focus on yours so as not to bring yourself down.

In addition, make sure you maintain a high level of consistency in anything you do because CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO PRODUCTIVITY. Being productive makes you an achiever not just a dreamer

Finally, put GOD ALMIGHTY first in everything you do and make Him your PRIMARY SOURCE OF MOTIVATION. I wish you success in all your endeavours.

Be Happy With What You Have

"Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want."

*-- Jim Rohn


"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

*-- Eleanor Roosevelt


"A human being feels able and competent only so long as
he is permitted to contribute as much as, or more, than
he has contributed to him."

*-- Elbert Hubbard

Bumblebees, You, and Me -- Does Flight Have To Be Tough? - By Dan Ohler

The rumour: aerodynamically, based upon the ratio of wing surface area to body size, a bumblebee should not be able to fly.

A strange thought as I watch several bumblebees wiggle their pudgy black and yellow bodies in and out of purple delphinium flowers, legs laden with pollen, and then off they go in perfect flight.

No one told them they couldn’t fly. Flight appears to be quite effortless to them. They succeed year after year.

You may be thinking, “Who cares and so what?”

Here’s the “real” questions to ask.

Are we the same as the bumblebee?

Do we create amazing results, thriving and succeeding, regardless of what others think we can or can’t do?

Or do we live our lives encumbered, limited, and held back by what we have accepted as common knowledge – absolute truth?

I’m guessing that both may be true.

I have recently received a whack of e-zines with stories and quotations about how our greatest life lessons come from our biggest failures and struggles. It seems to be common thinking that it is OK, maybe even noble, to struggle and fight because at the end of the day, we will be struck with wisdom that will help us to move forward to greater success – so we can face even greater failures and struggles.

Cool deal! Acceptance of this belief helps us to forge-on, regardless of the difficulty of the situation. We trust that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

And yet, if we accept this belief, are we unconsciously buying into, and creating our own struggles and failures? Are we unconsciously making a choice to either:

a) create our struggles, fights, and eventually success, or

b) be an incompetent, unsuccessful boob?

Tough choice! Seems like insanity, but this scenario was true for me.

I remember choosing to put myself under incredible work pressure, taking on way too much within a short time-period, agreeing to things that didn’t feel good in my heart, struggling with how and where to use my time, neglecting my family, my health, and my relationships. I remember thinking, “Life is tough but I am going to become a much better person because of this.”

I admit there was great learning for me.

And yet, recently, I have quit buying into this deal about struggle and fight. I don’t believe in sayings like these: “The measure of a man is not how high he goes, but how high he rebounds after he has hit the bottom” or “To increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”

Instead, I approach life differently. I look forward to each day for the peace, joy, happiness, and love that is all around me. I believe that I learn more and better lessons about myself, others, and life when I believe in abundance rather than lack. Life seems more satisfying, inspirational, profitable, and fun. I perform much better when motivated by love rather than by fear of the fight.

How does it shake-out for you? Upon what beliefs do you choose to base your life?

For some people, their beliefs are like these:

- Suck it up princess - life is tough

- Good humble people suffer

- The best lessons come from the biggest hardships

- It’s a dog-eat-dog world

- Failure is the best way to learn

- If I can just get through this … (day, week, month, contract, year(s), etc.) then life will be good.

I have a challenge for you, if you choose to accept it. Say and re-affirm positive uplifting statements to yourself at least 3 times per day. Fill your days with conscious thoughts, beliefs, and actions based on statements such as:

- Yahoo – life is great

- Today is the best day ever

- Life is so much fun

- I love what I do

- I treat all people with care, love, and respect

- I honour my relationships

- This is easy for me

- My greatest lessons come to me easily and effortlessly

- I experience success in everything I choose to do

- I provide exceptional value to our society.

You may be thinking, “Ah com’on Dan. That positive thinking and affirmation stuff doesn’t work.”

You are absolutely correct, if that is what you believe.

On the other hand, why not give it a whirl? What do you have to lose by trying? Keep in mind the wise words of Yoda in the “Star Wars” movie, “Do, or do not do. There is no try.”

Or in bumblebee terms, fly graciously and effortlessly, going above, below, around, and beyond. Who really cares what others say you can or can’t do.

You are cleared for take-off. Happy flying!

Copyright© 2006

Dan Ohler is a relationship, change, and happiness specialist. Through Dan’s insights & humour you learn to apply the basics of human psychology – the natural laws that create life-long flourishing relationships, and abounding success.

Visit http://www.ThinkinOutsideTheBarn.com to subscribe to Dan’s FREE e-zine, “Soaring Insights”, and see Dan in action while you’re there!

Balanced Our Lives

"The more balanced our lives, the more serene we feel."

*-- Ann Smith


"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to
go on creating oneself endlessly."

*-- Henri Bergson


"Love is like a butterfly, hold it too tight, it'll crush, hold it too loose, it'll fly"

*-- Unknown

Motivation And Personality Interaction - By Sharon White

Those are unconscious motives; however there are other needs as well, such as self realization and desire to achieve certain goals. There is a reason or a motive to every action a person takes. Motivation is often a result of emotions a person has. When one is happy he perceives things in more positive way than when he is angry or unsatisfied. The way we look at things greatly influences our physical condition.

There are several different theories that give insight to what motivates people's actions. Besides being an instinctual one of survival, or drive theory, it is said that an arousal theory describes
a person's level of motivation being directly proportional to the level deemed necessary for the activity. Different from drive theories that have their source in internal cues as the reason for motivating, there is a perspective that puts the emphasis not on the aspects that result in a certain motivation, but rather a motivation brought about in order to get something. This expectancy theory focuses more on a desired outcome as being the motivation for an action. In the
goal-setting theory, people are known to behave more productively when given a task to complete. As opposed to just working on something at one's own pace, when they have a goal, and receive opinions back regarding their progress, they are more likely to strive for completion. Other reasons for inciting certain behaviors include sexual, aggressive, and achievement motivation, or a desire to excel. This "desire to excel" has an impact on personal success and economic advantages when the members of a society possess the motivation to achieve greatness. Still there are others whose only motivation is the happiness they derive from doing whatever they love.

Knowing all of this, it seems clear to me that motivation varies depending on individual personality and perception. I do not think that one is more important than the other since each has a role in the processes of the development of one another. It is my opinion that the
main goal for everyone is to find happiness in his or her lives. This happiness is achieved by factors that begin genetically, because a person with a sunny disposition is always going to fair better in life, but also include personality factors, and a direction or goal in life, and the means by which to achieve them. As long as a person is successful in obtaining his dreams, he can relax because he has a feeling of integrity and control or balance in his life, and that is what ultimately brings happiness.

The article was produced by the member of masterpapers.com.
Sharon White has many years of a vast experience in Essay Writing writing and custom essays writing consulting. Get free samples of essays, Dissertation and courseworks.

The Internal Force

"There are two big forces at work, external and internal.
We have very little control over external forces such as
tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain.
What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond
to those disasters? Over that I have complete control."

*-- Leo Buscaglia


"The minute you settle for less than you deserve,
you get even less than you settled for."

*-- Maureen Dowd


"Acceptance is not a state of passivity or inaction. I am not saying
you can’t change the world, right wrongs, or replace evil with good.
Acceptance is, in fact, the first step to successful action. If you
don’t fully accept a situation precisely the way it is, you will have
difficulty changing it. Moreover, if you don’t fully accept the
situation, you will never really know if the situation should be
changed."

*-- Peter McWilliams {American Author}

Want a New Beginning - Get on the Big Yellow School Bus - By Lesley Moore

It was the first day of school, filled with excitement and anxiousness, plenty of rituals and then…lots of “unexpected” moments. No matter how many times we had done this day, with new sneakers, new backpacks and new cool clothes, no one ever seemed to grow tired of it. We once again awoke with smiles on our faces, the yearning for a hug and the hope of ignoring the nervousness in our bellies.

I had been teaching for 14 years and had been getting my sons ready for their first day of school for nearly 10 years. Yet no matter how many times we'd been here before, the moment that the big yellow bus arrived, was when all the comforts of what we “knew” were clearly out the window.

Who will I sit with? How long will the drive be? What will the teacher be like? Will I know anyone in class? Will she give a lot of homework? Will I remember anything I learned last year?

Those variables were enough to send anyone over the top, yet those very same variables, also offered hope. Upon seeing the bus, I thought: Wouldn’t it be great if we could each start our year off with a big yellow school bus?

The bus was so much more than mere transportation to school. It created an energy and spirit that lead into the day itself. It created the path to so many new and exciting events and people. It was a ride that lead to the unknown, yet still left you with a sense of hope about what was still to come.

What if each year we could begin with that big yellow bus? With the renewed hope of finding new friends, making new connections, and learning all new things? The renewed hope that lead to the promise of getting older. Not the fear of aging, but an excitement of life and what each passing year had to offer. Each year, something bigger and better.

As I watched my children walk to their prospective busses, feeling envious of their day ahead, I also went to begin my new year at school. But this time, instead of dreading the chaos that was associated with the first day in class, I got into my black Acura and pretended that it was my big yellow bus…leading me to a brand new year, with new friends, new connections, a possibility of learning something I didn’t already know and the hope that this year would be the best one yet.

I drove away with a smile on my face, because after all, those things could be waiting for me at the end of my bus ride too!

Lesley Moore is President and Owner of LifeScope, Life and Executive Coaching. She is also a co-author in the book: 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life. She specializes in working with individuals in transition, empowering them to create a life they love and with professionals to help them bridge the gap between expectation and performance. She is also a Personal Fitness Trainer and a Freelance Writer. Lesley graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Journalism and has studied coaching through the Mentor Coach Program, which is recognized by the International Coach Federation. For more information about Life and Executive Coaching, visit her website at http://www.LifeScopeCoach.com or e-mail her at lessmore4@comcast.net.

Five Easy Steps to Staying Motivated - By Scott Mackay

Motivating yourself to excel at your job or to be an example to your employees, should not be something you do only when the spirit moves you. It’s an ongoing process that should include every facet of your business life. This means your mental attitude, physical well-being and appearance, work atmosphere, your interaction with others (clients and employees alike), and your off-the-job environment.

Motivational experts get paid big bucks to tell professionals, striving for success, that they must constantly examine these factors. How do you do that? Follow the 5 tips that follow, and watch the changes.

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude – Let’s realize that life is only 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. We’re responsible for our own actions and attitudes, and changing them when appropriate. When you’re around people/things that are uplifting and positive, you feel that way. You have more confidence in yourself, and know you can change whatever needs changing. If you can make your workplace such a place you’ll find happier workers and higher production. You might even find your employees look forward to coming to work!

2. Leave Personal Troubles Home - Everyone has problems, but they don’t belong at work. Turn your attention and energy entirely to your on-the-job tasks. This will actually be good for you because you’ll get a mental break from your troubles.
3. Create Positive Affirmations - The reason for writing goals for your business is the same as creating positive affirmations on paper. What your eyes see and ears hear, your mind will believe. Try it! After you’ve written them down, read them aloud to yourself – and do it every morning when you get into work. You’ll be amazed at what happens. Come up with a set of new ones every month. Statements such as, “I’m an important and valuable person,” or “I know I’ll make good use of my time today.” Repeating them out loud everyday at a set time will help reinforce positive actions.

4. Make Sure Break Times Are Really Break Times - This is an area where most bosses/entrepreneurs fall down. You become so intense about the project or situation you’re working on that you don’t ease up. Thinking that it’ll be solved in the next few seconds, and then you’ll get a cup of coffee can lead you right up to quitting time. Regularly adhering to a specified break schedule, even if you’re the boss, releases the tension. If you work on a computer this is even a greater problem because before you realize it – you’ve been working in that same position for hours. The best answer to this is to set yourself a reminder on your appointment calendar for every 2 hours, and let the computer reminder chime send you the alert to move around.

5. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise - I know that lately it seems that “exercise” is the cure-all to every physical ailment or your love life, but despite that there is some truth to that ugly word. By “exercise” I don’t mean that you should go out and join a gym and spend your lunch-time, 3-days-a-week there working out. What is really beneficial and workable is that at those chiming alerts from your computer, get up and walk around your desk or room. Maybe go outside and get the mail and enjoy the sunlight (if you’re an entrepreneur that has a home office), or just get up and do a few stretches. Concentrated, tense thinking – typing - plotting plans - or whatever your work, makes all those muscles tighten up and knot up. Then when we move we “ooh” and “ouch” because we’ve knotted up into a ball of tension. Periodic stretching, even at our desk, or just getting up and walking over to the window and getting a different view can help. One of the greatest disservice modern business décor has done to us, is making our offices pristine, sleek, unencumbered spaces. There is nothing more relaxing than getting up from your desk and walking over to a peaceful, serene, seascape or pastoral painting and just drinking it in visually. Momentarily transporting your mind out of work and into that place does wonders. A few good paintings and less shiny chrome in offices would benefit us all.

It only takes a little concentrated effort on our part to keep motivated and productive, which leads to success. I know you’re going to hate hearing this, but it’s true anyway – and that is, “WHEN LIFE GIVES YOUR LEMONS – MAKE LEMONADE!”

Scott has more information is available on creating success in your life, simply visit Advanced Wealth Planning Techniques or for Structured personal growth and development systems and The Secret To My Success

Open Yourself to Good Influences - Free Yourself of Self imposed Limitations - By Margo Kirtikar Ph.D.

Liberate yourself of your self-imposed limitations. Free yourself of heavy chains and old baggage that weigh you down and hamper you from moving forward. Do not sabotage your own success, your happiness and enjoyment of life. If your inner dialogue is now saying, ‘What is she talking about, I do nothing of the sort. I do not sabotage myself!’ I would say maybe you’re right but then on the other hand, there is a good chance that you could be wrong about that. Just think, how many times have you procrastinated doing something that you needed to do and you kept putting it off till later. How many times have you had brilliant ideas and you let them just fly by you without taking action to make them come true. How many times have you given in to the part of you that is lazy or depressed, and just laid back and let life pass you by. How many times have you done something that you knew very well is not good for you, yet you did it anyway. I bet you have habits right now that you know very well bring you nothing good, yet you carry on happily continuing with the bad habits always finding an excuse why you can’t do this or can’t do that, telling yourself it wouldn’t have worked anyway.
If that is not sabotaging yourself then what is? Do you want to know who your worst enemy is? You are. We’ve heard this a zillion times before. YOU are your worst enemy. Accept that! But it doesn’t have to be that way. So why not turn the tables and change that right now and learn to be your own best friend?

You can turn a page right now and decide to be friends with yourself. If you can’t be your own best friend, how can you be a good friend to anyone else? Start right now to cultivate a good habit. Be a good friend to your own self and you’ll never be lonely again. Become aware and accept yourself with all your good points but also your many faults and then begin systematically, to tackle each fault at a time, and make an effort to correct it. You don’t have to be perfect but you can give a go at being the very best you can be. You have dormant potential in you that you’re not even aware of, and unless you explore, tap in to get it out, you’ll never know what you are capable of. No one will know just how good you are. Surprise yourself and your friends, why ever not? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Where do you begin, how do you start? Well, I have news for you. You have started already. The fact that you are reading this right now, shows that you are interested and curious to know more and that is a very good sign. From here you carry on in several ways. I’ll suggest some for you and you take it from there.

First thing do not stop after this. Reading this e book is not the end it is just the beginning. Make a habit from now on of reading one book, after another, listening to one tape after another, watching one movie after another, that is inspirational, educational, motivational. Listen to the hints, accept them practice them and work continuously to develop yourself. Religious people read the scriptures and learn to memorize what is written word for word. I’m not so convinced that they even understand what they are memorizing. There lies a big problem of misinterpretation of what they are memorizing. You want to read motivational books and you do not have to learn anything by heart, but you want to understand what is written. Even if you read the bible, understand each paragraph you are reading, look for the real message. The key is to understand the whys as well as the hows. Then you want to practice what you read, you want to experiment and to practice until you see and feel the difference in your life. Seek help if you find it difficult to change, get a coach, go to a therapist. Do whatever it takes. Just don’t give up on yourself. You are important to you.

Second you will want to surround yourself with happy, motivational, inspirational, enthusiastic, intelligent, healthy people. Be choosy who you move around with, who you allow into your inner circle, who you befriend. We are influenced whether we like it or not by what surrounds us. We are all influenced, whether we like or not by our environment and by the people we meet every day. It can’t be helped, it just happens no matter how strong we are and how much we resist it. For example, if you keep the company of people who are in the habit of speaking foul language, using curse words with every sentence, in time your ears will be so accustomed to this that you will inevitably begin to speak and sound like them. You might fight it for a while but if you persist in keeping that company you can’t win. How does the old saying go? Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.

Third live a healthy life, watch your nutrition habits, eat healthy fresh foods that give you energy, avoid drugs and narcotics, exercise your body. Once you have tasted the bliss of being physically healthy, you won’t want to be otherwise. Your body is the temple of your soul and you should take good care of it. You only have this one body for this lifetime so for it to serve you well, you need to care for it the same as you would take care of your car if you wanted it to work well.
Fourth add cultural activities to your agenda on a weekly basis. Art, music, beauty is nourishment for the soul. Visit a museum at least once a month, go to art shows, see documentaries to widen your knowledge about history, science, geography and the arts. The more knowledge you have the more self confidence you will gain and the more interesting you will be to talk to. Move around with people who know more than you, people with culture and good manners who speak well, people on the move and who contribute to the world around them. We are living in turbulent times and are exposed to chaos and violence constantly which can be very depressing. Join the army of those who contribute to humanity, put your energy there, that’s where you’ll find hope, love and joy.

At the same time remember to take time off, to be on your own, with yourself, to have time to reflect, to digest, to accept, to retain the good and to throw away the bad and the useless. Our bodies do that with food naturally and we need to learn individually to do the same emotionally and mentally. We need to analyze and to digest our experiences, our emotions as well as our thoughts, to throw away negativity and to retain what makes us feel good. Failing to do that means you store away a lot of garbage in your body and which in time produces disease, physical or mental. Spend some time regularly in solitude. Give yourself a rest. Give yourself time to dream and to be. That is when the best and most constructive ideas come to you.

Margo Kirtikar PhD
http://www-visionsunusual.com
http://www.margokirtikar.com

Live Abundantly Love Abundantly

"To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love
forever is to live forever."

*-- Henry Drummond


"One of the true tests of leadership is the ability
to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency."

*-- Arnold H. Glasow


"Reason can answer questions, but imagination has to
ask them."

*-- Ralph Gerard

Boost Your Self Esteem Instantly! - By Caroline Jalango

Do you feel besieged by forces beyond your control?

Perhaps you have problems at work which seem insurmountable. Lately, most of your work has been displeasing to your boss. You feel stressed out because the new and improved versions of your work have been discredited and dismissed.

Perhaps you are struggling to salvage a relationship with a loved one. You are doing everything you can to make things work. You feel helpless because despite all the “communication” in the world, the rift in your relationship still keeps widening.

Perhaps you are living the lonely life. After all your social attempts, you still haven’t made any friends and are beginning to wonder if there is something wrong with you. You feel so alone, left out and sad.
Perhaps you have been looking for a well paying job for so long. You have met many potential employers, had countless interviews and yet you haven’t heard the precious words, “you are hired!”

You feel as if your efforts remain unrewarded. You feel unappreciated, used, wasted and totally drained. You feel bad about your value as a person; your job, your achievements, your potential for success and even how others perceive and relate to you. As it stands, you are barely clinging to the last shreds of your self esteem.

It’s no secret that your self esteem has been affected. You need an ego boost and you need it now. You need to feel great and confident about yourself again. The question on your mind is— what can you do to begin feeling better today?

The simplest way to feel better, boost your self esteem and improve your life is to find something you love to do, do it and be great at it.

When you are engrossed in the work you love…nothing else seems to matter. You feel good. You feel proud. You become engulfed with a sense of purpose and accomplishment. When you are working on something you love— you feel validated. It’s almost like being encompassed by a powerful rush of positive energy which makes you feel worthwhile and valuable. Successfully doing meaningful or fulfilling work gives you an instant self esteem boost.

The work you love is precious. It is what you do, create or provide. When you use your God given talents and abilities to perform your work, it even becomes more special. It becomes something which only you can do in the unique way you do it because bears your personal style. It brings you immense joy and fulfillment and can open doors for you— financial or otherwise. It can command other people’s respect and attract them to you. It can make you leave a dead end job to pursue other profitable ventures. Knowing that you are great at something you love is motivation enough to always hold your head high.

What do you love to do? Do you love music, art, singing, dancing, painting, volunteering, designing, teaching, writing, or poetry? Are you good with, computers, kids, or even animals? Do you love to cook, garden, or organize stuff? Do you have any special skills or unique talents?

Whatever it is you love to do, polish it up and take it a notch higher. For example, if you love music, make a great demo cd and take it to a producer. If you are writing a book, strive to complete the manuscript while looking for an agent. If you love to sing and can sing, go for an audition, volunteer to sing at events or any place that will allow you to showcase your talent. If you love to dance, sign up for a professional dance classes. If you love design, start your own graphic design home business and so forth.

Whether you consider what you love to do as your life purpose, life’s work, hobby or career, full or part time job— be great at it. Whether you are getting paid or volunteering or whether it’s a natural talent or a learned skill—be excellent! The things you love to do are not in vain. Hold them in high regard. Because they will make you feel good about yourself and improve your life.

Again, what do you love to do? Find out because it’s the key to boosting your self esteem.

Caroline is a life coach for women who are ready to take step towards living an exceptional life. She helps women strike the match that sets them ablaze to discover who they are, explore and expand on what they can do and take action to achieve their goals. Are you settling for less than you deserve because you are stuck or are you stuck because you are settling for less than you deserve? Send your responses to Caroline@motivationzone.com or visit http://www.motivationzone.com.

Success Is More A Function

"Success is more a function of consistent common sense than
it is of genius."

*-- An Wang


"The way you give your name to others is a measure of how much you like and respect yourself."

*-- Brian Tracy


"If you want a confidence, act as if you already have it. Try the "as if" technique."

*--William James (1842-1910)

Can You Clearly Explain Your Idea, Goal or Vision? - By Caroline Jalango

So you have a goal? Great! You have an idea? Great! Are you working on something new? Great! Can you explain it?

Do you have a bright idea which you can only dream about with clarity, visualize with the mental picture of your eye, feel in every bone in your body, but yet you can't seem to be able to clearly explain it to others?

Have you ever tried to explain something to someone and caught yourself wondering what on earth you were talking about? Have you been left trying to figure out why what you had just said did not make any sense?

Each time you try to explain your idea or goal, you can’t help but notice the looks of confusion on people’s faces, the blank stares, the raised eyebrows the widening eyes and the polite nods of those who don’t have a clue about what you are talking about!

Explaining your idea, goal or vision isn't just about articulation who you are and what you do. It is about taking the conversation deeper by expounding on the idea, goal, project or vision to interested parties.

Can you clearly articulate your idea, goals or vision?

The following 3 tips will help you verbalize that which you can only see with the mental picture of your eye.

1. Make it simple.

Your idea or goal does not have to be complicated to be valid. Break it down, break it down, and break it down. Avoid the use of technical jargon as much as possible. One easy way to make your explanation simple is to answer questions touching on issues of what you are doing, where you are doing it, for whom you are doing it, how you are doing it and when you began or completed the task.

2. Own your words.

Let your explanation resonate with your essence. Your personality or your being should not conflict with what you are saying otherwise the internal tug of war will prevent you from believing what you are saying and hinder the flow of information. The more you believe what you are saying, the more confident you will be in explaining you idea or goal.

3.Make it natural.

Let your explanation be natural, in your own words and in your own style. Avoid copying other people’s style and imagining that their language and expression is better than yours.

No one can explain your idea or goal better than you; therefore, be natural. Choose your audience carefully, but no matter who your audience is, articulating your idea in a natural way is always inspiring and authentic.

Caroline is a life coach for women who are ready to take step towards living an exceptional life. She helps women strike the match that sets them ablaze to discover who they are, explore and expand on what they can do and take action to achieve their goals. Are you settling for less than you deserve because you are stuck or are you stuck because you are settling for less than you deserve? Send your responses to Caroline@motivationzone.com or visit http://www.motivationzone.com

Live Life To The Fullest

"The best way to live life to the fullest everyday is to make as
many decisions as possible about the future -- yesterday."

*-- Daniel A. Feerst {American Publisher}


"You can't please everyone, and you can't make everyone like you."

*-- Katie Couric


"I believe that education is all about being excited about something.
Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message."

*-- Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter)

Breaking Psychological Barriers - By Richard Kimball

Before 1954, running a sub four-minute mile was considered to be impossible according to physiologists at that time. It was thought that a four-minute mile was the physical limit of the human body.

When Englands' Roger Bannister ran a 3:59.4 to break the world record, he not only broke a physical barrier but he also broke a psychological barrier as well.

Australian John Landy, who was considered to be the premier miler of that era, was at a restaurant in Helsinki when news came to him of Bannister's achievement.

"I had got into this frame (of mind) where I had easily the best performances. Bannister had only run 4:02 once. I'd done it six times. I was staggered. I thought: 'Wow, what an amazing performance', but I was pretty positive. I thought if he can run that, maybe I can run it. It certainly raised my sights."

Six weeks later, Landy, broke Bannisters' record by running a 3:58.0.

Later that year, in the “Mile of the Century”, in a race to decide who was the fastest miler in the world, Bannister ran a 3:58.8 to Landys' 3:59.6. It was the first time two men had run sub-four-minutes miles in the same race.

By the end of 1957, sixteen runners had accomplished the feat. Now what was thought impossible has become common, at least among elite runners. John Walker of New Zealand ran at least a hundred sub-four-minute miles in his career but American Steve Scott has the most with 136. The current record in the mile is 3:43.13, held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco.

Another long-standing psychological barrier in the world of sports was Bob Beamons' incredible long jump of 29’ 4 1/2” (8.90 m) in the 1968 Olympics. Beamon didn’t just set the world record. He demolished it. In a sport where records are broken by inches and seconds, Beamon shattered the record by nearly two feet. He not only became the first man to jump over 29 feet but he was also the first man to jump over 28 feet.

Oddly enough, Beamons' coach at the ’68 Olympics was Ralph Boston. In 1960, Boston had broken Jesse Owens long jump record set in 1935. It had held for 25 years. From 1960 to 1967, the record had only advanced by 8 1/2" inches.

Beamons' incredible leap was thought to be a freak accident that would never be duplicated. It was an accomplishment that was totally beyond Beamons' or anyone else's ability at that time. Beamon never came close to that mark again. It was considered to be the athletic feat of all time.

In the late eighties, Carl Lewis had begun to creep closer to Beamons' mark. With his world record speed in the 100 meters, Lewis had advanced the long jump record to 28’ 7”.

In the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, five days after just setting the world record in the 100 meters by running it in 9.86 seconds, Lewis' 10-year unbeaten streak in the long jump came to an end, even though he put together the greatest series of jumps in history. Lewis had never before reached 29 feet, and this day he did it three times, including 29' 2" (wind-aided) and 29' 1" (against the wind). But Mike Powell, who had lost 15 consecutive times to Lewis, unleashed the longest jump in history -- 29' 4" (8.90 m). Powell had stunned Lewis and the world by finally beating the 23 year-old-record.

I’ve used these two stories from the sports world to illustrate that the things that often hold us back, are more psychological than physical. Limiting barriers are more in our minds than actual reality.

Henry Ford

“If you think you can do a thing or you think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

You are not limited by anything except your own limiting thoughts. Many times, psychological barriers are just arbitrary standards. They could be marks such as earning $100,000 a year, getting straight A’s in school, or setting new sales records. Why is it we establish these marks? We as human beings are goal-seeking organisms. We need something to work towards. A worthy goal gives us something to shoot for.

I’m sure Mike Powell, on his way to breaking Bob Beamons' record had preliminary goals he had to achieve. He first had to break the 25 foot mark, then the 26 foot mark, and so forth, until, after years of long training, spurred on by stiff competition from Carl Lewis, he put it all together to break one of the greatest records in sports history.

Many times we don’t achieve our goals or objectives because we believe they are beyond our reach. When we see someone obtain some great achievement, we think it looks so easy. We just don’t see the long years of hard work that got them there. Great achievements take time, no matter what field you are in. Working toward your goal requires a lot of faith because you just don’t know whether it will all pay off. Goals are not reached without struggle. Long-range goals require great endurance of faith and persistence.

Breaking down our psychological barriers often comes down to trying one more time, trying a different approach or adjusting your methods just the right way. It’s for sure; you will never get past your roadblocks without trying.

Success comes to those who overcome obstacles, conquers adversity and never gives up.

Richard Kimball is a successful entrepreneur, artist, and teacher. His latest project is to share the universal principles of success so that others can achieve prosperity and the fulfillment of their dreams.

Website: Building A Successful Life

Not Only To Be Loved

"I like not only to be loved, but to be told I am loved."

*-- George Eliot


"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation
with the bricks others have thrown at him."

*-- David Brinkley


"He who waits upon fortune is never sure of dinner."

*-- Benjamin Franklin

Live Every Day As If It Were Your Last - By Deanna Mascle

Do you know how long you will live? Most of us do not. We can hazard a guess or a wish, but unless we are staring death in the face then we do not know. While I often urge my readers to live their lives fully and joyfully, recent events here in the bluegrass have made me even more aware of the need to live my life as if each day was my last.

I live a few miles east of Lexington, Kentucky, where on Sunday Comair Flight 5191 taking off from Bluegrass Airport with 50 people on board crashed and 49 were killed. The victims of the crash had family and friends who loved them and had lives to be lived. Some were young people just embarking on life. One couple had just been married the night before. Another couple was engaged to be married. Many passengers were middle aged and had already made wonderful contributions, for example one man was Habitat's National Volunteer of the Year in 2004, but who knows what other lives and events they could have influenced in the long decades they should have lived. However you can be sure that none of those people expected their lives to end that morning.

Life is like that. Simply being a human alive brings risks. Sometimes it is disease, sometimes accident, and sometimes deliberate violence, but we do not know what day will be our last and that is why it is so important to live life fully and joyfully.

If you knew today was your last day then what would you do? I'm not suggesting you quit your job, tell off the neighbors or stop paying your bills, but rather to look at the areas of your life that matter most to you. You know what they are and while there are certainly common areas they are also as individual as humans. Do more every day to appreciate and enjoy the people and activities that make your life worth living.

How often do you tell those closest to you how much they matter to you? Do you say "I love you" every day? When did you last embrace the person that is nearest to your heart? When did you last simply spend time together?

Treat yourself well at least once a day. I do not mean you need to splurge and buy yourself a present every day, but rather to give yourself some time every day to relax and enjoy life whether it is reading a book, watching the sunset, or snuggling with your dog.

What regrets would you have and what dreams would be unfulfilled? Remember, putting off your hopes and wishes for future years can well mean you never give them a chance. Find a way to follow your dreams and live the life you desire.

Finally, take a look at your life and root out the causes of your distress and unhappiness. No matter whether you live one day, one year, or one hundred years, life is simply too short to spend it with people you do not like and/or doing things that make you unhappy. Change your life now and may your next 100 years be filled with joy.

Live every day as if it were your last and make sure to tell and show your loved ones how much you care, treat yourself well, pursue your dreams, and jettison the life-wasting debris in your life. May we all live our lives to the fullest.

Deanna Mascle hopes you will find more inspiration and motivation at her site Daily Quote at http://Daily-Quote.net which offers inspirational, motivational, and thought-provoking quotes.

The Law of Emotional Choice

"You can't expect to prevent negative feelings altogether. And you can't expect to experience positive feelings all the time...The Law of Emotional Choice directs us to acknowledge our feelings but also to refuse to get stuck in the negative ones."

*-- Greg Anderson


"Never turn your back on enthusiasm!"

*-- Buddy Ebsen


"When a man cares he is unafraid.
When he is fair, he leaves enough for others.
When he is humble, he can grow."

*-- Lao-Tzu "Tao Te Chung"

How You Can Focus and Achieve What You Really Want - By Lorraine Pirihi

Hi,

With Spring nearly here, it's a great time to reflect how far you've progressed so far this year.

What goals or milestones have you achieved for yourself? What seeds have you sown that are now ready for you to reap the benefits? Are you forging ahead in your business and your life and taking time to enjoy the fruits of your labour? Or are you still stuck in a rut?

I have two important stories I would like to share with you… one is personal and the other is about one of my clients.

TRENT

My 14 year old son has always been a big boy. Being half Maori he has a solid frame. He's 5'11? and growing and wears a size 13 shoe. Trent has always been very good at sports and the only activities he avoided was swimming because of his size.

Weight has always been of concern for him and no matter what I did or where I took him in the past i.e. nutritionist, naturopath, personal training etc. the weight stayed on. He had the knowledge and total support from myself and family yet he wasn't committed enough to carry through what he needed to do if he seriously wanted his goal.

Six weeks ago, something turned him around. He had decided that he didn't want to be overweight anymore and was prepared to change. He joined Weightwatchers and has now lost 11 kilos. He's on his way to achieving his goal weight of 80 kgs. Trent is so much happier and confident, has heaps of energy, joined my gym (and is regularly attending), has more energy and looks great.

So what turned him around? His desire to lose weight was so strong that he was prepared to take the necessary action to achieve his goal. I must also mention here that the vehicle he chose - Weightwatchers was extremely important. Every week he's with a group of people who also have this common goal and every week he is being educated about eating healthily and changing lifetime habits.

Here's something you need to understand … I do not prepare any meals, make his lunch or get involved in any other way, except for providing guidance and encouragement and maintaining a supportive environment. Trent does everything himself!

By the way, I attend the meetings with him and as a bonus have lost weight too!

JOHN

I've coached John for the past few months. He has two main goals he wants to achieve by Christmas. The first one was a 30% increase in turnover in his new marketing business and the second was an improvement in his health. He wants to lose 20 kilos before his wedding day in October.

Every week we worked on these goals and over time he was achieving results in his business, yet the weight loss goal wasn't working. Firstly he wanted to do it on his own with my guidance around the food and the exercise. That didn't work because he wasn't disciplined enough and would constantly make excuses.

On one coaching session I said to him “John, what is the no. 1 priority in your life?” He replied “Losing the weight”. I then said “If that is the no. 1 priority and you seriously want to achieve it, then you must focus on this area and take the action necessary to achieve what you want. This means doing whatever it takes!”

‘Whatever it took' for John meant changing some of his habits including:

Allocating time for his exercise first in his diary and then doing it.

Moving more throughout the day…parking the car 10 minutes walk away from his appointments.

Climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift.

Avoid making early morning business appointments as that would interfere with his exercise time.

Join Weightwatchers where he would be supported and educated (instead of trying to follow a diet book…which was his idea).

Clean out all the junk food from his home.

Have healthy food options at work.

Choose healthy foods when he was out.

Keep a shopping list and plan time to shop for his groceries regularly.

I am happy to say that since he got serious, focussed on his goal and took the necessary action, he has already lost 5 kgs and is well on his way to achieving his goal…he's going to look great on his wedding day.

THE FINAL WORD

Why have I used these two examples today which focussed on ‘weight'. From my experience and living on this planet, this is a serious issue for many people. 98% of my clients who are business owners, managers and entrepreneurs all have the area of health and fitness as a key area they want to change with weight loss being no. 1.

Time management and organisation is an area which features heavily in assisting them achieve their goals. If you're ‘too busy' reacting to other people and events happening in your business and your life, you cannot focus and achieve what you really want.

So here's what I suggest you do… write a list entitled “What I Really
Wanted to Achieve Before 31st December 2006?. You may need to revisit your
goals list for this year if you had written one. Tick off what you have already achieved and take a moment to praise yourself for doing so. Then look at what remains on that list.
ant to achieve by Christmas and take the action required, you'll be able to say ‘no' or avoid those people, opportunities or distractions which will take you away from your priorities.

Keep an eye on the present as well as the future.

Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!"

Secret Of The Stars

"No PESSIMIST ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to
an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."

*-- Helen Keller


"Almost anything you do is insignificant,
But it is very important that you do it"

*-- Mahatma Gandhi*


"Life is an adventure to be lived, not a problem to be solved."

*-- Unknown

Follow Your Calling - By Francis Dower

Each of us comes to the moment when he thinks about the things that lead us in our life. These things are essential and serve us as beacons. They may be different and sometimes controversial. No single viewpoint can be attributed to all cases. However, most would agree that if a person’s calling becomes a beacon, it is really great. Why? That is because we all need some things, some activities that would help us to realize our aspirations and thus would promote our individual self-actualization. Not so many people can say that they live according to their calling. It is indeed interesting to look at this problem and see how it can be solved.

Every person has some specific talents and inclinations, some abilities and interests. As Ralph Waldo Emerson precisely expressed, “Each man has his own vocation; his talent is his call. There is one direction in which all space is open to him”. Being able to follow this one direction is great happiness and blessing, inasmuch as doing something you enjoy is really fantastic. And it does not really matter whether you are a top-manager of world-wide corporation or a gardener, a nation’s leader or a waiter. What matters is what you give and what you feel when doing this or that job. If you feel you are at your place you may consider yourself happy. Indeed, not so many people can say the same thing about themselves. Why does it happen? Well, first of all, not many people are ready and are able to determine what their calling is when they just graduate from the school. They may find themselves at a loss; and no wonder that they either listen to their parents’ words or ask some friends for a piece of advice. Moreover, they may just follow social stereotypes and go to university to get a degree in some prestigious sphere. It’s no good as long as it correlates with their abilities and talents. If it does not, such students may find themselves in the depression because they are in the hostile, as it seems to them, environment. Frankly speaking, sometimes adult people are not aware of what they would like to do as well. What piece of advice can be suggested? In any case, it is good to listen to your inner voice, recollect what kinds of activities bring you most enjoyment. Sometimes, it is even good to talk to parents and ask about your childhood and your favorite activities of that period. There are numerous tests that might be helpful when deciding your profession inclinations. However, only you yourself can determine what your calling is and make a right choice.

If you want to be satisfied with your life, you should definitely follow your calling, your inner aspirations and put them in life. This will bring you not only success, but satisfaction and will promote your personal development, which means you do not live in vain.

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Barriers...or? - By Rick Hamrick

I remember when I was a kid that I often watched a now-gone Saturday-afternoon TV show called “Wide World of Sports.” Anyone much over the age of ten has at least seen the opening, which includes an unfortunate (and now semi-famous, thanks to his many years opening the show with his mishap) ski jumper who crashes before even getting launched from the end of the jump.

The variety of sports that were featured on the show was one of the attractions to me. I had no other way, at the time, of learning about the caber toss, as an example. Remember, this was decades prior to the internet.

One event that I always found fun to watch was the steeplechase, which involved a lengthy run (the internet today tells me the typical length is 3000 meters, or a bit under two miles), with barriers installed on the track to challenge the runners. For me, the most fun to watch was the water jump. The barrier was only three feet high, but there was a significant puddle placed on the other side so as to encourage a longer jump than was needed on the other barriers placed around the track. Some could completely clear the water. Most of the runners would leap to the top of the barrier, then push off it with one foot to clear as much of the water as they could. Most accepted the splash at the other side of their jump as part of the race. Needless to say, the winner was the one who negotiated the barriers and ran the race with the greatest speed, not necessarily the least-wet one.

In considering this idea of a barrier, I am reminded that so much of what we deal with in our lives is about perception. In the steeplechase, most of the barriers can be hurdled cleanly, barely slowing the runners. For the water jump, though, it would be a mistake to hurdle the barrier because the water is deepest close to the other side of the barrier. It would slow the runner down much more to splash a stride or two through the water pit.

In other words, the water-fronting barrier is no barrier at all! What it is, is a means of providing the runner with a launching pad from which they can leap to clear all or most of the water. In fact, it aids the runners to be able to leap over the water by landing one foot on top of the barrier, and pushing off from there to maintain their stride and avoid the water pit.

The lesson for day-to-day living is that we often see as barriers that which, upon further investigation, actually turn out to be stepping stones to getting where we seek to be.

Time for the practical side: I can hear your internal “I can’t do that!!” alarm going off, because mine is doing the same thing. No, I don’t mean to imply that all barriers are always stepping stones disguised as discouraging obstacles in our way. In some cases, barriers are meant as a warning that we may be headed down the wrong path. After all, we all are likely, at one time or another, to seek something that really isn’t what we need in the long run…it’s what we want to satisfy our instant-gratification, little-child selves, or to convince our egos that we are worthy. Sometimes those desires work out, and sometimes they don’t.

What I’m talking about is different. It is the inner drive you are sparked to feel, that you have come to recognize as your honest-to-heart, core life’s goal or dream. It’s where you will be led if you allow yourself the guidance that your spirit is always offering. It’s the quiet little voice inside you that you can hear when you are still enough to do so: the guidance offered then is what I am writing about today.

This is the dream that makes you tingle when you think about its achievement—it’s the one you seek even when you are discouraged from other pursuits. In every single case, when you are on the path to which you are pointed by your inner guidance, any barrier you find along the way is only a barrier as long as you believe it so. As soon as your little self (as distinguished from your higher Self which is guiding you) relinquishes the fear, the barrier will turn into a stepping stone to your success.

There is an easy way to discern the difference between an ego dream (“I want that job because it will make me rich”) and an earnest, life’s-path dream (“I want that job because I know I would do it even if I had to pay to be allowed to do it!”).

When you are following a path laid out by your ego, barriers are not easily faced down. In fact, they almost become reasons to quit, and very quickly.

When you are following a path that is your true life’s pursuit, a barrier only causes a temporary slowing, as you determine how to overcome it, knowing that you will because you must. That’s the thing about our true paths: they really aren’t optional! Once we set out upon them, we know it so deep down that there is no deeper to go, that this is where we belong. Nothing will stop us. So, barriers…become stepping stones!

Rick Hamrick is a writer trapped in the body of a computer geek.

Fruit Of Love

"Love - the feeling - is a fruit of love, the verb."

*-- Stephen Covey


"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply,
to think freely, to risk life, to be needed."

*-- Storm Jameson


"It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment."

*-- Naomi Williams

The Price Of Failure Is Always Higher Than The Cost Of Success - By Tim Connor

One of my previous mentors, Ed Desmond, who passed away many years ago, once told me, “Tim the price of failure is always higher than the price of success.” When Ed shared that concept with me over 40 years ago I didn’t have a clue as to what he was talking about. He tried to explain it but as an nineteen year old in my first sales position – what did I know about success, failure and sales – not much.

Over the years I have contemplated this concept in depth and would like to share with you what I know Ed was trying to tell me, but I just wasn’t ready at the time. Having failed a number of times as well as having had some degree of success in my life I now understand where Ed was trying to take me that rainy Friday afternoon in 1961. Let me just re-cap the conversation as I remember it.

“Tim there is a price to be paid for success and if you are unwilling to pay that price you will ultimately pay the price of failure and the price of failure is always higher and more painful than any price of success you are required to pay. You see - the price of success may require; long hard hours, a willingness to learn new skills, the ability to control your attitudes, the development of emotional maturity and the skill to control your fears, anger, guilt and a need to blame and finally the willingness and ability to let go of old emotional baggage that may be keeping you stuck in the past. There are more but these are a few of the basics.

The price of failure on the other hand may cause any number of adjustments, requirements, inconveniences, problems and/or needs in your life or career. For example: if you fail in your sales position because you are unwilling to learn the necessary skills to achieve success, you may cause any or all of the following outcomes. You:

-will have to look for another position

-may have to move from one part of the country to another

-may have to give up some relationships and begin new ones

-may have to start at the beginning

-could lose career progress

-you could lose the respect of friends, family and peers

Well, folks I didn’t get his point until I had experienced my first failure many years ago. But, because of Ed’s guidance and help for those many months, I was able to use that failure as a stepping stone to my next success. Are you paying the price for success or are you one day going to pay the price of failure?

However, I want to be sure that I am clear on a very important point. There is a great deal of potential learning in failure. We tend not to learn much when we succeed. If this is true, than it would appear to make more sense to fail more often in life than to succeed! There is an old saying, ‘fail often so you can succeed sooner’. I am not suggesting that you go out of your way this week to fail, but I am suggesting that if you do, use it as a life, career or relationship tool for getting better or smarter. Sooner or later everyone fails at something. That’s life. But not everyone uses their failures in positive and constructive way. To stretch is to tempt failure. To try something new is to bring potential problems into your life. Sure you can probably avoid most of life’s lessons as a resu

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, relationship, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; Soft Sell, That’s Life, Peace Of Mind and The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide. He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com

Values Are Critical Guides

"Values are critical guides for making decisions. When in
doubt, they cut through the fog like a beacon in the night."

*-- Mac Anderson, Founder of Simple Truths & Successories


"Love takes up where knowledge leaves off."

*-- Saint Thomas Aquinas


"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that
your strength lies."

*-- Mother Teresa

How to Find Motivation for Oneself? - By Daniel Hunt

What are the prerequisites of one’s success in this or that sphere? Indeed, they are many, like personal qualities, strong will, an element of luck etc. However, among these things motivation is probably the most important. Why? Because it is due to motivation a person moves ahead in the direction of achieving certain goal. If you are motivated towards accomplishments, necessary qualities like diligence, persistence, patience, etc. will be revealed and will work.

Motivation can be compared to an engine, which makes a machine work and function. Similarly to engine, motivation stimulates a person develop and perform what should be performed. If a child has motivation, he or she will certainly not only go to school, which is obligatory, but will get nice grades and will become brilliant students. We all do things that are sometimes unpleasant for us. We do them because of responsibility or duties whatever. Still, if we are truly motivated, the efficiency of our activity increases several times. The main problem is to find motivation if you absolutely do not feel like doing something. In such moments we get too lazy, too indecisive, and too weak. We prefer to find numerous reasons why we just can not do this or that forgetting that as the saying goes, “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” So, one of the first terms is decision. You have to take a decision what you will be doing and, subsequently, take personal responsibility to implement that decision. The most important thing is to be responsible and keep to your word, in your own eyes. If you’ve already taken a decision, think of all possible options how to put your choice into life, think of the instruments and methods. Motivation is strongly connected to interest. As long as you have interest, you have a desire to develop yourself in this or that sphere. Keep that interest, do not let it evaporate. Or if you feel that some activity does not bring you enjoyment any more, find another interest, but do not live without any interest. That is a direct way to depression, which causes so many problems of mental and physical character. To acquire some interests you should communicate with many people, because through communication you learn about people’s hobbies, favorite activities and life interests. You are certain to find and discover something for you.

Motivate yourself if you want to perform best, because it is inner energy, a great desire, an incentive coming from within that will serve preconditions to your success. And never stop searching for interests, because our life comprises a really great deal of them, which will make your personal living bright and vivid.

Daniel Hunt is an outstanding researcher at SuperiorPapers.com - Custom Essay writing service. His rich experience is a prerequisite of his notable assistance to students in writing and preparing various essays, reports, reviews. With pieces of advice from Daniel Hunt one is sure to write a truly proper term paper. His research in Linguistics makes a real contribution to the science. His skills of a proficient freelance writer leave no doubt and add to his respectable reputation.

I Never Failed

"I never failed; I just discovered 1,000 ways in which the light bulb would not work. And every attempt brought me closer to the knowledge of how it would."

*-- Thomas Edison, American inventor (1847-1931).


"Love is love's reward."

*-- John Dryden


"Action is the foundational key to all success."

*-- Pablo Picasso

Your Life Can Be An Adventure or a Disappointment - You Decide - By Tim Connor

As we move through life, each of us is faced with a variety of situations, circumstances, challenges and relationships that test our patience, resolve, commitment and acceptance. In each of these situations, we always have three options, choices or actions we can take. We can attempt to change the person or circumstance, we can accept it, or we can leave it and move on.

You can attempt to change it. Life is filled with people, events and situations that require we modify our values and challenge our philosophy – whether it is in our career or personal relationships. During these times when we have difficulty with a corporate policy, a spouse's behavior or a customer's attitudes, we can try to influence them/her/him to change.

It is difficult for many people to accept the reality that people do not change because we want them to or believe they need to, but when and if they choose to. So, if you can't change another person or circumstance, you are left with your next option. You can learn to accept it, or him or her.

Accepting what you dislike, disagree with or oppose is difficult if you are not open and receptive to the following ideas. 1) People change. 2) You are responsible to people, not for them.
Accepting what you dislike, disagree with or oppose is also difficult if you have any of the following traits. 1) You are living in the past or the future. 2) You have a closed mind. 3) You are stuck in your perceptions, opinions and beliefs. 4) You believe your "way" is the best or only way. 5) Your ego is so in control of your life that, even though you know you are not right, you can't or refuse to accept what you can't change. That leaves you with your third and final option – you can leave.

Many people move too quickly to this option when faced with a difficult person or situation. Their patience and/or acceptance quotient is too low for a peaceful or harmonious coexistence with life. They leave marriages too soon, jobs too quickly and careers or business when things begin to get a little difficult or out of hand.

I am not suggesting that people remain in destructive relationships forever, working for Genghis Kahn-like supervisors indefinitely, or staying in climates they dislike in order to be a martyr. I am suggesting, however, that many people rush through the first two options too quickly and find that they have left themselves painted into a corner with only one face﷓saving choice – bailing out.

There are times when leaving is your best choice, given your current set of circumstances and their destructive influence on your self﷓image, attitudes or life destiny. Only you can decide if you have given yourself and/or the situation or person adequate time for change, or if you have sincerely tried to put your expectations and prejudices aside and truly accept the person or circumstance. There you have it – change it, accept it or leave it.

Don’t sweat the little stuff. What is little stuff? What is big stuff? You are born, big stuff. You die, big stuff. Everything in between is little stuff!

Well, it’s back to what is little stuff. Little stuff is: (some of you might take issue with my list, but it is my list, so don’t get yourself into a twit over it.)

·Getting fired.

·Getting promoted.

·Going broke.

·Winning the lottery.

·Falling in love.

·Falling out of love.

·Graduating from college.

·Retiring.

·Your computer crashing. (even if you haven’t done a backup in 6 months)

·Losing your hair.

·Losing your mind.

·Taking everything as if it were life or death.

·Losing the biggest sale of your life.

·Losing your business.

·Losing your keys.

·Someone close forgetting your birthday (or any special holiday).

·Getting wrinkles.

·Turning gray.

·Ending a relationship.

·Starting a relationship.

Before this day ends, I guarantee life will give you the opportunity to learn something about yourself.

A comment I often hear from a wide variety of people is, “If I just learn one thing from this person, seminar or life experience, it will be worthwhile.”

Life is an interesting and fascinating series of events, processes and growth opportunities. It is what happens to us as we plan the outcomes of our life existence. Life is truly a classroom. In a sense, class begins the day we are born and ends the day we pass from this world to the next. There are no vacations or recesses, and you never graduate.

There is no final exam and there is no pass or fail. You can, however, repeat a grade again and again until you learn the necessary skills or attitudes that the teachers in this class are trying to help you learn.

Each of us is traveling through our very unique life toward a variety of circumstances, events, people, and outcomes. We are bringing these outcomes and people into our lives both unconsciously and consciously.

Some people are good students and learn the necessary lessons the first time they appear, while others are stuck in the same old patterns, life dramas and situations because they fail to bring the learning back to themselves.

You can’t quit school, and you must complete each assignment before you get to move on to the next one. There are, however, a number of pop quizzes. Some people refuse to see the learning as theirs. They continuously point their fingers outward toward the other person or event and blame, resent or feel a number of negative emotions such as guilt, jealousy or anger.

Life is a neutral experience. It doesn’t care whether you are poor or wealthy, happy or unhappy, educated or ignorant, good looking or ugly, afraid or courageous, from Boston or Atlanta, Catholic or Jewish, single or married, working or retired. It doesn’t have opinions. It doesn’t judge. It just is.

Class is not about what comes into your life, but how you handle it. Success comes to many people. Some handle it well, while others do not. Adversity comes to all of us sooner or later. Some people give up, while others use the struggle to get better, wiser or stronger. Everyone has problems – whether in his/her career, relationships, businesses, with children, customers or spouses.

The opportunity for personal growth or learning can be found in each of life’s experiences or teachers. The key to success is to learn to bring all of the learning back to yourself and not to point your finger or blame others or life for your teachers. You and I don’t get to choose the curriculum in our lives or the lives of others, and we certainly don’t get to choose how other people should learn their lessons.

Everyone is on his/her unique path through life into his/her future. One way to know if you have not yet learned one of life's particular lessons is to observe that which is still in your life. For example, if you are having a relationship problem, there is most likely a relationship lesson that you have not yet learned. If you struggle with a financial lesson, then you have not yet learned a lesson in connection with this issue. The opening line in the all-time best-selling book by Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled, states, “Life is difficult.” Scott goes on to explain that life is only difficult for people who expect life to be easy!

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, relationship, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com.

Our Light Goes Out

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light."

*-- Albert Schweitzer


"Turn your wounds into wisdom."

*-- Oprah Winfrey


"The amount you laugh in your relationships with others is the true measure of the health of your personality."

*--Brian Tracy

The Law of Life - By Linda Weaver Clarke

There is a Law of Life that relates to everyone. This law is something we have no control over, but if we knew the importance of this law, we would accept it more readily. Most laws seem to be for our own good, to protect our rights and our safety. This Law of Life works a little differently. It works at our inner soul, our inner strength, and the goodness within us. It creates the person we should be.

The Law of Life causes us to struggle, to fight for our survival, but we have to look beyond our troubles and stumbling blocks. Every time we fall, we must get back on our feet and start again. Life was not meant to be easy. If it were, then we would never grow and become a better person.

Monte J. Brough said, “Many of the most important principles of intelligence cannot be taught at universities, from books, or through other temporal learning processes. Often these great principles are learned from afflictions, tribulations, and other mortal experiences.”

A wise poet once wrote:

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out on the open plain

And always got it’s share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began. –anonymous

Difficulties make us stronger people. Life was not easy for those who were prominent in history. Martin Luther King was a Baptist Minister and a great leader of the American Civil Rights Union. He was a peacemaker, campaigning for racial equality and did not condone violence. He had to struggle for equality, for human rights that were held back unlawfully. Because of his efforts, King received the Nobel Peace Prize and after his death was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “I have a dream…” was one of the greatest speeches in American history. Another great leader who believed in equality was George Washington. He had to fight for liberty, leading a group of men who knew nothing about war and fighting. For eight long years, he valiantly led the patriots through many hardships and tragedies before he became the first president of the United States.

Helen Keller was a deaf-blind American author, activist, suffragist, and lecturer. She graduated from Radcliffe College magna cum laude, the first deaf-blind person to graduate. She eventually became a world-famous speaker. She had everything against her from birth, but she fought to come out of her quiet and lonely world. She succeeded.

The poem of the struggling tree continues on, teaching us a valuable lesson, one that gives us wisdom through struggles.

Good Timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger the wind the stronger the trees.

The further sky, the greater length,

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold council with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife:

This is the common Law of Life. – anonymous

The greater the storm, the more we tend to struggle and seek protection from the wind and rain. It’s only natural. But where do we seek that protection and why? George Washington said, “It is the duty of nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”

We must rise above our problems, become humble, and continue on. That’s where the line is drawn between those who give up and decide that it’s not really worth it and those who have faith in themselves and faith in a loving God.

Spencer W. Kimball, a great religious leader, once said, “Is there not wisdom in God giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrow to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience?”

In my book, “Melinda and the Wild West,” a historical fiction love story, I chose to give my heroine many trials to overcome. I wanted her to grow and become a better person through her problems. Melinda is a new schoolteacher and has to deal with a problem child that needs love and understanding, one that was labeled as a “trouble-maker” by her peers. Melinda learns to deal with other obstacles, also, such as the elements of the west: a blinding blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life and an irritable grizzly bear that terrifies her. As she experiences each trial, she grows and becomes a stronger person. She has to endure problems that she is not familiar with, things that are disconcerting to her. Melinda does not fold and decide to give up, but through faith and perseverance, she endures and becomes a better teacher and helps her students to accept and love this troubled child.

Copyright 2006

Bio: Linda Weaver Clarke has written a historical fiction love story, Melinda and the Wild West, published by American Book Publishing. It is a story filled with intrigue, excitement, and romance. If you would like to learn more about Linda and her novel, her web site is http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com

So It Means You Cannot Soar

"As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down
there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise
might."

*-- Marian Anderson


"Let no one ever come to you without leaving
better and happier."

*-- Mother Teresa


"Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so?
Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live.
Before they know it, time runs out."

*-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

How About A Few Vital Life Questions - By Tim Connor

Desire and internal motivation are great equalizers. They can make up for a lack of education, a lack of a favorable background, and any number of other life adversities. For years people have been preaching the benefits and value of self-motivation and goals as a way to achieve success, wealth, and happiness. Why, then, do people lose their desire or motivation? One of the reasons is what I call de-motivators.

Let’s look at de-motivators. A de-motivator is anything—a person, or a circumstance—that acts upon you in such a way that your interpretation and your subsequent behavior are negative, passive, or self-destructive. There are hundreds of examples of de-motivators; here are just a few:

-negative people,
-people who invalidate you,
-people who don’t listen, care, or show interest in you or your thoughts/ideas,
-an incorrect personal interpretation of failure, problems, and/or adversity,
-goals that are consistently too high or too low,
-managers who rely on fear and punishment as motivators.

There are, as I see it, six basic steps to peak performance behavior and results when it comes to self-motivation:

1.know what you want.
2.Know why you want it.
3.Know how you will get it.
4.Know what may stand in your way to achieve it: outside (circumstances, people, events) or inside

(attitudes, emotions, fears, doubts).
5.Become aware of the outside-in and inside-out de-motivators and develop a plan to deal with them,

prevent them or manage them.
6.Do something. Begin. Start.

De-motivators come in all shapes and sizes. They can be your personal demons that no one but you is ever aware of, or they can be a corporate policy or family rule that contributes to an “I don’t care any more” attitude. Apathy is one of the most destructive human emotions when it comes to performance, productivity, happiness, success, motivation, and overall behavior. If you want success, determine what is getting in your way and remove it.
Questions –

1. What or who motivates you. Why?

2. What or who de-motivates you? Why?

3. What is your strongest desire in life?

4. When you lose your motivation, what do you do?

5. What circumstances tend to cause you to lose your motivation?

6. What is your driving life philosophy?

7. What are some of the recurring dramas or problems in your life?

8. How would others describe your purpose in life?

9. What would you like to change about your life?

10. Are you more motivated in certain areas of your life?

11. Do you consider yourself money or service motivated?

12. What do you have in common with your heroes?

13. Do you have your life purpose written down anywhere?

14. Are your actions consistent with your purpose and desire?

15 Do you have a series of warning signs or guideposts that alert you to the fact that your desire or motivation may be in jeopardy?

16. Are you able to maintain your desire in the face of failure? How?

17. Do you have the habit of giving up too soon? If yes, why?

18. Are you able to motivate yourself or do you rely on outside motivators?

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, relationship, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books. He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com