5 Things That You Should Avoid in The New Year 2011

While a lot of people are busy making new year resolutions, hitting the gym to get into shape and fulfilling their other new year resolutions, a lot of times people often fail to consider what they should also avoid in the coming year.
Here are 5 things that you should avoid doing in the new year in order for your life to be a better one:
1. Withholding forgiveness
Do not bear hatred and anger deep in your heart across anybody who has done something wrong to you. If the person who has wronged you really cares about you, chances are they would probably have beaten themselves up enough before coming to ask for your forgiveness. So learn to let go and do not risk the health of your relationship by withholding forgiveness.
2. Using your job as an excuse
I am sure you have often heard the phrase "I am doing this for my family!" This is the phrase that is often used for neglect towards your loved ones especially if you are stressed up at your job. If you have really been a good employee, I am sure that your employer will be able to give you some leeway and time for you to get your relationship with your family and friends back on track. You will definitely be sure that you did it afterwards and so will your employer!
3. Jumping to assumptions and conclusions
Don't always assume and jump to conclusions when you have only heard one side of the story, because you don't. Learn to ask more questions, listen, and then ask more questions. Don't back others into a corner when you give your final answers, and give yourself an out at the same time.
4. Eating and binging for all the wrong reasons
Eat because you need to, don't eat because you have to. Don't eat just because you feel tired, bored, thirsty or nervous this year. Eating more due to these reasons in the past is probably the main reason that has led to why you have resolved to hitting the gym more often this year.
5. Loathing yourself
Learn to love yourself for who you are! A lot of people do not realize how much they actually beat up themselves over little things. You need to set an example for others as to how you should be treated and appreciated. If you respect and take good care of yourself, you will be surprised to find that most will actually follow your example.
So besides your new year resolutions, be sure to keep in mind these few things you should avoid in the new year, and I wish you a very happy new year.

5 Things That You Should Avoid in The Year 2011 Altogether

1. Blaming things due to gender
I was once in an argument recently with my partner and she forcefully uttered the remark "typical male!" responding to something unkind I had said. Although I felt sorry for what I have said and wanted to apologize, her remark had put me in a spot as if I apologized I would not only have apologized for my comment but also for my own gender. But since I can't really change my gender, I would be apologizing for being myself!
Think about this for a moment: He is doing this because he is not a perfect woman, he doesn't do this because he's not a woman, she is doing this because she is not a man, and so on... This actually makes things a whole lot more complicated, and things are actually simpler if we approach conflict with as little stereotypes as possible.
2. Exhausting yourself needlessly
Don't waste your energy and time on the late-night TV or web browsing which is not productive at all when you have work or a job in the early morning. Skipping your late-night TV or web browsing will help you to become a more useful person at work, a friend who is more fun to be with, and it will also definitely be easier to hit the gym or whatever you had planned for your new year's resolution.
3. Putting off your dreams
If you have put off your dreams up till now, stop doing it. Look at your biggest dreams and identify the things that make them so appealing to you. Is it the free time that you will get as a result of them, the great relationships or just being in the best shape of your life? Pick out something that you can do this year that will enable you to enjoy some of that dream without all the extras. Maybe you would also like to save up a bit of money and spend it on that amazing purchase you have always wanted or take some unpaid time off. Learn to treasure the time you have and don't wait until you have a lot of money before starting to savor the world around you.
4. Not asking for help
I am sure that you will be surprised and stunned if you just knew how many people are actually willing to help you if you clearly define what you want and ask for help directly instead. But of course don't ask for help and expect people to give you everything on the golden platter. Ask for help like the friend who has done almost everything in his power to achieve what he wants and needs only that final push from a buddy or someone else to reach success!
5. Taking things for granted
Time is limited and we don't have all the time in the world. Seize the moment and learn to treasure the things you have right now. As you are coming to the end of this article, you would have realized that the time you have spent here is gone. So learn to treasure the information that you have gotten back from this article, time, your loved ones and anything else you currently have in your life!

Writing the Memo

In the workplace, the memo is common form of the communication. By using the memo, you can convey the information or ideas to your employees or the coworkers easily. It is also quick and informative. The memo itself should be effective. Here are some tips in writing the memo.
Before writing down anything, you should organize your thoughts. Since the memo is supposed to be direct and to the point, you have to write the information in the organized and efficient manner.
It is better for you to understand the basic memo's format. The memo's heading always the date, the sender's name, the recipients' name, and the subject heading. You have to make the subject heading as specific as possible. The memo should be able to be read in quick time and can be understood easily. Because of that, you need to simplify the information. You should replace the large words or the uncommon vocabulary with the synonyms which can be understood easily. It is considered as the appropriate thing to use the numbered list or the bullets.
Eliminating any statement which is not related directly to the memo's purpose should be done. For your information, the memo is not the place where you can show your personal feeling or the opinions. Inserting your personal thought will only lengthen your memo and can distract the audience from the main focus.
In writing the memo, you should use the language and style which is appealing and easy to comprehend. You need to ensure to send the memos to everyone who need the information's content. If you are not including all the necessary people, it can result the breakdown in the communication and the confusion. Your information will not reach the sources you want.
Do not forget to check the spelling, grammar, and punctuation before sending the memos. The grammatical mistake can distract the receivers of the memo. It will also make the memo looks less professional.

You Are In Charge

I recently conducted a motivation workshop for some form four students (grade 10) at a prestigious girls' school in Trinidad and began by asking the question: "Whom would you say is responsible for your motivation in life? Is it your family, your school, your teachers, your government, or God?"
Before I give you the response from these teenagers, what is your answer to the same question? I am waiting. Well, these responsible and intelligent young ladies answered impressively: "WE are accountable for our own motivation!" I was so pleasantly surprised and indeed very proud of them. I would have answered differently when I was their age (fourteen years).
These young women understood that we are accountable for motivating ourselves. Now let me add that I should be a bit easy on you, as at your tender age you will certainly need the support of your parents, school and teachers, government and ultimately 'Uncle God.' Even as adults, the support of these institutions also helps. But ultimately it is us who decide to make ourselves happy, peaceful and successful. As the future leaders, I thought you should know this right now.
I have worked in organizations where employees have put the responsibility of their motivation on their employers. Yes, I totally agree that companies owe their employees fair pay, fair treatment, meaningful work, and a pleasant work environment; as a human resource manager, I ensured all these and more were delivered. Yet, at the end of the day, regardless of how much we did for the employees (even exceeding expectations at times), they always focused on the company's minor shortcomings and saw the glass as three-quarters empty!
What I realised over time is that you cannot motivate another person, you just simply cannot. You can create an atmosphere (both at home and work) that is positive and fosters the growth and success of others. But if the person is not committed to his/her own happiness and well being, then your efforts could go to waste. That's why I think, ultimately, individuals have to take charge of their own happiness. At work I tried to do this for my employees because I cared so much for them, but it was one of my least intelligent ideas, though well-intended.
We sometimes love to blame external factors for our state of being. Look around. Citizens worldwide complain about their governments, yet they themselves are sometimes the causes of their problems. Recently in the news we saw massive flooding in Trinidad, brought about by the rains, and it was sad to see the destruction caused to homes and farming.
But when we look closer, we will find that some (not all) of the victims contributed to their own problems; they are the ones who played a role in the destruction of the environment by littering, burning, not properly disposing garbage, and even building houses on river banks. Shouldn't they be held accountable? We become ill and blame God for our health situation. But it was we (at times) who ate badly, indulged in risky sexual practises, failed to exercise, took drugs, and overworked our bodies. I know sickness is a gloomy situation, but who is responsible?
We place our comfort and happiness in the hands of other people, circumstances and fate. But, Friend, no one, not even God, can make you happy. God gave you the tools; hence your joyfulness becomes strictly your job. You have to motivate yourself because only you know how best to. Sure, favourable external conditions will certainly make the journey easier, I do not doubt that. But they are not absolutely necessary. You dictate your level of bliss and contentment. Can you now see the power you possess? It's amazing! Don't give it away!
You are young and therefore need to draw upon the support and wisdom of those around you: family, friends, school, and me. But as you prepare for adulthood, you must keep in mind that you and God are in charge of your wonderful life and no one else has that privilege. Self-reliance and accountability makes a person. Passing the buck and holding others responsible for our lives keeps us stuck in baby-hood! Let us not only grow old; more importantly, let's work on growing up!

Motivation: A Definition

In order to master the art of motivation, you must understand, at least in part, in what motivation actually is. Broadly speaking, motivation is doing something, either for its own sake or for another reason. The motivation for "doing something" varies greatly depending on the person, the situation and the time: for instance, if someone is doing something for its own sake, the motivation is drawn from personal understanding or interest, however this type of motivation is prone to someone getting carried away with their own interests and not focusing on the specific task.
Another example is if the person is motivated to do something for personal gain. This type of motivation has a high level of commitment, but the person may be particularly fickle with the task at hand. If they are beaten or the object of personal gain is taken away, the motivation is drawn away with it.
Social acceptance is another type of motivation which often in place during team work. The motivation to please or do work for others is strong and this type of motivation can be one of the strongest as there are clear consequences if the task is failed. The disadvantage of this type of motivation is that the person may focus too much on the actual appearance of the task, and not the quality of the task itself. This may then mean that the person has not learnt or benefited from the task themselves and cannot gain long term value.
The final type of motivation is 'instrumental' - motivation to do something for a tangible reward or to avoid terrible consequences. This is often the strongest form of motivation and can even develop into a long term motivation or commitment. The person may find that slightly different rewards are just as acceptable and will perform for different consequences, however they fall where there is high anxiety involved and may crack under pressure.
For any type of motivation to be successful, the environment in which the task is taking place needs to be free from 'de-motivators' such as unclean surroundings, other people, maybe part of the team, that are causing lack of motivation or the explanation of work given. The person must have a clear understanding of what is required before they can be fully motivated to do the job, and do the job well.
Enhancing motivation is also a key strategy if rewards or consequences are not enough. Music, for example, may enhance many people to do work faster, better or help relieve stress to complete work to a deadline.
Finding these key motivational types and strategies is important for any business, and do not forget to include yourself in your analogy. Motivational speakers can help identify such types and strategies. Speakers such as Ken Livingstone can help give you a perspective on your business and how to deal with motivation in an effective way.

Setting Goals and New Year's Resolutions

The last few days people have been asking me what my New Years resolutions are and my response has been "I don't really have any." In truth, it's not something I even think about. I'm a goal oriented person continually setting goals for different areas of my life. It doesn't necessarily have to be on New Year's.
 
I have a goal setting system for that works for me. I started it a few years ago after receiving the book "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield as a Christmas present from my great friend Jacqueline. Jack talks about setting goals for the year, "chunking it down" into 90 day segments and then setting weekly goals to move you toward achieving the 90 day goals. He advises having an accountability partner and checking in weekly. It's a system that works.
 
The newest and hottest book on goal setting is "A year of Possibilities, Create a life of Purpose and Passion." by Helen Valleau. Helen emphasizes the importance of having a vision and clearly articulating that vision and then taking small actions steps daily to move you toward it. "You can spend 10 minutes a day and make great progress." Helen has been facilitating people in manifesting their visions for over 15 years.
 
Having said all of this, I spent the morning on New Year's Day setting my goals for the next 90 days. I won't share them with you now, but you'll be hearing about some exciting new things I'm working on in the near future. I created the vision for Know Your Difference a few years ago. It was pretty vague when I started but took shape over time. My goal last year was to launch a branding program that would be purposeful and meaningful and help a lot of people - and I achieved that goal - launched the program and have had great support and feedback from all of you - which I thank you for. This years goal? Stay tuned!
 
Here's my wish for you for the New Year...
That you achieve great clarity, that you create your brand from your passion and vision and you reach the pinnacle of success you have always wanted.
 
Happy 2011!

Recognizing the need for 'brand clarity' in small business, Rhonda Page has combined her extensive personal development work with 20 years building global brands to develop Know Your Difference™ a program that helps people create brands from their passion and intuition. Know your difference is helps entrepreneurs and small business owners to get clear on how they are different from their competition, so they can market their product or service more effectively.
Rhonda does group coaching with clients, and is about to launch a workbook and e-learning program that guides its user through her insightful and inspiring process.

Finding Your Passion In Life In 5 Easy Steps

Finding your passion in life is very important. It sets you on your life's journey and keeps you strong and motivated, even when times prove difficult. Lucky are those who stumble upon theirs at such a young age, but there are still those who have no idea where to start looking. Right now, you probably have more questions than answers when it comes to finding your passion in life. Let me guide you through it.
Step 1: Make A Personal Assessment.
If you have no clue where to start, then begin by looking at your strengths and weaknesses. Your skills are a good indicator of what you might be passionate about. Are you good in drawing? Do you have a hidden musical talent? Explore the things you excel in doing and make the most of your abilities.
Step 2: Find What Makes You Happy.
Finding your passion in life is easy when you know what things make you smile. Are you at your happiest when you're swimming or playing basketball? If your answers coincide with your answers in Step 1, then you're on the right track. If they don't, then let's delve in deeper.
Step 3: Review Your Search Engine Bar.
Another way to find what makes you tick is to check out the things you've been reading about online. Look at your browser's history for evidence. Are you always looking at book reviews or perhaps at fashion blogs? What you spend time online on can tell a lot about you.
Step 4: Ask Yourself.
The most straightforward way to finding your passion in life is to ask yourself that question and list down as many things as possible. What are the first words that come to your mind when you think about your passion in life? These words will be your clues, if not outright answers, to your question.
Step 5: Give It A Shot.
Not sure with what you have yet? Why don't you give it a try then? If you have semi-concluded that your passion in life is knitting sweaters, then what's stopping you from pursuing it? Of course, I wouldn't advise you to quit your day job and gamble everything on sweaters. Just dip your foot in the water and see how it goes. Finding your passion in life is as easy (or as complicated) as you want it to be. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to find it either, because the journey there is half the fun. You might be surprised at just how much you can learn while trying to pursue your passion.

How To Get A Social Life In 5 Simple Steps

If you want to know how to get a social life, then you have to be prepared to step out of your comfort zone. You might be used to spending your weekends home alone or burning the midnight oil in the library by yourself; but if you want change, then you have to accept the different feelings and adjustments that come with it. Read on to find out how to get a social life.
Step 1: Extend An Invite.
Don't wait around for people to invite you out. When you feel like going out, call up your friends and invite them to go on an adventure or at least try that new restaurant in town. There's nothing wrong with making the first move.
Step 2: Join A Community.
The next step on how to get a social life is to mingle with new people. Join a cooking club in your neighborhood or perhaps the student council if you're in school. By being active in your community, you pave the way for new friends and therefore a better social life.
Step 3: Make Small Talk.
Are you a wonderful conversationalist? People who can make pleasant small talk often find themselves making new friends and getting invited to all sorts of different social gatherings. They're often regarded as good company, likable and someone who will make a good addition to the dinner party. If you're not very good with words, then take this opportunity to improve your conversation skills.
Step 4: Don't Alienate Yourself.
Even if you don't really know anybody in the room, don't keep it to yourself. Find people who are also alone and strike up a conversation. If you can't find it in yourself to make the first move, then at least hang out someplace where people can easily approach you. At a party, try the buffet table. People always find reasons to talk to you there.
Step 5: Be Outgoing Yourself.
There's no simpler way to get a social life than to attract it yourself. Stop thinking about how sad it is that you're home alone on a Saturday night. Instead, be excited about what the evening might bring. Be interested in other people and try to be as outgoing as you can. The energy you emit will attract the same energy associated with having a wonderful social life. With these 5 simple steps on how to get a social life, I hope that you will be able to make new friends and have new experiences. Now go out there and do your best!

Online Personality Test - Pathway to Self-Discovery

More and more people prefer to complete an online personality test instead of going to a psychologist. New ways of testing are much more efficient compared to face to face on a paper type of testing. Plenty of visuals and graphs tailored on your personality that cannot but expand your awareness of how you really are. Answering a couple of questions plus a few clicks is what it takes these days in order for you to get a full profile of your temperament.
My personal road on studying human behavior began a few years ago when I got my hands on a book written by Carl Jung. Soon after I got more books and devoured them in a couple of days. Needless to say that I got very intrigued by Jung's theory of describing personalities and it offered me a tool to understand myself and others better. I'm an avid internet user and I'm pretty familiar with new technologies and the fact that you can find about anything but I was very presently surprised to see how accurate some online tests are, because my initial prejudice was that: "well it's an online test, it's too generic". I was so wrong to think that because by providing exact answers to the questions, you will get exacts meanings about yourself.
I find all this extremely fascinating mainly because what an online personality test offered was an answer to my questions about why some people are the way they are, why they seem to get along naturally with others and never seem to get along with somebody else. I just couldn't understand it. So I figured that it has to be something that is common, some generic traits that are shared by all people around the world, and some qualities that you are born with. It's called a temperament or a personality. People use these 2 terms interchangeably but in fact they have slightly different meanings. The traits that we are born with are composed in our temperament. These traits will never change but merely accentuate or minimize. The traits that we acquire during out life time are composed in our personality and they can be changed or eve completely eliminated. Traits like impulsiveness, holding things in yourself, natural enthusiasm are all temperamental traits and you are born with them. Traits like democrat or talking loud are acquired during life time and are all personality traits. Universally, English people have chosen that in conversations these 2 words to be equal. I can't but conform to the general attitude.
You have plenty of choices if you want to take an online test. You can choose from a Myers Briggs personality test, big 5 personality test, career personality test and many others. You can also chose from a paid test or a free test. You will have to complete a lot of free tests in order to obtain an accurate image of your personality, not just one and you will also have to read a lot about what each test result means. I personally had to take around 15 different tests and read hundreds of pages and articles in order to match what a paid test gave me. That is the reason why most of us have to get a professional online personality test in order to get a complete and correct image of ourselves.

Memories - The Good and the Unnecessary, A Point of View

Picturing your memories invokes everything you are. You are your memories. Everything you hold dear are logged in your subconscious as you. An individual. A one-off human being with all of your experiences since the day you were born. Some are instantly available, others are in need of conscious 'jogging' to illicit the memory. 'Oh what's that guys name? I can see his face. He was in that other film with 'wotshisname' from Die Hard,..his names right on the tip of my tongue!' Unfortunately the older in years you get, the more difficult it is to 'nail' the memory, but they are still there. As if by magic, they appear several hours later, totally out of context and you find yourself yelling out 'Alan Rickman' in the local supermarket. Mostly these memories are overwritten by the more unwanted garbage/memories that you no longer need to hang onto. The constant bombardment from areas you really don't need. Buy this! donate to this! save this! invest in this! bank with us! shop now! only £499.99! Oh mate, that's a scam! Don't get involved! Its not my problem! The problem is we all have one sitting in our lounge and at some part of the day, we switch it on..... to relax for goodness sake! Ever notice that the sound volume during advertisement time is annoyingly louder? Wonder why that is? Ever notice that the schedule of program availability is different on different days? Your allowed to watch that which is available at certain times of the week. Unless you pay. Extra. Yes, payment is acceptable most of the time to access content. And how is the content.....pretty limited really. So why do we watch? Denial, basically. It is too easy to go into no mans' land and become trance-like for several hours before having to jump back on the conveyer of life. The life you were programmed into from the day you were born, because your parents knew no other way. They were programmed too.
The itinerary is as follows. You do as your told. You get schooled. You get a good job. You stay the course. You get married, secure a home and procreate. You educate your offspring in the same fashion. Job done. If you even suggest stepping outside of this you're told...'Oooh no, you don't want to do that...get a proper job. It won't work. You can't do that'. I'm afraid my answer has always been...why? Deep down, in all of us, there's a person saying politely, excuse me, I am me, I have much to give, I have worth, treat me with the respect you give yourself. Human beings by nature have to, for some reason, usually by conditioning, have to find betterment over their fellow human folk. It never fails to amuse me on how many companies people work for do not treat their workforce with the respect they deserve. Surely the workforce IS the lifeblood of any company, but they are denied the real reward that they crave....worth. Competition rules. It has happened to me countless times. My answer? walk away and leave them to their views, I do not need people like that in my life. I have lost so called good friends on the past, only to replace them with others that are truly magnificent, without recourse. The great news is that the consciousness of the world is changing. Rapidly. Certainly there is still 'old world' competition.....'scrabbling for the scraps' I call it, but people are starting to 'wake up' to the fact that there is no difference between us. The concept of unity is growing. A common bond between us all for the betterment of all. There was a brief quote recently on the dreaded 'box in the corner' documentary, of which I own up to watching factual (allowing for bias) tv,in which it was stated from an ordinary chap in South America. 'We are all red on the inside and we all smell the same when we're dead' That, for some reason stuck with me for two reasons. You cannot argue with the first. Secondly, you have to accept your mortality. Two out of two! From a guy who has more insight than most people shopping on a Friday night. Denial, the last bastion for people who seek no answers.
It is time for priorities. A clean up. Keeping the positive attributes that are you. Deleting the un-beneficial 'knawing' memories and doubts.
On a very basic level, if it is not good for you, it is not good for anyone else. Get rid. Only keep that which sustains you at your best. Replace those memories which harm you. Have a healthy regard for your world as a whole. Don't live in denial, face your fears (they have the habit of magically disappearing if you do!) Resist succumbing to the 'negative' and immediately replace it with the 'positive'. ThereARE always 2 ways of looking at life. 'Oh God! I have a huge tax bill to pay!'...or, 'Great news! That means I've earnt a huge amount this year! Who can I help?'
Be yourself! It is not easy otherwise everyone would be doing it. More people are though. You don't have to be the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company to be happy! Or to help others. You will know when you have reached that plateau. Please just take stock of the good in your life and give thanks (no religion here) and appreciation for just being around. Keep the good times which moulded you, reject the ones that may have moulded you but are no longer contributing positively. Accept the past and move forward. You truly do get back tenfold the good you give out.

New Years Resolutions or Decisions

This year is the year for making decisions and sticking to them. What decisions will you make for yourself and your family? Have a happy year full of action!
Welcome to 2011! I can't believe how fast the time goes and how many moments and experiences we have encountered with the twins. Every day there is something new to see or learn or do.
This year I have decided to make new year's decisions instead of resolutions. The phrase New Years Resolution sounds great but for some reason never lasts. After a couple days or weeks, they are long forgotten and we are back to our old ways and habits. I am not interested in the short term idea, I am ready to make some hard core decisions that will not only be positive but last for years to come.
I have decided this is the year I am going to finally lose the extra unwanted weight I have. And I have also decided to help and serve you by sharing my everyday life experiences with the twins. WOW! That seems like two big decisions! But what is a decision anyway?
defines decision as the act of or need for making up one's mind. Which is exactly what I am doing, making up my mind and taking action to see it through.When we decided to start our family, it wasn't an easy process. We spent several months hoping it would all work out and after disappointment and unsuccessful tries, we decided a different plan of attack was needed. We decided to see a fertility specialist and seek an experts help in our family planning. We knew we wanted a family so we did something about it - we acted on it and didn't just hope we could do it on our own. I will say it wasn't a bed of roses either but, we took action and were able to say we did everything we could to make it happen - and it ultimately did.
So, ask yourself, what are your 2011 New Years decisions? What actions are you going to take to get there? Do you want to lose weight? Make more money? Go on a family vacation? Whatever they are, you can absolutely achieve them by taking action and doing something about it.
Whatever your New Years Decisions are, we want you to succeed. We want you to have the best year yet

7 Core Beliefs of Millionaires

There are millionaires in every industry, from computer software to even shoe shiners. Millionaires come from all walks of life. Some were immigrants like Andrew Carnegie and some have even been bankrupt several times such as Mark Victor Hansen. Then what made them eventually come out on top? All have earned their wealth in different ways, but all of these millionaires that I've described to you share at least 7 essential core beliefs, and I've outlined them for you right here.
1. Millionaires Believe in Having Balance in their Lives
Most millionaires work only a few hours a week every few weeks at a time, how? Millionaires do first things first. They ask themselves, "What is the most important thing that I can be doing right now?" or what Brian Tracy asks, "If I were to leave tomorrow for a month with nobody having a possible way of getting a hold of me, what would I be doing right now?"
Example: Tim Ferris, author of the New York Times Bestseller The 4-Hour Work Week goes on vacation for two months at a time travelling the world. After his 2-month vacation, Ferris comes home, works a little for about a month before leaving on yet another two-month vacation.
2. Millionaires Know They Can't Make it on Their Own
Millionaires leverage the power of the mastermind group. Millionaires surround themselves with other like-minded people to help them achieve far more than they could have done on their own or thought possible. Mastermind groups help brainstorm new ideas to generate wealth and also help with networking through potentially thousands of influential people and companies.
Example: Andrew Carnegie studied the life of Jesus in the New Testament and the impact Jesus had on the world and what He was able to accomplish in only 3 years of His ministry. Carnegie saw that Jesus had surrounded Himself with 12 men and called them "Apostles", so Carnegie gathered around him a group of men and called them "executives". Carnegie knew nothing of the steel industry initially, but through the help of his executives became one of the wealthiest men of all time through that same industry.
3. Millionaires Believe They Have No limitations
Millionaires don't believe that the sky is the limit; that would be silly to believe such a thing. Millionaires believe there are no limits. The only limitations we have are the ones we put on ourselves. Millionaires also understand that all roadblocks to success are mental roadblocks. All problems and solutions rest within our own minds.
Example: Robert G Allen and Mark Victor Hansen wanted to do what nobody has ever done before and that is pre-sell one million copies of a single book. Everyone thought they were crazy, but they did it. By the way, that book is the One Minute Millionaire.
4. Millionaires Believe They are the Makers of Their Own Destiny
Millionaires choose to live and run their own lives. They do this by not letting setbacks and unwelcomed circumstances hold them back. Millionaires have a winner's way of thinking; they go forward with the attitude that "Failure is not an option". Robert G. Allen has referenced himself many times asking, "Could I do it if a loved one depended on me accomplishing this task or goal?" and you'll find that the answer is always a resounding YES.
Example: The number of millionaires have nearly doubled in the past decade and nearly 80% are self-made millionaires. Do I really need to give a specific example?
5. Millionaires Believe in Giving
Millionaires believe in the law of abundance. Millionaires know that there will always be plenty to go around. They also know that as they give, the universe will give back to them in greater abundance. Millionaires believe the more they give of their time, talents, knowledge, and wealth, the universe will give back exponentially to what is given.
Example: Mark Victor Hansen donates a minimum of 10% of his earning each year to various churches and non-profit organizations; on top of that each of his Chicken Soup for the Soul books has a charity attached to it. Hansen and his business partner Jack Canfield currently hold the world record for selling more books than any other author in the history of the world.
6. Millionaires Believe That at the Root of Every Problem is a Seed of Opportunity
Millionaires believe they can turn any negative situation to a positive situation. Whether it's personal, family, or financial; they see problems as an opportunity of improvement.
Example: When computers were first created they filled an entire room and required a group of trained individuals to run them. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs saw this and sought to fill the void by creating the first personal computer and as a result the Apple I was invented.
7. Millionaires Believe in Education
Millionaires don't believe in having solely college education, they believe also in self-education. The average person reads less than one book per year; the average millionaire reads two books per week. I'm not talking about books such as Harry Potter either, rather, books such as Think and Grow Rich and 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Millionaires become successful through their reading habits.
Example: Zig Ziglar reads 3 hours per day; two hours out of self help action books and one hour out of the Bible. Brian Tracy and Mark Victor Hansen (along with many other noted authors) take it one step further by suggesting listening to educational tapes in your car wherever you go. By listening to educational tapes and CD's in your car you will have an equivalence of a college education in less than one year.
Conclusion
There is a new millionaire made every 60 seconds in America, and by diligently applying these principles, you could very soon be one of them.

Can Taking Action Cause You More Damage Than Good

One of my favourite sayings is "if it is to be then it is up to me" which of course means we all need to take action.
It reminds me of a joke: "a man goes to church and prays to God asking that he win the lottery. God replies yes he will help and the man will indeed win the lottery. A few weeks later the man is still waiting, so he asks God if he misunderstood because he hasn't won the lottery yet. God replies, you have to buy the ticket."
But are there times when it can cause your more damage than good?
If your inner beliefs don't match the action you are trying to take, then yes indeed it can be doing you more damage. Because no matter how hard you try, you simply won't achieve your goals. No matter how often you take steps, unknowingly you will sabotage yourself every single time.
Do you know someone who has tried to lose weight but for some reason they can't? They tell you this is it, they are going to lose weight, and they start exercising, choosing healthier foods. Then something happens and they find themselves eating a piece of chocolate cake or two or maybe even three!
Have you ever asked yourself why that is?
The reason is the person has a belief that is contrary to the action they are trying to undertake.
Let's look at brushing your teeth for example. Is it great fun? I don't think anyone would say it is something they enjoy doing... although perhaps they do; (I shouldn't paint us all with the same brush.) For most of us we believe it will keep our teeth healthy which means brushing our teeth becomes a habit. But we aren't going to start sabotaging ourselves because the process is in line with our beliefs.
But for the person who says on a conscious level they are going to get to their ideal weight and then sabotages themselves because they have a belief that is different.
No matter how much action they take, they will not achieve their goal.
When this happens our confidence can take a bit of a plummet. We try and try; doing all this effort yet we seem to be getting nowhere fast. Talk about frustrating! So what happens next, is all hope lost?
Of course not. What is important to understand is that we have to be the person first, and then we do (take action) before having or reaching our goal.
A belief is simply a thought we keep thinking. We keep thinking the thought until it forms a belief... it has to be true if we keep thinking it. Therefore it would stand to reason that if we keep thinking a more serving thought we can form a new belief. Which is true; but sometimes if that is all we do, it can take a whole lot of effort. Kind of like getting one cleaner in to do the job after a major sporting event...
Of course you have to be aware of the habits you are formed. You can't fix what you don't acknowledge. If an alcoholic doesn't admit they have a drinking problem, they won't be able to take any action. Awareness is the first step.
Think about a goal you seem to be struggling to achieve. Pay attention to what you do or don't do towards reaching that goal. Inaction is still action. You are choosing to do nothing.
If you notice yourself eating that extra piece of cake ask yourself "for what reason do I eat that cake? How does it serve me?" After receiving answers to these questions ask yourself "what is something I could do instead? What is something that would serve me better? Am I prepared to commit to that?"
These questions can be used in any situation.
All the answers are within us, we get access to them when we ask the right questions.

Life's Simple Pleasures

It's funny because the greatest pleasures in life don't require much money or even other people. Some are a state of being, others an activity or a feeling. Some of life's simplest pleasures are:
1. Looking over at your clock and realising that you still have an hour left to sleep.
This has to be one of the greatest feelings of all time. You're lying in bed, so tired, dreading the moment you have to wake up and take part in life. You roll over sure it must be 7 a.m. already and see that it's only 6! You have a whole other hour to sleep.
2. Hearing an amazing throwback song while listening to the radio.
There's nothing that takes you back to a time and place like a song. A song has the ability to remind us of a memory we might have otherwise completely forgotten ever happened or a person we haven't seen in a while. When a song like that comes on the radio there's really nothing to do other than dance, smile, and sing.
3. Eating something really really delicious.
Food is something that we require to live. While some of us take pleasure is eating good food, many of us just shove it into our mouths in a rush to get on with the rest of our days. But there's really nothing like sitting down and eating something so incredibly delicious that all you want to do is focus on your food. You clean your plate and want to order another one. You leave the restaurant and all you can talk about is how delicious that dish was. Yum.
4. Flying.
We've all had the dream where we could fly. In fact, ask people what they wish their one superpower was and most will say that they wish they could fly. Well unless you're David Blaine and know how to levitate, I can tell you right now that it's not going to happen. Skydiving, bungee jumping, or flying in a hot air balloon, however are very possible and accessible. Try one of these adventures and experience what it would be like to have wings.
5. The feeling of peace.
Most of us don't have too many opportunities to experience peace. And even if we do feel at peace in our lives, we are too distracted by work, life, family and friends to even notice. This is precisely why we all need to check out every now and then. To go somewhere we can clear our minds, close our eyes and breathe. Maybe that place is sitting on a warm beach watching the waves crash, maybe it's on the top of a mountain, maybe it's sitting in your living room with a cup of tea. Wherever it is, go.
So you see, there are many ways to feel happy without having to spend money or depend on other people. Take comfort in these little pleasures, and life's happiness will take on a whole new meaning.

It's Not About Getting Hit, It's About Getting Back Up - How to Keep a Positive Outlook

Take me for example, I am 26 years old and a full time proud mum to a lovely 5 year old girl Tonia. I got it all going on, it seems to most people. I am strikingly beautiful, I have a very supportive family, a boyfriend who adores me and would do anything for me what more would I want? INNER PEACE!
Deep down inside, I am a troubled soul. I feel wasted, I feel like a failure, the pressures of life are starting to really weigh me down. I am struggling with a temper that is out control, that makes me hurt the people that love and care for me the most, to an extent that sometimes I just want to sit and be left alone. It feels like I have these savage demons inside of me hell bent on destroying me and everything I have.
I have been in out of alcoholic phases, two years back I was out of college due to the same.. I would wake up in the morning, drink gin and tonic,at the time Tonia was just 2 years old, I probably had postnatal depression, I don't know but I would feed her, clean her as I sipped my drink and black out at 2 pm every single day for 2 whole years. I'd wake up at 6pm and fix myself another drink, a strong one to make sure I was out again by 10pm! It was so bad that I almost dropped out of college, I never left the house, my appearance deteriorated and I lost so much weight my neighbors thought I had AIDS! I was at worst, the lowest point of my life. I felt useless, a disgrace, I just wanted to die..
Did I give up?? NO!! One day I woke up, looked at Tonia And she smiled this 2 teeth priceless smile, my heart melted up inside. That moment changed my life. There and then I decided that I would give that angel the best! I picked myself up, made up my mind and started to change. It was a slow, painful process... with ups and downs and difficult because no one wanted to believe I had really changed. I quit the drink, got back my appetite, spent quality precious moments with Tonia and learnt how to love myself all over again. There was no stopping me, and there still isn't. The moment I set my mind to change nothing could shake me. I went back to school and am in the final year of my Mechanical Engineering Degree Course!
No matter what you are going through, no matter how deep in the pits you think you are, you can overcome everything by simply picking yourself up and getting a positive attitude. Believe in yourself, really believe and have this unshakable positive attitude about yourself and what you want to achieve, feel it in your bones and don't let anything stop you!! There is no situation that comes in your life that you cannot handle. The er you discover this the faster you will succeed. No matter how many times you fall, pick yourself up, dust yourself and try again. I did it, what about you? Will you do it??

The Biggest Threat to Positive Thinking

You may believe, after reading this far, that negative thoughts are the biggest enemy, but that is wrong. The biggest enemy of positive thought is excuses.
When you make an excuse, you are opening a door for negative thoughts. Excuses are just your way of trying to trick your mind. You are trying to pass on responsibility for something every time you make an excuse.
Excuses can make becoming a positive thinker very difficult. If you are someone who is used to making excuses, then you will have a hard time becoming a positive thinker unless you stop making excuses.
Excuses are something that can make your mind think it is doing positive things when it really is not. An excuse will just make you think you are okay and not being negative at all, but in reality using an excuse is just a negative thought in disguise.
In order to be a positive thinker and put the power of positive thinking to work in your life, you have to get rid of the excuses. If you feel that you are about to make an excuse, then stop. Think about why you are making the excuse. What are you going to get from it? What benefit does this excuse have?
Try to identify what is really going on and why you feel you need to make the excuse. Are you just trying to sneak in a negative thought and trying to explain to your positive side why it is okay? This is common, especially when a person is just beginning to use the power of positive thinking.
Do not give up, though, if you start to find yourself making excuses. Just learn to be aware of this common tactic your brain has to try to keep the negative hanging around.

Living A Balanced Life

Most of us do not take time out to assess our lives very often. For this reason, we are sometimes surprised to see that the course of our lives has somehow changed direction when we apparently weren't paying attention.
Many of us realize how hard it can be to change our course when we're in mid-stream, in much the same way that it is difficult to change habits once they have been formed. If we choose to live a life of purpose and consequence, we need to make sure that our intentions and our actions keep us on the pathway to that goal. That means that we need to be consciously aware of our attitude and our behavior and that perhaps we should be taking stock of our current status from time to time.
Living a purposeful life does not necessarily mean that we are completely organized and that we are able to check off everything on our "to-do" list each and every day. Much the contrary, often it means that we override some of the things we felt we needed (or wanted) to do with something else that came up that we deemed more important. Many times it means that we set aside our plans to take care of someone else's needs. These instances often provide us with a much better use of our time than what we had originally planned.
If we find that our days are out of balance with too much work or too much play or even too much idle time, it would be to our benefit to work on getting a better rhythm going. If we lack enough social interaction perhaps we should look for ways that we can spend more time with others. The reverse is also true, if we find that we never have time to ourselves we should readjust our schedules so that there is some time to call our own. These times are necessary for the contemplation and reflection that help to keep our lives balanced.

Kick Start 2011 With 5 Simple Steps

I want to wish each one of you the best of all that life has to offer in 2011. Life is wonderful and there is so much to enjoy and to learn that the possibilities are endless. We must always look at the glass as "half full."
It is the start of a new year and we have 50 odd weeks to make our dreams a reality and take control of our lives. I don't want to start lecturing you as I think of all of you more as friends and so let me share my take on things.
1. Set goals that are realistic. Take into consideration all the factors possible while setting your goals depending upon what they are.
2. Set goals that resonate with you. We are all unique in our own way and so don't limit yourself by other people's reality. By the same token don't over stretch yourself trying to compete with some one else. You are different from everybody else and that is why you need to go at your own pace and do what you love.
3. Give up one bad habit every 3 months and replace it with a good behaviour for 3 months till it forms a habit. By the end of the year you will be able to change your life dramatically.
4. Start with simple steps in what ever you do. Aim lofty but have a realistic and simple plan of steps to execute your goals. Break it down into day to day activities. Keep at it and don't give up.
5. Always be grateful and live in gratitude.
Stay strong and beautiful!

Avril is a certified EFT practitioner and a certified Pranic Healer - Pranic healing is an Alternative healing system that is rooted in the CHAKRAS of the body and the ENERGY SYSTEM of the body.
She is also a certified "Iyengar Yoga" practitioner and a Fitness consultant who advocates body

How to Break the Barriers That Keep You in Your Comfort Zone

What's holding you back? An unknown individual said "It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not" What you truly believe about yourself sets the tone for choices you make in your life.
It is important to identify the messages our subconscious reinforces about what we really believe about who we are. This is not an easy task to accomplish, because it often involves some real introspection and often we find something painful in our revelations. If you can give yourself the time to work on this, either on your own or with the help of a professional, you'll open yourself up for true growth in any aspect of your life.
A simple exercise is to sit in a comfortable quiet place where you won't be disturbed for 10-20 minutes. Take out a piece of paper and a pen and write the words "I am", then just write down as many completions to the sentence as you can think of. Don't think about it too hard, just write whatever comes to mind and don't censor yourself. There may be thoughts you come up with that make you uncomfortable; those are likely the very beliefs you have deep down about yourself that you need to address. In my case, one of my biggest struggles is my fear of public speaking. I have used my feelings about my appearance to justify choices I have made and in the end, these choices inhibited my personal and professional growth. Understanding that, I was able to take positive steps to affect change.
So, what can you do to break through your barriers? Here are 5 exercises to help you:
Visualization - Think of a picture, a mental movie of yourself doing something you really want to do and that you're doing it successful. Be as specific as possible and write it down! Every day, run this "movie" in your mind for 30 days.
Affirmation - Create a list of at least 3 statements that you say to yourself that tend to limit you, then rephrase it so that it empowers you instead. For example. "I am overweight." Change it to "I am going to substitute a piece of fresh fruit for that bag of chips when I get hungry for my evening snack." Again, write it down! Say them out loud to yourself several times a day or read them for the next 30 days.
Education - Write down at least 3 things you can do NOW to further your education that relates to your goals. Association - Write down 3 individuals that you should spend less time with because they detract from achieving your goals. Then write down 3 individuals you should spend more time with.
Action - Write down what you will do in the next 10 days to move forward. Make a checklist! Cross them off your list as they are done.
Fear is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, emotion that controls who we are and the choices we make in our lives. When we fear something, we act in ways that support our belief in that fear. Fear leads to inaction, which is in itself, a choice. In business, our biggest fear is the fear of failure. We are so afraid of not succeeding that we often choose not to even try something new. Fear of failure keeps one from realizing their true potential; how do you know what you're capable of if you never step out of your comfort zone? Most of us are afraid to step out of our comfort zone, because we think it's easier than facing our fear.
The truth is, by staying within our comfort zone, we give our power away to that fear and that is a real drain on your energy. For years I refused to go on video or even worse, a web cam! I spent so much time and energy justifying why I couldn't do it. Finally, after a lot of prodding from peers that knew I had to face this fear, I got in front of the camera. Was it hard at first? YES! But after I did it, I literally got a rush of energy because I had a true sense of accomplishment. This first step gave me the courage to do it again and eventually go on live video. I won't lie, I was scared, but the more I did it, the easier it got and it gave me the confidence to take another step out of the box. The bottom line is that the only thing holding you back is YOU. Change your thoughts and take action, you'll be glad you did!

Are You on Top of It All, or Struggling to Keep Your Head Above Water

I was cleaning up some files on my old computer that usually sits gathering dust in our spare room when I came across an interesting little piece on how things have changed, particularly in recent years. The piece was about a woman and her grandson talking and the woman finished with the following words:
In my day:
"grass" was mowed,
"coke" was a cold drink,
"pot" was something your mother cooked in and
"rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.
"Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,
"gay" meant you were happy
"chip" was a piece missing out of a teacup
"hardware" was found in a hardware store and
"software" wasn't even a word.
And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap... and how old do you think I am?
Answer: She was born in 1947 (a baby boomer!!!) and turned 63 in 2010!!!
Ignoring the fact she must have lived in a convent during the 1960s and 70s our not so fictitious grandma is actually part of that generation that makes up about one-third of the US population that has control over two-thirds the wealth in the country! There are more than 1 billion of us throughout the world. (Yes, I'm a boomer)
This little story only tends to highlight the massive changes that have taken place within the lifespan of what is now becoming the senior generation in our world. In this no-longer-innocent world of constant change we need to be on top of things more than ever before in the history of humankind. Yet all we have to fall back on are the resources we have always had. However, those resources, fully realized, are more than enough for you to live your ultimate life.
Unfortunately most of us never realize the potential we have. As a result we never ever develop what it takes to live well-adjusted, healthy, fulfilled lives. What a waste!
There are enough clues scattered around. There have been countless words written on the topic, but it is only when people hit some sort of crisis point in their lives that they become motivated enough to do something about changing themselves.
That is the key. Living the Ultimate Life is a great goal to have, but it is the person you become in the process that makes life so much better. In fact I would go so far as to say that for most who are living their ultimate life, if you took away all the trappings, they would still be fulfilled. They could, almost magically it seems, get it all back again with no real apparent effort.
I can say that quite confidently because I have seen it happen time and time again. So whether you do it for the person you will become, or you just like the idea of living the life you want, you owe it to yourself and to those with whom you associate to pursue your Ultimate Life.

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