Here’s an extract from Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’ from the chapter on faith:
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It is almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will -
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before,
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN.

Hill’s poem epitomises his belief that we can become what we think about.
I add a wee bit that – we become what we think about the most.
Of course your mind does not differentiate between negative or positive.
So if your self talk [ thoughts], are more about defeat, and difficulty and scarcity then that’s what you will tend to see in your life.
Hill espouses the constant use of what he calls ‘auto – suggestion’ to programme your mind to success.
It is the same thing as the more modern term ‘affirmations.’ Louise Hay is a modern day living example of how successful one can be by using this technique.
Using affirmations regularly every day – in spite of what your inner voice has to say – will, over time help your self growth enormously
And to add further support to this Bruce Lipton in The Biology of Belief has this to say:
On a personal level, I knew at the moment of insight that I had gotten myself stuck because I falsely believed that I was fated to have a spectacularly unsuccessful personal life.”
He goes on: ‘When our uniquely human minds get involved we can choose to to perceive the environment in different ways….’
And: ‘I was exhilerated by my new realisation that I could change the character of my life by changing my beliefs.”
As a personal development tool, using affirmations is one of the simplest ways I know of to change your beliefs for the better.
If, as Hill suggests, you turn your burning desire into a goal [definite chief aim], and you take action and persist until you get results, then is it not worth the effort?
Marva Collins famously said: ‘Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.’

I came across this movie on my Facebook page.

As it is New Year’s eve here, I thought that it is a perfect metaphor for reflecting on the year about to close, and the year ahead.

Enjoy the movie, and it’s lesson.

Happy New Year!

As we get closer to the ‘festive season’ it is timely to quickly review how well 2011 has been for you.

For many of course, for a variety of reasons [many self caused I might add], Christmas will not be festive at all.

Whether this is the case for you or not, please consider undertaking a review.

What went well, and what did not go so well this year? What could you have done better and what lessons have you learned along the way. And will you be prepared to take the necessary action steps to ensure you do not experience a repeat of the negative stuff.

A great place to start, as with any project, is to get clear as to what it is you would like to have, be or do for the future.

Ben Stein advises thus: ‘The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.’

Of course the more clearly you can visualise your dream, the more likely you are to begin the process of becoming more successful.

And in Sam Horn’s book ‘POP – Stand out in any crowd’; Yogi Berra cautions; ‘ If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.’

Which in a way is the advice given in Alice in Wonderland: ‘If you don’t know which path you are following, then any path will do.’

Napoleon Hill talks about having a ‘burning desire’. A burning desire will lead you on to greater and better things. However this often requires that you get clear, you set goals and you keep going until you succeed.

You will go down a blind alley or two. You may invest in a particular programme or book or course only to discover that it was not the ‘right one’ for you. What you will have gained from this though is more clarity; you keep going with a little more certainty and determination.

That’s one of the key reasons I introduce you to selected personal improvement products and ideas.

It is my goal to be as helpful as I can to get you over the start line toward a better life – whatever that may mean for you.

It is why I am a life coach.

So remember: perseverance always wins!

Take some time out, have a good old think about things and write some ideas down. Let those ideas circulate for a while or share them with someone who knows you well; maybe they’ll have something valuable to add.

Then begin to create a plan.

Make a decision that no matter what, 2012 will be better than 2011, and 2013 will be better again!

Start the flow of possibility.

Your Coach

Phil

Something to ponder.
Why is it that the topic of this article Personal Development and Self Growth are part of one of the biggest categories on the internet?
And one of the biggest at Amazon?
Could it be that so many of you are not entirely satisfied with your lot in life, and you are looking for something more, or something better?
There’s nothing wrong with that of course. It’s probably a trait common to humanity, constantly seeking, looking for that little piece of magic that will transform one’s life.
Yet, most only look, they do not take action, they do not set goals [ maybe in their head they do], and so they remain right where they are.
Still dreaming, still looking; not getting any self growth, not developing, just hoping.
I call it being stuck
Then again many of you do take action – every week.You gamble.You place a bet at the local lottery store. Why? No doubt because most of you believe that more money is the great cure all, and all those niggly problems will just go away!
That’s partly true.
What if you had everything you need right now?
Those who are practitioners of Metaphysics often say that you do!
Life Coaches will say it – often.
Stop, take time out, write a list of all that you have, including family and relationships, job or no job and so on.
Then write what’s good or not so good about each item on your list.
Then write down what life would be like if each was to become ‘better’.
Then write a plan – of action steps – to start contributing to that improvement. You might discuss some things with your partner, or friend, or dare I say it; your coach.
Even one extra smile at a stranger, one less mouthful of food at each meal, one more walk around the block, just one more positive thought will make all the difference.
As long as you do it consistently.
Give it say 4 months, beging to increase the amount and quality of each change after a few weeks.
And, all of those small steps will add up to Self Growth, to Personal Development, which is really what those terms mean.
Keeping a diary or journal about your journey can be useful as well.
As always, I am here to help, so get in touch and let’s get going toward a beautiful life!

Do you have a plan?

Or should I ask have you any goals, or dreams, or wishes, anything along these lines really?

Have you ever set a goal?

I bet you have!

How good are you at planning for a holiday [vacation], or considering a night out somewhere?

How about setting a goal to lose weight? That seems to be very common these days as a consequence of lifestyle decisions many of you unconsciously make every day.

You probably do that all the time.

At work you will have targets to meet – if you are in sales or finance, they will take the form of a budget.

Businesses set goals, targets and budgets all the time. They would not be very profitable for long without putting plans [or strategies], in place. Many will have short, medium and long term goals.

As an individual, most of you will not have much in the way of any sort of goal. You are just too busy to ‘think about it’ – right?

And yet the top 3% of achievers are regular goal setters. They are the ones whose personal growth and self development is the highest level.

Let’s face it – how often have we had something in mind, started our journey only to change our mind and either forget about the dream, or discover we want something else?

At least you started something.

The very essence of goal setting is to get clear as to what it is you want and then create a plan that gets you started toward achieving your dream.

If you do discover that your ‘dream’ is in fact not what you want after all, at least you now know more than you did before you began. A little more of the puzzle has been resolved.

That’s one of the great things about the process – the more you do it, the more clarity you will have until there comes a time when you are certain beyond a doubt what it is that you do value most.

Don’t let fear [of failure] or lack of self belief stop you from beginning.

Think about it like you would do planning a holiday and begin.

One day you will find your true path and your life will be transformed.

Need help with this?

Just email me and we can get started right away.

Your coach

Phil

I have just watched a video by John Spence.

John is ranked as one of the top 100 thought leaders in the US.

What excites me about the video is that it follows closely the teachings of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich.

I’m also excited to see that the 3 steps to success that John espouses are precisiely the steps I use with my coaching clients.

If you are serious about your own personal growth, then take the time, about 35 minutes to watch and learn. if you would then like to take action on these principles, contact me by email: the address is phil@ahafactor.co.nz

Meanwhile, enjoy the video.

I was reminded today that often we get stuck in a situation and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to make any headway.

There is a technique that can be used to great effect to help anyone – including you – overcome most if not all difficulties.

And best of all, you can lean and apply this technique yourself!

It is called EFT [Emotional Freedom Technique].

Dr. Mercola [Dr. Mercola.com], describes EFT as ‘a form of psychological acupressure…’ and ‘This combination of tapping the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmation works to clear the ’short – circuit’ the emotional block from your body’s bio energy system….’

Medical Doctors, therapists and life coaches can use EFT to great effect – it appears to be harmelss and people do make breakthoughs not only in mental health areas such as depression, but with behavioural issues such as procrastination or even use it for giving up smoking, weight loss, fear of  public speaking for example or for phobias.

Of course you can use EFT as a ‘maintenance tool’ – one that will help keep you at your best even when you are happy and content – your natural state anyway.

Many of you may also be familiar with Louise Hay’s work with affirmations [ You Can Heal Your Life and many other books]. Well EFT is a bit like giving affirmations a helping hand.

It could be described as the ideal personal development tool!

If you would like a little coaching around removing some of the blocks [ emotional or otherwise] that are holding you back from living the life you know you deserve, then I invite you to check it out for yourself or email me.

Here’s to your success!

I’m sure you will be familiar with the question: “How do you eat an elephant?” And the answer is “one bite at a time”.
It is a useful analogy for setting big goals – you know the goals that get you closer to realizing your dream.
There’s power in dreaming big if you begin the journey toward getting what you want.
However it is also very easy to waste that power as you let things slip a little and before long your dream is still as far away as it always was.
Later on you might pick it up again only to let it go once more.
Have you ever experienced this? Getting excited and energised about an idea only to let it drop sometime later?
Have you ever experienced this cycle happening more than once in your life?
I bet you have, and you are not alone.
It is easy to have big dreams, and big plans, the kinds of desires that could transport you into another life a whole new way of being.
So why do you, and plenty of others, let them slip away?
Why do you slide back into mediocrity and let things ‘happen’ to you?
Imagine if you will, actually achieving that dream – what would your life be like, what would it look like, tastelike and feel like?
Take a few minutes perhaps with your eyes closed to get all of your senses tuned in to that ideal.
Coming back into reality now and notice how this feels – not so good huh?
What can you do?
Reset the goal – just make sure it is something you truly want.
Create an action plan, a series of small steps that take you forwards every day.
Find a coach or a mentor to help you stay on track.

Follow the steps outlined in Think and Grow Rich, Hill’s process works, providing you take the time to understand and implement his teaching.

This an excellent process for your own personal growth and success.

You must have faith in yourself that you can do it, you must believe you will get there and you must persist – do something evry day.

And beat your biggest enemy procrastination! You beat him by starting now – no excuses.

If you need help and or advice, email me. Just fill in the form at the top of my home page and lets’ make 2011 your best ever year!

A couple of days ago a friend invited me to attend a presentation for a new MLM [Multi - Level Marketing] company launching in New Zealand.

No big deal. No doubt you [like me], get invitations to ‘get in early’ on the next new thing.

With the advent of the internet MLM opportunities abound. And the power of leverage through duplication has reached new heights through this medium.

What still fascinates me is the stigma or bad rap that attaches itself to MLM.

For every opportunity, there seems to be somebody when reckons it’s a scam, or it won’t work, or there’s no money to be made and so on.

And I am sure you a familiar with these scenarios.

MLM does offer a way for Mr and Mrs Average to go into business for themselves with relatively low capital or risk.

So why are so many people closed to the idea in these times of job insecurity of creating an ‘insurance policy’ against possible lay off, or just building a nest egg for the future?

There are many, many  answers to that question so I won’t bore you with a whole raft of explanations.

What I will say is this:

Any new venture requires consistent application, dedication and perseverance.

You go to work don’t you? You spend on average 40 hours every week in exchange for wages or a salary.

How many hours per week do you or would you put into a new venture that holds the promise of additional, maybe replacement income on a consistent basis?

How many people do you know that have told you that it [the new venture] got too hard?

How many of you were just ‘3 feet from Gold‘?

Was there a written goal statement with a time line. Was there an action plan? Was there a burning desire and faith in yourself to keep going no matter what? Were you persistent and consistent, passionate even.

One thing MLM consistently offers is a path to personal development, an opportunity to develop yourself by learning from others and going out and doing the business.

The upside is always a better you a more positive you and maybe a more secure you. The upside comes with consistent application.

Robert Kiyosaki and Jack Canfield among other luminaries espouse the benefits of MLM.

One way to really benefit is to study carefully Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and begin to apply the lessons to your own life. For many of you that is not an easy thing to do.

I am revisiting these teachings and seeing them in a new light.

If you would like some help fill in your details and hit the send button.

Everything starts with an action – take some action today.

I was first introduced to Think and Grow Rich by my grandfather when I was 12 years old. He gave me his copy, an original printing from India, his home country.

I read it and it worked. From literally zero assets and no help whatsoever from my parents, at age 12, I was a millionaire by 25, owning 8 companies and retired at 29. Through my life, I have tried to teach people how to succeed based on my experience and the principles in the book, but with very little success. Over the years, I have found the reasons for the very limited percentage of successful attempts at applying the principles and am now finding my students are achieving far better results than in the past.

I knew why I succeeded and why others failed. As Mr. Hill said, the secret is in every page, if only you can see it.

The reason you cannot see it is that it is not one specific secret that your intellectual mind can understand. It is a jigsaw puzzle of various principles that are each a shadow of a concept but together make up an intangible quality. How is that for clear! That quality is the one specific secret ingredient that is emotional, not intellectual, and therefore illusive to discover, it must be felt. In fact it is the key to success.

Is the glass half full or half empty? Neither. It is always full, part water and part air. Air, the intangible yet material substance that gives us life. You cannot see it or touch it, yet you know by the very fact of your existence that it is real. How do you know this? By a totally unrelated piece of matter, your solid physical lungs.

With this knowledge, you know that if you go to outer space, you have to take air with you. If you did not know this and went up there, you die quickly. And so the knowledge of what you cannot see keeps you alive and allows you to expand your experiences into space.

I can tell you the precise details of what you need to have or do, but that is as effective as reading another book. Information is nothing, devotion is everything. Are you devoted enough to your goal that you would give up everything you have, willing to die trying? Does your very existence depend on your success, as it was on the shores as the army watched their boats being burnt along with any hopes of retreat?

And here we draw the line of the successful and the unsuccessful in the principles of Mr. Hill’s studies. And here also, we find where 98% of people give up. And so, I would like to deliver to you my attempt at how to get that white heat of desire, that burning passion, that rocket fuel so that the percentage of drop outs may decrease.

There are so many parts to this puzzle that they cannot be listed in a specific order, they must all be done simultaneously. And so, please read with a view that the air is real, it fills the glass, but you can only see it with your mind and imagination, proven by the effects of what it does for you. Use your imagination to see what is invisible.

If you cannot do something, it is because something else prevents you from doing it.
This principle tells us that for every attempt at anything, there will be an opposing block. For some things the block is so simple that we do not know it is there, but it is as real as the air. Since some opposing blocks are not as strong as our desire, we do not notice it as we pass over it, but if it is a bigger goal, and a bigger block, it can stop you.

Just to give you an idea of how solid the air is, do some investigation about how a plane flies, how the propeller works. The pitch of the blades grab the air and literally claw its way through the sky, similarly to crawling on the ground using only your hands to pull your body. A jet basically grabs the air and pushes it out the rear. Air is solid enough to grab on to and pull a plane through the sky.

On the other hand, air is not strong enough to stop me from walking. This is understanding the principle that to every thing, there is an opposing force. It is a matter of understand all forces that makes something irrelevant, useful or a hindrance.

And so for every desire you have, there is an opposing force. That opposition could be some personality trait or opinion you learnt from your parents or school or church etc. and it could be what you determine to be irrelevant or good, yet it defeats you in your goals.

If you can find the opposing and limiting obstacle, then you could remove it and move forward. That is the first step. Find those things within you which prevent you from succeeding in the instructions given in Think and Grow Rich.

Develop a white heat of desire, a burning passion.
Why can you not get that passion? Because you do not believe in the possibility of your success or because you do not really feel there is any point to your life, or because you have some inhibitions that prevent you from doing what it takes to feel this power. Your negative emotions destroy the energy and mental faith to build this level of vital passion and energy. There must be a reason or purpose to your life, and if none exists, then there is not point to burn a fire. Find a purpose.

Sex Transmutation
This chapter is the crucial source of manufacturing the energy, or rocket fuel, to take you from an average person to have the super power to achieve any goal. Why are there so many sex crazy people yet so few succeed in their worldly goals?
The inhibiting factor is the western view that sex is somehow dirty or bad. That is the first thing. Are you ready to create pornographic images and stimulate your sexual desires on a constant basis? Are you also ready to learn how to focus and redirect that sexual drive towards a goal other than sex? What are your sexual inhibitions? Can you release them to accept that the sex drive is the only possible fuel production facility you can use to succeed in your goals?

Inward and Outward goal
You think you have a goal, you think that is your real goal. You are probably wrong. That is the outward goal. The thing you want. You must find the inward goal, the reason you want it. And that is hard because what if your inward goal is that you want to be loved, that is not in your control. Maybe you are simply too lazy to work and you just want to sit on your bum on the beach your whole life so you think you want to be rich to have money, when really you just do not want to work. In this case, you may say your goal is to make a certain amount of money, but you never have the energy to put in the effort, because really, you are just too lazy. Whatever the inward goal is, you must find it or you cannot succeed because you are following a lie.

The only thing that you truly have any control over is your own thoughts.
But you do not exercise control over your thoughts, rather you let the winds of passing events moment by moment take them here and there.
Learn to exercise will power and control over the only thing you can control and with that, you will control your life.

All is mind.
The principle is simply this, that nothing exists that does not begin in your mind. Your thoughts are the beginning of everything that happens in your life. This may not make sense but consider that if a thought does not reach your mind, then to you, it did not happen because you are not aware of it. We are only concerned with those things that happen to us, in other words, what we experience and then how we distorted it in our imagination.

As the foundation determines the quality of the structure, your thoughts are the foundation of every understanding and goal. If your thoughts are strong and correct, your success is ensured.
Desire breeds the thought, Passion is the fire, Love is the fuel to keep you going. Sex is the physical method to bring the intangible into your physical body by transmuting the thoughts and desires into a physical energy that you can use to achieve your goal. But know that sex without emotion is of no value. It is the mixture of sex with emotion that gives sex the power to be used to aid in achieving your goals.
It all begins with the quality and object of your thoughts, and what you do with that thought.
Faith destroys all obstacles.

Your thoughts indicate your true desires.
You may think you want success, but if your thoughts are negative, then in fact you truly desire failure.
This is not some new age concept, take it literally, your thoughts are the fruits of your true desires, so stop fooling yourself. The power of your thoughts will show in your eyes and determine your energy level. Most importantly, your thoughts determine your EMOTIONS.

Thoughts are formed by repetition. Repeat a certain thing long and often enough, and that will become your belief.

Determination to your goal, never ever give up. There is no question of success or failure, be stubborn.

First comes the burning desire, the obsession, then come the plans. Business and events never cease. The death of something is the birth of something else. Perhaps what is necessary for your goal is not yet born. Keep training your mind on the thoughts of success and wait until the circumstances are ready.

When you get an idea or plan, you must put it into immediate action because the circumstances are good when you get the idea, but they may not be good later on, so if you wait, you may miss the opportunity and only get in on the downward cycle rather than when you got the idea on the upward cycle.

Faith is developed by basically brainwashing your mind into believing something through constant repetition of a thought.

Faith is developed by association to a particular thought. You must associate and spend your time with the people and environment that is in harmony with the thoughts and faith you wish to have.

It is impossible to fail. What is possible is to not have succeeded just yet. If you keep trying until you succeed you will not fail. If you give up trying, then you have failed. Not failed in your goal, rather you have failed to do what it takes to achieve your goal.

If you fail, it is not a failure of effort, it is a failure of your plans. Change the plan and you will succeed. If still not, then keep changing the plan. Know where the failing is, it may be in the plan.