Break Free

Leslie Fieger



I received an email the other day from one of our customers. "Please help. I am desperate. My life is a mess. I have read your book, The Initiation. I think it's true what you say, but nothing is working for me."

Of course, I responded. It was more than a plea for help, it was a challenge.

So we got into some back and forth emails, questions and answers, clarifications and finally this firm suggestion from me.

"You absolutely must change your habitual way of doing things and thinking about things. Otherwise you are going to continue to get the same results.

"Philosophy, self-help books and all other educational material is ONLY GOOD IF IT IS APPLIED to the way you live your life. It does no good gathering dust on your bookshelf or even bouncing around in your head. It is the application that produces results, not the information."

"Ok. I am prepared to change. What should I do?" is what I get back from him.

So, I made a simple list of things to do every day. Maybe 1 hour's worth of extra activity. Likely less.

What I get back is amazing. First there is a list of reasons why half the things I suggest cannot be done by him. Then there are questions about why I think it necessary to do the other things on the list. He thinks that they are a waste of time. And, besides which, he certainly has no extra time in the day. He is already overworked and does not spend enough time with his wife.

Now, I already know from our previous emails what his days look like. He spends about half his evenings sitting on the couch with his wife, watching TV. So I write back and tell him his excuse about no time does not wash. He should take some of his TV time and start making his life work better. He replies that he is unwilling to give up any TV time because that is the only time he and his wife have together and he's not willing to give that up because their relationship is already in trouble.

I am tempted to quit right then and there. I mean this guy either just does not get it or he is playing me along like some fish he has hooked. Maybe he's just another emotional vampire. I've seen enough of those over the years. Maybe if I was a psychotherapist, I'd look forward to dealing with this kind of nonsense, but...

So, I write back one last time. Maybe I can shock him...

"Ok. Here is how it is for you...

"You are a prisoner. You have built the walls that hold you captive yourself. You have locked the only door and you have quite plainly told me that you have thrown away the only key...your willingness to change.

"Even if I came and forced the door open, you'd refuse to leave your safe little jail.

"So quit pretending; quit crying for help. Until you decide to break free from your self-imposed chains, no book, no bell and no candle will help you."

This is what he replies with, "I knew that you were a fake. You only pretended to know the answers."

I relate this now because I think that each of us has some of my friend in us. We are habituated to feeling, thinking and acting in certain ways. We are not always pleased with the results we end up with, but we absolutely refuse to consider that what we are and what we do produces the results we are getting. We refuse to change and we blame the world for the way things are.

This is not a new theme. It bears repeating though, because our habits come back to haunt us time and time again. We are imprisoned by our addictions, our habitual way of being.

We go to a seminar or read a book and are inspired to make a little change in attitude or thinking process. Suddenly life seems better. Then some guy cuts us off in traffic or the stock market drops 500 points or it rains on our parade and we are back to thinking and acting the same old way. And, strangely, life seems to be tough again.

All that positive thinking stuff is just BS you tell yourself and anyone who will listen. I tried it and still got &#@* on. Somehow it doesn't occur to us to notice that we have returned to our previous habits. The ones we had already decided to change. Like the junkie who wears long sleeves to hide the needle scars, we clothe the proof of our returned habits of non-productive thinking, feeling and acting in excuses and diversions, in blame and justification.

Fundamental change occurs only when we make the firm and irrevocable choice to change who we are and what we do. Conditional change does not work. You can't do "I'll try it out; see if it works and then decide." or "I'll take this path only until I come to a fork in the road."

Tools for transformation are like all tools. They don't work because of their pretty packages. They don't work because you own them. They don't work because somebody else says they do. They work because you use them and they work only when you use them. When you stop using them, they stop working.

We don't expect an electric drill to drill holes when it is sitting on the work bench; but somehow we expect that little change of heart or change of mind we had promised to make yesterday when we read that self-help book, to be still working today even though we have put it back on the shelf and went back to watching TV.

Your life is what you make it. It can be a mess or a masterpiece.

"There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently.

We still have to prove our worth anew each day: we have to prove that we are as good today as we were yesterday. But when we have a valid alibi for not achieving anything we are fixed, so to speak, for life.

Moreover, when we have an alibi for not writing a book, painting a picture, and so on, we have an alibi for not writing the greatest book and not painting the greatest picture.

Small wonder that the effort expended and the punishment endured in obtaining a good alibi often exceed the effort and grief requisite for the attainment of a most marked achievement."

—Eric Hoffer

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Believe It Or Not

Leslie Fieger



I am often astounded at what and why people believe what they do. I am sure that you too have noticed that some people believe in the oddest things.

I am more than astounded at how seldom people actually think about their beliefs and how those beliefs impact on the quality of their lives.

Believe it or not, your beliefs can actually determine the results you end up with in life; results like happiness, health and wealth—important things like that.

Believe it or not, most people (probably including you) have adopted several core beliefs that literally cripple their ability to achieve the levels of success they aspire to. And, believe it or not, many of these same folks will likely claim that those very same crippling beliefs are not only of value, but are even more than a simple adopted belief…they will claim them to be THE truth.

Believe it or not, beliefs can be consciously chosen instead of unconsciously adopted.

Believe it or not, there is no particularly good reason to believe most of what people do. What is even more astounding is that most people hold a great number of beliefs that they have not actually given any thought to and, it is likely, never actually chose to hold or take on as a primary determining factor in how their lives turns out.

Believe it or not, you probably believe many things simply because you have been told to; and, you have likely never questioned the validity of these beliefs. You may even believe that it is WRONG to question the validity of some beliefs. You may even be too frightened to question some of your core beliefs; scared to question the sacred.

Believe it or not, the sad likelihood is that you have been and are being brainwashed to believe certain things. The worst part of this brainwashing is that you have also been convinced to believe that it is wrong to even question these beliefs.

That is not to say that all of this brainwashing is done with malevolent intent; it is very possible that some of those people who were (and are) your major influencers (causing you to adopt these beliefs) acted or are acting with good intent. But, as the old saw goes…the highway to hell is paved with good intentions.

OK; you have some beliefs that you did not actually consciously choose to hold and you have some beliefs that do NOT actually serve you and your self-actualization. Now what?

In order to become a fully functioning human being and in order to achieve any measure of enlightenment, it is necessary to NOT ONLY critically examine all of one’s beliefs, especially those most deeply held, fundamental core beliefs, it is also necessary to consciously choose to either discard or re-adopt those beliefs.

Until you develop the willingness to critically examine all your beliefs and then the courage to discard all those that do not serve you and the wisdom to adopt only those that do serve you and your aspirations, you will forever be held back, imprisoned by your very same beliefs that you think you hold but actually hold you.

Freedom and abundance await those who take control of their beliefs and stop being controlled by them.

“In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are
in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions
about them were not worth a brass farthing.”

—Mark Twain

“Man's most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe.”

—Euripides

"Man is what he believes.”

—Anton Chekhov

“The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact than a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.”

—George Bernard Shaw

“A man has to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another beer.”

—Anonymous

“I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.”

—Bertrand Russell

“They were so strong in their beliefs that there came a time when it hardly mattered what exactly those beliefs were; they all fused into a single stubbornness.”

—Louise Erdrich

“Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

—Lewis Carroll

“I believe in a sentient earth—Gaia. Some tell me that is a bit odd. People I know believe in various quite odd other things like: a flat earth, a hollow earth (filled with nasty sentient reptiles), cloned earth (hiding on other side of sun), alien infested earth (Martians hiding in caves in Arizona), earth as savior of universe (as soon as we get it, the whole universe will get it), earth as prison of universe (like Australia was for UK), earth as testing station for entry into higher ground (graduate from here to a really good place—like heaven), earth as resource to be plundered and raped quick before Armageddon gets here, earth as just another rock in space, et cetera. What people believe is most often either inanity or insanity. I choose to believe in life itself as a form of consciousness.”

—Leslie Fieger

"The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs."

—James Allen

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Attitude Adjustment

Leslie Fieger

"If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgment of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now."
~ Marcus Aurelius

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind."
~ William James

The attitude that you adopt is a major factor in determining both the success and happiness you are able to attain. Since both your whole overall attitude toward life and your particular attitude in any given moment or circumstance is within your power to choose, your success and your happiness are, for the most part, a matter of choice…your choice.

Most people refuse to accept that responsibility. Instead, they allow their attitude to be determined by whatever passing circumstance they encounter. It rains. Their attitude is damp and dreary. Their boss reprimands them. Their attitude is resentment. Their lover leaves. Their attitude is misery. They are victims of circumstance and condition. Powerless creatures. Reactors.

The few who walk the path of self-mastery own their attitude. They choose how to feel in any circumstance or condition. As a result, they are more self-reliant, more successful and happier people. Enactors. Victors. They are also the ones who end up being creators of circumstance, leaders and contributors.

The single most important attitude that you can adopt is the attitude of gratitude. Once you have made the choice to simply be grateful for what your life has to offer, all other necessary winning attitudes become easy to adopt.

It is not necessary to be grateful to anyone or anything. Gratitude can be felt without it being directed toward any giver or cause. Grateful appreciation is the key that unlocks the doorways that lead to happiness and personal fulfillment.

Obstacles in your path become opportunities to hone your skills and strengthen your will. Setbacks become opportunities to reassess and improve your approach; roadblocks, a chance to take a new road. Endings become beginnings. It is all a matter of attitude. Yours.

Each of us has the option at each and every moment to choose what attitude we shall adopt. If we allow conditions or circumstances to determine how and what we feel and think—what attitude we hold, we are making the choice to be mere creatures, more, to be victims.

As soon as we decide to take control of the attitudes we hold, no matter what the circumstances, events or conditions we encounter, we have made the choice to become victors.

Opt for victory. Choose your attitude. Do it carefully and purposefully. Do it now.

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them."
~ George Bernard Shaw

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
~ Victor Frankl

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Approval

Leslie Fieger



I received an email the other day. "You have been approved." I was ecstatic. At last.

You see, I had been waiting weeks for this approval. I almost had to jump through hoops to get it. It was a very important element in my current project, seLFTech [Ed: April 2003].

The next day, during one of my long walks through the rainforest, I began thinking about approval…why we want or need it; what we do to get it and so on.

I came to the sudden realization that I had spent most of my life looking for approval. It appears to me that so does everyone else. When we receive approval, we get to feel validated. When we do not, our self-esteem takes a serious hit.

It is ingrained in each of us right from our first breaths. As children, approval means everything from survival to love to identity. That is pretty powerful stuff for fresh minds and tender hearts.

And so we proceed through life, habitually seeking approval as if it were necessary for our survival, love and identity. No wonder that peer pressure is a primary motivator of young people or immature people.

Even as adults we still seek our parents’ approval. Even when our parents are dead, we still seek their approval. "Dear old Dad would have approved." We seek approval from our peers, our friends and family, our work mates or bosses, our spouses and even our own children. We seek approval from total strangers. We seek approval from abstract concepts like our society. We even seek approval from our gods.

For we have bought into the belief that without approval, our survival, security, self-image, identity, value, love … the very meaning of our lives is, at the very least, called into question.

Here is something that you will need to know if you ever want to be free to become a full-functioning human being. The only approval you really, really need is your own.

All else is, in its very neediness, a lack of faith in yourself. Only you can ever validate you. Only you can supply meaning and purpose to your life. Only you can determine that you are worthy of love. Self-esteem is the only estimation of your value.

Additionally, you come pre-approved. That’s why you are here.

Now, get out there and show the world just how valuable and important you really are.


© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

Abundance As Spiritual Birthright

Leslie Fieger


I am going to remind of some simple, yet important things, that you should already know, but perhaps need a reminding of just now. I know that I need reminding from time to time and suspect that you may also need the same 'straight to the point' reminders.

I have written thousands of pages about success, wealth creation, prosperity consciousness and personal empowerment. All those many words are but an elaboration of these nine basic precepts. If you need convincing or want the substantiation or the practical application of these nine precepts, then buy and read my books. If you just need the simple reminder, then read through to the bottom of this page.

1. Creator, or the Ultimate Source, or the All That Is All, or the Universal Creative Impulse, or God, or whatever you may wish to name it, desires your prosperity and success. It does not desire (or demand) any impoverishment, suffering or limitation of any kind for you UNLESS that is what you desire or envision for yourself. Creator wants you to be blessed, wants you to succeed, wants you to have all the wealth and abundance you desire for yourself. Desire is de-sire... of the father. Your desires for wealth and abundance are divine. Honor them.

2. You are an inseparable part of Source. You are a divine creator as well as a sacred creature. Your intimate connection with the All That Is All is always there and cannot ever be severed for any reason EXCEPT that you will it to be so. (and even that is an illusion) You don't need to do anything to return to Source. You are already there and always have been and always will be at one with The All That Is All. You are a part of, not apart from, Infinite Intelligence. Your consciousness is contained within universal consciousness. Each and every thought held in your consciousness is an integral part of the universal. It adds to the whole. It is creative.

3. You deserve success and wealth. You do not need to measure up to any standard, not even the ones you have set for yourself in order to merit wealth, success or happiness. Abundance is your birthright as a child of God. There is no prime cause at work that denies you the fulfillment of your fondest desires for success and happiness. To the contrary, the universe is set up to support your abundance. Harmonize yourself with the way the universe works and you will have all you envision and desire. It's all about vibration and harmonics.

4. The Law of Attraction is always working. Whatever you have in your life right now, you have attracted into it. You do not attract what you wish for or even what you envision; you attract what you are. What you have and what you see around you is but a reflection of who you are being in this moment. Denial does not negate the Law of Attraction anymore than it negates Gravity, which is, after all, just another example of the Law of Attraction in action. Become more and you will have more.

5. The choice is always yours. At each and every moment, you have the power to choose to be, do and have more. Or less. Whatever you can imagine, you can have. The four principle forces that power your creativity are: thought, belief, desire and intent. You can choose what and how to think. You can choose what and how to believe. You can choose what to desire. You can choose your intentions. Such is your power. Choose carefully. Choose intentionally. Choose purposefully. Your choices of thought, belief, desire and intent determine who you are. Who you are determines what you get to have.

6. The true purpose of your life is simply to revere, relish and contribute. Life is meant to be a joyful event. When you honor all things, especially yourself, as being sacred; and when you wholeheartedly partake in and appreciate the pleasures of life; and when you consciously and intentionally choose to make a contribution to life... you are fulfilling the purpose of your life and you will experience joy and fulfillment. When you are searching for the purpose of your life, you are seeking the way that you can make a contribution or express your gratitude for the gift of life. Become a blessing and you will be blessed.

7. Love really is all you need. Compassion will open you up to being able to receive and accept all the love, joy and abundance that surrounds you constantly. Compassion for all creation, most especially for your sacred self, is the key that unlocks the door into infinity. Infinite love surrounds you. Be compassionate to life. Become passionate about life and you will experience all the abundance you are willing to allow yourself. In order to love your neighbor as yourself, you need to first love yourself. Love you. Honor you. Cherish you.

8. When you remember these simple things, life makes sense; when you forget them, you get confused by the apparent complexity. You wrote this script, now you are acting it out as the ultimate method actor. However, you may stumble occasionally, in the brilliance of your performance, when you forget the plot. Since you wrote this script, you can change it at any time you desire. Since you are playing the role you wrote, you can play it any way you think best. Drama, comedy, tragedy, romance, adventure, soap opera? You decide.

9. You are hearing this now because you asked to be reminded, from time to time, of what you know, but sometimes forget, as you immerse yourself in the experience of life on planet earth. You came here to play this game. That was your original choice. It remains your choice. I get to be the guy, this time, to remind you of the rules of your game. That is my contribution. Next time, it may be your turn to remind me. We have eternity to play. Eternity exists in this exact moment. Play full out. Now.

I love you. I honor you. I am grateful that you chose to be a part of my life. I am humbled if I can contribute in any way to the pleasure and success of your journey.


© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

A Whole Bunch Of Nothing

Leslie Fieger



It is seemingly a common phenomenon that somehow spontaneously occurs to almost every teenager. It is the nothing thing. You can ask almost any question and the answer is “nothing”. What are you doing? Nothing. What will you be doing tomorrow? Nothing.

It is followed closely by the nowhere thing. Where were you? Nowhere. Where are you going? Nowhere.

And finally, the clincher…I dunno. What do you want for dinner? I dunno. When will you be home? I dunno. What is the name of the movie you are going to see? I dunno.

It seems like these teens are going and coming from ‘nowhere’ and doing and planning on doing ‘nothing’. Why? I dunno. Shrug. Who knows?

Well, fortunately, it is just a phase and soon enough, not only will they be quite willing to say where they have been, what they have been doing and for what reason; they will also be willing to tell you where you should go, how to get there and why.

Now, it may seem like this ‘nothing’ phase disappears from our lives as our hormones settle down a little and our neurons get back to work, but this ‘nothing’ thing sticks around. It is insidious. It sits there just below the surface waiting for the right moment to take over again.

Adults…fully-grown, and supposedly fully functional, human beings will suddenly revert back to the “nothing, nowhere, dunno” phase when asked any question to which they do not yet have a prepared rationalization or excuse.

This is critical! It is not that they actually do not have or know the real answer; it is because they do not yet have a valid sounding excuse or rationalization prepared and rehearsed.

Parents know that their teens are practicing avoidance when they use these one-word dismissals. Somehow, we forget to apply the same wisdom to adult human beings, including ourselves.

Whenever we are called, by inclination or by circumstance, to do a little self-evaluation, the answers we get back to the questions we ask ourselves are often a whole lot of nothing, nowhere and I dunno.

So ask yourself this…why aren’t you living the life of your dreams? What comes back?

What’s the answer you supply to you? Is it some well-prepared and rehearsed rationalization or excuse? Or, is it some variation of nothing, nowhere, I dunno. The real answer???

I suppose it is ok to not answer others when they ask questions that you do not wish to supply the real answers to; but, you must be firm and resolute with yourself. Do not allow your mind to get away with giving you avoidance responses when you are after answers.

Do you truly desire to have a prosperous and abundant life?? If the answer is YES, then you must get specific. Stop allowing yourself to be satisfied with a whole bunch of nothing.


What are you doing? Why?

Where are you going? Why?

When will you get there? How?


© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

A Matter Of Perspective

Leslie Fieger



If the only tool you have, and know how to use, is a hammer, then you tend to see every situation as being a nail or some other thing that requires hitting.

The problem that faces most people, when they go about deciding to build their prosperity, is that they only have a few tools at their disposal. These tools may not be the correct (or best) ones and so they keep hammering away and wondering why it is not working.

It often confuses me that people will continue to use tools that do not work or, at best, are inefficient. Not only that, they accept advice on what tools to use from people who, themselves, are not prospering.

For example, many people (and maybe you) accept advice from their bank managers or accountants about how to create wealth. Before you do that, why not ask them for their financial statements. If they really know how it works, then they should be the proof.

It seems to me that the easiest way to figure out the best way to succeed at anything is to look at what those who are already succeeding are doing or using.

Forget the common knowledge and common sense. What is common is that most people do not achieve the levels of abundance they desire. If you desire to have uncommon success and prosperity, you will have to be and do the uncommon. To end up with an exceptional life, you must be exceptional. Opt out of the norm.

Examine the lives of those who are succeeding. Then figure out what they do, what tools they use. And, this does not just apply to financial success. If you want to be a successful mountain climber, pay attention to what the best mountain climbers are doing. There is no point in taking advice from the average hiker, is there?

I just returned from St. Kitt’s where I sailed over to Nevis for lunch on a 65-foot yacht. The owner and I had time for a little 3-hour chat about building prosperity. His current project is a $500 million hotel and golf course development.

Guess what? He considers his most valuable tools for creating wealth, not to be doing specific things (except maybe going sailing so he can have quiet time), but rather in building and holding a certain mindset about possibilities and in creating specific goals.

In other words, being is more important than doing. The most important tools — he repeats what so many successful people have told me before — are the quality and consistency of your thoughts and beliefs.

You have heard me say it before and you will likely hear it again.

"Prosperity comes from belief and thought." So does paucity. Believe what you will. Think what you will. Create what you will. Allow your beliefs and thoughts to be governed by the common and you will end up with what is common.

What thoughts and beliefs are you holding? These are the primary tools you use to build your future. If they are not serving you, why hold onto them? Quit hammering away with inappropriate tools. Change.

"It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that."

—G. H. Hardy

"Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform."

—Mark Twain

"Common sense is just another name for the prejudices we've been taught all our lives."

—Stephen Hawking

"Common sense is another name for the prejudices we’ve managed to acquire by the age of eighteen."

—Albert Einstein

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

+ Persistence =

Leslie Fieger

"Never, never, never give up; never give up, never!."

—Winston Churchill

This is the total, famous commencement speech he made to a university graduating class; his last public words; sound advice for all who aspire to achieve their dreams.

Most people have, and know that they have, lots of promise. Before it is realized, however, they accept compromise. They want more but they settle for less. They have big dreams but have relegated those dreams to be mere passing fancies. They desist instead of persist.

More than a year ago, I conceived of seLFTech. Yesterday [Ed: April 2003] it was soft-launched quietly. The official launch will take place on the 26th, once we have worked out any bugs in the system.

It has been a year of frustration; a year of obstacles; a year of roadblocks; a year of barriers, blockage, impediments and obstructions. But we persevered and we have succeeded in creating what was conceived so long ago. A dream come true.

And now, because Sandra and I persisted despite the almost endless list of impediments, we will now go on to create more prosperity for ourselves and many, many other people. We will continue to persist. Our purpose is defined; our passion is intense; the resulting success is just beginning.

Repeated on the bottom of every single page of this eZine is the success formula… purpose + passion + persistence = prosperity.

Define your purpose; ignite your passion; persist, persist and you will achieve your goal; you will prosper.

I have watched so many people quit just as they were within inches of achieving their dreams. I have watched many others keep on keepin’ on despite all obstacles and achieve the realization of their dreams. The difference between success and failure is often one last little step past one last little barrier.

If you want, truly want, to achieve success in life, the formula is plain and simple. Plain and simple to describe, but it takes strength of character to implement, to never, never, ever give up.

Once you have created the ideal and set your purpose, write it down. Fire yourself up with desire and passion and then just keep on moving toward your intended destination, one step at a time flowing past, through or over obstacles like a stream passes over all to flow to the sea. That is how to really go with the flow.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

—Calvin Coolidge

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

—Henry Ford

© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

You are who and what YOU think you are...

Penny For Your Thoughts

Leslie Fieger

Every artifact, every tool, everything ever designed or created by human beings for their own need, comfort, luxury, amusement or advancement began as an idea, a concept…a thought.

All wealth had its origins in thought. It is thought that creates. Everything that human beings have created is a product of mind. Wealth is created; it is the effect; thought is the cause.

A penny for your thoughts? How about a billion pennies instead for just one thought? No matter how you define wealth, your attainment of this wealth will depend upon the quality and consistency of your thinking combined with the clear and firm desire to realize what you idealize.

It is patently obvious that, since your mind is the cause and what you have is the effect, the place to work on your wealth is in your own mind.

Those who achieve and keep great wealth have learned to control the quality and consistency of their thoughts, their attitudes and their desires.

I call this the millionaire mindset. It is mostly about focus.

If you can, despite all distractions and obstacles, keep your mind focused upon what you idealize and desire, you will move steadily toward creating or realizing your ideal/thought.

Most people do not do this. They allow conditions and circumstances to determine how they think, how they feel and what they end up with. Their allowingness of that which is outside of themselves to control their mind and their results turns them into victims.

Those, who through the use of their will, use that which is inside themselves, that is…their mind, their consciousness, their idealizations, their thoughts, their desires, their passions and their beliefs to control who they are and what they create, end up as victors in the game of life.

Those who choose to adopt the millionaire mindset get to live the millionaire lifestyle. In other words, if you want to have more out of life, you must first become more. Since it is in your nature to want more, the only way you can find any kind of personal fulfillment is to become more.

It does not matter what it is that you want more of; the only way to get it is to become more. You become more by taking control of your self… your mind, your passions, your beliefs, then your words and deeds and thus… your results or what you end up having.

Simple formula … be, do, have.

If a hundred people are given exactly the same opportunity and the same resources to exploit that opportunity and the same playing field to take advantage of that opportunity, and 20 people excel at that opportunity and 20 fail (60% are average or mediocre), where is the difference?

The answer is that since the only variable in the equation is within each of the people, it is the mind, mental attitude or will-ing-ness to grow and become more that determines those who win and those who lose (and those in the majority who will, for comfort sake, remain average).

Losers will, of course, blame it on anything else and refuse to accept responsibility for being at cause. Winners will have chosen to become and do what was necessary to take advantage of the opportunity. They have accepted that they, themselves, are at cause and are grateful for the opportunity to prove that they can succeed, to prove that they are masters of their own destiny, not victims of fate and fortune.

So ask yourself, what are you thinking? A penny’s worth?? A million$ worth?? Just exactly what are you thinking and why? What is your intention in thinking what you are thinking? Want more out of life? Take control of yourself. Think on purpose, not by accident.


© Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

A Measure Of Success ~ Emotional vs. Intellectual Intelligence

Not many years ago, the intelligence quotient, or IQ, was seen as a strong indicator of the level of success one could attain in life. The standard IQ test measured raw intelligence, including abilities such as logic and reasoning skills, reading, writing, and analyzing. Research, however, soon proved that the IQ could not predict academic and professional performance as once had been thought. There was another element involved: emotional intelligence, also known as the EQ. Emotional intelligence measures one's understanding of emotions, the ability to empathize and work with others, and manage under stress. IQ seldom changes and most people fall into the top 10% of intellectual intelligence, while EQ can change through self-discipline or a profound experience. Nonetheless, they function in tandem and are both important to personal development and success.

If IQ defines how smart you are, EQ determines how you use that blessing. Individuals with high EQ's are better equipped to make use of their cognitive abilities. They are often chosen for advancement in their professions or volunteer experiences because they possess the ability to inspire people to action and to make others feel more confident. People with high IQ's but low EQ's sometimes sabotage themselves because they are unable to relate to their peers, cannot handle stress constructively, and find emotional connections difficult to maintain. Developing your EQ can help you access your innate intelligence and amplify your empathy, which can lead to career advancement and better relationships. Practice embracing your uniqueness and the uniqueness of others, expressing your feelings and interpreting those of your friends and family, and being decisive - all of which can help boost your EQ.

Experts say that a heightened EQ can bring happiness because it lets you focus on feelings as well as facts, whereas the IQ is concerned with logic. A strong EQ also makes you more able to access the benefits of your IQ because it takes both to build a successful career, strong relationships, and a fulfilling life.

A quote...

”When you know who you are;
when your mission is clear and you
burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will;
no cold can touch your heart;
no deluge can dampen your purpose.
You know that you are alive.”

- Chief Seattle

poverty

"Poverty of ambition and poverty of expectation is the most damaging poverty of all..."

-Jack McFondle told the Scottish Labour Party conference last year

Daily Inspirational Quote

Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation... even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.
Leonardo da Vinci

Friday Story

LOOK UP AND PADDLE HARD

When I was 4 year old, I had a tricycle. I rode on it with all the gusto in the heart of a kid. I was happy, but I didn't like the paddling aspect of riding. It was "hard work" and tedious, so most times, I was pushed. I always needed help. Most times I begged for it. The cycle of dependency continued.a light push on a slope. Oh my! The downward roll was a thrill. A sure one. How I loved it. Now another problem, I always needed a slope. That means I was always returning to one spot.static movement.

Later on in life, I was too big to be on a tricycle. Learning how to ride a bicycle was the next thing to do.the next phase, so in a way I have graduated from the tricycle cadre. With all amount of youthful ecstasy and exuberance, I decided to learn how to use a bicycle. The only place I could get a bicycle to use was in my mum's village, where we go for holidays, once in about two years with my father's permission. The next holiday, I was on my way to the village and next on the agenda was learning itself. One of my buddies decided to help me out. He was a good rider. So we started the lessons. After the first trial he told me " Don't look at the ground, if not you'll be scared and that will lead to loss of concentration. Look up and paddle hard" That advise to me was foolishness in a three-piece suit. The truth of the matter was that I wanted to learn riding in my own way. " How can I look up? I have to look down to see how I'm paddling" I fired back. Moreover, I thought to myself, that advice is from the village guy, I'm the one from town and I sure do have my way of doing things. With every thought and action of mine I fought that principle of riding. The end result was that, I left the village after the holidays and didn't learn how to ride. This was way back 1988.

Every time in class, when my mates talked about bicycles and their riding experience, I just excuse myself with the fact that "I didn't always have a bicycle when I was much younger. I'm quite old now". Even when they offered to teach me the how of it, I declined. I was immobilized by my past failures. I never wanted to be laughed at. Every break period, I watch others "fly" on their bikes. All I did was wish how I could be like them but to take the step to be like them, I never ventured. I wish I could.I should have.all a bash of wishful thinking.

Then in 1995, I had private lessons in one of my teacher's house. The family had a bike and I watched the kids, young and old, strut their stuff on the bike. Some how I got into a private conversation with one of them and she told me she learned how to ride the previous year. Then it dawn on me that I wasn't late on learning. I know that you are not born with riding skills you acquire it! I had no more excuses. Quickly, I confided in my buddy, Aniefiok Enoh, about my inadequacy. One evening we secured the bike for a private lesson and went out together. After my initial trials he noticed I had a problem. He stared at me eyeball-to-eyeball and said, "Believe you can do it and you'll do it. Don't look at the ground. Look up and paddle hard". That hit me like a thunderbolt.



I've heard that before or does Aniefiok stay in my mother's village? No! He was only relaying a universal principle. I did as he said and that evening, I learned how to ride. That evening I got something I wouldn't trade for anything. It was the thrill of fulfillment. A delicious gladness and the unmistaken joy that swept my soul. A boyish grin that pushed my cheek upward was all over me and that grin I tell you could swallow a banana sideways. That day, I realized I didn't need to be Jackie Chan, in order to ride a bicycle!

I also learned from that experience that you don't wish success into being. You work at it. You look out for the underlying principle behind an operation, work with it and with God on your side, success is scheduled. This is no magic. It's real. In order to get something that you don't have, you have to do something you have never done before. Get out of your comfort zone, stretch, strain, train, and aim. Before you know it, you are in. The Coliseum wasn't an accident, Faith Tabernacle, Ota was not wished into existence, Microsoft Corporation wasn't a mistake. Men worked on their dreams, they persisted, they brought forth and you are seeing it.

So let's come down to level ground. What's that dream of yours? That vision, that hope. Is it starting that business or proposing to that lady, going back to school? Then pick up the courage, cage the fear and do it. If it's hard, then do it hard. Enjoy the abundant life. Share in the thrill of fulfillment. This phenomenon is inexplicable but let me try to describe it.it's flying without wings, it's waking up to see that your dream was real, it's walking on air with the stars beneath you.

I will see you on the mountaintop where I'm heading. To get there forget not this "Don't look at the ground, LOOK UP AND PADDLE HARD".





About the author:

Gabriel Omin is a 24 year old chemical Engineer.

Daily Inspirational Quote

What you do today can change the course of your life far into the future. Today is critical. Today really counts.



Ralph S. Marston, Jr.

Daily Inspirational Quote

Everyone must row with the oars they have.



English Proverb

Daily Inspirational Quote

"Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of
mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy
attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful." -- Norman
Vincent Peale

Friday story

EMBRACING YOUR ABUNDANCE: What's in the Realm of YOUR
Reality?, by Paula Langguth Ryan

A group of friends and I have adopted a saying which we use
when we encounter someone who appears bent on wreaking havoc or
spreading negativity. We say "they're not in the realm
of our reality," meaning, we're not going to focus any
attention on them. Instead, we're going to stay focused
on what it is we desire.

While I was reading Christian Healing by Charles Fillmore,
the phrase "as you give so shall you receive" popped out
at me. Many people interpret this to mean "when you give,
you get back." I want to offer you a different
interpretation.

As you give - the WAY in which you give, the ATTITUDE with
which you give, the SPIRIT in which your gift is wrapped -
is how you will receive. If you give grudgingly, you're
going to receive grudgingly. If you give with fear, you're
going to receive with fear. If you give and resent the
gift, you'll resent it when others give to you.

True giving creates a sense of gratitude, of being grateful.
Being grateful is defined as being warmly or deeply
appreciative of a kindness or benefit received. When we
receive something, and find ourselves thinking or saying
things like "I'm really grateful for what they said, or
for them taking the time to do what they did, BUT, I wish
X Y or Z, then we're not being truly grateful. Instead,
we're simply acknowledging the gift we were given. And
whenever we're not truly being grateful, then we're not
actually receiving the gift.

This reminds me of the old story of two people who are shown
a room full of manure. One person sees a pile of poop that
they need to do something with, a problem that needs to be
fixed, something that needs to be "dealt with." This person
begins to shovel the manure with resignation. Meanwhile,
the second person looks at the room full of manure and sees
a mysterious opportunity, a hidden possibility. This person
begins to shove with great glee, exclaiming, "there must be
a pony in here somewhere!"

Where is your focus when you're given something that doesn't
meet your expectations? Do you focus on the problem or on |
the opportunity? What "reality" do you see?

In my mind, the biggest challenge we have in the world today
is not this politician or that politician, it's not this
ideology or that ideology. It's not this threat to our
families or that threat to the environment and so on.

The biggest challenge we have in the world today comes from
our mistaken use of two simple words:

BE REALISTIC

That phrase is used, quite often, to justify our focus on
the PROBLEM, right? BE REALISTIC – you can't accomplish this
thing you desire without having more resources first. You
can't create something out of nothing. You don't have
ENOUGH! Really? BE REALISTIC. You can't feed thousands of
people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish!
OH, REALLY?

BE REALISTIC – you can't expect people to be healed just
because you believe they'll be healed. People don't just
"rise up and be healed" just because you believe it can
happen. OH, REALLY?

BE REALISTIC – you can't just taken an action you're
guided to take when you're stressed about a money situation,
like paying your taxes, and expect that you can go off
fishing and all your taxes will get paid out of the blue –
you know the tax money isn't going to be found inside the
mouth of some grouper you catch, after all. Oh, really?

I remember a wise man once said, "These things, and even
greater things than this, shall you do.

When people tell you to be realistic and then put a limit
on the truth of your being, when they limit what you can
be, do or have, say to them, "I AM being realistic – and
this limited reality you're talking about is NOT MY
REALITY. In fact, that limitation you're talking about,
that problem you are seeing, it's NOT IN THE REALM OF MY
REALITY.

Think about what you're saying when you say this. A realm
is a royal domain. A realm is a kingdom. The realm of your
reality is that kingdom of God that is within you, where
you are focusing your attention.

In my realm of reality, where I abide with Divine Mind,
there is no lack or limitation. There is no failure. There
is no disappointment, there is no ego. In my realm of
reality, in that place within me that is in alignment with
Source, there is only love, joy, fulfillment and endless
opportunity.

When you are face to face with a choice of some other
reality that is less than that, claim the truth that the
kingdom of God is within you. Embrace that truth and deny
the appearance of anything that can be separate from that
kingdom. Embrace the truth that nothing exists outside that
kingdom. Embrace the truth of your oneness with God.

God is omnipresence, which means, literally and figuratively,
that any "problem", anything that is limited, is absolutely
and permanently NOT IN THE REALM OF YOUR REALITY.

You can say this with absolute conviction - THAT IS NOT IN
THE REALM OF MY REALITY – knowing that as you do so you are
embracing the mysterious opportunity to be guided and to
take action on that which is yours to take action on. You
are fully embracing the concept that the kingdom of God is
within you. And so it is!

2. The Champion Within Article

Problems are a Normal Part of Change by Denis Waitley
(Excerpted from the 2004 Jim Rohn Weekend Event CD/DVD Package)

When asked, "How do you develop mental toughness in life?", my
response might sound negative at first when I answer, "Always be
prepared for a surprise. The surprise might be a negative surprise.
Something is going to happen in your day, whether you are late because
you got stuck behind a train or your car had a flat tire -- something
is going to happen... And the key is your ability not to take mole
hills and look at them as mountains."

Problems are a normal part of change. Things are changing so rapidly
that there are going to be problems you face. So you must look at
failure as an event, not as a person. I'm not a failure. Maybe I've
had a failure or a temporary inconvenience. I've had a stumbling
block, and the idea is to turn the stumbling block into a stepping
stone, and step on it instead of stumble over it. So look at failure
as the fertilizer of success.

Fertilizer stinks, it smells. You see that guy putting it on his lawn
and you say, "Wow, that guy fertilized his lawn." You fertilize your
mistakes. You don't wallow in them, lay in them, roll in them; you
pick yourself up off your mistakes and learn from them. You try not to
repeat that same thing again. But you look at it as a temporary
inconvenience, as a detour -- a detour in life -- not as a failure."

Denis Waitley


"The confidence you need is belief in your potential. If you see
world class potential in yourself, you'll put in the effort. If you
don't see the potential, you won't put in the effort and you'll wait
for the performance, and the performance always follows the belief in
self." -- Denis Waitley


4. The Winner's Edge Coaching Tips

Welcome to week eight of our Ten Action Steps to Optimism. Internalize
these tips to create the optimism within and as you do, let it radiate
outward, illuminating not only your life but also those the lives of
those around you! This week's tip is:

Visualize, think and speak well of your health. Use positive self-talk
on a daily basis. Don't dwell on your own small ailments such as
colds, headaches, cuts, bruises, muscle pulls, sprains and minor
abrasions. If you pay too much attention to these occurrences they
will reward you by becoming your best friends, coming often to pay
their respects.

What the mind harbors, the body manifests. This is especially
important when you are raising children. Focus on the well family, and
dwell on health as the usual environment around your house. I have
seen more psychosomatic illnesses in homes where the parents dote on
and smother the children with undue concern for their health and
safety than in any other type of household. I believe in safety
precautions and sound medical practice. I also believe that "your
worst" or "your best" concerns will likely come to pass.

So this week keep your mind tuned to healthful thoughts and reap the
benefits of good health -- both mentally and physically!

DW

subscribe@deniswaitley.com

Daily Inspirational Quotes

Fall seven times, stand up eight.

Japanese Proverb


Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.

Josh Billings