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"The Power to Succeed"

by: Neil Millar

It�s amazing how we fool ourselves... while at the same time believing we are doing what�s best.

Let me give you an example. I overheard a guy telling a group of friends, over drinks, how he had become fed-up with work. Guys being guys, they immediately started to come up with options to fix the problem � ideas like changing company and changing jobs. That was when the guy got all logical�

�Yeah, but I need to pay the mortgage and my kid�s education and we�ve got a holiday planned for the Bahamas and��

I interrupted. �How much do you need?�

�A hundred grand a year,� he replied.

�What�s more important,� I asked, �your happiness or the money?�

Of course he said happiness. Then he got all logical again. �But I can�t be happy unless I can pay the mortgage and give my kids the best and have great holidays.�

�How many hours do you work?�

�Around fifty.�

�And how do you feel when you get home?�

�Tired.�

�What would your kids prefer, a father who is worn out for forty eight weeks of the year but has four weeks to entertain them per year or a dad who is a real Dad all year round?�

The conversation went on, me questioning, him justifying what he perceived as logic.

Yet it�s not logic, is it? It�s not logic to deny your heart�s desire to change life when it�s hurting you. The mortgage, the kid�s education, the holidays are just stuff. And, like most people find after a heart attack or a divorce or an accident, is that this �stuff� is not that important. What�s important is something else�

Life!

The problem is we got �Conditioned Logic� � �logic� transferred to us by society: friends, family, schools, college, the media, religion etc. We took it all on and felt we had to behave in a �conditioned� way. The repetition of that conditioning is fine for a while, but when we end up doing something we don�t love, each time we do it takes a little of the soul away. Let me put it another way.

What gives you the power to succeed is what you perceive to be logic. Real power is not necessarily doing what society dictates. Real power is often something else. It is that knowing that comes from nowhere to tell you, you must do something different.

It might seem logical to have the house, the car, the private education, the holiday, but is it powerful. What is powerful is, to say I am not happy and things must change; I�m not killing myself for forty-eight weeks just for four weeks of pleasure; I�m not excited by my work and I�m willing to live in a smaller home if it means I can have more peace, less stress and fall back in love with my partner.

It�s not all about the stuff, is it? It�s about happiness and love; happiness and love of your partner; happiness and love of your children and family; happiness and love of your work. If you have that then you have it all.

Now that�s the power to succeed!

Does your current way of living support that?

Best wishes

Neil

About the author:

Inspiration and thoughts that are often mind-bending can be found at Neil Millar�s website you can also sign-up to his Life Purpose newsletter with Unstoppable Life and obtain a copy of one of his books FR>EE.

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More Article Pages 1 - 2

Holiday Planning Tips For Busy Moms
by: Aurelia M. Williams

Ahhh, the Holidays�� The Thanksgiving turkey comes out of the oven golden brown, with an enticing aroma that fills the entire house. All the china is in pristine condition and not a single piece in the set is missing. The family is gathered for holiday pictures, the children are poised perfectly; hands to themselves, not a hair out of place and their smiles are shining brightly for the camera. Then just as the photographer is about to capture the shot� you wake up!

Let's be realistic ladies. Without proper planning, the holidays are anything but a holiday. Just look at the list of things that need to be done: Shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending holiday mail, the list goes on and on.

Let me clue you all in on a few key questions that you should ask yourself in order to have a holiday season free of stress and worry, and instead filled with fun and laughter:

What types of holiday celebrations do you want? For example: Do you want to have an immediate family only holiday affair or an extravaganza including immediate and extended family plus a few friends? Once you've thought everything through and decided on the type of holiday gathering you would like, you can then start making your plans.

If you are ready to get a head start on organizing yourself, your family and your holiday check lists, then keep reading:

Holiday Cards: Start early! I use a holiday card list that I derive from saving names and addresses from holiday cards my family has received in past years. I created a simple, computerized list that is easy to edit and print onto address labels. Be sure to stock up on stamps so that when you have your cards signed, stuffed and addressed you can affix a stamp to them and make one, simple trip to the Post Office.

Holiday Gifts: There's nothing like getting a HUGE credit card bill in the mail at the start of the New Year. Many of us tend to want to be generous when shopping for holiday gifts. While your generosity will be appreciated at gift giving time, keep in mind that it is very easy to succumb to "impulse buying" and go all out on your holiday shopping. While your intentions may be good, your pocketbook may be singing a different song. Set a budget and stick to it � your bank account will thank you for it after the start of the New Year.

Wrap it up: Wrap your gifts and place nametags on them immediately after you bring them home, then store the gifts in a secure spot. This will cut down on those late night wrapping sessions that I am sure we ALL have experienced a few times, if not every year.

Baking & cooking: If you will be cooking during the holidays, it is important to plan your meals ahead of time. Be sure to stock up ahead of time on all the necessary non-perishable baking ingredients such as flour, sugar and spices. Create a list of your holiday menus and a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare each of those meals. Also, try to think of a few dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and then frozen as an extra timesaving measure

Delegate: This is one of my favorite tips. Be sure to enlist the help of your family or friends. Sit down and discuss what needs to be done then ask for volunteers. If no hands are raised, simply assign small tasks to each of them. Whether it is arranging for a babysitter so that you can escape for a child free day of shopping, passing the shopping list onto another family member or friend so that they can pick up the items for you, or letting the children decorate your home. Be sure to get the whole family involved in the holiday preparations so that you will not be overwhelmed.

Enjoy: Whatever you decide to do, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. You and your family will have much fonder memories of this holiday season if you are not spending it pulling your hair out.

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