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Power Affirmations
Power Positive Conditioning for Your Subconscious Mind 

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April 03, 2005

Some Thoughts About Debt

One of the greatest challenges that many people have on the road to wealth is managing debt. This has certainly been a personal challenge for me.  While I still have a ways to go to get to where I want to be, there have been certain ideas, concepts, beliefs and affirmations that have helped me dramatically increase my understanding and increase my wealth.  While this is certainly not an exhaustive study of debt, I think you will find some ideas that will help you as they have me.

What is Debt Really?

It may seem a little basic to start here, but I think that if you really want to learn something, it often helps to start with the basics.  The dictionary defines debt as:  "something owed such as money, goods or services."  For the purposes of this article we are going to focus on the money aspect of debt.  For this reason, I don't particularly find this definition helpful.  I prefer to think of debt in terms of cash flow.  I have come to define debt as:

An obligation (liability) to pay a person or a business a specific amount (usually plus interest) in the future--usually out of future cashflow.  There are some very important points about this I don't want you to miss:

  1. When you incur a debt, you are taking on a liability.  I like putting this in my definition because it reminds me where it goes on my financial statement.  Remember:  wealthy people accumulate assets.  The poor and middle class generally accumulate liabilities.
  2. Assuming that I don't have the cash now, I am pledging future cashflow in order to buy something now.  What I like about this is that it puts the emphasis on cashflow.  If you are going to accumulate wealth, you must protect your cashflow.  When you take on an a liability, you are decreasing your future cashflow.  When you take on a debt, this means that you have to generate enough cashflow in the future to both pay the debt and your current expenses.

    If you are decreasing your future cashflow to pay back this obligation, you need to make certain you have a very good reason.
  3. When you incur a debt, you are almost always have to pay interest.  This means you are paying a premium to the lender for the right to benefit now.

Is All Debt Bad?<>

No.  There is good debt and bad debt.  Debt that you take on in order to buy "doodads" is almost always bad debt.  Doodads are luxuries that you buy for your personal use.  They can be anything from books, to a meal at a restaurant, a televisions set, furniture, car or even your home (I know that sounds controversial--more on that later).  In other words, things that will not put cash back into your pocket in the future.  That's not to say you should never take on "bad" debt, but if you want to create wealth, you need to really keep this to a minimum especially when you are first starting out.

Good debt is what you take on to purchase a cash producing asset.  In the best case, the positive cash flow from the asset is greater than the negative cash flow from the obligation.  For example, if you borrow the money to buy real estate to rent out or sell.  Or if you take out a loan to start a business.  This is debt you are taking on to increase your future net cashflow.  If you make the right investments, this can help you increase your wealth very, very fast.

If you take out a loan for business purposes, it is critical that you carefully evaluate the opportunity to make certain that your cashflow estimates are accurate--conservative is best.  If you are unrealistically optimistic in your projections, you can end up in a severely negative cashflow situation that could be difficult to get out of.  I have seen this happen to close friends on more than one occasion.

This may seem an odd statement in a website about positive thinking and affirmations, but not when you understand that affirmations are simply a tool to help you maintain a frame of mind that gives you the best chance to succeed.  When creating plans and evaluating business opportunities, I do everything I can to be brutally honest and conservative in my projections.  I minimize and manage my risk by looking for opportunities with a low downside and high upside.  That's one reason I really like the internet.  The costs are low, I have no employees, no additional product costs (I'm doing everything electronically), and the potential is high (worldwide).  This is especially true since I started including ads on my website. 

Debt is Critical to Our Economy

Not only is not all debt bad, debt is critical to our economy.  Just think of what would happen to the economy if debt didn't exist:

  1. Most people would not be able to buy their own home.
  2. A lot of students would not able to go to school.
  3. A number of small businesses would never get started.
  4. There would be a dramatic shrinkage in the money supply.  This is because banks actually create new money when they issue debt.  Isn't this interesting?  Without getting into all of the details, banks have mathematical formulas they follow to determine how much money they can lend out.  For example, when you have a deposit of a few thousand dollars in the bank, they may be able to turn around and make loans of 2-3 times that amount.  That is new money created by a bookkeeping transaction.  New money pumped into the economy to create more jobs and more cash producing assets.
  5. Some businesses would not survive if they were not able to accept payment by credit cards.  Business on the internet would grind to a halt.   Restaurants and retail stores would have a very difficult time.  The car industry would take a huge hit.

The problem is not with debt but how we use it that determines whether it is good or bad.  The problem is not with debt, it is within ourselves--in our own thinking habits as reflected in our spending and investing actions.  As with everything, right thinking is the starting point.  And that's where Power Affirmations can give you a huge advantage.

<>Good Debt Can Be Extremely Helpful to Increasing Your Wealth!

Good debt, debt that you use to buy assets that increase your net future cash flow, can help you become extremely wealthy.  In fact, many people would never be able to create significant wealth without the wise use of debt.  Too many people get so hung up about debt that they end up missing out on really big opportunities.  Here's a very simple example:

Let's say that you find a real estate investment that costs $100,000.  If you pay for the entire investment in cash and then sell it for $110,000, what is your rate of return?  10% (10,000/100,000).  But let's say that you only put down $20,000 of your own money and borrow $80,000.  Now when you sell the property, for $110,000, what is your rate of return (cash on cash)?  It's not 10%--it's actually 50% (10,000/20,000).  That's because you only had to invest $20,000 of your own money to generate $10,000 profit.  This is what is meant by leverage. 

This is a very simple, even simplistic example.  Life is definitely more complicated than this.  To really make this work, you will have to study and analyze potential opportunities.  I recommend getting general information how to do this from books and specific information from professionals in your area.  Because it is their job to help people make investments, they have a vested interest in helping you learn how to do it in a way that creates profit for you.  One of the problems with going to a seminar is that a lot of the information is too general, way too expensive, and they don't take you through the deal.  Instead, get some good books, meet some local experts, take a college class, etc.  There are other options available than expensive seminars.  Quite often, you are better off taking that money and putting it into a real cash producing asset.

I know that getting out of bad debt is an important topic to a lot of people.  This article is getting a bit long, so I will offer some practical advice on how to get out of bad debt in my next article.  Also, because getting out of bad debt is such an important topic, I want to make certain that the article focuses only on that topic.

ĒĻ’’\’’’’#The Biggest Time Management Problem8time management procrastination goals life managementvĀ$x&ĒŪ(

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May 13, 2005

The Biggest Time Management Problem

If you are going to be successful, you will have to become an expert at managing your time.  More properly stated, at managing your life.  If all you do is manage your time, you are likely just managing your movements--managing your efficiency at getting a lot of "things" done.

But success is more than just getting a lot of things done.  Success comes to those who get the right things done--getting the most meaningful things done.  Things that positively impact the greatest number of people.   That add a massive amount of value to the lives of as many people as possible.

<>This brings me to the biggest time thief.  Some interruptions are easy to spot:

  • Watching too much television
  • A commute time that is too long to and from work
  • Blindly surfing the internet
  • Idle conversations
  • Too much sleep
  • Performing tasks that should be delegated to others

You get the idea.  All of these activities may take up a significant amount of time that is better spent working towards your goals or general self-improvement.

But as much time as these can steal, the amount of time is insignificant compared to the biggest thief of all:  being in the wrong situation.

What are some examples of being in the wrong situation:

  • Studying the wrong major in college (or in some cases, even going to college)
  • The wrong relationships.  This could be romantically, marriage or even just being friends with the wrong people.  I believe you should be loyal to your family and friends, but you need to choose your friends carefully.  You especially need to choose your mate wisely.
  • The wrong job or career.  If the only reason you are in your present job/career is to get a paycheck, you need to re-evaluate your situation.

In each of these cases, if you make poor choices, you wont just waste a few hours or days, you risk wasting years of your life going in the wrong direction.  If you study the wrong major in school, you may be wasting tens of thousands of dollars and years of your life.  First, you will waste the time and money in school.  Second, you will have to spend more time and money re-training yourself for what you really want to do.

If you are in the wrong relationships--especially a wrong marriage--you will probably have to endure years of unhappiness.  If you have friends that are excessively negative, they could add years of negativity to your life.  I'm not saying that the answer is always to get a divorce or abandon your friends.  I'm only pointing out that you need to make these choices carefully, otherwise they will steal your life, not just your time.  Yes, sometimes you can turn the other person around by the strength of your positive nature.  And often times you should try.  But that can often be a colossal waste of your time and result in very little change in the other person.<>

If you are in the wrong job/career, you could be in a tough spot that steals years from your life during your most productive years.  You have to develop the personal strength and skills to be able to pursue your dream.  Even if it means creating your own job by starting a business.  This is also one reason you must manage your finances effectively and avoid excessive personal debt.  If you do, you will have a lot more financial flexibility to pursue what you really want to do most in life.

The moral of this article is to excel in both managing your time, but more importantly your life.  Always keep your eye on the big picture even as you manage the daily activities.  This means you must carefully determine your Definite Major Purpose in life and your most important values and allow them to guide your most important decisions.

One of the primary ways I personally do this is through my daily Results-Action-Plan.  You can read more about this at http://www.poweraffirmations.com/RAP.htm.  It's a deceptively simple, cheap (all you need is a notebook or regular planner), but very effective.  Everything you need to know about this system is outlined in the short article.  No audio program.  No seminar.  No special planner.  Just free quality information.

 

ĒĻ’’\’’’’"The Power of Courtesy and Kindness@Ņm°&ĒÜ

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February 01, 2005

The Power of Courtesy and Kindness

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, I'm currently listening to The Secrets of the Power of Intention audio program by Dr. Wayne Dyer.   I highly recommend the program.  In the program, he speaks a lot about the importance of kindness.  When you consistently have thoughts of kindness, you have a clear connection to the the way things work well in the world.  Good things start to happen to you automatically.  Even the chemistry of your body changes to create emotions that make you feel good (endorphins).  You begin to attract allies who will go out of their way to help you without being asked.

Here's a question:  what if more and more people were "guilty" of random acts of kindness?  Just simply being courteous and kind for no good reason--not to get anything out of the situation (or person).  Just being kind for kindness' sake?  How would the world change?<>

Here is an affirmation that will help condition your mind to stay in a state of kindness:

"I am now courteous and kind to everyone I meet."

What if just seeing another person, any person automatically triggered this thought?  How would your actions change toward them?  How much broader would you smile?  How would it guide your conversation?  Would it focus on you or on them?  How would this change your driving habits?  This is a GREAT affirmation and if you use it often enough, you will create thought habits of courtesy and kindness.  As that happens, over time, many wonderful things will happen to you and those around you.  And if enough people start to think this way, the whole world will change.

Did I happen to say that I am an optimist?

Here is an interesting point.  I read some place about a study that was done about what men and women look for most in a prospective marriage partner.  The number one quality that men looked for was looks.  The number one quality women looked for was security.  No real news there (maybe that's why we have so many divorces and unhappy marriages).  But the number two quality desired by BOTH men and women was KINDNESS.  I would say that deep down, this is probably the number one quality we all want.  Looks always fade with age.  "Security" based on material things is often elusive (regardless of income).  KINDNESS IS ETERNAL.   It is a state of mind--a positive state of mind.  So, if you want to meet other people's deepest need (as well as your own), condition your mind to think only thoughts of courtesy and kindness to yourself and to other people.

"power-of-courtesy-and-kindness.htmĒĻ’’&\’’’’Use Value and Cash ValueX4Su&ĒŲ%

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February 06, 2005

Use Value and Cash Value

Here is a thought that is an important concept to consider with respect to building wealth: The use value of the product or service you provide must be greater than the cash value you receive.  Here is a quote from Wallace D. Wattles: "Give everyone more in use value than you take from them in cash value.  Then you are adding to the life of the world in every transaction." This is essentially the same principle as going the extra mile.  Here are a few affirmations you can use to condition your mind to this thought:

1. I now go the extra mile in every business transaction.

2. I now provide outstanding use value to all of my customers.

3. When I sell a product or service, the use value I provide my customers is many times greater than the cash value I receive.<>

For those of you who haven't heard of Wallace Wattles, he is a writer who published a few books in the 1900's. His most famous work is "The Science of Getting Rich." I've just started going through it myself, and so far I give it my highest recommendation.

In an effort to increase the amount of current content on the Power Affirmations website, I have redesigned the Home Page so that it is now in a Web Log (Blog) format. Now as I add additional Newsletters, they will also be posted on the Home Page and Archived so that people will be able to read past editions.  There are also links to the other pages and the MP3 files, so all of the previous content is still there.

I've come up with a new way that I'm using my Ipod for listening to spoken word content that I want to pass on to you. 

Rather than saving the files that I copy from CDs as MP3's, I'm saving them in an AAC format.  This is an MPEG-4 format.  When the files are initially saved, the extension is m4a.  After saving the file, I change the extension to mb4.  This causes the Ipod to recognize the file format as "spoken word." After making the change, the files are automatically bookmarked so that if I stop the Ipod or switch to another file, when I resume listening to the bookmarked file, it takes up where it left off.  I have found this to be a major improvement.

But it gets even better:  by going into the Ipod's settings, I can set the speed of the playback from "normal" to "faster."  When played back at the faster speed, the audio is still easy to listen to, but takes less time.  For example, I can listen to a 1 hour recording in about 45 minutes.  Or a 5 hour recording in about 4 hours. If you listen to a lot of audio content, this means you can listen to a lot more content in less time.  I do NOT recommend the increase speed for the Power Affirmation files as the object is to use them more for meditation rather than content.  I won't be changing the format of the affirmation files.

<>One other important innovation that will be coming soon: I have just purchased some text-to-speech software that is amazingly impressive.  While you can still tell that it is a computer voice, the quality is very pleasant.  And what's really great is that you can save the files as MP3's.  This means that they can be saved in a format that can be used with the Ipod or other MP3 player.  This opens up a number of possibilities.  If all goes according to plan, I will use this software to transform some of the articles from my website into MP3 files that can be downloaded for portable listening.  I will also be looking for classic programs that are in the public domain that I can convert to audio files. For example, "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen.

ĒĻ’’\’’’’PAudio Recording of James Allen's Book "As a Man Thinketh" using Synthetic SpeechŠESu&ĒĀ,

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February 07, 2005

Audio Recording of James Allen's Book "As A Man Thinketh" using Synthetic Speech

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I have come across a software program that does a better than average job of converting text into speech.  If you want to hear a short example lasting about a minute, go to http://www.poweraffirmations.com/audio/example.mp3. 

Using this program, I have created an audio copy of James Allen's classic "As a Man Thinketh" (which is in the public domain).  Click on the link to download the zipped m4b file (a compressed format similar to mp3, but which has a floating bookmark so that you don't lose your place).  FYI, the file is about 14.4 megabytes, so depending on your connection, the download could take a while.  If you need to download a player that will play this type of format, you can download Apple's ITunes at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/.

<>You can certainly tell that the speech is synthetic.  Here is a short summary of both disadvantages and advantages to the program:

First the disadvantages:

  • The biggest disadvantage is legal rather than technical.  If you want to create files for others to hear using the best voices, you have to pay a substantial additional license fee.  After shopping around, I picked the best voice I could find that was also affordable so I can use the technique to create files I can offer to others.
  • Even with the best voices, the speech can be a little choppy at times.  Some of the words are occasionally mispronounced.
  • As you can imagine, the recording is not as expressive as it would be if the text were read by a human being.
  • If you use the software for affirmations, which are repeated several times, every sentence comes out exactly the same.  So, it can get a little stale--especially for short affirmations.

Now the great news!:

  • Even though the voices still sound synthetic (dare I say, electronic), it's much easier to get used to them than I thought it would be.
  • If you want to use the software and voices for personal use (without any distribution of the recordings to others), even the best voices available are very affordable.  This means you can transform any written text you want--such as personal affirmations that you have written, notes from books, etc. into recorded speech without the expense or hassle of going to a recording studio.  They have made the process of creating the recordings incredibly easy.
  • For older works that are in the public domain, it is one way to make recordings of classics that are currently unavailable any other way.  Maybe it's just me, but I find that I learn and absorb material much faster by listening to recordings than by reading alone.  This software means I'll be able to listen to more new material than ever before for very little additional cost.
  • If you use it for affirmations, it works better for longer affirmations than shorter ones.
  • You can save the audio as an MP3 file that can be loaded on your IPod or other MP3 player for portable listening.  Once you have the file as an MP3, it is easy to convert it to other formats using software readily available.  The point is, it is easy to make the audio content mobile.

In short, even given the current disadvantages, this is a GREAT tool for creating customized personal audio content for very little money, in very little time.  You avoid having to go to a studio or having to deal with background noise if you record at home.  No retakes.  Any editing is done using a simple word processor.  And, the technology is only bound to get better.

<>Using this tool, it is my intention to begin creating a large number of audio files of articles that I have written plus classic positive thinking literature that is in the public domain (where I can find them).  If you have any interest in ordering the software so you can create your own audio for your personal use (with better voices), send me an email and I will let you know how to get it.  You can get virtually everything you need for a little over $50. 

I actually spent much more than this as I downloaded multiple voices for testing.  I will be putting together a web page in the near future to outline my recommendations for the best current text-to-speech solution I was able to find.

Let's fill the world with positive thought.

Qaudio-recording-of-james-allens-book-as-a-man-thinketh-using-synthetic-speech.htmĒĻ’’\’’’’*Affirmations Based on "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"(ļœD%&ĒÉ

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February 13, 2005

Affirmations Based on "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"

I'm sure most of you have heard of, and perhaps read the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki.  If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it along with his book "Cashflow Quadrant."  Both of the books are simplistic and introductory by design.  But there are some important concepts that Kiyosaki highlights that are fundamental to accumulating wealth.  Rather than outlining those concepts, I am going to present a number of Power Affirmations that I have created based on studying his material.  I expect that this will span multiple newsletters.

One of the reasons I prefer creating power affirmations instead of just notes is that they focus my mind on the positive application of the knowledge and not just the knowledge itself.  By conditioning my mind to take positive action on what I learn, positive results eventually follow.

<>Here is the initial installment of affirmations:

  1. My financial intelligence is now increasing everyday.  Financial intelligence is more important than money.
  2. I now create regular, positive cashflow.  I create money.
  3. Through controlling cash producing assets whose cash exceeds my living expenses, I am on the Fast Track to unlimited abundance.
  4. I don't work for money, I make my money work hard for me.
  5. I regularly study accounting and investing.
  6. Today I choose to be wealthy.  I choose to use my ideas and money to create ever increasing wealth and abundance.
  7. I study and learn about money from people who are already wealthy.
  8. When I come across an investment worth making, I ask myself "HOW can I afford it?"  I am a possibility thinker.
  9. My thoughts create new wealth generating opportunities everyday.
  10. I study so that I can find good companies to buy.
  11. I increase my wealth by following strategies to manage risk.
  12. I pay myself first.  I always pay my bills, but I pay myself first.
  13. I am financially self-reliant.  Through creative intelligence and planning, I now create new wealth far beyond my personal needs.
  14. I write strong and sound business plans that create successful businesses that create jobs for others.  I create wealth for myself and for other people.

Share this Information with Others

If you have found this article useful, be sure to send it to at least 5-10 of your friends and associates.   If you think that recorded affirmations will improve your life, you can learn more about how to get the ones I have recorded for myself at http://www.poweraffirmations.com/mp3files.htm. Or just email me.  I have over 200 affirmations recorded on MP3 files for downloading (over 3 hours of audio content).

+affirmations-based-on-rich-dad-poor-dad.htmĒĻ’’H\’’’’6Increasing Money by Conquering Personal Fear and Greed>}ś%&Ē’(

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February 21, 2005

Increasing Money by Conquering Personal Fear and Greed

One of the first lessons that "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" teaches is about understanding and controlling fear and greed. Many people go to work and work hard not to learn more and to grow, but out of fear that they wonā€™t have enough money to pay their bills. So early in their lives they form the pattern of:

  • Get up
  • Go to work
  • Pay their bills
  • Get up
  • Go to work
  • Pay their bills

<>Sound familiar?

Then when they get more money, rather than using it to purchase assets that will increase their future income, they spend it on luxuries (which Rich Dad calls "doodads")...

Things get worse when they start borrowing money to buy more doodads or just to survive. When they get the new credit card or the new loan, uncontrolled desire sets in and they begin buying more than they should. They become very good at accumulating doodads and debts rather than cash producing assets. Then when the bills come in, fear sets in and they feel the need to go to workā€”not because they enjoy what they do or to increase their knowledge, but because they are afraid of not having enough money. This is the rat race. Living (if you want to call it that) from paycheck to paycheck.

So, if you want to get control of and increase your wealth, the first thing you must do is to get control over your fear and your greed. That can only happen by taking back control of your internal representations: the things you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell in your mind. This is something only you can do. But if you are like me, you need tools to help you to change your thought habits. Thatā€™s where affirmations, positive audio programs, books, and seminars play a very important role. Just earning a lot of money will not help you manage the emotions of fear and greed. You can only master your emotions by mastering your mind.

Stop listening to what others are suggesting/telling you to do (like Corporations through their advertisements). Choose your own thought habits. Below are some additional affirmations based on my continued study of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. But there is nothing preventing you from creating your own. If you need help creating your own Power Affirmations, you can study the other articles in this site. Once you learn a few simple rules, it is extremely easy. Used properly, Power Affirmations will improve your thought habits. And when you improve your thought habits, your whole world will improve.

Here are some new affirmations:

  1. As I work to learn, I discover new opportunities to increase and multiply my wealth everyday.
  2. <>I work to learn, and my increased knowledge multiplies my wealth.
  3. Because Iā€™m working to learn, I see and take advantage of new opportunities that others miss.
  4. Using my thoughts, I create new opportunities for myself everyday.
  5. I am now the master of my emotions and my money.
  6. I am now courageous and intelligent. I increase my money by boldly taking intelligent risks and managing my expenses.
  7. When outstanding opportunities present themselves, I seize them quickly and decisively.
  8. I correct my circumstances by correcting my thinking. I take responsibility for the circumstances in my life.
  9. I am now passionate about studying wealth and abundance.
  10. I work to contribute and to create new opportunities for myself and other people.
  11. I accept the truth about my emotions, and through the power of my mind, I use my emotions to create positive and lasting change.
  12. By mastering my emotions, I am now a master of the power of the money in my life.
  13. I learn the life lessons within my circumstances.
  14. My circumstances are getting better all the time.
  15. I find new ways to create money that does not require my presence.
ĒĻ’’\’’’’@Increasing Your Wealth by Increasing Your Financial Intelligence~J ė&&ĒŌE

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February 22, 2005

Increasing Your Wealth by Increasing Your Financial Literacy

Perhaps the primary message of Rich Dad, Poor Dad is increasing basic financial literacy.  Perhaps I should say financial literacy for the common man and woman.  The reason I say this is because the principles taught in the book are very simple--the fundamental personal finance.  Some people may even say the what Kiyosaki teaches is dangerously simplistic. 

I think those people are missing the point.  While it is true that if you want to build significant wealth, you will need to study finance and business in greater depth, what I think that "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and "Cash Flow Quadrant" teaches well is a high level view of how cash flows through your life.  And one of the first things you must do in order to begin accumulating wealth is to understand and take charge of your cash flow. 

<>Once you understand how you create cash and understand the flow, you can begin to make simple to complex changes to accumulate more and more cashflows.  And just like water that flows into a glass begins to accumulate, your wealth will rise and eventually overflow with abundance.

Here are some of the key points about financial literacy in the "Rich Dad" book:

  1. Your greatest "wealth" is not money. It is your state of mind, your thinking and understanding--proper (not necessarily conventional) education.  Once you learn how to make a lot of money, even if someone takes it all away, you still have the knowledge to re-create it and more.  Even more important, if you have profound financial knowledge, there is much less chance that you will ever lose it once you create it.  The lesson:  invest your time and your money studying how to create positive streams of passive cash flow.
  2. It's not only how much money you make, it's how much you keep.  As cash flow comes in, you have to be watchful not to spend it as fast or faster than you make it.   Track and control your finances.
  3. Understand the difference between assets and liabilities.  This is one of the most controversial points in the book.  According to Kiyosaki, an asset puts cash in your pocket, a liability takes out cash from your pocket.   These are not academically correct definitions, but they are very helpful in getting control of your cash flow.
  4. In order to be rich, accumulate assets. Most people get into financial trouble by accumulating liabilities (especially credit card debt).  The most common reason this happens is due to a lack of understanding, lack of intelligence of what is happening to their cash flow pattern.
  5. If you accumulate a lot of money, but do not have the intelligence to understand how to effectively manage your cash flow, an increase in money can actually accelerate the problem.
  6. Here is one point that I'm still wrestling with:  your home is not an asset.  It may be an asset on your balance sheet, but because it is taking money out of your pocket, it is a liability.  He's not saying don't buy a home.  He's saying don't call it an asset when it is really a liability.
  7. When you are in the process of building your wealth, exercise financial discipline to maximize what you spend on cash producing assets and minimize what you spend on cash draining liabilities.  Saving is not enough if you are not buying cash producing assets.
  8. One point that is emphasized more in his game Cash Flow (highest recommendation) is his definition of a "doodad."  I absolutely love this term, because it interrupts your buying pattern and helps you take control of your spending habits.  Doodads are those material possessions that we spend our money on that are really liabilities.  Like that luxury car that is really beyond your current means.  Or that new television set that you just had to have.  Or as simple as that new DVD.  Buying dodads at the time you should be buying assets is the one of the primary causes of financial trouble. 
  9. He is not saying don't buy doodads.  The point is to buy assets before you buy doodads.  And then let the extra income that is generated by the assets pay for your doodads.  Put first things first.
  10. The poor, middle class, and wealthy all spend money. Where they eventually end up depends on the the intelligence and wisdom they develop and what they choose to accumulate.  What you focus your thoughts on expands.  If you focus on increasing your knowledge and assets, they will accumulate.  If you focus on doodads and indiscriminate spending (even unconsciously), you will accumulate liabilities. 

So, what are some Power Affirmations to help condition your mind to automatically act on these ideas?  One thing I hope you will notice about these affirmations:  many of these are very specific.  They go way beyond such platitudes as "I love myself." 

When I create and use affirmations, I'm interested in focusing on specific strategies and thought patterns I need to have in order to achieve my objective.  When was the last time you saw an affirmation that included tax accountants and bankers?  But the truth is you need these people on your team if you are going to build massive wealth.  So you may as well condition your mind that they will be in your life, that you are comfortable in dealing with them, and that they work for you.

<>Here are the new affirmations:

  1. My financial intelligence is now multiplying everyday.
  2. I am the master of my money.  I track and manage my cash flows.
  3. I carefully accumulate cash producing assets.
  4. I pay myself first.  And I use the cash I save to buy more and more assets.
  5. I now surround myself with expert financial advisors: tax accountants, real estate brokers, bankers, attorneys, and investors.  Outstanding advisors now work for me.
  6. I study and fully understand financial statements.  When I study financial statements, I rapidly understand the cash flow patterns behind the numbers.
  7. I now have an outstanding balance sheet rich with cash producing assets.
  8. When I spend money, I minimize doodads and maximize assets.
  9. I clearly understand the difference between assets and liabilities.
  10. When I make a purchase, I ask myself "am I turning cash into trash, or into cash producing assets?"  I choose assets.
  11. My cash producing assets now exceed my personal expenses and buy more cash creating assets.  I am now on the fast track of life.

One last point.  As good as the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" book is, Robert Kiyosaki's game "Cashflow" really helped clarify the most important concepts.  I use the computer version.  Given my time constraints with my business, I find it easier to set aside time to play it periodically.  Even though it is a simplistic view of how the world works, and is heavily biased towards real estate, I found it extremely educational.  As a side note, I majored in business in college, but there is very little I learned from my courses that I feel increased my financial intelligence.  That has come primarily from studying books like "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," and "Think and Grow Rich."  Do not underestimate the power of self education!!!

ĒĻ’’Q\’’’’ The Morphing of Thought and CashnżŠ(&ĒåG

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February 23, 2005

The Morphing of Thought and Cash

Here are some thoughts about the morphing of thought and cash.  What do I mean by morphing?  I mean the transformation of something from one form to another.  If you have seen movies like TERMINATOR 2, X MEN, or MATRIX, you have an idea of what I'm talking about.  In these movies, some characters literally change physical shape from one form to another.  What I'm speaking about is a kind of mental "alchemy." 

Alchemy was the attempt in the Medieval Ages to change base metals into gold. 

This is where the word "chemistry" comes from.  While we may not be able to change lead into gold (although science being what it is, maybe they can), we can transform, transmute, or morph our thoughts, ideas, and actions, into money.  Most of us do it all the time without giving it a second thought. 

If you have a job with a regular paycheck, you are transforming your services into money.  A big part of creating wealth has to do with how are you creating your cash flow, and what you doing with it after you get it.

<>What are some ways cash flows into our lives?

  • Paycheck
  • Loans
  • Gifts
  • Inheritance
  • Lottery (just kidding)
  • Stocks/Bonds/Real Estate
  • Businesses that require your presence
  • Businesses that do not require your presence
  • Royalties from intellectual properties

What are some things we transform our cash into?

  • True necessities--food, clothing, utilities
  • Taxes
  • Interest
  • Houses
  • Cars
  • Doodads (in most cases, trash)--unnecessary luxuries
  • True cash flow assets--assets which create regular cash flow now and appreciate in value (can be sold for more money later).  The benefit of transforming your cash into assets instead of trash is your cash starts to make more cash.  Get good at this, and then you won't have to work for your cash, your cash will work for you. 

When your passive income exceeds your personal expenses, you are on your way to escaping the RAT RACE!

Don't you think this is important enough to invest some time and study?  Maybe a lot of time and study!

One of the reason most people don't accumulate a lot of wealth is that they rely on only one way to create wealth:  their job.  And that usually involves transferring personal time and energy for money.  If you want more money using this strategy, it will take more personal time and energy.  Pursue this to the extreme, and you wear yourself out.  One day, you wake up and it's time to retire.  And all you have to show for it is a gold watch and a heartfelt "thank you."  There's only so much you can do on your own.

Most of the time, it is simply because they didn't transform (spend) a portion of their cashflow to create or take ownership of cash producing assets in order to develop new sources of cashflow.

Instead of morphing a portion of their cash into new cash producing assets, they morphed their cash into trash.

Here's an example of what I mean:

Cash In:  Paycheck (personal services morphed into cash), loans

Cash out:  regular living expenses, doodads, things whose end is eventually trash.   Here's a question to ask yourself:  what is the ultimate destiny of the objects you are spending your cash on?  If you are over spending on food, where is it eventually going to go?  I don't think I want to know the answer to that.

If you spend it going to the movies, what have you transformed your cash into? (answer VAPOR!--you have nothing--"no thing" (a physical asset or even an object-- to show for it!  I say this, and I'm in the entertainment industry).  I take that back--you have a ticket stub--a small piece of paper.  And where does that paper go--the trash!  So, when you spend that $10 or more going to the movies, it is as if you are taking a $10 bill and throwing it in the trash.  You may have had a good time (which does have some value), but you still need to be honest about what you morphed your cash into by your thoughts, emotions, desires, and actions.

When you buy that piece of furniture, or toy, or the latest electronic gadget, where is it eventually going to go?  Many, many times it's eventually going to go to the trash heap.  Or be sold for pennies on the dollar at a garage sale.  Or given to charity.

It get's even worse when you transform future cash (loans) into trash.  Now you have to pay back the lender (plus interest), but you have nothing but trash to show for it.  In that case, you are accumulating liabilities to buy trash!  That is exactly opposite of what people who accumulate wealth do.

<>If you think, I'm being overly harsh by calling these "luxuries" trash, first take personal inventory of your possessions--most likely acquired with CASH--and ask yourself where are they going to be 10-20 years from now.  If a high percentage is going to be in a local landfill (in many cases literally), then you have probably transformed your precious CASH in to TRASH.

I am not saying don't buy luxuries.  And  yes, I love a good movie on occasion.  There is a time and a place for these things.  But not while you are creating your financial foundation.  I'm saying buy assets first.  If you have money left over, go ahead and spend it.  But realize you may be slowing down your progress.  Exercise discipline to set aside a portion of your income into buying true assets.  How fast do you want to accumulate wealth?

Everytime you earn money from your job, you are morphing your services and time--your brains--into cash.

Everytime you spend your cash, you are transforming it into something else.

What is true for an individual is also true for larger entities such as businesses, organizations, governments, etc., but on a much larger scale.  If you want to create strong, cashflow rich businesses, apply the principles to your own life first.  This will correctly shape your thoughts when it comes to evaluating and managing business opportunities. 

What you choose to morph your cash into often determines your ultimate financial destiny.  Transform cash into trash, and you will be broke.  Transform cash into growing, cash producing assets, and you will accumulate and create new wealth.

One of the questions I've learned to ask myself when I'm spending my money is "am I transforming cash into trash, or into assets?"  This has made me much more selective on how I spend my money.  As a result, money is accumulating.  Income is rising.  Bad debt is being transformed into good debt (more on the difference between the two later).

Affirmations you can use to condition your mind to these concepts will follow in the next day or two.

ĒĻ’’M\’’’’KHow I Bought Exactly the Car I Wanted Using Just the Phone and the InternetœŹĢ*&ĒÉV

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May 06, 2005

How I Bout Exactly the Car I Wanted Using the Phone and the Internet

In 2002, the lease was up on my current car, so I decided it was time to get a new one.  Like most people, I generally donā€™t like going to a car dealership to buy a car.  At the beginning of my career, I worked for 6 months as a car sales person so I knew exactly what would happen if I went to the car dealership.  The sales person would ā€œassess my needs.ā€  Then get me to settle for a car that they had in stock on the lot.  Then Iā€™d have to go for a test drive.  Then negotiate on a price.  Fill out a credit application.  Sign the paperwork in the Finance and Insurance office.  All the while they attempted to sell me additional add ons to the carā€”paint protection, under coating, and extended warranty.  If I was lucky, the entire process would take about 5-6 hours.  Plus be physically exhausting. 

Thatā€™s if I was lucky.  If I was unlucky, Iā€™d have to shop from dealership to dealership and negotiate several times before I finally found the price and the car I wanted.  The entire process could easily take several hours a day for a week or more.

At the time, I was working as a consultant at a very high hourly wage.  And at the time, the company needed me to even work extra hours in order to complete an important project.  So, for me to take any time off just to buy a car was not only a waste of time, but would probably cost me hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars in lost income.

<>So, I decided to take control of the situation.  I decided that I would find exactly the car I wanted on the internet, and do everything else over the phone.  I decided I wasnā€™t going to even step on the dealership lot until it was time to sign the final papers and pick up the car.  After the experience, Iā€™m convinced that you donā€™t have to earn a lot of money to do what I did, you just need a plan and be prepared to follow it through exactly.

Hereā€™s what I did:

  1. I decided on exactly the car that I wanted.  This strategy is not going to work if you are at the stage where you are just browsing for a car.  In my case, the way I decided was to rent the type of car I wanted for a week.  What happened was that the dealership where I had my car serviced rented me a Jeep Liberty.  I had the car for a solid week so I had a chance to get to know the carā€™s basics.  How it drove, what the visibility was like, what the gas mileage was like, etc.  Even though it was a base model, I absolutely loved it.

    The lesson:  The best way to find out about a car that you are interested in is to rent it for several days.  You are not going to learn much about a car in a 10 minute test drive.  If you canā€™t find the exact car, at least drive a similar car by the same manufacturer.  There are usually a lot of similarities.  Also, make certain you research the car in Consumer Reports.
  2. Once I knew the make and model of the car, I researched it online using the manufacturerā€™s website.  There I was able to see all of the available exterior and interior colors, determine the difference between the different model types (e.g., Sport vs. Limited, etc), and the options.  In my case, I wanted the car ā€œfully loaded.ā€
  3. Using the online tools of the manufacturerā€™s website, I designed the car exactly the way I wanted it and got the basic information on the manufacturerā€™s suggested retail priceā€”the sticker of the car.  That told me what the high end of the price was going to be (but of course, I had no intention of paying full sticker price).
  4. I contacted my insurance company to find out what the exact insurance price would be on the car.  This is important because your insurance will probably go up or down when you buy a new car.  You want to know this information upfront before making a final decision so that there are no surprises.
  5. I arranged for the financing I would need for my car.  In my case it was easy.  My insurance company (USAA) also providing car financing at extremely low interest rates.  They took all the necessary information over the phoneā€”no credit application to fill out.  You may have to shop around for your financing and fill out a credit application, but believe me, itā€™s quicker (and usually cheaper) to make those arrangements before you go to the dealership.  What the lender will probably do is tell you that they will loan you up to 75% of the carā€™s value up to a certain value.  It will all be based on your credit application and credit rating.

    By getting the financing in advance, you know exactly how much you will be able to afford, and the interest rate and monthly payments are even before you speak to the dealer.  This gives you a lot more leverage in negotiating the best deal and gives you time to think without a sales person pressuring you for a decision so he or she can move on to the next sale.  Plus you donā€™t have to wait around at the dealership for them to approve your loan.
  6. Now go back online to locate the dealerships in your area.  In the case of Jeep, they not only listed the dealership, they also listed their inventory.  I not only new exactly what car I wanted, I new exactly which dealerships had the car and how many cars of this type were in the area.
  7. After this preparation, it was time to call the dealership.  In my case, I called the original dealership who had rented me the Liberty.  I was impressed with their service department, so I decided to give them the first shot.  I knew from my research that they didnā€™t have the car, but I also new by experience that they could arrange for a trade with another dealer.

    I spoke to the sales person and directly explained my situation:  my lease was up on my current car.  I wanted to turn it in and buy a new car.  I explained that this was going to be the easiest sale he ever made.  I already knew exactly the car I wanted.  I had already driven the car, so I didnā€™t need a test drive.  I already had my financing.  I knew what a fair price for the car was.  I told him that we either do the deal over the phone, or I will have to go some place else.  He referred me to the sales/desk manager who had to approve the deals.  I put him in touch with the lender so they new I was serious.  Since they had to trade with another dealership for the car, I had to put down a small deposit using my ATM card.
  8. They arranged for the dealer trade, got exactly the make, model, and color I wanted.  They contacted the lender directly to give them the VIN number and the price.
  9. The lender Fedexā€™d me the check made out to the dealership for the amount agreed upon.
  10. I went to the dealership during a week day when sales traffic was slow.  I wanted to show respect for the sales staffā€™s time by not going when it was busy.  And I wanted to get in and out in record time.  I dropped off my leased car, signed the papers, gave them the check from the lender, wrote a separate check for the down payment, and drove off in my new car.  I spent about 20 minutes in total at the dealership.  And most of that time was the sales person showing me the carā€”and forcing me to take a 10 minute test drive.

<>By being prepared, by demonstrating to the dealership that I knew what I was doing, by making the deal easy for them, by respecting their time, I not only was able to get exactly the car I wanted, I got a great price.  And, most important to me, it took very little of my personal time.

You donā€™t have to be an hourly paid consultant or a former car salesperson to get a similar result.  Itā€™s all in the preparation and especially in the attitude.  I approached the situation with complete confidence that this deal was going to happen.  That confidence was based upon solid preparation in advance.  It was also based on complete integrity.  Because I was prepared, I made certain that the sales manager knew that I would do exactly what I said I would do.  I convinced them that they could trust me not to shop around at other dealerships if they met my terms. 

This will not work if you try to pit one dealership in competition with another after they give you a price.  Thatā€™s not fair to them.  If they offer you a fair price and the convenience of doing the deal over the phone, you have an obligation to follow through on your part of the agreement.  So, itā€™s critical that you have all of the other approvals you need BEFORE you make the first call to the dealership.  Otherwise, they will identify you as a ā€œshopperā€ or a ā€œbe backā€ and only negotiate with you at the dealership.

ĒĻ’’\’’’’634 Power Affirmations for Networking with the Affluentī»ž+&Ēß8

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January 15, 2005

34 Power Affirmations for Networking with the Affluent

Here are 34 affirmations I have created after studying the book "Networking with the Affluent" by Dr. Thomas Stanley. Even though the book is targeted to sales people, I believe that it is to everyone's advantage to network--especially to network with successful people. If enough successful people are favorably impressed with you and choose to help you, you can accomplish almost anything--certainly with respect to meeting your own needs and helping other people.

<>As with most tasks in life, success in networking begins with the proper mindset. The right attitude. When people fail at networking, it is usually the result of two things:

  • They approach the contact with an unconsciously selfish attitude. They want time with the prospect to show their products or services so that they can make a sale. While they may claim (and convince themselves) that they are really working in the best interest of the prospect, their interest only goes as far as how their product can help met a prospects need. What they are really saying is "I'm happy to help you, but only if the end result is that you buy my product." This is usually an unconscious thought process. This is one reason that affirmations can be very effective in eliminating this problem. Affirmations can condition your mind so that you are always sensitive to what the other person needs. If you are really effective in helping others meet their needs (even when they have nothing directly to do with your product or service), then the odds are much greater that they will eventually not only buy your product or service, but refer others who also need your services.

Here's a hint: the biggest need and concern of most business owners, is increasing their revenues. Find ways to enhance their revenue, and maybe they will help you enhance yours.

  • Not networking strategically. Unsuccessful networkers, are a "master of the ones." They have one or two contacts in a lot of affinity groups. There's no concentration of power. Most of the time, they don't even know what affinity groups their contacts belong to. Successful networkers network in clusters. They target the leaders of networks. They use tools of mass communication to reach large blocks of potential contacts--especially, publishing articles and giving speeches/seminars. Of course these articles and speeches cover topics that are considered important to the target audience. These tools allow them to help multiple members of their network in a short period of time and establish themselves as experts in their specific field.

Here are several affirmations I have written for myself as the result of studying Thomas Stanley's book.

  1. My power network is multiplying everyday.
  2. I help people in my network achieve their goals and objectives.
  3. I now serve my network with respect, professionalism and intelligence.
  4. I connect to new contacts and allies everywhere I go.
  5. I regularly participate in fund raising activities for worthy, charitable causes.
  6. I am a network facilitator. I bring people in my network for their mutual benefit.
  7. I create powerful, positive connections with good people everywhere I go.
  8. I create new business opportunities by connecting with people at the point of their needs first.
  9. I establish expertise and credibility by studying and understanding issues important to my target network.
  10. As I connect with my network, I ask questions and listen carefully for indications of their needs.
  11. I now find creative ways to help members of my network multiply their revenues.
  12. I take the initiative to be an advocate of issues important to my network. I am an activist.
  13. I read the trade publications of people in my network regularly.
  14. I multiply my network by regularly publishing articles in their trade publications-articles that are of interest to them.
  15. By reviewing trade publications and attending trade association meetings, I stay current with the issues and challenges important to the members of my network.
  16. I help members of my network fulfill their needs regardless of any immediate personal benefit to me.
  17. I am now a strategic networker.
  18. <>I now network with the major business and political leaders in my community.
  19. I regularly network with opinion leaders in targeted affinity groups.
  20. I multiply my network in clusters.
  21. I regularly participate in and contribute to strategic organizations and associations.
  22. Opinion leaders contact me regularly for my help and advice.
  23. Opinion leaders seek me out to add me to their network of contacts.
  24. I regularly network with the advisors of affluent and influential leaders.
  25. I am a master of clusters rather than a master of the ones.
  26. I am a recognized industry leader and expert in my profession.
  27. I demonstrate my expertise by regularly publishing articles of interest to my strategic network.
  28. I have a clear understanding of the anatomy of wealth and power in my community.
  29. I write articles that target my network and have them published regularly.
  30. I am now well known by the opinion leaders in my network.
  31. I regularly connect with community and government leaders at the local, state, and national level.
  32. I target clusters of networks, not just individuals.
  33. I regularly recognize the achievements of people in my network.
  34. I have made a lifetime commitment to helping members of my network solve their specific problems. I am patient in developing my network.
ĒĻ’’O\’’’’.Some Ideas to Reduce the High Cost of Gasolinex;j¢q&Ē”g

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April 10, 2005

How to lower gasoline prices?  This may seem like an odd topic to include in a website about affirmations.  There's a few reasons I'm including it.

  1. I'm committed to providing practical information that will help you improve your life.  If you cut down your gasoline consumption, you will save money.
     
  2. The cost of gasoline reaches to every level of our collective and individual economies.  Rising fuel costs will fuel high inflation.  And that's something we all want to avoid.
     
  3. Our thought habits have a strong influence in how we consume gasoline--or anything else for that matter. And exercising control over our thought habits is really what this site is all about. If we all improve our gasoline consumption habits, there's a very good chance that prices will drop.

So read and enjoy.  I'll bet you'll find some ideas here related to reducing your gasoline costs--and many will improve other areas of your life as well...

Some Ideas to Reduce the High Cost of Gasoline

<>I donā€™t know about you, but Iā€™m starting to get ā€œsticker shockā€ every time I go to fill my car with gas. Iā€™ve seen prices per gallon for regular gasoline here in the Los Angeles area as high as $2.69 9/10 lately. And it seems like only a few weeks ago, they were about $2.25 9/10. Mathematically speaking, thatā€™s a 19.5% increase in just a matter of weeks.

What is really insidious is that a significant rise in gasoline prices has a tremendous ripple effect throughout the entire economy. It raises the cost of doing business. When those costs get high enough, they are passed on to you and me in the form of higher prices. So this isnā€™t just a matter of improving the environment, this is about economic survival!

I believe that we cause prices to decrease if we take collective action to reduce gasoline consumption. If we can reduce our national demand for gasoline, this certainly should eventually lead to stabilizing and possibly reducing the price we pay at the pump. And that will help stabilize prices throughout the economy. One of the great side benefits of this is that reducing our consumption of gasoline will also improve the environmentā€”especially air quality.

Here are some suggestions. Some are things that you can do to immediately reduce your gasoline consumption/cost. Some require the cooperation with others. The cumulative effect of all these changes can be significant if everyone saves even a little:

  1. Make certain you car pool at least once or twice per week. Every person who carpools is one less person on the road.
     
  2. Work out an arrangement with your employer to shift your work hours to times when traffic is better. For example, if you come to work a couple of hours in the morning and leave a couple of hours early, you may be on the road when traffic is lighter. That should translate improved gas mileage.
     
  3. Work out an arrangement with your employer to work 10 hours a day 4 days per week. Employers still get the same number of work hours, but this reduces the number of days you have to come to work. The days off can vary by employee so that it doesnā€™t disrupt business operations.
     
  4. Employers need to consider allowing some employees to telecommute. With high speed internet connections and VPN accounts, this is now more technically possible than ever. As long as the employee is self-motivated, this benefits the employer as well as the employee. Many times, employees who telecommute actually work longer on days they telecommute because of the reduced commute time. Also, they often eat at home during the work day reducing lunch times. And there are fewer interruptions so they can concentrate and be more productive. And the employee has less stress reducing sick time and increasing morale.
     
  5. Change one of your work days to a Saturday or Sunday. In most cases, traffic is lighter on the weekends, so you should get better gas mileage. And isnā€™t it great to have a day off during the week to take care of personal things that are sometimes difficult to do on the weekends.
     
  6. Consolidate your trips. While reducing miles per gallon is important, the real savings come when you simply donā€™t use the car at all.
     
  7. Set a personal goal to reduce your personal gasoline consumption by 10%. I recommend that you write this goal out on a card and tape it to the visor in your car so that you see it regularly. If you set a goal and review it often then you are more likely to take conscious action to achieve it. Too often, we simply get in the car and go without thinking of the consequences.
     
  8. Get a log book and start recording your gasoline consumption every time you go to fill up. Write down the mileage, number of gallons, price per gallon, total cost and your average miles per gallon. Then review the total figures at the end of each month. Once you get into the habit of writing down the information, it wonā€™t take much time. Just the act of recording this information will make you conscious of how much or how little you are using your car. That will make it easier for you to take action to reduce your consumption.
  1. The next time you get your oil changed, request synthetic oil. Yes, synthetic oil is more expensive. But, when I switched to synthetic oil a few years ago, my mileage improved by about 25%. That was in a different car than I drive now. I donā€™t know if you will experience any change, but I bet you receive some improvement.
     
  2. Take your car to a mechanic to find out what actions you may take to improve your gas mileage. Maybe itā€™s as simple as getting a tune up. Or a new air filter. Or air in your tires. Maybe using a fuel additive. The point is, if everyone takes steps to improve their mileage, it could have a huge collective impact.
     
  3. Reward gas stations with the best prices with your business. Itā€™s not as hard to find gas prices that are lower relative to other stations. If you have a warehouse club like Costco in your area, they usually have excellent prices. I estimate that I save at least $0,15 per gallon by getting my gas at my local Costco.
     
  4. Shop for the lowest gasoline prices in your area online. There are some websites that are posting the local gasoline prices throughout the country. If your area is covered, this can be a quick way to locate the best prices.  What is really amazing is how the price can vary by as much as 20% within just a few blocks.
     
  5. Reduce your speed on the freeway. Did you know that most cars get their best gas mileage between 40-60 miles per hour? Those people that go flying down the freeway at 70-80 miles per hour are unnecessarily consuming more gasoline as well as putting peopleā€™s lives at risk. I used to be in favor of the legal speed limit being raised to 65 miles per hour or higher. But knowing the savings we can all achieve if we just decrease the average speed limit, I think itā€™s time we revisit going back to 55 miles per hour. I know this is probably going to be a hugely unpopular suggestion, but I feel it is important to make it anyway.
     
  6. Donā€™t leave your car idling to heat up or for any other reason. Most cars today heat up quickly, so there is probably no longer any reason to waste gasoline this way.
     
  7. When you start from a stoplight or stop sign, accelerate gradually. When you accelerate suddenly, you consume more gasoline.
     
  8. Government officials need to revisit increasing daylight savings time. Studies have shown that overall energy decreases when daylight savings time starts. Thatā€™s probably because there is less energy used in the evening since we have an extra hour of light. What would happen if we moved clocks ahead an extra half-hour or hour? Iā€™ve noticed that when I get up in the morning, it starts getting light at about 6:30 here in Los Angeles. I imagine that there would be little negative benefit if we moved our clocks ahead and extra half-hour or hour to take full advantage of daylight. I think this would only work if it took place nationwide. We should also look into moving the clocks ahead earlier in March rather than waiting until April. If you think this is unreasonable, remember that daylight savings time used to start at the end of April until the U.S. Congress changed it by law.
     
  9. Large corporations should consider setting up small satellite work centers closer to where people live. Even having small offices in different locations where people can go and connect their laptop to a high speed internet connection can make it easier for some knowledge workers to reduce commute distances.  The government should offer tax incentives to encourage this.
     
  10. Write your local, state, and national leaders and encourage them to show real leadership with respect to conservation. It is so easy to email leaders, I suggest that you email them with these and/or your own suggestions. It is shocking to me that prices could increase so dramatically with so little notice from our public and private leaders. We need to let them know that we expect them to display a higher standard of leadership. A large number of these suggestions involve a significant shift in the way we live and work. Many of these changes will not happen unless they are suggested and publicized by leaders at the national level.

<>These changes will only change if there is a change in our national mindsetā€”our national habits. We have been conditioned to believe that we have to work the hours we work. We have been conditioned to believe that the only effective way to work is to travel to a central location. That we have to physically be at the Corporate location in order to be productive.

Government leaders should offer businesses tax incentives to implement policies that encourage conservation and reduction in travel distances and times. They already do this to some degree with carpooling, but thatā€™s not enough. We simply must be more creative in finding ways to be more efficient and reduce the consumption of gasoline. Reduce demand and prices are likely to follow.

There are other suggestions I could make such as using public transportation or buying a fuel efficient car. Those should be pursued, but those are the standard answers and longer term solutions. Certainly we need to move in that direction for the long term, but given the recent dramatic rise in gasoline prices, out of necessity we need to take immediate action that will lead to lower prices in the short term while we also move towards long term solutions.

I know that some of these suggestions are radical. I know that many require the consent of people in authority over usā€”mostly our employers. And some require a certain amount of self-sacrifice (but not that much really if change some simple habits). The good news is that given the high cost of gasoline, if you take even some of these actions, you can significantly decrease your monthly expenses. And the truth is that if we want gasoline prices to fall, we each need to do our part.

If we all do a little, collectively we can accomplish a lot!

Please share this article with as many people as possible. The more people who believe that we can take meaningful action to reduce gasoline consumption, the greater the possibility that prices will fall. Wouldnā€™t it be great if our collective actions reduced gasoline prices back to $1.20 per gallon! Those days are gone foreverā€”if we believe they are gone. How would lower fuel prices improve your economy? How would this improve our national economy?

ĒĻ’’\’’’’Today I Chooseh@Ī˜r&Ē“?

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March 01, 2005

Today I choose...

Here is a great way to create affirmations that may be helpful to you.  Here's how it works:

You start off the affirmation with "Today I choose..."  then fill in a quality or thought habit that you want to condition into your thinking.  Then repeat it often during the course of the day, especially when you are about to make a decision or engage in a behavior that is directly related to what you intend to create.  Let it act as a compass to guide you so that you keep moving in a straight line directly towards your goals regardless of what others may do.

<>So, for example, you might say, "Today I choose to be wealthy."  Here are some sample times when you may want to repeat this to yourself:

  • When you make deposits to your accumulation plan (I like the word "accumulation" much better than "savings").
  • When you spend money.  I use this to check myself to see if I'm turning cash into trash, buying a doodad, or buying a potential asset.
  • When you think you have to watch some television to unwind (instead of studying to be wealthy).
  • As I'm listening to a success oriented audio book or studying financial intelligence.
  • As I go to work.
  • As I research assets to purchase.
  • When I even think about using a credit card or some other type of debt.

I'm sure there are all kinds of other situations where I repeat it.  What this does is set the direction of my thought to focus on activities that lead to wealth.  I'm consciously choosing my thoughts rather than simply walking around unconscious of my thoughts and actions.  It helps me think through the consequences of my actions in advance so that I make better choices.

Sometimes for variety, I may replace the word wealth with other variations, such as:

  • Today I choose to accumulate wealth.
  • Today I choose to be financially intelligent.
  • Today I choose to create massive abundance.
  • Today I choose to spend my money wisely.
  • Today I choose to live debt free (that is no bad debt)

You get the idea.

This formula also works for far more than accumulating money.  Let's say you need to improve your health or to loose weight.  How about:

  • Today I choose to be healthy.
  • Today I choose to be thin.

Here is why this affirmation formula is so powerful.  Once you reach the age where you can start to make choices, the quality of your life is largely governed by the choices you make for yourself.  Every choice you make (either consciously or unconsciously) is a cause set in motion.  If you want to improve the quality of your life, it starts by improving the quality of your thoughts and your choices.  If you are not satisfied with the quality of your life, it won't change until you improve the quality of your thoughts and your choices.

This affirmation acts as a pattern interrupt to help you think through your action to make certain it is consistent with the choice you say you are making.  This is why it is important to literally say the words, not just think them.

They also help you make better choices, because they are almost always going to be positive.  Who in their right mind would say:

  • Today I choose to be poor.
  • Today I choose to accumulate massive debt.
  • Today I choose to be fat.
  • Today I choose to be unhappy.
  • Today I choose to be rude and obnoxious.

<>I cringed even as I typed the words.  I think back to a commercial I saw a while back that showed different children saying things like:  "When I grow up I want to be under appreciated" or "I want to be downsized."  I can't remember what the commercial was for, but it was very funny.  Why?  Because they were so serious--like they were saying "When I grow up, I want to be a doctor."  The statements were obviously meant to be ridiculous.

But...how many of us unconsciously say these very things to ourselves by our negative thoughts, self-image, and actions--our choices?

Another reason this formula is so powerful is that it focuses your mind on "Today."  Today, right now, is all we really have.  You can't take actions in the past.  You can only plan for the future (and planning is important--see http://www.poweraffirmations.com/RAP.htm to review my personal planning process).  But we can only make our choices and take action in the moment--now.  Today.  How many times did you plan to take a certain action, but didn't for one reason or another?  That happens to all of us all the time--often for good reasons.  While you must learn from the past and plan for the future,  you have to live in the moment.  In many ways, "time" is an illusion.

So, resolve to do to live consciously.  Don't just make better choices, make outstanding choices.   Here's a great thing about choice:  as you consciously make outstanding choices, you have the added benefit of rejecting poor or mediocre choices without any extra effort.  As these outstanding choices begin to stack on top of each other, it won't be long before you begin to see massive improvements in your life.

Here are some affirmations to choose from:  Today I choose...

  • ... to be wealthy.
  • ... to live debt free.
  • ... to live an abundant life.
  • ... to be outstanding.
  • ... to be successful.
  • ... to buy assets.
  • ... to be healthy.
  • ... to be happy.
  • ... to be grateful.
  • ... to be an outstanding _________ (singer, business man or woman, accountant, etc.)
  • ... to be courteous and kind.
  • ... to be a good driver.
  • ... to be neat and organized.
  • ... to live at peace with myself and others.
  • ... to forgive others.
  • ... to be persistent.
  • ... to be an outstanding community leader.

As you can see, the list is endless and the formula is simple.  Use it to start making better choices today!

ĒĻ’’U\’’’’"Alkalize Your Way to Better HealthZå˜,s&ĒÉp

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March 04, 2005

Alkalize Your Way to Better Health

Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health.  First of all, I am not an expert.  If you have a health condition, you should go see your doctor.  What I'm going to discuss in this post is something I was first exposed to at a Tony Robbins seminar.

First let me set the stage.  It was day for of the Tony Robbins "Unleash the Power  Within" seminar in Pasadena, CA.  I had been to the seminar before, so I knew what to expect.  Or so I thought...

The way the previous seminar had been run, Tony was out of the building--gone--bye-bye.  The topic was on Living Health, a subject that Tony Robbins is very passionate about.  The story we had been told is that the last time he spoke about it live, he went for 18 hours!  Now those of you who have been to one of his seminars knows that this is entirely possible.  In fact, the previous days certainly seemed close to that.

<>Anyway, the seminar started exactly the same way as before.  Shortly after it started, I was about to leave. Then they appeared to have video problems.  One of Tony's associates came back on stage and apologized.  It looked like they had a legitimate disaster on their hands.  Then he asked if there was anyone in the audience who was familiar enough with the material to complete the seminar.  Suddenly a familiar voice came over the speakers--it was Tony, live and in person.

The whole thing was a set up.  And they had kept it secret during the entire previous 3 days.  In fact, the audience that day was a fraction of the audience the days before.

Tony explained that it had been many years since he had taught the seminar live and that there were some new exciting distinctions he was going to share with us that day.  There were some things in the previous seminar he now thought were not quite right based on his new knowledge.

Of course, like everyone else in the audience, as soon as he walked on the stage I was riveted.  No way I was going to leave now. 

What Tony shared for the rest of the day definitely caused a major shift in my thinking about health.  Without getting into too many details, he talked about his studies with Robert O. Young and one of the primary (if not they primary) cause of bad health:  acidosis.  This is the condition of the body being too acid.  I have never heard this discussed before.

Tony has a set of recordings of his seminar available called Living Health.  I purchased those (actually repurchased those) sometime after the seminar.  I may be wrong, but I think the CDs of the second set I purchased were recorded at the seminar I attended.  You can learn more about this if you get the Living Health program or purchase Robert O. Young's book, "The pH Miracle."

Just to be clear, I don't get any kind of money for endorsing Tony's seminar.  I just mention it because it has formed the basis of many of the Power Affirmations I created for the recordings on health.

How do you know if your body is too acid?  The safest assumption is just to assume that it is.  If you get some yellow litmus paper (just search the internet), you can take a small strip and put it under your tongue.  If it's a light shade of yellow, guess what, you're acidic.  If it turns blue, most likely you are alkaline.

First of all you need to understand the pH (potential for hydrogen) scale.  It is a logarithmic scale from 1-14 that measures the acidity or alkalinity of a chemical (hint:  your body is a chemical factory).  A pH of 7 is neutral (the normal pH of pure water).

The fact that it is a logarithmic scale is important.  For example, a pH of 6 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 7.  But a pH of 5 is a 100 times more acidic.

The human blood has a natural pH of about 7.4.  The human body cannot survive if the pH of their human blood drops to 7 or rises to 7.8!  So the body has natural buffers it uses to keep the blood within these narrow limits.  Hint: your bones (including your teeth) are mostly calcium--an alkaline substance.  So if your body gets too acidic, it leaches the calcium from your bones creating tooth decay and bone loss.  Increased storage of fat and water retention is also a way your body protects itself.  To get to your ideal weight--alkalize.

Now the real trick is how do you change your body from acid to slightly alkaline and keep it there.  It is a fact of chemistry that it takes a lot of alkalinity to neutralize even a little bit of acid.  For example, to change a gallon of water with a pH of 5 to 7 would take 20 gallons of water with a pH of 7.5! 

Here's some simple math:  your body is 80% water.  Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon.  To find out about how many gallons of water are in your body at any one time, multiply your body weight by 80% and divide by 8.34.  Let's say you weigh about 170 lbs.  170 x 80%=136 lbs.  136/8.34 is about 16 gallons of water. 

Obviously, the human body is much more complicated than this.  But what this indicates is just how diligent we need to be to alkalize our body. 

I believe that the trick is to drink alkaline drinks and eliminate acidic drinks.  From what I've studied, the closer your drinks are to a pH of about 9 the better.

One of the most shocking things I learned at Tony's seminar is that fresh orange juice and carrot juice are actually acidic, and so can cause the body to become too acid if taken to excess.  Same with eating too much fruit.  That was a significant shift from his earlier program.  Note:  I still like fruit and think it can be beneficial, but only in moderation.

The foods that really shine are the live, leafy greens--what a surprise!  He showed some photos that showed the amount of energy in the food (I forget the name of the process) and it was amazing the amount of energy radiating from fresh wheat grass--like a lightening storm!

I think that eating the leafy greens and drinking their fresh juices is one way to increase your alkalinity, but I've come across some other products that work well for me (no, I'm not promoting some MLM--most of these can be purchased over the internet or at your local health food store).  In order to test the alkalinity of some products, I'm relying on the litmus paper I mentioned earlier.

So here are some of my findings based on my simple testing:

  • Soda--very acidic!  Put the litmus paper in it and it turns bright yellow.  I have read that soda has a pH of 3!  Do the math and that is about 10,000 times more acidic than plain water!  Not figuratively, but literally (10 to the 4th power)!
  • The enzyme products by Infinity2 (http://www.infinity2.com).  These all tested alkaline.  The paper turned bright blue!  Note:  this is an MLM and their products, while excellent are expensive.  I'm not signing anyone up, so let's not even go there.  What I am telling you is that their products appear to be outstanding and based on before and after blood tests (which you can see on their site), they help the body stay alkaline.
  • Coral Calcium.  It depends on the formula.  I tested a formula purchased at the health food store and it didn't appear to change the litmus strip.  I tried Coral Calcium Supreme marketed by Bob Barefoot and Ken Trudeau and the strip turned blue.
  • Regular bottled water.  No change in the color of the strip.
  • Evian Water.  The strip turned to medium shade of blue--slightly alkaline.
  • Essentia Water.  The strip turned to a very light shade of blue--Evian was darker; however, they guarantee a pH of around 9.5!  This may be the fastest way to alkalize your body!  And the easiest way to stay in balance.  They state on their website that it is the nature of this type of water that you can only accurately test the pH with scientific equipment rather than litmus paper.  The water is reasonably priced and probably available in most health food stores.  I highly recommend that you include their water in your diet.  You can read more about them at their website at http://www.essentiawater.com.
  • Atkins Advantage shake mix.  Generally, I'm not fond of diet drinks, but I thought I'd test it to see what it looked like.  To my surprise, it tested alkaline!  I don't know about the other health qualities, but it seems to pass the alkaline test.
  • Slimfast Optima drinks.  Similar to the Atkins powder above, but a little less.
  • EAS Myoplex bars.  This was another surprise.  I tried one of their cookies and cream bars and took a litmus test right after--dark blue.  So again, it passes an initial test for being alkaline.

<>So what conclusions have I reached:

  • To be healthy, I have to concentrate on foods that are live and alkaline.
  • Adequate water is critical to good health.  But, all waters are not the same.  While any bottled water is better than no water, whenever available, Essentia and Evian are the best I've tested (see the important note below about Penta Water added after I originally wrote this article! ).
  • Live enzymes are critical to maintaining sound health.  Most of the foods we eat, even live foods like salads, don't have as many enzymes as we really need.  A supplement is likely necessary.
  • Some brands of Coral Calcium can be very effective in staying alkaline.
  • In a pinch, there are some mass market convenience foods that can satisfy your hunger, that are reasonably priced, and alkaline.  Again, not my first choice, but certainly better than reaching for that soda or candy bar!

Live in outstanding health!

Important Note Added on March 15, 2005--I wrote this article before testing Penta Water.  I'm adding this extra bonus material because I think it will help you.  I'm glad that the internet allows me to edit articles I've already written as I learn new things.

New Bottled Water Recommendation

Earlier this month in my article about alkalizing and energizing your body for better health, I wrote about Essentia Water.  I want to let everyone know about another product that I have recently tried that I think is superb:  Penta Water.  I will warn you in advance that this bottled water is very expensive related to other waters.  In California, it sells for $1.65 for a half-liter.  But I will also tell you that after drinking it consistently for about a week, it is probably far and away the best water I have ever had.

While it tested neutral for alkalinity, based on the research I found at the Penta website (www.pentawater.com), the special qualities of the water actually create a very high alkalizing effect on the body.  Without going into all of the details, not only do they purify the water to a high degree, they also use physics to change the structure of the water so that it creates smaller water clusters at the molecular level.  There are other things they do (without adding anything to the water) that appear to have a very beneficial effect.  I suggest that you visit their website and read the research for yourself.  While it is a bit on the glitzy side, based on my personal experience, I don't think they are overselling their product.

The real proof to me was after I tested my own alkalinity after a few days on the product.  Without making any other changes to my diet, the litmus strip came out a very dark blue.  It seems clear to me that this is primarily due to drinking a large amount of Penta (about 3 liters or more per day).

The bottom line:  if you can afford to drink it regularly (start using those affirmations so you can!), I recommend Penta over any other bottled water currently on the market.

ĒĻ’’R\’’’’Stream of ConsciousnessąŪ(Ļs&Ē“

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March 08, 2005

Stream of Consciousness

One thing that is important to realize about thought:  one thought always leads to another.  It is impossible to have one thought without having another one.  What does this have to do with positive and negative thinking?

<>Everything.  The thoughts usually follow one after another--usually in a similar vein, until there is some type of interruption that changes the thought pattern.  Sometimes the interruption is outside of ourselves.  Other times, the interruption is  something we initiate when we take conscious control of our thoughts.

So, the point is this.  Thoughts follow one another and eventually create a stream of thought.  A stream of consciousness.  The question I have ask is how clear (positive) is your stream?  If you are protecting your thoughts, consciously keeping them positive, then positive circumstances will generally flow.  If you just "go with the flow," without consciously taking control of your own mind, it is almost inevitable that a high percentage of pollution (negative thinking) will find it's way into your "stream."

So, if you want to keep your thoughts positive, it is absolutely crucial that you feed your mind success related thoughts every day.  It could be books, audio programs, affirmations...whatever.  The more positive material you feed it, the less time your mind will have to wander.  Eventually, your mind will be so positive, there won't be any room left for negative thoughts.

You cannot afford the penalty of a negative thought.  Because there is no such thing as just a single negative thought.  Resolve to take control of your mind this moment and fill your mind, and the world around you, with positive thought.

ĒĻ’’\’’’’!A Simple Way to Choose to be Rich2R™Ÿt&ĒČD

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March 09, 2005

A Simple Way to Choose to Be Rich

<>I don't remember which of the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" programs I read or heard this in, but here is a simple way to begin to condition your mind to accumulate wealth.  This is something very simple you should be able to do, you must be able to do no matter what your current financial condition may be. 

Are you curious???

In an earlier post, I wrote about the Power Affirmation formula, "Today I choose..."  When it comes to wealth, a few variations of this I found to be helpful are:

  • Today I choose to be rich.
  • Today I choose to accumulate wealth.
  • Today I choose to pay myself first.
  • Today I choose to create abundance.
  • Today I choose to create more than I consume (I like this better than the thought to live below my means, but it's the same general idea).

Etc...you get the idea.

Now here's a simple, daily action that I learned from Robert Kiyosaki that has really helped me keep my mind focused on abundance.  Every day, every single day, as one of the first things I do in the morning, I take three $1 bills out of my wallet and place them into three stacks.  One stack is for money I set aside to give to worthy causes.  One stack is for saving for the future.  One stack is for buying cash producing assets.  As I place each dollar on it's stack, I repeat some variation of one of the affirmations above.  I keep this stack of money on my dining room table, out in plain view so that I can see it as a reminder during the course of the day.

Here are some important points about this practice:

  1. This is something I do every day, first thing in the morning.  If for some reason I forget and miss a day, I remind myself that I just missed an opportunity.  I don't allow myself to play "catch up" later.   The purpose of this exercise is to condition my mind to think in terms of daily accumulation of wealth.  If I let myself off the hook, I've fumbled this opportunity.
     
  2. This is an extension of the principle taught in "The Richest Man in Babylon" (a great book) "a 10th of all I earn is mine to keep."  The difference is that this is not focused on a percentage but the conditioning of a habit.
     
  3. One important thing this does for me remind me of the law of accumulation.  Simply put, it is that if you keep putting in more than you take out, anything will accumulate.  This is a basic law of nature.  It applies to money, friends, clothes, weight, debt, junk, etc.  A profound understanding of the practical application of the law of accumulation is critical to becoming wealthy.
     
  4. I think of this as an accumulation plan, NOT as a savings plan.  Even though they are essentially the same thing, there are subtle differences to me that I think are important in creating the most effective thought habit.  When I think of accumulation, I think of gathering, increase, abundance.  When I think of savings, I think of sacrifice and scarcity.  It is a subtle difference, but it is at least true for me.  I have learned to strongly dislike the whole notion of a "savings" plan.
     
  5. What is important is the conditioning of the habit, not the amount.  Obviously, the more you can put in, the faster the numbers will accumulate and the better you will feel.  But if all you think you can currently afford is 3 pennies a day, then that's what you should start with.  As you progress in your thinking, you can graduate to larger amounts.
     
  6. <>One important rule of the game:  never, ever take money out of these stacks to use it for some other purpose.  Taking money out is none as depletion--the exact opposite of accumulation.  It may not be tempting in the beginning, but as you see the stack start to get larger, you may think it would be a good idea to use it to pay your bills, buy a doodad, etc.  Don't do it.  The whole idea is to condition your mind that there is more than enough abundance in your life RIGHT NOW to do everything you need to do, but still leave this money alone.   If you really need more money to pay your bills or to buy a doodad, create more first.   Do it by cutting back on some other expenditure or increasing your income.  But leave this money for these three purposes.  Delay your gratification until you use your thoughts to create assets to earn the money you desire. 
     
  7. While you could put it in the bank, it is more effective for the conditioning process to use physical money and have it right out in the open where you can see it accumulate.  Again, the thought habit is much more important than the actual money you accumulate.  There's nothing like seeing the money grow day by day, right before your eyes.
     
  8. As you progress, gradually increase the amounts.  Once you master setting aside $1 per day, increase it to $2 per day.  Eventually, you will have such command of the habit it will be safe to switch to having three online bank accounts that you can use for this purpose--or investment accounts.  By then the amounts you will be setting aside each day will be of an amount that it will be impractical--even dangerous--to keep it around the house.
     
  9. Notice that this plan is for each day...not just each payday.  And not just when you happen to earn some money in some other way.  You should set aside some of that money for buying assets as well, but this is different.  This is for daily conditioning.  It is really a Power Affirmation as an object lesson:  you are actually taking an action as an affirmation, not just saying words.  And that is very powerful.
     
  10. Another reason it is important to do this everyday is that you want recognize that you are accumulating money every single day.  Every moment of every day.  Not only once every two weeks or whenever your "payday" is.  Every day is pay day.  And you can organize your life that way by investing in cash producing assets.  For example, even though I have a regular job, I am accumulating money every single day, 24 hours a day through my online businesses.  This didn't happen over night.  It has happened over the course of a long period of time as a direct result of conditioning my mind to create systems of wealth accumulation by studying, using power affirmations, and conditioning this simply habit.

Whatever you are doing right now, resolve that you are going to begin accumulating more wealth right now.  Resolve that you are going to continually condition your mind to think in terms of abundance and riches instead of poverty and scarcity.  The moment you complete reading this article, find a spot where you can start your 3 stacks of money and (even if it is not in the morning), make your first deposit.  And then resolve to do it at least for the next 30 days.  When you do this consistently for the next 30 days, the odds are great that you will do this for the rest of your life.

ĒĻ’’b\’’’’What Business Are You In?f,H„u&Ēļ@

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March 15, 2005

What Business Are You In?

As Robert Kiyosaki points out in his book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," one of the first steps on the road to wealth is recognizing which business you are in.

Regardless of whether you have a job working for someone else or you own your own business, you must see yourself as being in "business."  Being in business for yourself really starts with a state of mind.  A way of thinking before you actually form a legally recognized business.

<>If you think you are working for other people, you are right.  If you believe you are working for yourself, you are right.

There are those who think they own a business when all they really own is a job.  That is the business only works when they do.  As soon as they stop working, the income and cash flow stop.  Often these people work many times harder than people who work for an employer.

A business that is a real asset is one that continues to grow and create new cash flow for you even when you are doing something else.   Regardless of your profession or what your business appears to be to others, your real business is to create and acquire cash flow generating assets.

Bill Gate's profession is a developer of software.  His business was to create Microsoft as an independent, cash producing asset.

If your focus is simply working for a raise or a bonus or working overtime or looking for a higher paying job, you are not minding your own business.   Those things are great when you are starting out, but you will be much better off if you take your thinking beyond these things to focus on creating and acquiring assets.

In the Rich Dad philosophy, which I agree with, your real business is to own assets which generate passive cash flow that exceeds your personal living expenses.  So, even when you are working for others, you are minding your own business when you divert a portion of your income from employment to acquiring cash flow assets.

Another advantage of adopting the attitude that you are always working for yourself and that your employer is your "client," it changes your thoughts towards your job.  That attitude change tends to make you happier and opens up new opportunities.

But this attitude must be tempered with the idea that you need to mind your business of collecting personal assets.  If you spend too much time at your job, you won't have enough free time to take care of your own business.  I know that from personal experience.

 

This is counter to what most of us are taught by our parents and in school.  The primary focus of most educational programs is to churn out an educated work force conditioned to go work for others.  While this is important, it is only a start.  We must also teach true financial literacy to open up a greater number of choices for students. 

What are some examples of assets worth acquiring or creating?

  • Businesses that do not require your presence.
  • Real Estate.
  • Stocks and Bonds.
  • Loans (notes).
  • Royalties from intellectual properties.

<>When successful, what these have in common is that they are assets that produce cash flow regardless of your personal efforts.  The idea that you can simply go to school and get a "safe" job is not a great strategy for creating wealth for most people.  Even in the exceptions where someone is a highly paid top executive in a major company, they need to understand how to grow and create assets.  Otherwise, they won't be an executive for very long.  In reality, they likely already have this mindset or they wouldn't have earned that job.

This information is written for people who haven't achieved their desired level of success yet.  If this is you, keep your daytime job (obviously), but resolve right now that you are going to start minding your own business and grow your personal assets.

Here are some affirmations to help you condition your mind:

  • I am now building my own business.
  • I am now working only for myself.
  • My passive income is multiplying even while I eat, play or sleep.
  • My assets are working for me 24 hours a day.
  • I only buy luxuries last.  I build cash flow first and my passive cash flow pays for my luxuries.
  • I now attract other people to cooperate with me for our mutual advantage.
  • I am now a wise investor in stocks, bonds, real estate, and other cash producing assets.
  • By reviewing the cash flow and true value of an investment, I only invest in sound business opportunities.
  • I am now building self-perpetuating businesses that do not require my presence.

New Bottled Water Recommendation

Earlier this month in my article about alkalizing and energizing your body for better health, I wrote about Essentia Water.  I want to let everyone know about another product that I have recently tried that I think is superb:  Penta Water.  I will warn you in advance that this bottled water is very expensive related to other waters.  In California, it sells for $1.65 for a half-liter.  But I will also tell you that after drinking it consistently for about a week, it is probably far and away the best water I have ever had.

While it tested neutral for alkalinity, based on the research I found at the Penta website (www.pentawater.com), the special qualities of the water actually create a very high alkalizing effect on the body.  Without going into all of the details, not only do they purify the water to a high degree, they also use physics to change the structure of the water so that it creates smaller water clusters at the molecular level.  There are other things they do (without adding anything to the water) that appear to have a very beneficial effect.  I suggest that you visit their website and read the research for yourself.  While it is a bit on the glitzy side, based on my personal experience, I don't think they are overselling their product.

The real proof to me was after I tested my own alkalinity after a few days on the product.  Without making any other changes to my diet, the litmus strip came out a very dark blue.  It seems clear to me that this is primarily due to drinking a large amount of Penta (about 3 liters or more per day).

The bottom line:  if you can afford to drink it regularly (start using those affirmations so you can!), I recommend Penta over any other bottled water currently on the market.

what-business-are-you-in.htmĒĻ’’;\’’’’>The Prosperity of a Nation and Creating Positive Social Change³¦Yv&Ēš!

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 March 23, 2005

The Prosperity of a Nation and Creating Positive Social Change

In the classic book ā€œThe Richest Man in Babylon,ā€ George Clason makes the observation: ā€œOur prosperity as a nation depends upon the personal financial prosperity of each of us as individuals.ā€

What a powerful observation. In other words, it is to our benefit for everyone to be successful and wealthy. We donā€™t have to compete against each other for scarce resources.

I would also like to add this observation:

<>The quality of our world depends upon the quality our thoughts as individuals. If the majority of individuals are positive and successful, then society itself will naturally be positive, successful, and prosperous. If the majority of people are negative, hateful, and unsuccessful, then people will live in unhappy, unsuccessful, perhaps even dire circumstances. ā€œAs a ā€˜Societyā€™ Thinkethā€¦ā€ It is simple cause and effect.

When you look at it this way, it is as if we each have an individual responsibility to be positive and successful and to help others be positive and successful.

If you will take the initiative to condition your mind be positive, to help other people, to be successful, to fill your life with happiness, then I have accomplished one of my primary objectives for my work. If you also unselfishly share this information with others, with no thought of personal gain for yourself, and it helps them, then my purpose is truly fulfilled. For you see, if you help two people, and they help two peopleā€¦through the miraculous power of compound growth, we can create massive social improvement that will spread throughout the world.

According to my calculations, starting with just 2 people, at just a 3.75% daily compound growth rate, we can easily reach 1 million people in a year. How would our world improve if millions of people around the world adopted this philosophy?

If you doubt that we can help millions, hereā€™s the formula for compound growth:

FV=PV(1+r)^n

  • FV=Future Value
  • PV=Present Value (in this case 2)
  • r=Compound Growth Rate (in this case 3.75%)
  • n=Number of Compounding Periods (in this case 365 days)--I'm using the "^" symbol to indicate that this is an exponent. For example, 2^3= 2 x 2 x 2 =8.

If we solve the equation,

  • FV=2(1+.0375)^365
  • FV=2 (1.0375)^365
  • FV=2 (684,949)
  • FV= 1,369,898 people reached in one year.

<>Perhaps this is ā€œutopian.ā€ Perhaps this is ā€œunrealistic.ā€ But how will we know unless we try? If we all do a little, then together we can accomplish a lot. We now live in the world of the internet where accomplishments such as this are not nearly as difficult as they used to be. The internet is the democratization of information for both readers and self-publishers. Never before has it been so easy or inexpensive to reach a mass world-wide audience.

For example, according to my latest web statistics, I have already reached over 75,000 people in at least 18 different countriesā€”all from the comfort of my living room. Isnā€™t this goal worth just a little bit of extra effort?

Just to be clear, this is not about me and my website, book, or recordings. This is about all of us working together in harmony to improve our lives and our world.

Together we can make the world a more positive place, one person at a time.

the-prosperity-of-a-nation.htmĒĻ’’\’’’’$Affirmation for Multiplying Networks‚J–év&ĒŅ

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November 04, 2004

Affirmation for Multiplying Networks

<>

Here is a great Power Affirmation you can use to increase your personal and business networks:

"My network is now multiplying everyday."

There are several things about this that I believe make it a great affirmation:

  • It starts with the basic presupposition that you already have a network. And, unless you live on an island and have absolutely no contact with any other human being, this is an absolute fact. Of course, the very fact that you are reading this now, means you have contact with at least one other person (me), so you are definitely starting with a network.

  • It focuses your mind on the objective: your network. What you consistently think about expands. Focus on poverty, and that's what will expand in your life. Focus on wealth, eventually that's what will grow. If you want an organized network that you contribute to and receive from, you have to bring it to your consciousness regularly. As you do, you will naturally be guided to take the very actions that will cause your network to grow.

  • <>Now multiplying. This is in the present, continuous tense. And the focus is on MULTIPLYING your network, not merely adding to it. Adding to your network is great, but it is not as powerful as multiplying. It's simple mathematics. If you add 2 + 2 + 2, you have 6. If you multiply 2 three times, you have 8. At first it doesn't seem like much of a difference, but with consistency, the numbers can grow very fast. Once you reach a critical mass, your network will take on a life of it's own and literally explode.

    What's even more powerful is if you combine addition and multiplication. When you use addition to grow your network, think big. For example, adding to your network by speaking in front of an audience. Or writing an article for mass publication. I think of this as adding to your network because you are contacting people directly. Multiplication comes into play when these people refer you to other people and so forth.

  • Everyday. There are few things I can think of that are more important than nurturing your personal and business networks. When you properly network with enough people (starting with unselfishly helping them meet their challenges), virtually any major need you have can be met. That's because every need we have is fulfilled by other people. Want a high paying job? If you know enough of the right people, no problem. Need to make a lot of sales? Selling by referral is always one of the best strategies. Need a loan? Would it help to know a high powered banker? The list goes on and on.

  • Concentrated power. Look at the power and meaning that is infused in these six simple words: "My network is now multiplying everyday." Look at how many additional words I used to explain the meaning of this affirmation. And I'm sure I could come up with many more without it just being fluff. By concentrating so much meaning into a simple single affirmation, you are able to focus your mind like a laser beam and achieve your goals in a relaxed and peaceful but powerful.
ĒĻ’’d\’’’’Recency, Frequency, Impact¶`"‹w&Ēæ

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October 31, 2004

Recency, Frequency, Impact

<>

Here are three words that are critical to influencing yourself and
others: Recency, Frequency, and Impact. How do these apply to affirmations?

Recency: When was the last time that you used your affirmations? If the answer was a month ago, a week ago, even a few days ago, you are probably letting too much time go by for the affirmations to really have their full positive effect. What happens is that you "cool off" in the time between and so it's like you are always starting over. If you have the feeling that you are always "spinning your wheels" and not progressing, this may be one of the reasons. You have to eat everyday. In fact, most people eat multiple times per day. So, follow the same pattern in feeding your mind by using affirmations multiple times per day.

Frequency: This refers to the principle of repetition. The more times you use an affirmation within a session, the greater the chance you have that it will condition your mind.

Impact: How much energy are you putting into your affirmations? The POWER in Power Affirmations is in the positive wording that is used, but even more important the amount of ENTHUSIASM, EXCITEMENT, and PASSION that you put into the words as you repeat them.

<>One of the really great thing about using recorded affirmations is that it makes it much easier to apply all three of these principles--especially the principles of recency and frequency. It also helps with impact, but only to the extent that you put yourself into it by interacting with the recordings. Say them out loud while listening to the recordings. Move your body in a powerful way. Raise your voice. Use a commanding tone to demand positive action from your subconscious mind. You are the general of your soul. Do whatever works for you to make these part of your being. If you are interested in downloading over 200 Power Affirmations as MP3 files (over 3 hours of affirmations), you can either email me or visit http://www.poweraffirmations.com  for more information.

These three concepts also work for influencing others. Think of radio and television commercials and all other forms of advertising. Recency: when was the last time you heard the commercial? Frequency: how many times have you seen it? Impact: how strong and powerful was the message? With some commercials, the impact is so strong, once is enough to last years. With others, advertisers have a consistent long term strategy to make their product a part of the social consciousness. If you want a current example of a superior advertising campaign that uses all three of these principles to an outstanding degree, I have only one
word: IPOD.

These principles also apply to networking. If you only contact a member of your network once a year, well guess what? You are not likely to do much with them. If the means of contacting them is to just send them a holiday card, well, that's a nice gesture, but LOW IMPACT. What does that really have to do with helping them solve their problems.

So, as you continue to become superior positive persuaders, remember: recency, frequency, impact. These three words will continue to improve your lives. Repeat them often.

recency-frequency-impact.htm