There is so much to gain in the world. Love, money, wisdom, friends, success, faith, peace and happiness are at the top of most lists. The difficult question becomes how we can attempt to get all of these things and at the same time not lose our souls in the process. The answer may come down to a simple matter of choice.

Choices exist all around us. We can choose to live a life of service or we can choose to invest in a career that has the promise to be financially rewarding. We also have the choice of doing both.

How to Gain the Whole World and Not Lose Your Soul

When you become truly self motivated you realize that success is not a destination, it is something within you. It is the self motivational attitude that you take to every aspect of your life. Not just the big things, but the every day mundane things.

Success is not something you grab a hold of, pin down, then show off as some kind of trophy which some less aware people have come to view it. Successful people don’t just achieve success, they live it on a daily basis.

Many definitions of success describe it as a journey. However I believe it is more than a journey and is in fact a lifestyle and indeed a self motivational lifestyle choice.

Success leaves clues for us to follow and here is a list of 20 of the success clues to look for:

1. Focused on worthy goals
2. Work towards them (we’re not just looking for short cuts)
3. Pushing for high standards, but not bogged down in seeking perfection. Perfectionism stops many of us from being successful.
4. Seeing the big picture while attending to the detail
5. Persistence is the self motivational watchword, no one is successful without persistence.
6. Balancing the need for big steps with incremental improvement
7. Holding the gains as they come, then not backsliding into old behaviors
8. Helping others of like mind, particularly the less fortunate, to set and achieve their goals.
9. A commitment to delivering on promises
10. Knowing that your goal is still there after the buffeting storms subside
11. Not surrendering control to others by losing your temper
12. Seeing hate and abuse from others as a gift you choose not to accept from them
13. Refuse to acknowledge failure as a stopping point, and see it as a learning experience instead
14. Forge alliances with those who will commit to supporting your goals
15. Knowing that everyone has within them the resources to achieve their goals
16. Realizing that success is a self motivational choice you make, not one that is made for you
17. Seeing money as a scorecard to the energy you create in the world, not success itself
18. Respect others and their vision of success, even when you can’t agree with them
19. Living in the now and valuing every moment of every day
20. Valuing health as the great generator for a self motivational and successful life style

To adopt a success oriented lifestyle you need to be a detective looking for clues. The list above is not meant to be comprehensive, but merely a starting point to begin your quest.

Article syndicated courtesy of Syndicate Kahuna

Your 10 Steps to go From from Perspiration to Motivation

Does everything feel like a struggle? Why not use some inspiration to create the energy that propels you up and over life’s inevitable speed bumps? Here are ten solid steps to get you inspired.

1. Be grateful: Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, take a look at what you do have . Write a list of the “10 Things I Am Grateful For Today.” Do it now.Take a minute each morning to mentally express your gratitude for at least 5 things, whether it’s the air you breathe, the clothes on your back, or those closest to you.
2. Celebrate and list every success: How would you like to have a boss who only ranted about what you did wrong or what you failed to achieve, never giving you credit for the wins? Take a look in the mirror and make sure you aren’t abusing yourself like a boss from hell. Keep a running list of your successes for the year and post it near your computer or nightstand. Pay yourself on the back everytime you read it. Learn to speak to yourself in a positive, uplifting manner.
3. Learn from your setbacks: Failure happens. Accept failure as something good, as proof that you are taking risks and stretching yourself. However, in addition to accepting the losses, you must go back and, like an unbiased scientist, ask yourself what went wrong. What will you do differently in the future? Mistakes are only truly valuable if you learn from them. Even if your home is a problem – this is just a ride, as Bill Hicks
   used to say.
4. Fill your glass: Forget the debate over whether the glass is half empty or half full! Why not take a pitcher and fill it up? Tackle every situation with the perspective that you can affect the outcome. Acknowledge that you have the power to choose.
5. Look for role models: Who inspires you? Is there someone who walked in your shoes and faced similar battles? Maybe even someone who went on to become a superstar in his or her own life? Identify him or her, but don’t put him or her up on a pedestal. Remember that he or she is a person just like you, who overcame the odds, or struggled through extreme hardship and persevered.
6. Become a visionary: You don’t have to be a guru to have a vision of the future. All it takes is a bit of imagination and the courage to reach for something bigger than your current reality. Give yourself at least 30 minutes of daily visualization to let your thoughts dig into this one. How does this vision of the future relate to your life today?
7. Identify the milestones: Set concrete goals for yourself that can be broken down into measurable pieces or milestones. If you want to lose 20 pounds, each 5-pound increment is the next milestone you should aim for and celebrate. Instead of shooting for a distant peak, it’s much more encouraging to set your sights on the corner at the end of the block.
8. Say it with pictures: Research says that 89% of what we learn is visual, 10% is auditory, and 1% comes through our other senses. Draw, photograph, or assemble a collage that represents your aim in life. Hang it on the wall or download it to your computer desktop as a reminder of what you’re working towards.
9. Play: If you feel like you’re toiling, take a break and interject some fun. Do something ridiculous. If you can’t think of anything, spend an hour or two watching 4-year olds play. Learn to enjoy the journey even more than the destination.
10. Ride the wave of change – don’t run from it: Like death and taxes, change is inevitable. However, resistance to change is common and causes untold amounts of struggle. Become a master evolutionist—respond to change eagerly and rapidly.

We all need a push once in a while. Choose instead to latch onto inspiration as a force that pulls you forward and you’ll discover that success can be effortless.

If you would like to read and learn more: emotional freedom technique courses.

Article syndicated courtesy of Syndicate Kahuna

Dave Gikandi has this to say about the LoA

“A lot of people have found the Law of Attraction to be powerful and effective for them. However, I have been approached by a few who claim it doesn’t work for them. There are also those who rightly observe that while it works, one must also take right action. In this video, I cover these and other related topics so that you can apply it extremely powerfully no matter who you are. It does work! But like anything else, using it well is a skill that is learned and improved upon. Enjoy!”

To see Dave’s video, go here: Does the Law of Attraction (As Seen on The Secret) Really Work? What About Action?

I don’t believe in any quantum justification for the Law of Attraction or in any magical part. That said, I do believe in the LoA for simpler reasons. The mind is a funny thing, you know? A total change of mind can come instantly and other times not at all.

I’ve noticed that as we cruise down the river of life if we think thoughts along the lines of, “Ok, I’m not going to hit that stump right there…” that we’ll hit it almost every time. Or… “Ok, I’m not going to be late for this, I’m not going to be late… Bah! I’m late again! How…?”

I’ve found that you have to focus your thoughts on where you want to go and what you want to do and maybe how you’re going to do it, but frequently when your head it in the right place the “how” will come to mind. I think we’ll miss most of the stumps that way. We’ll also start to notice that most of the stumps of life are of our own making.

So check out Dave’s video and see if it’s a good fit for you.

Joel, at Fearless Dreams, also has a few things to say on the Law of Attraction. Check it our here: Is there a Fatal Flaw in the Law of Attraction?

Now, if I asked you to name 3 things you could do to live a healthier lifestyle, I bet you’d say something like…

– eat more (organic) fruit and veggies
– drink more water
– get more exercise

Most of us have a pretty clear idea about WHAT to do, to be healthier.

So why aren’t we doing it?

Why does no-one ever tell us HOW to change, from where we are now, to a healhier way of life?

Sound too simple? Way back when I was studying Martial Arts (Bok Fu) a real live Major League baseball player signed up to take lessons. Really. This guy had won a couple of batting championships, so obviously knew his game.

He made an interesting remark at one point, along the lines of, “Everyone tells you TO concentrate, but no one tell you HOW to concentrate.” That HOW part was one of the reasons he was studying Martial Arts.

The good news is that once you’re aware of the HOW part, it’s actually quite simple to master personal change. THEN that permanently healthy lifestyle is well within your grasp.

That force for change (or staying where we are) is HABIT.

If you’ve ever tried to maintain a healthier lifestyle, you know just how hard it is to stop yourself slipping back. The problem is, how do you break unhealthy habits that have been with you for years, even decades?

Some people say it’s practically impossible. It can certainly be tough, especially with all the distractions from other people, events, and our own thinking. The good news it’s NOT impossible. You simply need to understand “habit” properly so you can make it work for you, instead of against you.

There’s a guy named Mike Kinnaird who suffered chronic illness for 13 years. The doctors and specialists had basically given up on him, but he poured any energy he had into discovering how to make permanent healthy
changes to his life, and he overcame his illness completely on his own…

He agreed to take on clients and found nearly everyone suffering with the same problem — “how to change.”

How do you get from where you are now to a permanently happy, healthy, energy-filled lifestyle?

Mike dreamed for YEARS about putting it all together and, until recently, it was still just a dream. But Mike’s eBook is now available and he says it’s probably the ONLY book he’ll ever write…

It’s called “The Habit Guide: How to be Happy and Healthy.”

Habit Guide contains 2 sections:

The Change section arms you with a powerful system for transforming habits and the Lifestyle section is Mike’s recommendation of what to aim for.

Yes, it really is that simple. Mike is a “keep is simple, keep it real” kind of guy because he’s seen firsthand WHAT WORKS. Habit Guide is the result of over 20 years passionate research, experience and coaching.

And if all that’s not enough, Mike is currently celebrating the birthday of his health business and has kindly agreed to offer readers of this blog and the Gems4friends newsletter a 33% discount on the Habit Guide, making it only about $18.

But please be warned, it’s a short-term offer only, lasting for just 3 days.

To take advantage of the sale all you have to do is order between 2pm Eastern, Tuesday 26 Aug and the same time on Friday 29 Aug.

Click here if you want to check it out ahead of the sale.

We all know people who seem to be stuck in a situation, for no reason that we can understand. We give them the advice and wonder why they don’t move on. If we’re really honest we see it in ourselves.

The Gatekeeper
Why is it so hard to see the truth about ourselves?

We have so many desires and fears that color everything we think and see.
We’re not completely objective about anything.

But, it’s easier to look at someone else’s situation and see it more clearly, more truly.

Do you ever find yourself going in circles, unable to decide, unable to take action?
You feel the urge to move in some positive direction, and at the same time, you feel compelled to stay where you are, or move in some trivial way that is no movement at all.

Sometimes, we’re aware of being stuck, and it pains us.
Other times, we just dismiss it as no big deal.

Yet, when we look at others who are stuck like this, we can’t understand what’s wrong with them.

Read the rest, now: Are You Acting Like a Spoiled Child?

One of the things that keeps us trapped is negative thinking. We focus on the bad and keep ourselves safe to “protect” ourselves. There are a few thanks that one can do, to change that thinking.

Stop the negative thinking.

What do you think?

But the Ego is essential to our sense of well being, confidence, self-esteem, etc.  Here’s a killer aticle on the subject:

One consistent and popular theme concerning the Ego is it is looked upon as bad and something we have to constantly work to get rid of. I myself fell into constantly berating the ego and fighting against it. Doing this unknowingly created an on going and increasing problem for myself. The more I fought against the ego, the more confused I became, and less confident I felt. If you have experienced much of the same, let me explain what happen that changed all that for me.

Here’s the rest: The #1 Most Common Goof In Personal Development Is Trying To Get Rid Of Your Ego

Just kidding. Really.

For those of us who might have difficulties keeping to their New Year Resolutions and Goals there’s a free report you might want to grab and check out.

The title is: 7 Reasons Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Will Fail.

And then, after telling us why our resolutions will fail, the authors will show us how to remove the stumbling blocks that keep us from sticking to those resolutions. Get your copy here

So who are these guys writing the report?

The concepts in the report are taken from “The HabitGuide,” which was written by Mike Riddet (Co-author of passionforhealth.org.)

Mike has over 20 years experience studying and coaching healthy and happy living and writes about the same on his site. Here’s an example.

On Jan 7th Mike, and his brother and partner James, will be releasing the updated version of The Habit Guide. The first 300 people who go for it will receive a 20% discount off the retail price.

I’m going to pick up a copy on the 7th. How about you?

“Why Gratitude is the Key to Getting Anything You Want”
– by Jeff Staniforth

When it comes to worldly affairs, the saying, “Seeing is believing” reigns supreme.

When you *see* someone accomplish something, you start to *believe* in that person’s ability. If a product delivers what it promises, you then believe that it works. When you see a “formula” yield positive results, you begin to believe in it.

Evidence is essential in order for people to believe. This has led to the saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” The proof is in the pudding.

But in spiritual affairs, the opposite is true. “Believing is seeing.” If you believe first, you will see that thing that you believe in manifest itself in front of your very eyes. That’s a testament to the awesome power of belief. This has led to another saying: “I’ll see it when I believe it.”

However, for most people, believing *is* the problem.

That’s why most people who lack conviction when they recite affirmations, for instance, are missing the secret ingredient that’s necessary to materialize their dreams.

If you’ve ever encountered some internal resistance when you first read or speak a positive affirmation, that’s an indication that you do not really believe what you’re saying. For example, how can you really believe the affirmation, “I am perfectly healthy in body, mind and spirit” when outer appearances point to the contrary (e.g., you’re sick or in pain)?

An important part of believing is to feel “as if it has already happened.” I have found that one of the best ways to evoke that feeling is to express *gratitude* after you recite an affirmation.

Just saying the words, “Thank you” after you state your affirmation reinforces the belief that the universe (or God, or your Creator, or whatever name you call the Supreme Being) has already set about the fulfillment of your desire.

You may not see your affirmed desire fully manifested yet at the present time, but expressing thanks makes you believe that what you’ve asked for is already done. Thereafter, you have a sense of expectancy that what you desire will eventually come to fruition.

If there was ever a “formula” for manifesting desires, this is it. Ancient spiritual manuscripts, including the Bible, emphasize that a single-minded belief is essential in receiving what you ask for. They also warn against double-mindedness. Know with absolute and unwavering certainty that what you are affirming is already yours. “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” So believe that it’s already done by simply saying “Thank you” or assuming an attitude of gratitude after affirming what you want.

I once heard a wonderful quotation from an anonymous author that says it profoundly:

“We can start with who we are and what we have today, apply gratitude, then let it work it’s magic. Say thank you, until you mean it. If you say it long enough, you will believe it. Today will shine the transforming light of gratitude on all the circumstances of my life.”

TIP: An attitude of gratitude is absolutely essential in your practice of affirmations. There are also devices, available in Sculptor, like power symbols, associative trigger symbols, storytelling visuals, and other stimuli that effectively set an affirmation on fire — and therefore makes it infinitely more capable of effecting the manifestation of your desires.

When you experience Sculptor, you’ll begin to realize it’s like soaking yourself in 7 powerful technologies that have been synergistically combined to produce incredible results. You won’t know the amazing value of Sculptor 3 until you experience it for yourself.

Join the millions of People Around the World Who Have Discovered the Power of Affirmations. Send for FREE subscription of “Affirmations For The Mind” Tips and Techniques Newsletter, the premier publication on self-improvement & personal growth. Each issue contains powerful sample affirmations that have been tested and proven to get results.

Click Here to learn more

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Appeared in “Affirmation For The Mind” newsletter.
(c) Jeff Staniforth – All Rights reserved
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