11. Vision

Most success seems to stem from one main factor; individuality.

Whether it is finding something you are good at and marketing the hell
out of it, finding a new and innovative way of doing the oldest and simplest
thing imaginable, or coming up with innovations and brand new ideas
that rock the global marketplace, it's all about unique vision.

Stepping off of the beaten path can be a perilous ordeal. Not everyone
has the chops to face the slew of Nay-sayers and Doubting Thomases who
will fail to comprehend what it is you're doing.

Others are critical enough; if they are unable to see a solution or concept
in the way you do, or fail to understand the feasibility of bringing it about,
you may be all alone.

Keeping a sound, vivid image of what it is you're working for...keeping in
touch with that fire inside.... will be crucial to maintain enthusiasm when you hit
roadblock after roadblock.

They say that in order to create something, you first have to be able to envision
it coming into creation. That keeping a visible reminder--especially a physical
construct like a Vision Board of diagrams, artists' renderings, proposals-- will
help you better maintain the focus, allowing your vision to become reality.

10. Comprehension

Comprehensiveness is key to any plan.

What is it that you desire?

"Do you know where you're going to?"
(or are you merely along for the ride?)

What are your goals?

How do you intend to achieve them?

If you can't answer these questions,
then chances are that you won't make things
happen. We must have a road map and
a destination in order to get somewhere.
Otherwise, we can end up anywhere.

**************************************

"LIVING WITHOUT A DEFINITE MAJOR
PURPOSE PROMISES NOTHING BUT A
SCANT LIVING.

You may get by in life without a Definite Major
Purpose, but you will never get ahead. Definiteness
of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.
Financial goals in particular should be specific,
definite, and measurable. You should know what
you plan to earn, by when, and how you plan to
do so. The greatest advantage of financial security
is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that,
whatever challenges life brings, you are equipped to
deal with them. You will be better at whatever you
choose to do because you can focus on opportunities
instead of struggling to eke out a living"
- Napoleon Hill Foundation

**************************************
This isn't to say that a solid goal can't change
based on new information, a change in desire,
or some other positive response to life's ever
changing circumstances.

But you have to have a solid vision to start.

Lack of vision and clarity can keep us mired
down in the same old thing, day after day.

Looking beyond the immediate, and being able
to imagine something more--something better--is
key to being able to get there.

9. Close to the Vest

Business people and successful people can be
passionate about things, and utilize emotion in
their quest, but pick and choose what you share.

Keep personal matters and deep emotions, as
well as your history and interests, very close to
the vest. Most people will traffic in the commerce
of your personal business, even innocently.

And a friend or worker today may be an adversary
or competition tomorrow, so don't give all your info
away.

The old adage "Never let them see you sweat" is a
good one. People might expect that you are weak or
nervous, but unless they see the results or proof of
it, it is just speculation. It's always bad energy to let
people see your inner workings...to know that you
fear or have troubles.

Not everyone is looking for you to succeed...not even
the people supposedly in your camp. So the less you
let your Achilles' heels be exposed, the more poised
and ready for battle you are.

Never leave the house without a game plan. You
don't want anyone outside of yourself to see you
less than confidant, affable, and strong.

If you have to, fake it.

There are great affirmations, books, tapes, mantras
and more designed to help get you into a strong spirit
before you take on the world.

Do the leg work.

8. Budget

There is no alternative to budgeting.


If we want to be better off, we must have
a set determination of what expenses are
allowable. No matter if we are bringing home
$400 a month or $ 400,00 a year....a budget is
crucial. Money tends to spend itself when there
is no plan put into affect.


Yes, things happen that create need. But even
then, there has to be a rational response of
cautious preparation before we just hand over
money.


In considering a budget, absolutely every expense
needs to be put out on the table;
* Gas, food, electric, and all the regulars.
* Quarterly and bi-annual bills
* Expenses for things we anticipate down the road
(school costs, trip extras, special events)
* Regular needs (oil changes, haircuts, etc)
* 'Unexpected' costs like car and appliance repair


Then, you have to prioritize. Not everybody who
tries out for the team makes it; it's just reality. Some
stuff falls to the side of the road.


This is where the maturity and discipline come in.
You can't be buying dinner out if you're behind on the
light bill. You can't rent movies and pay for cable if
the car's about to be repossessed.


Once hard decisions are made about who can--and can't--
be paid, the real work comes in. Handling and controlling
the money once it is 'available.'


Some people cannot have cash in their hands, or it
will be gone. It's too easy to just blow it on the first
several things that come along.


If we aren't responsible enough to refrain from spending
wildly, we can have a plan for bill paying.

Get help if need be. Develop new habits for how we handle
the money--or credit cards.


But make a plan, and stick to it. Consistency is the key.
And remember, that every good thing on this earth
requires sacrifice.

7. Goals & Planning

If you don't make a decision, that is making a
decision.

Rolling out of bed in the morning willy-nilly and just
taking life as it comes might be all right for teenagers
whose money is given to them, but it's not a smart
method for grown folks to approach the day.

We have to have determined goals in mind in order
to even imagine getting where we want to be. We have
to make solid plans in order to actually get us there.

There may be trial and error involved in setting up
and following goals; as live changes, so too can goals
be updated or tweaked. But you have to first have a
script in order to make changes to it.

Too often we fall into the trap of believing we are at
the mercy of others and our fate is sealed! Not true;
we have an impact on every aspect of our lives.
We may have to learn new methods and ideas, but
it's possible.

We are only at the mercy of others if we
choose to be. So, are we gluttons for punishment?
Lazy? Unsure? Unmotivated? Scared?
What's keeping us shackled to the decisions and
low expectations of others?

What we imagine becomes possible.
What we envision becomes potential.
What we desire becomes passion.
What we decide on becomes powerful.
What we work for...expect....demand....becomes
reality.

Careful, deliberate, reasoned action and thinking
creates--in time--the reality of our choosing.

Make sure when planning you schedule in setbacks
and frustrations, too. They are inevitable. But they
aren't insurmountable.

6. Gratification Delay

Many of us have trouble with being able to say
"NO" when we desire something.

We have been trained in this country to
"want what we want when we want it," and that
actually getting what we want is not only a right
but am expectation.

This is not healthy or realistic. To be done right,
things take time and patience....Rome wasn't built
in a day, and immediacy is a modern ill.

When we feel like we 'have' to buy something in
order to meet our needs, we tend not to be giving
any mature thought to what we are doing. There is
no intelligent analysis of motive, funds availability,
outcome, etc.

We will not crumble if we don't get our way.
We won't disintegrate if we don't react to every
impulse we suffer.

It's good to want things and not receive them...they
used to say it builds character. Maybe that's what
happened; for several generations we have given in to
every desire we have had. Doing without has not been
an option even considered.

We have been trained that to 'give ourselves' what
we want is a sign of success, of having made it, of being
capable and well-to-do. But most of us are not able to
afford such things as we buy; we are spending money
we don't have to impress or try and "keep-up-with"
The Joneses.

When we act fiscally irresponsibly, we are selling out
the reality of tomorrow for the illusion of today. Worse
still, we have become desensitized to the fact that this
is a problem!

5. Detaching From Emotion

In finances, there can be no input from the
emotional realm, or all is lost.


Decisions have to be made from a conscious,
conscientious, intelligent standpoint. Careful,
deliberate consideration to all the factors is
how people are able to make effective long term
decisions.


But that is far removed from how most people
deal with money.


We might make lots of impulse buys. (And even
a single candy bar at the checkout lane is a huge
mark-up and unnecessary expense; we aren't
'treating' ourselves if we are throwing away money.)


We might get distracted by get-rich-quick schemes
or exciting promises from products.


We can get wrapped up in spending money on
a person or a cause that we have an emotional
attachment to.


But what do we have to show for these things at
the end of the day?
-Splurges for incidentals are gone immediately
-People can leave
-Groups can disappoint


Most things have no secondary market; "things"
you buy typically are of no use once you take them
home. Once people receive money, there's no way
to know if they'll remain loyal, pay it back, be
appreciative, etc.


The only guarantee is to employ money over the
long haul to work for you;
+ A home you can live in
+ A vehicle you can rely on
+ School for a talent that is marketable
+ Health & Wellness


But we are human, and emotions play a part.
It takes discipline and training to learn s new skill
set, wherein we can refrain from making impulse
buys simply because something is 'cute,' on sale,
or we think it will endear another person to us.


Will the expense really satisfy us?

Is the idea that we will feel better true, or is it
a marketing lie we are buying into?

How important is a purchase to our quality of life?


If we feel like we can't put off a purchase decision
for 24 hours without suffering anxiety or feeling
like we're 'doing without,' that's a problem.

4. Independence

It's far better than to give than to receive;
because being needy sucks ass, and being a giver
means you are in control in the driver's seat.


When you are in a position to have people come to
you in order to benefit them with your abilities,
monies, connections, etc., it is not only an emotional
high to cement the influence you have over others,
it is a financial power. It is success.


If people have need of you, then you are in a position
of power. If you hold the keys to someone else's joy
with the ability to say 'yes' or 'no,' that translates into
money power.


Being in control of your own wealth so that you can do
for others--because you can already handle your own--
is a great blessing.


To be dependent on another person or institution for
economic well-being means being at the whim and mercy
of fate, attitudes, moods, circumstance, and personalities.


Being dependent means that when you have no one in your
immediate circle, you are on your own. There is no
guarantee that having family members and friends will
give you a leg up in a hardship anyway. You don't want to
find out the hard way who's for real and who's faking being
willing to help.


Financial independence means that animals can be treated
when sick, fed when hungry, and kept comfortable when
housed. It means that you can eat, have a place to sleep,
use electricity, and stay showered and medicated. You might
even get to receive adequate medical treatment so you can live.


Beyond the essentials, financial freedom means the ability
to do what you want, when you want...the very definition of
success. It is immensely empowering to be able to compete
and succeed in the rat race. It is a dizzying accomplishment.

Conversely, dependence means having to kow-tow and lose
self in order to just eek by. It means being a follower instead
of a leader. Dependence is a high price to pay for being alive.

Independence is the key to the kingdom; being able to do
for self and not having to ask anyone for help is the height
of money's power, and it is a very desirable status.

3. Self-Interest

We're taught from early on that ego and
self-interest are bad things, and that we
are to share and allow others access to
what we have.


Nothing could be more wrong and more
self-destructive.


This is an attempt by the ruling people
and institutions to break the will of its
populace from early on...to inject the fear
of self-care so that we will all be nervously
working on adhering to the 'greater good.'


We are brain-washed by government, religion,
parents, schools, the police, and others to
submit to the will of others for all things.

-Don't worry for self.
-Don't seek for self.
-Be subservient.
-Be weak.
-Be willing to do without.
-Be afraid to speak up for self.


There is nothing wrong with being self-interested;
in fact, it is the only means of surviving that we
possess. But the individual who knows themselves and
is bold is a threat to the power structure.


Once you already have the money, you can be
allowed to keep the money. You're one of the network
then. But until you have it, those that already have it
don't want competition, and you are the enemy.

Self-interest is not a 4-letter-word. It is the key
to our survival. Embrace it utterly.

2. Examining Our Feelings About Money

We have to first know a thing,
in order to master a thing.


If we don't know how we feel about money,
it will likely continue to control us, rather
than us control it.


Most of us have deep-seated feelings about
money that date back to our childhood. These
feelings are powerful, and may be easily
understood...or very complicated.


Whether our conscious or subconscious
relationship with money is known, it
influences us.


If we are afraid of money, or confused by it,
or don't believe ourselves worthy of it,
then we will remain captive to it.


Even those of us who have next to nothing
are capable of making better and smarter
choices (as it relates to our own well-being)
with our money expenses. We must be open
to a critical eye of what we do with money,
and why.


Habits are a hard thing to break, but in order
to get from one place to another you have to
take a few steps.


*How do I feel about money?
*Do I resent it?
*Do I find myself worrying over it?
*Can I enjoy healthy spending without
compromising security?
*Do I have financial discipline?
*Am I interested in making changes in
order to succeed?

1: Money = Success

Yes, I do equate money with success.

Whether we like it or not, money makes
the world go round.


Money determines how people feel about
us as individuals, and our worth.

Money determines the effectiveness we
have in a community.


Without money, you cannot live even
nominally well.

Without money, you cannot typically
accomplish goals.

Without money, you have no buffer from
the world, illness, the future, etc.


You can find a way to be content without
money, and you may even consider yourself
a success without it, but it's a given the rest
of the world will eat you alive without the
almighty dollar.


We are reliant on the outside world for
our ability to thrive. Whether it is relying on
another for a loan, assistance, networking,
recommendations, or the actual money that
will keep us afloat from customers or clients,
money comes from without.


So we have to learn how to relate to others
insofar as we want to get their money and
make it our own.

An introduction

So it appears I have reached one of those climactic
turning points typically saved for cliffhangers on
television season finales.

I am changing via a paradigm shift in thinking
involving success, money, emotions...and how they
are all innately connected and interdependent.

Lack of money is responsible for most problems
that people have. It's just that simple. Why would
those of us who do not understand or have money
blindly accept our path of least resistance?

We certainly don't have to.

I've been observing and considering for a while now,
and here are some basic principles and characteristics
that are necessary to draw wealth, success, and at
least the illusion of respect that is the lynch pin for all
matters in our society.

Are you ready to invest in yourself?