Picture yourself five years from now, when you have put into practice the tools of success found in this Powerful book.

Wouldn’t it be awe-inspiring to find that your relationships, career, education, finances and health have reached a level previously unmatched?

You’ve got to wonder why you haven’t taken advantage of the Law of Attraction before now.

You will discover the secrets of goal setting, blueprint building, effective list making, visualization and many financial principles.

This book answers questions such as, how do you define success? How do you measure it? How do you maintain it? What level of achievement or accomplishment shows that you have become a successful person?

You can use these practical tools to achieve the success and the rewards that real abundance brings.

ATTRACT SUCCESS

by Christine Sherborne

How do you define success? How do you measure it? How do you maintain it? What level of achievement or accomplishment does it take to show that you have become a successful person?

I am sure you will agree that most people’s perception of success relates to material possessions – money, income, and maybe fame as a measure of a person’s achievements. Yet, to truly be successful, you need to have success in all parts of your life.

Tell me, what use is it if a ‘successful’ businessman achieves all the material possessions he could possibly want, but suffers a breakdown in his marriage, with estrangement from his children?

Or think of the ‘successful’ entertainer, who has fame, fortune and admiration, but becomes so bored by having access to all the diversions available to him, becomes a drug addict and eventually commits suicide?

Wouldn’t you agree that a good balance in all parts of your life – sufficient income to be comfortable, a happy family life, good health and satisfaction from giving back to the society in some way, would give you the peace and harmony that leads to true success?

Please understand that at this moment in time, you are the product of all the choices you have made in your life up to now. Therefore, whether you feel that your life so far is a success or not, you have to take responsibility for the world you have created for yourself.

If you have not yet achieved the success you hoped for, you can’t blame anyone else. So, if this is you, let go of the ‘blame game’, because YOU are responsible, whether you feel that circumstances have been for or against you, or if people have let you down, you are still responsible for your reaction to each life circumstance which has molded you into the life you are presently living.

However, please don’t worry as whatever your present level of success is, it can be improved. It’s true that you can’t change what you don’t first acknowledge, so you must begin by realizing that all the choices you have made to date have resulted in your current situation. Therefore, to achieve greater success you simply have to make better choices in the future.

Now, I can almost hear your mind saying “well it’s not all my fault, look at what so and so did to me” However, it is crucial to accept responsibility for your past reactions and responses. Can you see that by failing to accept the part you have played in creating your present situation, you are making yourself into a victim? Just think about it, if you are a victim in life then you are giving your control away to other people. Now, let me ask you this, do you want other people to control what happens to you?

Still not convinced? Consider this – are you overweight? Who was responsible for eating or over-eating the wrong foods? Do you hate your job? Who is responsible for accepting that job, or for staying in it when you dislike it? Have some of your relationships soured and caused you pain? Who was responsible for not giving time to the relationship, or maybe you didn’t treat the person as they deserved?

Just think of all the things in your life you are not happy with, and take ownership for those situations. You are responsible. Analyze them honestly, and learn how your choices created them, and how different choices could have created a different outcome for you.

Understand that according to the law of attraction, you create in your life the things or circumstances you mostly think about and focus on. Therefore if you think about the awful things that have happened in the past, or could happen in the future, rather than the good outcomes you want, you are drawing to you more of the same.

Are you beginning to see that you can just let things happen to you and play the victim, or you can take charge of your life by setting goals, disciplining yourself, and start heading for that great future you want?

My own definition of success is to live a life of love and happiness, with the family and friends that truly love and support me; to use my gifts and talents creatively, so that I can fulfill my destiny; to have a good character that others respect, and to live by high ideals; to overcome all challenges and make my dreams become a reality; to have health and energy; to attract enough wealth to be of help to other people and to enjoy many of the wonderful experiences that the world has to offer; finally to depart this life, leaving behind me a footprint that is a legacy to all the people I have touched with joy.

However, like everyone else I am still working on becoming the person I want to be. The truth of the matter is that success is an on-going work in progress, and the rest of this book will guide you in the right direction.

Bessie Stanley said: “He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction”

SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Now let me ask you this, thinking back over your life, how have your past relationships helped or hindered you?

It is true that you are very unlikely to become successful without the help and input of others. Consider this; is it probable that you will be promoted at work if you don’t get along with the management above you? It’s also a fact than when you are running your own business a lot of sales will come from people who have recommended you. And of course that will only happen if you get along with your customers and if they like you.

So it is easy to see that it is important to make it a priority to work at and nurture your close relationships, taking the time to cultivate and develop selected casual relationships which could develop into close ones.

You can see can’t you, that to get along with others, it is essential to make yourself pleasant and agreeable, making an effort, nurturing the relationships by showing them friendship and consideration?

Apart from the personal peace this engenders, you never know when the person you are interacting with now may be in a more powerful position in the future, able to harm or assist you in some way.

Please don’t think that I am saying that you should befriend people you don’t really care for, just to use them for your success. In any case if you did that, eventually your ruse would be seen for what it is, and wouldn’t work in the long term.

What I am saying, is that you should treat everyone you meet with respect and with the general love for mankind that we should all be striving for. Then some of these relationships will turn into real friendships. Consider this – the energy that you give out attracts to you people who are on the same wavelength. Therefore, when you are giving out positive vibrations you are attracting positive people to you.

Just think about it – have a confrontation with the receptionist, and you may never get that important appointment that could have changed your life. Imagine what happens when you complain or are unpleasant to waiting staff in a restaurant. You will probably find that your food contains more than you bargained for. The car you cut off at the intersection could belong to the person who is interviewing you today!

Often we don’t appreciate the people closest to us. We take them for granted and sometimes even take advantage of the relationship to gain benefit in some way, maybe to the detriment of that person. Can you see how this sort of behavior could backfire on you in the future?

Your family and friends should be the most important people in your life, so give them the gift of your time and respect. It’s strange how we often treat strangers with more courtesy than our family. I would like to encourage you to make your family and friends a priority in your life, as time spent with your life partner and children is as precious as gold. The success you are trying to achieve would not be success without them.

When you are with your family or friends, become a good listener and cultivate the practice of being present in mind as well as body. Really listen to what a person has to say, and listen to what is unsaid to discover their true meaning. There is nothing more demeaning than to ‘listen’ to someone, when you are reading the paper, watching the television, or looking at a computer screen. This gives the message that the person is not worth your attention, and you have more important things to do.

Remember that acceptance and validation are the priority needs for everyone, and rejection is our worst fear.

Learn to let minor disagreements go. Often the issue is never really worth the argument, and if not settled can fester and grow out of all proportion. Always make sure that you settle differences before you part, leaving in as friendly and a loving way as possible, for you don’t know what may happen to you or them in the near future. If anything happened to a loved one, you would be devastated if the last contact you had with them was an acrimonious and unhappy one.

Accept people as they are, and allow them to have their point of view and beliefs, knowing when to back down. It is pointless upsetting others just to win an argument, when winning will have no overall positive effect on your life at all.

Work towards helping others whenever you can, walk in peace and acceptance, smile and show others your appreciation of them, and you will always be surrounded by people who love you.

Greenville Kleisser says: “Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment.”

EDUCATION & SUCCESS

Success does not depend entirely upon knowledge, but certainly having knowledge helps considerably. Knowledge is powerful! Moreover, continuous learning increases knowledge in an exponential way, because the more you know, the easier it is to learn new things, as new knowledge is often built upon existing knowledge.

It is like trying to find your way in a new city. Even with a map, it can be difficult, because you have to plan out the entire route over unfamiliar ground. But think, when you know some parts of the city it is very much easier, as you can relate the new destination to places you already know. Therefore you only need to plan part of the route from places you already know.

It’s a fact that the success you achieve in your chosen field is in direct proportion to the amount of time and effort you spend in increasing your specialized knowledge. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t had a college or university education, as you can still take steps as an adult to improve your knowledge through reading books, attending seminars, listening to audio or arranging one on one mentoring.

If you are in a job you don’t like very much and want to follow a new path, you will find it much easier if you use your spare time to learn about your planned new field. And for those of you who say you haven’t got time, I suggest that you can use audio courses in your car, to and from work.

Another good idea is to take one of the books that you need to study into waiting rooms with you. Whether you are waiting for the doctor, the dentist, or just waiting for a bus or train, you can use that time productively. The out of date, grubby magazines that are available for you to read whilst waiting won’t move you forward towards the successful goal you are aiming for. If you go out for a jog or a walk take your MP3 player with you, making sure it is loaded with course material and not music.

I would also suggest that you get up an hour earlier in the morning, and have a quiet study time before the rest of the house get up.

Don’t you agree that it is a matter of choice, as to what you do with your time? You very likely find time to watch television, go out to dances and parties, meet up with friends and generally socialize. But you don’t have time to learn!

Can you see that if you discipline yourself to make the most of your time in a productive way, and genuinely think of this learning time as a season in your life that will pay off in the future, you will find that you are much more satisfied, as you are moving towards your goals?

Being successful in your career means constantly updating your skills by learning. Education is a continuing process, as there are always advances being made in whatever field you work in. Whether you want to further your present career or change to a new one, learning the relevant skills will pay enormous dividends, ensuring your success.

Earl Nightingale said: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”

SUCCESS & GOAL SETTING

Clearly, without setting goals and working to achieve them, you cannot move forward in life. You will just drift along, going around in circles and not achieving anything worthwhile. I urge you to take the time to consider carefully what you want from life, where you want be, and how you are going to get there. This is the first step towards achieving your successful life.

Studies have shown that student’s who set written goals, monitor them and constantly review them, become the most successful people.

Thinking carefully about your goals, writing them down then constantly reviewing them, is a perfect way to put your desires into your sub-conscious and out into the universe, activating the Law of Attraction in your favor.

There are many publications on goal setting that you can read, but usually the simplest method is the easiest. If you try to make it too complicated, you will just give up and not persevere.

Take a sheet of paper and write down headings that cover each area of your life that you would like to set goals for. For instance work, family, friends, leisure time, financial, health and spiritual.

Then think carefully about where you presently stand in each of these areas and decide where you would like to be in six months, one year and maybe even five years time. Write out your goals in a positive manner under each heading and each time frame, considering carefully, making them real and achievable. Then write out the steps you need to take to reach each goal, being as detailed as you can.

Once you have this basic set of goals and the route plan of how to get there, keep them in a safe place, and look at them regularly. Keep track of the progress you have made, noting it on the paper, and if necessary modify the eventual goal as you progress.

It’s okay to modify your goals, and the methods of achieving them, as you move forward. Very often your goals will change as you move through the action steps on your list, or your circumstances change. You may find that some steps are easier than you imagined, others harder, or you may find a completely better way of arriving at them.

It is a good idea that when you decide on your goals, you seek the input of only positive, encouraging friends and relations, or keep them secret. Absolutely do not discuss them with negative people, as they are always quick to put down other people’s dreams, because of their own insecurities. There will always be those who will knock your ideas and tell you that you are reaching too high, that you don’t deserve to advance, or just that you are dreaming and have no chance of succeeding. Their negativity will rub off on you to some extent, muddying your clear intent, diluting the effects of the Law of Attraction.

When you work on your goals, picture yourself five years from now. What will you be doing? Who will you be with? What will your ideal life look like? Although you shouldn’t limit yourself unnecessarily, at the same time have a healthy dose of realism. For instance, you are unlikely to become a brain surgeon overnight, but on the other hand, you may find that you can achieve far more than you presently believe. Imagine what it would be like if you push yourself that little bit more and are committed to making good progress. Aim for the stars, and you may just get there.

Michael Angier said; “Success is the result of steadily taking action on our most important goals. When we consistently focus our energies and our efforts upon what matters most, we can’t help but be successful”.

SUCCESSFUL PLANNING

In every instance planning is a key ingredient to achieve success. You have probably heard the saying “If you don’t plan, you plan to fail”. Undeniably, if you don’t know where you are headed you haven’t much, if any, chance of arriving at the destination you want. Furthermore, when you have a destination in mind without a route planned, you don’t know which direction to move in.

Imagine a ship leaving port with no idea of its destination. What do you think would happen? Clearly, with no idea of which direction to head, and no course charted, it would just go round in circles or eventually run aground.

I am sure you know many people who act in much the same way, using their life up, moving in endless circles. It is true that time passes whether you make the most of it or not. Just think, in six months, one year or five years from now, time will have passed anyway, and you will have either used it successfully moving towards your goals, or have wasted it going round in circles the same as the ship. Is your life like that?

Not only must you take the time to decide on your future goals, but you need to extend that process into each day by planning your day, writing down your goals for the day. Include tasks that you know you need to get done, then list them in priority order.

It really is important to place the most important task first, rather than the most urgent or most agreeable. Otherwise, you will find that you are chasing your tail trying to achieve all the pressing items on your list, but at the end of the day you will find that none of the important tasks were done, making them tomorrow’s urgencies. Each evening, cross off the tasks you have achieved, add any new items, re-prioritize them and produce a new list for tomorrow.

I encourage you to discipline yourself and make a commitment to keep this system diligently, and you will find that you will rapidly achieve success. I promise you that you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish each day!

It is a fact that many people live a humdrum existence. They scrape by each day, reacting to life instead of living a planned proactive life. Their daily routine of work, food and sleep is followed one step after another without any thought of moving towards their life’s dreams.

Unquestionably, they are tossed about and battered by the vagaries of life, bending first this way then that, suffering whatever life’s storms may throw at them, and there they stay, moaning and groaning that life isn’t fair. They never entertain the idea of improving themselves, and believe that the world owes them a living.

I can’t express to you strongly enough how important it is to take the time to think about and set detailed goals along with a time frame for achieving them.

As you make your plans, at the same time you are setting in motion the right vibration to begin the process of drawing the results to you. Remember that when you are actively thinking in a positive way, your sub-conscious mind works with your surroundings in a mysterious way to move you in that direction. Energize your goals by reading them and thinking about them every day with focus and emotion. As you know, this will activate the law of attraction to work on your behalf.

Every day, decide on the one thing that you can do that day that will move you towards completing the most important goal on your list. For example, you may have decided to begin a savings plan, so open a savings account, plan how much of each pay check needs to go into it, and make those arrangements.

Always bear in mind that what you intensely think about with a strong desire, you will usually accomplish. Therefore, make sure that all your intentions are also energized by visualizing your desired outcome. You can increase your focus by listing all the benefits that you will receive when you reach your target.

Next I will talk about some tools which will help you to visualize your goals, bringing them to reality. By using these techniques regularly, you will find that they help you to fix your goals into your mind so strongly, that your subconscious mind will automatically work towards bringing them to completion.

TOOL ONE – REPROGRAMMING WITH VISUALIZATION

It is true that your subconscious mind can’t distinguish between what you imagine with feeling, and actual events. This fact makes visualization a fantastic exercise for you to practice, helping you to program yourself to perform well in the future. You can even use this tool to reprogram past events, to turn hurtful memories into acceptable ones.

Clearly, the secret of making this tool as effective as possible is for you to be in a state of relaxation, and try to really experience the emotions, colors, smells and sounds of the situation you are creating or past event you want to change.

As you may know, many successful athletes use visualization to improve their future performances. They visualize themselves performing their sport in the optimum way. The runner will imagine running the race, from the starting pistol, through every step right to the winning post.

The High jumper practices the run-up, the take off, the feeling of clearing the bar, right through to the successful landing. Each athlete actually competes in their mind dozens of times before the actual event, programming their minds to automatically follow the path they have already planned in their subconscious.

Relax in a chair, close your eyes and visualize your own goals, whether running a successful company, becoming fit and healthy, or meeting that special person to share your life with. The secret to programming with visualization is to practice it daily until it becomes automatic and easy for you to do. The more you practice, the better the results will be.

TOOL TWO – CHART BUILDING

We learn in many ways, but the best teaching techniques use multiple reinforcement. We memorize visually, by doing, or by adding to what we already know, and we absorb information easily which is relevant to us at the time. This tool and the following one use both visual and action techniques to help focus your mind.

Visual stimulation is the most powerful of these techniques, and a good way to use it is to create a vision chart. Use a large board, and paste pictures which illustrate your goals or desires to it. This technique can also be used for problem solving and making decisions. As time passes you can change the board, by adding to it, and adjusting the content.

For instance, you may wish for a beautiful home, new position, car or fresh relationship. Search magazines, newspapers or books for pictures that show your ideal specifications and paste these onto the chart, making sure that is positioned where you will see it often.

Each time you pass the chart look at the pictures closely and bring them to life in your imagination. In your mind brighten the colors, smell the new leather and hear sounds or voices that bring the item or situation vividly to mind.

For figuring out a problem, use another chart to detail all the information you know about the difficulty, and then put all the potential solutions you can genuinely think of on the chart. In the same way, use the chart over a period, and your sub-conscious mind will work to produce or develop a solution.

TOOL THREE – EFFECTIVE LIST MAKING

Making lists can be a valuable tool. Think about a simple shopping list, taking a list with you can save money by helping you to remember what to buy and reminding you not to buy if it isn’t on the list.

Lists can be useful for working out a problem. To do this use one column for all known details of the problem, then start new columns to write down all the known solutions that you know about now. Then write down all the steps you can take at this point in time to move closer to the solution. I can assure you that the simple act of writing it down frees your mind so that it doesn’t have to keep remembering the problem. You mind is then clear to consider alternative solutions. As I suggested with the vision board, leave your list in some prominent place where you can see it and take time to read through it several times each day.

As your sub-conscious mind absorbs the information on the lists, it will gradually work on the known information to produce other solutions, and you will find that in a very short time you will have at least one, possibly several, new solutions which were not available to you at the time of writing the list. Write these fresh answers on your list, so that your mind can release them and be freed up to consider further options.

As you can see, you can use lists for all sorts of reasons besides working on your goals and desires. Write down as much information as you have at the time, making sure it is as detailed as possible. As you think of further information, add it to the list, freeing your mind to consider new creative ideas.

Think about making use of the list tool in all sorts of situations, and when you have created the list, read it through several times a day and always last thing at night before you fall to sleep, directing your sub-conscious mind to process the information whilst you are asleep, and come up with an answer.

SUCCESS & YOUR FINANCES

To be successful in your finances, again you need to plan. Many people drift by from week to week, falling deeper into debt, because they do not sit down and analyze their situation and plan a budget. Often it’s not the amount of money you earn which decides your success with finances, but the way that you use the cash available. You probably know of some people are good managers and make intelligent choices with their money, and others who don’t.

Clearly, to enable you to make a plan you need to know the current state of your finances. How much income do you have? What are your regular outgoings? How much do you owe? Have you any savings? Do you know the details of pensions and insurance policies etc? Until you know all these details, you cannot begin planning. This is the start point of preparing a workable budget.

You need to be honest when preparing for a budget. One way to ensure you include everything is to keep track of your spending for a week, or a month, recording every cent you pay out. When you have all the information, if your outgoings are greater than your income, you have a problem! You would be surprised to learn how many people are in this situation, and don’t know it until they actually put all their details on paper. If you find that your income is less than your outgoings you need to do something about it now. Start of by working out a way to reduce your outgoings, and increase your income, as soon as possible.

If you have a lot of debt, you can usually get a consolidation loan to help you pay it back over a longer period, but it is essential to have a detailed budget to enable you to prepare a realistic payment plan.

The next step when have prepared your budget is to analyze it and scrutinize each item of spending religiously. Question each item to determine whether it is necessary. For instance, could you start taking lunches to work, rather than buying food and lattes at the coffee shop? Would it be cheaper to catch public transport to work, or car pool with someone, rather than wasting petrol in traffic tailbacks? How much do you spend on drinks or cigarettes?

You will see here that even the smallest regular expenses add up. Imagine this, you can save 5.00 per day by cutting out the Latte, this amounts to $25.00 per working week, or $1,300 for each year. This money could be invested in starting a new business, or put on deposit, which will give you a return. If that $25.00 was put in the bank weekly at say 5 percent interest, in 5 years, you would have accumulated $7,400 in savings, purely by doing without your coffee.

You can see, can’t you, that if you could find 9 other items of similar value that you could cut out each day, that figure would increase to $74,000 in savings in five years! Just by making small adjustments to your spending you could quickly build up a fund you could use to further your success. The thing to do is to plan your expenditure carefully, and avoid impulse buys.

Avoid credit card debt! It is very easy to run up a liability on credit cards, and they are one of the most expensive forms of borrowing. If you have an outstanding balance on your credit cards, cut the cards up, and formulate a plan to pay off the balance over as short a time as possible. Consider a bank loan or extending your mortgage to clear the credit card balance, as the interest rates from other sources are often very much cheaper. Of course, this should only be done as a part of an overall strategy for your finances.

It’s true that financially successful people spend their money on items which appreciate in value, such as antique furniture, jewelry and of course stocks and bonds. However, many items which the average person buys such as cars, cameras, televisions etc. all lose value, and are therefore an expense rather than an investment. Buy a cheaper car, rather than putting yourself in debt to buy a new one or a luxury one as a status symbol.

I would encourage you to think carefully before you buy anything. Does the purchase of this item bring you closer to your goal of becoming debt free? Do you really need that new dress or a one-day wonder electronic toy? Become discriminating in your acquisitions and it will pay you dividends by freeing up money to use to become more successful.

Be sure to factor into your budget a savings plan. Even though you are still paying off debt, it is important to get into the savings habit. Aim to save ten per cent of your income, but if that is impossible immediately, at least start a regular pattern of saving. This will give you the saving habit and emotionally make you feel that you have backup money available, even if you have no intention of spending it.

By following these guidelines you will begin to accumulate the investments you need for your money to self perpetuate. The energy that you will be generating by your thoughts and actions will be working in your favor and the growth will start to expand exponentially. As your riches begin to grow and expand you will begin to attract more to you, and then you will have the financial freedom to be able enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Wallace Wattles said: “There is a science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic. There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches, and once these laws are learned and obeyed by anyone, that person will get rich with mathematical certainty.”

Now we will take a little time to consider some of the universal laws. It is essential to your success that you work in harmony with these laws, because as you do you will begin to reap amazing benefits.

See yourself mastering the following five laws which relate to success and prosperity. Many studies have proven that when you are using these laws and have your life aligned with them, you will reach your goals much more quickly than people who have no knowledge of them. Obviously, it is easier to move with the natural flow of things, rather than trying to push against the universal forces.

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

How do you use the law of attraction to bring you the success you deserve? As you know, the law of attraction works by bringing to you all that you think about and focus strongly upon.

Clearly, the first step is believing that you can and will achieve success. Do you believe that you can be a success? If you find it hard to really believe that you will be successful, you have only to remember successful times in your past. All of us have had some success, big or small that we can build upon to change our inner beliefs about future success. If it’s true that you have had past successes, then it is possible to have success in the future.

Just see yourself becoming a magnet for success by visualizing a successful outcome and knowing without a doubt that your energy is making all the pieces fit, and that before long the whole will come together and materialize for you. Build up positive emotions as you think about your future, remembering that it is your emotional energy that becomes the magnet that attracts like energy to it.

Each day, focus on the successful outcome of your goals. Make your request clear to the universe, by stating in detail what you want to eventuate, adding the words, “this or something better, for the good of all concerned”. Each day, take some action to move you towards the successful outcome you want.

Once you have given a clear objective to the universe and your sub-conscious, let go of how it will be achieved, as very often help and progress will come from areas you have never even thought about. Allow the universe to work on your behalf, without limiting the resources it can bring to bear to achieve your desired outcome.

THE LAW OF VACUUM

In every instance a vacuum has to be created in order to make room for new gifts or changed circumstances to appear. You can see that whenever a vacuum is created the natural order of things is to fill it, in just the way water will move towards a hole in the ground and fill it up. Need a new wardrobe? Give away all the clothes that you don’t wear or don’t fit, then wait for the vacuum to be filled, with clothes which are perfect for you.

Would you like new friends who are positive and in tune with your own beliefs? Then create a vacuum by letting go of some of your present friends who drain your energy and don’t and anything to your life.

The lesson here is that if there is not a vacuum, there is no room for anything new. First create the vacuum, then attract into your life people, situations and gifts that are perfect for you.

Try this for yourself, and you will soon see that it works. Take a moment to think of something you would like to change then create a vacuum in that area, then watch how that space will be filled by the good things you want.

THE LAW OF DESIRE

It is said that you become what you strongly think about and focus on, and this is true. The more you think about the things you want, the stronger they are imprinted in your sub-conscious mind, and thus your super-conscious mind, which automatically goes to work to bring about balance between your internal thoughts and your reality.

Whatever you really desire to happen in your life is automatically directed to you if you constantly hold that desire strongly in your heart and mind.

This law is strengthened by using vivid imagination combined with powerful emotions, and the more dominant your emotions are in visualizing what you want, the sooner that reality materializes into your life.

THE LAW OF GIVING

This law is based upon the principal of cause and effect.

There is a natural order of things which works on the principle that everything eventually balances out. As you know everything is in motion, and everything is made of energy, therefore nothing is ever stationary. Knowing this makes it obvious that in order to allow energy to flow; you must work with the process by circulating your energy in forms of time, goods and money.

Clearly, the flow of resources is essential in order for riches of any kind to move from one person to another.

You can see can’t you, that by holding on to the small amount that you have can stifle your spirit, and shows a lack of faith which stops the flow coming your way.

The fact is that the more you give, the more you receive. In addition, for this law to work, it is important that your motive is right, by giving with a willing heart, and not just so that you can receive. When you give joyfully, without thought of return, you can receive up to a hundredfold increase.

It is a paradox that things which we don’t hold onto too strongly are easy for us to get and enjoy, but things which we hold tightly can be lost, sometimes in an instant.

Remember that you are only a steward of all you have. You can take none of it with you to the grave. Therefore it makes sense to hold your riches lightly. Enjoy them with appreciation, knowing that they are for a time only.

The Dalai Lama said; “The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.”

SUCCESS & HEALTH

It is true that unless you enjoy good health, you can’t enjoy any other part of your life. Poor health or lack of energy will spoil any kind of pleasure, and your health to a large part is in your hands.

You can see how important it is to develop healthy habits and make good lifestyle choices in order to keep or improve your health. Clearly the rewards far outweigh the effort, with increased energy, more strength and stamina, and the promise of a longer, happier life.

Why not make the commitment to yourself that you will take all the steps needed to become as fit and energetic as you can be, and enjoy all the rewards good health returns to you?

Whatever your situation, you can always improve it. If you have an illness or disability, then you may have to work around that, or even take specialist advice as to what is permissible and what is not, but your health can always be improved, and that can only be beneficial.

Gain without pain is impossible. If it was that easy, then you would not see all the unhealthy and overweight folk walking around, and the health and diet industry would not be so huge. Learn to aim for your long term health and fitness rather than the instant gratification.

As with all other areas of success, you will have to formulate a plan and determine that you are going to stick to it in order to achieve your goals. You may have to make some uncomfortable choices, in order to achieve maximum health, and start considering your health as a change in lifestyle rather than a short term diet or exercise routine.

Our bodies were designed to move and work, and need regular movement to remain supple and healthy. Regrettably, in the modern world, everything is designed as ‘labor saving’, which sounds good, but has created a whole generation of overweight, unhealthy individuals. In the ‘good old days’, just normal living involved much more effort than it does now, and in those days even your normal daily routine required a lot of physical effort.

You already know that regular exercise is essential to maintain your range of movement and staying power. How can you achieve or even enjoy your other goals if you are too tired to move off the couch?

Today, decide to start your new exercise regime, and set out a plan, with ultimate good health as the goal to aim for. You could start with as little as walking for a few blocks each evening, building up to thirty to sixty minutes of exercise each day over a period. You could employ a personal trainer, or join a gym, if these options are within your budget. The secret is to make a start, however small.

Make simple changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator; park the car further away from work and walk the rest of the way. Look for other ways to exercise during your daily routine, such as playing with the kids or gardening.

It’s true that the more you exercise, the easier it becomes. In time you will find that the endorphin’s that your body releases when you exercise are pleasurable, and actually improve your mood. They have other health benefits too, such as reducing blood pressure and improving your frame of mind.

Food is one of the essential ingredients of life, and is not something that you can totally give up. However, modern food production is a multi-billion dollar industry, which tries to make it as easy as possible for you to eat loaded calories, without thinking.

To progress in the industry, much of the modern fast food we eat has additives which are designed to titillate your palate, and as a result can be habit forming. Because the food is attractive, we crave more of it, and as a result usually end up overeating.

Obviously you can’t stop eating altogether, but you can change eating habits. Stop and think before you eat, and ask yourself if the food you are about to consume is going to nourish you, or is moving you one step closer to ill-health.

You have to make a plan to control your eating, and plan out meals more carefully, rather than taking the easy option of eating ready-meals or takeaways. There are more diet books available for you to read than I could mention, and all claim to have the answer, but these days most of us know what type of foods we should eat and the ones that we should eat sparingly, and common sense should enable us to choose wisely. If you are not sure, get a book on nutrition from the library or your local bookstore.

Start by making small changes in your eating habits; choose the fresh fruits and vegetables and eat less of the fats, cakes and cookies. Get into the habit of speaking out the affirmations that will assist you before you eat, for instance: “I always choose the foods and drinks that will foster my well-being”

Take responsibility for your eating, as will power alone will not work. You could for instance decide that you will take a half hour walk at lunchtime, and that you will take a healthy lunch to work instead of buying fast food.

Choose a plan that you can stick to, and eliminate temptation by only having healthy food in the pantry and taking a route to work that by passes the takeaways. Your food choices start in the supermarket. Shop around the edges, where all the fresh food can be found.

You will know if you need to deal with any other unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or taking drugs. You will have heard that today some people are becoming addicted to prescription drugs, such as painkillers, which are just as habit-forming as the hard drugs. If these are issues for you, I would encourage you to seek professional help to kick the habit.

When setting new goals please make them specific, by writing out exactly what you will do. For instance: “each day I will walk around the park exercise track for thirty minutes”, and not “I will take more exercise”

You can see can’t you that if you set a measurable outcome, for example, “I will lose twenty pounds”, you are more likely to succeed, and will have something to monitor progress by?

Always ensure that you have a timeline, such as “I will lose seven pounds within three months”

Make a plan and work on your plan, monitoring it and adapting it as and when necessary.

Set up your environment to serve you and not hinder. For instance, if you have a goal to lose weight, then don’t have high calorie foods in the cupboard. Just don’t buy them, and stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Make yourself accountable for your actions. If you eat something that you have decided to give up, then you must take an extra thirty minute walk the next day, or forego some treat that you wanted. Even so, don’t give up if you slip once. Take it in your stride, and keep to your overall plan.

Live one day at a time. If you fall down one day, don’t worry. Resolve to do better tomorrow.

Abraham Lincoln said: “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”

SOWING & REAPING

The law of sowing and reaping governs all areas of your life. Obviously you cannot expect to grow flowers or vegetables in your garden unless you sow seed, and it is the same in everything else. Every day you are sowing ideas, discipline, effort and determination, and by doing this you are sowing for success.

Truthfully, the farmer doesn’t just plant his crop and then wait for the harvest, without any further effort. Each day he has to weed, water, scare off birds and generally take care of the seeds he has sown. This is the effort he sows into his crop. You achieve success in the same way as the farmer, sowing your resources, time and effort. It is a fact that every one of the small actions that you take from the moment you wake up until the time you go to sleep are forming your future.

You can only work one day at a time, so it is important to use this day productively. You can only live in this moment, and can only sow those seeds today, as you consciously decide the crop you want to create for tomorrow.

Jean De La Fontaine said: “Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.”

SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS

Truly, there is no short cut to success. Success is achieved by consistent daily effort, focusing on your goals and doing the tasks that need to be done. A lot of people in today’s world expect everything to be instant, including success, but this is rarely achievable.

You have probably heard that some actor or comedian has become an overnight success, but the truth is that they have probably toiled for years honing their art before their big break which makes them well known.

Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy used in business, and it means that success is gained by the use of constant incremental improvements made towards your goal. The theory is that as you improve, you get closer to the ideal, or perfection, but never actually achieve that perfection, as the yardstick for perfection changes.

There are countless schemes that bombard us daily, trying to seduce us into investing money or time, but these schemes usually only benefit the people operating the scheme. They are successful at using your resources! Many of these get rich quick schemes are the pyramid type of operations that only benefit the players at the top of the chain. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true!

Remember that each moment, each hour, each day, each week, each month, each year will pass, whether you make improvements or not, so get into action today! Imagine yourself looking back in five years time and see how far you have come, and the great strides you will have made.

George Bernard Shaw said: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”

UNLOCK SUCCESS BY DISSOLVING YOUR FEAR

It is so true that fear can be a huge barrier to your success. Do you remember times when fear and worry has stopped you in your tracks? You couldn’t think straight, and had no idea how you were going to get yourself out of the mess. Face it – fear, stress and worry are killers. Most people are aware that worrying over a prolonged time can cause all sorts of unpleasant illness’s and disease.

It is a fact that, “fear of success” is one of the most prevalent fears around. You may question this and say why would anyone be afraid of success? But think, have there been times when you have inexplicably sabotaged your life just when everything was going well? Some people put an imagined ceiling on their level of success, and some fear that their friends will resent a success greater than their own.

The other side of the coin is “fear of failure” that can stop you even trying. For instance you may wish to be a successful author, but keep making excuses not to finish the novel or send it to be published, in case it is rejected.

Imagine what it would be like if you could deal with your fear as soon as it reared its ugly head.

So how do you overcome the waves of fear when they wash over you?

A good start is to ask yourself “what is the worst that could happen?” When you imagine the very worst outcome, you will probably realize that you could deal with it. But often when you analyze your situation honestly, you will find that the actual situation is not as bad as you had thought, and in any case you could cope should the worst transpire.

On the contrary, imagine yourself believing that the best will happen – visualize the optimum outcome in detail. You know that you have the ability to attract the best scenario, simply by putting out the confident energy which will activate the universal storehouse on your behalf.

Then you will find that taking the risk is worth it after all, as you can influence the outcome. So exercise your courage, step out and face your fears. The only way to overcome anxieties is to face them.

The saying “It is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all” is true!

Just remember that worry is a form of negative prayer, and creates unwanted energy. If you push ahead through the fear, you will discover that you have a natural strength that will always see you through.

Check the status of your worry and if that worry isn’t life threatening, then it is just not worth expending energy on it. Ninety-nine percent of your worries will never happen, and even those that do, usually are never as bad as you can imagine them to be.

Conserve your life-energy to use in reaching your goals, and let go of all despondency. Every day is a new opportunity to begin your life afresh. You are stronger than you may think and when you keep sending out positive energy the universe has to respond by turning everything around for your good.

Norman Vincent Peale said: “People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.”

SUCCESSFUL ACTION EXPLAINED

I think you will agree that true success needs action on your behalf. If you drift along aimlessly, you will end up in a place that you don’t want to be – nowhere! Consider this – if you are going on a journey, in order to arrive at your destination, you need to know where that destination is, and you need to plan a route to get there.

Clearly, how much more important it is then, to plan your life’s journey. By setting out your goals and aspirations on paper, and then following up with an action plan that you monitor regularly, you are setting out a route plan for your life. Therefore, you actually do have to take action.

When you fail to take action after you have made your goals, you are letting yourself be tossed by the waves of circumstance, and you will feel anxiety and confusion, as your life is out of control. Many people make goals, and then just forget them. You actually have to monitor them and act upon them. If you don’t take action to improve your situation, it won’t change, and the longer you allow this to continue, the more confused and lost you will feel.

Do you find yourself tired by what life has thrown at you? If this is the case you may find it difficult to even begin to consider making changes. Don’t worry, just make a start in a small way; decide on a minor goal, achieve that one, then make another. Little by little you begin so see the benefits of taking action and control of your life, and the action habit will grow on you. Before you know it your circumstances will have improved dramatically.

As I have pointed out before, your thoughts are very powerful, and influence your life dramatically. Challenge each negative thought and take control of your old ways of thinking by using the tools provided previously. You will quickly train your mind and create new thought patterns and inner beliefs. If you use your remarkable gift of imagination and your ability to influence your reality, you can do it.

You can see that by using the strength of your emotions to move in the right direction, you are directing your thoughts into thinking positively, and very soon new doors of opportunity will open up for you.

The bottom line for success is to complete some activity each day that will move you towards your goal. Truly, imagining, dreaming and planning are ineffective without action. Don’t delay – start today by taking action.

Thomas Jefferson said: “Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.”

UNLOCK YOUR SUCCESS BY GIVING SERVICE

One measure of success is how much better you make the lives of your fellow man. Ask yourself, how much good do you contribute to the lives of your family and friends? It is so true that when you have a genuine attitude of service and look for opportunities to serve others by helping them achieve their dreams, you benefit enormously yourself.

Opportunities have a way of presenting themselves when you are willing to help other people. If you take up these opportunities you benefit in many ways. It gives you feelings of satisfaction, well-being, fulfillment, and peace. By the law of cause and effect that assistance can never be wasted and will always be repaid in some way. For instance, if you were in a position to offer a job to someone who has a poor work history, you may help them to achieve stability, and you will find that you have the best employee you could hope for.

Consider this – you are probably among the most privileged five per cent of the world’s population. If you don’t have to worry about where your next meal is coming from, and your life is not normally in danger from wars, starvation or disease or the whim of a local warlord, then you are blessed.

For millions of people this is their reality, making their life so very insecure. When you think about how privileged you are, you really do have a moral duty to help those less fortunate whenever you can.

Helping others makes you feel good emotionally, and offers you tremendous benefits. By helping other people you send out positive energy that returns to you multiplied many times over. New opportunities will be opened up to you that may not have happened otherwise. Look for ways you can practice the law of service every day and in return receive all the blessings that will pour into your life.

Dr Patrick Gentempo advises; “What you thought before has led to every choice you have made, and this adds up to you at this moment. If you want to change who you are physically, mentally, and spiritually, you will have to change what you think.”

ACHIEVING SUCCESS THROUGH SELF-KNOWLEDGE

In order to achieve success in life you need to know yourself, like yourself and learn to trust yourself. Socrates said: “an unexamined life is not worth living”. This means that many of you take your life for granted and waste much of it by not really getting to know what you are capable of.

By taking time to get to know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, and then working to improve the areas that are weak, you will achieve your best potential.

Part of getting to know your true self is to examine your belief system. Many of your core beliefs were learnt in childhood and may no longer serve you well. You can see that your basic beliefs may be helpful or may be negatively impacting your adult life.

For example, children who have suffered physical and mental abuse are left with the belief that they are not worthy, that they don’t deserve to have a successful life. Children who have suffered sexual abuse are often overweight as adults in order to repel sexual advances.

If there are core beliefs from your past that are holding you back from achieving your potential, it is time to let them go. Begin by making a list of your current self beliefs and examine them, deciding which ones are beneficial and which are not.

These beliefs affect the way you see yourself in the world and the way you believe the world sees you. They may be restrictive, such as, “I will never amount to much” or they may be good for you, such as, “I am creative and talented and the world is my oyster”

To change the unwanted beliefs, pretend you are in a court of law and argue the opposite viewpoint to what you now believe, and this will enable you see that the events that happened to you as a child were not under your control. Had things been different, you would never have accepted such a damaging core belief.

It may be that you need professional help to change your core values and harmful thinking. If this is the case, ensure that you get it soon and stop the damage now. Your core beliefs can be changed and replaced by self-serving ones that will move you closer to your success.

Warren G. Bennis said: “You are your own raw material. When you know what you consist of and what you want to make of it, then you can invent yourself.”

LEAVING A LEGACY

Imagine for a moment, that you are looking down on your family and friends after you have left this bodily plain. Do they miss you? Are they grateful for the part you played in their life?

Do they remember times when you were a soft place for them to fall? Or do they remember you being too busy working, or perhaps watching television to be there for them? What was important to you as you lived your life?

Everyone wants to believe that they will be remembered lovingly. Whatever you do during your life, you leave a legacy to the ones you leave behind. That legacy can be worthwhile or can be detrimental, as no-one walks on this earth without leaving some form of footprint.

Wouldn’t you agree that your wish is for your children and grandchildren to benefit from the legacy that you leave them, whatever form it may take? You may leave a financial inheritance, but a more powerful bequest could be that you established good values and character in them, and part of you is reflected in the good character of your family. Clearly, you would want the footprints you leave on the heart of a child to have played a part in building up their self-esteem and happiness.

It is so true that respect and affection have to be earned, and can not be bought or gained by force. Obviously, all of you have great talents but not everyone can leave gifts such as works of art, music, and books or push through policies that change the world. Even so, everyone does and can influence the people around them by their actions. For instance helping a needy neighbor, being a good friend, or supporting worthwhile charities.

Most people admire the angels who have dedicated their lives to serving people, like Mother Teresa, or Doctors Catherine and Reg Hamlin who established and ran the fistula clinic in Ethiopia. I believe these people have a special grace that enables them to endure an uncomfortable lifestyle and often emotional and physical hardships to be a blessing to others.

Here’s the truth. You have exceptional gifts and talents that are yours and no-one else’s.  Now, let me ask you a personal question – have you used your gifts to the best of your ability?

Really think about it – your talents were given to you to enable you to fulfill your destiny, and not one other person can step up in your place, if you decide not to not to use them. You know that not one single person in the world has exactly your combination of attributes and it is your responsibility to use them for the good of the world and those around you.

I encourage you to actively seek to leave behind a memorable legacy in the way you live your life now, in the way you give, both to your family and your fellow man or woman. Then you will know that your life has been a success.

I just know that you have what it takes to make all of your dreams come true. Have faith in yourself, for you are a unique and magnificent person. Walk each day in integrity, kindness and love, as the universe always rewards these qualities. You cannot fail when you truly believe. You are ready for success!

I would like to finish with these words by Ralph Waldo Emerson who gives one of the best definitions of success that I have heard:

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded.”

Thank you for reading and may all your dreams come true.