So here are my ten reasons why I love blogging:-

1. It keeps me on my toes with what is currently of interest.
2. It is an opportunity for me to explore my own issues around the subject matter that I choose.
3. Researching the articles is great – I learn something every time.  How does it get any better than that?
4. My blog creates a link to others who offer comments and I find that very interesting.
5. Having a blog has caused me to be a blog surfer and I have all but given up TV watching in favour of all of the amazing things that I find on blogs.
6. I continue to have to learn about SEO and other interesting marketing strategies and that has only occurred because of my blog.
7. It is really nice to be part of a worldwide community of bloggers.
8. Old friends have found me and contacted me via my blog.
9. Blogs are more fun than facebook.
10. I get to keep polishing my writing skills in preparation for the book that I have in me.

So there you have it, ten reasons why I love blogging. What do you love so much that you can write ten reasons really easily?  Go on, have a go, have some fun and a positive experience.

That means the giving of smiles, greetings and love to other’s regardless of race, culture or religious beliefs. So I wish you every happiness for whatever you are doing over the next few days, weeks, months and years.  I send you warm greetings and love to nurture your mind, body and soul and I wish you prosperity in every way in the coming year.

Above all, I send out positive and loving thoughts to the thought pool of the world and universe and I trust that as the present custodians we will find a way to live in peace with each other and harmony with our environment.

Have fun over the coming holidays and stay well and safe.

First, try  to understand how you normally react when you experience hardship. You must know whether you fall back and stay back and therefore see the situation as negative or whether you quickly recover, take a positive perspective and look immediately at solutions.  The one thing that is definite is that overcoming hardship is a skill that you need to get through life.  Positive or negative, you decide.

If you have taken note of how you react and know that you get up quickly and start looking at the situation as an opportunity and find solutions, then you are functioning from a positive perspective. Well done, stay on that path.  You have probably also found how much easier it is to get around barriers when you are thinking about solutions and what it is that you want to happen.

If, however,  you have identified that you fall away and stay away, reacting to adversity as if it is a problem then you hold yourself in a negative state and it is unlikely from this point that you are going to easily find ways to get on with what it is you want to do. No doubt you spend a lot of time thinking about what you don’t want, how hard life is and wishing that it could be a lot simpler.  Well it can be and it is all up to you and how your choose to act.

Having identified that you see problems and not solutions or opportunities, take a little time now to start to work on changing that habit. First, make a pact with yourself to stop talking about problems and start talking about solutions.  Language makes a big difference as does your silent mind chatter.  If all that your mind hears is how impossible the situation is, then that is being reinforced continuously.  If all that your mind hears is what you do not want, then that is what you will get.  Remember, the powerful Law of Attraction says that you get what you focus on.

Additionally, the people around you will hear how hard it is and will reinforce that to you and to themselves and possibly even to your customers. Almost everyone these days is looking for what can be done, not what can not be done and quite frankly, if they are paying, then that is reasonable.  So stop with the talk about problems and start with the talk about solutions.

Then, sit for a moment and write down a list of all of your problems. Alongside that, list all of the possible solutions, even if they seem a little crazy.  Go over those solutions and see what you need to have at your disposal to make it work.  Ask your self a few questions such as – can I get those things?  What do I need to know to do this?  How can I get that knowledge?  Who do I know who has it?

Right now you are in solutions mode and doesn’t it feel great?

When you are swamped by a problem, seeing only the negative, you can bet it feels pretty bad. As soon as you move to solutions, you mood will lift, your brain will fire off ideas and you will start to get motivated.  Great, stay with that.

Last, and most important, take action. It is not enough to see a way around a problem or to see any event as an opportunity.  The next and sometimes most difficult is to get active.  Go and get those things that you need to make something start to happen, persist, do not give up, every day decide what you will do towards your solutions and just keep on it.

Stay with the basics – decide what you are going to do, take action every day, persist and keep an eye out for when you have succeeded. Celebrate that moment.

It seems to me that a lot of you are “busy trying to master the Law of Attraction”.

You’re running through your daily affirmations.
You’re reminding yourself, “be positive, be positive”.
You’re asking yourself “how can I look on the bright side here?”.
You’re reading books, following advice, trying, trying, trying… while the rest of the world is running by you, laughing at you for staring in the mirror and reminding yourself how great you are, like you didn’t already know it.

It’s about this that I’d like to talk to you today.

Remember Why You Learned About LOA in the First Place

What is your goal? Stay focused. What is it that you want in your life?
Do you want to be able to tell everyone about how every little thought is creating and contributing to the Universe? Is that really the most pertinent thing in your life right now? Or do you want some money, so that you have the time to study the things that interest you?
Or do you want to lose 40 pounds, so you don’t have to worry about your heart failing while you read?

You’re Playing Your Cards All Wrong

What does LOA say?
What you focus on, you create.
When you focus on your “need to master the Law of Attraction”, you’re thinking about your lack of mastery of LOA. So really, while you’re sitting there thinking you need to do this and need to do that and “oh, why aren’t things manifesting in my life instantly already?”… you’re actually pushing yourself farther and farther away from this desired “mastery”. Truth is….

You’ve Already Mastered the Law of Attraction

That’s right. You already have LOA down, 100%. Everything you think about is being attracted to you, and if you’re thinking about how you WANT to master LOA… you’re really only thinking about things that you don’t have, simply because you’re telling yourself that you haven’t yet done it! Bizarre it is, but it’s the truth. You do not need to put any effort into mastering this fine art, as it’s a gift given to you at birth, something inherited, which you carry deep down inside of you.

The Solution

Rather than trying to master LOA, accept it as a fundamental truth, and move on with your life, knowing that you have this wisdom. Make a decision to go out, do the things you enjoy, make decision, decision, decision, take action, action, action, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Go out there and get the things you love. Hold on to the image of the things you want in life, and feel the feelings associated with having them.

The worst thing you can possibly do is get caught up in the “how”.
Don’t worry about “How do I change myself to make this work more in my favor”.
Rather, decide to make prompt and decisive decisions, and allow the “how” to come to you.
If you really believe in LOA, you know that you do not need to waste your time trying to learn it, rather just focus on what you want, and only then will you see how fast it’s actually working.

Nobody’s enjoying watching you sit there and wondering “how” to run.
Rather, we’re all cheering you on as you take the first step of that sprint…

Everyone who I’ve tagged in this note is familiar with LOA…
and isn’t wasting time tying his or her shoes!
Keep on running, my friends!

Much love,
Russell

p.s. Quit being so hard on yourself! There’s no need to repeat the mistakes of others! Have fun and do what you like, it’s what you’re here for!

The giving of a beautiful note is a gift to both the giver and the receiver. The giver has a lovely moment to recall something unique and positive in the person to whom they are giving the note and the receiver gets to feel the moment; feel special, unique and worthy.  Giving notes is almost free (some are), fun and yet so powerful.  So get busy and set yourself a target – write five notes per week.  Write them on the best paper that you can find and post them or hand deliver them.  Sometimes I slip them into my guests bags for a little treat later on.  Step up to the challenge to find something special in five people you know or  come into contact with.

The spin off to writing notes is that over time, you become less critical and more appreciative. Now that has got to be a good thing.  Oh, and just a reminder, an email or phone call, while being delightful, will just not do.  A note is a note is a note and only a note will do.  I will cover how to get started in the next blog.

What is your special note routine?

1. Provide yourself with a weekly inspirational fix from a positive, self development source. You could consider subscribing to a journal of excellence such as “Success Magazine” or an online site such as Napoleon Hill’s Mastermind.  You could spend some time on inspirational blog sites or buy/borrow books from such authors as Brian Tracy, Zig Zigglar or Jim Rohn.  These great investments into yourself will help you to work with the only person over whom you have direct motivation – yourself.  Invest in yourself to stay positive.

2. Commence a prosperity journal. Join those who keep a daily journal or diary and create the opportunity to look back over where you have been and how far you have come.  This is a delightful way to track your progress and give yourself your own positivity fix.  For this particular exercise, you do not even need much by way of equipment, expense or time, just a little discipline until you have created the habit.  Get yourself a notebook and each day, at a time that suits you, make entries about the good things that happened to you over the preceding period of time.  It can be as simple as having been shouted a coffee or someone let you into the line of traffic.  If it was nice, then write it down,  regularly read back over your lists and savor those moments.  Soon they will become very common for you.

3. Move outside of yourself and do something for another person; a random act of kindness. Such acts will give you a feeling of well-being and satisfaction and it is hard to hold a negative thought while feeling this way.  Do this as often as you possibly can and watch your positivity and optimism grow.

4. Play, have fun and enjoy yourself lots and often. Use as much creativity in this pursuit as you can muster up.  Building your enjoyment in life and developing your creativity is a great thing even if you are not concentrating on becoming and staying positive and optimistic.  It is just fun and I beg of you, try to be negative while having fun.

5. Seek out the positive in every facet of your life, but most importantly, mix with like minded people. If you are on the path to positivity it is much easier when you are with positive people.  That may mean that you create a bit of space away from your negative friends and associates for a while until you are well and truly in your positive mind set.  Once you are confident in holding your positive stance you will likely be a great influence on them and others around you.  Being influential is great, go right ahead and enjoy it.

There are many, many other actions that you can take to gain and maintain a positive attitude and these five are great to start with. There is no need to overload yourself; if this is all that you ever do, you will find that it works.  The trick of course is to be committed and consistent until you have embedded these as daily habits.  Above all, enjoy the journey to positivity and have fun with these five tips.

1. Bounce back. When things are not going right or you get knocked down, bounce right back again.  Find your resilience factor and make it stronger by bouncing back every time.  Allow only half an hour for feeling bad and then shift those thoughts and get on with it.  Never give up, persevere no matter what.  Some successful people take many years to hit their stride.  Success might be just around the corner for you and if you give up, you will never know what you might have done.
2. Have a sense of humor. Whatever is happening in your life, do everything possible to find the funny side.  Laugh at yourself first and then at everything else.  Keep your funny bone finely tuned; it is a lot more enjoyable to be funny than cross.  Laughter also gets your endorphins (feel good hormones) flowing and opens up the mind for creativity.

3. Commit your self 100% to your dreams and goals, read them and work to achieve them every day. If you want a prize winning garden you work in it every day; if you want your own prize you work towards it every day.  Hold your commitment even though there might be some dream stealers around, hold onto that dream.

4. Start from where you are at and if you do not like what you are doing then learn to love it or find something to do that you do love. Just do not drive everyone else around you crazy with what you do not like.  Love what you do.

5. Look for solutions not problems. When you start with a problem you are starting from the negative; when you start to look for a solution, you immediately come from the positive.  From that place you can look for great ideas.  People around you will love to work with someone who can see possibilities instead of problems.

6. Get out of your rut, try new ideas, have a go at something new and check to see if  you have old, limiting beliefs that are holding you back. When you are trying new things your mind is opening up to possibilities and is moving out of your current way of thinking.  This also allows creativity in and it is a lot of fun.  What if you try running backwards on the beach instead of forward, would you see a different view of the beach and the people on it?

7. Take care of yourself in three ways; your health, your relationships and your work. You need to make sure that each of those are getting equal attention so that you feel balanced and connected to your friends, family and colleagues.  You also must give yourself a healthy dose of inspiration at least once a week.  A lot of attention is paid to physical fitness and little to brain fitness.  So go ahead and give your brain a workout as well as your body.

8. Be kind and generous to others; look for things that you can do for someone else every day. When you are doing this, you are not only building relationships with those people you know, but opening yourself up to new experiences with people who you do not know.  You never know when you will see that person whom you have helped or how a kind action will come back to you.  Always be prepared to give someone else a hand up; there is enough to go around.

9. Find your passion and let it grow. If you lack passion it is hard to hold the commitment and action required to succeed.   Go in search of your passion, try out lots of different things until you find it.  Volunteer your help, try different jobs, mix with a different crowd or go back to your childhood dreams.  There are many ways to find your passion and your life will be richer for having it.

10. Build relationships. We are moving into a time when people are increasingly looking for relationships in everything that they do.  Web 2 is based largely on that premise; customers want to interact and not just buy, people want to keep in touch through various means and not just social networking sites.  So join the crowd and create a network of support and like minded people around you.

Well there you are, 10 of the best tips for happiness and success and a checklist that you can use to get started with your own personal development program. Check in with this list occasionally to see how much progress you are making.  Beg, borrow or exchange some inspirational products like the book “Think and Grow Rich” or the video “Know For Yourself” and find a way to inspire yourself every day.  And finally, try keeping a journal and write about the progress you are making, then go back every now and then and read it.  It is fun to look back and see how much you have changed.

What do you do to inspire yourself?

One of my aims, in pursuing extensive personal development, is to become a better and better person; to be able to have a stable and reasonable presentation no matter what and to keep a happy and positive mood. So you can see that today would be a great challenge for that.  With the exception of a couple of moments when we were each and at times both, a little testy, I am pleased to say that we made it!!  Now there is a point to this little ramble.

As the day went by, I was reminded of the writings of a friend of mine; Letizia De Rosa. In her book, Conversations With My Mother, Letizia devotes some time to coping with the angry moments and the advice is as follows:-

• Try to find the act of love and kindness in every circumstance.  Do that because it is not easy.
• Seek opportunities to love and be grateful, especially when you least feel like it or want to.
• Always strive to be happy and see things from a positive perspective.
• It is not easy, but love is our only destination.

So, with great effort, I carefully sought love and kindness for my husband while we carried out this tiresome task. I did it because it was not easy – easy would have been to vent right there and then, but that was not in keeping with who I want to be.  It is no longer an option.  At the end of the day, we are both immensely grateful that it is done, and we look forward to a celebration this evening.  We are also very happy to have completed the task and to have found a way to do it more easily next time.  Simple message from Letizia and her mum and sometimes the simpler the better.  As in this case.  You can read more about Letizia on her website.

This all points to the fact that entrepreneurs hold a particular attitude. And almost anything that you read on this subject will say that.  An entrepreneur believes that they will be successful, they create an aura of success around themselves and they take a very positive attitude towards achieving success. Of course they do a lot of other things as well, but they hold a positive, optimistic view of the world and their ability to do what they want to do.  They move in a circle of like-minded people and they take the necessary action to keep their positive mindset.

I grant you that is not easy when being bombarded by negative input on a daily basis, yet if you wish to succeed as an entrepreneur it is something that you must do. So here are a few pointers in how to get started with creating your positive attitude:-

• Put your attention on being positive and looking for other positive people.  Within a very short time you will start to hear your own words and those of others and you will identify the positive and negative tone.
• Take a little time out of your busy day to write down what you are thinking about in terms of optimism or pessimism.  Check in with yourself to see if you feel positive.  Do this at least once per day and keep your focus on seeking optimism.
• Find a test for optimism versus pessimism – positive versus negative and see how you rate.  Do this test regularly to see if you are shifting.
• Actively seek out positive things about people or situations and then thank someone for what they have done.  As you continue this process, soon you will be thinking more about the positive and less about the negative.
• Make an effort and send people a written message of thanks.  This makes you think about positives about that person  Send five of these a day for a while and keep up the practice.  People might be a little shy of it at first, but I know people who have kept every one of my notes!
• Go out of your way to help people and be surprised at how good that feels.  Such help will take you outside of yourself and let you see the good in others.  As you get repaid for your kindness, you will see more and more good in others and the world at large.  And become more and more positive.
• Start to associate more and more with those people who are positive, listen to how they talk and the words that they use.  Try it and see how it works for you.
• Finally, read some good personal development material, so that you can keep going.   Inspire yourself on a daily basis.  Try The Gratitude Effect by Dr John Demartini as a starter.

I will finish this piece with a lovely quote from actress Mary Pickford “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not falling down, but staying down.”