The RICHEST Place in the World

If you haven't done so, be sure and go back to the last article that I posted entitled, "Live Full and Die Empty". It goes "hand in hand" with this article and the thoughts included in this article. 

After you have read it (maybe you need to "refresh" even if you have already read it), then look at this very somber - but TRUE - statement made below... 

""The richest place in the world is the graveyard.
You know why?
Because in the graveyard, you will find...
Inventions never invented
Books never written
Ideas never nurtured - And dreams never lived."

"Remember Your Dream" by "Motivational Instinct" CLICK HERE to watch on youtube 

Like I said with the last article, I don't want to die with regrets. I don't want to die with things left undone that I had opportunity to GET done.

Now then, chances are, if I have goals and dreams that I am constantly and consistently working towards then there WILL be some things left "undone" but, my friend (and this is a very important point!) I will have left this earth MOVING TOWARDS something MORE in and for my life! That, in my opinion, would qualify as "dying EMPTY" with NO REGRETS!

For ALL of us...for you and for me...the ONLY way that we can accomplish this is by doing all we can TODAY! 

In the Bible, the writer of the book of Hebrews (or the letter that he wrote to the church there) needed to help the Christians there "stay together" and help each other remain strong in their faith. In Hebrews 3:13 he emphasizes this by saying, "but exhort (encourage) one another daily, while it is called “Today...”

Notice he said to do it DAILY but - don't put it off - do it while it is still called "TODAY".  

Listen friend, I'll say it again: The ONLY way that we can accomplish living our lives fully and leaving no regrets is by doing all we can TODAY!

One way that helps tremendously (the writer of Hebrews refers to it as well later on in chapter 10 in verses 24 and 25) is based on those that make up our "circle". 

We'll talk about that part of the picture in the next article.

Until then, remember...

YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON and, whatever you do, always be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

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The Key to Happiness (Part 3)

"Money can't buy you happiness" to which many reply, "I'd sure like to find out for myself!"

First and foremost, before we go any further, MONEY is the same as our last discussion about PEOPLE...in and of itself, money cannot "make" us happy or sad. Once again, our happiness comes from within as a part of our outlook on life and who we are.

We can, once again, look to the many lottery winners that have ended up in worse financial shape than they were BEFORE they won that huge amount of money. It's almost as if they were "cursed" instead of "blessed" when they won. The reality is that they allowed the money to control them instead of them controlling the money.

Have you not seen "famous" (that's a relative term) people who are wealthy, talk about how their wealth has brought about many problems to their life? Have you not ever heard someone in this position talk about being bored because, once they have "attained it all", they felt that there was really nothing left?

Now, before I go on, let me just say that many that feel that way are very self-centered. Sad, but true. To have been blessed with the ability to achieve that kind of wealth and to be bored and feel that there is nothing left for them is, in my opinion, selfish.

What a GREAT opportunity to change the lives of many that cannot do for themselves. In other countries around the world, yes, but also in their own country! What a great opportunity for them to "step outside of themselves" and give fully of themselves for the good of others.

From what I have gathered over the years, that kind of life is no longer boring because it is now about OTHERS.

Hey, even King Solomon, considered to be one of the wealthiest people in history, discussed his thoughts that, in the overall scheme of life, everything is "vanity" or pointless (read Ecclesiastes, chapter 1 in the Old Testament for more on that). Money or wealth is not THE answer.

So, can money or wealth be the key to happiness, even in some small way?

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I mentioned the other day about this graphic that I had posted on the fan page on FB. Notice what it says: "The goal is not to get rich. The goal is to LIVE RICH." And, then, below that, I added the question: "What does 'living rich' mean to you?"
 

 

 "Riches" and/or "wealth" do not have to have anything to do with money. Some of the  wealthiest people on this earth do not have a very large bank account and, at the same time, some of the "poorest" people on this earth have some of the largest bank accounts.

 

Make sense?

 

So, looking at this last graphic, it IS possible to LIVE RICH and not have a lot of money just as it is to be "relationship-poor" with all the money in the world.

 

And, NO, one does not have to exist over the other. It just takes a person that can make sure that THEY have control over the money and not the other way around. When MONEY begins to control people, problems follow soon after.

 

There is NOTHING wrong with having lots of money. Much good can be done with that money. The problem comes if and when a person allows their money to control them instead of the other way around. And, at the same time, there is NOTHING wrong with not having much money at all. Some of the "wealthiest" people on earth are those who have invested in relationships and reap the harvest of having many "real" friends.

 

By the way, the Bible does NOT say that MONEY is the root of all evil. The Bible declares that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. There's a big difference there between the two concepts, friend.

 

Bottom line: You control your money or your money controls you.

 

So, in closing, it's not if you have a lot of money or not much at all. YOU are the one responsible for your ability to bless the lives of those around you and, in turn, bring about happiness (joy, contentment, pleasure) in your life.

 

Think about it and, as you do so, always be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Future You University  "Like" FYU on Facebook!  Podcast on iTunes 

Podcast RSS feed    See Small Investment EXPLODE!

 

 

What is YOUR Income Strategy?

O.k., so here we are a week into the New Year! If you haven't done so, be sure to go back and read the last blog and listen to the last podcast entitled, "What IS a Resolution?" to help you as you set out to better yourself and accomplish positive moves in your life during this year.

 

And, as you do so, take into consideration these thoughts as I continue my discussion on Bob Proctor's, "The Science of Getting Rich".  Again, I have highlighted the thoughts from my notes that come from Mr. Proctor and then I have added my own thoughts as well.

 

Mr. Proctor says (and I have heard this from many others who understand and have wealth) that there are 3 Income Earning Strategies as listed below: 

   1: used by 96% of people (trading time for money = a J.O.B.) - you will NEVER get ahead of the game doing this!  

  2: used by 3% of people (use/invest money for money)

  3: only used by 1% (they multiply their time/effort by setting up MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INCOME!) *IF YOU CAN EARN $10,000 you can earn $100,000. If you can earn $100,000 then you can earn $1 million! It all follows a basic principle!

 

Let's take a quick, but closer, look at these 3 strategies and see what that means for you now and in the future.

 

1. Trading Time for Money. Obviously if it is the method being used by 96% of the people, then it is likely the method or strategy that you are using as well. There is nothing wrong with having a job so please, do not take what is being said here the wrong way. The problem comes when you cannot - for whatever reason - give of your time in order to get the money. Sickness, injury - it doesn't matter because, simply put, if you don't work, you don't get paid. Times have changed greatly over the years and there are NO indicators, as was true in the past, that can give the security of you having that job for as long as you want as long as you do the job and do it right. Those days are gone!

 

2. Invest Money for Money. I can hear some of you now - "But, Mike, I invest in the stock market!" For one, you likely dabble in the stock market. Regardless, how has the stock market treated you over the past 5 - 10 years? True investing takes knowledge and knowledge comes from education and that education comes from a desire to learn more. Sure, all investment has SOME risks but those that do their "due diligence" remove as much of the risk as possible. ONLY 3% OF PEOPLE DO THIS! Now, who do you think these 3% are? How financially set do you think these in this 3% are?

 

3. Multiple Sources/Streams of Income. Only 1%. Yet, as you think about the beauty of this strategy it is amazing that only 1% use this strategy. Again, I can hear some of you say, "Oh, but Mike, I have two jobs, my wife babysits on the side and we also sell old stuff on-line!" Sure, you have income coming in from different sources (that is good and it is ambitious) BUT....yeah, you knew that was coming, right? - what happens with ANY one of these if you (or your wife) gets sick, hurt or just gets tired? In all of these, if you don't work, you don't get the money! Those who set up multiple streams of income are much like the 3% that learn how to truly invest their money. THEY HAVE SPENT THE TIME (due diligence) to LEARN how to find sources of income that will produce money whether they are able to work or not! It's a simple way of saying that they have chosen not to put "all of their eggs in one basket".  Even if one source suffers for any reason, they have OTHER sources to help take up the slack!

 

I'm not going to say much more about this - just take a look at it and see what you can begin doing TODAY - RIGHT NOW - to start switching over from category 1 (with the rest of the 96%) to one of the other 2 categories.

 

What's the problem? We want it and we want it to happen for us NOW!

 

We are not a patient people and, most of us, are not willing to do what it takes to make this transition in our lives.

 

That, my friend, is why only 4% of the people practice strategies 2 and 3!

 

I don't want to be like everyone else. I've heard this many times from many different people in the area of fiance and wealth: "If you want to have success, you must do what everyone else is NOT doing!"

 

In other words...STEP OUT FROM THE CROWD!

 

Can you? Yes, you absolutely can.

 

Will you? That's totally up to you.

 

 

Until next time, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook!     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed

How To Close the Gap

How To Close the Gap

Yesterday we discussed the dilemma of HOW to close the gap between where we would like to be and where we are. What do you do?

As part of yesterday's podcast and blog I mentioned an article about "myths concerning millionaires" and directed you to the posting of it on the fan page on Facebook. For those that did not find it or for those that may be accessing this article LONG after it was typed up - here is that article link:

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110333/millionaire-myths?mod=bb-budgeting

Today I share from an article by Jim Rohn entitled, "Achieving Your Dream".

Here is the link to that article:

http://www.jimrohn.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=1284&utm_source=jrn-8_2_10&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ezines

You can read the article when you get a chance - I read the article word for word in today's podcast. Why? Because no one says it any better than the late, great Jim Rohn!

Bottom line - to get from HERE to THERE...start doing the "uncomfortable" until it becomes "comfortable". More on that in tomorrow's podcast and blog entry.

And, all along the way, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

ATTACKING the Fear of Poverty

The fear of poverty can rob one of their very soul. What do I mean by that? Let me explain by sharing with you this excerpt from chapter 15 ("How To Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear") in Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think & Grow Rich" :

"This fear paralyzes the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills off self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm, and makes self-control an impossibility.

It takes the charm from one's personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort, it masters persistence, turns the willpower into nothingness, destroys ambition, beclouds the memory, and invites failure in the heart, discourages friendship and invites disaster in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery, and unhappiness - and all this despite the obvious truth that we live in a world of over-abundance of everything the heart could desire, with nothing standing between us and our desires, excepting lack of definite purpose."

WOW! If you've ever experienced "poverty" then you, too, can look at that list and almost get the shivers - because it is TRUE! That's why I began today's article with the statement that "poverty can rob one of their very soul".

Yes, I know that, perhaps, this shouldn't be the case - BUT IT IS! Yes, I know (and Mr. Hill acknowledges this as well) that there are things of far greater value than money. However, you take a man's job away from him and you take a piece of him as well! When a man cannot provide for his family (yes, I understand this to be true of women as well - but I speak from a man's perspective) he feels worthless and ashamed. All of the "blessings" that surround him every day (such as a loving wife and/or wonderful family, etc.) are lost in the clouds of depression and despair.

I KNOW - I'VE BEEN THERE!

So, here's the key - the only way to attack a foe is to know it's name and where it lives! And that is what we (Mr. Hill and myself) are going to do as we ATTACK this FEAR of POVERTY!

Know (and take heart in) this: This fear of poverty is but a mindset! It's true! The fear of poverty - notice, we are not talking about poverty itself...just the FEAR of poverty - can cause one to panic and freeze when they should be pushing forward boldly. But the MINDSET, when fueled by the negative information coming over the news, says it's best to "play it safe" and "stay put", thus causing us to cease any forward movement and momentum.

WE CAN CONQUER THE FEAR OF POVERTY - IF you are willing to follow along. IF you are willing to crawl out of your hole and, with our (Mr. Hill and myself) help, make progress toward a better future.

As we IDENTIFY and ATTACK this fear, in tomorrows podcast and article we will IDENTIFY some of the CHARACTERISTICS or TRAITS of this fear of poverty so that we can help YOU determine if it has crept into your life!

Join us then as we continue this POWERFUL discussion!

And, until then - and as always....

"Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Swim in the POSITIVE Stream! (Thankful Thursday)

Wow, don't you just LOVE Napoleon Hill's book, "Think & Grow Rich"? If you're not reading, you MUST read it!

Do whatever you need to do to read this book! Go to the library and check it out for free - but don't mark in it - then you'll have to buy it! You can go to my website (http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com) and click on my "links" tab and get it for free (just pay the shipping and handling) and mark it all you want. Because, believe me, you will WANT to underline and make notes in this amazing book!

At the conclusion of chapter 9 on the POWER of the Mastermind Group we find a discussion of "the stream of Power". Basically put, Mr. Hill compares the flow of money (and life in general) to a stream. Just like all streams, you can go upstream or you can go downstream. And, just like all streams, going UP stream requires a bit of effort while going DOWN stream requires none at all.

Here's the kicker - he talks about the side of POSITIVE POWER being the side that will take you upstream and to success while the NEGATIVE POWER side will take you down to poverty. Poverty requires no special talents, skills or effort. Poverty is greedy and is bold and willing to take you at a moments notice.

However, wealth is shy and has to be attracted, coaxed and then it takes effort to "maintain" if you will. And, as was mentioned in this chapter, some people spend time in both sides of the stream. As a matter of fact, I venture to say that ANY successful person has spent time in the NEGATIVE side of the stream as well as the POSITIVE side. Again, we see them in the positive side and think that they have always been there --- which is simply not true!

The question is - what will YOU do? Take the "easy" way DOWN the stream or will you WORK and put EFFORT into this task so that you can advance UP the positive side of the stream?

It is totally up to you. No one can do it for you. Mr. Hill can throw you the lifeline through the wise words in this book. I can share this information with you through this blog and my podcasts, but only YOU can take hold of that lifeline and DO something with it.

Will you? If not, WHY NOT?

And, if so - WHY NOT NOW?

Why? Because your FUTURE is NOW!

Remember that and, as always...

"Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

TERRIFIC TUESDAY- "Decision: The Mastery of Procrastination"

There it is. That "P" word. PROCRASTINATION!

Does that word make you shudder? I'm not sure if I've ever met ANYONE that didn't struggle with procrastination - putting things off until later. Waiting until later before making a decision or taking action.
The problem? The TIME for ACTION never comes...it just keeps on getting moved on to "later".

As we begin discussion of chapter 8 in the Napoleon Hill classic, "Think & Grow Rich" I want you to consider how much better our lives would be if we would finally conquer procrastination. This chapter will give you some SPECIFIC ideas to consider in this process but, as is true with everything else, these thoughts and ideas will do no good unless put into action.

THE WEALTH MINDSET vs. THE POOR MINDSET

Let's take a look at these two categories discussed in this chapter and notice the characteristics of decision making that attach themselves to each of these mindsets.

*makes decisions quickly* *makes decisions (if at all) SLOWLY*
*changes decision (if at all) SLOWLY)* *changes decision quickly & often*



Being completely honest with yourself, which column fits you?

For most of us, the right side - the POOR MINDSET - fits us more often than not! We hesitate to make decisions due to the fear of "what if I fail". We wait, we procrastinate and then, if and when we DO make a decision we are QUICK to change it at the first sign of trouble, set-back or perceived failure!

Those with the WEALTH MINDSET are CONFIDENT in their decisions. Yes, they have done their homework and they do not make the decision without thought - but they are not AFRAID to make that decision or are they afraid of any possible "failure". They withstand the temptation to "bail" on their plans at the first sign of trouble - they "stay the course" many times seeing their decision pay off when others have already "jumped ship".

WOW! Does that challenge you like it does me?

Another factor that we allow to play a big role in our decisions (or the lack thereof) is OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS! We will be discussing this in greater depth in Wednesday's podcast - but we ALL deal with this from time to time. Perhaps it is a spouse or other family member or friends. But they ALL have opinions (and seem to always feel the necessity to share them with us) on why we shouldn't move forward on a decision.

As I mention in the podcast, there are several different versions of the following thought, but this is one of the "cleaner" ones I've heard: "Opinions are like armpits....everyone has them, and THEY ALL STINK!"

Yeah, you know from experience EXACTLY what I mean, don't you? We'll discuss that more in tomorrow's podcast - be sure to join me for it and, until then...

"Make it an AWESOME DAY! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Success Needs No Apologies! - "Magical Monday"

I hope that you are enjoying our discussions from the book, "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill in our current podcasts. I know I am enjoying sharing this information with you and am getting "more comfortable" with the amount of material to share in such a limited time on these podcasts.

That being the case, today's podcast is the 2nd part of the discussion on Chapter 2 - DESIRE.

As Mr. Hill continues his emphasis on DESIRE being the starting point of all achievement he also emphasizes that fact that we must have a DEFINITENESS OF PURPOSE - the knowledge of what one wants and the burning DESIRE to possess it.

We may choose to call that "FOCUS". Whatever you choose to call it and whether or not your "goal" is to be wealthy (rich) - WHATEVER YOUR GOAL, you MUST have that burning desire within that will drive you through any and all perceived failures along the way. We have already discussed that in some of our recent discussions on this topic.

However, as I look at this statement - I also see the importance of knowing your "WHY". Your PURPOSE - WHY are you pursuing this goal/dream? Is it simply to amass wealth? I'm thinking, since you are reading this, that the answer to that would be "no". Is it for your family and their financial security? Do you have something (a group, organization, charity) in mind with which you plan to share? Do you have something in mind that you want to do that requires more money than you have right now? WHAT IS THE "WHY" BEHIND YOUR DESIRE?

Another of the quotes in this chapter that I brought out was the following:

"Success requires NO APOLOGIES, failure permits NO ALIBIS."

WOW! Think about that! Perhaps we do not pursue "success" because we often feel that we need to apologize for doing so! Again, go back to the discussion last week on the thought of, "Is it wrong to desire wealth?" Should we feel GUILTY or APOLOGIZE because we seek success or achieve success?
NO!
If it were not for successful people - those that had a BURNING DESIRE to achieve success - we would not have many of the things that make our lives not only convenient but also healthier, safer, etc. Thomas Edison never gave up! He pushed forward again and again after many perceived "failures" while creating the "light bulb" as we know it today. His thought on this - each "failure" was just one step closer to "success". Why? He said that it was just another answer to "what doesn't work"! Wow! What an attitude. Aren't you glad he succeeded?
FAILURE PERMITS NO ALIBIS - stop making excuses! We are good at that, are we not? Do not accept anything less than your best and stop listening to even others that want to make excuses for you! Now, this is a fine line that we walk - on one hand we shouldn't "beat ourselves up" when we fall short of a goal. However, IF this goal is something that we have a BURNING DESIRE to achieve and it has a PURPOSE then we must also not allow the "comforting words" allow us to get TOO comfortable and relax and settle for mediocrity.
See what I mean?

And, finally, the last quote I wanted to discuss was one that should make a HUGE impact on our thought process as we have discussed it so far in our discussion.

"Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success."

What a GREAT way to look at these perceived "failures". Will we allow ourselves to LEARN from these setbacks? This is exactly what Thomas Edison did! He allowed each failure to bring him one step closer to success - it is within each of us to do the same!

Stop counting your failures and allowing that to stop you from moving forward! Instead, look at all of the seed that has been planted and let that propel you with forward momentum. My goodness, with that in mind, I have seeds planted for a BOUNTIFUL CROP OF SUCCESS! What about you?

What great information - I am so glad that Napoleon Hill did not give up on his pursuit of this book, aren't you?

We will continue our discussion on chapter 2 in tomorrow's podcast. Until then...

"Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

"Is it WRONG to Desire Wealth?" - THANKFUL THURSDAY

Greetings, friends!

What are YOU thankful for today? Well, besides the fact that the sun is out again today I am so thankful for YOU - the many friends that I have made through this process. Several of you I have talked to in one way or another. Most of you I have not - except through the podcast or through this blog - but, nevertheless, I am THANKFUL FOR YOU!

In today's podcast I break away from the actual book ("Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill) in order to discuss a basic topic that needs to be considered as we discuss this classic.

Just the idea of "growing rich" gives some people a strange and uncomfortable feeling. Why? Well, I obviously cannot answer that question for everyone BUT I do know of two "reasons" with which many struggle and it is those two that I discuss in the podcast for today.

"Is it WRONG to Desire Wealth?"

First of all, again, you can use anything you want in this journey. It does not have to be money - whatever your goal is. You can apply it here.
HOWEVER, many - if not all - of our goals DO involve money and, perhaps (likely?) more money than we have at this moment. So, why the struggle?

1. Religious Teaching/Thought - A verse in the Bible that has been misquoted so many times is found in 1 Timothy 6:10. What we often here is, "MONEY is the root of all evil." Please note, that is NOT what this verse says! The actual quote from this verse says the following, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..." There is a big difference there, my friend. The thought behind this is the danger of allowing the LOVE OF MONEY to become so great that money - and the pursuit/love of money - becomes your MASTER! Bob Proctor (http://www.bobproctor.com) puts it this way - "Money makes either a TERRIBLE MASTER or a WONDERFUL SERVANT." This may not be an EXACT quote, but it's pretty close! Bottom line - whatever "good work" that you are able to do now can be multiplied many times over with greater financial resources. What are doing now? Think about how wonderful it will be to be able to multiply those efforts many times over!

2. Societal Teaching/Thought - We also struggle with the idea of feeling GUILTY if we desire wealth. Look around you. So many people are struggling and suffering. There are so many needs in the world. And I desire wealth? Shame on me! And, there are plenty of people readily available to shake their fingers as well! However, just like in point #1 - we can actually DO more good in this area IF we allow money to be our SERVANT and not allow it to become our MASTER! Have you seen the commercial on television where the guy talks about his company GIVES AWAY one pair of shoes for every pair they sell? That blows me away! Think about it though - what allows them to do such a thing? Honestly, they have to be able to "afford" to do such a thing or that company would sink. And, if that company were to sink and fail then many children that are currently benefiting from this "free shoe" outreach would go without.
See what I mean?

Who are you now? Wealth will only AMPLIFY and MAGNIFY who you are at this moment. If you are a greedy person - money will not magically transform you into a generous person. It just won't happen. If you are not already reaching out to those that have need - you will not do so just because you have money. HOWEVER, if you ARE a generous and caring person now - you will have the opportunity to MULTIPLY your efforts beyond your wildest dreams!

So, honestly - as for me - I DESIRE wealth so that I may MAGNIFY my plans and my efforts even now.

May I share one of my "dreams" in this area? One thing I plan to do when I start my seminars is to donate 10% of the money taken in for each seminar admission ticket. No, not AFTER all of the expenses - but right off of the top. So, for example - if the seminar brings in $10,000 in admission, then I want to donate $1,000. My goal? On a regular basis I want to be able to donate $5,000 just from the ticket sales to my seminars and, I'd love to donate this to the "Make a Wish Foundation". That $5,000 is actually what it takes - on average - to fulfill one dream for one of these special young people.

Thank you for allowing me to share that with you!

So...if you struggle with those thoughts and ideas I'd love to hear from you and, perhaps help you move on past that struggle if possible.

As always, I encourage you to send any feedback - good or bad - considering the podcast and/or my blog information.

So....as always...

"Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike Spillman

"Starting Point: DESIRE" (Wonderful Wednesday!)

Greetings, friends! I hope that you are having a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY indeed and that today will be a wonderful day because you used the ability that you have within you to make it so!

In today's podcast I begin the discussion of chapter 2, which is the first point that Napoleon Hill gives in his book, "Think & Grow Rich", as "the starting point of all achievement". And, that point is DESIRE.

We already talked about the idea of translating DESIRE into REALITY - the need for ACTION for that to take place. An idea (or desire) is just an idea/desire UNTIL we put ACTION behind it to move it "down the road" toward it's completion or reality.

In this chapter, Mr. Hill discusses the importance of the "intensity" of this DESIRE. Again, we can put a "value" on our dreams (which can also be interchanged with the word, "desire") by how quickly we may give up on pursing those dreams and/or desires.

So many times we look at those that have achieved great things and think something along the lines of, "Wow, they must have caught a lucky break somewhere along the way" not realizing that their DESIRE was a deep, BURNING DESIRE that drove them past and through any perceived failures or set backs.

Here is a quote I used from this chapter in the story of the leader of a particular army that told his troops to burn their ships in which they had arrived on foreign soil to do battle. Why? If their way of retreat was gone, they would be forced to stay and fight. They did and they won. Here's the quote:
"Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat."

One thing great about this book is that you will find very specific LISTS of things to do in order to follow the "plan" that Mr. Hill puts before us. One such list that I discussed in today's podcast was the list of SIX SPECIFIC THINGS one may do in order to translate that DESIRE into it's financial success. Again, you can put whatever "goal" or "dream" into this equation that you wish - it does not have to be money and/or riches. But remember, the title of this book is, "Think and Grow Rich". "Rich" can mean many different things to many different people.
(A little side note here - in Thursday's podcast I'm going to make a little detour and talk briefly about the struggle that many have with this whole idea of "rich" and the pursuit of riches. Is it wrong? Should we desire such? So be sure and join me for that discussion on THANKFUL THURSDAY!)

1. Fix in your mind the EXACT amount of money you desire.
Again, this can be ANY dream or goal that you have. The idea behind this is - BE SPECIFIC. Does this sound familiar? If you have read ANYONE that talked about the importance of goals, you hear this talked about. THIS is where they got it from. Napoleon Hill - to some extent is the "godfather" of personal development and many that teach these things have gotten their ideas from this man.

2. Determine EXACTLY what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
He adds to that, "There is no such reality as 'something for nothing'. " In other words - what do you plan to DO in order to reach/achieve your dream and/or goal? Again, you must get specific!

3. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
Is this not also something we have become familiar with in this area of thinking? Set a date. Make sure it is far enough out to give you time to put these things into practice BUT don't set it so far out that it becomes a "forgotten dream".

4. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin AT ONCE, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into ACTION.
Be specific with your DESIRE, be specific with WHAT you intend to do in order to achieve that desire, be specific as to WHEN you plan to achieve that desire and then create a plan on HOW you plan to get there. I love the significance of what is said here - "...begin at once, whether you are ready or not..." Do you remember the discussions we had on "Making Your Move"? In those I emphasized the importance of not waiting and waiting and waiting. This was also emphasized in the points we covered in the FREE REPORT available at my website (http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com) in the podcasts from a little over a week ago. Don't wait until everything is lined up perfectly - if you do, you will NEVER begin! Again, ACTION is the key here and this is something that too many people misquote about Napoleon Hill. Those that, in my opinion very obviously have not read what Mr. Hill has written will claim that he does not call his readers into action. This is but one place where it is obvious that he does, indeed, call us to ACTION!

5. Put it all together.
Now, I paraphrased this point. What Mr. Hill says in the book is a listing of points 1 - 4. In other words - don't do these things separately - PUT THEM TOGETHER AND ACT UPON THEM!

6. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning.
He also adds, "As you read - see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money." We call that "visualization" don't we? Don't just read it - see it and believe it!

Wow, again, can you see how our modern day positive thinkers and promoters of personal development have used materials such as these from the past in their teachings? Why? Because they, too, (like Mr. Hill) have put them to the test and have found that they do, indeed, work!

So, again, apply ANY goal, desire and/or idea to this formula. But the key here is - DO IT!

I can almost "hear" some of you as you have listened to the podcast and as you have read this say something like, "Well, it's not all about getting rich!". You're right - it's not. And, if you stick with me on this and read along for yourself, you will see that Mr. Hill also points this out in his writings.

And, join me tomorrow as we do take a little detour from the book to discuss this very idea about riches.

As always, I'd love to hear any input you have about these ideas. Please either leave a comment here under this article or feel free to e-mail me at anytime at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

As always, remember...
"Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike Spillman