Everyone's Life

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then
burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should
all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

--Albert Schweitzer


Talent alone won't make you a success. Neither will being in the right
place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important
question is: "Are your ready?"

--Johnny Carson


We must come to the point where we realize the concept of race is a
false one. There is only one race, the human race.

--Dan Aykroyd

Getting What You Want - By Nancy Nylen

Once you finally figure out what it is that you really want, how do you go about getting it? Do you bribe, manipulate, beg, borrow, steal, acquire it on your own? Or are you one of those lucky people that just seem to have things land in your lap?

As a child, we all learn the relentless pleading method. As a 3rd child, my parents were well trained already by this assault and my father had a one word response to me when I hit him with a “Dad, can I…” sentence: NO.
He wouldn’t even wait for the end of the sentence. Gees.

As a mother, I didn’t have nearly that amount of restraint with my own kids, who knew intuitively that if they just hounded me long enough, I would, if at all possible cave in to their requests. So much for being the adult.

And now that we are, hopefully, adults, we can make our own decisions,
Create our own happiness and get what we want on our own terms. Seems easy enough, but somehow, we don’t.

First, one must take a good long look at one’s own thinking, and speech.
We are programmed from the very first to believe certain “truths”, because our parents told us, our friends, our teachers. From the very simple “you’re a bad boy/girl” or “shame on you”…what is heard becomes a belief. Maybe you did something bad, but that doesn’t make you a “bad” person. Right? Simple messages repeated over and over create this thought pattern and belief system. Before you know it, you think of yourself as bad, shameful, unworthy, stupid, you name it!

Getting what you want starts with feeling as if you deserve it, are entitled to it and already have it. Believe it, then see it. All of it starts with your own thoughts.

And ridding yourself of unproductive thinking is the cancerous blockage that stands between you and getting it. People are victimized by their own minds, and yet constantly complain that things never go their way.
They are habitually re-creating their own, negative expectations into any new endeavor, thereby insuring that things will work out as they always expect them to.

Recognize and write down your own reasons why you can’t have what you want, no matter how silly they look. These are the self-imposed limitations that pop up in your head to spoil your fantasy of a perfect life.
Fear, it’s never been done before, can’ts, shouldn’ts, too hard, what ifs,
Not enough (brains, money, time), no one will like it, stupid idea, you each have your own litany in inner judges telling you why not.

Next, is believing and seeing what you want as yours already. Believe it and you will see it. Imagine it, picture it clearly in your mind.

Finally, imagine that desired object in a pink bubble, a color associated with your heart’s desire. Let go of the bubble, watch it float off into the atmosphere with your want inside of the bubble. You have let go of the emotional attachment and it can gather energy to be manifested into your life.

I once used this technique for a car that I wanted, and it came not once but twice! I have been driving a gold Explorer for quite a long time. Try as I might, I can’t think of another car that I would like nearly as well.

The universe does provide for whatever is in perfect harmony with your true desires. Of course, I have never desired to own a yacht, or buy my own island, but if I did feel passionately about those things, I believe it possible.

Family has always been the most important thing to me, and providing for my children as a single mother has been challenging, to say the least. It has been nothing short of miraculous that whenever my kids had a need, I would picture it, forget about it and let it go out into the Universe. The need would be met…not once or twice, but every single time.

God and the Universe recognize our needs, even before we take the time to want them. They already belong to us! Once you learn to live your life by this kind of faith, you will see your needs met.

So, back to the original question…what does your heart really desire?

By: Nancy Nylen

Causeoflife.com

You can visit Nancy's web site at causeoflife.com

Nicest Things You Can Have

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have,
and one of the best things you can be.

--Douglas Pagels


I just need to know that I did the very best I could
and that I was true to myself.

--Lenny Kravitz


If you take responsibility for yourself you will
develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.

--Les Brown


Only when one is connected to one's own core is one connected
to others... And, for me, the core, the inner spring, can best
be refound through solitude.

--Anne Morrow Lindbergh


Reflect that life, like every other blessing, derives its value
from its use alone.

--Samuel Johnson


It's not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts.

--Adlai StevensonNightingale

Self-Motivation: Make Your Life Over This Year - By Dianna Hobbs

Today, I am challenging you to do what it takes to effect change in your business and your life. Be warned. There are no quick fixes. So, put down the fortune cookie and back away from the magazine articles that promise you a new life in just thirty days or less. You must be realistic about your circumstances, responsible for your outcomes and receptive to new ideas and methods this year.

If you’re ready, then keep reading.

You have the power right now to declare when things will become new in your life.

Here is the three-step formula:

1. Choose any day to begin.

2. Employ principles that support your goals.

3. Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until you get the desired results.

It sounds simple enough, right? “So….What’s the Problem,” you ask?

The problem is not that circumstances are not conducive to your success, but you have not taken advantage of all the opportunities to maximize your time, abilities and personal resources.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE

Each of us is naturally inclined to blame something or someone else for our misfortunes.
As a coping mechanism, we often avoid assuming responsibility for difficult circumstances. Hence, when something malfunctions, we rarely consider our own contribution to the disaster.

The question to ask is not “What is the problem?” Rather, ask yourself “Who is the problem?” The answer is very simple; Uh….got a mirror handy? That’s right. The vicious enemy who has been completely responsible for sabotaging your success all this time is none other than YOU.

I know it’s a tough pill to swallow because we can all think of a million and one factors outside of ourselves that are liable for our current circumstances. The truth yet remains that we alone have the power to determine our destinies. This does not mean that we will not run into some unexpected twists and turns, but whether or not we overcome obstacles depends upon our preparedness and willingness to deal with them.

ADOPT NEW PRINCIPLES AND FOLLOW THEM CONSISTENTLY

It’s one thing to talk about it. It’s another thing to be about it! Many of us will readily agree that it is difficult to remain consistent when working toward the goals we most desire to achieve. It never seems to come as easily as we had hoped or expected. There are so many obstacles, setbacks and disappointments along the journey that it becomes difficult to remain steadfast when we do not receive immediate rewards for our efforts. We all like short cuts and instant gratification, but life doesn’t work that way.

If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. This is why our lives must be lived by guiding principles. Principles are governing laws upon which our beliefs, behaviors and decisions are built. This is crucial! Principles are not subject to emotion, or external circumstances; thus, we abide by them even when it seems inconvenient. When’s the last time you asked yourself what your fundamental principles are for your business, relationships and life in general? For example, what is your work ethic? Do you have one? What are your standards for your relationships? Do you have any? What principles determine the way you conduct your life? If you don’t know, then you must establish some because if you don’t stand for something, then you’ll indeed fall for anything.

DON’T BE SO IMPATIENT.

Total transformation of your business and your life will not occur overnight. That’s simply not a realistic expectation. One of my favorite lecturers often says, “You must continue doing the right things, even when you’re not getting the right results.” This takes perseverance and determination, so hang in there. Remember, keep putting one foot in front of the other and tell yourself “I’m okay and I’m on my way!”

SOME CLOSING THOUGHTS

Remember, you need to have something in your life that is unchanging, even in the face of challenging circumstances. If by chance you have not developed a firm foundation upon which to build your business and your life, then begin today. It will be well worth the time and effort!

Dianna Hobbs is the Vice President of Hobbs Ministries, a Christian copywriting and PR firm. She and the team of world class copywriters at Hobbs Ministries, help ministries get their marketing materials on the “write track” by leveraging the creative power of language. You can find out more about how you can take your ministry to whole new dimension by visiting http://www.hobbsministries.com

Treasure

Now in my later years I can harvest the wisdom of my childhood. I treasure
those precious roots knowing that I have grown wings and I must move on.
I must let go.

--MacRina Wiederkehr


Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are
in your own backyard, if you but dig for them.

--Russell H. Conwell


Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

--H. L. Mencken


Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.

--Hannah Arendt


The future is something which everyone reaches at the
rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.

--C. S. Lewis

Express Your Passions Through the Power of Your Senses - By Corrie Woods

Close your eyes and remember a time when you felt vibrantly alive. What comes to mind when you recollect that memory? Perhaps the tingling of your skin, colors or the way light sparkles, a pulsing heart, a smell that curls into your nostrils and transforms into deep satisfaction, or a flavor that makes your mouth pop! Your senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell are portals to rich experiences. Spend time playing and rediscovering the power of your senses and it will transform the ordinary into the extraordinary in your life.

Just Do It!
Although you can read about the power of your senses, your own experience will teach you to live more fully empowered and express your passionate emotions through your senses. The following prompts and invitations will whet your appetite, open new vistas, herald a call to dive deep, tickle your soul to explore further and invite a delicious breath of new learning into your lungs and heart. These coaching exercises will also inspire you to change your perception and embrace your true potential.

Exercise 1: The Personal Meaning of Clear Vision
Experience with clear vision what you see, instead of interpreting. Once the colors, shapes, and images become good or bad, pretty or ugly, familiar or unfamiliar you have stepped away from a clear view. Journal a sunset, an oak tree or the moment at dusk when all is in shadow. Describe it with your sense of sight in vivid detail. Do not stop until you have captured it all. Once you have set pen down read through your description. Notice how many details you would normally have missed with the average glance. What surprises can you find in your observation? Another way to truly understand and gain clear vision is to practice seeing with eyes of love and wonder. Look into the face of someone you cherish. Invite them to share this experience. Spend several minutes in quiet observation and reverence. What can you learn about this beloved? What do you see that you have never seen before? How does your heart feel in response to such an intimate viewing?

Exercise 2: Capture the Orchestra of Your Life
Look back on your life and discover what sounds capture your essence. A puppy’s excited bark? The sound of the 10 AM train? The melody of instruments from the kitchen as your mother prepared Sunday breakfast? Write these sounds out like the lines of a musical score. Draw, imagine and recapture them. Feel the ripple of those sounds coming full circle around you. Also, listen for emotion while communicating with others. Listen for feelings behind the words.

Exercise 3: Touch and Feel as an Expression of Passion
You touch things all day long unconsciously. Bring awareness to how something feels and ignite your passion. Take one ordinary task in your life and make it an exercise in touch awareness: doing the laundry, filing papers, taking a shower. What do you notice? What sensations surprise you? Can you make this sensory experience richer? Take one day and make it day when you touch everything with love.

Exercise 4: The Taste of Personal Empowerment
How many meals have you had in the past week? How many bites did you really notice, savor, and linger with? How was the food prepared? Where did the food come from? Is it all a blur? Conduct a taste-testing extravaganza. Choose one of your all time favorite foods. Is it chocolate, a glass of wine, a fresh pear? Make a meal or snack of your favorites food, invite some friends and taste test to your hearts content. Savor each bit, describe it and distinguish how one morsel differs from another. Serious fun, delight and deep satisfaction are the results of this tasty discovery of the delicious.

Exercise 5: The Scent of Inspiration and Success
You breathe in and out all day and all night. Why not leverage this breath for all it is worth? Your sense of smell can inform, inspire, and even caution you. Make a savory meal and focus on how each portion smells before you taste or sit quietly with your favorite perfume or incense and experience the feelings invoked by these scents.

Sight, sound, touch, taste and smell are at the core of who we are physically and emotionally. With just a few exercises you can dramatically enhance the depth, texture and experience of your life. Wake up your senses and, in turn, your passion. Become more fully attuned to the present moment and smile at the new vibrancy you find in life!

Corrie Woods is a Life Coach, Speaker and author based out of Asheville, NC. She is the author of the upcoming book “The Woman’s Field Guide to Exceptional Living”. To subscribe to her newsletter packed with tips for exceptional living go to http://www.windrivercoaching.com.

Fear Within Us

Love is letting go of fear.

--Gerald Jampolsky


Prosperity is not without many fears
and distastes; and adversity is not
without comforts and hopes.

--Frances Bacon


Fear is useless
Faith is necessary
Love is everything!

--Martin Sheen


To fear love is to fear life.

--Bertrand Russell


Do the things
You believe in
In the name of love
And know that
You aren't alone
We all have doubts and fears.

--Carole King


Having a vision for your life allows
you to live out of hope, rather than
out of your fears.

--Stedman Graham

Wanna Succeed - Get Uncomfortable - By Craig Harper

As an Exercise Scientist and Trainer I have spent much of the last twenty-five years helping people change their body. Smaller, bigger, lighter, leaner, more muscle, more flexibility, speed, power... Athletes, non-athletes, kids, mums, dads.....whatever they were after; that's what I did my best to deliver.

Early in my career I discovered that whether or not someone achieved their desired goals had very little to do with what was possible, or their genetic potential, and everything to do with their ability to deal with discomfort.

They say that every decision we make in life is in an effort to avoid pain, or gain pleasure.

We choose to eat the cake because we associate cake with pleasure.
We choose to avoid the dentist because we associate the dentist with pain.
We choose to stay in a bad relationship because we associate more pain with getting out of the relationship than staying in it.

But the reality is :

1) we don't need the cake

2) we do need the dentist and

3) we should get out of that destructive relationship.

If only we would give up the cake, look after our teeth and deal with our relationship (i.e. get uncomfortable) we would discover that the short-term pain/discomfort would make way for a whole new world of possibilities and a whole new level of growth, understanding and achievement.

Some personal-power muscles.

Lesson 1.
Change is usually uncomfortable.

If you want an amazing life and you're all about creating positive change, then learn to deal with, if not embrace, discomfort.

Sorry Dude.
Just how it is.

In the science of strength training we talk about a concept called progressive resistance training or progressive overload.

In simple terms, the theory is this: If you want to get stronger and continue to grow muscle (hypertrophy) you need to continually manipulate the training variables (weight, sets, reps, recovery time, technique, program design) so as to constantly and progressively 'force' your body to adapt to the ever-changing stress (all exercise is a form of stress).

When we talk about changing a body, we're talking about physiological adaptation... and a body will only adapt when it has a reason to. Most people in most gyms train their body in a manner where there is no need for adaptation... that's why they typically look the same, year in, year out.
Or worse.

Rather than following a program or plan which is progressive in nature (causes them to get uncomfortable on a regular basis) they follow a 'maintenance program'... because it's easy and comfortable.
And they love 'comfortable.'

They don't want to maintain, or intend to maintain... but that's all they're doing.
They will continue on their cycle of frustration and zero results until they give their body a reason to adapt or until they throw in the towel altogether.

This adaptation/growth principle of exercise science can be applied to life and to our personal growth.

Lesson 2.
In general, a person's ability to succeed will be largely dependant on their ability to adapt (deal with discomfort and change).

Life, relationships, careers, emotions, business markets, technologies, philosophies, environments are all in a constant state of evolution. This is part of the problem; we are creatures of habit and we like familiarity; we like 'same'.

Lesson 3.
We like the benefits of change, but we don't like the process.
But it's the process, not the results, from where the real benefits come.

Whether it's physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, professional, social or financial growth your after.... be prepared to get uncomfortable on a regular basis and you will dramatically improve your chances of creating your best life.
By the way, the minute you make that uncomfortable decision, or do that uncomfortable thing you've been avoiding, the change process becomes instantly easier and your chances of success go through the roof ... because you got your head and heart (thinking, attitude, standards, emotions) where they need to be.

And you did what you needed to do.

Just like we work against resistance in the gym and we get stronger and grow muscle, those of us who work against resistance outside of the gym (problems, challenges, opposition, criticism, self doubt, insecurity, fear) get stronger and grow a different kind of muscle; emotional muscle, psychological muscle, self-control muscle, personal development muscle and spiritual muscle... and more.

Now go and get uncomfortable... and grow some muscle.

Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is an Australian motivational speaker, qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.

He can be heard weekly on Australian Radio SEN 1116 and GOLD FM and appears on Australian television on Network Ten's 9AM.

Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper

Focus On The Solution

Focus on the solution,
not the problem.

-- Walter Anderson

If you truly feared failure,
you'd be very successful.

--Barbara Sher


Positive thoughts...
(joy, happiness, fulfillment,
achievement, worthiness)

...have positive results
(enthusiasm, calm, well-being,
ease, energy, love).

Negative thoughts...
(judgement, unworthiness, mistrust,
resentment, fear)

...produce negative results
(tension, anxiety, alienation,
anger, fatigue).

You Can't Afford the Luxury
of a Negative Thought

by Peter McWilliams

5 Keys to Building a Strong Determination - By Steve Brunkhorst

I saw him sitting on an evergreen branch outside my window as the Saturday morning sunrise lit up the new-fallen snow as it would a carpet sprinkled with sparkling jewels.

He seemed so tiny and alone, a silhouette against the dazzling eastern sky. As the sun rose higher, I could see he was a small snowbird, obviously apart from his fellows who usually assemble and play in groups. Joyfully, they flit about upon the snow, find pieces of grain, and huddle together for warmth.

Watching him brought memories of a time when I felt very small and alone...

It was my first college year of clinical practice as a student therapist. I had to write and turn in reports
on each patient I worked with in the University clinic.

As children, we often shuttered when a teacher returned our reports with a few big red marks signaling our errors. However, Dr. Wilson, a man who I will always remember and admire, returned my clinical reports. He gave my first reports so many red marks that they looked like they had the measles!

One day, he said, "To write well, you need to read a lot and write a lot - and when you see these red marks, know that they are there because I believe in you. You won't need to make these mistakes again. Just pay attention to them!"

I began to pay attention to each error, one by one, and one by one, the red marks grew fewer. This experience fortified my determination and strengthened my courage in what I could accomplish.

How can we keep our determination strong down each pathway of achievement we travel? Here are some valuable ideas to think about...

1. Think with purpose; keep your heart and mind focused on the end goal you want to achieve.

2. Take three valuable actions suggested by Paul J. Meyer who wrote, "Construct your determination with sustained effort, controlled attention, and concentrated energy."

3. Remember the wisdom from an Indian proverb that reads, "Life is not a continuum of pleasant choices, but of inevitable problems that call for strength, determination, and hard work." Use obstacles as learning tools and stepping stones to reach what you envision.

4. Choose your ideal pathway based on your values, make a firm commitment to excellence, and take
responsibility for your choices.

5. Most of all, realize that the Creator gave you some very special gifts that no one can use exactly like you can use them. If you haven't discovered those gifts, look closely at the activities that seem to light a fire in your soul. You will be very close to some amazing discoveries...

...My little friend waited in the evergreen branch for a while. Soon, several more snowbirds landed at the base of the tree. He gleefully joined them, and off they went to enjoy the morning.

That reminds me of a sixth key in building and maintaining determination: Have patience in all things.
Do what you can now, even if you must wait for your efforts to bring results. Then return your thoughts to your purpose, and you will attract many others of like "feather" to help guide you along the way!

© Copyright 2006 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue and find many helpful resources for achievement by visiting www.AchieveEzine.com