Are You Afraid to Go Into the Water?

Even though I grew up on one of the Great Lakes, I did not learn to swim as a child. My wife, who is a good swimmer, and I made sure our children learned to swim. My own efforts have been hampered by something I had not counted on--fear of the water. My own fear has been aided by a few adult attempts at swimming that ended in helpless flailing in water over my head and needing to be rescued from drowning. I have come to realize it is not water I am afraid of. I drink water. I bathe and play in water. My fear is based on my lack of knowledge of how to move myself successfully through water, no matter whether it is over my head or not.

I am learning to swim because I want the health benefits of exercising in the water. I want that enough to overcome the lack of knowledge that has held me back all my life. I had to identify the specific benefit I wanted and to decide I want it enough to acquire the knowledge I need to overcome my old fear. That sounds simple, and it is, but it is not easy.

I talk with people all the time who have not learned how to successfully launch their own business. Some of these people tell me they are afraid of the internet. I can understand that. The internet can be frightening, especially for those of us who grew up before it was a normal part of learning.

Others tell me they afraid of all the predators out there whose only goal is to separate us from our money. I have spoken to people who tearfully tell me they feel like failures because everyone seems able to make a success out of an online business but them. The more people I talk with who express these frustrations, the more certain things keep standing out in my mind.

When I ask people why they want to start a business, the number one answer I get is to make money. I have been studying entrepreneurship for more than twenty years. Every author or speaker who seems to grasp the subject says the same thing. Money cannot be the primary goal of any business venture in which you want to be successful. It does not identify a primary need in anyone's life and does not provide sufficient motivation to gain the knowledge and do the work required to acquire and maintain lasting wealth.

I did not begin to learn to swim as an adult until I realized that what I wanted was the satisfaction of doing part of my exercise program in the water. I want the exercise to help me gain and maintain good health as far into my life as I can. Therefore, swimming is a way to gain and keep good health. That is what I want. Swimming is a way to get that. That provides sufficient motivation to get me over my fear of water.

Asking yourself what you really want from your own business is so important, it can't be treated too lightly. It isn't money, a new house, a new car. It isn't even freedom from a job. Those are benefits, and they are important, but they will not motivate you to learn and do what you need to acquire and maintain the wealth you are seeking. What you do want will guide you in selecting what type of business you will begin.

You may have to overcome things like fear of the internet, anxiety about the people out there who want to take advantage of you, fear that you will make mistakes. All of these may happen. These are some of the reasons most people who start this journey do not finish.

I want to help you find and achieve your dream. That is one of the things I came to realize as I struggled with the same things you may be facing. I like working things out, sorting through all the things that keep people from succeeding to point the way to the choices that can open the doors for you and others to achieve your dreams. I like teaching, and I like communicating. Teachers seek knowledge so they can share it with others. That is why I am working to develop a place where you and others can find what your real motivation is and then look for the information that will give you the knowledge to fulfill your dreams.

It is exciting because there are some really good people doing some really great things. It makes sorting through the rest worthwhile. I welcome you to this journey to find your dream and then find the ways you will reach your dream. I am interested in how the journey goes for you, and I will offer whatever help and guidance I can. Thanks for sharing a part of your journey with me.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_C_Bloom http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-You-Afraid-to-Go-Into-the-Water?&id=1443775

Success is For Everybody

Success is available to everybody. Nobody was born successful.

Success is all a matter of what you want in life and how desperate you are to get it; you and you alone are responsible for your own achievements and success in life.

Success starts with an idea or dream of what you want to become or achieve. This idea or dream must be a desire or passion within you then you stand a good chance of achieving what you want and thereby being successful, other peoples ideas won't necessarily mean that you will be successful.

To be successful you must be motivated and be clear and specific in what it is that you want to achieve. There are certain steps that you need to follow, nothing will just happen and give you the desired results;

You must have a goal.

-You must put in writing what it is that you want (be specific).
-Write down when you want to achieve it (date).
-Write down how you want to achieve it (resources that's needed).
-What are you prepared to sacrifice to achieve your goal?
-Repetition (Read and re-read daily).
-Educate yourself.
-How are you going to share your success?

Now let's look at each of these points by themselves;

1.Formulate a goal.
Every idea or dream will stay just that unless it is put down as something definite that
you want to achieve. Unless you work on your idea or dream and put it down as a definite goal the chances of achieving it is very slim, because with the first obstacle a person encounters the chances of saying it is to hard, become very relevant or I've tried my best.

2.Put goal in Writing.
When it is in writing you will be able to see a month or year from now what it is that you
really wanted to achieve. Ensure that it is realistic and achievable. Very unlikely that any human being can stay under water like a fish for days on end without breathing apparatus. With a goal in writing one can regularly check and see if you are still on track and if it is perhaps necessary to put in more effort or work harder to achieve your goal. Unless it is in writing it will remain an idea or dream and can change as circumstances change.

3.When will the goal be achieved.
Unless a specific date is recorded it will remain as an unfulfilled dream. The date must be realistic and achievable. Ensure that the date allow time for unforeseen circumstances.

4.How the goal will be achieved.
What resources are needed? What assistance is required and where will it be obtained? If physical equipment is required like books, buy it from the outset as it will mean commitment.

5.What will be sacrificed?
If the goal involves studying, then parties and socials must come second to the studies. The goal must be more important than TV or other games. Don't neglect physical activities as a fit body means a fit mind. Don't ignore important people like loved ones or family. Don't push yourself to the point of a burnout.

6.Repetition.
Read your goal at least twice daily and then once aloud, convince your inner self that this is what you want, therefore read with the right emotion. By continually reading your goal you will stay focused. Reading the goal will immediately highlight if any diversions is sidetracking you.

7.Educate yourself.
It is necessary to read relevant information to keep you inspired. You might need some specific information. Books or manuals might be informative as to other people's achievements. Watch informative videos or screen shots. You might even need to join a library, depending on your goal.

8.Sharing success.
Who will you share your success with? Who will benefit from your success? How will you live with this success?

Belief in yourself, hard work and perseverance is some of the key elements of success.
Look at the achievements of any great name in history or just the achievements of any Olympics athlete.

Your success depends on yourself.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawie_Mostert http://EzineArticles.com/?Success-is-For-Everybody&id=1476992

Top 5 Ways How to Stay Motivated All the Time

1. Write down your goals on a piece of paper and paste it on somewhere you can see it often. This is one of the most powerful motivation strategies you can use, but this is also what most people fear to do. People always are shy about their goals and they do not dare to publicly tell their goals to the people they knew. If you do this, you will be often reminded by your goals, as a result, you will always drive into taking massive action. If you are serious in achieving what you want in your life, do this.

2. Spend at least 30 minutes everyday in reading motivational or self-improvement books or articles. If you think that it is expensive and you cannot afford to buy so many books, you can actually find most of the resources from the internet for free. Blogs, forums, eBooks, articles, and newsletters are all free motivational resources available to you. The key here is to make sure that you keep your momentum going. Once you let go of your momentum, it is hard to get it up again. So develop your momentum and keep it going.

3. Use creative visualization and imagine the results of after having what you want to achieve in your life every night before you sleep. Visualization is one of the most powerful motivation tools you can use for free in your life. You can imagine anything you want with your mind. Spend about 5 to 10 minutes and visualize what you are doing after you have achieved your goals. If your goal is to become rich, imagine what you can do with all the money you have.

4. Find and join a mastermind group. Your surrounding can affect you. Therefore, you must make use of it wisely. If you keep on staying with negative friends, you will be influenced by their negative thinking as well. I'm not asking you to leave your friends, but try to avoid being affected by their negativity. And you can also increase your positivity by joining people who share the same goals and objectives as you. You can do so by joining discussion boards, groups from the internet or form a mastermind group yourself.

5. Finally, after having so much of hard work, you will need to have some enjoyment. If you want to live a successful life, you need to be balance. After taking massive action, relax for some time and enjoy your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Lim http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-5-Ways-How-to-Stay-Motivated-All-the-Time&id=1410186

Random Acts of Kindness and Pay it Forward

You can actually push the envelope a bit more in your life by practicing good deeds for no seemingly special or specific reason.
One very powerful action and attitude you can embrace is the practice of random acts of kindness while also creating the pay-it-forward system of living. Random acts of kindness are just that: They're random, and they're kind.
When you give out of your pure desire to give and you expect nothing in return, AND you do this only to benefit others, then you're practicing random acts of kindness. Think about the energy you're sowing: Love, acceptance, care, support, and generosity. These are all very powerful seeds to be planting in the garden of your life.
And although you do this without any expectation of return (in fact, you do it just for the sake of doing it, which in itself is a precious gift), the truth is these acts will benefit you in countless ways. I've never met anyone, given the choice to do anything they wanted to do, who wouldn't want to give merely for the purpose of helping humankind in some way.
Pay-it-forward comes from the movie of the same title. It was a system dreamed up by a very wise, very young man who proposed, as part of a homework assignment, if we each did something positive for three other people and asked them to do the same for three other people, in a very short time everyone in the world would be positively affected.
It's easy to pay back people when they've done you a favor. But this system is about doing someone a favor, then asking them to return it by doing one for someone else. Again, you're planting the seeds of lush abundance and prosperity by practicing random acts of kindness and by adopting a pay-it-forward attitude.
What can random act of kindness can you pay forward today? Get started and plant those seeds today that will provide you with a fruitful harvest tomorrow.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Donaldson http://EzineArticles.com/?Random-Acts-of-Kindness-and-Pay-it-Forward&id=1447536Random Acts of Kindness and Pay it Forward
You can actually push the envelope a bit more in your life by practicing good deeds for no seemingly special or specific reason.
One very powerful action and attitude you can embrace is the practice of random acts of kindness while also creating the pay-it-forward system of living. Random acts of kindness are just that: They're random, and they're kind.
When you give out of your pure desire to give and you expect nothing in return, AND you do this only to benefit others, then you're practicing random acts of kindness. Think about the energy you're sowing: Love, acceptance, care, support, and generosity. These are all very powerful seeds to be planting in the garden of your life.
And although you do this without any expectation of return (in fact, you do it just for the sake of doing it, which in itself is a precious gift), the truth is these acts will benefit you in countless ways. I've never met anyone, given the choice to do anything they wanted to do, who wouldn't want to give merely for the purpose of helping humankind in some way.
Pay-it-forward comes from the movie of the same title. It was a system dreamed up by a very wise, very young man who proposed, as part of a homework assignment, if we each did something positive for three other people and asked them to do the same for three other people, in a very short time everyone in the world would be positively affected.
It's easy to pay back people when they've done you a favor. But this system is about doing someone a favor, then asking them to return it by doing one for someone else. Again, you're planting the seeds of lush abundance and prosperity by practicing random acts of kindness and by adopting a pay-it-forward attitude.
What can random act of kindness can you pay forward today? Get started and plant those seeds today that will provide you with a fruitful harvest tomorrow.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Donaldson http://EzineArticles.com/?Random-Acts-of-Kindness-and-Pay-it-Forward&id=1447536

How to Motivate Yourself with Funny Motivational Posters

If you're having a bad day, you could use some funny motivational posters. There are tons to choose from out there. You owe it to yourself to get a couple of good ones.
Find a Site
Humor has truly found a large market these days. This is simply because everyone needs a good laugh especially in these difficult times. Often, the source of a good laugh can also become your source of motivation. If you want to smile everyday, you should have a couple of humorous motivational posters around you.
There are actually a lot to choose from online. Searching for funny posters is perhaps the most enjoyable form of shopping you can ever get into. Browsing through a variety of funny pictures and lines can already make your day. If you are not looking for a site with a printing service, any site will do for you.
Search for the Right Poster
You may not be able to immediately settle on just a couple of posters. This is because there are a lot of different choices. The only way you can find the perfect posters would be to consider your own sense of humor. You might have a mild sense of humor for example, in which case funny baby animal pictures might just be the kind that can push your funny button.
You might also be on the other end of the spectrum and would prefer bawdy or risky humor. Do take care when you pick your poster themes and captions though. Some forms of humor can be a bit hurtful for others. You might want to display your posters where lost of people can see them, in which case, you need to have themes that are universally inoffensive.
Create Posters
Some sites will allow you to customize. Some people may want to specify their own printing material or the frame they want to use. There are a couple of sites though where you can get photos and create your own captions. Maybe you heard a funny quip from a motivational speaker in Colorado and would like to use that instead on your poster. If on site customization is not possible, you can just use photo software to make your own posters. Just make sure you check the terms for photo use on the site.
Buy a Poster
There are always some sites that will let you print their images fro free. It might be a better choice though to simply buy your motivational poster online. Buying online will save you the hassle of having to print on your own. There are sites that can also guarantee quality printing.
Show Your Poster
The final step to truly motivate yourself to get up, smile and change the world is to display your posters. Funny motivational posters can truly make a difference when they're the first things you see. There's nothing like being reminded everyday that life isn't just filled with stress and work reports.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Holmes http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Motivate-Yourself-With-Funny-Motivational-Posters&id=1412544