Where Ideas Come From by Matthew Furey

Many people often wonder where the so-called "creative" people get their ideas.

They're looking for answers that are profound. There aren't any.

Ideas are in the air at all times. You simply reach into the substance and pull one out by doing something that all young kids do in their imagination each and every day.

And that is—you "make it up".

Yes, you may "make up" your ideas based upon things you've already seen and heard—or felt. Yes, you may combine one thing with another thing until you have something unique, but you still "made it up".

And when you make things up, you do so without resistance. You simply imagine—then move.

The other day my kids were beating me with punches while I was lying on the couch. My seven and three-year kids were saying, 'Inside Kung Fu"—then chopping me.

A minute later it was "Errrh, muscles." And they're flexing and strutting around.

"Where are they getting this stuff?" I think.

Sure, they've been influenced by me—but I have never gone around our home saying "Inside Kung Fu" while throwing punches—nor have I ever flexed in front of my kids, grunted and said the word "muscles".

Yes, there are bits and pieces of these elements at play—but most certainly NOT in the manner my kids put them together. And as soon as the ideas "popped" into their creative little minds, they moved and began expressing what they were thinking.

Becoming successful in business is much the same way.

All my successes on the Internet as well as off the Internet were NOT a result of long-term planning, trying to get every detail right before doing anything.

They were a result of using my imagination to come up with an idea—then moving forward on the idea—and continuing to move forward on it until the idea gets completed.

And coming up with ideas isn't hard. They're all around us. Just look at little kids and you'll see what I mean.

Sure, you may think it's different with business.

But is it, really?

Generals make a difference.

Imagine that you are dictator of your own country. That's pretty good—you have your own army and you have 5 loyal generals. You also have 100,000 infantrymen (of course, the generals represent leaders and the infantrymen represent distributors in case you're not following this analogy). What happens next is that one night I sneak across enemy lines and attack your army. I use my pinkbelt in karate and go chop, chop, chop and I beat up all 100,000 of your infantrymen. The next morning you wake up and you have 5 generals left. All of your infantry went home to their mothers for sympathy.

Now, here's the important question: With only 5 generals left, could you rebuild your army? Of course you could. That's the importance of leaders. When things go bad and everyone abandons the ship, you can still rebuild your organization if you have loyal leaders. What if the opposite were to happen? What if I were to sneak across enemy lines and kidnap your 5 generals? What would happen then?

The next morning, you wake up and all you have are your 100,000 infantrymen with no leadership or direction. They start marching in circles, firing inward, stepping in latrines, getting lost - it's a disaster! So as you see, generals are everything.

Some networkers build leaders. Other networkers are just busy. That's the difference why some networkers can work for a few years and finally retire from their business. These networkers focus all their activity on building leaders. The other networkers? The ones who are just busy? Well, they're still busy. If you're not convinced that building leaders is important by now, well, you can save yourself some time by not reading any further.

Okay! Let's get some leaders! We need a step-by-step plan. And that's easy because I studied engineering. If you're not familiar with engineers, we need a step-by-step plan for everything. For instance, when we walk, we have a plan. We're thinking: "Left foot, then the right foot. Left foot, then the right foot, etc." So, back to our plan. We're going to create our master plan in 3 easy steps. By mastering each step, one at a time, we'll end up with an organization of leaders. Here are the steps to master:

Step #1: Define what a leader is.
Step #2: How to find leaders.
Step #3: What to teach leaders.

Step #1 is very important. Before we go looking for leaders, wouldn't it be a great idea to know what a leader looks like? It's a lot easier to find somebody if we know what he looks like. On a recent training session, I asked the group, "Does anybody have a good definition of, what is a leader?" The answers were:

* Someone who is willing to step up and help to encourage others.
* Someone who makes sure that he gets done what needs to be done.
* Somebody who is coachable.
* Somebody who is good with people—a good communicator.
* Someone with a vision.
* A leader is somebody who wants to learn and wants to succeed.
* A leader is someone who commits to taking the action that's required to make it to the top.

And that was the list. The rest of the callers were silent. I don't think they ever thought about this question. I can't imagine how they looked for leaders if they never even knew what a leader looked like. All of the above definitions are nice, but we need something more useful. In a future article, I will share with you my 3 definitions of a leader. Once we know exactly what we are looking for, it gets easy.

Running Your Own Race by Jill Koenig

Think back to a time in your life when you tried something new.

When I was a teenager I volunteered to work the water station at a 10k race. It was called the "Heaven Can Wait" 10k run and ironically, it was sponsored by the local cemetery.

My job was to pass out water to the runners. I remember being so excited to see all the different kinds of people who passed by and grabbed a cup of water. Some ran past, some walked past and a few wheeled past. I saw so many types of people doing it, I thought maybe I can do it too!

So the next year I signed up for the race and gave it a shot. Back then I didn't do much to prepare except jog around my neighborhood. I never tracked how far I jogged, or timed myself, I just ran around. I had no time goals for the race, no specialized training, no game plan, nothing. Needless to say that I prepare differently when I run races today, but back then my only goal was to finish.

On the day of the race, it was incredibly hot and humid. I remember struggling at about the 5th mile, thinking, "I must be crazy, why did I do this? What was I thinking? And at one point, I said, "I am never doing this again!"

Have you ever felt that way about something? You eagerly undertake a goal and in the midst of it comes a moment of struggle, and you realize it is much harder than you imagined it would be?

That first 10k race was quite an experience. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked. At times, I didn't know if I could finish. Then came a defining moment.

At one point near the end, a 70 year old man ran past me, very very fast, and I felt embarrassed that I was 50+ years younger than he and I couldn't even keep up with him. I felt defeated for a second. But then I realized something. He was running his race and I was running mine.

He had different capacities, experience, training and goals for himself. I had mine. Remember my goal was merely to finish.

How often in life do we compare ourselves to others and feel disappointed in ourselves when we really shouldn't? After a minute, it hit me that this was a lesson I could draw from. I learned something about myself in that moment. I turned my embarrassment into inspiration.

I decided that I would not give up on running races, in fact, I would run even more races and I would learn how to train and prepare properly and one day I would be one of those 70 year old who was still running. As I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my accomplishment.

I am so glad I didn't give up on running. Today it is an incredible source of joy in my life. I have run several races since then, 5ks, 10ks and I run purely for fun. I have studied running books, made friendships with other runners and I can report that I love it now more than ever.

In life we all have those moments where we compare ourselves to others. It's only natural. Don't allow those moments to dis-empower you. Turn them into motivation and let them inspire you. Use them to show you what is possible. Every struggle is rich with opportunity. You define your own race when you define your own goals.

With the proper preparation, coaching and conditioning, you can improve your results to achieve anything you want in life.

The impact of fitness and nutrition on my life has been remarkable. I can do things now that I could not even do in my 20's all because of coaching, proper nutrition and conditioning.

You decide your race and you decide your own pace. Rarely in life will your destiny be determined by one little race.

"Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable." – Coach John Wooden

Life is a series of races. There are lessons in every race. There are life lessons to be learned every single day. If you don't win the race, but you get the lesson, and grow, you are truly a success.


Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig

Jill Koenig one of America's Top Goal Strategist's. A bestselling Author, Coach and Motivational Speaker, she is an expert on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and Business Success. Her Goal in life is to help you unleash your untapped potential. Get your free Goal Setting CD at GoalGuru.com.

Reason, Season and Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed outwardly or inwardly.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
to provide you with guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part
or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met,
our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered
and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON,
it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
those things you must build upon
in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson,
love the person/people (anyway);
and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

Natural Highs

Here are some things you can do to spice up your life!

1. Being in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No queues at the supermarket.
5. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
6. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
7. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
8. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
9. Chocolate milkshake... (or vanilla or strawberry!)
10. A bubble bath.
11. Giggling.
12. A good conversation.
13. Finding a £20 note in your coat from last winter.
14. Running through sprinklers.
15. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
16. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
17. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
18. Waking up and realising you still have a few hours left to sleep.
19. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
20. Having someone play with your hair.
21. Sweet dreams.
22. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
23. Holding hands with someone you care about.
24. Running into an old friend and realising that some things (good or bad) never change.
25. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
26. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
27. Knowing that somebody misses you.
28. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
29. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.
30. Pass this on to someone knowing this will make them smile!

I Promise Myself... by Christian D. Larson

To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.

To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.

To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

The 6-Step Process For Developing Discipline In Your Life by Gerry Robert

Step 1: Identify one habit or area you would like to become more disciplined in.

The first step is to identify one specific behavior you would like to change. It should be written in behavior style. It should describe something you now do that you would like to stop doing or something you now don't do consistently and would like to do regularly.

You can use this step to describe the outcome you would like to accomplish. You must however, confine each worksheet to one specific issue or behavior. Attempting to do too much may be discouraging. Each worksheet will take you through this 6-step process. It only applies to one issue per worksheet.

Step 2: Find role models.

Ask yourself, "Who is doing it right?" By identifying one or more people who have discipline in this area you will see that if others can do it so can you. The people you list in this section need not be personal acquaintances of yours. You may not know them personally at all. They may be alive or dead. The point here is to cause you to think about specific people whom you believe had control in this area. People you will emulate.

Step 3: List the benefits of becoming self-disciplined in this area.

Now ask yourself, "What's in it for me?" You want to consider why you want to develop in this area. By listing the rewards you will be willing to work harder. You need to feel, smell, taste, see and touch exactly what it will be like once you are strong in this area.

Step 4: Consider the danger zones.

You now need to consider where you might fall. You need to give some thought to the danger zones. You know that if you are going to become more disciplined you will be tempted to fall off the wagon, to be led astray, to procrastinate. If you have been attempting to become more self-disciplined for some time, you know that for you there is a pattern of failure to comply. What happens for you? You start off strongly, then before you know it, you are doing the very things you said you wouldn't or you stopped doing the things you said you would and know you should.

Step 5: Use Advanced Decision-Making.

You cannot win in life if you are controlled by whimsical or situational decision-making. If you are to succeed in life, you will need to consider in advance, how you will live your life.

In this step you will need to give some thought to what specific actions you will need to take to accomplish the goal listed in Step 1. For example, if you wanted to become more disciplined in the area of exercise, one decision made in advance could be a decision to exercise every morning upon waking for 45 minutes.

Step 6: Enroll a support team.

This step is by far one of the most crucial. If you don't do this step, you are cheating yourself out of the real power behind this system. It is vital for you to finally becoming the strong and self-disciplined person you know you can and should be. Resist the temptation to avoid this step because it may be different from what you are used to or even comfortable doing. It will literally change your life.

What this will do is force you to do what you said you would and know you should. Find someone to call you at least once a week. Allow yourself to become accountable to this person. This has literally transformed my life and that of my students worldwide.

Gerry Robert is a bestselling author of "The Millionaire Mindset" and a seminar speaker.

Cling FREE!

How often are you angry or frustrated or disappointed by someone’s actions because they aren’t what you want or expect? How often do you operate more from your own agenda rather than what is needed or important for the other person? Worse yet, how often do you get what you want only to discover it wasn’t the best of all possibilities?

Whether it’s the actions we expect our colleagues to take, the recognition we think we deserve, or the careers we want our children to choose, we can save a tremendous amount of energy when we accept that people will not always act as expected or in ways that suit us. This doesn’t mean losing control; it means acknowledging that in most cases we’re not in control and don’t need to be for things to turn out okay.

It’s funny but this seems to describe how I’ve lived life 99% of the time. Sometimes I mistook it for allowing others to walk over me, but I recognize that it truly is a matter of not allowing it to bother me. I simply do not care (in the non-attached sense).

Accept the unpredictable nature of life. Let go of expectations and view the world around you from a new and more spontaneous perspective. Be more flexible and ready to adapt and respond to whatever may come your way with more intelligence, more creativity and more balance. Expect only the unexpected!

Begin With The End In Mind.

"All things are created twice. There is a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation of all things. You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first creation is really what you want, that you've thought everything through. Then you put it into bricks and mortar. Each day you go to the construction shed and pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the day. You begin with the end in mind." – Stephen Covey