Being Successful

The entire world can view your life as the ultimate success story, but the bottom line is this: If you are not happy, you are not successful.

Speak Words That Empower

We need to be especially careful about the words we speak out loud when things aren't going the way we want. Yes, it's true that what you think is what you get, but what you say out loud in the midst of troubling times has even greater impact on how long you stay in those situations, and how deeply you are affected by the situation. The words you speak amplify your feelings and trigger mental images. Your feelings lead to the actions that you take and the actions that you take lead to the outcome. In other words my friend; if what you think is what you get, then what you say is what you ask for.
If you're always thinking about how badly life is treating you, and telling whoever will stand still long enough to regret doing so about how you can't get a fair shake, you will always feel miserable. Ever hear anyone say, “Misery loves company?” Being miserable doesn't exactly attract good things to you. Get it? If you want to change your life for the better, start by consciously changing what you think...and what you say.

Reality Is Whatever You Identify With

It absolutely amazes me that there are people who have been given every opportunity in life and still manage to sabotage their success and destroy their chance at happiness. Somewhere along the way they have adopted a negative perception about life and they continue to reinforce that perception by obsessive thinking. Let's face it; it's difficult to feel successful when you keep focusing on your mistakes, setbacks and failures. Likewise, it’s impossible to be happy if you constantly feel victimized or singled out when your life doesn't go as planned.
Reality is whatever you identify with. If you keep focusing on what's not working you will always be in some kind of turmoil. You make a difficult situation worse when you are unable to shift your focus and appreciate what you have, rather than focusing on what you don't have. Whether you believe it or not, there is a spiritual law that works with perfection, it's called “The Law Of Attraction.” This law simply states that the more you concentrate on your lack, the more of that you will get back. The more you think of what's not working, the more your life won't work.
People who are successful consciously or unconsciously think successful thoughts. Whether they are aware of it or not, their predominant thoughts are of optimism, for wealth, health and abundance on a consistent basis. They don't allow negative thoughts of deficiency and failure to take root in their minds. That doesn't mean they don't have negative thoughts. We all do. It simply means the majority are positive.
Have you ever noticed that those who are always talking about their ailments are always ill?
Those who speak about prosperity are prosperous. Those who talk about how wonderful life is are always happy. And people who are constantly talking about their cats, well that's a different story and I don't have the time right now.
The point is that your thoughts cumulatively provide a general blueprint of directives for how you react to everything in your life. Whatever you habitually think about or focus on the most will become your realty. So, whatever you do, don't focus on getting hit by a train. That's not going to end well.

I Love My Job

On March 13th I flew to Macau China, where I experienced five incredible days of laughter, friendship, great food, great wine, and top notch service. No, I wasn't on vacation. It was a business trip. Fortunately, I'm in the type of business where quite often it's difficult to tell the difference. Yes I love my job that much. In fact there are times I'm on such a high about what I do for a living that I actually laugh and think to myself, “And I get paid for doing this!”
There are two reasons why my trip to Macau was so special. First, was the seminar I gave to an incredible group who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people all over the planet.
Polaris Media Group is an international community of successful men and woman that provide resources to ignite creativity and success at work and in life. They create inspirational media products and educational materials that reveal the true nature of the human spirit.
I have spoken to all kinds of groups throughout my speaking career, but few have had the passion, enthusiasm, and incentive to learn and take immediate action than the wonderful people of Polaris Media.
I was fortunate to spend quality time with some of the members and it became very clear to me that these people are on a mission to make the world a better place. Their dedication and desire to serve truly inspired me. It's always an extra bonus when the teacher becomes the student and walks away feeling uplifted. I wish them all the very best that life has to offer.
The second reason my stay in Macau was so special was the making of a new friendship. I've known Jim Cathcart casually through the years as we are both members of The National Speakers Association. It wasn't until we worked together in Macau that we got to know each other on a personal basis. Jim has an impeccable reputation as a speaker and it was a real treat to see him in action. He captivated the entire audience, myself included, for four hours.
I've always said that one of the joys of traveling is spending quality time having dinner with clients and friends in various parts of world. It's a time to relax, let loose and to get to know one another. The memories of sharing heartfelt stories and non stop laughter always bring a smile to my face. I will take those memories with me till the day I leave this world.
Occasionally, usually sometime the following day, I realize that a special connection was made. It truly is a blessing to know that there is someone else in my life that I can call friend. Thanks Jim, It was a pleasure and an honor getting to know you. The next time our paths meet I know I will be greeting someone who is more than an acquaintance.

It's A Matter Of Choice

Choice! The key is choice. You have options. You need not spend your life wallowing in failure, ignorance, grief, poverty, shame, and self pity. But hold on! If this is true, then why have so many among us apparently elected to live in that manner?
The answer is obvious. Those who live in unhappy failure have never exercised their options for a better way of life because they have never been aware that they had any choices.

The above words are from The Choice, a book written by Og Mandino. Read it again my friend because it is a cornerstone for building a successful and happy life. You inability to use your power of choice can affect your entire life. Life is about choices. Every situation is a choice. You choose how to react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. The bottom line: The choices you make determine how you live your life. Once you can say to yourself that you have a choice on how to deal with a problem or even a crisis, you are sending a message to that brain of yours, stating that you are in control of the situation, Instead of the situation controlling you. In other words you are not at the mercy of the situation.
You can choose to believe that you are helpless and at the mercy of life's unpleasant twists of fate and misfortunes. You can choose to believe some people are lucky and some are destined to a life of misery and despair. If this is what you believe, then that will be your reality.
On the other hand, you could choose to believe you have a choice in your affairs, that you may not be able to control what happens to you, but you can always choose how you think about what happens, you can always choose the state of mind you need to be in regardless of what is happening around you or to you. The choice is yours my friend, it has always been. It always will be. It's always just a matter of choice.

Part 2: Why You Are Here by Steve Rizzo

I think we can all agree that life is an ongoing obstacle course, always challenging you to be the best you can be. Each obstacle, no matter how big or small, is an opportunity for you to shift your perspective and view it through the eyes of hope and peace, and that choice my friend is always yours to make. As I said in Part 1, this is what acquiring a positive attitude is all about. This is what builds character and enables you to grow and to become the person you were meant to be. This is also why some of your biggest challenges can be blessings in disguise. Understanding this is the pathway to success and happiness. Are you ready for the challenge?
We need to teach our children that there will be times in their lives where they will experience disappointment and heartache, that good and bad are simply part of the process of life. It's necessary to feel the effect of one to feel the effect of the other. If our lives were void of disappointment and heartache, we wouldn't know we were experiencing a life worth living because we would have nothing to compare it with. Without comparison, life would be boring for certain and even worse, unfulfilling. This is the wonder and, yes, the blessing of life. So in the grand scheme of things, there is really no such thing as a bad experience. There is only the wrong attitude. Once again, that choice is always yours to make.

Part 1: Why You Are Here

This is for anyone who is currently going through tough times. This is for anyone who is always having difficulty dealing with adversity at work or in life. And this is for anyone who can't escape from the confines of feeling victimized.

Adversity is necessary in order for you to grow. This is something optimistic and positive people know about life. I want you to understand the following. Are you ready? You are here on Earth to experience, learn, grow and become the person you were meant to become. It can't be stressed enough that the filter through which you view all of your life's experiences will ultimately determine who you become. In other words my friend, how you choose to experience what happens to you, is it what you consider to be good or what you consider to be bad, will determine what you learn. What you learn determines how you grow and this continued growth is what shapes who and what you become. If you can comprehend this, it will help free you from feeling victimized when times are tough and just maybe help you to compare a challenging situation with a pop quiz in Life: 101, rather than, say the APOCALYPSE!!!
Stay tuned for Part 2.