Who Controls Your Mind? | Remez Sasson

Few people are aware of the thoughts that pass through their minds, since most thinking is done in an automatic manner.

The mind is sometimes, like small child, who accepts, and takes for granted, whatever it sees or hears, without judgment and without considering the consequences. If you let your mind behave in this manner, giving it complete freedom to jump from one thought to another, you lose your freedom.

We are constantly flooded with thoughts, ideas and information coming through the five senses, other people, the newspapers and TV. These thoughts, ideas and information penetrate the mind, whether we are aware of this process or not.

This flow of thoughts affects our behavior and reactions. It influences the way we think, our preferences, likes and dislikes. Usually, we automatically accept these thoughts, letting them shape our life. This actually means that we lose our mental freedom.

Most people think and believe that their thoughts originate from them, but have you ever stopped and considered whether your thoughts, desires, likes and dislikes are really yours? Did it occur to you that maybe they came from the outside, from other people, and you have unconsciously accepted them as your own?

If you do not filter the thoughts that enter your mind you stop to be a free person, and allow every thought to control your life.

You may object, and say that the thoughts that pass through your mind are yours, but are they? Have you deliberately and attentively created every thought that entered your mind?

• Why let outside influences control your mind and life?
• Why let other people's thoughts control your life and mind?
• Do you want to make your mind free or do you prefer to enslave it to other people's opinions and thoughts?

If you leave your mind open to every thought that passes by, you put your life in other people's hands, and without realizing it, you accept their thoughts and act in accordance with them.

Every person is differently affected by external thoughts. Certain thoughts and ideas we ignore, and others spur us to immediate action. Usually, thoughts concerning subjects we love have more power on us than other thoughts, but even thoughts and ideas that we don't care about, if we are frequently exposed to them, eventually sink into the subconscious mind and affect us.

Everyone has desires, ambitions and dreams that he or she may foster from childhood. However, it is possible that they are the thoughts of parents, teachers and friends, which have lodged into their mind, and were carried throughout their lives.

Are these thoughts necessary? Do we need all this excessive baggage?

In order to reduce the power of outside influences and thoughts on your life, you need to be aware of the thoughts and desires that enter your mind, and ask yourself, whether you really like them, and if you are willing to accept them into your life.

You do not have to accept each and every thought that enters your mind.

Find out whether it is your own thought, or someone else's thought. Also, decide whether the thought is useful for you, and if it is for your own good to follow. This will lead to more control over your thinking process.

It might not be so easy do at first, because your mind will probably revolt against this control. However, if you want to be the master of your mind and life, you should not let other people's thoughts rule your life, unless you consciously choose so.

Do you want to master your thoughts? Read How to Focus Your Mind

So what do you think?  Please let me know below!

Source 

Happiness is all in your mind | Gen Kelsang Nyema at TEDxGreenville 2014

Simple, profound truths are the realm of this Buddhist nun. Her message? The gift of happiness truly lies within our own hearts and minds. Gen Kelsang Nyema, exuding a peacefulness that immediately connects with the audience, starts by asking three questions: Are you having a good day? Why? Tomorrow, would you rather have a good day or a bad day? 

She teaches that we cannot put our happiness at the whim of other people and of circumstances. If we want to be happy, we have to "stop outsourcing our happiness to other people" and cultivate a source of inner peace. What happens next is quite astounding.

 The whole crowd of 350+ people proceeds to meditate with Nyema. There's a little squirming at first, but as she leads the audience through a calm citation of how to rest the mind, audience members feel a collective relaxation flow into the room and through the people. 

Fascinating! Refreshing.

So what do you think? 

Source 

Dare to Be An Original | Z. Hereford

When you dare to be an original you are in essence daring to be "yourself" and everything that encompasses who you really are. To many of us, that can be a scary and daunting proposition.

And why can that be scary, you ask?

It can be scary because it means putting ourselves on the line. It means we could be subjecting ourselves to scrutiny, judgment and possible ridicule. It means exposure and vulnerability.

Certainly there is more comfort to be found in conformity, lying low, and blending in with the crowd. 

There is also boredom, complacency, and the prospect of never living to your potential.
It takes courage and self-confidence to dare to be an original - to reveal your uniqueness and to show that you're one of a kind. However, as with any frightening endeavor, the rewards of overcoming obstacles and prevailing far out weigh the consequences of not venturing forth.

As the late Steve Jobs noted in his speech at a Stanford University graduation commencement:

"Your time is limited; so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

It's true. Life is too short to live it trying to be anything other than your true, original self. Be who you are, and be it the best way you know how. Celebrate your individuality and uniqueness. Dare to be an original!

Tips on how to be an original or your true self:

• Know who you are. Before you can be yourself, you must know who that is, and then be true to that self. Centuries ago Socrates wisely observed that self-knowledge is the pillar of all virtue. Without it nothing else is genuine.


• Trust your intuition and instincts. Part of knowing who you are is trusting your intuition and instincts. We all have an inner gauge that guides us along our most fulfilling path. Look deep within to find the answers to your life. No one is better at knowing what you need and want from life than you. Of course, it is prudent to listen to the advice of family, friends and professionals, but you are the ultimate authority on you. You are unique and original and no one but you can make your decisions for you. To go against that intuition is to go against your fundamental nature and source of satisfaction.


• Express yourself by cultivating your own style, tastes and personality. Many people try to be like those who seem to be popular. Rather than work on developing themselves they try to copy others and lose themselves in the process. Much time is wasted in such pursuits and the results are disillusionment and feelings of failure. When you work on cultivating your own style, tastes and personality, not only are you genuine and authentic, you're more interesting and attractive to others. Let go of fear and embrace your uniqueness. Make your life an expression of who you are. As Steve Jobs said, have the courage to follow your heart. If you desire to be an artist, don't settle for being an accountant because your parents want you to be, or because you can make more money at it. In the end you will lose out because the money won't matter if you're unhappy, unmotivated or depressed. 

• Believe in yourself and don't worry about what others think. When you choose the right path for yourself do not allow the opinions of others to distract you. People are good at offering well-intentioned, unsolicited opinions, however only you know what's best for you. Don't let a lack of self-confidence or self-doubt prevent you from pursuing what you know is best for you. Let go of your personal insecurities. If you strive to be someone you're not, you will never be happy. Be yourself. Be proud of who you are. People who have a more positive view of themselves live better, healthier lives.

When you dare to be an original, you dare to be courageous, strong, and vibrant and are willing to realize the full potential of your unique skills and talents.

The Benefits of Being an Original:

• You are true to yourself, therefore derive greater personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

• You are more noticed, interesting, and attractive to others.

• You are willing to take risks, think originally and be creative, therefore are open to greater career opportunities and advancement.

• Due to a willingness to let go of convention, you live life to the fullest and on your terms.

• Whether in your career, the arts, or in your community, you offer a fresh, new, diverse perspective.

• You are usually a trailblazer, set new trends and discover new ways of doing things.

So what do you think?  Anything to add?  Any advice?  Let us know below!

Source 

Feel Good Now | Tony Robbins

If you want to have ongoing joy and fulfillment in your life, the secret is just one word – progress. Progress equals happiness. While achievements and material things may excite you for the moment, the only thing that's going to make you happy long-term is knowing that you're making progress.

"I don't need an excuse to feel good!"  

What do you think?

Source

25 Books for Success | Erin Casey

Out of hundreds, the editors of SUCCESS have narrowed our list to 25 must-read books for achievers. The task wasn't easy, although our criteria were simple. These are books we've read, liked and that made a difference in our lives. We chose books that take a comprehensive approach to money, life and personal development because we know that one-dimensional success really isn't success at all.

You might wonder why your favorite book didn't make the list. Well, we could've filled the magazine with dozens more books. Our top 25 are by no stretch of the imagination the only books you should read. To the contrary, we know reading about and applying techniques and success strategies are the best ways to discover and stay focused on your life's journey.

We hope our list opens your eyes to something new, inspires you to pick up that volume you've always meant to read or to re-read a favorite classic. If you have suggestions on what we didn't include, we want to hear from you.

We encourage you to find a book that interests you and carve out a few minutes every day to read at least a few pages. You'll be amazed at the difference it will make in your journey toward success!

1. How To Win Friends and Influence People

First published in 1937, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie was an overnight success with staying power. Today, this book is regarded as one of the all-time best for its lessons on dealing with people.

The chapter titles seem, at first, a little manipulative: "Six ways to make people like you," "12 ways to win people to your way of thinking." But the reality of Carnegie's teachings is that none will work if the intent is manipulation. The word "genuine" appears repeatedly throughout the book. Only with authenticity and honesty will Carnegie's methods work consistently.

How to Win Friends and Influence People is packed with anecdotes from historical leaders and lessons learned or taught by some of history's greatest businessmen, making the read as interesting as it is enlightening. And the methods--calling a person by his or her name or looking at the situation from the other's point of view--work in business and in personal life with family and friends.

Carnegie's book is a classic. Though he credits many people for inspiring his ideas, his methods are the foundation for many of today's personal-development and business-management books.

2. The Richest Man in Babylon

Too often, life doesn't turn out as expected. And money, or the lack of money, plays a large role in people's ability to handle life's ups and downs. Perhaps that's why, in the 1920s, banks and insurance companies decided to distribute short parables written to educate people on important financial principles. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason began in 1926 as a series of pamphlets, the most famous ones later compiled into one of the best-loved money guides of all time.

The book begins with two men realizing that, while they lived a meager existence, one of their childhood friends had become known as the wealthiest man in Babylon. Despite growing up in similar circumstances, their friend seemed to have created a life of gold while they barely scratched out a living.

The situation is all too familiar even today. And like the men who'd come to the realization that they'd failed to think beyond the day at hand, readers have the opportunity to sit at the feet of the richest man in Babylon and learn how to build wealth. They learn how to plan for the future, make wise investments and how to view money as a tool rather than a measure of success.

With time-tested principles and an engaging format, The Richest Man in Babylon is an excellent introduction to finance, and a classic.

3. Think and Grow Rich

Napoleon Hill, inspired by business legend Andrew Carnegie, spent 20 years of his life studying the lives of some of history's most successful people. The culmination of his research was the in-depth series, The Laws of Success. In 1937, Hill published another book, Think and Grow Rich, founded on the same philosophies of success. This book condensed the wealth of knowledge he's accumulated into 13 principles for successful living.

Shorter and perhaps easier to get through than its multivolume predecessor, Think and Grow Rich is as applicable today as it was when it was first released. The title's principles are founded on Hill's belief in the power of the mind, and his famous quotes, such as, "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve," have changed the way millions of people view their lives. When read in its entirety and its principles put into action, Think and Grow Rich not only helps people change their views on life, but also the way they behave and, ultimately, their reality.

More than 30 million copies of Think and Grow Rich have been bought by business students, entrepreneurs and goal-setters around the world. When it was re-released in 2004, it rocketed once again to the top, holding a place on BusinessWeek's Best Seller list for paperback business books for more than 20 months.

Think and Grow Rich is a timeless classic that should be read by everyone interested in improving their lives and reaching their goals.

4. The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying

Suze Orman (Crown, 1997) As a financial expert, Suze Orman offers advice on the nuts and bolts of managing money. But whether you're watching her on television or reading her advice in O, The Oprah Magazine, or in one of her best-selling books, such as 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, her message is clear: Wealth is an attitude and money isn't the key to acquiring true financial freedom.

In this acclaimed book, Orman challenges readers to face their financial fears and acknowledge the importance of planning for the future. With a three-pronged approach, Orman tackles the mental, physical and spiritual issues that keep people from reaching financial freedom. Also available in audio format, 9 Steps to Financial Freedom encourages personal growth while offering the education necessary to begin the process of building a rich life.

Again, it's the total approach to financial success that sets this and the other financial books on this list apart. Acquiring wealth isn't as simple as piling up the green stuff. Your beliefs about money, yourself and the world around you have as much to do with wealth as do the riches you acquire.

5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

While Stephen Covey wasn't the first to write a book on becoming a better, more effective person, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People marked the beginning of a revitalized interest in personal development. With a 15th anniversary edition released in 2004 and more than 15 million copies sold, this book has helped millions change their perspective and their lives.

Unlike many authors of books in this genre, Covey doesn't promise a simple, quick fix for creating a better life. In fact, mastering the seven habits he outlines could take a lifetime. But as with many personal-development efforts, it's what you learn as you work toward becoming a truly effective person that matters.

The habits are divided into three sections: Private Victory, Public Victory and Renewal. Private Victory focuses on the individual's view of himself. The first three habits are: becoming proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and putting first things first. These habits will challenge you to take responsibility for your thoughts, beliefs and actions. The Public Victory section focuses on creating meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships. And because being effective requires energy and focus, the seventh habit, "Sharpening the Saw," encourages you to engage in activities that promote mental and physical renewal.

Covey says that when our behavior contradicts our beliefs or when our relationships consistently fail, any successes we achieve feel hollow. This book takes a total approach to success and encourages growth and maturity beginning with self, which leads to stronger relationships and greater success at home and at work.

6. Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives

Dan Millman (HJ Kramer, 2006) The first of Dan Millman's writings, this book is an inspirational story based largely on his college years. The book delves into the notion that a person can be accomplished and successful without feeling alive or genuinely happy.

Millman learns "the way of the peaceful warrior" from a mysterious old man he names Socrates. His mentor leads him through a journey of self-discovery. The lessons the young man endures and later accepts are applicable for anyone searching for greater meaning in life.

7. The Law of Success In Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill (Combined Registry Co., 1966) Twenty-six years of research, including interviews with more than 500 self-made millionaires, laid the foundation for this massive collection. After studying the methods and accomplishments of masterminds such as Thomas Edison, John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Theodore Roosevelt and Alexander Graham Bell, Napoleon Hill compiled what he learned, offering it to the world as the Laws of Success.

More than theories for a book, Hill applied the precepts to his life and discovered immeasurable success. The book's size might seem intimidating, but Hill wrote so it could be taught to high school students, keeping the text rich but easy to understand. This personal-development guru paves the road to success with timeless wisdom.

8. Acres of Diamonds: All Good Things Are Possible, Right Where You Are, and Now!

Russell H. Conwell (Filiquarian, 2007) Opportunities for success, wealth and happiness often lie under foot and yet go unnoticed. This little book, originally a speech by Russell Conwell, serves as a reminder not to overlook the abundance right on our doorstep.

This timeless work is freely available online, in both written and audio formats, and addresses the myth that fame and fortune are waiting somewhere "out there." He also dispels the notion that men and women of integrity shouldn't desire money or wealth. "Money is power, and you ought to be reasonably ambitious to have it. You ought because you can do more good with it than you could without it," Conwell said. And to that end, he advises readers to begin searching for the diamonds in their lives… at home.

9. As a Man Thinketh

James Allen (Filiquarian, 2007) Published in 1902, "This little volume" as James Allen refers to it, has been a source of inspiration for millions and has influenced the work of many respected personal-development leaders. And with statements such as, "The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears," Allen paved the way for many contemporary philosophers.

At its core is the belief that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Allen uses eloquent period language to bring readers to the realization that thoughts and character are inseparably intertwined. Equally as important is the lesson of personal responsibility taking precedence over thoughts and actions. He prescribes focused time to reflect and discover yourself and your dreams, and to put forth energy and time to make those dreams reality. This book, now in the public domain and freely accessible on the Internet, should be in every achiever's library.

10. Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed

Brian Tracy (Simon & Schuster, 1995) As suggested by this book's subtitle, "Strategies and skills that will unlock your hidden powers to succeed," it's likely you already possess what's required to create success in your life. Those who apply these strategies provided by Brian Tracy can make changes that quickly produce results.

Learn how to create success that encompasses every area of life-health, personal and professional happiness, relationships and wealth. Whether you're already on the road to success or just getting started on your success journey, the principles outlined in the book will help you realize your true potential. Build the life you want and attain the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that you control your destiny.

11. The Seasons of Life by Jim Rohn 

Jim Rohn & Ronald Reynolds (Jim Rohn International, 1981) In The Seasons of Life, Jim Rohn and Ronald Reynolds draw parallels between life and the changing seasons. When you learn that change is the only guarantee, you can make the most of each season as it comes into your life.

It's possible to learn and grow from every experience. The authors help readers understand that every season is necessary and valuable-even winter, when life seems harsh and your actions unfruitful.

12. See You at the Top

Zig Ziglar (Pelican Publishing Company, 2000) There's room for you at the top! Zig Ziglar's message has inspired millions to change their lives by helping them do, be and have more than they dared dream possible.

Ziglar offers a nuts-and-bolts approach to developing the self-image, attitudes and habits that make people successful. Learn how to set and achieve goals, how to create momentum that propels you forward in life and why being focused on others is a critical aspect of success. This step-by-step guide will help you excel in every area of life.

13. The Magic of Thinking Big

David J. Schwartz (Pocket Books, 1995) Thinking big separates the achievers from the average. In this best-selling classic, David Schwartz suggests that it's not necessarily intelligence or work ethic that move people up the ladder of success, but the personal choice people make to believe that something bigger and better is possible.

Make time to reflect on your life's goals and expand them. Once you have a clear picture of what you want, focus your energy on achieving that goal. Keep your eyes fixed on your goal and do not allow the small thinking of the world around you to cloud your vision. Schwartz offers practical advice for putting the magic of thinking big to work in your life.

14. The Power of Positive Thinking

Norman Vincent Peale (Fireside, 2007) The belief that positive thoughts lead to a positive reality isn't a new phenomenon. Decades before The Secret, Norman Vincent Peale wrote The Power of Positive Thinking. The book teaches readers that focused, intentional and unyielding belief is required before they can achieve the lives they desire.

The philosophies from this best-selling book have helped millions reach their personal, financial, spiritual and relationship goals. Learn to replace negative thoughts with positive beliefs and to break the worry habit by cultivating a character that isn't swayed by circumstances.

15. Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny!

Anthony Robbins (Free Press, 1992) Within each person is a sleeping giant of greatness. With this book, motivational coach Anthony Robbins seeks to help you "take immediate control of mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny."

Not one to do things in a small way, Robbins found huge success, lost it all and then, using the techniques outlined in this book, took control of his life and his success. This personal-development classic delves into the specifics of goal-setting, achieving success in relationships, talking to yourself and discovering your true potential.

16. Developing the Leader Within You

John C. Maxwell (Thomas Nelson, 2005) Developing the Leader Within You makes the theories of leadership personal. For those struggling to take the next step in their careers or who doubt their leadership abilities, the book offers practical methods for developing leadership skills.

Recognizing that some people have innate leadership-personality traits, the book provides direction
for becoming more effective. But John Maxwell's book debunks the myth that only an exclusive few are born to be leaders. Instead, he suggests that everyone benefits from learning self-discipline, seeking mentors and adding to their skills through training.

Maxwell defines leadership as influence and points out that a management title isn't a prerequisite. Regardless of your career, position or personality, learn how to become an effective leader.

17. The One Minute Manager

Kenneth Blanchard (HarperCollins Business, 2000) Apply the principals taught in The One Minute Manager and watch your team's productivity and job satisfaction grow. This allegorical tale pulls together the wisdom gained through experience, allowing readers to prosper without making their predecessors' mistakes.

The One Minute management style allows leaders to be efficient and effective with their time. The short chapters in this easy read focus on interaction between managers and their teams. By setting goals that encourage, redirecting, reprimanding and praising appropriately, leaders can get more from their teams while earning their respect.

18. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

Jim Collins (Collins, 2001) If good is the enemy of great, can good companies become great? And if so, how is that transition made with lasting effect? These are some of the questions central to the research that led to the publication of Good to Great.

Five years of investigation uncovered the characteristics that made uncommonly great companies outshine their competition and earn significantly higher profits. Comparing the differentiating traits of good companies and their great counterparts, Jim Collins and his research team learned that, among other things, leaders who willingly work with their heads and hearts, rather than their egos, are required to take a company from good to great. Such leaders create the foundation for the culture and sustainable results that propel an organization to excellence.

19. The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich

David Bach (Broadway, 2003) Who wouldn't want to become a millionaire automatically? The truths related in this book, as in Bach's Finish Rich series, are that nothing great is accomplished without forethought. But with a little planning and by putting many aspects of your finances on autopilot, you can be on the road to wealth.

The automatic aspect plan allows readers to save time while saving money. And though many of the principles aren't new, Bach's easy-to-understand approach helps the reader understand them in a new way. Some of the highlights include principles such as paying yourself first, and advice about why and how to save for retirement-even if you're hard-pressed to make ends meet now. Bach also provides advice for accomplishing short-term savings goals and explains that giving is an important part of wealth.

20. Rich Dad Poor Dad

Robert T. Kiyosaki (Time Warner Paperbacks, 2002) The paradigm shift related to work, employment and entrepreneurship has been a long time coming. In one of his most-read books, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki reveals the value of taking control of your financial destiny through entrepreneurship and investing.

In Rich Dad Poor Dad, Kiyosaki contrasts the differences between what the rich and the poor or middle classes teach their children. As a young man, Kiyosaki was taught by his "poor dad" to follow the path of least resistance: Get an education, get a job and work hard. His "rich dad," his friend's dad, mentored him to do the opposite. The book acknowledges education is important but it isn't always best received in a formal learning environment. Lessons include the value of self-employment, how to be self-employed without limiting yourself to the constraints of an employee, and how to create and take advantage of residual-income opportunities. Instead of working hard for money, use the principles in this book to make money work for you.

21. The Greatest Salesman in the World

Og Mandino (Frederick Fell Publishers, 2001) Ten ancient scrolls hold the key to wealth and happiness in this classic parable. A young camel boy wishing to improve his station in life takes his master's words to heart: "No other trade or profession has more opportunity for one to rise from poverty to great wealth than that of a salesman." Desiring success and wealth, the young man sets out to become the greatest salesman in the world.

This pocket-sized book can be read easily in an hour, but it's packed with wisdom for those pursuing a career in sales. Far more than a how-to book on closing the sale, the story encourages the reader to contribute to society and to grow in peace of mind and in heart. Those who apply the principles in the scrolls will learn how to overcome the challenges of sales, how to persist through trials and, ultimately, how to succeed.

22. The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource: Including The 10.5 Commandments of Sales Success

Jeffrey Gitomer (Wiley, 2003) Jeffrey Gitomer has an extremely low tolerance for lamenting salespeople and that comes through in the bold and fast-paced tone of his books. The Sales Bible puts more than 100 sales facts, tips and solutions at your disposal to help you "make sales while others are whining!"

This book magnifies the details of every aspect of sales. Learn the basics and understand how recent changes in selling affect you and your pitch. Discover the keys to setting yourself apart from the competition and finding your prospect's button. The table of contents is designed to help you quickly identify specific topics. Or just start reading from cover to cover for an excellent education from someone who knows the profession from the inside out.

23. Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

Dr. Spencer Johnson (Vermilion, 2002) For many people, change can be challenging. It can cause fear, anger and the feeling of being out of control. This popular parable examines change and what happens to those who choose not to embrace it.

"If you do not change, you can become extinct," is one of the many truisms the characters learn in Who Moved My Cheese? What's holding you back? Are you taking note of small changes that could lead to more significant changes in the future? In the maze of life, it's possible to successfully deal with change if and when you clear your mind of expectations and understand that while your comfort zone may be cozy, it's not necessarily the safest place to live.

24. Chicken Soup for the Soul Series

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, with other contributors (Health Communications Inc., 1993-2008) Need inspiration? The phenomenal success of Chicken Soup for the Soul offers inspiration on many levels. From the tenacity it took to get the first Chicken Soup for the Soul published (Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen were rejected by 140 publishers and their book agent before finding a publisher willing to take a chance on their idea) to the thousands of touching and thought-provoking stories, these books will warm your heart and may help you view life from a new perspective.

The original Chicken Soup for the Soul went to the top of the best-seller list in less than a year. Today, one or more of the Chicken Soup books is consistently listed on the New York Times and other major best-sellers lists.

As an entrepreneur, parent or business leader, staying at the top or your game requires regular jolts of passion and healthy doses of laughter. Find both by picking up a copy on a topic that interests you. With more than 170 titles in the series, you're sure to find one that inspires you.

25. Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone (Pocket Books, 1991) Success through a Positive Mental Attitude was first published in 1960, written by two of history's greatest personal-development leaders, Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone. For almost half a century, this book has been the launching point for those who want to change the direction of their lives.

Hill and Stone recognize that each person has their own definition of success. But whether your desire is to build great wealth, own profitable organizations or be a world-renowned artist, the authors point out, "You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by trying. Success is achieved and maintained by those who keep trying with a [positive mental attitude]."

This book addresses all areas of life. From getting the job you want to building better relationships with those around you to living healthier longer (Stone lived to be 100 years old!), this book takes an inclusive approach to success, beginning with your state of mind.

Why a must-read? When you're looking for advice on how to create a successful and rewarding life, why not get the answers from those who have "been there, done that?" These thought leaders and business experts used the principles of positive mental attitude and experienced a lifetime of rewards.

Have you read some or all of these books?  What do you think?  Which one will you read next and why? Please let me know below.

Source

How To Reprogram Your Mind (for Positive Thinking) | Brendon Burchard

How to reprogram your mind for more positive thinking, with conscious discipline.  30 day program outlined.  

Let me know what you think below!

Source

How Living With Less Can Give You More | Melissa Balmain

Discover how people improved their lives by paring possessions, forgoing certain conveniences and downsizing their homes.

“The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers...”

–William Wordsworth

Who owns just five pairs of underwear? Three chairs? Two forks, one necklace, zero televisions?

Who refuses to go shopping? Spurns social media or Starbucks? Lives with a fellow human and two cats in a home the size of a tool shed?

If your answer involves the words Amish or monk, think again. Over the past few years, thousands of men and women—non-Amish, non-monastic—have embraced such Spartan ways. Unlike people forced by layoffs or other misfortunes to scale back, they’ve done so by choice.

Their belief: For every object, square foot or convenience they give up, they’re gaining something far better.

Joshua Becker started thinking this way as he cleaned up a cluttered garage in 2008 and realized he’d much rather be spending time with his 5-year-old son, who was playing alone in the yard. “What I noticed that morning was not only are possessions not making me happy, but they also distract us from the very things that do bring happiness, fulfillment, meaning,” says Becker, who lives in Peoria, Ariz., and has written books such as Living with Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness. “Nobody says, ‘My goal in life is to own a lot of stuff,’ and yet most of us live life that way. We try to find jobs that pay a lot of money, and buy bigger houses and faster cars, and that’s not really what we most want out of life. We want to make a difference. We want significance. We want to be good fathers and husbands.” 

They’re purging not just possessions, but, in Becker’s words, “anything that distracts me from the things I most value.”

 With such epiphanies in mind, Becker and his frugal peers have launched a movement that many call the New Minimalism. They’re purging not just possessions, but, in Becker’s words, “anything that distracts me from the things I most value.” For some, this means not Facebooking after dinner or binge-watching House of Cards. For others, it’s resisting the siren call of eBay.

Though the particulars are modern, the ideas are hardly new. “Almost every respected religious leader from the beginning of time has been talking about this, calling on us to stop focusing on physical possessions and focus on spiritual things, love and hope and peace,” Becker says. Minimalist groups have sprung up throughout history—the Epicureans of ancient Greece, for instance, and admirers of Henry David Thoreau at the turn of the 20th century. Today minimalists name a host of reasons for simplicity’s resurgence, including climate change, economic anxiety, a search for spirituality, and inventions like the Kindle that make it easier to own fewer objects.

The new minimalists are drawing millions of readers to blogs about lean living. They’re joining online groups like “Use everything and waste nothing!” (nearly 7,000 members) and “Freecycle New York City” (more than 56,000 members). They’re quoting Wordsworth and Thoreau. They’re bringing back the Murphy bed.

And they’re discovering that, all in all, streamlining your life is easier than you might expect. “You don’t have to downsize dramatically like we did to live more simply,” says Tammy Strobel, who moved with her husband from a 1,200-square-foot apartment to a 128-square-foot house in Northern California. “Just be thoughtful. If you can look at the big picture, the simple lifestyle will emerge from that.”

That picture and lifestyle will vary from person to person, Becker notes: “You talk to different minimalists, you discover that people are free to pursue whatever it is they want to pursue.”

Family and Flexibility

Back in 2007, Strobel’s job in investment management made her feel like a drone. “I was working like 10 hours a day and commuting two hours a day,” she says. “I wasn’t getting enough exercise, and to cope with stress I was shopping more, drinking more. So my husband and I started talking about ways we could downsize our lives—not only for me to shift careers, but also to pay down debt, get healthier, and be there for friends and family members.”

Over the next five years, Strobel and her husband, Logan Smith, thinned out their belongings. They moved to smaller and smaller spaces in Oregon and then wound up near Yreka, Calif., in the 128-square-footer they call the Tiny House. Designed for them, it has a sleeping loft, kitchen, half-bathroom with a composting toilet, and an outdoor shower—all for $33,000, what many people spend on a car.

The more Strobel downsized, she found, the more her life improved. On the relatively minor end, there’s been much less cleaning to do. “I don’t miss having to vacuum all the time,” she says. “And even when everything in our closet is dirty, we can get it done in two to three loads.”

On the major end, Strobel’s expenses shrank enough for her to switch to lower-paying jobs in social services and then finally to writing, teaching and photography. After her father had a stroke, she had the flexibility to shuttle between Oregon and California to care for him. “I would not have been able to do that if I were still in the investment management industry,” she says. “Just to have that opportunity to help care for my dad and to be with him as he died. It was really hard, but it was also a gift.”

Other gifts of simpler living: having time for gardening, hiking and traveling; playing with cats Christie and Elaina; and feeling a lot healthier and happier overall.

“I’ve tried to make a shift to just paying attention to what my body needs in terms of rest and exercise,” she says. “I’m eating better. I’m not drinking a bottle of wine like I was when I was really stressed-out. I also think that living simply has helped me bounce back from really tough circumstances, particularly my dad’s illness and the grief I experienced after his death. If I were still working in investment management, I would have had the tendency to want to numb all the negative feelings” with alcohol or shopping, she says. “I’m just really aware of how I’m conducting myself in the world.”

Change and Confidence

On the surface, Mary Carlomagno’s life 10 years ago was peachy. She had money. She had a good job as a marketing executive. She had plenty of friends. Even so, she knew something was missing. “I was living a very privileged life, but I wasn’t happy,” Carlomagno says. How come? As Carlomagno recalls in her memoir Give It Up!: My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less, she was “literally hit over the head” by a clue: an “avalanche of designer shoeboxes” that fell from her closet one  morning.

Within hours, she realized her problem was mindless consumption. “I wasn’t changing anything in my life, just going on day after day—Oh, I’ll have another double latte and another martini and buy another pair of shoes,” she says now. “I was just adding all these things on that didn’t necessarily have a lot of meaning. I decided to start giving more thought to what I was doing.”

Each month for a year, Carlomagno curbed or cut something she saw as a personal weakness or vice—from recreational shopping, restaurant meals and taxis, to coffee, chocolate and booze. In almost every case, she discovered new talents and strengths (making risotto, resisting peer pressure to drink) and ways of enjoying life (reading poetry, navigating Manhattan on foot).

"Not only could I live without a lot of things and be happier and more fulfilled, but also I could make a change instead of just accepting things.”

“What I learned was not only could I live without a lot of things and be happier and more fulfilled, but also I could make a change instead of just accepting things,” she says. “And change kind of begets changes. So for me, just giving up chocolate or questioning that third cup of coffee led to revolutionary change in my life—changing careers, starting to write, moving apartments, realizing this man I was with was the one I should marry.”

Now a home-organizing expert in New Providence, N.J., with a husband and two kids, Carlomagno is “more moderate” in all respects. “I learned that many of the things I thought were making me happy didn’t make me happy. I learned a lot of people I was surrounding myself with weren’t doing the things I wanted to be doing, and I also learned the difference between what my wants are and what my needs are. Before, I thought everything was a need, like, I need those shoes; I need that bag, and now I can very easily let go of things.” Her year’s experiment taught her to “put less emotion onto material things and put it more on experiences and relationships and things that really feed your life.”

Location and Luxury

Only 675 square feet for two adults, a toddler, and a baby on the way? If you had told Jacqueline Schmidt five years ago that such numbers would make her happier than ever, she’d have thought you were nuts. She was, after all, the illustrator and designer whose beautifully furnished, 1,200-square-foot loft had been featured in magazines; the world traveler who owned thousands of dollars’ worth of art books and adored decorating with just the right piece of coral or taxidermied bird. That Brooklyn, N.Y., loft was bound up with her identity, she recalls; it stood for her thriving career.

Then she married small-space design expert David Friedlander, and the couple agreed to downsize. In the beginning, Schmidt felt anxious.

She had the idea that a pared-back lifestyle “meant less success, less opportunity, less validation.”

She had the idea that a pared-back lifestyle “meant less success, less opportunity, less validation,” she says, and then laughs. “What a joke! I have so much more now than I ever did.”

First, there’s the vibrant slice of Brooklyn outside the family’s new apartment. By choosing a smaller home, Friedlander says, they could afford “a neighborhood that’s generally reserved nowadays for rich people”—complete with Prospect Park, countless family-friendly businesses and good schools for their 2-year-old son, Finn, and baby-on-the-way.

Second, there are the splendors inside the apartment: Organic waffle-weave towels. Carrara marble tiles and countertops. Oiled European oak floors with a special, rough-sawn finish that hides scratches and dirt. In a larger place, Schmidt says, such touches would cost a fortune—and indeed, in her more sprawling days, she was forced to use cheaper materials. 

Now she has everything the way she likes it, partly thanks to the cash she got from selling dozens of possessions on Craigslist, eBay and Etsy.

Recently, Schmidt says, her mother confessed that when she first heard about her daughter’s downsized digs, she felt sorry for her. Then she visited. “She said, ‘I want your apartment!’” says Schmidt, sighing happily at the memory. “She kept using the word luxury.”

Giving It a Go

Feeling inspired but unsure what to trim from your life or how to do it? Minimalists are full of ideas:

1. If you want to stop doing things that don’t make you happy…

• Answer some key questions. For instance: Do you look forward to your day at work, or dread it? Is there something you want to do instead? What hobbies do you want more time for? How do you actually spend your free time? What would your ideal family life look like? This should help you figure out your goals and what’s been stopping you from achieving them.

• Watch your bank and credit card statements. That’s partly how Carlomagno realized she was spending too much money (and time) shopping for shoes and sushi.

• Keep a daily log. After Strobel started one, she was shocked to find she’d been watching TV three hours a day. “Not that watching TV is bad in moderation,” she explains, “but that was time I could have been spending downsizing or just going for a walk.”

2. If you want a smaller place but aren’t sure how small to go…

• Consider how much of your current home you actually use and find one closer to that size. Studies suggest that for many families, some rooms see little if any traffic.
   
• Choose a home that meets your daily needs. “People tend to design their homes around worst-case scenarios,” Friedlander says. “What if my in-laws and my parents come and the neighbors stop by at the same time? People will spend an extra hundred grand on their home to prepare for a contingency that will come up maybe once a year rather than actually design their homes around how they’re used 95 percent of the time.”
   
• Don’t let your furniture limit your housing choices. “When we were on a hunt for a rental after the sale of my 1,200-square-foot space, we turned down a lot of amazing and reasonable apartments because we couldn’t see how our stuff would fit into the apartment,” Schmidt says. Only later did the couple realize that if, say, they ditched their 9-foot dining table for a shorter one, it would increase their options dramatically.

3. If you want to kill clutter…

• Be honest. Will you ever use that olive pitter? Do you notice that vase anymore, or is it just something to dust? If an item isn’t useful, beautiful or meaningful to you, give it away or sell it.
   
• Unclutter one room or closet at a time. “If you look at the whole [home], it’s just so overwhelming and easy to get defeated,” Strobel says. “When you focus on one area at a time, you can really see progress.”

4. If you want to buy less…

• Share more. Maybe you and a neighbor, instead of each buying a chain saw, can buy one together and take turns with it.
   
• Make a pact. In 2005, Sarah Pelmas and several friends formed the “Compact”—a vow not to buy anything new for a year, aside from necessities such as food and medicine. If they absolutely needed anything else, they borrowed it or purchased it secondhand. “There was a lot of pride about finding something for someone else. It took two Compact members and a couple of connected friends to find me a [used] shower curtain, for instance,” says Pelmas, of Washington, D.C. “But I think also there was a little friendly competition, which made us less likely to give in or give up if it was hard to make something work.” The Compact now has more than 10,000 members worldwide.

Finally Free

Peeling down to the necessities has its challenges, minimalists admit. If you own just one pair of socks, for instance, you’ll be washing those socks daily. If your home lacks an indoor shower, you might find yourself driving to the gym in the dead of winter to shower there.

“It was definitely challenging being in the Tiny House when Logan was on his sabbatical,” Strobel recalls. “I work at home, and he was working at home, so we had to have some conversations about quiet time and having our own little areas.”

Perhaps hardest of all is the introspection that minimalism tends to bring. “By about the fourth vanload of things to Goodwill, I became very self-reflective,” Becker says. “Why did I have four vanloads of things that I didn’t actually need? Was advertising really having that much of an effect on me? Was I trying to impress people with the things I owned?” On and on, the questions rolled. “Having to search through that was difficult, painful.”

Even so, minimalists say, such moments are a small price to pay for the new lightness they feel.

“After my stuff was gone, it was like, Oh my God, I’m free,” Schmidt says. “I don’t have to do this anymore. I don’t have to acquire any more stuff. I can go to a library or a museum and be around these things in other ways, but I don’t have to own them.”

As for Becker, minimalism has fostered more time with his two children and the chance to explore his love of writing. “Those are such a greater fulfillment for me than just spending my time watching television or shopping for clothes, or taking care of things,” he says. And now and then, there’s the joy of doing nothing at all.

“As you remove yourself from this consumer-driven rat race of always needing more and wanting more and trying to earn more to buy more, you find you don’t have to be busy all the time. You can find some calm inlife.”

So what do you think? Have you got any similar experiences to share? Please let me know below!

 Source