Thursday 11 December 2008

Upwards and Onwards

Its the end of the year and time to reflect on what has been achieved and to look forward to what is to be. 


Chances are in looking back most of us will encounter a little disappointment and regret at what has not yet been done, gained or mastered. All those goals that were set with anticipation and eagerness that we now feel a trifle sheepish for not having fulfilled. I know I have those feelings. 

But just as they start to bubble up in my throat, I quickly remind myself of what I do already have and am grateful for. 

Number one is good health and there is no price that can be paid for that. Wealth beyond comparison. My home circumstances are fine, my belly is usually full enough, my home is as secure as anything can be, I live in green surroundings and so far I’m hanging on to my job which is OK for the time being. Plus plenty plenty more. Yes there is a lot to be thankful for. 

Which is funny as my mastermind group is about to meet to reflect on our successes this year and to set new goals, and I was registering a flutter of frustration and disappointment that I wouldn’t have much more to contribute on that front because some of my big goals from last year this time have not moved forward very much. 

It has after all been one hell of a year world wide, and its left many people scared about the now and the coming months. We are bombarded every day with stories of the doom and gloom of the economy. 

Will it get any worse economically? Most certainly for some people. it will. It is my belief that we have not yet even begun to uncover the might of the economic downturn and it would be very easy to get into a spiral of self defeating talk and despair. 

But frankly, we can chose not to buy into that kind of thinking. So now to counter that, I want to make sure that I remember what I have to celebrate and acknowledge all the little achievements that could so easily be overlooked. And that is something I can share with my group. 

We get what we focus on. This is something that’s been very prominent on my mind this last year. And if what I’ve been focussing on hasn’t happened to me this year, well, I’ll just add a ‘yet’ to it and keep my focus strong. 

Forgive me if I seem a little airy-fairy but I will also be telling myself that the universe wants what is good for me and there is something even better for me ahead. That thought really shifts the disappointments and regrets. 

Is this avoiding the reality and trying to see the world through rose coloured spectacles? I have in my journal, repeating over and over - ‘Believe in your dreams’. I choose to take inspiration from all those giants before me on whose shoulders I can stand who did just that. So many come to mind just now as I write and one that stand out is Martin Luther King. “I have a dream that one day….” Yes I know Obama has an awful lot to live up to now, but haven’t we come a long way though the road was never smooth? That’s life. 

Yes believe in your dream. 

Who knows how long the road may be? How do I keep my motivation going so that I can achieve what I want to? 

Part of that of course comes from my own will and self determination but there is no denying the strength to be gained from working with others who will provide that little bit of extra support and push and challenge I need. And I believe that I can do all that for others too. Its been good to write this because its diluted that little bit of trepidation about my next mastermind meeting. Upwards and onwards.

Blessings for Today

1. I have enjoyed my son's company today. We've had a laugh and a good feeling between us.

2. I have been home and had some quiet time for myself and I value that enormously.

3. I have eaten well and healthily. Zimbabwe flashes through my mind. Its just a reminder about how fragile is some people's existence in this world and that I have not had to suffer their fate and that makes me very privileged and blessed.
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Thursday 13 November 2008

A Change in the Air

Its hard to be unaffected by the spirit of hope and optimism Barak Obama has brought to bear across the world recently, and with times getting leaner and meaner for many people, we all want to believe that change is possible and life as a result will improve in some way.

And, do you know, that if that happens in the wider political arena, we want to know that it will also impact in our personal lives and that we can sustain the change.

Some of my fellow masterminders have sought to support each other’s efforts in decluttering their home and office environments and to have daily accounting for the tasks we had set ourselves.

Well, this wasn’t just in order to create a better environment to be in but to also achieve other even more profound changes in our lives be it in the area of relationship, career, money or business.

There was the general feeling that living with the degree of clutter most of us do, there was a definite block on our physical and emotional energies that prevented us achieving their wider goals.

That daily email connection gave us the spur to do what we had to do and kept up the motivation wonderfully because we were nudging and encouraging each other, challenging when someone wasn’t checking in, inspiring each other with our efforts in doing the best we could, and adding the belief in ourselves that we could achieve what we set out to do.

Then life throws a spanner in the works – as it does some times. Some people got sick bugs and their efforts fell away. And in the words of one person, ‘My mojo’s gone’.

She needs the mastermind group to help bring new levels of enthusiasm and motivation to her efforts.

In fact she’s done brilliantly. It may not sound like much but she can walk around her apartment now without having to move things out of her way. She’s saving money because she can find paperwork relating to payments. She’s systematizing her paperwork slowly and because its going to take her a long time – months I’m told –she needs the support of others who can assure her she can do it and keep the momentum going.

Can we do it? Yes, we can! That’s what we’re there for. And so can she. And why? Because as Napoleon Hill tells us in Think and Grow Rich, two or more minds working in harmony, produce a synergistic energy that create many more possibilities through our united vision and sense of purpose. And from the little acorns we plant now, change’s gonna come as we help each other reach for our best.

Gratitudes for the day
1. I had news that a course I was hesitating over doing had  been reduced in price because of some drop outs by about two thirds and I hesitated no longer. What a blessing for the day!

2. Son in great mood. He 'aced' his math test. I am grateful for his determination to succeed and to work hard towards it.

3. I can't get Mon Coer s'ouvre a ta voix out of my head and I've been singing all day, over and over. Its made me feel connected again to some part of me that's been dormant, and thats a good feeling. A blessing indeed.
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Thursday 9 October 2008

A Greater Mastermind

The experience of spending a month nudging and supporting each other daily through our decluttering experience has left a strong positive impact on my mastermind group. In fact, its really gelled us better than before and increased the level of trust in the group.

 You know what? As seemingly mundane and undramatic as the tasks were, most of us were experiencing how by having a common vision, and by holding ourselves accountable to each other, we could advance our goals.

Let’s face it, life’s never plain sailing, is it? And some people got thrown off course by events, circumstances, illness or lack of energy. No, we didn’t all end the month on a glorious high, a rush of new found energy from having let the energy flow freely through now totally clutter free homes and work environments.

 Yet funnily enough, even before the assigned month was over, members were asking, if having a common vision on which we all focus daily works so well, what else could we work together to achieve in this way?

 Well, simply stated, the next challenge centred on using the power of manifestation. Our common purpose here is to improve the quality of our lives in some way and that will inevitably be different for each of us.

Here’s the deal. Our decision this month was to tap into a higher consciousness, a ‘Third Mastermind’ or source of universal power, and using the Law of Attraction, begin a process of manifestation of the changes we wanted in our lives through a structured exercise.

 And we would continue to do this as a daily exercise, connecting firstly with the Greater Mastermind and secondly with each other. And as with the daily decluttering, we would support each other in an exercise of manifestation.

 This involves writing in a four step sequence of:

  • asking clearly for what we want and attaching our feelings of having gained those things already
  • making it known that we support ourselves in achieving our goals and are thankful for what we have been given
  • creating a picture as if we have already achieved out goals, talking about what it feels like to already have them, what we can see, hear, feel, smell, taste now we have what we want and to really get comfortable with creating this scene in our minds
  • expressing gratitude again for what we now have.

 Believe it or not, one member already reports the magic has started for her and we are only into day 4. Is this a kind or craziness? The bottom line I think, is a matter of belief. What else can we achieve if we can conceive and believe, and work together to keep the spirit of the mastermind alive in all of us? Yes, get that pen out and keep scratching away.

 I am grateful to Deena Douglas in Seven Steps Into The MasterMind Consciousness for these affirmations that I now share with my mastermind group.

‘I lovingly and gratefully accept that the Master Mind supplies me with an abundance of all things necessary to fulfill my desire. I know that the miracle working power of the Master Mind has responded to my every need. I assume the same feeling I would have if my requests were already fulfilled.’

 And

 ‘I affirm this covenant with the Master Mind and I go forth into my life with a spirit of enthusiasm, excitement and expectancy. I am at peace.’

 I am at peace.

Gratitudes of the day
1. We have been so blessed these last couple of days with great autumn sunshine and a gentle warmth. When the world news continues to be so depressing, it just feels good to still be able to catch the occasional sunshine on my skin and to see how the emerging colours of autumn are enhanced by it. Good to look at, great to feel.

2.  I open my purse and there's still money in it. An economic 'crisis' such as we are having could be the difference between life and death for many people in the world so I am indeed blessed by not having to face the harshest decisions of being completely without funds in the world.

3. My 16 year old swings in his moods but today he has his sense of humour and his continued determination to succeed at his work and we've been able to laugh together and feel proud of him together.
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Thursday 11 September 2008

Cleaning up, clearing out

We've just had a new member join our mastermind group and one of the gifts she brings to the group is a new sense of purpose infusing through us all. She admitted that it was difficult to see her way through to achieving her goals because she lives in a constant state of personal clutter permeating her home and I dare say, work environment.


Then it all came out of the woodwork. Who else was feeling stuck, unable to move forward, feeling drained of energy, not achieving all they wanted to? Well, no prize for guessing that pretty much nearly everyone of us to some degree or other are living with a decease common to an awful lot of people in the developed world. Lets call it Clutteritis. 

And what this seems to do is to keep us hanging on to our possessions for dear life till we seem to need more storage space, bigger houses, more shelves, cupboards and outhouses to contain all the detritus of our lives. Well yes I know one person's junk is another's treasures, but honestly, have things not just got out of hand? And what does it cost us to be over our heads with 'more stuff'?

And how did my friend's admittance become a gift to us? Well firstly we had to look at what living in a state of clutter did to us and why it might contribute to us not getting what we want, and then we had to agree to do something about it.

So we have pledged to spend the next month in a solid commitment to ourselves and to the others in the group actively removing some of the junk on a daily basis. With more space to live and breathe,  we have cleared the way for the things we really want to manifest into our lives whether that is an intimate relationship, financial, business or career success or any of the other goals we have actively been working on.

And just for this month, every day we are committed to emailing each other with our daily progress report, and along the way to support each other's efforts, to encourage, to 'kick ass' if we haven't heard from someone, holding each other accountable for what we said we would do, to challenge and to inspire. Its much easier to stay in line when someone else is saying "Well done, keep going. You can do it. Or, what's going on, why didn't you contact us? How are you  doing with your tasks?"

The feedback I am getting is that it is working and some people who would have caved in a long time ago or been 'too tired' after a hard day at work are motivated to persist. The best part of it is, it feels great and has such a transforming impact on how we feel about ourselves and our environment. 

The energy is moving and flows through us. I can't wait for the final progress report at the next meeting. This way we can be models for each other, share ideas and inspiring quotes, make suggestions and be ready to receive ideas from others. And here's the thing. If we can achieve this apparently 'simple' yet demanding task we have set ourselves and demonstrated how powerfully we can support, encourage and challenge each other to achieving our goals, what else can we do with the combined energy of the whole group?

For some of us its been very liberating. Some are finding money, energy, people, a new intimate relationship are being drawn to them. Others have a new sense of renewal and expectancy of fulfilling their ambitions.

No, it isn't easy. Some days, especially if you've been out on long all day seminar sessions as I have been for 3 days, it was very hard to return home and find enough energy to start clearing files and cupboards. But the pledge to do it is very strong when there are others looking over your shoulder and also needing your help to remain focussed on task.

It was interesting to me that we coincided exactly with the start of Ramadan which although there are no Muslims in the group, was very apt for us only in the sense of requiring self discipline and focussed goals, and perhaps achieving a cleansing at least of the soul.

This for me is a very palpable benefit of the mastermind group. Napoleon Hill  in Think and Grow Rich said  " Success in this world is always a matter of individual effort, yet you will be deceiving yourself if you believe that you can succeed without the co-operation of other people."


Blessings of the day

1 I was glad to be able to be there for an elderly neighbour who needed to talk today. Although my initial reaction when I heard the doorbell was "no, not today. I have a mountain of work to do", nevertheless, I felt useful and capable listening to and helping her and was glad to be able to listen. I am grateful for good neighbourly relations.

2. The weather was kind and gentle today. I have relations who are struggling with the impact of hurricanes and I know that many people in various parts of the world have been killed , left homeless, injured or otherwise had their lives turned inside out. I am thankful to be safe and to still; be able to enjoy being outside at this time.

3. I got to rub noses again with my son. This is great when for some time now he has been very, well, 16 year oldish. Is rubbing noses a blessing? You bet!
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Wednesday 9 July 2008

May The Force Be With You

Having introduced Deena Douglas’ The Seven Steps Into The Mastermind Consciousness to my mastermind group, I confess to taking a step back from really using it to enhance the success of what we were all individually trying to achieve.

Number five of the Seven Steps which is about asking for what you want, states “Knowing that I am in conscious contact with Infinite Intelligence and my Master Mind partners, I now ask for, and accept help and guidance in the area of ….”

Why feel self conscious about saying this as a group? Well it got heard but no one else was showing any enthusiasm for a group response that required us to say “ (name) I know that the Mastermind/Spirit hears your request and it is already yours”. 

Yes, OK I felt a little foolish even though many of the participants are very familiar with the idea of asking for what you want from a higher power. We are mostly familiar with the idea of manifestation, have seen films like The Secret or What the Bleep Do We Know, have mostly attempted in our own ways to connect with a higher spirit.

But you know what? Is it just me or does it feel ever so slightly cultish to respond as a group when each individual has expressed their goals? Maybe everyone else felt a little sheepish too about saying this out aloud.

Number six, which is about receiving, states “I lovingly and gratefully accept that the Master Mind supplies me with an abundance of all things necessary to fulfil my desire. I know that the miracle working power of the Master Mind has responded to my every need. I assume the feeling I would have if my requests were already fulfilled.”

 I guess this had me thinking that I was assuming all along that this source of power was outside myself. Some Higher Being. And that could be valid too. But I would also like to entertain the idea that there is power in the collective spirit when several minds are banded together to achieve some greater good than can be achieved by one person alone.

 So I was quite interested to come across Mary Robinson Reynolds’ own Seven Steps to the Mastermind Connection.

One of her steps states “I SURRENDER ordinary thinking. I recognize and accept that I desire to add to my own inherent power the sum and substance of the intelligence, experience, knowledge and spirituality of my MasterMind partners to provide amazing ideas and affirmative language to assist me in generating new results now.”

 Isn’t that neat? Here I must acknowledge my own power and add to that the strength and resources I gain from others in my group as well as some other universal energy that moves amongst us. Indeed, may the Force be with you. And I will definitely share this again with my mastermind group.

Blessings for today.

  1. The heavens have opened up pretty much consistently for the last couple of days and we are asking ourselves where the summer went as its been largely cool and grey. The upside of this has been less need to be watering the plants in the garden thus saving time and the continued growth and lush green of the plants themselves which is a joy to behold.
  2. My 16 year old is mad with me at the moment for requiring him to contribute to household chores. That’s not so good. However even if he is grudging about it, he is at least doing the chores so far asked of him. Isn’t that a blessing?
  3. I am grateful for the time I get to spend on my own when I can just get on with my own things as I see fit. This is precious indeed.
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Wednesday 11 June 2008

Reflecting on Change in the Mastermind Group

My mastermind group has been in a process of change recently. 


One member had simply drifted away and couldn't be contacted and the remaining male was uncomfortable both with what he felt he could bring to the group and about being the only male. This group has been going for about a year now and in many ways feels like its still working at finding itself. So I've been keen to look at how long does it takes for a mastermind group to feel established (how long is a piece of string?) and what elements determine the strength and success of the group.

What's needed for the success of this group?

Similar interests?  - Well we are a 'money mastermind group' and while our focus was financial we were mostly on very different paths. It feels like it shouldn't matter as long as we could ask the right questions of each other, support, challenge, encourage and hold each other accountable for what we said we would do. Yet it's a bit of a divide when for example a solicitor and an engineer are trying to understand each other's world. 

Similar levels of success? - That clearly is not the case for us as there are many different levels of financial aspirations and success amongst us. What is clear and understood by us however is that financial success is nothing without other aspects of our personal development being in alignment. And that is something of a level playing field.

A shared desire to achieve success? Its extraordinary how capable we are of saying one thing and meaning another! I mean, some of us may intend success at one level but find that we sabotage clearly our efforts. Its  as though we are saying to the universe 'Yes I want success' while at the same time negating it in our thoughts and by our actions. 

Fear of success can be an disempowering as fear of failure. And of course it sends out mixed messages to the universe. So I'd say a real desire to grow and to strive for your goals was fairly important then to the results people get from the mastermind group.

Awareness of others? Are members willing to really listen to others, make space for them, truely desire to put self aside for a while and go with the experiences that others bring? One member of our group struggled with not being able to bring in personal stories that detracted from the work and time belonging to another member of the group. Its a fine line from being supportive and sharing your expertise in a way that empowers the other person.

Well where that leaves us is that we are now looking for one or two new members to join this group. And what's going to work are people who able to support others, share their experience, talents and skills, have a vision of what they want to achieve and a willingness to strive for it, who will accept support and challenging from others in order to really fan the flames of their own success and who accept the general masterminding principles. It could work beautifully.

Blessings for today

 1.  The learning and experience that I gained from others thats excited my interests and increased my motivations.

2. My son is mostly coming towards the end of his exams - just about 4/5 more to go. I'll just be glad for him and for me that the end is in sight. What's been good is to see his growing confidence in what he has been able to achieve and that keeps his spirits up which can only be a good thing for me too of course.

3. A couple of days have felt like real summer this week  and thats been so much longed for over the many months past. Its wonderful to feel and see and hear and experience summertime.

Personal Development and Success



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Sunday 13 April 2008

An Inspiration



 My boy ran in the London marathon today and I'm so proud of him. He ran for his borough in the Adidas mini marathon coming in second for his borough and beating his own set time.

And he deserved his victory. He trained so hard. Even when we begged him to scale back. He found the training sometimes very boring but nothing would stop him carrying on and setting his own  schedule.

While all the time staying well focussed on his school studies for his coming GCSE exams, putting in 6/8 hours of revision. 

There's a lesson in there for me..

Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.Zig Ziglar

He's's set his own schedule and timetable and I'm lucky I don't have to do any cajoling/nagging/persuading that parents often have to do. His own inner determination and keen spirit keeps him going.

And he is such an inspiration to me. Frankly  he puts me to shame when I consider my own wasted hours. I can't turn back the clock but I wish I'd had what he has within him when I was his age.

I know if he'd fallen over flat on his face I'd still be so very proud of him and still look up to him as an inspiration because I know he'd have got up and carried right on to the end of the road.

My role model! My son!

You go boy!

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.Colin Powell 
Blessings for today

1. My son is the biggest blessing in my life - even when he's being a bit of a pain which naturally he can be from time to time.

2 We've been hearing about an increasing threat in the world - that the basic cost of food is spirally and that there is great shortage all around the world. We've always known that food distribution worldwide has always been unequal but a new horror sits with us. What on earth is all this about? Is this some more hideous man made shortage? What does it mean for millions when they start being rationed for a once staple food item like rice that has kept so many from starvation? What does this have to do with blessings? Well, I and my family are the lucky ones living in a country our gripes are about the high petrol prices, what the government is or isn't doing, and so on. But we do not starve. In fact, we have more than enough for our needs. We are indeed well fed. What a blessing it is to be so when millions will worry tonight about where their next meal is coming from.

3. My family have all had dreadful coughs and colds and yet I have remained bug free. It is a blessing to be healthy and to feel it too.

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Wednesday 9 April 2008

Developing stronger relationships

One of my mastermind group members has a problem disentangling himself from a personal relationship that is strangling his success. We’ve been using the experience of others in the group, especially those who’ve dealt with similar situations, to brainstorm ways he can move forward but he is fragile and depressed and can only respond to these with “yes, but…”

 But before our meeting is ended, he picks up on a couple of the offered suggestions and says he will try. I hope he does more than try. And the group will be holding him accountable.

 This is most certainly not a therapy group although it can be therapeutic. I notice that with each meeting as we get to know each other better, start to build a shared history, we become more trusting and aspects of our lives that are a bit more intimately challenging, we may disclose more readily knowing that all members of the group are committed to helping each other and to our success.

 Together we can solve problems, gain insights and added motivation and achieve our goals quicker and more successfully than if we were trying to do it on our own.

We have a long way to go yet. Some people need to listen more and talk less, some to fully commit to attending meetings, some to ensure they both set their goals and keep to them, and all need to keep challenging each other to maintain the spirit and ethos of the mastermind group.

 One of the vital essences of building a strong bond with each other though is that we have compatible interests. My group was arbitrarily formed from a course we did together as a group interested in creating greater financial success. Many mastermind groups are formed on the basis accelerating financial success. 

However we assumed that meant we had similar visions and that isn’t necessarily so. And what we acknowledged from the start was that financial success could not be entirely separated from taking a more holistic approach.

 We are still coming to terms with being at different levels of our wealth creation journeys and with different needs. We have to work on that. And that will become more apparent as we work at creating stronger bonds with each other.

Blessings of today

1. There was sunshine and a bit of warmth today where before it was just horribly cold. I threw open the doors and basked in the sunshine for 5 minutes. I needed my Vitamin D fix. And it was good. Real good!

2. For all the information that a stranger gave me that could potentially accelerate my success, I am very grateful.

3. A moment to draw breath today after the frenetic and very busy last few days.

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Wednesday 2 April 2008

Fear of being unsuccessful

"True Success is overcoming the fear of being successful." Paul Sweeney.


How many times have you been on the edge of launching out on a new road and felt more than a bit of fear in your stomach? Loads! Just about any life changing event can cause such a reaction.

But I suspect truly successful people feel the fear but do it anyway.

Now take the current economy. Not a pretty sight, is it? The media is full of dire omens about the state of credit, the economy, the housing market, the banking system. Most people I know are watching it all with interest and more than a sense of foreboding.

So does it make sense to be doing a property investing course just now? For that's what we're about to do with the intention of learning the strategies of becoming successful ultimately in this area.

The warning signs are there . I've seen the You Tube videos. Well lets say, I've had to stop. Its a  pretty depressing picture and its not that I don't want to be informed, I just have this innate feeling that it increases the fear and inhibits taking action. 

I'll be writing more about how I am getting on. The stakes are high and so is the potential success.

Blessings for today

1. After a couple of weeks of not speaking, my son has finally started to communicate with me. Something to celebrate.

2. A sparrow came to the garden today. So what? Only a sparrow... They have become so uncommon as garden birds that its a rare treat now to see one. And looking out in my garden, it is abundant with wildlife of one kind or another and I am glad to live in an environment where they can be encouraged.

3. I discovered there is a cycling proficiency course for adults and which is free of the usual charge. Hurray. I get to learn to ride a bicycle and it doesn't cost me. Thank you universe.

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Sunday 23 March 2008

Manifesting Abundance Through Gratitude

Those of us familiar with the Law of Attraction will not be surprised at the idea that whatever we are or have in our lives we have attracted to us - including those things we really didn't want. But when we want to manifest abundance, happiness and success in our lives, developing a mindset of gratitude channels us to getting more of  what we really do want.


When things are going well, its easier to be positive and appreciative. But what can you be grateful for when there are things going on that are painful or hurtful? Finding some greater good in a difficult situation is a real challenge. Its undoubtedly harder to  maintain a positive outlook and keep your vibrational energy high.

I'm going through a difficult work situation at the moment and it certainly presses my buttons. But I need to firstly accept that I have in some way manifested this situation that's been hurtful and secondly to thank the person with whom I am wrestling for the learning that comes from this situation.

It's only natural to ask how the heck did we attract awful things into our lives. Why would we? We have a lot of experiences in our lives we label 'good' or bad' that's just part of our own evolving.

If we entertain the idea of having a 'soul' that is infinite, we might possibly also consider that all our bad experiences, even death, is part of our souls' learning to get something right. However many lifetimes it takes for us to learn, we have an eternity to do so.

And that idea helps me not sweat the small stuff. Like my son not speaking to me at the moment because I'm insisting he gets into household chores more. Hurtful, but this is really really small beer compared to the bigger stuff.

Yes the downs are good too, for they have something to teach us. And I know if I just stay in a negative place in this matter, that's counterproductive to the greater things I want in my life.
Manifesting I hear is a science. I don't understand quantum physics - I just accept it exists. And thoughts are energy. I accept that too. Science tells us that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change forms.

And when our thought energy is around success, abundance and happiness we tend to attract more of that into our lives. Developing an Attitude of Gratitude, even when life seems flat or worse destructive, helps us to change the energy around us. So I can choose today to generate a different more positive energy in and around me by being grateful to my son and my colleague for our differences and the learning that comes from that.

"Be Mindful of your thoughts, Anekin. They'll betray you."  Obi-Wan

Blessings for Today
1.  I know where my son is and what he is doing. I am thankful for his safety and his recovery from a little illness. And for his determined spirit - even not to speak to me today.

2. For what I learn about myself and where I must give more mindfulness, I am grateful to my colleague.

3. For the time I have this Easter holiday, for spending time at home without any pressures to get from A to B and even more for being warm and safe indoors when it was wet, windy, snowy, sleety, and generally vile outside.

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Sunday 16 March 2008

If you knew you had but a short while to live

What is a 'short while'? Two weeks? 6 months? 3 years? 40 years? Does it make a difference how we would prepare for leaving this earth if we had some certainty about when we would die? Would we give up wanting to achieve anything? Tell our loved ones how much they mean to us? Ensure we leave a lasting legacy, a symbol of our sojourn here on this earth? 


Who knows till we are actually faced with such a scenario what our direction would be.

When my sister lay in Kingston Public Hospital in the final stages of cervical cancer, I confess I didn't know how to help her face dying. I wanted, in the face of her pain and inevitable demise, to tell her that it was OK if she wanted to go, that she could just close her eyes and slip away. Yet I was present when others spoke to her of miracles and faith and hope.

And I didn't think I could take that away from her, especially as all along I too was muttering to the divine universal spirit to create for her the best possible health outcome. In the end, I said nothing except to give her the love and attention I could while I was with her.

There is a man I have seen on video recently, Randy Pausch, who knows he is dying and that it is 'shortly' to be inevitable. He has created an incredible statement on video that has now been watched by millions of people all over the world. His courage and capacity is to be admired and its led me to wonder what I would do if I knew I had but a short while to live.

To view the video, click here

But it is not in the dying but in the living that we really make our imprint. And I learnt things about my sister, about her way of living which I had not understood, that told me that as impoverished as she was, she had the capacity for touching the lives of others by what she was able to give of herself, sharing with and caring for others. 

How she did that when she knew so little of being cared for in her early years, I do not know, but its been a blessing for others that she was able to do so. And she has taught me many valuable  lessons.

Blessings for today

1. My teenage son has gone into a moody strop today but I hold dear the imprint of his head leaning against me in the cinema yesterday and the closeness of him as we waited for the train on Waterloo Station. And I know this moodiness will pass and we will again be right with each other. And I am blessed with him and give him all my love.

2. What can I say about today which was cold and wet and horribly grey? Ah yes! The bright yellow daffodils and dancing in the garden and they bring good cheer.

3. The results of my blood test indicate a healthy system and that is indeed a huge blessing.

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Monday 10 March 2008

Leveraging Other People’s Resources

I went to a couple of introductory talks this weekend on property investment and both made the point about leveraging OPM – Other People’s Money – to raise the finance for property investment. It led me to thinking about how through the medium of the mastermind group, we can also leverage OPR – Other People’s Resources to develop our enterprises. 

The idea of using other people can seem a little exploitative and unethical to some people. However consider this in the context of a group of people who mutually exist to help each other become success and are willing to commit their time, energy and available resources to doing so. 

Then its much more a win-win situation for all concerned to exploit the collective talent, mindfulness, contacts and other resources available within the group. In this way the individuals within the group gain far more than they could just using their own resources. 

Of course its been done since time immemorial in a number of different ways. Consider the Co-operatives, the Masons, Boys Own clubs, and so on to name but a very few. And then, there is the Mastermind Group. 

In a financial sense, when you leverage OPM, you are borrowing someone else’s money that you can invest in a way that you intend to bring a far higher rate of return than you could do from the cost of paying the interest. 

Within the context of the mastermind group, its connecting with others who want to share their ideas and information to help you solve the problems of your business and to grow. So everybody gets to accomplish more with less energy than they would if they were trying to move that boulder all by themselves

 There are some groups you wouldn’t want to or couldn’t become involved in but the mastermind group is within the capacity of everyone to share in. If we look at a classic often held-up model of success such as Henry Ford, we have here someone who exceeded his personal capacity from impoverished beginnings, to become one of the richest Americans of his time. 

Here’s the thing though, he achieved most outstandingly during the time when he formed a mastermind alliance with other like minded business acquaintances, enabling him to leverage the combined knowledge, experience, intelligence and resourcefulness of the group to grow his business. And for ordinary people like you and me, wanting to raise the levels of success in our lives, the same principles can apply.

To quote Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.” 

“A group of brains coordinated (or connected) in a spirit of harmony will provide more thought-energy than a single brain, just as a group of electric batteries will provide more energy than a single battery." 

There are of course lots of other ways to leverage Other People’s Resources. The power of the Mastermind group is but one. However, almost all successful people use leverage and a good mastermind group can make that happen. There is simply not enough of our own time, energy and other resources to achieve the success we require in the time we need it. And success isn’t about extracting every last ounce of your own energy and resources to get there, for that carries a huge personal cost which may not sustain your success.

Blessings for today

1 When I dropped my son off for his football training and matches and I see all the kids running around doing their thing I am so very grateful to the dedication of all the coaches, youth leaders, scouts and others who freely give up their time for my and other people’s children. The amount of time and commitment required from them is enormous and we are blessed to have such people with us. 

2.My sister died this week. Its been a tough time for her family. I am grateful for the time I have had to go visit and spend with her recently and deeply moved by what I have learnt about her, of the lives she has touched.

 3. Spring is struggling to bust out, the days are definitely getting longer and there is more sunshine around. I am so pleased to be experiencing the renewal that comes at this time of the year with the promise and hope of good things ahead in the coming months. I appreciate that hugely. Its a time for looking forward and the growth that's to come.

Personal Development and Success

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Wednesday 20 February 2008

No Glass Ceiling - Just Blue Sky

Today I just wanted to share a short (3 minutes) beautiful movie I came across today. Its by a woman called Marcy Blochowiak sharing her ideas of what for her are the secrets of success. It's got some lovely music and beautiful photographs and I would here share just one of her inspirational quotes.


"Believe and Achieve - the only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is the will to try it and the faith to believe it is possible."


And here is the rest of it. Blessings for today
1. The companionship and ideas that flowed from spending a day with Sindy.

2. Cheek to cheek contact with my son

3. I am grateful a time to kick back after a period of intense work, when the tensions have lifted and I can just relax for a while.

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Saturday 16 February 2008

Put It Away!

I have, I think, the same level of incredulity that most others I know have toward the story of the ex hospital porter who blew away his £10m lottery win and is back to sleeping on his mother's floor. Now wait a minute! You know and I know that we'd never make the same damm fool mistakes this poor chap did, don't you? Well, roll on another lottery  euro million winner last week and what's about the first thing he goes out and does? Yep. There he goes driving down the road in his spanking new farrari. Now where have I seen this before? Boy do we ever learn? Right? How do we get a poor boy, load him up with as much booty as his little arms can carry and watch him grow from rags to ...well, rags. The mind boggles.


What's one of the fundamental differences between how the rich and the poor handle their money? The thing is the rich by and large save and invest their money and spend what's left. The poor spend their money and save what's left.

Reminds me of the saying - Jesus Saves......only he can afford to! Lets face it, most people live a fairly hand to mouth existence. If they're lucky and push comes to shove, they can survive independently achieving personal independence and financial security for a couple of months if that.

If you've got something saved up, you've got a Plan B for when life throws a wobbly at you. Then we can protect and provide for ourselves with a certain level of confidence. We've got a safety net. I know I run the risk of sounding like an old codger who remembers only how good things used to be, but boy I can't help feeling that its harder for us today to exercise the discipline required of us to put a bit aside consistently than it used to be. My mother regularly used to put aside an amount with a company for her funeral expenses! Wow, those days are gone.

Most people will say how hard it is to save. (Only Jesus can - geddit?) Our £10m man would probably have said the same. The things is, its not the level of income we have.  It's what we do with it. How many super athletes and entertainers out there formerly with fat cheques coming in now stare bankruptcy in the face? How did it get to be like that? Its not the money. It's the discipline.

Put it away! Little by little. And regularly. Why? Try self reliance,  to further your dreams and goals, security, peace of mind, safety and stability, contingency plan, safety net, as a discipline in your life. And so on.

This idea of self reliance seems eroded in our culture. How else can we explain the trillions we have out on credit. It's a way of life for a lot of us now. But you know, borrowing in itself is not the problem. In fact it can even be a wise thing to do if you can find a way to make that money work for you. No , I don't mean put it on dog racing!

What if you invested your borrowings say in property that will increase in value and ultimately earn you much more than you could just keeping it in the bank? It's the financial sense that alas most of us were never taught or acquired along the way. We just don't know what to do.

So the picture in my mind is - Save. Put it away. Do it regularly. Aim for 10% of your income. Don't touch it except in extreme circumstances. Maintain a discipline. Aim to have at least 6 months of living expenses set aside. Learn how to make that saving work for you through compound interest(that's a whole other issue).

Blessings for today

1. Although it was bitterly cold and below freezing today, the sunshine was brilliant. And inside I am fortunate enough to have a heated house. I am one of the lucky ones. I cannot begin to imagine the trauma and suffering of those Afghan people who are dying or losing limbs to frostbite and the immense cold that they now face. The divine universe manifest the best possible outcome for them.

2.  My son went out paintballing with a friend on occasion of the friend's birthday. He was a little troubled at shooting and being shot at and I am glad to have him consider that there are implications for firing guns at people. We know the difference between paintballs and bullets. Its just horrifying to think of children the world over who would not be able to blink at the thought of using a gun to kill or to maim. My heart goes out to them and those who suffer as a result of their actions.

3.  My friend was playing some Indian Classical Music while I massaged her today and it was simply exquisite to listen to. I really appreciated that.

Personal Development and Success

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Wednesday 13 February 2008

Commitment to Your Mastermind Success

Imagine this. You’re excited about a new relationship you’ve recently embarked on. You can see the future in this relationship bringing you great fulfilment in many areas of your life. Its Valentine’s Day (why not?) and you’re arranged to meet and you turn up with great expectations. And your date doesn’t show. No phone, no word. Nothing. Has this ever happened to you? Not a great feeling is it? Of course your mind goes into overdrive about what could have happened and what this could mean.

By now, you’re probably wondering where this is leading. What does this have to do with my mastermind group? Imagine this then. Your mastermind group has arranged to meet and one or more members of the group don’t turn up and have left no forwarding message. Your mind goes into overdrive and….

OK, they’re not quite the same kinds of relationships but you can see where this is going. The fact is that the success of the mastermind group so depends on the solid commitment of all its members to attend and to adhere to the basic principles that the group operates by.

It’s a commitment to being there. It’s a commitment for yourself and all that you can achieve, to raise your level of success. It’s being committed to others and supporting and celebrating their success, as they would do for you. A commitment to listening to others, respect for self and others, being on time for meetings, challenging appropriately, asking for what you need, helping others grow and to accepting the help that others can give you.

I say this with the experience of having to challenge a couple of people in my mastermind group recently who have previously shown a pattern of just not showing or telling anyone about their absence. Now this isn’t easy but it has to be done to maintain the purpose and success of the group, that this behaviour is not allowed to continue unchecked.

These people have a lot to contribute and the rest of the group value these contributions and while I validate these, I think I do myself and the others a disservice if I don’t challenge behaviour that has a negative impact on the energy of the group

The thing is, when they don’t show, we speculate, as we would do if our date didn’t show. We turn over several emotions and we try to figure the best way to deal with it. Or how not to! But I maintain that it is vital not to just let it go like an elephant in the room you are trying hard to ignore, but to be honest and open with them and with yourself. And that may mean making a hard decision at the end of the day to terminate their membership of the group if the behaviour continues.

Make no mistake. The combined and committed energy of the mastermind group makes for success for all when we can leverage that energy to create an enriching experience for all the members in that alliance. To our success and the success of our mastermind groups!




Blessings for Today

1. I'm so grateful for some returning sunshine over the past three days. Yes I know climate change has created some oddities and some concerns but I am still glad to see the winter receding and the daffodils begin to rear their heads and to be able to stand in the sunshine and feel life returning to my bones.
2. I went to ask for a medical check up today and it was available for me. This is a huge area of gratitude for me as I have just returned from a part of the world where this would indeed have been an enormous luxury.
3. I appreciate the concessions my family have made to allow me to make my visit abroad and that they have managed fine while I was gone.

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Saturday 9 February 2008

Gratitudes

Here is the beginning of my post. I've been away to foreign climes to visit my sister who lies seriously ill and  pretty immobile in a public and uncongenial hospital. Its been nearly a couple of weeks of witnessing the harsher realities of life of those people who live in the back waters of her city. And every day it reminded me of many of the things I can express gratitude for, living in a relatively more prosperous part of the world.


I am very conscious of the importance of good health to a successful and enriched life and when we have done all we can reasonably do to ensure our health, life can still throw us a raspberry and then we want to know that whatever medical help we can get is available to us. 

My sister's health care was not great  but even that is better than the complete lack of it as experienced by millions of people all over the world. My own health care system with all its short comings is something for which I am hugely grateful. I am prompted by my recent experiences to go and get a health check and am confident that at least some of what I seek will be available to me. I am grateful for that.

The trip has thrown me off balance and I haven't written on this blog for a couple of weeks now but fully intend to get back on track. For now I will keep this quote from Frank Lloyd Wright in mind - 

" I know the price of success; dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."

Blessings for Today

1. Knowing I can if needed, have an operation without first having to find 8 people who will donate blood for me.

2. Living in an environment where I do not have to negotiate the garbage and detritus of human activity in getting from A to B. Yes I moan about litter carelessly discarded and its still something to moan about but I can also appreciate more the facilities for keeping my environment clean and the attention to hygiene and health.

3.  I thank the divine universe for being on comparative good health and having a future before me.


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Monday 14 January 2008

Eat Your Way to Success

I know I have written before about the importance of good nutrition to our physical and mental health but it bears repeating. For me there is no success in the world that's a touch above having good health and while many things contribute to it, good nutrition is way up there on the list. My sister's declining health - she's just about hanging in there - is a stark reminder to me, if ever I need it, about good health as a priority. 


There seems so much interest today in the kinds of food we eat, where our food comes from, how animals we eat are treated, the adulteration of food in many forms. And it can be very difficult to know what exactly comprises good food. I know I feel increasingly torn at the supermarket trying to budget wisely for my family, picking up cheap chicken and wondering about its journey from egg to my mouth.

I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and I shovel sticks of celery and carrots onto my son but I am not always convinced that they have not been grown in a bucketful of pesticides and other toxins. A friend was writing recently about raising chickens on her allotment. Well, that's one way to go if you can do it but not an option for many people.

So what to do but open your mouth, try to stick in food that you think or assume will be good, cross your fingers and hope for the best. It does seem a bit risky but within the parameters of what is possible, that is the best that most of us can do. Oh, and drink lots of water. Water, did I say? Do you know the stuff that's in our 'safe' drinking water? We'd be horrified. Please, lets not even go there tonight.

Here at any rate is a video I've been watching of Michael Cheney talking about eating. It makes interesting viewing. 


And here is the rest of it.
Blessings for today

1.I have today eaten an abundance of fruit and vegetables I considered healthy for me. I am grateful that this is available to me and that I have the means to make this happen for me and my family.

2. I am thankful for the rain that came in great abundance today. In areas of the world that are becoming like deserts, dry and parched, where people are desperate and life is desperate for lack of water to grow foods, a small amount of what we had would be better than gold.

3. I am fortunate and grateful to live in a place where I have access to regular cervical smears to help protect my life. I wish my sister had had that.

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Thursday 10 January 2008

Tips to make your New Year's Resolutions Stick

You know yourself how easy it is to start slipping back into the old habits despite our best intentions. New Year. New outlook. New hope. And then somewhere along the line you're wondering where it all went wrong. Yes, well, life got in the way. It was too hard to keep going. Other priorities crept in. You know the sort of stuff and fluff that happens.


First off, mostly we are very vague about what we want to achieve. Like the idea of losing weight. We know what we must do, and we may even have the jeans in mind that we want to be able to slip back into which is fine but, how much, how long, what for? Often we don't get clear and specific about what we want to achieve.  

Having a very strong 'why do I want to do this?' in your mind is going to propel you along much better too. I had a coach who emphasised PURPOSE as the first stepping stone to your success, followed by the goals and then the action steps. Consider "I want to lose weight this year" against "Its June 2008 and I am 14 pounds lighter looking and feeling fantastic at my daughter's wedding." Now let me ask, which one sounds more likely to be achieved?

What's more, write down what you want to achieve and why. Crazy but its true. Writing it down is powerful. If you can't take this simple step, how likely is it that you will take the further actions needed to succeed? Better still, pin a copy in lots of places where you will see it every day. But thats only half of it. Keep it in mind frequently. Read that journal or whatever over again at regular intervals. 

And a special trick is to paste a picture up of the goal - like your head stuck onto a picture of someone the size you want to be wearing what you'd like to be wearing. Don't snort. A picture says a thousand words and is a strong visual cue. You're training your mind to respond to what you want.

And more than that, talk about it to other people - a coach, a mastermind group, a mentor, a friend -who you know will support what you are trying to do even if they don't understand the specifics. And by the same token, don't share it with others who are going to be negative naysayers and bring you down.

Incidentally a great tip for writing down the goals is to do so as if they have already been accomplished, with a timeframe written in. Something like "Its March 2008 and I am now half a stone lighter. I am regularly ...... "

You know what else? Try not to set too many goals all at once and build in small achievable steps that you can reasonably work towards. I can't stress this enough. Otherwise you may be setting yourself up for failure. Of course different people need different approaches. For example, some people can cut out cigarettes all at once. It works better for others to reduce in increments. Just be honest with yourself about what works for you.

One more thing I want to recommend is to reward yourself with something that you really enjoy that is great for you, and set the reward specifically ahead of completion. So knowing you'll have a weekend break with a friend for example when the goal is done may just keep your motivation higher.  Better still, tell the friend that's what you are doing so you're more likely to keep your word.

I'd like to recommend Christopher Howard's Breakthrough to Success event which he holds in the UK, USA , Australia and New Zealand. How does that help with your goals? Christopher is a powerfully motivating presenter who shows you how to utilise the enormous resources of your unconscious mind so you can really live your goals.

In just one weekend and using the very latest accelerated human change technologies and a variety of NLP techniques, Christopher can propel you towards achieving your goals. I genuinely was amazed at the effectiveness of his approach and that's not just for myself but also for a number of people I knew who also attended.  

The cost is your time, transport and energy only. Yes its free, and yes there will be CDs, books, seminars etc. to buy but you don't have to have any of that. Frankly, for what you'd be getting out of it, its worth devoting one weekend to it. And don't forget the networking possibilities for you're more than likely to meet others who want to achieve their goals too. And these relationship possibilities themselves can be very helpful.

 To learn more about Breakthrough To Success, Click HERE

Blessings for today

1.I really value this peaceful quiet time at home today to focus on what I need and want to do without distractions. Where would I be without it?

2. My professional re-accreditation forms arrived in the post and they have been extraordinarily simplified. Now thats a saving in time and energy for me and where time is precious I really appreciate that.

3. An opportunity arose for me to go to a live performance with some friends I haven't seen for a long time. I thank the divine universe for creating this free opportunity.

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Wednesday 9 January 2008

Masterminding those New Year Resolutions

Well, its a week into the New Year and I wonder how we're all holding up with our resolutions if we made any? How long does it take before our best intentions for ourselves begin to totter and then to bite the dust or before we are able to punch the air in triumph with a real sense of having made it? The usual targets for our resolutions tend to be around taking better care of our bodies especially after the excess of the season, dealing with financial, career or business problems and a desire to be a 'better person' in some way (which by the way is not a terribly well formed goal). 


We know that statistically the numbers of people able to maintain their resolves fade significantly with each passing day, often with very few getting beyond the end of the month.

Now, that doesn't mean resolutions are not worth making. People like to feel there's a chance for them to start afresh. Even if they have failed many times before. It fills them with hope and optimism. And even a month of dieting or exercising has got to be better than nothing. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. However in the long run, our level of satisfaction at our achievements will be higher, if we can maintain our resolve for longer. If you've said 'This is the year I'm going to do such and such' then just three weeks at it doesn't quite give you the same satisfying feeling.

Apparently there is a difference of approach between men and women, with women leaning more on their social circles to help keep their motivations going. They are much more inclined to tell someone about their intentions or buddy up and maybe to seek support from them to keep at it. 

There is a lesson here that may well make all the difference between how far we succeed and not. Now I know there are some people who are proud spirited or self disciplined enough to be able to make a real success of their well laid out intentions all by themselves. Great. But this is not true for too many of us. We need help. And if you haven't got a friend or family member who can do the right sort of supporting, challenging and holding you accountable, then one of the ways this can be achieved is to get involved in a mastermind group. 

Of course a mastermind group is not simply about new year's resolutions as such, more about helping you to achieve your goals whenever you set them. Those familiar with the mastermind principle, and they include some of the more successful people in all spheres of life, recognise it as a most valuable resource in their success. They can achieve more with the combined insights and experience of the group than they could alone.

The mastermind group consists of a small group of people who work together with each other to inspire, stretch, develop new opportunities and perspectives, and most importantly, to keep people focused and on track with what they say they will do

Typically a group may meet once a month or even weekly with perhaps teleconferencing or telephoning or emailing between times. How would you like to have your own angel voice saying 'How are you doing with that goal you set last week? What would you find most helpful now to do? How realistic is that for you to achieve within that time?' And other questions designed to support and get you to think through you best way forward. Do you think you could have stuck through with goals for longer that you set yourself if you had this?

The mastermind group could be just 2 people but I would suggest for greater impact it should be more, but no more that 6-8. You may find these people from among your acquaintances, on courses or at conferences, from social or professional networks, or through advertising your desire to be in a group through a variety of forums. A word of caution though is to choose your group carefully. There is much trust at stake and you need to feel comfortable with the people you have chosen.

Alone or together with others, its up to your style. But as a matter of recommendation and acknowledging how mastermind groups have sky rocketed others' success, its a serious matter for consideration to start the year connected with a group of like-minded people who can give you the impetus to go up and much further than you could do alone. Can you imagine how good that would feel by the end of the year? Does it cost? You bet! It costs your time and your commitment and your energy, and you have to be prepared to give something of yourself to other people's development, as well as take from them for your own growth.

But quite simply,there is much to gain to make your outcomes a matter of greater triumph. Don't take my word for it. Try it out and then tell me what your experience has been. Here's to your success.

Blessings for today

1. My orchids have begun to unfurl. How great is that! I feel privileged to experience its beauty in my home.

2. I was amazed at the generous response of a friend who wanted to contribute to the well being of my sister, whom she does not know. I appreciate her generous offerings.

3. I am grateful for the opportunity to share ideas and insights with others and to feel that I too  have something worth contributing.

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Monday 7 January 2008

5 keys to staying out of debt - Part 2

OK, you know how an alcoholic finally comes round to seeing the harm being done to him/herself and the people they care about. Well, perhaps you've finally come round to seeing how your spending habits have been damaging you and you really want to change the way you think about being in debt. 


And sometimes it really isn't your fault. People who don't earn enough and have just been scraping by but not managing to do so, a partner or spouse who's been left high and dry with a mountain of the other person's debt or any other reason where you were not responsible , are just some of the situations that can happen to create debt.

Well, the next step in getting out of debt is to get some understanding. What this means is becoming clear about how much you owe, what you spend on, what income you have coming in, what your net worth is, and all this stuff that might seem laughably obvious but is a real blind spot for some people. You have to know what your current situation is because that is a sure way to help you find your way through to the financial direction you want to be in.  This will undoubtedly mean ferreting about to find the information but it is going to be worth it in the
long run.


And here is the rest of it. Once you've got all your papers, facts and figures together, then's the time to get help. Let me say right here that I'm not pitching for any particular service. That help could be in the form of a friend or family member who's good with money, a community based advisory service, a financial advisor. 

Or even the bank or credit company can help you with managing your money and help you sort out reasonable payments and management of your future finances. What I would say about that though is to first try the more independent services before you resort to the ones to whom you owe the money. At least get an independent overview of the situation. And its amazing how much free advice there is if you look for it. Any Citizen's Advice Bureau will be able to guide you to such advice.

The thing is to not let shame, fear, embarrassment, guilt or lethargy prevent you from seeking the help you need.

Now its time to get control. For some people its lack of control that got them there is the first place.  Spending called to them like a siren and they felt powerless to block their ears. Some people can't do it on their own to start with and need someone else to take control for them for example by looking after their money and only allocating them a certain amount each period of time. That's not taking control, but if the need is desperate, that may be where you have to start and then gradually take small steps to building in your own internal controls. 

It may mean cutting up those credit cards. It could be having to pay a forfeit every time you go over your limit like doing family or community chores or any one of other creative ways to make it more painful. And if the stick approach didn't work for you, try the carrot. Reward yourself in a non monetary way for sticking to your limits. And again, I'd say be as creative as you could in finding ways to do this. If you are a person with demonstrably little control, its not going to be easy at first but over time you can train yourself to do this. 

Finally its about getting a plan that's going to be workable for you and sticking to it. Develop awareness. Keep an account of everything you spend. Pay off all charges for the previous month's expenditure so you don't have to keep paying new interest. Decide how much money you can reasonably use to pay off the debt each week/month and use it on all your highest interest debts. A financial adviser can help with the plan as well as helping you to write to creditors to make the best arrangements for payment. I'm always amazed at what some of these people can help their clients achieve.

Lets face it, at the end of the day debt is a millstone round the neck of anyone who's got it and if you want to be successful financially, you have to be wise about what is good and what is bad debt and work at controlling the bad debt. For people who've found the New Year has ushered in some stark realities regarding debt, one of the best resolution you can make is to seek out whatever helpful resources there are out there to help you get control over it. But please steer clear of loan sharks.

Blessings for today.

1. I am blessed to be in good health. That has got to be a no. 1 priority for me and I am grateful for the wellness I feel.

2. For the good food in my belly today, I am grateful. And for knowing where my next meal is coming from.

3 I appreciate the love and support within my family, and for all the people who at this time of special need are caring for my sister with all that is required of them.


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Sunday 6 January 2008

5 keys to staying out of debt - Part 1

New Year's blues comes to many all too soon as the spending fest of the last few weeks begins to shake us right where it hurts. "Money isn't everything but it ranks right up there with oxygen." says Zig Ziglar. You bet, its something of a life saver, and when you haven't got it, well its choking. And wouldn't you know it, Christmas is over, the New Year getting under way and for a huge swathe of people, the spectre of debt hangs about them like vultures to the feast. Haunting it is. Its rocks our self esteem, our relationships, our peace of mind, our success.


Now, I's say there was good debt and there was bad. The kind that offers you no money on your return like the bright new car that starts to depreciate from the very first day you drive it out of the showroom. Now I've got a mortgage and I consider as my home is my most valuable material possession, that that's good debt. Most people do, though for a few its a liability not an asset. 

In the main, I'd say, having a mortgage is good debt. Mind you, if I stopped to think what I owned the bank, I'd really scare myself.  Maybe its the way I was brought up but I've always been in the habit of paying for everything directly when I could afford it and I've been a little horrified by the squillions of debt that some people seem to have got into, and dare I say, sometimes feel comfortable with.

Yet being in debt is such a huge burden for many people and can so easily spiral out of control leaving the people who are experiencing it in complete despair.

Bottom line is, we have to get a better handle on it before it cripples us  for sure. We need to understand what's good and what's bad debt, change the way we look at debt, get some help where its clearly a huge burden and develop better habits about handling money.

Fine for you to talk, I hear you say. The thing is, when people get overwhelmed by debt and their stress levels shoot through the roof, its kind of hard to think straight and to problem solve.

Now, I'm not saying I've got a magic wand that will make it right for you this very minute. I'll leave that to the loan sharks. If I did, I wouldn't use it. After all, what does that teach? The very next day, you'd most likely be back out there making the same mistakes. Right? Its been tempting thought when I've listened to some of the heartbreak stories of some people who've been struggling with debt to wish to make it all right for them. Especially those who consider the debt came through no fault of their own.

Well, I've been doing some reading in Success University and I reckon its OK to pass on what Jim Rohn, one of the principle teachers in SU, has to say about dealing with debt so you can build your financial success. Jim teaches 5 key principles that are important in handling debt.

1. Get the right Mindset.

2. Get some understanding

3. Get some help

4. Get some control

5.  Get a plan

Developing the right mindset is the only one I will deal with tonight and will write about the others during the week. With credit facilities available to us at the drop of a hat, how easy is it for people without adequate control to spend much more than they can really afford. Heck, the encouragement is all around. You don't have to go very far to find it. But if you don't have a mindset that reigns you in, you'll end up paying through the nose.

Borrowing money to make money or increase your investment is fine if you have proper knowledge and advise to make it work for you. Many of us would be pushing up daisy by now if we had the kinds of debts that some of the world's richest people have without batting an eyelid. Yet they sleep well. Probably!

Lordie, you've got to know what you are doing and have the mechanisms around you to support that. For the average Joe/Josephine, far better to step back from the brink and ask yourself "Where the heck did I get the idea that a little debt here and there was OK? That some faceless organism would just support me while I simply spend, spend, spend.?"  If you're in debt but that was never a part of your mindset anyway, its just that circumstances prevailed, you've got to make getting out of this situation a priority. And for that you may need some help.

Yes I know the struggle for some people is about bread and butter, not fast cars and gadgets - although that's what it amounts to for some. Do you really need that? Can you afford to wait? We've come to expect things to happen for us and happen fast, and the idea of waiting till we can afford something seems alien.

Jim says "We need to see debt as the enemy of our financial lives." I'd say it goes further and erodes our vitality in very many areas of our lives, our confidence and self esteem, our capacity to take care of ourselves and our loved ones thought it might have seemed so in the beginning that that was what you were trying to do. 

When we make it our resolve to get out of debt, and to stay out, we give ourselves permission to breathe easy and start living a life with more freedom from financial  worry. So the first step is to challenge our own thinking about debt.

I'll talk some more about the other keys during the week.


Blessings for today.

1. I've finished doing my accounts today to bring them up to date and that's felt like a huge relief. I am blessed that I do not have the burden of debt hanging round my neck that would cripple me with worry.

2. I've had some time alone to just cut through a number of outstanding jobs. I am grateful for peace and quiet times. I am thinking of many people in the world for whom that is not an option.

3. I've heard today that my sister while being readmitted to hospital, has been talking more lucidly and laughing and I give thanks to the Divine for restoring her more nearly physically and mentally.

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