A LITTLE EQUATION THAT CREATES BIG RESULTS by Chris Widener

"The purpose of man is in action not thought." - Thomas Carlyle

Often people will ask me how I get so much done in my life. They
wonder at how I am able to accomplish so many things. The answer is
found not in what a great person I am, but in an equation I came up
with a few years ago and remind myself of on almost a daily basis.
And when I live this equation out, it produces big results. What
people don't seem to grasp is that this equation will work for
anybody! Anyone can see results in their life if they will live it
out!

This little equation, when it is understood, and acted upon, is
perhaps the most powerful equation there is in regard to long-term
achievement and accomplishment. Yet, this is not a complex equation.
In fact, it is rather simple. So what is it?

Your short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term
accomplishments.

If you want to see change in your life, see big results, the first
thing you must do is change your current actions. Otherwise the old
saying becomes a reality: "If you always do what you've always done,
you'll always get what you always got!" But if we change our actions,
we will see different results!

Most people want to accomplish a lot in their lives. Yet very few
actually do. Why is this? It is because what they believe will equal
their long-term accomplishments are wrong. Here are some of the
things that people believe will create great accomplishments for
them:

Beliefs
Vision
Big dreams
Ideas
Ideals
Values
Desire
The truth is that while these things are very important, they are not
enough in and of themselves. We need to have the above underlying all
that we do, but we need to actually do something! And this is where
most people stop. We need to take action on our dreams and beliefs
every day.
Here are some examples of how this works.

Who loses weight? The one who knows all about the benefits of
exercise or the one who walks 3 miles a day?
Who retires early? The one who dreams of a house on the beach, or the
one who invests $300 a month?
Who writes books? The one who desires to become a best-selling
author, or the one who gets up early and writes for half an hour a
day?
Who has the best marital relationship? The one who knows how much
spending time with their spouse can improve their relationship, or
the one who sits down and talks with their spouse every night?
Who makes the most sales? The one who believes they can become a
great salesperson, or the one who makes 10 sales calls a day?
I think you get the point. When it all comes down to it, we must act
upon our vision, beliefs, and ideals or we won't see them come to
fruition. I see too many people who know what is right, but don't
ever do anything about it. Imagine what a difference we could make in
our own lives and the lives of others if we would simply begin to act
upon on our beliefs!
When I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I have done all
that I can to make this world a better place and to enhance the lives
of those around me. I want to know that I gave it my best shot. And I
am sure that you do to.

I remember reading an interview with an author who has written
numerous books that have sold in the tens of millions. They asked him
how he did it. His answer was that he got up every morning before
anyone else in his family and wrote, long hand, with a pencil, for an
hour. Then he quit and went about his day. But his short-term actions
piled up. Seven hours a week...30 hours a month...365 hours a year.
After a while, he had lots of books!

Some questions as we leave:

What long-term accomplishments do you want to see come to pass?

What short-term actions will you need to do over time to see them
come to pass?

What will you do today to begin seeing your dreams come true?

What will you do this week to see them come true?

You can have an awesome future, filled with great achievements and
results if you begin today to take action and make it a reality!
One more time, so you can plug it in, memorize it, and live it.

Your short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term
accomplishments.

LABOR THAT WORKS MIRACLS by Jim Rohn

(Excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed
audio series)

Two thousand years ago on April 15th one of Jesus' disciples came to
him and said it was time to pay taxes (that's how I know it was
around April 15th), but they had no money. In response to his
disciple's statement Jesus said "no problem". Now why could he
say "no problem"? Well, word had it that Jesus was a miracle
worker. If you hand a problem to a miracle worker what they are
inclined to say is "no problem". You've got to hang out with people
like that.

I belong to a small group and we do business around the world. These
guys are all miracle workers. What an incredible group. If you hand
any of them a problem guess what they say, "no problem". How many
books will they read to solve a problem? As many as it takes. If
they need to consult - how much consulting will they do? As much as
it takes. How early will they get up? As early as it takes. "No
problem"... you got to hang out with people like that. You cannot
believe the thrill of being associated with miracle workers, people
who will do whatever it takes to get the job done and perform
miracles.

When asked about paying the taxes Jesus said it was "no problem". In
fact, he said it was going to be easy - he told the disciple to just
go fishing. Now it couldn't have been any easier than that,
especially for this disciple whose name was Peter, because Peter was
a fisherman. Now if you can fish and you should fish and you don't
fish - then that is why you do not get a miracle. But Jesus told his
disciple to go fishing and the first fish that he caught to look in
its mouth. Peter, who was used to strange things happening, agreed.
Well, the first fish Peter catches, he looks in its mouth and finds
coins. Peter then adds up the coins and they are exactly enough to
pay his and Jesus' taxes.

"Wow!", you might say, "That is a miracle!" Here is why we call it a
miracle - simply because we don't quite understand how it works.
That's all. Doesn't mean it doesn't work, it just means we don't
quite understand how it works. Which is true of all miracles. In
fact, for most of us - our whole life is a miracle.

How about this miracle...God says if you plant the seed I will make
the tree. Wow, you can't have a better arrangement than that.
First, it gives God the tough end of the deal. What if you had to
make a tree? That would keep you up late at night trying to figure
out how to make a tree. God says, "No, leave the miracle part to
me. I've got the seed, the soil, the sunshine, the rain and the
seasons. I'm God and all this miracles stuff is easy for me. I have
reserved something very special for you and that is to plant the
seed."

I have found in life that if you want a miracle you first need to do
whatever it is you can do - if that's to plant, then plant; if it is
to read, then read; if it is to change, then change; if it is to
study, then study; if it is to work, then work; whatever you have to
do. And then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that
works miracles.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

AMBITIOUSLY PURSUING YOUR OWN SELF_DIRECTION by Jim Rohn

(Excerpted from The Power of Ambition series)**
What is the origin of true ambition? There exists really only one
place to find true ambition and that is within you - in every
thought, in every movement, in every motivation. Your ambition is an
expression of who you truly are, your own self-expression.

Self-expression. Isn't self-expression really self-direction? How
you think, how you move, how you motivate yourself. Ambition is a
result of self-direction and self-direction is one of the six key
principles necessary for building ambition. Positive self-direction
says, "I know who I am and I know where I want to go. I'm
accumulating knowledge and experiences and feelings and philosophies
that will help prepare me for opportunities that I know will show up
without notice or any help on my part." Because you know where you
want to go, you have already been working on the parts of your
personality that will make you better. Working on your attitude,
working on your health, working on your time management skills.
Putting it all down on paper. And you constantly see yourself in the
place you want to be, going in the direction you want to go.

Direction determines destination. So here is a question you must ask
yourself, "Are all the disciplines that I'm currently engaged in
taking me where I want to go?" What an important question to ask
yourself at the beginning of the month, the beginning of the week,
the beginning of the day. Because here is what you don't ever want
to do - kid yourself. Kid your neighbor, kid me and kid the
marketplace, but don't kid yourself - fingers crossed - hoping you
will arrive at a good destination when you're not even headed that
way. You have to ask yourself often, AM I? Am I doing the
disciplines that are taking me in the direction I want to go? Don't
neglect to ask these important questions, questions that help
determine your direction, the set of your sail, your destination.

Is this the direction I want for my life?
Is this someone else's direction?
Is this a goal I have been ingrained with since my childhood?
Is this goal my parent's, my spouse's, my boss', my children's or is
it MINE?

Ask yourself these questions and then debate them. After you have
answered these questions within yourself, then take it one step
further and ask, "What am I doing that is working or not working?"
Debate it all. Work with your mind to figure out the best possible
direction for you - your self-direction. And then ambitiously pursue
your own self-direction. Let the power of your own ambition take you
where you want to go, to do what you want to do, to create the life
you want to live!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Love the Opportunity

Somebody said you have to love what you do, but that's not necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the opportunity. The opportunity to build life, future, health, success and fortune. Knocking on someone's door may not be something you love to do, but you love the opportunity of what might be behind that door.

For example, a guy says, "I'm digging ditches. Should I love digging ditches?" The answer is, "No, you don't have to love digging ditches, but if it is your first entry onto the ladder of success, you say, 'I'm glad somebody gave me the opportunity to dig ditches and I'm going to do it so well, I won't be here long.'"

You can be inspired by having found something; even though you are making mistakes in the beginning and even though it is a little distasteful taking on a new discipline that you haven't learned before. You don't have to love it, you just have to learn to appreciate America, appreciate opportunity and appreciate the person who brought you the good news; that found you.

Appreciate the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself, appreciate the person who said, "Hey, if I can do it, you can do it."

If you will embrace the disciplines associated with the new opportunity you will soon find that your self-confidence starts to grow, that you go from being a skeptic to being a believer. And soon when you go out person to person, talking to people, you will find it to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world. Every person you meet - what could it be? Unlimited! Maybe a friend for life. The next person could be an open door to retiring. The next person could be a colleague for years to come. It's big time stuff. And sometimes in the beginning when we are just getting started we don't always see how big it is.

So, before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember all success is based on long term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few stepping stones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it's sure to be one of the stones that lead to great opportunities in the future.

To Your Success, Jim Rohn

LIFESTYLE

It,s really not hard to learn the art of living well. Even people
with
modest means can experience the sophisticated lifestyle. They simply
save up some of thier soda money for a bottle of fine wine. They skip
going to the movies and attend the theater. By saving up thier money
all year, they have enough for a trip to Europe or a fine work of art.

Don't spend all of your money a quarter at a time. Save up and buy
something special, something fine, something of lasting value, or
something that will give you rich memories for a lifetime. Remember,
all that candy money can add up to a small fortune. And for a
sophisticated person, quality is far more important than quantity.
Better a few treasures than a house full of junk.
Jim Rohn

MILLION DOLLAR SMILE

Each year this organization of men came to the Children's Home Society Orphanage.

All the boys and girls would get two dollars each. The men would take us in groups of five to downtown Jacksonville, Florida, to do some Christmas shopping.

I remember going with this one gentleman three years in a row. He would take us shopping, then he would ask us if we wanted to go to the movies. I remember watching him closely when we got to the theater. I watched him as he pulled out his wallet to pay for our tickets. He looked over at me and just smiled with his great big smile. During the movie he bought us all the popcorn and candy that we wanted. I remember thinking how wonderful it was that someone would spend their own money on someone like us.

We all laughed at the funny movie and had a really good time. The man would laugh really hard and then he would pat me on top of the head. Then he would laugh really hard again and reach over and rustle my hair. I would just look at him, and he would just keep smiling with his great big wonderful smile.

That trip to the movies was the first time in my life that I ever felt as if someone really cared about me. It was a wonderful feeling which I have never forgotten, even to this day, decades later. I don't know if that man felt sorry for me, but I do know this: If I ever win the big lottery, that man will find out that he carried a million-dollar smile.

This is why I believe it is so important that organizations and clubs, such as the Shriners and Jaycees, continue to reach out and help the children who are less fortunate. In my particular case, it was this one man's personal act of kindness that will be remembered for years to come. Just one little simple act of kindness.

It is these little-tiny acts that will insure that when some confused child goes off the deep end one day, he or she will forever remember that small glimmer of kindness that was shown to them by someone. That little speck of hope, that little dim light of goodness that will forever be stuck somewhere in the far reaches of their confused mind.

I thank you, kind Sir, for a memory which I now share with my children and grandchildren fifty years later.

Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. Author

THE SEASONS OF LIFE by Jim Rohn, Part 5 of 5

This week is Part Five of our five part series on The Seasons
of Life.

In Part One of the series we discussed:

a) That life is about constant, predictable patterns of
change.

b) For all of us, the only constant factor is our feelings
and attitudes toward life.

c) We as human beings have the power of attitude and that
attitude determines choice, and choice determines results.

In Part Two of our series we discussed:

a) Life and business are like the changing seasons.

b) You cannot change the seasons, but you can change
yourself.

c) A major lesson in life to learn is how to handle the
winters.

d) Winter time allows you to get stronger, wiser, better. The
winters won't change, but you can.

In Part Three of our series we discussed:

a) Spring is the season for entering the fertile fields of
life with seed, knowledge, commitment, and a determined
effort.

b) It is the promise of spring that as we sow, so shall we
also reap, that for every disciplined human effort we will
receive a multiple reward.

c) There are just a handful of springs that have been handed
to each of us. Don't just let the seasons pass by.

In Part Four of our series we discussed:

a) Summer is a time of testing. All good will be attacked,
and every garden will be invaded.

b) All values must be defended.

c) Every garden must be tended all summer. If you don't
develop this skill, you'll never wind up with anything of
value.

Now, in our fifth and final week, we will talk about fall, the
time of harvesting the fruits of our springtime labor. Fall
also presents us with our forth major lesson to learn in life,
and that is to learn how to reap in the fall without apology
if you have done well and without complaint if you have not.

For nothing is more exciting than a bounteous crop, and
nothing more dreadful than a barren field in the fall. We must
remember that in all areas of the human existence, what we put
into this world, we get back from it. It is nature's way of
evening the score. So regardless of the results, take full
responsibility for your crop. One of the highest forms of
human maturity is accepting full responsibility for our lives.

Which brings me back to the begginning of our discussion in
week one. We must remember that life is constantly recycling
itself. Much of life is about the balancing of two opposites;
like the positive and negative charge on a battery. Life's
balancing of opposites totally surrounds our lives; man/woman,
day/night, good/evil, life/death, water/land, summer/winter,
recession/expansion, joy/sorrow, etc.

Yes, I believe we will have major changes, but I also believe
we will continue to have just one winter, spring, summer and
fall each year. Much of our success will lie in our ability
and philosophy to plant in the springtime of opportunity. To
weed and cultivate in the testing time of summer, to harvest
without apology and/or complaint in the results time of fall
and to get stronger, wiser, better in the transition and
learning times of winter.

Remember it is not what happens to you that determines your
future, it is what you do about it.

So here's to a great, faith filled and prosperous new upcoming
year.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

THE SEASONS OF LIFE by Jim Rohn, Part 4 of 5

This week is Part Four of our five part series on The Season's
of Life.

In Part One of the series we discussed:

a) That life is about constant, predictable patterns
of change.

b) For all of us, the only constant factor is our feelings
and attitudes toward life.

c) We as human beings have the power of attitude and that
attitude determines choice, and choice determines
results.

In Part Two of our series we discussed:

a) Life and business are like the changing seasons.

b) You cannot change the seasons, but you can change
yourself.

c) A major lesson in life to learn is how to handle
the winters.

d) Winter time allows you to get stronger, wiser, better.
The winters won't change, but you can.

In Part Three of our series we discussed:

a) Spring is the season for entering the fertile fields
of life with seed, knowledge, commitment, and a
determined effort.

b) It is the promise of spring that as we sow, so shall
we also reap, that for every disciplined human effort
we will receive a multiple reward.

c) There are just a handful of springs that have been
handed to each of us. Don't just let the seasons
pass by.

This week we will talk about the third major lesson in life to
learn; how to nourish and protect your crops all summer. Sure
enough, as soon as you've planted, the busy bugs and noxious
weeds are out to take things over. Here is the next bit of
truth: they will take it, unless you prevent it.

There are two key phrases to consider with the third major
lesson. The first is "all good will be attacked." Don't press
me for a reason. I was not in on some of the early decisions,
so I don't know why. I just know that it's true. Let reality
be your best beginning. Every garden will be invaded.

The second phrase is "all values must be defended." Social
values, political values, friendship values, business values -
all must be defended. Every garden must be tended all summer.
If you don't develop this skill, you'll never wind up with
anything of value.

But for those who make diligent efforts to plant, protect, and
preserve there are not enough birds, bugs, or other obstacles
to destroy all the efforts of last spring.

(Next week we will talk about fall, the time of harvesting the
fruits from our springtime labor.)

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Mark Victor Hansen

I've told people thousands of times that they've just go to ask for
what they want. And I find that most people only have one problem
with this directive...They don't KNOW what they want!

You can't ask for what you want unless you know what it is!

In this exercise, I'm going to start you on a wonderful path of
painting your dreams into reality. I'm going to teach you the secrets
behind setting – and achieving – your greatest ambitions.

Before we set off on this path together, let me make one thing very
clear: The word "goals" can be intimidating – it can feel so
overbearing that it keeps people from even beginning the process. So,
let's instead think of goals as a "To Do List With Deadlines."

Do the deadlines have to be tomorrow? Next week? Of course not. This
is your To Do List for the rest of your life. Goals can be added to,
subtracted from and – most importantly – scratched off the list – as
you move through your life.

Here's a checklist to ensure you're using a successful framework to
set your To Do List:

Your most important goals must be yours. Not your spouse's. Not your
child's. Not your employer's. Yours. When you let other people
determine your definition of success, you're sabotaging your own
future.

Your goals must mean something to you. When you write your goals, you
must ask yourself, "What's really important to me?" "What am I
prepared to give up to make this happen?" Your reasons for charting a
new course of action give you the drive and energy to get up every
morning.

Your goals must be specific and measurable. Vague generalizations and
wishy-washy statements aren't good enough. Be very specific!

Your goals must be flexible. A flexible plan keeps you from feeling
suffocated and allows you to take advantage of genuine opportunities
that walk in your future door.

Your goals must be challenging, exciting. Force yourself to jump out
of your comfort zone to acquire that energy and edge.

Your goals must be in alignment with your values. Pay attention to
your intuition, your gut. When you set a goal that contradicts your
values, something inside will twinge. Pay attention.

Your goals must be well-balanced. Make sure you include areas that
allow time to relax, have fun and enjoy people in your closest
circle.

Your goals must be realistic. Be expansive but don't be ridiculous. If
you're four feet tall, you will probably never play in the NBA. Also,
be sure to allow yourself time to get there.

Your goals must include contribution. Unfortunately, many people get
so wrapped up in pursuing their goals that they don't have time in
their lives to give something back to society. Build this into your
goals program.

Your goals need to be supported. Either selectivity share a few of
your dreams with a number of people, or share all of your dreams with
a select few people. In either case, you're creating a web of support
and accountability for yourself.

Go For the Gusto – 101 Goals!

It's time to get started on your master plan. Give yourself some quiet
time, put on some relaxing music...and write down 101 goals.

Open your mind to ALL the possibilities. Start each goal with "I am"
or "I will." Don't even THINK about restricting yourself! To help you
with this process, here are some key questions to ask yourself:

What do I want to do?
What do I want to have?
Where do I want to go?
What contribution do I want to make?
What do I want to learn?
Who do I want to meet and spend my time with?
How much do I want to earn, save and invest?
What will I do for fun and optimum health?
This process may take two hours. It may take two weeks. Don't stop
until you have 101 goals. Remember, you're building your better life
here – it's the only life you have.

_____


Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series,
has for more than 25 years, uniquely focused on the vital elements of
human behavior that most affect our personal and professional lives
and has influenced society's top leaders and the general public on a
global scale.

THE SEASONS OF LIFE by Jim Rohn, Part 3 of 5

This week is part three of our five part series on The
Season's of Life.

In Part One of the series, I stated:

a) That life is about constant, predictable patterns
of change.

b) For all of us, the only constant factor is our feelings
and attitudes toward life.

c) We as human beings have the power of attitude and that
attitude determines choice, and choice determines
results.

In Part Two of our series, I stated:

a) Life and business are like the changing seasons.

b) You cannot change the seasons, but you can change
yourself.

c) A major lesson in life to learn is how to handle
the winters.

d) Winter time allows you to get stronger, wiser, better.
The winters won't change, but you can.

This week we talk about spring. Fortunately, following the
turbulence of winter comes the season of activity and
opportunity called springtime. It is the season for entering
the fertile fields of life with seed, knowledge, commitment,
and a determined effort.

However, the mere arrival of spring is no sign that things are
going to look good in the fall. You must do something with
the spring. In fact, everyone has to get good at one of two
things: planting in the spring or begging in the fall. Take
advantage of the day and the opportunities that spring can
bring.

It is the promise of spring that as we sow, so shall we also
reap. Faith further provides to us an irrevocable law decreed
in heaven which assures that for every disciplined human
effort we will receive a multiple reward. For each cup
planted, a bushel reaped, for every good idea given to
another, many shall be given to us in return. For every
demonstrated act of faith, a multiplicity of the rewards, and
for every act of love given, a life of love in return.

Just remember it is a natural characteristic of springtime to
present itself ever so briefly, or to lull us into inactivity
with its bounteous beauty. Do not pause too long to soak in
the aroma of the blossoming flowers, lest you awaken to find
springtime gone with your seed still in your sack.

With the intelligence, wisdom, and freedom of choice given to
us as humans exercise the discipline to plant in spite of the
rocks, weeds, or other obstacles before us. The rocks, weeds,
and thorns of the world cannot destroy all your seeds if you
plant massively enough and intelligently enough. My
suggestion is to choose action, not rest. Choose truth, not
fantasy. Choose a smile, not a frown. Choose love, not
animosity. Choose the good in life in all things, and choose
the opportunity as well as the chance to work when springtime
smiles on your life.

Spring shows us that life is truly a constant beginning, a
constant opportunity, a constant springtime. We need only to
learn to look once again at life as we did as children,
letting fascination and curiosity give us welcome cause to
look for the miraculous hidden among the common.

Get busy quickly on your springs, your opportunities. There
are just a handful of springs that have been handed to each of
us. Life is brief, even at its longest. Whatever you are
going to do with your life, get at it. Don't just let the
seasons pass by.

(Next week we will talk about Summer, the time of testing.)

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

The Seasons of Life by Jim Rohn, Part 2 of 5

Yesterday we started a five part series on The Seasons of
Life.

At that time I stated that I believe there are overriding
principles that we should follow and be led by. That life is
about constant, predictable patterns of change. And that as
we approach the future; for all of us, the only constant
factor will be our feelings and attitudes toward life.
Secondly, we as human beings have the power of attitude and
that attitude determines choice, and choice determines
results. All that we are and all that we can become has
indeed been left unto us to decide and interpret through our
attitude and choices.

This week we will begin our discussion of the four seasons.
I'll start by making two comments. First, life and business
are like the changing seasons. That's one of the best ways to
illustrate life: it's like the seasons that change. Second,
you cannot change the seasons, but you can change yourself.

Now with those two key phrases in mind, let's look at what I
consider to be the first major lesson in life to learn, and
that is how to handle the winters. They come regularly, right
after autumn. Some are long, some are short, some are
difficult, some are easy, but they always come right after
autumn. That is never going to change.

There are all kinds of winters - the "winter" when you can't
figure it out, the "winter" when everything seems to go
haywire. There are economic winters, social winters and
personal winters.

Wintertime can bring disappointment, and disappointment is
common to all of us. So you must learn how to handle the
winters. You must learn how to handle difficulty; it always
comes after opportunity. You must learn to handle recessions;
they come right after expansions. That isn't going to change.

The big question is what do you do about winters? You can't
get rid of January simply by tearing it off the calendar. But
here is what you can do: you can get stronger; you can get
wiser; and you can get better. Remember that trio of words:
stronger, wiser, better. The winters won't change, but you
can.

Before I understood this, I used to wish it were summer when
it was winter. When things were difficult, I used to wish
they were easy. I didn't know any better. Then Mr. Shoaff
gave me the answer from a part of his very unique philosophy
when he said, "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were
better. Don't wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills.
Don't wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom."

(Next week we will talk about the second major lesson in life:
learning how to take advantage of the spring. Spring is
opportunity. Fortunately, spring always follows winter.)

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

General Colin Powell's Rules to Live By

1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad, then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your
position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done!
5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let
someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision.
12. Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

The Seasons of Life by Jim Rohn, Part 1 of 5

Life is about constant, predictable patterns of change. For
the six thousand years of recorded history, as humans have
entered this world, received parental instruction, classroom
instruction, and gathered the experience of life; many have
set for themselves ambitious goals, and dreamed lofty dreams.
As the wheel of life continues its constant turning, all human
emotions appear, disappear, and appear once again.

A major challenge faced by us all is that we must learn to
experience the changing of life's cycles without being changed
by them; to make a constant and conscious effort to improve
ourselves in the face of changing circumstances.

That is why I believe in the power and value of attitude. As I
read, ponder and speculate about people, their deeds and their
destiny, I become more deeply convinced that it is our natural
destiny to grow, to succeed, to prosper, and to find happiness
while we are here.

By our attitude, we decide to read, or not to read. By our
attitude, we decide to try or give up. By our attitude, we
blame ourselves for our failure, or we blame others. Our
attitude determines whether we tell the truth or lie, act or
procrastinate, advance or recede, and by our own attitude we
and we alone actually decide whether to succeed or fail.

How incredibly unique that a God who would create the complex
and immense universe would create the human race and give to
those humans the free choice that would permit them to select
their own achievement or their own destruction.

This strange, but all-knowing God gave to us a delicately
balanced sphere called earth. On it, he placed the
intelligent human who would either develop it or destroy it.
How terribly fascinating that a God would leave both
projects - earth as well as humans - unfinished! Across the
rivers and streams he built no bridges; he left the pictures
unpainted, the songs unsung, the books unwritten, and space
unexplored. For the accomplishment of those things, God
created the unfinished human who, within his heart and mind,
had the capacity to do all these things and more, depending
upon his own choice.

Attitude determines choice, and choice determines results. All
that we are, and all that we can become has indeed been left
unto us. For as long as you continue to draw breath, you have
the chance to complete the work in and for the earth and for
yourself that God has begun for you. In the cycles and
seasons of life, attitude is everything!

(Next week we will look at both winter and spring as we
continue our review of the Seasons of Life)

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

NINE THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CAPITAL

When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is
full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty
of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have
heard of people who started with no capital who went on to
make fortunes. How?, you may ask.

Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more
valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial
success. Let me give you the list.

1. Time

Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside
not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to
be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the
marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have
capital time.

How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a
fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can
perform miracles, so you invest your time.

2. Desperation

I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new
enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I
gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?"
So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she
believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make
a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product
wholesale to deliver back to the customer.

My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he
got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a
night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for
night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at
whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to
work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it
is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger
award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of
lifestyle that I know. But, his first job - night janitor.
Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I
must.

3. Determination

Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a
customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find
someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she
found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work
again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must
you invest?

4. Courage

Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1
and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good
future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances.
Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what
happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent
ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic,
unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and
finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans
short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of.
Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's
what now takes over.

5. Ambition

"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can
sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of
the future.

6. Faith

Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is
probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in
herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm
going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These
are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it.
What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be
poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the
reason why she's a millionaire today.

7. Ingenuity

Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've
put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you
employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen.
Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do.
Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more
valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of
ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work,
make it work.

8. Heart and Soul

What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money.
Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more
valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without
heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But,
heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people,
moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves
people to act, moves people to respond.

9. Personality

You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own
personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it
developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective
no matter who you talk to - whether it is a child or whether
it is a business person - whether it is a rich person or a
poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere.

My mentor Bill Bailey taught me, "You've got to learn to be
just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack
in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with
Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington,
DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with
the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no
difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to
have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of
personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's
not bent out of shape.

And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication.
Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more
valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave
you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of
it you desire, whatever development you wish for your life.
I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that
is more valuable than money and that can secure your future
and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

THE 30-DAY CHALLENGE by James Ray

One gentleman I consider to be a great mentor (although I have never
met him) is Wallace D. Wattles. Wattles wrote a trilogy of books in
the late 1800s entitled The Science of Getting Richs, The Science of
Well-Being, and The Science of Becoming Excellent. They are ALL
outstanding!
If you have read my book The Science of Success, it is probably
evident by the title that Wattles has had a strong influence on my
thinking.

I have a laminated quote from Wattles that has been sitting on my
desk for AT LEAST 2 years. This week I will give you the quote, along
with a 30-day challenge.

If you accept the challenge, it must be done first thing in the
morning before you start your day. Pick a goal and do EXACTLY what
the quote says. Then take action and EXPECT MAGIC to happen in your
life.

Here's the complete challenge:

1. Pick a goal that you want, and truly believe, you can achieve in
the next 30 days. Make it specific and clear. Create a "spiritual
prototype"/picture of this goal in your mind. Remember, you must be
IN the picture -- looking through your own eyes.

2. Commit to visualizing your goal first thing in the morning and
last thing at night every single day for the next 30 days.

3. As a part of your visualization process (either before or after)
read the Wattles quote OUT LOUD every single day for the next thirty
days.

4. It must be read FIRST THING in the morning before you begin your
day (if you want to read it at night as well -- more power to you).

5. This must be read with PASSION. In other words, on a scale of 1-10
you have to be at least at a 20!

6. Follow the instructions of the quote.

Are you ready? Are you committed? Do you have the spiritual prototype
of your 30-day goal? Here's Wattles':

"There is a thinking substance from which all things are made, and
which in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the
interspaces of the universe.
A thought in this substance produces the thing that is imaged by the
thought.

I can form things in my thought, and by impressing my thoughts upon
formless substance, can cause the thing I think about to be created.

In order to do this, I must pass from the competitive to the creative
mind. I must form a clear mental picture of the things I want. And, I
must hold this picture in my thoughts with the fixed purpose to get
what I want, and the unwavering faith that I will get what I want --
closing my mind to all that may tend to shake my purpose, dim my
vision, or quench my faith.

I am ready to receive what I want when it comes, and I AM ACTING NOW
upon the people and things in my present environment."

Have your best week ever! I look forward to your results,
James

THREE KEYS TO GREATNESS by Jim Rohn

Eight years ago I went into the studio and recorded a 56-minute video
for teenagers called "Three Keys To Greatness." Although my focus
was for teenagers, the principles I shared certainly apply to adults
as well.
Recently I was asked to list these three things using one to two
sentences for each. Now for your benefit here they are again.

1) Setting Goals. I call it the view of the future. Most people,
including kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the
future. So we need to help our kids see a well-defined future, so
they will be motivated to pay the price today to attain the rewards
of tomorrow. Goals help them do this.

2) Personal Development. Simply making consistent investments in our
self-education and knowledge banks pays major dividends throughout
our lives. I suggest having a minimum amount of time set aside for
reading books, listening to audiocassettes, attending seminars,
keeping a journal and spending time with other successful people.
Charlie Tremendous Jones says you will be in five years the sum total
of the books you read and the people you are around.

3) Financial Planning. I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your
paycheck or paying yourself, simply setting aside 10% for saving, 10%
for investing and 10% for giving, and over time this will guarantee
financial independence for a teenager.

If a young person, or for that matter an adult, focused on doing
these three simple things over a long period of time I believe they
will be assured success!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

THE GIVING-RECEIVING CYCLE

by Mark Victor Hansen

Curiously enough, the giving spirit creates the receiving spirit. So,
to get more all one needs to do is give more. The more ideas one
creates and gives away the more ideas one has.
Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron and philanthropist who funded
America's 3,000 libraries and the great Carnegie Hall in New York
said: "I'll spend the first half of my life creating great wealth and
the second half giving it away...Attempting to do the most good and
the least harm with my benefactions."

Carnegie was a generous genius with ideas. He gave away visionary
ideas with his charitable contributions. As a tribute and monument to
his gifts, his foundation is alive, well and still processing an ever-
growing largess. The Wee Scotsman was the first to give and inspired
other rich people to do the same. Now that is a legacy worth leaving!
It gives each of us a new benchmark to "goal" towards.

In giving and sharing you always have more. It seems arithmetically
as though one would have less but, in fact, giving expands whatever
one has. Music is the best example of this theory, proving that
giving and sharing always creates more for everyone.

When a musician gives their all, they feel exalted and thankful that
the music flowed through them. The audience is enthralled, entranced,
moved to happy tears, and feels compelled to participate
instantaneously in a standing ovation. The star musician bares his
soul and the audience is wowed and ecstatic to tell everyone to see
this performer.

Likewise, the simple act of giving simultaneously creates more good
and blessings seemingly out of nowhere. Why? Because God is always
watching and cheerfully gives instantaneously to the giver. That's
why givers' give more. They have experienced this amazing formula,
even if they cannot articulate it. They know that it works to their
and everyone's benefit.

I'd Pick More Daisies

" Of course, you can't unfry an egg, but there's no law against
thinking about it.

If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes. I
would relax.I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would be less
hygienic. I would go more places. I would climb more mountains and
swim more rivers. I would eat more ice-cream and less spinach. I
wouldhave more actual troubles and fewer imaginary troubles.

You see, I have been one of those fellows who live prudently, hour
after hour, day after day. Oh, I have had my moments. But if I had it
to do over again, I would have more of them - a lot more. I never go
anywhere without a thermometer, a map, a raincoat and a parachute. If
I had it to do over, I would travel lighter.

If I had my life to live over, I would start going barefoot a little
earlier in the spring and stay that way a little later in the fall. I
would have more dogs. I would keep later hours. I would have more
sweethearts. I would fish more. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I
would go to more circuses.

In a world in which practically everybody else seems to be
consecrated to the gravity of the situation, I would rise to glorify the levity
of the situation. For I agree with Will
Durant, who said, "Gaiety is wiser than wisdom." If I had my life to
live over, I'd pick more daisies."
--Don Herold

LIFESTYLE

LIFESTYLE

It,s really not hard to learn the art of living well. Even people
with modest means can experience the sophisticated lifestyle. They
simply save up some of thier soda money for a bottle of fine wine.
They skip going to the movies and attend the theater. By saving up
thier money all year, they have enough for a trip to Europe or a fine
work of art.
Don't spend all of your money a quarter at a time. Save up and buy
something special, something fine, something of lasting value, or
something that will give you rich memories for a lifetime. Remember,
all that candy money can add up to a small fortune. And for a
sophisticated person, quality is far more important than quantity.
Better a few treasures than a house full of junk.
--Jim Rohn

Three rules for success.

Number 1. Do what's right. Be on time, be polite , and be honest;
remain free from drugs; and if you have any questions, get out your
Bible.

Number 2. Do your best. Mediocrity is unacceptable when you are
capable of doing better.

Number 3. Treat others as you want to be treated. Practice love and
understanding.
-- Lou Holtz

The Seasons of Life by Jim Rohn, Part 1 of 5

Life is about constant, predictable patterns of change. For
the six thousand years of recorded history, as humans have
entered this world, received parental instruction, classroom
instruction, and gathered the experience of life; many have
set for themselves ambitious goals, and dreamed lofty dreams.
As the wheel of life continues its constant turning, all human
emotions appear, disappear, and appear once again.

A major challenge faced by us all is that we must learn to
experience the changing of life's cycles without being changed
by them; to make a constant and conscious effort to improve
ourselves in the face of changing circumstances.

That is why I believe in the power and value of attitude. As I
read, ponder and speculate about people, their deeds and their
destiny, I become more deeply convinced that it is our natural
destiny to grow, to succeed, to prosper, and to find happiness
while we are here.

By our attitude, we decide to read, or not to read. By our
attitude, we decide to try or give up. By our attitude, we
blame ourselves for our failure, or we blame others. Our
attitude determines whether we tell the truth or lie, act or
procrastinate, advance or recede, and by our own attitude we
and we alone actually decide whether to succeed or fail.

How incredibly unique that a God who would create the complex
and immense universe would create the human race and give to
those humans the free choice that would permit them to select
their own achievement or their own destruction.

This strange, but all-knowing God gave to us a delicately
balanced sphere called earth. On it, he placed the
intelligent human who would either develop it or destroy it.
How terribly fascinating that a God would leave both
projects - earth as well as humans - unfinished! Across the
rivers and streams he built no bridges; he left the pictures
unpainted, the songs unsung, the books unwritten, and space
unexplored. For the accomplishment of those things, God
created the unfinished human who, within his heart and mind,
had the capacity to do all these things and more, depending
upon his own choice.

Attitude determines choice, and choice determines results. All
that we are, and all that we can become has indeed been left
unto us. For as long as you continue to draw breath, you have
the chance to complete the work in and for the earth and for
yourself that God has begun for you. In the cycles and
seasons of life, attitude is everything!

(Next week we will look at both winter and spring as we
continue our review of the Seasons of Life)

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

THE SEVEN C's OF SUCCESS by Brian Tracy

After having studied top achievers and peak performers
over the past 25 years, I've concluded that these unique
men and women, have in most cases, mastered what I call
the Seven C's of Success.

1. Clarity - Eighty percent of success comes from being
clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you
want.

2. Competence - You can't climb to the next rung on the
ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

3. Constraints - Eighty percent of all obstacles to
success come from within. Find out what is constraining
you or your company and deal with it.

4. Concentration - The ability to focus on one thing
single-mindedly and see it through until it's done
takes character and determination.

5. Creativity - Flood your life with ideas from many
sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle,
if you don't use it you'll lose it.

6. Courage - Most in demand and least in supply, courage
is the willingness to do the things you know are right.

7. Continuous learning - Read, at the very least, one
book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the
competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your
time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail,
sending messages, going through websites, because like
exercise, it's the only way you can keep on top of
technology. If you get away from it, you'll lose your edge.

Until next time - Be the Best!

Brian Tracy

THE FORMULA FOR FAILURE AND SUCCESS by Jim Rohn

(Excepted from the book The Five Major Pieces to the Life
Puzzle by Jim Rohn)

Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. We do not fail
overnight. Failure is the inevitable result of an
accumulation of poor thinking and poor choices. To put it
more simply, failure is nothing more than a few errors in
judgment repeated every day.

Now why would someone make an error in judgment and then be
so foolish as to repeat it every day? The answer is because
he or she does not think that it matters.

On their own, our daily acts do not seem that important. A
minor oversight, a poor decision, or a wasted hour generally
doesn't result in an instant and measurable impact. More
often than not, we escape from any immediate consequences of
our deeds.

If we have not bothered to read a single book in the past
ninety days, this lack of discipline does not seem to have
any immediate impact on our lives. And since nothing drastic
happened to us after the first ninety days, we repeat this
error in judgment for another ninety days, and on and on it
goes. Why? Because it doesn't seem to matter. And herein
lies the great danger. Far worse than not reading the books
is not even realizing that it matters!

Those who eat too many of the wrong foods are contributing to
a future health problem, but the joy of the moment
overshadows the consequence of the future. It does not seem
to matter. Those who smoke too much or drink too much go on
making these poor choices year after year after year...
because it doesn't seem to matter. But the pain and regret of
these errors in judgment have only been delayed for a future
time. Consequences are seldom instant; instead, they
accumulate until the inevitable day of reckoning finally
arrives and the price must be paid for our poor choices -
choices that didn't seem to matter.

Failure's most dangerous attribute is its subtlety. In the
short term those little errors don't seem to make any
difference. We do not seem to be failing. In fact, sometimes
these accumulated errors in judgment occur throughout a
period of great joy and prosperity in our lives. Since
nothing terrible happens to us, since there are no instant
consequences to capture our attention, we simply drift from
one day to the next, repeating the errors, thinking the wrong
thoughts, listening to the wrong voices and making the wrong
choices. The sky did not fall in on us yesterday; therefore
the act was probably harmless. Since it seemed to have no
measurable consequence, it is probably safe to repeat.

But we must become better educated than that!

If at the end of the day when we made our first error in
judgment the sky had fallen in on us, we undoubtedly would
have taken immediate steps to ensure that the act would never
be repeated again. Like the child who places his hand on a
hot burner despite his parents' warnings, we would have had
an instantaneous experience accompanying our error in
judgment.

Unfortunately, failure does not shout out its warnings as our
parents once did. This is why it is imperative to refine our
philosophy in order to be able to make better choices. With a
powerful, personal philosophy guiding our every step, we
become more aware of our errors in judgment and more aware
that each error really does matter.

Now here is the great news. Just like the formula for
failure, the formula for success is easy to follow: It's a
few simple disciplines practiced every day.

Now here is an interesting question worth pondering: How can
we change the errors in the formula for failure into the
disciplines required in the formula for success? The answer
is by making the future an important part of our current
philosophy.

Both success and failure involve future consequences, namely
the inevitable rewards or unavoidable regrets resulting from
past activities. If this is true, why don't more people take
time to ponder the future? The answer is simple: They are so
caught up in the current moment that it doesn't seem to
matter. The problems and the rewards of today are so
absorbing to some human beings that they never pause long
enough to think about tomorrow.

But what if we did develop a new discipline to take just a
few minutes every day to look a little further down the road?
We would then be able to foresee the impending consequences
of our current conduct. Armed with that valuable information,
we would be able to take the necessary action to change our
errors into new success- oriented disciplines. In other
words, by disciplining ourselves to see the future in
advance, we would be able to change our thinking, amend our
errors and develop new habits to replace the old.

One of the exciting things about the formula for success- A
few simple disciplines practiced every day - is that the
results are almost immediate. As we voluntarily change daily
errors into daily disciplines, we experience positive results
in a very short period of time. When we change our diet, our
health improves noticeably in just a few weeks. When we
start exercising, we feel a new vitality almost immediately.
When we begin reading, we experience a growing awareness and
a new level of self-confidence. Whatever new discipline we
begin to practice daily will produce exciting results that
will drive us to become even better at developing new
disciplines.

The real magic of new disciplines is that they will cause us
to amend our thinking. If we were to start today to read the
books, keep a journal, attend the classes, listen more and
observe more, then today would be the first day of a new life
leading to a better future. If we were to start today to try
harder, and in every way make a conscious and consistent
effort to change subtle and deadly errors into constructive
and rewarding disciplines, we would never again settle for a
life of existence – not once we have tasted the fruits of a
life of substance!


To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

PRACTICE BEING LIKE A CHILD by Jim Rohn

Remember the master teacher once said 2000 years ago, "Unless
you can become like little children, your chances are zero,
you haven't got a prayer." A major consideration for adults.

Be like children and remember there are four ways to be more
like a child no matter how old you get -

1) Curiosity - Be curious. Childish curiosity. Learn to be
curious like a child. What will kids do if they want to know
something bad enough? You're right. They will bug you. Kids
can ask a million questions. You think they're through.
They've got another million. They will keep plaguing you. They
can drive you right to the brink.

Also kids use their curiosity to learn. Have you ever
noticed that while adults are stepping on ants, children are
studying them? A child's curiosity is what helps them to
reach, learn and grow.

2) Excitement - Learn to get excited like a child. There is
nothing that has more magic than childish excitement. So
excited you hate to go to bed at night. Can't wait to get up
in the morning. So excited that you're about to explode. How
can anyone resist that kind of childish magic? Now, once in
awhile I meet someone who says, "Well, I'm a little too mature
for all that childish excitement." Isn't that pitiful? You've
got to weep for these kinds of people. All I've got to say is,
"If you're too old to get excited, you're old." Don't get that
old.

3) Faith - Faith like a child. Faith is childish. How else
would you describe it? Some people say, "Let's be adult about
it." Oh no. No. Adults too often have a tendency to be overly
skeptical. Some adults even have a tendency to be cynical.
Adults say, "Yeah. I've heard that old positive line before.
It will be a long day in June before I fall for that positive
line. You've got to prove to me it's any good." See, that's
adult, but kids aren't that way. Kids think you can get
anything. They are really funny. You tell kids, "We're going
to have three swimming pools." And they say, "Yeah. Three.
One each. Stay out of my swimming pool." See, they start
dividing them up right away, but adults are not like that.
Adults say, "Three swimming pools? You're out of your mind.
Most people don't even have one swimming pool. You'll be lucky
to get a tub in the back yard." You notice the difference? No
wonder the master teacher said, "Unless you can become like
little children, your chances, they're skinny."

4) Trust - Trust is a childish virtue, but it has great merit.
Have you heard the expression "sleep like a baby"? That's it.
Childish trust. After you've gotten an A+ for the day, leave
it in somebody else's hands.

Curiosity, excitement, faith and trust. Wow, what a powerful
combination to bring (back) into our lives.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

PLANNING by Jim Rohn

I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations
with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is
because escape is easier than change.

If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll
fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have
planned for you? Not much.

The reason why most people face the future with apprehension
instead of anticipation is because they don't have it well
designed.

The guy says, "When you work where I work, by the time you get
home, it's late. You've got to have a bite to eat, watch a
little TV, relax and get to bed. You can't sit up half the
night planning, planning, planning." And he's the same guy who
is behind on his car payment!

The Desire of a Champion by Paul J. Meyer

We have been told that talent creates its own opportunities.

People who are successful year after year have PROVEN that
intense DESIRE creates not only its own opportunities, but
also its own talents. For these people, INTENSE, BURNING
DESIRE has been developed as a HABIT... a WAY OF LIFE... a
DELIBERATE COURSE OF DISSATISFACTION. This is the desire of a
Champion in any line of work.

INTENSE DESIRE is infinitely more than wanting or wishing...
more than compulsion or stimulation. Desire is an overwhelming
demand for change – a personal war with "things as they are"
and the willingness to make any sacrifice to bring about that
change.

EVERY REVOLUTION IN HISTORY... in thought, government, ethics,
art, religion, and science has been the result of one person's
DESIRE to change the status quo... to win a race with time,
custom, tradition, or himself.

This is the reason that DESIRE burns like a WHITE HOT FLAME in
the heart of every CHAMPION. DESIRE is the vital essence of a
champion's inner self.

WHAT IS DESIRE?

DESIRE IS THE QUALITY THAT MAKES WINNERS in every walk of
life.

• A person with activated DESIRE isn't nearly as afraid of
losing as a loser is secretly afraid of winning!

• A person with DESIRE makes commitments; other people make
promises.

• DESIRE makes a person go through a problem; other people go
around them.

• DESIRE gives a person the knowledge and judgment as to when
to say yes or no; ordinary people say maybe or perhaps at the
wrong times and for the wrong reasons.

• DESIRE gives a person the courage to say, "I'm good, but not
as good as I should be. " Ordinary people say, "I'm not as bad
as a lot of other people."

• DESIRE engenders respect for those in authority; lack of
desire breeds resentment.

• DESIRE makes individuals feel responsible for more than
their jobs; ordinary people say, "I only work here."

THERE IS A CERTAIN RESTLESSNESS, RECKLESSNESS, and
AGGRESSIVENESS about DESIRE...

An army, a nation, an organization, or a member of a sales
force becomes tired and complacent when DESIRE is lost.

And it makes no difference whether DESIRE falls to logic,
self-satisfaction, or disillusion. Without it, the future is
as barren as volcanic ash.

• It offers nothing that would surpass that which is or has
been. The principal effect of BURNING DESIRE is that it
separates those who set goals for success from those who
merely daydream about it. It eliminates the plodders, the
wanters, and the wishful thinkers.

• DESIRE brings forward people with insatiable appetites for
competition, for action, for all the world has to offer.

• There is active self-awareness in desire. It gives its
possessors the feeling that they have a mission to perform, a
destiny to meet and conquer.

• I've never known anyone with intense desire who didn't work
harder than those without it.

People who lack desire are always too busy to do needs to be
done.

Intense desire also gives you the ability to know what to
fight for... and when and where you should compromise.

When desire is lacking, nothing is worth fighting for.

BURNING DESIRE gives you a THIRST for COMPETITION.
Personally, I love competition because it forces you to
analyze yourself - to look closer at your own ability. And
every time you look, your DESIRE becomes stronger; you want to
accomplish greater things.

People don't compete enough. They either devise an alibi or
level off too soon. They're dominated by their personal
standards. They're too easily satisfied with average living
and average accomplishments.

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A BURNING DESIRE?

You create DESIRE automatically whenever you challenge
yourself! And the way we react to a challenge determines the
destiny of our lives. WHEN DO YOU CHALLENGE YOURSELF? Every
morning with each new day!! There are so many challenges
waiting for you to accept:

1. New opportunities...
2. New prospects...
3. Beating yesterday's record...
4. Competing against yourself... and
5. Growing personally, a little more each day!

I sincerely believe that the DESIRE with which you meet a
challenge is the essential part of your soul. Without it you
lack spiritual guidance and creative expression.

Without DESIRE, you lack intuition - the still, small voice
that gives you insight to situations and people.

DESIRE IS INDEED AN UNLIMITED FORCE, but its possession
doesn't mean that you still won't have to work hard, to face
life's trials and make a few mistakes.

There is an old Russian proverb that says:

"THE SAME HAMMER THAT SHATTERS THE GLASS ALSO FORGES THE
STEEL."

The only way to merit membership into the WORLD OF SUCCESS is
to strive continually to activate, stimulate, and maintain the
kind of Desire that will make you a winner... the DESIRE OF A
CHAMPION!

THREE KEYS TO GREATNESS by Jim Rohn

Eight years ago I went into the studio and recorded a 56-minute video
for teenagers called "Three Keys To Greatness." Although my focus
was for teenagers, the principles I shared certainly apply to adults
as well.
Recently I was asked to list these three things using one to two
sentences for each. Now for your benefit here they are again.

1) Setting Goals. I call it the view of the future. Most people,
including kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the
future. So we need to help our kids see a well-defined future, so
they will be motivated to pay the price today to attain the rewards
of tomorrow. Goals help them do this.

2) Personal Development. Simply making consistent investments in our
self-education and knowledge banks pays major dividends throughout
our lives. I suggest having a minimum amount of time set aside for
reading books, listening to audiocassettes, attending seminars,
keeping a journal and spending time with other successful people.
Charlie Tremendous Jones says you will be in five years the sum total
of the books you read and the people you are around.

3) Financial Planning. I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your
paycheck or paying yourself, simply setting aside 10% for saving, 10%
for investing and 10% for giving, and over time this will guarantee
financial independence for a teenager.

If a young person, or for that matter an adult, focused on doing
these three simple things over a long period of time I believe they
will be assured success!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

If I knew it would be the last time

-- If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in tighter
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute or two
to stop and say I love you,
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more
so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything right.
There will always be another day
to say our," I love you's,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our. " Anything I can do's?"
But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.
So always hold them dear.
Take time to say I'm sorry, Please forgive
me, Thank you, or It's okay.
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

THE ANT PHILOSOPHY by Jim Rohn

Over the years I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful
concept - the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants.
They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first
part: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed
somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll look for another way.
They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around. They
keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit
looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.
Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important
perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last
forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of
summer.

An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the
summer." Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to be
realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to
think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all
winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind
themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And
the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again,
they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day.
They can't wait to get out. And here's the last part of the ant
philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare
for the winter? All that he possibly can. What an incredible
philosophy, the "all-that-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Wow, what a great seminar to attend - the ant seminar. Never give
up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY by Jim Rohn

Somebody said you have to love what you do, but that's not
necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the
opportunity. The opportunity to build life, future, health, success
and fortune. Knocking on someone's door may not be something you love
to do, but you love the opportunity of what might be behind that
door.

For example, a guy says, "I'm digging ditches. Should I love digging
ditches?" The answer is, "No, you don't have to love digging ditches,
but if it is your first entry onto the ladder of success, you
say, 'I'm glad somebody gave me the opportunity to dig ditches and
I'm going to do it so well, I won't be here long.'"

You can be inspired by having found something even though you are
making mistakes in the beginning and even though it is a little
distasteful taking on a new discipline that you haven't learned
before. You don't have to love it, you just have to learn to
appreciate America, appreciate opportunity and appreciate the person
who brought you the good news; that found you.

Appreciate the person who believed in you before you believed in
yourself, appreciate the person who said, "Hey, if I can do it, you
can do it."

If you will embrace the disciplines associated with the new
opportunity you will soon find that your self-confidence starts to
grow, that you go from being a skeptic to being a believer. And soon
when you go out person to person, talking to people, you will find it
to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world. Every person you
meet - what could it be? Unlimited! Maybe a friend for life. The next
person could be an open door to retiring. The next person could be a
colleague for years to come. It's big time stuff. And sometimes in
the beginning when we are just getting started we don't always see
how big it is.

So, before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember
all success is based on long term commitment, faith, discipline,
attitude and a few stepping stones along the way. You might not like
the stone you are on right now, but it's sure to be one of the stones
that lead to great opportunities in the future.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

DEVELOP THE DO-IT-NOW HABIT by Tom Hopkins

Self-Discipline really encompasses nearly everything in life. Do you
remember in school when you were given 30 days to write a term paper?
Did you start it that first night?
Most of us didn't. Instead, we thought about it every night. "Got to
get moving on that ratty project. But I've got almost a whole month
left--it can wait." As time goes by, worry about getting a failing
grade looms larger in our minds. At first the pain of starting the
term paper is greater than our concern about the failing grade, so
after a week we still haven't started. Two weeks go by. What are we
doing every night before we go to sleep? Worrying about that F. "I
better start. Tomorrow I'll get moving on it."

A week before the term paper is due, the F is getting larger--but
it's still not quite large enough to offset the pain of working at
preventing it. All of a sudden there are only three days left before
it's due, and at last the F looms larger than the pain of working on
the term paper. So we start.

As you lay it out you begin feeling some enthusiasm. "This isn't bad.
I may get an A if I do this and do that." When you walk in with your
paper you're happy, but you wasted 27 days worrying about starting.
In other words, you operated at a deficit emotionally for 27 days
when you could have been in the profit column the whole time. Move
into the emotional profit column right now; starting today, get your
priority tasks and actions handled promptly. Plan your actions, then
act on your plans. Apply this determination to every area of your
life and it will make an enormous difference in your income, growth
rate in business as well as your satisfaction and growth rate
personally.

The portrait of a man who was being called the Whiz Kid on Wall
Street appeared on the cover of a national magazine many years ago.
He was one of the first to put a conglomerate together, and some of
the federal laws affecting business in the early 70's came about
because of the trends that his creativity set off. At the time he was
42, he was running one of the largest industrial combines in the
country, the conglomerate he had built himself. So the magazine had
assigned a journalist and a team of researchers to do an in-depth
report on this entrepreneur.

One of the researchers went to the small city the dynamic executive
had left 15 years earlier. A few items turned up there about an
alcoholic with the same name who had been sleeping on park benches at
that time. The researcher passed this information along, and as the
journalist was concluding his interview with the Wall Street
powerhouse in his plush office, the journalist laughed and
said, "Believe it or not, a man with your exact name was sleeping on
park benches and getting ousted by the police when you lived in your
home town. I guess the poor guy was a real wino. Isn't that
something?"

The president looked up and smiled. "That was me," he said.

The reporter was flabbergasted. "This can't be. You're kidding."

The president of the conglomerate leaned back in his leather chair
and shook his head. "I'm not kidding. The wino sleeping off drinks on
park benches was me."

The journalist stared at him for a moment and realized that the man
was telling the truth. He also realized that now he had a whole new
story. When his apologies were waved aside, he said, "I have to ask,
what made you change?"

Listen to what he said because so many people fit this mold: "When I
was sleeping under newspapers in the park 15 years ago, I knew that
someday I would do what I'm doing now. I was just waiting until I was
ready to start."

Do you know how many people are like that? "Well, next year's my
year. I'm going to get to work then. You just wait and see--right
after the first of the year I'm gonna start shaping up." But of
course the time to get going never quite comes for most people. They
have good intentions, but are lacking the two most vital components
of any good deed: the motivation to begin and a strategic plan to
keep them moving forward.

You see, by not beginning, you're not risking failure, but you're
also confining yourself to the level of success you currently have.
If you're happy with that, fine. If not, make that plan and get fired
up!

If your potential for greater success is nagging at you, don't wait.
Time is flying by so fast. Start today to achieve the greatness you
know is within you.

I'd Pick More Daisies

" Of course, you can't unfry an egg, but there's no law against thinking about it.

If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes. I
would relax.I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would be less
hygienic. I would go more places. I would climb more mountains and
swim more rivers. I would eat more ice-cream and less spinach. I
would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary troubles.

You see, I have been one of those fellows who live prudently, hour
after hour, day after day. Oh, I have had my moments. But if I had it
to do over again, I would have more of them - a lot more. I never go
anywhere without a thermometer, a map, a raincoat and a parachute. If
I had it to do over, I would travel lighter.

If I had my life to live over, I would start going barefoot a little
earlier in the spring and stay that way a little later in the fall. I
would have more dogs. I would keep later hours. I would have more
sweethearts. I would fish more. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I
would go to more circuses.

In a world in which practically everybody else seems to be
consecrated to the gravity of the situation, I would rise to glorify the levity
of the situation. For I agree with Will
Durant, who said, "Gaiety is wiser than wisdom." If I had my life to
live over, I'd pick more daisies."
--Don Herold

SUCCESS IS EASY, BUT SO IS NEGLECT by Jim Rohn

People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period
of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple:
The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do.
I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They
found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my
thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy
to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other
successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. If I
had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they
found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and
they are all still blaming the economy, the government, and company
policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.

In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they
could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.

It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the
lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues
to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the
last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books -
libraries are full of books - and they are free! It is not the
schools - the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty
of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.

Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and
sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take
advantage of all that we have is simply, neglect.

Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread
throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete
breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.

Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty
and guilt leads to an erosion of self- confidence.As our self-confidence
diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity
diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results
suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow
shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even
more ... and on and on it goes.

So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and
"easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but
potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Laws Of Success

Do you want something ? -- Will you pay the price?
The great sin -- Gossip.
The great crippler -- Fear.
The greatest mistake -- Giving up.
The most satisfying experience -- Doing your duty first.
The best action -- Keep the mind clear and judgement good.
The greatest blessing -- Good health.
The biggest fool - The man who lies to himself.
The great gamble -- Substituting hope for facts.
The most certain thing in life -- Change.
The greatest joy -- Being needed.
The cleverest man -- The one who does what he thinks is right.
The most potent force -- Positive thinking.
The greatest opportunity -- The next one.
The greatest thought -- God.
The greatest victory -- Victory over self.
The best play -- Successful work.
The greatest handicap -- Egotism.
The most expensive indulgence -- Hate.
The most dangerous man -- The liar
The most ridiculous trait -- False pride.
The greatest loss -- Loss of self confidence.
The greatest need -- Common sense.

By Jack Yianitsas, Laws Of Success

THE DAY BEFORE YOU GO ON VACATION By Zig Ziglar

(Excerpted from the Jim RohnWeekend Seminar-Excelling in the
New Millennium)

How do you achieve employment security in a world where there
is no employment security? I start with a question. How many
of you consider yourself to be honest and at least reasonably
intelligent? Can I see your hands, please? Okay. How many of
you honest, intelligent people, as a general rule, get about
twice as much work done on the day before you go on vacation
as you normally get done? Can I see your hands, please?
Well…Glad to see so many honest folks. Now I am going to ask
you a long question, so stay with me all the way through. If
we can figure out why and learn how and repeat it everyday
without working any longer or any harder, does it make sense
that we will be more valuable to ourselves, our company, our
family and our community? Does that make any sense at all? The
answer is "Yes".

I want to make it crystal clear that I am going to be talking
to you about you, not going to be talking about anybody that's
not here, but to you about you. You have already confessed
that you are honest and intelligent. Now how many of you on
the night before the day before vacation, got your laptop out
or a sheet of paper out and said, "Now tomorrow, I've got to
do this and this…" How many of you did that? Can I see your
hand? We coined a very clever name for that. We call that goal
setting. So, you set your goal. Then you got them organized in
the order of their importance.

Let me encourage you to make one slight change there. If you
have got to go give Charlie the worst possible news, and he is
the 5th on the list of gotta do's, when you finish the first
one, the next order on your mind is "Gotta talk to Charlie."
Finish the second one, "Gotta talk to Charlie." See Charlie
first. Get the disagreeable things and difficult things out of
the way first. Free your mind, so you can concentrate on what
else you have got to do. You got it organized. You accepted
responsibility. You made the commitments. You know some people
are about as committed as a kamikaze pilot on his thirty-ninth
mission. They just don't make it a serious thing.

Now commitment is important whether it is to get your
education, make one more call, whether it's to keep the
marriage together, whatever. Commitment is important because
when you hit the wall, not if, when you hit the wall, if you
made a commitment, your first thought is, "How do I solve the
problem?" If you haven't made the commitment, your first
thought is, "How do I get out of this deal?" And we find
literally what we are looking for. When you make that
commitment, things happen. It shows that you really care about
the other people there. It demonstrates that you are
dependable. Even though you're leaving town, you're not going
to leave an unfinished task for the other people to do. Your
integrity comes through.

Now the beautiful thing about integrity, when integrity is
part of you as a person and is part of your life, you do the
right thing. When you do the right thing, you have nothing to
feel guilty about. With integrity you have nothing to fear
because you have nothing to hide. Now think about it, with
guilt and fear both removed from your back, doesn't it just
make sense that you can function more effectively? You will be
freer to do the right thing always. Not only that, but that's
the way you take steps up. You know Emerson said, "If you
would lift me up, you've got to be on higher ground". And
truer words were never spoken. You also, when you look at
this, what you decide to do is you're going to work smarter;
and you're optimistic you're going to get it done.

How many of you ever participated in organized, team sports?
Can I see your hands? How many of you ever went home one night
and said to your parents, "Mom or dad, you can't believe the
game plan the coaches worked out. Man alive, it was
incredible. We're going to kill those suckers tomorrow. You
can count on it." You were optimistic simply because you had a
plan of action and so you were optimistic that the next day
you were going to be able to get all of these things done.

Now some of us are born optimistic, and some are born
pessimistic. For your information the 1828 Noah Webster does
not have the word pessimist in it. It has the word optimist.
Now I am a natural born optimist. I really am. I would take my
last two dollars and buy a money belt with it. That's the way
I'm put together; but the good news is if you are a natural
born pessimist, you definitely, emphatically, positively can
change. You are a pessimist by choice because you are what you
are and where you are because of what's gone into your mind.
You can change what you are; you can change where you are by
changing what goes into your mind.

Anyway, the next day, you not only got there on time, you were
a little early, and you immediately got started. You didn't
stand around and say, "Well, I wonder what I ought to do now."
You couldn't wait to get after it. You wanted to do the right
thing, so you really got started in a big hurry. You were
enthusiastic about it. You were highly motivated. You
decisively move from one task to another. Now I am going to
camp on this one for just a moment.

As a general rule, how many of you have noticed that people
who have nothing to do want to do it with you? Can I see your
hands? Okay. Now, on this day before vacation, when you finish
one task, you move with purpose to another one. And people
will not block you for that two-minute gossip session or
four-minute or five-minute or six-minutes. I am absolutely
convinced, no doubt about it that the listener has more to do
with the gossiping than the speaker because if you don't
listen, you're not going to have the guy or gal talking to
you. They just aren't. When you move with purpose, people will
step aside and let you go.

I will absolutely guarantee you, you will save a minimum of an
hour a day in two-minute, three-minute, five minute things. An
hour a day is five hours per week is 250 hours per year. That
is six weeks of your life that you've wasted and six weeks of
combination time that you have wasted with the people who were
giving the gossip to you. What could you do with six extra
weeks every year? You focus on the issue at hand. You are
disciplined to stay with it until you finish, and the neat
thing about discipline, Cybil Stanton gave me the best
definition of it I have ever heard in her book The Twenty Five
Hour Woman. "Discipline isn't on your back needling you with
imperatives. It is at your side encouraging you with
incentives."

PROFITS ARE BETTER THAN WAGES by Jim Rohn

My mentor, when I was 25 years old, dropped a phrase on me
that changed my life forever when he said, "Profits are better
than wages. Wages will make you a living, profits can make
you a fortune." You know it is a bit difficult to get rich on
wages, but anybody can get rich on profits. Profits change
your whole attitude, even if you start part-time. Whether it's
part-time on your entrepreneurial business, network marketing
company or service business.

It can be a landscape business in the summer or hanging
Christmas lights in the winter. It can be training, consulting
or tutoring. It can be your hobby such as painting, writing,
crafts, woodworking, computers or cooking. But once you start
investing even part-time effort into your own business, you
will find how much more exciting it is to get up in the
morning and go to work on your fortune, even if you're only
spending a few hours a week doing it.

How empowering it is to be able to go to work on your fortune
every day rather than going to work to pay the rent. Now - it
is noble to go to work to pay the rent, but if you could also
parcel out part of your time - go to work to make your
fortune. Your whole attitude changes; your spirit changes. It
is in your voice. It is in your face. It is in your gestures.
And then you can say, "I am now working full-time on my job
and part-time on my fortune because I found a way to make
profits." Wow!

And I will know what you mean.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
CLICK HERE - classic.jimrohn.com