You Have The Power Within You

February 15, 2010

As the title suggests, you have the power within you to create the life of your dreams. I’m sure you would like to know how I can say such a thing. This is not just my own opinion, but the opinion of others more credible than myself.  Let me go into a little more detail.

There are verses in the Bible that say that “God lives within each of us.” I believe it! Now I know all of you agnostics out there are thinking, “How can God live in each one of us? Prove it?” I cannot prove it to you physiologically, however, do you not have a conscience? Your conscience helps you decide when you are doing something wrong or right or in between. Something in your mind, your heart, or for the lack of a better term, your intuition talks to you, doesn’t it? It does me!

Have you ever pondered a question in your mind and when you least expected it, mostly at 2:00 am, the answer came to you? Many people think it is their imagination speaking to them. That’s fine! If you prefer to think of answers to life questions in the middle of the night as your creativity, go right ahead. I, for one, truly believe that God is talking to me. If you would rather think of it as the Universe that is talking to you, that’s is OK too.

Let me table the religious connotations for a bit. What I really want to talk about is the term “power.” If you believe in yourself enough and know exactly where you want to go and how you want to get there, you will be living your dreams in no time. Believe me when I tell you that if your thoughts are about positive things like “happiness, successful business and relationships, positive outcomes, positive happenings, etc.,” you will be happy, successful in business and love, and you will have positive outcomes coming out of your ears.

We need to come out of our cynicism, skepticism, negativism, and all around disbelief in the power of our spirit and realize that each of us is responsible for what happens in our lives. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last few years, is that whenever there has been a negative outcome in a life situation, I allowed it to happen. I allowed myself to be a victim in a work situation that led to my medical disability retirement, and I allowed a local Milwaukee business to take advantage of my ignorance costing me thousands of dollars, to name a very few.

If you are being honest with yourself as you are reading this, you are thinking back to some of your negative outcomes and realizing some of the same things I have. We (you and I) have allowed ourselves to be taken advantage of because we didn’t have enough confidence in ourselves. You can have confidence in yourself and raise your self-esteem, but only if you want to.

Don’t be afraid to admit that your self confidence isn’t what it should be, or you could use more self-esteem. Once you do that, you can begin to help yourself. Help yourself! Those are the two operative words. Get on your computer and put the name “Dr Joe Vitale,” “Bob Procter,” “James Arthur Ray,” etc. in your Search box. There are many books out there to read and get your head around. Another wonderful source for you to research is Oprah Winfrey’s magazine online. There are articles written by Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Oz, and others that will help you look inside of yourself and make positive changes. That is what I did.

The first book I read was The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The next books I found were by Dr. Joe Vitale i.e., The Attractor Factor, and others too many to name here. The information in these books help me to change the way I thought about myself. Obviously, no one can force you to make changes in your life, but yourself. I began to change my whole way of thinking with the help of positive thinkers like Marianne Williamson, Louise Hay, Deepak Chopra, and Dr. Joe Vitale. If I can do it, so can you.

I have the power within me to have self confidence, self-esteem, and a strong belief that I deserve all the good things that happen in my life. Every day I find myself starting to think a negative thought and I stop myself right away. That is what you have to do. Start thinking about what you want and start believing you deserve every good thing that happens to you, one day at a time. YOU DO HAVE THE POWER!

By Diane | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Limiting Beliefs, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, Self Help Information, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)

Have The Best Year Ever

January 16, 2010

If you have been reading my articles for the last few weeks, I’m sure you have decided to crawl into your bed and pull the covers up and over for the rest of the year. The economic forecast is dismal. States’ unemployment figures are high. Many jobs are going by the wayside due to technology. There is so much bad news, people are beginning to wonder if there are any more reasons to be happy. Some people are going so far as to call our economic status “The New Depression.”

I don’t know about you, but I refuse to throw in the towel and let the economy get the best of me. At the beginning of this New Year, we all made our resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, eat less junk food, walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, etc. Is everyone working on your resolutions or have you forgotten all about them? That’s what usually happens to New Year’s resolutions. You make them on New Year’s Eve, and three weeks later they are forgotten.

Dr. Joe Vitale tells us to forget about resolutions. He says that our resolutions are based on magical thinking, wishful thinking, and they lack any real commitment or plan. If you think about this, we usually write down the same resolutions every year hoping that one of these times, we’ll succeed. For the most part, resolutions are for wimps. We need to change the term to “Positive Predictions!” I really like the term Positive Predictions better, don’t you?

The difference between New Year’s Resolutions and Positive Predictions is with the resolutions, you write them down on paper at the beginning of the year and by February 1st, they’re forgotten. With Positive Predictions, you decide what you want, write them down as if they have already happened, and then attract them. If you do this correctly, you will attract your positive prediction, and the operative word here is “positive.” Let me show you how this works.

As Dr. Joe Vitale says, it’s a fun and creative exercise that allows you to visualize the future, contemplate unlimited possibilities, and actually begin to attract the new reality to you.

Of course, all too often individuals fixate on negative future predictions. 1984, Y2K and 2012, are just a few of the dates that come to mind. It seems there’s always an apocalyptic event looming on the horizon. Unfortunately, when these dates come and go without incident, they are quickly replaced by new, even more menacing predictions. Ho hum.

There’s a better way. Instead of imagining a doom and gloom scenario, let’s imagine a happy and prosperous one. Let’s make 2010 the year of Positive Predictions. For example, here’s a sampling of the Positive Predictions Dr. Vitale  added to his list for 2010:

Buoyed largely by the creative ideas of marketers, inventors and entrepreneurs, the United States explodes out of the current recession by harnessing several new technologies. People experience prosperity again! (Keep these positive thoughts going!)

Alternative sources of energy and innovative automobile technologies begins to reach a level of critical mass, resulting in dramatically lower demand for fossil fuels. We exit 2010 at an average price of $1.90 per gallon of gas — and falling. (Hoo Rah, Hoo Rah, Hoo Rah)

I climbed to the top of my 15 foot climbing rope with my arms only and it becomes an inspiring YouTube video. (I would have to work on this one really hard, wouldn’t you?)

Dr. Joe’s free book Attract Money Now is translated into every major language, is downloaded by tens of millions of people worldwide, and becomes a New York Times bestseller after a publisher pays me a huge seven-figure advance for the rights to it.

Operation Yes makes a major impact in ending homelessness in America.

Dr. Vitale launched the first ever Billionaire Bugatti Mastermind.

The Attract Miracles Community reaches critical mass and transforms the planet with a single thought projected around the world – by thought alone.

Dr. Vitale went on David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jon Stewart’s TV shows, showing his incredible Alien Guitar.

Dr. Vitale’s hydrogen-gas super car, The Scorpion was delivered mid-year and got front page news across the world as the first truly sexy environmentally friendly muscle car. He loves that car!

joe_scorpion smaller

As you can see, this exercise is exciting. You might also note the “predictions” are written as if they are after-the-fact reports. It’s based on a process Dr. Vitale calls “Nevillizing,” named after famed mystic Neville Goddard. Dr. Vitale discusses the practice of “Nevillizing” your goals in both The Attractor Factor and more recently in Attract Money Now.

“Nevillizing your goal” is imagining or visualizing what life would be like if your goal were already achieved today. The objective is to make an emotional connection to your future. You pretend it has already happened. This allows your subconscious mind to believe it’s possible, as well as to program the Universe to bring that vision into your reality.

Neville himself said –

“There is only one cause, and that is consciousness. Your consciousness is the center from which your world mirrors and echoes the state you presently occupy.”

Consider the act of making a prediction. Generally, meaningful predictions require that you step out of your comfort zone and take a risk. Dr. Vitale is not talking about unimportant predictions that anyone can make. He is talking about “worthy” predictions that make your subconscious mind take notice and say “Wow, this guy/gal isn’t fooling around!”

Contrast this to the standard practice of creating New Year’s resolutions. If you are like many individuals, you may write down a list of resolutions for the year. This ritual has become so routine that very little emotion if any permeates to the subconscious. Not to mention there’s virtually no personal accountability tied to the resolution.

Need proof?

You need look no further than your local health-club or gym. As of today, January 16, 2010, most are bursting at the seams with new members. Check back with these same clubs in July and you’ll notice that their attendance has dropped back to late 2009 levels.

Generally, resolutions are easy to forget or dismiss. However, Nevillized Positive Predictions have much stronger emotional ties and longevity. They will begin the process of attracting a new reality based on the Law of Attraction and the power of intention.

So here’s my personal challenge to you: Create a list of Positive Predictions. Do it today. Right now.

Have fun with it. Like Dr. Vitale’s, some can focus on world events. Others can be personal challenges that really stretch your boundaries. If you have already created a list of resolutions, you can easily convert them into predictions. Just remember to make them worthy. And be sure to write them as if they already happened. And record your excitement.

A great way to ensure that your Positive Predictions become a reality is through Mastermind Groups and Personal Coaching. Both can provide the necessary accountability, access to creative ideas, and insights to make your wildest predictions come true.

Here’s something most people don’t know:

Years ago Dr. Vitale walked into his Mastermind Group at the time and stated that he wanted to be in a movie. Not just any movie, and not as some fly on the wall. He wanted a noteworthy part.

At the time he had no movie experience or connections. But he stated his goal and let his Mastermind Group support his intention with their good thoughts.

That’s it.

He didn’t try to get an acting job.

He didn’t send out resumes or sexy photos of himself.

He just waited, expecting his miracle, and ready to take action when inspiration or opportunity appeared.

Three months later a woman named Rhonda Byrne read Dr. Vitale’s book, The Attractor Factor, and called him, asking if he would like to be in her movie, called The Secret.

The rest, as they say, is history.

This is the power of Positive Predictions, Mastermind Groups, and Personal Coaching.

There are many excellent coaching programs available. Take for example, Triune Training Systems – a program designed to help individuals and business owners become successful entrepreneurs in the Milwaukee area.

The Mastermind Center - a mastermind group open to members of Triune Training Systems. For more information about the coaching program and the mastermind group, please leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you.

Go out and make 2010 the best year ever!


By Diane | Posted in An Attitude of Gratitude, Breaking Bad Habits, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, The Power of Education, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Do You Attract Angels or Devils?

January 15, 2010

For the most part, I have always been a positive person because I didn’t know enough to be pessimistic. My life had the usual ups and downs; but I also had blessings for which I am very grateful. Every day I thank God (because I have a strong belief in God) for my three children, my two grandchildren, the roof over my head, the food on my table, my car, clothes, furniture, and my many friends.

Do you believe that your thoughts are powerful? They are. Dr. Joe Vitale, author of The Attractor Factor and many more books to list here and Mike Dooley, author of Thoughts Become Things–Choose Them Wisely, say that whatever you think about, comes about. If you think negative thoughts, negative things come to you. That is why it is so important to think positively.

OK! I know exactly what you are thinking! You are saying to yourself, “What is this woman talking about? Does she truly believe that thinking positive thoughts will turn my life around?” Well I say to that, absolutely! Positive thoughts bring about positive actions.

Now I realize that if you grew up thinking that nothing good would happen to you and you still have those thoughts at 40 years old or however old or young you are, changing pessimistic thought patterns will not happen overnight. You will have to work at it. Also, you  have to want to change your thought patterns in order for change to happen in your life. If you don’t make a conscious effort to change your thought patterns, negative things will continue to happen.

Dr. Joe Vitale has a new book published that you can download free of charge, Attract Money Now. If you don’t have a computer, go to the library and use the computer to access the book in Adobe Acrobat. He provides a checklist for changing your thought patterns. If you have difficulties believing that your thoughts become your reality, just think about it. Has your life been happy? Have your pessimistic thoughts made life easier or better for you? Let me tell you about something that happened to me.

About 30 years ago, when I was in my late 20’s early 30’s, I wanted to be in the military. I filled out the application to get in the Navy and unfortunately was turned down. After that, I felt like life would never be the same; but, as the single mother with three children, I had to go on. I still wanted to be in the military. Why me! Why couldn’t things happen when I wanted them to? My thoughts about the military were put aside because I needed to care for my children; however, I kept dreaming about being an officer in the Army, Navy, or Air Force. How proud I would be!

In 1980, I became disabled and was on crutches for the next 10 years. Unable to practice nursing, the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation helped me practice my typing skills and got me a job at the local Air Force base in Tucson, Arizona. From 1982 to 1990, I went from a Clerk-Typist GS-03 to a Program Analyst, GS-09, making great money and earning a lot of respect. The eight years I spent as a disabled worker were the happiest of my life because my efforts were appreciated.

The turning point in this story happened as a result of the first Desert Storm. I wanted to be in the military to help my country; however, I was still on crutches and non-weight-bearing on my right leg. Being in the military was so important to me, I willed myself to be better. The odds were stacked high against my succeeding. My recruiter told me the incredible odds, but he was willing to help. Everything he asked for I produced. My physical went well, the package was ready to go. The nurse recruiter felt that because I had not practiced in eight years, I needed to go back to nursing and work in it for awhile and then they would consider me.

Not only did I work my 40 hour week, but I went to a company that provided nurses to hospitals on a day to day basis, passed their difficult exam, and started working 20 hours per week on the weekends at the hospitals in town. That was difficult because each of the 4 hospitals in town did things differently. Learning their shift routines was hard enough, but to learn their machines and medication cart procedures nearly drove me to quit. However, for three months I worked 60 hours, seven days a week with the thought that my dream would come true and I would be inducted into the military.

At the end of the third month, the Air Force sent down its verdict. They had voted in my favor. I was ecstatic! My dream had come true. I had jumped through every hoop tossed in my direction. If my dreams can come true, so can yours, but only if you believe.

Now, my dream is to begin a new career as a financial adviser. I’m going to pass the Series 65 licensing exam to be an Investment Adviser Representative (IAR) on January 29, 2010, the Life/Health Exam in February, and the Series 6 and 63 in March. I will be out of debt, financially independent by the end of this year; and, I have faith that my dreams will come true.

These things will happen in my life because I believe they will happen. Even though I know my dream will come true, I still find myself doubting all of my abilities, at times.  I know I’m doing what God wants me to do. Changing my thought patterns was not easy; however, as my dreams began coming true I realized that my positive thoughts created the  positive actions. Sometimes, I still find myself thinking and saying  things that I shouldn’t think and say; however, I’m catching the errors quicker and changing my self-think and -talk.

Changing your thoughts from pessimistic to optimistic requires action. If you want to change, you will and if you don’t you won’t. If you do want to change, you have to work on changing one thought and one action at a time. You can do it. I believe in every one of you. If you want to change your life for the better, you to believe. This is all it takes. The change won’t happen overnight, but if you start now, your thoughts and actions will be more positive and you will have successes instead of failures. Successes! You can have them whenever you want. Think about them, talk about them, and most of all experience them.

By Diane | Posted in An Attitude of Gratitude, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, Self Help Information, Setting and Attaining Goals, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Be Thankful For What You Have

January 10, 2010

Last night, my best friend came over to help me study for the Series 65 examination. She was supposed to be at my house at or around 6:00 pm. When she drove up at 9:00 pm, I was surprised, but happy that she arrived safely from a  holiday get-together at her ex-in-laws. I opened the garage door and let her come through the laundry area so she wouldn’t have to walk all the way around to the front door in the cold.

As soon as she came in, I turned on the fireplace so she could get warm. I usually do not run the fireplace when I’m home alone to keep expenses down. However, I know my friend loves the warmth of the fireplace, so when she’s at my house, I turn the fireplace on just for her. She’s always so appreciative.

We talked about her experiences staying the night at her friend’s house by the lake and about the party at her late husband’s relatives’ home. She apologized for her outbursts of frustration earlier in the week. Every so often, my dear friend feels like her situation is not getting better. She feels as if the Lord has not heard her prayers for prosperity, abundance, and a lot of money. Her business is doing fairly well, but I don’t think she is seeing the good things that have happened because the “not so good” things have been the priority in her life recently.

My mentor is my friend’s business coach, just as I am. We have gotten together to combine our expertise to help businesses become successful and profitable in this recession. One of the first businesses we collaborated to help is my friend’s business because it is the core of our “Health, Wealth, and Beyond” system. My friend’s business is going to succeed with our help, but sometimes she has to be brought back down to earth and shown that she is doing better than she thinks she is.

To enhance my friend’s understanding about what she needs to be thankful for, I explained the abundance revelation that came to me just yesterday. I realized abundance in my life when I found a new container of oatmeal next to the half empty one and the box of artificial sweetener on top of the almost empty one in my cabinet. When I opened the refrigerator, there was plenty of milk to last for another week or so. There’s plenty of food in the cabinet and soda in the refrigerator. What more do I need? When I realized the presence of all of these necessities, I was thankful to God for providing for me. There is enough money in the bank to pay for the food, the mortgage, and the bills. The Lord has seen fit to provide an abundance of food for my table, heat to keep the house warm during these cold winter days, electricity, water, etc., everything I need to live a good life. I’m also very grateful for my car and the money to put gasoline in the tank. What more could a person want?

When I explained this to my friend, she thanked me for bringing this to her attention because she also experiences an abundance of some of the same things in her life too. I told her when negative or depressive thoughts come into her head, she should think about the things in her life that make her feel grateful e.g., her three children Deani, Joe, & Julia; her friends; her church; etc. There is a ritual to do this which involves taking deep breaths, closing the eyes, and thinking about the things in your life that make you feel grateful.

The ritual actually works, especially in stress-producing situations. When you are feeling stressful or in the middle of an anxiety attack, stop what you are doing. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and count to 10. Take 2 0r 3 deep breaths and immediately think about what makes you grateful. Maintain your grateful thoughts for a few minutes and when you open your eyes, you will feel relaxed and in a positive frame of mind.

Try this technique. The breathing technique alone will provide your brain with oxygen to decrease the stress you are feeling. Thinking about the people that are close to you or about someone you love very much will change feelings of distress to feelings of peace and contentment.  Then you can think clearly without the negative emotions.

In order to create abundance or prosperity in your life, you have to get rid of the subconscious thoughts and feelings that are keeping abundance or prosperity from coming to you. I know many of you have heard of the law of attraction. You might be saying, “Oh brother! Another person is talking and writing about this subject. All of a sudden everyone is talking about the law of attraction.” Yes, the law of attraction really exists.

People need to get rid of all the deep seated thoughts and feelings that are blocking them from receiving what they want. Getting rid of what is blocking you from receiving everything you want in life may be easier said than done because you may not be able to identify the thoughts that are getting in the way. For example, you may not know what is causing you not to receive the money you need in your business. In order to receive, you have to get rid of the deep thoughts and feelings that are impeding your progress. If you were raised with the idea that “Money is the root of all evil,” or “Rich people are lazy and greedy,” or “Money won’t make you happy,” you may subconsciously be blocking your goals.

Identifying the block can help you release it and only then will you be able to attain your goals. This is a spiritual concept. If you believe in a Supreme Being as I do, God will help you release what is keeping you from attaining your goals. All you need to do is ask Him. If you do not believe in God, you can ask the Universe to help you release the blockages that are holding you back from receiving what you want in life.

So there you have it. An attitude of gratitude will allow you to receive whatever you want in life. Don’t be afraid to try this. All it can do is work and you will start receiving everything you want personally and professionally.

By Diane | Posted in An Attitude of Gratitude, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, Self Help Information, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Change Negative Thoughts to Positive Ones

January 2, 2010

Are you normally a positive person or a negative one? As you can probably guess, I’m a positive person for the most part. But after hanging around my mentor, Mike, I have to say that I’m more negative than I thought. That is probably the reason I’ve not done as well in my life as I would have liked. One of my problems is I’m happy if I don’t have to get out of my comfort zone. In other words, if I don’t have to call someone I don’t know on the phone I’m happy. How in the world am I going to succeed in my new business if I’m uncomfortable calling people on the phone?

The fact is I’m not going to have to make any cold calls. If I do, one of my goals for 2010 is to live out of my comfort zone. When I make a call, even if it is to someone I know, I will ask the person if I’m calling at a good time.  Another goal that will be achieved in 2010 is to have confidence in my abilities. I always tell my children that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to; therefore, I’m going to follow my own advice. My confidence is going to soar from now on.

Passing the Series 65 test to become an Investment Adviser Representative is the first goal of 2010 to achieve. After failing the first test, I know where I’m deficient. As a result, I’m focusing on the two areas that I scored in the lower 50’s percentile, however I should not forget the other two areas that I scored in the 75th percentile. A score of 63 is pretty close to 70, but I want to score higher than the new required passing score of 72. That means I will study the Investment Vehicles and Strategies from Testeachers much more carefully than I did the first time, and I will use another source to learn more information from a different point of view. My friends have offered to help me study and I’m going to take them up on their offers.

A very important part of changing your thought processes is to try to figure out why your thoughts are negative instead of positive. Do you feel like you never get a break in life? Is your view of yourself negative? When you look in the mirror, do you see the wrinkles on your face instead of your gorgeous brown eyes or beautiful clear skin? I won’t go any further because I think you get the picture. For one thing, you are not helping anyone by looking at yourself and seeing all your faults. You are hurting yourself. Don’t do it. You need to see your positive attributes because if you don’t see them, no one else will.

What I’m trying to say is, negative thoughts only hurt you. However, you can hurt your children if you teach them to think negatively. Children are very impressionable. If they hear their parent talk negatively about himself or herself, they can only think that there is something wrong with them. Don’t let this happen. If you need professional help to change the way you feel about yourself, please get it. Otherwise, work on changing your thoughts one at a time. Focus on your strengths and feel good about them. If there are things about your personality that you don’t like, work on changing one thing at a time. Reward yourself when you succeed. Changing a behavior or habit takes about three weeks according to the experts. You are never too old to change your behavior for the better.

If you change your thoughts from negative to positive, you will be a happier person and live longer. If your life is not what you want it to be, you are the only one that can change it. If your job makes you negative, think about a position that would make you feel happy and excited to go to work every day. Right now, while the economy is in a trough working toward expansion, think about a job that would make you happy. When the time is right, make the change. Making yourself miserable and coming home and making your family miserable is not the way to live. You might say, “If I change jobs now, I will lose my retirement.” If that is the reason you won’t change jobs, then you might think of transferring to a new division in your company. Perhaps the change in location, co-workers, and immediate supervisor will be enough to change your negative attitude to a positive one.

If you are unhappy or negative about anything in your life, think about what it would take for you to be happy and make the necessary changes. You are responsible for your life and whether you are happy or not. No one is to blame if you are not happy. You can blame your mother, father, brother, friends, boss, co-worker, etc., but in the long run, no one else is responsible for your happiness or sadness, except you.

We have just started a new year and decade, 2010. If you have the goal of changing your negative attitude, I give you as much encouragement as possible. This is a very important goal and in order to accomplish it, you must work on it every minute. You won’t fail if you continue to work on it. If you need help, get your family to help you. Everyone wants you to succeed because your happiness is important. When you start reaping the rewards from thinking positively, you will know you have succeeded. Changing your negative thoughts to positive ones can only help you to succeed personally as well as in business. Take care and keep up the good work.

By Diane | Posted in Breaking Bad Habits, Positive Attitude & Thoughts, Self Help Information, Setting and Attaining Goals, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

The Day After The Test

December 19, 2009

Today is Saturday! Yesterday was the day I took the test to become a financial adviser. I did what everyone told me to do, i.e., stay calm, have a positive attitude, write down “I will pass this test on the scratch paper provided,” etc. There was no way I wasn’t going to pass. The test was very hard, just as everyone said, however, I didn’t let that bother me.

I started the test at about 12:40 pm. Everyone was right. The test was very hard. I almost ran out of the three hours allotted. With 5 minutes left, I finished answering the last question; but, had about 30 questions to review. Needless to say, time ran out as I was reviewing my list.

Even though I didn’t finish reviewing, I thought I had done fairly well. However…my grade came up as “Fail.” As you can figure from my words, I failed the test with a 63, 7 points from what I needed to pass. What a disappointment! After studying for the last seven days 12 hours a day without so much as an interruption, I failed the test. I was totally exhausted.

There is a wonderful online training course that provided instruction for just about every topic identified on the test; however, I guess the information was so new, I wasn’t able to identify the correct answers for some of the questions in the areas of Investment Vehicles and Investment Strategies and Recommendations. My mentor and best friend were very supportive when I told them I didn’t pass. They are going to help me in every way they know how to pass the test 31 days from now.

Yesterday, I felt like I had let myself and everyone down; but only for a minute. This isn’t the first time I failed a test. Every test I took in the online course I failed the first time. Not having a background in finance or accounting, some of the tax stuff and the investment strategies took a little more time to absorb. Some of the questions were so wordy that I had to read them more than once, especially if there was a “double negative” in them. Don’t you hate it when people talk in double negatives?

Enough excuses! The test was a little bit much for me, but I’m not going to let that stop me. On the 31st day I’m going to open another FINRA (the financial regulatory department in charge of testing) window and take that test again. I know now where I need to focus for the next test. Memorizing answers will not help, I will have to understand the underlying concepts.

I’m not going to let this test get the best of me. Being an Investment Adviser Representative is very important, even though I’m 61 years old. I feel as if I’m starting my life all over again. There are so many people out there that need  help. I’ve got to pass the test and get the license.

You know! I was thinking about years ago, in my late teens as I was getting ready to take my nursing license exam. There were so many facts I needed to know for that test as well. That test was similar to the one I took yesterday; however, that test’s answers were all correct. I had to pick the “best” answer. I passed every section but Psychology, which meant I had to take that section over. Wouldn’t it be great if all licensing exams were like that? If you don’t pass one or the other section, only take that section or sections over. Do you think the Series 65 test is like that? Absolutely not!

The Series 65 is sectioned but not specifically so I have to take the entire test over again. This means I have to focus on the two sections I didn’t do very well with, but I also have to study each section that I did OK in as well. My friend at the Health and Energy Center called me today and told me she was available to help me study for the test. She was a teacher and knows the psychology of studying for tests. I’m so lucky to have such a good friend as Nadine because she offered to help me utilizing her personal time and skills. Nadine taught school for many years, so I feel very fortunate to have her on my side. I know I will pass the test this time.

Well, that’s it! Even though, yesterday, I was extremely disappointed because I didn’t pass the Series 65 test; today, I decided I’m not going to give up. This test isn’t going to get the best of me. I’m going to take the test again, and this time I’m going to pass it with flying colors.

I hope I’ve encouraged you not to give up on what you want in life.  You’ve probably heard the old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. “  That’s why I told you this story. Really and truly, don’t let anything keep you from doing what you want to do. And for heaven’s sake, don’t be afraid of a test. Don’t let a test get the best of you.

By Diane | Posted in Educational Opportunity, Positive Attitude & Thoughts | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Thoughts Are Powerful

December 16, 2009

Are you aware that the thoughts you think can become a part of your life? This was a lesson I learned the hard way. Actually, what I didn’t realize was that when I thought about negative things, those negative things came true. My thoughts were about what I didn’t want, but somehow, that didn’t matter.

I have had a lot of ups and downs in my life, just like everyone else. For the most part, I thought I was a happy person until I came in contact with my new friends. You are never too old or set in your ways to make new friends and learn from them. My relationship with both of my new friends is building to the point that we are very close to one another not only on a day to day basis, but also in our hearts.

My mentor and business partner is the closest thing to a guru that I have ever met. His mentor, Chad, is also a thinker. Chad’s goal in life is for my partner, Mike, myself, and every person on our team to be successful in our business and in our personal lives. He feels that if he can impart to us what he has learned about the importance of thinking “success,” he will have created a team of gurus dedicated to helping as many people as possible.

Have you ever heard of a “Win-Win” situation? The term was familiar was vaguely familiar. There were some win-win situations in my life over the years but the greatest started happening in my twenties. I won big time when my children came into my life. Hopefully, they feel the same way about me. My children’s births and lives are the greatest Win-Win situation in my life.

I have to say that my thoughts have become more and more positive as I’ve matured. Life can be uncanny at times. In the last few months, I’ve learned to shove all the negative thoughts out of my mind as soon as they come in. Sometimes, getting these thoughts to go away can be difficult, but I turn my thoughts to my new set of goals and the negative thoughts seem to disappear.

Life began to change for the better after I read Robert Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Dad Poor Dad. As I was reading, I realized that if he could rearrange his thinking and become successful, so could I. Not only did I start putting the concepts I learned from Rich Dad Poor Dad into practice, but I also signed up to be coached by a terrific Rich Dad Coach. He had the patience of Job with me as we went from one concept to another. Before long, I had new financial knowledge and had learned a financial vocabulary, and that’s when I met my newest and closest friends. Now, at the age of 61, I have a new lease on life, and I’m off to the races.

I can only tell you that I must be in one of the Nascar cars with the fastest qualifying driver, because the events and new friends and associates I’ve met are catapulting me from a maturing grandmother to a successful financial adviser, with thoughts of helping everyone I come in contact with.

If your life has not measured up to your dreams, do not despair. Mike Dooley, the author of Thoughts Become Things, Choose Them Wisely tells us that anything is possible. If you want to change something in your life, think about the outcome as you would like it to be and believe it will happen. You can also visualize the outcome. This visualizing concept has worked for Olympic athletes in the last few Olympic games. If this method works for them, it can certainly work for anyone.

In order to visualize what you would like to happen, close your eyes. Think about your event, imagine yourself in the scenario, and then see yourself accomplishing what ever it is you want with ease. Open your eyes and go on with your day. You only need to visualize once a day.

Think about it! If you can’t get your head around this visualizing stuff, don’t worry. Try it, though. You might find that it works for you. If you are skeptical about things like this and label it as “mumbo-jumbo,” then don’t try it. But, what have you got to lose? I realize that as Americans we are very spoiled. People around the world see us as impatient and sometimes Hedonistic. If we want or need something, we want or need it now. If something doesn’t work right away, we toss it aside and search for something else. All I ask is that you take the time to try it. Try it with small things first. Think about it in a positive way and visualize.

The most important thing I can impart to you is that you are a powerful human being. Your thoughts and words are powerful. If you take anything away from this article, I hope you realize your importance, and you have to believe that you have the power to have the life of your dreams. Believe that you can change your life for the better. No one else can do it for you, no matter what you think. Don’t blame others for where you are. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions, and believe that your thoughts and words are powerful. Don’t be afraid to visualize what you want in your life, and think happy, positive, and powerful thoughts.

By Diane | Posted in Positive Attitude & Thoughts, Self Help Information, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Only 19 Days Til Christmas!

December 6, 2009

Oh My Gosh! There are only 19 days until Christmas! There are so many things I have to do to get ready! I wish I had more time and it sure would be nice if I had a clone.

Are you stressing about Christmas which is almost here? Do you have to work overtime every day this month to pay for the gifts you are buying for everyone for Christmas? Have you maxed out your credit card buying presents for your family and friends?

I hope you have answered no to all of the above questions. First of all, Christmas should be a season of love and goodwill. The parties give us the opportunity to gather with friends and celebrate the season. Buying gifts for family and friends should not be a chore nor should it break the bank. We don’t need to spend a lot of money to show our loved ones and the people that are already special to us how we feel about them.

So many people get depressed during the holidays than at any other time of the year. In my opinion, some of these depressed individuals are someone’s relative or friend that is living alone. Many of our older relatives and friends that live alone do not see us as often as they would like. During Christmas time, a gift is a lovely way to remember them; however, a more memorable gift would be to visit them once a week, every week. Don’t just promise them you will visit more often, DO IT. The greatest gift of all is LOVE!

Feeling stressed about Christmas is definitely not the way to enjoy this wonderful season. After all, Christmas is not just decorating your house, getting your Christmas cards addressed and mailed, buying presents for everyone you know, going to dinner parties and get-togethers, etc. I think many of us have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus! God sent his Son, Jesus, to live on earth and save us from our sins. The story the Bible tells us gives us the reason for celebrating Christmas. Mary and Joseph (Jesus’ parents to be) couldn’t find a room at any of the inns in Bethlehem. The stable was the only place available for Mary to rest before she gave birth. She gave birth to Jesus in the cold, but in a less windy area, in a stable. I just can’t imagine giving birth to a baby in a stable, can you? That must have been an ordeal. Thankfully, according to the story, God relieved Mary of the discomfort.

A Star provided an unusually bright light in the sky as soon as Jesus was born. Three Kings from countries East of Bethlehem saw the star, and came bearing gifts to present to Jesus, whom they believed was a King. These gifts symbolize our gifts to one another and our loved ones. So you see the gifts we present to the people we know and love, and hopefully the gifts we give to those less fortunate (our favorite charities) are symbols of our love for Jesus. If we are giving gifts in the name of Jesus, then we are giving for the right reasons.

The gifts you give to people on Christmas should be from your heart. They don’t have to be expensive. I realize that everything in the stores is expensive. Even with the retail stores having “Black Friday” sales every day, buying presents for everybody can take a lot of money from your checking and savings accounts and your credit cards. Some families are only buying presents for the children and are choosing one family member’s name. That way, each family member will have a gift, and you won’t have to buy a present for everyone.

The moral of this article is Christmas should be a season of Love and Giving. We need to give from our hearts, not from our pockets. If the holiday season gives you a lot of stress, sit down and think about what it is that causes the stress. Find out what it is and eliminate it. Christmas should make you happy, not depressed and overdrawn at the bank. Think about it. If you have the money to spend on a lot of gifts, knock yourself out! If you don’t have a lot of money, give from your heart.

By Diane | Posted in A gift that counts for Christmas., Saving Money on Gifts For Christmas!, The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Happy Monday, Everyone!

November 16, 2009

Here we are again, Monday! This particular day can be a good one or the most stressful day of the week. Most Monday mornings are pretty good. Today, was a challenge. The weather, for the last two or three weeks, has been unseasonably warm. Here in the Midwest, unseasonably warm means daytime highs were in the upper 50s lower 60s, with lows in the middle 40s. When you can drive with the sun roof open in November, it must be pretty warm.

Anyway, this morning, the temperature was 37 degrees, with a wind chill of 25 degrees. When I let my dog, Hank, outside he wanted inside right away. When I opened the door to let him in, I got a face full of cold wind. Poor Hank was shivering. Fortunately, he has a full coat. He hasn’t been to the groomer in weeks.

This morning, I decided to leave early to be at work before 10:00 am. I got in the car at 9:15 am and turned the key, nothing happened. Oh Lord! I turned the key again. This time I heard a few clicks, the battery! The battery was dead. I left a small light on inside the car. With a dead battery, I wasn’t going anywhere soon!

What should I do? Ah, I know, I’ll call AAA (Automobile Association of America). Then, I’ll call my mentor and tell him I have a dead battery and will be in class as soon as the car is running again. Fortunately, my mentor understood my situation and told me not to worry, but to drive safely when I was able to get on the road.

The Service the AAA operator called arrived about 10:10 am. The mechanic came inside the garage, opened the hood of my car (I had unlatched it but couldn’t find the release to put it up) and hooked his hand held computer to the battery. Of course, the battery was dead; however, I did not know that the battery was the original that had come with the car in 2004. The battery had given its all for me. What battery lasts 5 years without needing a jump start now and again? This one.

The mechanic said he could jump start the battery, but because of its age, he could not tell me how long it would last. A new battery, that’s what I needed. After the mechanic put the new battery in the car, he tested the alternator to make sure it was working correctly. He showed me the computer. All of the indicators were green. My alternator was working fine, and my new battery was working over and above normal-with a 3 year guarantee. By 10:35 am, I was on the road and on my way to class.

The moral of the story is not at any time did I lose my positive attitude. Even though my car didn’t start, I didn’t let the stress get to me. I called AAA and my mentor, and dealt with the situation as calmly as I could. If I had gotten upset with my car or let my stress level escalate, I wouldn’t have gotten through the rest of my day as calmly and  easily as I did.

Being able to control your emotions is not easy. I didn’t always remain calm when things went wrong, all you have to do is ask my children. They would definitely tell you that when I was stressed, the decibel meter went off the chart. As I had more birthdays, though, I decided it was time to settle my emotions and handle situations calmly.

These are words of wisdom for the holiday season that is just around the corner. Next week is Thanksgiving! Can you believe it. Holiday shopping begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. A lot of people will be out shopping from very early in the morning until late at night. Everyone needs to stay alert as well as calm and in control of their emotions. Many people hate the holiday season because of the shopping season and so many people at the stores and at malls.

Everyone needs to take their time, remain calm, and be polite. If more people were calm and polite, the Christmas season would be as joyful as it should be. I hope everyone of my readers has a joyful Christmas shopping season.

By Diane | Posted in The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged | Comments (0)

Enough About Depression, Let’s Get Happy

November 14, 2009

Hi Everyone! I hope you are having a great Saturday. Today was an absolutely tremendous day here in the Midwest. Temperatures were in the mid 50s and the sun was shining. Today was a great day, just like every other day to be thankful. I think it is very important to be grateful for your life, everything and everyone in your life, and for the “stuff” you own. Gratitude to your Divine Inspiration or the Universe is what brings you more. Every morning, I get up around 6:30 am. As I let my dog, Hank, outside I give thanks for another beautiful day and for all the wonderful things that I have been blessed with, i.e., my little white dog, my condo, all the furniture, my car, my children, my grandchildren, etc.

I have really been blessed, which makes me grateful for everything I have, every single day. This morning, I had to go to a training session by 8:00 am. Even though it was early, I didn’t mind because training was only going to last for two hours. By 10:00 am, everything would be done and the rest of the day would be mine. Anyway, during the training, the leader went into the psychology of why we say the things we say to our prospective clients and associates. This morning, I learned so much about why it is so important to say what is on our scripts. The scripts are specially designed to be effective, as long as we say them word for word. We may add voice inflections and mannerisms to personalize the script, but if we want to sign a client or an associate, we need to be true to the script.

This is the first time I heard the reasoning behind the scripts. The information was presented in such a way as to be aligned with the “Law of Attraction.” I’m sure everyone has heard about the Law of Attraction. Whether you believe in it or not, the Law of Attraction is out there along with the rest of the Laws. Some more information that you need to hear or read is that your thoughts become your reality. What I mean by that is, whatever you think about, you attract. Here’s a word of advice, don’t think about what you “Don’t” want, because the Universe does not understand “Don’t.” What you say and what you think are extremely powerful, so be careful! Mike Dooley, the author of Thoughts Become Things” tells us to think hard about what we do want, and what’s important is we need to “visualize” what we want as if it is already ours.

Getting back to our thoughts, thinking about the things we want for our lives is the first step in achieving or receiving it. Ahh! I’m sensing disbelief as you read. Believe! Believe, because it is true. When I was in my 40s, about 20 years ago, I kept thinking about how wonderful it would be if I could be in the military. As everyone knows, a person has to be between 18 and 35 years of age to get into any of the services, whether it be the Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force, or even the Coast Guard. The Army and Navy turned me down a few years before I turned 35, so I thought I was out of luck. After being turned down, I still thought about it because I wanted to be in the service so badly. Every time I thought about it, I prayed to be able to join one of the services.

When Desert Storm broke out, many active duty troops were sent overseas, which depleted positions here in the United States. I was given the opportunity to enter the Air Force on a special contract, because the need was so great. The Air Force needed nurses desperately. I couldn’t believe that I had gotten in as a Reserve Officer, a nurse. My thoughts had become reality. I couldn’t believe it. My prayers had been answered. 

So you see, your thoughts are very powerful. You must also believe that your words are powerful. I learned today that certain words, if used in the scripts provided to us, can make people decide to be clients and associates of our financial firm. These are the words I want to memorize and use everyday with everyone I speak with. Our firm’s mission is to help people become financially independent. We want to help as many people as possible to take advantage of active money management, which is now available to investors with as little as $5,000 to invest. Active money management has only been available to people with a half million dollars to invest. This is such an important strategy that I want every person in the United States to take advantage of it; unfortunately, my firm is the only one able to provide it to the average investor. If you would like to hear more about it, please contact me, even if you don’t live in the Wisconsin area. Our firm is registered in almost every State.

Your thoughts and words are very powerful, so be careful what you think and say. Work hard at being as positive as you can. Think positive thoughts and what you think is what will come true for you (it may take awhile, but as long as you stay positive, it will happen). Also, your words are powerful. As you know, you can hurt someone by saying the wrong thing, so be careful. You don’t want to hurt anyone. Keep your thoughts positive and life will be good to you. Mark my words, they are powerful.

By Diane | Posted in The Power of Positive Thinking | Tagged | Comments (0)