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CONTENTSIntroduction
WEEK1:Take100%ResponsibilityforYourFuture
WEEK2:BeClearWhyYou’reHere
WEEK3:DecideWhatYouWanttoBe,Do,andHave
WEEK4:BelieveIt’sPossible
WEEK5:BelieveinYourself
WEEK6:LeverageTheLawofAttraction
WEEK7:SetGoalsThatInspireYou
WEEK8:TakeaGoalandChunkItDown
WEEK9:SuccessLeavesClues
WEEK10:UseAffirmationstoReleasetheBrakes
WEEK11:SeeWhatYouWant,GetWhatYouSee
WEEK12:ActAsIf
WEEK13:TakeAction,EvenIfYouDon’tKnowtheWholePath
WEEK14:LeanintoItandSeeIfItFeelsRighttoYou
WEEK15:ExperienceYourFearandTakeActionAnyway
WEEK16:BeWillingtoPaythePriceofSuccess
WEEK17:You’veGottaAsk
WEEK18:Don’tLetRejectionStopYou
WEEK19:ListentoFeedbackandUseIttoYourAdvantage
WEEK20:PracticeConstantandNever-EndingImprovement
WEEK21:WhatGetsMeasuredGetsImproved
WEEK22:BePersistent
WEEK23:LearnTheRuleof5
WEEK24:ExceedExpectationsinEverythingYouDo
WEEK25:SurroundYourselfwithSuccessfulPeople
WEEK26:AcknowledgeYourPositivePast
WEEK27:KeepYourEyeonthePrize
WEEK28:CleanUpYourMessesandYourIncompletes
WEEK29:CompletethePastSoYouCanEmbracetheFuture
WEEK30:IfIt’sNotWorking,FaceIt
WEEK31:TransformYourInnerCriticintoanInnerCoach
WEEK32:DevelopNewSuccessHabits
WEEK33:99%IsaBitch,100%IsaBreeze
WEEK34:LearnMoretoEarnMore
WEEK35:MaintainYourPassionandEnthusiasm
WEEK36:StayFocusedonYourCoreGenius
WEEK37:ReassessYourTimeCommitments
WEEK38:Say“No”toDistractions
WEEK39:BeaLeaderWorthyofFollowers
WEEK40:CreateaNetworkofMentors,Contacts,andCoaches
WEEK41:UsethePoweroftheMasterMind
WEEK42:ListentoYourGutInstincts
WEEK43:ListentoLearn
WEEK44:HaveaHeartTalk
WEEK45:TelltheTruthSoonerRatherThanLater
WEEK46:SpeakwithImpeccabilityAboutOthers
WEEK47:PracticeConstantAppreciation
WEEK48:BecomeKnownasaClassAct
WEEK49:DevelopaPositiveMoneyConsciousness
WEEK50:YouGetWhatYouFocusOn
WEEK51:MakeMoreBeforeYouSpendMore
WEEK52:ShareMore,ServeMore
WorkbookADAuthors
BINTRODUCTION
ecarefulwhatyouwishfor.You’veprobablyheardthatphrase
often. But did you know there’s actual science behind that
advice?Researchersinthefieldofneurosciencenowknowthat
thebrain isagoal-seekingorganism.Whatever idea, image,oroutcome
youthinkabout,talkabout,andfeelstronglyabout,youwillbringabout.
Of course, far from being a dark and gloomy prospect, this powerful
scientific phenomenon actually has the ability to improve every area of
yourlife—inwaysyoucan’tevenimaginetoday.
There’sevenatoolyoucanusetofocusyourthoughtsandacceleratethe
process of achieving your goals. It’s called anaffirmation: a statement
thatdescribesagoalasifit’salreadybeenachieved.
Whatdoesanaffirmationlooklike?
I’m blissfully watching the sunset from the veranda of my estate in
Tuscany is one example. I’m joyfully depositing a $100,000 royalty
check from my bestselling book is another. They’re statements that
stretch your mind with new thoughts and lavish images—and actually
workwith thebrain’sownprocesses tobringabout change inyour life.
When you bombard your brain with colorful pictures, exciting details,
and joyful emotions of what will be, a phenomenon called cognitive
dissonance occurs in your mind. Cognitive dissonance is the mental
discomfort—the uncomfortable feelings—you get when you hold two
conflictingbeliefsor ideas: (1)your lifeasyou’re living it todayand (2)
yourlifeasyouwouldlikeittobeinthefuture.Whenyoucontinuethe
limitingbehaviorsthatgotyoutowhereyouaretodayorbelievestrongly
that somehow you’re not capable of getting what you want—then you
suddenly begin using daily affirmations to visualize a better life—you
createa formofmental tensionthatyourbrainwilldoeverything in its
powertoresolvebyactuallycreatingthebetter,moredesirablelifestyle
foryou!
Psychologist Leon Festinger, author of A Theory of Cognitive
Dissonance,comparesthisprocesstohowyourbrainreactswhenyou’re
hungry:Itsendssignalstoyourbodytoeat.Inotherwords,itcausesyou
to take necessary steps to resolve your hunger. In the sameway,when
you begin using affirmations to visualize your exciting new futurewith
compellingpicturesandemotions,yourbrainwill likewisecauseyou to
takethosestepsnecessarytobringaboutthatexcitingnewfuture.
Bombarding your brain with thoughts of a better life through daily
visualizationandverbalizationwillactuallyforceyourbraintoresolvethe
cognitivedissonanceitdislikes.Affirmationsarethosehighlyvisualand
emotionallycompellingstatementsyoucanusedailytovisualizeabetter
life.
Everythinggreatthathaseverhappenedtohumanity...
hasbegunasasinglethoughtinsomeone’smind.—YIANNISCHRYSSOMALLIS
KnownprofessionallyasYanni,thecomposer,pianist,andmusicproducer
Howaffirmationscanchangeyourlife
Sinceyou’rereadingthisbook,you’veprobablydecidedyouwantyour
life to be different in some way. Whether it’s a more exciting career,
better finances, loving and supportive relationships,world travel,more
vibranthealth,orjusttheluxuryofacalmandorganizedlifethatworks
foryou,therearestepsyoucantaketowardgettingthere.
Thisbookisaboutthosesteps.
Notonlydoes it include recommendedaffirmations to get you started
on this powerful daily habit, it introduces you to a set of 52 powerful
principlesthattheworld’stopachievershaveusedfordecadestoexcelin
business, the arts, sports, philanthropy, politics, and more. These are
principles that I have studied, taught, and applied to my own life for
nearly 40 years—and thatRamGanglani has used for three decades to
achieve success in business, philanthropy, and private life. We’ve also
seentheseprinciplesworkinhundredsofthousandsoflivesbesidesour
own. Using the framework of these proven principles, Success
Affirmations is therefore not just a book of good ideas and positive
thoughts, it’s also a book of proven steps for creating success and
happiness.
Theseprinciplesalwayswork,ifyoualwaysworktheprinciples
Infact,ifyoumasteredjustoneprincipleaweek,asthisbookwillguide
youtodo,youcouldliterallytransformyourlifeinjustoneyear.
Butthekeyisthatyoumusttakeresponsibilityforimplementingthese
principlesinyourlife.Creatingadailyhabitofrecitingandinternalizing
your affirmations is just one of these principles—which you’ll find on
page45entitled“Week10:UseAffirmationstoReleasetheBrakes.”But
makenomistake:youalonehavetodotheworkof implementingthese
principlesinyourlife—youcan’tdelegatethemorskipovertheonesyou
don’t like. In fact, each one is integral to achieving overall success. It’s
justlikewritingabook.Beforeyoucanevenstarttheprocess,youhaveto
learntoreadandwrite,youhavetolearnstructureandsyntax,youhave
tolearntoputwordsintoasentenceandsentencesintoparagraphsand
paragraphsintochapters.Ifyouleaveastepout,thebookwillmakeno
senseandreaderswillnotbenefitfromit.Imagineabookwithnoperiods
orcommas,noparagraphsorchapters!Itjustdoesn’twork.
Inthesameway,eachprincipleanditsaccompanyingaffirmationsare
keycomponentstocreatingasuccessfulandhappylife.Yourlife.Noone
elsecancreateyourgoals,buildyourdreams,anddetermineyourfuture.
Motivational philosopher Jim Rohn put it this way, “You can’t hire
someoneelsetodoyourpush-upsforyou.”
Whetheryou’reexercising, settinggoals,meditating, studying,oreven
sleeping,somethingsyou justhavetodo foryourself togetanybenefit
from them. And like the principles I teach in this book and the
affirmationsyouwilluse to instill thoseprinciplesand theirbenefits in
your consciousness, if you’ll simply make a commitment to applying
themweekafterweekandstickwithit,you’llreapextraordinaryrewards.
40yearsoflivingtheseprinciplesandaffirmationsprovethattheywork
AlbertEinsteinoncesaid,“Theworldaswehavecreateditisaprocess
of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
Affirmations are the tool that, day by day, will slowly change your
thinking.Make even greater effort by implementing these principles in
yourlife,andthingswillbegintohappenthatyouneverthoughtpossible.
Ithappenedforme—andthisisJacktalking.
GrowingupinWheeling,WestVirginia,Ilivedinanaveragehome.My
dadwas aworkaholic andmymom, an alcoholic. I earned cashduring
summersworkinginmygrandfather’sfloristbusinessandasalifeguard
at the local pool. I made it through Harvard University on a partial
scholarship—servingbreakfastatthecampusdiningcommonstopayfor
books,clothes,anddates.Duringmylastyearofgraduateschool,Igota
part-timeteachingjobthatpaid$120everytwoweeks.Thathadtocover
myrentandotherexpenses.Tosay that Iwasoftenbrokewouldbean
understatement.Whenmoneywastight,IsurvivedonwhatIcalledmy
“21¢ dinners”—a can of tomato paste, garlic salt, water, and a box of
spaghettinoodles.
Iwaslivingonaverylowrungoftheeconomicladder.HowImadeitto
graduationisanybody’sguess.
But some time later, after I had started my career as a high school
teacher on the south side of Chicago, I was offered a job at a unique
foundationwhereIwouldbeteachingotherstheprinciplesespousedby
itsself-mademillionairefounder,
W. Clement Stone. I reveled in the opportunity to not only learn these
principlesformyselfbutalsohelpotherschangetheirlives.Thatwasthe
beginningof40yearsoflearning,testing,andteachingtheprinciplesI’ll
revealtoyouinthisbook.Iwentontoimplementtheminmyownlife—
eventually becoming amultimillionaire, authoring countless bestselling
books,originatingtheChickenSoupfortheSoul®bookseries,building
several successful companies, and becoming a top success coach and
transformationaltrainer.
EveryprincipleforsuccessinthisbookisonethatIpersonallylearned
throughexperienceanddevelopedaspartofthecurriculumInowteach
in more than 100 countries. Through the years, I have never stopped
learning, growing, creating new goals, and achieving them. And that’s
what Iwant foryou, too.The truth is, anyonecanconsistentlyproduce
never-before-seenresultsintheirlife,aslongasthey’rewillingtoputthe
principlestowork.
Decidewhatyouwant,believeinyourself,andusetheaffirmationswe’ll
giveyoutobeginlivingtheprinciplesandhabitsyou’lllearninthisbook.
Howtogetthemostoutofthisbook
Inadditiontohelpingyoufocusonachievingyourgoals, it’salsobeen
proven that positive thoughts reinforce and increase the good energy
vibrations you send out into the Universe—attracting beneficial energy
back to you. It’s a law of the Universe that success, abundance, joy,
mindfulness,andwealthincreaseexponentiallywhenwesetourselveson
acourseofpositivity.
Affirmationsareabigpartofthat.
Theyalsohelptorewireourthoughtpatternsandemotionalresponses
—creatingnewpathwaysinthebrainthat,overtime,replaceoldpatterns
thatkeepusstagnantandunproductive.Usingpositiveaffirmationsisn’t
just a tool for flooding yourmindwithpositive self-talk, it’s also a tool
that will help you conquer your fears, overcome obstacles, and
circumventroadblocksthatkeepyoufromachievingyourdreams.
Ineachchapterofthisbook,you’lldiscoverthreepositiveaffirmations
you can use to empower yourself—together with the success principle
behindthemsoyoucanputthemintopractice.Werecommendthatyou
choose one of these affirmations that speaks to a goal or need you’re
experiencingrightnow,andmakethatyourdailymeditation.Spendten
minutes every morning saying it aloud and visualizing it as if it were
already completed. See yourself in yourmind’s eye—living as if you’ve
already met that goal. Summon the emotions you’d be feeling—the
joyfulness,excitement,senseofsecurityorconfidence.Addothersensory
and sound experiences to your meditation that mimic what you’d be
experiencingwhenyourgoalsaremet—whetherit’sthewindonyourface
orthesoundofapplauseorthethrustofaprivatejetasitinitiateslift-off.
Feeltheemotion.
Ifyou like,youcangrabsomeindexcardsandcoloredfeltmarkers to
illustrate the affirmations on pocket-sized flash cards. But you should
alsobeginwritingdownnewaffirmationsthatfityourspecificgoalsand
lifecircumstances,followingtheguidelinesonpage48.Attheendofeach
day, spend tenminutes on the sameaffirmationsbefore yougo tobed,
and your subconscious mind will continue to focus on these goals
throughout the night.Move on to other affirmationswe’ve provided in
eachchapterasyoufocusonputtingthatprincipleintoaction.
Weekbyweek,yourlifewillbegintochange.
Justaswe’veseenincountlesspeoplewho’velearnedtheseprinciples,
youhaveanentirelifeofabundanceandjoywaitingforyou.Startusing
affirmationsandclaimit!
L
Week1
Take100%ResponsibilityforYourFuture
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iameasilyimprovingmylife—movingwitheasefromwhereIamnowtowhereI
wanttobe.
Iamconfidentlycreatingbettercircumstancesandexpandingopportunityfor
myself—respondingwithintelligencetoeventsastheyoccur.
Iamchoosingtochangemythoughts,images,andbehaviorstorespond
differentlyandproducebetteroutcomes.
Wedon’tnaturallywanttotakeresponsibilityforourlives.Wewanttogivethe
responsibilitytosomeoneelse.Weblamethemwhenourlivesaren’tgood.
—DONALDMILLERAuthorofAMillionMilesinaThousandYears:
HowILearnedtoLiveaBetterStoryet’sstartwithsomereallygoodnews:Youhavetotalcontroloverthethoughtsyouthink,theimagesyouvisualize,andtheactionsyoutake.Howyouusethesethreethingsdetermineseverythingyouexperienceinlife.On
yourjourneytoalifeofabundance,fulfillment,andsuccess,taking100%responsibilityforyourfutureisthestartingline.
Hereiswhereyouaretoday,andthereiswhereyouwanttobe—itisthe
fulfillment of your hopes and dreams. It is the realization of your life
purposeandyourultimategoals,andIamgoingtoshowyouthewayto
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getthere.Together,wearegoingtoembarkonanexcitingjourneythatis
baseduponusingdailyaffirmations—positivestatementsthataffirmwho
youare,whatyoubelieve,andthefactthatyoualreadyhaveeverything
youneedatyourdisposaltosucceedinreachingyourgoals.Youmaynot
think that you do, but I am going to show you how to change your
thinkingandbuildablueprintforsuccess.
Iameasilyimprovingmylife—movingwitheasefromwhereIamnowtowhereI
wanttobe.
ositive energy will get your day off to a great start. Set a few
minutesasideeverymorningandrepeatyouraffirmationaloud
withconvictionandintention.Dothisagainatnightandletyour
subconsciousmindapplythatpositiveenergyasyousleep.Whenyoulet
itempoweryourthoughtsanddreamsduringthenight,youaretraining
ittothinkdifferently—toautomaticallyleantowardpositiveopportunity
andactionwhileyouareawake.
Repeatingaffirmationswillhelpyouconsciouslyimproveaslongasyou
take full responsibility for your life—that means every success, every
failure, and every indecisive thought or action you have experienced.
Regardless of the circumstance, placing the blame on the event or
outcomewon’tmakeadifferencebecause it’syourresponseto it that is
the game-changer—and your response, whether it’s your thoughts,
images,orbehaviors,istotallyuptoyou.Thetruthis,youdon’thaveto
settleforanythinginlifebecauseyoucankeepchangingyourresponseto
thecircumstanceyoumay faceuntilyouget theresultyouwant. Ifyou
don’tlikeyourcurrentresults,simplybegintodosomethingdifferent.
Iamconfidentlycreatingbettercircumstancesandexpandingopportunityfor
myself—respondingwithintelligencetoeventsastheyoccur.
I t’s easy sometimes to think things “just happen” to you—that you
were an innocent bystander or an unwitting participant.Don’t let
yourselfbetrickedintoplayingthatgame.Youaretheonecreating
or allowing it to happen. Start paying attention to what I call “yellow
alerts.” There are always signals that tell you something is off or
something isabout tohappen.Ifyoudon’tpayattentionto the internal
and external yellow alerts, you will needlessly suffer. External yellow
alertsarethingslikenewstrendsthatyourindustryisfadingorthesmell
of alcohol on your teenager’s breath. Internal alerts are things like gut
feelings, intuitive messages, and feelings of stress, tension, or pain.
Paying closer attention to your internal and external yellow alerts will
enableyoutochangeyouractionsorresponsesonceyoubecomeawareof
them.
Let this thought encourage you: Life becomesmuch easier when you
takecontrolofyourowndestiny.Don’tacceptthatthings“justhappen”
toyou—choosetocreatethelifeyoureallywant!
Iamchoosingtochangemythoughts,images,andbehaviorstorespond
differentlyandproducebetteroutcomes.
E
Week2
BeClearWhyYou’reHere
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamjoyfulandfulfilled,livinginperfectalignmentwithmylifepurpose.
Iamvisualizingaperfectworldwhereeveryoneislivinginharmonyand
experiencingtheirlifepurposetothefullest.
Iampassionatelyandjoyfullypursuingtheuniquecallinginmylife—everyday
movingcloserandclosertoachievingmygoals.
Decideuponyourmajordefinitepurposeinlifeandthenorganizeallyour
activitiesaroundit.
—BRIANTRACYAuthorofChangeYourThinking,ChangeYourLife
veryone has a unique calling in their life—something only you
cando,somethingonlyyouhavetheuniqueskillsandwisdom
to accomplish. Identifying, acknowledging, and honoring this
lifepurposemaybethemostimportantthingthatyoudoonyourwayto
creating a successful life. It’s certainly one of the most fulfilling. But,
without a clear understanding ofwhat you’re here on this Earth to do,
andpursuingthatpurposewithpassionandenthusiasm,youwillalmost
certainlyfallshortofanygoalyouset.
I
Mostpeoplehaven’tacluewhytheyareonthisEarth.Maybetheythink
knowing isn’t really important, or they are waiting for a personal
awakening, or they’re hoping that the answermysteriously appears on
their daily to-do list. Theproblemwithnot knowing isn’t just that you
losetimemakingU-turns,gettingstuck,andbacktrackingtotheforkin
the road—but that youget lost, sidetracked, orbecome stagnant.When
you loseyoursenseofdirection, itcancauseuntoldemotionalsetbacks
andturmoil,leavingyoufeelinghopeless,useless,orfrustrated.
Iamjoyfulandfulfilled,livinginperfectalignmentwithmylifepurpose.
nmymanyworkshopsandbooks, I offer exercises tohelppeople
identify their life purpose and assure they find meaning and
direction.
THELIFEPURPOSEEXERCISE1)Listtwoofyouruniquepersonalqualities,suchasleadershipandinnovation.
2)Listoneortwowaysyouenjoyexpressingthosequalitieswheninteractingwith
others,suchastosupportandtoinspire.
3)Assumetheworldisperfectandthateachofusislivingouruniquecalling.What
doestheworldlookandfeellike?Example:Everyoneisworkingintheirideal
field,inharmonywitheachotherandwithoutconflictordamagetotheEarth.
4)Combineyouranswersaboveintoasinglestatementthatdefinesyourlife
purposeandtellshowitcontributestoanidealworld.Example:Tousemy
leadershipqualitiestoinspireandsupport
innovativeentrepreneurswhoarebuildingsustainablebusinesses.
Iamvisualizingaperfectworldwhereeveryoneislivinginharmonyand
experiencingtheirlifepurposetothefullest.
T hese short exercises should help you discover that your inner
guidancesystemisfueledbyyourgreatestjoyswhentheyarein
alignmentwithyourpurpose.But let’s take it one step further:
Writedownthecommonelementsofyourmost joyfulexperiencesfrom
the first exercise so you remember them.Next, write your life purpose
statement from the second exercise and hang it where you will see it
everyday.Readyourstatementaloudeverymorningandatbedtime—the
wordsshouldmakeyoufeelinspired.
When you are doingwhat you love to do, you are also accomplishing
whatyou’regoodatandwhatisimportanttoyou.Yourlifewillbecome
morebalancedandopentoopportunities,people,andresourcesthatwill
benefityou.Asyoubegin livingyour lifepurpose, there’sasynergyand
universalmagnetismthatbeginsworkingwithinyouandtowardyou.The
things you do will automatically serve others and people will feel your
positiveenergy.
Make a commitment to determine your life purpose at all costs—you
simply can’t achieve abundance and success without knowing why you
arehereonthisEarth.
Iampassionatelyandjoyfullypursuingtheuniquecallinginmylife—everyday
movingcloserandclosertoachievingmygoals.
I
Week3
DecideWhatYouWanttoBe,Do,andHave
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamdefiningincompellingdetailwhatIwanttobe,whatIwanttodo,andwhatI
wanttohave.
Iamlettinggoofchildhoodprogrammingthatholdsmebackandreplacingitwith
positivethoughtsandimagesaboutmycompellingfuture.
IamfocusedonwhatItrulywantformylifebasedonmyownvaluesandlife
experience.
Theindispensablefirststeptogettingthethingsyouwantoutoflifeisthis:Decide
whatyouwant.
—BENSTEINActorandauthor
fyouweretodescribe“success,”whatwoulditlooklike?Nodoubt
itwouldincludeallthethingsyouwanttoexperience,accomplish,
and acquire—including those things on your “bucket list.”
Unfortunately, many people have the whole scenario backward—they
start withwhat theywant to have first, then, later on in life, they find
themselvesatapointwheretheyrealizetheydon’tknoweitherwhythey
D
arehereorwhattheir lifepurposeis.Theydon’thavethe innersuccess
they expected—and the deep sense of joy that should come from living
theirlifepurposeiscompletelymissing.
Let this thought encourage you: No matter what your age or
circumstance, you can always decide to do things differently. You can
starttheprocessofdecidingwhatyouwant.
IamdefininginclearandcompellingdetailwhatIwanttobe,whatIwanttodo,
andwhatIwanttohave.
oyouknowthatyouwerebornwiththeseedofwhoyouwere
meant to become already inside you? You were also born
withoutinhibitionsorfears—youcriedwhenyouwerehungry,
youcrawledallover theplace, you laughedat sillynoisesand faces.As
you got older, you were told to stop crying, to grow up, to stop being
selfish.You learned to ignore the thingsyou reallywantedand to fit in
withwhatyourparents, teachers,or society toldyouwasbest.Now it’s
timetoun-learnandreplacethesechildhooddecisions.
Michelangelo,therenaissancesculptorandpainterwhospentfouryears
lying on his back painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, said, “The
greaterdangerformostofusisnotthatouraimistoohighandwemiss
it,butthatitistoolowandwereachit.”Wow!
When we allow others to dictate our “wants” or determine what we
shoulddowithourlives,weendupsettlingforwhateverishandedtous,
or worse, pursuing a life we simply don’t enjoy. This can lead to
depression, anxiety, stress, and awhole list of negative outcomes.Your
life is exactly that—yours. No one can determine what your life
experienceshouldbe—otherthanyou.
Iamlettinggoofchildhoodprogrammingthatholdsmebackandreplacingitwith
positivethoughtsandimagesaboutmycompellingfuture.
Tpositivethoughtsandimagesaboutmycompellingfuture.
ohelpyoudecidewhatyoureallywant, try these twoexercises
thatIhavebeenusinginmyworkshopsforanumberofyears.
1)Makean“Iwant”list:
Writedown30thingsyouwanttodo,30thingsyouwanttohave,and30thingsyouwant
tobebeforeyoudie.Thebigthings—carsandhouses—willprobablybeatthetopofthelist,
butasyouworkyourwaydown,you’llrediscoveryourcorevalueslikemakingadifference.
2)Makea“20thingsIlovetodo”list:
Thinkyoucan’tmakealivingdoingthethingsyoulove?Whenyouwritethemdownand
reallythinkthroughwhatitwouldbeliketopursuethoseactivitieseveryday—andhow
otherspursuethemalready—you’lldiscoveryoucanmakeacareeroutofdoingwhatyou
love!
Find a place with a comfortable, quiet environment, and then clarify
yourvisionofthe ideal lifebeingclearandspecific.Includetheseseven
areas in your ideal life: work and career, finances, fun and recreation,
healthandfitness,personalgoals,relationships,andyourcontributionto
thelargercommunity.
IamfocusedonwhatItrulywantformylifebasedonmyownvaluesandlife
experience.
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Week4
BelieveIt’sPossible
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamreleasingbeliefsandnegativestatementsthatlimitmeandcreatingnew,
positivestatementsthattellmemyidealfutureispossible.
Ichoosetobelievethingsarepossible,evenwhenIdon’tknowhowtheywill
happen.
IamworkingtowardfulfillingmygoalseverydayandIeasilymovepastthose
timeswhenmyexpectationsarenotmet.
WhenanyonetellsmeIcan’tdoanything...I’mjustnotlisteninganymore.
—FLORENCE“FLOJO”GRIFFITHJOYNERConsideredthefastestwomanofalltimebasedonthe
worldrecordsshesetintrackandfieldin1988
ractically everypsychology class in theworld teachesa concept
calledexpectancytheory:theideathatwerespondtoevents in
lifebasedonwhatthebrainexpectstohappen,whichit’slearned
fromourprior life experience. Inotherwords,peopleusuallydecide to
behaveinacertainwaybasedonexpectedresults.
Where we run into trouble, though, is when we let negative prior
experiencesandalackofself-confidencecontrolourdecisions;whenthat
T
happens,weact a certainwayandgetanegativeoutcome.Butwhat if,
instead, you intentionally heldpositive expectations in yourmind?You
couldachieveexactlywhatyouwantmuchmoreeasily.
Whenever a difficult situation or negative thought enters your mind,
writeitdown.Writedownwhatyouarethinking,whyit’saproblem,and
whathascaused it.Then,break these thoughtsdown intosmallerparts
andre-imaginethemaspositives.Now,putthepiecesbacktogetherand
createanew,positivestatementthathelpsyoubelievewhatyouwantis
possible.
Iamreleasingbeliefsandnegativestatementsthatlimitmeandcreatingnew,
positivestatementsthattellmemyidealfutureispossible.
here are two roadblocks that hold us back from achieving our
goalsandmakinggooddecisions.Thefirstoneisfearofwhatwe
don’tknow:Whatwillittaketogetmefromheretothere?How
willImakeendsmeetinthemeantime?Thosequestionswilldiscourage
youifyouletthem.Butallthosedetailswillfallintoplaceifyoubelieve
inyourgoalsandbelieveinyourself.
The second roadblock iswhat you think youknow that just isn’t true.
Think about that. Could a lot of what you think you know actually be
wrong? Relying too much on your own knowledge and experiences
without questioning your assumptions is a slippery slope. You need to
learn the real facts and use this information to become a possibility
thinker.
Your mind is an amazing instrument—you can let it absorb bad or
damaging information, or you can train it to produce positive thoughts
(byusingaffirmations,forinstance).Youknowthattakingresponsibility
andbeing incontrolofyour life is integral toachievingyourgoals,and
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you also know that you have the power to learn and un-learn thought
patternsandresponsesatwill.Onlyyoucandecidewhatyouwillaccept
and what you will block from your mind, so it’s up to you to avoid
negativeandincorrectdata.
Ichoosetobelievethingsarepossible,evenwhenIdon’tknowhowtheywill
happen.
apoleonHill, the author ofThink and GrowRich once said,
“Youcanbeanythingyouwanttobe, ifonlyyoubelievewith
sufficient conviction and act according to your faith; for
whateverthemindcanconceiveandbelieve,itcanachieve.”
That’strulyaprofoundstatement.
You see, it’s all well and good to practice positive thinking and self-
motivation,butwithouttrulybelievinganythingispossible,youwon’tget
very far.Let’s say you’vebeenworking toward apromotion for the last
year or two, and you muster up the confidence to speak to the Vice
President. You are confident in your ability and expect a positive
outcome, only you don’t get one, and you become discouraged.
Remember that, although you believed in yourself and expected a
differentoutcome,youarenoworseoffthanthedaybefore.Youhaven’t
reallylostanything.
Being confident and expecting a positive outcome is not the same as
instant gratification—if you’re expecting an unequivocal yes for every
questionyouask,you’reoff target.What it isactuallyabout ischanging
negative attitudes and thoughts and accepting the present. When you
believe in yourself and believe anything is possible, opportunities will
come from places and people you’d never expect, and the world will
respondinastonishingways.
IamworkingtowardfulfillingmygoalseverydayandIeasilymovepastthose
IamworkingtowardfulfillingmygoalseverydayandIeasilymovepastthose
timeswhenmyexpectationsarenotmet.
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Week5
BelieveinYourself
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamfacingeachdaywithapositiveattitude,whichempowersmetotrulybelieve
thatanythingispossible.
Iamlivingpositivelyatalltimesandhavegivenupusingnegativephraseslike“I
can’t”becauseIknowIcan!
IamchoosingeverydaytobelievethatIamworthyanddeservingofsuccess,no
mattermyageormycircumstances.
Youweren’tanaccident.Youweren’tmass-produced.Youaren’tanassembly-line
product.Youweredeliberatelyplanned,specificallygifted,andlovingly
positionedontheEarthbytheMasterCraftsman.
—MAXLUCADOBestsellingauthor
ecauseyouaregoingtobesuccessfulandcreatethelifeofyour
dreams,youhavetobelieveyoucandoit—evenifyoucan’tsee
thewholepictureofexactlyhowitwillhappen.
Developing a confident attitude and believing in yourself is a choice,
regardlessofthelimitingbeliefsandnegativeconditioningyoumayhave
grownupwith.Youmustchoosetobelievethatyoucandoanythingyou
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set yourmind to—because you can. There are hundreds of studies and
volumesofresearchonthehumanbrainthatshowhowpositiveself-talk,
visualization, training,coaching,andpracticecanhelpretrain thebrain
sothatwecanaccomplishalmostanything,
If you don’t develop an attitude of success and belief in yourself, you
won’tdowhat’sneeded.Whetheryoubelieveyoucanorbelieveyoucan’t,
yourthoughtsbecomeaself-fulfillingprophecy.It’syourchoicetobelieve
ornot.
Iamfacingeachdaywithapositiveattitude,whichempowersmetotrulybelieve
thatanythingispossible.
ourbrainisdesignedtosolveproblemsandreachgoals,andthat
meansyouhavetogiveupphrases like“Ican’t,”“IwishIwere
ableto,”and“ifonlyIcould.”Thosenegativewordsdisempower
youandactuallymakeyouweaker.
Whenyouwereatoddler,youclimbeduponanythingthatstoodinyour
way. But little by little, your sense of invincibility was eroded by the
negative reactionsyoureceived fromyour family, teachers,and friends.
Eventually,younolongerbelievedyoucouldconquereverythinginyour
way.
Too often we feel the need to have others believe in us and in our
dreamsinordertobesuccessful,butyourdecisionsneedtobebasedon
your own goals and desires, not those of your parents, friends, spouse,
children,andcoworkers.Howcanyoupossiblyfollowyourheartifyou’re
sittingaroundworryingwhatotherpeoplethinkaboutyou?
Dr. Daniel Amen has an 18/40/60 Rule: When you’re 18, you worry
aboutwhateveryoneisthinkingaboutyou;whenyou’re40youdon’tgive
a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you’re 60, you realize that
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nobody is thinking about you at all. Stop wasting timeworrying about
whatotherpeoplethinkandspendthattimefocusingondoingthethings
thatwillachieveyourgoals.
Iamlivingpositivelyatalltimesandhavegivenupusingnegativephraseslike“I
can’t”becauseIknowIcan!
idyouknowthat20%ofAmerica’smillionairesneversetfoot
in college?Even formerVice PresidentDick Cheney dropped
out of college! Plus, there are countless other examples of
peoplewhobecamesuccessfulintheirfieldorwhostartedanewpathin
life without “prerequisites” such as schooling, age, or finances—simply
becausetheybelievedtheycouldaccomplishwhattheywanted.
Take six-year-old Ryan Hreljac for instance: Shocked to learn that
children inAfricahad towalkmanymiles everyday just to fetch clean
water, little Ryan raised enough money to build a well in northern
Uganda by the time he was eight. Today, Ryan’sWell Foundation has
completed878waterprojectsand1,120latrinesin16countries.
ThefamouschefJuliaChilddidn’tevenlearntocookuntilshewas40.Shewas51years
oldwhenshelaunchedhershowTheFrenchChef,whichmadeherahouseholdname.
48-year-oldSusanBoyleskyrocketedontotheinternationalstagewhenshesangon
Britain’sGotTalent.Sincethen,shehasrecordedfivealbumsthathavesoldover19
millioncopiesandreceivedtwoGrammynominations.
IamchoosingeverydaytobelievethatIamworthyanddeservingofsuccess,no
mattermyageormycircumstances.
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Week6
LeverageTheLawofAttraction
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamawarethatpositiveactionsandemotionsattractpositiveoutcomes;Iam
choosingtoradiatepositiveenergyintotheUniverseandreapingthebountyit
reflectsbacktome.
IamconstantlyawareofthepowerofpositivethinkingandIamsupportedbythe
Universeasitbringsmeendlessopportunitiesforgrowth.
IamaskingforwhatIwantseveraltimesaday,believingthatIwillreceiveit.
Whatyouradiateoutwardinyourthoughts,feelings,mentalpictures,andwords,
youattractintoyourlife.
—CATHERINEPONDERAuthorofTheDynamicLawsofProsperity
ave you ever tried to turn gravity on or off? Probably not
becauseyourealizethatitcan’tbedone.Well,there’sanother
powerful force in the Universe that—just like gravity—
surroundsusandaffectsus.It’scalledTheLawofAttraction,andmaybe
wecan’tturnitonoroff,butwecanharnessitstremendousbenefits.
Tobe successful, youmust learnhow touseTheLawofAttraction to
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createthelifeyoureallywant.Ifyou’realreadyworkingonimplementing
theprinciplesinyourlife,thinkofthisasafreshopportunitytobrushup
onyourskillsandcheckyourprogress.Ittakestimeandconsistenteffort
totrainourselvestobehave, think,andspeak inonlypositiveways,but
the Universe rewards us exponentially with abundance, joy, and
unlimited benefits. Basically, we reap what we sow, and we can freely
choosetosowseedsofpositivity!
Iamawarethatpositiveactionsandemotionsattractpositiveoutcomes;Iam
choosingtoradiatepositiveenergyintotheUniverseandreapingthebountyit
reflectsbacktome.
asicchemistrytellsusthataphysicalobject,suchasahouseora
dogorthisbook,ismadeupofbillionsofindividualatoms—tiny
parcelsofenergy—thatbondtogether intodifferentformssuch
aswater,metal, and plastic. Similarly, our thoughts are also a form of
energy—easilydetectedasbrainwavesbystandardmedicalequipment—
that can interact with our physical world just like any other form of
energydoes.Whenweunderstandthisbasicscience,werealizethatour
thoughts can actually interact with the physical world and help bring
aboutwhatwewanttohappen.
ThecoretenetofTheLawofAttractionsays:Whatyouthinkabout,talk
about, believe strongly about, and feel intensely about, youwill bring
about.Onceyouknowthat,byusingyour thoughts,youcanhelpbring
about the opportunities, resources, and people who can help you
accomplish your goals, you’ll start paying greater attention to the
directionofyourthoughtsandwhatyoufocusonthroughouttheday.
IamconstantlyawareofthepowerofpositivethinkingandIamsupportedbythe
Universeasitbringsmeendlessopportunitiesforgrowth.
E verything—including you—is vibrating at a specific andunique
frequency. That means you can learn to use the power of
deliberate thought to stay in a state of higher vibration and
attractwhatyouwantinlife.Here’show:
StepOne:Askforwhatyouwant.
Decidewhat you reallywant and usewords that focus on that goal. Replace negative
imagesandthoughtswithpositiveones.Consistentlyaskforwhatyouwantandthenlet
theUniverseworryabouthowyou’llgetit.
StepTwo:Believeyou’llgetwhatyouwant,thentakeaction.
Believingmeansbeing confident that you’veput your future in thehandsof a greater
powerandthatyourgoalscanbeaccomplished.Takingactionisanotherformofbelief—
afterall,wewouldonlytakeactionongoalswebelievearepossibletobeginwith.
StepThree:Receivewhatyouwant.
Oneofthebestwaystobringyourselfintovibrationalalignmentwithwhatyouwantis
to use affirmations—statements of your goals and desires already achieved in present
time. Repeat them regularly so that your subconscious mindmaintains a vibrational
matchtowhatyouwant.
IamaskingforwhatIwantseveraltimesaday,believingthatIwillreceiveit.
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Week7
SetGoalsThatInspireYou
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamclearaboutwhatmygoalsareandIknowthatIwillaccomplishthem.
Iamvisualizingmybreakthroughgoalasifit’salreadybeenaccomplished,and
I’mfeelingthejoyfulemotionsoflivingthelifeofmydreams.
IamamazedhowfarIcangowhenIsetgoalsandgoafterthemwithconviction
andconfidence.
Ifyouwanttobehappy,setagoalthatcommandsyourthoughts,liberatesyour
energy,andinspiresyourhopes.
—ANDREWCARNEGIEAmericansteelindustrialistandoneoftherichestpeopleinhistory
uccessisnotonlyanattitudeandbeliefsystem,it’salsoascience.
Expertson the scienceof successknow that thebrain is agoal-
seeking organism, and when you give it a specific goal, it will
workovertimetoachieveit.
Dr.GailMatthewsofDominicanUniversityconductedastudyproving
that people who write down their goals, then create action steps to
achieve them—and make regular progress reports to a friend—have
nearlydoublethesuccessrateatachievingwhattheywant!Thinkabout
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it: by taking a few extra steps, you can be twice as successful as those
peoplewhomerelythinkabouttheirgoals.
ItmaysurpriseyoutoalsolearnthatthesmallpercentageofAmericans
whowrite down their goals and regularly review them earnnine times
moreoverthecourseoftheirlifetimesthanthosewhodon’t.1Thisalone
shouldmotivateyoutowritedownyourgoals!
IamclearaboutwhatmygoalsareandIknowthatIwillaccomplishthem.
fyouhavenocriteriaformeasuringthesuccessfulcompletionofa
goal,youdon’thavea truegoal—yousimplyhaveagood idea.An
actual goal that inspires action and unleashes the power of your
subconsciousmindmustincludehowmuch(ameasurablequantity)and
bywhen(aspecifictimeanddateforcompletion).
Oneofthebestwaystogetclarityonyourgoalsistowritethemoutin
detail. When you write it all down, your subconscious will know
specificallywhattoworkon,includingwhichopportunitiestofocusonto
bringaboutsuccess.Rereadyourgoalsthreetimesaday—closeyoureyes
andpictureeachoneasifitwerealreadyaccomplishedandimaginehow
itfeelstoactuallybelivingwiththatachievement.
Mostofourgoalsrepresent incremental improvements inour life—get
newcarinsurance,cleanthatcloset,finishthisweek’ssalespresentation.
But,whatifyoucouldworktowardaccomplishingabreakthroughgoal—
somethingthatsubstantiallyimproveslifeasyouknowit,suchasbuying
yourfirsthomeorstartingabusinessorfundingyourretirement?Those
arethekindofgoalsthatareworthpursuingwithpassion.Writedowna
few breakthrough goals for your vision—including a completion date.
Thenfocusonthosequantumleapsthatwillchangeyourlife.
Iamvisualizingmybreakthroughgoalasifit’salreadybeenaccomplished,and
OI’mfeelingthejoyfulemotionsoflivingthelifeofmydreams.
nceagoalisset,threethingswillemergethatstopmostpeople
—but they’re not going to stop you! They are considerations,
fears,androadblocks.
Let’s say you decide to double your income by the end of the year.
Beforeyouknow it, thoughtswillemerge likeIwon’thave time formy
family or I’ll have to work twice as many hours. These thoughts are
considerations.They’vebeeninyoursubconsciousalongtime,butnow
thattheyhavecometolight,youcanaddressthemandmoveon.
Fears,ontheotherhand,arefeelings:Youmayhaveafearofrejection,
afearofbeinglaughedat,orafearoffailure.Butfearsarealsojustpart
of the process of moving toward your goals. Knowing that in advance
helpsyouovercomethem.
Roadblocks are purely external circumstances that can be overcome
such as not having the money to start a new business or needing
additionaltrainingbeforeseekingapromotion.Roadblocksareobstacles
that appear in your path, but they also are just things youwill have to
dealwith.
Once you know to expect considerations, fears, and roadblocks, you’ll
realizethey’renotasoverwhelmingasyouthought.Learntoacceptand
confrontthembecause,moreoftenthannot,theyaretheverythingsthat
havebeenholdingyoubackinlife.
IamamazedhowfarIcangowhenIsetgoalsandgoafterthemwithconviction
andconfidence.
1StatisticsfromastudybyprofessoremeritusDavidKohlofVirginiaPolytechnicInstituteandStateUniversity.
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Week8
TakeaGoalandChunkItDown
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamcomfortableaskingforguidanceandadvicefrompeoplewhohavealready
donewhatI
wanttodo.
Iamusingmind-mappingskillstobreakdownlargegoalsintosmaller,
manageabletasksandI’maccomplishingthemoneatatime.
Iamplanningmydaythenightbefore,whichallowsmysubconsciousmindto
workthroughoutthenightonaccomplishingmygoals.
Thesecretofgettingaheadisgettingstarted.Thesecretofgettingstartedis
breakingyourcomplex,overwhelmingtasksintosmall,manageabletasks,and
thenstartingonthefirstone.
—SAMUELLANGHORNECLEMENSBetterknownastheAmericanwriter,
humorist,andentrepreneurMarkTwain
hen you break down large goals into small tasks and
accomplish themoneat a time, you’llmove forwardmuch
more easily. It’s knownas “chunking it down.”That’s how
biggoalsareachieved.
Onegreatwaytodiscovertheindividualstepsistoaskpeoplewhohave
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already accomplished what you want to do. From personal experience,
they can guide you through thenecessary steps and give you advice on
how to avoid common pitfalls. You can also purchase books or guides,
takeonlinecourses,orevenstartfromyourendgoalandlookbackward.
Imaginethatyouhavealreadyachievedyourgoal,whatdidyoudotoget
where you are now? What was the last thing you did? And the thing
before that?When you find the first thing you did, that’s your starting
point.
Iamcomfortableaskingforguidanceandadvicefrompeoplewhohavealready
donewhatIwanttodo.
indmapping isasimpleyetpowerfulprocess forcreatinga
to-dolistforachievingyourgoal.Itletsyoudeterminethings
likewhoyouneed to talk to,what informationyouneed to
pulltogether,whatthedeadlinesarethatyouneedtomeet,andmore.If
you’ve always dreamed of becoming an author and want to write your
firstbook—abreakthroughgoalthatwouldleadtoanextraordinarynew
career—youcouldusemindmappingtohelpyou“chunkdown”yourvery
largegoalintosmallersteps.
Here’s howmindmapping1works: 1)Draw a circle in the center of a
page. Inside the circle, jot down the name of yourmajor goal (write a
book).
2)Divideyourgoalintothemajorsubcategoriesoftasksyou’llneedtodotoaccomplishthe
primarygoalanddrawamini-circleforeach(interviewexperts,findanagent).
3)Drawseverallinesradiatingoutwardfromeachmini-circleandlabeleachlinewithits
correspondingsmalltask(writeanemailaskingforaninterview,hireatranscriberon
Fiverr.com).
4)Breakdowneachoneofthesmalltaskswithactionitemstocreateamasterto-dolist.
Iamusingmind-mappingskillstobreakdownlargegoalsintosmaller,
manageabletasksandI’maccomplishingthemoneatatime.
O nce you’ve created a mind map for your goal, you’ll have to
transform all of your to-do items into action items. List each
item on your daily to-do list separately, along with a
completion date. Transfer them to your calendar and schedule them in
theproperorder,thendowhateverisnecessarytostayontrack.
Werecommendthatyouplanyourdaythenightbefore—makeafresh
to-do list based on the current day’s accomplishments and outcomes.
Spendafewminutesvisualizingexactlyhowyouwantthedaytogo,and
your subconsciousmindwillworkduring thenight thinkingof creative
waystoreachthegoalsyousetouttoachieve.
Each morning, your plan should be to complete the most important
itemsonyour to-do list first.Here’s a tip formaking this a success:As
soon as you take out your list, identify five things you absolutelymust
accomplishthatday,thennumberthemonethroughfive,withonebeing
the item you least enjoy and five being the item you most enjoy. By
putting the itemyou least enjoyat the topof your list, itbecomesyour
first task of the day. Now, not only won’t you spend the whole day
thinkingaboutit,butgettingitdonefirstcreatesmomentumandbuilds
confidence,settingthetonefortherestoftheday.
Iamplanningmydaythenightbefore,whichallowsmysubconsciousmindto
workthroughoutthenightonaccomplishingmygoals.
1Tohelpyoucreateyourownmindmap,checkoutthefreeresourcesonmywebsitewww.successprinciples.com,orwatchmyvideo“CanfieldCoaching:MindMapping”onYouTube.
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Week9
SuccessLeavesClues
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamseekingoutandfindingcluesleftbyothersthathelpmeachievemygoals.
IamseekingoutandworkingwithmentorswhocanteachmewhatIneedtoknow
tobesuccessful.
Iamalertwhenpeoplespeakontopicsdirectlyorindirectlyrelatedtomygoals
becausetheycontainvaluablecluesthatIwanttolearn.
Longago,Irealizedthatsuccessleavesclues,andthatpeoplewhoproduce
outstandingresultsdospecificthingstocreatethoseresults.IbelievedthatifI
preciselyduplicatedtheactionsofothers,Icouldreproducethesamequalityof
resultsthattheyhad.
—ANTHONYROBBINSAuthorofUnlimitedPower
lues are easy to find if you’rewilling to look. Almost anything
you can think of has already been done by someone else—
whetherit’slosingweight,raisingafamily,orstartingabusiness
—andthat’sgreatnewsbecauseitmeanstheyhaveleftcluesabouthow
theyachievedtheirsuccess.Youcanidentifythesecluesandmimictheir
actionsonyourownpathtoreachthesesamemajorgoals.
For example, if you’ve just been promoted at the office and want to
eventually reach theseniorexecutive level, therearehundredsofbooks
foryoutoreadonthetopicsofleadership,personalsuccess,goalsetting,
human psychology, andmore. You can also readmy other books,The
Success Principles and The Power of Focus, or participate in my
Breakthrough toSuccess seminar.What’smore, just a phone call away
are people who are available as teachers, mentors, advisors, and
consultants.
Iamseekingoutandfindingcluesleftbyothersthathelpmeachievemygoals.
AcoupleofyearsagoIwasinDallaspreparingtogoonamorningnews
showandIaskedthemakeupartistwhatherlong-termgoalswere.She
saidshe’dalwaysthoughtaboutopeningherownbeautysalon,soIasked
her what she was doing to make that happen. “Nothing,” she said,
“becauseIdon’tknowhowtogoaboutit.”
I suggestedsheoffer to takeasalonowner to lunchand interviewher
abouthowshedidit.
“Youcandothat?”themakeupartistexclaimed.
Absolutelyyoucan—andtherearemanypeoplewithinreachwhowould
love to talk about what they do and how they came to be doing it.
Whatever your dream is, there is someone who has achieved a similar
dreamandhascluestoshare—butyouhavetomakethemoveandask.
Youcanevenoffertovolunteerorinternwithoneofthemsothatyoucan
getahands-onlearningexperience—talkaboutfindingclues!
IamseekingoutandworkingwithmentorswhocanteachmewhatIneedtoknow
tobesuccessful.
A t some time or another, you’ve probably thought about asking
anexpertforadviceyourself,butshruggeditoffwiththoughts
suchasWhywouldsomeone take the timeoutof theirday to
talk with me? Why would they want to potentially create their own
competition? Stop! You’re creating roadblocks in your own mind that
don’t even exist. Most people love to talk about how they built their
businessoraccomplishedtheirgoals.
Here are a few reasonswhywedon’t take advantage of this
resourcethat’ssoreadilyavailable:
We’retooreluctanttodosomethingnooneelseweknowisdoing.
We’d have to go out of our way or take time from something else—like friends or
hobbies.
Ourfearofrejectionoverridesourdesiretoaskforadviceorinformation.
We’dhavetodosomethingdifferent,andevenwhenit’sinourownbestinterest,change
isuncomfortable.
We’dhavetoworkatit,andfrankly,mostpeoplejustdon’twanttoworkthathard.
Iamalertwhenpeoplespeakontopicsdirectlyorindirectlyrelatedtomygoals
becausetheycontainvaluablecluesthatIwanttolearn.
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Week10
UseAffirmationstoReleasetheBrakes
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
I am “releasing the brakes” by letting go of limiting beliefs and focusing on the
certaintyofmysuccess.
Iamexpandingmycomfortzoneeverydaybyusingaffirmationsthatfillmy
subconsciousmindwithpositivethoughtsandimages.
Iamconstantlythinking,talking,andwritingabouttherealityIwanttocreate.
Everythingyouwantisjustoutsideyourcomfortzone.
—ROBERTALLENBestsellingauthorofMultipleStreamsofIncome
aveyoueverdrivenyourcarandrealizedthattheemergency
brakewason?Whatdidyoudotoovercometheresistanceof
thebrake?Didyoustepharderonthegas?No,youprobably
released thebrakeandthecaracceleratedon itsownwithoutanyextra
effort.
Wedothesamethinginourlives.Weholdontonegativeimages,toxic
experiences, and difficult relationships from our past that we haven’t
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processed yet. Sometimes our beliefs about reality are simply incorrect
andweharborguiltandself-doubtbecauseweeitherdon’twantordon’t
know how to let go. No matter how hard we try, the drag from these
experiencesandemotionscancelsoutourforwardprogresswhenwetry
toachieveourgoals.Butwewillneverbeabletogetexactlywhatwewant
in lifeunlesswe release thesebrakes—and thatmeans lettinggoofour
limiting beliefs, thoughts, and negative emotions like guilt, fear, anger,
andresentment.
Iam“releasingthebrakes”bylettinggooflimitingbeliefsandfocusingonthe
certaintyofmysuccess.
our comfort zone isbasically a self-createdprison that you live
in,madefromacollectionofcant’s,must’s,mustnots,andother
baseless beliefs created by all the negative thoughts you have
allowedtoresideinyoursubconsciousmindduringyourlifetime.
We create an endless loop of responses that reinforce negative or
erroneous behaviors, which keep us trapped in our self-made “comfort
zone.”Constantcomplaining(aswediscussedearlier) focusesourmind
on our present circumstances and gets us caught once again in the
endlesscircleofnegativeself-talk—thosecant’s,mustn’ts,andsoon.
But we can change the cycle. We can focus instead on flooding our
mindswith positive thoughts,words and images especially through the
use of affirmations. These affirmations—and the positive self-talk that
they bombard our brain with—actually create new pathways in our
subconsciousmind and steer us off the hamster wheel—that ingrained
cycle of insanity that we’ve created for ourselves. We are never truly
stuck.We can change—and committing to a steady diet of affirmations
willgetusthere!
TIamexpandingmycomfortzoneeverydaybyusingaffirmationsthatfillmy
subconsciousmindwithpositivethoughtsandimages.
hough we’ve provided a “starter set” of affirmations at the
beginningofeachchapterinthisbook,it’suptoyoutowriteand
beginusingaffirmationsthatarespecific toyourcircumstances
and life goals. Use the guidelines below to make your personal
affirmationspowerfullyeffective:1)Startwiththewords“Iam.”Yoursubconsciousmindinterpretsthesetwopowerful
wordsasacommand—theyarethemosteffectivewordsinourlanguage.
2)Usethepresenttense.Describewhatyouwantasthoughithasalreadybeen
accomplished.
3)Stateitinthepositive.Don’tthinkaboutwhatyoudon’twant—affirmwhatyoudowant.
4)Keepitbrief.Makeitshortenoughtobeeasilyremembered.
5)Makeitspecific.Vagueaffirmationsproducevagueresults.
6)Includeanactionwordendingwith-ing.Thisaddspower.
7)Includeatleastonedynamicemotionorfeeling.Whatwouldyoubefeelingifyouhad
alreadyachievedthegoal?
8)Makeaffirmationsforyourself,notothers.Don’tincludesomeoneelse’sactions.What
willyoubedoing?
9)Add“orsomethingbetter.”Ourexperienceoftenlimitswhatweaskfor.Alwaysaskfor
more.
Iamconstantlythinking,talking,andwritingabouttherealityIwanttocreate.
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Week11
SeeWhatYouWant,GetWhatYouSee
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
EachnightbeforeretiringIamconfidentlyreadingmylistofgoalsoutloudand
creatingimagesofthecompletedgoalsinmymind.
Byaddingsounds,smells,andfeelingstomyinternalpictures,Iammultiplying
thebenefitsmanytimesover.
Iamheighteningtheimpactofmyaffirmationsbyfocusingandclearlyvisualizing
them.
Imaginationiseverything.Itisthepreviewoflife’scomingattractions.
—ALBERTEINSTEINWinneroftheNobelPrizeforPhysics
isualization is the techniqueof closingyoureyesandpicturing
yourselfenjoyinglifeasifyourgoalshadalreadybeenachieved
—inrich,vivid,colorfuldetail.It’sseeinginyourmind’seyethe
placesyouwouldbe, thesoundsyouwouldhear, theemotionsyou’dbe
feeling,andtheactionsyouwouldbetaking.
Visualizationisoneofthemosteffectivetoolsyoucanusetoreachyour
goalsbecauseitacceleratesyoursuccessimmensely.
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Itallowsyourbrain’sreticularactivatingsystemto“letthrough”ideas,observations,
people,andopportunitiesfromamongstthemillionsofimagesitprocessesforyouevery
day.
ThroughTheLawofAttraction,visualizationattractstoyouthepeopleand
opportunitiesthatwillbenefityou.
Whenmeditatingonyouraffirmations,repeatthemaloudandvisualize
theminvividTechnicolorsotheyproduceclearimagesinyourmind.Be
veryspecificonthedetailssothatyouraffirmationsreleasethecreative
powersthatfuelsuccess.
EachnightbeforeretiringIamconfidentlyreadingmylistofgoalsoutloudand
creatingimagesofthecompletedgoalsinmymind.
eforeChickenSoupfortheSouleverhit#1,MarkVictorHansen
andIcreatedamock-upoftheNewYorkTimesBestsellersList
with the book’s cover in the #1 spot. Within 15 months, that
dreambecameareality!
Make themost out of visualizing your affirmations by applying these
sameprinciples:
Addsounds,smells,tastes,andfeelingstoyourimages.Whatdoesitsoundlikeatyour
homeonthebeach?Howdoestheseasmell?Whatfeelingswouldyoubeexperiencing?
Useemotionstoaddfueltoyourvision.Whenconfrontedwithintenseemotions,an
imageorscenecanstaylockedinourmemoryforever.Usethisphenomenontoits
fullestbenefitbyinfusingyourvisionswithemotionandenergy!
Mostofusdon’tseethingsinbrightthree-dimensionalimageswhenwe
closeoureyes;actually,wedon’treallyseeanimageasmuchaswethink
it. To help you truly see and focus on your goals, find pictures of your
dream vacation, you at your perfect weight, a black Tesla P100D, and
thengluethemtoasmallposterboard.Thendisplayitwhereyoucansee
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iteveryday.Youcanalsowriteyourpersonalaffirmationsonindexcards
usingcolorfeltmarkers,thendrawillustrationsofyourdreamhouseor
perfectjob.
Byaddingsounds,smells,andfeelingstomyinternalpictures,Iammultiplying
thebenefitsmanytimesover.
ourbrainoperatesverydifferently fromyourphysicalbody.To
yourbrain,thereisnodifferencebetweenvisualizingsomething
and actually doing it. Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor, body
builder, film producer, and former governor of California, once said,
“Createavisionofwhoyouwanttobe,andthenliveintothatpictureasif
itwerealreadytrue.”I’dsaythatstrategyworkedprettywellforhim.
Youmaynotbeawareofit,butwhenyouvisualizeyourgoalsashaving
already been achieved, your subconsciousmindwill find away to turn
yourcurrentsituationintothenewvisionthatyouhavebeenfeedingit.If
you feed yourmindpictures of a beautiful home, a loving relationship,
and an exciting career, it will work on achieving those things. On the
other hand, if you are constantly feeding it negative pictures, like a
stressfuljob,animpossiblefeat,orafailingrelationship—guesswhat?—it
willworktoachievethose,too.
Setasidetimeeachandeverydaytovisualizeeveryoneofyourgoalsas
alreadycomplete.Thisisoneofthemostvitalthingsyoucandotomake
your dreams come true. Some psychologists say that an hour of
visualizationisequaltosevenhoursofphysicaleffort.That’saprettybig
claim, but still, imaginewhatwouldhappen to your life if youdid that
everyday!
Iamheighteningtheimpactofmyaffirmationsbyfocusingandclearlyvisualizing
them.
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Week12
ActAsIf
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IambelievingandactingasifIamalreadywhereIwanttobe.
Iamexudingself-confidenceandaskingforwhatIwantwithcompletefaiththatI
willgetit.
Iamlayingdownpowerfulblueprintsinmysubconsciousmindtomakemy
dreamscometrue.
Believeandactasifitwereimpossibletofail.
—CHARLESF.KETTERINGEngineer,businessman,andinventorwithover186patents
neof thegreatest strategies for success is toactas if youare
alreadywhereyouwanttobe.Thatrequiresyoutothink,talk,
act,dress,and feel likeyouhavealreadyachievedyourgoals.
Acting “as if” projects to the world a sense of confidence and
achievement, sending powerful messages to your subconscious mind,
whichisdesignedtofinduniquewaystosolveproblems.Italsoprograms
your brain’s reticular activating system—the function that allows into
your awareness useful information from the millions of pieces of
information you process every day—to make you aware of hidden
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resourcesthatmayhelpyou.What’smore,whenyouactasif,TheLawof
Attractioncomesintoplay,sinceacting“asif”sendsstrongvibrationsto
theUniversethatyouarecommittedtoachievingyourgoal—andthatyou
areopentoacceptingandapplyinganythingitsendsyourway.
One ofmy favorite books is Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard
Bach,whowrites,“Toflyasfastasthought,tobeanywherethereis,you
mustfirstbeginbyknowingthatyouhavealreadyarrived.”Prettysound
adviceandoneoflife’sgreatestlessons.
IambelievingandactingasifIamalreadywhereIwanttobe.
ou canbegin rightnow to act as if you’ve already achieved the
goalsyouset foryourself.Onceyoustartactingsuccessful, that
outer experience will create the inner experience—the feelings,
emotions,confidence,andthoughts—thatwillleadyoutothefulfillment
ofyourgoal.
How would you act if you were already a straight-A student, a
bestselling author, an Olympic athlete, a top salesperson, a celebrated
musician,orasuccessfulentrepreneur?Howwouldyouthink,talk,carry
yourself,dress,treatotherpeople,handlemoney,andsoforth?
There are a couple of very important lessons we can learn from the
behaviorofsuccessfulpeople:theyexudeself-confidence,they’velearned
thepowerofasking forwhat theywant, theyspeakupaboutwhat they
don’twant, they take risks and celebrate their successes, and they also
saveaportionoftheirincomeandshareaportionwithothers.
Theseareallthingsthatyoucanstarttodorightnow.Theydon’tcost
more money, but they do require intention. And as soon as you start
acting“asif,”thepeopleandthingsthatwillhelpyouachieveyourgoals
inreallifewillstartbeingdrawntoyou.
IIamexudingself-confidenceandaskingforwhatIwantwithcompletefaiththatI
willgetit.
t’s imperative thatyoustartnowbeingwhoyouwant tobe—don’t
let any more time pass while you’re “thinking it over.” Why?
Becauseinactionisthesameasnevertakingaction.Startnowand
bewhoyouwanttobe,thendothethingsthatgoalongwithbeingthat
person,andsoonyou’llfindthatyoueasilyhaveeverythingyouwantin
life—health,wealth,fulfillingrelationships,andsocialimpact.
TaniaKotsos,authorandcreatorofMindYourReality,says:“Itisyour
subconsciousmindthatisthestorehouseofyourdeep-seatedbeliefsand
programs. To change your circumstances and attract to yourself that
which you choose, you must learn to program and re-program your
subconsciousmind.”
For thousandsof years this principlehasbeenwithus and yet so few
peopleactuallyputittouse.Letthosewordsinspireyouintoaction!
Iamlayingdownpowerfulblueprintsinmysubconsciousmindtomakemy
dreamscometrue.
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Week13
TakeAction,EvenIfYouDon’tKnowtheWholePath
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
AsItakeaction,allthingsarebecomingclearerandeasierformebecauseIam
constantlyattractingpeoplewhoareencouragingandsupportingme.
WhenImakemistakes,IknowthereissomethingvaluablethatIamlearningfrom
eachexperience.
IamenjoyinggettingfeedbackthatishelpingmemakethecorrectionsIneedto
becomesuccessful.
Thingsmaycometothosewhowait,butonlythethingsleftbythosewhohustle.
—ABRAHAMLINCOLNSixteenthpresidentoftheUnitedStates
t’s long been known by successful people that the world doesn’t
rewardyouforwhatyouknow.Itrewardsyouforwhatyoudo.Yet,
as obvious and practical as that statement is, millions of people
every day get tied up analyzing, planning, and organizing instead of
simply takingaction.They seem to look theotherwayhoping the rules
willchangewhilethey’repreoccupied.
In the end, however, what we know or what we believe is of little
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consequence.Theonlythingthatmattersiswhatyoudo.
Whathappens thedayyoudecide to takeaction?Peoplewillwakeup
andstartpayingattentiontoyou.Peoplewithsimilargoalswill fall into
alignment with you. You will begin learning things from experience.
Things that once seemed confusing will become clear, and things that
once appeared difficult will become easier. You will attract others who
willsupportandencourageyou,andwonderfulthingswillbegintoflow
towardyou—onceyoutakeaction.
AsItakeaction,allthingsarebecomingclearerandeasierformebecauseIam
constantlyattractingpeoplewhoareencouragingandsupportingme.
here’sanexercisethatIuseinmyseminarstodemonstratethe
power of taking action. I hold up a $100 bill and ask, “Who
would like this $100 bill?” Lots of people start waving their
handsbackandforth.Otherpeopleshoutout,“Iwantit!”or“Giveitto
me!” But I just continue standing there holding up the $100 bill until
someoneactuallygetsoutoftheirchairandcomesupandtakesitoutof
my hand. When I ask the group how many of them thought about
standingup and comingup to take themoneybut stopped themselves,
halftheroomraisestheirhands.Whatdidtheysaytothemselves?
“Iwassittingtoofarbackintheroom.”
“Ididn’twantittolooklikeIneededitthatbadly.”
“Iwasn’tsureifyouwouldreallygiveittome.”
“Ididn’twanttolookgreedy.”
“IwasafraidIwouldbedoingsomethingwrongandthatpeoplewould
judgemeorlaughatme.”
“Iwaswaitingforfurtherinstructions.”
So,whatdidthepersonwhoactuallygotthemoneydothatnooneelse
I
in the room did to end up $100 richer? She got off her butt and took
action—shedidwhatwasnecessarytogetthemoney—andthat’sexactly
whatyouneedtodoifyouwanttobesuccessful!
WhenImakemistakes,IknowthereissomethingvaluablethatIamlearningfrom
eachexperience.
nordertobesuccessful,youhavetodowhatsuccessfulpeopledo,
and successful people are highly action-oriented. If you hold
yourself back for fear of looking foolish in one situation, you
probablyholdyourselfbackforfearoflookingfoolishinothers.Youhave
toidentifythosepatterns,breakthroughthem,andstopholdingyourself
back.
Most people don’t take action because they are afraid of failing.
Successfulpeople,ontheotherhand,realizethatfailureisaninevitable
andnaturalpartofthelearningprocess.Theyknowthatfailureisjusta
waythatwelearnbytrialanderror.
Once you embrace failure as part of the journey to success, you’ll be
muchmorewillingtojustgetstarted,makemistakesalongtheway,pay
attention to the feedback you receive, make the necessary corrections,
andkeepmoving forward toward your goal.Every experience youhave
willyieldmoreuseful informationthatyoucanapply to thenextaction
youtake.
So,bynow,youhavegonethroughthenecessaryfoundationalstepsto
success—createdavision,setspecificandmeasurablegoals,brokenthem
downintosmallsteps,visualizedandaffirmedyoursuccess,andchosen
tobelieveinyourselfandyourdreams.Nowit’stimetotakeaction.
IamenjoyinggettingfeedbackthatishelpingmemakethecorrectionsIneedto
becomesuccessful.
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Week14
LeanintoItandSeeIfItFeelsRighttoYou
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamleaningintowhatIwanttodoandseeinganyroadblocksasopportunitiesto
developnewskills,greaterconfidence,andperseverance.
AsIleanintonewactivities,IamlettingGodknowthatIamwillingtousemy
talentstomaketheworldaroundmeabetterplace.
IamwillingtostartwithoutseeingthewholepathbecauseIbelieveitwilltakeme
whereIwanttogo—orevensomeplacebetter.
Ajourneyof1,000milesbeginswithonestep.
—ANCIENTCHINESEPROVERBhensomeonesays something important thatwillhelpyou,
orwhensomeonemakesyouanofferrelatedtosomething
youwanttodo,yourjobisto“leanintoit.”Dipyourtoein
thewaterandseewhatthatopportunityfeelslike.
Manyof theworld’smost successfulpeoplegot thatwaybecause they
paidattentiontoadooropeninginfrontofthem.Theyhadthecourage
andwisdomtowalkthroughthatdoorand“leaninto”theopportunityon
theotherside.Theyworkedseveralmonthsonastart-upcompany.They
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did a free speaking engagement for a global organization.They spent a
fewhundreddollarsflyingacrossthecountrytomeetanewcontact.They
checked out the opportunity, learned something new, and determined
whetherthatnewpathwastheonethatwouldleadthemtotheirgoal.
Oftentimes, ultimate success finds you when you’re leaning into
something. That’s when you find yourself open to opportunities and
willing to do whatever it takes to succeed—without any expectation
whatsoever.Thetimeforthinkingisoverandthetimetotakeactionhas
begun.
IamleaningintowhatIwanttodoandseeinganyroadblocksasopportunitiesto
developnewskills,greaterconfidence,andperseverance.
omentumisoneofthewonderfuloutcomesofleaningintoit.
Momentum begins to build theminute you take your first
step towardmaking your dreams a reality. It’s a magnetic
force—an energy that attracts people, resources, and opportunities into
your life. Just when you need them—at the perfect timewhen you can
most benefit—theywill become available to you anddoorswill open in
waysyoumaynotexpect.Oftentimes, that’showgreat thingshappen—
butyouhavetofirstpreparethesoilinwhichtheycantakeroot,thrive,
andgrow.
Martin Luther King Jr., the great civil rights leader and Nobel Peace
Prizerecipient,said,“Takethefirststepinfaith.Youdon’thavetoseethe
wholestaircase.Justtakethefirststep.”
He realized that sometimes the exact thing you need to propel you
further, to help you achieve a breakthrough goal, is just ahead beyond
whereyoucanseeit.Unlessyoutakethatfirststepforward,you’llnever
knowjusthowcloseitis.Havefaith.Bewillingtotakethestepandlean
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intoit.
AsIleanintonewactivities,IamlettingGodknowthatIamwillingtousemy
talentstomaketheworldaroundmeabetterplace.
irstyoujumpoffthecliffandyoubuildwingsonthewaydown.
SciencefictionauthorRayBradburysaidthat,andithasbecome
oneofmy favoritequotes.There isnoperfect timeor situation
for you to begin creating and achieving your goals. Don’t keep putting
thingsoffwaitingforaspecialsign,adoublerainbow,orfor12dovesto
flyoverheadinthesignofacross.
WhenMark Victor Hansen and I first releasedChicken Soup for the
Soul, I thought itwouldbeagood idea tosell thebook inbulk to large
networkmarketingcompanies. Iknewthosebookscouldmotivate their
salesforcetobelieveintheirdreams,takemorerisks,andachievegreater
success. So, I started cold-calling these companies—something I had
never done before. Sometimes I was told they weren’t interested,
sometimes I got hungupon, but eventually, not onlydid Imake some
significant sales, a few of the companies liked the book so much they
hiredmetospeakattheirnationalconventions.
Most of life is on-the-job training and some of the most important
thingscanonlybelearnedintheprocessofdoingthem.Youhavetojust
start—fromwhereveryouare—inordertogetwhereyouwanttobe.
IamwillingtostartwithoutseeingthewholepathbecauseIbelieveitwilltakeme
whereIwanttogo—orevensomeplacebetter.
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Week15
ExperienceYourFearandTakeActionAnyway
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamconfidentlyandcourageouslyconfrontingmyfearsandmovingforward.
IamgrowingandfeelingliberatedbydoingtheverythingsIwasafraidtodo.
Iamreplacingmyself-created,imaginaryimagesandsensationsoffearwith
positiveimagesandsensationsofmydesiredoutcome.
Wecomethiswaybutonce.Wecaneithertiptoethroughlifeandhopethatweget
todeathwithoutbeingtoobadlybruised,orwecanliveafull,completelife,
achievingourgoalsandrealizingourwildestdreams.
—BOBPROCTORSelf-mademillionaireandfeaturedteacher
inthebookandmovie,TheSecret
s you move forward on your journey from where you are to
whereyouwanttobe,youaregoingtohavetofaceyourfears.
Fearisnormal.Anditkeepsyouonyourtoes.
Ifyouareoneof thosepeoplewhorun theotherwaywhenyou feela
pangoffear,beawarethatthere’ssomethingfarmorescary:neverreally
livingthelifeyouwant.Thetruthis,peopledolosetheirfooting,theydo
losetheirjobs,theydoforgettheirlines.WilliamG.T.Sheddoncesaid,
I
“Ashipissafeintheharbor,butthat’snotwhatit’sfor.”
You have already clarified why you’re here on this Earth. And you’ve
made a commitment to reach your goals. The only way you will be
successfulandeventuallybecomewhoyouweremeant tobe is to leave
yoursafezoneandtrustthatyouwillmakeit.
Iamconfidentlyandcourageouslyconfrontingmyfearsandmovingforward.
nmybookTheSuccessPrinciples:HowtoGetfromWhereYouAre
to Where You Want to Be, I talk about F.E.A.R., which is an
acronymforFantasizedExperiencesAppearingReal.It’soneofthe
primary reasons we fail to achieve our goals and fail to find true
happiness.Wemake incorrect assumptionsaboutwhat’s required tobe
successful and then we actually believe these assumptions. Sadly, the
limits we put on ourselves because of our erroneous beliefs prevent us
from being as happy as we could be, or achieving a great measure of
success.
It’simportanttorememberthatalmostallofyourfearsareself-created,
but once you decide that an idea is true, you attach yourself to it even
though it has little or no merit at all. Freeing yourself from your
erroneousbeliefscanbedifficult.Yet,becauseyouaretheonedoingthe
fantasizing, you also have the ability to end the fear by facing the real
factsandnotgivingintoyournegativeimages.
Here’s a little exercise that can help you overcome fear: Write down
somethingyouareafraid todo—likeaskingyourboss fora raise.Then,
writedownwhyyouareafraidtodoit—e.g.,Iwanttoaskmybossfora
raise,butIkeepimagininghewillsaynoandgetangry.See?Thatkind
of fear is not even real—you’re imagining a response that may never
happen,andyoumaynevergetthatraiseifyoudon’tovercomeyourself-
CcreatedfearandASK!
IamgrowingandfeelingliberatedbydoingtheverythingsIwasafraidtodo.
elebratedAmericanauthorandhumoristMarkTwainoncesaid,
“Ihave liveda long lifeandhadmany troubles,mostofwhich
neverhappened.”
Thinkaboutthat.Areyoulivingyourlifeworryingaboutandavoiding
imaginarytroubles,manyofwhichactuallyneverhappen?Wealldothat
from time to time—some of us more than others. The solution to this
problem is to train our internal eyes to recognize the limits we put on
ourselvesbyworryingandentertainingnegativethoughts—thendealwith
them.
Herearefourveryeffectiveapproachestoovercomingunfoundedfears:
1)Identifywhatyou’reimaginingthatfrightensyou,thenreplacethatimagewithitspositive
opposite.Writeit
intheformofanaffirmation.
2)Focusonthephysicalsensationsofyourfear,thenfocusonthefeelingsyouwouldliketobe
experiencinginstead.
3)Rememberatimewhenyoutriumphedinthefaceoffear—likegivingaspeechorpassingan
importantexam.
4)Ifyourfearissobigthatit’sparalyzing,scaledowntherisk.Takesmallstepsfirst,thentake
onthebigger
challengesatalatertime.
Iamreplacingmyself-created,imaginaryimagesandsensationsoffearwith
positiveimagesandsensationsofmydesiredoutcome.
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Week16
BeWillingtoPaythePriceofSuccess
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamwillingtopaythepricetoachievemygoalsanddreamsonmyownterms.
Iamdoingwhateverittakestobesuccessfulandreachmygoals.
Iamcommittedtoinvestingthetime,money,andeffortrequiredtoachievemy
mostimportantgoals.
Practiceisn’tthethingyoudoonceyou’regood;it’sthethingyoudothatmakes
yougood.
—MALCOLMGLADWELLAuthorofOutliers:TheStoryofSuccess
andotherbestsellers
ehind every success story there is a tale of perseverance and
dedication. In order to be great, it takes a lot of education,
training, practice, discipline, and sacrifice. You have to be
willingtoputinthetimeandeffort—todowhatittakestosucceed.That
often means a steady diet of trial and error and constant practice—
generally in more than one area. But it’s thewillingness to do what’s
necessarythataddsthatextradimensionandpushesyoupastsetbacks,
challenges,roadblocks,andevenemotionalandphysicalpain.Ilovethis
quote from the great Bear Bryant (still college football’s winningest
coach):“It’snot thewill towinthatmatters—everyonehasthat.It’s the
willtopreparetowinthatmatters.”
Preparingtowinmeansdoingwhateverittakes—gettingtoworkearly,
taking extra courses, practicing the piano one more hour every day.
That’s what makes the difference between elite performers and people
whoarejustgoodatsomething.
Persevereandyouwillstandoutfromtherest.
Iamwillingtopaythepricetoachievemygoalsanddreamsonmyownterms.
Even though today’s multitalented, multimillionaire Oprah Winfrey
struggledwhenshewasalittlegirl,shewasdetermined.Shebelievedin
herself and honed her skills. Today she’s one of the most successful
womenintheworld.
Whenshewasaskedwhathersecrettosuccesswas,shesaid,“Thebig
secretinlifeisthatthereisnosecret.Whateverisyourgoal,youcanget
thereifyouarewillingtowork.”
Areyouwillingtodotheworkyouneedtodotoachieveyourgoalsand
dreams?Partofpayingthepriceisthewillingnesstodowhateverittakes
togetthejobdone—noexcuses.WhenM.ScottPeckpublishedTheRoad
Less Traveled, he participated in thousands of radio interviews and
continuedtodooneeachdayforthenext13years,keepingthebookon
theNew York Times bestseller list for 694 weeks. Pulitzer and Nobel
prizewinnerErnestHemingwayrewroteAFarewelltoArms39times.
What’smore,numerousstudies show thatpracticing towarda specific
goal is what helps elite performers overcome a lack of innate talent or
prevailoverotherdeficiencies.Imaginewhatyoucouldachieveifyouset
Wagoalandreallypracticeddoingthethingsthatwouldhelpyousucceed!
Iamdoingwhateverittakestobesuccessfulandreachmygoals.
henaSpaceXrockettakesoff fromCapeCanaveral, ituses
up a large portion of its total fuel just to overcome the
gravitational pull of theEarth.Once it is free of gravity, it
canprettymuchglidethroughspacefortherestofitsmission.That’sthe
result of building momentum. It’s like that in business and careers as
well;youhavetodowhatittakestogettotheplacewherepeopleseeyou
as an expert and a person of integrity. And, as long as youmaintain a
high levelofprofessionalism,youwillbeable to reap thebenefits fora
longtime.
One of the key pieces of advice that I constantly give people in my
trainingclassesandlectures is findoutthepriceyouhavetopay.How
canyoudecidetopaythepricewhenyouhavenoideawhatitcosts?You
mayhavetodosomeinvestigating—turnoversomerocks,makenotes,do
some research, interview some people—in order to find out what is
required for you to succeed (or even just take the first steps). Bear in
mindthat“cost”canrelatetomoney,health,time,labor,timespentaway
from family, andmore. Once you knowwhat the cost will be, you can
decidewhetheritisstillrightforyouorifthere’ssomethingbetteronthe
horizon.Beaware,beopen,andbeprepared.Godmayhavesomething
evenbetterinstoreforyou!
Iamcommittedtoinvestingthetime,money,andeffortrequiredtoachievemy
mostimportantgoals.
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Week17
You’veGottaAsk
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamaskingforwhatIwantandneedwithapositiveexpectationthatIwillgeta
YES.
IambeingclearandspecificwhenIaskforsomethingandI’mgettingexactly
whatIwant—orsomethingbetter.
Ihaveboththecapacityandtenacitytopersevere,soIkeeponaskinguntilI
succeed.
You’vegottoask.Askingis,inmyopinion,theworld’smostpowerfuland
neglectedsecrettosuccessandhappiness.
—PERCYROSSSelf-mademultimillionaire
andphilanthropist
hat’s the worst that can happen if you don’t have the
courageandself-confidence toask forwhatyouwant?For
one, you’ll never get it, and two, youmay be blocking the
very thing that will lead to your ultimate success. And if you do ask?
You’llgetayesorano.Ano justmeans thatwasn’t therightdoorand
youmustcontinuetoknockuntiltherightdooropens.Ayes,ontheother
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hand—well, that’swhat you getwhen you ask the right people and you
askenoughtimes.
Askingisoneofthemostpowerfulsuccessprinciplesofall,yetit’sstilla
challengethatholdsmostpeopleback.
Here’san importantpoint to rememberwhenyouareasking forwhat
youwant.Sometimeswhatwethinkwewant isn’t thebestthingforus;
sometimesweneed to reevaluatewhatweare asking for andwhy.And
sometimes,becauseweareaskinginfaiththatwewillreceive it,weget
morethanweaskedfor—wegetsomethingbetter.
IamaskingforwhatIwantandneedwithapositiveexpectationthatIwillgeta
YES.
here’s a science for asking for what you want or need in life.
Mark VictorHansen and I havewritten awhole book about it
calledThe Aladdin Factor. Here are some quick tips from the
booktogetyoustarted.
Askasifyouexpecttogetit.Askwiththepositiveexpectationthatyouhavealready
beengivenit—likeit’sadonedeal.
Assumeyoucan.Don’teverassumeagainstyourself.
Asksomeonewhocangiveittoyou.Researchwhothatis.
Beclearandspecific.Whenitcomestomoney,askforadefiniteamount.Whenit
comestorequestingaspecificbehavior,sayexactlywhatyouwantthepersontodo.
Askrepeatedly.Oneofthemostimportantprinciplesofsuccessispersistence.When
you’reaskingotherstoparticipateinthefulfillmentofyourgoals,somepeoplearegoing
tosayno.Morethanlikely,theyhaveverygoodreasonsfordeclining.It’snota
reflectiononyou.
Don’tassumeyou’llgetanowhenyouhaven’tevenaskedyet.That’srejecting
yourselfbeforeanyoneelsehasevenhadachance.Taketherisk—ifyougetano,
nothinghaschangedandyouarenoworseoffthanbefore.Andyoumightjustgetayes!
IambeingclearandspecificwhenIaskforsomethingandI’mgettingexactly
whatIwant—orsomethingbetter.
LwhatIwant—orsomethingbetter.
et’sdoa littleexercise togetyoumorecomfortablewithasking
forwhatyouwant.
Makealistofallthethingsyouwantbutyouhaven’taskedfor
—includethingsrelative tohome,work,oranywhereelseyoucanthink
of. Beside each one, write down why you haven’t asked for it—what’s
holding youback?Thenwrite downwhat you’remissing out onbynot
asking (agoodnight’s sleep, extra timewithyour family,apromotion).
Then,writedownthebenefitsyouwouldgain ifyoudidask(emotional
support,financialgain,helpwiththehousework).Now,dothatexercise
for everything in the following categories inWeek 3:DecideWhatYou
WanttoBe,Do,andHave:
YourFinances
YourJobandCareer
FunTimeandRecreation
YourHealthandFitness
YourRelationships
HobbiesandPersonalTime
YourContributionstotheCommunity
I get that sometimes people are afraid of looking needy or looking
foolish,butmostlytheyaresimplyafraidofrejection—theyareafraidof
hearingtheword“no.”Stoptakingitsopersonally.Youneedtohavenot
onlythecapacity,butthetenacity.Tobesuccessful,youhavetoask!
Ihaveboththecapacityandtenacitytopersevere,soIkeeponaskinguntilI
succeed.
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Week18
Don’tLetRejectionStopYou
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamaskingwithconfidence,knowingthatrejectionisamythandonlyexistsin
mymind.
IamperseveringuntilIachievemygoals—orsomethingbetter—becauseIknow
thatwhatIwantalsowantsme.
Whensomeonesaysnotome,ratherthangettingdiscouraged,Imoveonknowing
thatsomeoneelseiswaitingtosayyes.
Wekeepgoingbackstronger,notweaker,
becausewewillnotallowrejectiontobeatusdown.
Itwillonlystrengthenourresolve.
Tobesuccessful,thereisnootherway.
—EARLG.GRAVESFounderandpublisherof
BlackEnterprisemagazine
nyourway tobecomingsuccessful,you’regoing toencounter
rejection somewhere along the line—it’s just anatural part of
life.Yourapplicationmightbedenied,youmightnotbepicked
fortheteam,oryoumightnotgetthejob.
To overcome rejection and keep moving forward, you have to see
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rejection for what it really is—a myth. When your application isn’t
acceptedoryou’renotpickedfortheteam,youactuallyaren’tanyworse
off than before you asked. Nothing has changed, nothing’s been taken
away from you. You didn’t have that $50,000 line of credit before you
askedthebankforit,andyoudon’thaveitnow.
Soinsteadof feelingsadandrejected,askwhyyouwereturneddown,
honeyourproposal,andmoveontoaskotherfinancialinstitutions.The
reality is, you lose nothing by asking; all you have is something to
potentiallygain.
Iamaskingwithconfidence,knowingthatrejectionisamythandonlyexistsin
mymind.
oday, make a point to accept the idea that you are going to
encounterrejectionalongthewaytosuccess.Trainyourmindto
translate the word “no” into “next!” When Colonel Harland
Sanders left home with his pressure cooker and his special recipe for
Southern fried chicken, he received 1,009 rejections before he found
someonetobelieveinhisdream.Becauseherejectedrejectionover1,000
times, there are now over 19,000 KFC locations in more than 100
countriesandterritoriesworldwide.
Maybehisstorywillhelpyouthinkaboutrejectiononasmallerscale.It
maytakealittlelongertogetwhatyouwant,butsometimestheUniverse
hasdifferent(orbetter)plansforyou.Inthefinalanalysis,you’rereally
noworse off than before you asked.Don’t give up or sulk. Simply find
anotheropportunity.
MyChickenSoupfortheSoulcoauthorMarkVictorHansenisfondof
saying,“Whatyouwantwantsyou.”Rejectrejectionandgoforit.
IamperseveringuntilIachievemygoals—orsomethingbetter—becauseIknow
thatwhatIwantalsowantsme.
IthatwhatIwantalsowantsme.
nthefallof1991,MarkVictorHansenandIbegantheprogressof
sellingourfirstChickenSoupfortheSoulbooktoapublisher.We
flew toNewYork andmetwith everymajor publisher thatwould
see us. None of them were interested. We heard rejections like,
“Collections of short stories don’t sell,” and “The titlewill neverwork.”
After that,wewererejectedbyanother20publisherswhohadreceived
themanuscriptthroughthemail.Over30rejectionslater,ouragentgave
thebookbacktousbecausehejustcouldn’tsellit.So,wesaid,“Next!”
The following spring, Mark and I attended the American Booksellers
AssociationconventioninAnaheim,California,andwalkedfromboothto
booth, talking toanyonewhowould listen.Wewere turneddownagain
andagain.Stillwesaid,“Next!”
At theendof the secondvery longday,PeterVegsoandGarySeidler,
owners of Health Communications, Inc., a publisher of addiction and
recoverybooks,agreedto lookitover.They lovedit.Thosehundredsof
“nexts” finally paid off. Aftermore than 140 rejections, that first book
wentontosellover10millioncopiesandspawnedaseriesof250unique
titles.Thosetitleshavebeentranslatedinto43languageswithworldwide
sales of over 500 million copies! My advice to you? Believe you will
succeedandlearntosay,“Next!”
Whensomeonesaysnotome,ratherthangettingdiscouraged,Imoveonknowing
thatsomeoneelseiswaitingtosayyes.
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Week19
ListentoFeedbackandUseIttoYourAdvantage
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamwelcoming,appreciating,andusingthefeedbackIget,andIacceptitasa
valuablegift.
Iamopenlylisteningtofeedback,whileatthesametimelisteningtowhatmy
body,myfeelings,andmyinstinctsaretellingme.
IamhappilyadjustingmybehaviorandmovingforwardasIapplythefeedbackI
getfromothers.
Feedbackisthebreakfastofchampions.
—KENBLANCHARDANDSPENCERJOHNSONCoauthorsofTheOneMinuteManager
t’s humannature towant only positive feedback from others, but
there’s also great value in constructive negative feedback that can
becrucialtoyoursuccess.
Positive feedbackcomes in the formof things thatmakeyouhappy:a
raiseorpromotionatwork,surpassingyoursalesquota,findingbalance
and inner peace, a loving touch, or making the bestseller list. These
things not onlymake you happy, but they indicate that you are on the
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rightcourseandmakingprogress.
Negativefeedback,ontheotherhand,comesintheformofthingsthat
make you unhappy: being broke, conflict at home, an unexpected
breakup,lossofajob,andinnerdiscord.Butthesethingsholdvaluefor
you, too, ifyouheed themandarewilling tomakeadjustments inyour
thinking and your behavior. Maybe you missed a turn in the road
somewhere, or you veered offtrack. In order for you to be successful,
you’llhavetolearntopayattentionandrespondappropriatelytoallthe
feedback in your life—both positive and negative—because it will teach
you what you are doing right, what you are doing wrong, and what
changesyouneedtomake.
Iamwelcoming,appreciating,andusingthefeedbackIget,andIacceptitasa
valuablegift.
et’stalktodayaboutthevalueofverbalandnonverbalfeedback,
keeping in mind what we already learned about positive and
negativefeedback.
Nonverbal feedback comes through body language, actions and
attitudes.Haveyoueverbeen toabaseballgameandby the7th inning
theplacehasclearedout?That’sfeedbackinaction—thefansaresaying
thatthey’remoreinterestedinavoidingtrafficthanwatchingtheirhome
teamlose.Here’salessobviousexample:Haveyoueverclosedabigsale
only to find out your new customer placed his next order with a
competitor? That’s nonverbal feedback telling you that something’s
wrong. (It shouldalsobe telling you topickup thephoneand findout
whathappened.)
Verbal feedback comes in the form of others talking to you. Let’s say
you’relateagainforameetingandyourbossreprimandsyouinfrontof
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yourcoworkers.That’ssomeseriousfeedbackthat’scomingin“loudand
clear.”
But the best type of verbal feedback is the kind you initiate yourself:
when you ask your boss about the quality of yourwork, when you ask
yourcustomerwhatyoucandotomakehisjobeasier,whenyouaskyour
spouse how you can be more attentive or helpful around the house.
Seemslikeano-brainer,right?Makeacommitmenttodaytolisten—and
respond—to all types of feedback: positive, negative, internal, and
external.
Iamopenlylisteningtofeedback,whileatthesametimelisteningtowhatmy
body,myfeelings,andmyinstinctsaretellingme.
et’s look at some of the unproductive ways we respond to
feedback.
GivingUp:Feedbackissimplyinformation—consideritcorrectiveinsteadofcritical
anddon’ttakeitsopersonally.Thinkofitasacautionsign,notastopsign.
Gettingmad:Surelyyoucanrecalltimeswhenyouturnedhostiletowardsomeone
whogaveyoufeedbackthatyoudidn’tlike.Don’tmissoutonarelationshipanduseful
informationbecauseyoudon’tlikewhatyouhear.
Ignoringthefeedback:Youknowthosepeoplewhodon’tlistentoanypointofview
unlessitconformstotheirown?Don’tbelikethem.Feedbackcouldsignificantly
transformyourlifeifyouwouldonlylistenandrespond.
Finally, keep two other points in mind—especially if you’re trying to
createawinningproduct,relationship,orservice.
Somefeedbackisjustwrong.Isthepersongivingittoyouangry,resentful,
egotistical,orvengeful?Besurethatthepersongivingyouthefeedbackhasyourbest
interestatheart.
Isthereapattern?Ifotherpeoplearegivingyouthesamefeedback,don’tignoreit.
Giveupyourneedtoberightandlistentolegitimatefeedback.
IamhappilyadjustingmybehaviorandmovingforwardasIapplythefeedbackI
getfromothers.
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Week20
PracticeConstantandNever-EndingImprovement
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IampursuingconstantandcontinuousimprovementasIconsistentlyaskmyself,
HowcanImakethingsbetteranddothingswithgreaterlove?
Iamlearningsomethingnewandgettingmoreproficienteveryday,whichallows
metopursueevenbiggergoalsinthefuture.
Iamsteadilyachievingsmall,manageablestepsontheroadtomyloftiestgoals.
Wehaveaninnatedesiretoendlesslylearn,grow,anddevelop....Onceweyield
tothisinclinationforcontinuousandnever-endingimprovement,weleadalifeof
endlessaccomplishmentsandsatisfaction.
—CHUCKGALLOZZIAuthorofThe3Thievesand4PillarsofHappiness
fyouwanttobemoresuccessful,askyourself:HowcanImakethis
better?How can I do itmore efficiently?How can I do itmore
profitably?How can I providemore value tomore people?And,
equallyimportant:HowcanIdoitwithmorelove?
Most industries—perhaps yours—are changing at lightning speed.
Technology and information is, too. High-school seniors have never
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known a time when there were no smartphones or internet. You don’t
havetobecomeanITguru,butyoudohavetokeeppace.
It’sthesamewithyourprofessionandyourpersonalfinances.Areyou
keeping up your skills? If you’re a parent, what new ways have been
discovered for you to raise amazingkids and successfullyprepare them
for adulthood? Your only intelligent response is to commit to constant
improvement—for your career, your health, your family, and your
finances.
IampursuingconstantandcontinuousimprovementasIconsistentlyaskmyself,
HowcanImakethingsbetteranddothingswithgreaterlove?
owthatwe’veestablishedthatcontinuouslearningisoneofthe
keys to being successful, don’t limit your education to just
technologyor the field youwork in.Continuous learning can
bring personal improvement, too, like better relationships with your
spouseandkids,betterhealth,orlearninganewhobby.
Professionally,never-endingimprovementmightmeanupgradingyour
customer service program, the quality of your product, your online
marketing strategy, your sales skills, or your team-building skills. You
could also focus on improving your health and fitness, your ability to
manage money, or your interpersonal skills. You could also take
advantage of the millions of online resources that can help you attain
greaterinnerpeacethroughmeditation,yoga,andprayer.
Thepointis,keeplearning,keepgrowing,andkeepimproving.It’sgood
for your self-esteem and it’s good for your soul—whichmeans it’s also
goodforallyourrelationships,professionalandpersonal.
Iamlearningsomethingnewandgettingmoreproficienteveryday,whichallows
metopursueevenbiggergoalsinthefuture.
T oday,asyousetouttoimproveyourskills,changeyourbehavior,
orbetteryourfamilyorbusinesslife,considerstartinginsmall,
manageable increments to give you a greater chance of long-
termsuccess.Doingtoomuchtoofastcanoverwhelmyouorevenpush
you into failure. Instead, chunk it down. Startwith small steps,master
them, and then move on to bigger challenges. It will boost your self-
confidenceandrenewyourcommitmenttosucceed.Herearetwopoints
toremember:
1)Youcan’tskipsteps.Inourdrive-throughsociety,we’vecometoexpectinstantgratification—
buttobecomeamasteratsomethingwilltaketimetodevelopthedepthandbreadthof
experiencethatproducesexpertise,insight,andwisdom.
2)Applythepoweroftheslightedge.InTheSlightEdge,JeffOlsontalksaboutthecompound
effectofdoingjustalittlebitmoreoralittlebitlessofsomethingeachday—alteringyour
dailyhabitswithafewmorepush-ups,alittlelongermeditation,alittlemoresleep,oneless
glassofwine,oronelesshourofTV.Couldyouusethattimetofocusonwritingyourbook,
makingmoresalescalls,reading,exercising,doingyoga,meditating,ordeepeningyour
relationships?
Iamsteadilyachievingsmall,manageablestepsontheroadtomyloftiestgoals.
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Week21
WhatGetsMeasuredGetsImproved
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamconsistentlypostingmytargetgoalsandupdatedscoreswhereIcansee
them,whichmotivatesmetostayontrack.
Iamenthusiasticallykeepingscoreofmyprogress,positivebehaviorchanges,
financialgains,andtheotherthingsIwantmoreof.
IamkeepingmylifeinbalancebykeepingscoreofthetimeIdevotetomywork,
family,health,recreation,community,andspiritualgoals.
Ifyoucan’tmeasureit,youcan’timproveit.
—PETERDRUCKERManagementconsultant,educator,andauthor
ememberwhen youwere a first-grader and your teacher gave
you stars for projects you didwell and for getting to class on
time?Doyou remember the report cardyoubroughthome to
showyourmomanddadhowfastyouwerelearning?Youevenbrought
yourbestprojectshometoputonthefridge.
Well, nothing’s really changed since we were young—we still love to
trackoursuccessandseeprogress—exceptnowwecantrackthingslike
positive behavior, financial gains, and goals achieved. Itmay not be as
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visuallyobviousasadrawingonyourfridge,butitstillletsyouknowhow
youstandinrelationtothepastandtoyourfuturegoals.Justlikewhen
you were six years old, you still have that natural enthusiasm to keep
trackof—andimprove—yourscore.
Make a point today to keep score on things that would advance your
personalandprofessionalgoalsthemost.Postyourscoreswhereyoucan
easilyseethemtokeepyouaccountableandmotivated.
IamconsistentlypostingmytargetgoalsandupdatedscoreswhereIcansee
them,whichmotivatesmetostayontrack.
s a young child, you probably kept score of things that were
valuable to you—the number of marbles you collected, the
lengthoftimeyoucouldholdyourbreathunderwater,andthe
numberofgoalsyouscoredinsoccer.Youkepttrackofthingsyouwere
goodat,thingsyouwereproudof,andthingsyouwantedtoachievemore
of.
It’s not much different in business or your profession. You want to
developbenchmarks—andexceed them—because theyrepresentaboost
in profits and market share or an improvement in your professional
capacity. Those benchmarks are called targets or critical drivers. To
createthosetargetsandtrackyourprogress,youwillneedachecklistof
goalsyouwanttoreach.
Forexample: Ifyou’re inwealthmanagement,acriticaldrivermaybe
thepercentageofprofits youmakeonassetsundermanagement.Fora
healthspa,itmightbethenumberofupsellsyoumakepercustomer.If
you’reahandyman,itmightbethenumberofrepeatcustomersyouhave.
Be100%sureofwhatyourcriticaldriversarebecausetheyarethekeysto
keepingyoucontinuallyinspired,motivated,andempoweredtomeetor
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beatyourtargets.
Iamenthusiasticallykeepingscoreofmyprogress,positivebehaviorchanges,
financialgains,andtheotherthingsIwantmoreof.
fcourse,scorekeepingisn’tjustforbusinessoryourcareer,it’s
foryourpersonallife,too.
Ifyou’vebeenworking60hoursaweek—thenweekends,too
—you might want to look at the impact of that on your family
relationships, your health, and your time available to live a balanced,
holisticlife.Canyoukeepscoreintheseareastoensureyouimprove?Of
courseyoucan.
VinodKhosla,foundingCEOofSunMicrosystemsandlegendarySilicon
Valleyinvestor,admittedthatwhenhiskidswereyounger,hekepttrack
ofhowmanytimeshegothomeintimetohavedinnerwiththem.Simply
sayingyouwanttospendmoretimewithyourfamilyisn’tenough—you
havetomaketheefforttoactuallydoit.Keepingscorewillkeepyouon
track.
Infact,ifyouwanttobeahighachieverandbesuccessfulineveryarea,
you need to determine your goals for your personal life, family time,
spiritual journey, health, andwellness—and giving back to community,
society, and humanity. Set the goals, create a plan for reaching them,
thenkeepscoreofyourprogressinalltheseotherareas.It’sthatcritical.
IamkeepingmylifeinbalancebykeepingscoreofthetimeIdevotetomywork,
family,health,recreation,community,andspiritualgoals.
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Week22
BePersistent
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IampracticingpersistenceinpursuingmygoalseverydaybecauseIunderstand
thatit’soneoftheprimaryqualitiesofsuccessfulpeople.
Iamachievingmygoalsbyfollowingmyheart,practicingmydailydisciplines,
andstayingfocusedonmyhopesanddreams.
Iamconfidentlyseekingalternativepathsofactionwhenneeded,knowingthat
obstaclesandroadblockstomygoalscaneasilybeovercome.
Historyhasdemonstratedthatthemostnotablewinnersusuallyencountered
heartbreakingobstaclesbeforetheytriumphed.Theywonecausetheyrefusedto
becomediscouragedbytheirdefeats.
—B.C.FORBESFounderofForbesmagazine
istory is overflowing with examples of the virtues of
persistence. The most notable winners throughout the ages
would have encountered untold challenges before their
victories,yettheyrefusedtobedefeated.
Take some motivation to always practice persistence from these
successfulpeople:
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HenryFord’searlybusinessesfailedandlefthimbrokefivetimesbeforehefounded
FordMotorCompany.
WaltDisneywentbankruptafterfailingatseveralbusinesses.Hewasevenfiredfroma
newspaperforlackingimaginationandgoodideas.
LucilleBallwasregardedasafailedactressbeforeshewonfourEmmysandthe
KennedyCenterHonorsLifetimeAchievementAward.
Being persistent when you encounter obstacles and roadblocks is a
requirement for success, and an important source of growth and
prosperity.
IampracticingpersistenceinpursuingmygoalseverydaybecauseIunderstand
thatit’soneoftheprimaryqualitiesofsuccessfulpeople.
here’s a big difference between being persistent and just being
busy, and the sooner you realize it thebetter off you’ll be.You
havealreadycreatedaplan foreachofyourgoals thatoutlines
thestepsyouneed to take tobesuccessful.Sometimes,yourdedication
and persistence can get you so engrossed in day-to-day activities that
your overarching goal gets buriedbeneath all the smaller steps you are
taking. Don’t let busyness cloud your focus on the big picture—your
ultimategoal.
If you’re spending time filling the hours instead of fulfilling your
dreams,you’renotmaximizingyourpotential.Remember thatTheLaw
of Attraction rewards positive, productive energy with even more
positive,productiveenergy.Don’tputlimitsonyourpotentialtoreceive
abundance, health, opportunity, happiness, and contentment. You are
goingtoneedthosebenefits togetyouthroughanyroadblocksandany
unforeseenchallengesyoumayface.
Brian Adams, author of How to Succeed, wrote, “Difficulties are
opportunities to better things; they are stepping stones to greater
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experience....Whenonedoorcloses,anotheralwaysopens;asanatural
lawithasto,tobalance.”
Iamachievingmygoalsbyfollowingmyheart,practicingmydailydisciplines,
andstayingfocusedonmyhopesanddreams.
onsidera fewmorepeople totallydedicated tosuccess through
persistence:
AdmiralRobertPeary:PearyattemptedtoreachtheNorthPoleseventimesbefore
hefinallymadeitonhiseighthattempt.
ThomasEdison:IttookEdison1,000attemptsbeforeinventingthelightbulb.
OscarHammerstein:ThisBroadwaygeniuswrotefiveshowsthatfloppedbefore
hittingpay-dirtwithOklahoma!,whichranfor269weeksandgrossed$7million.
If you are solution oriented in your thinking, you will overcome any
obstacleinyourpath.Here’satipthatwillhelpyou:Whenyouencounter
anobstacle, findat least three solutions toyourproblem, thenevaluate
themcarefullyonebyone.Chooseapaththatoffersthebestsolutionand
persist!
Iamconfidentlyseekingalternativepathsofactionwhenneeded,knowingthat
obstaclesandroadblockstomygoalscaneasilybeovercome.
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Week23
LearnTheRuleof5
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
I’menthusiasticallyreviewingmybreakthroughgoaleverydayandcompleting
fivespecificactionsthatareswiftlymovingmetowardachievingthatgoal.
Iambeingpersistentandconsistent,practicingTheRuleof5everysingleday.
IambeingrewardedwithafeelingofaccomplishmentanddeterminationasI
workthroughmyfivedailycommitments.
Successisthesumofsmallefforts,repeateddayinanddayout.
—ROBERTCOLLIERBestsellingauthorandpublisherofTheSecretoftheAges
henMarkVictorHansenand Ipublished the firstChicken
SoupfortheSoulbook,weweresoeagerandcommittedto
makingitabestsellerthatweasked15bestsellingnonfiction
authorsfortheiradvice.Wevisitedwithabookpublishingandmarketing
guruwhogaveusevenmoregreat information.WereadJohnKremer’s
1001WaystoMarketYourBook.
Wealsosoughttheadviceofawonderfulteacher,RonScolastico,who
told us, “If you would go every day to a very large tree and take five
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swingsatitwithaverysharpax,eventually,nomatterhowlargethetree,
itwouldhave tocomedown.”Thatmadea lotof senseand it ledus to
developTheRuleof5.TheRuleof5simplymeansthateverydayyoudo
five specific things that will move you forward toward achieving your
goal. Ichallengeyoutodothesame—commit todoing five thingsevery
daythatwillbringyouclosertoachievingsuccess.
I’menthusiasticallyreviewingmybreakthroughgoaleverydayandcompleting
fivespecificactionsthatareswiftlymovingmetowardachievingthatgoal.
iththegoalofgettingChickenSoupfortheSoultothetopof
theNew York Times bestsellers list, we implemented The
Rule of 5 everyday, doing things such as giving five radio
interviewsorsendingoutfivebookstoreviewersoraskingfivenetwork
marketing companies to buy the book as a motivational tool for their
sales people or giving a seminar to at least five people and selling the
bookatthebackoftheroom.Onsomedays,wewouldsimplysendout
five free copies to people listed in the Celebrity Address Book—radio
deejays and talk show hosts, television andmovie stars, directors, and
producers.
Wemadephonecalls,wrotepressreleases,calledintotalkshows,gave
out free copies at our talks, did free talks at churches. We did book
signings at every bookstore that would have us, visited gift shops and
cardshops—weevengotgasstations,bakeries,andrestaurants tocarry
thebook.Itwasalotofeffort,butoncewechunkeddownourgoalsinto
smaller action steps and persisted every single day, it paid off
handsomely.
Youknowwhat?Aboutoneyearfromthedayitwaspublished,Chicken
Soup for the Soul finallymade it onto a bestseller list.One action at a
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time,onebookatatime,onereaderatatime,thesustainedeffortofThe
Ruleof5ledtosuccess!
Thinkyoucan’tdo it?Ofcourseyoucan—anyonecando five thingsa
dayifthey’refocusedonagoal!
Iambeingpersistentandconsistent,practicingTheRuleof5everysingleday.
ouhavetocreateyourownsuccessstoryusingTheRuleof5.No
oneelsecandetermineyourdreamsandgoalsbutyou—andyou
will never find fulfillment or contentment trying to pursue
someoneelse’sdreams.
Takealookatthelistofgoalsthatyoucreated.Whatfivethingscanyou
doeachandeverydaytomoveclosertoachievingthem?Ifyourgoalisto
getaraiseorapromotion,youcouldget inearly,dressthepart,gothe
extra mile to make your customers happy, exceed your boss’s
expectations,andsoforth.Ifyourgoalistogetoutoftheratraceandbuy
a cottage by the sea, you could reduce expenses and increase savings,
updateyourcurrenthomeinordertosellitatahigherprice,seekouta
realestateagentwhocanfindyougreatpropertydeals,andcreateways
toincreaseyourcurrentincome.
So, what are your goals—especially your breakthrough goal? Add The
Ruleof5toyourdailyroutineandIpromiseyouwillgettherefaster!
IambeingrewardedwithafeelingofaccomplishmentanddeterminationasI
workthroughmyfivedailycommitments.
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Week24
ExceedExpectationsinEverythingYouDo
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamstandingabovethecrowdbyexceedingexpectationsandoverdeliveringon
mypromises.
Iamenjoyingthepersonalsatisfactionandthefinancialrewardsfromchoosingto
gotheextramile.
Iamputtinginalittleextraeffortandprovidingalittlemoreservice,whichmakes
otherpeoplehappyandmemoresuccessful.
It’snevercrowdedalongtheextramile.
—WAYNEDYERCoauthorofHowtoGetWhatYouReally,Really,Really,ReallyWant
owmanytimeshaveyouheardsomeonesay,“That’snotinmy
job description,” or “That’s not what I’m paid to do”? How
many people do you know who watch the clock and at five
minutestofiveo’clock,theircomputerisoffandtheirkeysareinhand?
Highachieversknowthatexceedingexpectationsmakesthemstandout
from the crowd. They can be counted on when it’s crunch time, when
someoneisshort-handed,orwhenthere’saspecialprojectthatrequires
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above-averageattention.They’reknownassomeonewhoisreliable,who
willget the jobdonewell, andwhomeetsadeadline.Successfulpeople
simply do more—they exceed expectations. And the payoff is so
worthwhile—theywilleventuallyexperiencefargreaterfinancialrewards
and immediately begin to experience a personal transformation that
manifestsasincreasedself-confidenceandgreaterinfluence.Evenbetter
—theydevelopadeepfeelingofsatisfactionandfulfillmentattheendof
theday!
Iamstandingabovethecrowdbyexceedingexpectationsandoverdeliveringon
mypromises.
oucanchoosetobeaphenomenalsuccessandexcelatwhatyou
do because exceeding expectations and going the extramile is
actuallyachoice.
There’sacommonmind-settodaythatdoingmorethanyouarepaidto
doisn’tgoodfortherestoftheteam—maybemanagementwillbeginto
takeit forgranted,ormaybewhenonepersonstepsupitwillmakethe
otherslookbadbycomparison.Oneoftheprimaryproblemstodayfacing
office culture (andother cultures, too) is that people just don’twant to
workharder—it’sallaboutthem.Theybelievethatworkingalittlelonger
is unfair, that putting limits on expense accounts means they are not
trusted,andthathavingadresscodeisaninfringementontheirpersonal
styleandcreativity.Butthatkindofself-centeredindividualisticthinking
oftencreatesabacklash.Theyarenota firstchoice forpromotion, they
haven’t proved that they havemuch loyalty or integrity, nor have they
developedmuch influence,whichexcludes themfromkeyplanningand
brainstorming sessions. That “me only” thinking isn’t getting them any
browniepointsorwinningthemanyawards,either.
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Oneofyourgreatestassetsisyourreputation,andgoingtheextramile
won’t go unnoticed—by your current employer or by others who will
providenewopportunitiesforyoutogrow.
Iamenjoyingthepersonalsatisfactionandthefinancialrewardsfromchoosingto
gotheextramile.
hen you exceed expectations, you will experience great
personal and professional payoffs, but so will your
community,company,colleagues,orfamily—everyonewins
andeveryonemovesforwardtogether.
Wherecouldyouexceedexpectationsandgo theextramileoutsideof
the workplace or your business? In today’s world, it often seems that
peoplearejusttoobusytohelpaneighborwithsmallrepairsorpickup
anemptysodabottleattheparkorholdthedoorforanelderlyperson.
Longgone,too,arethedayswhenpeoplegaveuptheirseatforamother
and baby or helped someone with a cane to cross the street. These
random acts of kindness come from the heart and from your sense of
selflessness and generosity. They, too, are examples of going the extra
mile inways that brighten someone else’s day—and it doesn’t cost you
anythingtodoso.
Plus,yougetrewarded,too,sinceaNationalInstitutesofHealthstudy
showed that giving of yourself activates regions of the brain associated
with pleasure, social connection, and trust—creating a “warm glow”
effect.Scientistsalsobelievethataltruisticbehaviorreleasesendorphins
inthebrain,producingthepositivefeelingknownasthe“helper’shigh.”1
Whatcanyoudotogotheextramileforothers?Surprisethemandgive
morethantheyexpect!
Iamputtinginalittleextraeffortandprovidingalittlemoreservice,whichmakes
otherpeoplehappyandmemoresuccessful.
otherpeoplehappyandmemoresuccessful.
1AsreportedinGreaterGoodMagazine,publishedbytheUniversityofCaliforniaBerkeley.
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Week25
SurroundYourselfwithSuccessfulPeople
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamjoyfullysurroundingmyselfwithpositivepeoplewhohaveasolution-
orientedapproachtolife.
Becausewebecomelikethepeoplewespendthemosttimewith,Iamspendingmy
timewithpeoplewholiftothersupratherthanputthemdown.
Iamfeelingenergizedbeingsurroundedbypeoplewhoarehappyandcommitted
tolifelonglearning.
Youaretheaverageofthefivepeopleyouspendthemosttimewith.
—JIMROHNBusinessphilosopherandbestsellingauthor
hen I was a first-year history teacher in a Chicago high
school, I dubbed the teacher’s lounge the “Ain’t It Awful
Club.” Clouds of cigarette smoke and emotional negativity
hungconstantlyintheair.Itdidn’ttakelongbeforeIwassickandtired
ofhearingthingslike,“Thereisnowayyoucanteachthesekids;theyare
totally out of control.” A constant stream of negative judgments,
criticisms, blaming, and complaining flowed unabated throughout the
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lounge.
ButbydroppingoutoftheAin’tItAwfulClub—byneverhangingoutin
theteacher’slounge—here’showthatfirstyearturnedout:Iwasselected
bythestudentsasTeacheroftheYear,anditwasonlymyfirstyearof
teaching!Ihadinsteadjoinedagroupofdedicatedteachersintheschool
librarywho actually believed they could overcome any obstacle in their
path. I wanted to be successful, and I wanted my students to be
successful, so I chose to become a conduit for positivity and
encouragement.Youcanmakethatchoice,too.
Iamjoyfullysurroundingmyselfwithpositivepeoplewhohaveasolution-
orientedapproachtolife.
arents are forever telling their children not to associate with
certain kids because they know we become like the people we
hang outwith. If youwant to be successful, follow the average
parent’sadviceandstarthangingoutwithsuccessfulpeople.
TheotherdayIranintoafriendwhostartedtotellmehowdifficultitis
forhertomeetsuccessful,unmarriedmen.WhenIaskedherwhereshe’d
beenlooking,sherattledoffalistoflocalbarsandnightclubs.Isuggested
shechangeherapproachandstartlookingwherequalitysingleguysare
morelikelytohangout.
Soitiswithfriendsandanyoneelseyouassociatewith.
Getactiveinyourindustryassociations,attendprofessionalconferences
and lectures, sign up for a retreat, get active in your Chamber of
Commerce or with other civic groups like Toastmasters, Optimists
International, and the Rotary Club. Volunteer to serve at your church,
temple,ormosquewithotherleaders.Getontheboardofalocalcharity
you care about. When you fly, upgrade to first-class or business-class
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wheneveryoucan,anduseairlinepremierclubswhenyouhavealayover
attheairport.Therearelotsofplaceswhereyou’llfindhighachievers.Go
towheretheyareandmakesomeconnections.
Becausewebecomelikethepeoplewespendthemosttimewith,Iamspendingmy
timewithpeoplewholiftothersupratherthanputthemdown.
ymentorW. Clement Stone taughtme a valuable exercise
thatI’dlikeyoutodotoday:
Makealistofallthepeopleyouspendtimewithregularly,
likeyourfamilymembers,colleagues,gympartners,orthepeopleinyour
churchorcivicgroups.Then,putaminussign(–)nexttothepeoplewho
are negative and toxic, and put a plus sign (+) next to those who are
positiveandnurturing.
Doyouseeapatternemerging?Isyourfamilyorworkplacefulloftoxic
people?Areyourfriendsencouragingyouoraretheytriggeringalackof
self-esteem and undermining your self-confidence? Make an honest
decisionabouteachpersononyourlistbasedsolelyontheirnegativeor
positiveimpactonyourlife.
Nowcomesthehardpart.Seeallthosepeopleinthenegativecolumn?
Findawaytoremoveyourself fromtheirsphereof influenceorat least
reducetheamountoftimeyouspendaroundthem.Trytoreplacethem
withpeoplewhowouldfitintothepositivecolumn—orspendmoretime
withthepositivepeoplealreadyinyourlife.Untilyoureachthepointin
your self-development where you no longer allow people to affect you
withtheirnegativity,you’rebetteroffspendingtimealone,doingthings
likevisualizingyourdreams!
Iamfeelingenergizedbeingsurroundedbypeoplewhoarehappyandcommitted
tolifelonglearning.
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Week26
AcknowledgeYourPositivePast
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamhappilycelebratingbothmybigsuccessesandmysmallsuccesses.
IamrewardingmyselfwheneverIachieveagoal—encouragingmysubconscious
mindtocreateandattractevenmoresuccessinmylife.
Iamfeelingagreatsenseofaccomplishment,completion,andfulfillmentwith
everygoalIachieve.
Ilookbackonmylifelikeagoodday’swork;itisdoneandIamsatisfiedwithit.
—GRANDMAMOSESOneofAmerica’smostfamousfolkartists,
whoonlybeganpaintinginearnestatage78
oday,we’re going to learn to change thewaywe view our past
failures—anddiscoverthetruevalueofourpastsuccesses.
Afewchaptersbackwetalkedabouthowthebrainiswiredto
remember past events that were accompanied by strong emotions and
sensory stimuli (smell, sound, taste, sight, touch). Most of us
underestimatethenumberofsuccesseswe’vehadbecause,overtime,our
brainshavebeenconditionedtorememberourfailures.
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Mostpeoplecanmoreeasilyname10failuresthey’veexperiencedover
thepastweekthan10successesthey’veachieved.Oneofthereasonsfor
thisphenomenonisthatourstandardforlabelingsomethingafailureis
solowcomparedtothebarweholdoverourheadswhendetermininga
success.Withaffirmationsthathelpyoucelebrateeven“small”successes,
you’ll be retraining your brain to remember the times you were
competent,skillful,insightful,hard-working,andsuccessful.
Iamhappilycelebratingbothmybigsuccessesandmysmallsuccesses.
cknowledging your positive past is important because of the
effect it has on your self-esteem. Let’s say that you and I are
playingpoker—youhave10chips,andIhave200.Loseoneor
twobetsandyou’reout,whileIwouldbeabletocontinueplayingfullout
—40timeslonger,infact!
Self-esteemislikethat—themoreyouhave,themorerisksyoucantake
andthelongeryoucanstayinthegame.
If your self-esteem is high, you can actually fail at something and it
won’tdestroyyou.Youwouldsimplydustyourselfoff, andsay,Next!—
immediatelymoving forwardwith adifferent approachoronto another
opportunityaltogether.
Tohelpyourbrain focuson those timesyou’vebeensuccessful,here’s
anexerciseIfrequentlyteach:
Divideyourlifeintothreetimeperiods(suchas0–15,16–30,and31–45
years old, and so on.) Then list three successes for each time period.
Betteryet,makea listof 100ormore successesyou’veachievedduring
yourlifetime.Posttheselistswhereyoucanreadthemanytimeyourself-
esteemstartstoslipalittle.
IamrewardingmyselfwheneverIachieveagoal—encouragingmysubconscious
LIamrewardingmyselfwheneverIachieveagoal—encouragingmysubconscious
mindtocreateandattractevenmoresuccessinmylife.
et’s lookatsomeotherways toacknowledgeyourpositivepast.
Eachoneisuniquelyeffective,soIencourageyoutogiveeachof
themachancetoworkinyourlife.
Createavictorylog:Keeparunningrecordofyourdailysuccesses.Attheendofthe
dayyouwillbesurprisedatthenumberofentriesyouhave.Attheendoftheweekyou
willbestunned.Bytheendofthemonthyouwillbeecstatic!
Displayyoursuccesssymbols:Whetherit’satrophyfromLittleLeague,anaward
fromToastmasters,oraframedcopyofyourfirstindustryrecognition,keepsymbolsof
successwhereyoucanseethem.
Do“TheMirrorExercise”:Uncomfortable,yes,butitwillhelpyougiveyourselfthe
acknowledgmentyoudeserve—fromyourself.Standinfrontofamirror,lookyourselfin
theeye,addressyourselfbyname,andappreciateyourselfoutloudforallthethings
you’veaccomplishedthatday:professionalachievements,resolutionsyoukept,and
temptationsyouavoided.Doiteverynightbeforeyougotobedforatleast40days.
Iamfeelingagreatsenseofaccomplishment,completion,andfulfillmentwith
everygoalIachieve.
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Week27
KeepYourEyeonthePrize
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamkeepingmythoughtsfocusedonthestepsrequiredtoreachmygoals.
Iamgivingmyfullattentiontothiscurrentmomentinmylife.
AsIsitandquietlycontemplatemyday,Iambringingmorefocusandawareness
tomymindwitheverybreathItake.
Naturalabilityisimportant,butyoucangofarwithoutitifyouhavethefocus,
drive,desire,andpositiveattitude.
—KIRSTENSWEETLANDCanadianTriathloncompetitoratthe2016OlympicGamesinRiodeJaneiro
ave you ever noticed that successful people just seem to be
more positive? They’re focused on their goals, they’re
possibility thinkers, and they expectpositiveoutcomeswhen
theytakeaction.
You,too,cankeepyoureyeontheprize.
Thefirststepistodetermineyourmostimportantgoals—thosethatwill
amplifyyourlifeandchangewhoyouareasaperson,aswellasgoalsthat
will involveyou in excitingnewprojects andpersonal connections.The
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second step is to break those goals down into “baby steps”—individual
tasksthatwillslowlyandsteadilygetyoutoyourgoal.Onceyouknowthe
steps,youcaneliminatedistractionstofocussolelyonthosesteps.
If your goal, for instance, is to start your own small business, your
checklist of steps might include researching your industry, creating a
budget,acquiringfinancing,buildingyourpersonalsavings,researching
vendorstosupplyproducts,andfindingsubcontractorswhocanhelpyou
deliver services and market the business. Whatever your goal, list the
stepsyou’dneedtotake—ingreatdetail—soyouknowwhat to focuson
eachday.
Iamkeepingmythoughtsfocusedonthestepsrequiredtoreachmygoals.
like3x5note cards. In fact, I carrya stackof them inmypocket and
write down ideas that come tome about ways I can achievemy goals.
Theyhelpmestayfocused.
You,too,cancreatethehabitofstayingfocusedontheendgamewitha
listofdailytasksormilestonestoaccomplish.TimFerriss,authorofThe
Four-HourWorkweekandnumerousotherblockbusterbestsellers,calls
these tasks “MITs”—most important tasks. And whether you use your
smartphoneordayplanneroranapponyourdesktopcomputer,realize
that thiskindof intense focusandconstant reminderofyourgoalswill
helpyoustayfocusedonachievingthem.Mostsuccessfulpeoplewouldn’t
bewithouttheirto-dolistinsomeform.Youshouldn’teither.
Onceyouhaveaworking to-do list,nomatterhow longorhowmany
days it will take to accomplish it, you can add other daily habits that
support completion of your tasks. What are some strategies that
successfulpeopleuse?
Answeryouremailafter12noon,onceyou’veaccomplishedtheimportanttasksofthe
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day.
Dothemostdifficulttaskfirstthinginthemorning.
Getcomfortablewithhavingdifficultconversationssoyouwon’tputthemoff.
Scheduleappointmentslaterintheweekafteryou’veaccomplishedyourmostimportant
tasks.
Iamgivingmyfullattentiontothiscurrentmomentinmylife.
hatever you experience during the last 45minutes of your
dayhasthegreatesteffectonyoursleep.If it’stheevening
news, that’s whatwill be etched onto your subconscious—
war,crime,naturaldisasters,andgovernmentscandals.Instead,whynot
take that time to put thoughts into your subconscious that will help
propel you forward toward your goals? A powerful exercise called the
EveningReviewwillhelpyouinitiatenew,positivebehaviors.
Sit with your eyes closed, breathe deeply, and give yourself
oneofthefollowingdirectives:
ShowmewhereIcouldhavebeenmoreeffectivetoday.
ShowmewhereIcouldhavebeenmorelovingtoday.
ShowmewhereIcouldhavebeenmoreassertivetoday.
ShowmewhereIcouldhavebeenmorepatientorhelpfultoday.
As events come to mind, observe them but don’t be judgmental or
critical.Replaythemthewayyouwishyouwouldhavedonethemifyou
hadbeenmoreawareorintentional.
AsIsitandquietlycontemplatemyday,Iambringingmorefocusandawareness
tomymindwitheverybreathItake.
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Week28
CleanUpYourMessesandYourIncompletes
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamfindingwaystocleanupmymessesandincompletessothatIhavemoretime
tofocus
onmygoals.
IamjoyfullyattractingmoreabundanceandnewrelationshipsintomylifeasI
complete,dump,ordelegatepaperworkandclutter.
Iamcontinuallyclearingoutoldthingsinmylifetomakespaceforthenewthings
thatIwant.
Clutteredclosetsmeanaclutteredmind.
—LOUISEHAYAmericanmotivationalauthorandfounderofHayHousePublishing
ourmemorybankismadeupofwhatIcall“attentionunits.”You
canonlypayattentiontoalimitednumberofthingsatonce,and
every item on your to-do list—whether work-related or home
projects or personal and family issues—takes up a certain number of
attention units. Incompletes and messes like unfinished paperwork,
contracts that need completing, clutter, unresolved relationship issues,
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andongoinghomerenovationsconsumepreciousattentionunitsthatyou
needinordertoachieveyourgoals.Wecan’tembraceourexcitingfuture
if there are things left unfinished that nag us, annoy us, and take our
focusaway.
So why do we accept incompletions and messy environments?
Sometimes the reason is emotional or psychological. We might be
indecisiveonhowtoproceed.Sometimeswejustplainprocrastinate.But
20thingscompletedisbetterthan50thingshalf-completed,sowiththis
week’saffirmations,we’regoingtoworkondevelopingyour“completion
consciousness.”
IamfindingwaystocleanupmymessesandincompletessothatIhavemoretime
tofocusonmygoals.
here’s a simple rule about completion thatwill help you finish
what you start, it’s called “The Four D’s of Completion.” They
are:DoIt,DelegateIt,DelayIt,orDumpIt.
Assoonasyoupickupapieceofpaper,makeadecisionaboutit.Ifyou
canhandleitquickly,doitrightaway.Ifit’ssomethingsomeoneelsecan
doforyou,delegateitrightaway.Youmayhavetodelayitifitrequires
scheduling and planning. Or, if it’s something you probably will never
actuallygetaroundtodoing,regardlessofyourgoodintentions,dumpit
rightaway.Thegoalistogetitoffyourdeskassoonasyoucan.
The samegoes for yourhome.Worn-out clothes,old toys,paperwork,
overstuffed bookshelves and cluttered coffee tables, counter tops, and
garages alsouseup valuable attentionunits.And if you’re oneof those
people who support the mini-storage industry, more than likely your
storage unit is filled with things you don’t really need and can barely
rememberyouown.
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If youwantnew things to come into your life, you’re going tohave to
makeroomforthem.Evaluateandconfrontthepsychologicalorphysical
reasonsyouhaven’t let theseold,unwanted thingsgo. Incompletes like
clutterkeepabundanceatadistance—addressthem,letgoofthem,and
makeroomforyourpresentandfabulousfuture.
IamjoyfullyattractingmoreabundanceandnewrelationshipsintomylifeasI
complete,dump,ordelegatepaperworkandclutter.
owmuchdoyouneedtodo,delegate,delay,ordumpinorder
to complete the past and make room for new activity and
excitementinyourlife?Makealist—usethechecklistbelowto
inspireyourthinking—thenwritedownhowyouplantoaccomplisheach
one. Do the ones that will immediately free up the most mental or
physicalspacefirst.
Businessactivitiesthatneedcompletion
Unpaiddebtsorfinancialcommitments
Closetsstuffedwithclothesthatdon’tfit
Disorganizedtaxrecords
Junkdrawers”fullofuselessitems
Deskthat’sclutteredordisorganized
Familypicturesthatneedanalbum
Onemorething—youknowthoselittlethingsaroundthehousethatare
daily irritants? A screen door that needs repair, a tub that needs
recaulking . . .makeaplan to fix them.You couldhire ahandymanor
professional organizer to help you fix things or declutter. If you can’t
affordit,askafriend,neighbor,orafamilymembertohelp,andfreeup
somespaceformoreimportantthings—likeyourfuture!
Iamcontinuallyclearingoutoldthingsinmylifetomakespaceforthenewthings
thatIwant.
thatIwant.
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Week29
CompletethePastSoYouCanEmbracetheFuture
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamreleasingthepastandbecominglighterandhappierasIembracemyexciting
future.
Iamforgivingandlettinggoofpasthurts,andre-directingmyenergytoward
positive,goal-orientedactivities.
IamcreatingthefutureIreallywant,freeofpasthurts,withmyfullattentionon
thepresent.
Noneofuscanchangeouryesterdaysbutallofuscanchangeourtomorrows.
—GENERALCOLINPOWELLFormerSecretaryofState
hen someone has hurt you deeply—or even harmed you
physicallyoremotionally—it’shardtoletgoofthepastand
moveforwardtolivingasuccessfullife.
The Total Truth Process is a tool that will enable you to release any
negativeemotionsfromyourpast.Byexpressingallofyourtruefeelings
tothepersonwhohurtyou,youcanmovepastthehurtandreclaimthe
naturallyoptimisticpersonyouaremeanttobe.
Whenyouspeaktotheperson(youcanalsowriteaTotalTruthLetterto
sendthem,sharewiththem,orforyourselfalone),besuretoaddressthe
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negativeemotionsyou’recarryingbycompletingthesephrases:
Angerandresentment:I’mangrythatorIresentthat...
Hurt:Ifeelsadwhen...orIthurtsmewhen...
Fear:Iwasafraidthat...orIfeelscaredwhen...
Regretandremorse:I’msorrythat...
Wants:AllIeverwanted...orIdeserve...
Love,compassion,forgiveness:Iforgiveyoufor...
IamreleasingthepastandbecominglighterandhappierasIembracemyexciting
future.
e’ve talked before about the importance of positive energy
and the reciprocalenergy that flowsback toyouwhenyou
stayupbeat.Butbeingunforgiving,angry,ornegativeabout
apasthurtfollowsthesameLawofAttraction—you’llonlyattractmoreof
thesameintoyourlife.
Award-winning author Isabelle Holland said, “As long as you don’t
forgive,whoandwhateveritiswilloccupyrent-freespaceinyourhead.”
Whenyoudo forgive, itallowsyou to live in thepresentwhereyoucan
takeactionand create a successful future for yourself, your family, and
yourcompany.Here’show:
1)Acknowledgeyourangerandresentment.
2)Acknowledgethehurtandpainitcreated.
3)Acknowledgethefearsandself-doubtsitcreated.
4)Acknowledgeanypartyoumayhavehadinlettingthebehaviororeventoccurorcontinue.
5)Acknowledgewhatyouwantedanddidn’tget,thenattempttounderstandwheretheother
personwascomingfromatthetimeandtheneedshewastryingtomeetbyhisbehavior.
6)Letgoandforgivetheperson.
Iamforgivingandlettinggoofpasthurts,andre-directingmyenergytoward
positive,goal-orientedactivities.
O ver the years, I have sought—and found—thousands upon
thousandsofinspirationalstoriesfortheChickenSoupforthe
Soulbooks,andIlearnedthathumanbeingshavethepotential
toforgiveanythingoranyone,nomatterhowbrutalortragic.
About 10yearsago, I learneda techniquecalled tapping therapy that
proved tobeabreakthrough formanypeople forwhomgettingbeyond
their“past”wasexceptionallydifficultandpainful. “Tapping” isadrug-
free andnon-invasiveway to reduceor eliminatepost-traumatic stress.
Thetechniqueissopowerfulthatithasbeenusedwithgenocidevictims
inRwandaandBosnia, by a trainerof theBritishSpecialForces in the
Congo,andwith returningU.S. soldierswithPTSD.Tapping stimulates
the body’s own ability to release stored pain of any kind—including
emotional pain which the body also stores. The results are absolutely
miraculous!
InmybookTapping intoUltimateSuccess 1youcan learnhowtouse
tapping to free yourself fromstress, emotionalhurts andanxieties and,
ultimately,helpyousucceed.
IamcreatingthefutureIreallywant,freeofpasthurts,withmyfullattentionon
thepresent.
1TappingintoUltimateSuccess:HowtoOvercomeAnyObstacleandSkyrocketYourResultsbyJackCanfieldwithPamelaBruner(HayHouse,2012).
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Week30
IfIt’sNotWorking,FaceIt
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamacknowledgingwhensomethingisn’tworkingforme,andtakingactiontofix
it,nomatterhowuncomfortableorchallengingitmightbe.
IamrecognizingsituationsthatIamafraidtodealwith,boldlyfacingmyfears
anddealingwiththemanyway.
Whensomethinggoeswrong,Iamcommittedtofindingoutthereasonwhyand
takingpromptstepstofixit.
Ourlivesimproveonlywhenwetakechances—andthefirstandmostdifficultrisk
wecantakeistobehonestwithourselves.
—WALTERANDERSONAuthorofTheConfidenceCourse,formereditorof
Parademagazineandalifelongliteracyadvocatehenthingsaren’tgoingyourway,it’softendifficulttofacethem—particularlyifyou’vedevelopedyourothersuccessskillsandareaccustomedtobelievingit’spossible,goingtheextramile,andbeing
persistent.Butsometimes,thingsarejustatrainwreck.Sometimes,there’sjustnofixingthem—otherthantowrapupyourinvolvement,getthemtoastablepoint,andmoveon.Atothertimes,facingwhat’snotworkingactuallybringsaboutnewsolutionsorevenbetteroutcomesthanyou
wereworkingtoward.Butyouhavetorecognizethesesituationsinthefirstplace.Andthatcanbeverydifficult.
Back inWeek1:Take100%Responsibility forYourFuture,we talked
about internal and external alerts—those gut feelings you have or the
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suspiciouschargesonyourhouseholdcheckingaccount.Thesepatterns
andsignalshintthatsomethingisn’tright.
Don’t ignore these alerts—things will only get worse. If you are
committedtolivingatrulysuccessfullife,you’llfacefactsandbetotally
honestwithyourself.
Iamacknowledgingwhensomethingisn’tworkingforme,andtakingactiontofix
it,nomatterhowuncomfortableorchallengingitmightbe.
dmittingthatsomethingisn’tworkingusuallyrequiresthatyou
also do something about it, and often that “something” is
uncomfortable: exercising more self-discipline, verbally
confronting someone, quitting your job, or grounding your teenager.
Often, because facing these situations is so unpleasant, sometimes we
defendtoleratingtheminsteadofadmittingthattheydon’twork.
Howdoesdenialactuallyrepresentitself?Throughmythsthatwehide
behindandplatitudes that sound reasonable.Phrases suchas theseare
telltalesigns:
“She’s18.Wecan’tcontrolherforever.”
“I’mnotcomplaining,I’mjustventing.”
“CanyouaskJonathan?That’snotundermydepartment.”
“Boyswillbeboys.”
“Someonesmarterthanmeissupposedtopreventthat.”
“She’sjustdrowninghersorrows.”
“Mom’sneighborscheckonher.”
“Iknow,buthe’sprettystressedoutatworkrightnow.”
Thetruth is, ifwecouldgetpast thedenialandjust facethefacts, the
situationwould be less painful to resolve, our integritywould increase,
andwe’dfeelbetteraboutourselves.Butfirstwehavetogetpastdenial.
IamrecognizingsituationsthatIamafraidtodealwith,boldlyfacingmyfears
EIamrecognizingsituationsthatIamafraidtodealwith,boldlyfacingmyfears
anddealingwiththemanyway.
liminating denial requires that you learn to recognize bad
situationsandreactrightaway.It’salwayssurprisinghowmany
peoplefindrecognitionanddecisiondifficult.Youdon’twantto
admit that your marriage is failing because you’d have to face the
emotional stressofadivorce—especially if youhavechildren.But,once
you face facts, the ultimate solution might actually be marriage
counseling or a commitment to setting new goals and boundaries
together.Isn’titbettertoknowinsteadoflivinginfear?
Themoreyoucommittofacinguncomfortablesituations,thebetteryou
willgetat it.Andthesooneryoureact, theeasier it is tocleanupthese
situations.Taketimenowtomakealistofwhatisn’tworkinginyourlife
—focusing specifically on the seven major areas where you set goals:
financial, career or business, fun and recreation, health, relationships,
personal growth, andmaking a difference. Choose one item at a time,
decidewhatneedstobedonetofixit,thenmakeaplananddoit.Work
downyour listuntilyouget themallresolved—youwill feelanamazing
senseoffreedomasyoudo.
Whensomethinggoeswrong,Iamcommittedtofindingoutthereasonwhyand
takingpromptstepstofixit.
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Week31
TransformYourInnerCriticintoanInnerCoach
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamonlyallowingthoughtsthatservemeincreatinggreatersuccessand
happinessinmylife.
Iamjoyfullylookingforthegoodinmyselfandothers,whichmakesmefeelmore
appreciativeandoptimistic.
Iamtrainingmyinnercritictoactasasupportiveinnercoachbyfillingmy
thoughtsandself-talkwithencouragementandconfidence.
Amanisliterallywhathethinks.
—JAMESALLENAuthorofAsaManThinketh
esearchindicatesthatyoutalktoyourselfabout50,000timesa
day. That’s a lot of chatter going on in your head! But that
researchalsoindicatesthatabout80%oftheseinternallectures
arenegative:I’malways late . . .Ohgreat,anotherbadhairday . . . I
shouldn’thavesaidthat...I’llneverlosethisweight.Learningtoquiet
your inner critic and replace that negative internal dialogwith positive
self-talkwillhelpyoustayinabetter,moresuccessfulframeofmind.
After all, we know that our thoughts have a powerful effect on our
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attitude, motivation, physiology, and even our biochemistry. Since our
thoughts actually control our behavior, negative thoughts canmake us
anxious,scared,sweat,spillthings,forgetourlines,andmore.Consider
polygraphtests—yourbodyreactstoyourthoughts,whichareresponding
tothequestionsbeingasked.Yourhandsgetcolder,yourbloodpressure
rises, and other physiological responses occur. Similarly, your body
responds to positive stimuli, too—you feel relaxed, centered, and
cheerful.Reinforce that responseexperience throughpositiveself-talk—
you have thousands of opportunities every day to practice until it
becomesahabit!
Iamonlyallowingthoughtsthatservemeincreatinggreatersuccessand
happinessinmylife.
ouareinchargeofyourownthoughtsandself-talk,andyoucan
choose what to believe. Be aware of these types of negative
thinkingsoyoucanavoidthem:
Always-or-Never.Ifyouthinkthatsomethingwillalwayshappenoryou’llneverget
whatyouwant,that’sself-sabotage.Stopusingwordslikealways,neverandeverytime.
FocusingontheNegative.Choosetofocusonthepositive.
You’llbecomemoreappreciativeandoptimistic,whichwillattractmoregoodtoyou.
CatastrophicPredicting.Doyoucreatetheworstpossiblescenarioinyourmind,
whichyouacceptasacertainty?
MindReading.Unlessyou’reapsychic,youcan’treadanyoneelse’smind.Youdon’t
knowwhatanotherpersonisthinkingunlessheorshetellsyou.Don’tdoit.
Guilt-Tripping.Wordssuchasshould,must,oughtto,andhavetowillleadtoguilt,
whichisneverproductive.Guiltisanemotionalbarriertosuccess.
Labeling.Bylabelingyourselforsomeoneelsewithaderogatorytermlikejerk,idiot,
orarrogant,youcan’tseetheuniquenessofthepersonorsituation.
Personalizing.Thingshappeneverydaythataren’tdirectedatyoupersonally,sodon’t
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assignapersonalmeaningtoaneutralevent.Therearehundredsofexplanationsfor
otherpeople’sactionsotherthanwhatyournegativethoughtsconjureup.
Iamjoyfullylookingforthegoodinmyselfandothers,whichmakesmefeelmore
appreciativeandoptimistic.
hat if you could transform your inner critic into an inner
coach who supports and encourages you and gives you
confidence? With a little awareness, attention, and focus,
youcandoit.
Even though it chastisesand judgesyou,your innercriticactuallyhas
yourbestinterestsinmind—itwantsyoutobenefitfrombetterbehavior
—onlyyouhave to train it tostart tellingyou thewhole truth.Let’s say
youneed to lose20poundsandyouhaven’tbeen to thegyminseveral
months.Yourinnercriticmaybeangryatyoufornottakingbettercareof
yourself,anditmayevencallyoualazyslobfornothavingenoughself-
discipline.But itsunderlyingemotionisactually,I loveyouandIwant
youtobehealthysoyouarearoundforalongtime;Iwantyoutolook
good,havelotsofenergy,andbehappy.
Soundslikeacompletelydifferentmessage,doesn’tit?
Redirectingthejudgmentalvoiceofyourinnercritictothesupportive,
corrective voice of your inner coach takes awareness and persistence.
Once you start the process and have some experience making the
transition,theconversationwillswitchtoanon-emotionaldiscussionof
opportunitiesforimprovement,insteadofcriticism.It’slikehavingalife
coachinyourhead—forfree!
Iamtrainingmyinnercritictoactasasupportiveinnercoachbyfillingmy
thoughtsandself-talkwithencouragementandconfidence.
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Week32
DevelopNewSuccessHabits
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamdevelopingnewhabitsoffocusedactionandpersonaldisciplineand
maintaininghighlevelsofenergythatcontributesignificantlytomysuccess.
Iamconsciouslyeliminatinghabitsthatinhibitmygrowthandlimitmysuccess.
Iamsystematicallyaddingonenewbeneficialhabitatatimethatwill
dramaticallyimprovemylife.
Theindividualwhowantstoreachthetopinbusinessmustappreciatethemight
andforceofhabit.Hemustbequicktobreakthosehabitsthatcanbreakhim—and
hastentoadoptthosepracticesthatwillbecomethehabitsthathelphimachieve
thesuccesshedesires.
—J.PAULGETTYFounderofGettyOilCompanyandphilanthropist
neoftheproblemsofpeoplewithbadhabitsisthattheresults
oftheirpoorhabitsoftenaren’tconspicuousuntilmuchlaterin
life.Butwhenyouhave chronicbadhabits, like it ornot, life
willeventuallydeliver theconsequences.Negativehabitsbreednegative
consequences;positivehabitsbreedpositiveconsequences.
Successful people don’t just drift to the top—they apply focused
attention,self-discipline,andenergytogetthere.Sincehabitsdetermine
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our outcomes, successful people have to be hyper-aware of their habits
andbehaviors.
Startyourhabit-drivenpath tosuccessbyaddingonenewhabitevery
quarter;researchshowsthatifyourepeatanewbehaviorfor13weeks,it
willbeyoursforlife.Todayisthedaytostart.
Iamdevelopingnewhabitsoffocusedactionandpersonaldisciplineand
maintaininghighlevelsofenergythatcontributesignificantlytomysuccess.
obertJ.Ringer,authorofMillionDollarHabits,said,“Success
isamatterofunderstandingandreligiouslypracticingspecific,
simple habits that always lead to success.” According to
psychologists,upto90%ofourbehaviorishabitual.Thinkaboutthat—
fromwakingupinthemorning,toeatingbreakfast,todrivingtowork,to
going shopping, to cooking or eating out, to how you spend your
weekends, toall the little rituals youhavebeforegoing to sleep.Habits
arewhatkeepyougoing—theyallowyoutodomorethanonethingata
timeandtheykeepyourlifeinorder.But,somehabitsdon’tbenefityou
atallandyoumaynotevenbeawareof them—if they’redetrimental to
yoursuccess,it’stimetotakeaninventoryandreplacethemwithbetter
habitsthatmoveyouforward.
Weallhavegoodhabitsandbadhabits—buteverysingleoneofthemis
responsibleforwhereandwhoyouaretoday.Everyhabitproducessome
form of result. Because of that, it’s imperative that you become more
awareofyourhabits—especiallythenegativeonesthatcanholdyouback
fromsuccess.
Iamconsciouslyeliminatinghabitsthatinhibitmygrowthandlimitmysuccess.
T here are two steps to implementing new, beneficial habits that
willtakeyouinaforwarddirection.StepOneistomakealistof
allyourbadhabitsthatcontributenothingbeneficialtoyourlife
—and thatnegatively impact your current situationandyour future.Be
objective about your limiting habits—review the list below for common
pitfalls:
Procrastinatingorputtingoffdifficultconversations
Takingcallsduringmeetingsordinner
Workingduringvacations
Spendingbeyondyourbudget
Readingemailfirstthinginthemorning
Arrivinglateforconferencecalls
Eatingjunkfoodmorethanonceaweek
Filingtaxesorpayingbillsatthelastminute
Once you’vemade your list and identified negative habits, the second
stepistochoosemoreproductivesuccesshabitsanddevelopsystemsto
support them. If you used this strategy to implement just four new
successhabitsayear—oneeveryquarter—infiveyearsyouwouldhave20
newhabitsthatcouldbringyouwealth,health,happiness,andahostof
newopportunities.
Iamsystematicallyaddingonenewbeneficialhabitatatimethatwill
dramaticallyimprovemylife.
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Week33
99%IsaBitch,100%IsaBreeze
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamenthusiasticallygiving100%tocarryingoutmycommitmentseveryday.
Iampracticingthe“noexceptions”ruleinordertokeepmycommitmentsand
achieveallmygoals.
IamcommittedtoexcellenceineverythingIdo,whichispositivelyimpacting
everyaspectofmylife,mycareer,myresults,andmyreputation.
Ifyoumaketheunconditionalcommitmenttoreachyourmostimportantgoals,if
thestrengthofyourdecisionissufficient,youwillfindthewayandthepowerto
achieveyourgoals.
—ROBERTCONKLINCreatoroftheAdventuresinAttitudesprogramusedincompaniesworldwide
verydaypeoplewakeupandfightwiththemselvesoverwhether
ornot theywillkeep theircommitmentsandactionplans.The
victory always goes to the ones who have a “nomatter what”
attitudeandtaketheir100%commitmentseriously.
Iadmitthatstartingoutcanbeabitshakysometimes—youmightneed
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an extra push at first—but once you get moving, it gets much easier.
Dependingonwhatyouhavecommittedto,insteadofdaily(likegoingto
thegym,forinstance),youmayoptforfivetimesaweekoreveryother
day(likehavingasaladforlunch).
Somecommitmentsrequiredailypractice.Workingonyourto-do-listis
oneofthem,meditationorprayerisanother,repeatingyouraffirmations
throughout the day is a given. Today, decide to give 100% to your
commitments.
Iamenthusiasticallygiving100%tocarryingoutmycommitmentseveryday.
herearesomecommitmentsthatareentirelyuselessunlessyou
give them 100%. Think about giving less than your allwhen it
comes to quitting smoking, or texting while skiing, or
meditating, or motorcycle racing. It just can’t work, it would be
impossibletosucceed.
Moreoftenthanwerealize,wethrowobstaclesintoourownpathsthat
tripusup,delayourgrowth,andmakethingsmoredifficult—impossible
even. You drive to work with smokers, you can’t walk away from your
phone for 10 minutes, you allow the dog to distract you when you’re
meditating, or you don’tmaintain your engine or tires properly before
youhitthespeedway.Theyareallrecipesfordisaster.
And then there are roadblocks that we allow other people to place in
frontofus.Aneighborasksyoutohelpsetupanewprinterrightinthe
middleofyour family time,oryour teenagerstartsanargument justas
you’re heading towork, or a friend invites you over for lasagna just as
you’vestartedyournewdiet.Youhavetolearntosayno(maybeanother
time?)becauseanythingelsestripsyourcommitmentandspellsfailure.
No one can achieve your goals and dreams for you, and no one can
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committotheirsuccess,otherthanyou.Youaretheonewhodetermines
yourdestiny.
Iampracticingthe“noexceptions”ruleinordertokeepmycommitmentsand
achieveallmygoals.
uccessful people don’t accept exceptions. Once they make a
commitment to something, it’s non-negotiable. If youmake the
100%commitmenttoexerciseeveryday,youwilldoitnomatter
what—evenifyouhaveanearlymorningappointment,orit’sraining,or
youjustdon’tfeellikedoingit.Whenyou’recommittedtomeditateevery
day for 30 minutes, work on your to-do-list, make 10 new sales calls,
practice the piano five days aweek, orwhatever itmay be—only 100%
commitmentwilldo.
One final thing: Always honor your agreements and deliver on your
word.Self-confidence,integrity,andmotivationaretherewardsfordoing
so,all ofwhichhaveawonderful impactonyour reputation,and that’s
rewarding,too.
IamcommittedtoexcellenceineverythingIdo,whichispositivelyimpacting
everyaspectofmylife,mycareer,myresults,andmyreputation.
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Week34
LearnMoretoEarnMore
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamhappilycommittedtolifelonglearningandself-improvement.
Iamcontinuallyincreasingmyknowledge,whichsubstantiallyincreasesmy
potentialtosucceed.
IamchoosingtobeteachablesothatIcanconstantlylearnandgrow.
IfIamthroughlearning,Iamthrough.
—JOHNWOODENLegendaryUCLAbasketballcoachwhowon10NCAAchampionships
anypeopleresisttheideaofcontinuouslearning.Theythink
it means going back to college or even starting college at
mid-life. Although that’s not necessarily a bad idea, that’s
not solely what “lifelong learning” means. Information is power, and
thosewhohaveawealthofinformationhaveagreatadvantageoverthose
whodon’t.Whatare someexcellentways toacquireknowledgeandget
aheadofthegame?
Make television time learning time: The average person watches six
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hoursofTVaday—that’stheaverage.MymentorW.ClementStoneonce
askedmetoeliminateonehouroftelevisionadaytocreateanextra365
hoursper year to accomplishwhatever ismost important tome.That’s
over twomonths of additional time per year to focus onmy goals. I’m
askingyoutodothesame.
Now thatwe’ve found an extra twomonths to use for learning, we’re
going to discover ways to fill that time with educational and
informationalbenefitsthatmoveyoufastertowardyourgoals.
Iamhappilycommittedtolifelonglearningandself-improvement.
oday you’ll put into action the same learningmethods that top
achieversuse.
Leadersarereaders:Dr.JohnDemartini,oneofthewisest,brightest,andmost
successfulpeopleIknow,oncesaid,“Youcan’tputyourhandinapotofgluewithout
someofthatgluesticking.”Ifyouusedthatoneextrahouradaytostickyourheadina
book,beforelongyouwouldbeinthetop1%ofexpertsinyourfield!
Studythelivesofgreatpeople:Thereismuchtolearnfrombiographies,nomatter
whatthesubject’sskillsoraccomplishmentsare:sports,politics,spirituality,business—
theyareallfascinating.
Aweeklysystemforgettingsmart:Atwww.TheSuccessPrinciples.com/resources
youwillfindanextensivereadinglistoftimelessclassicsandotherbooksthatcontain
someofthelatestbreakthroughsinthepsychologyofachievement,neuroscience,
nutrition,andmore.Bookscanbeanexpensiveinvestment,somakeuseofyourlocal
librariesifithelps—orbuye-books,whicharelessexpensive.
Iamcontinuallyincreasingmyknowledge,whichsubstantiallyincreasesmy
potentialtosucceed.
T here are endless ways to increase your knowledge and build a
lifelonglearningprogram.Let’slookatafewmoreoptions:
Getoutandmixin:Attendsuccessrallies,conferences,andretreats.Fromnational
symposiumstolocaltalksandlectures,thereareenougheventsavailablethatyoucould
probablyattendoneeveryweekday—plusweekends!
Attendhumanpotentialtrainings:Thesearepersonaldevelopmentseminarsthat
focusonimprovingyourability,mind-set,network,andmotivationtosucceed.
Everyoneneedsoutsideinfluencestohelpthembreakoldhabitsandcreatenewwaysof
thinkingandbehaving.
Beteachable:Tolearnandgrowinlifeyouhavetobeteachable.Everysituation
presentsanopportunitytolearnandeverypersonhassomethingtheycanteachyou.
Sometimeswelackthehumilitytolearnfromorseethepotentialinothers,butwhenwe
adoptthatkindofattitude,webecomearrogantandunteachable.Youdon’tknow
everything—noonedoes.Beopentolearningnomatterwithwhomorwhereyouare.
IamchoosingtobeteachablesothatIcanconstantlylearnandgrow.
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Week35
MaintainYourPassionandEnthusiasm
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamjoyfulknowingthatI’malreadyasuccesswhenIfollowmyheartanddo
whatIlove.
IamenjoyingmyworksomuchthatIameagertogetupeverymorningandget
started.
IfeelhappyandfulfilledbecauseIamdoingwhatIwasborntodo.
Enthusiasmisoneofthemostpowerfulenginesofsuccess.Whenyoudoathing,
doitwithallyourmight.Putyourwholesoulintoit.Stampitwithyourown
personality.Beactive,beenergetic,beenthusiasticandfaithful,andyouwill
accomplishyourobject.Nothinggreatwaseverachievedwithoutenthusiasm.
—RALPHWALDOEMERSONAmericanessayistandpoet
hen you are happily doing what you love to do, you’ve
already won. When you do something with passion and
perseverance,you’realreadyasuccess.Truepassioncomes
from within; it has a spiritual quality, and it can motivate you to
accomplishincrediblefeatsofsuccess.
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I’msureyouhavemetpeoplewhoarepassionateandenthusiasticabout
whattheydo.Theyhavepurposeandtheyaretotallycommittedtotheir
work.Caringaboutwhatyoudo,followingyourheart,andtrustingyour
ownideasofwhatmakesyouhappywillfosterenthusiasmandpassionin
your life. It comes not just from enjoying your work but also in
discoveringwhatelseyouenjoy,anddoingwhatyouwereborntodo.
This week, we’ll talk about passion and enthusiasm and how you can
developit,keepitalive,andevenpassitontoothers.
IamjoyfulknowingthatI’malreadyasuccesswhenIfollowmyheartanddo
whatIlove.
evelopingpassionforthemostimportantareasofyourlifewill
make your dreams and goals not onlymore attainable but it
willalsomakethejourneyalotmoreentertaining,relaxed,and
fulfilling.
Takealookatthekeyareasofyourlife:yourwork,yourmarriage,your
friendships, leisure time, and other associations, whether they are
professional, religious, or civic. Where do you lack passion and
enthusiasm?Whatwouldyoubedoingdifferently that you thinkmight
bring you those qualities? What can you change, stop doing, or start
doing that would make your life different? People who are passionate
aboutwhattheyaredoingaredoingwhattheylove!Theyhavefounda
waytomakealivingatit.Ifyoulovewhatyoudobutyou’renotfeeling
fulfilled, take a hard look atwhat has become a roadblock for you and
dealwithit.
When do you find that you are the happiest? What are you doing,
feeling, thinking—and who are you with? Those are indicators of what
you are attracted to and what could potentially bringmore abundance
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andjoyintoyourlife—andthelivesofthosearoundyou.Isthereawayto
integrateanyofthoseelementsintootherareasofyourlife?
If you spend the time to really evaluate some of these issues and
emotions,youwillstart toseepathwaysthatwill leadyoutowhereyou
trulywanttobe.
IamenjoyingmyworksomuchthatIameagertogetupeverymorningandget
started.
o, howdo youmaintain joy andpassion in your life every day?
We talked about a few of the answers in earlier chapters:
discovering your true purpose, deciding what you really want,
believinganythingispossible,andbelievinginyourself,tonameafew.
Anotherway to succeed is to reconnectwithyouroriginalpurpose for
doingwhatever it is youaredoing.Before it got tobea run-of-the-mill
taskor justaboringnecessity,therewasareasonthatyoudidit—there
was a deeper purpose that turned those have-to-dos into want-to-dos.
Whatwasit?
Most of the time, lack of passion and enthusiasm stem from your
attitude.Youhavetotalcontroloveryourattitude—youcanbemiserable
andgrumpyaboutasituationoryoucanchoosetobepositiveandlook
forbenefitsandunexpectedopportunities.
Andhere’sabonustoconsider.Whenyoulivewithjoy,gratitude,and
enthusiasm, it’s impossible tokeep it toyourself.Youbecomeamagnet
forotherswhowillbedrawntoyourenergy—ofteninawaythatbenefits
you.
IfeelhappyandfulfilledbecauseIamdoingwhatIwasborntodo.
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Week36
StayFocusedonYourCoreGenius
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamconfidentlydelegatingthingsthatgetinthewayofmestayingfocusedonmy
coregenius.
IamenjoyingmorefreetimeandIammoreproductivewhenIdelegateminor
taskstoothers.
IamturningovercompleteresponsibilityonlessproductivetaskssoIcanworkon
thethingsthatmakemehappyandthatI’mgoodat.
Successfollowsdoingwhatyouwanttodo.Thereisnootherwaytobesuccessful.
—MALCOLMS.FORBESPublisherofForbesmagazineoyouknowwhatyourcoregeniusis?It’stheonethingthatyoulovetodoanddosowell,thatyouhardlyfeellikechargingpeopleforit.It’s
effortlessandfun—andcouldbeyourlife’sworkifyoucouldfindawaytomakeityourlivelihood.Successfulpeoplerecognizethevalueoftheircoregeniusanddoeverythingtheycanto
spendalloftheirtimedoingit—becausethat’swherethefinancialrewardsandthejoyare.
Alotofpeople(probablymost)gothroughlifedoingeverything.They
spend their timeonmenial things that theydon’t enjoydoing and that
providenofinancialreward(oranyreward,forthatmatter).Theirtimeis
consumedwithtasksthey’rebadatandthatcouldbedonebetter,faster,
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andmoreeconomicallybysomeoneelse.Theircoregeniusgetspushedto
themarginswhile they spend hours doing less important and fulfilling
tasks.
Whenyouconcentrateondoingwhatyoulovetodo,notonlywillyou
bemoreproductive,youwillfindthatlifeismuchmoreenjoyable,too.
Iamconfidentlydelegatingthingsthatgetinthewayofmestayingfocusedonmy
coregenius.
et’s get to the root of whymost people haven’t arranged their
lives to focus 100% on their core genius. Why don’t people
delegatetasks?
They’reafraidtogiveupcontrol,evenoftaskstheyhatedoing:While
someoneelsewon’tdoitexactlylikeyouwould,therearemanywaystoaccomplish
something.Differentisn’twrong,itcouldevenbebetter.
They’rereluctanttospendthemoneyforhelp:Investingyourtimewhereyou
producethegreatestresults,likeincreasedincome,likelymeansspendingasmaller
amountofmoneywithpeoplewhocanfreeupyourtime.
Theydon’twanttoletgo.Manypeoplearecontrolfreaksandhoardersof
everything.Letthelittlethingsgo;theydon’tcontributetoyouroverallsuccessand
happiness.
They’vemadeahabitofdoingit:Youwanttocreategoodhabitstoreplaceyour
poorhabits,remember?Doingsomethingoutofroutineisunproductiveandcan
becomeaprettysignificantobstacletoreachingyourgoals.Thosearedestructivehabits
andit’stimetoquit.
IamenjoyingmorefreetimeandIammoreproductivewhenIdelegateminor
taskstoothers.
L et’s say you’vewritten your first book and you’re now eager to
beginaddingotheractivities toyourauthoringcareer:speaking
engagements,writinganewspapercolumn,doingcoaching,and
developing a training program for corporations. You need to cold-call
eventplanners,findcoachingclients,writeandfilmtrainingmodulesfor
corporations, and so on—but on top of all that, you’re still running a
small business and have a husband and two small children who need
yourattention.So, insteadofspendingyour timebookingspeechesand
writing corporatematerials, you’re lucky to get anything done.But you
couldbe closing twoor three speechesaweek if you focusedyour time
andattentiononwhatyou’rebestatandwhatyou love todo themost.
Looking at the big picture, wouldn’t it be worth hiring a part-time
mother’shelperoradditionalpersonatyourbusiness—ordoingwhatever
ittakes—soyoucanfocusonyournewcareer?
Take a look at your life—bothprofessional andpersonal—and identify
these three things: (1)What you enjoydoingmost, (2)What you enjoy
doing least, and (3) How you can move those less meaningful and
unproductivetasksoffyourplateanddelegatethemtosomeoneelse.The
goalistodomoreof#1:Whatyouenjoydoingmost.
IamturningovercompleteresponsibilityonlessproductivetaskssoIcanworkon
thethingsthatmakemehappyandthatI’mgoodat.
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Week37
ReassessYourTimeCommitments
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamcreatingsuperiorresultsbymaintainingbalancebetweentimespentatwork,
timewithmyfamily,andtimejustforme.
IhighlyvaluemyFreeDaysandFocusDays,usingmyBufferDaystoplan,
prepare,buildnewskills,anddelegatenonessentialtaskstoothers.
IamjoyfullystructuringmytimetogetthemostoutofmyFocusDayswith
abundanttimetopursuemypersonalinterests.
Theworldisenteringanewtime-zoneandoneofthemostdifficultadjustments
peoplemustmakeisintheirfundamentalconceptsandbeliefsaboutthe
managementoftime.
—DANSULLIVANFounderandpresident,TheStrategicCoach
his Principle, which is based on the work of Dan Sullivan,
president of The Strategic Coach, will help you approach time
management and scheduling differently. First, let’s look into
“vacationtime.”
AccordingtoastudybytheU.S.TravelAssociation’sProjectTimeOff,
54% of employees ended 2016 with unused time off. Not good—and
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here’s why: If you don’t take your time off, you aremore likely to get
burnedout,getsick,andhaveyourrelationshipssuffer.Theproblemis
notjustunusedvacationdays;peoplearealsoreluctanttotakeanydays
forthemselves—evenifit’sontheirscheduleddayoff.Everyoneneedsa
complete Free Day now and then—free of business-related meetings,
reading,phonecalls,andemails—becausethosedaysallowyoutoreturn
to work refreshed, more creative, and more enthusiastic. And that
benefitsyou,yourfamily,yourcolleagues,yourclients,andeveryoneelse
youinteractwith.
Iamcreatingsuperiorresultsbymaintainingbalancebetweentimespentatwork,
timewithmyfamily,andtimejustforme.
f you reallywant tomake themost of your time and talents, you
needtolookathowyouusethem.Mysecondrecommendationisto
schedule Buffer Days.1 In a five-day workweek, you need to
scheduleadayor two fordoing things thatprepareyou for yourFocus
Days—days where you focus on using your core genius to produce
bottom-lineresults.
Buffer Days are set aside for doing things like traveling, training,
scheduling, attendingmeetings—any task or activity that will free your
timeandhelpyoumakeyourFocusDaysasproductiveaspossible.For
me,aBufferDaymightincludeoutlininganewspeech,takingaseminar
to improve my training skills, planning how to maximize sales of our
booksandaudioprogramsatmynext training, conducting research,or
any number of projects that supportme inworking onmy core genius
duringmyFocusDays.
WhataresomeoftheprojectsthatwouldfallintoyourBufferDays?The
keyistodothingsthatwillfreeupyourFreeDaysandyourFocusDays
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soyoucanusethemforwhattheywereintended—producingyourmost
importantbottom-lineresults.
IhighlyvaluemyFreeDaysandFocusDays,usingmyBufferDaystoplan,
prepare,buildnewskills,anddelegatenonessentialtaskstoothers.
ow, let’s take a look at FocusDays—where you focus at least
80% of your time on your core genius. These should be
incrediblyexcitingdays,onesyoulooktowithanticipationand
passion. These are yourmoney days when you get to practice the skill
thatyouarebestat—theoneyoulove,theoneyouwereborntodo.
ThekeytogettingmoreFocusDaysandFreeDaysistoschedulethem.
..inink.First,let’sdoashortbuthelpfulexerciseforclarification:1)List
the threebestFocusDaysyou’ve everhad.2)Writedown the common
elements. 3) Plan more perfect Focus Days—you now have excellent
insightastowhatmadethemsogreat.(YoushoulddothiswithyourFree
Daysalso.)
Thekeytoallofthisistobemoreintentionalinthewayyoustructure
yourtime.Starttodayandtakecontrolofyourtimeandyourlifesoyou
maximize your results and income—make every minute of your days
count. Only you have the information you need to succeed—your goals
and dreams, your natural talent, your self-confidence, and your belief
thatyoucanaccomplishanythingthatyousetyourmindtodo.
Onefinalsuggestion:Beginbyschedulingfourvacationsover thenext
year—fromafewlongweekendstoyourdreamvacation.Itwon’thappen
unlessyousitdownandmakeaplan!
IamjoyfullystructuringmytimetogetthemostoutofmyFocusDayswith
abundanttimetopursuemypersonalinterests.
1FreeDays,FocusDays,andBufferDaysareregisteredtrademarksofTheStrategicCoach,Inc.
Allrightsreserved.IamgratefultoDanSullivanforhisEntrepreneurialTimeSystemthatteachestheseconcepts.FormoreinformationonTheStrategicCoachProgram,gotowww.thestrategiccoach.com.
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Week38
Say“No”toDistractions
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamconsciouslyeliminatingfrommylifethosethingsthatstealmytime—Iam
sayingnowithoutexcusesandapologiesanditfeelsgreat!
IamlearningtograciouslysaynotopeopleandsetpoliciesaboutwhatIdon’tdo
sothatothersunderstandandsupportmyboundaries.
Iamconfidentlysayingnowithoutguilttothingsthatconsumemytimeand
energysothatI’mreadytotakeadvantageofthegreatthingswaitingformeto
acceptthem.
Youdon’thavetoletyourselfbeterrorizedbyotherpeople’sexpectationsofyou.
—SUEPATTONTHOELEAuthorofTheCouragetoBeYourself
eliveinahighlycompetitiveandoverstimulatedworld—you
can be reached 24/7 by cell phone, text, email, and social
media—ataclient’soffice,inyourcar,onthegolfcourse,in
therestroom(andeveninchurchorthemoviesifyouforgettoturnyour
ringer off). What’s more, call-waiting beeps during important
conversations,breakingyourchainofthoughtinaninstant.
With all thedistractions and encroachments onour time,why is it so
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hardtosayno?Weletlessimportantthingsbreakintoourschedulesand
infringeuponourday,theninstantlyregretit.
Whycan’twejustsayno?
Sayingnowithoutambiguityisoneofthehallmarksofsuccessfulpeople
whoareincontroloftheirdayandtheirfuture.It’snoteasy—infact,we
seem tobewired toaccept every request even though it comesat great
cost to ourselves andour families.Today, let’s focuson the affirmation
belowandprepareforchange.
Iamconsciouslyeliminatingfrommylifethosethingsthatstealmytime—Iam
sayingnowithoutexcusesandapologiesanditfeelsgreat!
oyousometimesfeelthateveryonewantsapieceofyou?Your
boss needs last-minute help with a presentation, your kids
wantaridetoafriend’sfordinner,yourparentsneedhelpat
theirhouseorwithsomepaperwork,yoursisterwantstotalkabouther
husband, and your coworkers want your help with a project that isn’t
evenpartofyourjobduties.Ontopofthat,localcharitieswantdonations
andyourpetswanttobewalked,groomed,andpettednonstop.
Tobesuccessful,youaregoingtohavetogetgoodatsayingnotoallthe
peopleand“opportunities”thatcoulddevouryou.Andyou’vegottosay
nowithout feeling guilty. “No” is not only a complete sentence, it’s an
acceptable response. In fact, everyone should have a mental list of
automatic declines—things they won’t do under any circumstances. Do
you?
IamlearningtograciouslysaynotopeopleandsetpoliciesaboutwhatIdon’tdo
sothatothersunderstandandsupportmyboundaries.
H ere are some tips for saying no without feeling guilty or
fabricatinganexcuse:
“It’snotagainstyou,it’sforme”:Oftenwegetsobusyshowingupforotherpeople
thatthere’sno“metime”leftinourweek.Butwhenyoureplytorequestswith,“It’snot
againstyou,it’sforme,”youcommandrespectforstandingupforyourownprinciples.
Saynotothegoodsoyoucansayyestothegreat:It’seasytogetcaughtupin
situationsandopportunitiesthataremerelygoodwhilegreatopportunitieseventually
disappearsimplybecausethere’snotimeinyourschedule.
Stopmajoringintheminors:Imaginehowquicklyyoucouldreachyourgoalsifyou
quitwastingtimeonminortasksandinsteadfocusedsolelyonthingsthatimproveyour
lifeinthelongrun.
Establish new policies for saying no and develop the confidence to
communicate this to your boss, coworkers, family, and friends, so you
don’t use all your available time for other people’s dreams, goals, and
priorities.
Iamconfidentlysayingnowithoutguilttothingsthatconsumemytimeand
energysothatI’mreadytotakeadvantageofthegreatthingswaitingformeto
acceptthem.
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Week39
BeaLeaderWorthyofFollowers
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamcommunicatingmyvisionclearlyandpassionatelytoothersandtheyare
trustingmyleadership.
IfeelcourageousandinspiredasIapplytheprinciplesofbeingagreatleader.
IamexperiencingmyconfidencecontinuallygrowingasIcoachotherstosuccess.
Themostdangerousleadershipmythisthatleadersareborn—thatthereisa
geneticfactortoleadership.That’snonsense;infact,theoppositeistrue.Leaders
aremaderatherthanborn.
—WARRENBENNISFoundingchairmanattheLeadershipInstituteat
theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia
uccess usually requires the help of others; therefore, most
successful people are exceptional leaders who can effectively
motivateothers.Theyalsohavecommontraits:
Theyhaveaclearandwell-definedvisionofthegoalsandfuturethey’repursuingand
theycommunicatethatvisiontoothersinwaysthatarecompellingandexciting.
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Theyaremastersatmotivatingpeopletojointheirteamandcommit100%.
Theyareexcellentcoaches;theycanquicklyspotpotentialinothersandspurthemtogo
theextramile.
Theyacknowledgethepositivecontributionofothers.
Theyholdthepeopletheyleadaccountable,butmoreimportant,theyholdthemselves
accountable.
Theyinspiretheirpeopletogrowasleaders,too.
Iamcommunicatingmyvisionclearlyandpassionatelytoothersandtheyare
trustingmyleadership.
nowinghowtobeasuccessfulleaderwillbenefityounomatter
wherelifetakesyou.Fewofusaredestinedtobecomeleaders
onthelevelofNelsonMandelaorMotherTeresa,butwecanall
learn leadership skills that have a positive impact in our sphere of
influence.How?
1)Knowyourownstrengthsandweaknesses:Greatleadersunderstandthemselvesas
wellasothers.They’rerealisticabouttheirownskillsandcapabilities,andtheykeeptheir
emotionsincheckduringperiodsofintensepressureorrapidchange,whichcreatesasense
ofsafetyforothers.Admitthatyoudon’tknoweverything,bewillingtobewrong,and
alwayslistentofeedback.
2)Holdyourselfaccountableaswellasothers:Take100%responsibilityforyouractions
andresults.That’showyoubegintobuildtrust—bybeingreliable,punctual,andkeeping
youragreements.Youalsohavetobecourageousenoughtoholdothersaccountablefortheir
actionsandresults.
3)Inspireotherswithyourclearandcompellingvision:Yourfollowersmustbeableto
seeasuccessfulfutureforthemselves;theywanttobesmarter,better,stronger,more
confident,andmorecompetent.
IfeelcourageousandinspiredasIapplytheprinciplesofbeingagreatleader.
owelsecanyourecognizealeaderworthfollowing?Hereare
threemorequalitiesyoushouldworkhardtoestablishinyour
heartandmind:
1)Listenforpossibility:Peoplewanttofeelthatyouhearthem—thattheirinsightsand
opinionsmatter.Greatleaderslisten,notonlytotheirteam’sideasandconcepts,butthey
alsoshifttheirownfocusfromlisteningfornegativecommentstolisteningforwhatis
possible.
2)Coachothersforaleadershiprole:Youcan’tdoeverythingyourself.Butyoucancoach
otherstodeveloptheirownsolutionsandproblem-solvingabilities.Whenyoudevelopother
peopleasleaders,youfreeupyourowntimeandfocusforaccomplishingyourvision.
3)Maintainanattitudeofgratitude:Theeasiestwaytobuildtrust,enthusiasm,and
commitmentisbypracticinggratitudeandacknowledgingothers.Experiencingandshowing
gratitudeandappreciationimprovesyourmood,makesyoufeellighter,andhelpsyoufeel
lessstress.
Becoming a leader worth following will transform your future by
attracting other optimistic people into your world who can help you
achieveyourgoalsfaster.
IamexperiencingmyconfidencecontinuallygrowingasIcoachotherstosuccess.
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Week40
CreateaNetworkofMentors,Contacts,andCoaches
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamthrilledtobelearningandgrowingunderthewingsofmentorswhoguideme
towardsuccess.
Ilookforwardtonetworkingandbuildingstrongrelationships—that’showsome
ofthemostexcitingandunexpectedthingshappen.
Withtheexpertguidanceofmycoach,Iamjoyfullyleapingforwardineveryarea
ofmylife.
Studyanyonewho’sgreat,andyou’llfindthattheyapprenticedtoamasteror
severalmasters.Therefore,ifyouwanttoachievegreatness,renown,and
superlativesuccess,youmustapprenticetoamaster.
—ROBERTALLENCoauthorofTheOneMinuteMillionaire
ost people seek advice from their friends, spouse, or
coworkers on issues they are facing. But unless you want
recommendations on amovie, that’s probably not the best
groupofpeopletoaskforadvice.
Wehavediscussedhowsuccessleavescluesoftenintheformofpeople
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whohavewisdomandexperiencetheycansharewithyou.Isn’titsmarter
toseekoutoneofthesepeoplewho’vealreadybeendowntheroadyou’re
traveling?Makealistofthepeopleyou’dliketohavementoryou—then
askthem.
Manypeoplehavereachedthepinnacleoftheircareersandarehappyto
impartwhatthey’velearnedasawayto“giveback”totheirindustryand
theworld.Makeacommitmenttoidentifythreepeopleyoucouldaskto
mentoryou,thencontactthemwithaspecificrequestofanhouramonth
oranhouraquarterora15-minutecalleveryfewweeks.
Iamthrilledtobelearningandgrowingunderthewingsofmentorswhoguideme
towardsuccess.
dam Small, founder of Nashville Emerging Leaders said,
“Networkingisthesinglemostpowerfultactictoaccelerateand
sustain success for any individual or organization!” Business
andcareersarebuiltonrelationships;networkingprovidesaplatformto
cultivaterelationships.Plus,italsohelpswith:
Generatingreferralsandincreasedbusiness:Networkinggivesyouhigh-quality
referralsthatareoftenprequalified.
Expandingopportunities:Networkingwithotherpeopleinyourindustry—orfellow
businessowners—providesopportunitiesforjointventures,partnerships,salesleads,
andmore.
Creatingconnections:Remembertheoldadage“it’snotwhatyouknow,it’swhoyou
know”?Well,it’strue,butit’salsohowwellyouknowsomeonethatcounts.
Obtainingusefuladvice:Networkinggivesyouuniqueopportunitiestobenefitfrom
adviceandexpertiseonbusinessissuesandevenpersonalmatters.
Use today’s affirmation to focus on expanding your professional and
personalnetwork.
Ilookforwardtonetworkingandbuildingstrongrelationships—that’showsome
Wofthemostexcitingandunexpectedthingshappen.
ouldyouexpectanathletetomakeittotheOlympicGames
without a coach?Or anNFL team to show up for a game
withoutanentirecadreofcoaches?
Well,coachingisn’tjustforsports.Businessandpersonalcoacheshave
been the “secret weapon” behind countless thousands of successful
people—andhundredsoftheworld’stopcompanies.
Agoodcoachwillhelpyouclarifyyourvision,stayinyourcoregenius,
confront bad habits and destructive patterns of behavior, help you
overcome roadblocks, push you to do your best, and show you how to
worklessandearnmore.
Ihaveexperiencedgreatsuccessthroughbeingcoached,andIhavealso
been fantastically successful in coaching others. You can access
information and read success stories online for the Canfield Coaching1
program, which I developed to help people more easily implement
successprinciplesintheirlife.
Withtheexpertguidanceofmycoach,Iamjoyfullyleapingforwardineveryarea
ofmylife.
1VisittheCanfieldCoachingwebsiteatwww.canfieldcoaching.com.
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Week41
UsethePoweroftheMasterMind
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamexperiencingthewonderfulpowerthatcomestousfromeachotherandfrom
above.
Ibelievethatotherswhosharemydesiretobeapositiveinfluencewillbe
attractedtomeandexchangeknowledgeandresources.
Iamjoyfullyconnectingwithmyaccountabilitypartnerwhosupportsmeand
ensuresthatIachievemygoalsandriseabovesetbacks.
Whentwoormorepeople...worktowardadefiniteobjectiveorpurpose,they
placethemselvesinposition,throughthealliance,toabsorbpowerdirectlyfrom
thegreatstorehouseofInfiniteIntelligence.
—NAPOLEONHILLAuthorofThinkandGrowRich
asterminding is a formidable tool and one of the most
powerful strategies used throughout history by successful
people.Whenhighachieversareaskedabout theone thing
thatcontributedthemosttotheirbecomingamillionaire,participationin
amastermindgroupistheirprimaryanswer.
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The foundational philosophy of masterminding is that more can be
achieved in less time when people work together—focusing energy,
resources, knowledge, and insights on creating solutions and
opportunitiesforoneanother—eveniftheyaren’t inthesameindustry,
lifecircumstances,oreventhesametown.NapoleonHill,authorofthe
1937 classicThink andGrowRich, wrote that if, as a group,we are in
tune with the Master Mind—that is, God, Source, Infinite Intelligence,
UniversalPower,orwhatever termyouuse for theall-powerfulcreative
life-force—we then have significantly more positive energy and power
availabletous,apowerthatcanbefocusedonoursuccess.
Iamexperiencingthewonderfulpowerthat
comestousfromeachotherandfromabove.
neofthebest-knownmastermindgroupsincludedHenryFord,
ThomasEdison,andHarveyFirestone,whometattheirwinter
homesinFortMeyers,Florida.Canyouimaginetheimmense
powerintheroomwhentheyweretogether?
The ideal sizeof amastermindgroup is fiveor sixpeoplewho should
meettogetheronceaweek,biweeklyoratminimum,oncepermonth.It’s
preferabletomeetinpersonandexperiencetheenergyofbeingtogether,
butitcanalsobedoneeffectivelythroughSkype,FaceTime,oranyone
ofmany video communications programs. The group can (and should)
consistofpeoplefromdiversebackgroundsandindustriesinordertoget
themostoutoftheexchangeofideas,thoughts,solutions,contacts,and
otherresources.By formingor joiningsuchagroup,you’llbenefit from
the variety of unique perspectives and knowledge in the room, all of
whichcanenhanceyourviewoftheworld,advanceyourowngoals,and
createnewopportunitiesmorequicklyandeffectively.
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Your ideal mastermind group should be made up of people who are
already where you’d like to be in life or at least a level above you
financially. Never talk yourself downwhen asking—self-confidence and
positiveenergywillmakeyousomeonethatotherswanttoassociatewith.
Ibelievethatotherswhosharemydesiretobeapositiveinfluencewillbe
attractedtomeandexchangeknowledgeandresources.
f you can’t form a group right now, one alternative is to find an
accountabilitypartner—someonewho’senthusiasticandsupportive
of your goals andwithwhomyou can shareprogress or setbacks.
Bothofyouagreetoaplanthatsetsgoalsandtargetsthateachofyouare
workingtowardachieving.Youmeetregularlyinpersonorbytelephone
and hold one another accountable for making progress—meeting
deadlines,accomplishinggoals,andmore.
Havinganaccountabilitypartnerencouragesyou to follow throughon
your plans—having to report to someone else provides a boost in
motivationforgettingthingsdone.Ifyouhaveasmallbusinessorwork
from home—let’s say you have a two-person CPA agency, or you are a
freelance writer who works solely from home, or a sales person who
rarelygoestoan“office”—havinganaccountabilitypartnerisanexcellent
idea. Knowing that you have to report on your productivity tomorrow
makesyouworkharderandsmartertoday.
Here’s another great reason for having an accountability partner: you
have a sounding board—someone to listen to your new pitch, give you
feedbackonyournewidea,shareinformation,contacts,andresources.
Iamjoyfullyconnectingwithmyaccountabilitypartnerwhosupportsmeand
ensuresthat
Iachievemygoalsandriseabovesetbacks.
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Week42
ListentoYourGutInstincts
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamcommittedtobeingsuper-successful—Ihavedevelopedmyintuitionand
learnedtotrustmyinstinctsandfollowmyinnerguidance.
AsImeditateandbecomemorespirituallyattuned,Iamconnectingwithmy
higherselfthroughwords,images,andsensations.
IhavealltheresourcesIneedinmyownmind;
Iamtappingintomyintuitionandachievingagreaterlevelofsuccess.
Brainresearchersestimatethatyourunconsciousdatabaseoutweighsthe
consciousonanorderexceedingtenmilliontoone.Thisdatabaseisthesourceof
yourhidden,naturalgenius.Inotherwords,apartofyouismuchsmarterthan
youare.Thewisepeopleregularlyconsultthatsmarterpart.
—MICHAELJ.GELBAuthorofHowtoThinkLikeLeonardodaVinci
arlyeducationandtrainingtaughtustolookforanswersoutside
ourselves, yetmanyof themost successfulpeople in theworld
practice some type of daily meditation to access the vast
resources and wisdom inside themselves. Most of them have actually
learnedtodeveloptheir intuition, followtheir innerguidance,andtrust
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theirgutinstincts.Byusingyourintuition,youcanmakebetterdecisions,
bequickeratproblemsolving,accessyourcreativegenius,discernhidden
motivesinothers,createwinningstrategies,visualizenewopportunities,
andmakemoremoney.
With today’saffirmation,we’llbegin focusingonconnectingwithyour
coreself—lookinginsideinsteadofoutsideforanswerstoyourquestions.
Iamcommittedtobeingsuper-successful—Ihavedevelopedmyintuitionand
learnedtotrustmyinstinctsandfollowmyinnerguidance.
aveyoueverbeenthinkingaboutsomeoneyouhaven’tspoken
to inawhileandoutof theblue, theycall?Ormaybeyou’ve
hadan ideaabouthowtomove forwardonagoalorproject
you’re involved with—and the necessary resources magically show up?
Thatwasyourintuitionatwork,andyoucanlearntotapintoitatwillto
achievegreatersuccess.
Toconnectwithyournaturalintuitionanduntappedwisdom,allowing
it to speak toyou,youneed togetquiet.Somuchofourday isabusy,
harried, noise-filled existence.Meditation, on the other hand, removes
distractionsanddeepensourintuitionsowecanbetterrecognizesubtle
impulses,thesoundofourhigherself,orthevoiceofGodspeakingtous.
Duringyourmeditationtime,askitquestionslike:
ShouldItakethisjob?
Isthereanotherwaytoapproachthishealthcondition?
WhatshouldIdonext?
Whenyougetananswer,a feeling,oran ideaoutof theblue,write it
down so you don’t lose the information. Take immediate action on the
ideasyouget.
AsImeditateandbecomemorespirituallyattuned,Iamconnectingwithmy
TAsImeditateandbecomemorespirituallyattuned,Iamconnectingwithmy
higherselfthroughwords,images,andsensations.
rusting yourself is another formof trusting your intuition. The
more trust you have, themore success youwill have, too. You
don’t get credit forwhat stays in yourmind, you get credit for
whatyouwritedownandactuallydo.
Successfulpeoplenotonlyinquirewithinandtrusttheirintuition,they
live inastateofmindfulness.Mind-setmatters—a lot.Mindfulness isa
state of active, open, nonjudgmental attention on the present. Even
thoughyou focusa lotof timeonyour futuregoalsandhow toachieve
them, it is imperative that you stay grounded in the present—that you
takeactionandmaintainagrowth-orientedmind-set.
Developing mindfulness, trusting your intuition, meditating, and
learning to recognize answers, and inquiring within, will help you stay
focusedondoingthethingsthatwillgetyouwhereyouwanttogo.Inthe
meantime, remember that life isadance,andmindfulness is taking the
timetowitnessandenjoythatdance.Slowingdownandbeingmindfulin
thepresent,willactuallyhelpyoubuildamoresuccessfulfuturefaster.
IhavealltheresourcesIneedinmyownmind;Iamtappingintomyintuitionand
achievingagreaterlevelofsuccess.
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Week43
ListentoLearn
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamenjoyingadeepersenseoffulfillmentwhenactivelylisteningtosomeone,
whothenfeelsfulfilledasaresultofbeingtrulyheard.
Iampracticingtheartofarguinglessandlisteningmore.
Iamlearningtobecaringandpatientwhileactivelylisteningtoothersexpress
theirfeelings.
Theartofeffectivelisteningisessentialtoclearcommunication,andclear
communicationisnecessarytomanagementsuccess.
—JAMESCASH“J.C.”PENNEYFoundedtheJ.C.Penneystoresin1902
istening is something that goes beyond the hearing process—it
requiresconcentrationandattentionforyoutoprocessmeaning
fromwords.According toToastmasters International, thereare
fourbasiclevelsofhearingandlistening:
1)Non-listenersarepreoccupiedwiththeirownthoughts;theyhearwordsbuttheydon’t
listentowhatisbeingsaid.
2)Passivelistenershearthewordsbutdon’tfullyabsorborunderstandthem.
3)Listenerspayattentiontothespeakerbutgrasponlysomeofthemessage.
4)Activelistenersarecompletelyfocusedonthespeakerandhisbodylanguage.They
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understandthemeaningofthewordsandthe“messagebehindthewords.”
When you actively listen, you allow new ideas, opportunities, and
solutionstofilterintoyourawareness.
Iamenjoyingadeepersenseoffulfillmentwhenactivelylisteningtosomeone,
whothenfeelsfulfilledasaresultofbeingtrulyheard.
ithoutmastering the art of active listening,notonlywill it
takeyoulongertobesuccessful,butyouwill imposelimits
onyourabilitytogrow,learn,andearntherespectofothers.
There are two requirements to being a good listener. The first one is
arguelessandlistenmore.Haveyoueverhadtoredosomethingbecause
that’snotwhatwaswanted?Notdeliveringcanbecostly ifpayment is
contingentonprovidingaproductthatyourcustomerwantsandwillpay
for.Ifyouareasalariedemployee,havingtoredoprojectscanbecostly
forthecompanyandworse—itcouldcostyouyourjob.Listenandrepeat
the request toverify that you’re inagreementandyouwill eliminateor
greatlyreducethosesituations.
The second requirement is to be interested rather than interesting.
Somepeopleseemtothinkthatalwayspresentingthemselvesinthebest
light, getting your story out first, self-promoting, and flaunting your
expertise and intelligence with words and comments is the way to
successful relationshipswith others. But the road to success is actually
pavedwithhumility—thatis,focusingonothersratherthanonyourself.
Iampracticingtheartofarguinglessandlisteningmore.
H ere’sagreattechniquethatIlearnedfromDanSullivaninhis
Strategic Coach Program1 that will help you establish rapid
rapportwithanotherperson.Askthem:
1)Ifweweremeetingthreeyearsfromtoday,whathastohavehappenedduringthatperiod
foryoutofeelhappyaboutyourprogress?
2)Whatarethebiggestdangersyou’llhavetofaceanddealwithinordertoachievethat
progress?
3)Whatarethebiggestopportunitiesyou’dhavetofocusonandcapturetoachievethose
things?
4)Whatstrengthswillyouneedtoreinforceandmaximizeandwhatskillsandresourceswill
youneedtodevelopthatyoudon’tcurrentlyhaveinordertocapturethoseopportunities?
Asking those questions—and letting the other person talk without
interruption—will enable him or her to go through a process of
clarificationandfeelreallyheardbyyou.
Iamlearningtobecaringandpatientwhileactivelylisteningtoothersexpress
theirfeelings.
1LearnmoreaboutDanSullivanandTheStrategicCoachprogrambyvisitingwww.StrategicCoach.com.
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Week44
HaveaHeartTalk
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamcreatingadeeperlevelofconnectionandintimacybyfreelyexpressingmy
truefeelings.
AsIparticipateinaHeartTalk,Iamexperiencingadeeperleveloflisteninganda
releaseofunexpressedemotions.
IamfeelingfreeandoptimisticasIwillinglyletgoofanyresentmentsandold
issuesduringaHeartTalk.
MostcommunicationresemblesaPing-Ponggameinwhichpeoplearemerely
preparingtoslamtheirnextpointacross.
—CLIFFDURFEECreatoroftheHeartTalkprocess
ne ofmy favorite stories is aboutNan-in, a Japanesemaster
during theMeiji era,whoonedaywelcomedaprofessorwho
came to inquire aboutZen.Nan-in served tea.Hepouredhis
visitor’s cup full, then kept on pouring. The professor watched the
overflow until he could no longer restrain himself from saying, “It’s
overfull.Nomorewillgoin!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full. How can I show you Zen
unlessyoufirstemptyyourcup?”
Infartoomanyhomes,businesses,schools,andothersettings,thereis
noopportunityforpeopletoexpresstheirfeelings—theirhopes,dreams,
pains,andfears.Asaresult,theybecomefilledbeyondcapacityuntilthey
areoverflowingwiththeirownpriorities,problems,andworries.
Peoplecan’t listenwhen theyareburstingat the seams.Theyneedan
outlet to release their emotions before they can take in anything else.
They need to open up and getwhat’s bothering themoff their chest in
ordertocreatespacetolistenandprocesswhatyouhavetosay.You,and
they,needaHeartTalk.
Iamcreatingadeeperlevelofconnectionandintimacybyfreelyexpressingmy
truefeelings.
AHeartTalkisaprocesswhereeightagreementsarestrictlyadheredto
among 2 to 10 people—a larger group diminishes trust and can take a
longtimetocomplete.AHeartTalksupportsconstructivediscussionof
feelingsandissuesthatlimitcreativity,teamworkandinnovation.Heart
Talks promote productivity and camaraderie and goodwill, which are
vitaltoeveryorganizationandhome.
AHeartTalkfacilitatesadeeplevelofcommunicationwithoutthefear
ofcondemnation,interpretation,orbeingrushed.It’sapowerfultoolfor
bringing unexpressed emotions to the surface and developing rapport,
understanding,andintimacy.
Heart Talks can be conducted for many purposes and are useful in
finding solutions for a wide range of challenges, but they should be
implementedbeforetoomuchdamageisdone:
Athomeafteryourecognizethereiswithheldhostility,fears,ordistrust
Attheoffice,afteranemotionaleventlikelayoffs,amerger,anaturaldisasterorother
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tragedy,thedeathofacoworker,evenfinancialproblemswithinthecompany
Whenthereisaconflictbetweentwoormoreindividuals,teams,ordepartments.
AsIparticipateinaHeartTalk,Iamexperiencingadeeperleveloflisteninganda
releaseofunexpressedemotions.
re you ready to have your first Heart Talk? Here’s how to
facilitateone.
Haveeveryonesitinacircleoratatable,wheretheguidelines
are introduced or repeated. The group’s leader holds a small heart-
shaped object. Pass the object around the circle as many times as
necessarytoensureeveryonehashadtimeandachancetoshare.AHeart
Talk will end naturally when the “heart” has made a complete circle
withoutanyonehavingsomethingmoretosay.Thesearetheguidelines:
Onlythepersonholdingthe“heart”isallowedtotalk
Talkonlyabouthowyoufeel
Don’tcriticize,judge,orteaseanyoneforwhattheyshare
Keepconfidentialeverythingthatisshared
Passthe“heart”totheleftaftereachturn
Youcansay,“Ipass”ifyouhavenothingtoshare
Don’tleavetheHeartTalkuntilit’scomplete
AHeartTalkwillcreateamazingresultsinagroup:thesafeexpression
offeelings,the“lettinggo”ofresentmentsandoldissues,theopeningofa
space to resolve conflict, constructive ideas, mutual respect,
understanding,andamoreconnectedgroup.
IamfeelingfreeandoptimisticasIwillinglyletgoofanyresentmentsandold
issuesduringaHeartTalk.
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Week45
TelltheTruthSoonerRatherThanLater
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamactivelypracticingthehabitofspeakingmymindandtellingthetruth
sooner,nomatterhowdifficultthetopicorcircumstances.
Iamregularlybringingupimportantinformationandtellingthetruth,which
makesmefeelrelieved,energized,andhealthy.
Iamtellingthetruthassoonaspossiblebecauseitallowsmetodealinrealityand
findthebestresolution.
Inatimeofuniversaldeceit,tellingthetruthisarevolutionaryact.
—UNKNOWN(OftencreditedtoGeorgeOrwell)
t takes energy towithhold the truth, keep a secret, or keepup an
act.Weavoidtellingthetruthsometimesbecausetheconsequences
are uncomfortable. We don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or
we’reafraidtheywillgetupsetorevenangry.But,whennooneistelling
the truth,wecan’t solveanything fromabasis in reality.We justwaste
energythatcouldbebetterfocusedoncreatingmoresuccessinallareas
ofourlives.Wecanaccomplishsomuchmorewhenvitalinformationis
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sharedandactedupon.
For each of us, there are three areas that need to be shared most:
resentments that have built up, unmet needs and demands underlying
thoseresentments,andunexpressedgratitude.
Telling the truth when it’s uncomfortable is one of themost valuable
practices,yetit’soneofthemostdifficulttodo.Weworrysomuchabout
hurtingotherpeople’sfeelingsthatwedon’texpressourowntruefeelings
andwehurtourselvesinstead.Butitdoesn’thavetobethatway—wecan
change.
Iamactivelypracticingthehabitofspeakingmymindandtellingthetruth
sooner,nomatterhowdifficultthetopicorcircumstances.
here’snoperfecttimetotellthetruth,butbecomingaccustomed
totellingitsoonerratherthanlaterisoneofthemostimportant
success skills you will learn. It can be uncomfortable. It will
likelycausereactions—sometimesemotionalones.Butifyougetintothe
habitofspeakingthetruthassoonasyouthinkit,that’sbeingauthentic.
Peoplewillknowtheycancountonyou.Yourintentions,goals,andplans
willneverbemisunderstood.Otherswilltrustyoumorebecausetheywill
alwaysknowwhereyoustand.
If there are somany positive benefits to bringing up the difficult and
tellingthetruth,whythendopeoplehesitate?Themostcommonexcuse
isIdon’twanttohurtanybody’sfeelings.Butwhat’sactuallyhappening
isthatyou’reavoidinghowyouwillfeeliftheygetupset.It’sthecoward’s
wayoutofhavingtoputallyourcardsonthetable.Hidingthetruthwill
alwaysbackfire,andthelongeryoudoit,themoreofadisserviceyoudo
toothersandtoyourself.
Youdon’tlikeitwhensomeoneisdishonestwithyouandwithholdsthe
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truth.Theywon’tlikeiteitherwhentheyfindoutyouhidthetruthfrom
them.Avoidallofthatbyspeakingupassoonasyoucan.Doneitinthe
rightspirit—withoutbeinghurtful—you’llgetrespectfortellingthetruth.
Iamregularlybringingupimportantinformationandtellingthetruth,which
makesmefeelrelieved,energized,andhealthy.
ere’s another thought on telling the truth faster. If you hold
backbecauseyouhaveafearofbeingjudged,youwillhaveto
monitor your conversations, remember who was told what,
and come upwith excuses aboutwhy you can’t do this or that. Simply
statingyourreasonandmovingon is freedom—it’spowerfulandshows
veryimpressiveself-confidence.
Finally,whenyoutellthetruthsoonerratherthanlater,youandthose
youliveandworkwithcandealwiththerealityofthesituationandfinda
workable solution rather than remaining stuck in some illusion that is
beingmaintainedbynotaddressingthetruth.
Iamtellingthetruthassoonaspossiblebecauseitallowsmetodealinrealityand
findthebestresolution.
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Week46
SpeakwithImpeccabilityAboutOthers
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IamincontrolofthewordsIuse;Ihavemasteredspeakingtruthandaffirming
life.
Iamonlyspeakingwordsthatbuildself-esteemandself-confidence,thatbuild
positiverelationshipsandrealizeddreams.
Ichoosetospeakwithimpeccability;mywordsaretruthfulandhavethepowerto
upliftandaffirmotherpeople’sworth.
Impeccabilityofthewordcanleadyoutopersonalfreedom,tohugesuccessand
abundance;itcantakeawayallfearandtransformitintojoyandlove.
—DONMIGUELRUIZAuthorofTheFourAgreements
verythingyousayproducesaneffectintheworldandeverything
yousay tosomeoneelseproducesaneffect inthatperson.You
are constantly creating either somethingpositive or something
negativewithyourwords.
Successfulpeopleknowthat if theydon’thavecontrolandpowerover
their words, their words will have control and power over them. They
knowthattobemoresuccessful,theirwordsneedtobuildpeopleup,not
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tear themdown.Theyare consciousof the thoughts they thinkand the
wordstheyspeak.
Words are also the basis of all relationships—how I speak to you and
about youdetermines the quality of our relationship.When you speak
wordsof loveandacceptance, youwill experience loveback.Whenyou
expressjudgmentandcontempt,youwillbejudgedback.Learntospeak
with impeccability—findwords that are true, that affirm other people’s
worth,orkeepsilent.
IamincontrolofthewordsIuse;Ihavemasteredspeakingtruthandaffirming
life.
ave you ever thought about the outcome when you say
something about another person? In today’s world of
cyberbullying and online gossiping, it is all too easy to post
rumorsaboutsomeoneelseorunwittinglydisclosepersonalinformation
onlineoraddpejorative labels.Whatpeoplecasually (orviciously) type
oftenstaysonlineforever.
Thiskindoflanguage—oftendoneanonymously—isnotonlyhurtfulto
someone else, it brings youdown in themoment and creates a general
demeanorofspiteandmaliciousnessthatworksitswayintootherareas
ofyour life.Thisresult iswhyspiritual teachersandwriters throughout
historyhavewarnedusagainstgossip,judgingothers,andspeakingwith
malice.Ithurtsyou,too,becauseitkeepsyouinatoxicframeofmind—
preventingthegoodyouwantinyourlifefromshowingup.
Whenyouspeakbadlyofsomeone,italsoleavesalastingimpressionof
you on others. People will always wonder when theywill be the next
targetofyourverbalpoison.
Toavoidtheseoutcomes,focusthepowerofyourwordsonappreciating
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otherpeople’spositivequalitiesratherthancriticizingtheirfaults.
Iamonlyspeakingwordsthatbuildself-esteemandself-confidence,thatbuild
positiverelationshipsandrealizeddreams.
ne final but crucial point about speaking with impeccability:
stoplying,eventellingso-calledharmless“whitelies”andlies
ofomission.
Lyingseparatesyoufromyourhigherself.Plus,youerodeothers’trust
in youwhen you’re found out. The fact is, lying is characteristic of low
self-esteem.It’stheresultofyourerroneousbeliefthatyoucan’thandle
people knowing the truth about you. And that, unfortunately, is just
anotherwayofsaying“Iamnotenough.”Additionally,oftentimeswhen
welie,we’reafraidtofacetheresultwe’llget fromtellingthetruth.We
don’twanttodealwiththeemotionalreactionofourspouse,thecensure
ofourboss,orthedenialofourrequestfromaretailer,agency,orofficial.
Why go through the psychological turmoil of lying?Whyworry about
being found out or suffer the setback to your self-esteem when you
knowingly lie or live with the distrust you’ve created when someone
recognizes that you’re lying? Be at ease by speaking with honesty and
integrityinstead.
Ichoosetospeakwithimpeccability;mywordsaretruthfulandhavethepowerto
upliftandaffirmotherpeople’sworth.
P
Week47
PracticeConstantAppreciation
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
AsIexpressmyappreciationforothers,I’menjoyingbeinginoneofthehighest
statesofvibration.
Iamlearningtoexpressmyappreciationtoothersintheirownlovelanguage,
whichisbothfunandfulfilling.
IhavetakenalifelongoathtoownthemagnificentbeingthatIam,toappreciate
myself,andtosharethatpositiveenergywithothers.
Ihaveyettofindaman,howeverexaltedhisstation,whodidnotdobetterwork
andputforthgreatereffortunderaspiritofapprovalthanunderaspiritof
criticism.
—CHARLESM.SCHWABFirstpresidentoftheU.S.SteelCorporation
eople don’t really complain about getting too much positive
feedback,dothey?Infact, theyusuallyrespondtoappreciation
withgreatereffort,moresupport,increasedloyalty,andabetter
attitude.
Being in a state of appreciation puts you into one of the highest
emotional,vibrational,andabundantstatespossible.Herearejustafew
G
waystopracticeconstantappreciation:
Playthe“GratitudeGame”:Stopwhatyou’redoingand,for20minutes,appreciate
asmanythingsaspossible—fromtherainoutsidetothetextmessagefromafriend.
Spendtimeeverymorningingratitude:Afterrepeatingyouraffirmations,spend
5–10minutesbeinggrateful.
Makeitagoaltoappreciatesomeone:Justlikeyousetothergoals,makeitapoint
toappreciatesomeoneforbeingapositivepartofyourlife.
Adoptanappreciationhabit:Regularlyshowappreciationwithakindword,a
returnfavor,oraniceemail.
AsIexpressmyappreciationforothers,I’menjoyingbeinginoneofthehighest
statesofvibration.
ary Chapman, relationship counselor and author of The Five
Love Languages, says that different people need different
formsofcommunication inorder to feel fullyappreciatedand
loved.Here’showtogetthemright:
1)WordsofAffirmation:Ifthisissomeone’slovelanguage,theyfeelmostcaredforwhen
yousharewordsofencouragement,appreciation,andlove.
2)QualityTime:Thesefolksfeellovedwhenyoushareactivitieswiththem—fullypresentand
engaged.
3)ReceivingGifts:Peoplewiththislovelanguagefeellovedandappreciatedwhenthey
receivegiftsfromyou—anythingfromasmalltokentoamajorpurchase.
4)ActsofService:Tocommunicateinthislovelanguage,dosomethingfortheotherperson
suchasrunninganerrandwithoutbeingaskedorsolvingaproblem.
5)PhysicalTouch:Justlikeitsounds,peoplewiththislovelanguagerespondtoapatonthe
back,awarmhug,amassage,orsexualintimacy.Intheworkplace,anappropriatehug,afist
bump,orahighfiveworksgreat.
Iamlearningtoexpressmyappreciationtoothersintheirownlovelanguage,
whichisbothfunandfulfilling.
T o become a master at expressing appreciation in another
person’s“love language,” learnwhatmakesthemost impacton
them.Here’showtoidentifywhatworks:
1)Observehowthepersoninteractswithothers.Becausemostpeoplespeakintheirown
lovelanguage,theirbehaviorwithotherswillgiveyoucluesaboutwhattheyfindimportant.
2)Listenwhentheycomplain.You’llfindimportantcluesinthosethingsthatbotherthem
aboutotherpeopleorsituations.Iftheycomplainwhenyouworklate,QualityTimeorActs
ofServicemightbetheirlovelanguage.
3)Payattentiontotheirrequests.Peoplewilloftengivehintsthatrevealtheirlove
language.Iftheyaskforahug,ormentionhowbadlytheircarneedscleaning,ortellyou
thatdoingsomethingtogethermakesthemhappierthandiamondearrings,they’vebasically
toldyouwhichlovelanguagetheyspeak.
4)Taketimetoappreciateyourself,too.Appreciatethepositivequalitiesyouhave,the
greataccomplishmentsyou’vemade,andthewonderfulpersonthatyouare.
IhavetakenalifelongoathtoownthemagnificentbeingthatIam,toappreciate
myself,andtosharethatpositiveenergywithothers.
D
Week48
BecomeKnownasaClassAct
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamtreatingmyselfandotherswithdignityandrespect,whichcreatesamutual
feelingofloveandappreciation.
Iamactingwithclassbybeingcourteousandgratefulandalwayshavinga
generousspirit.
Iamtreatingotherswithhighregardandmakingthemfeelnurturedandloved.
Ineverysociety,thereare“humanbenchmarks”—certainindividualswhose
behaviorbecomesamodelforeveryoneelse—shiningexamplesthatothersadmire
andemulate.Wecalltheseindividuals“ClassActs.”
—DANSULLIVANCofounderandpresidentofTheStrategicCoach,Inc.
an Sullivan’s strategic coaching program1 teaches that we
should do our best to act with class and be someone who
attractsotherpeopleofclassintooursphereofinfluence.
Howcanyoustandoutasaclassactinaworldwhereit’smorenormal
tobeaverage?Here’swhatDanSullivansays:
L
Develophighpersonalstandardsandthenlivebythem.Demandmorefrom
yourself—noexceptions.
Operatefromalarger,moreinclusiveperspective.Strivetobemore
understandingandcompassionateofothers.
Take100%responsibilityforyouractionsandyourresults.Classactstake
responsibilityfortheiractionsinsteadofhiding,blamingothers,ormakingexcuses.
Addsomethingofvalueinallsituations.Pursuebiggoalsthatrequireyouto
grow.Bringvaluetotheworld.
Iamtreatingmyselfandotherswithdignityandrespect,whichcreatesamutual
feelingofloveandappreciation.
et’s look at other attributes that Dan Sullivan says are the
hallmarksofclassactbehavior:
Focusonandimprovethebehaviorofothers.Becauseaclassactisagoodrole
model,peoplearoundthembeginthinkingandactingatalevelthatsurprises
themselvesandothers.
Maintaindignityandgraceunderpressure.Youcandothisthreeways:(1)
Remainimperturbableinthemidstofchaos.(2)Maintainacalmnessthatgivescourage.
Yourcouragegivesothershopethatthingswillturnoutallright.(3)Developand
expressthequalityofcertaintythateverythingisgoingtobefine.
Counteractmeanness,pettiness,andvulgarity.Thehallmarksofthis
characteristicareactingwithcourtesy,appreciation,respect,gratitude,andagenerosity
ofspiritinallsituations.
Expandthemeaningofbeinghuman.Classactsapproacheveryone,including
themselves,asuniquehumanbeingswithuniquecircumstances,andasaresult,they
constantlyfindnewwaystomakelifebetterforthemselvesandothers.
Iamactingwithclassbybeingcourteousandgratefulandalwayshavinga
generousspirit.
T ake a good look at your friends, partners, and colleagues—are
they class acts? If they’re not, that disparity is a reflection on
you.Decidetoreinventyourselfasaclassactandseeifyoustart
attractingdifferentkindsofpeople.Raisethequalityofyourattitudeand
elevateyourbehavior.Whenyoubecomeaclassact,peoplewillwantto
dobusinesswithyouandbecomepartofyoursphereofinfluence.They
seeyouasbeingsuccessful,andtheytrustyoutoactwithintegrity.
Class acts teach others how to treat them—they lead by example. Of
course,thefirstpersonyoushouldtreatwithdignity,respect,andesteem
isyourself—you’llteacheveryonearoundyoutotreatyouthesameway.
Ifyou’relazy,alwayslate,messy,anddon’tcareabouthowyouconduct
yourself, otherpeople are going to treat you the sameway. If youwere
having thegovernoror theDaliLamaover to yourhome,wouldn’t you
hiresomeonetohelpcleanyourhouseandbuythebest foodyoucould
afford?Well,whydon’tyoudothatforyourself?
Whenyoustartestablishinghighpersonalstandardsandbegintreating
yourselfwell,you’llgetbettertreatmentfromthosearoundyou.Notonly
that,butyou’llstartbeing invitedtoplaceswherepeoplewiththesame
elevatedstandardsare.
Iamtreatingotherswithhighregardandmakingthemfeelnurturedandloved.
1YoucanlearnmoreaboutDanSullivan’scoachingprogramatwww.thestrategiccoach.com.
F
Week49
DevelopaPositiveMoneyConsciousness
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iammakingpositivechoicesaboutwhattodowithmymoneyandenjoyingthe
energyofabundancethatitreflects.
IamcreatingallthemoneyIwantandneedtoaccomplisheverythingIwanttodo
inlife.
Iamreleasingnegativethoughtsandemotionsaboutmoneyandfeelinghappy
andfreetovisualizemydreams.
Alackofmoneyisnottheproblem;itismerelyasymptomofwhat’sgoingon
insideyou.
—T.HARVEKERBestsellingauthorofSecretsoftheMillionaireMind
inancialsuccessstartsinthemind.Whileitmayseemstrangeto
havelimitingbeliefsandanegativepredispositionaboutmoney,
it’sa fact thataffectsmanypeople.Messages thatwebelieve in
childhoodcarryforwardintoouradultyears.Then,ouradultexperiences
oftenreinforcewhatwethoughtweknew:Moneyisdifficulttomakeand
evenhardertomanage.Wealthisnotforpeoplelikeme.Lifeishard.
W
The key to havingmoremoney in your life is to change yourmoney
consciousness toamorepositivemind-set, then focusonways tobring
moremoneyintoyourlife—andmanageitwisely.Throughtheprinciples
you’re learning in this book—affirmations, deciding what you want,
believing it’s possible, and acting as if—it’s easy to gradually shift your
mind-setanddevelopapositivemoneyconsciousness.
What can you do to make more money? What does your daily
meditation reveal that is a previously overlooked way to accumulate
wealth?Canyourecruitmentorsorcoachestohelpyouthinklikewealthy
peopledo?
Iammakingpositivechoicesaboutwhattodowithmymoneyandenjoyingthe
energyofabundancethatitreflects.
hatdidyoulearnaboutmoneyfromyourparents,teachers,
andotherswhenyouwereachildoryoungadult?Areanyof
thesemessagessabotagingyourfinancialsuccess?
Wealth brings pain andmisery: It’s not uncommon for a child to be
exposed tovolatileargumentsaboutmoney (or the lack thereof).Those
memoriesarepainfulandcausenegativeemotionsattachedtomoney.
Becomingrichwouldviolatethefamilycode: Inmanylow-tomiddle-
income families, there’s a universal belief that rich people earn their
wealthonthebacksofthepoorandtakeadvantageoftheaverageperson.
Thisisn’talwaystrue,ofcourse,butinsomehouseholds,beingpoorisa
badgeofhonorandkeepsyouequivalenttoyourneighbors.
The “good life” comes at a sacrifice: Do you know how much your
parentshadtogiveupsothatyoucouldhaveamusicalinstrument,goto
privateschool,orcompeteinyourchosensport?Thesemessagesoflack
B
negativelyassociatewealthandeasewithhardshipandsacrifice.
Eliminatethesemisconceptionsfromyourthoughts.Moneyisavailable
inanalmost infinite supply.Whatdoyouneed todo topursuegreater
wealthandearnings?
IamcreatingallthemoneyIwantandneedtoaccomplisheverythingIwanttodo
inlife.
obProctor,authorofThePower toHave ItAll anda featured
teacherinthemovieTheSecret,said,“Thepresentstateofyour
bankaccountisnothingmorethanthephysicalmanifestationof
yourpreviousthinking.”Let’sturnaroundyourlimitingbeliefswiththis
powerfulthree-stepprogram:
1)Writedownyourlimitingbeliefaboutmoney:Ittakesmoneytomakemoney.
2)Challengeitwithstatementsthatareactuallytrue:Fortherightbusinessidea,
peoplewillinvestseedcapitaltogetmestarted.TherearemanybusinessesthatIcanstart
onlessthan$500,suchasconsulting,networkmarketing,orbecomingaserviceprovider.
Icangetapromotionandaraiseif
Ijointhecompany’sfreemanagement-trainingprogram.
3)Createapositiveturnaroundstatement:EverythingIneedtomakemoneyeasilyis
showingupatnocosttome.Sayitoutloudwithpassionseveraltimesadayforatleast30
daysanditwillbeyoursforever.
Finally,usethepowerofvisualizationtoseeyourselfenjoyingthe
thingsthatyouwant—asifyoualreadyhavethem.Addthesensationof
touchingit,feelingit,andhearingwhatitsoundslike.
Iamreleasingnegativethoughtsandemotionsaboutmoneyandfeelinghappy
andfreetovisualizemydreams.
I
Week50
YouGetWhatYouFocusOn
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
IknowinthedepthsofmyheartthatIwanttohavewealthandthatitwillbecome
areality.
IamfocusedonthosethingsIneedtodoinordertoacquirewealthandfundmy
futurelifestyle.
IampayingmyselffirstandputtingasideapartofeverythingthatIearn,which
createsgreaterrewardsandbringsmeclosertoachievingmygoals.
Ifnoburningdesireforwealthariseswithinyou,nowealthwillarisearoundyou.
Havingdefinitenessofpurposeforacquiringwealthisessentialforitsacquisition.
—DR.JOHNDEMARTINISelf-mademultimillionaireandauthorofRichesWithin
fyouwanttoenjoygreatercashflowandhaveawealthofinvested
capitalthatpaysdividends,deciderightnowfromthedeepestplace
in your heart to accumulate wealth in your life. Don’t worry yet
abouthowyouwillaccomplish it. “Yougetwhatyou focuson” isarule
that applies to almost everything in life, whether it’s buying your first
home, reaching your sales goal, building a business, or winning a
competition.Butit’sespeciallytruewhenitcomestoacquiringwealth.
D
The first step to becomingwealthy is tomake a conscious decision to
become wealthy. The next step is to decide what “wealth” and a rich
lifestylemeantoyou.Hopefully,youdefinedyourfinancialgoalsinWeek
3:DecideWhatYouWanttoBe,Do,andHaveandalreadyhaveavision
in place. If you don’t, do it now. You can’t get very far in the area of
wealth-building without knowing what you want, creating a goal, and
visualizingyoursuccess.
IknowinthedepthsofmyheartthatIwanttohavewealthandthatitwillbecome
areality.
oyouknowwhat itcosts to financeyourdreamlife today—or
in the future? To make decisions and plan for your ideal
lifestyle, you’re going to have to research today’s costs and
estimateyourfuturecosts.Mostpeoplesaytheywantalifeofluxury,but
they’venevertrulydefinedwhatthatmeans.Let’sdothatnow:
Determinewhatitwouldcosttodooracquireeverythingyouwant.Youwouldlikely
needmoneyforluxuryhousing,food,clothes,insurance,cars,philanthropy,vacations—
inadditiontocontinuedinvestingorsaving.
Visualizethoseactivitiesandpossessionsindetail,writingdownthosedetailssoyou
canresearchwhatitwillcosttofundthem.Forinstance,whilemanypeoplesaythey
wanttoownayacht,theyhavenoideawhatthatreallyentails—includingmaintenance,
sliprental,insurance,fuel,perhapsevenacrew?
Determinehowmuchyou’llneedtomaintainyourcurrentorupgradedlifestylewhen
orifyouretire.Willyourhomebepaidoff?Whatwillyourmonthlycostsbe?
Becomemindfulaboutyourmoney.Doyouknowyournetworth?Doyouhaveyour
estateplanningcompleted?
To be financially successful, you have to knowwhere you are, exactly
whereyouwanttogo,andwhat’srequiredtogetthere.
IamfocusedonthosethingsIneedtodoinordertoacquirewealthandfundmy
futurelifestyle.
Wfuturelifestyle.
hile paying off your creditors and becoming debt-free is a
goodfirststeptowardbettermoneymanagement,thisnext
financial rule will surprise you: PAY YOURSELF FIRST.
Instead of paying bills or making new purchases, pay yourself first an
amountthatwillallowyoutoinvestforthelongterm.
If you don’t have an investment account—mutual funds, annuities,
stock-trading account—sit downwith a financial planner who can help
you establish one. Then, educate yourself about how it works, what
happenstothemoneywhenyousendregularchecks,andhowmuchyou
havetoinvestforittoprovideastableretirement.
It’s quite possible that, if you start early enough in life, you could
becomeamillionaireonyourinvestedcapitalalone.Thefactisthatover
99% ofmillionaires aremethodical savers and investors.Most of them
worked hard, lived within their budgets, saved 10% to 20% of their
income, and invested it into their businesses, the stockmarket, or real
estate.
Tosimplifypayingyourselffirst,arrangeforautomaticdeductionsofa
certainpercentfromyourpaycheckforinvestmentssoyoudon’thaveto
makeadecisionorremembertowriteacheckeverymonth.
IampayingmyselffirstandputtingasideapartofeverythingthatIearn,which
createsgreaterrewardsandbringsmeclosertoachievingmygoals.
S
Week51
MakeMoreBeforeYouSpendMore
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
Iamfocusingonmygoalofbeingdebt-freeandspendingwiselyforwhatIwant.
IhavechangedmyfocusfromspendingandconsumingtoenjoyingwhatIalready
have.
Iamalwaysthinkingofnewwaystomakemoremoneybyservingtheneedsof
others.
Toomanypeoplespendmoneytheyhaven’tearned,tobuythingstheydon’twant,
toimpresspeopletheydon’tlike.
—WILLROGERSAmericanhumorist,actor,andwriter
uccessfulpeoplehavemasteredthespendinggame—theyarewise
abouthowtheypartwiththeirmoney.Successfulpeoplepayless
forthingstheywant,theylivebelowtheirmeans,andtheyspend
aslittleaspossibletoaccomplishagoal.
Regardless of where you stand financially—even if it looks hopeless—
youcanturnthingsaround.Youcanstillbecomedebt-freeandsavemore
if you persevere and stay the course. Focus and you will start to see
miraculous things happening in your life.When you change your focus
D
from consumption and spending to enjoying and being grateful for the
thingsyoualreadyhave,yourprogresswillincrease.
You’ll begin to measure success in debts paid rather than things
purchased,andyou’llbeabletoweighallofyourpurchasesagainstyour
goaltobefinanciallysecureanddebt-free.
Iamfocusingonmygoalofbeingdebt-freeandspendingwiselyforwhatIwant.
o you know howmuchmoney you spent last year? Here’s a
greatexerciseforself-discovery:Gothrougheveryroominthe
house—every drawer, cabinet, and closet—and take out
everything you haven’t used in the past year. Clothing, toys, car
accessories,electronics,crafts,kitchengadgets,doesn’tmatter.Putthem
all inyour livingroomorgarage, thenaddup theprice foreverysingle
item.Prettybigwake-upcall,right?
Overspendingwreakshavoconyourfinancialgoals.Whenyoufocuson
consumption,yougointodebt,youdon’tsaveenough,andyourplansfor
accumulatingwealthfallbehind.Onewaytocurbtheoverspendinghabit
istopaycashforeverything.
Next,reducethecostofyourlifestyle.You’llbesurprisedathowmuch
youcansavewhenyoutakeaconscious lookathowyoulive.Makeita
gametogettopqualitygoodsandservicesfornexttonothing.Thenget
creativeaboutsavingmoney.
Hereareafewmoretipstogetyoumovingintherightdirection:Stop
borrowingmoney. Don’t get a home equity loan to pay off your credit
cards. Pay off your smallest debts first. Slowly increase your debt
payments.Payoffyourhomemortgageandcreditcardsearly.Nowyou
haveaplan!
IhavechangedmyfocusfromspendingandconsumingtoenjoyingwhatIalready
Chave.
ommon sense tells you there are only two ways to havemore
money:spendlessormakemore.Onceyouknowhowmuchyou
want to make, you can decide what product, service, or
additionalvalueyoucandelivertoearnthatamount.
Herearesomeideas:
1)Doconsultingoutsideyourregularjob:Ifyouremployerdoesnotprohibitit,youcould
beginrecruitingclientsinyourareaofexpertisewhoneedtheuniqueindustryknowledge
youhave.Writeabrochurethatdetailsthespecificthingsyoucanhelpwithandreachoutto
yourLinkedInnetworktospreadtheword.
2)Identifyanewprofitcenterforyouremployer:Ifyouknowyoucouldgeneratemore
moneyforyouremployerbyleveraginguntappedassetssuchasacustomerlist,supplier
relationships,orobsoleteinventory,youcanapproachyouremployerwithaplantogetpaid
separatelyorevenpartnerwiththecompany—sharinginthatnewrevenuestream.
3)Dopart-timetasksforcash:OnlineportalslikeCare.com,Taskrabbit.com,and
Upwork.comconnectfreelancerswithclientswhoneedpersonalorganizers,project
coordinators,andcreativetypestodosingleprojectsorongoingworkattheirbusinessor
home.
=Iamalwaysthinkingofnewwaystomakemoremoneybyservingtheneedsof
others.
T
Week52
ShareMore,ServeMore
AFFIRMATIONSfor
MeditationandReflection
EverycontributionImakeintimeandmoneyhelpsothersandexpandsabundance
inmylife.
IamgladlytithingaportionofallIearnbecauseIamgratefulfortheblessingsI
havebeengiven.
IamjoyfullyservingothersknowingthatIalwaysgetbackmorethanIgive.
Give,anditwillbegiventoyou.Agoodmeasure,presseddown,shakentogether
andrunningover,willbepouredintoyourlap.Forwiththemeasureyouuse,it
willbemeasuredtoyou.
—LUKE6:38NewInternationalVersionoftheBible
hroughout history, many of the world’s richest and most
successful people have also been the most generous givers.
Industrialist Andrew Carnegie, for example, funded lending
librariesaroundtheworld,eventuallybuildingmorethan3,500facilities
aroundtheworld—launchingwhat laterbecamethemodern-day library
system. And ever since the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was
published,Mark VictorHansen and I tithed a portion of the profits to
E
humanitarian and environmental organizations. Because the serieswas
sosuccessful,we’vebeenabletogiveawaymillionsofdollarstohundreds
ofcharities.
With all the benefits that givers say they receive from sharing with
others,manypeoplestillfindtithing—givingofyourmoneyortimetoa
religiousorganizationoracharity—adifficultdecision.However,tithing
is one of the best guarantees of prosperity ever known because tithing
regularly puts into motion God’s universal force on your behalf and
createsaspiritualbondbetweenyouandtheGodofabundance.
EverycontributionImakeintimeandmoneyhelpsothersandexpandsabundance
inmylife.
arningmoneyandkeepingscorecanbefunandexciting,butit’s
ofutmostimportancetokeepinviewthebiggerpicture:thatthe
size of your income and your collection of stuff is not what
createsthefulfillmentyouenjoyinyourlife.Wealthforthesakeofwealth
canleadtogreed.
I love thisquotebyJuniorMurchison, founderof theDallasCowboys
footballteam,“Moneyislikemanure.Ifyouspreaditarounditdoesalot
ofgood.But ifyoupile itup inoneplace, itstinks likehell.”Whenyou
share your success and wealth with others, greater success is gained.
Morepeople benefit. Thepositive outcome from sharing applies to just
about everything, but it’s especially true when it comes to tithing both
moneyandtime.
BobAllen,thebestsellingauthorofTheOneMinuteMillionaire,didn’t
begintotitheuntilhehadlostallhiswealth.Eventually,hereclaimedhis
prosperous lifeanddeterminedthat this timehewouldtithe.Today,he
sayshehassomuchopportunity,hecouldn’ttapitallinonelifetime.He
I
also said this, “Youdon’t tithebecauseyouwant toget something.You
tithe because you’ve already gotten something . . . you tithe out of the
gratitudeyoufeelfortheunbelievableblessingandlifestyleyouhave.”
IamgladlytithingaportionofallIearnbecauseIamgratefulfortheblessings
thatIhavebeengiven.
“
tisoneofthebeautifulcompensationsofthislifethatnomancan
sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” So said
AmericanessayistandpoetRalphWaldoEmerson.It’strue.
Infact, just liketithing, it’sauniversalprinciplethatyoucannotserve
otherswithout it comingbackmultiplied toyourself.Peoplewho finda
way to serve as volunteers, missionaries, and mentors experience the
greatestlevelsofcontentmentandsatisfaction,aswellasdeepinnerjoy,
intheirlives.
Whenyouvolunteer,yougetbacksomuchmorethanyougive—oftenin
theformofbetterhealthandmorepersonalsatisfactionwithlife.
Butthere’sanotherbenefittovolunteeringthat’slikea“specialbonus”
for people who are already successful or are on their way to success:
volunteering enables you to meet all kinds of people you would never
otherwiseget toknow.Buildinganetworkof important relationships is
oneof the keys to success—and frequently, thepeople youmeet as you
servearethepeoplewhomakethingshappeninyourprofessionandin
yourcommunity.Theseconnectionsareunexpectedcareerandbusiness
rewards.
Thebottomlineis,giversget.Theworldrespondsmuchmorepositively
togiversthanitdoestotakers.Soaskyourselfwhatcanyougive,share,
andtithe?
IamjoyfullyservingothersknowingthatIalwaysgetbackmorethanIgive.
WHATDOYOUWANTINYOURLIFE?
DownloadourFREELifePlanningWorkbookatwww.SuccessPrinciplesPlanner.com
Tohelpyoudecidewhatyouwant instunningdetail—ineveryareaof
your life—we have a free workbook and life-planning tool you can
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JAbouttheAuthors
ack Canfield, known as America’s #1 Success Coach, is a
bestselling author, professional speaker, trainer, and
entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of The Canfield
Training Group, which trains entrepreneurs, educators, corporate
leaders,salesprofessionals,andmotivatedindividualsinhowtoexpand
their vision and accelerate the achievement of their personal and
professionalgoals.
AsthecreatorofthebelovedChickenSoupfortheSoul®seriesandthe
driving force behind the development and sales of more than 200
Chicken Soup for the Soul books, with 100 million copies sold in the
United States (and 500 million worldwide in 43 languages), Jack is
uniquely qualified to talk about success. Jack’s nationally syndicated
newspapercolumnisreadin150papers.TheChickenSoupfortheSoul
televisionseriesairedonboththePAXandABCnetworks.
JackisagraduateofHarvard,holdsamaster’sdegreeinpsychological
educationfromtheUniversityofMassachusetts,andhasthreehonorary
doctorates. Over the past 40 years, he has been a psychotherapist, an
educationalconsultant,acorporatetrainer,andaleadingauthorityinthe
areasofself-esteem,breakthroughsuccess,andpeakperformance.
ThefirsteditionofTheSuccessPrincipleshassoldhalfamillioncopies
in 29 languages around the globe. Jack’s other bestselling books—The
SuccessPrinciples forTeens,ThePowerofFocus,TheAladdinFactor,
DaretoWin,You’veGottoReadThisBook!,TheKeytoLivingtheLaw
of Attraction, Coaching for Breakthrough Success, and Tapping into
Ultimate Success—have sold millions of copies and have launched
complementarymultimediaprograms,coachingprograms,andcorporate
trainingprogramstoenthusiasticindividualsandcorporations.
Jackholds aGuinnessBookWorldRecord for having sevenbooks on
theNewYorkTimesBestsellerListonthesameday(May24,1998).He
alsoachievedaGuinnessWorldRecordforthelargestbooksigning(held
forChickenSoupfortheKid’sSoul).
Jack is also the founder of The Foundation for Self-Esteem, which
provides self-esteem resources and trainings to social workers, welfare
recipients, and human resource professionals. Jack wrote and
coproducedtheGOALSProgram,avideo-basedtrainingprogramtohelp
people in California transition fromwelfare to work, which has helped
810,000peoplegetoffwelfare.
Jackhasappearedonmore than1,000radioand televisionprograms,
including Oprah, The Montel Williams Show, Larry King Live, the
Today show,Fox& Friends, theCBS EveningNews, theNBCNightly
News, andCNN’s Talk Back Live, and onPBS and theBBC. Jack is a
featuredteacherin19movies,includingTheSecret,TheTruth,TheOpus,
ChoicePoint,TheTappingSolution,andTheKeeperoftheKeys.
Jack has conducted more than 2,500 trainings, workshops, and
seminars—and has presented and conducted workshops for more than
500corporations,professionalassociations,universities,schoolsystems,
andmental health organizations in all 50 states and 35 countries. His
clients include Microsoft, Federal Express, Siemens, Campbell’s Soup,
Virgin Records, Sony Pictures, General Electric, Sprint, Merrill Lynch,
Hartford Insurance, Johnson & Johnson, Coldwell Banker, Northrop,
RE/MAX,KellerWilliams,UCLA,YPO,theU.S.DepartmentoftheNavy,
andtheChildren’sMiracleNetwork.
JackhasbeeninductedintotheNationalSpeakersAssociationSpeakers
K
HallofFame,isarecipientoftheRotaryClub’sPaulHarrisFellowship,
was awarded the Golden Plate Award from the National Achievement
Summit, and received the Chancellor’s Medal from the University of
Massachusetts.HewastwicenamedMotivatoroftheYearfromBusiness
Digest magazine, received the Speaker of the Year Award from the
Society of Leadership and Success, and is a recipient of the National
LeadershipAwardfromtheNationalAssociationforSelf-Esteem.
TofindoutmoreaboutJack’sBreakthroughtoSuccessTrainings,Train
theTrainerProgram,CoachingPrograms,andaudioandvideoprograms,
ortoinquireabouthiringhimasaspeakerortrainer,youcancontacthis
officeat:TheCanfieldTrainingGroup
P.O.Box30880
SantaBarbara,CA93130
Phone:
805-563-2935and800-237-8336
Fax:805-563-2945
Email:[email protected]:
www.JackCanfield.com
www.CanfieldTrainings.com
www.CanfieldCoaching.com
ellyJohnsonhasworkedinthepublishingindustryformany
years;shewaspartofthesalesandmarketingteamatHCIthat
helped the Chicken Soup for the Soul series become an
international phenomenon. Kelly is the coauthor of Feeling Great:
CreatingaLifeofOptimism,Enthusiasm,andContentmentwithPeter
VegsoandDadiJanki.ShelivesneartheseainSatelliteBeach,Florida.
R amGanglani is an entrepreneur, businessman, andmentor.
Dedicated and positive, hands-on and strategic, Ram’s career
spans sales, marketing, and communications, from Africa to
Europe,fromtheMiddleEasttoNearAsia.