Common Blocks To Success

Often in my business coaching I inevitably come across problems in the client's personal life that block their business success. Today, while sharing a few of these blocks, a friend suggested I post a few to help you overcome your own blocks to success through my advice at AspireNow. So, here they are:

Common blocks to success:

1. Time Wasters. People waste time with many activities. The biggest time wasters include the following:

• Gabby friends. Some friends will literally expect you to talk to them for an hour every day. Why do that? It is a huge time suck. If you have four such friends, you'll literally spend FOUR hours a DAY just talking about stuff with these friends. It's good to share with friends, but limit the time you spend to time face to face, if at all possible, as much as possible - especially when you're launching something new or exciting that requires extended effort.
• Television. Watching television is one of the biggest time wasters. You don't learn very much from watching television. You can learn much more surfing the net or visiting a bookstore. If you start timing your television watching, you might be alarmed. The average number of hours college students in America watch television is between two to three hours a day. Elementary kids often spend up to five or six hours a DAY watching television! How do you find time for homework when the television is on? Just asking! Try turning off the television. I went so far as to cancel television ENTIRELY. I do miss it when I want to watch Dancing With the Stars and select sports games. Now I have a reason to go to a sports bar. Usually, I'll connect with a friend or two, watch the last half of the game, but I avoid watching an entire day of football on Sunday. I just don't have time for that much television watching anymore!
• Commutes. This is mostly true in a big city, but also true for those who live outside their city but work in town further away from home. If you have a commute longer than twenty minutes each way, you're wasting up to five to ten hours a week just driving around! Try to select jobs near where you live, or live closer to where you work. Save yourself the time wasted on a commute and you'll be more productive.
• Internet. The Internet is powerful. You can keep in touch with thousands of people all around the Globe in instant time through IM, Facebook, Twitter, and other tools. I strongly encourage people to use social networks; however, I also encourage you to limit the time spend on each of these each day. Schedule Internet time, so that it doesn't dominate your life. In America, college students are now spending over twelve hours a week on the Internet. That's more than television! Consider how much time you spend online. Some of the people I know are online as much as twelve hours a day. Back down your Internet time to between one to two hours a day and watch your productivity skyrocket.

2. Attitude. The state of attitude can determine many things influencing success, including:

• State of mind. If you are in a positive frame of mind, you can do more.
• Negative talk v. Postive self-talk. Studies I've read indicate that those who are most successful use positive self-talk over 80% of the time, while those who do not succeed use negative talk about the same ratio. If you can switch your self-talk to talk that supports your activities, you'll succeed more often.
• Proactive v. Reactive. Have a perspective of doing it versus perspective of allowing things to be done to you. Control your life to the extent you can.

3. Clutter. The state of being of clutter can block your success, though:

• Tools. If it is harder to find your tools, you are less effective. Just as good website design is a sign of an easy to navigate site, your own office, house, garage, computer, and phone ought to be organized, tidy, and ready for work. (As I write this note, I make note to schedule organizing my own garage and computer!)
• Work space. If you cannot find what you need, what are you doing about it?
• Mental clutter. Worrying about things you cannot control is a block I see. Stop worrying about those things. Instead, focus on what you CAN do, right now, to make a difference.

4. Productivity Plan. Many people have simple task lists each day. But you can remove these blocks to productivity through a better plan:

• Power of Three. Focus on no more than three projects at any given time.
• Top 5. Make a list of the top five things you must to do to move that project forward.
• Who:
• Make a list of who you must talk to today who can help you move a project forward.
• Make a lit of who you need to follow-up with who can help move projects forward.
• Top 10: Then have your next "top ten" tasks after these lists. If you follow this plan, you will get more done on your core projects and not feel "stagnated" or "stuck" nearly as often.

I'm a big believer in clearing out messy stuff, getting things organized, then working hard on what you must do now to succeed. I am currently putting in a plan for #5 in my own life. My goal? Better health, optimum weight. We can succeed if we make the effort. Try following each of these steps and see if some of your own common blocks aren't removed so you succeed more often.

Do you have an idea of your own on how to remove a block to success and improve productivity? Share it here on our comments for the benefit of our readers. Thanks!
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Taking Control Of Your Life

You may at times struggle with life. Perhaps things feel out of sorts, or out of control. I developed a 7-step process to help get back on track during such times and take control of your life. I will share it with you:

Take Control of Your Life in Seven Steps

1. Define what bothers you right now. What is wrong? What needs fixing?
2. Define what you MOST WANT in that area of your life.
3. Understand your role in both what bothers you and in what you want.
4. Give your problems to GOD. The act of releasing control is vital in the process to manifest dreams.
5. Determine to make a DRAMATIC SHIFT towards ONLY what you want.
6. Pray and meditate on what you WANT. Create a DREAM COLLAGE and visualize it REAL.
7. Focus on the top three ways to create inertia towards what you want.

Better understanding of the Seven Steps to Take Control of Your Life:

Would you like more clarification? I will define each further for you so you may take control of your life right now.

1. Define what bothers you now.

What is really upsetting you? What keeps you up at night? If there is something you feel worry, anxiety, or fear about, what is it?

Answer: ________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Analysis:

What area(s) of your life are bothering you? Perhaps a relationship is frustrating you. Career choices could be confusing. Health issues might hinder your happiness. A job is challenging you. Dreams are taking longer to manifest? Learning something new is frustrating… Or perhaps you feel something is MISSING? So, it could be something you HAVE NOW that is upsetting you and making you feel like life is out of control, OR it could be something you DO NOT HAVE NOW that makes you feel like life is out of control.

If you can look at the things that are bothering you, you can get a grip on why your life feels out of control. What is your initial response to this question?  How many of the things you wrote down to question number one could you fix, right now? If you cannot fix it now, how can we look at it or frame it to make living with it better?  

2. Define what you MOST WANT in that area of your life.

What is it you desire most (in similar areas like you answered in Question 1)?

Answer: ________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Analysis:

What area(s) of your life do you dream about making BETTER? Again, as in Question 1, the dream is either about IMPROVING something we have now, or FILLING A VOID.

If you understand what you want to make better, you may not realize but asking for what you want, clearly, is VITAL to your success. How closely can you define your dream?

If you want a new house, can you draw the floor plan? Can you take a picture of the VIEW? Or, better yet, can you take a picture of YOU, STANDING in THAT VIEW, in that HOME? If so, you increase the likelihood of manifesting that dream house. I have a couple of exercises for this, but first, simple define what you most want in this area of life.

What I want most: ________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. Understand your role in both what bothers you and in what you want.

In both what bothers you and in what you want, YOU are playing a role in the success or failure of that dream life you wish to create. Therefore, to understand why you are getting what you want, or why you are not, you must look at TIME ACTIVITY. How are you actually spending time? Are you asking questions in the right order? Do you feel alignment in how you wish to succeed? Is there space in your life for what you most want? You must have SPACE to manifest what you most want.

Regarding the dream, I must ask you if there is anything BLOCKING you from manifesting what you most want? How are you spending your TIME? If you MUST keep a job to support a family, then the question for what you are doing outside of that job might hold the answer for manifesting the dream. Are you spending time watching television? Are you talking with friends who actually put down your dream? Are you engaging in activities that support the goal or make it a problem? For example, if you want to have optimum health, are you spending time outside working hours working out, exercising, eating healthy, or are you eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol and carbonated drinks, and sitting around? You cannot complain about the things you do that do not support your dream. Rather, I suggest you align yourself in activities that support your dreams and goals. If you want to lose weight, join gym and go there either right before you work or immediately after you get off work. Do whatever fits best in your schedule. If you need to eat more healthy, buy a book with recipes to help you eat more healthy, learn one new recipe a day, and start to eat in that manner. Another thing you can try is to take up a hobby that supports that healthier you: such as salsa dancing. I found that when I salsa dance, I drink less alcohol, drink more water, and lost weight from all the movement. As a bonus, dancing salsa is fun! So, identify what blocks you, then find the ways to open up that time in your schedule.

4. Give your problems to God.

Zen wisdom would hold that if you want to love something, let it go. It is the story that if it comes back, that the love is natural and reciprocated. In the same token, give your problem and dreams up to God. If there is an infinite power in the Universe, why not TAP INTO THAT POWER to help us with our struggles?

I give these struggles to God: ________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

I ask God to help me manifest these dreams: ___________________

_______________________________________________________

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You might wonder, “Why is it healthy to release control of the things in our life that bother us most or that we want most?” The answer is because we do not actually control the total aspect of everything that can occur in our life. By releasing the expected outcome, we actually allow for something GREATER to occur in our life. In addition, it gives peace of mind to release the need to control. Just as the person with OCD over a clean house may see dust where no dust exists, we can use so much control to force ourselves into frustration. So, give up control or the demand for perfection and allow God’s plan to work for you.

5. Make a dramatic shift to FOCUS ONLY on WHAT YOU WANT.

Since you released your struggles to God, and you identified ways to fix what you can fix, then take those actions. Now after looking at SPACE and TIME for what you want, you have an opportunity: you get to think, speak, and act in ways that BRING what you WANT MOST into your life!

That is the exciting part of this process – determine to shift your thoughts, speech, and actions ONLY to what you want to manifest the most. That means ridding all negative self-doubt, negative talk, and actions that sabotage and replacing those with positive belief, faith-based talk, and steps towards success. Just writing the latter part of that sentence FELT better than writing the former. So, consider the EMOTION you wish to charge with manifesting your dreams. FEEL that way NOW.

The actual journey is the fun. The outcome is a result of right thought, speech, and action during the journey that allowed us to manifest or attract to us the things we want most. So start each day with the thoughts that support your dream, with the speech that makes it possible, and the actions that bring it to you. This shift is the biggest change in bringing your state from one of failure, lack, and sadness to one of success, abundance, and happiness. Are not these three things: success, abundance, and happiness three things that will bring us more LOVE and FULFILLMENT? Then focus on what you want and make it so!

6. Pray and meditate on what you WANT. Create a DREAM COLLAGE and visualize it REAL.

Specific activities tend to support the thought, action, and speech. These are the way we use our mind when it is silent, and how we focus intention when we communicate with our higher power. So, each day, when you meditate, meditate on allowing space for your dream to manifest. Meditate on what it looks like… how it feels… how you feel when it happens. When you pray, pray only to align your goals with God’s goals for your life. Put yourself in the dream. If you want to manifest a dream house, can you DRAW the FLOOR PLAN? Do you have a PHOTO of the VIEW? Alternatively, can you take a picture with YOU standing IN THE DREAM HOUSE? Put yourself in the dream to take control of your life. For my birthday, I went to my dream house. What was especially fun about taking pictures in the dream house is the seller staged this house with a dream car, too! My dream car was in the dream house! Therefore, I took a photo in the car, and in the house, to put myself in the dream. Whatever you can do to create a picture of the dream, with you in it, I suggest you do. If you create a dream collage, you can put your PHOTO over the pictures of what you want. This is easiest to do with a computer. You can edit images to put YOUR face in the face of the people you wish to emulate in your dreams. If it is a dream job… what are you doing? Show pictures of YOU doing that. If it is a dream body, put YOUR picture on the dream body. If it a dream car, put YOUR picture in the dream car – or go get a photo taken sitting in your dream car! Dreaming is fun, so have fun with it.

7. Focus on the top three ways to create inertia towards what you want.

It is great to put ourselves in the dream; however, we might need to take actions to make these dreams come true. I am a fan of praying as if God will answer all prayer and then acting as if God might not… in other words; I ask, “What effort must be done to make the dream become reality?” I urge you to take those actions.

Name three steps or actions you can take this week to bring forth your desired results:

1. ____________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________

Now, DO IT! Be a MASTER in your life. When you focus on how YOU can change, and make the shift to change yourself, back it with your higher power, and then TAKE ACTION, you are a POWERFUL person in control of your life!

I recently felt blocked. As I started putting forth what I describe above, and especially as I made effort towards these three actions, I realized that the blocked feeling went away. I know you will experience success in a similar way. Follow the seven steps I outlined above, and any time life feels out of control will immediately re-center much the same way a skipper rights a ship by focusing back in the direction he needs to go. Point your ship in the right direction, lose the weight that sinks your effort to sail, release the ropes that bind you, and allow space for wind to fill the sheets and push you forward toward the port of your next destination. Last, note the dreams you MANIFEST – CELEBRATE successes along the way! Be a master of the seven steps and take control of your life.

 

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Worship and Gratitude: The Alpha and Omega of Happiness

If you examine how the most successful people in the world become successful and how those the most happy people find their happiness, you may notice these people are those who maintain a rich and deep connection to their creator and express gratitude each and every day.

Now, I know some of you who read AspireNow are probably Atheist. And, you know, what? That's okay with me. You may say you don't believe and that is your choice. And, as you know, I rarely get on a soapbox and preach. Today is no exception. But I will ask you: "Do you want to be happy?" Because if you want happiness, everything I've studied leads me to these two qualities: worship and gratitude.

I am not on a soapbox. I will simply state what I, myself, believe to be true. I believe that Worship and Gratitude are the Alpha and Omega of HAPPINESS.

My parents have a plaque on their wall that always struck me as especially wise. It reads:

"A family that prays together, stays together."

The state of prayer is one of communication with our God. To me, our God is one. The "Christ-consciousness" is only shone to us through the angel those with near death experiences report - the white light. But works of nature and the Universe abound all around us. I love both the simple and elegantly complex nature of life. I am in awe of things like: a sunrise... the birth of a baby... a sunset... the stars... our sun... and the power of prayer.

In my book I am publishing about "Using Solomon's Wisdom to Build a Kingdom," I maintain 10 basic tenets that Solomon created and followed to build a kingdom. He started by asking God for WISDOM. He aligned himself with his maker and started from that place. He maintained worship as a vital part of his rulership and was considered the wisest man who ever lived. Could this be connected? I believe it is. Solomon's kingdom and influence ended up the largest his people ever experienced.

A path to abundance is one that begins in service, and one that begins by submitting our will to God's will. Because God has greater plans for us than we can imagine! My own path and my will focused my efforts on being a salesperson for a large corporation, then a manager for corporations. This influenced a few dozen people directly, and perhaps more indirectly. God's will has me writing books and speaking in ways that influence the lives of MILLIONS. Can you see what I mean? It isn't all about money, but when you influence millions you usually have more value in the world than if you influence dozens, would you not agree?

Worship of GOD begins by submitting to God. Worship and Wisdom, therefore, are uniquely linked as the paradoxical moment when we begin to manifest a larger vision for life.

In addition, you will notice people who are amazingly successful are very GRATEFUL. They express their gratitude to people they love, and those they just meet.

I am so GRATEFUL for YOU, right now!

See, because it is one thing to become "empowered" with the wisdom and vision that we may manifest God inside us. It is another thing to realize that FEAR and RESENTMENT block LOVE and hold us back, and even more to realize that FORGIVENESS and LOVE propel and lift our plane of life energy into the clouds. But it is another thing altogether to recognize that GRATITUDE is the key to BLAST OFF into the stratosphere of realizing our dreams! And this, my friend, is true.

Are you ready to blast off? Start showing gratitude everywhere you go! Laugh, smile, and let people know you love them and are grateful for their presence in your life.

Just as worship is the alpha; or, the beginning, gratitude is the omega; where it ends: the missing link to discover happiness.

Think about it.... if you can live a life filled with wisdom, filled with love, where fear has no place, and let go of all resentment through forgiveness and acceptance, and then are grateful for the blessings that come your way... is that not a life of abundance?

This is what AspireNow is all about. I encourage you to live that life of abundance. I can show you what I learn on my own journey. It is up to you if you wish to pick up the seeds of life sprinkled throughout these pages and say, "Yes, I want to plant these seeds in my garden." If you do, hopefully my articles will help, along with wisdom you receive from other friends, and other people and events will come your way to guide you and help water that garden, so these seeds turn into strong and powerful plants, trees, and eventually new life that you share with those around you.

I encourage it, I pray for it, I am grateful for the opportunity to help make it so for you.

May you integrate worship and gratitude as a regular part of your life activity and see if the beginning and end of happiness are not present for each and every day.

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Don't Just Sit There - GOYA!

Some of the best advice I ever received about success is this:

GOYA = Get Off Your Ass!

Is it ironic that Jerry Rice, the best wide receiver of all-time in the NFL, also maintained the most focused and intense workout ethic? For example, every time Jerry Rice caught a football, he would run it to the end zone. Why? "Because that is my objective every time I catch the ball," Jerry explained. Most receivers don't do that because you have to exert energy to run that much during practice.

This concept runs parallel to this statement:

"Do what others won't do and you will become more successful than the others."

So, in your endeavors, what are you doing? What are you NOT doing that you COULD do?

Charlie Parker became the best saxophonist in the world by playing 14 hours a day. Most saxophonists I've known will practice for 30 to 60 minutes and call it good. I find that when I rehearse more than 2 hours something shifts in me... I go into a different creative zone... and I start to CREATE new ways to PLAY MUSIC. If I only rehearsed or played for 30 minutes, I would never discover this zone! So, practice in ways others do not practice.

If you're sitting there every day talking about a dream, writing about a dream, and trying to think of how to make it perfect, guess what: someone else is out there making mistakes and just DOING IT - and perfecting their mistakes as they go along. In other words, while you're sitting there thinking about it they are DOING IT! GOYA!

I propose you consider doing those things today, this week, this month, this quarter, and this year, to make a difference. Stand out by doing things that make you stand out! Do what others say is impossible. Be the POSSIBILITY you wish to see!

Don't just sit there. GOYA and do something GREAT! You can do it!

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Showdown: with Doubt, Fear, and Anxiety

Today, I come to a showdown with a few old foes who try to block my path.

At first, I reel in my saddle... unsure if I can move one inch forward. I know this feeling and can say it stopped me many times before. I gird myself with my strength, step down from my horse, and place my hand by my side, next to my firearm colt revolver ready to blast away at my foes with their sick laughter.

Yes, they stand laughing at me with ridiculous gestures.

I stand undettered by these faceless ghouls.

They once acted as if they were friends; well, they are friends no more: they betrayed my trust and led me astray. I ponder for just one moment, much like Rodin said about his "Thinker" back in 1904 "I thought not only with my brain, with my knitted brow, my distended nostrils and compressed lips, but with every muscle of my arms, back, and legs, and with clenched fist and gripping toes" I meet my enemy and stare them down.

Like Clint Eastwood in a Spaghetti Western, I stare unblinking with my blue-green eyes glinting in the sunlight and make out the shadowy form of my opponents: doubt, fear, and anxiety.

Like Tom Waits sings in "Down in the Hole", I will stomp them into the earth and flush them out and push these devils deep down in a hole. These three bastards stopped me from finding the gold in life for the last time.

But today, I gun them down and singlehandedly destroy them: twisting and moaning, grasping body parts as the blood oozes forth from their heart, and runs from their appendages and the center of their forehead. My spurs make special music as I walk, in swaggering confidence, and assure myself of the death of these idiots.... they will not sway me as fear and failure has no place in the spirit or path of THIS man.

For these things mean nothing when FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE, which armed from the spirit of life that runs within me, are the bullets in my holster. I have no want. My blessings pour forth and the blocks shatter like weak glass before me. God is smiling upon me. This is my moment.

Like Neo in the first Matrix, time slows, I can actually see the bullets as they chase me, and I can grab them, stare at them for the worthless pieces of flak they are, and toss them down to claim my triumphant victory.

For today is the moment I came to this Earth to prepare for - to live in this NOW - to be THIS man.

There is only one time that matters: NOW.

And, in this NOW, I claim what is rightfully mine. My spirit deems it so. I am ready. I am no longer afraid of my own greatness, of my own abilities, or of the incredible calling before me. I push through the doors, which open before me and swing behind my back, and fulfill my destiny.

I know that none of this happens without LOVE. None of this happens without aligning myself with God within me. None of this happens without the KNOWING; the absolute quickening of time where I realize that my spirit self and my physical worldy self are ONE and the SAME.

Time stops.

Your presence... your love... your understanding... your support... are all here with me. I invite you to come along... to be my friend... but most of all to love me as I love you.

There is only love that matters. In the end, what we give determines what we get.

So I will give, and give, and give some more. I give without expectation or attachment. I give for the simple pleasure of giving. I give and draw upon the eternal spring within me and pour forth from this decanter the beautiful words, music, and spiraling flow of ideas into the world and very presence as it requests of me.

Now is the time.

It is before us. I see it all now, like a cinema in my mind.

The journey begins now...

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Journaling Impacts Coaching Results

A fellow coach emailed me recently with a request to share links - AND - the most eye-popping website I've seen in a while from a coach, called Frameofmindcoaching.com.

What made it different? Several things:

1. They used elegant design.
2. Information flowed naturally.

Okay, great, good web design, no big deal, right? But here's where it gets interesting:

3. They offered an online journal with protected password to keep and note your thoughts.
4. Their journaling system enabling coaches to view and share thoughts.
5. Journal remarks could be shared with others.
6. This whole process is driven by unique software, called Journal Engine Software.

So, a journal, combined with methods to make coaching more effective, along with a way to make the membership or website a social network. As we know, journaling is powerful. Coaching is also powerful. And, social networks created this whole "Web 2.0" explosion of Internet activity over the past three to six years, re-energized the Web, and made companies like YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace a ton of money.

Now, as a coach, you have an opportunity to take a step in the direction of Web 3.0 - combining technologies and coaching to drive success further.

You can get access to this program at:

Journal Engine Software

Note: I am an affiate for this software. I would refer it even if they don't pay me when you buy. If you like their software so much you wish to be an affiliate, then join their program. When you do, reference "AspireNow" as your master affiliate, as they use a two-tier system for paying affiliates. Cool, huh? :)

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New Cold to Gold Workshops

Part of discovering purpose often includes discovering how to get in the door and network better.

Join me as I host a class through AspireNow's sister company, ARRiiVE Business Solutions, called "Cold to Gold: How to Overcome the Fear of Cold Calling and Get In The Door Successfully" as a "Mind Spark Session" workshop.

Next workshops:
IN PERSON: July 1, 2010 from 1P - 5P in San Luis Obispo, CA, at KCBXnet - for a discounted $397.00 per person (normally $497 pp).

WEBINAR: For those who do not live close to San Luis Obispo, you will want to sign up for the webinar this coming June 15. The webinar is one hour a day and runs from Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 11:00 am each day for four (4) days. You need to sign up by June 13th. There will be another webinar mid-July, too. Webinar format Cold to Gold is just $297 per person.

"Cold to Gold offers a clear and dynamic system to help people 'get in the door'
and skyrocket sales success." -- Alan Harris, Former Senior Program Manager
Remedy

You do more than learn how to open the door; you learn how to interact with prospects in ways that lead to a sale. Because how you relate to the prospect is as important as the solution(s) you create or offer your prospect.

Cold to Gold is the only course that breaks down both the mental process and each step of customer attraction, from “push” methods, such as calling or email to “pull” methods such as events, speaking, and networking. This program weaves ARRiiVE Training's proven principles of success into every session for maximum takeaway. In the end, you will learn how to go from “Cold” to “Gold” with your prospects through our unique Mind Spark Session TM workshops.

Who Should Attend
Sales people - whether they are new hires or have been on the job for a while. Cold to Gold will turn you into a sales leader because it develops you from sales person into confidante.
You Will Be Able To:

• Build sales strategy to map your approach to prospects buying method and cycle
• Learn better communications skills to connect with decision makers
• Drop the fear of cold calling through a warm system of interaction
• Learn headlines and copy that creates higher open rates, return calls, and letter opens
• Display confidence in yourself and your company and build credibility instantly
• Ask the right questions to determine qualified solution opportunities
• Gain tools to immediately win commitment to productive meetings
• Influence the conversation so that it reaches a mutually beneficial conclusion
• Follow up in a way that creates additional sales opportunities

Sign up your team for a Cold to Gold workshop at http://www.coldtogold.com/, or call 805-459-6939 to discuss a group discount.
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How to Cope With Pressure

In our lives, we often face moments of pressure. This pressure may take form in several types of challenge(s):

1. Lack of financial resources to cope with expenses.
2. A decline in health which lowers our physical vitality.
3. Limited time to accomplish a large number of tasks.
4. Lack of a partner to help us accomplish our mission.
5. Other...

At the time when we feel pressure, you may notice your own "fight or flight" responses kicking in. You might feel a sense of worry. Perhaps you may shut down entirely, unable to cope as you normally cope. You may not feel able to tackle the challenges of the world. At a time like this, the pressure then grows, rather than reduces.

I write this article to offer some simple and proven methods to cope with pressure more effectively.

If your pressure is at work, you might consider coping by doing the following:

• Focus on what is most important right now.
• Reduce pressure from computer tasks by taking breaks every hour.
• Organize your desk to better cope with tasks.
• Make sure to get time away from work to retain a sense of balance.

If your pressure is at home, consider coping with that pressure by:

• Cleaning up your living space.
• Organizing your living space.
• Simplifying and/or eliminating clutter.
• Asking children to take part in helping out.

You may notice that in both home and work situations, I suggested to organize and clean up your space. This is because we often let our space become messy and disorganized when we face high stress. This clutter increases the tension and makes it harder to succeed. By organizing our work space, we can work more effectively, whether at office or home.

In addition, I suggest you make time for exercise. When you feel pressure, your body may need exercise to release toxin and replenish healthy cells. Half of back pain may be cured simply through better oxygen flow through the body. So, if your challenge is health-related, consider ways to oxygenate your system (water, exercise, stretching, dancing, playing music, eating healthier, vitamin supplements, air, sunshine, etc.).

Make sure you breath in healthy air. If you breath healthy air, you can think better. Eat at regular times, smaller meals, throughout the day. This helps balance your system.

Last, tackle the objectives that will most likely reduce the pressure the most. For example, if the pressure on you feels like a financial challenge, consider what ways you can quickly pump more financial resources through your account to better handle these challenges. For me, that might be offering a new workshop or speaking in more places. What ways do you create financial freedom? Focus on the activities that give you the freedom you need and your pressure will be relieved.

Remember this above all else: almost all worry is unnecessary. If you instead focus on what you CAN DO in this moment, RIGHT NOW, you can relieve pressure and cope with the challenges at hand, almost every single time. I encourage you to do so, starting this very moment!

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How to Start a Company

Do you want to learn how to start a business?
Are you currently starting a company? Or, maybe you're launching a product or new service?

Join Scott Andrews, International Author, Speaker, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions, as he shares wisdom learned in starting AspireNow, ARRiiVE, and launching products and companies.

How to Start a Business
Avoid the Top 10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make and

Learn Ways to Build a Successful Company

In this NO-COST, 1 hour tele-seminar, you will learn secrets to launch your business:

• Learn ways entrepreneurs sabotage success...find out what not to do!
• Gain insights from masters...grow wisdom to learn how to make it.
• Discover the differences between good and GREAT companies...build it right from the start.
• Why NOW?...Discover why NOW is a GREAT TIME to START YOUR COMPANY.
• Maximize your money...explore ways to stretch capital or bootstrap a business.
• And more!

About Scott:
As seen and heard on CBS, ABC, and Seeing Beyond (KEST), Scott Andrews' unique wisdom and ability to inspire people to action is second to none. Scott is a natural performer, but also possesses the power to take complex business and life development challenges and break them down into simple and actionable frameworks you can immediately apply to improve your present situation. Scott is a former Toastmaster and current board member of SLO STC and Cal Poly School of Journalism Internships. He created the first interactive self-help website: "AspireNow Advisor: Instant Self-help on the Web" in 2001. He has successfully launched or been involved in the launch of dozens of products and companies, including StoryAD Network, ElementsLocal, Instantis, numerous coaching companies, Cold to Gold (www.ColdtoGold.com), and he is currently launching the 1st SLO Jazz Festival (www.SLOJazzFest.org - September 25, 2010). He teaches both business and personal development programs and is often a featured keynote speaker to groups ranging from 20 to 2,000.

"Why waste months of time trying to launch a new product? ARRiiVE Business Solutions can help you get your program launched exponentially faster." -- Michelle Casto, International Speaker & Author of "Get Smart" series of books

"Scott helped my company through a critical growth period. He made a BIG difference!!!" -- Jim Vangelos, CEO, Polymer Logistics

"Scott has a commanding presence...he never fails to wow his audience with new ideas and dynamic ability to inspire people." -- Jessica Haynes, Author of "Get What You Want" and "GPS to Success", Business and Relationship Coach

"Scott is a strategic business leader able to launch unique solutions to grow revenue and drive stability." -- Grant Stellwagen, Owner, Stellwagen Insurance

Schedule this call in your Outlook/calendar now so you can attend this powerful no-cost 1 hour teleseminar:

Just call in at 5:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday, April 28, 2010.
See ARRiiVE.com for details or just visit this link to sign-up:

http://www.arriive.com/business_launch_teleseminar_signup.htm

I'm sharing this no-cost information today (Wednesday, April 28, 2010) at 5:00 PM PST, and it will be recorded, for anyone who is interested. You all are INVITED! :)

Thanks!
Scott

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How To Win Your Customer's Hearts by Reading Their Minds

Free this week. Instead of $149: “How to Win Your Customers’ Hearts – by Reading Their Minds,” by Dov Gordon, is now released.

My friend and colleague Dov Gordon is sharing his $149 training video on “How to Win Your Hearts’ – by Reading Their Minds” for only a week or two. Below I explain why. If you’re in a rush, just go get it now: "How to Win Your Customer's Hearts by Reading Their Minds."

He's released Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, which you can view at the above link when you sign up.

If you’re past the honeymoon stage in your business, you know that taking shortcuts have a nasty way of blowing up in your face. Eventually.

BUT there are always a few people who seem to effortlessly zero in on the key points in any meeting, negotiation, management crises or opportunity. They get more done, faster – both alone and through others.

Warren Buffett is an extreme example. In 1991, his multi-billion dollar investment in Salomon Brothers was at the edge of disaster. The government was *this close* to effectively shutting them down.

Buffett had to choose a new CEO, making what he considered the most important hire of his life. And he did. In 15 minutes. He met the guy for 15 minutes and decided to hire him. And it was a fantastic choice.

Astounding, no?

Was it luck? No. Nor was it a kind of reckless shortcut in which he “hoped” it would work out.

Buffett has systematically trained his mind to see subtle things in every day situations that almost everyone else misses. He can “see the unseen.”

Not in a mystical way. In a practical way.

The good news is that you and I can learn these skills. Maybe not to the level of Warren Buffett, but certainly to the level that you know in your heart you were meant to achieve.

My friend and colleague Dov Gordon has put together a free online video course for entrepreneurs and small business owners that teaches you just that. It’s only available for another week or so and I recommend you go get it now.

The course is called “The Simple Secrets of Gordian-Knot Management.”

You get it in four parts:

Chapter 1: ”How to Strike at the Root, While Everyone Hacks at the Leaves.” This is short, just 14 minutes. But it will change the way you think. (Available now. No registration required. "How to Win Your Customer's Hearts by Reading Their Minds."

Chapter 2: “How to Win Your Customers’ Hearts – by Reading Their Minds.” (Available now at the same link. Free registration required because he usually sells this for $149. Naturally, Dov protects it behind digital walls. But this week you can walk in without paying.)

Chapter 3: ”Time Alchemy.” If you’ve ever had only “some” success with time management, it’s because you’ve never yet seen the big picture this clearly! Here is Chapter 3: Time Alchemy

Chapter 4: ”The Critical 10% of Management Skills that Make You Look Brilliant 90% of the Time.” The 90-10 rule applied to management skills. It’s much simpler when you can confidently focus on just a few things that give you leverage. Real leverage. (Coming soon.)

I don’t often promote other people’s material. However, I’ve seen Dov’s work. I’ve known him for a long time and have always been impressed with his clear thinking and unique ability to teach it to others.

And it won’t cost you anything.

WHY is Dov giving this all away for free this week and next? Because he wants to introduce himself. He knows that some will want to continue with him in a paid program. If you do eventually buy something, I will probably earn a commission for having made the introduction. But you’ll thank me for telling you about his free training long before that happens.

So do this:

1. Go register for the $149 training while it’s still free:

"How to Win Your Customer's Hearts by Reading Their Minds."

2. Here is Chapter 3:

Here is Chapter 3: Time Alchemy
Chapter 3: Time Alchemy

Watch your email so you know when chapter 4 will be released.

See you soon!
Scott

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What Is Your Favorite Mantra?

John Assaraf, one of the authors and business leaders from the astonishingly popular movie, The Secret, recent asked "What is your favorite mantra?" on his Facebook wall.

I thought it was a valid question. My favorite mantra is "My higher self loves this."

Why?

Because, you see, if your higher self is not in alignment with the thing you look at or talk about when you say "My higher self loves this" you will be moved to CHANGE or REMOVE IT. Whatever you discuss, if you are not in alignment, you cannot say that for long. And, you most certainly cannot look yourself in the eye and say it repeatedly, day in and day out.

Usually, you will notice exactly how your body feels when you say "My higher self loves this."

If your body feels pain, or any discomfort, you may have an issue with that topic.

Now, on the other hand, if your higher self truly DOES love what you describe, look at, or discuss, then you will resonate happiness. I recently put every thing I am doing with my time through a "my higher self loves this" test. Fortunately, I only needed to make one major change (my band). But, I acted, and now everything is aligned in a healthy way.

Try using "my higher self loves this" with the activities, people, and items surrounding you. See if you gain clarity in focus, purpose, and love through this mantra.

What is YOUR favorite mantra? Please comment and share!
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How To Succeed As The Top 1%

If you are like me, you want to be the BEST in your field. I wrote an article on my blog I’ll reprint here for you to review:

If you want to be in the top 1% of your field, you must do these seven things:

1. Make a decision to be in the top 1% of your field. Get in line.
2. Decide to operate from INTEGRITY.
3. EMULATE the top experts.
4. Utilize techniques they use to be the BEST.
5. Use LEVERAGE to leap-frog up the "line" to the top.
6. Give more. The more you give without expectation of return, the more you will get back from the most unexpected sources. If you're pitching, make your pitch about HOW YOU HELP THEM.
7. Manage Your Money. Use money wisely.

You may notice when I talk about how to succeed as the Top 1%, I did not mention you have to be smarter, get better grades, back-stab your co-workers, or talk about how great you are. Some of these things might help; but, in all honesty, they are not required. In some cases, these things are detrimental.

Let us break down How to Success As The Top 1% a Bit More:

1. Make a decision to be in the top 1% of your field.

Why do we need to make a decision? Because we must know we wish to land before we board a plane. We must choose that path and then follow it. In any field of interest, there is a path to success. If you wish to be President, you'll likely be a Governor or Senator first. That's the path for President. If you wish to be CEO of a major corporation, you'll likely need to be Manager, Director, VP, then Sr. VP, before CEO. Unless you launch your own company, in which case you’re the CEO much sooner. Note: be careful what you ask for! If you wish to be the best in music, you first learn choose an instrument based upon your interest. Then, you join or start a band. Then you play with other bands, and you play better and better gigs and better and better bands to larger and larger crowds. This is how the best reach the top. But first, you must make a decision about what to play!

Key: When you make a decision to succeed as the top 1% in your field, you make a decision because this is equivalent to GETTING IN LINE. In High School and College, there were lines for sorts of things. You stood in line to sign up for school. You stood in line to sign up for classes. You stood in line to buy books. They even had a line for food! Well, if you wanted to get your food for a break, you had to get in line or the food hardly ever showed up (unless you asked a friend to buy for you). So, you pretty much had to get in line. Are you in line in your field? Are you participating? It starts there.

2. Decide to operate from INTEGRITY to be THE BEST.

Why does integrity influence success? Well, your character is WHO YOU ARE. Character is what defines you in moments that challenge you. Your integrity is who you are when you fail. Will you keep giving? Will you remain honest?

I read an article in Fortune Magazine last month about how Steve Jobs became the #1 CEO in the world through his excellent choices in product, marketing, and launch products like the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. However, if you go back to his company, NeXT, at one point I recall reading an article back in 1992 that pointed out all the ways Steve lied about the NeXT's capabilities. If you’re a known name, someone will often track your HONESTY! Interestingly, NeXT failed as a computer company. They DID succeed as a software operating system, which parlayed Steve rejoining Apple. But, selling NeXT to Apple for the operating system was the only play left for NeXT at that time. Since then, I've noticed Steve's new integrity is to say things much more accurate about Apple products. His integrity improved, and so did his success.

What builds a business's success? Answer: your word of mouth.

Your word of mouth comes from what you do AFTER the first sale. They must first come to you the first time. Then, they must come back, and bring their friends. They will only do that if your word of mouth is solid. Your reputation comes from the quality of your work and the integrity of your character. Make both rock-solid and you will success as the top 1%.

3. EMULATE the top experts to succeed as the top 1%

I once met the top salesperson in the region at my company. I was striving, at the time, to climb the ladder at that company. When I met with this salesperson, the first thing I noticed: his dress. He dressed impeccably.

Second, I noticed he knew the industry better than anyone else. Then, he told stories and made jokes to make his point. As I picked his mind, I learned several things how to succeed. I utilized each of those techniques and rose to the best in my region that very same year.

This is what I did when I started to form the basis for content for Cold to Gold. Today, I am teaching others how to do it.

To succeed like the Top 1%, pick the mind of the best, dress like the best, and learn what they do.

4. Utilize techniques the BEST use to be the TOP 1%.

You may recall I mentioned how the “BEST” in my region told me stories and made jokes to make a point? Most CEOs use that technique, too.

Humor is a sign of creativity. There is a direct correlation between creativity and success. Therefore, become more creative. Paint. Play music. Draw. Hold "Brain Storming" sessions. Utilize your creativity to drive the quantity of ideas.

Many ideas do not work. In fact, over 90% of ideas are “bad” ideas. But the most you create, the more ideas flush out into the 10% “good” ideas. And, as you build habits of learning “good” ideas, your success will expand dramatically.

As you try more ideas, you start to learn which types of ideas DO work. As you implement those ideas, your success will skyrocket!

5. Use LEVERAGE to leap-frog up the "line" to the top.

a. LEVERAGE your contacts or network.
b. LEVERAGE your knowledge.
c. LEVERAGE your tactics.
d. LEVERAGE your attitude.
e. LEVERAGE your follow-up.

When I'm talking about LEVERAGE, there are several aspects to LEAP FROGGING. But know this: the key to get to the top 1% most quickly is LEVERAGE. Build a strong network. Build up, and build wide. Build your knowledge. What you know relates to your impact upon others. Build your tactics. As you learn new tactics, you learn new approaches to succeed. Leverage your attitude. People love positive people. Leverage your follow-up. People tend to do business with those who follow-up the BEST. The BEST follow-up and win because THEY HELP YOU REMEMBER THEM.

6. Give. The more you give without expectation of return, the more you will get back from the most unexpected sources. If you're pitching, make your pitch about HOW YOU HELP THEM.

When I talk about giving, I talk about attitude. Don't criticize people. Have you ever noticed that Hollywood actors rarely say anything negative actors? This is the key to success in your career. Be nice! Don't let people walk over you, but be nice! Give, without the expectation of return. You'll be surprised how much other people start to do things for you. This is because you built goodwill and left them with a positive impression of you or your business. The #1 most valuable thing a company owns is goodwill. The same thing holds true for individuals. You build your goodwill by "doing good" for others. So, do good. Give. Volunteer. Make the effort others don't.

7. Money. Use money wisely.

When we first start a business, we often feel like we re-entered the sales business. We sell our house, sell our belongings, sell our car!

Seriously!

When we have money, we attract more opportunities to make more money. It takes money to make more money. If you don't have money, become something. Save money. Treat your money wisely. Why does money matter? The answer is simple. Money is a form of energy. If we waste our money, then we will likely waste other energy, too. People notice waste and don’t want any part of it. So, don’t waste energy. Don’t waste money. Don’t waste time.

When you are in debt, it causes stress! You do not need the stress. So, use your money wisely - it will keep your peace of mind, your character, your health, and all these things relaxed.

And the top 1% don't waste very much money or energy. They use it wisely.

Use all these steps to propel your success into the Top 1%.

Please comment and let me know how you feel about these tips! Thanks for reading!

_______________________________________________________

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Want To Grow Your List?

Are you trying to reach others to promote an idea or product? Perhaps you're trying to bring more love into the world. Or, maybe you have a cure for yeast infections. Or, perhaps you just wrote a new book on how to do something. Maybe you're launching a speaking career. Or, you have a new invention you want to get the word out. More products? More services?

Whatever your situation, you're going to need a LIST.

Without a list, who can hear you? And, as you know, it can be TIME CONSUMING to build a list. Is it easy? Not really. However, I have a "Big Secret" idea I think might help you build your list:

Help Each Other Build A List!

Let's help each other build our list! Growing a List is Infinitely Easier If You Work Together!

It's that simple. Help me, and I'll help you. I've created a new site called "List Builders" with each member interested in helping each other build our lists!

If you're interested in joining this "invitation only" group, please let me know. You can email me at Scott@AspireNow.com and just mention "List builders" - or visit http://aspirenow.com/aspirenow_list_builders.htm to learn more. Requirements: At least 500 people on your list. That's it. Hopefully you have many more, but as you grow, others will grow, and we all benefit.

Again, visit http://aspirenow.com/aspirenow_list_builders.htm to join today.

Oh - one more thing, when you enter to join the list, don't forget to share a secret to list building with us - let's help build a resource of secret strategies to help each other!

Infusionsoft combines CRM + email marketing + ecommerce into a powerful, all-in-one system. Get it now.
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Cold to Gold Mind Spark Session

Attention: the next Cold to Gold Mind Spark SessionTM is scheduled for April 6, 2010, at 10:00AM PST.

Registration for this powerful online workshop will close one hour prior to the start of workshop. Only 25 seats are available for this session, which runs each day from Tuesday through Friday next week, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. So, hurry while you can still get in!

Cold to Gold is a system of selling created by Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions.

You'll gain access to the mind shift, techniques, and methods that help you get in the door, form better qualified meetings, and highly successful business relationships. These are the techniques used by Scott to land multimillion deals with IBM, EMC2, Data General, and other sales organizations. For example, Scott wrote Jay Leno a letter and Jay returned Scott's call personally. Scott never met Jay prior to sending the letter. You'll learn the techniques Scott uses to get responses like this. Can your business use a lift?

To sign up for this workshop, please visit http://www.coldtogold.com/
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Mantra for Abundance

If you want to manifest abundance, try this mantra:

"I am so happy and grateful now, that money comes to me, in increasing quantities of wealth, from multiple sources, on a continuous basis, every hour of every day."

Say that again and again, day after day, and see how your abundance is impacted.
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Have You Met Brendon Burchard?

Hey everybody! Have you met Brendon Burchard? You gotta meet this guy!
I recently met Brendon at a seminar at Hotel Sofitel in Redwood City that ROCKED!!!

Have you ever thought about sharing your life's story and strategies for success with the world?

Have you ever written down four or five how-to lessons about life or business and thought, "Man, people would pay for this hard-earned wisdom."

If yes, then you're a lot more like the "gurus" than you might have thought.
(And you might as well get paid like them, agreed?)

Legendary trainers like Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Deepak Chopra, John Gray, and Marianne Williamson all decided at some point to teach others. So did I.

Want to be the next guru in your field?

If so, you have to learn to position, promote, and get paid like one. Learn how in this complimentary video:

https://burchardgroup.infusionsoft.com/go/ExpertAcademyVideo1/Aspire

This amazing in-depth training video will teach you how Brendon Burchard went from bankrupt and unknown to $4.6 million in 24 months with just one assistant.

You'll learn:

* How he used an innovative (and simple) strategy to write a short how-to ebook and get it downloaded 117,000 times, making him an instant expert (and rich guy).

*How he skipped the speaking circuit advice of starting out at a few hundred bucks per speech and LEAPED to $25,000 per speech with one secret approach to getting
booked as a speaker.

*How he pulls in $500,000 plus paydays (that's net) in just one easy to create weekend seminar.

*How he gets coaching clients to pay $25,000 a year without having to work with them one-on-one every month.

*How a weird accident led to millions of dollars online with a ONE-PAGE continuity program. He calls it the "anti-membership" membership program - cool, huh?

https://burchardgroup.infusionsoft.com/go/ExpertAcademyVideo1/Aspire

Brendon is the go-to guy for authors, speakers, coaches, seminar leaders and online marketers. This insanely detailed and innovative training will show you why.

Tony Robbins, John Gray, David Bach, Brian Tracy, Frank Kern and Paula Abdul call on Brendon for his strategies. I'm using his strategies and love them so much I thought you can learn something from him too :)

ExpertAcademy - Click Here to Watch Video

Enjoy the training, Expert!

Scott
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Copyright © 1999-2010 AspireNow. All rights reserved. Want more? Subscribe to the A-Blog. AspireNow may be an affiliate of Brendon Burchard and could be paid money for sending this email - true - however, I've been telling everyone everywhere about this stuff - I'm excited about it and asked if I could help promote him!

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Six Minutes to Success by Bob Proctor

I love finding new tools to help make YOU more successful. Today, I found such a tool:

Six Minutes to Success, by Bob Proctor

These are short, six minute or less success videos by one of the "gurus" from the hit movie, The Secret, Bob Proctor. To give you a little background, my friend Bob taught me more about the brain and law of attraction in six minutes than anyone else taught me over the last year. Watch six minutes to success and learn for your self...

Check it out and see how you like it:



How do you like this type of program/ Please let me know!

Scott

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How Focused Are You

I recently asked my self this question, "How FOCUSED am I?" I have one task in front of me. I have a to-do list about 100 items long. But, in all of that to-do list, there really are only about two or three that directly related to completing the most important task in front of me.

Q: What makes great people great?
A: They do what they must to win.

Recently, I let myself get distracted. I discovered an additional way to market my product. Or, I discovered a new system for self improvement. There's always something. I may have let myself get excited about promoting the band. Or any myriad other things.

Still, there is that one thing in front of me. Today, I vow to complete this one thing. As I know, completing this project is a cornerstone for much of my future success.

Can you relate?

If there is one thing holding us back, it is often when we fail to focus on what if most important, right now. So, if you're feeling the same - maybe even overwhelmed - it is likely because you're simply trying to do too much at once.

Instead, let's do this together: let's focus ONLY on what we MUST get done right now. Imagine how good it will feel to have this completed! Also, how relieved we will be to rid the anxiety of procrastination.

"There is one thing right now that we must do in order to succeed. That is the only thing we ought to do - everything else must be cleared from our path!" ~ Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow

We empower ourselves to greatness when we complete the tasks most important and cease allowing distractions to block our way. I believe people become great when they dream large, put together a plan, then work their plan. Today, this article is about working our plan. It is the nitty gritty that will leave us at the end of the day looking back at a job well-done.

You can imagine, when a great warrior faced a terrible foe, he knew his army would suffer incredible losses. However, his focused efforts dictate where and how he knows he can win, and at the end of the day, despite the losses, can look back and say "yes, we won, because we did what we had to do when it mattered most." A good general marshalls forces to the best of his ability and then encourages his soldiers to feats of bravery and courage.

When we watch the Olympics, we see one athelete succeed and another fail. In fact, one American, Ohno, won Gold when his competitor tripped during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics' speed skating. One man fell, the other won the Gold medal. You must put yourself in the best position to win possible. The front-runner may fall, or you may gain a burst of energy.

How focused are you? I know what I must do. I encourage you to join me and do what you must do, now, too. The other things will wait. But this one thing must be done today.
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Valuing Our Family

You want to know who matters the most in your life?
Well, whether you like it or not, the people who often matter most are our FAMILY.

Why? Well, think about it:

Who brings your life into the world?
Who teaches you about life?
Who cares for you and feeds you?
Who teaches you to read?
Who teases you when you're little and pokes you to improve yourself?
Who plays with you the most when you're little?
Who comes to your speeches, plays, concerts, and birthday parties when you're growing up?
Who shows up at your graduation?
Who gives a bride away at her wedding?
Who do you spend the holidays with most frequently?
Who watches and supports when you give birth to your children?
Who do you give birth to?
Who babysits for your children?
Who is at your baby shower?
Who is your best man?
Who is your best friend?
Who do you raise and parent?
Who do you call when you have a serious problem?
Who is the person you call when you have exciting news?
Who is the person you care for when they are old?
Who shows up when you pass away?

Well, the answer to all of these questions, for many people, is their family. It sure is my answer.

What are you doing to nurture your family relationships?

Are you making your family a VALUE in your life? If not, what can you do to show your family more love?

Rather than answer this question from YOUR point of view, why not ask each family member "Hey, I've been thinking. I'd like us to do more loving and enjoyable things together. What would be the most important thing I could do for you to help us grow closer?"

Then be quiet and listen for the answer.

If you want to improve your family relationship with that family member, simply start to do that thing they suggest to you when they answer your question.

You can also do small things, that in your unique way, show you care. The one most important thing I will point out to you regarding family is the first rule of showing you love: TIME. People - especially children, know how much we value them by the time we give to them. So, spend some time together. Show up! Call. Email. Make the effort.

At times of life's greatest challenges, and at times of greatest success, our family is often there to support us, love us, share with us, and celebrate the journey. Let's celebrate our family and enjoy the love we can share together!
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Help Us Improve AspireNow

Hi - As you know I'm always grateful to interact with you, my AspireNow readers.

I'm just poking my head into your day or email inbox to ask you a quick poll survey to help me improve AspireNow. Can you take 15 seconds and share your insight(s) with me?

You can click here: http://micropoll.com/t/KDly9ZBBle or click on the Poll in the left side of the AspireNow blog side bar to enter your poll question result.

Thanks for helping me improve AspireNow products!

Aspirationally,

Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow.

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On Death and Dying

I must admit, death and dying is my least favorite topic to write about.

In fact, I don't know what is "FUN" about dying. Not unless maybe you go out the way James Dean did. It is rumored the last thing James Dean said, as his race car was rounding the dangerous connection of Highway 46 and Highway 41, "He's got to see us, he's got to..." But the driver didn't see James and smashed practically head-on into his car. He was later pronounced dead on arrival at Paso Robles War Memorial hospital. But at least he was driving his bad-ass Porsche Spyder and doing what he loved - racing cars.

Some people don't get that privilege.

For those, I suppose all we can do is support, show love, and do our part to ease their suffering.

I don't "do" death very well. I'm more about living, loving, and having a ton of fun. Can you relate? I guess the only thing I can say about death, today, is a bit of retrospective thought:

On DEATH and DYING, I can only ask a question about how are you living, right now:

Are you living a life you can be thrilled to have left behind?

Yes _______ No ________

If you checked No, what would you change?

Start today, don't wait.

"Whatever dreams you haven't lived, start today.
Whatever friends you've been avoiding or ignoring, reconnect.
Whatever family members you've let down, rebuild the love."

~ Scott Andrews

Whatever way you can be the best you can be, start now.
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7 Insights Into the Meaning of Life

I am crying my eyes out right now. Tears are streaming down my cheeks and dropping into my lap.

Okay, the headline "I'm crying my eyes out" sounds a little like I'm sad, but I'm not. In fact, I'm full of JOY! Let me take a step or two back and share how I got to this state of sitting here, tears of joy streaming down my face, to write this article about 7 Insights Into the Meaning of Life.

I just watched a movie called Julie and Julia. Yes, I'm a sap. But a good sap. Because this movie shares some moments that are so core to us as humans and why we are here on this planet that simply MOVED me. I will share them with you as 7 insights into the meaning of life (inspired by the movie Julie and Julia). (SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the movie, I encourage you to watch it before reading this article, as this article may spoil parts of the movie for you.)

What are these moments which led me to 7 insights into the meaning of life?

1. Connection. We are here to share connection and love with fellow human beings. The connection Julie felt to Julia Child inspired her in this movie. Julia Child loved her husband, and that connection led him to encourage her to follow her dream to master the joy of cooking.

Another one of these moments started because Julia Child decided one day to write someone who had written something she liked. His wife wrote back. And, they continued to write back and forth for eight years! Finally, one day, they meet. The supporting actress asks "you mean, you've never met her?" Julia replied and told her the story of how they've been pen pals for over seven years. Then when her pen pal walks in the building, dressed the way she described she would be, the experience is SHEER JOY in the meeting!

This is partly what our "meaning of life" is all about! It reminds me of sitting in the bar at Blue, a local restaurant in San Luis Obispo, when three women were having some sort of "girl's night out" at the table adjacent to me. They were dressed up in their various cocktail red and black attire. But they were not there to attract me. Nope. They were conversing about their lives, what's new at your work, how are the kids, and all of those topics. Then, the last of the bunch arrived. All three let our a scream like they were back in High School! That's connection!

How are you connecting with other people? Are you sharing moments of JOY? This is why we are here.

I recall a wise man, the author of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, who while speaking at the Whole Life Expo in San Francisco back in 2001 shared with our group "one drop of joy overcomes one thousand tears." I don't know if the quote originated with Goleman, but I liked it and it stuck. I believe it is true. So, share more moments of joy!

2. Purpose. One of the lead characters in the movie, Julie and Julia, is this woman Julie. She is married, and at the beginning of the movie she and her loving husband move above a noisy pizzeria in Queens, New York. She is frustrated with her work. She was supposed to be a WRITER. Instead, she's fielding telephone calls at a government agency handling frustrations people experience post-911. Possibly her purpose, in terms of helping others and gaining insights into pain, but not her purpose in terms of fulfilling her passion as a writer. It is clear in the beginning of the movie that she has taken an affinity to learning Julia Childs' recipes, and in sharing these with her husband he comes to appreciate her cooking. The recipes help! She doesn't like Queens very much. She makes it clear she liked living in Brooklyn more. But, Queens is closer to her husband's work.

Now, if you're paying attention, you know that AspireNow.com is all about helping people discover their purpose and then TAKE ACTION towards that purpose. Often, our purpose is right beneath our nose. Those of you who know me dearly also know that I started ARRiiVE.com to help people launch their dream. One of those methods I write about is to start a BLOG. Okay, with that in mind, let's continue...

3. Discovery. One night, Julie discusses that she'd like to start a blog. Why? Well, she explains to her husband that she needs an outlet, something that she ENJOYS other than feeding the cat, riding the subway, and listening to people moan about post 9-11 ills and issues. So, Julie and Erik partake in a discussion about the blog:

"You could blog about Queen's," he jokes.

"That would be a short one," she replies.

"Why not blog about cooking?" he probes, as he dives into another delicious course of their meal.

"Seriously, I'm not that good of a cook!" she replies.

"Neither are most cooks when they start. Tastes pretty darn good to me!" he reaffirms.

She agrees to the idea to start a blog about cooking. But what blog? How can she focus the blog to have a timeline?

4. The concept. Do you have a clear vision of your purpose? If not, start simple. One thing I love about Julie and Julia is how Julie, the blogger, starts with a simple thesis: to cook ALL the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook, How to Master The Art of French Cooking in 365 days - one year. This is no small feat. But it is a noble one. It is also probably important to note that any blog of value, where you blog daily, WILL take off, at some point. It won't seem like it in the beginning, because blogs take time to spread virally. But, eventually, the density of topics end up placing your articles at the top of the search engines for your categories. Once people find you through the search engines, they start to follow, comment, and SHARE your articles with each other. And this is how blogs grow.

5. The passion. You must have passion to back up your purpose. The beautiful thing about Julia Child is how passionate she was about cooking. She loved her husband. And she was passionate about cooking, so she did something to keep her busy while her husband was in Paris and learned to cook. You must be passionate about the subject of your purpose. For example, I am completely passionate about making a difference in people's lives, helping them find their purpose, and go live their dreams. Completely, 100%, lock-stock-and-barrel thrilled to share insights that might help you in your journey.

So, whatever you pick, be PASSIONATE about it. If you're a chef, that might be finding joy in the perfect ability to slice onions. Passionate people delight even in the drudgery of their duties.

As a musician, I am passionate about playing with my band, BODY. Even to the point that setting up and tearing down gear -- work the pros leave for their roadie -- is something I enjoy. It is all part of doing what I love: sharing music, playing my sax, standing up there on stage and letting the music flow through me to MOVE other people! It's a blast!

So, we must be passionate if we are to thrive in our purpose. One sign that you're passionate is when you're present even when dirty work must be done. People who love what they do want to master every aspect of that purpose. So, master your craft -- even the hard or dirty parts of it!

In Julie and Julia, Julie, the other lead character, through Julia's recipes and reading journal notes about her experiences, discovers that she loves Julia Child. It is a beautiful thing to see people write about someone they love. There will be an inescapable tenderness, kindness, and joy in the writing. And that is the type of passion that drove people to make Julie-Julia a top-read blog on cooking, and ultimately resulted in the success that became this delightful movie.

6. Persistence. Here is where most people slip up at some point. I'm not perfect on this, either. If I was, I'd have written three articles a week at AspireNow the past year. But, I didn't. Why? I thought I needed a break. Blogging can take a lot of time. However, I've spent just as much time writing and encouraging others on Facebook and in other ways. So, today, I recommit to start writing regularly in my blog again. I'm sure it will make a difference over the long-term to share stories like this with you, my readers.

Here are some interesting numbers I've discovered about blogs:

• People start noticing the blog after about 30 - 50 articles.
• People begin regularly following the blog, and sharing with others, after about 150 stories.
• People begin commenting more frequently between 300 and 1,000 stories - especially if these are daily experiences.
• Once a blog goes over 1,000 pages, if the writing is good, it ought to be a viable business, worth serious ad money. I'm not kidding. Aspirenow.com has fewer pages (as of this writing) than that and brings in hundreds of dollars a month to me in passive income. I'm certain that when I have over 1,000 pages on AspireNow.com, it will be worth thousands a month in passive income.

What begins as a side-interest can become a main "job" if you're passionate, persistent, and master your craft. I encourage those who are frustrated to get back on the path and re-focus your effort and take action again. It will pay off in the long run for you to do so.

7. Realization & Celebration. You realize your dream when you stay at it and then connect with other people through continuing to cycle through each of these previous 6 steps.

This is my goal for AspireNow and ARRiiVE's blogs: to go over 1,000 articles. Why? Because I've notices that blogs with that many pages tend to be at least a Google PR6, they are read by over 100,000 people - often over 1,000,000 people! And that type of reach is hard to get through the publishing world. You can influence many people with publishing power like that. Costly to buy, time -- even more time-consuming to gain -- but worth it. Yet, most of us can write every day for 10 years. Right? If you write three articles a week for a year, you will end up with 156 articles at the end of the year. At the end of ten years, you will have 1,560 articles. I may start accepting GUEST BLOGGERS to help me get there sooner, too! We'll see.

Persistence is the key. So, at the end of this movie, I sat there completely overjoyed that another human being had gone from feeling like despair... working in a job she hated, to starting a new "hobby", to discovering her hobby was her passion, to then realizing that passion led to all of her dreams she'd held since a child! YES! This is AspireNow!!!

I love the celebration scene at the end of Julie and Julia, when Julie has all her friends over for an incredible duck meal on the patio overlooking Queens and decorated by colorful candles, dressed up with a bouquet of flowers on the table, and the meal freshly served to her friends and family, she raises her glass in a toast, "365 days, and 524 recipes!" They all raise their classes, "here here! Yay!" celebrating, then dig into their duck meals. Erik, Julie's husband, exclaims over the food "Mmm... great..it's fantastic! I love it... I love it!" or something to that effect. Julie, realizing her love for her husband who stood by her through the tribulations of the effort, eating all the meals she served, clinks her glass again, "Erik, I could never have done this without you; as someone once said, 'you are the butter to my bread, the breath to my life.'" He looks back into her eyes and says, "I love you, too." And now you realize why I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face! Yep, I'm a hopeful romantic. So, seeing life purpose realized and true love realized, to me, is the best of both worlds! Can you relate?

It is truly beautiful to watch other people live their purpose. Especially when more people gather around that purpose with LOVE for each other!

Are you living your purpose? Are you showing LOVE and support to those who share their purpose with you? It is SPECIAL! Remember this!

If you need a little help discovering your purpose, I've re-opened the window for you where you may purchase my e-workbook and do the exercises in it. I don't "tell" you your purpose, I simply give you the tools (exercises and questions to ask) to know how to get to the real you.

You can find it here: Methods to Discover Your Purpose, by Scott Andrews

If you would like coaching to help you find your purpose. Call me at 805 ... 459 ... 6939 and I'll either help you directly or refer you to a partner coach who can help you out.

To recap, insights into the Meaning of Life, inspired by the movie Julie and Julia, are:

1. Connection.

Find ways to connect with GREAT other people. Often, through connecting with GREAT people, we may find it easier to realize our purpose.

2. Purpose.

It often begins with being dissatisfied with where we are, presently. Then asking questions to get to the root of what we really most want to do with our life.

3. Discovery.

When we start to ask question about what we might be passionate and good at we start to discover possible paths to purpose! That discovery is exciting. When you feel like you're on to something, take ACTION.

4. The Concept.

When we live passionately, and embrace our activities with passion, they have more meaning for us. Conceptualizing what the full vision of purpose may include is worth taking time to figure out. Get clear on your concept. I was very clear on the concept for AspireNow before launching the website. I'd spent over six months clarifying the vision of the website through a journal before launching the actual site and creating the logo. So, get clear on your concept, then take action with the focus towards accomplishing that concept!

5. Passion.

When we live passionately, and embrace our activities with passion, they have more meaning for both us and other people.

6. Persistence.

If you don't complete the path, you may not realize the success in your journey. You have to stay with it, even when it is hard. Remain persistent, steadfast, and complete the steps ahead of you and reach the goals you set for yourself. You will be so thrilled when you realize your dreams come true!

7. Realization and Celebration With Those We Love.

Take time to celebrate. When you realize a dream, invite friends and family over. Share some toasts with the people you love! Raise a few glasses. And let those who supported you along your journey know that you love them. Share appreciation with them for their support, and they'll likely continue to be thrilled to partake in your journey.

Remember that there are some people in this lifetime who have a special influence in your life. Treat them with care, learn to love them, and maybe they'll help you live your purpose along the way...

Have a terrific day!

Love,

Scott

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Copyright © 2009 AspireNow. All rights reserved. Want more? Subscribe to the A-Blog.

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