As a life coach for a number of years now, I have been exposed to the concepts and tools necessary for creating a happy life. This information is not just text book theory, it is real, and I am proud to say that I am making a difference in such a positive way that both my clients and my children will maintain a real advantage in their future.
So what are the messages I impart? What are the tools I employ? And what is the language I maintain for a healthy mind? There any many imaginative ideas one can institute within the household to create awareness, and these examples seem to work for us, not always immediately, but I feel certain they will play out in a positive way in the future. When one singles out each item individually, they may seem too simple to make a difference, however when combined with a full understanding of the technology they begin to make a lot more sense.
So why is it that human beings are so unhappy? Why do we hear that 1 in 4 Australians are clinically depressed? This article would be too long if I were to cover all the reasons, but I will nevertheless attempt to address a number of them.
1. We compare upwards.
There are so many things around us that make our life “easier” and provide us with more leisure time:…. DVD players, washing machines, fancy cars, play stations etc.. As we have more leisure time, these materialistic things help us fill our days, they make us “look good” and possibly temporarily happy, and more importantly provide us with the things that someone else doesn’t have.
So what happens to the people who don’t have some or all of these items? Children want what others have and feel that these things will make them and their lives more interesting and fun. We all want things. We don’t need them, we just want them. We want them because our friends appear happier, and we want to be a part of that. So we compare upwards and we look to what we don’t have thus create a par. It’s this vacuum that gives us a feeling of not being complete and we think we are not able to be happy. How often do we compare downwards? How often do we stop and say, “I am so happy to be free and can play with my children at the park”, “I am so happy that I am alive and have food on the table”. “I am so happy to be healthy and am not in hospital recovering from cancer.”
I am consistently reminding my children to not only appreciate what they have, but to create a list on a daily basis of all the things they appreciate. The appreciation list can be as simple as “I appreciate getting a call from my friend earlier today”. We need to balance out our comparison mechanism. It is becoming so increasingly difficult with society becoming more affluent, and the media controlling what we are told to think. We really have to start working hard at this. We have to start playing the game of life, so that it starts to work in our favour because as I look around at the number of overweight , depressed people and the state of this planet, we are losing the battle.
What else do I do to make my children aware? For many years I have been telling my kids to mute the ads on television. The marketing people who create these advertisements are a lot smarter than we are. They cleverly use positive associations to sell their products with no regard for what or how it is effecting our comparison state. They use anchors and leverage us into softening our brains.
I have signs around the house and try to create a balance. Small posters that say things like “A week of need not want”, “A month of NOW!”, “Don’t complain about it, change it or fix it”, “A situation needs to be either dealt with or accepted” “Why make it a problem? There are no problems in the NOW.” These signs inspire discussion and subliminal alterations to my children’s assessment of life.
2. We have an obscured concept of what success is.
Many people in the western world think that success is a house, car, money, and possessions. You don’t have to look far at the statistics to discover that the financially wealthy are not necessarily happier than those with less financial means and are more challenged financially. Who was it that stated:
“Today, we have more experts but more problems, more medicine but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.”
Bottom line, happiness has little to do with money. It is our state of mind. I remember when I was in my teens thinking that if I had enough money just for my bus transport I would be so happy. Then I got older and all of a sudden, it was not enough, I wanted a car etc. You know what I mean. Look around you, see how much STUFF you have, is it made up of a NEED or a WANT. Do you remember how happy you were when you only had a few boxes in your life, no baggage. Then you start to fill it up with stuff. Did it make you happier? Ladies and Gentleman, this is not success. It is empty and lacks value. And it never ends. This path will continually be fed by trying to get somewhere, and humans do not realise that there is nowhere to get. We are creating dreams about “some day, one day”. When I finally get my BMW then I will go camping with my family. When I just get $x, then I will start a family, When I finally drop 7kilo I will be happier with my weight. The time is NOW, right now. This moment. Don’t wait, do it now. Go on that trip, get involved with needy children, do that thing you have always said you would like to do. Help the less privileged. Just remember if you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. Success is finding YOUR OWN passion, discovering what you want to do with your life and going for it 200%. Not doing what others tell you. Start today. Learn about yourself, then create the most amazing possibilities for yourself.
Life is beautiful and the universe if perfect in every way. All you have to do is allow yourself see how beautiful things are, how wonderful you are, and start to become part of what is already perfect.
3. Communication:
You don’t have go back many years to see how communication has changed. Think back to the days when you would walk along the street, take public transport and people would say “Gday” “Lovely day” etc. On face value it doesn’t mean very much, but this is the game of life we are not playing any more. We prefer to sit opposite a computer, answer emails, play computers games, swim in our pools at home, watch TV etc, left to communicate with our own “little voice”. In fact with 50,000 thousand thoughts we have on a daily basis, it seems that we are spending more and more time “ALONE”. Now that would be OK if our internal communication was open to new ideas, with a potential to create thought- provoking new concepts and important issues in life. However, the internal chatter is so limited, and has become so moulded by our clever governments and advertising geniuses, that we don’t have a chance. That’s because we are only working from a position of what we know we know and what we know we don’t know. It has left no room for all the things we don’t know we don’t know. We can only get access to those blind spots in our life if we have other people expose them. We can only get it by being present to our voices. We can only get it from others. If you were to engage in a conversation with that old lady on a bus, imagine what pearls of wisdom you may get from her. Or that gem from that person we chatted to while waiting at the checkout at the supermarket. We have been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbour. We have conquered outer space but not inner space. We need to get back to basics and start talking. We will all begin to discover that pretty much all people in the universe want the same things and generally think similar thoughts. We all want to be happy. 
I am continually chatting to people, smiling as I walk past people, and I let my children see that, we discuss it continually and make points of interest to what goes on. Continually talking about the concepts of how people are trying to “look good and trying to avoid looking bad”, and all about “life”. Remember your children are not getting an education about “life” from school where they spend most of their days. Don’t forget that you DID NOT GET ANY EDUCATION AT SCHOOL ABOUT LIFE. So get learning, get educated and start educating the children. It will help them with their health, relationships and conventional education.
I encourage you to consider that life is beautiful, and note that we have learned to make a living but not a life and we have added years to our lives, but not life to our years.
What I do:

Among other things, I provide face to face life coaching in Melbourne Australia. I am continually making a difference in people’s lives. I know that 5 minutes before I die I wont be thinking about the house or car I did or didn’t have, rather I will be smiling at the thought of the numerous people whose lives have been effected positively by my input. It is the most rewarding life I could lead and I could ever pursue.
jonathan@lourie.org
Jonathan Lourie is life coach living in Melbourne Australia. He can always be contacted on 1300-789-007 for coaching. Free intro session with exceptionally reasonably charges. Jonathan specialises in depression and finding a way to happiness.

Have you ever observed individuals who always appear to be up? Did you wonder how could these people be so happy? Were you just a little envious of their pursuit of happiness and success? And finally, have you ever wished that you could sincerely be full of such life and energy?
If you have experienced any of these thoughts, you are not alone. Loving life is not easy given that we are conditioned from early childhood to early adulthood to embrace misery before we embrace joy. However, there is one proven way to begin to be that intentional individual who truly loves life and attracts the bounties of life by connecting your passion to your purpose. By taking action, your performance or love of life will dramatically increase and you will begin to reap the bounties from this paradigm shift.
Have you ever written your own purpose statement? Defining your individual purpose of life is the first step to loving your life. This statement answers the question – Why am I here? In framing this answer, you will also need to think about the gifts that you bring to the table of life. These gifts are many and may include:

Gratitude
Joy
Optimism
Thoughtfulness
Intelligence
Creativity
Loyalty
Determination

The completion of your purpose statement primes the pump to crystallize the answer to this question: What is passion for you? What motivates you to continue the daily grind? What energizes your inner spirit when life is overwhelming? What do you truly enjoy?
Loving life is much easier when you have understood both your purpose and passion. Of course, there will always be challenges or what I call negative energy that drains you from loving life. However, with a thought, you can reverse, so to speak, the polarity of that negative energy and convert that energy into enhancing your life or the lives of those around you. Kevin McCarthy in his book The On-Purpose Person suggests that you think of a light switch. When the switch is on, you are on purpose.
People whose actions clearly demonstrate a love of life understand that passion is the energy. When passion is connected with purpose or the light switch, life is full of peace and abundance. Of course, the choice is always yours: Whether to embrace life with misery or with joy? My choice is that life is meant to be lived with positive energy. We have been given the opportunity to continually develop our love of life. And so with that personal philosophy guiding my actions: Please MAKE it a great day, month, year and life.
P.S. You may enjoy this quote by James Allen: “As water, when transmuted into steam, becomes a new, more definite and wide reaching power, so passion, when transmuted into intellectual and moral force, becomes a new life, a new power for the accomplishment of high and unfailing purposes.”
Leanne Hoagland-Smith quickly doubles results for her clients from individuals (small businesses owners, entrepreneurs and young people) to large organizations by creating executable strategic action plans along with the necessary business skills to pull it off. By closing the gap between today’s unsatisfactory performance to tomorrow’s goals, limited resources are maximized with waste including time being reduced. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601 or visit www.processspecialist.com/ and explore how she can help you.
One quick question,if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadbloack holding you back from success, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible results.
P.S. If you are seeking an inspirational and affordable speaker for that special event, Leanne may help fit your current speaking need.

We hope that the following short extract from my new manuscript on sport psychology, called THE WINNING MIND may be informative and helpful to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. You have permission to publish this piece (formatted to 60 characters, approx) electronically or in print.

“We share what we know, so that others may grow”

THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS — IN WORK AND IN LIFE

by Craig Lock

* Self-imposed limitations impose a ceiling above you, so look to extend yourself to your full potential. The human mind is an amazing thing which can be expanded. Like a telescope!

* Use your imagination.

* Self discipline is an acquired habit. Teach your children this habit (and other good habits … but not point one!) when they are young.

* Establish other good habits. Start your day early. Use your most productive time and especially, your first hour wisely – when you are most alert (if ever?).

* BE ENTHUSIASTIC and AVOID DISTRACTIONS. I think enthusiasm is a vital key to success. You have to enjoy what you are doing and not merely “go through the motions”.

We all have choices in the way in which we are going to live our lives. We can also choose the attitudes we are going to take: whether we are going to hold a positive or a negative outlook on life. Far more on this intriguing and complex subject later; but it is critical to whether you achieve success or not.

So make DAILY AFFIRMATIONS or short positive statements to yourself, eg. say, “I am on the right track”, or “I can do it”. These positive thoughts encourage you, especially if they are repeated frequently. The effects of daily affirmations are that they imprint upon our deeper consciousness, which reflects in the way we function. They make you feel better about yourself and in so doing enhance your confidence.

“A pessimist is one who sees a difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist is one who sees an opportunity in every difficulty…” – anon.

It is best to have a positive self expectancy by looking at “the bright side of life”. Mexican wisecracking golfer, Lee Trevino is one of the world’s greatest optimists. He visualizes each shot having the best possible outcome – dropping in the hole; whereas the weekend “hackers” in all spheres of life often think what can go wrong with each shot. And it often does!

It doesn’t happen every time that Lee gets the ball in the hole, but it happens a lot more than most others. Time for a book on sports psychology, perhaps!

Many successful sportsmen and even ordinary happy people EXPECT success and happiness. And they get it ….

It’s all in ONE’S ATTITUDE TO LIFE.

Always bear in mind … “the greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.”

- Walter Bagehot

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooten

Whatever you do, be enthusiastic and avoid distractions. Focus totally on your task at hand. American President Franklin Roosevelt said … “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

Are your fears holding you back? Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Take the blame and the credit for your position in life honestly and openly. You alone are responsible for it.

Break your routines:

Remember,

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got”. Make sense?

Spend 30 minutes alone each day to meditate. Contemplate your life and where you’re heading.

Seek and talk to a person who currently is doing what you want to do most and doing it well. It doesn’t matter how humble or famous they are or what it is they do: acting, singing, or merely being a good parent … or just a hard “plodder”. Get advice from the “experts”. When we talk of success we usually think of winning: the topic of the next section. Not that we all can be winners in every aspect of our lives.

Who and what are winners?

* Winners take responsibility for themselves. They know what they want and set realistic goals for themselves.

* Winners make it happen, losers let it happen (but then losers I believe are only misguided winners). “Losers” probably lack only a right attitude, maybe a bit of knowledge or perhaps motivation or direction at crucial times.

* Winners have a positive self image. They read biographies of famous people. They watch educational and inspirational cassette tapes for self improvement, as well as stimulating television programmes in general. Winners have a quest to gain knowledge and make the most of themselves – they know their time is limited and precious and so they make the most of it.

It is easy for you to become a winner too. You can read positive books and other inspirational works. Like this one. You can listen to motivational tapes, which can also serve to improve one’s attitude to life. At first I was very skeptical, but they definitely do work if you allow them to sink in through repetition (it is not brainwashing, but controlled learning). I feel I am learning something new every day. There is such a great amount of truth and knowledge to be found in books.

Feed your mind continually with positive thoughts.

Remember to take time out to relax and unwind. Before the mind can be relaxed, the muscles must be. A relaxed body makes for a healthy mind, which can absorb information more easily. So you can watch the “soapies”, if that gives you enjoyment and relaxes you! But DO EXERCISE as well. I definitely don’t get enough of that. Winners visualize success and positive outcomes to their endeavours and they know when to relax. Remember how and what you think determines the way your life will turn out; because our thoughts determine our attitudes.

It is said that winners have only 5% of the available talent, but have 95 per cent of the drive. Usually there is not such a great difference between the world’s top sportsmen, in terms of pure talent. Much of what distinguishes the winners amongst them comes from the mind … thinking positively that you are a winner and handling pressure. Think of the sportsmen who got to the top through sheer hard work, far more than their natural talent. I often think of a small man, like South African golfer Gary Player. A man not physically endowed (sounds rude!), who was out-driven metres and metres by the far larger American golfers. He was always at his best when the “chips were down”. Not French fries.

Remember, on your journey to the top (if that’s what you want … and it’s not for everyone), sheer hard work and DETERMINATION is just as important as your intelligence and ability. It is probably the single most important step on your stairway to success.

To be successful yourself, associate with winners – not because they are successful people whose coat-tails you want to hang onto. Rather, because they are positive people who have achieved something in life, no matter how small it may be. They do not have to be rich and famous – as long as you enjoy their company … and them yours. There’s nothing wrong with admiring or envying them as role models.

Ask yourself: Would I like to “fly with the eagles, or scratch with the turkeys”?

Remember:

“Success comes from 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration.” – famous American inventor, Thomas Edison and one of the men who has had the most impact on the world in the twentieth century.

*

THE FORMULA TO SUCCESS:

As I see it…

CONCEIVE + BELIEVE = ACHIEVE

VISUALIZE + INTERNALIZE = REALIZE

SUMMARY:

THE STEPS TO SUCCESS

There are a number of important factors that make people successful in achieving their personal goals … and I believe goal-setting is the key ingredient to success. These, I believe, are the crucial ingredients:

* Have a VISION of what you’d like to be. What thoughts would you like to change? Where do you want to go?

* Belief in oneself and the ability to succeed.

* Good self esteem, ie. a healthy self image – being comfortable with who you are.

* Self confidence.

* Self discipline.

* A burning desire to achieve your pre-set goals.

* NB: Personal integrity and good ethics. This is of absolute importance … because once you lose your integrity, you’ve lost everything.

* A desire to give something back to society and to invest in people – a very worthwhile life mission. If you help people get what they want and achieve their full potential in life, so will you.

* Having worthy goals which benefit oneself and others.

* Consistency and commitment.

* An ability to avoid distractions.

* Affirming oneself daily.

* An ability to take calculated risks.

* An ability to learn from your mistakes and overcome the fear of making them.

* An ability to handle stress well. Most important in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world.

* Exercise.

* Relaxation.

* Self motivation.

* Try looking at yourself through other’s eyes.

* Talk yourself and others up (through self-affirmations).

Project a positive self image as often as you can. It’s not always possible though, as we all feel discouraged from time to time. It’s perfectly natural. The difference is that winners can pick themselves up when down.

Remember always: the only limits to your accomplishments in life are self imposed.

* NB: Have a winning focus and a positive attitude. At least as often as you can.

Stay positive and determined, even when “the chips are down”.

Concentrate and contemplate.

Practice and be patient.

Keep pen and paper handy (to write down new and better thoughts and ideas). I keep them by my bedside. Not the thoughts, but pen and paper; then try to decipher my atrocious scrawl, when I wake up in the morning!

Try to understand your unique personality make-up.

Be COMMITTED and PERSEVERE.

Draw on and develop the courage that is within every one of us.

Finally, continually keep your eyes fixed on your ultimate goal, your grand purpose in life. What are you trying to do with it? You can yet achieve it, no matter how far you are down the track of life. I sincerely believe that.

Then have absolute FAITH in yourself and in a Higher Power … and His (or Her)

plan for your life (which is God, the “Great Designer” speaking to you through imagination and inspiration).

* * *

To end off, a few quotations which help inspire me often in my personal journey ….

“Be bold and unseen and mighty forces come to your aid”

“The greatest risk in life is to risk NOTHING … The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing ….”

- Norman Vincent Peale.

“Only the person who risks is truly free. A man’s conquest of himself dwarfs the conquest of Mount Everest”.

- N.V.Peale (again).

The key lies in FINDING YOUR PASSION: what drives you and presses your “hot buttons” …

“A passion for anything will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.” – William Hazlitt

“Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it”. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Whatever you want or desire in life, remember Hamlet’s words written by the great English playwright, William Shakespeare:

“To thine own self be true.”

Just remember,

You are launched on a great journey

and …

“Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir the blood to action, make big plans, aim high in work and hope.”

- D. Burnham

Craig Lock

http://www.craiglock.com

The “original” Online Creative Writing Course http://www.nzenterprise.com/writer/creative.html

This short extract is from my new manuscript on sport psychology. THE WINNING MIND and Craig’s other books are available at: http://www.bridgeniche.com/CLOCK/zaniestbooks.htm

THIS ARTICLE MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED

Your personal theme can be changed, just like you change the theme of your browser or your computer. Your theme is built from partly what you have experienced in your life, partly what you have been taught, and partly from you genetics. These are the recurrent attitudes you approach life with. That’s your theme.

If you are worried constantly, “easy to anger”, take life with a “grain of salt”, are “always optimistic” about what is going to turn up – these are all life themes.

You change them, like any habit, through substituting another habit for them. Yes, attitudes are habits. They are adopted by repetition.

You can control any of your attitudes, and should. Just as you stand out if you are laughing at the wrong point in a theater or crying when everyone is jubilant around you at a football game, you attitudes should be appropriate for what is going on around you. This doesn’t mean you agree with everyone’s reactions – but you can decide whether you want to call attention to yourself.

I covered this point of controlling your attitudes in my book “Go Thunk Yourself(TM)!” Re-programming your habits was covered in my “Go Thunk Yourself, S’more!”.

Of course, I’m doing this for myself as I write this. The re-programming I’ve been doing in my own life has some interesting results so far. The program, as you may recall, is to play “The Secret” DVD several times every day for at least 30 days – and follow the tips and techniques in this DVD. You can also use Earl Nightingale’s “The Strangest Secret”.

I often listen to this as background while I am doing other work. What I’ve found is that my basic core attitudes have been changing. The text of the DVD has been becoming almost subliminal – listening to something like this makes it become nearly learned by rote, you often know the upcoming part and what is going to be said next. This is the exact point. If you can find a single recording which has a complete system on it, playing it over and over enables you to learn this and reprogram your life with it. There aren’t a lot of these recordings, but you will find that many authors such as Wayne Dyer and Earl Nightingale said to constantly play other self-help tapes in your life, to surround you with these articles, books and so on. You are going to reprogram yourself in this fashion.

Oddly, you can do this by simply turning off your radio, TV and reading less newspapers during your day. It’s interesting to see how quiet things are and what thoughts now come into your mind. If you do this, you can see what you are constantly thinking about during the day – what your “theme” is in life. You will see what your attitudes are and how you deal with things around you. Because you aren’t constantly being inundated with stories of the dead, dying, or threatening – you now have time to track your own thoughts. And then you can decide whether you want to change them or not.

Reprogramming is like gradually replacing all the colored clothes with whites or vice-versa. You mostly only can pull out a single item at a time and sometimes you pull out the wrong thing – but it’s ok to drop something back in. Sometimes you don’t have a choice, since a white long-sleeved shirt might be entangled with a pair of jeans. But you simply take out the pair, untangle them, and then put back in the one you want.

As you play an MP3 or DVD daily, you start to give yourself a recurrent line of thought to compare your other thoughts with. What I’ve found is that this method will show up a regular and definite chronic line of thought in your life. With “The Secret” DVD, I’m starting to change any old patterns of self-doubt, anxiety, temper with the positive emotions I really always have cherished. Only now, I can simply keep these positive emotions in my life as a constant theme.

So in your efforts to change your own theme, you are simply changing the world around you. That’s just the way it is. The only way this could fail would be in your keeping all this great stuff to yourself. But then, you’d be surrounded by people with secrets, wouldn’t you? And you would have mysteries constantly appearing in your life, wouldn’t you?

Your world and what you think is entirely up to you. What you experience around you is up to you. If you don’t like the stress in your life, if you don’t like the arguing, if you feel like you don’t control where your life is heading – change it.

I’ve laid out in this article how you can do it. You can change your life to whatever you want it to be. You can travel, become a millionaire, live a rock star’s life – anything you want. For me, I like living on a farm and having the time to do my artwork and write. You might like more action in your life – I cherish solitude. What you want in your life, what your theme is – all of this is up to you to change and sort out for yourself.

Whatever your life’s theme song is – it’s up to you. And only up to you. No one can change your life for you. Get one of the classics, or one of my books, or several – or listen to Dyer’s tapes, or Nightingale’s. Or pick up anyone else’s and play them constantly for yourself, for your own personal good.

And you’ll find your theme changing – so let us find you constantly humming your own theme song.

During the course of our daily lives, we make plans. We make plans for dinner, for trips to the grocery store, and for cleaning our house. We also make long-term plans for our education, our finances, our businesses, and our vacations. However despite all the planning that we do very few of us actually make a life plan and this is a critical oversight as a life plan would encompass all those areas as well as our self development, personal relationships and happiness.

We all have the capacity for happiness and success in every area of our lives including our personal development, our relationships, and our professional lives, but happiness and success do not just happen. We must actively seek them out and set in motion plans and actions that will make them not only possible but probable.

That is why you need a life plan, but actually creating one takes time and thought — something so many of us have little to spare. However don’t begrudge the time you could spend on a life plan because in the end that time is a very good investment that will help you save time and stress once you have your life plan fully developed. And isn’t anything that can help you achieve happiness and success a worthwhile investment of your time and energy?

Where You Are Now

Before you can begin crafting your life plan you must evaluate your current status. Reflect on the realities of your life including your commitments, finances, and dreams. What about your life makes you happy and what makes you unhappy?

Where are you now in terms of work, recreation, relationships, finances, and anything else you consider important. For example, I consider it important that my life contributes to the greater good and I have friends who consider the long-term impact of their life is an important measure.

Rate each of these areas with a letter grade with “A” of course being the highest score for the best possible life. Then calculate your overall life grade. Obviously if you have a 4.0 then your life is on track, but anything less means there are some areas you will need to work on.

It is important to identify the areas of your life that you consider successful or at least on track to success as well as the areas that you would like to improve.

Let Your Dreams Out

A big part of creating your life plan is letting yourself dream of what your ideal life would include in all the key areas you identified above (career, relationships, etc.).

Don’t worry about realities or impossibilities. Just give your heart and mind free reign to picture everything you wish your life could be in terms of relationships and family; profession and career; finances and retirement; and how you’d like to spend your time (travel, hobbies, etc.).

If money and other considerations were not a factor what would you do with your time and your life? What gets you really excited? What have you always wanted? What do you love to do (professionally or personally).

Step Back Into Reality

Note the abilities, experience and strengths you already possess that can help you live your ideal life.

Make a list of the accomplishments you are most proud of in your professional and personal life. Can any of these help you achieve your idea life?

Evaluate your work style and habits. Do you work better alone, in a group, or as a manager? What time of day is your peak performance? How many hours a day or week are you capable of working at a high level of performance?

Now Make Your Plan

Once you have created a vision of your dream life and evaluated your strengths and weaknesses then you are better able to create a plan that will help you achieve your ideal life.

Perhaps your dream is to own your business but currently you don’t have any experience with management So find a way to gain that experience through your professional work or in a volunteer capacity.

Now that you know where you want your life to go and you know how far along that path you have progressed then it is simply a matter of working toward your goal to achieve that life of happiness and success you desire.

How are you living your life? Do you wake up every morning looking forward to living a beautiful and fulfilling day? Or do you feel bored and wake up to one meaningless day after another?

As you keep on reading you will discover the real trick to living a true life. After all, you deserve to live a life worth living.

I came across an amazing quote that contains one letter that makes all the difference. This one letter expresses the true essence of life, and encompasses the wisdom of how to live a truly extraordinary life.

Let me share with you this quote:

“The real trick is to stay alive as long as you live.” – Ann Landers

See the letter “A” in the word “alive”?

That letter is the key. All of us are living our lives – but very few of us are truly feeling ALIVE.

Having passion for your life and doing what you love is the key to creating an extraordinary life.

Aliveness is the feeling of living life to the fullest. It is waking up every morning full of energy and exhilaration.

Aliveness is living your life with passion and enthusiasm. It is acting with a sense of meaning and purpose.

Aliveness is having a sense of contribution and doing things that make a difference. It is crafting your legacy with every action you take.

That is how you should live your life. That is how you DESERVE to live your life. You deserve to not only live, but to be ALIVE.

Stop wandering aimlessly through your life, lacking a real purpose. Stop settling for just making a living and paying your bills. Start looking to make a difference and leave a legacy.

You are meant for a great purpose. Find it and live it. And in that way, you will feel ALIVE every moment of your life.

The real trick to living a TRUE life is to find what unleashes your potential and makes you feel alive.

The real trick to living a TRUE life is to stay alive as long as you live.

From now on, don’t waste a moment doing something that sucks your energy and turns you into a dull person.

Find what makes you feel alive and do it every day. Stay alive as long as you live and you will make a difference and leave the world a better place to live in.

Aliveness is the key to greatness. Do what you love and give it all you’ve got.

Do you want a BREAK-through in your life? This is a great article that may even CHANGE your life! This is a worthwhile read. Success in life doesn’t come easy for many people. Otherwise, there would not be so many suicide cases, so many bankruptcies and so many divorces in the world today. Success could be in the area of your finances, educational pursuits, relationship success with a soul-mate or with your family members and friends. I PROMISE that this article is going to be a long but an extremely meaningful one!

Some people achieve success by obtaining fame, some by obtaining wealth and others, by fulfilling their dreams to do something great for the benefit for mankind. Success does not necessarily always mean material status. Whatever it is, everyone have their own goals in life. A life without a goal is a meaningless one. We have only got one life-time to live; our destiny is within our control.

People who usually tend to read such articles are mostly:
1) People going through huge adversities in life, waiting for a miracle, a break-through in life. They are stuck in certain situations in life. They might be in severe depression, in a state of anguish, or simply living aimlessly in life. They are seeking for a new hope in life, a Break-through in life or a solution in life.

2) Those that are already successful in life, or considered themselves as successful people. They are constantly seeking new ways and new improvement for themselves.

Because that is where you feel the most urge to do something about your life!

No matter which category you belong, everyone faces set-backs in life. Some set-backs are not caused by us. Life has many ups and downs. Just like the seasons; we cannot change the seasons, but we can learn how to adapt in them. When winter arrives, we put onto our winter-clothing. When it comes to summer, we let go of ourselves and feel the warmth of the sunlight. Similarly, some major set-backs in our life can be adapted. Such hardships and failures sharpens our maturity in life, builds strength in ourselves to deal with future obstacles.

Have you heard of the recent report on Amoeba? Amoeba is one-celled organisms, so tiny they require the use of electron microscopes to study them properly. They are one of the simplest created creatures in our planet.

The Berkeley scientists created the perfect living environment for the amoeba. Guess what happened after awhile to these organisms? They died. WHY???

Because they are too used to living such a comfortable environment and they didn’t learn to toughen themselves up. They became weak and eventually died. What is the morale of the story?

Simple…Problems in life toughens us up. Adversity in life is only temporary. Without going through certain hardships in life, we could not gain success. Take for an example, being a doctor. Do you think it is easy to be certified doctors in the U.S? Without going through the years of hard work and determination in life though education, would they be able to achieve what they are today? Let’s backtrack to the example on Amoeba again. This is the nature of life! It applies to all organisms in the planet. That is very similar to Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory where the strongest species survive from natural selection.

Take set-backs in life positively! This is where your greatness resides. In the face of adversity. In the grips of fear, uncertainty and self-doubt. Your character is molded here.
You will develop best in the midst of adversity.
When others say you “can’t.”
When others say, “Who are you to do that?”
When others expect you to fail and whine,

Don’t give up! Keep growing. Keep putting yourself in hostile territories…because this is where dreams are tested, where perseverance puts value into the marketplace, and where the character of a true champion is being made.

No matter what situations you faced in life, just “Stay Positive in life!” It will shape your personality. A great personality not only consists of staying positive in life but also your whole physical outlook, your character, your EQ (Emotional Quotient) – almost everything about you! Almost EVERY basic tool you need to have before you think of achieving ANYTHING in LIFE! Your Personality is the BASIC building BLOCK of success… To have a great personality, you got to learn how to stay positive in life Regardless of the situations.

Never underestimate the POWER of Positive thinking! The power of positive thinking has always been a Powerful tool! Learn how to have the “right” frame of mind. Especially when it comes to facing great adversities in life, many people cannot harness the power of controlling their own mindset in a positive way of looking at things in life. That is why they failed. That is why they are always pulling a sad face. Always remind yourself to remain calm in all situations. Keep cool and think of a solution. Here’s a saying that goes:

Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances – by: Thomas Jefferson -

A person’s positive attitudes and thinking develops his personality, forging his character and paving his way to success. Once again, a person’s personality is the key BASIC FUNDAMENTAL of his life.

Having a great personality also means to believe in you. It builds a greater self-confidence and a greater self-esteem. The POWER of self believing is equally great too! Such beliefs can create WONDER! Why do you think Germany could rise up so fast and recovered so quickly after World War 1? What gives them the power to rebuild form a war-torn nation and eventually leading to conquering so many nations during World War 2? What is the main source of motivation? Did Adolf Hitler simply brain-washed the Germans? Well, I’m not trying to criticize or commend on Hitler; I just want to show you that Hitler made his people to believe. Believe in him and believing in themselves; to fight for them. That is the driving force of the German army!

I could not help, but emphasize again the importance of having a Powerful mindset. Displaying a Strong and unique personality can change your life. Do you know that you can actually create your own personal success by design?. Here is a great E-book I highly recommend to you: “Dynamic personality Success” You could go to my website to check it out.

http://www.dynamicpersonalitysuccess.com/

I could not put everything onto this article. I hope you can have a quick look on the site. The best investment you made is to invest in yourself. You are the greatest asset that you owned. So, start now and learn how to achieve a splendid and dynamic personality… . Success lies within your own hands. Hope you learnt something great today!

This article is subjected to Copyright (c) by Wilson Benedict

Wilson Benedict. Author of E-book: Dynamic Personality for Success.

The simplest approach to living the life of your dreams, is to continuously raise the bar until you get there. Make every decision count. When you make decisions on the premise that they bring you closer to your goal and your ideal life, it’s like setting stones on the path toward your dream.

- Why do people often make decisions that take them further away from their goals, as opposed to ‘raising the bar’, despite the fact that they are very much aware of this?

Well, they may be afraid of the pressure they feel in terms of having to succeed because of the people around them and their expectations. This is your biggest obstacle to success. Allowing other people to shape and mold your life to their desires rather than following your own. Do what you need to do to be where you need to be. You know what’s best and although your friends and family can have your best intentions at heart, you need to follow your own path. And you need to find that undying certainty within you that let’s you know you’re on the right path.

Secondly, they themselves are afraid of failure. They continuously run the ‘but what about/if…” script in their head. If you are certain that you want to raise the bar on your life, you need to make the oath that there is no ‘but if..’ because there is just no option to fail. If your approach isn’t working- change it. Change it, and change it, and keep changing it until you DO get where you want to be.

That’s it, a failure just means you change your approach- do this, and you’ll find that it removes alot of the chaos swirling through your head when you’re faced with ambitious goals and risk taking.

A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are portals of discovery. -James Joyce

This is why; you can never becomes less than you’ve become through experience. No one can take the lessons you’ve learned through failure, away from you. Those lessons will always elevate you toward your goals. All of your ‘failures’ bring you closer to your goals by showing you what works and what does not. As a matter of fact, that is the ONLY way of achieving success.

Sure, you can eliminate a lot of the trial and error by modeling those who have attained your goals but in the end, they can’t DO IT FOR YOU. Eventually you’ll need to do it on your own. So remember, you know best what’s right for you. And you now know that when you encounter failure- you need to change your approach, and keep changing it, until you are living your dream life.

To Your Success,

Ter ox

http://www.youdesignyourlife.com

Terese Bialkowska

You Design Your Life

Who doesn’t want to be successful? All of us have dreams we want to live. But why is it that the road to success is too rough sometimes? That’s why a lot of people just end up frustrated, unsatisfied and discouraged. The road to success might be rough, but have you ever imagined what it would be when we came to its end? And as rough as it may be, it is still worth risking for. But if you know the right ways, how to use the tools correctly, then without any doubt you will achieve your goal in no time.

So what does it really take to live the life you dream? Why don’t you read on and maybe you’ll see the answer you are looking for.

1. Determine your Goal. This means that you need to have a CLEAR vision of what you want to do, what you want to become. Setting a goal that you really desire and knowing what that goal means to you will give a great motivational start. Just remember that our goal should be the one that WE desire, and not what OTHERS want for our lives. We don’t want to pursue and live a life that we don’t really dream of.

2. Setting and Realizing Expectations. NOBODY IS PERFECT. And no one expects you to be one. Many people get the wrong idea about making mistakes. Having failures should not discourage a person. In fact, this is the opportunity where you can make the best out of your life. You keep learning as you make mistakes and in learning you grow to a better individual. So, if you know what people expect from you, it does not mean that you should ALWAYS live to that expectation. It is good that you try though, and try with all your might. But don’t take it as you must acquire all the best qualities in the world. Ask yourself what you are good at and what you are bad at. From there you can set and realize what to expect from yourself. Just remember that the most important thing is you know your strengths and weaknesses and make good use of it to maintain balance in your life.

3. Determination is the key to Success. There is an old saying, “Try and try until you succeed”. Well, old it may be but the idea is still very true. We should not let one failure, or two or more stop us from what we want to do, which is reaching our goal. We should build a positive attitude about everything. Set aside any self-doubt and just always think positive. Look at the brighter side of everything. This way you can set the right determination and mindset in order for you to achieve your dream. When you do this, you’ll see that everything will soon fall into place.

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Achievement. Accomplishment. Victory. Triumph. These are just
few of the numerous synonyms of the word “success.” Likewise,
the word is usually associated with feelings of joy, pride,
contentment, and gratitude.

Who doesn’t want to be successful? Definitely not you and me!
Of course, we all want to succeed in whatever endeavor we choose
to get into. In fact, it is said that the very purpose of our
existence in this world all boils down to this — to ultimately
achieve success in life, to enjoy life to the fullest.

Now, when we say success, we may be referring to various
things. We may mean success in studies, success at work, success
in the family, or success in business.

It is important to note, however, that success is not all about
money. Although financial gain, which leads to living a
comfortable life, is a significant component of a successful
life, we should bear in mind that success is actually a personal
thing.

Can you really achieve success in your life and your home
business? The answer is a big, fat Y-E-S! Of course, you can! In
fact, the two should go hand in hand. A successful home
business, or financial success, can help you achieve personal
success or enjoy a successful life. On the other hand, personal
success can inspire and motivate you to be more productive and
all the more increase the success rate of your home business.

But how can you do that? By discovering, understanding, and
applying 7 best-kept success secrets to your daily living, in
general, and to your business, in particular.

Are you now ready to spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S in your life and in
your home business? Then read these powerful, best-kept secrets
especially revealed to you!

*S – Self worth. Be aware of your self worth.

Know who and what you really are. Then strive to become the
best of who and what you can be. As one character from the
popular film, “The Matrix,” put it: “Know thyself… To become
who you are, know that you are.”

Bill Gates, the world’s richest man with a net worth of $46.5,
knew that he wanted to work with computers the very minute he
was introduced to one. At a very tender age of 13, he was
already programming computers.

By discovering and accepting what your interests and skills
are, you can decide which field you should get into. Then you
can further develop your skills to achieve your goals, to
ultimately achieve success in your life and in your home
business.

Are you now aware of your self worth?

*U – Uniqueness. Know that you are a unique person.

You have your own special talents. Believe in yourself. Know
your strengths and weaknesses. By knowing your strengths, you
can enhance them and more effectively put them to productive
use. By knowing your weaknesses, you can overcome them and
eventually transform them into strengths.

Did you know that by merely listing down your unique talents,
you can significantly improve your self worth? Be thankful of
these unique talents and utilize them to help you achieve
success in your home business and in your life.

How can your unique talents lead you to the peak of success?

*C – Commitment. Make a commitment to yourself and your goals,
as well as to others.

If you have commitment, everything else will follow. Being a
“committed person,” you will work really hard to fulfill your
responsibilities. You will be accountable for your own actions.

Be consistent. You cannot achieve success overnight. Commit
yourself to do whatever needs to be done — on a consistent
basis. Be patient and persevering as you encounter different
obstacles along the way. Do not hesitate to take an extra step
or two to reach your goal and ultimately achieve success in your
home business and in your life.

Are you committed to your goal of making your business grow and
achieving success in your life?

*C – Creativity. Be creative enough to see what not everyone
can see.

See an opportunity in every situation. Better yet, create the
opportunity yourself. Do not just see the extraordinary out of
the ordinary; turn the ordinary into an extraordinary.

Have a vivid imagination. Remember that all the great
inventions came from that — a creative, imaginative mind.

By thinking vividly, you will distinguish the differences, and
succeed! Remember that the great men who achieved success in
their lives made decisions because they saw differences and not
similarities.

How can your creativity help boost your business and aid you in
attaining success?

*E – Education. Use your education in making your business grow
and in eventually achieving success.

I’m not saying that you necessarily have to possess a college
degree. In fact, many of the richest people in the world (Bill
Gates included!) are college dropouts and some didn’t even step
into a university or college.

However, to be successful in your chosen business, you must
have some form of education. Educate yourself on your chosen
field. You cannot succeed in any business endeavor if you know
absolutely nothing about it, right?

You will need to know many things about your business. You can
take advantage of the modern age and opt to study via online
courses or home-based courses. Just make sure you are equipped
with all the necessary information about your business venture.

You should also have an open mind and be willing to learn new
things everyday. In this fast-paced world, things are always
changing and you must always catch up with the latest concepts
that will help you run your business and your life more smoothly
and effectively.

“E” also stands for enthusiasm. If you do not enjoy what you
do, you will have a bigger chance of failing. On the other hand,
if you have passion for your business, you will do anything and
everything to make it successful. As Albert Schweitzer (German
medical missionary, theologian, musician, and philosopher) so
aptly put it: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is
the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be
successful.”

Do you wake up each morning and find yourself enthusiastic to
work for your business? Do you see each experience as an
opportunity for learning?

*S – Sweat. Be prepared to work really, really hard.

There is really truth in the saying, “Success is sweet, but its
secret is sweat.”

You cannot expect to succeed in your home business and in your
life if you refuse to lift a finger. No successful person has
reached his stature by lazing around. Even the genius Thomas
Alva Edison had to go through thousands (yes, thousands!) of
trial-and-error experiments before he succeeded in inventing the
electric light bulb.

Furthermore, you should practice self-discipline especially
because you are practically your own boss and you hold your time
in your hands. Make sure you get things done as quickly and
efficiently as possible and not resort to procrastination and
cramming.

“S” can also stand for sharing. You do not achieve success on
your own. You need the help of other people as much as they also
need yours. Socialize with people who can motivate you to move
even closer to success. Share with them whatever useful tips you
can. Remember that just as you have given, so shall it be given
to you.

Are you taking enough action and, together with other people,
diligently moving towards your destination?

*S – Secret. Make your own secret!

This is the ultimate challenge in your quest to achieve success
in your life and in your home business. Be able to formulate
your own “success secret” and, in time, reveal it to others who
also wish to find true success in life!

Take action and move towards success. Make the most out of your
self worth, unique talents, creativity, and education. With
enthusiasm, make a commitment to yourself as well as to other
people. Then work really hard, learn from your experiences,
devise a “success secret,” and share this with others. Then you
will see that the secret of success actually lies inside you!