Success-How A Woman Like You Can Achieve It - By Caroline Jalango

1. Get motivated, passionate and excited!

It's so much easier to become a success when you are motivated, passionate and excited about your dream or goal. When you exhibit this kind of contagious and positive energy, things begin to happen in your life. You become attractive, people are drawn to you, and doors of opportunity begin to open up. Understanding the reason why you want to achieve your goal, how achieving it will impact the lives of others and how important it is that you make it a reality is a great motivating factor for success. It inspires your passion and makes you excited to aggressively and relentlessly go after what you want, mobilize resources and achieve the success you want.

2. Commit to the process of success

As you work on your business or project, make a commitment to see yourself through every situation you encounter. Every journey in life has obstacles to be faced and overcome. There are periods when you will have high energy and other times when you won't feel like getting up in the morning! There are times when you will have support and other times when there will be no one to help. One moment you will know what to do and the next moment you won’t. These ups and downs are all part of the process of life and success. You must therefore commit yourself 100 percent, mentally, financially and time-wise to ensure that you keep your dream alive. To ensure your success, be prepared to do all you can and be willing to do your best.

3. Push yourself.

To achieve success you must push yourself. You must keep putting one foot in front of the other until you get to the finish line. You must not give up even when your motivation is low and your passion is waning. Your work still has to go on. Do whatever is necessary to keep the dream alive. Successful women are those who still open their business doors every morning, even when they don’t feel like it. Just like these women, it’s up to you to keep your work, project, and business afloat. You have to go the extra mile to ensure that you become a successful woman. Push yourself!

4. Invest in a network of support.

Surround yourself with successful people who are making their lives happen. People who will support, mentor, coach, train or provide useful resources for you to make your life a success. Do whatever you need to do to ensure that you achieve the success you want. If it means, investing in a coach for accountability, clarity, challenge, support, motivation and guidance. Do it. If you have to spend money to get relevant training to help you achieve your goals…do it. Attend seminars and workshops to help you sharpen your knowledge and stay motivated. Ask like minded people to mentor you or friends to act as a sounding board and provide fresh perspectives for your ideas.

5. Set a deadline for yourself.

Goals are dreams with deadlines. In order to become a success your goal or specific objectives must be attained within a specified time frame. If you don’t have a deadline within which to accomplish your goal, what you have is a wish and nothing else. A deadline propels you in the right direction and motivates you to make your dream become tangible. By what specific date do you plan to finish that project? By when do you plan to launch your business? By when will you apply for that job? How will others know that you have become a success? What kind of evidence will speak for your success?

Caroline coaches women, provides strategies and solutions, motivates and helps women who desperately want to strike the match that sets them ablaze to live happier, meaningful, positive, productive, improved and purpose driven lives. She helps women discover who they are, explore and expand on what they can do and take action to achieve their goals. Send your emails to Caroline@motivationzone.com or visit www.motivationzone.com

Faith

Faith is a function of the heart.

*-- Mahatma Gandhi


Don't wait for a funeral to pay a compliment. You may
not make it in time.

*--Harvey Mackay


It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept
anything but the best, you very often get it.

*-- Somerset Maugham

Why It's Possible: Transforming Limiting Beliefs - By Wendy Betterini

If you could change anything in your life right now, what would it be? And why haven't you done it yet? If you're like most of us, the answer lies in your existing beliefs.

We often forget the powerful role our beliefs play in creating what we want. We can visualize, affirm, set goals, and work hard till the cows come home -- but if we don't believe something is possible, we will resist the formation of it in our lives.

The good news is, once you understand how your beliefs are holding you back, you have full control over changing those limiting beliefs - and your life will change in awesome and spectacular ways!

Let's take a look at what most of us do when we decide we want something. We first express a desire or set a goal. I want to lose weight. I want to make more money. I want to buy a new car. Then, we immediately start coming up with reasons why it's not possible. I don't have time to exercise. My company isn't giving pay raises this year. I can't afford a new car.

What if, by changing those limiting beliefs, we could make the impossible become possible?

It's important to understand that to us, our beliefs are FACT. We have convinced ourselves that those facts are "truth." However, think a moment about all the other "facts" that ended up not being true. We used to believe the earth was flat. We used to believe the sun revolved around the earth. We used to believe that space travel was impossible. We used to believe that a cancer diagnosis was an automatic death sentence. Ditto with AIDS. None of these things are "true" now, are they?

Think about some of the truths you have formed about your own life. Are they really true?

I'm not worthy of a loving relationship.

I'll never have a lot of money.

Rich people are rude.

Money is evil.

I'm not talented, I don't have any marketable skills.

Everything always goes wrong for me.v
I have the worst luck of anyone I know.

I can't do that.

I don't have what it takes to be successful.

If you change these "facts" in your own mind, what might happen? You might attract a loving relationship. You might have a lot more money. You might recognize your own potential, start experiencing good fortune on a regular basis, and reach the level of success you dream about. Sounds good, doesn't it? :-)

But how? How do we change these truths in our own minds? This is the fun part. We have to convince ourselves that what we want is POSSIBLE.

Recently I've been playing a little game with myself called, "Why It's Possible." I invite you to play along in your own life, because it is incredibly empowering and it will blast away those limiting beliefs and begin attracting what you desire.

As I described above, most of us will state a desire and then immediately begin telling ourselves why it's not possible. With my game, "Why It's Possible," we simply add on some new thoughts that help us see why our desire IS possible. Here's how it works.

We state a desire: I want to lose weight. Limiting beliefs come up: Diets don't work for me, I don't have time to exercise. We then deliberately begin formulating ideas about "Why It's Possible": I don't have to diet to lose weight, I can just moderate how much I eat. I can fit more activity into my routine by parking my car farther away or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. There are plenty of slender, healthy people in this world who don't diet or exercise much! If they can do it, I can do it too.

Let's try it with another desire: I want more money. Limiting beliefs: My company isn't giving pay raises this year. I don't have the energy to get a second job. I've got too many bills. Why It's Possible: Money can come to me in so many ways, it doesn't have to be through my job. Money can come to me through lottery winnings, inheritance, unexpected bonuses, or I can even start a fun part-time business!

Here's the key: YOUR "WHY IT'S POSSIBLE" IDEAS MUST BE BELIEVABLE. If you don't believe in their validity, your limiting beliefs will NOT be transformed. That's so important to understand! With some beliefs, it might take time to come up with true, legitimate possibilities that you can honestly believe in.

Here's another important key: Reinforcement WILL be necessary. For smaller beliefs, you might be able to change them quickly and almost effortlessly. But for the big ones, you might need to keep playing the "Why It's Possible" game over and over.

As you keep reinforcing your new beliefs and you begin to believe that they really are possible, more and more doors will begin opening for you. That's what's been happening in my own life since I began playing this little game. Not only am I getting more of what I ask for, I'm getting things I didn't ask for. Everything is beginning to flow so much more smoothly and effortlessly. It will for you too, if you're willing to believe. :-)

Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer specializing in self-improvement and personal development concepts. Visit her website, http://www.WingsForTheHeart.com for free articles on positive thinking, goal-setting, self-esteem, personal growth, and more.

Some Defeat Will Enter

It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even
the most victorious life. The human spirit is never
finished when it is defeated... it is finished
when it surrenders.

*-- Ben Stein


Loyalty is what we seek in friendships.

*-- Cicero


Strength is the matter of the made-up mind.

*-- John Beecher

What Are You Waiting For? - By Daniel Sitter

What are you waiting for? Statistically, we have an average life expectancy of just 75-80 years. Depending upon your current age and perspective, those figures may either seem like forever or the end may feel rather eminent. Whatever your age, or position on your life’s storyboard, there are seldom enough years to satisfy us. We always want more time. The paradox here is that we also believe that we have more than enough time to procrastinate, to tackle things later. We have a long list of topics that we want to accomplish, however, in the absence of an action plan we actually seldom succeed in accomplishing many of them.

So...What are you waiting for? How many persons when facing their own death will say "if only I" something. Yes, life is short. James 4:14 states that our lifetime is "but a vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes away." We obviously have little time to waste. We need to take immediate action and stay busy.

"I'll start exercising tomorrow evening, Lost is on TV tonight." How often do we say something similar to that? Are you wasting your life away as a couch potato? Television offers little real, intrinsic benefit to any of us in the long run. In fact, it may be one of your biggest obstacles and time consumers. What else is standing in your way? What is causing you to remain static? What holds you back? You simply do not have enough time to keep saying "someday I will." Someday must become today. Decide now to formulate a plan, take action and pursue your dreams today. You may not have tomorrow.

Do any of the following dreams and related excuses sound familiar, or are they all too familiar?

• I would love to learn to play the guitar. I have always wanted to.



• If only I could travel, it would make me so happy.



• I feel so sluggish. If only I was younger, I would join a gym and get in shape.



• I have too much work to do. I'll play with the kids next weekend.



• One of these days, I am going to plant that garden I have always wanted.



• Someday when I am able to, I want to help the homeless in my community.



• I never have liked the color of my kitchen. I wish I could just re-paint it.



• Joe and I have not spoken in 15 years. It really breaks my heart.



• Somebody should do something about the speed limit in our neighborhood



• I would like to learn Spanish, but I am too old to learn anything new.

Can you state any real, convincing reasons as to why you are unable make any of the above kinds of dreams a reality? Life is too short. It passes-by quickly. Do not squander it? Do not live a life of regret. Do not set yourself up for punishment later saying "if only I had…"

Get busy and remain active. Make things happen. Learn new skills. Become a player, not a spectator. Live life to the fullest and find new adventures everyday. Find the joy in what you do. This new paradigm, this change of thought will jump-start your happiness, your career, your relationships and every other facet of your being. What more compelling reasons are there?

Daniel Sitter, author of both the popular e-book, Learning For Profit, and the highly anticipated book, Superior Selling Skills, has extensive experience in sales, training, marketing and personal development over a successful 25 year career. http://www.learningforprofit.com/ Read his blog http://ideaseller.typepad.com/

One Easy Step to Change! - By Liane Fitzpatrick

Sometimes we don't have the money to hire a coach or go to a therapist for support. Some of us don't have many friends or family but a deep desire to change our life....to step out of the chaos. Change can happen, and all it takes is a few moments with yourself. You can learn to do this in a few moments and learn to positively change your life!

Affirmations, Intentions and Goals

Affirmations: positive, result-orientated statements written in the present tense.

Example: I am now in a loving relationship.

Intentions: positive statements written in the present tense that inspire you to create and complete proactive behaviors.

Example: I am now loving in all my relationships.

Goals: Goals support an intention. They are also flexible, because they can be changed, altered, or adjusted. They are things you do, actions you take. Goals can be created for specific situations. The more varied your goals, the more you are able to practice your intention in any situation.

Example: Make small talk with one stranger a day. Have a party at my home and ask my friends to invite their friends. Join the local social dance club. Smile at five attractive men a day. Pamper myself with a pedicure.

The homework of this exercise is to: Live with Intention

How can your desires be turned into affirmations, intentions and broken down into goals? Think of a result you want in a specific area of your life. Now claim you have achieved it by stating it in the present.
Your affirmation:

Convert your affirmation into an intention by shifting the focus from a completed task to something you can practice.

Your intention:

Goals support your intention. List a minimum of 10 goals that would support your intention.

Phase Two:

Examine a difficult area in your life. What if you sought the solution by establishing an intention first and constructing goals to support that intention?

How would your life be different if you lived by your intention?

Establish an intention that represents what you want in all of your relationships. Live your intention all week. Be aware of how you feel when you let your intention guide you and be aware of any resistance you create for yourself when your intention conflicts with your natural reaction.

Evaluate each day by using only your intention. If you use your intention as your only measuring stick you will be shocked at how uncluttered and simple interactions with others will become.

Remember when using you intention to guide you in all of your relationships to allow it to guide the relationship you have with yourself.

Live Your Best Life,

Liane Fitzpatrick

Sign up for FREE tips, secrets and support! Free ezine "Give It To Me Straight!" at http://www.SageLifeCoaching.com Liane gives excellent support and encouragement while delivering her firm manner with a great sense of humor. Her gift is her genuine belief in those that she works with. She KNOWS you can do it!

Always About To Live

"There are those of us who are always about to live. We are waiting until things change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down -- until, until, until. It always seems as if there is some major event that must occur in our lives before we begin living."

*-- George Sheehan


"We must stop planning, plotting and scheming, and let Infinite
Intelligence solve the problem in its own way."

*-- Florence Shinn


"If you fail to go within, you will go without."

*-- Neal Donald Walsch

Are You Digging Your Own Grave? - By Ocha Nix

Everybody gets in a rut from time to time and it can be a very frustrating situation, one that is sometimes very difficult to get out of. I like the definition of rut as being “a grave with the ends kicked out.”

So I ask you, are you digging your own grave? Are you stuck doing the very same thing day in and day out? Is your business suffering as a result? If this sometimes sound like your life, then listen up. There is hope.

There are a number of things you can do in order to climb out of your rut and get back on track, whether in your online business, or day to day routine. You don’t have to keep getting deeper and deeper, but you do have to take action and climb out as quickly as possible.

1. Walk away – If you are stuck with a problem or situation, simply walk away. Do something “mindless” such as a gardening task, or housework. As you are doing these tasks, your mind will still be working on the solution back at your desk. When you are back at your desk, you will have a fresh look at the situation.

2. Change your schedule – Sometimes you can do something as simple as changing your daily routine to break the “rut” habit. If you usually start your day reading your emails, try writing an article first before your mind gets cluttered with all the email bombarding your brain cells.

3. Go for a walk – Taking a walk can be very relaxing and open up the mind to thinking of a new and different solution to your situation and task at hand. Don’t let your business drag you down deeper into your grave. Get up and get out. Besides walking has a physical health benefit as well.

4. Take a nap – This is my favorite. I love taking a short 10 to 20 minute “power nap” to help me get motivated again. When you are so drained and tired that you can’t think more than two seconds of the task you are working on, you need to break away. Take a nap. Your mind and body can only do so much without being rejuvenated.

5. Take a bribe – This is another one I like. Tell yourself that once you get to a stopping point, you are going to take yourself out for ice cream, or to a movie. Whatever it is you enjoy doing, you need to take the bribe.

These are just a few things you can do to help you get out of your rut and quit digging your grave. Don’t let your business, or your health suffer any longer. Take action and make the decision that you will do whatever it takes to climb out of your rut.

Ocha started his online and publishing experience in 1994 when he published a local
newsletter. He realized then, there was something to online business marketing. He
has been in sales and sales management for over 23 years in electronic distribution.
While working for one of the nation's top distributors, he was responsible for one of the
company's top accounts, a world wide OEM. He has received numerous awards for
exceeding expectations and goals during his sales career. However, his online
marketing business is the one that gives him the most enjoyment.

Visit him at:

http://www.infoworthsharing.com

http://www.infoworthsharing.blogspot.com

Treat Man As He Is

When we treat man as he is, we make him worse than he is; when we
treat him as if he already were what he potentially could be, we make
him what he should be.

*-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)


"There are some people who can't say the words "I love you,"
but they can sure let you know that they love you."

*-- Mister Rogers


"Find release from your concerns and have a good time."

*-- From My Fortune Cookie

How to Increase Your Energy, Enthusiasm and Reduce Stress - By Colleen Kettenhofen

“It takes more distress and poison to kill someone who has peace of mind and loves life."
Bernie S. Siegel, M.D.

As a motivational speaker conducting leadership training and keynote speeches around the world, I'm often asked to combine the topic of leadership with "life balance" and stress management. Here are 15 easy tips that will help you increase your energy, enthusiasm and reduce stress. And if you're in a leadership position, how can you be an effective leader and set a good example if you are not motivated and energized to perform good work?

1) Get enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C., 65% of Americans are sleep deprived. Try to get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

2) Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Within the same hour is ideal. Researchers at Stanford University’s Sleep Disorder Center have found it is possible to catch up on sleep during the weekends, but this can also upset your circadian rhythms and leave you more tired on Monday morning.

3) Do not eat or drink anything within one hour of your bedtime. Your body will only have to work harder to digest your food, which interrupts sleep patterns. By drinking liquids right before bedtime it’s more likely you’ll have to get up in the middle of the night.

4) Put your nervous system on glide at least one hour before retiring for the night. You can do this by using soft lighting (no more than 25 watts) relaxing music, a scented bubble bath with candles or some other quiet activity. Try avoiding work at least three hours before you go to bed as this can energize you. The same is true with exercise.

5) Drink plenty of water during the day. Dehydration causes you to feel fatigued even if you are eating healthy and going to bed at a reasonable hour.

6) Plan at least one activity during the day that gives you pleasure and energizes you just to think about it.

7) Socialize with others. Make certain you spend quality time with other adults during the day. And if you work outside the home, preferably where you can discuss something besides business or the kids.

8) Exercise in the morning. Depending on your biorhythms and schedule, many attendees in my speaking engagements report that morning exercise gives them increased energy and a sense of greater calm during the workday. They often tell me they have to “drag themselves” out the door, but feel so much better afterwards.

9) Take a hot and cold shower to increase your energy. Upon awakening in the morning, take a hot shower with eucalyptus oil sprinkled on a loofah sponge. End with a shot of cooler water. This will invigorate your body, stimulate blood flow and bring oxygen to your cells.

10) Pour on the protein. Foods rich in protein help improve mental acuity and slow the absorption of carbohydrates. Eggs, fish, low fat dairy, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, also meat and poultry if you’re not a vegetarian. Still, make sure you include plenty of other foods for moderation.

11) Cut back on caffeine. If you love coffee or colas (coffee lovers I can relate) cut back and consider adding green tea to your daily regimen. Green tea contains powerful anti-oxidants and less caffeine. It has enough caffeine to perk you up but usually not so much that you experience that crash later in the day.

12) Have a goal of taking at least two weeks vacation time a year. Work your way up to three and four weeks a year. Start taking off two days per week, if that’s at all possible, where you refuse to do any type of work that would tax your mind and stress you out. If you are very busy or self-employed like I am, make this something to strive for in the future.

13) Spend time actually planning a getaway vacation. For many of us, staying home for a holiday is nice, but we’re still surrounded by bills, laundry, phone calls and other stressful distractions. Consider a goal of taking that dream destination vacation you’ve always wanted whether it’s to Tahiti, Paris, or a national park. If this seems virtually impossible, I strongly recommend you read the article titled “How to Set Goals and Get What You Want” under the free articles section at www.ColleenSpeaks.com I dreamed of an Alaska cruise for many years, practiced the simple time-tested techniques in that article, and cruised there for a third time in May 2005.

14) Get outdoors every day even if it’s overcast. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, winters are normally gray. Winter 2005 was unusual with its turquoise-blue sunny skies and temperatures reaching almost 70 degrees in January. However, it’s a proven fact that with reduced sunlight, many people all over the world suffer from SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, during the winter months.

15) Listen to mood enhancing music during the day. What type of music energizes you and gets those feel-good hormones into your brain? Blues and jazz? R&B or rock and roll? A word of caution: be careful listening to your favorite music right before bedtime. I sometimes listen to contemporary smooth jazz…lots of saxophone and trumpets late into the night, and often it energizes me rather than putting me to sleep.

Take personal responsibility for maximizing your success and minimizing stress. You can’t control many external circumstances such as other people, traffic and weather; but you can control your environment. Write down three action steps you’ll take to improve your well-being. Share these with someone. Develop a buddy system for accountability. When you write them down and commit to them, you’re more likely to follow through. Here’s to much success and less stress!

Colleen Kettenhofen is a professional speaker, author and workplace expert who has spoken in 47 states and six countries. She is co-author of The Masters of Success, as featured on The Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. Colleen's most popular topics: leadership and management skills, dealing with difficult people, public speaking. To order the book, or for more free articles and e-newsletter, visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com, colleen@colleenspeaks.com Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars.