Think Your Way to Success

By Dan Miller
48days.com

CBN.com – I know that every one of you has a dream of something you would like to accomplish. I certainly can identify the dreams I’ve acted on over the years. And I know the power of having other people come alongside me to help find the ways to make those dreams a reality. We now have a feature to help you do exactly the same thing. 48Days.net is an exciting new spot where you can link arms with others who are on the same journey as you.

We’re calling it The Future of Intelligent Dreaming. Yes, we know that social networks are everywhere – but this is different. This is sharing your information for a specific purpose. You can capture the intelligence and experience of lots of others who already have the answers you need to push you to that next higher level of success.

If you want to write that book, launch that invention, or grow a counseling business check out The Future of Intelligent Dreaming. I’d love to have you join me in reaching our dreams together. You’ll see a whole lot of people who have very quickly decided this is a place where they can share, learn, and grow.

Seth Godin recently launched a new site for people interested in business marketing called Tribes. Yes, I’m a member, but the initial members decided to close it off at their current group of about 3,700 people to maintain the close group dynamics and the ability to work together. We will likely do the same with The Future of Intelligent Dreaming. There is no cost or commitment -- we'll quickly see who's actually moving forward to make those dreams reality. So go peruse while you can, and then make whatever decision will get you started on the best New Year you’ve ever known.

Thanksgiving is now in the past and we are rapidly approaching Christmas. What better gift to give than one that brings hope and encouragement to someone you care about? Ashley has carefully put together some wonderful combinations of the 48 Days products to do just that. Check out the Christmas Special Packages.

Additionally, I know that some of you are concerned about containing any costs this year. From now until the end of the month, we're offering deep discounts on all of our individual products. You can even give the 48 Days Career Profile as a gift – the price is lower than you've ever seen, and we'll send a beautiful full-color flyer with the personalized details.

Christmas Super-Deals

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie which we ascribe to heaven. ~William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well

Are You a Doofus?

As a young boy, Norman Vincent Peale thought he lacked brains and ability. In one of his many books he wrote, “I constantly told myself that I had no brains, no ability; that I didn’t amount to anything and never would… I then became aware that people were agreeing with me; for it is a fact that others will unconsciously take you at your own self-appraisal.”

A college professor said he was “disgusted” with Peale and asked him, “Why do you go skulking through life like a scared rabbit?”

So it was working through his own challenging feelings of inferiority that led Dr. Peale to write The Power of Positive Thinking, his best-known book that has now sold over 20 million copies.

What is it that is holding you back? T. Harv Eker (Secrets of the Millionaire Mind) says we all have a “money blueprint.” Here’s how it seems to work. We all have a certain level of achievement we think we deserve. If a person gets over that level momentarily, it’s not uncommon to see that person subconsciously underachieve to regain the success level they believed was their limit.

I see this as people are looking for a new job. If they have been making $40,000, they will look at jobs in the $35-45,000 range. But if a position is available that fits their skill set perfectly and pays $75,000, they often don’t even apply. Their level of belief or of deserving doesn’t match that level of reward.

Look at what happens to most lottery winners – within about three years, most are right back at their previous level of having nothing. Their unexpected wealth didn’t match their sense of deserving, and they made the adjustments to bring things back into sync. Look at Pacman Jones and Plaxico Burress – they sabotaged their millions to match the real world as they see it.

I see a whole lot of confusing theology in this arena. Is it more godly to expect riches or to be content with poverty? While space does not allow a full treatment of that hot potato here, rest assured that your beliefs in that area will likely be evident in your reality. Circumstances do not determine your well-being. If you think you’re a doofus, your world will confirm the truth of that belief. This is very much a head and a heart issue – be careful of the messages you’re telling yourself and those around you.

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do." — Pope John XXIII

What's keeping you from achieving your dream? Take our poll at What's Holding You Back?

Comment here

The Rudder of the Day

Henry Ward Beecher said, “The first hour is the rudder of the day – The Golden Hour.”

Be very careful how you start your morning. You are planting the seeds for what the day will hold. If you get up late, grab a cup of coffee and a cigarette, rush to work fuming at the idiots in traffic, and drop down exhausted at your desk at 8:10 a.m., you have set the tone for your day. Everything will seem like pressure and your best efforts will be greatly diluted.

However, if you get up leisurely after a completely restful night’s sleep, you can choose a different beginning. I have not used an alarm clock for the last 25 years, because I go to bed at a reasonable time and have clearly in my mind when I want to start the next day. I get up, spend 30 minutes in meditative and devotional reading, and then go to my workout area. While working out physically, I take advantage of my extensive audio library so that I fill that 45 minutes with physical exertion combined with mental input and expansion. The motivation of Earl Nightingale, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Kenneth Blanchard, Jay Abraham, and Denis Waitely, the philosophy of Aristotle and Plato, the theology of Robert Schuller, Dietrick Bonhoeffer, and John Maxwell are the first input into my brain each morning.

I never read the paper or turn on the TV first thing in the morning, no matter how important it may seem to know the news. The news is filled with rape, murder, pestilence, and heartache, and that is not the input I want in my brain. Later in the day, I can scan the news for anything related to my areas of interest and quickly sort through what I need. But I carefully protect that first hour of the day, making sure that all input is positive, clean, pure, creative, and inspirational. Many of my most creative ideas have come from this protected time of the day, often when I am in a full sweat. By 9:00 a.m. I am invigorated, motivated, and ready to face anything the day may bring.

What does your day consist of – before 9:00 a.m.? Could you change what you're doing there to change the results the rest of the day is giving you?

Just remember this important thought: “The first hour is the rudder of the day.”

*The Rudder of the Day is full of stories like this to inspire you each morning as you prepare for the workday.

"Let me see your kindness to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for my prayer is sincere" (Psalms 143: 8, LB).

Dan's entire Ruddger of the Day meditations

48 Days Radio: Should I Jump?

Each week I create a new online radio podcast that you can hear in iTunes or at the 48 Days Online Radio Show link below.

Sure, times are tough for lots of us. Are you going to go down in flames, or are you still confident there are opportunities out there?

Should I pay a $25,000 franchise fee to make six figures?
I have one foot on the dock and one on the boat. How do I decide when to cast away?
Where can I purchase books for “pennies in the dollar?”
I find it hard to write a resume “specifically tailored for each job.”
I am a 50-year-old artist. I love to sculpt and paint but struggle with marketing.
I have not worked full-time for nine years. How do I now compete with 20-year-olds for jobs?

If you have a question, just click on the 48 Days Online Radio link and you can ask about starting your own business, getting a better job, or finding your purpose in life. That’s the same place you can listen to this week’s broadcast immediately – no downloading – no wait.

48 Days Highlights

Personal Coaching
Many of you are asking about my personal coaching. Yes, I still work with a few people each month – and I still love the process. This is a great time to be planning to make 2009 the best year of your life. Also, keep in mind that many companies encourage and pay for professional coaching or transition assistance if needed. With the current workplace changes, people are requesting my coaching as part of their layoff package. If you want to review the options and provide me with some basic information, I’ll be honored to evaluate it and give you some starting feedback. Just go to Personal Coaching and get started.

No More Mondays Audio
Many of you have been asking how you can get a downloadable audio of No More Mondays. Well, that’s one of those details handled by my publisher, Random House. But here’s where you can get it. Phil Stoner, a former publishing house executive and now thriving entrepreneur, is offering the audio version of No More Mondays on his eStudySource.com site. You can learn how to put legs on your dream as you drive, walk, or relax.

Public Domain – Yours for the Taking
Frequently I have radio questions where someone asks about getting documents that are in the “public domain.” I have mentioned in the past that I have gotten free books and resources where they are old enough there are no copyrights in place. The Acres of Diamonds gift we have as a free e-book when you sign up for the 48 Days newsletter is an example of that. If you want more information, I recommend Yanik Silver’s course on Public Domain Riches. That’s what I did when I started mining the riches just sitting out there.

The Future of ‘Intelligent Dreaming’
48Days.net is our newest project – and, wow, are you all responding! People just like you, with ideas and energy, are joining this “idea network” to share and grow together. You’ll see groups have already formed on speaking, writing, sales, parenting, and inventing. If you have an interest and don’t see it here, you can start your own group. There’s no charge – it’s just one more benefit of being part of the 48 Days family.

Chuck Bowen - Financial & Business Coaching
Need to do better (maybe a lot better?) with your personal finances? Is your business as profitable, or enjoyable, as you'd like it to be? Contact Chuck Bowen Coaching. If you want to transform your life permanently for the better, he's your guy. Chuck serves as President of our 212 Connection and oversees the business side of that part of our business.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT

Know Yourself – Set Your Goals
The most popular product in the 48 Days arsenal continues to be the 48 Days Career Profile. Before you begin seeking a better job or self-employment, you need to be sure you are pursuing opportunities that match your personality style and will fulfill and reward you for a lifetime!

Quotes: Healthy Self-Esteem

“If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.” ~Author Unknown

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

“Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right.” — Henry Ford

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” — Edmund Hillary

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.” — Bruce Barton

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dan Miller is the bestselling author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and a renowned Life Coach specializing in career fulfillment. His weekly newsletter reaches 70,000 subscribers. Dan’s articles are featured here at CBN every Tuesday, and you can find out more about Dan at www.48days.com.