Change Your Self Image For Greater Success

By Ghislaine Mahler

One of the key elements of living beyond recovery is to achieve more success in our life. Whether you focus on your career, your finances, your relationships, or other areas, does not matter. The bottom line is that in order to increase success you must change your self-image.

Let's face it, out there we had either a very poor self-image or none at all. I remember feeling very insecure. The sense I had of myself was that of a "fraud," a "mistake," someone who didn't belong and didn't have the right to even breathe! Once in recovery, I walked down a slow path of "repair" to heal all my emotional and physical wounds. A couple of days ago, I had my 22nd birthday/anniversary of sobriety. I was walking my dog that morning, thinking how proud I was of myself for that. Yes, it's all been one-day-at-a-time, but I am the one who achieved that. Twenty-two years!! That calls for BIG celebration of my spirit, for a prayer of huge gratitude and joy!

Humility is a good thing when it is felt and expressed in a healthy way. When it is used to keep yourself feeling small and inadequate, it is unhealthy and self-destructive. So we step into a new realm, that of success. We must recognize and acknowledge all our successes, the small ones as well as the big ones. Are you the kind of person who says "Oh, that was nothing" when someone compliments you on one of your successes? I used to do that. A couple of years ago, I did a very courageous thing at a transformational seminar. Most people around me were terrified to do what we were required. I was a bit nervous but I knew that I would succeed because I wasn't giving myself the option to fail. Once done, the facilitator asked for a show of hands of people who thought it wasn't a big deal. I raised my hand. He said "if you can't celebrate your successes, you are in big trouble!" I realized how right on he was. I was in the habit of doing great things but, I was letting my past circumstances dictate my current self-image. Result? Perpetrating that poor self-image, thus creating poor results.

I made a change in my life that day - I stepped into a new self-image. I came to accept seeing myself as a highly successful person, someone who succeeds in everything I do. Wow, how profound that was and still is today. My life hasn't been the same since. Every day I spend a few minutes stretching and improving my self image in the direction and areas of my life, to create the changes I want.

Coaching Question: How is your self image today? Is it in need of some "remodeling?" Are you still hanging on to the old sense of yourself, maybe one of failure? Are you still allowing your mind to tell you you're not good enough and that success is for others, or that it's bad?

This week, start a success journal. Spend a few minutes every night to write down at least five successes. Watch your mind as you write down your list - is it minimizing what you've done? Small achievements are as important as the big ones! You don't have to be superman or superwoman to have a healthy and successful self-image. It is time for a change. Celebrate YOU!

Ghislaine Mahler is the founder and the driving force behind Living Beyond Recovery. She has been a Life and Executive Coach for the past 12 years and in continuous recovery since 1986. You can contact her at info@LivingBeyondRecovery.com or 203-691-6467.

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How To Live A Successful Life

By Syed Muzaffar Aqleem Tirmizi

Only a few changes in daily routine and slight change in the way you think and do your activities will change your destination from failure to success.

Not one ever thinks or wants to fail in life. Everyone wants their life to be filled with joy and happiness. However, not everyone is living a happy life. Statistically only 5.9 % of the people around the world are living the life which the dreamt of and rest 94 % of the people are struggling through there life.

You must have spent some time thinking about it why is it that way? Well the answer to the question is not all that difficult, infect its very easy. The only difference between success and failure is the implementation and persistence.

Many of us know what activities are good for us and which skills are required to achieve success in life. Many of us have even started to walk on the path to success but after sometime for one reason or the other we have stopped.

Another factor that leads to disappointment and failure is the fact that people attend the meetings , Seminars or Conferences and they know that whatever that was discussed there is something that could change their life too. However, as soon as they go outside the start living the life as they used to with almost zero change in there daily routine.

Implementation is what got the 5.9 % of the successful people their success. Now next time if you come across some idea or activity that you know hold immense significance to change your life then take that step, attend that seminar. You have to make time for such activities. Furthermore, not only you need to attend such events or listen to motivational and inspirational speeches but you have to take the initiative to implement all those things into you life too.

This Implementation part will not lead to success right a way. The results might take some time but if you stay persistent enough and you have crossed the initial hiccups then you are surely on your way to changing your life and joining that small group of people who enjoy their life at fullest.

Syed Muzaffar Aqleem Tirmizi is part of the operational management in leading cellular operator in Pakistan, specializing in providing training solutions for individuals, teams and organizations. He also specializes in training needs, analysis and mentoring. Has a very energetic and motivating style with a strong focus on exceeding the organizational expectation and with his infectious energy he empowers other individuals to achieve their full potential. For your training needs or operational analysis could be contacted at http://www.ma-tirmizi.com or visit http://www.tirmizifinancials.com for more information.

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Success is as individual as you are.

By Brendan Mckeogh

There are hundreds of books available which claim to be able to teach the secrets of success. And each has at least a snippet of truth, making it a valuable read. But I think too many people get bogged down in the process of "becoming successful" rather than just getting on with what it is they want to achieve.

Everyone's own recipe for success is personal and cannot be simply copied from other's experiences. Reading biographies may inspire us and other people's "can-do" attitudes will rub off on us if we open our minds to new possibilities. But the whole process of becoming successful has become a sort of career in itself for some people - and the sense of fun is then lost.

I think its possible simply to enjoy the small daily achievements - the good day at the office, the small incremental weight loss, a solid hour of piano practice, the extra chin-up achieved or a small increase in one's savings ... any and all of the little steps along the way that are worth taking a moment to pause and smile about, to make a mental note of.

The simple matter of setting a goal can be so daunting that many people never get around to it. Should it be worded in the present tense, as if already achieved, or should it be in the terms or a promise, with a specific date for its accomplishment? How many goals should you set and how often should you pause to visualise the intended outcome? Should you plan individual small steps along the way, with intermediate goals and timelines? Perhaps it's possible to get too wrapped up in analysing the method to either enjoy what you're doing, or progress far along the intended route.

I see goal setting as the writing a of movie script. Its important, but only one part of the movie-making process.

Of course, you must be the script writer in your own life's movie, not just the principal actor. You should also appoint yourself as the director and control as much as is possible of the production - but don't forget there also has to be room to ad-lib, to smile and to enjoy your star billing. No-one knows the running time of their life's movie, just that there will eventually be a "The End" caption. Just a final thought - the cameras are already rolling!

Brendan McKeogh believes that success is different for everyone, but involves enjoying the best of the situation we find ourselves in today, while striving for better tomorrow. He offers free success resources (including two free classic texts) on http://www.freedomfactor.co.uk

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You Sabotage Your Own Success!

By Mike Wang

Are you often faced with a problem of thinking that you have achieved your goals and often relax or give up before the final lap of the journey? Why is it that we cannot stretch ourselves and spur ourselves on to greater success?

Consider that you have been sabotaging yourself in your pursuit of success and placing limitation on what is possible for you to achieve. I have just attended a 3 day seminar why I saw one of the participants sort of gave up on the seminar on the second day. Why did he do that?

He was doing all of the assignments and achieving great results in the first 2 days of the seminar. In fact, he was getting so much results that it way exceeded his expectations and he was questioning how is it possible for one person to achieve so much in a short span of time.

He gave up on doing the assignments as he thought that it is better to grasp whatever he has gotten and "leave" before he faced with the ultimate fear of disappointment that he would be thwarted in having his expectation fulfilled. Kind of silly? Think again, are there any areas in your life where you sabotage your success by vacating early after you achieve some sort of success.

Human beings are so afraid of failure! We live in a make believe world of our own that if things don't go well, something is wrong and only when things go smoothly and the way that we expected then we are satisfied. Small wonder why we are constantly disappointed and unfulfilled to the extent that we are afraid of "failing" anymore.

Resolve to play the game of your life as a world class champion. Take your current endeavors as games that you play full out and accept 100% responsibility for their results. Practice makes perfect and it is only through constant practice that an athletic can play in the Olympics. Failure is only a way of finding out things that do not work. Have the determination to push through and achieve success in the world-class arena in life!

Mike is currently a full time teacher teaching Chemistry and Physics in High School. He is an avid reader of self improvement books, especially in the area of financial management.

He is exposed to the idea of self-improvement after reading Robert T.Kiyosaki's famous book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." Since then he has read more financial management and investment books by Michael Masterson, Robert Allen, etc. He hopes to share the insights that he has gained from these authors to our readers to help them achieve financial freedom and early retirement. Please feel free to drop him some questions or recommend some great resources at http://www.youngbutthinkrich.com

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What You Didn't Learn At School

By Linden Huckle

How to be successful, rich and live an exciting and ever changing life!

You see, our natural entrepreneurial flare to succeed and be unique was kicked out of us, through our school years. Once it was finally gone, we were then moulded into the perfect citizen, one who does as they are told and are told what they are good and bad at. Living the rest of our lives, never to think about great and wonderful things again.

The problem with conventional education, is that it leaves a massive hole in your personal development process.

That hole, is the entrepreneurial hole, or more commonly known as ENTREHOLE syndrome. This is when someone leaves full time education and enters the real world, with the only ambition being, to get a full time position in a company with career advancement prospects.

Once entrehole syndrome people have their safe and secure job, that's it!

Next, comes marriage, 2.4 kids, mortgage, one or two (if my company is doing really well) holidays each year, couple of days off for Christmas and a nice clean car on the drive, same meals on the same days!

Isadora Duncan said, 'People do not live nowadays - they get about ten percent out of life.'

Where's the ambition and excitement for life that you had as a child?

There needs to be a few more Donald Trump, Richard Branson characters placed in schools, which of course, will never happen because it goes against the system. The system doesn't want too many entrepreneurs, it wants SHEEP!

Life should be an exciting adventure, we are all here for a very short time, please make the most of your time, try something new, strive for success. There is a million things you could try tomorrow and it's FUN!

Try new things, we can all have a wonderful life, you can be successful and wealthy, do not settle for a boring, mundane life, full of repetition, the same thing, day in, day out.

Unfortunately to live the life of our dreams, we need that evil thing called money. But money can also be good, having money can enable you to help some amazing charities that are desperate for money, you can help your friends, family and people in need. Money isn't the be all and end all of life, but as the great Zig Ziglar says 'money isn't everything, but it ranks right up there with oxygen!'

Linden Huckle is the owner of http://www.SuccessFountain.com
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Head over to http://www.successfountain.com to get your FREE copy of Dotcomology now, before it's gone!

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Your Wealth is Determined by How You See Money

By Barry Share

It doesn't mater who we are or where we are in the world it seems we all share the same dreams, we all want to be wealthy, healthy and happy. It seems we are all striving for one thing and that is financial independence.

We feel if we were financially independent we would be able to live where we want, buy what we like and spend our time doing anything we wished. Unfortunately for the biggest percentage of people this stays only a dream and they come to the end of their lives after a lifetime of work and struggle, with a balance sheet that shows just a little over break even.

For the majority, the true value of their wealth you could be put in a skip. If the skip was placed outside their homes and filled with all the stuff they had collected, the second-hand value would be about £1000 in total. Sad but true.

Statistics show that out of every one hundred people, there are only five that do make it to financial independence. - Brian Tracy's Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

Money

In its most basic definition, money is something that we use as a medium of exchange. How you see money and what it means to you will determine how successful you are in every part of your life. We all need money, even those who state money is not important to them, every one of us needs to eat, we all need to be clothed, we all need shelter.

We all don't see money in the same way, some see money in a negative way, it being the root of all evil and anybody having a large amount must be bad or corrupt in some way. Others see money as a positive thing that brings help and happiness into their lives.

The fact is money is negative it is neither good nor bad; it is a tool which we use as a payment for goods and services. What we do and how we use money as individuals determines whether it is good or bad.

Measuring our success in the materialistic world we live in to day, it seems we believe we can measure a mans/woman's wealth by the things they have around them, we look at their postal address to see how affluent the neighbour hood is they live in, what car they drive, what clothes and jewellery they wear and for some obscure reason we believe a man must be wealthy if he is wearing the most up to date mechanical watch on his wrist.

We all seem to be using where we are financially as a gauge as to what level of success or failure we are achieving in life.

If we look at the ever increasing personal debt in the world today with a little commonsense we must come to the conclusion the vast majority of people in the western world, as far as I can see, are losing not winning in the wealth game.

The truth is it doesn't matter where you are from, what your age is, your nationality, what university you went to, how many qualifications you have or letters after your name. If you don't understand how money works, how to make it, protect it, and manage it you are most probably a statistic in the credit bubble and you are not doing very well in the wealth creation game.

So what is it, why do so many fail? The bottom line is most of us acquired our understanding from the people that brought us up. The basics about money, how it works, how to save it and how to make and invest it came from our parents. Don't get me wrong here our parents only educated us in the way they were taught and believed it to be true and right.

We don't do much better from our schools, on how money works, money management or anything relating to financial markets and investing. These subjects are not always included in the school curriculum. The rest we pick up as we go along from the media, newspapers and T.V. so there is no wonder we are totally unequipped to set out into the world and find it incredibly difficult to create any sort of wealth.

Barry Share is the Founder and editorial director of "The New Lifestyle Programme" Where you can get your copy of the amazing..."Design for your Success" a 7 step plan to achieving wealth health and happiness=> http://newlifestylepro.com/dfs-s.html

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How To Make Yourself IMMUNE To FRUSTRATION!

By Tayo Solagbade

Preamble

In this article, I use a very interesting interview of a millionaire entrepreneur as a basis for explaining WHY and HOW having what I prefer to call (as some others do) a - MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION* can make you totally immune to frustration in any form.

If you really want to be able to achieve the goals you set for yourself in life INSPITE OF the obstacles you encounter - like I am currently doing. If you want to be able to repeatedly surprise the "doubting Thomases" who question your ability to achieve your seemingly impossible goals, then you NEED to become OBSESSED with it!

This was the main thrust of the message given by Simon Woodroffe OBE, a billionaire entrepreneur/co-founder of the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain in the UK, in an interview text I read reproduced on page 36 of The Nations Newspaper of Wednesday 19th December 2007. By way of interest I will mention that I came across this interview because I chose to "find something for my eyes to do" while waiting in the reception of the Lagos Country Club to see if I would be fortunate to be granted audience by the Club President.

An Interview That Provides Valuable Insight

I did not get to see the Club President then (and have not done so till now) but by borrowing a newspaper from the person seated next to me and reading through it, I discovered this extremely valuable interview of Simon Woodroffe that made the time I spent in that club's reception worthwhile.

Below I reproduce some of the questions he was asked with paraphrased versions of his answers:

Question 1: How important is it to take risks? Simon answered that he has found that there is no right way or wrong way. He added that one thing he found common to all successful people is that they (to quote him) "do not go around succeeding all the time". Simon explained that successful people are always prepared to make mistakes, or get it wrong (i.e. fail) and as suffer the consequences - which frequently will include being "rejected".

This by implication means that successful people don't mind taking risks and sticking out their necks to venture into uncharted territory - trying to do what has not been done before. They adopt this attitude and approach knowing that if they fail, they can always get back up and try again.

Question 2: How did the Yo! brand begin? Simon started by stating that he left school without passing his certification exams at the age of 16 (see details via this Wiki encyclopedia link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Woodroffe ), pointing out that this lack of any formal high school leaving qualification made him adopt a "serious" approach to life early on. He painted an accurate picture of this situation by explaining that people do difficult things when they have no choice. They do not do difficult things because they want pleasure.

I think this is very powerfully insightful - and YOU should ruminate over it a while, calling to mind the lives and experiences of any successful persons you know. It is instructive to note that Napoleon Hill described this aspect in his success philosophy by asking the success seeker to "burn all bridges" so as to be able to maintain the "burning desire" to succeed in spite of the inevitable adversity s/he will encounter.

Question 3: How did you go about building something that was quite small to a multi-million pound business? Simon answered that a significant factor is the willingness of a person to let him/her self be in the right place to make things happen, in addition to being able to identify the specific things that are holding him/her back. He added that business does not really require a person to prove him/herself to be "clever" and also that life is not as complicated as many people make it.

One more thing he said which I feel compelled to highlight is that he does not think anyone - including himself - is really "very clever". He pointed out that the problem is that many people are just "lazy and stupid", and if a person can "get obsessed with something" s/he can do anything. He ended by saying that he never woke up with a desire to be wealthy - instead he always woke up in the morning because he was obsessed with making his dream or goal a reality or afraid that all his plans were going to fail.

In essence what Simon meant was that a person who is truly driven to achieve his/her valued life goal will ACT IT because that DRIVE to achieve it will manifest as an obsession that will see him/her "hit the ground running" every morning, to continue working towards it from where s/he stopped the day before.

Now, I'll end as follows: That you had a setback does not mean you're finished. That you're moving slowly does not mean you will not get there. You must NOT let others tell you it's taking too long. They cannot possibly know how long it should take because they are NOT from the future!!!

Your path to success will be unique. Pursue it - with passion and determination, and entertain no doubts along the way. Believe me when I tell you that soon, you WILL begin to LIVE the life you dream of. I am doing EXACTLY that already, and sometimes when I think about it, I am still amazed at myself and what I am achieving DAILY.

Your story can be the same too - just get OBESESSED today, and YOU WILL become immune to frustration.

1. Some introductory information about Simon Woodroffe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Woodroffe

2. "Be Yo! Self" by Simon Woodroff:

http://www.newbusiness.co.uk/article/07/01/2003/simon_woodroffe_s_comment_858.html

3. The official company website

http://www.yocompany.biz/

*(To learn more about what it means to have a magnificent obsession, read my ebook titled "Ten Ways You Can Use Self-Development To Create The Future You Want". Click the link at the bottom of this article to learn how you can get your FREE copy!)

Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist - Tayo Solagbade - works as a Multipreneur, helping individuals/businesses develop and implement tools/strategies to achieve their goals, faster and more profitably.

For more tips, information and news to help you LEARN how you can equip yourself to do what you do better, visit http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/news/sdacn_current.htm to subscribe to Tayo's Self-Development Digest newsletter.

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Luck - How It Impacts Success in the Business World

By Osric Baugham

To make it in the business world right now you need three things: money, knowledge and luck. Money and knowledge are self explanatory because you need money to invest in the business. You also need knowledge of the product you are selling or the service you are providing. Alas, how do you acquire luck? Let's explore what luck is and you will find that luck may really be within your control. Let's first define Luck. In Webster's dictionary, Luck is an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another; "bad luck caused his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance". Based on that definition, luck is out of your control; but it really is not. We will break Luck down into two parts: Preparation and Opportunity.

Before we explain preparation, let's go down memory lane. Take a minute and think of a time when you felt unlucky (got passed over a promotion, did not make the basketball team, etc). Now think of a time when you were lucky. Hold those thoughts; we will come back to them. Preparation is the component of luck that you control completely. Regardless of what you do in your life, there has to be some level of preparation. Whether it is laying out your clothes for the next day to studying for an exam to preparing a presentation at work, preparation is a key factor. Now, let's go back to a time when you felt lucky and unlucky: the situation that you felt unlucky, were you prepared? Had you done everything in your power to be ready for that situation? If you were indeed not ready nor prepared, then you can easily fix that component of luck. Remember, always be prepared for whatever!

Opportunity is the other component of luck that to the naked eye you can't control. However, let's explore opportunity. Opportunity is basically the vehicle of the event, situation or circumstance that you would like to benefit from in a positive manner. Opportunities are around us everyday. It all depends on what your interests are. Haven't you seen a situation or event and said to yourself, "if I was...., I could use that"? Opportunities are always available, but it depends on you. Opportunities can also be created, in a sense. You can put yourself in a situation, event or circumstance that you have prepared to take advantage of when the opportunity presents itself. Instead of being at the right place at the right time by chance, you can place [yourself] at the right place and wait for the right time to present itself. Therefore you can create your own luck after preparing adequately.

The bottom line is simple: In today's business world of entrepreneurs, you have to be savvy, creative, knowledgeable and lucky. Of the four characteristics, luck is one that you would think you could not control but as I have shown you, you can! Preparation and Opportunity is all Luck is. To be successful, you always have to have a plan (be prepared). Successful people are typically viewed as being lucky but all they do is take advantage of opportunities by being prepared. So do you want to be lucky? Start by being ready!

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Launching Success - Where Does It All Start?

By Pearla Philips

We've all heard of the 80 / 20 rule right, we'll I'm here to show you once again how true these numbers are and how YOU can use them once again to increase your business, grow at an amazing rate, and increase YOUR check!

The idea that things have to be perfect before we can move on will paralyze you and your business. People tend to focus on the 20% - trying to perfect everything there for they are NOT taking action.

In life you need to learn to go out and do it. Make it happen. Stop worrying about doing everything perfect. You've got to do the 80% first, than you can go out and perfect things, do the tweaking that is necessary.

A Great example of this is Steve, a friend of mine who recently published his first book. He wanted it to print his book in conversational script. It was only 80% but wanted to get it out. There are grammatical issues, period issues, run on sentences, etc. He didn't want a text book; he wanted an easy read full of substantial information.

He kept going back and forth back and forth with his editor and finally he decided to print the book, get it out there.

A Radio Voice called him after reading his book and invited him to air on her who. She said "you know if you really cleaned this up, it could be perfect it's got so much great content, it would be the perfect manuscript if you'd take care of some of this stuff. I wouldn't even put it out there."

He quickly told her if he hadn't have put this book out there he wouldn't be on her radio show. And that's the difference; most people get caught up in the details.

Yes there are grammatical errors that will be fixed, but the bottom line is he took action, got the book out there and now working on the detail with his editor to tweak the errors.

Another great example of this is Windows. When Microsoft sends out a new version of windows, it's only 80% done, and sometimes only 60% done. And then they send out what they call a patch. The patch fixes the soft wear. Do people complain? Yes, but it's still the most popular sold software ever.

There are people out there who are conditioned to look for the errors, but there are plenty of people out there that are positive and don't even see the errors. They look for the information. People, who are taking action, people who are doers.

If you want to be something or do something, quit worrying about everything being perfect, it won't be, so just get into action. One thing about writers, the write and write and write, and end up spending more time editing than writing. People will let you know when there are errors and you want to hear that so that you can fix it, but you know what...I got a book, do you have a book? Get it out there, go chase your dream; pursue what ever you are doing. Instead of worrying about being perfect, just do it, take action.

Quit worrying about perfection. Most people get caught up in the 20% perfection instead of focusing on the 80% of getting into ACTION

I'm an artist and I think I have to be perfect so I don't move forward,
I'm a signer so I think I have to be perfect so I don't sign.
Life is not about perfection. There is beauty in imperfection. Life is about doing, life is about action, life is about being bold, life is about focusing on that 80%.

If you focus on perfection you will stand still. Be bold, put it out there, get into action today! Will you stumble and fall? Absolutely, the question is will be stand back up, dust yourself off and move forward, if you are in action you will. You will also reach your life goals and have fun along the way!

About the Author: Pearla Phillips is an entrepreneur and self development junky. Her passion for inner growth and sharing it with others is contagious. Her website at http://www.besthomejobs.net offers an opportunity for others to have proven financial freedom thru the use personal development. For more FREE information on how you can benefit send a blank email to besthomejobs@comcast.net

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Success & The Law of Large Numbers

By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

I just read about a Houston man who has dedicated much of his life to collecting beer cans and to drinking their contents.

His larger goal was to build a house consisting of his carefully crushed cans, which he did. It is more than a shrine to his beloved beverage. It shows what you can do when you apply the Law of Large Numbers.

If you think I'm kidding, I'm not.

Accomplishment is truly in the eye of the beholder.

You may have seen "The Lady in the Water," the movie that featured a large apartment complex that was home to a peculiar assortment of human beings. One fellow was a bodybuilder.

Well, that's not completely accurate. He built up just ONE of his arms to what then appeared to be grotesque proportions.

"Why would anyone want to train just ONE arm?" you find yourself asking. How impractical!

But as the movie reveals there is a greater good to be served by that outsized limb.
My point here is to say that applying The Law of Large Numbers might seem foolish to everyone, but to you.

The Law of Large Numbers says if you do enough of anything, you'll succeed. Do more and you'll get rich. Do more than that, and you'll become a legend.

Collectors of all kinds are Law of Large Numbers types.

Politicians collect votes. Billionaires collect dollars, or possibly, Euros.

I collected coins as a kid and but-for my meager budget, I would have roped in thousands, if I could.

A famous TV host has a huge collection of cars, some very exotic. One day I saw him along with one of his broken down steam propelled beasts being hoisted onto the hook by the auto club, at the Van Nuys off ramp of the Ventura freeway.

Who is going to tell him: "Get a Toyota, it's more reliable"? He's a collector, and using the LLN is a hobby. It's fun, and really it's not hurting anybody including the enthusiast, himself.
The very fact that I feel the need to defend The Law of Large Numbers is interesting. It is almost as if an insidious Law of Entropy, or a demonic Law of Laziness, is constantly conspiring to make the LLN look or seem foolish, requiring me to battle back, to tell the world it's not only okay to indulge your penchant for multiplication.

It is a mighty and worthwhile thing to do.

Some sages get the Law of Large Numbers; they understand it to their bones, though they don't identify it as such.

Here is a gem from Carlos Castaneda, drawn from his book, The Wheel of Time. Castaneda says:

"...if an act is repeated long enough, one acquires a sense of unbending intent, which can be applied to anything else. If that is accomplished the road is clear. One thing will lead to another until the warrior realizes his full potential." (p. 244)

Think about the implications of this. Meditate with this passage in mind.

I know from my martial arts training that Castaneda is 100% right.

There is nothing so powerful as performing the most simple move, say a kick or a strike or a parry; over and over again, possibly tens of thousands of times, to not only perfect that move, but to gain insight into the essential challenge of becoming a master of anything.

Let's stay with the topic of martial arts, and specifically with self-defense, for a moment.

Most people who want to rob you are not willing to trade their lives for your possessions. On the contrary, they want a simple and efficient way of relieving you of your goodies.

In a word, they're lazy.

If they perceive in you a sense of resolve, a level of commitment, a focused being, someone who has "paid the price," whatever it is, in any human endeavor, they'll shy away from you and select a different victim.

You'll repel them without trying, because there is this ineffable quality in you, a warrior quality, that is missing in them. And you don't have to be seven feet tall to convey this "Don't tread on me!" message.

In the martial arts literature we see many mentions of "Tea Masters" who foil the carefully laid plans of bandits. These gentle beings are so together, so tranquil, yet so aware of the intentions of others, that they don't permit themselves to become ruffled or victimized.

It is said, if you are a master of one thing, you have great insight into mastery of anything. So, a mere bandit is no match for the skills of a Tea Master, or in all likelihood for a Law of Large Numbers practitioner.

Informing the mastery of all things is the willingness to adopt a large numbers mentality.
Tea Masters seem patient. They pour and serve s-l-o-w-l-y, without a hint of hurry. They have reached this level of calmness because they have permitted themselves to "study" the Way of Tea, for as long as it takes to do it well.

Have you ever heard the expression, "You can accomplish anything, if you will give yourself enough time"? This is the same idea.

Let me make a necessary distinction, here. Tea Masters aren't trying hard. Trying hard implies a lot of effort, tension, and fear of failure.

They, as well as masters-in-training in all walks of life, are however, willing to try often.
For a number of years, I've trained salespeople, many of whom are ardent non-salespeople. They'll tell you so.

They hate selling but since they decided to open their own businesses or because their bosses are insisting on it, they're trying to learn this craft, this vocation.

Do you know what the Number One Obstacle is that they'll encounter? (Hint: It isn't in the people they're trying to sell!)

They don't have a Large Numbers viewpoint.

Here's what I mean.

The first time they hear a "no" it reverberates in their minds like crazy. They replay it, pining over it, wondering if they really have what it takes to succeed in selling. That ONE rejection, often the first, is the only one they'll permit themselves to hear, and they quit.

If they only realized what seasoned sellers know, that it takes many no's to achieve a yes, they'd cut themselves some slack.

Novices don't have to try HARD, because hard has nothing to do with selling. Simply put, they have to try OFTEN.

They make selling hard for themselves precisely because they're seeking a way to avoid trying often.

I don't trust the books and articles that propound a "Lazy Man's Way to Riches," as one famous title proudly touts. The Law of Large Numbers and laziness simply will not work together.

Yet repeating something until mastery sneaks up on you isn't necessarily hard work, either.
There is a proverbial "Middle Way," a path that is taut but not tight, relaxed but not removed from caring or negligent, that is the right one.

Like a calligrapher whose goal is to make beautiful brush strokes, one has to have enough tension in his hand to have control, but you cannot force the letters to the parchment.
"Not too tight, and not too loose" should be our mantra.

Back to Castaneda's comment: He said, if we repeat an act often enough, we'll "acquire a sense of unbending intent," and then we'll be able to realize our full potential.

This seems to be different or possibly at odds with what subscribers to the Law of Attraction seem to be saying, but is it?

Simply stated, the Law of Attraction says you'll get what you think about. Think about wealth, visualize it coming to you, and through the Universe's mysterious ways, it will be yours.

In the same way, if you focus on negatives, then you'll reap those, instead.

A different way of summing this up is saying if you INTEND an outcome, you'll get it.
(This is, more or less, the idea underpinning the book and video program known as The Secret.)

How does this relate to Castaneda and to the Law of Large Numbers? The Secret says you can accomplish anything you want through mental means, and the manifestation of your thinking or intent will inevitably occur without added action on your part.

I interpret Castaneda as saying INTENT isn't simply a cause, a stimulus, but it is an effect, too, a response. You can build it up, like a storehouse, or like a battery that will energize you.
When you have developed unbending intent, you can apply it to manifesting whatever it is you want.

But I'm also reading into Castaneda the idea that you need to work at something, to take distinct actions that will bring about the objects of your desires. If you repeat just one act, even collecting beer cans, long enough, you'll end up with much more than a beer can house, and something infinitely more valuable.

You'll end up being a warrior, a being that is superior to the one you started out as before you undertook your Law of Large Numbers campaign.

Robert Pirsig, author of Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, points out that when we approach our tasks in the proper frame of mind, which I'll call a Large Numbers Consciousness, we're no longer repairing machines. The machines we're fixing "are ourselves."

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a popular keynote speaker, best-selling author of 12 books, and creator of the Nightingale-Conant audio program, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE. His web site is http://www.customersatisfaction.com and he can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

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Success Is Not A Popularity Contest

By Dennis Harting

This is not an article about acting like a jerk. Nor is it a condemnation against being a nice person. However, in researching the most successful, it is quickly realized they are not always the most liked. Success is not a popularity contest. The qualities which make one a prom queen do not translate into heading a corporation. Making it to the top means that you will step on a few toes along the way.

Successful people make tough decisions. Any leader knows that it is impossible to keep everyone happy. The larger the number of people that any one person leads, the more individuals that will be upset with a decision. It simply is the nature of leadership. A certain percentage of the people will always be against the choices that are made. Of course, to be effective, their approval is not required.

Developing "thick skin" is a prerequisite for success. Consider the daily ordeal that anyone famous must endure. The pressures in dealing with the press whether one is an actor, entrepreneur, political figure, or athlete are enormous. These are people who are tops in their fields, yet are assaulted daily by critics. Like is always preached, "Nobody ever erected a statue for a critic". Famous people understand that someone will always be questioning their choices. However, they do no allow their success to be tied to the approval of others.

Let's be clear: everybody wants to be liked. That is a facet of our humanness. We, by our nature, are social beings. The interaction and approval of others is crucial to our survival. Very few people were ever able to live the "hermit" lifestyle without going literally insane. In fact, isolation is a technique that is often used to extract information out of prisoners during war. The need for other people is biological. However, the need to be liked and approved by all is neurotic. Extreme people pleasing is a disorder that often requires professional treatment. It is a sign of low self worth. Individuals who suffer from this usually do not have the qualities to be successful.

Do you want to be successful? If you answered in the affirmative, then it is time for you to raise your self esteem so that it is not dependent upon other's approval. The path to success in most any endeavor is already paved. There are people who went before providing a blueprint to follow. The question is whether you have the internal confidence to forge that path in spite of what other's think. This journey requires some risk, tough decisions, and courage to persevere through the down times. It is not a choice for the weak hearted.

Being true to oneself is one of the toughest principles to live by. It is said that life is not a popularity contest. This is definitely true when it comes to success. Again, consider some of the most successful people. What is their day filled with? They are confronted with difficult decisions that affects a fair amount of people. Periodically, their ideas are met with extreme resistance. This is especially true when dealing with communities or government entities. People begin to protest their dislike for a particular individual or company. Donald Trump and WalMart are prime examples of ones who regularly meet this disapproval. However, they do not back down. They believe in their cause which allows them to remain true to it regardless of what others think.

A healthy place to begin is with the realization that someone is always going to disagree with you. As you progress up the path of success, the number of people who fall into this category only increases. Monitor your self esteem throughout this process. Make your decisions based upon the goals you are trying to attain. Resist the urge to try appeasing everyone. It is a fruitless proposition. However, by doing this, you will gain the respect of those who you are leading in spite of their personal feelings. Successful people are not always the most well liked. Yet, if they act in an ethical manner, they are the most well respected.

When it comes to being like, it is helpful to remember that: some will, some will not, so what.

Dennis Harting is one of the leading authorities on success, motivation, and overcoming procrastination. All his programs can be found at http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com. He is also the founder of the highly acclaimed success forum http://www.freesuccessforum.com.

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5 Day To Overcoming Procrastination

By Dennis Harting

Procrastination is something that creates a lot of havoc in people's lives. Most people know exactly what they need to do for success. The path to achievement in any endeavor is already paved. What separates those who achieve what they desire versus those who fail to do so is the action taken. Successful individuals do the things that creates successful outcomes. This is true whether one is referring to careers, athletics, relationships, or personal development. Success simply is determining what you want, creating a plan for the attainment, and taking action that moves you towards that end.

People who are afflicted with procrastination find it difficult to succeed. Since success is predicated upon action, procrastinators find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum. Procrastination, by it's very nature, inhibits action. Instead, it breeds stagnation. Productivity is reduced in all areas as this terrible trait gains a hold of one's life. Over time, it assumes more control. The act of putting things off becomes a procrastinator's default mindset.

Procrastination is a habit. It is not something that we are born with. Like most things, it is a trait that is learned through years of experience. Our mind uses this technique to "protect" us from experiencing negative consequences in our lives. Whenever it views a situation as one that might result in pain, our mind seeks ways to prohibit us from moving that way.

Procrastination, derived by the instilling of fear, deters action. We follow the mind's wishes by avoiding the task. Of course, we usually can put off something for only so long, until it is imperative that we complete it. It is at this point where the pain of avoiding is greater than the pain of doing.

How do we go about reversing years of procrastinating habits? Obviously, there will be degrees that each person suffers this. Some people are only mildly afflicted by it. Periodically, they put things off. However, for the most part, they are action-oriented. Then there are those who are totally paralyzed by procrastination. They put off everything. These are the people who's minds instantly tells them "later" whenever confronted with an activity. It matters little how difficult or easy the task is. The default mindset is delay.

Regardless of where you are, this activity will help get you on the path to action. The key to reversing a habit is to develop a new activity and do it over a long enough period of time to form a new habit. In our example we will show 5 days. To form a new habit, it is best to follow this up for a period of 21 days. This exercise is expanded by simply adding more tasks to the list.

To begin with, we are going to make a list of 10 activities we are putting off. If you want to handle the list for the 21 days, then write down 42 actions you are avoiding. It is typically best to start with activities which are fairly easy to accomplish. These tasks are forming our Procrastination List. We make a list putting down all those items we are presently putting off. After we complete our list, we choose two tasks that we are committing to completely the first day. We highlight these activities and put them in our daily planner. Next, we go complete those tasks. We cease thinking about it and simply go ahead. Easier activities are best because they allow us to develop momentum. The first day we cross off two items on our Procrastination List.

Guess what occurs the second day? Obviously, day 2 is a repeat of the first day. Choose two more items, highlight them, put in the daily planner, and complete. Again, we get to cross off two more items. This continues for a full five days. At the end of that time, we completed 10 activities which previously were left incomplete. This will give us tremendous momentum to accomplish more. You will find that your energy levels increasing as you put to rest uncompleted tasks. Energy that was previously spent thinking about an unresolved task is now regained. This will give you the necessary incentive to move forward for the remaining two weeks.

Completing two tasks each day will develop the habit of taking action. If you feel motivated, you can do three a day. I will caution against trying to do too many at one time. That has the tendency to burn one out quickly. It is equally as important to create the habit as it is to complete the activities. Procrastination instills the mindset of putting things off. This exercise will start shaping the mind to think "do it now".

Dennis Harting is one of the leading authorities on success, motivation, and overcoming procrastination. For the past 15 years he has studied some of the most comprehensive techniques used in personal development. All his programs can be found at http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com. He is also responsible for starting one of the most powerful free forums dealing with success on the Internet. Successful individuals can share their ideas while learning from others at http://www.freesuccessforum.com.

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Executive Coaching Guru Tells You What It Takes to Succeed

By Bud Bilanich

As an executive coach, I’m often asked for my best thoughts on what it takes to become a career and life success. I always tell my executive coaching clients to think systematically, to break success down into some manageable components.

Here is a bullet point summary of what I tell my executive coaching clients on how to become a career and life success. Put these points to use and you will succeed, just like my executive coaching clients.

My experience as an executive coach as taught me the simple, time proven common sense techniques are best for achieving the success you want and deserve. Take a look at these common sense ideas that I share with all of my executive coaching clients.

Do it yourself. Realize that no one is going to do it for you – not even your executive coach. You have to take personal responsibility for your success. Adopt the motto, "If it’s to be, it’s up to me."

Become an optimist. Believe that things will turn out well. When they don’t, don’t sulk. Learn what you can from a problem or failure and use it to your advantage the next time.

Don’t procrastinate. Procrastination is usually tied to fear. In most cases, when you procrastinate, you are doing so because you are afraid of something. Identify those fears and then do something to overcome them. Action cures fear. Act – even when, especially when, you are afraid.

Surround yourself with positive people. Jettison the negative people in your life. If you can’t rid yourself of them completely, do your best to minimize the time you spend with them. Negative people are an energy black hole. They will suck you dry if you let them.

Find a mentor or executive coach, someone who will help you meet your career and life goals. Mentors and executive coaches, by nature, are positive people. They can help you find the lessons in problems and failures and use these lessons to move forward.

Be a brand. Create and nurture your personal brand. Make sure you stand for and are known for something. Make sure that everything you do is on brand.

Look good. Be well groomed and appropriate for every situation. Always dress one level up from what is expected. In this way, you will stand out from the crowd. A good executive coach can help you with this.

Have manners. Learn and use the basic rules of etiquette. This will distinguish you as a person who is in the know. Social faux pas might not ruin your career, but they certainly won’t help it.

Make people comfortable. The best etiquette advice I’ve ever received is simple. In any social situation, do what makes the other person or people comfortable.

Become an expert. Master your technical discipline, and then keep learning. Become a lifelong learner. The half-life of knowledge these days is rapidly diminishing. Staying in the same place is the same as going backwards.

Aim high. Set and achieve high goals year after year after year. Use the S.M.A.R.T. technique of goal setting.

Get organized. Learn to use time to your advantage. Organize not only your time but your life and workspace. Sweat the small stuff. Success is in execution. Execution is in the details.

Become an excellent conversationalist. You can do this by listening more than you speak. Pay attention to what other people are saying and respond appropriately.

Write clearly and simply. Short words and sentences are best. Never use two or three words to say what you can say in one. Write in the first person. Use the active voice.

Develop your presentation skills. Adopt this simple formula for your talks: Tell them what you will tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Write your closing first, your opening next. Then fill in the content.

Get to know yourself, as well or better than your executive coach knows you. Use this knowledge to better understand others.

Get to know others. Use your knowledge of others to build strong, mutually beneficial relationships with them.

Give. Build relationships by giving with no expectation of return. When you help others because you want to, not because you believe they will do something for you, you’ll find that you will be repaid many times over. Giving of yourself, especially your time, is a great way to build strong, lasting relationships.

Use conflict as a means to improve relationships. When you find yourself in a conflict situation, focus on where you agree, not disagree, with the other person. This will help you develop creative solutions to your differences, and improve the relationship.

There is one last point I’d like to make here, and I make it over and over again with my executive coaching clients. You need to use this information. Hopefully, you have some more knowledge about becoming a success in your life and career after reading these quick points. But, as the U.S. Steel pencils used to say, "Knowing is not enough." You have to use this knowledge if you’re going to become a career and life success.

Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Good luck in your journey. You have my best wishes for your continued success.

Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy, is an executive coach, motivational speaker, author and blogger. He is the Official Executive Coaching Guide at SelfGrowth.com. Dr. Bilanich is Harvard educated but has a no nonsense approach to his work to goes back to his childhood in the steel country of Western Pennsylvania. http://www.budbilanich.com/.

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The Coup de Grace for Sustainable Long-Term Success

By Susan L Reid

Goals. We've all set them. We all know the sting of defeat when we don't reach them. So why do we sometimes fail to reach our most cherished goals? Are we missing something here?

Yes, we are. The number one reason goals fail is because we start out by identifying our goals. You heard me. Determining what our goals are is actually the second step we should take. The second, not the first step. There is an all-important "step number one" that we often leave out. Because of this, our goals start off on shaky ground with no foundation for success upon which to build.

What is this all-important first step?

Five Steps to Align Yourself with Success

1. Know who you are and what your purpose is.

Who hasn't wondered who they really are and why they are here? Behind every story of sustained long-term success is someone who knows the answers to these two questions:

* Who are you? * What is your purpose?

Success is generated from the inner place of knowing that what you want will manifest. For that to happen, you must know who you are and what your purpose is. If you don't, then you may reach your goal and not be able to sustain it.

2. Determine your goal.

This step is the first one in most manuals about how to set goals. That's been the problem: the cart has been placed before the horse. Set your goals only after you know the answers to step one, and you will be in a much better place to determine what goals you want. Not what other people want for you. What you want.

* Struggle = Setting goals without knowing who you are and what your purpose is.

3. Affirm it as a done deal.

Affirmations keep you mentally aligned with what you want and who you are. Say your affirmations in the present tense, and say them as if you know they will come to pass. This is the key to saying affirmations correctly.

* Delusion = Affirmation without aligned action.

4. Take aligned action.

Actions keep you moving forward. In order for you to be successful, you will need to take actions that are directly aligned with your goal. If you don't, you will experience frustration; the number one reason people throw in the towel and give up.

* Frustration = Action without alignment.

5. Expect and allow it to come to you.

If step one is the step most often bypassed, then step five is the step most often ignored. However, don't ignore this step! It is not an active action step; it is a state of being. Expecting and allowing something to occur is the opposite of going out and getting it. Being in a state of expectancy and allowing means you actually know your goal will manifest.

* Stuck = Not taking aligned action because you don't believe it's possible.

Coup de Grâce

How many times have you said to yourself, "I'm setting this as my goal, but I have no idea how I'll ever reach it"? Most of us have. The problem is that inherent in this statement is the belief that you can't manifest your goal, and that, even if you do, you won't be able to sustain it. With this kind of belief system in place, you will fail. This is why it's nice to know you have a coup de grâce in your back pocket that you can wield at a moment's notice.

"Coup de grâce" is an expression that means: a deathblow intended to end suffering. Sound rather extreme for the topic of success? Not if you've repeatedly failed at reaching and sustaining your goals. In order for successful goal manifestation to occur, you will need to deliver a firm and decisive deathblow to the dreaded "but... how" statements you're telling yourself. Whenever you hear yourself say or think a "but... how" statement, do these two things:

* Immediately stop what you are saying.
* Counter by taking an aligned action toward your goal.

We've all struggled with how to manifest and sustain long-term success. Well, struggle no more. Know who you are and what your purpose is. Only then will you be able to move past the fear and desperation that thwarts long-term success and into a place of inner strength and confidence that sustains it. And by diligently applying the coup de grâce, you will be able to manifest your goals successfully, each and every time.

Successful Small Business Start Up Coach, Consultant, & Author takes the fear out of starting up businesses by providing value, inspiration, and direction to entrepreneurial women transforming lives and making a difference in the world. Accidental Pren-her Blog is where entrepreneurial women come to embrace their Inner Samurai.

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How to Avoid Failure and Guarantee Success

By Christina Sponias

If you have a purpose, or you want to achieve a goal, or you want to possess somebody or something, never make plans based on your suppositions, because you may be totally wrong. You could ruin everything without realizing your ignorance, instead of doing what is necessary to succeed.

What you imagine and what you conclude, based upon a reality that you basically ignore, are not facts, but merely your personal opinion.

You may be very smart and know many things, but you certainly ignore much more than you know. Your ignorance is vast. Think for a while about this matter; think about all the things that you ignore, and about the things that you know only superficially.

You ignore practically everything, because the little knowledge you do have is limited by the characteristics of your time and civilization.

You had better learn this basic lesson very well: you ignore a great deal about a great many subjects, no matter how much you know about a few matters. Your knowledge is as small as a grain of sand, while in comparison, your ignorance is an entire mountain.

If you want to succeed, you must be careful and observe the objective reality as it is, without making your plans based on your fantasies.

Don't think that you can guess how other people are going to react when you carry out your plans - and don't think that your plan is perfect just because that is what usually happens to everyone else.

Some people are not what you would expect them to be. There are so many things you ignore, that you may be shocked when you learn them and perhaps, feel very ashamed for coming to a hasty conclusion.

Never play with people's reactions, making your plans based on what they will probably do, because they may do exactly the opposite of what you were expecting.

If you want to learn the entire truth about everything and be able to predict other people's reactions, besides being able to correct what could develop badly in the future, start writing down your dreams and interpreting their meaning using the scientific method of dream interpretation, which is a unique method that exactly translates the dream messages, and which will work like psychotherapy for you.

All the objective information you receive about other people and the external reality is given to you in order to save your mental health. This is the purpose of the wise unconscious mind that produces your dreams.

Instead of acting based on your suppositions, follow the wise guidance you receive from the unconscious mind and save yourself from depression and craziness, which could happen if you fail.

Learn how to be wise and to do only what is good for you, so that you'll be always successful in life, instead of trying to achieve your goals without knowledge, only to end up in despair.

Prevent Depression and Craziness through the scientific method of Dream Interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by Christina Sponias, a writer who continued Jung's research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere. Learn more at: http://www.booksirecommend.com

Click here and download your copy of the Free ebook Beating Depression and Craziness

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