Thursday, October 28, 2010

"The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability to overcome bad luck." - Channing Pollock
"Close your eyes and form a realistic picture of what a post PC world might actually look like. Those who can envision a plausible future that's brighter than today will earn the opportunity to lead." - Ray Ozzie
"Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution." - Dr. David Schwartz
"The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible - and achieve it, generation after generation." - Pearl S. Buck

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Do not worry at all about negative thoughts, and do not try to control them.
All you have to do is begin to think good thoughts each day. Plant as many
good thoughts as you can in each day. As you begin to think good thoughts
you will attract more and more good thoughts, and eventually the good thoughts
will wipe out the negative thoughts altogether.

May the joy be with you,

Sunday, October 17, 2010

"It's not what you have, it's what you do with what you have that counts." - Unknown
"Every company has room for the man who has a definite plan of action which is to the advantage of that company." - Napoleon Hill

Thursday, October 14, 2010

"Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it. " - Unknown
"I cannot discover that anyone knows enough to say definitely what is and what is not possible." - Henry Ford

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

"To earn more, you must learn more." - Brian Tracy
Today I Will Make A Difference

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble...I will get up. It's OK to fail...I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Max Lucado
"Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it." - M. Scott Peck

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Harness Your Brainpower by Harvey Mackay

Knowledge is power.

How much do you know about everything? How much do you know about a lot of things? Okay, how much do you know about a few things?

If these seem like odd questions, stop and ponder what you know versus what you don’t. Then consider how you would get along if you needed good information on topics that were outside your comfort zone.

As former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson said, “I not only use all the brains I have but all that I can borrow.”

I would add this: and all that I can buy, if necessary.

I rely on experts for all kinds of information. I preach the importance of building a network of experts before you need them so that they are there when you do. Whether it’s a surgeon, realtor, auto mechanic or a master salesperson, I want the best. And I will return the favor whenever I can, whether it’s business advice, a reference, or tickets to a sporting event, concert or the theatre.

But let me make this very clear: I also rely on my own instincts, because, eventually, it all comes back to me. I weigh the information I receive from others, and make the best judgment I can. For instance, I am the first to admit that most technology baffles me. But show me how a new gizmo can make my life easier, make my business more successful, save me time, or just add to my fun, and I’m sold. That’s why I use a BlackBerry.

I try to absorb and retain as much information from my experts as I can. You never know when it will come in handy, or when you will find another application for it.

Carl Ally, founder of Ally & Gargano, one of the 20th century’s most successful advertising agencies, had an interesting take on knowledge: “The creative person wants to be a know-it-all. He wants to know about all kinds of things: ancient history, nineteenth century mathematics, current manufacturing techniques, flower arranging and hog futures, because he never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six months or six years down the road. But he has faith that it will happen.”

All of us have the ability to gain more knowledge. The brain is amazing. While the old theory that we use only 10 percent of our brains has been widely debunked, there’s plenty of evidence that we can increase our brainpower, retention and focus. Plenty of books and websites offer all kinds of help. I’m not endorsing any specific method, but I would encourage you to check out ways to expand your horizons.

In the meantime, you can take some basic steps to improve your knowledge:

Read. Pick out books, newspapers, websites, encyclopedias, anything with information that teaches you something you didn’t already know. Play Trivial Pursuit or watch Jeopardy. Learn something new every day. In my opinion, there are no such things as useless facts. If it’s part of our world, it’s worth knowing. I will get on my soapbox here again: embrace lifelong learning.

Listen. Sounds simple enough, but it’s so easy to be distracted. Focus on the speaker. If you don’t hear it the first time, ask the person to repeat it. Make sure you understand what’s been said. You will be surprised what you can learn.

Pay attention to what’s happening around you. According to MENSA, the organization for people with high IQs, current research shows that at least 52 percent of our intelligence is based on our environment.

Exercise and eat healthy. What’s good for the body is also good for the brain. Another reason not to put off taking care of yourself!

Get some sleep. Our country is chronically sleep-deprived, which negatively affects our thought processes. So along with “beauty sleep,” go for the “smart sleep.”

You will soon learn that you are capable of more than you imagined. You will also learn to recognize your limitations. If you know that you don’t know something, or don’t know how to find an answer, you’ll know it’s time to ask for help. Tap into all the brains you need—they just might not all be housed in your head.

Mackay’s Moral: Sometimes being smart means recognizing when you’re not.

“You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” - Denis Waitley
“Be like the turtle. If he didn’t stick his neck out, he wouldn’t get anywhere at all.” - Harvey Mackay

Sunday, September 26, 2010

"You may not be able to control the situation, but you can always control your reaction." - Austin Mcgonigle

Friday, September 24, 2010

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." - Dale Carnegie

Sunday, September 19, 2010

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli

Friday, September 17, 2010

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

Thursday, September 16, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

To create your tomorrow, go over your day when you are in bed tonight just before you fall asleep, and feel gratitude for the good moments. If there was something you wanted to happen differently, replay it in your mind the way you wanted it to go. As you fall asleep, say, "I will sleep deeply and wake up full of energy. Tomorrow is going to be the most beautiful day of my life."

Good night!
May the joy be with you,
"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." - William Penn
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosenfield of endeavor." - Vince Lombardi
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Seneca
The One Thing that Matters

"We are drowned in paperwork.

Overwhelmed with To Do Lists. Loaded with obligations.

But underneath all the requests, emails, data and urgency, there is always The One Thing.

It's that single thing we could do today to transform our situation, our business and even our life.

We need to get into the habit of looking for it. Then focusing on it. Daily.

Yet 95% of people can't even tell you what it is.

Instead they immerse themselves in busyness, mistaking movement for progress.

As the great author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau wrote: "It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?"

The fact is, you could work only one hour a day and still achieve enormous things, if you just focused on doing The One Thing that really matters.

Or you could work for 12 hours a day (and many do) and make little progress, if you were unaware of what The One Thing is for you.

Every morning before you start work, spend 10 minutes thinking about what your One Thing is. Then do it first.

It's a simple, yet life changing discipline."

There you have it, one hour a day spent well... we mustn't lose sight of what's really important to our success.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." - William James

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

“A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.” - Tony Robbin
www.health2fortune.com

Thursday, September 9, 2010

"There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend." - Katherine Hathaway

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Begin your day by feeling grateful. Be grateful for the bed you just slept in, the roof over your head, the carpet or floor under your feet, the running water, the soap, your shower, your toothbrush, your clothes, your shoes, the refrigerator that keeps your food cold, the car that you drive, your job, your friends. Be grateful for the stores that make it so easy to buy the things you need, the restaurants, the utilities, services, and electrical appliances that make your life effortless. Be grateful for the magazines and the books that you read. Be grateful for the chair that you sit on, and the pavement that you walk on. Be grateful for the weather, the sun, the sky, the birds, the trees, the grass, the rain, and the flowers.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
May the joy be with you,

"Every achiever that I have ever met says, 'My life turned around when I began to believe in me.'" - Dr. Robert H. Schuller
"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out if they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." - William James
"Be careful what you spend your day touching because it will shape your mind, your body, and your heart." - Sam Keen
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." - Mark Twain

Sunday, September 5, 2010

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." - Maya Angelou

Saturday, September 4, 2010

"Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment." - Rita Mae Brown
"A quitter never wins and a winner never quits." - Napoleon Hill

Thursday, September 2, 2010

"Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement." - Henry Ford
"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em,'certainly I can!' - and get busy and find out how to do it." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy." - Wayne Dyer
"I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done." - Marie Curie
"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." - W. Edwards Deming
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby

Sunday, August 29, 2010

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Gandhi
"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." - Abraham Lincoln
"Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." - Benjamin Franklin

Thursday, August 26, 2010

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you never see the shadow." - Helen Keller
"Anything’s possible. You can be told you have a 90% chance or a 50% chance or a 1% chance, but you have to believe, and you have to fight." - Lance Armstrong

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

You must be happy now to bring happiness into your life through the law of attraction. It's a simple formula. Happiness attracts happiness. Yet people use so many excuses as to why they can't be happy. They use excuses of debt, excuses of health, excuses of relationships, and excuses of all sorts of things as to why they can't use this simple formula. But the formula is the law.

No matter what the excuse, unless you begin to feel happy despite it, you cannot attract happiness. The law of attraction is saying to you, "Be happy now, and as long as you keep doing that, I will give you unlimited happiness."
May the joy be with you

"Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticise others." - Christian D. Larson

Monday, August 23, 2010

"Some people Make Things Happen, some watch other people make things happen, and some wonder, what happened?" - Gandhi
"I do the best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep doing so until the end." - Abraham Lincoln

Saturday, August 21, 2010

"There are two kinds of failures: Those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought." - Laurence Peter

Friday, August 20, 2010

Thursday, August 19, 2010

"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." - Norman Vincent Peale
“What people get admired and appreciated for in community are their soft skills: their sense of humor and timing, their ability to listen, their courage and honesty, their capacity for empathy.” - M. Scott Peck
“You can cut down a tree with a hammer, but it takes about 30 days. If you trade the hammer for an ax, you can cut it down in about 30 minutes. The difference between 30 days and 30 minutes is skills.” - Jim Rohn
"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs." - Henry Ford

Friday, August 13, 2010

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

"Always listen to the experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it." - Robert Heinlein

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

"You are the only person on earth who can use your ability." - Zig Ziglar
Vitamins for the Mind
by Jim Rohn

Sophistication

Most people are just trying to get through the day. Sophisticated people learn how to get from the day.

Sophistication is understanding the difference between trinkets and treasures.

Don’t spend major money on minor things. In the last 10 years the guy has bought two tons of donuts and only two books—and the books are primarily filled with pictures.

Sophisticated people don’t leave early. The man says, “Yeah, but I want to beat the traffic.” Isn’t that a great skill to have—beating the traffic?

It doesn’t take a million dollars to learn the difference between a bottle of fine wine and a Pepsi. Sophistication is a study, not an amount.

One of the early signs of sophistication is not giving way to all inclinations, but rather sending your emotions to school so they will learn how to behave.

Money doesn’t make you sophisticated. Only study and practice make you sophisticated. Even people of modest means can become sophisticated because it is within study and practice. How much is a night out at the symphony? About 30 dollars. You say, “Poor people can’t afford 30 dollars to go to the symphony.” Yes, they can. It’s only 30 Hershey bars!

We must teach our children not to spend their money a dollar at a time. If you spend your money a dollar at a time, you’ll wind up with trinkets instead of treasures. You can’t buy much of value a dollar at a time.

Achieving Your Dreams by Jim Rohn

While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What’s the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives—like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in—none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.

If you’ve ever hiked a 14,000-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind: How did the settlers of this country do it? How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day’s supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you... mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn’t focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain.

In their minds, they were already on the other side—their bodies just hadn’t gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth—to start over where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.

You’ve got to be a dreamer. You’ve got to envision the future. You’ve got to see California while you’re climbing 14,000-foot peaks. You’ve got to see the finish line while you’re running the race. You’ve got to hear the cheers when you’re in the middle of a monster project. And you’ve got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable, because that’s how you realize your dreams.

From The Secret Daily Teachings

If you have "needing money" in your vibration, then you will keep attracting needing money. You have to find a way of being happy NOW, feeling good NOW, and being in joy NOW, without the money, because those great feelings are how you will feel with the money.

Money doesn't bring happiness - but happiness brings money.
May the joy be with you,

Saturday, August 7, 2010

"It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable." - Roger L'Estrange

Friday, August 6, 2010

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength, but through persistence." - Buddha

Thursday, August 5, 2010

"If you want to go somewhere, it is best to find someone who has already been there." - Robert Kiyosaki
"Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. I've worked hard on my personal development, and I must admit that this has been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime. But here's the great axiom of life: To have more than you've got, become more than you are. Unless you change how you are, you'll always have what you've got". - Jim Rohn, from his classic "Lessons on Life" gift book

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

"You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." - Zig Ziglar

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

"The sad fact is that people are poor because they have not yet decided to be rich. People are overweight and unfit because they have not yet decided to be thin and fit. People are inefficient time wasters because they haven't yet decided to be highly productive in everything they do." - Brian Tracy
From The Secret Daily Teachings

When you ask for happiness and a beautiful life, ask not just for you, but for everyone. When you ask for something better, ask not just for you, but for everyone. By all means ask for abundance and health for you, but also ask for it to be given to everyone.

Can you imagine what would happen if over six billion people asked for these things for you?
May the joy be with you,

Saturday, July 31, 2010

"Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how easily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires, unless you make them so." - Marcia Wieder

Friday, July 30, 2010

"There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge - both poverty and riches are offspring of thought." - Napoleon Hill
"I don't think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it." - Mike Ditka

Thursday, July 29, 2010

"If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it." - Anthony J. D'Angelo

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Art of Visualization

The art of visualization helps you make your goals part of your subconscious reflex habits, like brushing your teeth or driving your car. Imagine that you’re driving home. Think about the steps you take. You start the car, turn left at the light on Main Street, take a right to the expressway, and head west to the foothills. These interim steps break down your final objective into easily segmented steps.

Psychologists call this interior model or template a “cognitive map.” The cognitive map gives you an image by which to check progress at every moment. If you expect to reach a landmark in less time than you are taking on this particular trip, you might speed up a little to get back on pace. Scientists refer to the process of adjusting your actions to fit your image of what is right as using a “negative feedback loop.” This doesn’t mean that you berate yourself when you get off track. It means you mentally correct to the target.

This week begin to utilize or increase your utilization of the art of visualizing your dreams, so that accomplishment of your goals simply becomes a habit!

- Denis Waitley

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Trying to change someone is a waste of time. The very thought of changing someone is saying that they are not good enough as they are, and it is soaked with judgment and disapproval. That is not a thought of appreciation or love, and those thoughts will only bring separation between you and that person.

You must look for the good in people to have more of it appear. As you look only for the good things in a person, you will be amazed at what your new focus reveals.
May the joy be with you,

Monday, July 26, 2010

"A man can get discouraged many times, but he is not a failure until he begins to blame somebody else and stops trying." - John Burroughs

Sunday, July 25, 2010

"The ego lives through comparison. How you are seen by others turns into how you see yourself. " - Eckhart Tolle
"The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be." - Marcel Pagnol
"I am grateful for all of my problems. After each one was overcome, I became stronger and more able to meet those that were still to come. I grew in all my difficulties." - J.C. Penney
"The worst things you can do for the ones you love are the things they could and should do for themselves." - Abraham Lincoln

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

The law of attraction cannot change anything in your life that you hate, because hate prevents the change from coming. Since the law is giving us exactly what we are putting out, when you hate something the law must continue to give you more of what you hate. You will not be able to move away from it. Love is the only way.

If you focus completely on the things you love, then you are on your way to a beautiful life.
May the joy be with you,
"You don't understand anything until you learn it more than one way." - Marvin Minsky
"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." - Dale Carnegie

Monday, July 19, 2010

"We cannot achieve more in life than what we believe in our heart of hearts we deserve to have." - James R. Ball
“Peace of mind comes from not wanting to change others.” - Gerald Jampolsky
“Enthusiasm is contagious. You can start an epidemic.” - Author unknown
"It is now more important than ever... To question absolutely everything." - Jonathan Budd

Thursday, July 15, 2010

"He, who fears he will suffer, already suffers from his fears." - Michel Eyquen
"Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient." - Aristotle
"There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will." - Epictetus
A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret

On August 17th a new book, The Power, is being released.
Since The Secret was released, I have spent every day for the past four years researching, studying, and deciphering the truths of life that were given by the greatest human beings who have lived.

In my search I discovered one staggering revelation after another, every one of which will change your life. There is so much for you to know about life, and it is all good - in fact it is phenomenal.

Struggle gone! Suffering gone! Negativity gone!

The Power is about to change everything!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

"The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win." - Bobby Knight
"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." - Joseph Chilton Pearce
"The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear." - M. Ghandi
"Most people who fail in their dreams fail not from lack of ability but from lack of commitment." - Zig Ziglar
"There is only one way to succeed at anything and that is to give everything." - Vince Lombardi
"The most important thing about goals is having one." - Geoffry F. Abert
"A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." - Grace Hopper
"When you come to see you are not as wise today as you thought you were yesterday, you are wiser today." - Anthony de Mello
"The only difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is extraordinary determination." - Mary Kay Ash
"Remember, happiness doesn't depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you think." - Dale Carnegie
"How long should you try? Until." - Jim Rohn
"Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is whythe little decisions you and I make every day are of suchinfinite importance." - C.S. Lewis
"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself." - Wayne Dye
"A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror." - Ken Keyes
"Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it." - Brian Tracy

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

The fastest way to become the Master of your thoughts and emotions is through challenging situations. If your life is going along fairly smoothly, there are not the same opportunities that enable you to strengthen your power and become the Master of your thoughts and emotions.

You see, even challenges are beautiful opportunities in disguise.

"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies." - Nelson Mandela

Sunday, June 27, 2010

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." - Albert Schweitzer

Saturday, June 26, 2010

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." - Albert Einstein
"The very fact that you fear something is solid evidence that it’s not happening." - Gavin De Becker

Saturday, June 19, 2010

"Goals. There's no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. And there's no telling what will happen when you act upon them." - Jim Rohn
Thoughts on Financial Freedom by Chris Widener

Here are a few thoughts on financial freedom and how to find it for yourself.

Financial freedom is a buzzword for our generation. It is the pursuit of literally millions of people. So what is it? Is it that elusive? Can anyone achieve it?

Let me start by saying that this is not about how to earn money, or even more money. Rather, it is about how to find financial freedom, which surprisingly, may or may not involve making more money.

The first step in finding financial freedom is to realize that financial freedom has absolutely nothing to do with how much money you have or make.

What? Exactly. Financial freedom is something that goes on inside of you.

This is why someone who makes very little can be happy and someone who makes a ton can be extremely stressed out over his or her financial situation. So the first step is to realize that financial freedom is more about our attitudes toward money than about the amount of money.

"Okay Chris, I'm with you. So what are the attitudes that provide financial freedom?" Here are a few that keep me in financial freedom:

• I do not have to worry about money. I used to catch myself saying, "If I had more money, then I wouldn't have to worry about..." But do you know what? I don't have to worry anyway. I can control my income. I can control my outgo. I can make choices that can alleviate any of my worries. I also realized that things always work out. So why worry? I choose not to worry. I work hard, invest, plan for the future and I do not worry about it.

• I can be happy regardless of my financial state. I know people who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars and I know people who don't have two nickels to rub together. Some are happy and some aren't. And none of the people who have a lot of money say to me, "Chris, I've become so happy since I got money." They were happy before they had money and they are happy now that they have money. Their happiness has nothing to do with the money. Billionaire David Geffen once said, "Anyone who says that money will buy them happiness has never had any money."

• Money is a means to an end, not the end itself. Another way to look at it is that money is a tool to build the house, not the house itself. I would set some financial goals if I were you, but go beyond that to know what greater purpose there will be when you reach them. What will the house be used for that you build with this tool?

I am free. I am free to earn—some people think it is bad to earn more money. It isn't.
I am free to save—some people believe it is bad to save. It isn't.
I am free to give money away—some people feel they will be better off hoarding it. They won't.
I am free to spend—some people believe that they can't spend anything on themselves. They can.
We are free to make choices. That is financial freedom.
• Embrace delayed gratification. Here is the principle: Buy it now and struggle later. Another principle: Delay buying it now, invest the money, and have all you want later on! And you won't even have to touch the principal! We tend to think that having it now will bring enjoyment, but unless you can do it and not cause yourself financial stress, you will actually get more from waiting!

• Have more by managing better. The fact is that most of us earn enough. What would be beneficial is to set our priorities and live by a budget. As we get control, our budget will loosen up a bit and we will find ourselves enjoying it more. Money that is already there can be your answer if you put it to work for you.

You can experience financial freedom no matter how much money you have. Granted, it is great to build wealth and that should be our goal, but no matter what level you are currently at, or what level of wealth you ultimately attain, if you keep money in the proper perspective, you can be happy and free!