Archive for the ‘Pers. Empowerment’ Category

The power of a positive attitude in creating your very own success mindset.

Today’s message comes from Dr John C. Maxwell, leading Business Coach from Create One and offers great advice to move you forward. Creating your positive, can-do attitude will be the beginning of your onward and upward journey to success.

You may be tricked into believing that talents, titles, or resources draw the line between the doers and dreamers. However, if you spent a significant length of time with a group of leaders, the line splitting the achievers from the dreamers would become crystal clear.

What makes the difference? Attitude. Achievers have a can-do attitude that sets them apart from mere dreamers. Achievers are sold out to success—no matter the obstacles—and they are willing to put forth the effort and pay the price of success.

In my days observing leaders, I have identified four main groups.

Cop-outs

These people set no goals and make no decisions.

Holdouts

These people have beautiful dreams, but they are afraid to respond to challenges because they lack the self-confidence to overcome difficulties.

Dropouts

These individuals clearly define their goals, and, in the beginning, they work hard to make their dreams come true. However, when the going gets tough, they quit.

All-Outs

These are the stars. They want to shine out as an inspiration to others. Once all-outs have set their goals, they never quit. Even when the price gets high and the challenges mount, they’re dedicated. Their can-do attitudes carry them to greatness.

Here are 4 keys to cultivating a can-do attitude.

Key #1: Disown Your Helplessness

Can-do people aggressively pursue solutions, and, in the process, uncover creative solutions others never even try to find. Can-do leaders take responsibility for the future, whereas lesser leaders blame circumstances or other people when facing roadblocks. Rather than wallowing in helplessness, can-do leaders search diligently to overcome the obstacles in front of them.

Key #2: Take the Bull By the Horns.

Can-do people are fearless. They go straight to the source of their solution. Their very effort commands attention as they wrestle a problem to the ground with expediency. I have discovered that people with a can-do attitude have an aggressiveness about them. They take the bull by the horns. When they enter into the arena of action, they don’t wait, they initiate.

Key #3: Enter the No Whining Zone.

Can-do people abstain from complaining. They recognize its futility and guard their minds and mouths against indulging in this time-wasting activity. As George Washington Carver observed, “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.”

Key #4: Put On Another’s Pair of Shoes.

Can-do people empathize with others. They attempt to see any predicament from the other person’s perspective in order to make the best decisions. In my book Winning with People, one the 25 People Principles is the Exchange Principle, which says that instead of putting others in their place, we must put ourselves in their place.

© Copyright CreateOne Pty Ltd. 2008

www.createone.com.au

Use your own Power of Positive Attitude to move forward to creating your success mindset.

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Filed under: Pers. Empowerment — Tags: , , — Danette Hibberd @ 9:59 am
A Success Mindset Succeeds Everytime
Friday, September 12th, 2008

It’s true! A Success Mindset Wins Everytime

By Danette Hibberd

You’ve heard it before. “Success is a state of mind”. Some may argue that success is a result of luck, while others profess it to be the result of the careful planning, preparation and of course, focused action. Yes, the latter is somewhat true but you will also see that there are some exceptions to this rule.

How often have you heard of two people attempting the same objective only to have one of them succeed? Have you ever wondered why this is so? Perhaps it is luck, or timing or even tenacity. Possibly, but in more cases than not, it is the person’s mindset that is the determining factor in whether the result is failure or success.

So, what is a mindset?

In most cases, this refers to the predominant state of mind on a daily basis. It is what one thinks about, focuses on and expects from their daily experiences. When one typically thinks negative thoughts, expects the worse or is pessimistic about life, then that is exactly what will be attracted into their life. Conversely, with positive thoughts and a success mindset, you will expect only the best and focus on a successful outcome, and yes, you will win most if not every time.

This seems to make sense. But then you may wonder how it works, or why a success mindset is so important.

A success mindset is crucial if we are to achieve the life we desire for many reasons, but here are three crucial ones.

1) A success mind-set boosts your self-confidence and self-belief.

When you hold a lack of belief in yourself a sense of powerlessness and futility usually comes along with it, and this is the exact opposite of a holding a success mind-set. Lack of confidence means you see no point in even attempting to be successful because it just doesn’t happen to or for you. Obviously, this type of mind-set is a recipe for failure in any endeavour.

Having a true success mind-set, on the other hand, means you totally believe in yourself and in your capabilities. You believe you can be successful at almost everything you try, and you’re willing to give it your best shot. And as you strive more and more, the more confidence and self-belief you build in yourself - until you’re virtually unstoppable!

2) A success mind-set strengthens your determination.

When you do not hold a success mind-set, one failure is enough to convince you that pursuing your goal is a waste of time. Tenacity and determination are not present in your world. When you don’t become a raging success on your first attempt, you surmise that it simply wasn’t meant to be. Unfortunately, few things worth having are obtained so easily!

A success mind-set, however, strengthens your awareness that a failure is not the end of the story - the feedback you receive is telling you that it’s just one more way that didn’t work out the way you planned. In fact, a true success mind-set makes it obvious that the only true failure occurs when you stop trying.

3) A success mind-set encourages fruitful actions.

Have you ever found yourself either confused or wandering round in circles because you didn’t know the best way to approach a specific goal? Perhaps you had an idea of the best course of action but you felt intimidated by some of the action steps required. As a result, you may have kept sabotaging your efforts as you searched in vain for an easier or less frightening way to your goal.

With a true success mind-set, you will always know the most effective course of action that will lead directly to achieving your goal. You will also have the inner confidence and determination to pursue them - which is a sure recipe for . . . you guessed it; success!

To develop a success mind-set you need to:

- Reach for your dreams
- Think positively
- Believe in yourself
- Believe you can do better
- Learn, grow and develop constantly
- Be willing to take chances
- Give it your all
- Expect the best in every situation
- Be willing to fail
- When you fall down, pick yourself up and try again

By following the above strategies, you will not only feel more successful from the inside, but your results will be more in line with those of a person with a true success mindset.

Why wait when you can take action today? Develop YOUR SUCCESS MINDSET.

By Danette Hibberd

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Filed under: Pers. Empowerment — Tags: — Danette Hibberd @ 8:41 am
Successfully Dealing With Goals
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

By Danette Hibberd

Successfully Dealing With Goals

Goals – for some of us we moan and groan, for others we experience delight! We’ve all been told that we must list our goals. That’s easy. Write them down and feel committed. That was yesterday. But it’s now a new day.

So you’ve made that list of goals – again. Once more you’ve written down your hopes and dreams. So what? You’ve done it a hundred times before, and what good did it do you? Now what?

Setting goals is like placing your order at a restaurant. Not achieving those goals means you’re still sitting there waiting (whether patiently or otherwise) or you’ve gotten up and walked out of the restaurant before your order could be delivered.

The restaurant analogy ends here, however, because there are conscious, proactive steps you can take to speed up the delivery of those things you ordered; you have the power to postpone it and refuse it. You likewise have the power to aid in its attainment.

Here are several methods to successfully dealing with goals :

• Take any one of your goals and ask yourself why you want it? Write down the answer. Then ask yourself why you want that? Continue this way until you feel you’ve come to a fundamental desire that you simply cannot break down further. A desire for a new car may be backed by a desire for status which may be backed by a desire to be loved which can be attained in a slew of other ways than just a car. Desire, in this instance, to be loved.

Then, in a creative reversal of this deconstructive method, ask yourself what it would look like if you were loved (or put more succinctly – what it will look like when you are loved). What will you have, feel, and experience when you have that love you want? Do you have any of those things already? If so, you’re already there, receiving your order, and all that’s left is to continue receiving. If not, no matter, it’s now on its way.

• Each day, pick one of your goals and take one simple action towards its achievement. Too often we become paralysed into inaction by the apparent “size” of our goals, really a resistance to the stark contrast between our goals and our current condition. So break it down into bite-sized chunks, one bite at a time. You need only emanate the energy of alignment with the attainment of your desires to receive it. By wanting it, you have already called it to you. You don’t have to work your tail off to get it. You just have to give it conscious daily attention concentrated through the performance of a simple and realisable act.

• Enroll other people in your goals. It can be frightening at first to be so vulnerable as to share your desires with another person, but it’s equally potent in its effects. People who love you will always love to put their energy towards your happiness and fulfillment, even if that energy comes in no other form than as “moral support”. In many cases, your goals align perfectly with another’s goals and suddenly you both have found a partner in fulfillment. In extreme cases (more frequent than you may think) a circumstance you couldn’t possibly have imagined will “coincidentally” touch another person’s life that they could put towards your goal’s attainment if they had only known they could have helped. People love to help each other. Give them a chance. Share you goals. Tell other people what you want and let them help you have it.

Another thing you can do in successfully dealing with goals is to make sure to regularly revisit your list of goals, review them, update them. You may find some goals from your past that you no longer desire today. You may replace old goals with new ones and refine persistent goals. You may even be pleasantly surprised to discover some goals have been achieved since the last time you glanced at your list, and you hadn’t even realised it!

With this process, you will be successfully dealing with goals.

By Danette Hibberd

Filed under: Coaching/Mentoring, Pers. Empowerment — Tags: , — Danette Hibberd @ 7:22 pm
Change For The Better
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

By Danette Hibberd

CHANGE

“The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.”

Charles Du Bos takes full aim at the infamous “comfort zone”, wherein we may not like where we Are, and we might even complain about it, but we choose to hold on to what we know rather than take a leap forward into uncertainty. Yet it is only in letting go of what we have that we can grab hold of what we might become. Better. Kinder. More successful. Healthier. More self-confident.

Whatever transformation we wish to make, we must first leave behind the old before becoming the new.

What would you like to change? Think about it.

By Danette Hibberd

Filed under: Pers. Empowerment — Tags: — Danette Hibberd @ 5:53 pm
Introspection and Discovery of Purpose
Friday, August 29th, 2008

Posted by Danette Hibberd

Last week I brought you a message from Lynn Pierce, the Success Architect on

4 Core Blueprints to Reclaim your Life, Awaken Your Soul and Your Business.

Lynn talked about the quick fix people are looking for as opposed to taking responsibility for creating your life.

I love the way Lynn clearly shows us how we can really begin to discover our Life’s Purpose and urges us to begin taking action today reclaim our life and live our life’s purpose.

In part 1 of this series we talked about the quick fix people are looking for as opposed to taking responsibility for creating your life.

And Lynn asked you…

So where do you start if you are ready to take responsibility for your life and create your future?

This week -

Introspection and Discovery of Purpose

There are 4 core areas, or what I call core blueprints, that require your attention if you want to have a life that is in flow with your true passion and purpose. When you’ve created all 4 of your blueprints and you have all 4 of these areas functioning at a level that satisfies you, then your life will be more peaceful and effortless than you have ever imagined it could really be…

No magic bullet required!

In the next 4 weeks we will discuss each of these areas:

*Introspection and Discovery of Purpose
*Blueprinting the Life of Your Dreams
*Sales/Marketing/Communication Skills
*Mentoring for Your Life and Your Business

First I’d like to have you go back and look at how you reacted to the assignment I gave you at the end of part 1. You remember, the four lines I asked you to read out loud and then look at what your reaction told you about yourself.

I’m making the assumption that you’ve at least taken one simple action towards creating your life by doing this. So how did that go for you?

What came up?

Your body reacts to your thoughts and feelings, situations real or imagined,all the time but most of the time we aren’t aware of it, or you’ll look for a pill or a drink to cover the reaction.

Why do you think people refer to your ‘gut’ reaction?

When your stomach gets butterflies or starts swirling do you reach for an antacid or do you go inside and ask yourself what’s really happening here?

Because now, in part two of this series, we’re talking about Introspection and Discovering Your Purpose.

Introspection does not require hours of meditation or trekking to Tibet. You can start very simply by just listening to what your body is telling you.

For example:
When you notice your body having a reaction, take a minute and see what was just happening that you are reacting to. Was it a phone call, an email, a conversation, or seeing something you don’t want to do coming up next on your calendar?

Or was it a daydream, a thought of fear or doubt that isn’t even real?

First you have to know what is driving your life now before you can make a shift that will move you in the direction you want to go. Why randomly make changes in your life if you don’t know where you’re actually at or what your truly want?

It’s like shooting arrows at a target while someone is spinning you around instead of planting your body, taking a proper stance and aiming at your target. That would be silly, wouldn’t it? And yet you’re basically doing the same thing every day if you haven’t created your first blueprint of Introspection and Discovery of Purpose.

So how do you get started figuring out what your purpose is?

These are criteria that I use to qualify every opportunity that comes up in my life. I believe they will serve you as well as they have served my clients in the last several years.

7 Criteria for Recognizing Your Passion and Purpose

1. Doing it makes you feel good about yourself
2. You would do it for free
3. You loose all track of time when you do it
4. You love to talk about it to everyone
5. You are happy to teach others
6. If this were how you spent all your time, it would be a good thing.
7. It makes you want to get out of bed in the morning

If you are truly living your purpose and doing what you are meant to do in this life, you will easily be able to say yes to all 7 of these criteria. And just as importantly, you will be able to confidently say no to any opportunity that doesn’t rate a resounding yes. And I mean all 7, every time.

If you say yes to 6, but 1 of these criteria is a no or a maybe for you, then say no to whatever it is. It’s not worth your time and effort to do anything that isn’t a perfect fit for you. You don’t want to be coming from a place of lack and grabbing on to something that isn’t meant for you.

I can hear all the “yes, but..” now. It doesn’t matter how good the opportunity would make you look or how much money it could bring or what your friends will say if you don’t do it. Just say no. Your life will start working on such a higher level as soon as you really embrace this concept of saying no to the good to say yes to the great.

That’s the first step to creating your life and creating the first blueprint.

You must have a place that you confidently stand in your life. Your own personal line in the sand. And only you know what that is. I can’t give it to you and neither can anyone else.

Another good tool I would suggest you use is creating your own personal manifesto. If you haven’t done that, you can go to http://LynnPierce.com and sign up for this ezine, and you’ll get an email with a special report on how to create your personal manifesto as my gift to you. I take you step by step
through how to create it and how to use it. It’s a powerful tool.

To be living your blueprint of introspection and purpose you have to be in a place of abundance in terms of confidently saying no to an opportunity that may be a good one to have the space available in your life to welcome a great one.

Does that make sense?

Too often whether it’s a relationship, a job, or a dream; you’re limiting your own ability to live your purpose by fearfully holding on to things in your life that, upon introspection, you would realize are not serving you at the highest level.

The law of attraction is not the only Universal law. One that has always been a very important one in my life is the law of creating a vacuum. Nothing new and great can come into your life unless a space has been created for it to occupy.

If all the available space in your life is filled with things that are less than perfect for you, there is no room for anything better to show up.

So you can use the law of attraction and sit and wait, or you can beg and plead, or you can stand on your head, but you will not get your desired end result.

Until you let go and know that the Universe will bring into your life exactly what you need to fulfill your purpose, you’ll have no space available for it come into your life.

Have you ever been in a bad relationship and wished for a better person to come into your life, but you wouldn’t break up with the first person because you were afraid you’d be alone?

How did that work out for you? Eventually, if you suffer enough and the pain becomes great enough you’ll make the leap and leave. Then, lo and behold, someone else shows up.

That’s the way it works in every area of your life. You can always take the slow and painful route and wait to be so miserable that you make a change out of desperation or you can choose now to actively listen to your body when you have a ‘gut reaction’ and begin to create blueprint #1: Introspection and Discovery of Purpose using the tools you’ve learned here.

Next week we’ll move on to my favorite part, Blueprinting the Life of Your Dreams.

So get to work right now on discovering your purpose and creating your personal manifesto so you’ll be standing in a place of knowing who you are, where you’re starting from and where you want to go so we can begin to create that life for you next week!

************************
Lynn Pierce, the Success Architect, has taught people how to combine business and personal development to reach the pinnacle of success and live the life of their dreams for over 25 years.
Lynn Pierce, The Success Architect
Author, “Breakthrough to Success; 19 Keys to Mastering Every
Area of Your Life”
www.YourBreakthroughToSuccess.com

I trust you are enjoying learning the 4 Core Blueprints to Reclaim your Life, Awaken Your Soul and Your Business. Keep an eye out for next weeks issue.

Posted by Danette Hibberd

Filed under: Coaching/Mentoring, Pers. Empowerment — Tags: , — Danette Hibberd @ 3:26 pm

Knowledge is fabulous, but ACTION is a ‘must’

By Danette Hibberd

“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”
-Robert Kiyosaki

How does this statement resonate with you?

For me, I would like to share my thoughts.

We can spend thousands of dollars improving ourselves, attending seminars, reading self help or personal development books, listening to cd’s, watching dvd’s, doing courses, buying e-books, and so much more. The list and the dollars spent can seem endless. And after all, we sometimes feel, “where is all this getting me, or why aren’t I moving forward, or this is a load of rubbish as I am not living the dream life I want?”

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

Well, I would like to emphasise that education is so very, very important if we want to achieve success. I don’t mean university degrees or education at tertiary levels, but education that expands our knowledge of life and the business niche we choose to be in.

Let’s take a look at the Three Keys to Success

1. Opportunity
2. Knowledge
3. Taking Action

Most of us can see an opportunity when it presents itself to us, and the majority of us have taken the time and expense to improve our knowledge, but sadly many people miss the mark on number 3 - Taking Action.

People have received some great advice from watching the movie “The Secret” - mainly putting out your intention or having the thoughts that we hope will lead us to success. But where most of us miss the mark is putting off taking the necessary action.

Putting out our dreams and desires to the universe - doesn’t necessarily bring those things to us automatically. It’s not something that is just a given.

Instead, there is a level of action that we must take in order to bring those things to us. Yes, there is some work involved.

Finding the knowledge that will take you to the next level is one thing, but putting that knowledge into action is paramount.

How many of you reading this article have spent money on seminars, tools, resources - to further your education and knowledge to improve your life or your business?

That’s great, but are you taking the Action that goes along with the education? It is this step that will really make a difference.

Here at FabulousBeyondFortyClub, we provide you with so much education and knowledge from people who have been there and done it. We gladly share our successes with you and support you but it is up to you to take the necessary Action. You can’t just sit back and expect things to fall in your lap.

Take the knowledge, apply it every day to help yourself move forward.
Response will come to you in amazing ways.

So, my challenge to you is this -

Write down three goals that you wish to achieve before you go to bed tonight. Yes, they may be small, but things that you have perhaps been procrastinating about, or putting off for one reason or other.

Done that? Great - now - begin taking ACTION on making these three things happen for you. I promise you will feel so much better as you have made progress.

Well done.

Take the necessary ACTION to create the life you love - the life you deserve.

Remember,

Knowledge is fabulous, but ACTION is a ‘MUST’.

By Danette Hibberd

Filed under: Coaching/Mentoring, Pers. Empowerment — Tags: , — Danette Hibberd @ 12:06 pm
Reclaim Your Life and Your Business
Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Reclaim Your Life and Your Business.

Todays message of the
“4 Core Blueprints to Reclaim your Life, Awaken Your Soul and Your Business” come from Lynn Pierce, the Success Architect. Lynn combines business and personal development to reach the pinnacle of success and life the life of your dreams.

Fabulous Beyond Forty has the same core values and our mission is to give you the information, tools and resources to create and life the life you desire - the life you deserve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This has been going on forever, since advertising began, but I swear it’s getting worse. Everywhere I look I see people advertising quick fixes for almost anything you need, business or personal.

For instance, I’m shocked at the list of horrible side effects people are willing to endure to get a quick fix for one thing or another from a pill they can pop instead of changing a habit.

The simple fact is there is no magic bullet, but there are some core principlesthat if implemented fully into your life will make you feel like you do have that magic bullet.

It’s become a part of our society to treat the symptoms and never even take the time to uncover the cause, much less take responsibility for it or do anything constructive to change it.

In a real sense it’s true of weight problems, health issues, issues in personal relationships, addictions, money issues, lifestyle issues and certainly with business.

In business the quick fix is king. Why do you think the get rich quick pitch is perennially one of the biggest money makers for marketers, followed closely by the next tricked out tool that will, of course, make you rich right now?

I’m sure if you’ve been in business for any length of time you’ve heard someone say, “Sell them what they want, not what they need.”

Even seemingly intelligent people who know the quick fix isn’t going to happen will still buy it just in case this one is the real deal. I know I’ve done it. It’s human nature to not want to miss out on the next big thing.

But when you look inside yourself and take a deep breath and get centered and listen to your inner voice, you know none of it is true. The truth is, it all begins and ends with you.

So where do you start if you are ready to take responsibility for your life and create your future?

There are 4 core areas, or what I call core blueprints, that require your attention if you want to have a life that is in flow with your true passion and purpose. When you’ve created all 4 of your blueprints and you have all 4 of these areas functioning at a level that satisfies you, then your life will be more peaceful and effortless than you have ever imagined it could really be…

No magic bullet required!

In the next 4 weeks we will go in depth on each of these areas:

*Introspection and Discovery of Purpose
*Blueprinting the Life of Your Dreams
*Sales/Marketing/Communication Skills
*Mentoring for Your Life and Your Business

Right now I’d like you to read each one of those 4 lines out loud and notice the feeling in your body when you say the words.

Do you tense up?
Does your stomach tighten?
Do your shoulders drop?
Do you take a relaxed breath?

How does your body instinctively react to the words when you read them out loud? And yes, it does make a difference to say it out loud.

What thoughts pop into your mind?
What kind of pictures show up in your head?

These are all indications of where you instinctively feel good about where you’re at and where you know you need some help. If you pay close attention to your reaction you’ll also feel how much resistance you have to doing anything about your current situation in respect to that area of your life.

Isn’t it amazing how much information you can find out about yourself from verbalizing and then just being aware of your reaction?

Listen to what you really need and move toward those things first.

Next week we’ll go into Introspection and Discover of Purpose.

Until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just comment on this post on my blog.

If you would like personal mentoring, send me an email detailing what you would like help with. As your mentor I hold a bigger vision for you than you hold for yourself. When you have faith and a team that believes in you,it gives you courage. When you don’t have to do it all yourself, all things are possible for you. Commit today to go for your dream 100%.

Lynn Pierce, the Success Architect, has taught people how to combine business and personal development to reach the pinnacle of success and live the life of their dreams for over 25 years. In addition, she is also the founder of one of the most exciting annual events for women entrepreneurs,
“Women’s Business Empowerment Summit”. Now she shares her keys to success and life mastery with you. You can get the first five lessons of “Change One Thing, Change Your Life: A Personal Transformation System”
at http://www.yourbreakthroughtosuccess.com

Fabulous Beyond Forty Club will bring you the next issue to keep you up to date with Lynn’s amazing success in “Reclaim Your Life” and live the life you love.

Posted by Danette Hibberd

Filed under: Coaching/Mentoring, Pers. Empowerment — Tags: , — Danette Hibberd @ 1:35 pm
Crossing the “Success” Line
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

By Danette Hibberd

Can you cross the “Success Line”?

We often hear people strive for success but don’t quite make it. They give up before they reach their goal.

Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the centre of the page and call the line “Success”. We know that about 90% of people today are on the left hand side of the line. These people often stop about a centimetre or two before reaching the line because they either can’t stretch themselves to get out of their comfort zone, or simply quit. How sad this is.

For those of you who have read “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, let me remind you of the story of Mr Darby. He was a part of the gold rush fever and one day discovered the shining ore. He borrowed money from relatives and friends, bought the necessary machinery to bring the ore to the surface, but after only digging up 3 car loads of the ore, the mine went ‘dry’. HE QUIT. He sold his machinery to a junk man for a couple of hundred dollars and took many years to pay back his loans.

The junk man however was smart. He called in a mining engineer and returned to the site to have it checked out. The engineer advised that Mr Darby had not been familiar with the fault lines of ore, and he reckoned that the gold would only be three feet from where the digging had been halted.

And you know what? That is exactly where the gold was found. JUST THREE FEET from where Mr Darby had stopped digging.

The junk man took in millions of dollars of ore from that mine - simply because he sought expert counsel.

This story gives us not one, but two lessons to enable us to cross the success line.

1. Think long and hard - failure is only temporary - DON’T QUIT
2. Seek advice from an expert - there is always someone who knows more than you

I hope many of you have the courage not to quit, and the humbleness of seeking advice when you get stuck.

We all want to cross our “Success Line” so always remember how Mr Darby QUIT unnecessarily.

By Danette Hibberd

Filed under: Coaching/Mentoring, Pers. Empowerment — Tags: , — Danette Hibberd @ 4:07 pm

Today’s message on marketing lessons is a fabulous one from Ali Brown, otherwise known as the E-zine Queen. Although she has since transferred to another gym, the message is the same.

Ali has reached extraordinary heights in all areas of her life, and shares some great tips here.

Can I share a secret with you?

Many years ago, I almost chose a career in fitness. In my 20s, I modeled for Reebok and Ironman magazine, made it to the final round for hosting a fitness TV show, and I moonlit as an aerobics instructor and personal trainer for several years while I figured out how to get out of my day job in publishing.

Now that I make a great living online, I still make time for my health. And I’m lucky to live close to the most famous gym in the world: Gold’s Gym at Venice Beach, California. On a daily basis, I’m surrounded by bodybuilding legends like Lou Ferrigno and various men named “Gunther,” athletes like Kobe Bryant and Lisa Leslie, and celebs like The Rock. The place is an absolute circus, and I enjoy the entertainment factor.

Marketing LessonsWhen I first joined Gold’s several years ago, I didn’t pay much attention to the “muscleheads” - the professional bodybuilders. But I’ve come to realize they can teach us a lot about marketing and business success. Here are 7 lessons we can all learn from.

1. Hang around people whom you want to be like.

Bodybuilders and aspiring bodybuilders from all over the area come to the Venice Gold’s because it’s the home of bodybuilding. I know a few bodybuilders who drive almost an hour just to work out there. Sure, they could exercise at their neighborhood Bally’s, but instead they make the trip to their Mecca every day through the arduous Los Angeles traffic.

Why? They know that when you hang around people who are doing what you want to do, you automatically have a much greater chance of success. The furious energy at Gold’s is undeniable as soon as you walk in the door. You’re surrounded by world-class competitors, gold medalists, and celebrities. It’s not only motivating and inspiring, but there’s a wealth of knowledge surrounding you as well.

Who are YOU hanging around? (Think about it.)

2. Consistency is the key for long-term success.

Bodybuilders know that a body is built over a long term. And even if they take some time off, they’ll bounce back quickly because of all the training they’ve done over the years. It’s called “muscle memory” - your body remembers your shape and snaps back into place.

In the same way, our clients and customers have “marketing memory.” That is, as long as we’re in front of them on a regular basis, they’ll remember who we are - even if we take a break. (And there’s no better way to stay in front of them than publishing an e-zine!)

3. Ups and downs are a part of the process.

Bodybuilders know that success comes in cycles. It’s physically damaging for them to try to be on “full force” more than a few times every year. They know their limits, and they push them, but they don’t break them.

Marketing has cycles as well. You can hit it hard for a while, then ease back for a bit. Don’t worry when there’s a “down.” Just make sure to immediately follow it with an “up”. Get back on your marketing schedule or mix it up and do something different.

4. Hard work is part of the game.

Bodybuilders don’t wake up and say, “I don’t feel like working out today.” They just do it. It becomes part of their schedule, part of their life. And that ensures their success.

How many of us secretly wish our success would be handed to us on a silver platter? I’m all about attracting success on whatever level we can, but hey, let’s realize there is work involved. The solution is to make the hard work FUN by doing what you love to do and delegating what you don’t.

5. Model others who are already doing what you want to do.

Bodybuilders don’t try to invent their own training programs from scratch. They look at what the top competitors are doing, and they do the same thing. From weightlifting to cardio to diet, they’ve got it down to a precise formula.

Don’t reinvent the wheel when there are others who are already racing along. Find other business owners who are doing what you want to do, and model them. Important: Don’t model ones who are doing it half-assed. Model the best, the ones who are experiencing the immense success that you dream of!

6. Find a mentor or coach for faster results.

I don’t know of any champion who got to where he/she did alone. Every bodybuilding competitor hires a trainer or a coach who has been there before and can walk them through every step of the way. Does this cost them a lot of money? You bet. But they don’t look at what it costs. They look at what it’s WORTH. They’re fast forwarding their success, and that is priceless.

I know many entrepreneurs who have wasted thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on websites, programs, and training that got them nowhere or pointed them in the wrong direction. Don’t make that mistake - I’ve been there. Stop struggling and invest in someone to show you the way - the right way - the first time. (Not sure where to start? Join my Marketing & Motivation Mastermind.)

7. Show off what you’ve got!

You can be sure the bodybuilding gurus at Gold’s aren’t meek about their successes. They show off their hard work with outfits that emphasize their assets. (Oh, the stories I could tell you about some of the costumes there! Lace catsuit, anyone?)

Even if you don’t have it all (yet), show off what you DO have. Strut your best stuff and toot your own horn. You’re doing the world a disservice if you don’t let us all know what you and your business can offer.

© 2004-2008 Alexandria Brown International Inc.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown publishes the award-winning ‘Highlights on Marketing & Success’ weekly ezine with 30,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.AlexandriaBrown.com

I trust you can take both your personal and professional life to new heights as you incorporate the tips from the above marketing lessons into your days.

Post by Danette Hibberd

Filed under: Marketing, Pers. Empowerment — Tags: , — Danette Hibberd @ 10:56 am
Healthy Aging Begins With Positive Thinking
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008

By Danette Hibberd

Successful, happy and healthy aging begins with the power of the mind - Positive Thinking!

How to think positive:
Many people wander the earth believing they the lack the strength and power to achieve their goals. Sadly, it is this negative mechanism that holds them back. You can gain motivation and live an increasingly healthier life by simply telling yourself “I can do it.” Anything you put your mind to can be achieved. As is often quoted, Thoughts Become Things. Desire it, Think it and Achieve it.

How to tell yourself “I can do it”:
You have to be in control of your thoughts, actions, behaviours, etc by building your power of the mind. Nevertheless, if you do not put your mind to it and you decide that you do not want to take the necessary actions, then you are only living a life filled with shortcomings. Your negative reflections will defeat the purpose of getting your thoughts in control. Procrastinating or saying I will do it later, is another negative reflection. This procrastination leads to laziness. Laziness leads to weak minds and bodies which may gradually build up to medical problems. Fatigue, boredom, stress can result and we all know the outcome that these symptoms can cause. Simply tell yourself, I want this desire, I can have this desire and I will do what it takes to achieve this desire.

Take control of your thoughts.
If you want something badly enough you will do what you have to do to get where you want to be. You need to make a goal and stick to it. Create plans that help you to reach your goals, and take action each day to achieve. Break your goal into tiny steps and reward yourself each step of the way to maintain your motivation. When you give up, it is a sign that you lack faith in yourself and therefore provides a clear indication of weakness. You need faith to stay strong and to stay on track to achieving your goal. As well, you need positive thinking to strive. Strive for success with positive thoughts and you will succeed.

Good results:
Having a positive attitude will give you a jumpstart to a healthier life. Keep on pushing. Do not stop once you get started, but instead keep going until you finally reach your goal. When times get hard and you don’t think you can go on just remember I –can- do – By affirming with positive affirmations, your head will stay up and your mind and heart will remain open. Don’t dwell on something you can’t change, rather focus on the things you have power to change.

How to continue positive living:
To stay positive you have to admit your feelings and express them. If you feel depressed or frustrated, just say it aloud. But, don’t stay there. Acknowledge your frustrations, accept them as a challenge, but then move forward. Any challenge you encounter can be turned into an opportunity, and is presented to you for you to eventually receive your higher purpose. Stay in control, express what you feel in the moment, thank that feeling for allowing you to find the strength required to overcome the challenge and then move on.

Many books, videos, dvds and messages are available to set your mind and your life in a positive direction. Use these tools if you need mentoring along your journey to instill positive thinking in your world.

Just remember you can achieve whatever you desire and keep your mind set for the good and positive things and not the negative. This will make you feel better and ultimately make you a happier person. If you’re happy, you will have a healthier life. Don’t forget to create a goal. Chunk your goal down into smaller steps and enjoy the rewards along the way.

Positive thinking will allow you to live the life you desire and provide you with absolute health and happiness. What more could you ask for in life?

Filed under: Health & Fitness, Pers. Empowerment — Danette Hibberd @ 8:15 am