Horner Kevin - Horner’s Corner

Change is the key to our success and to our financial future. Often in our own lives, however, change is something we fiercely resist. Even when achievement sits on our doorstep, we’re still too comfortable to make an adjustment. The very first place to look for transformation is within. When you take ownership of yourself, your life and your income, you are on your way to harnessing success.

I learned early in my life that if things needed to change, it was up to me to change them.

I have had the great pleasure of working with Jim Rohn, who inspired me to new levels of success and happiness. When I first met Mr. Rohn, I was sitting at a dinner table with ten other people. I grabbed a seat near him and just wanted to listen to his words of wisdom and conversation. When a lull in the conversation arose, I was caught off guard when Mr. Rohn asked me about my goals, dreams and aspirations. In response, I began to talk about many of the roadblocks I had experienced in my pursuit of success. I listed all the reasons why I wasn’t able to achieve my goals and dreams. I let him know who was to blame and insisted none of it was my fault. I thought I had made a pretty good case and then the hammer dropped. Jim looked at me and said, “Kurt, for things to change, you must change, and for things to get better, you must get better.” That brief moment in time changed my life forever. It was then that I realized that everything I wanted in life is on the other side of change, not the other side of excuse. I also realized that no matter the excuse (good or bad), it would not produce results.

If you want to make the same kind of transformation in your life, the first thing you have to do is take an honest look at yourself and where you are. You can’t make changes if you won’t acknowledge what needs to be changed. Where are you starting? What is your current situation? If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be? It is only from honestly assessing where point A is that you can develop a well-defined, well-planned route to point B. Then the next obvious thing to determine is where or at what point B is located. In other words, what exactly are you aiming for? What do you want?

Now is not the time to be timid.

Don’t shortchange yourself because you want to be “careful” or “reasonable” or you don’t want to “rock the boat.” Shoot for the stars! You’ll define the path to get there, but first you have to know what exactly you’re even trying to reach. In other words, you must begin with the end result and then work your way backward. You have to know exactly where you want to go and what you need to change to get there. Sometimes, people are actually afraid of being “too” successful. To be brilliant or amazing might actually be a scary proposition. As success comes into sight, you might feel a lot of responsibility weighing down on you. So, how successful should you be? How healthy should you be? How wealthy should you be? How strong should your relationships be? Consider the following powerful quote from Nelson Mandela:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the World.

There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us."

&ndash 1994 Inaugural Speech

We are unique creatures. In spite of the seeds of greatness that lie within us, we seem to program ourselves to do the least amount possible to get by. That is, we often do only what is necessary to survive. I see this tendency with my students at the local university all the time. Their mentality is: What is the least amount of work I can do to pass this class? They are paying top dollar to get their education yet rarely do you see a student take advantage of all the learning that is at her/his disposal. We see symptoms of the same mental laziness, lack of progress and resistance to change in the workplace, too:

What is the least amount of work I can do to get a paycheck and not get fired? When we are in this lazy mindset, we can’t find happiness, and as a result, our souls start to rust.

The challenge is that we often don’t see the consequences of our behavior fast enough.

Time ticks by, and by the time we’re even aware of how off course we’ve gotten, years have flown by. We live in a society where we want the quick fix, the easy way out.

Unfortunately, however, that is not how life works. If it takes someone five years to gain twenty pounds, why does someone else think he can completely lose it in a couple weeks? Another example is fast food. We know it’s not good for us, and yet hey, nothing bad happened today after I had that super-size order of fries. The consequences of the unhealthy food will take time to manifest, but in the meantime, the instant gratification of a fast and delicious meal now overpowers concerns about the future that, in the moment, seem immaterial. Imagine if every time you ate at a fast food restaurant the consequences were immediate. You took a bite and felt a bulge near your midsection. If that were the case, it wouldn’t take long before you changed your ways.

There are thousands of habits and patterns in our lives that fit the instant gratification scenario. Another example is debt. So what do we do when we’re constantly confronted with such difficult choices: immediate pleasure versus future gain? What do we do about it? You would be very wise to make a habit as soon as possible of analyzing your life on at least a weekly basis. Determine what you want to change now, not after years of reinforcing the wrong habits. The saying goes, “Old habits die hard” and it’s really true.

Stop destructive cycles now before the strands that bind you become impenetrable rope.

Without changing your action, your wishes and hopes will only be whims that never go anywhere. It’s time for you dreams to start to bear fruit!

So, are you ready to welcome change into your life? Good! Remember, as Albert Einstein said, “You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” Once you have recognized the need to change and have embraced the opportunity to change, then you will need to start organizing your plan of action. Think backward. What is the big picture? What are the major phases within that big picture? What are the steps within each phase that will move you from one point to the next? It is worth pointing out here that you must be careful not to let the opinions of others dissuade you. I’m sure you’ve experienced this before&ndashyou’ve gotten yourself all excited and pumped up, you tell someone you really care about all your great plans and they barely listen or care. Or worse, they start pointing out all the reasons why your plan isn’t going to work or why it’s a bad idea. Crash! You can’t remember the last time you felt so deflated.

I’ll admit that it is hard to stay focused and persistent when people spit on your dreams. Fear of failure, fear of what others will think&ndashthese are totally normal feelings. But you can’t let them debilitate you. Napoleon Hill said, “The fear of criticism robs man of his initiative, destroys his power of imagination, limits his individuality and takes away his self-reliance.” You are destined for greatness. Follow your heart not the useless criticism and discouragement of those who have forgotten how to live and dream.

So many people assume that if they don’t try, then they can’t fail. If they don’t try, no one will criticize them either. The tragedy of this mindset is that they will fail by virtue of never having even attempted to succeed. George Shinn once said, “Growth means change and change involves risks, stepping from the known to the unknown.” I have always loved the phrase “jump and the net will appear.” Consider the fact that most of the fears we face in life are not life-and-death matters. And yet, we are so gripped by our fears that it’s almost as though they were life-and-death matters.

The next time you feel yourself paralyzed by fear, stop and honestly assess your feelings.

What is the worst thing that could really happen? Are the possible setbacks really life-or death situations, or are they just opportunities to learn and grow, even if they are sometimes unpleasant or painful? Reflect on the fact that almost all successful people have their stories about where they came from and what they had to go through to achieve success. What’s more, it’s rarely a rosy picture. It might also be worth asking yourself what the worst thing is that could happen if you do nothing. Chances are the consequences might be more severe in the case of inaction versus action. Either way, there is a price to be paid. Do you want regrets or do you want results? We say no to some things because we are saying yes to other things. You just need to be sure you know what hangs in the balance either way. Sometimes it is the realization of the imminent, stark reality hitting us in the face that provides the momentum for change. Whatever the motivator is, just don’t let fear stop you from forging ahead.

Whatever thing you do or whatever business you are running you might be heard about The Law of Attraction. That law simply says that you attract into your life whatever you think about(consciously or sometimes unconsciously). Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest. The masters of this law say that if you study how to use it in a good way you'll never need anything in life.

Before I try to explain in details how The Law of Attraction works, who use it and why logically you could use it too, I'd like to explain you that if you want to begin using the Law, you must be able to suspend your disbelief. I mean that if you're pretty sure that the Law of Attraction is just a nice story that is impossible to apply in your life because of this and that.....and hardly will work for you, I can surely tell you that you won’t get anything of it so just don't waste your time and continue to keep your eyes and mind closed. However, if you can suspend your disbelief and try to have "what if...maybe?" attitude, you will discover how things are working for you and for the world under the Law of Attraction.

You might be heard that all in the world is energy even us. And we all work as magnets and we attract different energies ....Ok this you might believe or not it's up to you. I would like to speak about clear examples from our history Einstein, Walt Disney, Bill Gates used the most powerful and potent form of energy known in the universe &ndashthe thought. This mean that whatever is going in your mind is what you are attracting into your life right now. All those famous people discover that the thought has frequencies and send out magnetic energy that attracts. So you become and attract what you think about most and here is the challenge that the thought with the strongest energy can apply to your life and become reality (can become things!).That's why they had such a great success in the things they really believe and put all their energy and thoughts into before even the world believe them.

Most people think about what they don't want to in their life (ok ...I also did it and it's easier)...but by default they attract more of the same. And also if your thought is combined with strong emotion (good or bad) you speed up your process. Have you noticed that those that speak more about illness have it....and those that speak more about positive stuff, prosperity have it. Whatever you are feeling right now is a perfect reflection of what's in process of becoming. Only your persistent thought and emotion can speed up the process when you will see it in the reality. And you set exactly what you are feeling so happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances. Visualizing positively that you have it all that you need and want will make your conscious to believe it and the universe will respond to that energy. Feeling grateful will create more things in your life to be grateful for. It is really that simple but we need to control our thought in every moment and this is the complicate stuff. You can take stepping back and looking in your life from different point to become aware of how you are unconsciously using and have used the Law of Attraction already. Remember the story of your life how you were here than you were there doing this, why you meet this person and what did you think, what happened. I personally was very surprised at the beginning while remembering every moment of my life I found how strong can be the power of the Law of Attraction (of course this law was depending how strong was my thought.)

I know that with the Law of Attraction can raise some tough questions that don't seem to have good answers-things that had happened in our life and we never wanted they've happened by our thoughts. I would say, however, that these problems aren't caused by the Law of Attraction itself but rather by the Law of Attraction as applied to objective reality. This entire reality is your creation. We should feel good about that. Feel grateful for the richness of your world. And then begin creating the reality you truly want by making decisions and holding intentions. Think about what you desire, and withdraw your thoughts from what you don't want. The most natural, easiest way to do this is to pay attention to your emotions. You can make the experiment yourself by thinking about your desires that makes you feel good, and then thinking about what you don't want makes you feel bad. You'll notice that you feel bad when you're thinking about something you don't want. Then you just turn your focus back towards what you do want, and your emotional state will improve rapidly.

Good luck with your life and emotional experience just observe how all is connected with the Law of Attraction.

People go through this thing that we call life and while some are incredibly successful, there are others who just “get by” until the final curtain is drawn.

Determining your level of actual involvement in your life &ndash and thus, your level of success &ndash can be broken down into 3 categories: Desire, Duty, or Dereliction.

Desire

Following the path of desire is simply doing what you choose to do with your life. From a standpoint of health, wealth, and happiness, the person who follows their desires is fueled by one thing, and one thing only &ndash their own desires.

Duty

A life filled with a dedication to duty is one where even though you keep your own desires in mind, your primary focus always seems to be on the welfare of others. Whether you are talking about a dedication to your children or your family, or if you have a very high work ethic, the person motivated by duty always has plenty of things to focus on.

Dereliction

Dereliction is a pretty strong term, but it needs to be because this type of person doesn’t care about much of anything. They aren’t necessarily “evil” as most people would consider the meaning of that term, but this person isn’t concerned about very much. Whether considering what happens with their own life, or considering the needs of others or the world at large, this person is pretty much just floating through life without any real sense of duty or desire.

So now the question becomes which one of those personality types is most likely to succeed? Each of those people will achieve massive success on their chosen path because they are doing exactly what they feel they are supposed to be doing, and so they will continue to attract that type of lifestyle.

The person who is completely driven by their own desires and refuses to do anything that doesn’t match that direction will rarely be found engaging in any activity that is not centered around whatever it is that they want to be doing at that moment.

The duty-bound individual will continually find new ways to be duty-bound. When one commitment is handled, they will attract or create a new commitment for themselves, often without even realizing that they are doing it.

For the person who is practicing the opposite of duty &ndash dereliction &ndash their entire focus is on not focusing on much of anything. By not having any real direction for their life, and by not really caring one way or the other about what happens with other people, this person will continue to manifest that lifestyle. Their circumstances will require them to have as little input or responsibility as possible. For a more clear definition of this individual, think one word: Teenagers.

So who is right? Which one of these people is going to have the most happiness in their life?

If you define happiness as being “successful,” then each of them will be just as happy. They will each attract into their lives the people and the circumstances that will allow them to continue to successfully be exactly the type of person that they are choosing to be.

The key to determining which one of them will be the most successful does not rely on “standard” markers such as financial success, career satisfaction, personal life, etc., because those methods of measuring success only matter to the person who cares about those types of measurements.

The “starving artist” doesn’t care about financial success, at least not initially. Your average painter, illustrator, sculptor, or musician would probably do what they do for free, as long as they still had a roof over their head and enough resources to survive.

A family-focused mother or father will gladly give of their time and their financial resources, usually to the point of putting their own health, retirement, and even their sanity on the line. Yet they continue to honor what they believe to be their commitment to their children, regardless of the consequences.

The person who doesn’t much care one way or the other will happily float through life without a real financial plan, without any solid family or friendship commitments, and without even knowing what their own life is going to hold in store for them. However, they are choosing that life for themselves, so does that make them wrong?

The answer to all of these questions is that none of these people are “right” and none of them are “wrong”. They are only seen in a positive or a negative light by the person who is observing them, and they are being judged by the observing person’s belief system.

The fact of the matter is that the concepts of “right” or “wrong” don’t really exist. All that exist are the belief systems of individuals, and it is neither appropriate nor even in our power to judge others based on what we believe to be true.

The “secret of success” is that each of these individuals is 100% successful because they are doing exactly what they choose to be doing with their lives. In fact, failure itself does not even exist, as it is just another example of one person’s beliefs about what is good or what is bad.

Desire, duty, and dereliction will all bring success to the individuals who live their lives from that point of view. Not because that point of view is right or wrong, but simply because that is what that person wants to do. What greater success is there than that?

The Joe in question isn’t me. It’s a good friend of mine.

Born in squalor, raised in need, and oppressed by his neighbors, he fought tooth and nail to survive the slums, enter a good university- and now, runs a multitude of companies.

These aren't your run of the mill single proprietorships. These are mid scale corporations with 100 to 500 dedicated employees. Each one radiates the zest he does.

We had a long talk over Coke Light last night (yep, beer’s no good for powerhouses) and I discovered we both lived by similar principles. These tenets helped us survive the tumult of life:

- You can’t be everything to everybody

- Don’t waste time befriending mad dogs.

- Admit there is no perfection, but strive for it nonetheless.

- Never underestimate the delight of real simplicity in lifestyle.

- Avoid unecessary complications.

- Consider first what is worth fighting for.

- Focus your mind on the pleasant aspects of life.

- Concentrate on things that can enhance your situation.

- Forget what is irrevocably painful or ugly.

- Frustration paralyzes efficiency. Ditch it.

- When you feel like a loser, look back at all those shining moments. There’s no such thing as a loser.

- Never procrastinate- cut through the chase and get things done. Or you’ll suffer tomorrow.

- Realize that men aren’t created equal. That’s a fact. But we all deserve equal opportunities.

- There will always be leaders and followers. Not everyone can be president.

- There is no cut and dried formula for success. Run for the hills when someone sells you one.

and here's one thing I realized after I graduated college:

- Success isn't an accident. It's a choice.

Let me tell you something. Every action, thought, and emotion you entertain ultimately shapes your future. Since you made it to the end of this article, I know you're committed to creating the good life for yourself. You can begin right now by deciding to make the right choices.

Every time.

Many of us have experienced difficult relationships with someone or with several people who have been addicted to alcohol, drugs, gambling, or some other unhealthy pursuit. How might we deal with these difficult relationships, recognize them early, and prevent such relationships in the future?

My own dear mother was unfortunately alcoholic. One day I realized something vitally important:

Just because you love someone, doesn't mean it is healthy to be near them.

It is tremendously useful in life to learn to separate your feelings for someone, with your understanding of what is, or is not, healthy for you to be around. We need both love (or at least like) and a healthy dynamics for a relationship to continue. If both are not present, then the relationship can make you terribly unhappy, or even destroy your health, confidence, and safety.

Ironically, it is also better for them also, to separate if they will not work on controlling their addiction. Maintaining the relationship while they their addiction runs unchecked, encourages their addiction to continue. It is not a significant consequence for them to argue with them about their addiction, for they can remain addicted and behave badly, and still have their relationship with you. You might even be helping to support them, so why should they stop? It is an addiction, so it is powerful.

If you have been in a relationship with someone who is addicted, it would be very helpful to you to decide on your personal boundaries now, so that you can address the matter with a clear head if it comes up again.

Here are some suggestions for behavior that is not acceptable in your relationships:

• If they borrow money from you to pay for their addiction, or borrow money from you to pay for their needs because they spent their own money on their addiction.

• If their addiction prevents them from supporting themselves financially.

• Lying in any way, to cover up the truth of their activities.

• Being cruel or violent to you in any way, while they are inebriated or sober.

• Causing you damage to property or loss of reputation.

• Long absences or causing you great worry.

• Putting lives at risk by drinking and driving.

If you find yourself in a situation where your partner, family member, or friend is addicted, address it immediately. For best success, don't allow it to continue as it is.

You need to give an ultimatum with consequences. I highly recommend that you tell them that they must participate in an organized help program for their addiction, or you will cease all support, end your relationship with them until they have control over their addiction, and you will not live with them. If you can, organize other loved ones to give the same message at the same time, for it will be more effective.

These are very difficult situations, but remember two things: You will be helping both yourself and them if you take care of your own emotional and safety needs, and, just because you love someone, doesn't mean it is healthy to be with them. While they are addicted, love them from afar.

Exponential success is the mathematical process of multiplying numbers. Remember your math days and the different calculations you used. Remember that 4+4=8 and 4X4 is 16 but 4 to the 4th power is 256. Same numbers still math, same amount of effort of do the math on a calculator but look at the difference in results. This process yields greater numbers than any other mathematical process. Some people are satisfied with minor success throughout their lives, adding to their lives a little at a time. Some people want to multiply the joy they have and the goals they want to accomplish. Learn to demand the most from life and achieve success exponentially.

You must to have the will to win. The desire to make the changes that will bring success and happiness. I will show you how to maintain and sustain desire and drive for your success, not a temporary solution but a lifetime of exponential success and happiness. It will be worth it but it does take some effort.

Just when the space shuttle goes into orbit it has to expend the most fuel getting the momentum to get out of the atmosphere. But once it gets into orbit it expends less energy. Just like ES it is hard at first then it becomes a natural process. Becoming successful is like starting to exercise. At first it starts to hurt and take a lot of mental effort to get to the point where it feels good and is exhilarating. Once you get past this point that is when the energy drive, and determination.

You need to learn to customize a success plan and to your needs, according to your talents, drive, personality, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. You can’t live exponentially by following a preset predetermined pattern that someone else uses. It will get you close and make you somewhat successful but won’t get you to live exponentially and find your own pattern you need to reach the pinnacle of your success potential.

When you find this pattern and your passion you will reach ES. You will have to be flexible and moldable as you discover the things that will bring you to true success. You have all the pieces you need to find the very best within you and bring you to the pinnacle of your success potential. You are one of a kind, therefore your success plan should be unique.

You want success and to be the best at what you do. No one likes living in mediocrity and not doing the things they know they are capable of achieving. No one likes to feel second class or under accomplished. Everyone wants to be recognized as being the best in something and having great talents and abilities.

We all want it, but why don't we have it? The desire is there, but where is the action to bring you to the level of success we know we deserve and want? What are you waiting for? What is going to make it happen? Does success get easier the longer we wait? Are we waiting for an terrible experience to make us change our ways? Are we hoping for a miracle, the lottery or Publishers Clearinghouse to change our lives? Lets get started now today at this moment or statistics show it won't happen.

For Example, It took you 10 years to gain 20 pounds and you won’t lose it over night. It took you years to get deep into debt and you won't become financially independent overnight. This is a process and not a quick fix. You can't plant your crops 2 weeks before harvest. You can't prepare for a marathon 2 weeks before it starts. You can't cram for a final one hour before it begins. You can't save for retirement 5 years before it happens. You won't be successful overnight just because you have the desire.

Dr says we find a need to lose weight and get control of our lives so we run out and get a weight loss system. We spend money on equipment and special food and get excited to lose weight. We know it is important and it will improve our lives but we don't stick to it. It might last a few weeks, but it is slide back to our comfort zone. Sure it might happen for a few days weeks maybe even months but soon it is business as usual. Why?

It is not part of our customary pattern or natural process and we are not doing it for the right reasons or in the right way according to our individual unique psychology. You need to find out what works for you as a natural process, A natural process is something you can do, something you feel comfortable and exciting and internally motivated to accomplish. This is so we don’t have to strain and go against the grain to become what we want to become.

Your life is your own plot of ground. You can do what you want, plant what you want and you get to decide what you going to harvest or what type of weeds or infestation you will allow. Are you going to water? Are you going to be happy with your plot of ground or ashamed of your plot of ground? This is your choice.

You have started with desire to be and achieve the things you know you want. Desire is the difference between a average person and a high achiever. Be careful because desire and complacency tend to contradict each other. You must decide the complacency and comfort zone is the real reason you are not where you want to be. Sure you can come up with lists of excuses and rationalizations but if you are not on that list you have to back up and take full responsibility for who and what you are and become.

When I started to research success there are many words that start with self- (esteem, image, discipline.) We will get you out of your comfort zone and into the exponential success zone so you can reach your full potential. Learn to push yourself beyond your capabilities. Never cap your ability to be successful; you have never reached your best in all areas of your life. This includes your personal best, you can perform beyond your limits and skills. The plan will unfold a piece at a time. When you are ready to begin the success process the pieces of the plan begin to appear.

We just want to get in control of our lives be happy and find the success that is waiting for us. We leave with a good feelings and desire to make the changes but once we get back to life. There are setbacks we get back to business as usual. No long-term changes or happiness just the same old thing. Why,? We have not found out what it is that make us tick and how to empower ourselves to make that change. You need additional tools, the information was great but until you can put it to action, it has been a waste of time. You have to be able to implement these skills. Many times training can be a quick fix or short term results we want to make lasting changes in our lives.

We have to find that winning edge that will propel us to the top and help us to things we know we are able to accomplish. Once we can get ourselves to do the right things we can start working on success skills that make the difference. We can gain that winning edge the difference between top and average performers.

There are many quick fixes to encourage motivation and temporary excitement that work for a few days or months, but eventually after that initial feeling wears off we are back to square one and back to your comfort zone.

Do you wake up every morning and say "I'm going to change the world today!"? Most of us would feel a bit grandiose saying that, yet many of us really DO want to change the world, we DO want to make a difference. And we often feel discouraged and disheartened at our inability to do that.

But the truth is you DO make a difference. The question is "What kind of a difference do you make?"

Positive or Negative?

Every day you have many opportunities to make a difference.

When you're driving down the freeway and someone pulls in front of you, do you yell and shake your fist? Or do you send them a kind thought?

When someone in your family interrupts your work do you let them know (silently or not so silently) that they're bothering you? Or do you set aside what you're doing and listen attentively?

When you've waited in line a long time to order your morning latte are you a tad crabby when it's finally your turn? Or do you say something empathetic to the busy barista?

How you choose to respond to and interact with others will determine whether the difference you are making is positive or negative -- but you are making a difference.

Other people are affected by your thoughts, words, and actions. You can be a shining beam of light that brightens someone's day or a dark cloud adding more dreary negativity. Your smile, kind word, or warm gesture could make all the difference to your family, friends, coworkers, or even to a stranger.

You may be thinking that it's no big deal; smiling at someone or saying something nice doesn't make much of a difference.

However, as Mother Teresa said, "It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters." Over the years, I've heard many stories about a few words or a simple act changing someone's life. We never know what the magnitude of our impact on someone will be or how it might ripple out into the world.

Playing With This

I've been playing with this idea lately. Asking myself "What KIND of difference am I making here?" seems to give me the awareness and space to more often choose to speak or act in a way that's likely to make a positive difference. This question provides a tiny nudge that leads me to smile, say something pleasant, or do some small thing for someone.

It's not that I was rude in restaurants or yelling at my husband or snarling at strangers before. Nor is it that I am now or ever will be a candidate for sainthood. It's just that "What kind of difference can I make here?" lightly encourages me to extend myself a little more in order to make a positive difference in someone's life.

And I'm having fun with it!

Some "little" things I've done in the last few weeks include:

* Giving my waitress a true, shining, bright smile rather than a polite one

* Holding back my words when I felt critical of my husband

* Listening to a friend grieving her divorce

* Visiting an elderly friend who enjoys company and loves to tell stories

In each case my intention was to "make a positive difference with ease and fun." Since we can never know for sure the impact of our seemingly little actions, I use this intention as my guide.

Only If It Lights You Up

Each of us DOES make a difference in the world every day. We can choose to make a POSITIVE difference as many (or as few) times a day as we like. It's up to you.

Don't bludgeon yourself thinking you have to make a positive difference with every person every minute of every day. That's too much work!

When it's easy for you to do so, try choosing to make a positive difference. No suffering, sacrifice, or martyrdom required here.

Think again of Mother Teresa: she did amazing work, made a huge difference in many lives, and she loved what she was doing!

You will have more positive impact on others and feed yourself as well, when you make a positive difference by doing what lights you up (what energizes and enlivens you, what you love, what you're passionate about).

Make the difference you can make with ease and joy!

(Note: if you have been giving, giving, giving and have nothing left to give, please, please, please fill your own tank first! Self-care needs to be your priority. When you are filled up, you

may be ready to revisit this idea.)

In Your Life

How can you make a positive difference in the world today? Here are some suggestions.

** Set your intention to make a positive difference with ease and fun. If "ease and fun" aren't qualities that speak to you, choose other qualities that light you up.

** Play with saying or doing "little" things that could in some way make a positive difference to someone. How do you feel when you do this? What happens? How does it seem to affect the other person?

Remember sometimes we can tell the effect, sometimes not. Sometimes the effect is immediate, sometimes later. Sometimes there is no effect. You can't control any of this.

When your intention is to make a positive difference and you take action in support of that intention, allow yourself to feel the pleasure of what you have done, no matter the results.

** At the end of the day reflect on what you have done to make a

positive difference. No matter how large or small it may seem, give yourself credit for what you have done. If you focus on what you have done and how good that feels, you'll build energy to continue making a positive difference.

Each of us truly can make a positive difference every day and who knows how that could ripple out to change the world.

One of the major precepts of The Law of Attraction is that everything is fundamentally connected. This means that the transfer of information is in some way possible, regardless of the constraints of space or time. While fascinating in its own right, you may wonder what this means to you in a practical sense. It means that you have help out there if you make a concerted effort to focus your thoughts on the same worthy goal and it doesn't even matter where you are.

An aspect of the Law of Attraction, that should not be underestimated, is the profound impact that an association or gathering of people has upon the force that is at the heart of the Law of Attraction. There are plenty of examples in science (and what is often known as “para-science”) where the power of the mind, when demonstrated, is far greater than the sum of parts when many people concentrate on the very same thing.

This effect has been evidenced by the empirical evidence of millions throughout history as well as in scientific studies such as the Princeton thought experiments that began in the 1970s and continue to this day. While there are no instruments that can directly measure the effect of mental energy, random number generators have shown differences in coherence &ndash whether the output was more or less coherent than pure random doesn't seem to make a difference. That there is a measurable effect, even an indirect one, has been proven to the satisfaction of many who methodically pursue these phenomena.

Just like the Law of Attraction as presented in “The Secret,” visualization and focus is the key to making seemingly improbable things happen in demonstrable ways. The evidence suggests that when focusing the minds of others on a given task, key is to be clearly focused on a goal. When the power of thought from just a few dozen people very clearly focused on a very specific action or event, things happen powerfully and often far more rapidly than you may have thought possible from your experience as a solitary practitioner.

Conversely, when the concentration is not focused or not very, very specific, the outcome is not coherently influenced and different visions compete with one another. This means that not agreeing on an image and very clearly communicating can sabotage the project even before you start. The timing of such an exercise isn't nearly as important as the intent behind it.

It is very important that everyone involved see the final outcome as clearly as possible. In one memorable thought experiment, a popular late-night talk radio host asked his audience of several million people to concentrate on sending rain to a drought-stricken Texas. The rain did indeed fall, to the point where much flooding occurred, and homes all over the state were ruined or washed away. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is just too much.

Moreover, there are benefits beyond the outcome of your own thought experiments. As human beings, we are drawn to friends, associates and co-workers &ndash other members of the pack. As a wise fellow once said, “...no man is an island.” Aside from the necessary assistance of other people, human minds are designed to derive a sense of comfort and peace from interaction with other people. It is at the centre of our emotional well-being. Without this interaction, it is difficult enough to find enough inner peace to give one's mind over to complete and total visualization on the objects of your desire, even for a few minutes per day.

Friends and associates very often share your interests and ideas. Many of the groups around the world that have sprung up to watch and discuss the ideas of, “The Secret,” have found they're visualizing the same things. Wouldn't it be a great way to proactive visualization and intent focus by getting together with like-minded individuals and trying to bring about something good for the whole community?

Even if the group task you choose to focus on is to benefit only one member of the group, the combined power of several people actively “seeing” such an outcome and really feeling it as real in their minds, can yield remarkable results. Not only should the group discuss very precisely what is is they want to achieve, but also perhaps take some time and do a visualization together, out loud, each person taking turns and contributing to the image.

It is also important that each and every member of the group feel and perhaps discuss how grateful they are. Not only for the presence of the other group members, but for the ability to reach out to other people and pool your mental resources together in such a potentially incredible and useful way.

This tool, when used wisely, has the ability to make the addition of each mind into such a group greater than the sum of its parts. Your ability to attract that which is useful to you will increase exponentially.

By Yu Shan