Standard To Success

"Success will not lower its standard to us. We must raise our
standard to success."

*-- Rev. Randall R. McBride, Jr.


"A smile is your greatest social asset."

*-- Zig Ziglar


"Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to
you without coming away better and happier."

*-- Mother Theresa

In My Mind - By Sharmila Murthy

When a child was asked to sit, she kept standing up. When it got to a point that the parent threatened to break the child’s leg if she continued to be disobedient. The child of 5 sat down and did not move. The parent looked at the child and said how proud she was of the child. The child looked up and said “IN MY MIND, I AM STILL STANDING UP.”

Many times in our lives, we are forced into situations we are not comfortable with and we go through the motions of the new circumstance and in our mind we are still who we have been so long, doing what we really wanted to do in the first place. There is a disconnect between the inner ‘I’ who is trapped within the external ‘I’ who we project. The first visible sign of this disconnect is a bulging waist line.

This disconnect between mind and body manifests as stress leading to the release of cortisol, a hormone which floods our blood vessels. In olden day when man lived by instinct and had to hunt for a living, and lived under the fear of being meal of a bigger beast, cortisol served its purpose. Today we get the same panic attacks and feel the same anxiety only difference is the beast is within. We fight ourselves. We constantly make ourselves believe that visiting a place or meeting a person or eating a certain food or doing something in particular or acquiring a certain material possession will make life better for us. We believe all these events and entities are real and a solution.

The truth is every ‘problem’ does truly have a solution, it just so happens that the solution leads to the creation of three new ‘problems’. Someone who is single wants to get married. Someone married wishes they were single. A childless person wishes for children and someone with children how much more time they had when they had no children. People spend hours in front of a tv or shopping and say they have no time. People take up causes to find a purpose. Some want to save the whales, some save the trees. Some want better housing, some want preservation of low income housing areas. The list is endless. And when things just seem about right and life begins to cruise there is either a natural calamity somewhere or crazy people go around blowing trains, buildings and communities – for a cause they believe in.

But what if people in their spare time, when there was no work to be done and no unfinished chores, just stepped out and enjoyed nature just as it existed, or visited a library and read a book, or visited a hospital or an old people’s home and donated some time, or retired to their room and prayed and meditated, or visited a neighbor and offered a kind word or help with a chore. These are moments when we realize that we are blessed with more and so we can share. More of what, you may ask. And it is Time.

My friend, when we arrived all we received was time and when we run out of time, we must leave, this temporary home, this planet we call earth. It is just one of the many destinations – this rock that is alive and abundant, this piece of the universe, a spec is the physical plane of the cosmos. Everything that was, is or will be created – is an act of love. Love is the only power or force that creates – hatred is what destroys. Destruction isn’t permanent. Everything that is not serving us, or has fulfilled its purpose will end. In a physical sense it is recycling of energy from one form to another, in the spiritual sense it is the death of the old and the birth of the new.

No one came with a stick of coins in their fist or a wad of currency notes, and when we ‘die’ no one has a truck at the end of their funeral procession. So my dear one, enjoy your time. It is a gift from our creator and this is all we have. Though a concept in the human dimension – for animals or trees have no such attachments to time or memory – the move on. Even children – enjoy each day as it arrives. They do not remember an insult or a physical bruise for too long. But as we grow we condition ourselves to hold on to stuff, fill up our closets, cupboards, pantry, basement, attic and garage with stuff that is not serving us. Stuff we do not see ever or even forget exist, but we hold on to them – baggage. We grow comfortable, complacent, get used to our bodies and when we do not like what we see, we go buy new clothes and new makeup. We get used to our miseries and diseases.

Tell someone their troubles aren’t real and they can be fixed – sure they’ll believe you and even do something about it and replace with a new ‘trouble’. And heaven forbid if you ever tell someone that they are not sick, all they need is rest, more fluids and a change of space. They hold on to their diseases like an infant who clings on to their mother’s breast for comfort. First thing people tell me is how would you know what it means to be sick, you are never sick. You are lucky. My doctor knows more or better and if I do not take this drug … or it is part of my family history…. I feel like asking them did Adam or Eve or whoever was the first couple according to your belief or faith - who was gifted these genetic disorders that you so proudly claim as part of your heritage?

You might ask, where am I heading with all this… right?

I will only say “if you are comfortable with what you have and who you are, stop complaining and enjoy your life – what you have and who you are.” And “if you are not comfortable with what you have and who you are, stop complaining and change – let go of what you have and who you ‘think’ you are.”

If you like to learn more about manifesting prosperity write me directly at sm@SmartBizLady.com with your views and suggestions, questions and concerns. I am always looking to make it better for myself and for those who choose.

Until we meet – here’s wishing you wellness and prosperity, Sending you light and love and knowing that you have a beautiful life.

About the Author:

Sharmila Murthy is a writer, singer, a mind coach, energy worker, healer, physicist, enterpreneur and a mother of 3. She lives in Ventura California and is also a hypnotherapist. She specializes in Imagery and Past-life regressions. She also works with habit management. She is a motivational speaker and active in the local community. She is an active spiritual conscious being. She is a brand new host mom to a high school exchange student from Korea. She has been a student of the mind-body-spirit connection and is passionately curious about anything and everything that crosses her path. She feels like a gypsy - a cosmic traveller who has temporarily made earth her home. She believes in free enterprise and pursues her passion of self-empowerment by marketing patented products of Liberty League International, a company based out of Scottsdale AZ, USA.

To find out more about her visit http://www.SmartBizLady.com or call her direct at 805-275-2289.

Tell a Real Friend

"You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself
he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job."

*-- Laurence J. Peter


"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people."

*-- Victor Borge


"You can increase your brain power three- to fivefold
simply by laughing and having fun before working on
a problem."

*-- Doug Hall

The Motivation of Second Half Thinking - By Paul O'Sullivan

Football matches are won or lost in the second half. It does not matter what code of football is being played, and it does not only apply to football. It is how you finish that counts – in any sport or competition or campaign. It applies to your life. Look at your life as one complete match or look at your current circumstance and assess where you are in terms of the half time break and begin now to strategize the finish.

I saw this very clearly on one occasion when I was playing a game of top level Rugby. The coach pulled us aside as a team at half time. This was now the quietest time of the match, not the time for noise and action. but the time for strategy for the next half.

We knew we could win, but we were behind at half time. We all felt we had something to say but the coach told us to shut up and listen. He reassured us that they had not penetrated our defense, they had just been lucky on penalties. He told us not to try and score points but to give them the ball and to run them down and then do our scoring.

That was when I learned that half time was the time to listen to that quiet inner voice, not the yells of the crowd or even your team mates. Let the coach talk. It is on the inside, in the locker room where you get the advice. It is on the inside, deep inside our hearts that most people either win or lose. It is on the inside that most organizations either fall apart or become strong, not from attacks from the outside. Usually we get stronger when we are attacked from the outside. I have never worried about that. It is the inside I want to keep safe from the attack of its own lack of faith and wisdom.

What I learned that half time was that what had got us to where we were was not the thing that was going to get us any further. It was now time to apply a finishing strategy.

We had, as a team been doing things right. We were good at executing the elemental skills of the game. But doing things right is a lot different to doing the right things. Doing things right is efficiency, but doing the right things is effectiveness. The coach did not guarantee us success, but he guaranteed us we would fail if we gave up, or did not adopt the right approach.

Whatever you do, always play hard. There are no soft games. And the goal is not always the score on the scoreboard – it is to reach your full potential. That is called destiny – and everybody has one. Second half play begins with low cost probes. You don’t try to win recklessly and end up losing. You will win when you are well set. So slow down and be deliberate – this is the second half. You will make it.

Half time is the time for inner motivation to drive you, not just some external reward. It is like seeing it in terms of a career and saying 'I would do what I’m doing for no pay, rather than, 'as long as they pay me enough I’ll do what they want’. That is when you know you want to do it and reach your potential.

Discover more about spiritual understanding at the Spiritcode website.

Copyright 2006 www.Spiritcode.com

Correct Actions

"The only correct actions are those that
demand no explanation and no apology."

*-- Red Auerbach


"An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise."

*-- Red Auerbach


"A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given
talents, works his tail off to develop them into
skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals."

*-- Larry Bird

Stand Up For Yourself - Stand Up For Your Life - By Caroline Jalango

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no ones definition of your life. Define yourself.

~Harvey Fierstein ~

Why do you allow people to talk to you like that?

Is there a sign on your forehead that gives people permission to talk to you in an unacceptable manner?

I am reminded of a conversation I had with a friend of mine who constantly complained about her boss from hell! She told me that her boss never passed up the chance to talk down to her and criticize her in full view of her co-workers. The feelings of shame that overcame her after those episodes made her feel so “small” and belittled to the point where she felt completely helpless.

Trips to the Human Resource department had proved fruitless and only led to more trouble with the boss. The situation with her boss had eroded her self-esteem and left her feeling terribly frustrated and unhappy. Her life at work had become a nightmare and that nightmare had begun to affect her relationships and her life at home.

She knew she had to put a stop to this madness but could not muster the courage to deal with the situation. So she let it “eat away” at her, deprive her of sleep, stress her out and totally throw her life out of balance. For some reason, she just could not stand up for herself.

Why was she putting up with it? She gave me a long list of valid and invalid reasons about why she could not just quit her job including the fact that the economy was in bad shape and that she had bills to pay! I totally understood her position because sometimes you really can’t afford to just pack up and leave. You have to weigh the situation, make informed choices and then make the right decisions for you. You can’t keep running away all the time either, so you have to learn to deal with the situation.

Sometimes people get caught between a rock and a hard place and need to build an extra muscle to help them survive the situation while waiting for better opportunities to come along. I call it the “stand up for yourself muscle.”

This muscle is your voice. It allows you to speak up for yourself and express your opinion in a manner that doesn’t infringe on others while still making your position clearly known. It represents your truth and allows you to be in integrity with yourself.

When you speak up for yourself in this manner, you are being assertive and you are standing up for yourself.

One day, I received a phone call from my friend in the scenario above. She told me that one afternoon, during an “episode” at work; she asked her boss in a firm but polite tone “could we please have this conversation in private?” Her boss was taken aback but nonetheless agreed to her request. Fortunately that was the beginning of a new phase in my friend’s life. She had just developed her “stand up for yourself muscle!”

Just like my friend, you too must be the first flicker of hope in your life and the engine of change in your situation. The change must begin with how you perceive yourself. It requires courage and self-love.

Speaking up for yourself doesn’t necessarily mean being confrontational. You can learn to deal with conflict without being aggressive. One simple step you can take to help you find your voice and build your assertive muscle is to learn how to say NO! Let people know when something is unacceptable and when your rights are being violated. Don’t feel guilty or explain why you said NO because you have a right to say NO.

Don’t lose your sanity, find your voice, speak up, stand up for yourself and enjoy your life today!

The soul that is within me no man can degrade.

~Fredrick Douglas~

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 www.motivationzone.com

Give Them Your Confidence

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well
tried before you give them your confidence."

*-- George Washington


"If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things
you do, the more you can do."

*-- Lucille Ball


"In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true
friends are a sure refuge".

*-- Aristotle

Good Health And Motivation - By Mark Webb

Good health and enthusiasm go hand in hand. If you want to be excited about life and have plenty of energy then you must pay attention to your health. Obtaining and maintaining optimum health should be one of the top goals in your life.

In order to acquire good health, you must train yourself to develop positive health habits. The only way to overcome poor health habits is to replace them with good health practices.
This is one of nature’s laws for successful living. What are your present habits? Are you taking good care of your body? What improvements do you need to make in your eating and sleeping patterns? Do you allow your self time for leisure and exercise? What is your present state of health?

We all know the importance of good health, yet it tends to be one of those things we like to ignore. We work ourselves right into the ground or we passively deteriorate. We believe that it takes too much effort or that it will be too unbearable to change. You do not pay the price for good health; you enjoy the benefits of it. I often ask people, “Could you get your life together for $10 million dollars?” Most people quickly answer, “Absolutely!” Others pause and hesitantly say “ I don’t know.” I like this hypothetical question because it forces you to acknowledge that good health is possible. If you can do it for the money, you can do it for your own peace of mind, your family, a longer life.
Life often doesn’t make us face how harsh things can be so we don’t take these matters seriously. I like to make up pretend scenarios such as the offer of $10 million dollars because it gives me the leverage to do the right thing even though life hasn’t.

Here are some helpful suggestions:

Have annual checkups, maintain a balanced diet, allow six to eight hours of sleep per night, develop an exercise routine and allow time for fun.

By making these adjustments, you will notice yourself becoming more positive, happier and more spiritually alive. Do not wait for a sense of energy to occur before you get started. Do what you can and the energy will come. Start small. Take baby steps if you have to. The energy and the enthusiasm you desire will come through your patient and persistent action.

Mark Webb is the author of How To Be A Great Partner and founder of Partner Focused Relationships™. Sign up for Mark Webb’s “Relationship Strategies” Ezine ($100 Value). Just visit his website at http://www.powerfulrelationshipadvice.com or http://www.therelationshipspecialist.com

Use Of Life

"The great use of life is to spend it
for something that will outlast it."

*-- William James


"Living a life of integrity is one of the greatest
missions we can undertake."

*-- Greg Anderson


"Be curious, not judgmental."

*-- Walt Whitman

Appreciation Comes In Many Forms - By Mike Brescia

"What is the most appropriate form of appreciation and/or service I can provide to each person?" Aren't you just amazed sometimes about how obvious it is that you or someone around you fails to get recognized for accomplishments? It's easy to see in others isn't it? When it's someone else who should show the gratitude, it ridiculously obvious, isn't it?

But when it's US that should hand out some thanks and show that we feel lucky to have the support and help we DO get, we quite often are just as guilty of "forgetting" to do this as those we despise. Isn't that right? I have watched some of the most incredible performers in the work arena get literally forgotten when it comes to pats on the back. More responsibility and longer hours are what they usually get. And less thanks.

Is it any wonder that it's tough to keep good employees? There's an unfortunate tendency to believe that most people just know they're good, or have done well, so we don't bother to tell them. In the last few years, psychologists recently did a study about what employees want in their jobs. And pay ranked something like number seven in importance. That doesn't mean it wasn't important. Just that on a day-to-day basis, that's not what we dwell on when it comes to job satisfaction. Feeling appreciated and a feeling of being in on things ranked at the top of most lists.

If some of a company's computers worth several thousand dollars came up missing, they'd call the police and a full investigation would ensue. The company would want them back and would like to see the crooks behind bars. But if a key employee were to leave suddenly, that person's bosses and the company owners would likely never get down to the root of why they just lost an asset worth possibly hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars! But I know why.

Most people don't want to take the time (or accept the possible guilt). Most of us simply don't understand the implications of not showing how much other people mean to us. With great regret, I can say without hesitation that I have been very guilty of this. But the awareness of it is the first step towards having the power of appreciation help rather than hurt you. If you say, "I guess I should do more of that (ha-ha, yeah, right!)" then you are killing your chances of true and lasting success and happiness in business, career and personal matters.

None of us likes to be taken for granted. Many people have gone nearly insane because they don't feel appreciated. Think about times when you or someone you know got upset and/or acted in irrational ways. Aren't many of those times also times when you felt unappreciated, not necessary or that your opinion doesn't matter? You see? It colors all your relationships--professional AND personal.

Cruising through your days just expecting that John is going to do what you need him to do because that's what he's always done in the past is crazy. Pretty soon John's going to be gone... and you won't even know why. But now, at least, you'll have that seed of an idea why.

When you'd like a word of encouragement or a compliment of a job well done, even a little acknowledgement, and it doesn't come, notice how it feels. I hope it doesn't wreck your day, but just notice it. Feel it. Well, that's what others feel, too, when their deeds are ignored.

You could quickly become the most popular person in school, work, or just about anywhere else. Just start noticing small things. Pick them out and give a quick thanks to the person who was responsible. Do this for a couple days or weeks and you'll see people instantly responding to you. Try it out and watch everything change!!!

WINNING BELIEFS:

-- I notice the little things that people do for me & others

-- I'm quick to say thank you for a job well done

-- I appreciate all the things people do for me

-- Other people like to be around me now

-- People like doing things for me now

-- I'm well liked by others

-- My opinion is important to others

EMPOWERING QUOTE:
"Hay is more acceptable to an ass than gold." -Latin Proverb

What if you had the same minute-by-minute thoughts as the super successful? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life.

Mike Brescia is the creator of the world-renowned Think Right Now! Accelerated Success Conditioning Programs. Mike becomes your own personal success coach - guiding, motivating, inspiring, teaching and moving you in a way that only a best friend would. Mike will inspire you to take a hard look at yourself and be accountable for what you are in life, to be dissatisfied with the "old you" and the bad habits, to take action, ready to happily do whatever it takes to win the game of life.

Find descriptions of all his products at www.thinkrightnow.net