Think & Create

by Chris Widener

One of the keys to success is to have successful relationships. We are not islands and we don’t get to the top by ourselves. And one of the key ways to grow successful in our relationships is to be “life-giving” people to others. Every person we meet, we either give life to or take life from. You know what I mean. There are people who encourage you and when you are done being with them you feel built up. Then there are others who you feel torn down by. Successful people are people who have mastered the art of building others up.

One of the ways we build people up is to praise them. There is power in praising people! Something begins to happen in them, in you, and in your relationship when you praise someone. Remember a time when someone told you something about yourself in a praising manner? It was great, wasn’t it? You probably liked that person more after they praised you, didn’t you?

Now I am not talking about praising people for the sake of praising people. I am talking about honestly looking for and praising positive character traits and actions of others around you. Don’t lie to people. If they have done something wrong, correct it, but when they do something right, praise it!

With that said, here are benefits of and ways to start praising people.

Benefits

* Your relationship grows. Life is about relationships. Family relationships, friends and co-workers. When we begin to praise people for their positive aspects, our relationships grow. It puts them, and us, on the fast track.
* Your leadership and influence grows. Who is going to have greater leadership and influence capacity in the lives of their followers, the one who tears down or the one who builds up?
* Stronger relationships and loyalty. When the person is appreciated and praised, they become fiercely loyal, because they know that you care for them, love them, and appreciate them. This will take you to success.
* Happier, more fulfilled people. I truly believe it is our job to build others up, and that they need it. It is a good thing to invest in the lives of others by praising and encouraging them. Even if we never get anything in return, it is the right thing to do to build up other people. Someone else will always come along to tear them down; the successful person will instill in them the power of praise!

Some Ways to Praise

Character traits
Is there someone you know who is joyful? Hard-working? Honest? Then let them know how much you appreciate that in them. You can do it with a word or a card, or a phone call. Say something like this, “You know, Tom, I think it is great that you are such a hard worker. It seems like you are always the first one here and the last one to leave. You really set a good example and I want you to know how much I appreciate that.” Simple!

Action
Same idea as above. “Sue, I don’t know if anybody else has told you this, but your work on the Johnson account was excellent. You have a wonderful ability to communicate the vision of the project, and that helps all the rest of us out in our roles and tasks. Thanks for that. It is greatly appreciated.”

Other ways you can show praise and appreciation is with a card, a gift or time off from work.

Make it your goal to praise at least five people a day. If you can, praise 10 people a day. Or perhaps you can try to praise everyone you come in contact with. It just takes discipline and a little work.

Any way you cut it, though, there is power in praising people. First for them, then for you!

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Chapter 3: Is Opportunity Monopolized?

No one is kept poor because other people have monopolized the wealth and have put a fence around it. You may be shut off from engaging in business in certain lines, but there are other channels open to you.

At different periods the tide of opportunity sets in different directions, according to the needs of the whole and the particular stage of social evolution which has been reached. There is abundance of opportunity for the person who will go with the tide, instead of trying to swim against it.

So workers, either as individuals or as a class, are not deprived of opportunity. The workers are not being “kept down” by their masters; they are not being “ground” by the trusts and big business. As a class, they are where they are because they do not do things in a certain way.

The working class may become the master class whenever they will begin to do things in a certain way. The law of wealth is the same for them as it is for all others. This they must learn, and they will remain where they are as long as they continue to do as they do. The individual worker, however, is not held down by an entire class’s ignorance of these laws; he can follow the tide of opportunity to riches, and this book will tell him how.

No one is kept in poverty by a shortness in the supply of riches; there is more than enough for all. A palace as large as the capitol at Washington might be built for every family on earth from the building material in the United States alone, and under intensive cultivation this country would produce wool, cotton, linen, and silk enough to clothe each person in the world finer than Solomon was arrayed in all his glory, together with food enough to feed them all luxuriously.

The visible supply is practically inexhaustible, and the invisible supply really is inexhaustible.

Everything you see on earth is made from one original substance, out of which all
things proceed. New forms are constantly being made, and older ones are dissolving, but all are shapes assumed by one thing.

There is no limit to the supply of formless stuff, or original substance. The universe is made out of it, but it was not all used in making the universe. The spaces in, through,
and between the forms of the visible universe are permeated and filled with the original substance, with the formless stuff –with the raw material of all things. Ten thousand times as much as has been made might still be made, and even then we should not have exhausted the supply of universal raw material.

No one, therefore, is poor because nature is poor or because there is not enough to go around.

Nature is an inexhaustible storehouse of riches; the supply will never run short. Original substance is alive with creative energy, and is constantly producing more forms. When the supply of building material is exhausted, more will be produced. When the soil is exhausted so that food stuffs and materials for clothing will no longer grow upon it, it will be renewed or more soil will be made.

When all the gold and silver has been dug from the earth, if humanity is still in such a stage of social development that it needs gold and silver, more will produced from the formless. The formless stuff responds to the needs of mankind; it will not let the world be without any good thing.

This is true of man collectively. The race as a whole is always abundantly rich, and if individuals are poor it is because they do not follow the certain way of doing things which makes the individual rich.

The formless stuff is intelligent; it is stuff which thinks. It is alive and is always impelled toward more life.

It is the natural and inherent impulse of life to seek to live more; it is the nature of intelligence to enlarge itself, and of consciousness to seek to extend its boundaries and find fuller expression. The universe of forms has been made by formless living substance throwing itself into form in order to express itself more fully.

The universe is a great living presence, always moving inherently toward more life and fuller functioning.

Nature is formed for the advancement of life, and its impelling motive is the increase of life. Because of this, everything which can possibly minister to life is bountifully provided. There can be no lack unless God is to contradict himself and nullify his own works.

You are not kept poor by lack in the supply of riches. It is a fact which I shall demonstrate a little farther on that even the resources of the formless supply are at the command of the man or woman who will act and think in a certain way.

kennethg Life, success The Science Of Getting Rich

Chapter 2: There Is A Science of Getting Rich

There is a science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or
arithmetic. There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches,
and once these laws are learned and obeyed by anyone, that person will get
rich with mathematical certainty.

The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a
certain way, and those who do things in this certain way –whether on purpose or
accidentally –get rich, while those who do not do things in this certain way –no
matter how hard they work or how able they are –remain poor.

It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects, and, therefore, any
man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich.

That the above statement is true is shown by the following facts:

Getting rich is not a matter of environment, for if it were, all the people in certain
neighborhoods would become wealthy. The people of one city would all be rich,
while those of other towns would all be poor, or all the inhabitants of one state
would roll in wealth, while those of an adjoining state would be in poverty.

But everywhere we see rich and poor living side by side, in the same
environment, and often engaged in the same vocations. When two people are in
the same locality and in the same business, and one gets rich while the other
remains poor, it shows that getting rich is not primarily a matter of environment.
Some environments may be more favorable than others, but when two people in
the same business are in the same neighborhood and one gets rich while the
other fails, it indicates that getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain
way.

And further, the ability to do things in this certain way is not due solely to the
possession of talent, for many people who have great talent remain poor, while
others who have very little talent get rich.

Studying the people who have gotten rich, we find that they are an average lot in
all respects, having no greater talents and abilities than other people have. It is evident that they do not get rich because they possess talents and abilities that
others do not have, but because they happen to do things in a certain way.

Getting rich is not the result of saving, or thrift. Many very penurious people are
poor, while free spenders often get rich.

Nor is getting rich due to doing things which others fail to do, for two people in
the same business often do almost exactly the same things, and one gets rich
while the other remains poor or becomes bankrupt.

From all these things, we must come…

From all these things, we must come to the conclusion that getting rich is the
result of doing things in a certain way.

If getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain way, and if like causes always produce like effects, then any man or woman who can do things in that way can become rich, and the whole matter is brought within the domain of exact science.

The question arises here as to whether this certain way may not be so difficult that only a few may follow it. As we have seen, this cannot be true (as far as natural ability is concerned). Talented people get rich, and blockheads get rich; intellectually brilliant people get rich, and very stupid people get rich; physically strong people get rich, and weak and sickly people get rich.

Some degree of ability to think and understand is, of course, essential, but insofar as natural ability is concerned, any man or woman who has sense enough to read and understand these words can certainly get rich.

Also, we have seen that it is not a matter of environment. Yes, location counts for something. One would not go to the heart of the Sahara and expect to do successful
business.

Getting rich involves the necessity of dealing with people and of being where there are people to deal with, and if these people are inclined to deal in the way you want to deal, so much the better. But that is about as far as environment goes. If anybody else in your town can get rich, so can you, and if anybody else in your state can get rich, so can you.

Again, it is not a matter of choosing some particular business or profession. People get rich in every business and in every profession, while their next door neighbors in the very same vocation remain in poverty.

It is true that you will do best in a business which you like and which is congenial to you. And if you have certain talents which are well developed, you will do best in a business which calls for the exercise of those talents.

Also, you will do best in a business which is suited to your locality: An ice cream parlor would do better in a warm climate than in Greenland, and a salmon fishery will succeed better in the northwest than in Florida, where there are no salmon.

But, aside from these general limitations, getting rich is not dependent upon your engaging in some particular business, but upon your learning to do things in a certain way. If you are now in business and anybody else in your locality is getting rich in the same business, while you are not getting rich, it is simply because you are not doing things in the same way that the other person is doing them.

No one is prevented from getting rich by lack…

No one is prevented from getting rich by lack of capital. True, as you get capital the increase becomes more easy and rapid, but one who has capital is already rich and does not need to consider how to become so. No matter how poor you may be, if you begin to do things in the certain way you will begin to get rich and you will begin to have capital. The getting of capital is a part of the process of getting rich and it is a part of the result which invariably follows the doing of things in the certain way.

You may be the poorest person on the continent and be deeply in debt. You may have neither friends, influence, nor resources, but if you begin to do things in this way, you must infallibly begin to get rich, for like causes must produce like effects. If you have no capital, you can get capital. If you are in the wrong business, you can get into the right business. If you are in the wrong location, you can go to the right location.

And you can do so by beginning in your present business and in your present location to do things in the certain way which always causes success. You must begin to live in harmony with the laws governing the universe.

kennethg Life, success The Science Of Getting Rich

The next time you’re thinking of hiring a coach to improve your performance in life, why not try thinking like them?

1. Be Responsive – Dont sit on things hoping they will go away. Respond promptly, even if its simply to say, “I’m working on it.”

2. Add Value – Dont just put in your 40 hours per week. Look for ways to add meaning to peoples life.

3. Bring Solutions – Dont regularly bring problems to your boss, bring recommended solutions instead.

4. Dont Take It Personally – Sometimes your great ideas will not be accepted for reasons you wont understand.

5. Put Others First – Think of others before yourself. Find ways to help others and it’ll come back to you.

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Chapter 1: The Right To Be Rich

Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible
to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich. No one can rise to
his greatest possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty of
money, for to unfold the soul and to develop talent he must have many things to
use, and he cannot have these things unless he has money to buy them with.

A person develops in mind, soul, and body by making use of things, and society
is so organized that man must have money in order to become the possessor of
things. Therefore, the basis of all advancement must be the science of getting
rich.

The object of all life is development, and everything that lives has an inalienable
right to all the development it is capable of attaining.

A person’s right to life means his right to have the free and unrestricted use of all
the things which may be necessary to his fullest mental, spiritual, and physical
unfoldment; or, in other words, his right to be rich.

In this book, I shall not speak of riches in a figurative way. To be really rich does
not mean to be satisfied or contented with a little. No one ought to be satisfied
with a little if he is capable of using and enjoying more. The purpose of nature is
the advancement and unfoldment of life, and everyone should have all that can
contribute to the power, elegance, beauty, and richness of life. To be content with
less is sinful.

The person who owns all he wants for the living of all the life he is capable of
living is rich, and no person who has not plenty of money can have all he wants.
Life has advanced so far and become so complex that even the most ordinary
man or woman requires a great amount of wealth in order to live in a manner that
even approaches completeness. Every person naturally wants to become all that
they are capable of becoming. This desire to realize innate possibilities is
inherent in human nature; we cannot help wanting to be all that we can be.

Success in life is becoming what you want to be. You can become what you
want to be only by making use of things, and you can have the free use of things only as you become rich enough to buy them. To understand the science of
getting rich is therefore the most essential of all knowledge.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to get rich. The desire for riches is really the desire for a richer, fuller, and more abundant life –and that desire is praiseworthy. The person who does not desire to live more abundantly is abnormal, and so the person who does not desire to have money enough to buy all he wants is abnormal.

There are three motives for which we live…

There are three motives for which we live: We live for the body, we live for the
mind, we live for the soul. No one of these is better or holier than the other; all
are alike desirable, and no one of the three –body, mind, or soul –can live fully
if either of the others is cut short of full life and expression. It is not right or noble
to live only for the soul and deny mind or body, and it is wrong to live for the
intellect and deny body or soul.

We are all acquainted with the loathsome consequences of living for the body
and denying both mind and soul, and we see that real life means the complete
expression of all that a person can give forth through body, mind, and soul.
Whatever he can say, no one can be really happy or satisfied unless his body is
living fully in its every function, and unless the same is true of his mind and his
soul. Wherever there is unexpressed possibility or function not performed, there
is unsatisfied desire. Desire is possibility seeking expression or function seeking
performance.

A person cannot live fully in body without good food, comfortable clothing, and
warm shelter, and without freedom from excessive toil. Rest and recreation are
also necessary to his physical life.

One cannot live fully in mind without books and time to study them, without
opportunity for travel and observation, or without intellectual companionship.

To live fully in mind a person must have intellectual recreations, and must
surround himself with all the objects of art and beauty he is capable of using and
appreciating.

To live fully in soul, a person must have love, and love is denied fullest
expression by poverty.

A person’s highest happiness is found in the bestowal of benefits on those he
loves; love finds its most natural and spontaneous expression in giving. The
individual who has nothing to give cannot fill his place as a spouse or parent, as
a citizen, or as a human being. It is in the use of material things that a person
finds full life for his body, develops his mind, and unfolds his soul. It is therefore
of supreme importance to each individual to be rich.

It is perfectly right that you should desire to be rich. If you are a normal man or
woman you cannot help doing so. It is perfectly right that you should give your
best attention to the science of getting rich, for it is the noblest and most
necessary of all studies. If you neglect this study, you are derelict in your duty to
yourself, to God and humanity, for you can render to God and humanity no
greater service than to make the most of yourself.

kennethg Life, success

This book is pragmatical, not philosophical –a practical manual, not a treatise
upon theories. It is intended for the men and women whose most pressing need
is for money, who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward.

It is for those who want results and who are willing to take the conclusions of
science as a basis for action, without going into all the processes by which those
conclusions were reached.

It is expected that the reader will take the fundamental statements upon faith, just
as he would take statements concerning a law of electrical action if they were
promulgated by a Marconi or an Edison, and, taking the statements upon faith,
that he will prove their truth by acting upon them without fear or hesitation.

Every man or woman who does this will certainly get rich, for the science herein
applied is an exact science and failure is impossible.

In writing this book I have sacrificed all other considerations to plainness and
simplicity of style, so that all might understand. The plan of action laid down
herein was deduced from the conclusions of philosophy. It has been thoroughly
tested, and bears the supreme test of practical experiment: It works.

Very truly yours,

W. D. Wattles

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by Phillip Humbert

My friend and mentor, Thomas Leonard, was fond of saying that “space management is more important than time management.” What he meant was that while we cannot actually “manage” time (it just keeps marching forward, no matter how we use–or squander–it), we can and must manage our personal environment.

This is one of the KEY STRATEGIES of highly effective people. They “set themselves up” for success by surrounding themselves with the situations, tools, ideas, even the people, posters, music, furniture and toys that “drive” or “pull” or “push” them in the direction of their most important goals. It’s not coincidence or chance or “luck” that every day their environment “happens” to push them in precisely the direction they intend to go!

Too many of us live in the midst of chaos. Many people get up early, work very hard, and are busy (often very busy!) in their eagerness for success, but they permit their efforts, their focus and their results to be undermined by whatever “happens to happen.” That is not a recipe for success! Working hard and being productive are not the same thing.

This week I read an extraordinary statement from Carl Jung about this. Writing in a time when the masculine pronoun was taken for granted, he said that man “can meet the needs of outer necessity in an ideal way only…if he is in harmony with himself. Conversely, he can only adapt to his inner world and achieve harmony with himself when he is adapted to the environmental conditions.”

What an extraordinary thing! Obviously, today it would be phrased to include both women and man, but the point is extremely important.

Jung was saying that we can ONLY achieve peak performance, fulfill our potential and know inner peace when we live in harmony with our surroundings! And yet, the vast majority of us work in surroundings that are determined by our employers, by “urgent” emails and phone calls, by the news of the day or whatever interruption happens to destroy our concentration. Even trivial things like yesterday’s dirty dishes, messy desks, unreliable computers or inadequate lighting distract us. That is no way to organize your life or achieve your dreams!

Thomas Leonard was a master at controlling his environment. Although he could afford to live anywhere he chose, he preferred small, tightly controlled spaces. He once told me, and I don’t think he was joking, that financial independence made it possible for him to enjoy “the luxury of an office smaller than most closets.” I never saw dust or dirt or stray papers laying around. And, I think everyone who knew him would acknowledge that in his short 47 years, he achieved an extraordinary amount. The two things – organized space and high productivity – are connected.

Our images of extremely successful people confirm this. The President is never surrounded by clutter. While children and rock stars may throw tantrums and trash their rooms, the Donald Trumps, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey’s of the world are organized. Their offices and homes, their private jets and executive suites are efficient and inspiring spaces! They achieve great things in part because they are not distracted, confused or frustrated by their surroundings.

I am not a “neat freak” and readily admit that some people are most productive when surrounded by the “creative chaos” of books, papers and files piled all around them. The point is to create the precise environment that allows you to be most productive.

Highly successful people know this. World class athletes don’t have to “find” time to train. Stephen King and other prolific writers don’t “try” to write! Wealthy people don’t “force” themselves to do the paperwork of managing their investments. Successful people organize their environments to support their most important projects.

We can learn from these extraordinary people. We may not be able to be as rigorous and systematic about it (yet!), but we can create environments that encourage and support the achievement of our most important goals.

Greatness is rarely achieved in our “spare time”.

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The Science Of Getting Rich

“The men and women who practice the foregoing instructions will certainly get rich, and the riches they receive will be in exact proportion to the definiteness of their vision, the fixity of their purpose, the steadiness of their faith, and the depth of their
gratitude.”

— Wallace D. Wattles

The Science Of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles is a timeless classic written
many years ago. Over a century ago, in fact. But it’s at the root of MANY multi-
Million dollar empires, Including Nightingale-Conant’s $65+ Million Dollar
Business and Bob Proctor’s “Born to be Rich” Program!

Its wisdom is MORE applicable today than when it was written almost 100 years
ago because, as you are about to see, and it not only provides you with thought-
provoking principles and strategies but it’s the most practical, step-by-step guide
you will ever find. Truly.

You are what you think. This books explains the SCIENCE of how to think
yourself rich. So I highly recommend that you read this book cover-to-cover right
now, because a whole new world is waiting for you right now.

kennethg Life, success The Science Of Getting Rich

by Philip E. Humbert

Life works best when our environment supports us. We all know exactly what this looks and feels like. Some days we flow, we get stuff done, it feels good! We’re at our best. Our energy is high, we’re cheerful, confident and productive. If only every day could be like that!

I’ve written many articles and given dozens of talks on the concept of Personal Eco-Systems.™ I’ve even written a book about it and you may wish to download my ebook, Personal Eco-Systems: Creating Systems for Automatic Success from my website.

The basic concept is simple: we do best when our environment supports us in achieving our most important tasks. When we are stumbling or fumbling, when we can’t find our tools, are interrupted or distracted, our productivity goes down and we get frustrated. Every plant and animal on earth knows this!

Plant a rose bush in rich soil, place it in the sun, add some water and warmth (an ideal eco-system) and it flourishes. In that environment it doesn’t struggle, it’s not deformed or stressed. It quickly becomes the beautiful, fragrant flower it was meant to be. Move it a few feet into the shade, however, or give it slightly too much or too little water, or add a few bugs and unfortunate things happen.

So it is with us. Here’s one of my favorite examples. You are at a beautiful resort. You had a fantastic dinner and enjoyed watching the sunset over some local mountains. Perhaps you enjoyed some wine or nice music and now it’s time for bed. You crawl into a luxurious king-size bed, turn off the lights…and hear a mosquito buzzing around your head. How well are you going to sleep with that mosquito in the room? You’re in an expensive, luxurious room, everything is wonderful until one tiny bug spoils it.

It’s that way in every aspect of our lives.

What happens to your productivity if you consistently sleep on a mattress that’s too firm, too soft, or old and lumpy? What happens to your momentum (and your mood) when you find a stain on your best shirt in the morning? Think of the time and energy wasted when you can’t find a file you need, or the distraction when you can’t find your glasses before an important meeting.

These are the “little things” that make all the difference in our lives. The rule is that as we go up the ladder of success, the offices not only get larger, they are more organized! The offices of highly successful people tend to be extremely productive. Here’s a question: Did the people in those offices acquire habits of precision after they got there, or did they get those offices because they had the precision and focus to earn that corner office? I think the answer is obvious. And research confirms it. Highly productive people pay attention to their personal eco-systems!

The President does. Oprah does. Trump does. And so should you.

Success requires precision. It requires the ability to work in an environment that supports and encourages your best efforts. You want systems that get you up early, full of energy and ambition, so you hit the floor ready and productive. You want systems that support you all day long, not just until the phone rings, or someone interrupts or you can’t find a file you need. The ideal is to remain focused, effective and productive until you are done or decide to do something different.

Consider the “little things” of your world. Is your closet clean, neat and organized? Is your car reliable, safe and comfortable? Are your bills paid on time? Is your checkbook balanced? Consider your health and fitness–does your body support you in every way it could? At work, do you have the tools, skills and education to be an expert? Is your computer reliable? How about personal boundaries and agreements with the people in your life? Do they know and respect your priorities, your work space and your private time? Is your world filled with things that inspire you, make you smile and lift your spirit?

These are the little things that make huge differences in our lives. Some people go through life frustrated, confused, over-whelmed, feeling like they are running through quicksand. Others design a lifestyle, systems and daily routines that “make it easier to succeed than to fail.” They are the folks we meet at the top. I hope to see you there!

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1. Develop a desire to break away from the crowd. You need to have the courage to make use of your ideas.

2. Find your niche. This should be something you are knowledgeable and have an interest in.

3. Persevere through setbacks. If you let little roadblocks deter you, you will never make it in life.

4. Learn from your mistakes, and avoid repeating them. Treat every crisis as an opportunity to learn and perform.

5. Maintain self discipline. Some people become complacent after owning a business. Your business only survives if you buckle down and work on it.

6. Commit to your business idea and all those who are part of your plans including your employees, friends and family members.

7. Be patient. No tree bears fruit overnight. You need to be patient to reap the fruits of your labour by being steady and focused.

8. Be flexible. A brilliant idea alone will not ensure success. You need to adapt your idea to the present day needs and reach maximum customers with ease.

9. Be prepared to answer any questions from the customer, i.e. “What is there in your product or service that other people do not have?”

10. Realise that all business involves a certain amount of risk. Never invest your entire fortune in a new business. It is wise to take the advice of professionals in financial matters.

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