What Am I Grateful For?

I've been feeling a little low lately, so I'm going to count my blessings.

What I'm grateful for...

1. Good health
   
2. A roof over my head
   
3. More than enough good food to eat everyday
   
4. Knowing that there is a place to go if I need support
   
5. A well-behaved car that gets me where I need to go
   
6. My online business is steadily making money
   
7. Knowing that I have the ability to change my life
   
8. Being able to help the less fortunate
   
9. I have access to clean water - all I have to do is turn on the tap
   
10. Electricity - can't run my business without it ;-)
    

Hmmmm... that wasn't too hard. I feel better already. :-)

What are you grateful for?

Imagine Your Funeral

"Happiness is that state of consciousness which
proceeds from the achievement of one's values."
- Ayn Rand

What is important to you? In order to have a happy life, you need to be clear about what's important to you. Knowing this is also key to your happiness. It's amazing how so many people think that having more money would make them happier.

"If I could get that promotion or that raise, I'll have more money to spend on things I want. I'll definitely be happier."

Does that sound familiar?

The truth is, once you're above the poverty threshold, more money won't make you happier. More money will definitely make you more comfortable, allows you to buy all the nice things, but it won't necessarily make you happier.

Suppose you've listed your goals, work hard towards achieving them, and you're now a very successful person. Would that make you happier? Not necessarily.

What is the key to happiness?

Well.. I read this interesting article in the ETR newsletter that offers an insight to that question.

We can only be happy when we live our life according to our core values; otherwise, no amount of money and success will be enough to bring us joy.

So before you attempt to set your goals, spend 15 minutes to figure out your core values. What do I mean by core values? I mean the feelings you have about good and evil that are buried deep within your heart. How do you determine your core values?

Close your eyes and imagine your funeral. Imagine people who are there. Your family members, your friends, your business associates. Be specific about each person you see there. What are they saying about you? Answer this question honestly. Could it be something like this:

Negative Statement: "He was always struggling to make ends meet."

Positive Statement: "He struggled for a while and then everything changed. He became very successful and died a wealthy person."

Based on which one you prefer people say at your funeral, you can deduce your core value, for example...

Core Value: "I believe that financial success is a valuable and admirable accomplishment."

Now do this:

1. Take out a piece of paper and divide it into four boxes.
   
   
2. At the top of those boxes, write Health, Wealth, Self-Improvement, and Social Happiness.
   
   
3. Inside each box, write down statements in that category that you would like to have said about you at your funeral.
   

For example...

• Under health: "He remained as fit as a 20-year old as he grew older"
  
  
• Under wealth: "Of all friends who dreamed of becoming a millionaire, he was the only one who turned it into reality."
  
  
• Under self-improvement: "He fulfilled his dream of playing the piano by taking lessons when he was 52."
  
  
• Under social happiness: "He was the most generous contibutor to the local charities."
  

Write down at least two such statements in each of the four categories. Refer to them often as you work on achieving your goals in the coming years.

Take Responsibility of Your Life

I was scanning through my note book the other day and found something interesting I'd like to share with you. It was notes taken during a a talk given by Dave Crane.

Ponder this.

1. Your time is irreplaceable
Time is a currency you can't replace, buy, or cheat. Enjoy every second of every day.

2. Your life is your fault
Accept that you have a hand in it. Take ownership of it so you can change it. Learn to laugh more.

3. You never fail
You did something, got an outcome and feedback to why you didn't get the desired result. Do it again differently. HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT IT?

4. You never make a mistake
Because at the time, it was the right thing to do. Don't do it again.

5. You get what you put in.

Your experiences are unique.
Your worst things are the best.
You are what you think.
You are a miracle.
You cannot change anybody else.

Would you like to upgrade your life?

Why Hasn't It Happened?

"To live is the rarest thing in the world.
Most people exist, that is all."
-Oscar Wilde

I received an email from a reader who asked me if the law of attraction really works. She had been depressed for a while and often imagines herself dying of a terminal disease. If law of attraction is a real thing, why is she still alive?

I honestly don't know the answer to that question. As far as law of attraction is concerned, I can only speak of it in terms my personal experience. Does it work for me? It certainly has.

I knew that if I wanted to change my life, something has to change. I have to learn new things, move out of my comfort zone, and find the courage to do what I've never done before.

After watching the movie "The Secret" and reflecting on my life, everything that happened (and didn't happen) suddenly made sense. I suddenly understood the reason for my successes and failures. I understood why I underachieved when I could have done better.

I wrote in a previous post that thinking and wishing is not enough to change your life. The first step is deciding what you want. The next step is taking small, baby steps each day that will get you closer to your goal. Wishful thinking alone is not going to get you there. Many people want to be a millionaire but only a handful of them do. Why? Those who become millionaires did what need to be done to achieve their goals while the majority simply dream of becoming millionaires.

Life is short. We can choose to do something significant with our life or we can choose to waste it. The choice is yours. If you think you life is bad, start counting your blessings.

Last December, I wrote about my visit to a children center that was founded to help underprivileged children. After seeing the children there and what they had to go through, whatever problems I thought I had seems so trivial.

We can go through life blaming others for our hardship and misfortunes. We can play the victim role. Or we can choose to take charge of our life and turn it around.

What do you want to do?

"You don't get to choose how you're going
to die. Or when. You can only decide
how you're going to live. Now."
-Joan Bacz