Stay Focused on Your Dreams by Jack Canfield

I just spent a day conducting my Success Principles Workshop for
200 unemployed men and women sponsored by the Workforce

Institute in San Jose, California.

It was a very revealing day.

First, I was struck by the diversity of the people who have lost
their jobs due to the cutbacks caused by the recession--computer
programmers, salespeople, managers, artists, trainers, architects,
landscapers, lawyers, actuaries, truck drivers, painters and
teachers.

Secondly, I was struck by the mood of resignation and depression
that was present in the room when we began in the morning.

The prevailing belief was that there were not any jobs available
and that it wasn't going to get any better anytime soon. People
were preparing their resumes, going to job fairs, going to
interviews, but with little or no results.

I was reminded of Spencer Johnson's book Who Moved My Cheese, in
which he reports how rats in a laboratory maze are trained to press
a certain buzzer with their noses, and once they are reinforced
with a reward of cheese, will keep going back to press the same
buzzer even though they are no longer receiving cheese for pressing
the buzzer. Their noses will become bloody and they will eventually
die rather than press a different buzzer.

Human beings do the same thing. They will repeat a behavior that
used to work over and over and over again, even though it is not
producing the desired result, hoping that someday it will work
again.

There is something to be said for perseverance in the face of

an obstacle, but sometimes you have to come to grips with the

fact that a particular opportunity may never exist again.

In my book 'The Success Principles' I teach a formula called E + R =
O. It stands for Events + Responses = Outcomes.

If a certain response (job search) in the face of a certain event
(the current economic situation in your area) is not creating the
outcome (income) you want, you may have to change your response.

You may have to try something different, which could include
employing a more creative approach to presenting yourself, moving
to a new location where the jobs are, changing fields (which might
require retraining or re-education), becoming an entrepreneur and
starting your own business venture, joining a multi-level marketing
company, partnering up with other people to start a service of some
kind--all of which may require you to step outside of your comfort
zone.

A good example of what I am talking about is a woman I read about
in USA Today. After losing her job she noticed that all the homes
that were being foreclosed in her neighborhood were left in shambles,

just as the angry people who were forced out of them. She called the

local banks and offered to clean them for a fee so that they would be

presentable when the banks tried to rent or sell them. Her little

venture was so successful that she had to hire several other people to

help. She now has a successful house cleaning business.

I saw a story on CNN about another jobless woman who opened a store
to help buy and sell used furniture from the people who were forced to

downsize as they were being foreclosed upon or forced to move to
smaller apartments. She sold some locally and some on the internet.
These are all examples of finding a need and filling it, of getting
creative instead of sitting passively by, doing the same old behaviors

that are not working.

By the end of the day in San Jose there was a different mood in the
air--one of excitement and enthusiasm about pursuing all of the
possibilities that lay before them.

They had come in at the beginning of the day simply hoping to figure

out how to find a job. By the end of the day they were leaving focused

on how to create the life of their dreams.

They had transcended the limited goal of getting back to ground zero

and replaced it with a goal of "thrival" rather than mere survival.

No matter what is going on in the economy...

* hold fast to your dreams,
* visualize them with feeling twice a day,
* keep your self-talk positive,
* surround yourself with positive people,
* read uplifting books,
* trust your intuition,
* take continuous action,
* expect the best,
* respond to feedback by making the necessary corrections,
* and persevere until you get the result you want.

It's a formula that always works.

After the workshop had concluded, one of the participants came up
to me and said...

"You know, I used to set goals and do the things you were teaching
us today when I was younger. I guess I've just stopped doing the
things that work."

Whatever you do, don't stop doing the things that work. I promise
you, if you work the principles, the principles always work.

Follow Your Passion by Mark Foo

The number one reason why millionaires are able to excel in
whatever they do is because they love what they do!

When it comes to choosing the best career or business, a common
consideration for most people would be, " Where is the money?"

As a matter of fact, money is in ALL industries. You can be a
millionaire in ANY industry, only if you're one of the best!

You can become one of the best only if you're obsessed with doing
what you do. And you can only become absolutely obsessed and
committed towards something is when you have a passion for it!

If you're able to make a living following your passion and excel in
it, money is all but a by-product. It'll just come naturally.

All rich and successful people have one thing in common. They love
what they do. To them, work is play, and play is work.

So remember, do what you love and you'll never have to work another
day in your life!

Going The Extra Mile Will Get You Even Farther by Jack Canfield

Are you someone who consistently goes the extra mile and routinely
over delivers on your promises?

It's rare these days, but it's the hallmark of high achievers who
know that exceeding expectations helps you stand above the crowd.
Almost by force of habit, successful people simply do more.

As a result, they experience not only greater financial rewards for
their extra efforts but also a personal transformation, becoming
more self-confident, more self-reliant, and more influential with
those around them.

These high achievers stand out from the crowd because of their
extra efforts. They are unwilling to give up, even in the face of
difficult times.

They get the promotions, they get the loyal customers, they grow
their businesses twice as fast, they get financial rewards, job
security, and they go home feeling satisfied.

Do you exceed expectations?

Do you surprise people with more than they were expecting from you?

Do you have the opportunity - but also the personal initiative - to
go the extra mile?

To be successful you must change your thinking. You can only win by
making extra efforts. People who go the extra mile always get
payback. You will discover yourself becoming more self-confident,
more self-reliant and more influential with those around you.

People notice the special services and all the small touches that
make dealing with you so pleasurable. And when they are talking to
their friends they will mention you and recommend you because you
are the one who stands out.

People will see that you pay attention to detail, that you consider
all the small things that really make a business successful, that
you care about your image, and that you belong with all the other
people who work hard to achieve. You will attract new business and
new opportunities.

Listen to any success story and you will hear of someone who worked
exceptionally hard to get what they wanted.

You'll hear how they put in the extra time, did what wasn't part of
their job description, and over-delivered on what was asked of
them. You'll hear how they stuck at it until they broke through,
and usually you'll hear how it only took them a couple of years to
do it.

What have you been doing for the past couple of years? Think of
what you could accomplish if you made it a habit to exceed
everyone's expectations. Image what doors could be open to you if
you decided to be of better service and value.

How are you willing to go the extra mile? What kind of extra
service are you willing to provide in order to stand out from the
rest? What areas of your life could you be giving more of your
effort and time, becoming more valuable, and improving your
reputation?

Be willing to treat everyone like you'd treat your dearest friend.
Don't skimp on service. Don't be mediocre or run of the mill. Show
people what you are capable of. Show them that you care about your
image and reputation.

When it comes to success, the people who are willing to go the
extra mile get there that much faster!

The #1 Reason Why Most Goals Never Manifest by Thomas Herold

I am sure you understand the idea of setting goals in life to empower yourself. Perhaps what you don't know is that goals require a constant stream of force behind them to keep them alive. In other words, you need to push them all the time to make them come true.

Constantly pushing of your goals, while necessary, is also detrimental to the effective manifestation of the goals themselves. Goals are artificially created by the mind and backed up by the concepts and beliefs that allow them to work.

Take away the concepts and beliefs that give them the foundation to live and your goals will evaporate in no time at all.

How Does This Look Like in Practice?

Let’s assume you've set a goal to lose weight. As you may already know, it is important to set each goal precisely. So losing weight, like any goal, should include exact particulars of what you want to accomplish. Let’s say you want to lose 25 pounds over the next three months, starting today. This goal needs a foundation to work. You need to have some sort of motivation that encourages you to accomplish this goal.

Perhaps one or more of the following acts as your motivation to lose the weight:

• You want to look attractive to others
• You want to look attractive to your partner
• You believe that you are overweight
• You want to fit into your favorite dress or pants again

You need a reason to lose the weight, something that can motivate you to achieve your goal. Whatever the reason behind the goal, you absolutely need to have one, otherwise you won’t have the motivation to even start.

Think of the reason as the decision to change something in your life and the motivation as the energy that affects that change.

The mere act of starting on any goal can be incredibly challenging as it involves being willing to change some of your usual behaviors and concepts in life. We all know what a challenge changing your behavior and concepts can be!

Behavior is changed in the physical domain while concepts are changed in the mental domain. This double whammy of both the physical and the mental is what makes a simple life change like weight loss such a challenge to bring off successfully.

Successful goals always come from a corresponding change in the mental domain.

Why is This?

Simply put, it is because your mind and your thoughts are what create your reality. If you change only your behavior, you will have only short-term success. In time, you will fall back into your old patterns of behavior – the very thing you tried to change in the first place!

So let's assume you are in the second month of your weight loss goal and your partner leaves you. What happens to your goal about losing weight? It doesn’t matter anymore, it diminishes and evaporates into thin air. You just took away both the foundation and the energy for accomplishing your goal. You no longer have a reason and you've lost your motivation.

The problem with goals is that they depend on life circumstances – and they are always forced by mental concepts.

How About Dreams?

Your dreams are powered by Source, by the ultimate power of consciousness. Your dreams are the recognition of what you can do with the unique gifts and talents you have brought into this life. Every person exists with a unique set of talents. These talents lead to a unique way of expressing themselves through various forms of creativity. Universal creativity is really what powers everything behind all manifestation.

With this creativity you are able to serve other people, and in return, you get rewarded with a form of energy. In Western civilization, the most common reward is often money, but creative rewards often come in many other energetic forms like status and recognition, authority, greater outreach to others and more.

In Summary:

You discover your strengths, gifts and talents. You find ways to use them that enrich and support society in practical ways. You are in service to others for serving others in this way is truly life’s ultimate purpose.

Your dreams are powered by your unique creative abilities. These abilities are like a never-ending fountain, the wellspring of your life. They will always be with you, in good times and bad. They are completely apart from and independent of mental concepts. They are powered by your true nature. You can deny them, but you can’t get rid of them.

Even on the worst day of your life, your dreams still exist. If you don’t live your dreams, you must constantly suppress them by engaging in mental concepts like:

• I am too old to start
• I don’t know how to do it
• Nobody will be interested in it
• My friends will hate me when I do it
• You name it!

I have used the words force and power in association with goals and dreams. To understand the concepts behind these words, I highly recommend David Hawkins' book Power Versus Force. Here are a few definitions from the book that help explain the idea of power versus force:

• Force is associated with the partial, power with the whole
• Force must always be justified, power requires no justification
• Force always creates counter-force and its effect is limited by definition
• Force is a movement, power is a skill
• Force always moves against something, power doesn’t move against anything at all
• Force is incomplete and therefore has to be fed energy constantly
• Power is total and complete in itself and requires nothing from outside
• Force constantly consumes while power energizes, supplies and supports
• Pow er gives life and energy, force takes these away
• Power is associated with compassion, force is associated with judgment
• Force requires proof and support, power is inarguable and not subject to proof

People who fulfill their dreams are the happiest people on earth.

They do what’s in their nature. In the end, it is completely irrelevant to them what kind of dreams they have. Dreams don’t need to fit into anything. They don’t need any approval. They don’t need any money to start.

Goals are temporary fixes of your mental desires that do not provide you with lasting happiness. The new car will get old and rusty, the new house will lose its charm over time, and if your goal is to create the perfect partner, you will begin to see your partner’s imperfections over time as well.

Your dreams are a recognition of what you truly are and how you can contribute to this world. You will never do anything else in life more important than this. In fact, in a very real sense there is nothing else in life but this. There is no true retirement from the contributions you can make in this life. You literally live the dream that is your life to your very last breath.

Why not start today to live your dreams in earnest?

The 5 Emotional Beasts that Prey on your Power to Manifest by Thomas Herold

Do you know the difference between a feeling and an emotion?

You may say that emotions are much deeper and stronger than feelings. From one viewpoint, that's true. However, here’s a detail about feelings that you may not know about: you can observe your feelings but not your emotions.

When you experience feelings you are the observer and in full control; when you experience emotions, you cannot remain the observer and you are not in control.

Emotions Seems to Have a Life of its Own

In most cases, you can only experience them and not control them. You are no longer in control – the emotions are! They act collectively as a kind of psychic clone of the more complete, more human you.

That's the reason why we have emotional reactions to things that we sometimes later regret. We scream at our partners, we leave our friends, and we smash things until they break. Mostly, this emotional clone is reactive, uncontrollable, and seemingly independent from our core selves.

The Wolf Story

A sage once said that each person has both a white and a black wolf inside himself that constantly fight each other. The black wolf is aggressive and reactive and the white wolf is calm and social. The winner of this battle is simply decided by which wolf we feed. Most of the time we are not aware that, more often than not, we feed the black wolf and not the white one.

What can be done about this?

The black wolf can only live inside when you create it in the first place. A black wolf is a black hole that sucks up your energy.

1. The Black Wolf Called Anger

Anger is the result of not taking 100% responsibility for your life. You created this wolf by reacting to an experience. Then you forgot that you created it. If you decide to take ownership of your creation, you must simply feel your way through the original experience. That feeling could be sadness, for example, but not anger.

Sadness is the original feeling and an angry black wolf is the emotional result.

Perhaps you blame someone else for your anger. By doing so, you make another person responsible for the wolf creation that is yours and yours alone! It’s important to remember that everything in this world is a creation of yours in one form or another, even things that seem to have nothing to do with you directly.

2. The Black Wolf Called Resentment

Resentment is very close to anger. When you harbor resentment, you limit the spectrum of your feeling nature and a major part of you closes down. When you resent someone, you are saying very forcefully that the other person is the problem, the cause and the fault, not you. You forcefully blame the other person so you don't have to look within.

You are declaring the other person, group or institution to be your enemy.

The problem is that resenting your enemy creates a dilemma that centers around the conflict that come from not taking full responsibility for the the situation. Ultimately, it is you who has the conflict, you who faces the dilemma, and you who began to harbor resentment.

3. The Black Wolf Called Blame

Like resentment, blame is not much different from anger. In both cases, you attempt to make someone else responsible for what you feel by creating an emotional reaction. Resentment and blame are different faces of this type of emotional reaction.

Resentment is a form of disappointment that seems to have its source on the outside. For example, should you get fired it seems logical that the cause is your employer. If such a calamity happened, there probably wouldn’t be much you could do about it. The cause seems to be external (your boss) even though your emotional reaction is generated within.

Everything changes when you accept that the cause is always you.

You created it (you took the job), you experienced and accepted the situation (you created a positive or negative environment in which to work), and you reaped the results (you got rewarded or fired). You alone are responsible for this wolf. Why did you create a black wolf when you could have just as easily created a white one?

4. The Black Wolf Called Guilt

Guilt is much like blame of others, but turned back on yourself. When you’re guilty, you actually take ownership of what you did. So why would you feel bad about it? Because you judge yourself as having taken the wrong action in a given situation.

You did it and now you are convinced it was wrong.

With a little introspection, you’ll realize that guilt does not come from the original situation or action itself, but from the self-imposed judgment after the action. This judgment is, in fact, an emotional reaction that questions the original action you took in a given situation. When things fall apart afterwards, you tell yourself, “I made a mistake; I did not want to cause this.” You blame yourself.

5. The Black Wolf Called Betrayal

This is one of the hardest beasts to tame. The emotion of betrayal runs deeply. Betrayal occurs mostly after you have trusted someone close who then fails to satisfy that trust in some fashion. By trusting someone, you opened yourself up to be in a vulnerable state.

At some point, your trust is betrayed or even used against you. You thought that you had correctly judged your confidant as trustworthy, but now you are being punished in some way. It just makes no sense – it hurts! Betrayal is the emotional reaction to this (perhaps completely justified) feeling of being hurt by another.

Negative Emotions are a Pack of Black Wolves

This pack is vicious, fast, and can be deadly. They hunt you from the outside, circling closer until they can attack within. They may stalk you for days, months, or even years. This pack follows some people to their graves, snapping and snarling all the way. The pack is energetic and invincible. Like black wolves, e-motions are negative energy in motion.

It's part of your creative manifesting power used against yourself!

You can eliminate them in a very short time – given the correct understanding of their nature and the techniques to vanquish them. The most potent weapon against them involves a miraculous inner process few practice completely, let alone fully understand.

Give Yourself Permission To Be Imperfect by Mark Foo

Release yourself from any need to strive for perfection. Know that your imperfections help to make up the unique and wonderful person that you are.

Your imperfections enhance your beauty. All you have to do is look toward nature to discover the beauty in imperfection.

In a grove of colorful trees in the fall, each tree is just as beautiful as the next, although not a single leaf is the same. With zebras, each one has imperfections in its stripes, which add to its unique beauty.

Realize that those who love you do not love you for being perfect, but for being who you are - including all your imperfections. Your flaws are an integral part of the total package. If you were perfect, you would be a different entity altogether.

Your shortcomings enable you to grow and learn. Self-improvement brings the joy of success in knowing that you are getting better and better. If you were perfect, you would never feel this joy and you'd have nothing to aim for. You would wander aimlessly through life.

Your imperfections also bring variety to your life. Because you are imperfect, you change as life goes on. Process your experiences in your own unique ways and you are a little different from one day to the next.

Today, feel thankful for your imperfections and look forward to the varied experiences and many blessings on your life journey.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How do you feel about your flaws?
2. What good things have your imperfections brought to you?
3. How can you be thankful for your flaws?

Do You Make These 3 Mistakes with Manifesting by Thomas Herold

Looking back at my own life I have made many mistakes over and over again. They say there is a lesson to learn in each mistake, and there is no need to make the same mistake twice.

For a long time some of my mistakes just kept repeating themselves. It seemed a common and recurring theme, and I had no idea how to get a handle on it.

It took me many years to finally get out of this jungle of repeating mistakes and to find the answers. When you finally get them, the answers seem to be ridiculously easy to follow.

Mistake 1: Thinking You Don't Have Enough Time For It

We all live by the same physical rules; however, the same set of rules seems to appear differently to each of us. How often have you told someone (or yourself) that you don't have time for something? We only have 24 hours in a day—you alone decide what you do in these hours.

It seems to be more convenient to say “I don't have the time” rather than saying “I don't want to use my time on it.” Can you feel the difference? In the first phrase you have not taken ownership of your time—someone else has the time. You put yourself in the role of being a slave to time itself, and, if you are honest with yourself, it does not feel at all empowering.

In the second phrase we take full responsibility for our time. Know that this may upset some people when you say it. You tell them that whatever they want from you is not necessarily as important for you as for them. In reality, you are just being honest and this will, in the end, make you feel humble.

The interesting thing is that when you start doing this, you will attract more honest people in your life. You will get more comfortable over time with expressing this kind of yourself in this way to others and people will start appreciating your honesty. You will soon see the rewards.

Your dreams will come true if you make the time available to manifest them. Have you already used the Setting Intention sheet in your ebook? If not, the best time is now!

• Make a list of what you want to achieve in your life over the next few years.
• Make a list of your most inner desires
• Make a list of your life dreams

Set your mental blueprint. This is the beginning of all your dreams coming true. Most people fail with business intentions in particular and life intentions in general because they never create the blueprint in the first place that makes them happen. They are too busy with putting their valuable attention on daily clusters. Make sure you are not one of them.


Mistake 2: You Don't Like How It Is, Therefore You Try to Change It

You cannot change what you don't like! Too much of your attention is focused on the problem rather than on the solution.

Start with accepting your current situation. Take full ownership of it. Understand that it is somehow a result of your thoughts and actions, even if you don't comprehend why. Let go of any sadness or anger you hold towards yourself and others. Forgive yourself and others. We all make mistakes, and mistakes are not necessarily the bad things as you have come to believe.

Making mistakes (and understanding them) is how each of us learn to move on through life. Simply understand that your past and current actions did not lead to the results that you have expected. That's it—don't take it too seriously.

Only after you have gained a neutral perspective towards your current solution is it time to take a new approach. Being neutral means that when you think about it, no other thoughts or feelings come up. However you feel about it in the moment, no second feelings will arise.

Mistake 3: You Are Discouraged - Therefore You Give Up

You had the best intentions. You put in all your efforts and you certainly believed in your goals and dreams. However, nothing really ever changed—you are frustrated and discouraged. You start to believe that it is not meant to be. Maybe God does not want you to experience achieving your goals. You start finding all kinds of excuses why your dreams did not manifest. Finally you give up—you admit to yourself that you obviously don't have the power to pull this off. This is the place where dreams vaporize, where evaporating goals become a part of history that nobody will ever see.

Besides having no dreams and goals at all, this is the second most prevalent reason why people never fulfill their dreams.

It is important that you hold your intention and reconnect with it at all times. If your ego gets too involved, you’ll try to force it to happen. Allow yourself enough time and space to let your intention manifest in its own way and under its own conditions. Understand that the more people your intention serves the more likely it will happen.

Discouragement is not failure, it simply means that your expectations have gotten ahead of you.

Pay attention to the coincidences in your life, as they will show you the way. They may seem insignificant, but they are real. Acknowledge them, be grateful to what you have and then act on whatever opportunities come up.

There are no unrealistic dreams; there are only unrealistic time frames.

Inspirational Quotes

Inspirational quotes for you to lighten up your day...

Can I borrow $25?‏

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

DAD: "Yeah sure, what it is?" replied the man.

SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"

DAD: "That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.

SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"

DAD: "If you must know, I make $50 an hour."

SON: "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow $25?"

The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don’t work hard everyday for such childish frivolities."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn’t ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.

"No daddy, I’m awake," replied the boy.

"I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier" said the man. "It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $25 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.

"Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love.

A Story To Share...

There was once a young man who's dad was a jockey and had won many trophies before. He was in awed of his dad's success, thus determined to be like his dad and be a jockey and to win many trophies and to be the best in what he does. He went up to his dad and said, "Dad, I want to be a jockey too, i want to emulate your success."

Since then, he has been training very hard everyday so that he is able to improve himself so much that he will one day, be as good as his dad. And his dad was the one who helped him everyday in his training. His dad, with all the positive intention, had been pushing him and pushing him very hard during the trainings.

There were times when this young man wanted to give up, but he always reminds himself of his dream and goal to emulate his dad's success and that pushes him on. He will be willing to do whatever it takes for him to be as good as his dad is, and to be the best that he can be.

During the trainings, he never understood what it meant, and whenever he asked his dad, the response will be, "Just do, and you will understand later." And so, he followed the dad's training, because he was told to trust what the training will do for him in the future. He knew that other than following the trainings, he is also responsible to find out more about what he can do better to achieve his goal at a faster speed.

Indeed, with all perseverance and initiative, this young man is moving towards his goal steadily. He is flexible enough to be able to change his strategy whenever one doesn't work for him. He is taking every obstacle as his learning experience for him to improve himself further.

With all the refining and testing and measuring all the strategies, he has slowly found what works for him. And with that, he is enjoying what he is doing, and is moving towards his goals..

Get Back Up When You Fall Or Fail...

Hi readers,

I will like to share with you an inspirational and empowering video.

Be inspired and finish strong!

A Wise Donkey

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally he decided that is was not worth retrieving the donkey as the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway.

He invited his neighbours to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realised what was happening and cried horribly.

Then, to everyone's amazement, it quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

As every shovel of dirt hit its back, the donkey did something amazing. It would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, it would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off to everyone's amazement!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you-all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of a hole is to shake it off and take a step up.

Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest holes just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

FAITH - The Two-Legged Wonder Dog!

A dog named Faith was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which need to be amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.

His first owner also did not think that he could survive. Therefore, he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'. By this time, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She was determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself. Therefore she named him 'Faith'.

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfing board to let him feel the movements. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and rewarded him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dogs at home also helped to encourage him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jumped to move forward. After further training in the snow, he now can walk like a human being.

Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him. He is now becoming famous on the international scene. He has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is even one book entitled 'With a little faith' being published about him. He is even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.

His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul'.

In life there are always undesirable things. Perhaps one will feel better if one changes the point of view from another direction and see things from another perspective. I hope this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone and that everyone can appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day that follows. Faith is the continual demonstration of the Strength of Life.

Believe in yourself! Never lose faith!

The Emperor's Seed

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different.

He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."

The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully.

Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about 3 weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. 6 months went by; still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.

Ling didn't say anything to his friends. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection.

Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot but his Mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right.

He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down.

He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.

Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring the emperor a pot with the emperor's seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

The Morale behind this Story is:

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.

If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.

If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

What u sow is what u really reap...

What are u sowing today?

Surviving Hard Times by Matt Rawlins

HOLOCAUST survivor Viktor Frankl studied prisoners in the Nazi death camps he found himself in during World War II.

He wanted to understand how people dealt with pain and suffering. He observed how some of the prisoners just gave up and died while others hung on and made it through incredibly difficult situations.

He theorised that one of the primary differences between those who survived and those who perished had to do with finding meaning in pain, suffering and life. Those who saw no meaning or purpose to life or pain and could see no good coming out of it, lost hope and quickly died.

There were others who persevered, who would not give up, who believed that good could come out of extremely painful situations. They were able to look beyond the "moment" of suffering and into the future. These people had a higher chance of surviving and moving on.

Very few of us will be confronted with the depth of painful choices those prisoners had to make, but we all face difficult situations of one kind or another.

An example of this is the current financial crisis, which has already affected so many lives. People have lost their money, jobs and homes and the worst, we are told, is still to come.

How will you deal with it?

There is an anonymous quote that says: "Every time I find the meaning of life, they change it."

This can be true only if you have never personally found the meaning of your own life.

The meaning of life in its beauty and wonder is rarely discovered in financial and career success alone. It is suffering and hardship that seem to teach us about the meaning of life with its truth and beauty.

I know many successful professionals who look back at the pain and suffering of different seasons of their lives and remember the lessons they learned in those times. The common response they give is: "I wouldn't change any of it, because it made me who I am today."

Here is how you can find meaning in the midst of a potentially painful time in your life:

Value yourself

Remember, your meaning and value as an individual is not linked to a job or a relationship. It is not linked to success or wealth. Your value is in the very nature of who you are as a human being. Nothing can take that away.

Room for growth

See it as the beginning of new opportunities for growth, greater self-awareness and a new season in your life. Remember, you are probably still better off than two-thirds of the world right now.

Count your blessings

Here is a simple secret of happiness - learn how to be thankful for what you have. A thankful heart is like medicine to a suffering soul. It can heal you of bitterness and negativity.

Be people-centric

Reconnect with those you have been too busy to spend time with. Fulfilling, joyful relationships are a great source of personal happiness. Very often, we get so distracted by our busy schedules that it takes a crisis to remind us how important our loved ones are.

Slow down, go for a walk, laugh and let those key relationships "catch up" with you.

Jack Canfield’s Top 7 Success Tips

1.) Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life.

One of the greatest myths that is pervasive in our culture today is that you are entitled to a great life-that somehow, somewhere, someone is responsible for filling our lives with continual happiness, exciting career options, nurturing family time and blissful personal relationships simply because we exist. But the real truth is that there is only one person responsible for the quality of the life you live. That person is YOU.

2.) Be Clear Why You’re Here.

I believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging and honoring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take. They take the time to understand what they’re here to do-and then they pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.

3.) Decide What You Want.

One of the main reasons why most people don’t get what they want is they haven’t decided what they want. They haven’t defined their desires in clear and compelling detail...What does success look like to you?

4.) Believe It’s Possible.

Scientists used to believe that humans responded to information flowing into the brain from the outside world. But today, they’re learning instead that we respond to what the brain, based on previous experience, expects to happen next...In fact, the mind is such a powerful instrument, it can deliver to you literally everything you want. But you have to believe that what you want is possible.

5.) Believe in Yourself.

If you are going to be successful in creating the life of your dreams, you have to believe that you are capable of making it happen...Whether you call it self-esteem, self-confidence or self-assurance, it is a deep-seated belief that you have what it takes-the abilities, inner resources, talents and skills to create your desired results.

6.) Become an Inverse Paranoid.

Imagine how much easier it would be to succeed in life if you were constantly expecting the world to support you and bring you opportunity. Successful people do just that.

7.) Unleash the Power of Goal Setting.

Experts on the science of success know the brain is a goal-seeking organism. Whatever goal you give to your subconscious mind, it will work day and night to achieve...To engage you subconscious mind, a goal has to be measurable. When there are no criteria for measurement, it is simply something you want, a wish, a preference, a good idea.

Adapted from THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Jack Canfield is America's #1 Success Coach, co-founder of the billion-dollar Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, and a leading authority on Peak Performance.

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

Hi readers,

I will like to share with you an inspirational and empowering video.

In this video, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivering his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005.

In it he shares his success formula with the graduates.

10 Tips For A Better Year by Neen James

Hi readers,

Here's an article I've found useful and would like to share it with you.

Make the most of the coming year by staying positive and productive.

Here are 10 tips on how to make 2009 a fulfilling year.

1. Set realistic goals

Many people make new year resolutions but do not fulfil them. Make this year different. Write down your goals and be committed to achieving them. Ensure your goals are realistic. List your goals and stick it on your fridge where you can see them every day.

2. Focus on your health

This can be your greatest asset or your greatest liability. Make an appointment for a check-up with your doctor, implement an exercise programme if you don't have one, take vitamins if you need to and resolve to kick unhealthy habits like smoking.

3. Invest in your development

I recently read that people who spend a thousand dollars or more on their personal development will increase their business by 20 per cent. Read books, attend workshops, find a new network, listen to tapes or CDs in your car, take up online courses or enrol at a university or learning centre. Keep your brain active.

4. Know your priorities

After you have set your goals, you can begin to focus on what is important to you -- family, self development, profitability, building your profile, health, gaining new clients or more relaxation time. Prioritising will help you focus on how you spend your time.

5. Eliminate time robbers

Make a list of the things that rob you of your time. For example, are you watching too much TV, running unproductive errands, checking your e-mail too often or having long phone calls? Can you use long waiting times more effectively? Focus on controlling your time and get rid of the things in your life that are not a high priority.

6. Surround yourself with VIPs

Find very inspiring people (VIP) whom you can learn from, bounce ideas with and spend time with. Minimise your time with the very draining people (VDP) in your life. You will feel more positive when you are surrounded by VIPs.

7. Plan your next holiday

Allocate a specific time in your calendar for your next holiday so you have something to look forward to.

8. Make time for those you care for

Balancing work and home life is a challenge for most people. Be focused on those you love and do not forget to remind them how much they mean to you. Promise yourself you will not take anyone for granted this year. For instance, each day you can tell one person that he or she is special.

9. Create an "attitude" to-do list

Instead of making "to-do" lists for work, consider creating an "attitude" to-do list you can use every day.

My list includes the following:

Send a thank-you note,

Sit in the sun for 15 minutes,

Find something funny,

Get some exercise, and

Choose to be positive.

So, what will your list say?

10. Choose to be amazing

Make a commitment to yourself each morning that you will have an amazing day. This might include trying some of these tips like reading your "attitude" to-do list, focusing on your health, eliminating time robbers or finding more VIPs in your life. Remember life is not a dress rehearsal -- you only get one performance, so give it your best.