Sunday, November 30, 2008

You Must Get Out of the Tribe

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Monday December 1 2008

Welcome everyone to what is going to be an exciting month.

This month we're going to be focusing on getting you completely set up to help you attain your goals and intentions for 2009. We'll be calling on many of our best contributors to bring forward the information you're going to need for next year to be all you dream it can be.

We are well aware that the world's economic adjustments are going to have some impact, however, we believe that you have all that you need to rise way above the prevailing conditions. People with The Wealthy Attitude know that their individual mindset, and their ability to take inspired action pushes them well past the situations that "take out" most folks. In fact, you might as well announce loudly, "Bring It On".

We have an awesome week shaping up starting today. One of our favorite contributors, Jan Janzen, has written five "readers" that are being offered exclusively to you over the next five days.

Jan is a “classic” entrepreneur, coach, healer and author of two books including her latest release, Getting off the Merry-Go-Round - How to Create the Life You Want Without the Fear, Doubt and Guilt. You can order her book here: www.nomorefeardoubtandguilt.com

You are going to love what she has to share this week. So, let's get started.

You Must Get Out of the Tribe
by Jan Janzen

Every single human being is born into the Tribe and inherits what I call “Tribal Mentality”. Tribal Mentality describes the set of beliefs you have picked up automatically from the Tribe. Richard Dawkins first described them as memes -- ideas that are repeated and passed on until they are believed and accepted by the masses. Most of these memes or Tribal Mentality beliefs are absolutely false, but as Lenin stated, “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”

For example, there are millions of Tribal Mentality beliefs about money that you have picked up from all of the propaganda and programming around money. “Money is hard to get.” “Money is hard to keep.” “Rich people are evil.” “Rich bitch.” “Dirty money.” “If I’m rich, everyone will take advantage of me.” These are just a few of the millions of Tribal Mentality beliefs, memes that you have automatically adopted. For every time you say you want more money in your life, I bet there will be a Tribal Mentality belief that deflects it or offsets it.

Tribal Mentality beliefs are insidious. We just accept them because they are part of our inheritance from the Tribe. How do you find out what Tribal Mentality beliefs are affecting you? Make a list of some of your most predominant beliefs around money, religion, sex, business, politics and health. Then note whether or not these beliefs are common, typical, standard or usual. Notice whether or not the majority of those beliefs are what everyone else believes. Note any beliefs where you stand out as different, provocative, controversial or even eccentric. The latter beliefs may very well be outside of Tribal Mentality beliefs. Those may be the most exciting beliefs you can have because they are what will change your circumstances, financial situation, relationships and health.

For example, as we near the end of the year, there will be Tribal Mentality customs that occur. People will celebrate the ending of the old year and the ringing in of the new. Many people will set their goals and intentions for 2009.

However, Tribal Mentality beliefs already are in place that state that 97% of people will forget those goals in the first week. The vast majority of people, despite all of their goal setting and intentions, will NEVER get what they want in 2009. That’s already been determined by the under-lying Tribal Mentality belief that most people never follow through, most people quit, the majority aren’t focused enough, determined enough, tenacious enough or courageous enough. We ALREADY know that. Yes?

Your decision to make is whether or not you will be part of the Tribe and accept the results, or will you step out of the Tribe; create a different belief and therefore a different result.

Tribal Mentality is what keeps you inside the box, in your comfort zone and broke, unhappy, single when you’d rather be married, and married when you would rather be single. It’s what keeps you fat, a victim, powerless and dumb.

Just note how many times you say something like: “It’s so hard to lose weight after 40. All nice men are either married or gay. I’m having a blonde moment. All new businesses struggle in the first year. Money doesn’t grow on trees you know. Teenagers are difficult. I have no time.”

Every single one of those statements is a Tribal Mentality belief that you have adopted and bought into. They are NOT true. They are beliefs that you have chosen at some level to agree with.

Look carefully at your beliefs. Decide whether or not you want to be part of the Tribe and if you don’t, then get out! The Tribe is broke, miserable, powerless and pathetic. It is on a collision course with disaster. The more people who wake up and get out of that mediocrity, poor me, victim way of thinking and believing can and will shift the Tribal Mentality beliefs from negative to positive, from poverty to abundance. It’s starting to happen already. The only question is whether you will stay part of the old Tribe and its way of thinking or join the new.

Jan is also President of Plexus Pink, an international network marketing company that is dedicated to healthy breasts for every woman. Check out what she’s doing at: www.plexusworldwide.com

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

A Brain Food Video -- "Gratitude"

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Friday November 28 2008

Welcome to the end of the week, and the final day of this amazing "Gratitude Month".

As we wrap up a four weeks of celebrating November as "Gratitude Month" we are affirmed more and more about maintaining an attitude of gratitude in all that we do. From waking to the glory of life every morning, partaking of all of the days experiences and opportunities, to all of the many blessings of clean air, grand foods, and safe homes, to finally being able to fall asleep with the joy and anticipation of another day to follow. Now, that is truly "living".

Now, next week we have a great treat. As I mentioned the other day, one of our favorite folks, the delightful Jan Janzen, is providing us with "readers" for the entire first week of December. This will get your 2009 planning mindset in nice order for you to visualize exectly what you want to manifest in the New Year. It's going to be a hoot.

Now, let's get this week wrapped up in a wonderful way with a video offering that truly does reflect all that we feel here at The Wealthy Attitude. You're going to like this.

A Brain Food Video -- "Gratitude".

{!firstname_fix}, spend this weekend visualizing and reflecting on exactly why all who really know you are incredibly grateful for you being in their life. I know I'm certainly grateful for you being in mine.

See you on Monday for the start of "Jan Janzen Week"

Take care,

~peter~

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Thursday November 27 2008

Good day all and welcome to Thursday.

To all of our American friends, subscribers, and contributors, we send you our very best wishes as you celebrate your Thanksgiving holiday. We are deeply aware that as you partake of your celebrations, you will clearly see that no matter the market conditions, government changes, and broad sweeping changes in how most folks live, you have much to give thanks for indeed.

We are wrapping up Gratitude Month today, and you will see that there is a clear agenda in why we're doing this today. Yes, it's U.S. Thanksgiving, it's near the end of November, the "Gratitude Month", but our friend Rhonda Byrne inspired us to time our conclusion with the announcement of something wonderful that she is starting today.

Rhonda Byrne, as you undoubtedly aware, is the creator of the worldwide classic "The Secret". She is also the creator of The Secret Scrolls. Today she is launching something that ties directly to what we've been doing here all of Gratitude Month.

Her note to you follows.

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret

The greatest thief of human happiness and abundance is ungratefulness. Any lack in our lives - whether in money, health, or relationships - is simply the evidence of a lack of gratitude. If you focus on lack you are not being grateful, and that will bring more lack into your life. Yet the simple state of radiating gratitude summons everything to you.

No matter who you are or where you are, you can change your life with gratitude, but you must feel it with your whole heart and radiate it from every cell. Gratitude is not a mental exercise, and in fact, if you simply use your mind for gratitude it will have little or no power. True gratitude comes from your heart! You must think gratitude through your heart, speak gratitude through your heart, and feel it intensely in your heart.

Then practice gratitude relentlessly. As you practice gratitude you will attract more thoughts and feelings of gratitude. In a short time your entire being will be saturated with it, and you will experience a happiness that is beyond what you can imagine. This is what is ahead for you when you choose gratitude as your way of life. And if you can really live in this highest state of gratitude, you will never have to ask for anything. Everything you want will be given to you before you even ask, because gratitude is the magnetic substance that opens every single door in the Universe.

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. To celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to share an excerpt with you from The Secret Daily Teachings, which is being released in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia on December 9th. This excerpt presents an easy way to start using gratitude and integrate it into your life by making every Thursday "Thank You Thursday." As you "Thank your way through every Thursday" you will open the most powerful receiving channel within you.

From The Secret Daily Teachings - Thank You Thursday

"Today is Thank You Thursday. Today and every Thursday is your day to say and feel "Thank you" in as many ways as you can.

Write a list of all the people and events you want to give thanks for.

Return thanks today to those who have done things for you.

As you walk say "Thank you" in your mind with each step you take.

As you drive, make each time you stop your cue to say "Thank you."

At various times in the day, think and feel "Thank you" inside you seven times in a row.

Look for every opportunity to say "Thank you" to other people, and say it with so much meaning that the person looks right at you.

Thank your way through every Thursday, and make "Thank you" your predominant thought, feeling, and words of the day.

"Thank you" - two words, inconceivable potential power, and all they need is you to put the power into them by expressing them.

"Thank you!"

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Life's Search Engine

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Wednesday November 26 2008

Hi all and welcome to the midweek point.

I'm so excited I can hardly breathe (and it's not due to my darned cold).

One of our very favorite contributors, the delightful Jan Janzen, is preparing to launch her latest book, "Getting Off The Merry-Go-Round --- How To Create The Life You Want Without The Fear, Doubt and Guilt" and folks, it's a doozy.

I've been chatting with Jan and she has offered to deliver to you a series of five brand new "Daily Readers" starting on December 1. This is an auspicious date as it launches us into the last month of the year, and one where we are really going to be focusing on setting achieveable goals and intentions for 2009.

I'll keep you up to date as Jan get's these new offering to us, and look forward to getting your December off to an awesome start.

One of our other favorite contributors gets us into the midweek point with an outstanding offering. You are going to like what Karen has to share today, and you'll want to pass it around.

Life's Search Engine
by Karen Wright

Someone recently asked me where I get my inspiration for my Waking Up articles. The short answer is "life." Ideas come from everywhere: books, movies, emails, songs, etc. I sometimes think of myself as a bell. Every now and then something will come along and "clank" me and it seems like something important to write about. Today's message was birthed by an email I got from a fellow subscriber a few weeks back. It seemed worthy of a follow up. Here's her email:

I like the quote of yours currently displayed on your web site, "What we learn depends on the teachers we choose." It reminds me of something I told my sister upon our learning of my brother's cancer diagnosis.

We both immediately went to the Internet to research his diagnosis and learn about the possible prognosis' for the remaining length of his life. That evening we were on the phone and she was so upset and full of doom and gloom while I was happy and eager to share my tales of survival and beating the odds.

She couldn't believe I'd found so many positive, upbeat stories from strong people who weathered the storm of their cancer while all she'd found were dismal tales of good-byes and tears.

I asked her what she punched into the search engine when she was looking for information. She'd typed in lung cancer mortality rates while I'd typed in surviving lung cancer."

Ever since then I've used the comparison, "Life is like a search engine, you get out of it what you type into it!" If you go looking for the scary stuff, you surely will find it, but if you look for the positive, the life affirming, you will get those in spades. --Betsey McGuire

What a powerful example of this life principle: what we learn does indeed depend upon the teachers we choose. And in this moment in history, it might be worth asking who it is we are choosing as teachers. Are we hanging on every word of the doom and gloom sky-is-falling prophets? Are we hunkering down for a hard year or two? Are we dumping investments and stowing cash in our mattresses?

Or are we turning our panic-stricken faces toward a political savior? Are we waiting for our own "rescue package?" Either way is a choice to play the victim. To once again believe that everyone else knows better than we do and close the door to our own personal wisdom that isn't panicked and does know that life is very simple and makes perfect sense. The law of cause and effect is unendingly predictable. If we're paying attention - not to the news, but to the cycles of life.

We forget that life also has a life cycle. Why do you think it's called that? Like all organic systems (plants, animals, planets), life sometimes grows like crazy and sometimes pulls back. Like the surges of ocean tides. Advancing, receding. When the tide ebbs or the Fall leaves drop we don't panic and despair of the end of life. We know that given the right time the tide will again flow and the leaves will again bud. The cycle will continue.

Like the fish that is completely unaware of the water in which it lives, it's easy for us, too, to not see the nature of our own environment. We see this moment yet this moment is a blip on the screen of life. There is a much bigger picture that our myopia does not discern. Throughout our human history we've faced times when it looked like life was ending - and it didn't. Did it change? Yes, as predictably and harmoniously as any system evolves. We might not understand in this moment, but all things make sense when you have the right lens and the bigger perspective.

I do not know your specific personal situation. It might seem presumptuous, even pampas, of me to say, "It will be alright." But, it will. Fear is not your ally; it gives false counsel. You are stronger than anything you will ever face. Life will go on and you will thrive. Choose your teachers wisely - and don't forget that your own wisdom is a most trusted advisor. Don't let panic make your decisions; it has a bad track record.

Do what you must do. Follow your intuition. Trust in life. Let's not force our economy into unraveling by our self-fulfilling prophesy reactions to speculation and what-iffing. Let's relax a bit and know that "this too shall pass."

As Frank Lloyd Wright brilliantly said, "The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."

What do you believe in?

Karen is author of The Sequoia Seed: Remembering the Truth of Who You Are, a great read for anyone who is seeking understanding or guidance, inspiration or clarity in his or her life. Waking Up, the free bi-monthly ezine, was created to help you activate your natural motivation to move beyond mere existence and to really LIVE your dreams. Contact by tel: 509-475-1060 or email.

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Monday, November 24, 2008

Freeing Ourselves From a Downward Spiral

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Tuesday November 25 2008

Hi there all and welcome to Tuesday. Thanks for all the notes about this rascally cold that has taken up residence in my body. It's working its way through and jumping on every organ and muscle in the process. What a hoot that is to be sure, however, smiles prevail and much fun is being made of the new accent.

As we're wrapping up Gratitude Month, I'm deeply impressed, and exceedingly grateful, with the incredible offerings that our contributors are still pouring in. We have some outstanding stuff for the winter season.

Today's offering is a fine example of what I'm talking about.

Freeing Ourselves From a Downward Spiral
by Dr. Brad Swift


NOTICE THE SPIRAL YOU'RE IN
As is so often true, awareness is the first step to intervention. Much of the power of a downward spiral comes from our continuing to be unaware of the direction of our life. Like a whirlpool, a downward spiral's power picks up strength and speed the longer we're in it; so it follows that the sooner we become aware we sre trapped in a downward spiral,the easier it will be to change the direction of our life. It's often helpful to remember a downward spiral reversed becomes a spiral of fulfillment.

ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE FULLY PRESENT TO YOUR LIFE
When you first notice you're in a downward spiral,the tendency is to quickly react in an effort to free yourself. This initial reaction is often based in fear and may only exaserbate the spiral. Instead, take time to notice what is happening from a detached position. Witness your life by stepping outside of it for awhile. One simple way to do this is to imagine you are in a movie theater reviewing the "Story of My Life" movie. Watch and Observe.

CONSCIOUSLY RELEASE THE THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS
As you begin to "Dismantle" the downward spiral, be sure you release and let go of the disempowering thoughts and emotions. You might envision a large bottomless trash can in front of you into which you toss each thought and each emotion attached to the thought or you can write it all down then burn the paper, thus releasing their hold on you.

RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO INDULGE
Don't get sucked into the drama of the movie. There's no point to watching the movie over and over. This will only suck you further down the spiral. Observe and Move On.

COMMIT TO CHANGING DIRECTIONS
Make a conscious choice to change the direction of your spiral. You may write down your choice as a declaration or share it with a friend, loved one or your coach. Draw a line in the sand.

KNOW THE MAKE UP OF A DOWNWARD SPIRAL
Knowing the basic elements that are the composition of a downward spiral will make it easier to change its directions. Downward spirals are composed of "molecules of meaning" which can be further broken down to fear, and lack based thoughts and emotions.

This includes such things as doubt, worry, shoulding on yourself, jealousy, anger, fear, frustration, etc. All of these come together to effect who you think you are(ie, loser, failure, unlovable, etc.) which then determines the actions you take and what you say out loud to yourself. All of which then determines what you have, as in the results with which you measure your life.

USE THE LAW OF ATTRACION TO CHANGE THE SPIRAL'S DIRECTION
The Law of Attraction states that "like attracts like." So just like fear and lack based thoughts will attract more similiar thoughts, the same is true of love and abundance based thoughts. By changing your thoughts and your emotions you change the direction of the downward spiral.

PRACTICE PATIENCE AND PERSISTANCE
Remember you didn't get into the downward spiral overnight, so don't expect reversing direction to take place in an instance. Just as it takes time to stop a car and put it into reverse, it will take time before you'll see the evidence that your downward spiral has become a spiral of fulfillment. In the mean time continue to affirm and trust that it is so.

BEGIN TO GATHER EVIDENCE FOR THE TURNAROUND
As you continue the turnaround process begin to look for physical evidence that the process is working. Start with the mindset that the evidence is there already and your job is to find it like a detector, rather than wondering whether there is any or not.

DEBRIEF, DECLARE THE ACOMPLISHMENT, AND CELEBRATE
At some point you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the turnaround is complete. Before moving on take a few minutes to acknowledge what you've learned from the experience, declare to yourself the accomplishment and celebrate it. You've made major progress along your purposeful path. "Celebrate, Celebrate. Dance to the Music."

Dr. W. Bradford Swift is Founder of the Life On Purpose Institute, and author of Life On Purpose: 6 Passages to an Inspired Life. The Institute's vision is: a world on purpose, with people living lives of purposeful, passionate and playful service, of mindful abundance balanced with simplicity, and spiritual serenity.

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You Must Think Success

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Monday November 24 2008

Hello there all, I've had a sluggish start to the day because of a little rascal of a cold that has invaded me. I'm caught between surrendering to it, or taking it on fully. I was told growing up that if I you really take care of a cold it lasts about a week, and if you don't take care of it, it lasts about seven days. I'm in decision mode today, and staying cuddled up.

As we continue to really celebrate Gratitude Month, and now we're in the last week, I want to bring you some goodies that speak volumes. Today's offering by a new contributor does exactly that. You'll like what you read.


You must know the type of the person who has the Midas touch. That person who, no matter what they do, come out smelling of roses. They don't work particularly harder than anyone else, they just seem to have that knack of 'striking gold'. Opportunities seem to come their way and, to be fair, they know how to make the best of them.

Other people seem to struggle financially no matter what they do. They may be able to make ends meet, but enjoying greater comforts in life, seems beyond their reach. No matter how hard they work, they cannot seem to break this cycle. They wonder why is it so hard for them to prosper financially, while it seems so easy and for others. What does the first type of person have that the second type doesn't?

The first type of person simply believes that they should be wealthy, and sees no reason, or problem why they should not be. This quality sounds quite simple, but it is actually very rare when you think about it.

Most of us are brought up to believe that if you work hard in your education, work hard in your job, then invest your money wisely, you will prosper financially. At school we are all told this. However you must ask yourself how many people become really wealthy because of their job?

Some, but not many. Most people in employment, even with good jobs, are still dependant on that job. Employers will never pay you enough to be financially secure - if they did this, you would not work for them. Most people are paid just over what they need. I have heard of the term J.O.B. - Just Over Broke! Why are we told this then? Could it be that we are being manipulated? At school, children are never encouraged to start up their own businesses, or to take risks, but I digress.

The reasons for our financial struggles are buried deep within our subconscious minds in the form of our ideas and our beliefs. Many people deep down have an ingrained belief that if you have money it somehow makes you a bad person. They believe that the less money you have, the more spiritual and a good person you are. An over attachment to material things certainly could make it more challenging to progress spiritually. However it is also challenging to consider your spiritual wellbeing and the wellbeing of others around you if you are constantly worrying about your financial situation.

Probably for thousands of years, the only people who benefited from the idea that poverty is a noble thing are those who wanted to control others. The feudal lords through to today's large corporations all know this. It is much easier to control people who need your help, than those who have all their financial needs met. Ask yourself honestly how much has struggling to make ends meet ever benefited you or your family.

Many people also have an ingrained belief that making money is hard, and that they have to suffer for it, or that they have to struggle for it. They will have been told this many times, by their parents, at school, and those around them. They consequently live their lives, and made their decisions based on this. Two problems then arise because of this mindset. Either the person does not try to make big money because they believe it is too difficult, or they choose to make money, but do it the hard way, and either give up, or content themselves with making a little. Simply believing that you can make money without working yourself to the bone, opens up this possibility.

Many of these limiting beliefs are also inherited by the family. Your parents may tell you many times through your impressionable childhood days that making money is too difficult, and rich people are bad etc. They were probably told the same by their parents, who were told the same by their parents. And if you are not careful, you could pass this same negative mind set about money down to your children. If you don't owe it to yourself, then don't you at least owe it to your children to allow them to think freely, in a way that allows them to build wealth, should they choose to? The best way is to lead by example. Allow yourself to dream, and work towards that dream.

Some people are used to living with a victim state of mind. They may feel uncomfortable with the idea of taking responsibility for their lives. That idea may scare them because they cannot then use any excuses, cannot blame anything else. Some people have been brought up with a belief that a "poor me" attitude will bring them certain benefits. If they appear to be suffering, people will care for them because they feel sorry for them. However people will only help you a certain amount. If you want the good things in life, then you must be prepared to take responsibility for your actions, whether things are going well or not, and work towards getting them.

The final barrier to your financial success may be down to fears about what happens when you do have money. You may fear being harassed by so called 'friends'. You may fear having to deal with financial institutions in order to look after your money. You may even fear that you cannot handle wealth. However life is not all about money. You should become financially wealthy not just because of money, but because of the qualities you need to develop within yourself in order to become financially wealthy. Whilst building up your empire, you will learn how to deal with people trying to take your money. You will learn how to deal with financial institutions, and how to handle it. It takes time to make lots of money, but it certainly can be done.

What you learn whilst doing this, will prepare you for this type of lifestyle. And if you have been clever and worked hard, you will automatically respect this money, as you know the effort you put in to achieve it. The real worry is for those who suddenly come into a lot of money, such as winning the lottery, or a large inheritance. These people may still have all the limiting beliefs, and have no idea what to do with the money. Their subconscious mind will make decisions that will sabotage this wealth, unless they quickly change their mindset. How many times have you heard about someone winning the lottery, spending all the money over a relatively short space of time, and then saying they wished they never won it in the first place? That is because they simply did not have the time to develop themselves to be able to handle this wealth, and so their minds acted in a way to make them 'comfortable' again - comfortably poor!

So there you have it, by simply changing your mind set, you can give yourself a lot better chance of attaining wealth and success. You can remove the mental barriers and then be able to really work towards the financial success that you deserve. Hypnosis can help you achieve this quite quickly and easily. I'll bet you that if you removed all the wealth from someone like Bill Gates, he would quickly bounce back, should he choose to. He would not sit back and make excuses and think 'What is the point, it'll all go wrong anyway'. He would go out there and make things happen, because he believes that he can make things happen. Believing that it can be done is half the battle. Without the belief, you are never going to take the actions necessary to make it happen.

Jon Rhodes is one of the UK's leading clinical hypnotherapists. Click here for for more information on his online hypnosis sessions: Hypnobusters.com and for some free audio streams: Free Hypnosis Treatment.com.

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Validation

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Friday November 21 2008

Welcome to the end of the typical week.

I've been having just a hoot this month as we've been celebrating "Gratitude Month". The offerings by our contributors have been incredible, the plethora of notes from our subscribers have been simply amazing in their depth of consideration and thoughtfulness. Incredible stuff to be sure.

As is our usual way, we're wrapping up our week with a video that I truly believe you'll archive and be sending it along to the folks in your own life who'll be needing its timeless message. You'll see what I mean when you watch:

Validation

In my world, you have always been "validated". Have yourself an awesome weekend.

Check out how our friends over at Daily Insight are wrapping up their week, it's bound to be interesting.

See you on Monday

Take care,

~peter~

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Power of Perseverance

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Thursday November 20 2008

Welcome to Thursday folks, and the weekend is just about upon us.

My thanks to all who have shared your thoughts with me this week. It gratifies me to no end to sit of an evening and contemplate your responses to what you read here on this page.

As I've stated before, it is with great joy and gratitude that you allow us into your world each day.

Today's offering will sit well with those of you a whoa re feeling alittle like you are "a stranger in a strange land" with all that is going on right now.

The Power of Perseverance
By Gary Ryan Blair

Perseverance has no peers, it's more important than talent, more powerful than intelligence, and more resilient than the best strategy. While we cannot all claim genius, beauty, nor the best schooling but perseverance all can have. There is great virtue and glory in never giving up.

Nothing concentrates the mind or tests your character like a demanding goal - the desire to be something better than you are, to be the complete person that you are meant to be. But before a goal, any goal is achieved you will experience and envision both triumph and tragedy.

No great achievement in your life will ever come without obstacles: physical limitations, the unpredictability of nature, Murphy's Law, or resistance from the outside world. Be thankful for all obstacles, for they are your practice ground, as each new victory prepares you for a greater future victory. In the end, you express your greatness not by the acts you perform as a mother, parent, or leader, but by the endurance and fortitude that made those acts possible.

Growth of any type requires personal struggle; perseverance keeps hope alive. Amid challenges and uncertainties, and in the face of stern obstacles and setbacks you need to keep moving forward, however tempting it might be to give up and let go of your dreams.

We live in an age of immediate gratification. What we want - we want now. And just the way we ordered it. No delays. No substitutions. No excuses. Sadly, many view new tasks and the accomplishment of most goals that way. We want overnight growth, instant mastery, and flawless performance on the first try. But that's not the way success works. Patience and perseverance are at the core of what it means to be truly successful.

Pace is irrelevant to perseverance. It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. Steady perseverance, patient endurance, the achievement of a little every day, is of more value than the overly aggressive rushing forward and the enthusiastic endeavor of the emotional and temperamental person.

Patience and perseverance are two of the most difficult things to embrace for one whose commitment is being tested and tried through the fire. If you patiently persist in doing the right things, you will ultimately get the right results. Yet, in order to receive a victorious outcome, perseverance is the ONLY option. If you lose patience and perseverance you will by default forfeit victory. As long as you are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes, no one will be able to prevent you from reaching your goal.

In closing, always remember that in your efforts to achieve your goals, you will be buffeted and pummeled. You will be criticized and opposed. You will be attacked and assaulted.

You will struggle and fall. But you must fight one more round. You must rise each time you fall. You must embrace the power of perseverance.

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Leadership is Action, Not Position

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Wednesday November 19 2008

Hi there all and welcome to this midweek day.

I've been having a bunch of conversations recently about "power", who has it, who doesn't, and what it really is. It most certainly has inspired some heated discussions, chats over Starbucks "power" blend, and the occasional "nippy sweetie" at the "tavern of last resort". That's the fun one.

As we aim for wrapping up this "Gratitude Month" I'll be pushing some stuff at you that undoubtedly will be cause for much deeper thinking. I'm expecting that you'll appreciate this strategy as it will set us all up for getting our goals and intentions clearly aligned for 2009.

Today's contributor has something exceptional to say. You're going to like this.

by Harold "Bud' Boughton"

Leadership is action, not position." --unknown

Regardless of your position in life, at some time, like it or not, you will find yourself in a position of leadership. It may be at work heading up a committee or accepting a new management position, it may be in a church group, in a professional organization or even a social setting. For many of us, it will be in our homes where, as parents, we have a critical leadership role to play.

As the quote says, leadership is not about "position", or for that matter, title. It is about action. It is about who we are and our actions, our deeds, how we treat others, how we make decisions, how we listen to others, how we accept responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable; this is who we really are. As leaders, we must realize that every action is a reflection of our character, our integrity and our ability to be noble, caring human beings.

I happen to believe that there is no substitute for responsible leadership that adheres to and honors high moral character and rules of conduct as guiding principles. In recent years, we've seen the sort of train wrecks that can occur when CEO's and people in leadership positions compromise their integrity. Manipulating performance figures and earnings to try and improve stock performance, their inept and corrupt form of leadership led to not only to the failure of their companies but also to a pathetic state of mistrust. Their selfishness and greed led to the general distrust of the American business leader.

Maybe Warren Bennis said it best in his book, Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge, when he said, "Managers do things right, Leaders do the right thing." Thus, if leadership is truly action, it is important that it be the "right" action.

In reality, we all have a leadership role to play. In this day an age, each of us must make a conscious choice as to how we are going to lead our lives. How are we going to live? What choices will we make? How will we treat others and will we seek to help those less fortunate than us? You see, leading a life and just living one are two very different things. This coming week, think of yourself as a leader. Take the time to think through your decisions and actions, and most importantly, do the right thing.

Harold "Bud" Boughton is a husband, father, former college athlete, coach and senior executive who currently resides in Greenwood, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. His opinions and comments have appeared on the pages of FORTUNE magazine, INC. magazine, Sales and Marketing Management and in ETHIX Magazine published by the Institute for Business, Technology & Ethics. He is author of "Dad's Last Letter" - a fictional novel that doubles as a book about leadership principles. In the end, it is a book about fatherly love, hope, leadership principles and the Christian faith.

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Monday, November 17, 2008

Going Beyond Yourself!

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Tuesday November 18 2008

Welcome to Tuesday everyone, and what an incredibly fine day it is.

Our theme of celebrating "Gratitude Month" is proving to be an even bigger deal than we expected. I'm hearing back from folks who are having magnificent breakthroughs of awareness by focusing on the subject, and then taking the inspired actions to support them. Now that is truly living.

We're continuing the process today with a new contributor who has something just amazing to share. You're going to enjoy this.

Going Beyond Yourself!
By Kathleen Kennedy

Often times, when people hear about great abundance and true wealth, they ask, why would anyone need that much money? How many 'things' does anyone need anyway? They feel quite certain that a modest amount of wealth is just fine, and really much more Spiritual.

This kind of thinking has come about for many reasons, which have been embedded in our culture for a very long time. There are deep seated beliefs that have been planted on this Earth, which stem from the concepts of 'finite resources' and a limited world. It also revolves around the standard, secular worship of the selfish 'small self'.

The modern world has rarely promoted the idea that those with great resources can go far beyond themselves and their tiny, little, personal needs. They are free to use their over flow in many magnificent ways. It has always been suggested that someone of modest means is somehow more worthy, because it is assumed that since they don't have much wealth, they are not greedy, selfish or self centered.

Let's examine this more closely. When someone is just getting by, or when one is struggling with their financial situation, the truth is that they become very self centered, with all their attention on their own intense problems. Most often, all that is thought about, is money and the need for more of it. There is no room to think about how they might contribute to anyone, or anything else. Hmmm...... We see quite clearly that this is not so very Spiritual after all! Actually, lack and scarcity have nothing to do with our Spiritual aspects in any way. How has all of this gotten so backwards?

You see, the choice we all have, is always between 'Love and Fear' and the situation of living without what we need, is always created from fear. This isn't about condemning anyone, because we've all been there! It's because we are fully entrenched and believing in the 'small world view' that insists that there is not enough to go around, and that life demands hard work and suffering, to display our value to the Universe.

My guidance has always stated several things.

First and foremost, there is NO nobility in suffering! We made suffering into a noble thing, simply because there has been so much of it on this planet, stemming from all of the misunderstandings about how things actually work.

Secondly, we must stretch way beyond our 'small limited self' with its limited thinking, to ever get where we really want to be.... abundant, joyful, healthy and living a truly grand life. The reason that so many shun the concept of the grand life (or conversely, want the grand life, but can't get there) stems from the fact that we never get past our 'small self'.

It is not hard to understand why this seems so difficult to do, as we feel the weight of our superficial world pressing in on us in every moment. The outer world has become so insistent, that the only things of any importance, are all of the superficial aspects and comforts of life. This also reinforces the fact, that you can barely do anything without a lot of money! Yikes!! What a convoluted mess it all has become.

What is the solution, what do we do, where do we go, and how do we get there? How on earth do we ever get past this limited, 'small world view' to reach our Higher Self and the freedom that lies beyond? Several words sum up what my guidance has given me, which can help bring some understanding to this picture.... choices, alignment, courage, discernment, and the greater good.

It begins with making CHOICES that are in ALIGNMENT with what is true and right for you, within all aspects of your Being, no matter what else is happening for others. It requires COURAGE to step away from the smallness and mediocrity of the superficial world and dare to be different. All of these actions and ways of being, take true DISCERNMENT to see beyond the smoke and mirrors, to what is really true. Next, your Higher Self asks you to truly go BEYOND YOURSELF and into the 'GREATER GOOD'. This is speaking about a larger vision than just filling your own personal needs.

So, how does all of this help us to manifest more money in our lives, you might ask? I'll put it this way, there is a strange phenomenon that occurs as you step up and fill your 'bigger shoes' and as you become the 'Being' that you were truly meant to be. The Universe supports our 'largeness' not our 'smallness' and as we move to Higher Ground, we begin to see all of the lack and limitation fall away. We can feel the wind beneath our wings as we fly higher and think bigger. As we fulfill a larger vision and assist the Greater Good, our own personal needs are more than taken care of and our abundance starts to over flow. We are in alignment with the larger picture, so now we can live the larger life.

It all has to do with going BEYOND YOURSELF.

Kathleen Kennedy is an energetic, spiritual entreprenuer, who has created numerous successful businesses, all of which have been completely built around the wisdom of her "Spirit Team." She has been tapping into the wisdom of her Spirit Guides since 1995 through the process of "Automatic Writing," which has profoundly changed her life and her way of doing business.

Kathleen is the author and co-creator of Wisdom Within Clarity Cards - a new leading edge Mind-Body-Spirit technology. This program is designed to help you remember your power and stay in your truth, even in this crazy, insane and busy world! It downloads onto your desktop in minutes, then you have it for a lifetime.

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

How To Create the Life You Deserve

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Monday November 17 2008

Welcome to a brand spanking new week that you get to play with.

We're just a little past the half way point here as we celebrate November as Gratitude Month. I have to mention that your feedback on the subject fills me with even more gratitude each and every day.

One of the folks I have oodles of gratitude for is our buddy Dr. Philip Humbert. Philip is unswerving contributor to not only us, but tens of thousands of folks who diligently follow his work.

As is often the case, we go to Philip to get this week kicked off on a fine note. You'll like what he has to share.

How To Create the Life You Deserve
by Philip Humbert

Many years ago I heard Jim Rohn say that we all get the results we deserve. He acknowledge that some of us are afflicted with limitations, illness or situations that seem wildly unfair, but in terms of how we live our lives, he argued that we get the results we deserve.

I was very skeptical, even outraged. Many of us work hard and do our best and yet fail to get the income, relationships or life we "deserve." Over the years however, I've gradually come to think Jim was right.

I've often written that "reality never lies." Our income always reflects the long-term results of our skills, our efforts and the market's assessment of the value we contribute. Personally, I'm not a sports fan and I think the salaries of today's super-stars are outrageous. But, given their remarkable skills, their dedication, and the market's willingness to pay, reality says playing sports can be an incredibly valuable activity!

Reality never lies. Your income, relationships and circumstances always reflect the decisions you've made and the actions you've taken in the past. Reality is a mirror of who we are and how we've lived our lives.

Another truth is that "we become what we think about all day long." Yes, our lives are influenced by circumstances beyond our control, but our results are influenced far more by our thoughts, our attitudes and our actions, things over which we have almost total control. Your life is literally created with your head, your heart and your hands!

If we choose to associate with people who are going nowhere, our chances for unusual success are reduced. If we choose education over television, our chances of success improve. If we think about opportunity, our chances of finding it are much greater than if we focus on limitations and unfairness. We become what we think about. Over time, we create our world with the thoughts we think.

Recently, I attended a seminar on ethics and cultural diversity. Before it started, at the coffee station, I heard one person dismiss the event with the comment, "It's ethics, so close your eyes, sit still and wait for it to end." What a terrible expectation! And, sadly, what a prediction for the day she would have. I intentionally chose to anticipate stimulating ideas, good debate, connecting with friends, and a good lunch. She and I attended the same seminar...or did we? At the end of the day, I would guess our results were very different.

In the months ahead, the news media will talk about economic turmoil and how "bad" things are, and you can focus on that if you wish but I don't recommend it. What's the point?

Instead, renew your commitment to the life you want! Decide how you will live, focus on it, and make it happen! This is the time to invest in a shelf of books to inspire and educate yourself in 2009. Now is the time to improve your skills, expand your network, and transform your health. You are in charge of these things! Take action. Why wait? And for goodness sake, why not?

Invest in yourself. Surround yourself with beauty and inspiration. Get around great ideas, ambitious people, and unique opportunities. Attend the seminars, read the books, take the classes, listen to audio programs. This is your life! In the long run, we all get the life we create for ourselves. It's not easy and life isn't fair, but our thoughts, our attitudes and our actions influence our results to a remarkable degree.

Go get (create) the life you deserve!

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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Gratitude is a Miracle

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Thursday November 13 2008


Well folks, we arrived back safely, however, to weather that folks here in the prairies should get a medal for living in. Brrrrr stuff.

Here's a couple of pictures that capture the mountains.



The weather notwithstanding here in the prairies, gratitude abounds around here for the many blessings of sights, sounds , tastes, and lessons that this trip visited upon us. Life will be different as a consequence.

Today's offering reflects very much how I'm feeling today. I believe you'll enjoy it.

Gratitude is a Miracle

A miracle is traditionally defined as an extraordinary event by divine intervention, but we also use the word to describe an occurrence that was previously thought to be impossible.

Gratitude can be one of these miracles in your life if you let it. How? By giving you the power to turn any difficulty, any challenge, or any heartache into a blessing.

The thing about miracles is that you have to be willing to see and acknowledge them. If you wanted to keep a pessimistic or cynical outlook, you could easily ignore what appears to be a miracle. We see this all the time! A person with a supposedly terminal illness is told he only has 3 months to live, and he's still going strong 10 years later. A woman who is told she can never conceive a child decides to adopt, and finds out she's pregnant shortly after. There are endless stories like this, where the impossible suddenly became possible - in other words, a miracle occurred. Yet, some people choose to see these events as "coincidences" or merely random flukes.

Any miracle can be explained away if a person has a vested interest in remaining cynical. The question to ask yourself is: do you have such an interest? Or are you willing to allow a gratitude focus to perform miracles in your life?

Take a moment and consider any "impossible" situations in your life right now. Why do you believe they are impossible? Are you willing to believe in the possibility that a miracle could occur?

If you answered yes to that question, here is how to use gratitude to invite miracles into your life.

1) Never say "never". How many times have you been absolutely certain that something couldn't happen, only to find out later that you were wrong? It happens a lot! Begin to open your mind to the possibilities and believe that what you think is impossible may not be so at all. Just because you can't see any possible way for something to happen doesn't mean a way doesn't exist! Express gratitude for the possibilities you are aware of, and also those you haven't even considered yet. Open your heart and mind to gratitude for the miracles that might be coming your way.

2) Even if something does appear to be totally hopeless by all the laws of physics and tangible reality as we know it, allow gratitude to turn it into a miracle through the grace of acceptance. Embrace what you cannot change. Let it become something that blesses you rather than hinders you. Even better, let it become something that blesses others. Use your impossibility to change lives and by extension, the world. A way exists if you open to it.

3) Apply gratitude to every hardship, challenge, obstacle and pain in your life. Be thankful for the ways they help you grow in wisdom and inner strength. Love your illnesses, your heartaches, your struggles and your enemies. Bless them for imparting deeper meaning and richness to your life.

Through love and gratitude, ANY situation can be healed. Perhaps the healing will not come in the form you expect or in the exact timeline you hope for - but healing will come. Simply open to it and embrace it, and you will have created your very own miracle.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Start With Just One Day of Gratitude

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Wednesday November 12 2008

Welcome to this fine midweek day.

I do sincerely expect that your Remembrance Day ceremony went exactly as planned.

Our western road trip is coming to a close as we return home today. It was an awesome experience spending time in the Rocky Mountains and I'll be looking forward to spending much more time in them in the very near future.

The entire trip was highly inspirational and full of deep awareness's about what is really important to me. The proximity of nature in its most dramatic form holds rich appeal for me, and I breathe easier when I'm up close and personal with it. I felt at home ,and deeply grateful for the opportunities I have to experience it whenever I desire.

As we continue celebrating "Gratitude Month", you'll find today offering appealing I'm sure.

Start With Just One Day of Gratitude

Has adopting an attitude of gratitude been a challenge for you? Do you start each day with the best of intentions and then find yourself losing focus as you encounter more and more negativity?

The problem stems from trying to change the habits of a lifetime in one fell swoop!

If you've spent a large portion of your life not focusing on gratitude, you can't expect yourself to change your whole mind-set immediately. (Most of us always try though, don't we?)

But can you do it for one day? Can you commit to adopting a grateful focus no matter what happens during the course of one single day? You'd be surprised how easy it is to do something for one day.

Here's how to start:

First, select a trigger object to keep with you on the day of your gratitude experiment. It can be a special piece of jewelry, a rubber band around your wrist, a special baseball cap, your lucky shirt, or anything else you feel would help you remember.

On the morning of your "one day of gratitude", spend a few moments holding your reminder object. Bring up a feeling of gratitude in your heart while you do. When you are fully immersed in the emotion of gratitude, recite an intention something like this:

"Today I choose to feel grateful for every experience I have. I will find a positive focus for every challenge I face, every moment of frustration, and every person I meet. I will make a conscious effort to stay rooted in the present moment so I am aware of the temptation to slip from this grateful focus and I can bring my thoughts and emotions back on track immediately. This (object) will serve as a powerful reminder that I can choose to be grateful about anything and everything today, and I will exercise this freedom of choice during my one day of gratitude."

Put on your trigger object, and then go about your day.

Don't fool yourself into believing that your day will be smooth sailing just because you performed your little gratitude ceremony! (You didn't really think it was going to be THAT easy, did you?) Anything is possible of course, but it's more likely that you'll find your patience and focus being tested repeatedly throughout the day.

Believe it or not, that's a good thing! The more opportunities you are given to choose and strengthen your focus, the better you'll get at developing a true attitude of gratitude. Go with it. If you find yourself getting mired in anger or frustration, simply return your focus back to gratitude again. Make it your mission to find something positive about every situation and keep working on turning your thoughts around as often as necessary.

By the end of the day you should be feeling very proud of yourself! Even if you didn't manage to keep a steady focus on gratitude, you were probably able to focus on it more than you have in the past.

Now, lather, rinse and repeat! Keep doing this exercise one day at a time, over and over again. Before long you will find that you don't have to work so hard at staying focused on gratitude, and it starts becoming more natural.

As author Annie Dillard once said, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

Start with one day, and everything can change.

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Monday, November 10, 2008

Pittance of Time

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Remembrance Day 2008

Well folks, today's sentiment reflects my feelings as it does at this same time every year.

Please take time at 11:00am to reflect on the very blessings that you live as a consequence of the sacrifice many made, and still are doing. I know you'll appreciate this short video.

Pass it along.

Pittance of Time

Take care,

Peter

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The Secret of Anything is Consciousness of That Thing

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Monday November 10 2008

Welcome to yet another fine early winter week.

We're starting the journey back to the prairies today. Right now we're high in the mountains in Golden B.C. and my awe about being in these majestic scenes never abates. I truly feel at home here.

Here's what I'm talking about.


We've looked at properties, retreats, farms, vineyards, and a host of "homes with a view". The search is narrowing as the ideal one will settle into consciousness prior to manifestation. I love how it all works.

That subject inspired one of our favorite contributors to present an offering that will certainly touch you. Have fun.

The Secret of Anything is Consciousness of That Thing
by Enoch Tan

The secret of anything is consciousness of that thing. Intention is the offspring of consciousness. When you are conscious of something, you are also intending it. What you intend is what you manifest. Wealth, health and happiness are states of being and also states of mind. Your actions are naturally guided by your thoughts. Just like focusing on a telephone pole during a skid causes you to turn your steering wheel towards the pole, your doing comes from your being, which manifests all of your having.

The secret of power is consciousness of power.
When you are weak, it is because you have lost consciousness of power. The moment you are conscious of your power, you feel powerful and manifest power. In every situation you are in, be conscious of your power. Never let another person rob you of your consciousness of power, because that is the first step to rendering you powerless in their presence. All power is mental, and power to whom power exerts. No power is truly external but all power is internal.

The secret of success is consciousness of success.
Think and feel success, and your actions will be guided towards success by your subconscious mind. The reason of failure is not so much based on the actions that a person takes, but the consciousness behind the actions. Those who think success will cause their actions to result in success whereas those who think failure will cause their actions to result in failure. Success is in the start. You are a success the moment you see yourself as a success.

The secret of wealth is consciousness of wealth.
In order to experience abundance, you have to be abundant. Abundance is your true nature, and when you think, act and live according to it, you will manifest abundance. The rich in mentality get richer while the poor in mentality get poorer. The accumulation of material wealth begins with wealth consciousness. Pursuing spiritual development before working on wealth creation is the key to attaining both inner and outer riches. The outer is reflection of inner.

The secret of health is consciousness of health.
Disease is a lack of ease psychologically and physically. Conflicting thoughts and feelings in your consciousness is what causes this state of distress. When you notice yourself becoming sick, watch for conflicting thoughts that have arisen within your consciousness and resolve them. Either push them all one way or the other, or find a way to hold them in a harmonious way. External remedies only cure symptoms but dealing with consciousness cures at root.

The secret of love is consciousness of love.
Even though you may love a person, you may not always be loving to that person. Sometimes in difficult moments, you have to choose whether to be loving or unloving. Being conscious of your love and choosing to be loving in those moments is what makes all the difference. You experience love for yourself when you are conscious of the love that the universe has for you. Out of the love that you feel for yourself from The Creator, you can express the love to another.

The secret of influence is consciousness of influence.
Men who command greater influence over other men are those who are conscious of their own influence. They speak knowing that others would listen. Their claims are not weak and their appeals not uncertain. To be a power persuader or communicator, you must believe in yourself. It is no so much about the message you say, but the belief in what you say that moves people. What comes from the heart goes to the heart. Strong minds are world powers.

The secret of enlightenment is consciousness of enlightenment.
The attainment of enlightenment is not an elusive thing. Becoming enlightened does not require years of cultivation or huge amount of effort. The shortest path to enlightenment is through realization. It is a thing of the mind. When you are conscious of enlightenment, you will connect with the universal mind to draw inspiration and alignment of your thoughts which bring you towards realizing the true nature of all reality. Enlightenment is mental.

The secret of effortlessness is consciousness of effortlessness.
In anything you do, you can do it the hard way or you can do it the easy way. It is your belief that creates the kind of experience you have with doing something. For the accomplishment of anything, there are others who have done it in less time, with less effort without losing quality or effect. Consciousness of effortlessness is the way to transcend the world, because it is doing work in alignment with the divine. Act with mind on effortlessness.

The secret of nirvana or happiness is consciousness of happiness. Nirvana or happiness is not something you wait for a long time to happen to you. Nirvana or happiness is a state you enter the moment you shift your consciousness into it. Being conscious of things that make you happy causes you to feel happiness. The more you think about the happy things in life, the more happiness you feel, and the more conditions of happiness you attract. You can experience happiness and create more of it at will.

The secret of secrets is the consciousness of secrets.
All the truths about life are not secrets, but they are hidden from us due to our ignorance. By thinking about the discovery of truths as a search for the secrets, we motivate our subconscious mind to go on a treasure hunt. The greatest treasure in this world is wisdom, and life is to be played as a treasure hunting game. Treasures are meant to be appreciated and so when you think of truths as secrets, your appreciative mindset will draw them all to you.

Enoch Tan aims to help people achieve greater awareness in living and experiencing life. To evolve human consciousness to higher levels. To change lives and transform the universe. To revolutionize the way we understand the mind and reality. Because that is what governs every area of life and destiny. Get free ebooks of the most powerful knowledge and learn secrets of mind and reality that will fully benefit you now at: Secrets of Mind and Reality. This is the most life changing information because it is about understanding and changing reality from the highest place of all!

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Friday, November 7, 2008

The Gratitude Diet

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Friday November 7 2008

Well folks, it's been one fun week on this road trip. We've experienced practically all of the rich variety's of weather that Western Canada has to offer. As I mentioned yesterday, the highway between Penticton and Kelowna is closed to to unstable mountain shifts threatening the road. The alternative route typically takes and extra three hours, or, taking the forest service roads through the mountains in the other choice. Guess what one we took.

See for your self.


As you can see we've been having a hoot, and being incredibly grateful for 4X4 technology. We finally arrived at our destination, the Okanagan Wine Country, and here's what we see right off. Now this is what dreams are made of.

The grapes still on the vine this late in the season are awaiting the deep frost, and then they are harvested to make the famous "Ice Wine" from the Okanangan Valley B.C. Now that's worht waiting for.

So, on with today's offering. As we continue our celebration of Gratitude Month, we're presenting you a short video that can creat the mindset for taking your dreams and intentions to a whole new place of manifestation. You're going to enjoy this.

Click here: The Gratitude Diet

We'll be back on Monday with more from "on the road".

Have an awesome weekend.

~peter~

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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Appreciation

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Thursday November 6 2008


Hi there folks and welcome to Thursday.

We didn't get a reader out yesterday as we were up in the Rockies where no WiFi existed. We did however get to deepen our appreciation for the sheer magnificence of this part of the world. The trip over the Rockies, even in crazy weather, merely and minutely touches on what must have been the experience of the pioneers who had the courage to open up this land to us. They must surely have lived in gratitude and appreciation for even the slightest respite from their most arduous tasks of surviving day to day.

Here's just a hint of what we experienced.



We're currently in Penticton B.C. and adjusting our journey as a rock fall has closed Hwy 97. We're going to be using the Forest Service road for about 25 miles today to get around it. Should be an adventure. We'll let you know.

Now, on with today's offering. I know this will touch you.

Appreciation
By Lisa Hayes

Appreciation is one of the greatest magic tools we have in our bags of tricks. One of the best ways to gauge where you are at in your development as a wonderful spiritual magician – able to weave magic in and out of your own life, is how well you use appreciation. Most mere mortals think that appreciation is a spontaneous event or feeling that simply “happens” from time to time. Maybe they recognize it when it comes over them. Maybe they feel lucky. But most of the time, they hardly notice. Appreciation is really a passing thought. By failing to even acknowledge the magic of appreciation mere mortals stay just that, mere mortals.

Move up the ladder, and you have the mortals that have learned the value of appreciation and seek it out. They realize that appreciation is powerful and look for opportunities to cultivate it or bask in its warmth; they kind of chase appreciation around. These more enlightened souls know that everything looks lovelier in the light of appreciation kind of like faces always look more beautiful by candle light.

However, a true master of their own experience knows that appreciation is a magical tool that can be harnessed and directed at will. One can feel appreciation anytime they want by recalling a happy experience and raise their vibration. One can change the feeling in a room of people by bathing the room in appreciation. One can take any situation they want to change or transform and magically turn it around with appreciation.

Anna and her husband were having a lot of problems. They had only been married about a year. What had been a blissful courtship had turned into a cold and bitter marriage in what seemed like record time. The day to day chaos of life had taken Anna by surprise. However, when she finally took stock of what was happening, she knew immediately, as a magician what she needed to do.

Anna went on a full rampage of appreciation for her husband Marcus. She appreciated the heck out of him all the time. She told him about it as often as she could. However, more importantly she thought about all the things she appreciated about him with a dogged obsession. I was talking to her a few days ago and she broke out a list of things that she appreciated about him that she carried with her everywhere in her purse. Since she had begun her rampage of appreciation three weeks ago, she reported that her marriage was night and day. She felt like the honeymoon was back. Anna was seeing changes in Mark that she didn’t even anticipate and learning new things to appreciate about him everyday.

We are all that magical when we put appreciation to the test. Appreciation used as a tool and not just a random passing feeling can turn your world around and always for the better. Put it to the test for yourself and see what miracles you can conjure up for yourself.


Author's Bio


Lisa Hayes is a mind, body, soul, practitioner who views the person as a whole. With meditation for the mind, Yoga for the body, and as an ordained minister, for the soul, Lisa works with women to help them achieve peace and bliss in the chaos of their every day lives.

To contact Lisa email her at lisa@moderngirlsguidetozen.com

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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Five Reasons To Be Grateful For "Difficult People" In Your Life

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Tuesday November 4 2008

Good day fine folks, and here we are on the day our southern friends get to exercise an amazing freedom, the vote.

I got to reflecting last night how this rather simple act is something to be extremely grateful for. In its most basic function, it allows everyone to "give voice" to something or someone they have deep feelings for.

So, a question for the day is: How do you exercise your capacity to "give voice" to something or someone you have strong feelings for." Should be an interesting internal chat.

One another note, we're continuing our trip through British Columbia and start out today from Fernie, a lovely town high in the mountains. We'll send along some mountains scenes tomorrow.

Now, to continue our support of Gratitude Month, today's offering will undoubtedly talk to many of you. Enjoy.

Five Reasons To Be Grateful For "Difficult People" In Your Life
By Christopher R. Edgar

Much has been said about the positive effects gratitude creates in our lives. Learning to be thankful for what we have today, and the learning experiences we’ve had in the past, empowers us with optimism and joy that help us pursue our goals.

For a long time, I agreed with this idea generally speaking, but I had trouble finding something to be grateful for about the “difficult” people I’ve dealt with in the past. Whether they were colleagues at work I had disagreements with, intimate partners whose relationships with me ended badly, strangers who made comments I saw as insulting, or someone else, I believed I’d be better off without having had some people in my life.

My attitude changed one day when I resolved to sit down at the computer, run down a list of difficult people from my past, and find something about each person I could be thankful for. The results were quick and profound. Even when I was only a few names down the list, I started recognizing how much resentment I still harbored toward the people I named. Holding on to my anger at the difficult people, I realized, took real effort, and put physical strain on my body. As I found something to be grateful for about each person, I felt the pressure releasing little by little, and energy freeing up to fuel me in pursuing my calling.

I believe this happens because, when we take the view that we’d have been better off without someone in our lives, we engage our minds in a hopeless conflict with reality. Holding onto anger at someone causes our minds to endlessly rehash our interactions with them in the impossible hope that, by ruminating on what happened in the past, we can change it for the better. We constantly relive the moment when we felt the other person disrespected us, with the goal—conscious or otherwise—of “fixing” the past. When we see that the person actually gave us something to be grateful for, and that in some way we’re better off today because they came into our lives, we end our mental war with them and make peace with the past.

Based on the gratitude work I’ve done for myself and with others, I want to offer a few examples of how difficult people contribute to our personal growth in ways that make them worthy of our appreciation. As these examples illustrate, nearly everyone we’ve come across has contributed, in at least a subtle way, to our growth. We don’t have to approve of everything they did and said, but acknowledging at least some gift they gave us with their presence contributes much to our own inner peace.

1. They help us reconcile with parts of ourselves we’ve avoided facing. Coming into conflict with people often forces us to draw on resources we’ve forgotten, and perhaps even refused to acknowledge, that we have. In my old job as an attorney, for instance, I remember a few opposing lawyers whom I couldn’t stand dealing with. I felt they were rude and overly aggressive, but my deeper problem with them was how often I had to say “no” when I interacted with them.

Before I got into law, I wasn’t very comfortable refusing people’s requests, and I felt tension in my body each time I needed to deny someone what they wanted—even if I was doing it as part of my job. As I continued forcing myself to say “no,” however, I became increasingly comfortable with it. I even came to realize there was a part of me that could say “no” without apology or explanation, and getting in touch with that part helped me to set healthy boundaries in my relationships.

2. They remind us how much we’ve grown over time. Recalling a difficult interaction we had with someone a long time ago can remind us how far our development has come today. For example, I used to harbor a grudge against a woman who ended her intimate relationship with me many years ago. I believed she did it in a demeaning way and I felt angry at her.

Today, however, when I think about the conversation where she broke up with me, I actually feel peaceful and empowered. I see how personally I took the things she said, and how painfully afraid I was of living without her, and I know I wouldn’t react in those ways to the breakup if it happened today. I’m a stronger and more self-sufficient person now, and although I enjoy intimate relationships I don’t need them to feel like a complete human being.

The memory of my last conversation with her serves as a progress report showing how much I’ve matured since then. I’m grateful to her because, if she’d never been in my life, I wouldn’t have such a clear indicator today of how far I’ve come.

3. They help us admire ourselves for overcoming obstacles. Difficult people help improve our ability to handle challenges, and when we deal with those challenges effectively we gain self-respect. I had a professor in college, for instance, who was known to be particularly harsh in his grading. I probably spent more nights studying into the early morning for his tests than I did for the other courses I took combined. I defied my own expectations by acing the class.

Today, I fondly look back on this man’s course, and my dealings with him, as examples of how tough and persistent I can be. I’m grateful to him for helping me respect and admire myself.

4. They help us make important life decisions. People who, in our view, “give us a hard time” often help motivate us to change our circumstances in positive and fulfilling ways. For instance, I know a number of people who changed their careers, at least in part, because they got tired of dealing with what they saw as their overly demanding and critical superiors. They might not have the career satisfaction they have today if their old bosses hadn’t been as tough to deal with.

5. They help us see our opportunities to grow. Uncomfortable interactions with people can make us aware of places where we don’t fully love or accept ourselves, and where we could stand to develop more appreciation and compassion for who we are. One example stands out from a job I had when I was just out of college. A woman in the office, who seemed consistently stressed and angry, used to call me “what’s-your-name” when demanding I do things for her. I’d feel very distressed when she called me that, and I’d experience a burning sensation in my chest and upper back.

A few years later, as I reflected on this memory, it occurred to me that I got so upset when she talked to me that way because I had such an aching need to be acknowledged by others. I needed people to constantly tell me I was important and praise my accomplishments, and thus when this woman treated me like I was nobody I felt terribly anxious.

When I had this realization, I started taking up practices to dissolve this need—to develop a sense of wholeness even without constant acknowledgment from others. I wouldn’t have the peace I have today if this woman—whose name I, ironically, don’t remember—hadn’t been there to show me where I didn’t fully accept myself and needed others’ approval to feel complete. And I can genuinely say I’m thankful she came into my life.


Christopher R. Edgar is a success coach certified in hypnotherapy and neuro-linguistic programming. Through his coaching business, Purpose Power Coaching, he helps professionals transition to careers aligned with their true callings. He may be reached at www.purposepowercoaching.com.

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Monday, November 3, 2008

Exploring the Link between Gratitude and Attention

A note from peter@thewealthyattitude.com for Monday November 3rd 2008

Good day folks, and welcome to a brand spanking new week.

We're currently in Alberta and heading to British Columbia later today.

The drive through the prairies was wonderful. The most striking thing we observed was the amazing crops that had been taken in this year. If the amount of hay bales we saw is any indication, the wheat and barley crops must have been incredible.

It got us chatting about the pure abundance we live with here in North America. Regardless of the current financial fiasco we are under, the many blessings and conditions we experience every day still make this continent an amazing place to live our lives. And for that, I walk in total gratitude.

This quote by Albert Schweitzer puts it all in perspective:
"You must learn to understand the secret of gratitude. It is more than just so-called virtue. It is revealed to you as a mysterious law of existence. In obedience to it we have to fulfill our destiny."

Here's a picture of the wonder of it all in prairies.


Following is a wonderful piece that ties together all the pieces that impact us.

Exploring the Link between Gratitude and Attention

by Gregg Krech

"If the only prayer you say in your entire life is ‘thank you' that would suffice."
- Meister Eckhart

Your eyes are still closed when you hear the beeping of your digital alarm clock go off on the small wooden table next to your bed. Without opening your eyes your arm naturally reaches over to press the black "snooze alarm" button - a motion you repeat just about every morning. But this morning nothing happens. The beeping continues – and is getting a bit irritating. So now you open your eyes and watch your index finger press hard on the correct button. More beeping. You hit another switch which should just turn the alarm off completely. Still more beeping. In a fit of frustration you finally pull out the cord from the electrical outlet. Ahh.... quiet at last. Perhaps it's time for a new clock.

A few minutes later you find yourself about to get up from a brief stop at the toilet when . . . . the toilet won't flush. "I'm really starting off the day in great shape," you think. You get dressed and start the coffeemaker to give you a bit of a jolt, but when you come back to the kitchen there is hot water and coffee grounds all over the table. Now you're beginning to think that this is a bad dream and you must still be in bed. But it's not over. You open the door to grab the morning paper and quickly check the news before leaving for work but . . . no paper! You look to the left, to the right. Did someone take your paper? Did they forget to deliver it? No time to speculate further. Got to get to work. As you drive down the highway to work, you're thinking about how rough the morning has been when suddenly . . . the person driving in the next lane changes lanes – cutting you off and almost running you off the road. When you arrive at work your heart is still racing and you take every opportunity to share your "extraordinary" morning with your colleagues. What a relief it will be when this day is over!

If you've ever had a day when everything seems to go wrong you can probably sympathize with the subject of the story above and it appears understandable that he or she would feel frustrated and perhaps have a sense that the world is a pretty unfriendly place.




To begin to understand the relationship between attention and gratitude we need to turn the story around. Imagine a day when . . . .

- the alarm works perfectly
- the toilet flushes just the way it's supposed
- the coffeemaker produces a hot, aromatic cup of coffee
- your morning paper is waiting outside your door
- no other car crashes into you or cuts you off on the way to work

Now what happens? Do you arrive at work feeling overwhelmed with gratitude – with an attitude of appreciation for all the people and things that are supporting you on this glorious morning?

Probably not.

Habits of Attention

Most likely your attention has identified and attached itself to some other problems. If there's no particular problem going on that morning, your mind may ruminate about something that happened in the past or anticipate some difficulty that may occur in the future. It is common for our attention to focus on the problems and difficulties we are facing because we have to pay attention to such challenges in order to handle them. Unfortunately we can develop a "habit of attention" in which we fail to notice the many things that are supporting our existence – our health, our work, our family, and our efforts to accomplish the things we want to do. The more this "habit of attention" has developed, the less likely we will be able to experience gratitude.

I first made the connection between Gratitude and Attention when I discovered a Japanese method of self-reflection called Naikan (like the name of the camera). The word Naikan means "inside looking" or "inside observation." This method of self-reflection is primarily based on three questions:

1. What have I received from others?
2. What have I given to others?
3. What troubles and difficulties have I caused others?

As you can see these questions are very simple. And when I participated in a 14 day retreat in Japan in 1989, these questions became the framework for me to reflect on my entire life. I reflected on each stage of my life and on every person who had playing a meaningful role in my life since my birth (my mom, dad, grandparents, teachers, friends, colleagues, ex-girlfriends, etc. . .) When I stepped back from my life and began quietly reflecting on everything that had been done for me and given to me (question #1) I was surprised and overwhelmed by how much I had received in my life. The day I left that retreat I felt more cared for, loved and supported than ever before. It was as if I had a blood transfusion and gratitude was now simply flowing through my veins and arteries. I had learned to notice what I had not been noticing. Through self-reflection I had learned about attention and gratitude.

That two week retreat inspired me to return to Japan many times to investigate, in more depth, the Japanese art and practice of self-reflection. I have yet to discover a more profound method for cultivating gratitude and reshaping our attitude and understanding of our lives.

Let's consider three of the greatest obstacles to gratitude. They are:

Self-preoccupation
We are so preoccupied with our own thoughts, feelings, needs and bodies that we have little attention left over to notice what is being done to support us. You might think of your attention as flashlight. As long as you shine the light on your problems, difficulties, and aches and pains, there is no light available for seeing what others are doing for you.

Expectation
When I turn the switch on my bedside lamp I assume the light will go on as it (almost) always does. Once I've come to expect something, it doesn't usually get me attention. My attention isn't really grabbed until my expectation isn't met (the light bulb doesn't work). So my attention tends to gravitate away from what I expect and towards what I don't expect.

Entitlement
The more I think I've earned something or deserve something, the less likely I am to feel grateful for it. As long as I think I'm entitled to something I won't consider it a gift. But when I am humbled by my own mistakes or limitations, I am more likely to receive what I am given with gratitude and a true sense of appreciation for the giver as well as the gift.

To experience a sense of heartfelt gratitude we most overcome these three obstacles. Self-reflection provides a path for doing so. It allows us to pause to appreciate what is being given to us rather than focus on what we don't have. It allows us to consider the countless objects and human beings that made it possible for me to get to work or turn on my computer. Through self-reflection, we can come to see everything we have, and are, as gifts. And through self-reflection we begin to train our attention to notice what we haven't noticed.

It is rare to meet a person whose life is full of gratitude. Many people don't truly appreciate what they have until it is gone. And having lost the opportunity to be grateful, they simply find another reason to be disappointed.

If you wish to cultivate gratitude you must develop a practice. Without practice, there is no development of skill - only an idea. You cannot become a grateful person just by thinking that you want to be grateful. Sometimes we are engaged in a practice, but we don't think of it as a practice. For example– complaining. Complaining is a wonderful practice if you wish to cultivate disappointment, resentment and self-pity. Have you ever tried this practice? It is quite effective. Each time you complain you get better at complaining. It is like learning to play an instrument.

Most of us are better at the practice of complaining than at the practice of self-reflection. We have developed a habit of attention – to notice the troubles others cause us. And we have developed a habit of speech -- to complain to others about these troubles. But to cultivate gratitude, we need to develop a new habit of attention – to notice the concrete ways in which the world supports us each day. And we can then develop a new habit of speech – expressing our gratitude to others.

So start your practice today. Notice. Reflect. Express. Hey, what's that sound? Oh, it's the alarm on my watch reminding me I have an appointment. What a nice feature. It frees up my mind to attend to other things. Thanks, watch. And thanks to my wife Linda who gave it to me. And thanks to all the people who made it. And thank goodness my finger works well enough to shut it off. Time to move on.

Gregg Krech is the Director of the ToDo Institute and the author of several books including A Natural Approach to Mental Wellness and the award-winning book Naikan: Gratitude, Grace and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection. He conducts ToDo Institute's annual distance learning courses which include Working with Your Attention in April and A Month of Self-Reflection in November. More information on these courses is available by emailing the ToDo Institute at todo@together.net

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