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It's True, "You Become What You Think About" By Roger Willard

The first time I heard it in those terms was from Earl Nightingale. He was the gravelly voiced motivational speaker out of Chicago. I remember in the 1960s his brief commentaries called, Our Changing World, on the local radio station. But this particular phrase is the reincarnation of the words of Napoleon Hill who authored Think and Grow Rich. I have listened to the recordings of Earl Nightingale and have enjoyed and learned from them. I highly recommend any and all to do the same. Although he died in 1989, his recordings are just as valid today as they were decades ago. They are almost timeless.

And now as I look back at these few years God has permitted me on this earth, I know that this is more than just words on paper. It is truth. You do become what you think about. And in knowing this, a person picks most of his or her own destiny. In saying this, I sense a disturbance in the universe. How can this be possible? Is it that stuff we read about in The Secret? You might even say, "And that didn't work for me". But just saying, "You become what you think about" is only part of the full message. But like most things, we try to break them down to the lowest common denominator. You must go beyond simple sound bites and back to the full message.

First of all, for anything to happen, there must be action. Without action, nothing gets done. Even much of God's work is done though the hands of men taking action. But enough theology for now. Man is the only animal that can change its destiny. All other creatures are controlled by nature and instinct. We can change our lives and do it all the time, simply by thinking and letting those thoughts guide our actions.
But beside actions, there is another thing that must be applied. That word which comes from another axiom, is "What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." The key word here is "believe". Is what you think or want to achieve, believable?

As I was growing up, like many young people, I thought about becoming a fireman, cowboy, doctor, president and all the other careers kids think about. But there were a few careers that really stood out. For me there were four life goals I really wanted to achieve or was fascinated with: something on radio/TV/movies, a police officer/detective, and/or something with the strange and mysterious stuff out there.
These things always had my attention. I had more than idle curiosity about them. I pretended to be doing them.

As I got older, I bought or borrowed dozens of books on the subjects. When I got old enough to drive, I would visit radio stations and have them show me around. TV stations were not so open to this, but I did get to talk to local TV personalities. In college I majored in Police Science. I visited police departments on my own. I talked my way into riding with some officers on patrol at night, and not handcuffed in the back seat. I talked my way into an all police training class for CEUs in which I was the only civilian there. Later I did become a police officer, constable and private detective.

At the same time I continued my deep interest in hypnosis, reading and studying all I could on this mysterious and wonderful subject. Still at the same time I decided I had an ego to be on the air. I was always looking for a way to make it happen somehow. Eventually I got a gig to be in a commercial. Eventually I got to be on air live for 13 years on the country's largest cable shopping network as a product demonstrator. And now (but not finally) after deciding to make some changes, I became a certified hypnotherapist.

Why I am telling you this, is not to brag, but to illustrate a point. I believed I could do all these things. The things I chose were truly possible to me. There were moments in my life I knew some things I would not be doing. It might be fun to ride a racehorse, but at about age 8, my body size proved that to be out of the picture. So to some extent, honest thinking has to part of this self-development process. And this is essential for any change. To be honest about what you want to do. And then decide to think about it. And this can work for almost anything. To lose weight, you don't think and say to yourself, "I am thin." Not if you are obviously a number of pounds overweight, but rather you think, "I can become thinner", and then begin to see the change. Imagine a short-term and a long-term image. Let it become a reasonable obsession to take you to the weight just right for you. But do it with caution, as we know of too many who take it to the extreme and become anorexic.

As I was growing up I was what most would call an average or slightly below average student. I was not expected to go to college. And this was probably the only negative thing I heard about me in my household. No real high academic expectations. And in my own way I believed it. But one day that changed. After a number of years of poor academics in college, I decided I not only wanted to graduate from a junior college, I wanted a four-year degree. It is what I thought about. Once I knew it could be done, I moved in that direction. After I received my two-year degree, in just a year and a half later, I earned my four-year degree.
Now to be honest, this happened because of a fourth belief I had. I didn't forget that I said I had four things I really thought about in my life. I wanted that right person in my life to share it with me. And, honestly to find just that right person I had to become the kind of person who would be worthy of that person. Although I am far from perfect, I found the perfect person for me.
You see, there are so many ways to think. If you think and believe only trash, you live a life of trash. If you think, but never take action, you are no better off because little or nothing of what you want will ever happen. But there is tremendous value in saying, "You become what you think about" as a reminder to focus your thinking and then take action. I can only suggest that you find worthy things to think about and let yourself become ever so slightly wonderfully obsessive. Then let it guide your actions to help you create the life you really want and the person inside you want to become.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8053072

 

 

Self Discipline by Brian Tracy

Dave Wilcock- Personal Spiritual Development

Want to be Happier? Watch this video.....

Free ebook- ' Pushing Your Limits' by Will Edwards

If you have ever found yourself holding back on something you really wanted to do, you are familiar with self-limitation – we all have some self-limiting beliefs. Limitations can serve us in some ways, like reminding us that we don’t have the ability to fly off a roof and land safely on our feet; and they can confine us in other ways, by creating doubt and fear about our ability to create more fulfilling circumstances. Luckily, most of our self-limitations are easily identified as helpful or harmful; we need only spend some time examining them and decide which we want to keep and which we want to discard. What do you believe you’ll NEVER be able to do? Why do you think so? If these concepts seem vague and you’re not sure what your own perceived limitations are, take some time to write them down. Try phrases like this: ‘I can’t [do this] because [of that].’ Fill in the blanks, and don’t hold anything back. Even if one of your ideas seems ridiculous and you logically know it isn’t true, yet your gut confirms it’s a strong belief you hold, write it down anyway. Once you’ve identified as many of your limiting beliefs as you can; take a closer look at them. Are any of them hopelessly impossible, or do they just feel that way? Have other people been able to accomplish something that you want to accomplish? Have you accomplished anything in the past that was difficult? How did you overcome the obstacles you faced? Could you apply the same process to any goal? There are no right or wrong answers here, only what you honestly think and feel. Now set your list aside (we’ll be looking at it again later in this report) – and let’s delve into beliefs a bit deeper. Free ebook ==> Click Here

Great Video by Jim Rohn

The Power of Thoughts

Modern science has established that our thoughts influence our reality. But just how powerful is a thought, and what are they capable of doing?

Do thoughts heal? The power of placebos is a well proven medical reality. The placebo effect occurs when a treatment or medication with no real therapeutic value (like a sugar pill) is given to a patient, and their symptoms still improve.

What is believed to occur with placebos is this: The patient thinks they have been given something to heal their condition, and because they expect to improve, they actually DO improve.

Doctor Bruce Lipton, a remarkable geneticist and researcher, claims that over 30% of all medical healings and surgeries are the result of the mind-controlled placebo effect. He is also convinced that our thoughts actually control how our genes express themselves.

The case of people with multiple personalities is another interesting example. The physical appearance (and even the actual health) of people with multiple personalities can instantly change depending on which of their personalities is present at any given time. For example, studies have shown that one personality may have blue eyes, while the other has brown eyes.

There has even been a case where one personality had clinically serious cancer, while the other personality did not. In short, the thoughts of the personality that is manifesting have an immediate and very real impact on their physical body.

Can thoughts change physical outcomes? Decades ago psychologists determined that some people can influence the outcome of a coin toss or a roll of dice simply by focusing their thoughts on a preferred outcome.

Similar experiments are currently being conducted by the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research program using computerized random event generators. The subjects use their thoughts to influence the subsequent random number sets. The success of some people is so exact that their results are mathematically equivalent to winning the lottery 9 to 10 times in a row.

Do our thoughts affect other living things? Years ago biologist Clove Backster began to measure the responses of plants to stress. He discovered that plants DO have increased stress levels during times of danger. If an experimenter threatened to burn a plant with a match, for example, the plant registered a spike on the stress machine. But what intrigued Backster even more was that plants registered a stress spike even if the experimenter only thought about burning the plant.

Other scientists have conducted studies that clearly indicate the power of thoughts (both positive and negative) on animals, bacteria, and even living cells.

Do our thoughts affect other people? Pairs of people (strangers unknown to each other) were placed in separate isolated rooms to determine if a stimulation of one would be felt by the other. One person was subjected to images, sounds, or mild electric shock while the effect on the other person was measured.
Interestingly, both individuals experienced similar physical reactions and brainwave patterns during the stimulation - even though only one of them was stimulated. Such synchronization of brainwave patterns and physical reactions is not normally found in people who have never met.

There is also growing evidence that remote healing and prayer have an impact on other human beings. In one study, remote healers from various backgrounds sent healing thoughts to AIDS patients. The remarkable results included improved T-cell counts, fewer illnesses and increased longevity.

Can thoughts transcend time and space? Remote Viewing (RV) is the ability to acce
ss and provide accurate information about an item or event that is located remote from the viewer. An example might be a person who is sitting in an office in California accurately describing in detail a building in Australia that they have never visited or seen in any way.

Both USA and Russian experimenters and many university programs have long investigated remote viewing. Although remote viewing is not 100% accurate and reproducible, there is strong scientific evidence to support it. Russell Targ, the co-founder of Stanford Research institute, reports accuracy of up to 10,000 miles away, and abilities to describe the past, present and future events for target locations.

Do thoughts truly create our reality? Add up the above, and it becomes evident that we truly create our own reality, from our physical health... to our ability to influence other people and even our environment.
But there is something else at work here.

That something else is the power of the subconscious mind, which operates much like a movie camera from birth on. True, your thoughts DO create the many aspects of your reality (even how your genes turn on or off) - but it is ultimately the lifetime of memories and impressions stored in your subconscious mind that sets the stage for your thoughts.

This underscores the importance of becoming aware of our automatic beliefs and assumptions (which rise up from the subconscious mind), and replacing them with more positive and current thoughts.
Life is full of opportunities and second chances. The secret is to be willing to take them!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7796373

Why Criminals Love Your Summer Vacations

Everyone loves a relaxing vacation during the summer months.

My family especially enjoys laying on the beach, hearing the waves crashing onto the shore, the smell of sunscreen and the laughter of children and parents playing on the beach or in the pool, can't help but put a smile on your face.

 For many in America, those 7-10 days are the only time they truly have to enjoy the company of their family and friends. I know families such as my own which vacation annually with several families during one specific week of the year. The tradition we created several years ago is the most highly anticipated event of each calendar year. As with most traditions, there are several events that must occur and these largely have to do with the fact that human skin can only stand so much direct sunlight before it reddens and burns. This provides the females and the teenagers within our families the window of opportunity to go shopping and hunting for discounted bargains.

This recreational activity is ideal for criminals because of the lack of personal awareness (you're on vacation) and your "guard being down" as well as the fact that a lot of people these days are trying to avoid using credit cards and are carrying cash to purchase items instead. I'm not calling for mass hysteria at Tanger Outlets across America but I am asking you to remember that a bathing suit, tank top, and flip flops doesn't give you immunity to being a victim of a crime.

Lets take a precautionary look inside the mind of a criminal and examine where your weak points in personal defense could exist. I'm going to list a few and discuss.

1. The Parking Lot:

For the criminal this can work to his advantage in many ways. The size of the parking lot, whether it is outside or indoors, the distance you have parked away from the physical shopping area. The number of entrances and exits from the parking lot. Are their security guards patrolling within the parking lot? Are their a lot of out of state license plates? Is there a heavy traffic pattern of shoppers coming and going, meaning steady traffic flow, making it difficult for the element of surprise to harm you. Criminals want to control the environment in which they strike, too many variables happening simultaneously works to your advantage. The easy solution here is a personal alarm. If you feel uneasy or threatened just pull the pin and 130 decibels will call attention to your plight, equalizing the distance from safety part of the equation to your favor.

2. Flip-flops and Multiple Shopping Bags:

Personal protection requires quick reaction. If you are attacked, lose the flip-flops and fight barefoot. Try to also have one hand free instead of both hands carrying multiple bags. Its better to make frequent trips to the car and unload into the trunk rather than one trip at the end of the day. That free hand should have your car keys in it with a pepper spray attached to the keychain. Keychain pepper sprays normally will have a range of 6-8 feet spraying distance and somewhere between 6-10 shots within the 1/2 oz models.

3. Texting and Sunglasses:

 Being Vigilant and Prepared requires you to pay attention to all of your surroundings. Put the cellphone away while coming from and going back to the car. Use sunglasses to your advantage by constantly scanning your surroundings for potential threats. The criminal can't see where your eyes are looking so look around a lot and keep the crook off guard. The disadvantage to the sunglasses would be of course if it darkened your ability to see clearly both up close and at a distance. In other words, Sunny day fine, Cloudy not so much.

I hope my advice and thoughts were helpful and everyone does have a safe and victimless summer vacation.
Take care and wear sunscreen!!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7764497

Why Making Money Is Difficult

Are you frustrated at why you are not making money the way you would like to?
It appears as if things just don't seem to work out right? Yes you work hard, but it seems as if for every 2 steps forward that you take, 3 steps backwards follows. Making money just seems impossible and it's certainly not from a lack of effort. Why?

Chances are, that there are internal blocks more powerful than you realize that are sabotaging your efforts of making money.

The mind is composed of two parts, the conscience and subconscious parts. The part of the mind that wants to make money, achieve success and all that good stuff is the conscious mind. The part that may be stopping you form achieving your desires is the subconscious mind.

As renowned American developmental biologist and author of "The Biology of Belief" Dr. Bruce Lipton explains, our lives are run by habits, not desires. Your habits are simply your programmed responses to stimuli. The responses are in the form of thought and eventually action. All this is run by your subconscious mind. Your desires, on the other hand, are things that you strongly aspire to have. You control the conscious mind so you will take action to attain these desires.

The thing is, the subconscious mind controls 95% of what you do but you are unlikely to even notice. If what you desire (Making Money) differs from what your subconscious programming wants (status quo), then its like swimming against a really, really, really strong current. You efforts will be futile.
So what are these three major blocks to making money?

1. FEAR OF MAKING MONEY

This is the big one. You might be shocked at how fearful you are of success and a lot of money, even if you want it badly! Introspect for a second. What comes with making money and achieving success? Responsibility? Attention? A shift from what you know and are used to? Being treated differently? What else? As you slowly and deliberately think about the things that money bring, how do you feel about them? Is there a touch of discomfort perhaps with one or more of these things?
Lets take responsibility for instance. You get a lot of money; you have to worry about managing it, taking care of those close to you who would not have otherwise looked to you for support (not that you don't want to help but just the thought of the added responsibility). Remember, with all this money, people are looking at you!

You will also meet new people, people out of your usual circle. You get out of your 'comfort zone'. For those looking for true love, do you fear "gold diggers" may come looking for a bounty? Do you feel like a target? Does all of this make you feel uncomfortable on the inside at some level?

The stimuli are money and success and the programmed response is fear. This is programmed from what you have seen and heard. All this is run by your subconscious mind, which has your experiences stored in its infinitely large database. After fear, the secondary response may be procrastination from taking action to generate this money, or listing of excuse after excuse as to why 'it won't work'. You may also be prone to seeing 'difficulty instead of opportunities'. The list is endless. Fear may also come in the form of fear of failure, which results in anger, frustration and desperation. Think about this. Would you buy from a relaxed confident sales man or a desperate salesman? We all know how annoying, desperate salesmen could be.
The self-saboteur in you will operate under the radar without you noticing a lot of times. With 95% of the vote, your subconscious mind runs the show.

2. FEELINGS OF LACK AND UNWORTHINESS

Feelings of inadequacy hold back too many people from too many accomplishments. When you sit around people with money and success, how do you feel? Do you feel... unworthy? Do you start thinking about what you don't have? What you haven't accomplished? Do you feel like a lesser being, a failure? Do you feel poor? Other people pick these 'vibes' and respond to them. How many times have you seen or heard of people getting promoted simply because they 'acted the part'? This is where the phrase 'Fake it till you make it' comes from. When you feel wealthy and successful, you will act wealthy and successful. Eventually, you will be wealthy successful. It is not the other way round. This is called the 'Be-Do-Have Principle'. You have to be wealthy (feel), do the things that make you wealthy (action) and eventually have wealth.

So again the stimuli are making money and achieving success, the programmed response is 'I'm not worthy'; 'I'm a failure'. The secondary response is lack of confidence, lack of enthusiasm and lack of creativity. Your actions will be a result of these self-defeating assertions and of course the eventuality is failure, no matter how much you want success.

3. ASSOCIATING 'MAKING MONEY' WITH NEGATIVITY

Here is a good test that I have also done. Look for a picture of stacks of cash. What thoughts come to mind? Bank robbery? Drug dealers? Criminal dealings? Greed? Do you have some feelings of repulsion perhaps? What do you think of rich people? Do you think they have bad attitudes? Are they snobs?
When I first did this test, I thought of a bank robbers and drug dealers in movies. This is what I have been exposed to growing up. This is what my mind has been fed. Such a lot of money was always associated with something negative. Things that come to mind may include stories you have heard about lives ruined and families torn apart after making a lot of money. What all this is saying to you is 'MONEY IS BAD!" All this is stored in your subconscious mind. Again, the stimulus is making lots of money, and the programmed response is, ruined lives, torn families, changed person etc. If its something you find undesirable, your subconscious mind will go to work to 'protect you' from it.

LET GO OF THE BLOCKS AND START MAKING MONEY

If the subconscious mind was programmed to block money, you need to reprogram it to allow you to make money.
This is how you can do that...
Affirmations - Repetitive input of negativity led to it being perceived as reality by your subconscious mind. To reverse this, you need to repeat positive affirmations to yourself about yourself and your environment until the programming changes. You can also get recorded affirmations that you can listen to daily. Even if you don't concentrate on them, they still slowly shift the subconscious programming.
Gratitude - Gratitude creates a paradigm shift. By being grateful for what you have, you take away the feeling of lack. You can't feel successful and feel lack at the same time
Surround yourself with positive people - This is self-explanatory. Negative people feed you negativity and positive people give you the right 'programming'.

Emotional Freedom Technique - I strongly recommend this. It is often called 'awake hypnosis'. It is an acupressure technique that combines affirmations and tapping of bio-energy meridians of the body to reset bioenergy and reprogram your subconscious. It's very simple. I would recommend reading on this first so you are fully aware of what it is.

Take charge of your subconscious programming, your life and start making money!!!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7747879

How to get RICH

Cash is king!

This aphorism from real estate investing perfectly describes the little known method the rich actually use to accumulate millions of dollars. This report reveals 20 sources of passive income. Put any or all of these sources into place and sit back and watch the dollars roll on with no (or very little) further effort on your part.

If you truly want to get rich and live a life of luxury, then you must master the ability of generating cash flow from passive income sources. Without this ability, your income will be limited to traditional ways of making money, such as working. Working will never free you from having to work. You must do something different than working in order to obtain the income you need to live the lifestyle you desire. Passive income is the key.

Before you begin any investment plan, the first rule is to consult with a qualified investment advisor. By talking over your plan and considering possibilities you may not have considered, you will protect your capital to the greatest degree and help protect it from potential loss whiule multiplying your return.

This article will not consider the cost of entry to any investment nor will we look at rates of return. These will fluctuate - possibly every year or even over the course of a year- depending on the economy, conditions set by the SEC and other regulatory bodies and the IRS. This article will consider only the 20 possible sources of passive income; you will need to conduct further research to determine if any investment is appropriate for you.

1. ETF's - Exchange Traded Funds - This is a fund that tracks the performance of an index such as the Dow Jones or Standard and Poor 500, a basket of assets or a commodity. Trading in the same manner as a stock, its price will vary according to the days trading demands. Benefits of owning an ETF include the ability to buy short, buy on margin and to buy as little as one share. Expense ratios are often lower than mutual funds. A common ETF is called a spider - SPDR - and tracks the S&P 500 index. Look for the symbol SPY to research or to purchase.

2. REIT - Real Estate Investment Trust - One of my favorite investments because you own a portion of the real estate (or mortgages) the trust invests in. These also trade like a stock on the exchanges. An Equity REIT buys ownership (equity) in properties while a Mortgage REIT buys the mortgages on properties. Two key advantages to owning an REIT are the tax advantages and the liquidity of the security - you trade it just like a stock.

3. Canadian Oil and Gas Trust - This is an organization that invests in oil and/or gas production and possibly mining in Canada. Several of these are now trading on the American (US) exchanges. Purchase is the same as purchasing a stock in any other company. Tax advantages are similar to those of an REIT and a big advantage - the one I like the most - is that some of these trusts pay ridiculously high dividends - and they pay monthly! My advice: do your research, find a Canadian Oil and Gas Trust you like and then invest as much as you can.

4. MLP - Master Limited Partnership - Want a limited partnership that you can sell or trade as easily as a stock? Enter the Master Limited Partnership. These hybrid organizations feature the limited liability of a partnership while enabling you to trade the partnership units - investment units - just as you would a stock. What could be better? A MLP offers distributable cash flow as well as income and these terms must be mastered and understood before a reasoned decision can be made regarding the purchase of an MLP for your investment portfolio.

5. Annuities - Who has not heard of an annuity? But do you know how they work? Let's keep this simple: an annuity is nothing more than a contract you sign with an insurance company that guarantees to pay you a certain set amount of income over a period of time. You pay for an annuity upon signing and then the insurance company repays you the amount of your investment plus the "profits" (we'll keep this simple and not use the technical term) over a period of several (or many) years. These are generally considered safe stable investments appropriate for a conservative portfolio.

6. TIPS - Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities - Offered by the U.S Treasury, these are securities that are indexed to the rate of inflation meaning your dividend will increase as the rate of inflation increases. A TIPS pays interest every six months and pays the principal upon maturity. Also a conservative investment, you may want to consider these if you are looking to preserve and protect capital from the ravages of inflation while providing a consistent and dependable income, but your money may not grow at the rate you would prefer - but then we aren't looking at capital appreciation anyway.

7. Dividend Paying Stocks - Finally we get to what is perhaps the most familiar method of passive income. Anyone who knows anything about Wall Street knows that companies pay dividends to people who own their stock. Right? Well, most of the time, if it is a well known and established company. Many newer and smaller companies will use their income to grow the company instead of paying dividends and any company that incurs financial trouble may stop paying dividends. So if you are going to buy stock to acquire the income make sure the company has a track record of paying dividends. The best known American companies - commonly referred to as the "Blue Chips" are also the companies that traditionally have paid the best dividends. As with all other investments, research is necessary to capture the best dividends and target those companies with the best potential in future years.

8. Covered Calls - This is a passive investment instrument that is often considered risky. But it is not. A covered call is selling the option to buy stock that you own. You do not sell the stock, you only sell the option to buy that stock at a future price and time. The person buying the covered call buys the option at the price you agree upon - actually at which the market agrees upon - and you just set back and forget it. Well, not quite. The person who has bought the option has the right to buy your stock at any time between the time you sold the option and the expiration of that option. Writing (selling) a covered call is the only options investment that is considered safe enough by the IRS to be included in a 401K or other retirement plans. But you must do your homework and thoroughly understand the world of options before using this method.

9. Real Estate - Everyone knows what real estate is and everyone knows - or at least is intuitively aware - that big money can be made from real estate. Real estate provides tax advantages as well as the opportunity to highly leverage your investment - leverage being a factor that is limited or absent in many other investments. Many real estate advisors and gurus insist that the one house at a time or the flipper strategy or fixer upper or wholesale method or other flavor of the month is the absolute best way to make money in real estate. Generally speaking, avoid all that. Making big money - meaning massive income - in real estate is possible with highly leveraged deals which are a certainty only in commercial property. Multiple family properties, office buildings, retail facilities and warehouses would all constitute commercial property. Of these, the best strategy is to invest in multiple family properties. The bigger, the better. This requires knowledge and education more than it requires capital. Capital can always be acquired through your network, but knowledge is the one ingredient that will make this passive investment method work. And, with a big property, the income from that one property may be all you need to secure your retirement - today!

10. Business Ownership - No, this isn't what you think. Owning a small business for most people is worse than working 9 to 5. In your own small business you get caught up in the details, trying to make the business go, searching for a market, dealing with customers; it quickly becomes more than a full-time job. That's OK if that's what you love to do. But, what we mean here is starting a business or franchise with the short term goal of handing it off to someone to run. The faster you can do this the better. If you can do it from the very beginning so much the better - the more time you free for yourself, the more time you will have to enjoy and/or create more passive income sources. A book that will help you is The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber, another is the Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris. Both of these books will help you structure your business ownership in a way that frees you from actually running the business yourself - margaritas on the beach anybody?
All of these sources require work to set up, but once established, they can be structured to run hands free. The two books mentioned in item 10 above will help you structure your passive income sources to be truly hands free income.

11. Private Lending - Private lending has been around since people have been around. Essentially private lending is nothing more than lending out some of your excess cash to a trustworthy person who needs it. This has not always been easy or fruitful for the person who has had money they wanted to invest. As a result, several online services are now available that will accept your money and distribute it under your direction to those you feel are qualified; search for person to person lending on the major search engines to identify organizations you can use. The primary benefit of private lending is that the interest rates are often much higher than you would obtain by parking your money in a CD or bank.

12. Tax Liens and Notes - A primary benefit of tax liens is the higher interest rate you receive on your investment plus the fact that your principal is backed by real estate. Please note that you will almost never receive the property from investing in tax deeds, liens or notes; the primary benefit is the favorable interest rate and the security resulting from a real estate backed transaction. Avoid organizations that suggest you will be receiving the property the tax instrument is against. Another benefit of this type of passive income is that you can invest online from almost any state in the country - be sure to review Texas tax deeds, interest can be as high as 50% annually in some cases.

13. Bonds - Ok, you know about bonds - they are a conservative investment for old people and people afraid of the stock market right? Wrong. A bond can provide a secure and stable source of income for anyone. By definition, a bond is a debt issued by an authorized organization - often a corporation, municipality or utility. A bond sells for the issue price, matures (is paid back to you) at the principal (face amount or nominal price) and in between you collect interest that is called the coupon rate. Bonds are often purchased in the form of mutual fund bond funds. Some of these can be very lucrative with a yield exceeding that of equity funds but these are often hard to find. But they are there!

14. Mutual Funds (Income Funds) - As we are only considering sources of passive income, we are only going to look at income mutual funds. These may be called "growth and income" funds or "income" funds or "value" funds. Nearly every mutual fund family will have their own set of income or growth and income funds. Morningstar and other services provide third party ratings that you can use to identify the safest and highest paying income funds. Invest wisely and always consult a qualified investment advisor before investing. Mutual funds are also required to send you a prospectus (a formal disclosure of the funds objectives and operating guidelines) for your review before you can invest. Review the prospectus carefully and consult with your financial advisor for terminology you may not understand.

15. T-Bills, T-Bonds & T-Notes - Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds and Treasury Notes - Considered to be the safest of all investments because they are issued by the United States Treasury Department, these vehicles are also among the lowest yielding. But you sacrifice yield for security whenever you invest. T-Bills, Bonds and Notes are most often purchased through your bank, broker or they may be purchased directly from the US Treasury Department through their Treasury Direct online service. Although you will not receive a high rate of return, the security of your investment cannot be any higher than it is with these investments.
16. Unit Investment Trust - A Unit Investment Trust is one of three different types of investment companies, the others being a closed end fund and the familiar mutual fund. UIT's offer securities in the form of "units" that represent a unit of their investment portfolio. This portfolio is often an unmanaged portfolio consisting of stocks and bonds. Units are usually sold in amounts of $1,000 and investors or "unit holders" receive dividends from the units they hold. A unique feature of a UIT is its termination date. Unlike most other corporations and investment company organizations, which exist in perpetuity, a UIT has a defined termination date which is set upon inception. When this date arrives the UIT is terminated and the assets held are sold. The proceeds from this sale are then distributed to the unit holders.

17. Preferred Stock - A Preferred Stock is a security issued by a corporation that usually features a specific dividend rate. Preferred stock usually does not have voting rights except sometimes in extraordinary events. Preferred stock also receives priority over common stock holders when dividends are distributed - preferred stock holders must be paid first. And preferred stock holders also receive preference if the company is ever dissolved. Your rate of return with preferred stock may not be high, but the security of your investment is higher than with more risky investments.

18. Corporate Backed Trust Securities (CABCO) - Also known as Corporate Asset-Backed Securities, these investments are issued by corporations and are based on a pool of underlying assets. The cash flow from these assets provide the dividend payments made to the holders of the security. The asset pool can consist of almost any type of asset which provides a cash flow. Usually sold initially to a market maker type organization such as an investment bank, these securities may be resold to the general public by the broker. Contact your broker for more information on these types of investments.

19. Music Publishing - You don't know about music publishing? The artist may get the glory (and often the money) but the publisher Always gets the money. If you own the rights to a song or sheet music you are the publisher and you get paid whenever that song is played or performed in public. Although the current rate is only 8 cents (US) per "performance" think of all the radio stations, bars and clubs in the country where your song may be being played right now. Yes, bars and restaurants must pay you whenever your song is played in their establishment. You don't have to worry about going around to each bar, hotel lobby or elevator or restaurant (More places!) in the country to collect your eight cents - this is handled by any one (or some combination) of just three organizations which pretty much manage all music throughout the world - ASCAP, BMI and for the internet SoundExchange. Yes, you do need to register with these organizations so they know where to send your checks, but this can be a very lucrative source of passive income.

20. Copyrights, Patents and Licenses - If you are an author you get paid every time a book of yours is sold. Ok, this is obvious, but you can also republish public domain material under a new copyright if you change it by at least 20% or add at least 20% more material to it. The easy part (some would say not easy) is the writing of the book itself. The hard part is getting other people to buy it, that involves marketing which is beyond the scope of this article, but if you can get a bestseller on your hands, the royalties (payments you receive from being the copyright holder) received can be very high.
A patent is an innovation (process) or invention (thing). You get paid when the item represented by the patent is used or sold by some other organization or the public. The patent protects your right to exclusive ownership of that process or invention for a certain amount of time.
A license is also possible to sell to the market. What if you know a particular process or procedure that no one else does? Can you sell this knowledge? Yes, you can. And the way to do it is to license an organization to use your knowledge in the form of a process or procedure. Check out inventright.com for a guide on how to do this.

Bonus

21. Movie & Other Obscure Investments - We live in a dynamic world and there will always be investment vehicles being conceived for a need. Also, more obscure investments are available but generally are unknown outside of their particular industry. Movie investments are one of these. Movies often need financiers ready to fund the production of the movie project. When the movie is released to the public and begins to make money the financiers receive their capital and return on investment. This can be a good way to make a lot of money if you back a blockbuster or a good way to lose a lot of money - look at how many movies do poorly. Do not invest in this vehicle unless you are an industry insider.
Other obscure investments include exploration financing, water rights, coal leases, limited partnerships, commercials and commercial funding (yes, tv commercials and infomercials), receivables financing, sports team ownership, etc, etc, etc. If you have an interest in investing in any of these areas you need to find someone with excellent knowledge of the field and with a good track in investing in that industry. Consult with them intensely allowing them to guide your investment decisions. Generally, the best policy is to invest only in those areas where you are familiar and never, never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Summary
Passive income investing is the key to securing income. Income is cash flow. Cash flow is king. You cannot invest future income or a projected return or an eventual equity position; you can only invest the cash you have on hand today. Likewise, you cannot pay bills or buy groceries or pay the mortgage or tax man with anything other than cash or credit. A projected return or equity position will not pay today's bills or put food on the table. Capital appreciation is great - for tomorrow. I prefer cash in hand today. The more cash flow you have coming in now, the greater that tomorrow will be. Guaranteed!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1411592

Goal To Success - A New Month

It is a brand new month and a clean slate for ideas and projects.

The very first thing to do is to create a list of everything you would like to accomplish in the next 30 days. Make a list of old projects that need to be complete, personal goals you have, relationships that you'd like to focus on, tasks that you would like to achieve and a few just out of reach goals that you'd like to strive for. When you have a list of what you want to do in the next 30 days you will be ready for step two.

Step 2 can be done one week at a time or you can plan for the whole month in advance. Take the list of what you would like to accomplish this month and decide what you need to do and accomplish this week. Looking at each of the things you have listed, break them down to what you need to do tin the next 5-7 days, or every week so that you will have checked everything off your list.

Who will you connect with this week, how many blog posts or articles will you write this week, what personal goals need your attention, what project can you complete this week, what projects will you start, what marketing plan will you implement?

The reason it is so important to know what you'd like to accomplish each month is so that you can create a plan of action to mark each of those items off your list. Dreaming is great, but it is not a goal until you write it down where you'll see it every day. Start your day off knowing exactly what you'll accomplish so that by the end of each week and ultimately the end of the month you will have accomplished all the goals that both moved your business forward as well as helped you maintain your personal balance.

A list of goals, projects and ideas call out for action. Taking action is the only thing that will help you create the success that you know you are capable of creating.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5145913

The Power Of Thought - Leaning How Thoughts Affect Our Emotions, Moods, Feelings and Actions

A common quote from the bible associated with the power of thought is

 "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

 The power of thought has been illustrated in miracles of healing, as a result, physicians today have a clearer understanding of the importance of positive thinking during the recovery stages of their patients. Physicians now recognized the success or outcome of treatments also depends on the mindset of their patients. What we think about ourselves and others directly and indirectly impact our lives, our thoughts can manifest into our reality. It is important to understand the power of thought including what thoughts are prominent in our minds and are those thoughts positive or negative.

We are what we think about because thoughts can become reality. For example, confidence is a reflection of what a person thinks about his or her self. Confidence is evident in a person's attitude and behavior (side note, over confidence can be personality complex). Another example is persistence, persistence is a reflection of what a person thinks about the importance of trying and not giving up. Persistence is evident in a person's motivation to keep trying despite the challenges and obstacles.

Our thoughts affect our moods, emotions, feelings, and action. Thoughts are like invisible heads that sticks out our necks constantly whispers in our ears, and pull and tug on our hearts. Our thoughts never leave us and are always active in our minds. For this reason, we need to learn how to coexist with our thoughts by understanding thoughts can be deceiving. Have you ever panic about something and it turned out to be not as serious as you thought?

Well, our thoughts can be misleading if we are not paying attention to what we are thinking. It is important to observe thoughts as they enter the mind; pay attention to the effects of thoughts on moods, emotions, feelings, and action; and to unbiasedly rationalize our thinking.

Take action to do the things that would make yourself and others feel loved and happy. Allow positive thoughts to be the focus and negative thoughts to leave the mind not becoming the focus. Pay attention to thoughts considering they can be deceiving or misleading by unbiasedly rationalizing thoughts. Understanding the power of thought is essential when learning how to coexist with our thoughts. We impact our reality through thoughts; therefore what we think can make or break us. Our relationship with thoughts should be harmonious in order to master our thinking.

 Life viewed through the mind-eye is reflected in our moods, emotions, feelings, and action, therefore be an observer of thoughts in order to understand the power of thought.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7747315

How to Boost Creative Thinking

Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. You can change it. You can influence it. You can build your own things that other people can use. ~Steve Jobs

Have you bought into that age old fallacy that the ability to be creative is reserved for the select few? If so, then prepare for a shift in mindset, because the truth is you were born with the potential for limitless creative thinking.

Take a moment to consider what creativity really means... to produce something that is both original and worthwhile. By definition, this can mean anything from a work of art; to an innovative idea for a product or new business; to new ways of solving problems... in other words creative thinking opens our minds to all the possibilities of life and is a skill worth mastering.

Creativity can be cultivated and strengthened over time, but keep in mind creativity is dynamic. Think of it as a muscle that needs to be used regularly to keep it flexible and strong. If somewhere along the line you've convinced yourself that you are not creative, then to some extent that has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and to reverse that you'll need to become intentional about strengthening your creative thinking muscles.

Consider the Benefits of Creative Thinking

Creative thinkers:

• Achieve more goals, faster
• Are confident decision-makers
• Are optimistic and open to challenges
• Are focused, less likely to experience stress
• Are open to new experiences
• Look at obstacles as opportunities

If you're ready to boost your creative thinking skills, the following strategies will help to get you started. But please remember, mastering any new skill begins with your mindset. You must accept that you are by nature a creative being and that what you are setting out to do is stretch and strengthen your existing creative thinking muscles... one day, one action at a time.

Strategies to Boost Creative Thinking

Ask More Questions

Creative thinkers pay attention to what's going on around them and ask "Why?" or "Why not?" questions. Begin by challenging assumptions, because it's so easy to fall into the habit of doing things the way they've always been done. The next time you find yourself in that situation, take a couple of minutes to consider if there isn't a better way. Or, if there's something you've always wanted to do but put it off because you could see no clear way to make it happen, spend some time thinking about "How could it be done?" and practice opening your mind to all the possibilities. There is no "one" right answer, no idea is too crazy! Creative thinking is about looking for the opportunities in every situation, and prevents you from living life in default mode.

Be Willing to Take Risks

Remember cultivating creativity is all about strengthening those muscles, and that means you're going to have to get uncomfortable from time to time. In other words, you're going to have to get outside that zone of comfort you've built up over the years and take a few risks by trying new things. Of course not every effort will lead to success, but it will lead to personal growth, and what you learn with each new experience will help to build your confidence, knowledge and creative thinking skills for the future.

Tame Your Ego

For some people, being right is more important than finding the best solution, and that means their ego has taken control. Effective creative thinking is about being focused more on what is right, than who is right.

Finish What You Start

This isn't just about cultivating discipline and determination - it's also about opening your mind to exploring different paths and results. Sometimes detours can lead to far more exciting and fulfilling outcomes than the original goal!

Learn Something New

Building your creative muscles requires that you expose your mind to new ideas and possibilities. Read books in different genres, explore different types of music or take an art class; build connections with colleagues and friends from diverse backgrounds and who work in different fields. Bounce ideas off them and challenge yourself to be open to other perspectives.

Make Time for Creativity


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7730869

This is so funny!!

True Self: Why Do Some People Hide Their True Self?

Over the years, the true self has been used to describe ones true nature and who they really are. On the other hand, the false self represents all that is not true and is made up of illusions.

And while deep down one may want to embrace their true self; it is often far from easy and the world generally discourages one from doing so. So this means that very few people take the time or make the effort to know their true self and therefore reveal it to others.

For if this was easy or if we lived in a world that encouraged one to do so, then there would be no need to hide ones true self. It would be revealed from the very beginning and allowed to blossom over time.
Acceptance

One of the greatest needs that one can have is the need to be accepted. And while this is often classed as an ego need and one that doesn't reflect a true need; it can nevertheless have a big impact on ones behaviour.
It is a need that can highjack ones real needs and cause one to become consumed and controlled by the need to please others. And this can lead to one wearing what are often described as masks.

Masks
These are elements of the false self and enable one to gain the acceptance of other people. There are all types of masks that one can wear and this will usually depend on what the context is.

Who one believes they need to be to gain acceptance, will also play a big impact here. For some people it will be important to come across as being a certain way and for others it may well be another way.
One may have worn one type of mask for their whole life and this means that they may not even realise that they are wearing a mask. It has become so much a part of their life, that it has gone unnoticed.

Examples
There are many masks that one can wear and some of these can be:
· To always appear happy
· To pretend that one is perfect
· To try to always look good
· To come across as having everything together
· To always appear as a success
· To always please others

A Deeper Look

Although the above examples are clearly not practical or even possible; they are there for a reason. Here one can believe that they won't be accepted unless they have them. And if the people in their life only accept them for wearing these masks, then it may well be the case.

However, if another person only likes who one is due to the mask that they wear, then they are probably not worth having in one's life. But what is deeper than what is going on externally, is what is going on within. It is based on what is going on within that will define how one interprets the outside world.
So if ones interpretation of life is that they need to wear a mask to be approved of, then they will attract situations and people that validate this truth. This will then be how reality is perceived.
Being Safe

On the inside is likely to be a sense that it's not safe for one to be who they really are. This may be something one is conscious or it may just be out of one's conscious awareness. And by gaining the approval and acceptance of certain people, one will be able to regulate these inner fears.
Through doing this it will lead to one feeling safe, the challenge is that although one my feel safe, if they are wearing a mask it is unlikely to lead to much else. To the ego mind it is being interpreted as familiar and therefore safe. And as far as the ego goes, that is all that matters.
But what is being classed as familiar and therefore safe may have no real relevance to ones happiness or fulfilment. The associations may have also been created many years ago and when one was very young.
Causes

Here one may have primarily been approved of when they pleased other people and did what they wanted. Their needs, wants, desires, preferences, feelings and thoughts would have been dismissed or ignored.
Although this can happen as an adult, it is often the younger years that have the biggest influence. As a child one is vulnerable and dependent on their caregivers. So at this age one would not have much control and would desperately seek the approval and appetence of the people around them.
If this meant denying who they were, then so be it. The thought of whether one was being true to themselves would have been irrelevant. As long as one was accepted, that's all that mattered.

Associations

During this time it was a matter of survival and as an adult one generally has more control over their life. And yet the ego mind will likely can cause one to view life in the same way. At first it may have been ones parents who one had to please and as an adult it could then be ones friends or colleagues for example.
Although this was in the past and happened many years ago, to the mind it is what is classed as familiar and safe. So consciously it will create pain and suffering, but at a deeper level it feels comfortable.

Awareness

If the mind has associated pleasing others as being familiar, then fear will be triggered should one go against pleasing them. To listen to oneself and go against others will be interpreted as death by the mind.
How strong these fears are, will define what one needs to do to let go of the past meanings. This could be a therapist, healer or a coach. Or becoming aware of certain patterns and then changing them may be enough.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7725524

How To Relax When Stressed And Feel Free Again

Let's face it, dealing with stress is a pain.

And although rubbing your ears humming "woosah" sounds good, it isn't going to be your best option.
Unless you're in your psychiatrist's chair.

I know how you feel and battle with this every day, but I've found certain ways to help ward it off.
One of my greatest experiences with stress was when I was managing a $550,000 order that seemed to be going well. The order was processed and all the material to fulfill the order was procured and allocated.
Sounds great right?

Wrong! Our customer called me frantic saying that the order they placed was for the wrong product. You can imagine my worry. I felt sick, nauseous and partially delirious.

After a few days of panic I decided to calm down, think it through and fix the situation.
Regardless of how this story started it ended with a great relationship with our customer and a more educated me on how to relax when stressed.
From then on I implemented a few ways to manage my stress and I know you can benefit from then as well.

Get a support group
By having a support group you'll be able to process your thoughts externally. It's fine to think inside your head, but once you verbalize it the vibrations will hit your subconscious and redirect your irrational thoughts. You will also receive valuable input from your support group.

Don't sit, get up
I've talked about this before but sitting slouched, hovered over your keyboard will only make things worse. Get up and move. I like to reach to the sky and then go straight into a standing hamstring stretch. It loosens you up and gets blood flowing.

Use a Stability ball
A stability ball won't be the "thing" that makes you stress free, but it'll help support proper posture. Proper posture makes you more confident, less tired and less irritable. This doesn't manage your stress but it'll help ward it off before it arrives.

Take deep breaths
By focusing on breaths, you'll briefly forget the worries that troube you. Take 15 deep breaths. As you inhale your diaphragm should expand and as you exhale it should contract. Focus only on your breath. By taking these focused deep breaths, more oxygen will reach vital organs. Nothing like a little brain boost when stressed.

Get some rays
Have you ever gone to the beach or laid by the pool and felt completely relaxed? The sun has a natural calming effect. Maybe it's being outdoors and getting fresh air or the absorption of the much needed vitamin D. It'll help calm you down which is the goal, right?

Office decor
Buy yourself a couple office plants. Plants are how we receive oxygen and by having them in your office they'll help filter and regulate your office atmosphere. And it doesn't hurt that it helps visually.

Workout when you get home
Going home and working out is the best way to loosen up and clear the mind. After you'll feel more relaxed and rational.

Tip - Bring a paper and pen in case any thoughts flood your mind. You want to get them out of your head and on paper. This way you can refer back and focus on you and your workout, that's it.

Clear your mind
Easier said than done I know, but clearing your mind has a powerful effect. It de-clutters your thoughts and grounds you. Your mind races all day long. Slow it down and think about nothing.
Get good at meditating each and every day.

Go to bed early
What? There is no way you can get to bed early. Spare me. Yes, you can.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50-70 million adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder. The effects are HUGE. By reducing your sleep by as much as 30 minutes one night can reduce your day time alertness by 32%.
Getting more sleep will not only energize you, it will also significantly reduce your stress levels.

Eat well in the morning
Eat like a king, fight like a knight.
By eating a healthy well balanced breakfast you're preparing your body for the full day ahead. Getting these essential nutrients first thing in the morning are key to warding off environmental and office stressors.
Focus on quality protein and fat, with a side of berries.
You don't have to use all of these to reduce your stress level, but the max benefit is reached when their all used cohesively.
Once you know how to relax when stressed, your life will seem clearer. Your mind will be focused, your thoughts will be sharp and you'll be a better you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7611763

The time is always ' NOW!!! '

Positive Thinking Success Secrets By Tom Cramer

All too many people underestimate the power of positive thinking. Some of the most successful people in the world swear by the use of positive thinking.

Nothing is impossible if you stay inspired and keep a positive attitude while striving to attain your goals. Having positive thoughts will not only help with your success but it will also make you happier and you will find more friends as well as business connections. Positive thinking is an important piece in your puzzle of success.

 Delve into Dedication One of the most important success secrets is that a person must be dedicated if they really want to achieve their goals. People with lackadaisical attitudes have a minimal chance at becoming a success in life, be it in their personal lives or professional lives. To succeed, you must be one hundred percent dedicated to making your life better.

With true dedication, anything is possible. Believe in Yourself It is essential that you believe in yourself and believe that you can have the success that you desire. The truth is that if you can't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. In order to gain the self confidence that you need to be successful, you should read as many inspirational sayings as you can find. These motivational quotes will help you stay on track and improve your self esteem as well. You can find inspiring quotes on a variety of websites. Just be sure that you are dealing with a reputable success secrets website before you sign up for a membership.

 Be Prepared for Bumps The road to success is paved with the bodies of those who gave up on their dreams. That's why the road is so bumpy. You need to be prepared for setbacks but you must stay inspired. When you hit a bump in the road, you will need to reevaluate your goal setting strategies. Without reasonable and viable goal setting, you are setting yourself up for failure.

 You should find some good inspirational sayings that are about setting goals, both short term and long term ones. This should help you to ensure that your personal goals are attainable. Reach for the Stars You should reach for the stars and expect to grab them, pull them out of the sky and put them in your pocket. All of your hopes and dreams can come true if you follow the right strategies and keep reading inspirational messages. Your wildest dreams are not out of your reach. Each time that you find yourself achieving one of your small milestones, you will need to celebrate your achievement and set a new stepping stone on your road to success.

 Success secret: A celebration is essential to keeping yourself inspired. You could go out to a nice dinner, splurge with a manicure or buy that business suit that you've been wanting for a while. The way you celebrate doesn't matter; the main thing is that you reward yourself for your hard work, dedication and success in achieving the small goal. Life is all about change. Nothing ever stays the same for very long. You must learn to recognize the changes and alter your strategy for success in gain it. Unfortunately, the road to success is filled with twists, turns and stop lights. So long as you are willing to think positively and adapt to any situation, you are bound to climb every mountain that you come across.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7209108

.HOW TO CREATE WITH YOUR THOUGHTS .

Blinded By A Bear: How My Story Can Help Others by Dan Bigley

The man I once was died in an instant just below Alaska's Russian River Campground the night of July 14, 2003. The backcountry-wandering, ski-bumming, laid-back 25-year-old in me was killed when a grizzly bear pinned me to the ground, cocked its head sideways, opened its jaws and clamped down hard across my face.

Eggshells crunching. Then a hideous POP. Suspended in oscillating blue light, my long-dead grandfather nodded at me in the distance. I started to go to him.

As I lay dying, somehow it occurred to me that I had a choice. I slowly turned back. Rather than take the easy way out, I decided to fight for my life with every ounce of strength that hadn't yet drained out of my body. I promised myself that if I fought and lived, I would never look back and regret it.

That midsummer day had started with such promise. It was gloriously warm and sunny, the red salmon were running, I was going fishing with a buddy and I was in love.
I was living at the time in Girdwood, a little ski town with a backdrop of glaciers, peaks and sea. I had a great job taking troubled kids on outdoor outings. Just the week before, I had bought a cabin high in the Chugach Mountains with a view of Denali and hiking and skiing out my front door. After a year of having a crush on an incredible woman named Amber, we had finally started a relationship -- the night before the bear.

I'd thought this many times before, but on that day in particular, as I headed down the Kenai Peninsula for a day of salmon fishing, I felt the universe was looking after me.

For that day to end as it did was beyond comprehension.

The surgeon rousted from bed the night of my mauling, Dr. James Kallman, had no idea what he was in for as he fumbled for the pager on his bedside table. When he called in to Providence hospital, the emergency room doctor was so rattled she couldn't find words to describe my injuries.
"It's terrible, just horrible," she told him. "Please, we just need you to come."
"Upper nose, eyes, forehead anatomy unrecognizable," is how the medevac report put it.

Once Dr. Kallman saw my CT scans, then saw for himself the mess the bear had made of my face, he understood. Among my cluster bomb of injuries, my brain was exposed to the world. Although he was amazed I was still alive, chances were high that I would die of infection. If I did somehow pull through, there was no question I would be blind.

The universe is still looking out for me because I am alive today. Obviously. But not just alive, I am thriving.
Before the bear, I was an adventure-seeking missile. Hike here, climb there, fish at every opportunity. That last part hasn't changed; I still fish every chance I get. But there's nothing like having your face in the jaws of a bear to rearrange your priorities.

I climb different kinds of mountains now. I have a master's degree in social work, and a challenging and fulfilling job working with troubled children and families at Denali Family Services. In seven years, I have gone from clinician to clinical director of this nonprofit social service agency. I'll be teaching a master's level class at the University of Alaska-Anchorage in the fall. And, I teamed up with veteran Alaskan writer Debra McKinney to tell my story in the newly released book, Beyond the Bear: How I Learned to Live and Love again After Being Blinded by a Bear, published by Globe Pequot/Lyons Press. My hope is that my story will help others navigate through tragedies of their own.

Oh, and remember the girl I was in love with the night before the bear? Several months into my recovery, she and I fell in love all over again. We're now married and have two beautiful children.
"Daddy, are you blind?" my daughter asked me when she was 3.
"Yep, I'm blind."
"Are you happy?"
"Yep, I'm happy."
She paused a moment, then asked: "So you're blind AND you're happy?"

I am. To sum up the last 10 years in one sentence: The bigger my life, the smaller my disability.
I went through hell, there's no denying that. The pain, the confusion, the doubts, the nightmares, the sense of loss that ached to the bone. But over time I adapted to life in the dark. I became determined not to be just a survivor, but to live fully.

I wouldn't have made it this far without a caring community and the kindness of strangers. Like the man from Talkeetna who offered me one of his eyes. (He didn't know that with both optic nerves severed by the bear's "death blow," I had been blinded instantly and permanently.) I would never have made it this far without the technical and emotional support it took to get me through graduate school. I never would have made it this far without love.

I felt that love in the blue place when I was dying, and it gave me the strength I needed to fight for my life. I felt it when I was first told I was blind and it gave me the courage of acceptance. I have felt it every day since.

I choose on a daily basis to feel grateful. I am grateful to have seen the world for the first 25 years of my life. I am grateful for the things I still can do, and don't waste time dwelling on all I've lost. So I can't go white-water kayaking or run like a crazy person down a steep mountain trail like I used to. But I have a fulfilling career, a family I cherish and a community that's got my back. So I can't read storybooks to my kids at bedtime, but they can read them to me. And I can go hiking, camping, fishing and play hide-and-seek, even though I always lose.

Nearly 10 years after the bear, I still don't take a single day for granted. Every breath is a gift. The bear that took my eyes was the last thing I ever saw, but that bear gave me a new way to see.

You Deserve Happiness, So Stop Settling for Less

A scene in the film Me and You and Everyone We Know -- a quirky love story about a lonely shoe salesman and an equally lonely artist -- shows the artist in the store where the salesman works, waiting while a friend shops.

The shoe salesman glances at the artist's shoes and asks, "Are those comfortable?"
She says, "I guess so. I mean, they kind of rub my ankles, but all shoes do that. I have low ankles."
He looks her in the eye and says, "You think you deserve that pain, but you don't."

You think you deserve that pain, but you don't.

Too many of us go through life quietly enduring things that make us unhappy. We tolerate jobs that cut into our well-being. We stay in roles that rub and chafe and wear away at our happiness. In short, we settle.

A few years ago, while eating lunch with my colleagues in our corporate cafeteria, I looked around the room at everyone and then turned to my coworker. I asked, "Do you think these people are happy?"
He replied, "Right now they are."
"In general, though," I said. "Do you think they're happy?"
He stared at me. "Do you really think anybody is happy with their job?"
And there it was.

We grow up dreaming of being astronauts and princesses. We're told we can achieve anything we want. We're promised the world and permitted to dream beyond its limits. But at some point along the way, we abandon the concept of happiness completely. We build lifestyles of cubicles and commutes. We do what we think we should.

And then we wake up on Monday morning filled with dread and think it would be ludicrous to expect otherwise.

"Nobody likes their job," we justify, "so I shouldn't expect to, either."
The salesman in the film goes on to say, "People think foot pain is a fact of life. Life is actually better than that."
The artist's friend adds, "Your whole life could be better, starting right now."

Your whole life can be better.

You deserve to face Monday with something more than despair. You deserve to feel excited about something more than Friday evening. You deserve to love your job. You deserve to feel that your happiness still counts. Because it does.

Happiness should be a standard that life decisions are measured against, and any decision that undermines your happiness should be regarded as a poor one.

Don't bind yourself up in a mortgage if you're going to use it as an excuse to stay in a job you hate. Don't move to a city you hate for a job you hate just because it pays well. Don't arrange your life so that you work an hour from home if you're going to spend the commute missing your children grow up.
Do not settle for shoes that hurt your feet.
Do not justify a job that pains you in other ways.
Happiness is a basic necessity. Expect happiness -- and then figure out how to get it.

To borrow one last line from the movie, "I am prepared for amazing things to happen."
I deserve it. You do, too.

How to Improve Your Life

How to improve your life forever

Have you always wanted something ? Have you always felt that something was missing but you didn't know what ? Have you aimed for goals and fallen short. Like many of us you have probably fallen into a depressive slump and given up any hope of improving your life. The subject of self improvement is a vast one, and there are many things to learn. Yet, it is those first early steps that give the most back and provide the most improvement to our lives. Therefore, it is important to start out with a technique that gives you the best grounding to work from and will be fairly easy to master. If someone offered you such a system, would you follow it through or abandon it half way ?

The power of positive thinking is something that is widely known, although often forgotten about. Apparently depressive people see the world in a much more realistic way when considering the present. An optimist does not have a realistic view. Where the depressive looes is the point at which they take their depressive view of 'today' and expand it out to the future. A depressive creates an uncompelling view of the future - one in which they make reasonable demands and expect a large amount of disappointment. Like a self fulfilling prophecy they are usually right.

The optimist, using techniques for positive thinking, sees the potential in everything. He creates a compelling future that drives him forward and provides motivation. He gives himself clear, inspiring goals and desires that fuel his actions. He is stretched by the challenges of what the depressive would call ' unrealistic goals'. This challenge forces growth, a key factor in true happiness, further empowering the optimist on towards his goals. When he does get beaten, he realises that he is merely being told 'try again but be more inventive'. Fueled by his imagination, the optimist creates his own future.

As we can see the power of positive thinking is a valuable tool, one which can be used to change lives and make dreams reality. Yet, as with many things, there are surprisingly few basic, down to earth practical sources of information on how to master positive thinking. I am sure you do not want to be without the advantages it can bring and no doubt you have encountered, vague, imprecise guidelines to positive thinking that you have quickly abandoned. For those who feel that they can stick to four basic principles for at least a year they will be astounded at the changes that such simple techniques can bring. I now present to you the four basic principles of positive thinking:

1) You are not your personality.

Your personality is not you. You were probably different as a child than you are today. Sure, there will be a kernel of similarity, but much of what you do, day to day, is not your personality, even though you may call it that. Instead, your so-called personality is a collection of habits formed out of experiences as a defence mechanism for coping with day to day life. Your imagined personality can hold you back in life because it defines what you will do and what you are unwilling or incapable of doing. A woman may feel she cannot be an effective public speaker because she has been shy all her life. This is simply not true, she merely needs to learn what makes an effective public speaker and adopt those mannerisms herself.

To be truly effective in terms of positive thinking you must accept the notion, that whatever age you are, you are not a fixed concept. You can be what you want to be. OFten we want to do things that seem at odds with what we feel comfortable with. We tell ourselves that we could never go skydiving or such like. These contrary desires are so important.

You should take hold of them and make them reality. They are your mind's way of trying to increase its exposure to new things, to break out of the prison you call personality.

Today, pick one thing that you have never done but have always been curious about. Make a list of a months worth of activities that you feel you may not be capable of. Run a marathon, join the local drama club, spend a whole day outdoors without checking in with the office. You will be amazed at how empowered you feel - and it will give you further motivation to push back your so called identity.

2) Learn how to motivate yourself.

Many of us feel that we are at the whim of the day. On a good day we will do well, and on a bad day we will be unmotivated, will procrastinate and achieve little. You must accept the concept that your day is yours to control, you are at the whim of circumstance only in so much as you choose to respond to circumstance. Planning ahead, can provide security through contingency plans to deal with the so called unexpected. For those issues that keep coming up, see if there is a way to solve them permanently.

Once you have reduced circumstance as much as possible you must then identify the next largest area of de motivation.

For many of us, particularly those new to self improvement, our emotions are what control our day. Or rather, our lack of ability to direct our own feelings. Motivation comes from knowing we have a task that will challenge us, is not insurmountable, and will provide a valuable outcome. By ensuring all of your major tasks fit into these categories you will help to unleash the motivation found within your daily activities.
Secondly, arrange your office in such a way as to cut down on distractions. Have a ready supply of water nearby, fresh pens and pencils and paper. Ensure that there as few distractions as possible. Once you have done this, you can focus on ways to improve your own mood - perhaps have a play list of your favourite uplifting songs. Have a to do list of your day's tasks, that are prioritised, and tick them off as you progress though them. Having a written record of your completions is a great way to build confidence in being able to finish tasks.

Once you can plan work for the day ahead and use the power of those tasks to motivate yourself you will feel much more in control in your work environment. This extra security will help build your self confidence and help you to see things more positively.
Make a list of tasks today and see how you can drive your motivation.

3) Be confident of who you are becoming.

Sometimes people may ,knowingly or unknowingly, put you down. They may make you feel self conscious about your spelling, your weight or your lack of confidence. At the time these insult may sting and cause deep pain and ruin your day or maybe even longer. They lower your perception of your own self worth and cause a negative spiral that sabotages any positive thinking. Rather than focus on why the other person did what they did, I would like you not to be a victim and to focus on something else. Being a victim can never ever create a positive outcome. It embodies feelings of helplessness and being subject to the whims of others. If there is any way that you can avoid feelings of victim hood and use the criticism in a positive way you should.

You are probably thinking - thats easy to say - but what is positive about being called 'insert insult'. I think that you should use such criticism as fuel, fuel to prove the other person wrong - to understand that who you are today doesn't have to be who you are tomorrow, or next week or next year.

If you yourself are unhappy with what they criticised, then decide if now is the time to do something about it, and to dwarf the critical negative person with the strength of your own personal power. People who criticise often love to feel that you will always be whatever be afflicted by whatever problem they perceive or 'want to perceive'. If you can change it shows to yourself and to the world that you can become whatever you want to be. Don't let others or yourself define you a static unchanging being who will always be burdened with the same afflictions.

4) Create the future - commit to yourself.

Imagine its a month from now. You have worked on the three ideas above and are seeing results. Now that you are learning to tackle you own problems, can motivate yourself to an extent and can push your own boundaries - its time to create your own future. A future that is so far from where you were a month ago, or even today, that to contemplate it before would have been unthinkable. Perhaps you would like to be a model, lose weight, or greatly increase your income. Maybe you want to walk the stage of some famous theatre, or begin an acting career. Look twenty years in the future, and decide where you would like to be, regardless of feasibility, or outrageousness. Then fix this vision into concrete statements, such as I will weight twenty pounds less, or I will drive an Aston Martin.

Now take these facts and visualise in your mind a scene, which illustrates all of these things. Imagine your future self in the scene, looking radiant and happy. Now make the image bigger, and the colours brighter, smile to yourself, and press your thumb and forefinger together. Do this visualisation technique every day, as many times as you remember to. Always press together your thumb and finger as you smile and imagine yourself stepping into the image and it coming to life. By doing this, we are anchoring your desire for the future to a physical action. From this point on, whenever you feel insecure or demotivated, press your thumb and forefinger together and you will get a surge of energy and happiness.

The next step is to plan out how you will achieve you goals over the coming months and weeks and years. Take a look at when you want to achieve your goal and then step backwards adding key points that will mark your progress. These point should contain sub goals that will help bring your major goal to life.
If you follow these four simple steps, and repeat them day in day out, for a month, you will rapidly begin to see changes in your life. When I did these things myself several years ago, I began to see changes in my life that were for the better. Bizarrely, I did not associate these positive changes with the daily actions I was taking. Looking back, it was the daily repetition of the above tasks that really helped turn my life around.

If you can master these techniques for positive thinking then you will have gone a long way to creating the life that your want !

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/381891

Positive Thinking - How to Think Positive All the Time

Sadly, for most people, 95-100% of their thoughts are negative. Additionally, it will usually be the same today as they were yesterday, the same this year as the last. While most people are aware of their constant state of negativity, they are usually unaware of the impact it has on their happiness, success, wealth and relationships. No wonder it can seem so hard to get what you want out of life!

If negative thoughts keep running through your head, it may be time to put on a pair of rose-colored glasses. Looking at life's challenges in a more positive way will not only improve your physical wellbeing. Research has shown that it can increase your longevity. People who see the glass as half full have lower rates of depression, stronger immune systems, reduced risk of heart disease and better coping skills during hard times. They also tend to have better relationships, progress faster in their career and make more money.

Rule Your Emotions
Don't let your emotions rule you. Once you start to recognize situations that put you in that negative cycle, create unnecessary worry or undermine your confidence, you can take control with positive thinking. If you are generally a negative person, keep practicing. Like any other habit, changing your thought process will take some time and effort.

Here are some tips and techniques that can help you to remain positive.

Condition Your Mind for Success

• When a negative emotion pops into your head, put a positive spin on it.
• Quit trying to rationalize negative thoughts.
• If you can't control it, don't worry about it.
• Surround yourself with positive people.
• Find things to laugh about, especially during difficult times.
• Create lists of accomplishments, favorite memories, things to be thankful for, and future possibilities.
• Quit blaming yourself for every bad thing that happens.
• Take positive steps to improve a negative situation.
• Don't let one minor problem in the morning ruin your entire day.
• Accept that life is not black and white.
• Take care of yourself: Exercise, eat healthy and get enough sleep.
• Cut yourself some slack.
• Get immersed in a hobby.

ACTION STEP

1. Identify areas in your life that keep you dwelling in negative energy.
2. Make a list, and then reframe them in a positive manner.
3. Regularly repeat/recite this list mentally
4. Continually, think about what you do want, not what you don't want.

While it may not appear to be very important, the ability to think positive will have a significant impact on every area of your life. Do take the above suggestions seriously and implement them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7491453

Overcoming Negativity

Negative thoughts are the greatest hindrance in the world. Someone who is suffering from chronic negativity has no chance of maximizing their potential in life.

 Overcoming negativity is necessary to finish any task. When negative thoughts are allowed to prosper, the person infected will have very little chance of experiencing growth and success. Every day we are bombarded with information and because of this, dread, anxiety and stress can easily enter our mind. Negativity is a battle within yourself. No one can take this problem away unless you are committed to overcoming negativity.

Removing anxiety, doubt and fear is not an easy task: it will involve a process. It will entail you focusing on positive thinking. Even in the most dire situations something positive can come up but it takes willingness, creativity and awareness to see what are this issues that can be turned into something useful.

Negative thoughts can be life draining. They can lead a person to doubt themselves and not act upon their dreams. For example, so many people get stuck on creating street protests but fail to come up with alternative solutions to the problem. While protesting on the streets is not a bad idea if you want to make others aware, it should be coupled with positive actions that can tap the interest of others.

Positive thinking is the ability to create and to inspire. It is not just about changing your thoughts but making sure that it translates to actions in your daily life otherwise the positive thoughts will not provide the impact that you would like to have.

In order to train yourself to have a better mindset, it would be best to learn how to calm your thoughts down. It gets easier to compose positive thoughts if your thoughts are arranged in such a manner that you can control them. Even when life gets too busy and hectic take the time to breathe slowly, relax and empty your thoughts through meditation.

Meditation is the art of not thinking about anything or just focusing on thinking about images that you would like to happen. The mind can be trained to see a much better perspective, for example even a person in jail can get through the toughest days by learning to think positively, they can imagine the river banks, the sunlight, the forest and other desirable qualities of nature like roses instead of focusing on their plight.
In general, people do have the ability to stay focused, calm and are able to maintain positive thoughts. Encouraging others despite the circumstances is do-able. But in order to get to positive thinking, you need to learn to discipline your mind in order to overcome negativity.

Positive thinking is mostly about thinking about the present time and not worrying about the details of the past and the future. It is about training the mind and body to respond to what they can change now, not what they will not be able to work upon due to various circumstances. It is about being alert and making the most of a given situation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7238772

Positive Thinking

A few years back, I was asked to present a series of workshops to some high-school seniors on the subject of Positive Thinking.

It's a subject that's near and dear to my heart, but I approached the assignment with some trepidation. The idea of leading a group of seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds for fifty minutes was for some reason more challenging than speaking to adults.

What Exactly is Positive Thinking?
Why is it important? How do you develop it? How do you keep a positive attitude in the face of negative circumstances?

And these kids expected answers. It caused me to do some real soul searching as to what I think a PMA (positive mental attitude) is and how to apply it in our lives.

To me, Positive Thinking means a "can-do" attitude-an attitude that allows one to see the best in all circumstances. It means facing a given situation and looking for the opportunities that almost always lie within. It's really a matter of focus. It's a little bit like when you're buying a new car and you notice all the cars on the road like the one you're buying. They were always there before, but you just didn't notice them because you weren't looking for them. When you're looking for good, you'll certainly find it. That's Positive Thinking.

Positive thinking is not Pollyanna Thinking. Being a "Permagrinner" is almost as bad as being a negative thinker. It's an unwillingness to see things as they are and ignore the things that could present a danger to us and our well-being.

We need to be realistic and address the problems with which we're faced. If you're tending a garden and ignore the weeds, you'll find your garden over-run by them. You have to be aware and take care of problems. Positive Thinking is definitely not avoidance.

Negative thinking is all too common. It doesn't take any effort to be a negative thinker. I call them "Stinking Thinkers"-people with Mental BO. You know the kind of people I'm talking about-the kind of people who brighten up a room-by leaving. They're cynical and depressing to be around. They complain too much and offer too little, if any, help.

Positive Thinking is infectious. Unfortunately, so is negative thinking. Emerson wrote, "A man becomes what he thinks about all day long." What do you think about? Where's your focus? Do you dwell on your problems, or do you focus on the way you'd like them resolved? It's your perspective that determines whether the glass is half full or half empty.

Our attitude affects people more than we may realize. When we approach problems with enthusiasm and high expectations, and when we share our optimism, we cause others to look at things in new and more optimistic ways. We help shift their perspective.

When I'm hiring someone, I place more weight on their attitude than on their skills and knowledge. Skills and knowledge can always be learned. Positive Thinking can be learned too, but I find few people willing to develop it. The belief is often, "that's-just-the-way-I-am."
How Do We Develop a Positive Attitude?

One way is to associate with positive people. We may have to change our environment and even choose new friends. This may seem drastic, but you can't afford to be with people who drag you down. In order to be successful, you have to have a supportive atmosphere.

We can also read good books. You might want to start with Norman Vincent Peale's classic, The Power of Positive Thinking. He coined the acronym and phrase "PMA." Any book that is encouraging, inspiring and positive will do.

No matter how good your PMA might be, it takes constant attention. You eat every day, don't you? Your attitude is like your body; it needs to be nourished. You need to feed it with good, healthy food-positive people, good books and an inspiring environment. Just like you go to work every day, you need to go to work on yourself every day. If you do, you'll build and maintain a Positive Mental Attitude.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2894033