Seven Ways to Make 2011 Amazing

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Guest Post by Joe Vitale on December 27, 2010

 How can you make 2011 the greatest year of your life so far?

What can you do to attract all the magic and miracles you long for?

What are the steps you can easily implement right now to make the new year truly amazing?

Here are seven secrets you can put into action today.

1. Set Intentions.

An intention is a declaration. It is a statement of a future result. Intentions are better than goals, wishes or dreams. They are more concrete, emotional and inspired. The secret to making intentions work for you is to write them down. Thinking alone won’t cut it. You need to communicate with your subconscious mind. When you write out your intentions for the new year, you “command” your deeper mind to pay attention and deliver. But it won’t respond to vague intentions. Make them clear. If you were ordering a jacket from an online catalog, you’d note the color, size, material, and anything else needed to be sure you received what you wanted. Your intentions need to be that clear. What do you want? What would you welcome? And what would be even better than that? Write it down. And be sure to have intentions for every major category in your life, from health and romance to wealth and happiness and family. Here’s your chance to dream big.

Tip: To get out of the ego’s trap of thinking in terms of limitations, add “this or something better” to each intention. Example: “I intend to increase my income in 2011 by 50%, or something better.”

2. Schedule Actions.

Intentions are planning your future; scheduling is a commitment to your future. Get out a calendar and write down action steps. You won’t know every action to take, but you do know what actions to start with to get the ball rolling. Jot them down in a scheduler. This will help you clearly see what to do next.

Tip: If an intention seems overwhelming, break it down into doable smaller steps. As the saying goes, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you write a book? One chapter (or even one page) at a time.

3. Take Action.

Scheduling will help you see what needs to be done; action will get it done. Many fans of the Law of Attraction overlook the word “action” right in the word “attraction.” Nothing happens until something moves. If you want to make 2011 great, you must take action. Vash Young wrote many bestselling books during the Great Depression. His secret to success was his positive attitude and his non-stop action.

Tip: Look at your schedule (in step two) to know what to do. Then go do it. Your rule of thumb is to take ten actions every day in the direction of making your intentions for 2011 come into reality.

4. Face Fears.

Along the way in the new year you’ll have doubts, fears, set-backs and blocks. Don’t let them stop you. Fear isn’t something to redirect you; if anything, it’s simply warning you that you are leaving your comfort zone and doing something new. You can’t predict the future but you can create it by taking actions, even when you feel nervous or afraid.

Tip: Fear is an energy you can use. When you feel uncertain or hesitant, take a deep breath and use the energy in the emotion to propel you forward. Great successes don’t come from being without fear; they come from acting despite the fear. Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. ”

5. Feed Your Brain.

Turn off the mainstream news. It’s designed to program you with fear and uncertainty. Instead, listen to self-improvement audios, read success literature, and watch inspirational and informational shows.

Tip: Go through the catalog at Nightingale-Conant and buy audio programs that inspire and educate you, browse AmazonTED that will change your life twenty minutes at a time. Your brain needs fed to keep your momentum high. You’ll have the best year of your life as long as you stay on a quest to learn, grow, discover and awaken. (Gift: Be sure to read my popular Law of Attraction book, gratis, at Attract Money Now.) for success literature, self-help material, and biographies that educate you, and select presentations from

6. Set Rewards.

Here’s a little known secret to success: Plan to reward yourself whenever you manifest an intention. A friend once bought an antique piece of furniture whenever he accomplished a big sale. I once ordered a new car for myself when I won an honorable mention for a fitness contest. People are motivated by emotion, not logic. You’re the same. You can tell yourself you’ll make 2011 amazing all day long but nothing will happen without an emotional desire.

Tip: Decide what you want for yourself for each intention you listed for step one above. Write it down beside the intention. Look at the list daily, preferably just before going to sleep each night. That’s a great way to deliver a “command” to your unconscious mind.

7. Get Support.

Surround yourself with people who encourage, motivate, and inspire you. Create a mastermind group. Join a club of high achievers. Find at least one person who believes in you. I was once in the home of Jerry and Esther Hicks and saw a framed quote that Jerry said inspired him.  I can’t recall the exact words, but it said in effect: “I was able to accomplish more by having a friend who believed in me more than I believed in myself.” I started Miracles Coaching to help people with this secret.

Tip: If you haven’t yet found the support you need, begin by being that support for someone else. It’s good karma.

Obviously, there is much more you can do to make 2011 amazing. But if you just did the above seven secrets, you’d leap ahead of the crowd,  make all your previous years seem like starter homes, and create an unforgettable, amazing, and outrageously successful 2011 for yourself.

You can do it.

Go for it!

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – Here’s the best tip of all: Make 2011 amazing with Miracles Coaching.

Member BBB 2003- 2011

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Joan Maresh Hansen meets Joe Vitale

 

Joan Maresh Hansen, Martha Giffen, and Marian LaSalle

Day to Day Living with Ease!

Day to Day Living with Ease

Realizing Who We Really Are!

For most people, life is a struggle, because they believe falsely that they are alone against the powers that be. This is not true! You are not alone in whatever you are trying to accomplish. Whether or not you realize it, you are not even the DOER. Most people, because they are not aware of this TRUTH, take the burden upon their conditioned intellect and conditioned limited strength, to undertake what they must in life.

Where do we want to put our FOCUS? If radio channel 101 is broadcasting vibrant health, happiness and abundance and channel 86.5 is broadcasting struggle and lack. We can choose to turn our dial to the things we want in life and listen to the TRUTH that we are not alone and Source is our partner. Or we can focus on unpleasant circumstances, forget the TRUTH and experience lack, illness, feel alone and struggle

Christ pointed out the TRUTH of the matter when he said,” It is not I, but the Father, that doeth these good works.” If you can believe that in your own life, it is not YOU, that does all manner of good in your life, you will then, have discovered the success secret of the ages. Christ again pointed out this TRUTH, when he said,” Be ye like the lilies of the field, for they spin and toil not…”

Can you make a flower grow? Can you make yourself breathe? No, this is life energy and SOURCE within each of us that gives us life, that breathes life into all beings.

Christ was correcting this false myth that man must struggle through life based upon society’s limited concept of man’s being. Through the ages other mystics along with Christ discovered that a HIGHER MIND, the very presence of  Source and of GOD within, is the actual DOER if one will allow it.

Become a VEHICLE and a CHANNEL

One’s body and mind can serve as a vehicle and channel for the POWER of Source within. In ULTIMATE TRUTH, Source is the REAL LIFE and the REAL SELF of one’s being. Christ tried to explain this when he said,” The Father and I are One,” and then again when he stated,” He who has seen me has seen the Father that sent me.” Your own sense of personal existence is a conditioned belief of society’s lack of awareness of our TRUE SELF. Once this error is removed from the mind, one’s mind and body become open channels for the POWER of Source to do and accomplish in one’s life.

Mental Synthesis with Source  in YOU!

To open the mind and in turn the body, as a channel and vehicle for SOURCE to flow through, one must synthesize one’s mind to the MIND, PRESENCE, and PERFECTION of Source to one’s TRUE SELF.  This reality of ONEness with Source must be greater in one’s mind than any conditioned limitations that society has placed upon one’s sense of Selfhood. Accomplishing this require repetition, so for each day for a week, read these to yourself and allow the TRUTH of these synthesizing affirmations to take over your body and mind.

Synthesizing SOURCE-Power: Synthesizing affirmations create a ONEness with SOURCE in your mind.

• I am ONE MIND with the mind of SOURCE within me.
• I am ONE with the PRESENCE of SOURCE within me
• I am ONE with the CREATIVE PRESENCE of SOURCE within me.
• I am ONE with the HEALING POWER of SOURCE within me.
• I am ONE with the PROSPERING POWER of SOURCE within me.
• I am ONE with the UNLIMITED FREEDOM of SOURCE within me.
• I am ONE with the POTENTIAL of SOURCE within me.
• I am ONE with the LOVE of SOURCE within me.
• I am ONE with the TRANSFORMING POWER of SOURCE within me.

Channeling SOURCE-Power: Channeling affirmations will allow SOURCE to flow through and into your daily affairs.

• “It is not I, but the Father within me that doeth these works.” Christ
• My mind is an OPEN CHANNEL for the POWER of SOURCE.
• MY body is an OPEN VEHICLE for the POWER of SOURCE.
• My life and the LIFE of SOURCE are ONE each day.
• My every thought, each day is GUIDED by the MIND of SOURCE.
• The POWER of SOURCE flowing through me PROSPERS me.
• The POWER of SOURCE radiating in me each day HEALS me.
• The ETERNAL PEACE of SOURCE throughout me, CALMS me.
• The ESSENCE of LOVE as SOURCE, vibrates LOVE through me each day.
• SOURCE directs my footsteps and DIRECTIONS each day.
• Where ever I am and whatever I may be doing, in reality, it is SOURCE who is there and SOURCE who is doing.

Attract and Maintain Prosperity

Prosperity Tree

Attract and Maintain Prosperity

Prosperity is usually thought of in finances but in reality we must FEEL WEALTHY in all areas of our life. Prosperity is a state of mind in which one has happiness and peace within. Some people have a few thousand dollars in the bank and consider themselves lucky and prosperous. Strange as it may seem, others feel like they are close to the poor house with a million dollars. Keep in mind that your prosperity comes from all areas of life like your health, love, and a peaceful mind.

Your mind will work with your thoughts as a whole so, if you’re feeling like you’re lacking in love or health it will spill over into another area and you will not be as effective in your finances. If you want to attract and maintain prosperity in your finances, keep your mental attitude focused on the whole you.

Keep an attitude of continual expectancy, having a state of mind that is always open to new ideas, inspiration and intuition that flows in from your higher mind.

Learning and practicing meditation is essential for quieting your thoughts of lack and reprogramming your inner consciousness for greater prosperity. Knowing that the manifesting universe always gives you what you FEEL (vibrate) will keep you in an inner state of ONENESS that produces the greatest positive mental attitude for achieving over all prosperity. There are two different approaches to meditation, one is done alone and the other is done in a group. Both approaches can be silent or with the use of sound and we suggest trying both. There are two types of meditation, one is passive where you still your mind, and the other is dynamic (active) where you visualize and think of that which you intend to attract into your life.

Practice the spiritual law ASK and YOU SHALL RECEIVE. Knowing through meditation that your higher mind, God, Goddess, Source, All that is, is within you and at the central core of your being you have within you the wisdom and intelligence of the entire universe working for you and through you. As if by magic this inner knowing attracts all things positive and prosperous. Ask, receive and keep track of your successes. Each time you succeed you will become even more confident.

Steps to attracting a prosperous life

• Meditate daily, open your mind and allow the prosperous vibrations to grow and reprogram your thoughts.
• Keep active, get out of your normal routine and take the inspired action that gives you better chances to be in the right place at the right time.
• Keep your mind open to all the possibilities. People and things can come to you in many different ways. Bartering, gifts and trades are just some of the ways the universe can give you what you ask for.
• When you have a negative thought, STOP and turn it around IMMEDIATELY. Affirm instead that you ARE prosperous already and that GOD, YOUR SOURCE is supplying your every need.
• Associate with people who also have a positive attitude about prosperity. If you have to be around someone who is saying something negative, love them but don’t allow their thoughts to influence yours.
• Live, think and act in ways that show you are ALREADY PROSPERSOUS.
• Each day declare within your mind that God is your TRUE source of supply.
• Frequent places in your area where you see affluence. Pick up on the positive vibrations and KNOW that GOD wants you to expand. Feeling good and prosperous is WONDERFUL.
• Reprogram your mind everyday with prosperity-thought affirmations. FEEL good about your thoughts, use words that allow your true feelings to flow from within.

Reprogram your Inner Consciousness
During your daily mediation time, repeat your affirmations at least 3 times. Find one that FEELS really good and write it down so you can see it all day and read it often. Each time you do this you are reprogramming your inner consciousness that influences your mind and mental attitude that attracts prosperity.

Below are some suggested affirmations;
Each day I share the wealth of Gods abundance around me.
Every day I live confidently, knowing that the source of my prosperity is working through me and directing me.
I am at peace and ready to allow in all that the power of God and the universe has for me.
I am already prosperous and this prosperity is beginning to materialize all around me.
All channels of my mind are open and I am receiving and acting on the inspired thoughts.
My mind is like a magnetic force drawing true prosperity to me.

Co-created by Joan Maresh Hansen and Marian LaSalle

Joan and Marian can both be contacted for individual coaching, please call or e-mail for more information.
713-826-4942 info@goodlifeguide.org www.goodlifeguide.org

Inspired by our Recommended Readings:
Esther and Jerry Hicks Books which include; Money and The Law of Attraction, Ask and It is Given, The Vortex, The Astonishing Power of Emotions, The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent, The Law of Attraction,
Napoleon Hill’s 1924 classic Think and Grow Rich,
Dr. Joe Vitale’s Attract Money Now, FREE online at www.attractmoneynow.com,
Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth,
How to Attract Money by Dr. Joseph Murphy,
From the Poor House to the Penthouse by Kay Haegen,
Kelly Stallings Think Thin to Live Thin and
It Works by RHJ, The Little Money Book,
The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price,
Laws of Prosperity and any book by Catherine Ponder,
Happy Pocket Full of Money, (check our A-store for other books) @ www.reachingnewrealities.com
Dr. Paul Masters of the University of Sedona and many more authors and masters.

Prosperity Processes:

Money in Your Pocket Shopping Game: Place a bill in your pocket and go window shopping. Each time you see something that you could purchase with your bill— say to yourself,” I could have that if I wanted it,” and continue to shop, repeating the phrase over and over with each possible purchase. You‘ll mentally spend the bill over and over again increasing your prosperity consciousness.

Checks from the Universe: Take a blank check and write out the amount that you would want to manifest. Post it in a power place that you frequent and each time you pass by imagine it is already yours.

Add Feng Shui Cures to your Home and Office for what you want. (health, wealth, love, friends, adventure, wisdom, creativity, and more…

Gratitude Journal entries, tithing 10%, let go of losses—giving them to the Universe, and both active and passive daily meditations that take you into inspired actions…

Denise Coates’ Feel It Real (Pg 122-146, Games to Increase Abundance and Wealth)

Ask and You Shall Receive the Good Life Guide way.

“It is perfectly logical to assume that a wise and competent Creator would provide for the needs of his creatures.” Prosperity by Charles Fillmore

Happiness and joy never leave us… we leave them! Happiness is ever present, lurking beneath the chaotic surface of the mind. The reason the child experiences so much joy is because they live mostly in the present moment.

An Easy Way to Think Yourself Thin

Can you think yourself thin?

I recently met with one of Houston’s very own local personalities Kelly Stallings who is the owner of Life is Mental and the author of Think Thin to Live Thin. Her newest book also has a FABULOUS guided visualization CD which helps to reprogram our bad habits and replace them with positive, healthy eating lifestyle changes.

Look at what a couple of readers said about her book and CD set.

I’ve been on many diets and programs to lose weight but after losing weight on each one, the pounds kept coming back. This book was fun to read and offers practical solutions and ways to get the weight off and to keep it off for good. I recommend this to anyone looking to lose some weight or to maintain the weight that they’ve already lost.

This is a great book. Simple ideas, but put into action. Great for all ages and especially if you and a group of friends want to do it together… great for group motivation!

I absolutely loved this book!! Kelly does a great job of getting the readers involved and motivated to lose weight. After reading her book I have applied the practical weightloss techniques to my everyday life.

Kelly suggests that if we want to increase our success with weight loss and other goals we need to detox our brain.

• Detoxing our mind is just as important and easy as cleansing our bodies.

Just like foods can collect in our bodies, negative toxic thoughts can collect in our brains. Our self criticism and negative thinking needs to be flushed out of our mind so that repetitive thoughts like, “I am always going to be fat,” or “I am never going to be thin,” can be reprogrammed and replaced by “ It’s so easy to find ways to eat healthy and look leaner”.

Kelly also suggests that the key to success is giving yourself enough time to achieve the goal. It took time to develop negativity; it will take time to create positivity. Be patient and stay the course.  Kelly said “I have yet to meet a person who suddenly woke up one day with negative and self critical thinking”. In fact, we are all born with a blank slate. The negativity is conditioned for us as we grow and develop. Do not blame your family; negativity bombards us from many environmental sources. Think about the last time you saw an upbeat breaking news feature. I am betting that you cannot think of even one example.”

So, just how do you reprogram your negative thoughts and patterns? I suggest you read her book and listen to her guided visualization CD and encourage all your friends to read it with you, so as a group you can all see how EASY it is to find ways to eat healthier and look leaner.

Click on the image below to order Kelly’s book and start your journey today.

Written by Marian LaSalle

What Are You Focused On?

What are you focused on?

I Love this quote-
“If we threw our problems in a pile with everyone else’s we would grab ours back” Author Unknown

I often wonder when I’m going through a tough time what kind of lesson I will learn when I’m on the other side. If you stay focused on the outcome and take the time to think thoughts like this, it really does help you get through the most challenging times. We all have them and they are different for each of us. My fears and negative thoughts might seem silly to you and the same goes for yours, so don’t try to compare your life with anyone else’s.

• Stay Focused on the outcome or goal

Staying focused on the outcome can be hard if you just try to remember but if you turn it into a habit, it will come to you quicker and easier. When I first started trying to remember- as I was experiencing a problem, it might dawn on me a week later or even a month would go by, but as I stayed with it and continued to study and learn the principles of the Law of Attraction it got easier and came faster. Soon I was able to hear myself say “Oh that’s right I’m staying focused on the outcome” or “In my old life I would have reacted that way” and snap out of my funk or feel soothed instantly. The feeling of being connected to source and ALL THAT IS, is so comforting that it’s worth the time you take to make it a GOOD HABIT!

“In order to attain balance, we have to learn the art of patience even as we strive to achieve our highest vision of who we are” Daily OM

• Stay focused on the outcome or the goal and everything else will fall into place.

Sending this with LOVE….

Marian

Recommended Readings:

The Attractor Factor by Dr. Joe Vitale. A book which presents the step by step process to manifesting and attracting what you want into your life.

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, this book revealed how many people use the secret to achieve success.

Practical Mysticism

Application of Modern Mysticism

Have you ever learned something and then never taken the action to apply what you learned to your life? There is an entire world that opens up to you as you study each new subject. If you sign up for a cooking class, you learn about new tools and new terminology and new skills. If one pursues an art class, the same is true. For over forty one years, my interest has been in the area of metaphysics. What is in life beyond our physical body? What is that energy that creates worlds?

My discovery lead me to a body of work to study called mysticism. Mysticism is described as the absolute power available to human beings. As you begin taking steps down this path of study, what begins to unravel are life’s deepest mysteries. It is as though you have walked into a classroom of the greatest minds who ever lived. However, no matter how much you study or how much you learn, it will make no difference in improving the quality of your life or the lives of others unless you can take the necessary steps to apply this knowledge.

If there is a Higher Power that can perform miracles in each of our lives then why don’t we apply this knowledge therefore demonstrating it?

In today’s society, mysticism is a much abused word. Put simply, it represents one’s highest quest of human growth and awareness. It wakes one up to the potential inside oneself. Many place other practices within this same category which can include tarot cards, fortune telling, crystal gazing to tea leaf reading. It is not these things, it does however include the following;

• discovering the nature of reality within the relationships of man-woman, mind, and the Universe.
• discovering and confirming the presence of a Universal Intelligence that resides within the deep levels of the human mind,
• making direct contact with this Universal Intelligence,
• experiencing this presence, to know Universal Intelligence exist and can be contacted,
• applying the creativity,  and power of the Universal Intelligence to improve life,
• intuitively be guided in all of life’s endeavors

As you begin to study mysticism, a whole new world opens up to you with a far greater understanding of your potential and yourself.  Modern books that discuss spiritual laws which include the Secret, The Law of Attraction and many others are based on an understanding of how to use these ancient truths in ways that can benefit one’s life and the lives of others.

“ The Mystic path is sunny. It is the way of genuine enthusiasm and lasting cheerfulness. So much awaits you. We finally learn why things happen to us as they do, which places us in control of our fortunes. Fear and tension vanish once and for all. No person and no circumstance can disturb our inner peace. “

“You, the reader, possess great capacities for miraculous self enrichment. You need only exercise these powers as best you can.”

The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power, Vernon Howard

Join us in achieving fuller, better lives. Each of us has a right to happiness, our  intention is to help ourselves and each of us  along the way in attaining it. What is it that YOU want in your life? You may want love, friendship, home, security or money. These can all be yours, if first you gain an understanding, then know what to do and how to use this incredible power that lays dormant within each of us. It can be awakened and knowing how to do this will transform each of our lives for the better. To each of our lives being better and better…

Recommended Readings:

Wisdom of the Mystic Masters, Joseph J. Reed. The most awesome secrets ever known to man are in this book—ready to be used by you to get riches, influence, and joy.

Divine Guidance, Doreen Virtue. This books serves to remind us that our minds give us messages if we can learn to listen.

The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power,Vernon Howard. This miraculous source of help can light your path and and banish crisis from your lives.

A Fresh Perspective

Fresh Perspective

A Fresh Perspective

I believe we all need someone or something to remind us of the truth behind the scenes. We get caught up in the drama and trauma that life can be but, as we all know, just like a play or movie, the reality is behind the scenes of all the acting and the roles we are playing. We are spiritual beings having a human experience and it’s set up this way from the day we are born.  We start off early identifying ourselves by the roles we play, forgetting that these roles can shift and change with one thought. When we were young, we looked forward to these role changes and were eager to see what happened next. When we are reminded of the truth behind the scenes, we can choose to embrace the new thought and start a new (better role).

• Do you have a support system in place to remind you of the truth when you forget?

Remind yourself and others to see that each change can be an adventure, a celebration, and a chance to play a new part, we can recapture the joy of our childhood as we move from one role to the next.

Why don’t you start by reminding someone in your life that if they don’t like the role they are currently playing that they can hire a new director to change the scene or, better yet, think a new thought and start a new role that’s even better than the one they are currently playing. Give someone you care about a fresh perspective on life and a greater life experience- REMEMBER TO INCLUDE YOURSELF. Set up a reminder system if you don’t already have one in place like, a friend who can remind you and sticking up some affirmations around your home and office. Here’s an example of a good affirmation to put out on your mirror or on your computer.

Example: I AM HAVING MORE POSITIVE REACTIONS TO DAILY EVENTS IN MY LIFE.

Placing affirmations in your POWER PLACE (places you frequent) allows you to have reminders with these positive affirming statements that point to new possibilities. Wonderful possibilities that FEEL exciting. Ones that get you out of bed each morning with a spring in your step and a smile on your face.

Too often we get “stuck “ in a belief system that no longer serves us, so why not change that old belief system to a newer, fresher perspective.

“You can have anything you want if, you want it desperately enough, you must want it with an exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world.” Sheila Graham

When we choose to do something differently from the way we have always done it— it’s at that moment the ripple effect happens like throwing a pebble on a pond. With each small change eventually the small indelible moments of courage burst through and  both you and your world are changed.

Choose to do whatever it takes to keep yourself looking at life with a fresh perspective.

Sending This With Love….

Reccomended Readings:

You Can Soar To Success- Learn The Law Of Attraction Step By Step.

Click Here!

A Step By Step Guide In Learning To Use The Law Of Attraction Today In Eradicating Your Problems And Helping You Achieve Your Most Precious Desires And Hearts Fondest Wishes – Learn The Secrets Of Affirmations, Visualization, Goal Setting And Much More.

Read To Lead

As we move along life’s highways in the passenger seat, we always enjoy reading a new book. My selection of books is usually determined by walking up to my book shelves and seeing which books call my name. A video was just completed for Dr. Joe Vitale’s possible TV show on things that had already manifested in my life and were serendipitous in their arrival. In the beginning of the video, the following quote by Napoleon Hill was shared,

“Faith is the starting point of all things manifested! It is the only agency thru which the cosmic force of infinite intelligence can be harnessed and used by man.”

With Napolean Hill still on my mind when approaching the books on the shelves of the library, there before me was a small book entitled,”Read and Grow Rich,” by Burke Hedges. The book tells the tale of Burke who found himself  in a blue collar job making boats in the Florida heat, unhappy, and dissatisfied with his life up to that point. His sister handed him a copy of Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Salesman in the World.” Burke tells how it changed his life.This book continues  with stories of other people who had their lives changed after being influenced by the words of books.

Abraham Lincoln’s formal schooling added up to less than a year. Lincoln was fascinated by books. He read Aesop’s Fables so many times that he memorized the stories. As a teenager, he borrowed books from neighbors within 50 miles, including books about  Benjamin Franklin, and Washington, and Pilgrim’s Progress.

Harry S Truman, 33rd President of the United States, became one of the greatest presidents in history. Few know that he never attended college and failed in two businesses. He was considered a fountain of knowledge and had rock solid values shaped by years of reading including the entire volume of Encyclopedia Britannica.

Matthew McConaughey, actor attended University of Texas with the intention of studying law. After reading the first two chapters of The Greatest Salesman in the World, he decided the next day to change his major and his schedule and the rest is history.

Rather than tell all the stories told in this little book. The list of books mentioned happen to be some of my favorites. Read the list to see if you have any favorites. Leave a comment to tell me of your favorites.

The book offers a list of classics, many of which are also a part of my favorites collection. The books listed include:

• Og Mandino’s The Choice and The Greatest Salesman in the World
• Napolean Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich“
• “Think Big“ by Ben Carlson
• “The Power of Positive Thinking“by Norman Vincent Peale,
• Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan
• Autobiography of Ben Franklin
• Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson (Self Reliance) & Henry David Thoreau ( Walden)
• Acre of Diamonds by Russell Conwell,
• As a Man Thinketh, James Allen
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightengale ( no longer in print)
  
• The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
• Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
• Man’s Seach for Meaning Dr Viktor Frankl
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr Stephen Covey,
• Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen,
• See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar,
• Various books by Robert Schuller
• The Magic of Believing by Claude Bristol
• The Richest Man in Babylon George S. Clason

The stories that were particularly enjoyed were of Oprah, Matthew McConaughy, Abe Lincoln, and many others who made a choice to read and grow through the wisdom found among the pages. A quote which rings true in our lives is that,“we change in two ways, by the people we meet and the books that we read”

W. Clement Stone formed a wonderful habit of helping others by giving inspirational self help books. My intent is to re-read and study this inspirational grouping and generous list of books. It is a continuous quest to clarify for ourselves more and more of life’s mysteries by aligning with authors who had the courage to tell us their stories. Books provide such increased joy to our lives as we share the paths we have each chosen. Fall has arrived and there is not much that can beat curling up under a blanket with a spot of tea for a good read. Happy reading!

” When a sentence resonates within, it is the voice of your authentic self.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

Marian LaSalle and Joan Maresh Hansen, Swirl Girls, 2009

Recommended Readings:

1. “Read and Grow Rich,” by Burke Hedges.This little jewel gives you a  reading list that will have you grow rich in wisdom alongwith other abundance.
   
2. “The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino’s. A quick read with great life lessons.
   
3. Think and Grow Rich, Napolean Hill, This book written in the 1920′s is still a guidebook for anyone wanting to follow in the footsteps of the rich and famous.
   

Lessons Learned Listening to Like Minded People

An opportunity presented itself last Fall to spend an evening in Houston hearing James Ray, one of the teachers of the movie, The Secret as he spoke to a crowd of 600 hungry people. The people seemed hungry for new answers, new insights and new ideas that were given intended to catapult their lives to new levels of living.

James Ray asked the crowd why they came, one person answered because he wanted to be motivated. James Ray said that motivation comes from the outside and the inspiration which he will provide comes from the inside.”It is not what we do but how we do it,” he said. He continued, “life is an internal game.” He spoke of what he has learned and is considered to be an expert in the law of attraction.

He then said rather confidently that he knows what he is talking about as he lived these experiences going from the top of a great life to the bottom with nothing—losing everything. He shared with us the development of what he calls “The Science of Success”( an available CD series) which provide strategies to get whatever you want and to also sustain them. He went on to say that the word inspiration comes from the words “in spirit.”  He added that it is important to pay attention to our emotions and to work to recognize what moves us emotionally.

Ray shared with us from the time he was a “nerd” in high school and how he read ferociously about science, quantum physics and the spiritual laws. He talked about multiple world theory which is the idea that 11 dimensions exist simultaneously and one of them has us being multimillionaires.(Isn’t this  similar to Abraham’s vibrational escrow?)

Everything is Energy: Ray then added that everything is energy and energy can never be destroyed. He shared the works of Carl Pedram, Nobel Prize winner and neurosurgeon who writes that “there is nothing outside of you that isn’t inside of you.”

Going Three for Three: Ray talked about resonance and the idea that one cannot perceive anything that you cannot resonate with. He wanted to shatter rumors and I liked the idea that he was going to coach us on what he called,” going three for three” with thoughts, feelings, and actions all firing at the same time. (more…)

Comfort Foods to Help You Feel Better NOW!

Sometimes when we are feeling blue, some of us tend to soothe ourselves with comfort foods. We all know that emotional eating is not the way to feel better in the long term and yet we do it anyway. Why do we do it?  Because we want to feel good— and, there’s not much more depressing than the guilt we feel right after a big bowl of ice cream.So, we did our research and found some foods that can boost your mood. Eaten in moderation you might even notice yourself perking up.

1. Oatmeal: A warm bowl of oatmeal can help elevate your mood because it’s rich in soluble fiber, which helps to smooth out blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar into the blood. Try sprinkling on a dash of cinnamon to add to the aroma.
   
2. Walnuts: These are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, a type of fat that’s needed for brain cells and mood-lifting neurotransmitters to function properly. Toast your walnuts and sprinkle them over your salads. Try another one of my favorites by mixing some in your yogurt or cottage cheese.
   
3. Chai Tea: This is one of my favorite mood lifters. It’s an Indian tea made with regular black tea plus spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. The spices also add a natural sweetness, which helps curb that sweet tooth. Also try any aromatic herbal tea for a chance to breathe in the relaxing fragrance.
   
4. Salmon: In the past few years, research has suggested that vitamin D may increase the levels of serotonin, one of the key neurotransmitters influencing our mood. Salmon is also an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Added bonus:  it tastes delicious!
   
5. Steamed Spinach: Warm and tasty, steamed spinach has enough folic acid to be an important counter to depression. As little as 200 micrograms of folic acid was enough to relieve the depression in clinical studies– that amount is easily obtained in a cup of cooked spinach or a glass of orange juice.
   

• I listen with love to my bodies messages.
• My body is always working toward optimum health.
• My body wants to be whole and healthy.
• I cooperate and become healthy, whole and complete.
  

1. 8 Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil, M.D. This book will help you understand foods and nutrition and what’s good for you and why.
   
   
2. It’s Not What You Eat It’s What’s Eating You, This book provides information on why we overeat.
3. Flat Belly Diet by Liz Vaccariello, Prevention Magazine, this breakthrough book makes a meal plan both economical and easy to follow. I feel better while the weight is dropping off. Also available are the Flat Belly Pocket Guide which provides shopping lists, and the new Flat Belly Cookbook. You won’t believe that you are dieting.