Get Rich Quick

Infomercial for the last two decades have espoused the idea of getting rich quick.  There are advertisements for programs where you can make millions in real estate, the stock market, or owning your own business.  I am here to tell you that all of these things are true.  Millions can be made in each of these areas.  However, it is not guaranteed and rarely does it happen overnight.

Building Wealth

There are no shortcuts to building wealth.  In most instances, wealth is created by the accumulation of assets which appreciate over time.  The time element is critical because yearly returns compound.  Over time, as the assets go up in value, the same percentage return nets greater dollars.  This is one of the reasons why the "rich get richer".  If I have $10,000 and you have a million dollars, who comes out further ahead if we each get a 10% return.  In this example, I make $1,000 while you earn $100,000. 

Take this example out over the course of 10 or 20 years and you can see how the two accounts will be substantially different.  Nevertheless, if one is consistent with the investing, even the $10,000 account will grow fabulously over that time frame.  The time element is crucial in building wealth.  Too many omit this factor without realizing how fundamental it is.

To exemplify it, I will note a couple of examples that most are familiar with.  Debt is something that most of the Western world holds in larges amount.  Between mortgages, car payments, and credit cards, the masses are swirling downward because of there debt load.  The reason this is so has to do with the compounding (time element on money) effect.

Did you ever sign a mortgage at closing and come across what is called a Truth in Lending Statement.  This is a piece of paper stuck in the mortgage which spells out how much you will pay for the house over time.  For example, it is not uncommon to see a $150,000 house costing over $350,000 on a 30 year mortgage.  Consider if you pay $1,000 a month for 360 months, that is $360,000 for a house that you are buying for $150,000.  That is a lot of compounding.

We see the same thing with credit cards.  Now, these companies are required to state how long it will take to pay off a balance if just the monthly minimum is paid.  It is not uncommon to see balances take 7 years to pay off and cost 2 or 3 times the original amount.  This is again a factor of compounding.

Therefore, we must be truly aware of the effect of time on wealth development.  Shortcuts often do not work.  While it is possible to hit on a fabulous return quickly, your attention should be to putting time to work for you.

Discipline

In life, to succeed, discipline is required.  This is common sense.  If you want to lose weight, you need the discipline to go work out and eat properly.  Work success is the result of having the discipline to learn your craft while taking the action that others are not willing to take.  Any success in any field requires the quality of discipline.  Wealth building is no different.

One needs to the discipline to set aside money on a regular basis  if he or she is going to accumulate wealth.  I recently read an article by a financial writer who was retiring.  He put together an article explaining how he went about creating a situation where he was financial secure at retirement.  The first thing he mentioned is that he was disciplined enough to consistently save no matter how much money he made.  This is key.  Regardless of what was going on in his life financially, he took a portion of the money earned and put it into savings.  This habit provided him the foundation to build wealth over the course of his working career.  He was not dependent upon astronomical stock market returns for success.  The fact that he was disciplined enough to always put money away secured his future.  Modest returns over time amount to the money he needed to safely "sail off into the sunset".

How come so few ever get to this point?  Statistics are showing that only about 3% of the population is financial secure at retirement.  Most are subject to having to continue to work simply because they do not have enough money to live on.  And what was the cause of this?  There are many reasons but at the top of the list was not setting money aside from each check.  The old adage is "pay yourself first".  However, most opt to pay themselves last.  Everything they earn is spent.  This lack of financial discipline leads to one being broke in later years.

Discipline is also required to avoid the 'Get Rick Quick" schemes that are promoted in different places.  People lose untold fortunes because of their greed and desire for quick riches.  This is most often a losing strategy.  Often the best answer is "no" yet few can resist the temptation to go for it all.  Greed usually is the emotion that will win out.  Discipline is the trait that will help one avoid this fiasco.  It is best to develop it.

The time to start building wealth is today.  It is best for you to start putting time to work for you.  Consider what I wrote about the credit card debt and how that affects you.  Apply this same idea to savings to see how things can change in your favor.  This is a crucial mental shift that needs to occur.  The number one financial problem in people's lives is that they find themselves on the wrong side of compound interest.  It is best to get on the right side.  If you can do that, then everyday you will wake up a little richer than the day before.  Do this long enough and you will have massive wealth.
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Personal Finance

People are financial uneducated.  This is one of the greatest tragedies of the last 50 years or so.  The fact that people understand so little about money has led to a nation of debt and corruption.  Few have the knowledge to understand what is going on meaning that the "powers that be" are free to operate as they see fit.

Broke Nation

I will focus my thoughts on the United States but the same rules apply to most Western countries. The United States is broke.  I am not just referring to the Federal Government and the insane debt it accumulated.  Instead, I am talking about the average person on the street.  This person has no net worth whatsoever.  Due to factors which were present the past few decades, this person accumulated a negative asset base.  What that means is they owe more than they have. 

There is a difference between rich people and everyone else.  The rich discuss net worth.  Lists of the richest people in the world are determined using this criteria as the basis.  Contrast this with the average person who, if money is discussed, mention income.  To this individual, how much you make is critical; to the wealthy, how much you have.  This is a big difference.

Since the housing collapse in 5 years ago, the average American has zero.  Actually, because of debt, they have less than zero.  They live in houses that are worth 30%-40% of what they are indebted for.  At the same time, these people are most likely carrying a credit card balance somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000.  Couple this with the fact that most people have some type of car payment and you see that debt is the common ailment.

I once read a study that really spelled out the situation.  The surveyor asked people if they were able to put their hands on $2,000 within the next 30 days.  I forget exactly what the percentage was but it is unbelievably low.  That is insane.  How can one not be able to put his or her hands on $2,000 in a month?  The reason is because most of America is broke.

Consumerism

There is a national epidemic which is occurring that outside the health field.  That disease is killing people across the country.  It is called consumerism.  This single idea is what is obligating people to a life of financial slavery.

Madison Avenue runs our lives.  People are told exactly what to do.  Our perception of success is defined based upon what car we drive, clothes we wear, and perfume we scent ourselves with.  Anything less than that and one does not have the right to feel successful.  This message is delivered to us over time to the point where it is driven home.  "Keeping up with the Jones" is a national pastime.  People feel entitled to the "finest things in life" regardless of current income status.  Again, the non-weathly concentrate on income as the basis for everything including whether something is affordable.

Another factor that enters into this is the idea of easy financing.  Today, to be part of the consumerism extravaganza, one does not even need to be able to pay for the stuff.  Easy credit is here to help.  One only needs to sign his or her name and take the item home.  Almost every industry offers credit in some form.  And, of course, if it does not, the credit card companies are happy to step in.  Trillions of dollars worth of stuff has been sold in this manner, much of it ill advised.

Personal Finance is the Cure

The cure for this plague is the educating of the masses in the area of personal finance.  Our educational system is so archaic that it teaches children nothing about the subject of money.  This is one area where the school system has left it to the parents and they failed miserably.  Naturally, if we look at the habits of the parents, we realize they are financially uneducated also.  It is no wonder this problem is multiplying.

People need to learn that it is time to take responsibility for their actions.  Educating oneself about the basics in finance is crucial.  However, it is not enough to learn about checks, credit cards, and the stock market.  It is equally as vital that everyone understand why they do certain things.  People shop for a variety of reasons; often to try and make up for something lacking within themselves.  This is a problem that goes deeper than ill-advised spending.  At the same time, people often make financial decisions without giving any thought as to what they are doing.  This creates another situations where the subconscious becomes programmed to spend.  Again, the problem seems to multiply.

Most thing that the subject of money and finance is boring.  It is something that does not excite them so the decision is often made to overlook it.  I will admit that it might not be as riveting as the latest reality show on television.  However, there is probably no area more important in your life than the area of money.  The honest truth is we live in a capitalistic society (read money) and it is something that people cannot get away from.  Those who opt to go through life financially unaware are going to be at the mercy of the people who do understand what is going on.  This is a simple fact in life.  The unaware are slaves for those who are aware. 

The rich do get richer.  This is an axiom which is true throughout the ages.  There are a few reasons for this.  To start, as mentioned, they are always focused upon net worth and growing that.  Thus, they acquire assets which become more valuable in time.  The average person acquires items which they have to pay for over time.  In short, the average person finances a car; the wealthy finance a car dealership; one increases wealth while the other decreases it.

Another reason why this is true is for the simple fact the wealthy understand the arena they are operating within: the one of money.  Ironically, everyone is in this game but few take the time to learn the rules.  Most leave their success to chance which often results in failure.  How could one successfully drive if he or she did not understand the rules of the road?  The answer is one would not be able to since his or her license would be revoked.  Yet in the financial arena no such regulations exist.  Nevertheless, there are rules to operate under that only few take the time to learn.

From this point forward, I urge you to begin to concentrate your efforts upon learning what it takes to accumulate wealth.  Begin to read and study this subject.  While it will not be the most exciting reading you ever do, it is monumentally critical to your lifelong success.  We live in a world that revolves around money and that is something you cannot avoid.
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Building Wealth

Today I am going to cover something that really gets people charged up.  We are going to cover the topic of wealth.  This is something that hits home with most everyone.  It is impossible to live in a capitalistic society without encountering the subject of money on a daily basis.  However, even though it is crucial to our existence, few are willing to discuss it.

Wealth

Money is a problem for most people.  And it is a situation that is only getting worse.  The protests by thousands of people in major cities in the past few years in the U.S. shows how frustration is growing among people.  The divide between the haves and the have nots is getting wider.  These are facts which are not subject to dispute since the data affirms this.  However, I will take exception with the direction where the frustration is placed. 

To start, wealth often means money to most people.  In this post, I am going to agree and will focus upon the financial aspect of things.  Nevertheless, wealth encompasses a great deal more than just dollars and cents.  People enjoy wealth in a variety of ways.  It is said the United States is the richest country on the planet.  That is true.  While not everyone in America is financially well off, the fact remains they are better than most of the world.  Are you aware the average income around the world is $2 a day?  Consider this the next time you feel you are underpaid and remember what others are dealing with.

The point is that people have access to things in the U.S which puts them far ahead of the rest of the world.  Ponder for a second what the average book costs.  You can walk into a bookstore and spend, let's say, $15 on a book.  If you want 5 of them, it will run you roughly $75.  For many, $75 for a luxury like books might be out of the question, especially on a regular basis.

Now, consider the fact that the same person can go to any public library and check out 5 books at any given time (most likely those same 5 books) for FREE.  The person has the ability to read and enjoy the books without paying a penny for them.  This amounts to a $75 benefit just because he or she resides in the United States.

We can see this same idea transferred to many other things which are readily available to us.  Therefore, if one spent some time thinking about it, he or she could feel wealthy at any moment.  The feeling of wealth is achieved by focusing upon what one has as opposed to what one does not have.  Sadly, most concentrate their attention to what is missing or, worse, compare themselves with people who have more.  A better course of action is to compare oneself to a person who has less and realize how lucky he or she truly is.

Make It A Goal

Now that we showed that the feeling of wealth can be achieved no matter what your present circumstances, let us turn our attention to the area of finances or riches.  From this point forward, when I refer to wealth, I am going to be concentrating on money.  I know this might sound shallow to some yet it is a crucial factor in our lives, hence something we need to concentrate upon.

The big question is why do so few ever achieve the state of wealth while most miss out on it?  This is a simple question to answer.  No matter who it is or the circumstances they are in, there is only one reason why a person lacks wealth.  It is because he or she has not truly decided to be wealthy.  That is it.  Anyone who has wealth, aside from those who inherited it, made a decision to become wealthy.  They made it a focus in their lives.  Everything was done in an effort to achieve that end.  Those who are lacking in material resources have not made the same decision.

It is a proven fact that no matter what one decides to achieve, if he or she puts 100% time and effort into achieving that end, it will materialize.  We see this with professional athletes, musicians, artists, and business people.  Those who are successful decide to excel in a single area and persist at that endeavor until success is reached.  Wealth is no different.

As I stated in the beginning, money is a funny subject.  It is something that affects everyone yet so few are willing to talk about it.  Rarely is one taught proper principles growing up at home regarding this lifelong topic.  Instead, it is ignored which leads to lifelong failure in most instances.  Did you realize that at 65, 95% of the people are either dead or dead broke.  Only about 5% of the people achieve financial freedom.  This is sad.  People work all their lives to end up with nothing.  Why?  Because they never decided to make wealth building an overriding goal.

And why is that?  The reasons are too long to list but basically it is conditioning.  Basically, people are taught to think of scarcity.  Growing up we hear phrases such as "money does not grow on trees".  Also, we are trained to detest those who have more.  Did you ever hear something to the effect "rich people are mean"?  Phrases such as this teach us to view those with wealth as dishonest and cruel people.  This is the same mindset we saw from the demonstrations a year ago.  They aimed their frustration at people who were successful based upon their naive conditioning.

Again, the reason why those people are not wealthy is because they did not make wealth building a goal.  They chose to make other things more important.  The truth is that anyone can become wealthy.  The tools for accumulating financial success are everywhere.  However, it is only the small percentage who choose to pick them up.  I do not know how accurate this is, but I once heard that only 10% of the people eligible for a 401K program take advantage of it.  That is pathetic.  Here is a basic wealth building goal over time because of the fact that it is tax deferred and usually accompanied by some type of company match.  Therefore, one is receiving an instant ROI (usually between 50%-100%) and given a free loan from the government to allow the tax dollars, which would normally be paid, to earn interest over time.  Yet, most skip this vital step.

We will cover this subject in much greater detail in ensuing posts.  However, the thought that I want you to take today is that for you to achieve financial success, it must be an overriding goal.  You must desire to be wealthy.  Hoping and wishing do nothing.  You need to DECIDE to make it a central part of your thought process and dedicate the time and effort necessary to build wealth.  The strategies are out there.  You must be willing to learn them.  If you do this, I can guarantee, as long as you persist, that success will be had.  It is impossible for anything else to result.


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Feel Good

In the last few posts, I asked you what you wanted in life.  This is a theme which will be recurring throughout all future posts.  The fundamental fact is that in life, you cannot attain anything unless you know what it is that you want.  Sadly, most people allow live to dictate to them what that is as opposed to consciously deciding for themselves.  It is time to alter that.

Goals

People are taught the importance of goal setting.  I agree with this practice.  However, I want to clarify it somewhat.  Most will tell you to sit down and figure out your goals.  Of course, we all heard they need to be in writing, stated in the positive, and come with a deadline.  This is another well known concept which few people fail to implement.  Again, this means that life steps in to create our outcomes for us. 

The problem with establishing a large number of goals is most people have no idea why they want what is put down on paper.  For example, a common goal is a luxurious house.  While this can be a fantastic goal, it does not come without its own set of problems.  Have you ever considered the taxes and insurance on a multi-million dollar estate?  How about the upkeep and maintenance?  And forget about the "at home" feel; that isnt possible in 7,000 square feet.  Therefore, while the house is nice, is it something that you really want when you consider all that goes along with it?

What I just described is why so many people achieve their goals yet feel unfulfilled.  I often caution people to be mindful of the goal they are chasing and make sure they are chasing the right one.  Too often people are going after the wrong prize; something realized only after it is achieved.  The "is this all there is" syndrome enters the picture at this point.

Therefore, we need to pay special attention to each and every goal we establish.  In addition, it is also prudent to look at all the activities in our lives because there is a good chance that most of what we do ties into an unnamed goal that live gave us.  Remember, in absence of us consciously choosing a desired outcome, life will create outcomes for us by default.

Feel Good

The bigger question that arises is "what do people really want".  Consider the house for a moment.  Did the person really want a piece of real estate that was constructed out of concrete and wood?  Not likely.  What is desired if the feeling the house will provide.  That is what is behind each and every goal.  It is the feelings we attribute to the item which makes it desirable.  That is why middle aged men go out and by European sportscars.  It is the feeling of recapturing their youth (and vitality) that makes it attractive.

Basically, when you break it all down, we simply want to feel good.  This sounds simplistic but it is a fundamental part of our makeup.  Everything we seek is done as a means to making ourselves feel good.  While I will grant people often take action to avoid certain feelings, like pain, the outcome is they hope to feel better.  Therefore, when looking at goals, it is crucial to understand it is not the items but the feelings behind them we seek.  Thus, we should pay close attention to how that outcome will fit into our lives or we risk attaining the item while missing the feeling.

Another piece to this puzzle is that, realistically, the goal is not required to feeling the emotion we seek.  Regardless of your present circumstances, it is possible to feel any emotion you desire.  It is simply a matter of putting yourself in that state.  And that is a key insight into success in life.  Take control of your emotional state as opposed to allowing it to control you.  If you need something outside of yourself to feel fulfilled, you will most likely lead an empty life.  There is never enough "out there" to fill what is lacking within you.

Thus, I would say simply work on feeling good.  Concentrate your efforts on achieving this state throughout the day as often as you possible can.  One way to attain this end is through music.  What the reason, music has a way of instantly altering our emotional state.  Who does not feel a shift (and empowerment) when listening to Chariots of Fire?  This song reaches into the soul and lifts it up instantly.  Many other songs do the same thing.  Utilize this resource as a means of taking over your emotional state.

One final thought about the idea of feeling good.  It is best to focus upon reaching this state as much as possible because it is when you feel good you will attract the same into your life.  It is common sense to understand that happy people do not want to hang out with unhappy people.  Ironically, but not surprisingly, the reverse is also true.  Miserable people do not want to interact with those who have smiles on their face.  Remember the old adage: misery loves company.  I found this to be true.  Therefore, it is best to feel good as much as possible so you will attract into your life those who feel the same.  If you find you are surrounded by a bunch of miserable people, perhaps it is time to look at yourself.


In closing, have fun today and feel good as much as you can.
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Rising Above Obstacles

The other day I touched upon the subject of obstacles and how people allow them to stop them before even starting upon their journey to success.  What few realize is that obstacles are always present no matter what the endeavor.  Those who allow them to stop them are guaranteed to fail.  It is only those who move forward in spite of the obstacles present that will enjoy success.

Raise Your Level Of Thinking

People who overcome obstacles are able to raise their level of thinking above the present situations.  There is a saying: you cannot solve the problem at the same level that created the problem.  What this means is that mentally one must lift his or her thinking to another level.  This is what is meant by taking a step back to see the bigger picture.  Too often we focus upon what is right in front of us without considering the larger situation.

This process starts with the understanding that anything is possible.  Again, we see the vast percentage of the population (95%) who operate with limited thinking.  They refuse to open up their minds to all the possibilities.  That is why we hold people who are creative in such high regard.  Men like Edison, the Wright Brothers, musicians, and other artists create things out of thin air.  They have a picture in their mind which, with action, they manifest in the physical realm.  Certainly, there are instances when it takes a long time to develop as in Edison and the light bulb.  Yet, this shows how one who is operating at a higher level mentally can overcome whatever obstacles are present.

The question is do you fall into this category.  Statistically speaking I am going to guess not.  As mentioned, 95% of the general population are inhibited by limited thinking.  Their belief system is such that they accept their present lot in life as the only way to live.  Sure, others can achieve great success but not them.  Their mindset is conditioned to settle and justify that decision.

Therefore, the very first order of business is to open our minds up to the wonderful power of unlimited thinking.  Remember, what was once gadgets on a sci-fi television program is now part of our everyday lives.  The thoughts were there long before the physical objects appeared.

Real or Imagined

We all know the mind is a powerful mechanism.  It can create things that no computer can even come close to.  The problem with this is there is a part of the mind that takes everything it is imprinted with as fact.  The subconscious reads all as literal.  This is a basis for success if we know how to program it.  Yet, for most, it is a source of continued failure.

The mind sees in pictures.  It matters none what it is impressed with, it believes it and operates as if it is factual.  Therefore, if one allows fear to operate within him or herself, this is taken as gospel by the subconscious.  Hence, whatever the mind conjures up is believed.

What does this have to do with obstacles?  Well, the simply fact is that obstacles are a future event.  When one is looking at any situation, the obstacles envisions are not present in that exact moment.  They exist in the future which is not real.  This is where the problem arises.  How do you know whether the obstacles you envision are real or imaginary?  Remember, the subconscious takes each as real so it matters none which they are.  Imaginary obstacles will stop one the same as real ones.

As you can guess, as one proceeds along in quest of a particular goal, some of those obstacles will appear.  The mind was not conjuring them up.  They came to fruition and one simply has to deal with them.  At the same time, one will also understand that many of the perceived obstacles do not exist.  The imagination was running away from him or her.  Of course, if one is allowing obstacles to stop progress, the imagined have the same effect.

Anyone who wants to have success needs to rise above this level mentally while understanding that one can only deal with real obstacles.  While they will arise, there is no need to allow the imaginary to enter into the mindset.  As was shown, this will only aid one in ceasing forward progress because that person cannot truly tell the difference between reality or not.  And this is something that we all suffer from if we engage in this exercise.

Therefore, your solution is to focus upon what you truly want.  Yes, it is important to weight the pros and cons of any venture before starting.  However, do not allow the initial perception to alter one's path.  Obstacles will be erected in due time and know you will deal with them in due time. Success is nothing more than rising above obstacles while persisting on towards pre-determined outcome.  This is the method that the most successful people use.  Begin to implement it in your life today.


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Focus On What You Want

This is a basic idea of success and the main reason why most people never attain any great level of success in their life.  To get what you want, you need to focus upon what you want.  Simple idea, right?  Well, if that is the case why do most people focus upon what they do NOT want?  Answer this in your life and you will instantly find the pathway to success.

Know What You Want

T. Harv Eker likes to say that "most people do not get what they want because they do not know what they want".  I found this statement to be very true.  Ask the average person on the street what they desire and you will uncover answers such as:

Peace of Mind

Happiness

A New Car

Healthy Children

Serenity

To get married

While these are all good things, they are not very practical in answering what someone wants.  Vagueness is a disease of the mind which kills lives.  Here you can see how this happens.  For example, what does peace of mind mean?  Is it attainable on a continual basis?  How do you know if you achieved it?  Couldnt you do a mental exercise to implement that in your life today?  Is peace of mind dependent upon external factors?  Monks around the world would say no.  So what is it that the person really wants?

As you can see, the fact that nothing is quantified means that nothing is measurable.  It is a proven fact that when things are measured, progress is made.  I found when dealing with weight loss, the best method is to measure different parts of the body periodically to track progress.  The fact that one is measuring gives him or her an idea of progress.  Of course, the way clothes fit tends to drive the same idea home.  Nevertheless, there is a desired end which can be measured i.e. I want to fit into a size 6 or have a 32" waist.  This is clarity.

So, for most people, the first step is to sit down and decide what he or she truly wants.  Make this specific, use lots of adjectives, and assign numerical meanings wherever possible.

Focus On Obstacles

I am going to follow this section up with a post of its own but for now I will delve into it briefly.  Even when people decide what they want, they tend to focus upon the obstacles that are in the way.  This is where immediate self sabotage enters the picture.  People use built in excuses to absolve themselves of responsibility even before starting.  This is a method to protect themselves from disappointment.

To illustrate this, I will use money as an example.  Who does not desire more money?  Almost everyone will answer yes if you ask them "would you like more money".  However, this is where the progress ceases in this quest.  Few ever more past the point of wanting to making it a quantified goal.  Even if one does embark on the process of establishing a goal of this sort, the immediate reaction is usually something like "I am not smart enough" or "rich people are mean" or "it takes too much effort".  Of course, these are mostly knee-jerk excuses and not obstacles at all.  Some are able to circumvent this yet get stopped when obstacles are pondered.

Consider:

I do not have time

I lack knowledge

I do not understand finance

The stock market (investing) scares me

A lack capital to get started

Notice how these phrases are nothing more than obstacles which are in the way of financial progress.  Are they real?  Certainly.  It takes time to get wealthy and specialized knowledge is needed (which takes time to acquire).  Understanding of financial principles is needed.  Investing has the element of fear in it.  And capital is required to operate in an arena based upon capital.  However, none of these hindrances is insurmountable.  Everyone who has achieved any type of financial success has overcome them.  Why not you?

The reason is because sabotage occurs before the goal is even attempted.  To truly succeed in life, it is necessary to raise your vision past the obstacles to what you truly desire.  This is what the successful do.  There is a secret that I am going to reveal to you which should help: no matter what the pursuit, no matter who the individual, there are always obstacles in the way.  Accept this as a fact of life.  

Those who focus on the obstacles are stopped while those who overlook them and concentrate their efforts upon what is desired will reach their goals more often than not.  This is the key to all success.  Keep this in mind.

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It Is Not Too Late

Are you one who uses age as an excuse for not doing something?  Do you believe that your best years are behind you?  If so, you are one of the people who needs to understand what I am about to write.  Excuse making never leads to success and believing that the passing of a certain number of birthdays means anything is fool's play.

Running After Most Are Dead

Do you know who Fauja Singh is?  If not, this is a person who you should acclimate yourself with.  He is a source of inspiration for anyone who reads his story while eliminating the build in excuse of age.

Recently, Singh ran his last marathon.  It was a 10K run in Hong Kong which he did in about 1 hr 30 minutes.  Since I am not a runner, I have no idea how this time compares to what others can perform.  Nevertheless, my intuition tells me this is not a very good time.  So why do I bring this guy up?  Simply because he completed his racing of marathons at the ripe young age of 101.  Yes you read that correctly.  He is 101 years old and still running marathons.  Contrast this with your inability to even get up and get yourself a drink from the refrigerator.

As astonishing as this is, it is not the most unbelievable aspect of the story.  What is striking is that Singh did not take up running until he was 89.  Can you imagine waking up one day at 89 years old and deciding "I am going to take up running"?  Listen to most people this age and you will hear the defeated attitude from them.  Statistically speaking, he started running at an age when most people are already dead.

Another caveat to this tale is the reason why Singh took up this particular exercise pattern when it did.  It seems that he was suffering from depression after the death of his wife and the tragic killing of his son (beheaded in front of his eyes).  Running was a way that Singh chose to deal with the pain from these personal situations.  Again, compare this with what most would have chosen to do. 

Fauja Singh is an inspiration to us all.

It Is Never Too Late

He is also an example of the idea that it is never too late in life to try anything.  I can cite hundreds of people who went against this idea.  One of the most famous is a man named Harlan Sanders.  He was an individual who retired and started collecting Social Security.  Upon receiving his first check, he realized he needed to find a way to make more money so he started to travel around trying to sell a recipe that he created.  In the end, he did well but few realize that Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame did not get started until he was 65 years old. 

So, what is your excuse?  Why are you allowing to days pass believing that you are too old for anything.  The wonderful thing about age is that it is just a number.  Another great aspect of life is that nobody is certain how long they will live.  There are people in this world who are 35 years old who will not make it to next week.  At the same time, there are people who are in their 80s who will be on this planet another 20 years or more.  How awful that many of these people have the mindset that their best years are behind them and they are awaiting their passing from this existence. 

There is a saying "life as if you are going to die tomorrow but plan as if you are going to live forever".  Take a few minutes to ponder that idea.  Since you have no idea how long you are going to live, why do you jump to the view that it is too late?   Do you realize how much can be accomplished in 20 years?  What if you have another 20, 30 or 40 years on this planet?  It would be a shame to keep the wonderful idea that is within you from the world simply because you feel you are "too old".

Using age as an excuse is just another one of the roadblocks that we choose to erect as to why we cannot accomplish something.  Successful people operate from a completely different premise.  They simply take the approach whatever they want is possible no matter where they are starting from.  If Fauja Singh could take up running at 89 years old, I figure most of us can do a heck of a lot more with our lives if we are only willing to get past the excuses.  Our alibis are worthless.  The proof is in your life.  If you are operating at less than what you are truly capable of, it is time to kick things up.  You do not have to wait until you are 89 to get things going.


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3 Steps To Accomplishing Anything

Do you realize the age we live in?

The Internet has changed the amount of information that we have access to.  This single medium allows anyone, from the comforts of their own home, to view more information than is contained in the entire Library of Congress.  No matter what the topic is, we are now able to tap into all that is known about that subject.  This is a remarkable breakthrough which few take advantage of.

It is amazing that people, in general, are so inept.  In this day and age, you would think that people were able to excel beyond anything ever imagined.  Knowledge is potential power which can be turned into amazing accomplishments.  However, not many are even willing to take this step.

Nevertheless, for those who are, there is hope.  Are you aware that you can succeed at anything if you are willing to do a bit of research and apply some action?  I do not care what the subject matter is or the area of life you would like to focus upon, the information is readily available.  To succeed, one only need to follow a simple formula.

1. Research

Enter into any search engine "ways to _______________" and put in the topic of your choice.  For example ways to lose weight, ways to gain financial freedom, ways to make money in the futures market, ways to be a better leader, etc...  If you so desire, on topics that are broad like life improvement, you could put in 100 ways to improve your life.

What happens is you will get thousands of pages of web results.  Many of these pages will be for sites selling something but a lot of them will be general information.  These are the sites you want to focus upon.  Information sites like blogs and free online courses provide a wealth of knowledge about the particular subject you are interested in.  It is helpful to pay special attention to those sites which contain lists such as 20, 50, or 100 ways to _________.  These will help you to complete step 2.

2. Create a List

Now it is time to create a list of basics actions we can take on a regular basis to reach our desired destination.  At this time, go through the different sites and make notes about the suggestions they offer.  Write down the actions they suggest so that you begin to form an action plan.  A lot of this might be already done for you if you focus upon the sites with the lists already completed.  Take the pertinent information out of those lists and add them to whatever other actions you find.

Once you have all this together, compile them into a master list.  The goal here is to get 50 or 100 actions which you, personally, will take.  Hopefully you will uncover many simple actions that when coupled together create fantastic results.  The more items you list, the better since they are additional actions you can take.  Also, the simpler the actions the greater the chance of success.  So, for weight loss, you will not want to put down "run a marathon".  Instead something such as "Park as far away from the store as possible" is better. 

3. Take Action

This is key.  Nothing is ever completed without action.  Action is the bridge that spans the invisible world to the visible.  Many have ideas in their head, acquire the knowledge, but fail to take the action.  Without action, one only has thoughts.

Another aspect I must mention is the idea of consistent action.  Learning a new language, for example, requires studying vocabulary on a daily basis.  Just doing it one time will not suffice.  Same with success in exercise, writing, sales, or chemical engineering.  Whatever the subject, you will have a list of tasks to do on a regular basis.  That is why you want many of them to be simple but effective.  Again, when you have an assortment of simple actions that have big impact, coupling a few of them together will often create large results.

And there you have it.  Take these three steps and you can accomplish anything.  Remember, the information is readily out there.  As Tony Robbins like to say, "success leaves clues".  Take your subject matter, search for the information, compile a list of actions you can take to arrive at your destination, and take the action. 

Life does not have to be complicated.  Why make it that way?
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