2 REASONS WHY PARENTS FAIL

You may not know this, but I’m a father of 3. I have 2 sons, and 1 daughter. Parenting is not only extremely rewarding, but it’s also an incredible learning experience.

In addition to being a father for some years, I’ve also done extensive research into the art of parenting.

This is what I’ve learned…

The most important single role of parenting is to love and nurture your children and to build in them feelings of high self-esteem and self-confidence. If you raise your children feeling terrific about themselves, if you bring them up full of eagerness to go out and take on the world, then you have fulfilled your responsibility in the highest possible sense.

Why Parents Don't Love Enough

There are two major reasons for the failure by parents to love their children enough. First, the parents do not love themselves. Parents with low self-esteem have great difficulty giving more love to their children than they feel for themselves. The second reason that parents don't love their children enough is they often have the mistaken notion that their children exist to fulfil their expectations.

Children are Not Property

The starting point of raising super kids is to realize that your children are not your property. Your children belong to themselves. They are a gift to you from high above, and a temporary gift at that.

Children are a Precious Gift

When you look at your children as precious gifts that you can only enjoy for a short time, you see your role as parents differently. When you celebrate and encourage the special nature and personality of your child, he or she grows like a flower in sunshine. But if you try to get your child to be something he or she is not, your child's spirit will wither, and his or her potential for happiness and joy will shrivel like a leaf on a tree in autumn.

Love Makes the Difference

The most important consideration in raising super kids is the amount of love they receive. Children need love like flowers need water. A continuous flow of love and approval from the parent to the child is the child's lifeline to emotional and physical health. Love deprivation is surely the most serious problem that a child can suffer during his or her formative years.

Unconditional Love and Acceptance

Make it clear to your child that nothing he or she does could ever cause you to love him or her less than 100%. The most wonderful gift you can give your child is the absolute conviction that you love him or her completely, without reservation, no matter what he or she does and no matter what happens.

Praise and Encouragement

Give your children continual praise and encouragement for the positive things they do, even small things. Praise and reinforce what you would like to see repeated. Praise them to build their self-esteem and self-confidence.

Action Exercise

Ask yourself what it would be like to be your own child. Put yourself in the position of your child or your children, and then evaluate yourself as a parent. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you do well and what do you do poorly? What are some of the things that you do that might be causing your children to grow up with lower self-esteem than you would like? 

IT'S TIME TO USE YOUR PERSONAL POWER

Most of the world’s truly great people will never be known.
You and I will not hear of them and no one will write their
biographies. Fortunately, fame and greatness are not the
same thing.
Most of us will never be famous and it’s unlikely anyone
will write our biography. But that has nothing whatever to
do with greatness! All of us want to achieve. Whether our
goals are to make more money, to have more time with loved
ones or to achieve some other goal, the thing my readers

have in common is the desire to be, do and have
more than today.
And, of course, we all have greatness within us. Every one
of us is born to make a difference, to play our part, and
transform our corner of the world. We all--every single one
of us--has the potential to live with joy and gusto and
greatness. Why do so many of us settle for small problems,
and small lives?
I think we fail to use our personal power.
Because we are not powerful on the world stage, we forget
that we have tremendous power in our choices. We may not be
rich or famous but we have the power to live with dignity
and integrity and ambition. We have the power to smile, to
try, to persist. We have the power to read and learn, to
pick ourselves up and try again, perhaps in a new and
smarter way. We have the power to be loving, to be kind,
and the infinite power to create.
We have the power to choose how we live our lives.
My sense is that it helps to have a big dream. My father
always told us that if we were going to dream, we might as
well dream BIG dreams. I think it matters what we expect in
life. I think it helps to imagine the best and focus our
thoughts, our attention and our intention on big dreams.
But I also think it’s vital that we not be distracted by
our own dreams. It's helpful and fun to aim for the sky, so
long as we realize that even the biggest dreams happen one
step at a time. The world's tallest skyscrapers are build
one rivet at a time. Oprah Winfrey built her empire one
interview, one decision at a time. "A journey of a thousand
miles starts with a single step."
Both Nelson Mandela and Marianne Williamson have been
credited with the insight that our greatest fear is not
that we are powerless, but that (in fact!) we are powerful
beyond measure. Whoever said it first, it's true.
We are powerful beyond measure! We have the power to change
our world any time we choose. Use your power! Give a smile
to someone who needs one. Get up a bit earlier, or work a
bit longer, stand a bit taller.
High achievers use their personal power. They get up early.
They exercise. They make key phone calls. They read great
books. They monitor their time, their nutrition, their
investments, their relationships. And so can you! These are
the "little things" that create big results!
Use your power every single day! Hug someone one, or call a
friend. Do it today, not tomorrow or "someday." Use your
power to take a hike, read to a child or make one more
sales call. Set aside an hour to read a book, practice a
new skill or invite a mentor to lunch. Today, initiate some
action that, if repeated over time, will take your life in
the direction you want to go.
For the month of August, make a promise that you will use
your power every single day. Choose a few key areas and
commit that each day you will take specific actions to move
forward. Remember the clich�that "mighty oaks from tiny
acorns grow." The world’s strongest athletes started with a
few sit-ups or push-ups. The world’s great fortunes often
began with one small investment. Use your power! Whatever
you have and wherever you are, begin and persist.

WHERE THE ACORNS ARE?

About mid-morning, I turned on the Internet
to learn a Malaysian jet was shot down over
Ukraine. The pictures were vivid and the reporters had
anxious voices. Then, as I tried to absorb that tragedy,
about 11:00 my time, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip.
Reporters broke in to show flares in the night sky and
explosions on the ground. They wore flak jackets and
helmets and sounded frightened as they gave blow-by-blow
details, "up close and personal," in my own living room.
I could have sworn it was just yesterday we were on edge
about fighting in Syria, Iraq and kidnapped girls in
Nigeria. Or, maybe it was the crisis on the Texas border,
problems with the Veterans Administration or global
warming. Something awful like that.
So which is it? War and rumors of war. Death and
destruction falling from the sky. Conflict, scandal, crisis
and turmoil? Or, as Neil Armstrong once reported from the
surface of the moon, am I writing from Tranquility Base?
I often quote the line from Anais Nin, that "We don't see
life as it is, we see life as we are." It gives me comfort
and reminds me I am responsible for the quality of my life.
Based on the news, the world is in trouble. People are
dying. We seem to be violent creatures with endlessly
inventive ways to destroy each other. But, if I watch the
squirrel scurrying through my Oak trees, life is focused,
acrobatic, industrious and a tad humorous. Or, judging by
Tucker on the chair next to me, life is relaxed and
content, dreaming of tennis balls and trips to the park.
Which is it? Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
As I was driving this week, I half-heard Glenn Beck on the
radio. I wasn't paying much attention so I may not remember
this correctly, but he said something about turning away
from the news and politics and conflict. He described his
family, his home and ranch, and the work he does, and I
believe he talked about turning away from the world "out
there" to focus on the things that bring him joy.
While I didn't pay enough attention at the time, I've
pondered his words ever since.
Each of us has a life to live. It is ours, and only ours.
No one can live it for us, and we cannot live anyone else's
life for them. It is up to me to find, build and live the
life I want, or go to my grave wondering what "might have
been."
There are a thousand--perhaps millions!--of reasons to
procrastinate. "They" won't understand or approve. We might
make mistakes. We could get hurt. We don't--and never will-
-know enough. I remember my father saying, "When you
don't want to do something, any excuse is good enough."
But little kids know better. They want what they want. If
they want a cookie, they'll find a way! If they do not want
to go to bed or eat their veggies, I can pretty much
guarantee the adults are going to lose that argument. It's
only as we grow up that we lose that courage and wisdom and
independence. We learn to "go along to get along."
There are lots of legitimate, serious-sounding reasons to
hold yourself in check. The economy is not good. There are
wars, uncertainty, turmoil and conflict. Your Aunt or your
neighbor, perhaps your spouse will disapprove. We all have
our reasons for holding back. For playing safe and small.
But in each of us there is this thing, this spirit, that
longs to fly. It may be a "still, small voice" that calls
to us, or it may be a yearning in the breast, or a dream in
the early morning hours. Like a kid, it wants what it
wants.
Listen to that voice! That squirrel in my Oaks doesn't know
how high he is or that he should be very, very afraid. He
goes for the acorns! I think Anais Nin was right, "We don't
see the world the way it is, we see the world the way we
are." I'm recommitting to be more of a squirrel, to go out
to the very tips of the branches, where the fat, succulent
acorns are. And what I feast I shall have!
I invite you to join me. Where the acorns are.

BE REALISTIC: THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT YOU CAN DO

Have you ever thought about what you could do, if you really decided to?
I’m not merely talking about what your skills, education and talents are capable of. I’m talking about what is really possible for you.
There is a very real possibility that you can do virtually anything. Not alone, not with out new information, but certainly within your ultimate grasp.
Now many people would say to me, “be realistic. Some things are just not possible.” To them I say, a realist is simply a pessimist who doesn’t want to admit it. I’ve never heard a “realist” take an optimistic posture on any topic. They always say, “Let’s be realistic.” and then go on to explain why your idea can’t be done.
Imagine a realist saying, “Realistically, we don’t yet know what the possibilities are. This could be easier than we think!” Better, eh?
One thing I have learned over the years is that luck really does come to those who commit to a goal. Scientists and philosophers call it “synchronicity.” It is when things come together in an unexplainable way to help you reach your destination. Sometimes you just happen to meet someone who has the answer you need or shares your interests. At other times it is written off as “timing” or blind luck.
I don’t see it that way. I believe that there are some universal principles at work which most people miss. There have been references to this phenomenon in philosophical and religious literature throughout history. Without waxing poetic, here is what goes on.
When any person makes a decision to bring about a certain outcome, the entire universe starts the process of making it happen. As long as the person persists in the belief that they are creating the desired result, the process continues. When doubt, hatred, or fear dominate the person, the process stops and other forces direct the world’s energies in other positive directions. This is why there is “power” in positive thinking.
Sometimes we express a strong desire and the result occurs immediately. We call this a miracle. At other times we strive long and hard without visible progress. The operative word there is “visible”. There are too many elements in the world for us to be conscious of how they all interact. But the moment we decide to do what it takes to create a result, the universe bends toward us to assist. This continues unless we do something to stop the process.
That is why I say there is nothing you can’t do. There are things that might not be worth doing but almost anything can be done somehow. To do such things requires a certain state of mind. It requires optimism, determination, clarity, love for all mankind and humility. Optimism is the only productive way to think. Not pollyanna blind faith in spite of the facts, just the continuing belief that there is a way and that you will ultimately find it. Determination is to do what is necessary even if it is not convenient, if you are not in the mood, if it takes more than you expected, and if it is not fair, meaning that you have to contribute more than others.
Clarity of focus is essential in order to activate things in your favor. So goal setting in writing is essential to get things going. The clearer your focus, the more compelling your influence becomes. When you believe unflinchingly in your cause, others will be drawn to you.
Love of all humanity means respect for the dignity of and sensitivity to the needs of others. Contrary to Gordon Gekko’s line in the movie Wall Street, greed does not work, because it separates you from others. Only love and respect will connect you to all who might ultimately help.
And finally, humility. The biblical way of expressing this thought is, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.” If we realize how little we know, we will be a lot more humble. Emerson said, “Desire is possibility seeking expression.” If you truly want something, the possibility of it surely exists. That does not mean that it is a good idea for you. It just means that it could happen. But if you are dedicated to achieving something deeply and sincerely, then it is incumbent upon you to pursue it.
Where the problems arise is when we decide that we already know what it will take to do the job. Far too many variables exist for us to really “know” what it takes in any instance. So we must move forward based on what we know, while listening to the messages the world is sending us. We sometimes find that an even better outcome is available to us through a simple change in direction. At other times we simply need to learn the lesson life has to teach us at a given point and then move on in a new direction. We never know how valuable that life lesson will be later on as we pursue a greater goal.
So I encourage you to be realistic, there is no limit to what you can do.

STUDY YOUR DATA

I'm often called in to consult with business
leaders who are confused, even terrified by what they
perceive to be a terrible business situation. Maybe sales
are down even though they’ve added more sales people.
Perhaps production costs are up and profits are plummeting.
Sometimes key people are leaving, and they don’t know why.
Granted, sometimes the answers are hard to find and we have
work to do, but often the answers are readily available.
Often the answers are sitting right on their desk in the
form of numbers they haven't bothered to analyze.
Every business has a small number of critical
"measurables." For a therapist, these include the number of
clients, the average length of treatment, and the number of
new referrals per month. With just those three numbers, you
can pretty well predict the future of any clinical
practice. Obviously, the cost of rent, staffing and many
other numbers are also helpful, but those three tell you
most of what you need to know.
In other businesses, the variables will be different, but
they ALL need to be studied.
I once worked with a financial institution.
For them, the key variable was the ratio of total monthly
revenue divided by total payroll. That single number said
volumes about the over-all health of the company.
Whatever your key variables, study them! Too often managers
and CEO’s get so caught up in planning for the future and
putting out daily fires that they forget to crunch the
numbers. I believe in numbers! Study them. You can learn a
lot from a few key numbers, and make adjustments
accordingly.

IN MARKETING, R = (N x I) - C

Dr Philip Humbert developed a formula that helps his clients strategize
their marketing campaigns and it works like this:

R = (N x I) – C
The amount of new Revenue (R) created by a marketing
program is a product of the Number of people (N) in your
audience, multiplied by the Impact (I) of your
presentation, minus the Cost (C) of the campaign. It’s very
simple. To increase revenue, you must either reach more
people, increase the impact of your presentation, or reduce
the cost. Here are three examples.
A radio ad in a major market might reach a million
listeners (N), but the impact (I) will be very small and
the cost (C) may be too high. Changing the ad to a radio
talk-show might still reach the same number of listeners,
but by increasing the Impact, you'll attract more business
and perhaps reduce the cost.
Similarly, a speech to a local service club might have an
audience (N) of 100 people, but if your presentation
creates enough Impact (I) and the cost of doing it is very
low, you may attract several new clients at minimal cost.
If you mail 1000 brochures, and the Impact (I) or “response
rate” is 1%, and the cost of printing and postage is ninety
cents per brochure, then the formula of R = (N x I) - C
works out to be:  Ten Clients = (1000 x 1%) - $900.
You can attract more business and increase profits by
increasing the Number of prospects, by increasing the
Impact you have on each of them, or by reducing your Costs.
Some people prefer contacting lots of people via the
Internet, while others prefer the personal contact of doing
workshops. Any method can work, but the formula remains the
same:  R = (N x I) – C.

THREE STEPS TO WIN IN LIFE

Step One: Planning to Win
There are lots of steps and sub-steps you have to put together when you begin to plan your success, but a few things are foundational. Planning has to be based on getting a clear vision of what you want, because without a vision you don’t know which goals to set. Without goals you have no targets, and without targets you have nothing to measure how you’re doing. So you can see how important a vision is. Getting a clear vision for your future is also important because it plays a huge role in the creation of desire! Did you know that desire is the mother of motivation? Desire is the “want to” and the motor that fuels and powers sustained success.
Desire is important and vision is critical, but there are some personal qualities you must have or acquire to get the best possible results. As a matter of fact, there are six qualities: honesty, character, faith, integrity, love, and loyalty. I have called these qualities the foundation stones to any lasting success. You can develop each of these qualities in your life as you prepare to become the winner you were born to be.
Step Two: Preparing to Win
At first glance, you might think planning and preparing mean the same thing. I admit they might look like they are first cousins, but I see preparation as much different from planning. Preparation is a matter of equipping yourself to win with the right tools, knowledge, and support it will take to turn your dreams into plans that will make your vision into reality. So, you must equip yourself in the best possible way to insure your planning efforts will be successful.
Equipping and preparing yourself to win requires five things:
• You need the right knowledge to win.
• You must continually raise your personal performance bar.
• You must acquire tools that help you work better and faster.
• You have to practice your skills.
• You have to surround yourself with positive influences and people.
In summary, you have to train yourself to become a twenty-four-hour champion. Winning involves planning and preparing. Both are a constant-improvement, never-ending process. When you stop planning and preparing . . . you stop winning. Twenty-four-hour champions continually equip themselves to win!
Step Three: Expecting to Win
I’ve always said that when you have planned and prepared to win, you then have the right to expect to win. The ultimate fruit of positive expectation is hope, and it is hope that pulls you forward in all you attempt to do. I’m always hopeful and I never worry. I can say that because I expect the best possible result in all that I do. I expect the best because I planned my success, prepared myself to execute my plans, and earned the right to expect the best.
Desire is the mother of motivation, because that is where your motivation is born. Properly planning and preparing heightens your expectations, which fuels your desire and drives you to become even more motivated. Through the years I’ve continually heard from individuals from all walks of life whose lives were in a downward spiral—until they read something in my write ups that gave them the will and the skills they needed to change their circumstances and transform their lives. They testify that by putting my simple suggestions into practice their lives were transformed. Sometimes the transformation was mental, sometimes it was spiritual, and other times it was material. Whatever the transformation, there was a commonality to the core changes they made. These people changed the way they viewed themselves. They became willing to make significant changes, and they came to believe they were born to win! What they really did is develop the skills and take the necessary actions they needed to plan, prepare, and expect to win!
You were born to win. But to be the winner you were born to be you have to plan to win, prepare to win, and only then can you expect to win. Go out and be the winner you were meant to be today!

THE LAW OF SMALL DIFFERENCES

Some very wise people have suggested that knowing our
mission in life is the BIG question every adult must
answer. Some very smart people have told me I should define
my life mission, and then faithfully pursue that mission
through the years. And, I would love to do that!
If I knew where I wanted to be in 30 years and could spend
my life pursuing one clear vision, I would do it!  It
sounds so simple and powerful to know where I'm going and
then "stay the course" for a lifetime!
Unfortunately, I never seem to know what I want for dinner,
let alone where I'm going ten years from now! My interests
and circumstances change. Hopefully I mature, learn new
things and take on new challenges that change my sense of
mission--and pretty much everything else in my life!
The only thing that doesn't change is that I have some
clear values and desires for a world of healthy, productive
and prosperous people. And very importantly, I have several
specific, measurable goals that range from a few months to
perhaps five years. But a single life-time mission? Not so
much.
I do, however, understand the value of putting one foot in
front of the other, and moving forward one day at a time. I
know about trying to have fun, do something useful, and
using each day well. Since I don't have a 30-year plan, I
use the wisdom of Alcoholics Anonymous and try to live one
day at a time!
I am convinced that for most of us, the key is making each
day just a bit better, a bit more productive, just slightly
more fun than yesterday. If we can do that, my hope and
prayer is that the 30-year plan will take care of itself.
In that sense, I am a huge believer in the "Law of Small
Differences." This is a "law" I observed almost 30 years
ago, and it basically says that if I can do things slightly
better, faster, cheaper or with a bit more "style," in the
long run, things will work out just fine.
The Law of Small Differences says that saving just a little
each month for 30 years is a small thing that can be worth
millions in the long run. The Law says that successful
people get to work just a few minutes earlier, or do things
just slightly faster or are just slightly more effective
than failures. It says that, even if I don't know the BIG
secrets to life, I can do the things I DO know and trust
that they will make a difference.
What I can do is make my bed each morning, kiss my wife,
eat a healthy breakfast, return my phone calls, pay my
bills on time, read a little each day, and exercise a bit.
I can encourage folks, smile a lot, listen well, be kind,
and try to make the world a better place. I can pitch-in,
lend a hand. And put my dirty socks in the hamper. The Law
of Small Differences says that even if these things don't
transform my life over-night, they are likely to make life
better over time. 
What I observe is that the differences between highly
successful people and "failures" tend to be very, very
small.  And they tend to be simple things anyone can do.
Highly successful people pay just a bit more attention,
have slightly more self-discipline, live slightly more
organized lives. They tell the truth, practice a bit of
humility, listen and learn from others, and do their best
every day. They keep their appointments, practice
forgiveness and generosity, and they laugh a lot. 
It would be great if I had a life-time sense of mission,
but in the meantime, I do what I can, and let the Law of
Small Differences work in my favor. The key to success is
not being a genius or winning the lottery or inventing the
next big thing. The Law of Small Differences says success
is the result of doing the right things, in the right way,
at the right time, every day.
Today, do one thing that makes a small, positive
difference, and if you like the results, do it again and
again and again. Over time, the Law of Small Differences
will make a huge difference in your results!

BALANCING TODAY'S SALES PRIORITIES

Now that you’re in the third quarter, most of your focus is likely on finishing the end of the year strong—meeting the sales objectives you mapped out at the beginning of the year. And it’s true that the real end-of-the-year push starts now. But it’s also not too early to start planning your sales objectives for next year. The challenge, then, lies in how to balance this year’s very real priorities with the looming new year’s no-less-real priorities.
Sales professionals know where they should be at this time of year. Very few will be at 100 percent of their objectives in the third quarter—for those at 75 percent, most are where they should be. If they stay the course, they can often still come out on plan. But for those behind plan, it’s difficult not to shift into panic mode: “If I’m not where I need to be when Q3 ends, Q4 has to produce even more for me to make my numbers and my quota for the year.”
To avoid getting into a situation where the impulse is to jam product, which puts the opportunity for long-term relationships with clients at risk, it’s helpful to establish a deal review process that looks at past, present and future:

1. Look back and reflect on performance versus goals
2. Look at current activity levels from two perspectives:

a. Explore whether the amount of selling activity is sufficient to support your sales targets
b. Discover to what extent the activities are balanced across the different types of selling work being done (prospecting, qualifying, covering the bases, and closing)

3. Look at the sales funnel in terms of what’s coming down the pike

 

A forward-looking deal review process will help you plan for meeting your end-of-year forecasts—and should also get you thinking, hard, about next fiscal year. Set very specific professional goals for the year. Be specific about how much you hope to deliver; what companies you hope to work with; how much money you plan on making; what areas you hope to improve upon; and what advances you hope to make in your career.

Don’t let tunnel vision trip you up. Keeping one eye on the now with the other on the next (year) is a balancing act that the successful sales professional must master.

 

SPEED READING DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL RUSHED!

 

If you’re like most people, your casual reading time is meant to be relaxing and leisurely. So how could speed reading possibly enhance your fun time?

The answer is, the same way it can enhance your work time. First, you’ll be able to read more material. Second, you’ll be able to get more out of the material you read.
Still not sure? Stick with me here – you’re really going to like this.
Not so long ago, back in the Space Age, the average person could get away with reading at a leisurely pace. In spite of its futuristic name, life in the Space Age was a little slower then. Banks were only open weekdays between the hours of 10:00 and 3:00. Cars were gas guzzlers that ran on something called Ethyl, and music was played on little vinyl platters that spun around at 45 revolutions per minute.
Nowadays, in the Information Age, even Chevy makes a hybrid car, banking and stock trading happens around the world around the clock 24/7, and music is played back from little platters of data decoded at 44,100 cycles per second. You might say things have speeded up just a wee bit.
Avoiding the Information Crunch
Back in the Space Age, the average person could keep up with the news of the world and stay relevant simply by browsing a copy of Newsweek once every seven days. An ambitious person might pick up the local newspaper and glance at the headlines over coffee each morning.
But in the Information Age, RSS feeds pack your Internet browser with column upon column of news, finance and fashion trends. Friends and relatives give subtle rebukes if you’re not keeping up with them on the social networks.
Where the Harvard Classics, the famed “5-foot shelf of knowledge,” was once a sufficient substitute for a classical education in the humanities, these days it seems the average person is expected or even required to read more miles of prose, text and data in a year than most of our ancestors could have accessed in a lifetime. Let’s face it: great-grandma Jones just didn’t have text or email, let alone an online compendium of the world’s most incredible information.
Reading As Rapidly As A Rocket On Rails
Information is hot and it’s everywhere. If you want to get ahead, or even keep up, you’ve simply got to get a handle on the reams of information coming your way everyday. But how do you do that? The average person reads at a rate of only 200 words per minute – about the rate of speech. That’s hardly enough to get through the gossip column, let alone read the hard news and bone up on your business skills.
But what if I told you that you could increase your reading rate by a factor of 10 or more – and increase your comprehension in the process? Well, it’s true. You can. How do I know? Well, I’ve done just that, and the best part is… it wasn’t hard! Not at all. In fact, it was a breeze.
Before I learned how to speed read, my reading rate was 163 words per minute. That’s 18% slower than average. There’s no shame in that. It was just my way. Today I read at just over 3,000 words a minute – to be exact, 3,066 was my last timed test with 70% comprehension – and I’ve been clocked at more than 10,000 words a minute.
Opting For A Faster “Normal”
The single greatest objection to speed reading that I hear from people who don’t know how to do it is that they’re afraid they’ll stop enjoying a leisurely stroll through a good novel. This simply isn’t the case.
In fact, you’ll be able to enjoy more strolls through more good novels in less time. You see, once you learn to speed read, it doesn’t mean you feel rushed when you read. It simply means you have a new “normal”. The more skilled you are, the higher that un-rushed new normal is. For me, reading at 700 words a minute was once a big goal. Now it feels like a little like a casual stroll through the park.
When reading is no longer an obstacle, your world opens up in ways you haven’t even thought of yet. For one thing, you can learn to long jump that Harvard Classics 5-foot shelf of knowledge like an Olympic athlete.
Is it complicated to learn how to speed read? Not at all. Does it take practice? Absolutely! But just like any exercise program, you’ll find that once you get started, you’ll love it. And you’ll want to keep at it every day. You can be sure that you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice in this day and age.

THE DREAMS OF SUMMER

Summer is the time for baseball, beaches, sun and fun. It's
a time to slow down, to rest, relax and vacation, right?
Isn't that what everyone does?
Well, not exactly. In my opinion, summer (and particularly
this long holiday weekend) is the time to design your
strategy and develop your plans for 2015. (Yes, already!
The days march on, whether you are ready or not.)
Most of us do our year-end and new-year planning in
December, to coincide with the calendar. That seems
logical, but in fact it's an "amateur mistake." The end of
the year is full of holidays. It's full of year-end tax
planning, distractions, busy-ness and stress, and under
those conditions, planning becomes a rushed and hurried
thing.
In contrast, the summer is a time for dreams. It's a time
for lazy afternoons, for watching the kids play at the
beach and taking long country drives. It's the perfect time
to design your life and plan your future.
In my opinion, now is the time to create the year you want
in 2015.  Everyone else is lazing away, but not you!  Use
these long summer days to plan your next conquest, to
detail your next project. Focus on the future you really
want and let the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer"
motivate you to dream bigger, go further and reach higher
than ever before.
Just be sure you don't let your summer day dreams end
there. As you dream, take notes! Get a calendar and set
some targets. Use your checkbook, profit and loss
statements and sales data to develop a budget. Talk with
colleagues and share your dreams. Develop action strategies
and implementation plans.
This year, use summer to create the life you truly want.
Life will rush at you in the months and years ahead,
whether you are ready or not. Be ready. Have a plan. Take
action. Create the life you truly want and what better time
to prepare than after Independence Day, during the glorious
days of summer?

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HIT A BRICK WALL

I see great opportunities coming your way today.
Receive capacity to harness those wonderful opportunities.

I have been sharing with you the testimony of another of
a lady who by virtue of the information and motivation
she got from her mentor's work was able to publish her very first book.

Although she had started writing the book way back in school,
she encountered some challenges that deterred her from finishing
the book until she came across her mentor.

In her own words, she said the eagerness to continue writing the
book after such a long time was reignited in her.

It is human nature to give up something you love to do after
experiencing different setbacks and challenges, the moment
you hit a brick wall on the way to accomplishing your dreams.
And that could be rather overwhelming.

But I have discovered that persistence and perseverance are
two indispensable factors for achieving your dream.

You may have an incredible idea, you may have an outstanding
innovation, and you may even have a story to tell like this lady,
but if you do not have staying power, you just might not see it
through to the end.

In actual fact, the challenges you face while trying to achieve
your dream is proof that your idea or dream is very much needed
in our world.

THE FINANCIAL EQUATION THAT WILL SET YOU FREE!

I have a good friend who works in an area of the US that has more than its share of poverty. He called me the other day with a very broken heart. He was feeling badly for the people around him who simply do not allow themselves to get set free financially. I could feel the pain he was feeling because I too, very often wonder why it is that some people experience financial independence and others do not. It really is a mystery.
But how to get financial independence is not a mystery!
Rather, financial independence is a very simple thing. Truly! It is hard work and takes time, but the process is very simple! In fact, financial independence can come from following a very simple plan.
All of the books on financial independence can ultimately be boiled down to this basic equation. It is an equation that is as simple as it gets. In fact, it isn’t even a multiplication problem, it is an addition equation! And we all learned addition in the first grade! Just as 1 + 1 = 2, so does this POWERFUL yet SIMPLE equation add up to your financial independence!
What is this equation? Get ready, your life is about to change forever if you will allow yourself to understand and live by the simplicity of this equation. Here it is:
Smart Decisions + Good Math = Financial Independence
Let’s break it down and take a closer look. First the Smart Decisions, then the Good Math.
Smart Decisions:
Go to college. Get educated.
I know that somebody will say, “Yeah but most of the people on the Forbes 400 never went past high school.” Well so did most of the people on the welfare line! Most people aren’t Bill Gates or Sam Walton. Most people who earn between $100,000-$150,000 a year are college graduates. “But I’m forty! I can’t go to college.” Yes you can. You will be 44 when you get out and have 21 years of a much better income. The fact is that most good jobs and careers go to those who have educated themselves. It is still the surest way to a long-term large income.
Still don’t want to go to college? See the last item under smart decisions.
Get better training.
At the very least go get some training in your specific area of expertise. The promotions will go to those who are the best trained, so become the best trained! Take a course, even if your employer won’t pay for it, because eventually they WILL pay you for it!
Work hard.
I have found that the many hundreds of high achievers who I know personally who have become and are becoming financially independent are hard workers. Every one of them works long hours.
They sacrifice for the security they are shooting for and have attained. I know, we all get emails that say, “Financial Independence in 10 hours a week.” Let me ask you, do you know anybody like that? I don’t. No one. Even the success stories you here in the get rich quick industries show you that they worked HARD!
Develop yourself.
Become a better person. Better people get better jobs and get paid better dollars! Make sure that every day you are becoming a person who is on the growth track, raising yourself to a higher and higher level with each and every passing day! Eventually your development will catch up with you and your income will soar!
Stay out of debt.
This is the smartest decision you will ever make. NO Debt! You know what? I have ONE bill I have to pay every month. That is my mortgage. But that’s a debt! Well, without getting into an argument, I consider it a forced investment with the added benefit of providing me and my family with shelter! I do not consider a mortgage a debt. I mean car debt, stereo debt, and consumer debt of all kinds. It is possible. It can be done. And it will provide you with financial freedom!
Own your own business if you can.
So you don’t want to go to college. Okay. Or maybe you did go to college and you just want to make sure that you make as much as you can. Well, the smart decision is to own your own business. Most millionaires in America are the people who own their own businesses. It will take a lot of risk, a lot of hard work, and many ups and downs, but owning your business gives you the opportunity to accumulate great wealth, because the profit is all yours. There are plenty of opportunities to own your own business and I would encourage you to strongly consider the alternative for many reasons, of the best of which is the opportunity to achieve financial independence.
Good Math:
Spend less than you earn.
One plus one equals two. We learn that very early on. Eventually, we learn negatives and we learn that one minus two equals negative one. Simple right? Yet many people live their lives in such a way that they spend more than their income and destroy their opportunity for long-term financial independence.
There are two things you can do to make this “good math” work for you. You can increase your income so that it outpaces your spending, or you can decrease your spending. You increase your income by making the smart decisions listed above. You decrease your spending by making hard choices. One of these must be done if you are going to achieve the kind of long-term financial independence you desire.
Put money away into investment vehicles on a regular basis.
If you are going to achieve financial independence, you will have to put away money regularly. This is the math principle of addition. Don’t laugh: most people don’t get this. Or if they do, they don’t practice it! Whether it is every paycheck, or the first of the month, or quarterly, or however you can do it – DO IT! When you hit 65 years of age, you will be glad you did. And if you put away enough and into the right investments, you may just be thankful a lot sooner than that!
Let your interest accrue.
This is compounding and it is powerful! If you earn twelve percent on your money every year, do you know how soon it will be until you have twice as much as you started with? At first thought you may assume that it is one hundred divided by twelve, or eight and a third years. Not true. There is an investment rule that is called the rule of 72. That is, divide 72 by what average interest you make and that is how many years it takes to double your money. In this case, at twelve percent, your money doubles every six years! This works because you earn twelve percent on not only the original amount but the interest you earned as well.
Start with $100 and the next year you have $112. If you take the $12 out then you will only make twelve percent on $100 again. If you let it accrue, you will make twelve percent on $112. This will cut almost two years off of the time it takes to double!
Where the real power comes in is over longer periods of time. Let’s say grandma dies and leaves you $25,000 when you are eighteen. You can do any number of things with that money.
1. Buy a snazzy car. Not a good idea, though most eighteen-year-olds would do just this.
2. Invest the money and take out the interest every year. This is nice. It throws you $3000 every year and over forty-two years you make $126,000 for doing nothing and you still have $25,000!
3. Here is the real deal! You leave the money alone for forty-two years at twelve percent (about the long-term average for the stock market). At the end of that time you decide to retire and go to the investment summary to see how much you have. What do you find? You find that your money doubled seven times and that leaves you with 3.2 million dollars! Can you retire on that? You bet you can.
You can achieve financial independence. You can live the life you have always dreamed of. You can have a life where you have enough at all times, especially in the end. It is possible. You just have to make smart decisions and use good math!
As a refresher, here they are again:
Smart decisions:

• Go to college.
• Get better training.
• Work hard.
• Develop yourself.
• Stay out of debt.
• Own your own business if you can.

Good math:

• Spend less than you earn.
• Put money away into investment vehicles on a regular basis.
• Let your interest accrue.