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 Get More of What You Want

In a "thought for the day" from a marketing blog, I received this quote from Seth Godin:

"The goal is to create a product that people love. If people love it, they'll forgive a lot. They'll talk about it. They'll promote it. They'll come back. They'll be less price sensitive. They'll bring their friends. They'll work with you to make it better."

As I read this, my thought process transferred from how we create products to the product of OUR OWN SELF. Are we creating a person people love?

I think this thought carries through to our own life in learning how to get more of everything you want:

If we're someone people love, they'll forgive us for a lot. They'll talk about us. They'll promote us. They'll come back to us weeks after we may have last heard from them. They'll be less sensitive to our negative qualities or challenges of seeing us. They'll introduce us to their friends. They'll work with us to make our life better and suggest ways to live our dreams we share with them."

Yep. Seems true to me. Are you frustrated with friendships? Maybe you're not being the love you want to find? You know the cliche "be the change you want to see in the world" right? Maybe it is time to make changes. Now, if our life IS full of all this love, then KEEP IT UP!

When we make it easy for people to love us we will inevitably have (a) more luck, (b) more friends, (c) more success, and (d) live more of our dreams than people who are hard to love.

How can we get more of everything you want and become an easier person to love?

Here's a list, for starters:

1. Be more fun! Have fun ideas to contribute to conversations and events.
2. Make people laugh. If you haven't learned how to be funny yet, study comedians, read joke books, and learn how to be funny.
3. Accept others without judgment. People hate being judged. Accept people for who they are and you'll find they love you more.
4. Look for commonalities. Have you ever noticed that when people are really good at making friends, they find COMMONALITIES. Rather than look for differences, look for what you have IN COMMON and expand upon those traits and positive qualities. You'll be sure to grow more love with those you can relate to... thus, the word RELATIONSHIP! :)
   
5. Include others in your life. People will often out to you if you reach out to them. Just make it a practice whenever you think of someone to reach out to them.
6. Accept other invitations. When people invite you - GO! They would not invite you if they didn't want you to be there.
   
7. Be more forgiving. I remember a friend once told me "Gosh, Scott, I sure like that you don't hold a grudge." My Mom says I've always been that way. Internally, I may feel angst, but I try to be cheerful anyway. I find that this is part of a forgiving spirit that helps me maintain the love in relationships.
8. Be grateful. An attitude of gratitude goes a long way. It feels great when a friend calls and says "Thank you for...." George Bush Sr. rode the art of writing "thank you letters" all the way to becoming President of the United States. Think those letters had something to do with it? Be grateful for the love others show you and the love you receive will grow, too.

There's my list of eight ways you can get what you want. Did I surprise you? Maybe you thought there was a magic pill you could swallow. And, yes, there is! It's called the LOVE pill! Ha ha ha!

Can you think of additional ways to get more of what you want by showing more love to others? Please share your ideas in our comments!
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4 Ways To Increase Happiness Immediately

Most self help is ultimately about discovering how to be happy.

I've read over 5,000 books related, in one way or another, to improving either my own life or the lives of others. And, in so reading, I can say that ultimately what we seek when reading such a book is to increase our happiness from one of the following things:

1. Increases in:
a. Pleasure; improving how much we enjoy the things we do.
b. Career Success; be a better boss, creating a dream job, etc.
c. Dating/Relationship finding/keeping someone special and improving how we relate.
d. Financial Abundance; making more money, investing more wisely, etc.
e. Health; being healthy in diet, weight, muscle, shape, etc.
f. Hobby/Free Time; improving certain aptitudes in recreational activities.
g. Wisdom; gaining perspective in life, philosophy, and experience.

Sometimes, our success increases when our failure decreases, so many additional books deal with decrease. Therefore, our happiness increases when we decrease some of the following:

2. Decreases in:
a. Getting rid of doubt and self-incrimination.
b. Fear; removal of fear or ways to overcome fear.
c. Blocks; removal of blocks to success.
d. Debt; ways to remove or eliminate debt or poor money management.
e. Poor relationship choices; bad dating or inter-relational habits.
f. Failure; learning from failure to turn losing into winning.
g. Disease; overcoming disease or other health ailments.
h. Time management failure; overcoming procrastination, etc.

Almost all self-help topics could be categorized in one of these sentences above.

Based upon this analysis, I'm going to give you four simple ways to increase happiness:

First, Take three.

If you wish to increase happiness, why not take the simple approach to address THREE of these at any given time. No more than three, just three. If you're having a problem with doubt, start a new discipline of confidence. Find the experts on teaching confidence and learn the essence of what they share. If you're struggling with getting in shape, take one new action that will do that for you: in my case, I've joined a new gym today that will enable me to drop the next 10 pounds in my weight management goal. Or, if you're not enjoying your career, do a career evaluation. Read a few books written by people who LOVE their career and follow some of their advice. By working on several aspects of your life and continually improving, you're creating a habit of life improvement. This habit will lead to increased happiness.

Second, What really matters most?

If you ask almost anyone who has lived a full life, they will tell you that sharing laughter and stories with good friends and family are the moments that matter most in your life. To improve this aspect, why not create special time for those you love, who add the most joy to your life, each week? Perhaps Saturday coffee with friends, or meeting for a happy hour on Thursday or Friday night? Maybe a special Tuesday dinner night that moves from couple to couple? Do something like this a couple of times a week and you'll never feel like you've missed something important. By spending time with those you love, you automatically ensure you'll be happier.

Third, simplify.

In Eastern philosophy, common wisdom is to simply "be" in the moment and experience life right now. What can you do to help you accomplish this? Can you reduce the clutter in your home? Can you make your commute shorter? How can you reduce wasted space or things you no longer use? How can you minimize time spent wastefully and replace it with things you love the most? To the extent you can accomplish some of this simplification, your life will improve and you will be happier.

Last, it may sound silly, but LOOK UP and show the sky your PEARLY WHITES.

We need sunlight and I always find it remarkable that when I make a practice to look up to the sun and show the sky my pearly whites, I automatically lift my mood. The converse is watching television. The more we watch television, where we commonly look straight or down, and let life get dictated or shown to us, we have happiness decrease. So, this last one is simple: get outside more often and spend less time in front of the television. When you're outside more often you will bump into people and have a chance to witness, create, and experience life more fully. While you're at it, why not learn something new? Tennis, golf, basketball, play an instrument, paint a landscape, whatever, but doing something outside is likely to make you happy.

So, there's a simple four-part strategy to increase happiness and enjoy your life more completely. If you find this useful, share it with friends!

Did I miss anything on your own list of happiness creation? If you've got more ways to improve happiness, feel free to weigh in on my comments page.
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Use Orangepeel Visionboard Software to Make Dreams Happen

Realize your New Year resolutions with a software tool that really keeps the right thoughts in your mind....

Do you want to manifest your dreams and make dreams happen this year?

Use Orangepeel Visionboard Software to make your dreams come true! Well, at least, it is a valuable vision board tool to remind you of what REALLY matters MOST, right?

Orange Peel Dream Board
Get What You Want Faster.



I'm a big fan of trying to find anything that might benefit us in keeping our mantra, our vision, our dream -- all the things we want to manifest -- front-and-center in our mind so we attract what we want.

The OrangePeel Dream Board Visualization Software enables us to attract through the power of positive realization. Yes, I am an affiliate seller of this software. Why? Because it rocks!

Use it to create a video, visual collage and remind yourself of what you really, really want from life. Hey - it's your life. Why have a static dead screen on your computer when you can be inspiring yourself every day? I love my vision board and already used it to manifest (a) salsa dancing skills, (b) new career/job prospects, (c) more financial abundance, (d) a band winning awards, (e) beautiful people attracted to me. Should I go on?

Now, if you're like me, you've probably spent hours creating "the perfect collage" because your dreams are special to you. Rather than take hours and hours, now you can create a video collage in just minutes!

Using a dream board or vision board like OrangePeel can be very powerful to help you manifest your dreams regarding career, money, health, finances, and love. If you haven't designed your own collage yet, the beauty of a software tool like Dream Board is that you can modify your collage quickly, and it is always in front of you when you boot your computer. Cool, huh?

Check it out and if you want to purchase it, I created an affiliate program with Orange Peel to make it easy for you to join:

Vision Board

Here's some additional tips on collages:

1. Get a big stack of magazines, cut out words, patterns, pictures.

2. Go to the websites of your FAVORITE things, ideas, and places, etc.
ONLY use pictures of who, what, how, when, why you REALLY want - not representational, but actual. If you want to marry John James, then include a picture of John James in your dream board. Yes, you CAN be that specific. And, actually, this is often how our dreams our manifested MOST powerfully.

3. Check out my article on The Most Powerful Law for more information on the Law of Attraction:
http://aspirenow.blogspot.com/2007/10/most-powerful-law-in-universe.html

Cheers!
Scott
Founder of AspireNow
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DreamBoard is Copyright OrangePeel, used with permission. Copyright 2007-2008.

dream board
orange peel

Jessica Haynes on AspireNow Radio, Discusses "Get What You Want -- Now!"

Join Scott Andrews, Host of the AspireNow: Seriously Fun Self Help Radio Show this Tuesday, June 10th, at 5PM PST / 8PM EST with special guest Jessica Haynes. Jessica Haynes has been a Business and Relationship Consultant for the past twenty years, and will be taking your calls during the hour. Today she will be talking about her highly successful book, Get What You Want – Now! Money, Love, Power, and more…

That’s right: you can get the loving relationship, career, lifestyle, and level of prosperity that you always imagined for yourself. Jessica will guide you through the five steps of successful manifesting, and answer your questions regarding your relationships, work, money needs, and personal growth path. Jessica will explain how to maximize your talents, reach your potential, and live your dreams during this hour. Get ready for a lot of refreshing ideas, breakthrough perspectives, and ah-ha moments!

To Call In: Dial (724) 444-7444.
Enter 37792 # Enter: 1 #
or your Talkshoe PIN

Topic: Get What You Want – Now!

Jessica has been a business and relationship coach for twenty years and works with a steady clientele nationally and internationally. She counsels business leaders, noted personalities, and enjoys teaching individuals across the U.S. how to realize their dreams. Whether you are getting started on the path of finding your purpose, or focusing on your career Jessica offers renewed hope. Jessica gives you nuts-and-bolts strategies that work!

Jessica receives countless letters and e-mails from her clients and seminar participants affirming that what she teaches improves their lives. Learn how to improve your innate skills, talents, and inner confidence. She can help you maximize your potential. Jessica has been a guest on panels with such top authors and motivational speakers as Ram Dass, Raymond Moody, and Dannion Brinkley. From the State of the World Forum, to the San Francisco Expo, and as far away as Japan… she continues to share her formula for getting what you want and building a dream life.

Whether Jessica is talking about relationships, careers, or finding one’s purpose, an important point stands out… she motivates you! She connects you to your most valuable resource: YOU … that powerful part of you designed to prosper and thrive.

Here are some highlights in this hour:

• How your thoughts affect your future.
• How to be at the right place at the right time.
• How to put yourself first and still win the hearts of others.
• How to have lasting relationships and a fulfilling career.
• How to create wealth, all the while being your true, authentic self.
• How to stop repeating old patterns that hold you back.
• How to find inner fulfillment, peace of mind, and a secure future.

Jessica uses both her clinical psychology background and her highly intuitive skills. In 1983, Jessica had a near death experience. The insights she gained from dying and coming back began to attract clients from across the nation. She turned her attention from that of being a top marketing executive to coaching and helping others reach their dreams and goals. Jessica will share her amazing story. She will also give you the positive ripple-effect that continues to help people around the globe.

What do you want? Is it a better relationship? Having more money? Improving your career opportunities? Learning how to communicate better with others? Enjoying more free time or expanding your hobbies? Maybe, it is being able to ask for what you want, and get it! All this, and more, is answered in Jessica’s book, and we will be talking about these win-win situations today. Jessica will walk you through the mind-set of becoming your best self and getting what you really want out of life.

It's simple and easy to join in!

When: Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 5PM PST (1 hour Internet Talk Radio Show)

How to Participate:

1. Visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37792 - this enables you to text questions and see questions/live chat during the show.

2. Dial (724) 444-74443. Enter 37792 # Enter: 1 # or your Talkshoe PIN. This enables you to call in and ask questions live via telephone.

Note: You can also download Talkshoe's Classic player to use the "Classic" version of the show format for text comments and show hosting, although this step is no longer necessary to join.

If you MISS the show, visit http://www.aspirenow.com/ and listen via the Talkshow player, or visit: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37792.

Also, make sure to click the "follow the show" box if you're listening from the TalkShoe link: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37792. See you there!!
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When Friends Go Their Own Way

What causes friends to pull back and stop reaching out to us?

In the past, I've pulled away from certain friends. You've probably experienced friends pulling away from you, too. Friends come and go in a natural ebb and flow but sometimes friends pull away because they have fulfilled your purpose in their life. Other times, they pull away because they are busy with a new job, a new relationship, or other activities. They might be distant because of new activities within their household, such as events for their children. Or, they might be pulling away because they're in a pity party.

I've seen friends get hurt, because they felt you didn't do what they wanted. But their expectation doesn't have to match your reality, does it? So, even though you didn't say or do what they wanted, this doesn't make you necessarily bad or wrong. It just means there was a disconnect in expectation and result. One of my closest friends stepped back for about 3 months after living on my couch for a few months. I'd asked him to pay rent and tensions grew until he decided to leave. At first, he acted angry with me. That was his choice. But, the fact of the matter is I'd done him a favor, but further enabling him not getting his act together wasn't serving either of us in our friendship. I held strong, and later extended an olive branch to let him know I'm still his friend. Today, he got his act together, has his own place, and is now saving up for a new car, too! Yesterday, we hung out for a bit, and watched the sea together for a little while during conversation. It is nice to have friendships where you can just talk, listen, and be real with each other. So, the natural give and take, when restored to a healthy balance, restores friendship.

Recently, another friend withdrew. I believe she felt hurt by several things and perhaps just frustrated how we communicated. So, she pulled back. It's normal human behavior when communication give and take breaks down.

As I write this article, it becomes clear to me that give and take is really what this is all about.

People may need something from us, so they reach out to us. Other times, they feel we've taken enough from them, so they pull away, or, they've taken enough, and would feel guilty to take more without repaying the favor, so they pull away then, too. It's all about the natural balance of give and take and the flow of life where we can benefit from being around each other.

Are you trapped in a "pity party"? If so, your friends may have pulled away from you because you're a downer. Being around downers is like being around energy vampires - you're taking from them! Work on releasing the resentment, guilt, and loser attitude by focusing on new ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that create the life you most desire. When people see you succeeding in manifesting your dreams, you'll attract more (and often better) influences back into your life! Once you're no longer sucking someone's energy, you'll find it easier to attract more of what you do want back to you.

If you're withdrawing because life has overwhelmed you, remember that at some point, connecting with others is part of what helps us remain balanced. Take your time to withdraw. Then, once you feel healthy, grounded in your self, and rooted firmly on your own two feet, come back into the world of social interaction.

Life is so exciting when we expand our circles to include abundant, healthy, happy, and exciting people. Is your circle of friends what you want?

I know one person who claims to want to be in a committed relationship. Yet, half of her friends are single women who hate men. What are the odds she will realize her objective with all of these negative influences poisoning her mind? Right- probably not very high.

I know another friend who claims to want financial abundance. Yet, half of his friends struggle to just pay rent. What are the odds he will realize his objective with all of these people who don't know how to attract abundance weighing on him with their "lack" attitudes? Again, probably not very high.

Another friend often tells me she is lonely. Yes, each time I've invited her out to various events I attend, she only takes me up on it about a fifth of the time. Most times, I find out she stayed at home with her dog. Do you think maybe she is choosing her loneliness? I keep offering her a chance to go out and have fun. It is up to her to accept to live life again with all fullness and gusto, right?

Choose your friends wisely. If someone does not match the qualities you want in a friend, let them go. Send out the vibe of what you DO want and then take action towards that objective. I recently did this with my Facebook account (see scott at aspirenow dot com on Facebook to add me). I decided that I want to be friends with everyone who was in the movie "The Secret" because I believe these people have a firm foundation of how to manifest what they want in life. The first who accepted my request to add was John Assaraf. I loved John's story about his vision board in the movie, and after adding him as a friend decided to add any of John's friends who looked like they were happy with positive light in their picture. That's right, I made choices just based upon pictures. Well, guess what? This connection has now led me to be closely associated with Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin Airlines! I love larger than life people like Richard, and can't wait to get to know him better.

So, don't worry about the sense of loss you felt when friends went their own way. Sometimes, it really is for the best for all of you. They are free to do what they want, anyway. If you let them go (with love) it is likely they will come back when they are ready (in love).

Focus on what you want, then seek out the people who exhibit those qualities. You can take it to the bank that as you attract people who are happy, fulfilled, manifesting their dreams, successful, and empowered, that your life will be more empowered, too.
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If You Don't Get What You Want What Do You Do?

Do you know what to do if you don't get what you want?

It's a question I recently dealt with in part of my life. I've seen other people struggle with relationships, and noticed they were dating "bad boys" but then they kept dating bad boys when they'd choose their next partner. They then wondered why they weren't getting the lasting love they sought.

Someone else wanted a better career, but kept on going to the drudgery of the job because they had to pay their bills. They wanted something else, but never took enough action to warrant anything other than what they got.

Another friend keeps talking about losing weight. But, they just aren't committed to a lifestyle of healthy eating, physical activity, and regular meals to make sure they lose the extra weight and get in shape.

Is this you?

Clearly, if we aren't getting what we want, we are probably not taking the right ACTIONS to warrant the reward from the Universe to come our way.

What's the solution?

I hate to make it sound simple, but I think it starts here:

1. FOCUS.

When we focus on what we want, we can make a plan. Then, we must work our plan to realize what we want. For example, I decided this past week that I want to be more physically active now that my foot and shoulder have healed. So, the first thing is to focus on being more physically active.

2. PRIORITY.

Next, we must have a priority to do what we're focused upon. If we cannot keep our commitments or make an extra effort, nothing will happen. I remember the first time I was invited to play with a band with my saxophone. I was scared. I wasn't sure if I could play what they wanted, or even if they'd like how I played. The first time I showed up, I was rusty. That band decided I wasn't their guy. The next time I was invited to a different band, I was scared, again! I decided to go and was SO GLAD I did, later. I recall playing with that band for five years and together created some of the most memorable nights out in my life and some really fun gigs. You see, I had to feel the fear but do it anyway in order to live that dream.

It was similar when I wanted to "sit in" with various jazz acts. I found out that if I showed up with my sax at a club, invariably, the band leader would ask me "What's in the case?" and I could get invited to play. It took initiative to make it a priority to practice, go out to the club, and wait until I got my chance.

With my new exercise goal, I've played golf one day, tennis the next, salsa dancing the following day, swimming the next, and today I hope to go for a bike ride or lift some weights. I pretty much made it an objective to do something for 30 minutes to 2 hours EVERY DAY. I feel happy about this new goal and my progress towards it already!

3. KEEP IT UP.

When we get bogged down with pressure from other activities or responsibilities, it is easy to lose focus and quit the activities that lead to getting what we want. It is important to dig in on those times when it would be easy to blow off the activity and do it anyway.

Are trying to get a new career started?

In order to get what you want with your career you might need to work on weekends or in the evening after dinner even after you'd rather relax and watch television. Are you committed to do this even when you are tired and your candle is burning low?

Are you trying to lose weight?

In order to get what you want with your health you might need to change your diet, avoid fast food, quit drinking alcohol, and start working out for an hour four times a week. Are you committed to do this even when you're tired or missing the old food?

Are you trying to make/save more money?

In order to get what you want with money you might need to make sure you stop spending unnecessarily and saving that money in a special bank account, instead. Are you committed to giving up the spontaneous shopping habit or buying frivolous things you don't need? Are you committed to putting money to work for you in new ways?

Are you trying to learn a new hobby?

In order to get what you want with your hobbies (art, sports, music, etc.) you might need to make sure you pick up the instrument for two hours and play for a while, buy paints and start to paint at least three times a week, or do other things. I find that we must do something at least three times a week in order to develop a new hobby. You can develop some level of competence with a couple of hours effort at least three times a week.

4. ALIGN YOUR WANTS WITH YOUR BELIEFS.

If you're struggling to get what you want, you probably lost focus on your effort or things you're developing somewhere along the way. Yet, the problem may be deeper than that. If your core beliefs don't support your new "want" then you probably won't get what you want! What you want to get must be aligned with your core beliefs, so if you're missing, take a look at that map and make sure they align with each other. The thing you want must match your belief system in order to manifest it.

Do you need a new belief? Put a penny in your shoe! If you attach a touchstone or other object to your new belief, it can be valuable to repeat the mantra, repeat the activity, or put some other reminder, such as a penny in your shoe, to remind you of your goals. You must keep it there for 21 days, and even better if you go for 40 days. These are magic numbers, so take advantage of them!

It's always fun to set new goals and map out what we most want for your life. If you haven't done it in a while, take inventory of where you're at with social, health, spiritual, family, friendships, hobbies, career, education/learning, and so on. Set a few new goals that match your value system and have fun accomplishing what you so deserve to manifest.

If you're really stumped about this whole process, I strongly recommend my life purpose e-book, which will totally help you get on track. Just make sure you take an two hours a day for the first week to complete the exercises in the workbook!

You can buy my life purpose e-workbook here:
http://www.aspirenow.com/products_aspirenow_lifepurpose_workbooks.htm

If what you desire matches your core values then you most likely deserve to get what you want!
So, instead of moping about or griping about not getting what you want, shift your focus, get excited and committed to the new objective, take actions that support the activity, and remain committed to the goal. Life is, after all, what we make of it.
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How To Test Out Of College

I Finished College In 5 Years.

Had I exited a year earlier, I figure that in my industry I would have earned an extra $40,000. Well, I can tell you that I didn't gain that many more friends by staying in college (in fact, I'm no longer in contact with any of the friends made that last year). Not only that, I can also tell you that finishing a year earlier would have put me ahead of the curve on problems coming up in the economy that made my life quite a bit more difficult. In addition, by earning $40,000 more, and not PAYING more for college, I could have significantly impacted my ability to buy a house sooner, by a better car sooner, and even more.

Simply put, I feel that I could have improved my life by finishing college at least a year earlier.

Do you agree?

Whether a parent, advising their child on career choices, or a student facing more education, this advice may benefit you.

Opportunities Can Pass You By...

Question: What's unique about this list of billionaires?

Sir Richard Branson (Founder of Virgin companies, and CEO of Virgin Airlines), Dean Kamen (Inventor of Segway and holder of over 80 Patents), Bill Gates and Paul Allen (Founders of Microsoft), Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple Computer), Ralph Lauren (Founder of Polo Ralph Lauren), Larry Ellison (CEO/Founder of Oracle), Michael Dell (Dell Computer), Kirk Kerkorian (Casinos).

Answer: they all quit college early.

I wonder what would have happened had these guys not opted out early.

Is is possible to learn from a Rich Jerk? Possibly. (I know, these guys are all great, but doesn't part of you wonder...?) Personally, I'd rather test-out than opt-out.

Now, even more importantly, you have an opportunity to get out of college early by TESTING OUT rather than DROPPING OUT. What's great about testing out? Well, you complete the mission. It's important to finish what we start. Below, I've put together an even more extensive list of why this would matter for most college students.

More reasons to test out early:

1. You save money through reduced tuition costs.

2. You get in less debt through fewer student loans.

3. You save money on living expenses.

4. You start making money sooner.

5. You get a jump-start on your career.

6. You still get a degree.

7. Spend less time sitting through boring classes.

Learn How to Test Out Of College

Are you anxious to get out of college more quickly and start taking on the world with your dreams? Why sit through boring classes, waste more money, and loose out on opportunities that could be yours when you could finish college and get your degree by testing out early?

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If you're considering exiting college early, why wait another day?

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Sure, there are programs discussing ways to "get rich quick" by alleged college dropouts. Rather than follow a dropout "guru's advice" you might want to just consider testing out. It's the ethical way to finish college early AND get your degree.

I'm always interest to know about people who dropout of college early - the ethical way! Please let me know how the program works for you.
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Advice provided is for entertainment purposes. We recomment you consult your career counsellor before decided what choice is best for you with your education. Photo of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D5 is courtesy Wikipedia.

Copyright © 2008 AspireNow. All rights reserved. Want more? Subscribe to the A-Blog.

From Beauty Queen To Swat Team with Lisa Lockwood on AspireNow Radio show Wednesday, January 16, 6PM PST

Don't miss learning her personal story: Lisa Lockwood, author of "Undercover Angel: From Beauty Queen to Swat Team...a true story" live on the AspireNow: Seriously Fun Self-Help show!

Scott Andrews, host of the AspireNow radio show and founder of AspireNow.com, will be interviewing Lisa and discussing her exciting life story and highlights from her new book describing her amazing transition from beauty queen to swat team (and now life coach).

When:

Wednesday, January 16, 6PM PST (1 hour Internet Talk Radio Show)

How to Participate:

1. Visit http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37792 - this enables you to text questions and see questions/live chat during the show, and hear Lisa and Scott on the show.
2. Dial (724) 444-7444
3. Enter 37792 # (Talkcast Show ID)
4. Enter: 1 # or your Talkshoe PIN(Steps 2 - 4 enable you to call in LIVE and ask your questions or listen.)

Note: You can also download Talkshoe's Classic player to use the "Classic" version of the show format for text comments and show hosting, although this step is no longer necessary to join.

If you MISS the show, visit http://www.aspirenow.com/ and listen via the Talkshow player, or visit: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37792 and look for the January 16, 2008 6PM show!

Simple as that! See you there!!_______________________________________________________

Copyright © 2008 AspireNow. All rights reserved. Want more? Subscribe to the A-Blog.

Do You Long For It?

Aspiration is often about reaching for something on the next level. I've been writing about finding your purpose and going after that purpose with all you've got for about 8 years now.



If there is one thing I've learned in all that time, it is this:


The people who succeed the most in life are those who believe in what they are doing so much that nothing anyone can say can stop them from doing it. They are the people who will persevere in spite of all odds. When I think of my heroes and people who persevered in the face of danger, ridicule, failure, and loss to overcome many or all odds to succeed: almost all of these people WANTED IT SO BAD THEY LONGED FOR IT.



I just finished watching a movie called, "The World's Fastest Indian." I love this movie. Why? Well, I won't spoil it for you, but the star of the movie is the old geezer from New Zealand who, in the 1960's wanted to chase the land speed record on his motorcycle. The thing that made this guy great is his ingenuity. He understood the way mechanical things work. My Dad is a guy like that. Do you know your strengths? Are you able to pursue your dreams that relate to those strengths? If you do, and are not doing anything about it, what are you waiting for?



If you need permission, consider this article as an opportunity to get it. Just make sure you have taken the time to discover your purpose.

So, I'll ask you:


"Do you want it so bad you long for it?"



Chances are, if you do, it is probably something you truly need to do.
Think of people who faced danger, ridicule, failure, loss, and incredible odds to live their dream:



Amelia Earhardt - First woman to fly a solo flight across the Atlantic.



John Lennon - Became the biggest Rock 'n Roll star and later anti-war activist of all time.



Winston Churchhill - Stood up to the Nazis and persevered through the very ugly WWII.


Thomas Edison - Inventor of the light bulb. Also invented my favorite: the phonograph.



Margaret Sanger - Helped advocate "the pill" to help women control when they have babies.



Steve Jobs - Created Apple Computer, got booted for screw-ups, then came back and rode new highs with NeXT, Pixar, and Apple again with iPOD music players, and iPhones.



Richard Branson - Founded The Virgin Group, a collective of companies he dreamed up which faced impossible odds or people who said "you can't do that" and did it anyway.



Oprah Winfrey - Created the Oprah Show, O Magazine, and inspired multiple generations of people to do more, be more, and live their dreams.



Who are your heroes?



Do you want to break a world record? Create a new invention? Design new software? Create a new company? Offer a new service? Building something new? Have the most love for your family? Discover a vaccine? Protest a war? Start a revolution? Make a difference?



What do you want to accomplish? How great can you envision it to be?


Do you want it so bad you long for it?

I encourage you to find something you LONG for. Something you'd practically die for. Something you'd give all you have to make it successful. And go do it. Give it all you've got. And make the process fun, exciting, and passionate. After all, your own LIFE PURPOSE is the best movie you can ever see.


Enjoy it!
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Copyright © 2008 by Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow. All rights reserved. Want more? Subscribe to the A-Blog. Scott also helps people start new companies, launch dreams, and create new products and services through ARRiiVE Business Solutions.

How To Get More Love

By Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow

How Can I Get More Love?

Where can I find my soul mate? How can I find true love? Is my knight in shining armor for real? How can I meet the woman of my dreams? Are these questions you've asked recently? Singles frequently talk about finding "true love" -- especially when they are in an unsatisfying relationship.


A recent study showed that most people would be willing to give up over 6 months salary to find their "true love". In some cases, this could be quite a bit of money

How many people know where to meet someone, though? In many bookstores you can find dozens of books about finding love or dating for success. John Gray has made boatloads of money with his "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" books. Why? Because we all want to find a partner with whom we can experience deep, lasting love. Fact is, just about everyone wants to know where to go to find our true love and have better relationships. The elephant in the room seems to be the question: How do we meet this mystical person? Recently,

I came across some interesting statistics that shed light on this situation. According to University of Chicago researcher Dr. Edward Lauman, here is how we meet our significant other:

23% meet at school
15% meet at work
10% meet at a private party
8% meet at a bar
8% meet at a church or synagogue
4% meet at the gym
<1% meet through personal ads


These stats may have changed slightly with the recent popularity of AOL, chat rooms and Internet dating. I know of several people who've met on-line. However, the interesting stat, to me, is that almost 30% of the remaining people met OTHER ways! In other words, they met doing something they LOVE. Whether that's swing dancing, listening to music at a concert, volunteering for a charity or meeting at the grocery store - people meet many ways. Upon seeing this I decided that if you were to replace the environment you have at school, you will have the highest likelihood of meeting someone you like. So, perhaps taking a class or lessons or studying a new subject where other people around your age and socio-economic background are likely to hang out and the odds will be higher.

So how do we meet someone? I look at it as catching a wild animal (call it a cat, if that helps).

There are at least two ways you could go about catching a wild cat. One method is to chase after the cat and try to catch it by pouncing on it -- likely to scare the cat away and make it a little more jittery the next time it sees you. This method is unlikely to create success and more likely to leave you feeling frustrated and alone.

The other method is to go where the wild cats are, offer the cat some fish or catnip and wait quietly, enjoying where you are without worrying about whether or not you catch the cat. It may seem like it is taking longer - but this is deceiving, as you are relaxing and enjoying where you are. After a while, when you are relaxed, quiet, and comfortable, the cat may start to check you out. As the cat learns you are safe and have treats for them, they'll be eating out of your hand. Once the word travels, you may even have your choice of several "cats".


Another method is to confidently approach the cat you want and offer it the milk you offer. A friend of mine claims that if you do not seize the world you're just a lamb and waiting for your slaughter. It works for him, as in general a man is still expected to be the person who approaches a woman (with confidence).

The most masterful trait, though, to finding love anywhere, is to simply send love out, without expectation, wherever we go. Sending out unconditional love, as a regular practice, is sure to come back to us tenfold. The trick to making money is often spending some. When you buy a new suit you can land that job sometimes just by looking the part. Well, with love it is the same way. When we are able to be confident and loving, the love we seek may come to us.


Do you have a question relating to finding the love you seek? Check out the AspireNow Advisor - solutions for only $29.95!

What are ways to create more love, or find more love, by sending more love out?


1. Take a friend to lunch or coffee. During the conversation, tell them three things you really like about them (with sincerity).

2. Buy a little gift for a friend, something that you think might uniquely appeal to them, based upon who you know them as. (No gag gifts - they might backfire!) It doesn't have to cost a lot to mean a lot.


3. Call a friend up on the telephone and let them know you really don't have a reason for calling except to say "hi" and you were thinking about them. Is there anything they need that you can help them with? Or, is there a way you can reconnect?

4. Drop by a friends house with a gift, or show up with some food, and offer to share it with them. Let me know one or two things you appreciate about their friendship.


5. Host a potluck party. You can make it interesting and make it a common interest party. For example, my brother goes to a monthly "writer's" party. The group is mostly English Teachers, who wanted to maintain their own craft. Everyone brings their own beverages and food, and the host prepares a main dish. Each person writes something before dinner. They take about 30 - 45 minutes to write their poem or story. After dinner, they sit around and share what they wrote. I cannot express how much more you get to know people from doing a shared interest party versus just showing up to a regular type of party.

6. Offer to do small favors for people. This could be as simple as holding someone's books or handing them the hard to reach item in a grocery store. Random acts of kindness build opportunities for new friendship. Don't expect return favors, just do it.


7. Compliment people who stand out to you. Be sincere, concise, and smile, when you compliment. The more you practice complimenting others the more you will see how people light up at your kindness.

8. Smile when you have no reason to smile. People like happy people. More than one person in my past attracted me because they smiled and laughed a lot. Happiness is contagious!

9. Find an event you want to attend, and invite someone you are interested in to go with you. This could be a play, a movie, a concert, or even a book reading. You choose.


10. Find an event you are interested in, and invite nobody, but go with the expectation to meet at least three new people in a sincere way. Make the meeting about them: ask them questions, show genuine interest in who they are, what they do, how they have fun.

Remember, most people love to share about their vocation, travel, what makes them passionate, how they have fun, their hobbies, and children. These are all pretty safe topics for most folks, and will build good will and better rapport than talking about politics, religion, sex, or other topics that are considered highly sensitive.


Please note: This article is intended for entertainment purpose only. The author of this article may not be certified as a licensed psychotherapist -- please consult professional assistance as your situation dictates.

Learn more at AspireNow's Blog: Seriously Fun Self-Help!


Listen to the AspireNow Radio Show - often featuring special guests!

Visit AspireNow - a leading self-help site on the Net, for more articles like this, at:

http://www.AspireNow.com.

Related books on attracting love:
POWER FLIRTING by GINIE SAYLES - Amazon Price: $49.00 List Price: $49.00
Attracting Genuine Love - Amazon Price: $6.50 List Price: $19.95
The Surrendered Single: A Practical Guide to Attracting and Marrying the Man Who's Right for You Amazon Price: $2.98 List Price: $14.00
His Rules: God's Practical Road Map for Becoming and Attracting Mr. or Mrs. Right Amazon Price: $2.85 List Price: $16.99
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This article is written by Scott Andrews, Founder of AspireNow. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. To read more articles like this, subscribe to the A-Blog.