Birthday Reflections

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ph-X1pYv5I

What is it about our birthdays that gives cause to reflect on where we've come from and where we are going and more than any other given day?

So much has happened for me in the last 12 mths, so much to be grateful for and so much has been learnt.  One of the most momentus things has been becoming part of a community that is truly generous of spirit, generous of their time, their support, their wisdom, their sharing and their personal courage.

For years I've looked at different opportunities and been left wanting.  So many promises made such as the opportunity, the support, the training, the life changing benefits but until June 2009 I'd been left disillusioned and wondering if any such community really does exist.
What I found in June last year has totally transformed my life and I can honestly say that above everything else it has come down to the "community" of people I have found.  We all work together to help each other succeed.  When one person succeeds it's as if we are succeeding.  We share each others joys, wins and challenges and we bolster each other along on a daily basis.  We are all living and breathing the Law of Attraction in our lives and with that has come so much joy and gratitude.

I can now truly believe that I AM a leader, I AM successful, I AM assisting others on their personal journeys and I AM fulfilled.

It's difficult to put into words just how wonderful my new family is but I know that in each and every one of us is a star, bursting to come out and that is what we in our business are doing.  We are all contributing to creating 'stars' and shining bright in our own and each others lives.

Some of the challenges different people have faced to get here, have truly inspired me and have given me such an appreciation and respect for what they've had to go through to get here.

Last birthday, I was still in the workforce working 24/7 as a motelier and this birthday I'm living my dream.  I'm on the road in my motorhome, living my life on my terms and no-one elses.  I am creating my own reality and doing it with  joy and gratitude.  It's raining buckets outside today but I have sunshine in my heart knowing I am living on purpose.

Is It More Important To Be Right or Kind?

This question was posed to me this morning via my facebook.  It brings up some interesting thoughts, not the least of which is that if I am operating with integrity then for me its far more important to be kind.

In being kind to not only others but to ourselves (the one person we often forget) we will in the long run also be right.  Being kind is operating from our heart, where being right is operating from our head.  Therefore, surely if we operate from our hearts this is what will give us the greatest satisfaction at the end of the day.

Being kind as opposed to right, for me, means letting go of all judgement and allowing unconditional love to be the precursor to all my decisions.  That in turn will mean that I am indeed doing what is right for me and right for others.

In the past as a young person I often came from a place of being right and I have to say that invariably in the end, no-one won so nothing was achieved.  To come from a place of kindness, of unconditional love is so much more empowering.  I can feel good about what I'm doing, I can approach situations with tolerance and yes feel kind in the process.  If putting this into perspective with the Law of Attraction it is therefore safe to assume that in being kind, kindness is what we'll get back without a doubt.

I can see though how others would feel that being right is more important than being kind.  And for them, in their current space, being right is indeed important.  Some people need to be right to feel validated, to feel worthy, to feel they belong or just to feel they are making progress, but with all the lessons that come our way in life there does come a point where we hopefully learn to recognise that  'being right' is not the be all and end all, and in fact by "being kind" we all win in the end.

It again comes down to being "kind" to yourself.  In being kind to oneself, we are letting go of judgement.  So often we judge ourselves or compare ourselves to others. We only do this because of limiting beliefs we've taken on board since childhood that have become ingrained in our psychi.  By embarking on a journey of personal development one can explore where these limiting beliefs have come from and take action steps to work through them.  Surely this must be the ultimate kindness to ourselves.  To allow ourselves to be a priority in our own lives, to explore our own potential, to treat ourselves with such kindness must in the end lead to being "right" for ourselves.
Investing in ourselves must be the very highest investment we can make, for by investing in our own personal development the day will come when all is right with our world and by operating from "kindness" we'll come to realise that everyone is "right" in their own reality.

So for me, the answer to the leading question is a resounding 'being kind is more important than being right.'

Are You Living The Life You Really Want

My friend Kurek posted this quote this morning on his facebook.
"Were only going to be in this container for a one time ride. So pull out all of the stops, manage your fear and GO FOR IT! Life is about getting in as many new experiences as you can before the ride is over." - Kurek Ashley


Imagine if everyone lived by this phylosophy, imagine if nothing held you back, no limiting beliefs, no nay sayers, no limits at all.  I've always had an attitude that I will try anything once and if it excites me I'll do it again, if not I won't but at least I will have tried it.


I attended one of Kureks seminars a few years ago now, and there was an exercise he did that has stayed with me ever since.  In a locked room of 300 people (there was no getting away, it was a process we all committed to go through) he guided us through a visualisation that was so very powerful.  In this visualisation, he had us on our deathbed, with family around us.  There were no friends because we hadn't taken the time to make any.  We;d been so caught up in our own woes that life had largely passed us by.  The family were all commiserating about the fact that I'd not done anything with my life, such a waste, so much potential and I'd let so many opportunities pass me by. 
It was an incredibly sad scene - feelings of regret, wasted time, unsaid words, un-accomplished goals, my end was near and I had absolutely nothing to show for it.  People knew me as someone who never did anything with my life.  It's hard to put into words here on paper, just how impactful that visualisation was, but I remember being in that place and thinking "Kurek, you better be getting us out of this because this is a hateful place to be" - I mean there were 300 people in that hall and we all had tears pouring down our faces.  Tears for the regret, the shame, the lost opportunities, the lack of personal worth.
Needless to say, he did bring us out - we left that imaginary death bed, walked down the hall, closed the door and cemented it shut so we couldn't go back and then proceeded to a place where we were achieving all our dreams and exploring all our potential.


In all the books I've read over the years, that talked about visualisation, not one had taken me on a negative journey like this, but the impact was profound.  By being in that negative space and feeling the tragedy of it, we were able to see so clearly what we DIDN'T want.  It gave us a perspective not experienced before.  I left that room feeling like there was absolutely nothing I couldn't do if I really wanted to.


Following this exercise, the room was unlocked and we all proceed outside to walk on burning coals.  What an experience.  I walked on fire - not a blister, not a burn, no pain...nothing.


Even though I did this exercise, it wasn't as powerful for me as the visualisation beforehand.  I'd done things before in my life that everyone said couldn't be done, and I've done things since, so walking on the coals was pretty easy.  I already knew the power of my mind to enable me to do the seemingly impossible.  It was an awesome experience and it was wonderful to see the shifts that others went through by walking on the coals, but for me the real power had come to me inside that room.


It reinforced my attitude of "never give up - UNTIL".  


Today I live my life on MY terms.  I live the life I want and do the things I want to do.  Everything is about choice and I make choices that will stretch me beyond what I already know to be true.  I want to Know For Myself if something can be done or not.  I'm not content to listen to others tell me it can't be done, or that it's not the way for me.  How do they know.... especially if they haven't tried for themselves.


In the last 12 mths, I've finally found a community of people (a worldwide community) who live and breathe like this every day.  They support me 100% and encourage and inspire me daily.  To be a part of something so beautiful has only served to make me even more committed to getting the most out of my life that I possibly can.
There isn't a day goes by that I'm not grateful for every one of these new friends and for the home business that has made it all possible.  


I am loving life, and I am living the life I really want.... what could be better than that?

Find Your Passion

6 Phases of Being Employed at a Stressful job

Phase 1   You are listening to jazz -- Your first day at work is great. Your fellow co-workers are wonderful, your office is cute, you love your agents, and your manager is the best! Phase 2   You are listening to pop music -- After a while you are so busy that you are not sure if you're coming or going anymore. Phase 3   You are listening to heavy metal -- This is what you feel like after ONE month.  Phase 4   You are listening to hip hop -- You become bloated due to stress, you're gaining weight due to lack of exercise because you are so tired and have so much work to do and, when you do get home, you feel sluggish and suffer from constipation. Your fellow co-workers are too cheerful for your liking, your family doesn't understand a word you say and the walls of your office are closing in. Phase 5   You are listening to GANGSTA RAP -- After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch and you forget what a 'good hair day' feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine. Phase 6 You are listening to the voices in your head -- You have locked your office door to keep people out. You wonder WHY you are even here in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Moral of the story, find something you can be passionate about then love what you do.

Extremely Powerful Steps To Get What You Want by Michael Lee

"If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail."

STEP 4 - PLAN YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS

The planning phase is very important in organizing your thoughts to carry out the desired effects.

You might say that this is boring stuff, but you should never underestimate this process. This is like a guideline to steer you into the right direction.

Your plan will be your road map. Spend enough time to ponder through the different approaches and choose the best one to implement.

It will be best if you choose a quiet place to make your plan. Your mind can focus and think more clearly this way.

Evaluate all the pros & cons. Assess how much time, money, & other resources you have to impart or sacrifice in order to fulfill your desires.

Let your goal guide you to choose the best plan to implement. Let the image of your visualization inspire & motivate you to make a plan that will produce the desired results.

Every individual has his own unique perception of a well-made plan. There are no specific rules in making it. But in case you're in a tight situation, let me give you some tips.

1) Write down your objective. This is a precise definition of your target.

2) Brainstorm the strategies & tactics you will employ to accomplish your objective.

3) Assess the advantages & disadvantages of carrying out those strategies & choose those tactics where the pros outweigh the cons.

4) Set a timeline or deadline in completing your mission.

5) Make modifications & back-up plans in case Plan A doesn't work.

6) As your plan evolves, you will gain experience. Learn from your mistakes.

Hey, to make this more fun, you could imagine being a top secret agent with "an impossible mission." In everything you do, try to mix up some fun & excitement to motivate you further.

Today I Won The Lottery

Today I did win the lottery but not in a material sense. I thought back to my childhood and remembered something my mother always said and lived by "Ask and you will receive".


Well, I did that and I received so much more than I bargained for.

You see, I have a home based business and as many people know these can be challenging and there are so many opportunities to become despondent. Sometimes progress seems like an uphill battle and sometimes you really do start to doubt your own abilities. 48 hrs ago I was here, in this mindset, this killer mindset, the one that can make a person decide it's not for them and so they give up. In my mind I knew this would be the worst thing possible and so I thought "Ask and you will receive".

Mustering up all my courage, and casting aside the negative thoughts trying to tell me that people would not appreciate my request, I took the bull by the horns and voiced my concerns on our community skype group. Wow.... the response was awesome. It was unbelievable. The support, the sharing, the warmth that radiated from the group was mind blowing. It has been a light bulb realisation for me that people really can help each other in a myriad of ways. I was I guess, looking for evidence that my new community was all it said it was and boy I wasn't disappointed.

I've realised I can start again at any given time, I can be a winner at any given moment, any given day or any given week.

And so today I became a winner. I will continue to be a winner each and every single day. I know this feeling comes from within, but I also know that with that feeling I can achieve anything and everything I want in my life.

I'm so grateful for all the relationships in my life, all the connections and all the learnings I'm going through each and every day.

When Self Belief Eludes Us

Sometimes the going does get tough. The pressures of daily life do get in the way and it becomes hard to stay focused on the end result of what we are trying to achieve. The way is not always rosy and we seem to have hurdle after hurdle to overcome. Why do things seem to come easier for some and not so easy for others?

It’s times like this that we are required to summon our inner most strength and put our real core beliefs to the test.

Do I still believe in who I am? Do I believe in what I am doing? Do I still have the same strong desire to help others? Am I committed to being the very best I can be no matter what? What can I learn from the challenges in front of me today?

Winston Churchill once said “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
We must at some point take responsibility for what is happening in our lives. If things are not happening the way we want them to, then why is that? Are we really being the person we need to be to effect those outcomes we want to see? If you want to be successful so you can help others, then stop and take stock. Why do you need to be successful before you can help others? Is it not possible to help others before you have achieved success? Be the person you want to be and the rest will follow. Gandhi was a superior example of this. He was one of the poorest people alive, but in the end one of the most influential and successful of our time. He helped millions and today his legacy lives on.
By coming from a place of pure intent, a place of pure purpose, and leading from the heart, we can achieve all things. We are only limited by the degrees of our thoughts and actions.

So… when self belief eludes me I find a great remedy to get me going again for the day is to stop, take stock, and think about all the things I’m grateful for today and in my life so far. How far I’ve come and what has brought me to where I am today. All the things I’ve achieved so far and how grateful I am for all the lessons I’ve learnt so far.

There isn’t a day goes by that I’m not supremely grateful for the love of my partner, his strength and support nurtures me constantly, my children whom I’ve had the priviledge to raise into fine young adults and who now share their children with me. My dearest friend who while we may not be in constant contact, I know is just a phone call away, is a constant in my life that I treasure in every way. The lessons I’ve had in my life over the years which have not always been easy, I can now look back on with gratitude and realize they have made me the person I am today. Without those lessons I’d not be the kind, compassionate, tolerant, sensitive, enthusiastic, supportive, dependable, loyal, friendly, honest and sharing person I’ve become.

To Have More than you've got, Become More than you are.

By becoming the person you want to be you will attract all those things you want. Think about this for a moment.
Okay, you want to be in a position to help others - so set about helping others in the ways you can for now, believing that in times to come you will be able to give more.
You want to be financially successful - so set about changing your thoughts to positive ones where money is concerned rather than harbouring thoughts of limitation. Believe that you have more than you need and you will always have more than you need. If you believe there is never enough - then guess what.... there will never be enough.
Our thoughts create our reality.
"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, he can achieve." - Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is one of my very favourite books. It has been almost like my bible for the last 30 years. I've read it at least 30 times and every time I gain new insights. I have tested the principles in his book and every time they have worked for me.

Become the person you want to be. As Audrey Hepburn once said "For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with knowledge that you are never alone."