From a special friend...

A few days ago I was speaking to an audience of business owners about the topic of time management, how to gain back more time in life and use it more efficiently. Time is of the essence and we don't have a whole bunch of it. The saying, "Time Flies" rings through my ears often. That's why it's so important to BE FEARLESS in all that you want to do. Time is the one commodity that we can never get back. So live with passion. A friend wrote me this short poem before I spoke and I forgot to share it with everyone there so I thought it would only be right if I shared it to the world. Here it is...

"There once was a man named Nathan

Who wanted to formulate a plan

To help all the people he loved

Who didn't have enough time on their hands.

He came up with a formula

When finished knew his time was well spent

He was now ready to unveil and share

His secret on time management.

He laid out the steps one by one

And went through carefully each process

And knew in his heart, when the people smiled

That he had contributed to everyone's success.

Now his people had the skills 

He had taught them a better way

To accomplish more thing within their lives

And have more successful days!"

- Dean West -

It's moments like these that make me remember the start up days. The days where I would dream about the day of touching lives in a manner that was enjoyable and rewarding to me. Now as I write this I can say, once again, that dreams really do come true. I love what I do. I love what I give. I look forward to the future.

Steve Jobs explains the rules for success

The Builder

There was a man who was an efficient builder. He had worked for years in a large company and had reached the age of retirement. His employer asked him to build one more house; it was to be his last commission. 
 

The builder took the job, but his heart was not involved. He used inferior materials, timber was poor, and he failed to see the many things that should have been clear to him had he shown even his normal interest in the work.

When the house was eventually finished, his employer came to him and said, “The house is yours, here is the key, it is a present from me!” The builder immediately regretted that he and not used the best materials and engaged the most capable workers. If only he had known that the house was for him…

We as God’s children, are building our own spiritual houses. The faithful God provides us with the best material. What do we use? Let us be mindful of the many gifts of grace of our Lord. Let us ensure that our hearts participate in everything we do. Not one of us builds a house in eternity for someone else; it is always for ourselves. Start building!

Innovative Ways to Reach Your Goal

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Don't confuse motion with action." If you are frantically busy but not getting any closer to your goals, it might be time to ditch your routine and try these life-changing tips.

Use the Rule of 5 
Jack Canfiled, co-founder of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series says that Everyone has a breakthrough goal. A goal that you have always wanted to reach or one that could change your life. List five actions you could take today on your break-through goal and then do them. Repeat the same process every day until you break through.




Get up one hour earlier than the rest of the household. 
Gain clarity on your priorites and start your day empowered. "Use the time as an inspirational hour, reconnect with your mission, core values and review your goals," says Robin Sharma, author of The Leader Who Had No Title. "This will build deep focus against distractions as you move through your day." Or spend your hour meditating, visualizing achieving what's the most important to you, writing in your journal, listening to music, reciting affirmations or exercising.

Confront Fear
Andy Andrews, best-selling author of The Traveler's Gift, says people need to identify where fear has hindered their progress. "List five ways fear held you back and for each write down the actions you are committed to taking on a consistent basis to make your fears irrelevant."

Push Through Major Snags
Lots of people get stuck or procrastinate when they don't know how to do the next step on a goal, but there's always a solution. Talk to some-one who has done it before, brainstorm with other people or ask for help. Sandra Felton and Marsh Sims, authors of Organizing Your Day, suggest taking a break, changing your scenery or taking a walk.

Let me know if these tips have given you an idea or helped you in anyway.

Are You Limiting Your Success?

Uncover The Powerful Role That Questions Play In Your Life… 

Want to experience rapid change in your life, literally overnight? It’s actually pretty easy to do – simply change the questions you ask yourself. Questions are one of the most powerful forms of discovery that you have at your disposal. They can lead to incredible insights, empower you, and help you tap into your unconscious thought process. Questions can also help you focus on where you want to be rather than where you are.

Questions can do all this and more – if you use them properly. 

See, there’s a flip side to questions that most people don’t talk about. As powerful as they are, they can also be used to keep you mired in negativity, to stall your progress, to blind you to possibilities and to trap you in your current existence. 

So, what’s the difference between a good question and a bad one? What type of questions should you ask…and which should you throw out immediately? 

Good questions tend to have several things in common. They:

                 Are motivated by genuine curiosity 

                Are open ended, simple and direct

                Typically begin with how or what

                Are focused on what is working or in seeing a positive aspect of a situation

                Generate creativity and provide information or solutions

Let’s look at the difference between a good and bad question and the different results that might be achieved.

Imagine that you’re just starting your day and you walk out to find your car has a flat tire. A good question is, “How can I take care of this quickly and with the least amount of impact on my day?” A bad question would be, “Why do I have such bad luck?”

Do you see how the first question is open-ended? You’re looking for solutions. You’re focused on a positive result and are curious to find the best remedy for the problem. The bad question is completely different. It’s not focused on anything positive or helpful. In fact, it doesn’t focus on a solution at all. Instead, it diverts your attention and brings to mind even more problems and more negativity. 

A bad question creates a spiral of downward thoughts that poisons your mood and inhibits your ability to see the possible options that are available to you.

Think about the difference between these two questions:

                Why does this always happen to me?  Vs   What can I learn from this situation? 

When you ask yourself the first question, “Why does this always happen to me?” your mind goes in a very different direction. It will find an answer to that question – even if it has to completely make it up! And unfortunately, since the question is rooted in negativity, the answers it makes up just work to further crush your self esteem and sabotage your success. 

                Because you’re not good enough

                Because you’re a failure

                Because you don’t deserve success

Asking yourself the second question, however (What can I learn from this situation?) places your thoughts in a completely different mindset. It focuses on moving forward, and using the situation as a springboard for further growth. 

The most successful people in the world don’t have a secret formula for getting to where they are – they’ve simply learned to ask better questions.  So, here’s a good question to get you started:

What can you do TODAY that that will move you one step closer to your dream?    

      

Are You Living A Fear-Based Existence?

3 Clues That Fear Is Ruling Your Life…

The news is all gloom and doom these days, isn’t it? Recession, foreclosures, natural disasters, terrorist plots…  We live in a world that is dominated by fear and it has trickled down into every part of our lives.  Fear dominates our culture, our schools, our business…and it can easily dominate our life. If we let it, that is.

Which, unfortunately, many of us do….

We go through our days on autopilot and don’t even realize that fear has us it’s in grasp. We simply soak in all the negativity around us and get pulled into the under current. But if we would stop for a moment and think about our life…about our reactions to things, the thoughts that run through our head, and the reason why we make the decisions we do…we would see that fear is calling all the shots.

  

Do you live in a fear based existence?  Here are 3 ways to tell…

1.       Look at what you are focusing on during the day. 

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Garbage in, garbage out?” What you put into your mind matters – it determines your outlook, your attitude and, ultimately, your actions.

For example, you watch the news and see that the economy is in a nosedive. So you decide to put your dream of starting your own business on hold. After all, you figure, there’s no way you can succeed in this environment, right? Wrong! Your fear is simply shaping your perception.

Do you know more millionaires were created during the Great Depression than at any other time in history?  

When you live in a fear based existence, you develop tunnel vision. You only see the problems that exist, and the things that can go wrong.  Fear shuts out your ability to see the abundance of opportunities available, the resources at your disposal and the massive potential that resides around you.     

2.       Look at the language you use.

Have you ever thought about the words you use and how they affect your life? We don’t often pay attention to what we say - or think about the profound impact it has on our lives - but language plays a crucial role in fear based thinking.

                “I can’t”

                “I’m terrified….”

                “I could never…”

                “I’m afraid I can’t make it.”

Everything you say goes straight to your subconscious. It doesn’t judge or analyze the data. It simply takes it in and accepts it as fact.  Think about what that means – about the power language has to determine your state of mind or perception of events.   

Your words matter – use them wisely.    

3.       Look at who you surround yourself with.

Your world is also shaped, to a large extent, by the people in it.

Who do you spend the majority of your time with? Are they energized and excited about life? Or are they constantly seeing the problems and danger in the world?

It’s hard to stay positive when you are surrounded by naysayers.  Jim Rohn, one of the most highly acclaimed motivational speakers of our time said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” If you are spending your time with fear based thinkers, chances are their beliefs will start to seep into your reality as well.

So, are you living a fear based existence? Are you trapped inside your comfort zone?

If you are, you’re severely limiting your possibilities and stifling your potential. Your brain is focused on simply surviving – not thriving – and your action will reflect this. Fear creates a permanent state of limbo and it can wreak havoc on your desire to create success.     

It will also lead to exhaustion. When your mind is in a state of fear, your body subverts all your energy to prepare to fight or flight. Remaining in this heightened state of awareness drains your physical (and mental) resources and can cause all sorts of health problems, like hypertension and high blood pressure.

Fear isn’t just killing your dreams – it’s killing you. 

The good news is you can break free. You have the power to create a life based on faith, happiness and courage. You have the power to create a fearless existence...and you can start TODAY.  Monitor the things you focus on, choose your words carefully, and share your environment with supportive and positive peers. 

Remember, fear is temporary. Regret is permanent. Don’t spend another day regretting your inability to move forward. Take action, tap into your inner strength, and experience the explosive power that exists inside of you!

The 7 Lost Secrets For Goal Setting

Here is the 7 Lost Secrets For Goal Setting and Achieving any goal you desire. Be sure to apply them today!

1. Decide exactly what you want in each area of your life. Be specific! 
2. Write it down, clearly and in detail. 
3. Set a specific deadline. If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down in order. 
4. Make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new items, add them to your list.
5. Organize the items on your list into a plan by placing them in the proper sequence and priority. 
6. Take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan. This is very important! 
7. Do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals. Maintain the momentum!