Invest your time learning and sharing. Your knowledge is the most important and valuable asset in yourself. http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:07:14 -0500 1440 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=94052 As you aspire to be more successful in life, your attiutude towards yourself
and others will play a huge role. Positive people learn how to handle life's challenges
differently and use these opportunities to grow. So can you!

Everyone wants a better life and if you are constantly working on self improvement,
you will develop more self-confidence, better self-esteem and greater internal motivation
to be the best.

When you learn the secrets of teamwork and leadership, interpersonal communication
skills and service, you can apply them to all aspects of your daily life.

Come join me in a discussion thread that I started titled 365 Day Motivational
where we can all share motivational thoughts, stories and experiences that will
strengthen us all. In addition to those, I want you all to practice VISUALIZATION!

Come join me!
http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=92719]]> Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:20:07 -0500 94052 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93977 The Power of Encouragement

Matt Busby was the coach of the Manchester united football team that lost most of their key players in the tragic plane crash of February 1958.He survived the plane crash but had to stay in the hospital for more than two months. In fact, he read his last rites (prayers just before death) twice on his hospital bed because his chances of survival were slim.

After being discharged from the hospital, he went to Switzerland to recuperate. At times, he felt like giving up on football entirely, until he was told one day by his wife, Jean, "You know Matt, the lads (your fans) would have wanted you to carry on." That statement lifted Busby from his depression and he returned by land to Manchester.

Busby resumed managerial duties the next season (1959) and eventually built a second generation of busby Babes, including George Best and Denis Law, that ten years later won the European cup beating Benfica.

Bobby Charlton and Bill foulkes were the only two crash survivors who lined up in that team. Oh what a power is contained in encouragement. It means since we all fight life's battles, you must daily encourage someone to prevent hardened (discourage) hearts. No wonder Pear Hurd wrote: Handle them carefully, for words have more power than 'atomic bombs'!" Then leo Buscalgia said: "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of carrying all of which have potential to turn life around." Despite your own expectation encourage someone daily.]]> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:16:05 -0500 93977 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93912 The Game is Over When You Choose to Win

It has been said "when the student is ready the teacher will appear". I have found this to be true through out most of my life. Knowing this, I accept that when the teacher does appear it can take many forms. More often than not the teacher does not ride in with a team of white stallions but, rather is revealed in a faint whisper, almost indiscernible in a breeze or in the motion of the branches of tall trees as a bird lights upon a limb. And so it was for me this day that the teacher did appear, not on stallions or stirring in the brush but, in form of graffiti. I am not a big fan of graffiti. I find it to be a form of pollution created by degenerates. There are some forms of graffiti art but, generally graffiti is not a good thing and it is something we battle often in my neighborhood.

During the long dark winters in Portland rare is the day when the sun shines and the clouds clear baring a nice day. I ride a bike. I ride it daily, rain or shine. I have a special bike for rainy days. But, I also have a bike for nice days and riding this bike is like sliding into the seat of a well tuned Porsche. With the right play list loaded into my iPod a long fast ride can bring me crystal clear moment of clarity while the road pulls itself beneath my wheels. The heart begins to pound the, endorphins kick in, blood begins to flow and the mind begins to open like a blossoming lotus. That is when the graffiti caught my gaze This graffiti was not colorful or ornate but, it's message was clear; "The Game is Over When You Choose to Win". For the remainder of my 50 mile trek the teacher was teaching and the student was taking copious mental notes. This is the time of year when I bone up on my goals and put my game face on to tackle the next 365 days ahead and this message was very poignant.

Here are ten observations I came up with that can and will end the game in your favor:

1.) Decide what you want. One of life's big quandaries in not knowing what you want. Knowing exactly what you want is paramount to getting what you want. Now is the time to break out your journal and make a list of the things you really really want. Then prioritize your list with "A" being the most important to "C" being the least important. While writing your list of things you want keep in mind that "anything is possible". When you are done, set this list aside for a little while.

2.) Define what winning means to you. Winning means different things to different people. And this is what makes the world so amazing beautiful and diverse. What one person may hold as valuable to them may not carry as much value to another. For instance, I really want to win a bike race this summer. While this appeals to me, it may not appeal to the person who really really wants to master speaking French. The definition of winning does not mean there are losers. Winning the lottery does not mean that somebody lost the lottery. When you win and win big it does not indicate that somebody else has lost and that a person is hurt. It's quite the opposite. When you win all those around you win as well; as long as you are a good winner. Ruminate over this philosophy and embrace what winning means to you.

3.) Go big or go home. Do not limit your thoughts of winning. You deserve to win, we all deserve to win so don't limit your thoughts. Go big! A few years ago I started working on a project in which we would start growing stevia in Afghanistan to off-set the growing of opium poppies which are the main funding for the Taliban. This is a big project with lofty goals of helping a decimated country develop a sustainable economy. I always have a tendency to "bite off more than I can chew". But, my philosophy is if you have bitten off more than you can chew... cut, it up into small pieces. My first step was to contact Karl Eikenberry. He was appointed by Barrack Obama to be the ambassador to Afghanistan and is in charge of bringing in enterprise and developing economic stability. Repeated phone calls and emails finally got me in contact with his assistant who has help us move the project forward which resulted in the development of SteviaGlobal.org, a non-profit organization which supports framers in developing countries in the growing and cultivation of stevia. This is a big goal but, worth it in so many ways. You can win projects on this level as well if this is how you define winning.

4.) Visualize it. Some of my best ideas have come to me in early morning right before I rise. The phones are not ringing my computer is turned off and there is a opportunity for the clarity that morning brings. Stay in bed for a few minutes. Close your eyes. Take a few deep satisfying breaths and guide your thoughts to what it is you want to manifest in your life. See yourself going through the steps necessary to get there. Visualize yourself enjoying the luscious fruits of your efforts. Have your journal on your night stand and get ready to write it all down.

5.) Think it and ink it! Write it down. A goal not written down is simply a good intention. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153) was quoted to say "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". We all want find that hidden treasure chest filled with life's opulent riches but, without a treasure map finding it will be allusive. If you desire something amazing and you really really want this fantastic something to manifest in your life, you will need to write it down along with the steps that will take you there.

6.) Plan your work and work your plan. Remember that list of wants and wins you created and then set aside? It is now time to have a look at it along with what you have "inked" throughout your visualization process. Winning what you want will be your destination, now is the time to map out your wonderful and enriching journey. In 1492, Christopher Columbus was accredited as the discoverer of "the New World", part of this is this new world is the civilization where we live today. They only way he was able to find his way was with precise navigation. While Columbus had a sextant, a compass and the stars to guide him we will use a well written action plan with the entire "cut up bites" that comprise our journey to our destination of "we win". As part of your action plan make a list of 100 reasons why your goal might come to you easily, fast, and harmoniously. With 100 reasons why you will win, losing simply will not be possible. The current will run in your direction.

7.) Burn the ships. The year was 1519. The Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes had his tall ships anchored off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico. Thousands of miles of open ocean separated him from provisions as well as reinforcements. In this time, this part of Mexico was ruled by the Aztecs whose well trained warriors numbered in the tens of thousands. Cortes on the other hand had only 608 men, 16 horses and a few cannons. Despite the odds being vastly against him, Cortes was fully committed in conquering this land and claiming it for Spain. His men came to shore, set up camp and in the middle of the night Cortes ordered the ships to be burned. There was no retreat and no escape. Moving forward was the only option. While Cortes' judgment and tactics have been subjects of controversy, one thing is absolute, he was a man with total commitment. Under his leadership, 608 men, 16 horses and a few cannons conquered the powerful Aztec empire. The take home for us is commitment. If you truly desire to win you must be committed to win no matter what it takes and you are willing to do whatever it takes to win. With this absolute commitment there is no way out except to win. Burn the bridge behind you and let the bridges your burn light your way.

8.) Hold yourself accountable. There is only one person who is directly responsible for your winning and success; that is you. Continually reference your notes, your visualizations, your plan and hold yourself personally accountable for following through on exactly what you have planned. Plans do sometimes change and that is fine as long as you adjust your plan accordingly and continue your forward progress of accomplishing the steps it takes to win. Track your progress and check off what you have accomplished on your action plan. Other opportunities are bound arise when you have created such positive momentum but, open doors do not mean an exit. Stay the course, put your feet to the fire and keep your eye on the prize, soon it will be yours.

9.) Allow yourself to be supported. You are only as successful as the people you surround yourself with. Most winners in the world have a crew, a support group if you will. These are the people that are going to keep you focused, give you advice, pick you up if you fall and kick you in the butt when you need it. Support crews can be cultivated from a variety of places. Family makes some of the best support crews, they know you best and as long as they are not hyper critical they are not afraid to tell you the truth. If this in not an option for you then turn to your friends. Tell then where you are heading and ask for their help in keeping you on your path. If you don't have a lot of friends then find a networking group. Meetup.com has several groups in a variety of categories and if you just keep showing up you are bound to develop a crew that will be committed to seeing you win. If you are not able to develop your crew do not worry. This will not prevent you from winning. In fact, some big winners in the world have never had a crew. Eagles soar alone sometimes. I know this has been the case for me.

10.) Celebrate your win. Being a good winner doesn't mean you are a poor loser, especially if losing is not an option. Good winners live by a pass it forward code of honor. When you win give yourself the personal acknowledgment you deserve for your hard work and commitment but, do not throw it in others faces. Winners are leaders and leaders help others to win and make the world a better place. A rising tide raises all boats. There is a certain responsibility you take on when you find your path. That is to help others find and stay on their paths. Be the teacher when the student is ready. Spread good will.

A person's life and their actions are their legacy. We all have a legacy. We all have different attributes and value. Life is a celebration of our differences and our ability to embrace our diversity. Your life is molded by one single thing; that is the decisions you make. It is really that simple. Your decision making process and how you choose to react to the outcome of your decisions frames your life experience and weaves itself into the very fabric of your reality. The fabric of our reality stitched together comprises the attire of the entire world. It is each one of our birth rights to reach the pinnacle of our ability and blossom as the amazing creatures we all are. You deserve to win. We will win. We have won.]]> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:50:39 -0500 93912 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93878
You say you have set your goals?

Congratulations!

Are they set for the right reason?

We set goals for short term objectives. Most of these objectives concern materialistic wants: money, and physical things.

Here is a suggestion to take a different point of view when working on goals.

Start with deciding what your life should be. Take some time to define your life five years from now. Here are some questions you might ask yourself.


What are my surroundings?


What kind of places am I in?


What am I feeling?


What are my emotions?


What types of people are around me?


What kind of feelings do I get from them?


What am I doing? Physically?


Where am I going? My future?


Where have I been?
Notice there are no questions dealing with money, or named places, or named people. The answers to these questions will provide you with attitudes, feelings, values, perceptions and other non-tangible ideas that make life worth living no matter where you are, who you are with, or what you are doing!

If we have created a lifestyle that we like, then the physical part of our lives will fit right in and accompany the lifestyle because it has to!

My suggestion is to look at the lifestyle you want to create, and set your plan to achieve the lifestyle instead of the physical side of life most of us set our goals to achieve.

To go even deeper, define your values very clearly and make sure that your vision of your life in five years fits with your values.

Is it worth it?

You have heard the phrase 'plan your work and work your plan'? If you do not create your life by setting goals and a plan to reach them, someone is doing it for you. If you think about it, that is really scary! What kind of vision would some else have for you?

Think of it this way. Look back five years ago in your life. Are you today where you imagined you would be five years ago? Or are you where someone else imagined you would be?

Don't you think your life would dramatically improve if you made the plan instead of 'them'? Don't you think you might have a little more interest in your life than someone else?

I should hope so.

As the advertisement says so well:

Just do it!

--- Copyright © 2007 Miami Phillips
]]> Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:13:05 -0500 93878 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93844
PERSEVERANCE



"Like water, which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees only so long as its surface is undisturbed, the mind can only reflect the true image of the Self when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed."
~Indra Devi



When the veil of darkness has draped itself around your life and concealed the tears of your pain and despair, when the destiny you had envisaged has all but faded like water amongst the golden sands of the desert, when you stand alone in your hour of adversity and need and no-one is willing to stand beside you, when the battles within your life are on the verge of defeat and ruin, when you are in exile within your own mind, when your heart is empty and is merely watered by the tears of your agonized and anguished soul.

When you feel like a bird caged behind bars which once flew high above snow capped mountains free and unhindered and now reach out to touch the essence of your dreams, when tears and sorrow have embraced your soul, when the temples of your dreams lie in ashes like the ruins of an ancient age gone by and there are no traces of your footsteps within the valley of your dreams.

When the haunting silence of the darkness hangs like a shadow within the depths of your heart. When you cling like a child to the dreams of yesterday, when the light of dawn refuses to appear and the sun refuses to shine, when each day has become an eternal struggle to survive.

When there is no light amongst the darkness within your existence, when your wounds cry out to be healed, when fear has held courage ransom, when your soul stands in solitude and loneliness choking on its tears of isolation under a moon which no longer smiles and no longer yearns to gaze at his children; the stars, when all those around you have betrayed you, when love has left your heart and refuses to return.

When you no longer believe in yourself, when pain and grief are your constant companions, when there is no vision within the mists of your agony, when no one is willing to listen to and understand you, when peace seems to be in a distant world, when life no longer has the belief to run within your veins, when you have become a fugitive within your own mind and shackled like a slave within your own insanity, refuse with every last drop of sacred blood within your bruised and battered body, to surrender your soul to the pains of your existence.

You must believe in yourself-even if all those around you doubt you and in your ability to rise from within the insanity in which your life now finds itself and to stand tall against the obstacles and challenges within your life-and you will conquer all that you believe cannot be conquered and all that which you believed you had lost within your life.

It is from the darkest hours of our lives, from the depths of our despair and pain and in our greatest hour of adversity that we find an inner strength, an inner courage and an inner meaning so vast that it enables us to rise from our knees and stand tall and fight that which has made us weak.

Just as water runs from a stream, as the oak tree grows strong and upright, as snow-the softest and most peaceful of natures elements-covers the most fierce of mountains and tames its anger portraying it merely as a pawn within the hands of nature so new life and meaning will emerge from your own inner source.

Do not at any cost surrender your life to the weaknesses within your life. Do not surrender your life to the mediocre thoughts of others; do not surrender the belief you hold in yourself and in your abilities, do not surrender the dreams that you have worked so hard to hold within the palms of your hands. For what right do others have to judge another's dreams for they have not walked a mile in your shoes! There are no limits to your courage and determination. The only limitations are those that we place upon ourselves. Our thoughts make the world what we want it to be. Mold your thought into a weapon of immense power.

Wipe away the tears from your heart and let your life be brushed by the fingertips of your immortal soul, breathe deep, with purpose and a deep held conviction. There is an inner strength and an inner peace within us all, which the world cannot penetrate and the hypocrisy and ignorance of the human mind cannot poison. Embrace that inner source of strength and you will become fearless and the obstacles within your life will seem insignificant.

You must be undisturbed and stern in your resolve that you are a creature so versatile and resilient that you cannot be defeated and you must hold firm in the conviction that you will not be defeated. You are a creature of boundless beauty and perseverance. You are a creature which can and which will endure. There is nothing that you cannot achieve and there is nothing that you do not have the ability to overcome within your life. Harness the power of your mind for it is your greatest barrier.

You are an individual of immense courage within the battlefield of life and there is no greater battle than that which will be fought with your own life. You must not, despite the pain, the despair, the grief, the intensity, the loneliness within your life, surrender the very essence of your dignity and hope to the enemy which hovers around you in pursuit of conquering both your mind and your soul.

I do not believe in defeat because defeat does not believe in me. I do not believe in fear for I am fearless. I do not believe in pain for I find strength in the weaknesses of my enemies. Within the mist of your despair and the obstacles and challenges that life presents before you be calm and peaceful. An angry and misguided mind will make decisions and judgment based on haste and anger which in the long run will continue to merely add to your suffering whereas the peaceful mind within that moment of insanity will have the ability to bring forth a clear, reasoned judgment and solution to the challenges at hand.

No one owns you so you have not lost anything. Only you can give away or surrender all that you hold to the challenges within your life. Control your mind from its aimless wandering within your own insanity-guide it to think positively and with purpose. Once you have conquered your mind you will also introduce yourself to an inner peace, which will bring meaning and a freedom to both your life and thought.

Do not kneel before anyone for your knees were not made for such purposes, they were made for the purpose of enabling you to stand upright! Be like an elephant, which once upright will not easily be brought to its knees! Adapt your mind, thinking, actions and life to the challenges, which have surrounded your existence.

You and you alone hold the foundations of your dreams and your destiny in the way you approach the challenges and obstacles within your life. Do not falter in the face of adversity; rise to the challenge however difficult it may be. Your difficulties will only be difficult if you believe them to be difficult. How can you fear that which you have never challenged?

Endure and challenge the pains of your existence for freedom will wait for you and it will eventually embrace you. In defeating the challenges within your life continue to be a good person, do not become like your enemies for to do so will deprive your soul of the peace it desires.

You must be like the seasons of the year ever changing, ever adapting, ever growing, and ever challenging. Nature is always in constant change, the old give way to the new, and this is the course of life. Yet within this existence life continues, it evolves and continues to grow despite its pains.

Your time has not yet come to let nature embrace you in its totality, so go forth into the wilderness of your life and reclaim what mother nature granted you at birth; the right to dream, the right to live and the right to be who you want to be. Challenge with the might of your mind and your inner strength all the barriers that your existence places at the gates of your destiny. If you don't risk anything, you risk even more!

For within the midst of our suffering there is a meaning!


--- Copyright © 2001 Naresh Jhali (England)

]]> Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:01:48 -0500 93844 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93770
Look at your palm. Try checking to see if it's the same as your friend's. It's not, so don't even try.

You are a unique person, that’s why you have the name you have.

Even though you share the same name with countless people, it's just a name. God sent you down to earth to bloom, to sprout, to live out the message that's embedded in you, regardless of the name you bear, for whatever name you bear doesn't matter. What does is how we live the 'me' in our name.

We can have two Bill Gates or two Oprah Winfreys but that won't make them the same people. We've spent careless time trying to be that other person. That other person on television screens and glossy pages is not you; it's her, it's him.

You are the one here, creating your own memo, filling your own blanks and dreaming your own dreams. You're the one here, crying your own tears, facing your own fears and filling the world with your laughter.

How many times have you given up because you feel that what you're about to do has already been done before? I have, but that's not where you ought to throw in your towel.

Try a different approach and then a different one and then another different one. It's in those differences that you certainly get your marks.

Set expectations. You're not a Titan, so don't just go setting expectations and don't hope to transcend them. You need those expectations to check if you're on point.

When you throw in your towel at your first defeat, what've you learned? You don't have to know everything that's been written in the history books before you set out to make your mark.

You don't have to wait for that right time, when you've received all the degrees your name should have attached to it, before you can be the person you should be. There is no right time to start; you start first and you get it right.

You start now with that little in your hands, that fire in your heart and that faith you have in the God that sent Moses to Egypt with just a staff and his stutter.

When you wake up every morning, look at yourself in the mirror, even if it's only your eyes you see, and tell yourself this:

"God, it's another new day today. I didn't complete what I started yesterday. I may not even complete it today but I will complete it because only I can and only you can. Through these hands and through these eyes, you gave me the ability to see the world through rose-colored spectacles."

Now you go on out to the staircase of life; you may not see the stairs but just take a step.

--- Copyright © 2009 Stanley Anukege
You are one unique, talented individual.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:39:12 -0500 93770 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93745
Are you afraid to make a mistake? Some people feel as if no one is ever paying attention until they make a mistake! If you goofed in a big way recently, maybe you need to hear about Roy Riegels.

The story is told about Roy and the 1929 Rose Bowl championship football game between Georgia Tech and the University of California. Shortly before halftime, a man named Roy Riegels made a huge mistake. He got the ball for California and somehow became confused and started running in the wrong direction! One of his teammates outdistanced him and tackled him after he had run 65 yards, just before he would have scored for the opposing team. Of course, Georgia Tech gained a distinct advantage through the error.

The men filed off the field and went into the dressing room. All but Riegels sat down on the benches and on the floor. He wrapped his blanket around his shoulders, sat in a corner, put his face in his hands and wept.

Coach Nibbs Price struggled with what to do with Roy. He finally looked at the team and said simply, 'Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second.'

All the players except Roy trotted out to the field. He didn't budge. Though the coach looked back and called to him again, he remained huddled in the corner. Coach Price went to him and said,

'Roy, didn't you hear me?'

'Coach,' he said, 'I can't do it. I've ruined you; I've ruined the school; I've ruined myself. I couldn't face that crowd in the stadium to save my life.'

But Coach Price put his hand on Riegels' shoulder and said, 'Roy, get up and go on back; the game is only half over.'

Roy Riegels went back and those Tech men will tell you that they have never seen a man play football as well as Roy Riegels played that second half.

The next time you make a mistake, it might be good to remember the ABC method of handling mistakes.

A - Acknowledge your error and accept responsibility for it. Don't try to fix the blame on other people or circumstances. When you fix the blame, you never fix the problem.

B - Be gentle with yourself. The game is only half over. This is not the first mistake you ever made, nor will it be the last. You are still a good and caring person. Besides, later you may laugh at the blunder, so try to lighten up a bit now.

C - Correct it and move on. Correcting mistakes may also mean to make amends, if necessary. 'Those who are wise don't consider it a blessing to make no mistakes," says Wang Yang-Ming. 'They believe instead that the great virtue is the ability to correct mistakes and to continually reinvent oneself.'

Now, go make your mistakes. And though some may be no less than spectacular, if you practice the ABC method, you'll live to laugh about many of them.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:40:40 -0500 93745 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93744
Or this, found in a fortune cookie 'You are a poor, pathetic, gullible fool who seeks advice from bakery products.'

Conrad Hilton, hotelier extraordinaire, was asked on national television if he had one vital bit of advice for the viewers. 'Please,' he said, 'place the curtain on the inside of the bath tub when you shower.'

It's been accurately said that there is a lot of advice available for nothing, and most of it is worth about what we paid for it. But here is sound guidance, from an unknown author, worth taking to heart.

•If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive; for that person has helped you learn about trust and the importance of caution.
•If someone loves you, love back unconditionally; that one is teaching you to love.
•Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience them again.
•Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen.
•Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high.
•Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.
•You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.
•Most importantly, if you love others, tell them, for you never know what may come tomorrow.
•And learn a lesson in life each day you live.
Even some free advice can occasionally be of profit and those who listen will learn.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:39:09 -0500 93744 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93743
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer and the youngest son in the autumn.

A year later and when they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the pear tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no, the pear tree was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said the pear tree was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said the pear tree was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfilment.

The Indian Chief then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He then told them that they cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy and
love that come from life can only be measured in the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will no doubt miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer and the fulfilment of your autumn.]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:37:24 -0500 93743 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93742
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labour, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, 'The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.' We created our circumstances by our past choices.

We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:33:21 -0500 93742 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93741
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." (President Harry S Truman)

"In the midst of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." (Albert Camus, 1913 - 1960, French author & philosopher)

"If you're not part of the solution you must be part of the problem." (the commonly paraphrased version of the original quote: "What we're saying today is that you're either part of the solution, or you're part of the problem" by Eldridge Cleaver 1935-98, founder member and information minister of the Black Panthers, American political activist group, in a speech in 1968 - thanks RVP)

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." (Harvey Mackay - thanks Brad Hanson)

"I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed." (Booker T Washington, 1856-1915, American Educator and African-American spokesman, thanks for quote M Kincaid, and for biography correction M Yates and A Chatterjee)

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." (William James, American Philosopher, 1842-1910 - thanks Jean Stevens)

"Whatever you can do - or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer, 1749-1832 - thanks Yvonne Bent)

"A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than the giant himself." (Didacus Stella, circa AD60 - and, as a matter of interest, abridged on the edge of an English £2 coin)

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." (Sir Isaac Newton, 1676.)

"The most important thing in life is not to capitalise on your successes - any fool can do that. The really important thing is to profit from your mistakes." (William Bolitho, from 'Twelve against the Gods')

"Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be,
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud:
Under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody but unbowed . . . . .
It matters not how strait the gait, how charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."
(WE Henley, 1849-1903, from 'Invictus')

"Management means helping people to get the best out of themselves, not organising things." (Lauren Appley)

"It's not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with the sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause and who, at best knows the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt, 23 April 1923.)

"The world is divided into people who do things, and people who get the credit. Try, if you can, to belong to the first class. There's far less competition." (Dwight Morrow, 1935.)

"What does not kill us makes us stronger." (attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche, probably based on his words: "Out of life's school of war: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." from The Twilight of the Idols, 1899)

"A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." (George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950.)

"I praise loudly. I blame softly." (Catherine the Great, 1729-1796.)

]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:31:22 -0500 93741 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93740
Leave your 'stamp' on everything you do. Make yourself an icon to be admired and respected. Become an inspiration to others, so think carefully before you speak and act. Every action, every word carries a consequence. Create a genuineness about you that is addictive to all those who meet you.

And finally, leave a mark on those you meet that couldn't have been left if you weren't in their lives.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:30:42 -0500 93740 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93739
One day, an elderly mother and son set out to their journey to the mountain. She was very old and frail, so the son decided to carry her up the mountain on his back to leave her to wait for the gods. They walked all day and at sunset they arrived at the foot of the mountain. They rested for a little while and then continued on up the mountain, climbing for several hours.

While the son walked up the mountain with his old mother on his back, he noticed that she kept breaking twigs and branches off trees and bushes every minute or so, and she would throw them on the path behind them.

He asked his mother what she was doing and she replied, 'You are a wonderful son. You have carried me far on your back to the sacred mountain and you must be very tired. I am breaking off branches to leave a trail, so that when you come back down the mountain you will know the path and not get lost. I am leaving little signs for you to return home safely.'

The son was very touched and shed a tear for his mother. Soon they reached the top of the mountain. He gently rested his mother down, bowed to her three times and bid her farewell, wishing her peace and happiness in the heavens, and leaving her to greet the gods at sunrise, then made his way back down the mountain following the trail of twigs and branches that his mother had dropped on the way up the mountain.

So it is with all mothers and also fathers, who show us the way through life. They leave us little clues to find our way home safely. They guide us through the mountains of life.

And eventually they leave us, but not without small signs to help us walk a better path.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:27:59 -0500 93739 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93738 It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.

Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.

Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Do not give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying; it is a fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances; that we learn how to be brave.

Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way.

YESTERDAY is HISTORY.
TOMORROW is still a MYSTERY.
But TODAY....today is a gift.
That's why we call it the PRESENT.]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:25:16 -0500 93738 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93737
In the classic 1946 film 'It's a Wonderful Life', the main character, a small-town bank officer played by Jimmy Stewart, is about to commit suicide when an angel shows him how different the lives of people in Bedford Falls would be if he hadn't been born. The movie is a favourite because it affirms how each of us touches the lives and shapes the future in unexpected and often marvellous ways.

More modern films like Back to the Future, Sliding Door, and Frequency are built on a similar premise: If you change the past, you change the future, often in dramatic and unpredictable ways. If you change one thing, you change everything.

Given the potential impact of every decision you make, it's wise to think ahead. Although few things turn out exactly as we plan, the better we understand how our choices start a chain reaction of events, the more likely we are to get what we want.

The enormous complexity of cause and effect leads to another conclusion: It's futile to look back at our lives with 'what if' scenarios. What's done is done. Although changing our past would change our present, it would do so in ways that are so unpredictable that we could never know whether it would be for better or worse.

Accept and celebrate the fact that what you are today is a direct result of everything that's happened to you. It's pointless to wish things were different. Remember, if you change one thing, you change everything.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:16:10 -0500 93737 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93736 One FLOWER can wake the dream
One TREE can start a forest
One BIRD can herald spring
One SMILE begins a friendship
One HANDCLASP lifts a soul
One STAR can guide a ship at sea
One WORD can frame the goal
One VOTE can change a nation
One SUNBEAM lights a room
One CANDLE wipes out darkness
One LAUGH will conquer gloom
One STEP must start each journey
One WORD must start a prayer
One HOPE will raise our spirits
One TOUCH can show you care
One VOICE can speak with wisdom
One HEART can know what is true

AND

One life can make a difference]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:13:31 -0500 93736 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93733
Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you ... with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.

Rule Two ... for a better way to live

Today, and every day, deliver more than you are getting paid to do. The victory of success will be half won when you learn the secret of putting out more than is expected in all that you do. Make yourself so valuable in your work that eventually you will become indispensable. Exercise your privilege to go the extra mile, and enjoy all the rewards you receive. You deserve them!

Rule Three ... for a better way to live

Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don't look back at it too long. Mistakes are life's way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come.

Rule Four ... for a better way to live

Always reward your long hours of labour and toil in the very best way, surrounded by your family. Nurture their love carefully, remembering that your children need models, not critics, and your own progress will hasten when you constantly strive to present your best side to your children. And even if you have failed at all else in the eyes of the world, if you have a loving family, you are a success.

Rule Five ... for a better way to live

Build this day on a foundation of pleasant thoughts. Never fret at any imperfections that you fear may impede your progress. Remind yourself, as often as necessary, that you are a creature of God and have the power to achieve any dream by lifting up your thoughts. You can fly when you decide that you can. Never consider yourself defeat again. Let the vision in your heart be in your life's blueprint. Smile!

Rule Six ... for a better way to live

Let your actions always speak for you, but be forever on guard against the terrible traps of false pride and conceit that can halt your progress. The next time you are tempted to boast, just place your fist in a full pail of water, and when you remove it, the hole remaining will give you a correct measure of your importance.

Rule Seven ... for a better way to live

Each day is a special gift from God, and while life may not always be fair, you must never allow the pains, hurdles, and handicaps of the moment to poison your attitude and plans for yourself and your future. You can never win when you wear the ugly cloak of self-pity, and the sour sound of whining will certainly frighten away any opportunity for success. Never again. There is a better way.

Rule Eight ... for a better way to live

Never again clutter your days or nights with so many menial and unimportant things that you have no time to accept a real challenge when it comes along. This applies to play as well as work. A day merely survived is no cause for celebration. You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine. No more busy work. No more hiding from success. Leave time, leave space, to grow. Now. Now! Not tomorrow!

Rule Nine ... for a better way to live

Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find 'tomorrow' on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday's defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it. Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year. The saddest words you can ever utter are, 'If I had my life to live over again...' Take the baton, now. Run with it! This is your day!

Rule Ten ... for a better way to live

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.

Rule Eleven ... for a better way to live

Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously.

Rule Twelve ... for a better way to live

Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things.

Rule Thirteen ... for a better way to live

Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self- starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.

Rule Fourteen ... for a better way to live

You will achieve grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day -- not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won't have to drag today's undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal - to do the best you can, enjoy this day, and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished.

Rule Fifteen ... for a better way to live

Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealously, and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces.

Rule Sixteen ... for a better way to live

Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valley you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always a seed of good. Find it and prosper.

Rule Seventeen ... for a better way to live

Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.
]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:40:18 -0500 93733 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93663 Unending Long Term Motivation

Staying motivated is one of the hardest parts of staying productive. While we sometimes are brimming with energy and excited to tackle the day's work, more often than not we feel pretty sluggish about doing what the day demands. Often, these lulls in energy and productivity are simply lulls in motivation. By taking the steps you need to stay motivated more often than not, you'll find your productivity will skyrocket.

Keeping track of your progress is one of the easiest, and most effective, ways to stay motivated. Charting your progress provides a couple of motivation benefits. First, if you don't chart your progress, it will be difficult to be able to see the impact of all the work you've been doing. While sometimes rewards are slow coming, the reward of knowing that you are already well on your way can often be enough to keep you going. Similarly, charting your progress makes you accountable for keeping on task. Being accountable can be as simple as marking a red X on a wall calendar for every day that you complete a step towards your goal. Believe me; once you have a couple of red X's in a row, you're not going to want to break that chain.

Another way to stay motivated is to not fully commit yourself to the project from the start. I know that this sounds counter-intuitive, but most of the time when we set a goal we start out by attacking that goal from a very emotionally charged place. We decide upon the change we want to make in our life and we decide we're going to make a complete 180 degree turn to get there. Unfortunately, our motivation usually only lasts as long as that initial burst of energy. Once that initial surge is complete, our motivation fizzles out.

However, if you hold yourself back a bit and don't succumb entirely to your initial enthusiasm, you have a greater chance of sticking to your new habit. For instance, instead of saying that you're going to exercise for an hour a day, decide that you're only going to exercise for 10 to 20 minutes a day. By setting very simple and attainable daily actions, instead of large and unrealistic and impressive sounding actions, you'll feel less intimidated by the work and you'll be more likely to keep it up.

Finally, making your goal visible is a great way to stick with it. The first thing you want to do is find an image that symbolizes your goal to you. This can be easy if what you want is something you can purchase, like a cruise or a new car. Just find a picture of the car or the cruise liner, print it out and post it where you will see it often. If your goal is abstract, writing it out as an affirmation is a great way to make it visible and present. However you visualize the goal, just make sure that it is unambiguous and always near by. Whether you set the image as your desktop background or keep a copy of it in your wallet, keeping you goals clearly in mind at all times will go a long way towards keeping you motivated.]]> Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:39:51 -0500 93663 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93571 People used to think I was angry a lot because my serious, pondering face seems heavy-I guess.

However, I find myself smiling a lot these days. My life seems so complicated. Events mount up to the point where I could easily feel overwhelmed. That is when I step back and smile and actually laugh out loud--at me--for what I create in my world.

I used to be someone who caused everything big in my life to happen all on the same day! And then I would frenetically scramble to get it all done. Sound familiar? Know anyone like that?

Let me share an example. I recall the time I moved from New Jersey to the Virginia countryside. The day I settled in my house, I launched my first book sales site, my very first Joint Venture launched online! I also bought my first investment property! Oh, but let's not stop there! I was also scheduled to leave for Las Vegas a few hours after I finally got into my house! And, of course, I had to find a place for my cat (in a strange new house in a strange new town) while I was away.

I kept telling myself I would get it all done because I know, in the past, that was my way of life and I always got it all done (while doing myself in, to the point of exhaustion). This time I caught myself getting into overdrive. This time I gave up the frustration and KNEW the Universe would show me how to get it all done without going bonkers in the process.

That is exactly what happened. Abundance poured into my life from completely unexpected places and all fell beautifully into place. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Las Vegas.

Get this, before leaving New Jersey I felt very disappointed that I was going to miss a special performance by Tim Conway and Harvey Korman in Philadelphia. (I lived near there.) Well, I got to Las Vegas and on my only free night--there they were, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. I got the last ticket and really enjoyed their show.

What I see so clearly is how giving up my need to feel in control of life allowed me to accept that the Universe is really in control and, well, it all works smoothly when I live in that truth.

Guess what. Going with the flow is easier than swimming upstream!
]]> Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:25:12 -0500 93571 http://www.dreamteammoney.com/index.php?showtopic=93570
Is it a generational issue or just one of simple training or upbringing? Or, does it go even deeper than that. Are people so stressed or angry about life today that they don’t seem to care?

As a professional speaker, I speak at least 75 times each year around the world. This gives me a great deal of time to observe people from all walks of life in all parts of the US and many other countries. Here are a few things I have noticed.

Please keep in mind this list does not include everyone. If you are one of the thoughtful people, keep it up. You must remember that your actions are not about the other person and whether they deserve your polite behavior or attitudes, it is about you. Your behavior is nothing more than a reflection of who you are. Your behavior speaks volumes about how you were raised, what you believe and who you are becoming.

I am only mentioning what I feel are some minor, yet simple, slights that annoy some people (me, for one) that seem to be more, than less, common today. People:

1. Generally ignore others, unless they are forced to become involved with them in some way.
2. Don’t notice when others would benefit from their holding a door, or elevator, open just a little longer.
3. Don’t say good-bye when they hang up from a telephone conversation. They just disappear.
4. Don’t do what they say they are going to do.
5. Don’t listen to others while they are talking.
6. Are rude in general.
7. Are loud in public places like restaurants and airplanes.
8. Act like the world and everything and everyone in it was created for their convenience.
9. Don’t say thank you, please, pardon me, etc. – unless they are talking to the president of the company or someone they are trying to impress.
10. Let their children run rampant down the corridors of hotels at midnight.
11. Walk past someone on the street in their home town and can’t find the

energy to say hello or good morning.

Is it just me, or have you noticed that many people are guilty of any one, or many of the above slights? (plus many others that I have not mentioned).

How would you rate yourself on the courtesy scale? Why not give yourself a 1-10. Then ask others with whom you come in contact frequently to rate you. If everyone rates you within 1-2 numbers of your own, (whatever the rating) then good for you. You are in touch with reality of your behavior regardless of where you fall.

However, if several people rate you well below or above your own personal view of yourself, you have some work to do. Either you are more courteous than you think you are (pat yourself on the back), or you are an insensitive idiot.
]]> Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:20:11 -0500 93570