The Thirteen-Minute Article (It Took Me Ten Minutes To Write, Three To Edit) (By Joshua Clayton)

This article will take me ten minutes to write, but a lifetime to apply for us all! With that said, I will start typing the body of the article from here. Think about it, we all take actions. We must take profitable actions in every moment we can, though. In existence and life (in that order), we either take actions that are beneficial to us or not. The best actions are the most profitable, and the worst actions genuinely waste the most time.

Anything that lifts our lives and realities to higher levels is good, except when we cheat at it. What I mean by cheating is taking irrational short cuts, whatever they may be. Whether it is basic lying to ourselves at a very deep level or "getting away with it in the eyes of other people, but not our own"; reality has a way of working with us making sure we pay what we need to pay or get our just reward for whatever we do. Indeed, at every genuine level it really is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Think about this fact for a moment and you shall see, I can hope I am wrong with "everyone else", but I know that I am on point with those facts: There are not any genuine free lunches or tricks we can play to get something for nothing, but somewhere we pay and benefit to the measure we give or take genuinely.

Dealing with reality seems like dealing with nickels, dimes and pennies of energies, does it not? Well, it is. Those who do not cheat genuinely get rich from this way of dealing with things. Those who do cheat have to pay sometime whether they "know" or "do not know" what the price is. In thought and reality, the honest person is right, and the dishonest person is wrong. Indeed, though, who wants to admit that basic fact, especially where "larceny" is involved.

I know, this is a scary, hairy article for those that keep the truth and honest reality submerged, but for those that are close to understanding, I say keep going and you will get it. If anything, I encourage you with my freak like, consciously realistic and honest self.

Yesterday, before I wrote this article, I felt so overwhelmed that I felt like cheating in a very small, but large way, but I did not. So, I end with this: I put this article under "goal setting" to say, make it a goal to be honest with yourself. You may regret it short term, but you will not regret it long term. I can honestly promise.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Thirteen-Minute-Article-(It-Took-Me-Ten-Minutes-To-Write,-Three-To-Edit)&id=9969229

What's More Important: Strategy or Intention?

"However beautiful your strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." - Winston Churchill

Strategy is a means to an end. However, a strategy without a clear vision for what the end game is can lead you to an endless path of doing things that give you no satisfaction. That would be like running in a race without ever knowing where the finish line is. It would be impossible to know if you were running at the correct pace. In your mind, you may think you are winning because you are running at a great pace for the 100-meter dash, except the race is 1 mile. Most likely, your strategy will not take you the distance.

To most, this may sound like common sense. Yet, everyday people take actions without knowing the final outcome they are seeking. As a rule, people ignore the importance of asking themselves what they and others involved want from a situation. People are eternally hopeful that chemistry will magically make it happen; the belief everyone should know.

So let's get this straight. Strategy is a process for achieving the final result. If you do not look up to see where your strategy has gotten you, you may find yourself in a place of unhappiness. Even Charlie Sheen would know that's not "winning."

Get clear about the final outcome you are seeking first. Do so without imposing all the reasons it can't happen. If the outcome you envision is a step to get you somewhere else, you still need to take steps to know the end game. Once you are clear about what you want, your strategy could change dramatically. Even if it doesn't change, still look up to see where you are.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Whats-More-Important:-Strategy-or-Intention?&id=9894268

Message From the Universe: Be Ready to Shine Like a Star

"Here are 3 sure-fire steps that will take you from wishing upon a star to being one:

Imagine your dreams as if they already exist.

Speak as if they already exist.

And act as if they already exist.

And before long, you'll be hearing pretty much the same thing from virtually all of your old friends, "Wow, I dig your independence, wealth, health and happiness! How did that happen so fast? You have to write a book! Must be nice... "

I know friends, 

The Universe"

There are not many who are ready to venture into the unknown. It requires someone with guts, with no fear of failure, a risk taker, a go-getter. We all have ambitions but many are afraid to take actions and bring their dreams to reality. In return, we become complacent with our lives and think it is the best we can do. Many listen to the nay-sayers, the people that tell you it is IMPOSSIBLE to do what you are thinking, to not waste your time, to not bother because of the elements of risk. They want you to abandon your dreams, your goals because they are to afraid of your success. They do not want to open the Fortune 500 magazine and see your face on the front page, that might destroy their ego. So what is the best solution? Keep your mouth SHUT and don't say a word about your dreams and avoid looking for acknowledgement with anything you do because IT WON'T HAPPEN. On the contrary, you will have people trying to put stick in your wheels so you do not move forward. What is the point to disclose anything until IT HAPPENS. Let them see AFTER the fact that you have reached the summit. Just look at it this way: Do you think the Great White Shark sends a memo to the seal that he will come and attack from below and to WATCH OUT? No, he just DOES it. Do not give ammunition for them to work against you. Just go with your feelings and move forward no matter what.

These same nay-sayers, who would have stopped you in your track will suddenly become your best friends AFTER you have reached fortune and glory. These same nay-sayers will wonder how you did it, and some would ask you why didn't you share your dreams with them, they would tell you: "I could have helped you and put you in contact with him or her to make things happen". Guess what? YOU made it happen with NO ONES help. Be proud, feel accomplished and be smart with your new found money. As the Great White sharks attacks his prey, these same nay-sayers will do the same with you. You should definitely help people in NEED, but NOT the ones who NEED you now because of your fortune and glory.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-Be-Ready-to-Shine-Like-a-Star&id=9622929

Message From the Universe: The Chameleon Effect

"Wherever you go, there I am. Appearing as the people, places, and circumstances you've most expected to see. Behaving as you most expected them to behave. Crafted as you most expected them to look. And brimming with abundance, adventure, and infinite possibilities, because I know that's exactly what you've been visualizing.

Right?

TBT, 

The Universe"

The Universe is like a chameleon, it changes appearance based on your thoughts and dreams. When your mind creates thoughts, it creates a key to open the doors of your subconscious to allow the Universe to read from it. After this act, it takes time to process the information and transform itself in the things or people you will interact with prior to experiencing what you thought about. When thoughts become things, based on the famous best seller book in 2006, "The Secret", the author failed to discuss in detail the in-between steps needed to get to the thing you want to have in life. So when you work on thinking about the things you want the most, your in between steps are left to the Universe take care of the HOW you will get to these things. There is no guessing or wishing here, you just need to let the path unravel in front of you. Sometimes, the path may not be clear at first, and what is coming in front of you might be disturbing in nature, or even discouraging at times, but you just need to focus on where you want to be and know you will get there, no matter what.

It is imminent that you need to take actions so you can allow the Universe to create the desired path so there isn't much turbulence towards your destination. More you do in actions, and more the Universe will facilitate the how you will get there. Do not let any confusing thoughts coming into your mind during this phase because this is where you will start experiencing hurdles. Focus on what is ahead, and work your hardest to keep yourself ahead. Negativity is not needed during the embryo stage of your thoughts development so make sure to stay away from nay-sayers. You are the pilot of this airplane and you are in control of your aircraft. The horizon is clear, the ILS is set and you are close to reducing speed so you can align the aircraft for landing. You change flaps position so you can alter the lift characteristics of a wing to reduce the speed and to increase the angle of descent for landing. Your landing gear is locked and your landing speed is at 140 knots. You feel the wheels of the back touch ground as well as the front. You reverse the engines to stop the aircraft and you arrived at your destination safely. Good piloting!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-The-Chameleon-Effect&id=9562328

5 Fears You'll Need to Overcome to Be an Effective Leader

Entrepreneurship demands effective leadership. You need to be able to make solid decisions, organize plans, hire teammates and provide direction -- all under the steady pressure of being accountable for all those decisions and actions. To add even more heat, as an entrepreneur, your personal success is often tied directly to the success of your business, meaning every little decision you make could have significant consequences.

Under such pressure, it’s natural to have worries and fears. But fears can intimidate you and obscure your judgment, rendering your decisions less logical and your approach less systematic. If you want to be an effective leader, there are five fears in particular that you’ll need to overcome.

1. Making the wrong decision

As a leader, you’ll be facing decisions on a nearly constant basis. You’ll make major decisions, like choosing your initial partners, and small ones, like whether to continue a proven promotional campaign. Being faced with so many decisions can lead to decision fatigue, a well-known psychological phenomenon that can interfere with your mental health and your ability to make good decisions.

Adding to this is a potentially growing fear that the next decision you make will be the wrong one -- your new hire won’t work out, your marketing campaign won’t be effective, or possibly even bigger, more significant fallout will occur. This fear can make you postpone or delegate your decisions, but don’t let it -- remember that even the best leaders make bad decisions sometimes. Avoiding a decision is always a worse move.

2. Being criticized for your approach

As a leader, you’re going to have your own signature style. You’re going to value some things more than others. For example, you might appreciate a rigid, formal dress code, or you could completely disregard what the people around you are wearing. You could prefer a hands-on style of management or a much more relaxed approach.

There’s no one right or wrong way to lead. If you’re afraid of being criticized for your approach, it could lead you to become the leader you think people might want rather than the leader you naturally are. You’re going to be criticized no matter what by some, and accepted no matter what by others, so pick the style that suits you best, and don’t let the haters interfere with your vision.

3. Speaking as an authority

Speaking publicly is one of the biggest, most commonly reported fears in the U.S. population. That’s because it puts you on the spot, making you vulnerable to anywhere between two and several thousand people all at once. Any stumble could make you appear foolish, and a slip in words could compromise your image as an authority.

It’s natural to feel a little fear before speaking to a group as an authority in your field, whether it’s to your team or to a potential client. But don’t let this fear trip you up! Relax before you go on stage by preparing as much as possible and reminding yourself that you’re human, and the people in your audience will see you as a human as well. Even if you make a mistake, it will probably turn out fine.

4. Taking responsibility

Whenever you make decisions, take actions or lead the company in a given direction, you’re making yourself responsible for the potential outcomes of those actions. If your new marketing campaign succeeds, you’ll get a lot of the credit. If it fails, you’ll get a lot of the blame. Proverbially speaking, the buck stops with you.

This can be a crippling fear for new entrepreneurs, but one that disproportionately emphasizes the results of your actions. All leaders will experience successes and failures, so try to focus on measuring your worth in terms of the motivations behind your actions rather than the consequences of them.

5. Failing entirely

As the leader of your business, the fear of failure is personally, financially and logically motivated. If your business goes under, you’ll be out of a job, a team and possibly a lot of money. But remember -- failure is never the end of the line, and it shouldn’t exist as the bad word it’s often seen to be. For most entrepreneurs, failure is an important first step of a longer journey, so even if this business goes under, you’ll always have another chance for a different kind of success.

Leadership is at the root of any entrepreneurial position. You’re the director, decision maker and figurehead for the group. The moment you let a specific fear -- even a rational one -- enter your head and get in the way of your responsibilities, your effectiveness is going to plummet. Overcoming those fears isn’t easy, but it’s certainly possible, and it’s necessary if you want to become or remain a great leader.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254107