Act to Create It by Jack Canfield

If you want to live a dream life, not only must you decide what you want, turn your dream into measurable goals, break those goals down into specific action steps, and visualize and affirm your desired outcomes -- you must start taking action!

I recommend making the commitment to do something every day in at least three different areas of your life that moves you in the direction of your goal.

If one of your goals is physical fitness, make a commitment to do some sort of exercise -- aerobics, weight training, stretching -- four to five times a week for a minimum of twenty minutes.

I read recently that if you simply go for a 30 minute walk four times a week, that would put you in the top 1% of those people getting physical exercise!

If your goal is financial independence, start saving and investing a portion of your income every month with no exceptions.

If your goal is to write a book, write for a minimum of one hour every day.

DON'T LET FEAR STOP YOU

Most people never get what they want because they let their fears stop them. They are afraid of making a mistake, looking foolish, getting ripped off, being rejected, being hurt, wasting their time, and feeling uncomfortable.

Fear is self-created by imagining catastrophic consequences that have yet to happen. It is all in your mind. In fact, you can actually scare yourself by imagining negative and harmful images. But simply stop the catastrophic thoughts and images, and the fear goes away.

REJECTION IS A MYTH

One of the biggest fears that stops people from asking for support, guidance, advice, money, a date, a job, the sale, or anything else is the fear of rejection.

In fact, it's been known to literally paralyze people. They become tongue-tied and refuse to reach for the phone or get up and walk across the room. They break out in a sweat at the mere thought of asking for what they want.

I have come to realize that the whole concept of rejection is false -- that rejection doesn't really exist. Think about it for a moment. If you asked someone to join you for dinner, and they said no, you could tell yourself that you had been rejected. But think about it. Did you have anyone to eat dinner with before you asked them? No! Did you have anyone to eat dinner with after you asked them? No! Did your life really get worse? No. It stayed the same!

ACT AS IF

One of the secrets of success is to start acting like a success before you are one. Act as if.

If you had already achieved your dream, what kinds of clothes would you be wearing? How would you act? How would you treat others? Would you tithe a portion of your income to your church or favorite charities? Would you have more self-confidence? Would you take more time to spend with your loved ones?

I suggest that you begin to do those things now.

When I decided that I wanted to be an "international" consultant, I immediately went and applied for a passport, bought an international clock that told me what time it was anywhere in the world, printed business cards with the words "International Self-Esteem and Peak Performance Consultant," and decided I would like to first go to Australia. I bought a poster of the Sydney Opera House and placed it on my refrigerator.

Within one month, I received an invitation to speak in Sydney and Brisbane. Since then, I have spoken and conducted trainings in over 30 countries and continue to expand my business around the globe.

Start acting as if you already have everything you want.

Most people think that if they have a lot of money, they could do the things they want to do, and they would be much happier. In fact, the reverse is true.

If you start by creating a state of happiness and abundance, then do the things you are inspired to do from that state of being, you will end up having all the things you ultimately desire.

You may not be able to fill your closets with expensive Italian suits and designer clothing, but why not invest in one or two really great outfits, so that when you do need them, they are there. When you dress like you have already made it, you will look the part, and successful people will naturally be attracted to you and invite you to participate with them.

The Law of Attraction states that you will attract to you those things that match your state of being. If you focus on having gratitude for what you do have, you will feel rich, and you will attract more abundance into your life. If you focus on what you don't have, you will send out a message of lack and you will attract more lack into your life.

BE, DO AND HAVE EVERYTHING YOU WANT... STARTING NOW!

Remember, the proper order of this is to start now and be who you want to be, then do the actions that go along with being that person, and soon you will find that you can easily have everything you want in life--health, wealth and fulfilling relationships.

© 2008 Jack Canfield

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Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.jackcanfield.com/

What's your relationship recovery rate?

The Dating Goddess who writes for the LifeTwo website poses an interesting question: What's your relationship recovery time?' and offers a rule of thumb that states that it takes 25% of the length of your previous serious relationship to recover and be ready for the next one. Check out what she has to say here.

Living in the raw

I love the idea of incorporating more raw food into my diet - no, I'm not talking about raw meat or anything like that - I'm talking about more fruit, salads, smoothies, nuts and seeds, etc. Would you believe that you can even get raw chocolate cake and apple crumble? Or flapjacks, cookies and ice-cream?

Karen Knowler is The Raw Food Coach. She is also an author, presenter, former MD of The Fresh Network (The UK's raw and living foods organisation), founder of The Fresh Festival and creator of Get Fresh! magazine. Karen has appeared on LK Today (GMTV), Channel Health, The Wellbeing Channel, Rude Health, LBC radio and Radio 4, as well as appearing regularly in the press in her capacity as raw food expert and food/life coach. She really knows her stuff and she makes the idea of raw food seem an absolute 'no-brainer' (without appearing to be the slightest bit 'crusty' or 'cranky').

This week Karen posted four different YouTube videos on her blog which, together, answer the following questions:

Q1: So what is raw food?

Q2: Why do people choose to eat more raw food or begin a raw food diet?

Q3: What does a typical raw food diet or menu plan look like?

Q4: How much of a difference would it make eating half your diet raw and going all raw?

Q5: What about eating out?

Q6: What are the biggest potential pitfalls of following a raw diet?

Q7: How do you get started?

Q8: How long does it take to start feeling and seeing a difference?

Q9: What do you consider "must know" information that anyone new to raw foods should have?

Q10: Where do you see the concept of raw foods going in the future?

To view the clips with the answers to all these questions click here.

How to beat the fraudsters

At least once a week I receive an email purporting to be from a bank or credit card company, claiming that they are updating their records and requesting that I click through to their website and provide them with items of personal information such as a PIN number, password or account number. And, of course, I immediately press the 'delete' key because, as we all know, the email is likely to be a con. It will send us to a clone of a genuine website where, if we provided the information they are asking for, we would be providing criminals with all the information they need to commit some form of identity fraud.

If you're worried about identity fraud (and you probably should be...), check out How to beat the fraudsters by MSN money (and click on the links at the bottom of the page for even more information, including an article about celebrity victims of identity fraud - Steven Spielberg, financial guru George Soros, Oprah Winfrey, Oracle computer boss Larry Ellison, Robert de Niro, Tiger Woods, Will Smith and Jennifer Lopez have, apparently, all been victims of identity crimes costing tens of millions of pounds.)

Will your sunscreen protect you?

Happy 15th birthday to the World Wide Web

If your house was burning down, what would be the first thing (thing - not person!) you would save? Family photos? A grab-bag with all the important family documents in it? Your handbag?

For me, it would be my computer - my trusty laptop. I do so much with it - make my living, communicate with friends and family, pay my bills and keep track of my accounts, educate and entertain myself, keep myself up-to-date with what's happening in the world... I'd be lost without it.

But, much as I love my computer, it wouldn't be half as much use (or fun) if I couldn't connect to the Internet - which brings me to the subject of today's posting - the World Wide Web is 15 years old today. April 30, 2008 marks the 15th anniversary of the date when CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) announced that the web was free for use by anyone.

To commemorate the anniversary, msn.com looks at 15 ways in which the World Wide Web has changed our lives - for better or for worse...

Randy Pausch Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Carnegie Mellon Professor, Randy Pausch, who is dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his last lecture at the university before a packed McConomy Auditorium on 18 September, 2007. In his moving talk, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. For more, visit www.cmu.edu/randyslecture.

Five things happy people do

When 'O', the Oprah Magazine, canvassed leading experts on happiness in an attempt to find out what happy people had in common, this is what they came up with:

1. They find their most golden self
2. They design their lives to bring in joy
3. They avoid "if only" fantasies
4. They put best friends first
5. They allow themselves to be happy.

To find out more, visit Five Things Happy People Do on msn.com.

Top 10 First Aid Mistakes

Placing a severed finger directly onto ice to preserve it, pulling off clothing which is stuck to burnt skin and treating a sprain with heat - these are just some of the mistakes we make when administering first aid. To find out what you should and shouldn't do in a home health emergency, visit the Newsweek website and read Top 10 First Aid Mistakes.

When bargain hunting becomes an addiction

Are you the sort of person who can't resist a bargain? Do you get so excited when presented with a great deal that practical considerations, such as whether you need or can afford the bargain you've found, just never enter your head? In this article for msn.com, Melinda Fulmer examines how, for some people, bargain shopping can be as addictive as drugs or alcohol...

Great Quotes - On travel (and procrastination)

You cannot assume that something beautiful and unique that exists right now will be the same tomorrow. Better get to that unsullied oasis in your dreams without delay - because you may look up one day and discover they've opened a Wal-Mart there...

Phil Keoghan

Do you have what it takes to start a business?

Passion for your product or service, perseverance, realism and the support of family and friends - these are all on the list of 'absolute essentials' for someone who wants to succeed with their own business. To find out if you have what it takes to release your inner entrepreneur (and make a success of it!) check out Have you got what it takes to start a business by Rosie Beasley.

Does the recommendation of 8 glasses a day hold water?

Where did the recommendation that we all should be drinking eight glasses of water per day come from? Apparently, no-one knows because Dr Dan Negoianu and Dr Stanley Goldfarb from the University of Pennsylvania have reviewed every published clinical study into the subject and found that none of them showed any benefit to organs from increased water intake.

In fact, we can get all the fluid we need from our food and drinks such as tea, coffee and fruit squash. In this article by Alice Hart-Davis for msn.com, scientific experts, including a dermatologist, a nutrition scientist and one of the UK’s leading experts on hydration, debunk the popular myths about water consumption.

Charlie bit me!

Do you want to pick a fight?

Do you like a good debate? If you do, the people that brought us Squidoo have now provided you with a site where you can have your say on a whole range of subjects from 'Why don't abused women just leave?' to 'Cell phones are the root of all evil'.

Either roll up your sleeves and join in somebody else's argument or start one of your own at HeyMonkeybrain!

Has feminism turned men into second-class citizens?

For the first time in history a majority of American women are not living with a spouse. In Britain, the Office of National Statistics recently revealed that the number of marriages taking place in the UK had fallen to an all-time low and a survey carried out at the end of 2007 revealed that 39 per cent of women who work full-time earn more than their partner. And, apparently, this has left millions of men believing that they are undervalued, that their voices and opinions go unheard and that feminism has turned them into second-class citizens. Read more here.

Warning!

Don't swallow your bubble gum... Look what happens:

7 ways to get over an ex for good

Get productive by throwing yourself into your work, focus on all the horrible things he said and did and throw away all existing reminders of your ex that he left behind...

These are just three of the seven ways to get over an ex for good suggested by Caitlin Ascolese in this article for MSN and Match.com.

Cancer-proof your life

Piles of steamed broccoli, 15 minutes of sunshine per day and keeping your house clean (well, strictly speaking, it's the exercise involved in keeping your house clean). These are just three of the thirty tricks, tips and strategies to help you cancer-proof yourself in Cancer Proof Your Life, an MSN Health article.

I believe I can fly...

Are you looking for a new hobby? Try this on for size:

Study shows that heavy cell phone use boosts tumour risk

According to an Israeli study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, regularly using a cell phone for more than 22 hours a month increases a person's risk of developing a parotid gland (located near the ear) tumour by about 50 percent. Get more details here.

How did our idea of beauty become so distorted?

According to skin care product manufacturer, Dove, 67% of all women aged 15 to 64 withdraw from life-engaging activities due to feeling badly about their looks (among them things like giving an opinion, going to school, going to the doctor).

Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty asks the question: 'How did our idea of beauty become so distorted?' and then goes on to answer it with this short film which shows what's really involved in producing the images of perfection we see around us on a daily basis.

The 10 richest women under 30

Just who are the 10 richest self-made women under 30 years of age? Unlike Paris and Nicole, there's no daddy's money here - they did it all themselves using their talents... (although I think Coleen McLoughlin may have had a bit of help getting started from Wayne Rooney.)
Check out this slide show from MSN Money.

Where do hair extensions come from?

Ever wondered where the hair for hair extensions comes from? Check out this video. You may be surprised...

What's your cappuccino factor?

Do you wonder whether the small savings you would make by giving up your daily cappuccino/latte (or packet of cigs, or magazine, or lottery scratch cards...) would really make a difference?

Check out the Cappuccino Factor Calculator and discover exactly what investing those small, daily savings would do for you and your finances in a few years' time... If you're reading in the US, just double the amount shown in pounds.

Calling all fashionistas!

Think you can come up with a fabulous, original dress design?

Find out if you've got what it takes by entering the MSN/Glam 'Design a Dress Contest'. The organisers are looking for a sundress, evening dress or something in between. The initial judging will be carried out by Glam.com readers who will vote online for their favourites and the resulting top 8 finalists will then create their dress.


The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges and flown to New York, where they will have the opportunity to apprentice in the studio of Adam + Eve designer, Adam Lippes.


Everything you need to know to enter the competition is here

Safety Text

Most women and girls know that they need to keep an eye on their own personal safety when they're out pubbing and clubbing. But did you know that by logging on to www.safetytext.com, it's possible to set up a delayed text message from your mobile which could raise the alarm if something happens to you? The message is confidential, and you can cancel it when you're safely home. The website includes a video of how to set up a safety text.

Not sure if this service is available outside of the UK - I suspect not.

The iPod generation and the property ladder

Secret Millionaire, Wealth Coach and founder of the Wealth Company, Gill Fielding, often writes about major myths in the current UK property market today. The one that particularly caught my eye was the myth that ' young people can't get started on the property ladder'. Gill writes

A think tank has done some research into what they call the iPod generation – our current 18 to 34 year olds, who apparently feel that they are saddled with debt from their student days, have no job security and no hope of ever getting on the property ladder. On the other hand, says the research, this may be because they spend their 20’s partying, chasing dreams and moving from job to job. One 27 year old (who was drinking a £9 cocktail as she spoke) earning £22k despaired of owning her own home but admitted to spending £30k in 5 years on drink, shoes, CD’s and other ‘non essentials’.

So it’s not that they can’t get on the property ladder – they just chose not to.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is the UK's leading authority on personal safety for women. Visit their website, www.suzylamplugh.org for factsheets on subjects such as alcohol and personal safety, keeping safe whilst travelling for work, personal safety whilst driving and parking your car, and safer travel abroad for independent travellers which has been developed to fit into a rucksack pocket - perfect for anyone who's about to set off on their gap year travels!

Choosing and using credit cards

A website offering an impartial guide to choosing and using credit cards has been set up by APACS, the UK payments association. The URL is www.choosingandusing.com. If you are financially savvy you probably know all this stuff already, but their downloadable advice pack could be useful to anyone who is just about to go to Uni for the first time or anyone you know who either struggles with credit or who is thinking of getting a credit card for the first time.