The promises of THE AMERICAN DREAM (to have it all and enjoy it all, based on materialistic values system) has been holding us captive and threatening to take our power and freedom away- without our awareness, like a thief in the night.

Consciously or unconsciously we make daily decisions to either be a master of our own ship or destiny, if you will, or be a slave to our own circumstances and to other people*s expectations and belief systems that don*t serve our highest good and purpose. After all it*s your life script - claim it and discover how your own personal power can truly transform your life to make it an adventure to be lived rather than a problem to be solved. Life becomes more of a struggle only when we are not true to our own calling and we give our power away.

Superficial/external values are indeed the ultimate slave master that demand nothing less than our complete attention, and sacrifice of our power and freedom. In order to be truly happy and fulfilled, one must feel free. However, in a culture that worships external values and is driven by the promises of THE AMERICAN DREAM (to the point where we become slaves to our addictions), one can*t help but wonder if we are truly free in America, Land of the Free. Just when we thought that slavery ended with the Civil war, the rat race we are all caught up in, in order to *get there*, painfully reminds us that there are still many slaves among us who are disguised as successful people. But looks can be deceiving. Behind all the outward appearances of having it all and enjoying it all, they are held prisoners and victims of the promises of THE AMERICAN DREAM. And sadly enough, those who do achieve THE AMERICAN DREAM (after considerable sacrifice) eventually realize that when you get *there,* there is no *there* there. They eventually discover that there is definitely more to life than achieving material success.

Isn*t it time to reclaim your own power and freedom and declare your own independence? It*s easy to do when you gain awareness and develop your own spirituality. Remember that awareness and the road to discovery and recovery run parallel. When you become aware of your true nature, that is beyond the man-made, narrow definition, you*ll be amazed to discover real freedom, real success and real joy that have been overlooked because of limited awareness, misconceptions and false belief systems perpetuated by THE AMERICAN DREAM, and reinforced by Hollywood and the media. If you wish to live with purpose and meaning and want to experience the difference between living consciously and unconsciously, live by the motto: *He with the most joys lives,* rather than *He with the most toys, lives.* Don*t underestimate your power to change yourself and even the world - become somebody*s hero. All you have to do to break free is to resist the temptation to live your life according to the interpretation of what someone else expects you to be, do or have. Listen to your heart and live by your rules. Why shouldn*t you? After all, it*s YOUR life and YOUR dream.

.

Copyright © 2004, Geela

Author of *The American Dream*

http://www.Geela.com

Geela is an award winning singer/songwriter/composer, columnist, and author of the best-selling book *THE AMERICAN DREAM,* her true- life story of how she came to America as a young immigrant with nothing and overcame incredible obstacles to achieve mega-success. She founded ONE SPIRIT, ONE WORLD to help children and promote a culture of peace and harmony. Get a free sample of her music and her book at http://www.Geela.com.

Allen consulted with me because his wife of 18 years had threatened to leave him if he didn?t stop blaming her all the time. He admitted to frequently blaming her in a variety of situations.

He blamed her if he thought she made a mistake, if he thought she was wrong about something, if he was feeling alone, or even if he had a bad day at work. He blamed her for asking him questions when he didn?t know the answer. He would sometimes even blame her if his golf game was off. He always blamed her when he felt judged by her, or when he didn?t get her approval. While he freely admitted that he blamed her, he couldn?t seem to stop, and he had no idea why he blamed her.

As I explored various situations with Allen, it became apparent that he was not just blaming his wife. Allen was constantly blaming and judging himself. He would verbally beat himself up for mistakes, telling himself things like, ?I?m such a jerk,? and would often say very negative things to himself, such as, ?Things will never get any better,? or ?I?m just a loser,? or ?I?m a big disappointment to myself.? He would then feel angry and agitated as a result of abusing himself, but he never connected his anger with his self-judgment. Instead, he would dump his anger on his wife, or yell at other drivers on the freeway.

It became apparent to Allen that he would not be able to stop blaming his wife until he stopped blaming and judging himself. His addiction to blaming others was a direct result of his self-abuse.

The problem was that Allen had learned to be very self-indulgent regarding his thoughts. He let his thoughts run rampant, never stopping to discern whether or not what he was telling himself was the truth or was a lie. As a result, he was constantly allowing the wounded part of himself, his ego self, to be in charge. And this part of him was filled with all the lies he had learned in the 46 years of his life.

Allen was appalled when he realized that all his anger at others was really his anger at himself for abusing himself. He was projecting onto others what he was doing to himself. He saw that he was especially sensitive to others? judgment because he was so judgmental of himself.

As we explored why Allen was so self-abusive, he realized that he believed that if he judged himself enough, he could have control over getting himself to do it ?right.? He realized this wasn?t true by an experience he had playing tennis.

?I played last Wednesday and I was in a really good mood. I was just playing for the fun of it, rather than to play well, and I played my best game ever! The very next day I played worse than I have for a long time. I realized that, having done so well on Wednesday, I now wanted control over doing as well on Thursday. As soon as I tried to control it, I lost it.

I want to stop doing this, but I?ve been doing it my while life. How do I stop??

Stopping any addiction is always a challenge. Changing our thought process is especially challenging. However, there is a process available, but it will work only when you really want to change. Changing from being self-abusive to self-loving has to become more important to you than continuing to try to control yourself through your self-judgments.

1. Pay attention to your feelings. Learn to be aware of when you are feeling angry, anxious, hurt, scared, guilty, shamed, depressed, and so on.

2. Make a conscious decision to learn about what you are telling yourself that is causing your pain, rather than ignoring it, turning to substance or process addictions, or continuing to abuse yourself.

3. Ask yourself, ?What am I telling myself that is causing me to feel badly?? Once you are aware of what you are telling yourself, ask yourself, ?Am I certain that what I?m telling myself is the truth, or is it just something I?ve made up?? Then ask yourself, ?What am I trying to control by telling myself this??

4. Once you are aware that you are telling yourself a lie that is causing you to feel badly, and why you are telling it to yourself, ask the highest, wisest part of yourself, or ask an inner teacher or a spiritual source of guidance, ?What is the truth?? When you sincerely want to know the truth, it will easily come to you.

5. Change your thinking, now telling yourself the truth.

6. Notice how you feel. Lies will always make you feel badly, while the truth brings inner peace. Any time you are not in peace, go through this process to discover what lie you are telling yourself. Eventually, with enough practice, you will be in truth and peace more and more of the time.

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Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including “Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

margaret@innerbonding.com

In order to achieve something, the first thing you should develop is a goal. Without a short term and a long term goal, the likeliness of you following through with something you want is highly unlikely.

Trying to achieve something without setting a goal is like walking blindly through the dessert in search of treasure, but without having a map or any idea what you are really looking for.

The first step is to plan out a short term goal and a long term goal. For example, your short term goal may be to finish 3 classes this semester with a B average. This is a great short term goal as it is something you can achieve within a reasonable time frame without setting your expectations too high. While you should strive for success, you should start your goals at a point you know you can achieve and gradually build up to bigger and more difficult short term goals. The great benefit to short term goals is they give you a feeling of achieving something with each successful goal. This will motivate and drive you to put more effort into achieving your long term goal. Once you’ve completed your first short term goal you should set a new short term goal that will ultimately continue you on your path to your long term goal.

Second of all, we need to set a long term goal. You can set numerous long term goals to be set over long time frames, but for the sake of this article, we will focus on having one long term goal. To continue with our short term goal I will base this example on an education based goal. A good long term goal would be to graduate from University with a Bachelors in Computer Science with a 3.33 GPA. This is also a reasonable long term goal as it is something that will be achievable after successful completing numerous short term goals.

In the end, without goals, the chances of succeeding at anything, including life are quite slim. Goals aid in deriving a reason to succeed; they give you something to strive for; the reason to keep on pushing. Goals give you a reason to want to continue on, because you know the things you have worked so hard to achieve are just around the corner. Whether it is an education you strive for, saving money to buy that first apartment, or even something as simple as losing that baby fat, you are only a short term goal away.

.

Ryan Mckenzie

http://www.education-resource.org

http://www.debt-recovery-online.com

Do you hear yourself saying?

When I have enough money, I’ll…

When I go on vacation, I’ll…

As soon as I find the right partner, I’ll.

..

When the house is clean, I’ll be able to…

When I can afford a better car, I’ll…

When this project is over, I’ll…

As soon as I get more clients, I’ll…

I can’t leave work, or I’ll…

When my kids are grown and moved out,I?ll…

How much of your life do you put on hold?

During coaching sessions, people share their “I’ll’s” with me all the time. The most popular justifications are that they are waiting waiting for the money or the time to magically open up.

Tracking the reasons over a ten year period and finding the bottom line truth, people aren’t hungry enough to do what it takes to find or create the money.

I’m sure you have accomplished many things in your life without money. Thus, why would you believe that these I’ll can’t be on that list as well?

There are five elements involved with achieving prosperity. Money only one of them. Energy (sometimes mislabelled as power), love, time and success are the other four.

Belief underlies this whole process. The belief that you need money to accomplish whatever is on your list. The belief that there are no other options. And so many more. What are your beliefs that are placing your “I’ll’s” on your hold list?

And excellent question. However, until you are aware of what’s on the list, and they are a true want, you don’t open up your vision to their possibilities.

The biggest time I was aware of this in my life was some years back when my father was very ill. He said to me, “Go after your dream, don’t wait for anything.” I’m sure you’ve heard that as well somewhere in your life.

Discussing that further with him, I realized that I didn’t know what I wanted. So I thought. I soon realized that that wasn’t it at all. I just didn’t believe it was possible to “really” live the way I wanted. Since then, I travelled for a year all over the world, attending and teaching at conferences, attending universities, and even personally studying with well-known writers.

And how it all came about was still an awesome miracle to me. Most of the adventure paid for by someone else, or an organization. But I had to take risks, at least they were big risks to me. Sometimes I didn’t know how I was going to get there or back, where I was going to sleep, or what to do in between destinations. In every situation, every instance, things appeared that still leave me spell bound.

And it all began with a little trust and belief. Since this time other amazing adventures appeared, including studying with some of the most amazing people in the world.

Can this happen for you? You bet it can. Dr. Wayne Dyer, Donald Walsh, and Deepak Chopra, three I now call friends, tell you all about it in their books and lectures as well.

What underlies all this? One thing — our belief system. If you believe you must have money in order to do something, then you will need to. You closed the window to possibilities. If you need all the answers before you start, you will get exactly that, waiting on all the answers to appear.

Have you given up on one of your “I’lls”?

As children, we don’t understand adult situations. We hear this and that and when there are gaps, we toss in whatever is available from our warehouse of experiences. We usually carry this learning experience until we seniors. And there is an awakening when we realize there are less years ahead than behind. A new wisdom emerges.

Until…you…

1. Ask new questions when these beliefs saboteur your success. This is examining that belief. When this occurs, it is important to ask these valuable questions:

(1) What is the belief? You need to name it to claim it. Many times, we don’t want to own that belief — we avoid the ownership. This denial dances around until we can no longer stay behind the way. Until it gets bad enough… we’re broke, eating our loneliness away, and other destructive habits. Learn to name it, this automatically starts the change, then take it one step at a time from that point. Don’t look jump the ocean. Stick your toe in the water. It?s cold water and you need to get used to it a little at a time. Give it daily conscious thought. Just by doing this alone, you build the boat that will cross the ocean.

(2) Does the belief serve me any longer? Did the belief serve you when you were a teenager, and now you are 55? Adjust it for the age.

(3) Who says the belief needs to be this way? What gives them the right to say this? Are they just transferring their own belief to you? Don’t be willing to accept it. Form your own. Give it some space.

(4) Who will be upset if you change this belief? The fear of losing someone, confronting someone on their beliefs is nerve wracking to most people. Do you really need to confront them on it? No. Do you need to tell them they are wrong? No. Do you need to let it go and form your own? Yes.

Take more leaps of faith!

Change your beliefs, every single one that isn’t current serving you. Stop, I’ll’ing…or when?ing.

It takes space to open up and invite abundance and prosperity into your life. If you life is too full with excuses, what ifs, or someday you’ll, there isn’t any room.

Invest in yourself today and every day of your life, not just your money.

Invest in your own energy, your personal power, your love for yourself and others, your time, and your success.

The payoff is the biggest in the world…happiness… living your life now and not later.

Be brave, not much, just a little. Take a leap of faith purposely every day for the next week. When it works, continue the process. One toe at a time.

Create the new space needed to invite abundance in. Go ahead, go in. The waters fine. Stop waiting for the eclipse marks to stop. They stop when you take the leap!

.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com

blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

Catherine@AbundanceCenter.com

It does make you wonder sometimes, doesn?t it? You know the folks I?m talking about. The ones who seem to be wandering around in the middle of a fog bank.

The ones without a clue apparently, as to what life is all about. We see their stories on the evening news, we hear about them from our friends or co-workers, we may even know some of them.

These are the ?unfortunates?. The ones who are living in near-miserable to really crappy conditions ? on the street, in garbage-filled, shabby houses, apartments or motel rooms, without transportation and often with just barely enough food to survive. The ones who are frequently abused in one way or another by acquaintances or relatives, who are trying to scrape together enough money to get their vehicle back into running condition and who frequently encounter more new obstacles to just living than most of us could possibly imagine.

Why are they really here? On earth? Many of us feel that we have a purpose for being here. That we are contributing in some way to the well-being of our families and maybe even society. We are productive ? and even though all of us have had our share of difficulties in life, none of these can even begin to compare with the struggles encountered by those who are barely existing on the very edge of humanity.

They may never be really productive. Their chances for escaping their marginal conditions are slim to none. They probably have a better chance of winning the lottery. Sure, some of them may hold down a minimum wage job ? or perhaps even several jobs ? at sometime in their lives. Many will not. They are stuck ? really badly stuck ? in a rut that?s leading them to nowhere. That?s sad.

So, again the question arises. Why are they really here? One possible answer that I can see from my limited perspective is that they?re here to experience life ? and hopefully learn from these experiences. From a spiritual and humanitarian perspective, this is about the only reason I can come up with. I can?t believe that a creator that I have pictured as loving, caring and compassionate would have any other reason for putting people into an environment that would result in such an uncomfortable existence. I haven?t been able to convince myself that the ?system? would be set up to punish people or intentionally place any of us into crappy situations just to watch us squirm ? and hurt both physically and emotionally. And, I can?t yet bring myself to believe that any of this is just the result of the luck of the draw. That ?nature? is so unkind.

So what is our role in this? What can we do ? or should we do ? to help? Or can we do anything at all? Realistically, we may not be able to do much more than help provide some of the necessities of life. Some of the basic requirements for survival such as shelter, food and water. We can offer support and assistance in the way of training and encouragement to do those things that would be required to step out of the rut and into the mainstream of society. We can make these types of programs available ? and know that none of these people can be helped unless they sincerely want to be helped. And many don?t. For a variety of reasons, many of these people will want to stay exactly where they are.

Are they trapped by their own fears and lack of self-confidence? By their addictions? By their mental programming? By their lack of awareness? By mental illness or emotional instability? By a lack of opportunity or education? By an absence of desire or motivation to do better? By a feeling of comfort and security in a familiar but unpleasant environment? By a conviction that ?this is as good as it gets? ? and someday it will be over?

Looking at a cross-section of this segment of the population, we would probably find all of these limiting factors - plus many more - working vigorously to shackle these individuals to their present situation. It?s sad ? but at the same time it?s fascinating. It?s fascinating that almost all of these limiting factors are the product of a single entity ? the mind.

The same ?thing? that allows us to develop cures for diseases, build skyscrapers and take us into space can imprison us more securely than concrete and iron bars. The same ?thing? that produces the great literary works, music and art also produces lives filled with squalor, stench and despair.

Is this really an intentional situation created by the ultimate in universal consciousness and wisdom as a tool to promote spiritual experience and learning? Or is it really just the luck of the draw? I wonder?

Perhaps there is a lesson here for us ? for those of us who are inclined to read, think or write about this kind of thing. Perhaps it?s our reminder that every one of us is extremely fortunate just to be able to think as we think and do those things we do. We are all so very, very fortunate. I think it?s good that we understand and remember that?

.

Gene, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles and links along with affordable books and materials written to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life?s ?secrets for survival? in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It’s a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/

gene@nupathz.com

Hello, my name is Sharifah Hardie and I have just made it MY mission in life to help YOU change your life. Did you recognize my name? Don*t know where you heard it? Most likely from one of my many websites, articles, business ventures or even from my brief acting career.

I*ve had an online presence since my first website in 1997.

If you do a google search for my name you*d find pages and pages of my articles, sites, testimonials and experiences and the one thing you*d learn is that all of the programs you*re trying now I*ve tried. So I want to try and save you some time and money.

I have published such articles as:

• The Barter System - Overlooked and Underrated
• 9 Successful Online Business Must Haves
• Is Your Business Failing Because of You?

These articles are still being read. They are still available on many of your top websites including: SiteProNews.com, Alumbo.com, WomensBizNews.com

Now that I*ve given you my background let me tell you what happened to me. After creating yet another website and receiving what many people would consider some level of success I realized that the hundreds of dollars per month, I was making from my home based sites was not making me happy. Yes, I said hundreds of dollars. So I decided to sale two of my websites receiving thousands of dollars Yes, I said thousands of dollars.

How many people you know would have just been happy with the hundreds of dollars per month and the thousands of dollars in the bank from the sale of the sites? But not me, I knew there had to be something more out there. So I took some time off, rested, relaxed, concentrated on raising my children and waited for my next move to arrive. Finally it did.

A friend of mine gave me an incredible book, *The Science of Getting Rich.* When I read it and actually began to practice the principles in the book my life changed immediately. I was invited to assist in starting a company with three other people. That company has become amazingly successful and with the package the company setup for me I will retire by 40. I now live a life I was sure all of my business ventures would bring me!

In fulfillment of my life long dream of being a motivational speaker I am able to motivate others to change their lives and I want to do the same for you. It*s no accident you*ve come across this article now. You can change your life using the principles I learned in The Science of Getting Rich. I invite you to download this FREE ebook in return for two things: 1) when you read the book and your life changes (and it will) that you email me and tell me your story. I just LOVE to hear success stories and 2) that you pay it forward and send everyone you know the link to the ebook. That*s it! I can*t wait to hear from you!

.

Sharifah Hardie, Business Owner and Motivational Speaker

mailto:TheScienceofGettingRich@gmail.com

Change Your Life! Download your FREE ebook here:

http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net/gifts/today.html

1. Do you REALLY know what you want?

2. Do you know yourself well? What your interests, talents, and transferable skills are?

3. Are you articulate? Can you explain what you want and do it clearly?

4.

Do you have supportive people interested in you and your welfare? If not, find some, NOW!

5. Do you have a network of contacts? Start with your friends.

6. Do you rely too much on the “want ads”. Don’t.

7. Do you have an agenda of who to see, who to talk to, who to network with, every day of your job search?

8. Do you have good job skills?

9. Do you practice gratitude? It works, especially with thank-you notes.

10. Are your intentions good ones? Make them known to all.

.

Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A.

Certified Job & Career Transition Coach

Email: doitnow@nwinfo.net

Web: www.doitnowcareers.info