Does It Hit Your Sweet Spot

If someone asked me to summarise the Law of Attraction in a phrase, I would say:

"listen to and be guided by your emotions"

Because within them lies the essential truth - if we relinquish the judgement, the labelling and guilt about our emotions and look through for what they are telling us.

Most of reading this live in cultures where our emotions are often derided and our rational, logical, "problem solving skills" are applauded (I often wonder whether having problem solving ability leads you to create more problems in order to exercise that ability! Just a thought.......:.)

But our feelings about a given situation is the most reliable indicator and a fantastic boon when it comes to decision making.

The only difficulty is that we don't trust it. Or we strangle it at birth.

Haven't you noticed that the more reasons you create for following a course of action, the more "logical" reason you give is usually an indication that it's not the right path. When something is right for you then you usually just "know" it; reasons become redundant.

You know when things look "good on paper", but don't mesh in your reality.

In tennis, the centre of the racket is called the Sweet Spot. It is the area of the string bed that produces the best combination of feel and power. It is the perfect connection where the ball is hit most cleanly, most effectively; it resonates more deeply and just feels right. It is the area of the racket that tennis players aim for.

Hitting the ball outside the sweet spot often leads to mishits and mistakes and you can really feel the dissonant vibrations when you mishit a ball. You can often hear the jarring sound it makes. And there's a nice parallel when situations jar with us too.

Whenever I'm unsure of whether to follow a course of action, I ask myself: "Does it hit my sweet spot?". Invariably the answer is no, because asking the question itself reveals the answer. As such it is a useful inteal barometer and shortcut.

Yet how many of us actually ask ourselves this kind of question?

Keep asking the question, heed your answer and keep following your sweet spot and watch the quality of your life soar!

Julie Plenty helps creative people achieve their goals using the Law of Attraction and authentic and inspired goal setting. Read more articles on how to make the Law of Attraction work for you by visiting: http://lawofattraction.blogharbor.com

Drunk in Matter

How did you indulge your senses today? You reek of the things that give you pleasure. Your attachments are like glue, binding you to a large wheel that will crush you on its next revolution.

You shrug this inevitable destruction. Like a tax date that one needs not be conceed with until the end of the period. Not realizing that every minute is a potential for salvation. That time itself exists for that purpose and as if handled by a poor money manager, it's squandered on shortsighted, valueless investments.

One need not be sad by this however. This is not a letter of doom. But rather a wake up call for life. Is it not my duty to alert you before you find yourself in a position where the path can not be corrected? If you saw a drunken man, head down focused on a path that was leading him over a cliff, would you not tap him on the shoulder in an attempt to wake him?

Sober up my friends. Everyone suffers from the intoxication of matter since the day of inception. Only when you lift your head can you see clearly the path ahead of you. Awake and find yourself on a path few travel.

This article is part of the James Rick Daily Vitamin by James Rick, a daily blog that merges our understanding of spirit with the physical world. James Rick is author of Full Potential, a revolutionary guide to mastering your life in stages. He is also a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and CEO of two inteational ventures.

More can be leaed at JamesRick.com

Get Certain Get Focused Get Going Now

It's the beginning of another year. Will this be your best year ever? Or more of the same?

Chinese New Year is a special time for me. It brings back memories of my time in China in January.

Seeing families spending special time together. Dark green citrus trees everywhere, such as mandarin and cumquat, their branches bent over with heavily laden bright orange fruit and every shop, house and hotel covered with red and gold decorations.

This visual and sensory experience had a profound impact on me.

It taught me the value of colour and being different.

Many of you know my passion for wearing red ties. I wear red ties because it makes me feel good. Strong, intelligent and believable. Happiness is about family, purpose and beliefs.

The colour red means passion and reinforces my purpose and belief. It also matches my corporate brand. It is important my corporate and personal brand are congruent.

Choosing a red tie helps me do this and I work a lot in Asia as a speaker, so the meaning my corporate colour conveys is important.

The meaning behind my business name - 8M Media and Communications - is also important. Many people show genuine interest and often ask me about the name.

This gives me permission to tell a story. And storytelling creates an emotional connection with people.

Eight is a lucky number in many Asian cultures - meaning prosperity and wealth. The colour red has the same meaning in Asian culture. So my business name, my corporate colour and logo and personal image are all consistent, congruent and clear. This helps me be memorable.

Importantly, it also matches my vision, purpose and passion of bringing prosperity and wealth to the audiences I speak to and the consulting, coaching and mentoring clients I work with.

It matches my business plan and lifestyle goals. I love living in the paradise called Perth. I can think of no better location to bring up my young family.

Yet, in the same time zone and a quick flight away, is the booming market of Asia - with its aspirational, intelligent and willing to lea marketplace.

So my business model of working up the meridian rather than across it helps me create and live my dream life.

As you take time to plan the year ahead, and perhaps celebrate Chinese New Year, please use these key questions to get certain, get focused and get going now!

What makes you happy?

How important is your family to you?

What is your purpose in life?

How can you make a difference in the lives of others?

What little bit extra can you do this year?

What colour makes you feel good and matches your passion?

How can you use your time more wisely?

What will challenge your thinking? This is just a sample to get going.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an inteational business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

I ll Have What She s Having

What if every time you entered a room people would say, �Wow, I want what she�s having!� Do you think that might generate new clientele for your business? You bet it would! It�s called attraction and it is the most powerful tool in your business-growing toolkit. Heck, it�s one of the most powerful tools in your life!

I want to be sure to clarify here�they aren�t thinking, �Boy I want what she�s selling,� they�re thinking, �I want what she�s having!� You see, we are attracted to those people who exude a life, an attitude, and a spirit that reflects what we want for ourselves. We want to be with and work with people who inspire, challenge or support us in our personal jouey. I buy things I �need� wherever it is most convenient for me and where I can trust in the quality of both customer service and products/services. However, I buy what I �want� from people and businesses who I can get excited about. I love telling my friends, family and clients about these people and businesses because I love what they add to my life. I love the unique services/ products and/or inspiration they provide me. Me, Me, Me!!! Catch a theme there? Yep, clients seek us out because of what we have to offer that can make �their life� better.

So how do we get people saying, �I�ll have what she�s having?� It�s fairly simple and I have broken it down into three powerful action steps that really work: First, Practice Extreme Self-care; Second, Master �Authentic Listening�; and Third, Take a Powerful Risk Everyday.

1. Practice Extreme Self-care

That�s right, practice not just basic self-care, but "extreme" self-care! In order to get people saying "I'll have what she's having," you have to be living a zesty, yummy life. People don't want what you're having if they see that you aren't having any fun, you're constantly stressed out and you neglect yourself. They already have that. They want your experience of joy, abundance and sometimes even indulgent living. Now that sounds yummy!

How can you indulge yourself today? Perhaps a massage, a candle-lit bath, or an hour of reading that special book you've been meaning to get to.

Look for opportunities each day to bask in at least one activity of extreme self-care and don't be afraid to tell people how you are taking care of your mind, body and spirit in these ways. Not only does it get people saying that they want what you're having (wonderful for business), but it also gives them permission to do the same (your gift to them--bonus).

2. Master �Authentic Listening�

Think of yourself as a �Humanity Investigator.� It may seem counter intuitive to be inquisitive rather than telling people about you, but this really is a powerful mechanism for attracting people to your business and your life for that matter. What is the one thing people want more than anything? They want to be heard. Really heard. Being truly heard helps to authenticate one�s humanity.

By taking every chance offered to listen authentically and ask genuine and intentioned questions, you not only lea about your clients (they're needs, wants, etc.), but you also gain their trust as a confidant. People trust those who truly engage with "them". If people know you're only waiting for an opportune time to market your services, they won't be attracted to you. In fact, they'll be looking for the nearest exit.

Listening with authenticity is not something you will want to take lightly. It is a genuine and real willingness to vicariously participate in and inquire into the life and experience of another human being. This cannot be faked. People know if you are not listening authentically. If you aren�t they will feel even less valued and heard than if you'd never asked them a question at all. Recall the last time you talked with someone that you knew had little or no interest in what you were saying but asked you perfunctory questions just to be "nice." Would you ever seek that person out for future communications or business? Not a chance.

So listen �authentically� and lea all you can about the amazing people that surround you in your jouey on this planet. Your childlike curiosity and security in who you are (not needing to sell them on you) will have them saying yet again, "I'll have what she's having."

3. Take a Powerful Risk Everyday

This third step seems simple, but it really does take an active effort on your part. Powerful risks are risks with an anticipated outcome. They are not just risks taken for the sake of scaring the �begeebers� out of you.

What is one thing you�ve been putting off doing because it causes you fear or makes you uncomfortable? Do you believe doing that thing will likely impact your life or business for the better? Take a moment to write that action down. Then write the result or outcome(s) you think could manifest as a result of taking that action. If seeing that result/outcome on paper generates a sense of lightness or motivation, use that energy to plan out how and when you will take the risk. It�s your life in the making, so don�t miss out on the opportunity to make it spectacular!

Powerful Risk taking is the key to creating a life that is �over the top� wonderful!

"If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would have painted on the Sistine floor." Neil Simon

Again, as you take powerful risks, share them with others. And don't stop there; share the results with them too! It is amazing how verbally acknowledging our risks and celebrating the powerful outcomes with others magically motivates us to continue taking even more life-altering actions.

What do you think people will say when they hear your enthusiasm, your courage, and the rich results of your actions? You guessed it--"I'll have what she's having!"

Are you ready to �kick it up a notch� and get people wanting what you�re having? Are you ready to attract more business, more abundance, more love, and more fun into your existence? It's a simple but challenging formula that you can begin implementing today!

Remember: Practice Extreme Self-Care; Master �Authentic Listening�; and Take a Powerful Risk Everyday. Begin attracting all you want for yourself in 2006. Be the one that enters the room to a rousing chorus of, �Wow, I�ll have what she�s having�!

Here�s to your success.

� 2006 Angel C. Hale

Hello, I am Angel Hale, Personal Success Coach and founder of ACCES ( HY PERLINK http://www.ACCESsYourPotential.org). I work with amazing, highly ambitious clients who want to be at the top of their game personally and professionally. They are intelligent, creative people who have discovered that they want even more in their lives�more productivity at work, more time with loved ones, more time to play, more time to give back to their community and planet, more financial freedom, and/or more capacity to do the things they love. If this sounds like you, I invite you to join our �Access Your Potential� community by visiting http://www.ACCESsYourPotential.org and sign up for our free monthly E-Newsletter. Also, if you would like to join my clients in experiencing a process that has profoundly enriched their joueys and put them on the path toward realizing their greatness, I invite you to contact me to set up a complementary coaching session (value = $125.00).

How Choices Affect Our Lives

They�re always mad at me. I�m always doing something wrong. They never tell me when I do something right. They don�t really love me. They love my little sister more and better than they love me. That�s o.k. I�ll bet if I ran away they�d miss me. Or if I died they�d feel so bad that they would cry and cry for me to retu. Then, maybe they would love me more. When I grow up, I�m going to be the bravest fireman in the world. I�m going to move away from this house and live by myself and I�ll be able to do whatever I want and nobody will tell me what to do anymore. When I grow up, I�m going to do everything that I can�t do now�eat everything I can�t eat now�and be able to tell other people what they can and cannot do. I�m going to be the boss of everything and everyone.

As a child once myself, as a therapist working with many children and as a father and grandfather of seven, the above scenario would not be uncommon banter for a child to experience and verbalize to him or herself when they are feeling unloved or unappreciated by their parents. The fantasy is a way of �getting even� for something that�s out of their control�something that they need more than the breaths that they take�LOVE.

Without love, our lives are empty and meaningless�whether we�re a child who�s been chastised and feels unloved or an adult who doesn�t feel that those closest to them don�t appreciate and love them for who they are. Many of us grow up with those same feelings hounding us that led us to meander into fantasies of �payback� for the hurt that we might have felt as a child. The scene has changed but the person�s feelings and perspective hasn�t.

There�s one thing missing�a very important aspect of our enjoying the privilege of becoming an adult�the ELEMENT OF CHOICE. We didn�t have many, if any, choices as children. The sources of our well-being were our parents or parent-figures and we were entirely dependent on them to have our needs met. As we grow into adulthood, many people�in fact most people�tend to forget that with adult status comes choices. Apart from not realizing this fact and therefore not being able to get �out of the rut� of feeling choice less and defeated and unloved, many adults were never taught about choices. They weren�t taught what they were, how to make them and how they influenced their lives. They weren�t taught how choices determined their ability to conduct their lives in a positive manner as well as how they were responsible for all of the choices that they made. They weren�t taught that choices oftentimes can make the difference between happiness and despair.

In a very real sense, a person�s movement into coaching, life management or psychotherapy in order to deal with their issues is like a �growing up� that may have never taken place along with their chronological changes�viz. growing up emotionally. I don�t say that to insult anyone but merely to point up the fact that the lack of awareness of choices can keep us stuck developmentally and emotionally so that we end up believing, thinking and feeling in much the same manner as we did as children. We need to go through the process of recognizing and leaing how to use choices to enhance our lives. That enhancement could affect our primary relationships, work situations, friendships and even our recreational lives in order to make them richer and more meaningful. The movement that occurs in coaching, life management or psychotherapy allows people the opportunity to come in touch with what they had missed that is so vitally important to their roles as adults. It enables them to breathe the �fresh air� of having choices in their lives and to be able to realize the dream of what they can �become� at their fingertips. When I grow up, I won�t have to �get even�. Instead, I can enjoy my life and the lives of the people I love and who love me.

Do You Suffer From Mental Asthma

Here'a an analogy for you to think about today: the patient who suffers from the medical condition known as asthma. What's going on here is this: although there is an abundance of oxygen in the air all around us, someone with asthma, during an asthmatic attack, experiences oxygen lack. They find it difficult to breathe in enough air. This is because their airways are abnormally narrow (for various reasons which I won't go into here).

The result is that this patient is ill. An acute attack of asthma can be really frightening for the one suffering from it, for it is a life-threatening condition.

Notice that although there is more than enough air to go round, the person with asthma still can't get enough into his/her body to meet physiological needs. The problem lies with the patient, *not* with the supply of air..

How does this relate to health, wealth and happiness? What's this got to do with success?

Think about it: there is more than enough of anything you could ever wish for, and just like the air you breathe, it's all around you but invisible. Abundance is the natural state of affairs.

In addition, if you don't suffer from 'mental asthma', you can convert the intangible, invisible supply around you into its physical, visible, tangible version of what you want.

The supply of all you need to live like a king today is unlimited. How much you receive (and therefore manifest) in your life depends on how patent your 'mental airways' are.

If you suffer from lack of anything in your life - health, wealth or happiness for example - the problem is not with the Source of all things (God, 'the Universe'). No, for everywhere you look, you find evidence that the very nature of things is abundance.

The problem therefore lies with you, if you are not experiencing abundance in any aspect of your life.You are very likely suffering from 'mental asthma' - your mental airways are too narrow to fully receive all that is freely available to you as part of God's creation.

You may have heard of this condition being referred to as 'limiting beliefs'.

If you hold limiting beliefs in any area of your life, that part suffers from lack of abundance. Limiting beliefs narrow your 'mental airways' and lead to 'mental asthma', a serious condition. Therefore you need to seek the cure for this condition, for it is as life threatening, if not more so, than its medical counterpart.

The treatment of asthma, the medical condition, involves giving drugs that widen the patient's airways. With more patent breath pipes, the person easily breathes in as much oxygen as they need to function properly.

The treatment of 'mental asthma' involves giving you 'drugs' that 'widen your mental airways'. This can be done in various ways, such as reading mind-expanding books, listening to positively charged audios, bombarding your mind with images and thoughts of abundant health, wealth and happiness. The aim of all this is to get you to habitually think thoughts that allow the abundance around you to easily flow through you.

And believe me, for a condition as chronic as 'mental asthma', you need mega-doses of this stuff if you are to (totally reprogram your mind and) experience abundance in your life.

Dr Kem Thompson is a Success Coach, Speaker, Author. She can help you achieve better results at work, business, play, spiritual or in your social life.

For resources you can use today to create a better life, sign up for her FREE ezine (and get a thank-you gift)- 'Days of Success' by submitting the form at http://www.successeminars.com/

Let Go of Your Past Release the Ideas that Hold You Back

At some point in life, usually as young children, we forget who we really are. We acquire a self concept based partly on what we feel inside and partly on what others feel about us. In greater or lesser degrees we begin to accept what others tell us about ourselves. Sometimes we grow up with ideas about ourselves that are accurate and sometimes they are far from the truth about us.

When we were very small we might have overheard positive comments casually passed between adults at the dinner table or during that twilight time when we were drifting off to sleep or waking in the early moing.

�She is so smart, you wouldn�t believe it.�

�He is the clown in our family.�

�She is the pretty one.�

We might have heard less than positive comments as well. Often these remarks included a rolling of the eyes or a shaking of the head and were accompanied by that -- you know what I mean-- look.

�She is not as bright as her sister is.�

�He has a short attention span.�

�She takes after her father.�

How is it for you? Are you aware of unlimited potentials or blocks upon them? Are you stuck with ideas about yourself that keep you from pursuing your dreams because once, long ago, someone told you they would not be possible for you?

I regularly see people in my counseling practice who are living far below their potentials. Someone gave them the message that they were not worthy of love, lacked creative ability, or were physically deficient in some important way. They believed them.

This is not meant to imply blame on the people in our past for the conditions of our present but to give us an opportunity to liberate ourselves from ideas that just don�t support our well being any longer.

Imagine how much more energy you would have if you just assumed that you could do whatever you wanted to do with your life. Give up your limiting beliefs and thoughts. Let them go and free your self for a happier experience in the present moment and a more promising future. Whether you ever get to your destination or not, the adventure will be a much more satisfying one.

Peri Coeurtney Enkin lives on the Big Island of Hawaii. She is the founder of Aloha Inspirations � A Center for Energy Counseling and Conscious Living, The Deep Listener� Certification Retreats and The Calm Program�. Programs for mainland folks are held three times a year at a beautiful site near the ocean. People come for personal renewal, to lea an inspired profession and to enhance their current careers.

Lea more at http://www.deeplistener.com or http://www.alohainspirations.com

Knowing Is Being

What do you know?

Do you know about productivity, time management, and organizing? Are you highly productive?

Do you know how to be healthy? Are you healthy?

Do you believe your life should serve a purpose? Are you living such a purpose right now?

Do you know what it means to be good? Are you a good and moral person?

Do you value courage? Are you brave?

Do you value close relationships? Are you experiencing one today?

Do you value service to others? Whom are you serving right now?

Knowing is being

If you claim to know something that isn�t readily apparent in your life, then you do not really know it.

To claim to know what you are not is merely to know the conceptualization of a thing but not to know the thing itself. You can understand the concepts of productivity, health, and courage without being productive, healthy, or brave. But to know the truth behind the concepts, then those things must be in you.

To know is to be. If you know productivity, you will be productive. If you know health, you will be healthy. If you know courage, you will be brave.

A concept is a shadow cast by the truth. You can know every facet of a shadow while knowing nothing of the object which casts it. Studying the shadow can be of some help in finding the truth, but only in the sense that it serves as a pointer to the truth.

Yet how many people devote so much time and energy to the study of the shadow. They become experts in shadow studies, possessing vast knowledge of the concepts that represent truth, but no knowledge of truth itself.

Such people claim to know productivity, yet they are not productive. They claim to know health but are not healthy. They claim to know courage but are too often afraid to act.

Concepts or Truth

Do you know concepts, or do you know truth?

To study concepts, look outside yourself. To study truth, tu your gaze inward. The truth that casts the shadow in the form of a concept is the truth that already resides within you.

Concepts are useful when you understand they are projections created from truth, such that you can trace them back to the source. When you follow concepts back to their source, you will find the part of yourself that resonates with those concepts. You will know the part of you that is productive, healthy, and brave. And from then on, concepts will no longer be necessary except as tools you may use to teach others. You will already know the truth.

Copyright � Steve Pavlina

Steve Pavlina
Personal Development for Smart People
http://www.stevepavlina.com
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog (blog)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles (articles)

Steve is intensely growth-oriented. He trained in martial arts, ran the L.A. Marathon, and graduated from college in three semesters with two degrees. He can juggle, count cards at blackjack, and make damn good guacamole. Steve is also a polyphasic sleeper, sleeping just 2-3 hours per day and only 20 minutes at a time. So chances are good that he's awake right now.

Make the Eat and Earn Connection

If you've ever thought about wanting to increase your physical energy and wouldn't mind increasing your financial as well, you have to read this right now!

Focus #1 - Name Your Hunger/Want/Desire/Achievement

� You know what you want to change better than anyone else. It is that nagging voice in the back of your head that speaks to you every time you go against it (i.e. when you find yourself at the fridge when you aren't hungry or spending money that you don't have)

� Give it Daily Attention. This doesn't mean to be sure that you feel BAD everyday about something you don't have. Instead, once you really declare what you WANT, you need to give time in the moing, evening�anytime that you can to focus on everything you ARE doing to bring this change about.

� Believe. This is a key ingredient for success, people. You must recognize the role you play in creating your own life. If you have been spending the majority of your time telling yourself what you can't do, it is time to shift that focus to what you can do.

Focus #2 � Feed Yourself Well

� Change Habits. This is what I call finding "A New Family Recipe". It is about letting go of the things in our lives that are not serving us, but that we feel committed to out of loyalty to our families (i.e. - The Smith family ALWAYS has dessert!). This is absolutely one of the most difficult things to do. So, you have to bring yourself back to giving attention to shifting your beliefs. You can still love your family and NOT eat dessert every day.

� Your Physical Fuel. Give real strong attention to what you use as fuel for your body, your day, your life. It isn't about playing games with yourself, making trade offs (cookies today, gym tomorrow) or just "eating less". It is about bringing in strong sources of EnergyRich foods - whole, high vitamin, up and outward energy food. Prepare yourself for this jouey called your life.

� Your Brain Fuel. This is about choosing your life, not just letting it happen to you. It requires making decisions, setting goals and creating plans. It is about answering the question, What do I want? Then writing down some thoughts on paper for the month, next 3 months and 1 year ahead. You want to pull yourself into your future, not just wade through each day. We get one go-around this lifetime.

Focus#3 � Invest

� Nothing comes from extremes. Take what you want to change and try it for one day: i.e -one day of no sugar. The day will end and you will have had the experience. You can make your choice of how to proceed from there.

� Value mistakes. You have so much to lea from what didn't work. Make a note of it; don't beat yourself up and then don't do it the next time around.

� GIVE. This doesn't mean put everyone and everything in front of yourself and lose yourself as a result. It means to NOT give into the fear of "not enough". It is instead about recognizing that there is enough for you and then others. Money is an energy exchange. Withholding, hoarding etc. keeps this energy from moving. It also keeps toxins in, weight on, and ailments from healing.

Think about all of it ...

To Your Health and Success, Heather

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? You absolutely can! But here�s what you MUST include: Heather Dominick, Certified Nutrition-Energy Consultant, is founder of the EnergyRich Lifestyle Program�, the proven step-by-step program to help you achieve your best health and fullest life. To sign up for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your best energy life, visit http://www.individual-health.net