How to Live Your Dreamsand Reach Your GoalsWith Passion, Purposeand Persistence

by Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian

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Introducing “47 Hearts”1980It was a long walk to school every morning. I spent most of it on dreams. One of them was sparked by an article in Reader’s Digest magazine about Dr.Denton Cooley, a world-famous heart surgeon.

He was glamorous. A pioneer and entrepreneur. Operated on princes, presidents andcelebrities. In all, over 75,000 operations. Founded the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.

I too wanted to be like him when I grew up.

1989It was the year I grew up. When I realized - and accepted - that life is unfair.

That year, as a medical intern, I held a 22-year old man’s hand as his life ebbed away. That year, I lost a loved young niece to an untreatable kidney ailment. That year, I watchedhelplessly as a teenager succumbed to a severe viral infection.

It hurt. Terribly. Deeply.

And gave me a mission in life. To tweak the odds in our favor.

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1997The odds were weighted massively against us.

Working with children born with congenital heart defects (CHD), interacting with theirparents, and understanding the uphill struggle they faced, gave me a unique perspective into how 9 in every 10 CHD families in India live.

Limited finances, lack of awareness and restricted access to resources meant most children either didn’t get medical attention - or got it too late.

I had found my focus. A problem that I could try and solve.

Three distinct happenings, almost a decade apart, defined the course my life and work would take over the next 12 years and beyond.

Like Steve Jobs said in his famous lecture at Stanford, “You can’t connect the dots lookingforward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

or me, they did! And 47 Hearts is the story of how - and about 47 tiny steps that contributed to a huge leap that has helped heal 47 little hearts.

I hope after reading this book you too will feel energized, inspired and encouraged to give the breath of life to your own dreams and make them come true.

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Why the Title “47 Hearts”?My daughter helped review the content of this book. She was curious about the choice of title. As I explained, it struck me that you might find the reasons interesting too.

At the time this book was started, we had sponsored 47 surgeries in children with congenital heart defects.

The dream to help under-privileged children with heart birth defects had been alive for 47 hundred days.

And there are over 47 thousand kids awaiting treatment that will improve their health, even save their lives, in my state alone.

47 Hearts Is About All These Things – And More

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47 Hearts Is About YOU47 Hearts is about dreams and goals.

Yours and mine.

It is about making them happen.

These are my dreams.

! 47 operations have been sponsored.

! 47 operations in a year is our next goal.

! 47 operations every month is a later target.

! 47 operations in a week will be a stretch - but possible.

! 47 operations each and every day will remove CHD as a threat.

Your dreams will be different.

47 Hearts will share 47 axioms that have helped with mine - and will help you with yours.

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One Last Reason For “47 Hearts”Heart surgery is costly. Even in India, where it is much less expensive than many othercountries, a child’s treatment can cost around US$2,500

With a State Government subsidy of 50%, the Dr. Mani Children Heart Foundation still spends US$1,250 for each child’s operation.

47 Caring Hearts Can Raise It - Easily!

! If you and a team of 47 supporters each donates $25, a child will receive life-saving heart surgery.

! If your team does this every month, 12 children will live every year.

! If 47 teams do it, we’ll hit the next target - 47 Hearts healed every month. Then we’ll work up to the ‘stretch’ goal – 47 operations a day!

Will You Build One Caring “47 Hearts” Team?Visit our website and learn how: www.47Hearts.com

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How to Live Your Dreams the “47 Hearts” WaySimple, yet powerfully effective secrets that

have helped make my “impossible” dream slowly

come true – and will help you do the same!

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Find Your PassionWhat Do You Love Doing?

Find what you really care for, feel strongly about, and will happily devote your life topursuing. It matters most, because if truth be told, you will be spending most (if not all) of your life doing it.

I love the technical challenges of heart surgery to treat complex defects in tiny babies. I love seeing the smiles on their faces after they recover from a difficult operation. I love the thrill of raising funds to make them possible.

That makes every day fun. And each of the 47 hearts we have helped heal has made that feeling deeper and more intense

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Indulge Your PassionHow Will You Do it?

Once you know what you are passionate about, ask yourself how to make it happen in your life. What can you do that is aligned with your passion?

Sometimes, it takes many attempts to find out. Other times, you may stumble onto it byaccident. You may need to take a chance, try out new things, experiment with unfamiliar ideas, before you do.

And it could be a long time before you end up discovering your best way forward. Take that time. It matters.

I discovered quite by accident that I could write well. After that, it was easy to tap into that skill and harness it to my passion. But that initial venture into writing was risky. Take that risk. It’s worth taking.

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Can You Do it?Decide If Your Plan Is Right for You

There is no single ‘right’ way to tap into your passion, reach your goal, live your dream. Out of the many ways, only one (or a few) will be right for you.

An important question to ask yourself is if you can do it. Either alone, or with the help ofothers. But make sure you are capable of it.

I’m a heart surgeon. My plan to help children with heart birth defects fits within my abilities and skills.

Without getting 10 years of training in the specialty yourself, you may not be able to wield a scalpel. But you can still help – by making a donation, or telling others about my work, or inviting them to be a part of this movement. All of these actions will create similar impact.

So make a plan that plays to your strengths.

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Prepare For Your Life’s WorkLearn, Gather, Create

Passion is necessary. But passion alone is not enough. To create meaningful change takeseffort. And that requires knowledge, people and resources.

Be ready to learn - and keep updating yourself to stay on top of your game. By being quick to embrace the Internet and the global reach of the World Wide Web, I turned a vague,unclear idea into an actionable plan – quickly. And by honing and developing my new-found skills, have been able to grow and develop the plan further over years.

Gather the right people around you. Your dream becomes easy when there’s a team behind it. Together, you’ll be able to easily assemble - or create - other resources that you’ll need.

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Enjoy the JourneyIt’s as Important as the Destination

Where passion meets preparation, your path to success becomes interesting, enjoyable and fun. Unfortunately, not too many realize how important this is.

For a short while, it may be okay to do what you don’t enjoy a lot... as long as it is a necessary step to get where you’re going. But if your daily activities become a chore, you’ll soon run out of enthusiasm and energy.

It took me almost 7 years before we raised enough money to fund the first heart operation. But over that period, I learned many fascinating new things, had many enjoyableexperiences and made numerous acquaintances and friends.

Looking back after funding the forty-seventh surgery, what is more memorable are these fun moments along the way - not the achievement alone.

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Celebrate MilestonesFuel the Passion

At school, we have a break every term. At work, we take annual vacations. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, seasonal holidays and special occasions.

Why?

Because it does more than just relieve the boredom of routine. It refreshes and re-energizes us. It kindles our passion all over again. It recharges run down batteries. It leaves us ready to face new adventures and challenges.

That’s why it is so important to acknowledge and honor small achievements. Every one of the 47 heart operations we have sponsored gave our team something to cheer about. And that self-congratulatory applause has helped sustain our enthusiasm over years.

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Use Passion to Cross HurdlesTurn Mighty Mountains into Tiny Molehills

When you attack a project with passion and energy, everything moves ahead fast. Even seemingly impossible obstacles become easy to overcome... mainly because you believe that you can deal with them.

A heart operation in India costs $2,500. When I began this project, I had absolutely no idea how to go about raising this money - but I believed with all my heart that it had to be done.

That determined focus, more than anything else, has been responsible for generating that initial cash inflow - and then repeating it until 47 little hearts have been healed.

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Exude EnergyAnd Your Team Will Too

We rally around leaders. Some are charismatic, flamboyant and vocal. Others are quiet, down-to-earth, sometimes even rather plain. But all have one thing in common - they have energy.

This positive life force is in play all the time they are engaged in their work. It is revealed in the words they speak or write, their attitude and approach while interacting with their team, their willing eagerness to keep moving the project forwards.

And this energy spreads. Inspires. Everyone on your team gets caught up in it. It drives your people beyond their usual limits. And as a result, your team’s agenda is more easily and quickly fulfilled.

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Passion Is ContagiousSoon You’ll Have Passionate Supporters

Have you been around a passionate person? Didn’t you feel the energy and excitement that practically radiates from their presence? And didn’t you yourself feel just a little bit morepassionate about your own life at that moment?

That’s how contagious passion is. It spreads from one person to another, like a flu virus - only in a nicer way, with more pleasant results.

My dream project started with me working alone on my passion. Today, we have over one thousand donors, several hundred supportive partners and through their networks, many millions have heard about congenital heart defects.

The ripple has spread. Passion was the pebble that started it.

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Trust Your HeartIt Won’t Lead You Wrong

Making the choice to follow your dream isn’t always easy. It is more often the hardest, most gut-wrenching decision ever. And the toughest bit is making it!

Yet, to ignore the call of your heart and pursue another path always leads to regret,dissatisfaction and a vague unrest that not all is well - until you re-align your course with your heart’s desire. And then, everything magically becomes ‘right’ again.

For many years, I remained trapped in a career path dictated by convention. For a long time, I hesitated about breaking out of that mold. But finally I did - and though it was scary, the resulting sense of freedom and release led to a period of creativity and enjoyment that has made it all worthwhile... and led to 47 smiling little hearts!

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Believe in Your DreamYou’ll Create Your Future

“Seeing is believing” is a common phrase. That’s why it is so difficult to believe in what you dream about - because it isn’t already there to see.

You’ll need all your passion, trust and hope to believe in your dream. But once you believe in it with all your heart, you’ll see it come true in a remarkable way.

When our CHD Foundation was set up in 2003, I had no idea how it would grow or raise money. But I never doubted that we would hit every target for the future. The way and means would unfold - as long as the passion and faith was there.

It was. And it did. Still is.

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Ignore CriticsTap into Your Passion for Encouragement

Sharing your dream with others too early is very risky and dangerous. Most people don’t have their own dreams. To make up for that lack, they’ll take pleasure in ridiculing yours.

Ignore the naysayers and pessimists. You already know what “does not” (or “will not” or“cannot”) work. Your aim is to find out how to make it happen anyway!

Only your heart knows the answer to that. Ask it. And listen for the reply.

There are moments when my dream seems far off, when things don’t go as planned, when the future looks bleak. At those times, I go back in my mind to the beginning - and tap into the passion that sparked it all off. Every time, without fail, I’ve been re-vitalized to carry on.

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Cherish Your DreamGuard it Like a Newborn

Infants are precious. They need to be protected, nursed, and cared for. Then they grow up, find their feet, and can run on their own.

Your treasured dreams and goals are like a newborn baby. Exposing them to harsh andhostile situations can destroy them. Guard, protect and cherish them carefully. When they are full-grown, unleash your dreams on the world - and watch them change it.

Many people have asked me to write a book like this for years. I resisted until now - because my dream wasn’t ready for critical review. It is now - after 47 little hearts have proven that it is valid. So I’m happily sharing what works - so you will be inspired to dream too.

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Share Your PassionHelp Others Live Their Dream

My good friend and mentor, Frank McKinney, often says: “Of those to whom much is given, much is expected.” It applies to your passion, too. So share it with others.

Many people hesitate and hold back from living their dream because of fear and uncertainty. By showing them that it can be done, you are lighting their candle, bringing hope into their life, encouraging them to go after their dreams.

One of the many reasons I’m writing this book is to do this. I’m hoping that you will feel my passion, see how it has led to 47 heart operations for poor children, and decide to reach out for your own dream. If you do, this book will be my best-seller.

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Be GratefulIt’s the Key to Happiness

Think about how much we take for granted. When we go to sleep every night, we take for granted that we’ll wake up the next morning... but not everyone does.

There are many other things - food, clean drinking water, freedom, health and more - that we don’t often think about... but which many others desperately yearn to have.

Feeling a deep thankfulness for all that you have is a common trait among people who have achieved great things in life. More important, it is your key to being happy all the time. How can you feel regret when you realize you are more blessed than ninety-percent of people on the earth?

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Why Are You Doing It?What Drives You to Reach Your Goal?

What often gets put off to later, or even never addressed head-on, is the real purpose ormotivation behind why you get involved in anything. Yet, it is the single biggest determinant in whether or not you will be successful at it!

The reason is simple. Any worthy mission will run into obstacles, and take time to get done. Unless you are determined to succeed, and have a powerful motive to win, you are likely to back down or give up when the going gets tough.

I cannot count the number of times I was ready to give up. Each time, though, what keptme going was the knowledge that the purpose behind my mission was too important toabandon.

Find your purpose. Keep it firmly in mind in all that you do.

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Is Your Purpose Noble?It Is Key to Your Success

Zig Ziglar’s famous quote goes: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

The purpose behind your mission must be noble. It should have the goal of benefiting someone. You could carry out a mission that seeks to destroy or harm others, even take it through to completion - but in the end, you won’t feel like a ‘success’.

And the bigger, purer, nobler your purpose, the greater will be your energy and motivation in seeing it happen.

My friend Kevin Riley says he works on his business, even when he doesn’t need the money... because he knows slacking off will mean a decrease in how much he can donate that month to our Foundation.

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Does It Really Matter?Is What You Do Close to Your Heart?

If there’s one thing that changes your outlook and approach towards everything you do, it’s this...

Whether or not it matters.

To you. And to others. When it does, you will always find the energy and resources, support and encouragement, motivation and inspiration to do whatever is necessary.

Constantly ask yourself if what you do is what you care about, are passionate doing, and makes you happy. If it is aligned with your purpose, and close to your heart, the answer will always be “Yes”.

If it isn’t, change!

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Do Many Care?Build Your Tribe

So, your mission is important to you. But do others also care about it? If not, can you get them interested?

When I started trying to build awareness about congenital heart defects, I noticed arecurring theme. People kept saying: “We didn’t know kids could get heart disease!”

Most of us know adults can get heart disease, and that it often had serious consequences. When I explained how it also happened in children, people were instantly interested – because they care about children, want them to be healthy, and were ready to help make a difference.

The ‘Heart Kids Tribe’ came into being - and it has steadily grown over the years to include more than two thousand people who support, donate and help spread the word to new audiences.

Are you building your own tribe of passionate fans?

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What we’ve discussed until now has been a kind of check-list of things to do in order to make your dream come true.

But there’s one critical point to address first – something that impacts, influences and involves all the others.

It is, in a sense, the “acid test”...

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The Acid TestWhat if it Takes All Your Life...?

By now, you have a fair idea if your dream project is really one you want to continue with. Here’s the final test of your commitment.

What if it takes you all your life to find out if you’ll succeed at it?

Does that influence your decision in any way? Or are you just as keen to carry on?

Remember, with going after your dreams, there are no guarantees. It’s a risk you should be willing - even eager - to take. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fund 47 heart operationsevery day. But I’m willing to try to hit that goal - for the rest of my life.

Are you?

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Being Selfish Is OkayAll People Are

This might strike a discordant note - maybe even surprise you. After all I’ve said about your purpose being meaningful and noble, how can I claim it’s alright to be selfish?

Yet all that you do is for self-gratification, in one way or another. You donate to charity - because it makes you feel generous. You support a non-profit - because it gives your lifepurpose. You help others - because it makes you feel good, or you expect it to come backto you.

Your dream does not always have to be about someone else. It could be about you, andyour near and dear ones, family and friends. Self-interest is a powerful motivator. It helps you deliver more value, achieve greater impact, do more good than almost any othermotivating force.

And you’ll end up helping others anyway!

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You Are the VisionaryThe Others Are Missionaries

Teams rally around leaders. Leaders provide guidance, direction and support to execute plans. They do it based on their over-arching vision.

You are that leader. You have the vision. You will refine, modify and streamline it to fit the mission.

Others on your team will help you carry it out, make things happen, realize your dream. They are your missionaries, fired up by your passion, and inspired by your vision for a better tomorrow.

Both roles are important. But the role of a visionary is critical to the success of your mission. Always remember that.

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Meditate On Your MissionGet to the Core of YOU

Your vision of what you want to do - and how - is central to your mission. So before you jump right in and start doing things, take some time to think about it and get a clear picture of your plan and intended outcomes.

At the root of it all is your own purpose and passion. That’s why following your dream will also become a journey of self-development and personal growth.

I have learned more about myself, my ambitions and deeper desires, and found reserves of strength and courage after getting involved in my work with heart kids. Without thisventure, I might never have had a chance to.

At the core of your meaningful mission lies the real YOU. Find it.

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What If You Fail?Or Only Manage Partial Success?

Even as you get started, think about the consequences of failure. Will it destroy or ruin you, leave you broken and lost, affect your balance and poise? Or can you deal with it, secure in the knowledge that you gave it your best?

When your purpose is noble and honorable, even partial success is better than none. I had a choice a few years ago - wait to raise more money to afford 100 heart surgeries in a year, or just start operating right away.

I decided that there was no way to fail. Even if we only ended up helping five children, it would be better than none. One thing led to another, and now we have 47 little healing hearts.

My friend, Gail Lynn Goodwin says: “Life is like a trapeze. You have to let go of one place to get to another.”

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Shiny New ThingsWill They Distract You?

If success is at the surface of a sphere, and you start from the center, then if you just keep moving in one direction without change, you will eventually reach it.

But not if you keep turning one way, and then another. Then, you’ll be zig-zagging or circling around the center where you began!

To reach any goal you set, you’ll need focus and discipline to ignore the ‘Next Big Thing’ –unless it is relevant to you. The time and energy you might waste scurrying down rabbit-holes will now be available to devote to your dream project.

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Is it Practical?Can You Fit it Into Your Life?

Unless you are very fortunate, your dream project will often be only a part of your life.You may have to balance it with a job, a family, social commitments, hobbies and manyother things.

Can you do it? Will pursuing it mean giving up or compromising on other important areas – like health, happiness and relationships? Sometimes, the answer to these questions will mean re-framing your original plan. Scaling it down or breaking it into phases to get done one by one.

When passion and purpose are behind it, you’ll be able to do almost anything. But make sure it is in synchrony with other vital areas too.

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Is it Fair?On You, snd On Others

No one on their deathbed ever wished they’d spent more time at the office!

As a doctor, I know many peers who have a professional schedule so hectic they’d put every-thing else on the back-burner as they pursue their careers with single-minded dedication.

They enjoy it, do it willingly and think it fair. Their families, though, often feel differently.

This situation certainly is not unique to a particular profession. There are businessmen and stock brokers, computer programmers and coaches, even writers and painters, who spend so much time lost in their working world that they ignore the other one outside it.

Is it fair? You decide.

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Your LegacyIs This What You Want?

When you are gone, all that’s left of your dream will be some “footprints on the sands of time.” What do you want those memories to mean?

My hope is that the 47 hearts we have helped until now, and the experience gained from helping them, will be the foundation for evolving a system - one that anyone can apply, copy, replicate and use to help other groups of 47 - or more - hearts. As this keeps going and growing, heart kids will benefit.

Also, that others like you will take heart from this experience - and create your own version of 47 Hearts. That’s why I wrote this book!

Your legacy will live on beyond you. It can inspire future generations to continue the work you started. Think about what you want it to be. Then take suitable action.

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Purpose EmpowersLink it to Everything

Your powerful “reason why” for your dream is the engine that powers it ahead. Just as a car’s engine moves the vehicle regardless of who is driving, your strong, noble purpose willempower everyone on your team.

So bring it front and center. Make it part of your mission statement and brand. Explain it to your volunteers, missionaries and partners. Infuse it into everything.

“Heal a Child’s Heart” is a theme around which I build most of my fundraising events andinfopreneur product launches. And by doing it, the Heart Kids Tribe grows. Every time someone hears it for the first time, the chance of our tribe growing bigger improves.

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Make a MantraUse it as Your Guide

Mission statements are wordy, hard to remember and difficult to recite quickly. But a mantra is not. It is short. It is pithy. It is easy to remember and recall.

For my Children Heart Foundation projects, my personal mantra is “I will not accept a child dying” and the group’s mantra is “Help Heal a Child’s Heart”.

Your mantra is not only short and to the point, it embodies the spirit and ethos of your dream. It instantly telegraphs to others why you do what you do... and often sucks them into your vortex as willing, eager partners.

Use your mantra to guide you. It can be a bright, piercing beacon through the fog ofconfusion you’ll often need to navigate through.

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How Long Will it Take?And Does That Matter?

Five years ago, I published a short report. It was titled “How Long Does Success Take?” - and tells the story of how it was nearly eight years since I started working on my Internetbusiness before seeing meaningful results.

The report was read by over 5,000 people and has received the most feedback of all mywriting... because it touched upon a very important point. That it should not matter how long it takes - so long as you are striving for the right things.

Your dream, backed by a purpose, fired by a deep passion, is what you should be willing to devote your lifetime to. Are you ready?

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Failure Is Not an OptionStick With it, Come What May

The famous phrase from mission control in Houston during an Apollo mission is made real for me every day by my little patients who make it their motto - and survive. For them, quite literally, failure is not an option.

Seeing helpless, tiny kids battle bravely through the rigors and trauma of complex heartsurgery, and bounce back with energy and verve, has been one of my strongest inspirations to keep going against impossible odds.

Determine to succeed. Treat setbacks as stepping stones. Learn, improve and grow. And keep going until you reach your goal.

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If You Could See the FutureAnd Saw it Choked With Obstacles

Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard MD, did some remarkable work that revolutionized healthcare in Haiti . His biographical book, “Mountains Beyond Mountains” is a case study in how anyworthy, meaningful project will run into one obstacle after another.

If you are setting out to do something radical, you are practically guaranteed to face hurdles. Knowing this, what will you do?

Of the 47 heart operations we have sponsored, the toughest was my first. But none of those that followed were easy or effortless to fund or carry out. All along the way, there wereproblems to face and overcome.

The goal made it all worthwhile. Is yours?

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Every Dream Will Be TestedIs Yours Worth Fighting For?

Imagine driving in a car somewhere, and the road gets bumpy. What will you do?

You could stop, get out of the car, and curse your bad luck. Or you could turn back toanother smooth, clean road - that leads you somewhere else. Or you could carry on,determined to get where you’re going... because that’s where you want to go!

Not just keep going, but actually enjoy the ride. And even be thankful that you have a car, and that you know the way.

Think hard about your chosen destination. Is it so important to get there that you’re willing to endure the rough path that will take you there?

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Setting GoalsYour Timeline for Success

Knowing where you want to go is just part of the picture. Knowing by when you want to reach there is the other.

Set definite goals. Have deadlines to achieve them. Make each one a step further along the path to your ultimate goal.

While trying to raise funds for the first heart surgery, I had no clear timetable. It took a long time to reach that milestone. But after setting more definite targets, progress has been faster and surer.

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Ask For HelpYou Can’t Do it All Alone

Today’s entrepreneurs are defined by their ability to harness the strengths of a skilled team, and leverage their connections and networks to achieve their ends.

No matter how skilled, determined and hard working you are, there is no way to reach your fullest potential until you master the art of working with others as a team. That means first asking people to help you.

A fantastic book that helped me take this step was Jack Canfield’s “The Aladdin Factor.”Learning how to ask, and how to deal with rejection, were the biggest steps forward inmaking my congenital heart defects (CHD) awareness effort come alive.

And with a supportive team pulling together, we’ve achieved more than I could have done on my own. The 47 healing hearts are proof.

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Keep the FaithBe a Rock of Gibraltar

As leader of your dream team, you are more than just the visionary. You’re also coach and cheer-leader. You must have deep, sustained confidence in your mission, believe firmly in its outcome, and be able to convey this to others.

Especially during bad times, some of your missionaries will have ‘crises of confidence’. They may begin doubting the wisdom of your venture, and hesitate to continue being a part of it.

Your steadfast determination, unwavering purpose and clear communication can cut through this haze of doubt, and motivate them all over again.

Plus, this attitude will even steer you through periods of personal uncertainty - a phase you will undoubtedly pass through along your journey.

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Roll With the PunchesAnd Get Back Up

In one of the ‘Rocky’ series of movies, Sylvester Stallone says: “It ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forwards.”

Just because you woke up one morning and decided to go for your dreams doesn’t mean the world will magically change and adapt itself to your wishes.

No. It will be tough going. You’ll be beaten down, and you must get back up and keepfighting on.

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It’s Easy to Give UpBut it’s Important to Hang On

Things won’t always go your way as you try to make your dream come true. And theysometimes get bleak, dark and hopeless.

At moments like that, it is tempting to just throw up your hands, abandon hope and give up. That’s when you must focus on the purpose of what you’re doing.

Remember, you once decided this was worthwhile. You considered the benefits justified your efforts. You felt this merited action for as long as was necessary.

All that is still true. That’s why it is important to hang in there and keep trying - even when you feel like bailing out.

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This Ain’t No SprintIt’s a Long, Hard Marathon

In a world desperately seeking instant gratification, it is appealing to treat all ventures as a fast, mad rush to fulfillment. But most far-reaching efforts demand time and effort to reach completion.

Look on your dream project as a marathon run. You’ll need preparation, discipline andpersistence combined with enormous stamina and mental strength to finish the race.

It has taken over six years to heal our first 47 hearts. What if we had given up after two or three? You cannot. That’s part of the deal. This is a marathon, not a sprint!

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Not Guts and GloryBut Deep, Lasting Inner Satisfaction

Celebrities often use their status to support worthy causes. But when you approach your dream project as a path to gain glory and fame, things go awry.

An accountant who worked with our foundation once said: “When I see the rows andcolumns of figures, I don’t see numbers... I see the faces of children we are helping!”

That’s meaningful. His reward comes from a deep-seated joy of living out a dream. But when you see the work you do as a ticket to personal visibility, adulation and stardom, your focus becomes diluted and your mission will suffer.

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Metrics That MatterKeep Track of the Right Things

Business has always run by the ‘numbers’. Metrics are important to measure progress. But what is more so is to measure the right things.

While I do track conventional metrics for my infopreneur business, there is one figure on which I keep a closer eye than any other - the number of heart operations funded each year.

I derive the greatest satisfaction and meaning from it. And it helps keep my mind focused on the real purpose behind all that my business does.

What will you keep track of? Why?

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Adopt Best PracticesLearn, Apply and Improve

You won’t get it right the first time. Maybe not even on the second or third attempts. And that’s okay - as long as you keep learning and improve.

One way is to learn from mistakes. Another is to study the methods others have employed before you to achieve similar results. Apply the lessons you learned, measure the impact it has on your work, and make any changes needed to improve your results.

Our cost per heart operation has come down by twenty per-cent over time, as we improved efficiency and studied performance. This means that we can help more heart kids with the money saved. Best practices have direct influence on your bottom-line - and that’s why they are worth adopting.

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Change and EvolveLook Ahead, Not Back

What once worked might stop. Circumstances may be different. Economic climates vary. And you, as a visionary, must tweak your dream to fit these changes.

Yes, you could have done things better. Yes, you goofed up once (or many times) before.Yes, you should have seen that coming and been prepared.

But guess what? You can’t change what has already happened. So don’t keep looking back, blaming yourself and wasting time. Instead, look forwards with optimism and faith. Apply the lessons from your past to make the future brighter.

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The Golden SnitchWhat to Focus On - and Why

Harry Potter won the game for his Quidditch team by catching the Golden Snitch. He did it by ignoring distractions - and keeping all his attention on the elusive target.

There’s a lesson there for you. To win, you must focus on what you want - and tune out the irrelevant. (Of course, what is ‘irrelevant’ will differ from person to person - and from timeto time.)

Decide on what is relevant. Define why it is. Then focus on it - to the exclusion of everything else. Success cannot escape you.

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And finally, here are two more tips to give you a little extra thrust to take you

towards your dreams and goals...

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Live Like You’ll Die TomorrowI mean infuse what you do with a sense of urgency.

If you had only today to get things done, would you put off something important for later? Of course not. And on the same note, would you waste your limited time doing irrelevant or unimportant things? No, you wouldn’t.

Make that kind of prioritizing your daily practice. That way you’ll find enough time to get the major things done - and that alone will take you faster towards your goals.

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Dare to be DifferentGiving up the familiar, the secure, the comfortable, takes daring. And making that decision to is the hardest part. Once you make it, slowly, steadily, the passion will win through - and turn your dreams into reality.

Through my work on the CHD project I move toward a goal, a purpose, a mission that lends deeper meaning to my life - instead of running ever faster on a treadmill going nowhere. And it happened because I took a chance, dared to be different.

Don’t do it all in a rush. Work on your passion during your spare time. Keep your safety net in place - until you can afford to let it go.

But throw off the shackles of what is ‘regular’ or ‘conventional’ or ‘accepted’ - and dare to be different. It’s fun, exciting and the only way you’ll be sure to win.

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Dreams Do Come True!It happens every day. And to people just like you and me.

Behind every such dream is a determined focus, fired by passion and purpose, and backed by an iron-willed persistence that took it from a vague concept into concrete reality.

In this book, you have all that you need to take your special dream through the same process - and see it come true.

My dream in writing this book is two-fold...

! To inspire you, dear reader, to reach out for your own dream - and achieve it.

! And to invite you to join one of our “47 Hearts” groups - and help a child live.

All success,Dr.Mani

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You can build a 47 Hearts team today.

You can help heal a child’s heart.

You can save a child’s life.

www.47Hearts.com

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47 Words to Change Your LifeI once asked people what single word changed their lives. Many answered. This is acollection of 47 of them.

One of them might change yours!

Help Now Stop Goals Focus

Present Why Give Try Freedom

Plan Action Work Believe Possibility

Value Love Proof Truth Awakening

Integrity Learn Creativity Fun Consistency

Gratitude Friends Can Listen Retirement

Regrets Balance Rich Family Momentum

Visualize Leverage Patience Succeed Imagination

Failure Fear Never Layoff Impossible

Passion Attitude

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About the AuthorDr. Mani Sivasubramanian is a heart surgeon who uses his infopreneur business to fund heart surgery for under-privileged children.

He lives in India and treats little children born with congenital heart defects. Heart surgery is expensive. Many of his patients, from poor families, cannot afford the cost of treatment. So Dr. Mani decided to try and help sponsor the operations.

This was the concept behind an online adventure that started in 1996.

Ten years later, Dr. Mani’s team had raised over $130,000 and funded heart surgery in 47 children, with many more to follow. He’s well on his way to achieve an ambitious mission - to make high quality heart health care accessible and affordable to every Indian child.

Among other things, Dr. Mani has been named as one of Seth Godin’s ‘99 Purple Cows’ forinnovative and remarkable marketing, and FAST COMPANY magazine has profiled hisphilanthropy-fueled approach to business.

Dr. Mani wrote this book to inspire you to reach for your dreams.

Will you do it?

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47 Hearts : How To Live Your Dreams And Reach Your Goals With Passion, Purpose & Persistence

Copyright 2010, Dr. Mani SivasubramanianAll Rights Reserved

Book ISBN: 978-1449502553

MediKnow PublishingPost Office Box 1052Chennai, Tamilnadu, India

info@47hearts.comhttp://www.47hearts.com

Ebook Design: Paul Durban www.blazonfire.com

All rights reserved. No part of this Ebook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form orby any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.