The Optimist's Creed

by Christian D. Larson |

"Your Forces and How to Use Them"

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

To your success

BANABU

Fran Watson

Relationships

Do you realize relationships begin shortly after birth and are ongoing ways of life for every person on the planet?

An important part of life depends on how we develop our relationships with others. Perhaps, if we consider examples of this development, a better understanding will enable us to think more clearly before we interact with others.

Examples:

1. At birth we acknowledge a relationship with our mothers
2. Growing up, we build friendships with family members
3. In school, relationships with peers and teachers are normal
4. Most begin their dating relationships along the way
5. Searching for first employment, relationships must be formed
6. To market products, relationships are tried, tested, used

Most sports require close relationships to build a winning team. How far would the space programs have gotten without close working relationships? Would we marry without an excellent relationship with our partner?

As people mature in life, many relate an emptiness that is often difficult to understand or comprehend if a relationship has not been established with our creator. This personal relationship will fill a void that no other can fill. This is the most important relationship of all in every life, for complete fulfillment and joy.

The purpose for these examples are to enhance our willingness and desire to work on developing meaning in our lives, our families, and our businesses to become better persons and better marketers with positive relationship building goals.

A few very important traits in relationships are integrity or honesty, trust, and a willingness to open ourselves to others and be examined.

Have you ever experienced failure? Perhaps it was caused by the lack of trust or integrity in another. Can relationship building with other persons prevent failure? Would your business become more successful with many great relationships? Think on these statements and make the adjustments in your life that you feel may improve your disposition.

These basic groundwork ideas on relationships are written to jog your thinking and perhaps increase your business skills until they direct you to a point where success in business is inevitable and joy in your work becomes a normal lifestyle.

Many times along the path of life, failures occur. It is good to recognize and know the importance of developing good relationships during these trials and to be well prepared for the needed improvements.

Expect the best, prepare for the worst, and take what comes, is a great buffer for the many trials that happen in life.

Great relationships developed over a lifetime, yield great rewards!

To your Successful and Happy Relationships

Fran

P.S. Check out Six Minutes To Success - Click here

Self Love

DAYLLE'S 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SELF-LOVE

1.I shall lovingly accept myself as I am right now.
2.I shall appreciate all the beauty that makes me who I am.
3.I shall regularly give thanks for all of my blessings.
4.I shall trust in my ability to take care of myself.
5.I shall not criticize myself.
6.I shall not criticize others.
7.I shall forgive myself when I make a mistake.
8.I shall be kind to others, without sacrificing my own needs.
9.I shall take responsibility for my life.
10.I shall love myself to the best of my ability.



This is Day One for you.... begin now

Fran Watson

Don't Let Your "Not Now" become your "Never

by Roslyn Franken

"How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'" - Martin Luther

How true is that quote? For example, how many times do you think about going for a walk or doing a workout and you say you'll do it 'later' and then it never happens?

This kind of 'not now' attitude can be paralyzing. We have the best of desires and intentions but due to our own fears, laziness or mixed up priorities, we just never seem to get ahead and reach our goals.

Here are some questions for you to think about and 5 Steps to help you break free from your 'Not Now' attitude. If you have questions and/or would like to share your answers for feedback, send email to info@roslynfranken.com

What are some of the things you want to improve in your life that you are saying 'not now' to? For example, are you looking to...

lose weight and get in shape?
improve your overall health and well-being?
have more energy?
have more fun, laughter and passion in your life?
be happier, relax more and have greater inner peace?
slow down your busy life?
make better decisions?
If these are things you want to do, have or be, then are you going to sit back and let your 'not now' turn into your 'never'?

We all put things off at different times in our lives for different reasons. Especially when it comes to our health and happiness goals, it's so easy to procrastinate. I hear it all the time.

I'm too busy
I'm too tired
I don't have time
I'm too lazy
I don't have money
I should be able to do it on my own
Do any of these sound familiar? If yes, then let's look at the high cost of your 'not now' attitude.

Every time there is something you know you need to do and you say to yourself 'now now' or 'I'll do it later', all you are doing is setting yourself up for the inevitable stress and overwhelm that will result because the more you say this to yourself and the more you don't take care of the things you truly want to take care of in your life, the worse you will feel about yourself and the more you'll get stuck in this vicious cycle.

By putting off your health and happiness goals, the cost can be tremendous. For example, if you're too tired and lazy to eat properly, exercise and get proper rest, then your heart and blood will get tired and lazy too. When your heart and blood get tired and lazy, it is called a HEART ATTACK. If that happens, then what? It is going to cost you a lot more time, money and energy to get back on your feet to where you were at prior to the heart attack, if ever, than if you invested in yourself to start with which could have prevented the heart attack to begin with.

So here are 5 steps to break free from this unhealthy cycle.

DON'T PUT THIS OFF TILL LATER - don't think to yourself, "Oh, this sounds good, but I'll read it later"
MAKE YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS YOUR TOP PRIORITIES - Yes. Your work, family and other responsibilities are important, but if you are not taking care of YOU, you will continue to live a limited life physically, mentally, emotionally and spirtitually. When you take charge of your health and happiness, it changes your whole outlook and quality of life. If you have the power to improve your health and happiness starting today, what would stop you?
MAKE THE DECISION TO EMBRACE CHANGE NOW - be honest with yourself right this moment. If you're a 'not now' person and it is clearly not serving you, then make the decision this moment to embrace change instead of continuing to resist it tooth and nail. It's time to let go of the resistance. Just letting go will help you feel better.
BE WILLING TO DO THE WORK AND MAKE THE COMMITMENT - Improving your health, your body, your outlook and your quality of life takes work. If you truly want to be healthier and happier, it takes time, effort and commitment. What you put in will determine what you get out of it and believe me that it is all so worth it if you just give yourself permission to DO IT.
TAKE ACTION - I often hear people say they're afraid of taking action because they're afraid of change, afraid of failure, or afraid they're too lazy to do the work and make the commitment. I encourage you to feel the fears, recognize the self-doubts, ignore the laziness and DO IT anyways. Sometimes it's that first step that is the hardest. I encourage you to dig deep and fine the courage to step beyond your fears, rise to the occasion, stand tall and make things happen. You can do it!
These five steps are so important for any positive change you want to make in your life. Don't let your 'not now' become your 'never'.

Roslyn Franken is a proud cancer survivor who has also overcome her own personal battles with food, weight and healthy lifestyle obstacles. She now helps people live healthier, happier lives by sharing the 9 healthy living principles found in her ground breaking book, The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living. She offers tele-coaching and support programs and motivational speaking services. For more information and to join Roslyn's mailing list for healthy tips, recipes and special anouncements, visit RoslynFranken.com

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER, E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?


You may use this article, but only if you clearly include this complete statement with it:

Roslyn Franken is a proud cancer survivor who has also overcome her own personal battles with food, weight and healthy lifestyle obstacles. She now helps people live healthier, happier lives by sharing the 9 healthy living principles found in her ground breaking book, The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living. She offers tele-coaching and support programs and motivational speaking services. For more information and to join Roslyn's mailing list for healthy tips, recipes and special anouncements, visit RoslynFranken.com


FOCUS - Follow One Course Until Successful

To your success
Fran

What Is Holding You Back??

Learn to express rather than impress. Expressing evokes a "me too" attitude while impressing evokes a "so what" attitude. E. James Rohn

It's Not What You Are That Holds You Back...

A while back I spoke to a group in Houston and I showed them pictures of some very famous people.

They included Thomas Edison, Cher, Walt Disney, Richard Branson, Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner and my hero Winston Churchill.

Then I asked the audience what they all had in common.

Can you guess?

There were quite a few answers from the audience and they were all wrong. It was only after I pulled out $100 and offered it as a prize that a person in the back overcame his fear of being wrong and volunteered the correct answer....

....they were all dyslexic!

I pointed out that the role that made each of them famous also required a lot of reading. Do you know how hard it is for a dyslexic person to read? But not a single one of those great people that I cited let dyslexia keep them from being all they were created to be.

That's why one of my most favorite quotes is, "It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you're not."

I use that quote by Denis Waitley virtually every time I speak to an audience. Because it really speaks to the problem I think most people have in struggling for success --- they believe they're lacking something that, if they possessed it, would make them successful. When the truth is, they already possess everything they need to be successful, they just need to learn how to use it to their advantage.

from Vic and Lisa Johnson
For My Daily Insights


What is holding you back?
What is it that you want to accomplish?
What do you need to do in order to achieve it?
Winners are those who persist and develop habits of success.

To your success

Fran Watson

Paths of Life

Had you trodden a different path,
Life sweeter might have been;
And riches might have come your way,
With every day serene.
Dream not of yesteryears, I say,
But make the utmost of today.

What's the weather like today where you live?  Is it bright and sunny, or is it overcast and dull like it is where I live.  A dark, foggy morning can often cause a bit of depression in the kitchen, where chores must be done, or in the office, where nobody feels like singing.  But, of course, such circumstances are a challenge, aren't they.  Here are a few lines by Viney Wilder which may help us make it through those dull days.

Do the job that lies before you'
Keep your courage one more day.
You can never guess how often
You affect some other life
By the fact that you're a doer,
Not a quitter, in the strife.


Just say a little word today
That brings a happy smile.
Just do a little kindness which
May warm some heart a while.
Just share the burden, if you may,
Of someone on the road today.

Life is better when you are helping others.  It warrms both your heart and theirs and makes everyone's day a little more pleasant, and the gift you give to others gets passed on.

Have a wonderful, wonderful day, no matter what the weather where you are.

Fran Watson

Inspiration - You Never Know Where It Will Strike You

You never know when you may be the lucky recipient of an inspirational moment, something that causes you to take pause and think and really appreciate what you have and the incredible resilience of fellow human beings.


Last night I went with my wife to a local hole-in-the-wall pizza parlor where we heard rumor live jazz was going to be played. As our neighborhood is sadly lacking in after-hours-entertainment of this type, we showed up early and got a good seat, close to the action but not so close that you had to shout to be heard. It was a small place, probably seating about 50 people max so the setting was very intimate so we were just a few feet away from the live performers.

Within twenty minutes, the first musician climbed the stage with saxophone in hand. He did a wonderful job playing two soulful songs with the background provided by a drummer, keyboard, and bass player. He finished his second song, accepted his light applause, and returned to his table where a well deserved adult beverage awaited him.

We learned that this was how the evening was going to progress with numerous musicians of all ages and proficiencies stepping up to play a few songs and then making way for the next performer. There was a small whiteboard on a stand and whoever wanted to play just signed up, with ages ranging from what looked like about 20 to what was definitely at least 65. What fun – we were in store for some talent-filled times over the next two hours.

Enjoying our pizza, I observed the other members of the audience as they filtered in to find a seat. A pair of twins took a table next to us, an older gentleman sat at the nearby bar air-drumming along with the music, and students from the local college joined the growing ranks. I noticed a man who came in on a pair of crutches, struggling a bit to navigate the narrow path between booths and tables, but with a big smile on his face. He sat down with the twins and listened to the trombone performer currently wailing on stage. The young brass player finished his first song, took a breath, and started his second and final rendition.

About this time, I noticed the man on crutches working his way up to his feet and then carefully to the booth in front of us. I was rocking out to the jazz and assumed he just wanted to get a little closer to the action. I saw him raise a small suitcase from the floor and carefully place it on the table top. He opened it and took out a mouthpiece that was to fit on the end of the saxophone stored within. Holding it carefully while balanced on the end of the seat, he adjusted the reed and wetted it and fiddled with it, preparing for his performance.

The trombone player finished, took a bow, and headed back to his seat. The man with the crutches carefully rose with his saxophone suspended around his neck. With one crutch on his left side, he started forward, his free hand moving from chair to chair to keep him stable. The stage was about 10 feet away but it took him a few minutes to manage the distance. He was offered a chair to sit on but turned it down, instead leaning against the booth closest to the stage. Once situated, he turned to his right to face the audience and share a brief smile. The song to play was agreed upon and with a one and a two and a three, they began. And he was good. Not just good, but GOOD! Crisp, clean notes rolled from his instrument, tight harmonies with the others on stage, smooth transitions, just pure sweet music. I may have imagined it, but I swear he had a smile on his face while he was playing. He finished his first song and was heartily applauded by the audience and his fellow musicians. A quick breath and he started in on his second song which was equally as beautiful. Inside of me, I felt a pride for what he had done and admiration for what it must have taken to get here.

How difficult must it have been to focus on playing such beautiful music when at any moment you might slip from your perch and end up on the floor?

How much effort and commitment and never-say-die attitude did it take to get that good despite his physical challenges?

How much faith in himself was needed just to participate and excel amidst a group of generally younger, universally talented, and physically fit fellow musicians?

You never know where you will find inspiration. You never know when someone’s strength may become your strength. And you never know just what you might find at your local pizza parlor on an average-every-day week night.

Inspiration is everywhere if you just tune in to hear it. Now that’s music to my ears…

David Bernard is a guest blogger for PickTheBrain. He is the founder of the blog Love Being Retired.

I was inspired....hopefully you were too.

Fran

Transform Your Life

If you have never heard of SARK, you owe it to yourself to check this out.  Get 90 fabulous tools for healing and transforming your life with SARK's Transformation Exper!ence!

If you have heard of SARK, you've probably already been here, but if not, hurry on over!!!
Enjoy

Fran

Who Are You?

Defining Moments
By Mark Susnow

Take a second and think about your life. Think about who you are, what you are doing and the people in your life. How satisfied are you? All of your past experiences, the people you have met and the choices you have made have contributed to who you are. Without any of these experiences you wouldn't be who you are today. Your beliefs about what is possible in your life are a reflection of these past experiences. Those moments from the past have also prepared you for the fast pace of the modern world. You have more choices than you realize. You also have more strengths than you realize. You can change how you think, what you do and who you hang out with.

Part of discovering who you are and what you are capable of requires you to reflect upon some of the key moments from your past. We all have experienced "defining moments." Those moments that define who you are and what you stand for. Those moments that help you create clarity about your life purpose and your life values. Sometimes those moments are in response to life's challenges. It's when you rise to the occasion. It's when you become the person you always wanted to be.

And at other times those moments are in the form of challenges. Challenges that force you to make a decision that ultimately determines your character and your destiny. To help you in this process of remembering and discovering I will share with you some defining moments that have contributed to my journey.

Expanding my sense of personal power was at the core.

What I mean by personal power is the ability to create the life you want by expanding what is possible. It's the ability to consciously determine your life path and to stay on purpose. It's making a commitment to your self and keeping it. Staying on purpose requires you to say "no" to the distractions and influences that are taking you off course. This involves discipline and though challenging for almost everyone is essential. I was a smoker while in college and in law school. I wanted to quit but wasn't ready to stop. As I was preparing for the bar exam I set up a personal challenge. I knew if I was successful with this challenge my sense of personal power would be expanded. I quit smoking the day before the bar exam. Although I failed the bar exam the first time and had to take it again, I have never smoked a cigarette since. This defining moment expanded my belief in what was possible in my life.

Developing a clear sense of boundaries was the next building block.

When I was a young lawyer and struggling, I had planned a trip to Greece and Israel with my girl friend. It was going to be my first vacation since I started practicing law. My biggest client who gave me a sense of financial security wanted me to change my plans so I could complete his project sooner. He let me know that if I didn't comply with his wishes he would get someone else. The time on my calendar was already blocked out and if I didn't take the vacation now who knew when I would have another chance. I went ahead with the trip and the client got another lawyer. This defining moment for me established at a young age the importance of personal boundaries. It also established for me the importance of living a life in balance which has always been one of my strengths.

Making the decision to take time for quiet reflection was the next step.

When I was 29 my life was falling apart. It was one of the darkest periods of my life. And because of what I was experiencing I was the most open and vulnerable. The next defining moment was when I decided to begin meditating. Regardless of how busy I was or what was going on in my life I always began my day with this practice. This practice has helped me integrate my many interests and responsibilities.

All of these moments as well as many others have contributed to who I am today. Of course there have been continual challenges since then and the ride has had its share of ups and downs. But what helps me get through these challenges are the decisions that I made in the "defining moments from the past." They have helped give me the inner strength and faith to navigate the challenging waters of life's journey.

I bet if you reflect back upon your life, you will discover your own defining moments. After you have revisited them, build upon them to help you discover your destiny.

Imagine making a decision today or tomorrow that can potentially define the direction your life takes in the future. What will this decision be? When will you make it? Let me know.

Thanks for being in the Letters on Life network. There are now over 1300 subscribers all over the world that are reading Letters on Life. Perhaps many more as most of you are forwarding it to friends in your circle. Thanks for your continuing support and referrals.

Journey On

Mark

About the author:
Mark Susnow has a unique background. Formerly a successful trial attorney for 30 years, as well as musician, he integrates what it takes to be truly prosperous in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation practice. As a personal coach, leadership consultant and inspirational speaker, Mark provides inspiration and motivation to many business leaders and professionals. He knows what it means to have a big vision and has demonstrated the courage and energy it takes to accomplish it. Consider contacting Mark and be sure to visit his website http://www.inspirepossibility.com
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What is Your Defining Moment?

Fran