I love the feeling of abundance around me and my family

I love the feeling of abundance around me and my family.

Market Forecast of 2008 - What's Your View? (part 3)

Hope you find the previous market forecast 2008 part 1 and part 2 interesting...
Here is the bottom line summaried by Bernie Schaeffer...

The Bottom Line

** I expect that stock-market volatility will begin to recede in 2008 from the elevated levels seen in 2007. As the risk aversion trade begins to unwind, risk appetites will likely return to more normal levels. I also project outflows from domestic equity mutual funds - which approached record levels in 2007 - to moderate substantially and perhaps even revert to inflows as volatility begins to diminish and U.S. stocks begin to rally. Such a reversal would be quite supportive for further gains in the U.S. stock market.

** The fourth year of a Presidential term has historically been bullish for stocks, as has a situation of bipartisan rule (Republicans in the White House; Democrats ruling Congress, or vice versa). Both of these factors are likely to have an impact on stocks in the next 12 months.

** Crude oil may remain near all-time highs, but I would not be surprised if they pulled back to levels that would cause less alarm. The recent surge in prices has been the result of demand, not supply. Consumers have continued to adjust to rising fuel prices, and $3.00 unleaded didn't crimp spending any more than $2.00 gasoline did. In fact, a dramatic plunge in oil prices could potentially signify that something was off with the overall economy or market.

** Earnings across the board will remain challenged as the housing and credit crises proliferate in the coming quarters. But strong growth in sectors such as technology and utilities will help boost the average, potentially well beyond the dour expectations of many analysts. Positive earnings surprises could be a major catalyst for buying power for stocks in the first half of next year.

** Long-term trendlines held up despite dramatic pullbacks this year, confirming that the bull market remains intact. One of the primary moving averages to watch is the 80-week trendline on the S&P 500 Index.

** Concerns that the current market is at risk of a "bubble burst" similar to that endured in 2000 are unfounded. Stocks are priced at more reasonable levels, fear and caution dominates investors' minds as opposed to greed, and there is skepticism (if not downright pessimism) on Wall Street and in the financial press in their outlooks for 2008.

** Look at outperforming, underloved names from the alternative energy and e-commerce sectors for profitable opportunities in 2008 (see below). Metals stocks (particularly from the copper sector) also look promising.

** One sector to avoid in the new year is the large-cap healthcare group. Drug stocks have, as a collective, made virtually no progress this decade after a huge run higher in the 1990s. The combination of the well-known challenges of the industry (generic encroachment, FDA challenges) and continued optimism among analysts should keep capping the appreciation potential of this sector. This is a very broad sector, however, and there could still be some opportunities from the small-cap biotech segment.

** Pay attention to small- and mid-cap growth groups, e-commerce stocks, metals issues, and industrial cyclicals. Also, opportunities in international stocks, which along with multinational companies should continue to benefit from a weak dollar.

** And finally, the real "bottom line to the bottom line" is that while long-term levels of technical support look very reliable, and the backdrop of skepticism is compelling, the wild card is the Fed. All projections come with the very real caveat that an error in monetary policy will almost certainly result in taxing times ahead. The wrong decision could spur a selling campaign that forces long-term moving averages to give way, effectively justifying some of the pessimistic sentiment we've seen. I just hope that Bernanke and his cohorts make the right choice for the economy and the stock market - which is to cut interest rates aggressively without regard to bogus inflation fears.

(Disclaimer: the information provided here is served as reference only and does not constitute financial advice. Pls seek professional consultancy, if needed.)

Feed Shark

Market Forecast of 2008 - What's Your View? (part 2)

Hope you enjoy exploring the earlier market forecast and continue to have fun in part2 of the Market Forecast 2008 by Bernie Schaeffer

Technicals

Key Levels and Trendlines

In the first half of 2007, technical analysts concerned themselves with historical levels. Former all-time highs and significant round-number zones challenged the major market indices, but by the waning weeks of summer, these areas of looming resistance had been overtaken. The Dow toppled 14,000, the S&P 500 Index broke 1,500 and then exceeded its March 2000 closing and intraday highs of 1,527.36 and 1,553.11, respectively. The Russell 2000 Index (RUT) muscled through the 800 mark to hit a new all-time high. And the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) hurdled the 2,500 level to reach its highest point in six years. Additionally, the tech-rich index moved above the 2,566 mark, which represents half of its March 2000 high of 5,132.

The final quarter of the year was defined by a successful test of long-term trendlines of support, which refused to yield even when selling pressure mounted. Most notable is the 80-week moving average on the S&P 500 Index, which contained pullbacks in mid-August and late November. Barring a colossal mistake from the Fed in terms of monetary policy, we have confidence in these levels being supportive heading into 2008.

Where We Could Be Headed

The S&P previously rallied off its 80-week moving average in August 2004, October 2005, and June 2006. The average rally following these pullbacks was 18.6%, and the average duration was eight months.

For the S&P in 2008, I'm looking to a mid-year S&P mark of 1,625, with a move to 1,700 by year-end. So I'm essentially projecting a bigger pop higher sooner rather than later.

For the Dow, I believe we could add about 15% in 2008. By mid-year, I think we could see the average hit 14,600, taking out the 15,000 mark sometime thereafter to close the year around 15,300.

I'd expect the Nasdaq to rise to 2,900 by mid-year and reach 3,100 by the year's close. If the index behaves better than I anticipate, the 3,120 mark could come into focus. This is the 50% retracement point between the index's March 2000 peak and its October 2002 nadir. As for the Russell 2000 Index, I still have faith that some of the best bullish opportunities are in the small- and mid-cap growth area. Retailing growth names, biotechnology issues, and alternative-energy stocks are some particular pockets of strength among the smaller-cap sect. But in recent months, the RUT itself has been weighed down by its components in the beleaguered housing and finance sectors. That said, despite this struggle, I expect to see the RUT retake the 800 level early next year and move to 850 by the middle of the year. By the end of 2008, I'd like to see the RUT hit the 900 mark.

Sentiment

Then and Now

While 2007 faced comparisons to 2000, with the tech bubble of then compared to the housing bubble of now, the reality is that it was a different market environment entirely.

First, stocks are much more fairly priced from a valuation standpoint. As of mid-December, the price-to-earnings ratio on the S&P 500 Index overall stood around 20.50, down from the 37-38 area in late 2000.

Most importantly, the overwhelming sentiment that ruled the market in 2007 was one defined by hesitation and caution. The issues plaguing the 2007 market overshadowed any good news, investors were bailing out of domestic equity funds at record levels in favor of foreign alternatives, and the news stands regularly featured doom-and-gloom predictions.

In 1999 and 2000, greed played a part in every financial decision. The sky was the limit, and losing wasn't on anyone's radar. Euphoria was palpable … and it was dangerous. While I wouldn't say the current market was quite one defined by "despair," it's certainly arguable that we're in the "disbelief" stage.

The Short Story

The short-selling contingent remains a force to be reckoned with as 2007 draws to a close. By the end of November, the total number of Big Board shares sold short rose 3.1% to 12.77 million, up 3% from mid-November, when 12.39 million shares were sold short.

The short-interest ratio reached 8.2 in late November. In other words, total short interest across the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is more than eight times greater than the average daily volume on the exchange. This short-interest ratio on the NYSE is on par with the 1997 level, when we were in the middle of a raging bull market.

In addition, put open interest in the options market is at record levels, perhaps a reflection of the huge growth in the dollars managed by hedge funds in recent years. This contingent by definition "has derivatives exposure and knows how to use it".

The bottom line is that the large and ever growing short trade keeps a lid on market rallies (thus reining in any "irrational exuberance") and provides support on market pullbacks (as shorts take profits on declines and as portfolios with put protection in place become exempt from panic liquidation). Market crashes are very unlikely to occur when major money is already positioned for them.

Analysts' Apprehension

The "Big Money Poll," conducted by Barron's every six months, poses a variety of market-related questions to more than 100 investment professionals and money managers.

The latest installment revealed that just 47% of those polled have a "bullish" or "very bullish" outlook for equities through the middle of next year. This is quite a drop from the 64% of managers self-described as "bullish" in late 2005. Profit growth on the S&P 500 Index is expected to be a modest 4.6% for next year.

Meanwhile, 20%, or a fifth of the Big Money Poll respondents, say they are "bearish" or "very bearish" about the market's prospects, up from 17% in the last Poll, conducted in the spring of 2007. Those describing themselves as "neutral" account for 33%, down from 37% seven months ago. This caution among money managers is healthy as markets tend to climb a "wall of worry."

Using Zacks.com data to check in on the overall tone on Wall Street, the percentage of "buy" ratings is underwhelming. Of all analysts' ratings on S&P 500 stocks, just 47.7% are "buys," leaving 46.8% in "hold" territory and 5.5% as "sells."

Meanwhile, in June 2000, when the market's peak had long come and gone, the percentage of "buy" rankings stood at a whopping 72.0%. What's more, 50.3% of analysts' ratings were "buys" even when the market was at its 2002 low!

In other words, the Wall-Street collective is positioned more bearishly right now than they were during the bear market of roughly 5 years ago.

The outlook on mid-cap and small-caps stocks is equally skeptical. Specifically, 42.9% of the ratings on mid-cap stocks are "buys"; 43.89% of small-cap stocks have earned "buy" ratings. This is reflective of a "lowered expectation bar" that is very conducive to analyst upgrades should the 2008 environment prove less gloomy than the consensus believes.

Negativity on the Newsstand

One of my favorite and time-honored measures of anecdotal contrarian analysis has always been the cover story. When a trend in the market (or on an individual stock or sector) has gained such attention that it is appearing on the covers of many widely read publications, it could be about time for that trend to turn. This is based on the theory that once a trend hits the covers it is so widely known and universally accepted that it is set to turn not long after the unsophisticated public jumps aboard based on the "big news" in the cover stories.

A recent commentary from Paul Montgomery, whose work I greatly admire, pointed out the slew of doom-and-gloom headlines we've seen in the financial press related to the housing crisis and the dollar. Granted, as Montgomery also points out, financially-focused magazines don't carry quite the contrarian punch as a more general periodical such as Time, but the contrarian cover-story indicator is still undeniable. Here's a mere sampling of some cover-story headlines we've seen in the past three months:

• BusinessWeek, "The Consumer Crunch," (November 26, 2007)
• The Economist, "America's Vulnerable Economy," (November 15, 2007)
• The Economist, "Lessons from the Credit Crunch," (October 18, 2007)
• BusinessWeek, "That Sinking Feeling," (October 15, 2007)

This is, of course, not to mention the myriad of non-cover articles with bearish themes in the daily, weekly, and monthly press (a recession in 2008 is considered to be a slam dunk). When negativity turns so prevalent that warnings scream to us from the newsstands, pessimism could be nearing a peak. Given the broad market's decent price action amid so many fundamental challenges as highlighted by the headlines we see on a daily basis, this should be good intermediate-term news for the bulls.

Fund Flows

As I alluded to above, one element that makes today's market backdrop dissimilar to the wild ride of 1999-2000 that ended so badly is the fact that investors are bailing out of domestic equity funds. (Around the turn of the millennium, annual fund inflows into domestic funds were setting records in the $200 billion neighborhood).

According to TrimTabs, U.S. equity funds lost roughly $8.3 billion in November alone, marking the seventh consecutive monthly outflow. In May through November, $50.3 billion was pulled out of U.S. funds; this is equal to 56% of the record-setting seven-month outflow of $90 billion seen as the bear-market era was carving out a bottom in June 2002 through December 2002.

But fund players aren't just taking their money to the craps tables or tucking it under their mattresses. Global funds have reaped the benefit of rejected domestic opportunities. In November, $7.9 billion in assets was funneled into global equity funds. What's more, while that $50.3 billion was being erased from locally-based funds, international equity funds have seen $70.9 billion in inflows, huge with respect to the outflows from domestic funds, but small in comparison to the $200 billion in domestic inflows in 2000.

The advent of hedge funds is another major change to the world of investing in the past seven years. And in October, hedge funds posted an inflow of roughly $16 billion (according to TrimTabs data). During the first 10 months of 2007, nearly $280 billion in assets were funneled into hedge funds. In other words, there is a definite preference for funds in which hedging is an instrumental part of the strategy, such as shorting stocks.

So the market in 2007 held together despite headwinds on the economic front and despite headwinds from big money flows into short selling strategies and despite outflows from domestic mutual funds. As fear subsides and the risk/reward profile shifts in 2008, outflows from domestic funds could lessen and possibly even shift back to inflows as pessimism collectively unwinds. A reversal in the fund-flows environment would be very supportive for the U.S. stock market.

Margin Madness

Just a few of weeks ago, I came across the news that the level of margin debt recently exceeded that posted in the 1999-2000 market. This fact seemed diametrically opposed to the sentiment underlying the massive outflows we've seen in the mutual-fund arena, and I hardly believe it's the product of small investors borrowing above their means to buy U.S. stocks (the traditional view when margin debt ramps up).

My sense is that these ramped-up margin-debt figures are tremendously skewed (and rendered practically meaningless) by current present-day factors as hedge-fund activities and exchange-traded funds. (Hedge funds are also largely responsible for the increased demand for short positions referenced above).

Exchange-traded funds (ETF) were practically non-existent during the 1999/2000 bubble, and they are a hugely popular investment vehicle now. There is far less risk in buying an ETF on margin than in buying individual equities.

The risk of buying, say, the Select Sector SPDR Financial Fund (XLF) on margin in no way compares to buying a risky dot-com venture on margin eight years ago. And back to the hedge funds, I'd imagine it would be common practice for them to hedge stocks on margin against short positions in ETFs on margin for a net trade that is actually lower risk than buying stocks with cash.

Stay tune for the summary and net-net bottom line that is going to be revealed in part 3...

Market Forecast of 2008 - What's your view? (part 1)

I read this interesting Market Forecast of 2008 by Bernie Schaeffer.

Just want to share with friends here too...

Year In Review

Imagine the impossible happened around this time last year. You're minding your own business with a nice cup of green tea and you're presented with a truly functional crystal ball (or the souped-up time-traveling De Lorean from Back to the Future). You suddenly have the ability to look one year into the future - a dream come true for an investor (or gambler). With your newfound clairvoyance, perhaps you'd decide to keep those Apple shares in your portfolio or invest in a little thing called Baidu.com. Maybe you'd laugh at the notion of the Boston Red Sox capturing a second World-Series crown in four years. You'd be incredulous at the notion that Kevin Federline would be ruled a better parent than his estranged wife Britney Spears. And then one little prophecy would be absolutely flabbergasting.

The crystal ball (or your "future self") would warn of a hiccup called "subprime," a problem that grew out of short-sightedness and flourished in an environment riddled with rising interest rates and falling home prices. Foreclosures hit record numbers, major mortgage lenders crumbled, and homebuilders hit the skids. The crisis had a self-perpetuating effect - gun-shy banks and lending institutions were hesitant to offer credit, making the landscape that much more challenging for home sellers and builders.

This meltdown in the mortgage market trickled down into global credit markets, as liquidity evaporated. Hedge funds that were largely invested in subprime equities collapsed, banks and brokerage firms wrote off billions of dollars in bad debt, and the merger-and-acquisition deals that dominated headlines in the early part of 2007 became few and far between. Earnings were stunted for financial and homebuilding names, leading to aggregate results that fell short of already-lowered expectations late in the year. And on top of that, crude oil made a charge at the $100 a barrel.

So a clairvoyant investor at the end of 2006 would foresee a shrinking credit market and sparse relief from the housing market's infirmity or crude oil's climb. But if the crystal ball broke before he went back to the future to check out the stock market in 2007, hopefully he didn't spill his tea and rush to protect his portfolio against the worst bear market of the past 15 years. Because - and this is where the other shoe drops - despite all of this madness that transpired but 11-plus months in, the major market averages are sitting near breakeven or even slightly higher for the year. In fact, the Dow (DJIA) overtook two millennium marks (13,000 and 14,000) for the first time, the S&P 500 (SPX) hit a new all-time high, and the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) surged to a new six-year peak. And these gains occurred after the subprime crisis began to reveal itself. Someone looking a year into the future would never believe it. But then, going back to the Red Sox and Kevin Federline, 2007 has been a year of outrageous events.

When you look at all we've stomached, it's frankly quite impressive that stocks have weathered the storm. In light of the fundamental struggles that have plagued the market environment of late, long-term technical support and a sentiment backdrop of caution and skepticism have kept cataclysmic selling at bay. The three separate rate cuts from the Federal Reserve (amounting to a combined drop of one percentage point) have also certainly helped, but they arrived a little late (more on this later).

Currently, we're facing the monetary equivalent of a double-edged sword. Bad news on the economic front is clearly undesirable, in that we never want to see symptoms of an economic slowdown. But if the news is bad enough, the collective conclusion is that the Fed's hand will be forced, spurring another rate cut, and a return to a low-rate environment can signal good news for the market's recovery and the eventual upturn in the housing and credit markets.

As we shift gears into 2008 - a Presidential election year - we look to the Fed for answers. They are the one major wild card here, and a policy misstep from the central bank could cause an unraveling of the technical support that has been so pivotal for keeping the market on an even keel.

Fundamentals

Ben There, Done What?

In the past few months, there has been plenty of hemming and hawing among the most powerful men and women in finance, as Fed officials worry that continued rate cuts could steer the market into an inflationary spiral. I simply cannot emphasize enough how imperative I think it is to this market that an aggressive rate-cutting campaign continue into 2008. I remain floored by the articles I read listing every indication why the bottom will fall out amid the subprime-crises mess, and how many of these pieces fail to even hint that a rate-cutting campaign from the Fed could help ameliorate this problem.

Of course, the hawkish advocate will argue inflationary pressures and the weak dollar. First of all, the greenback stands to benefit from a more prosperous environment - currency traders are as worried as anyone about an implosion in the U.S. economy. And as I've noted before - in The Option Advisor and on SchaeffersResearch.com - lower rates are already built into the dollar - it is the Fed that is lagging behind market rates. With regard to inflation, it is mind-boggling to me that this is a serious concern in the wake of a deflationary banking crisis, a scenario that has never been followed by accelerated inflation.

The yield on the two-year note is below the 3% mark. Libor rates are reflecting a level of tightness in the market not seen since the early 1990s, when we were plagued with the savings-and-loans crisis. The yield curve for the Fed funds and 10-year note has been inverted for nearly 560 days and counting - but we've yet to see recessionary indications. The point is - we're looking at the risk of deflation here, not inflation. This market and this economy need more rate cuts, and if we don't get them, all bets are off.

Recession Ruminations

The idea that the economy is poised to tap the brakes may appear at odds with the notion that stocks will continue to trend higher. In fact, these seemingly diametrically opposed concepts have a historical precedent of going hand in hand. Data reported in a December 10 Bloomberg article reveals that in the past 60 years, the S&P has moved higher in eight of the 10 years that the economy has grown by 1% or less.

But here's the rub … six of those eight increases coincided with periods during which the Federal Reserve was dedicated to a rate-cutting campaign. Since the 1950s, the Fed has cut rates at least three times consecutively on 12 different occasions. In 11 of these instances, higher stock prices followed; the S&P posted an average annual gain of 19.2%. What's more, in the six years when these rate cuts coincided with economic growth of 1% or less, the average gain in the S&P was 23%. Are you listening, Ben?

Earnings Expectations Expose Ennui

When it came to earnings, the trend toward the end of 2007 was increased caution, which came in the form of reduced estimates. By December, the average estimate for fourth-quarter earnings (the lion's share of which will be reported in January) was less than 1.7%. For 2007 as a whole, total earnings are on pace to grow 3.2%, the worst collective earnings growth rate since 2002. This is down from the 9.3% earnings growth projected at the beginning of the year.

This backdrop shows me two things.

First, it's another testament to the underlying strength of the market, which was able to hold steady despite such a disappointing turn in the earnings department. Additionally, from a sentiment standpoint, these low expectations, which are likely to trickle into early 2008 outlooks, sets up the potential for upside surprises to blaze a trail through the market early next year. When analysts and investors are expecting the worst, the slightest bit of good news can spark buying interest. Also remember that the overall earnings picture has been clouded by weakness in finance and housing. Take these problematical pockets out of the equation, and earnings remain on solid ground - perhaps on shockingly solid ground as evidenced by recent very strong earnings reports from major technology stocks.

For the S&P 500 Index overall, I expect earnings growth of around 7% in 2007. My assumption is that consumer spending will not suffer a major hit next year, as Fed rate cuts (again, the wild card here) and other steps to ameliorate the housing slump will shore things up. I'm also expecting to see oil prices moderate and income growth remain strong.

While the financial sector will face continued earnings challenges as the impact of the credit-market woes trickle down, this weakness will be offset by strong earnings growth in such sectors as utilities and technology. I'd expect the weak dollar to act as an overall economic stimulant in addition to boosting the overseas earnings of multinational companies and encouraging foreign buying of U.S. assets. If the Fed cooperates, fourth-quarter 2008 earnings growth could rebound strongly across all sectors, causing a real surge in buying demand.

Lame Duck = Good Luck?

For the first time since 2000, one thing is certain in the upcoming year's political landscape … by the end of the year, a new person will have been elected Commander in Chief (I'd say by the end of Election Day, but we've seen how that can go). No matter the turnout - Democrat, Republican, man, woman, Hollywood actor, or dark horse - the White House will have a new resident come January 2009. What does the changing tide mean for the stock market? Potentially a lot.

But before we get to our 44th President, let's see what we can expect from the final months of George W. Bush, from a market perspective. Historically speaking (back to 1952), the fourth year of the Presidential cycle has been the second best for the market (the best being the third year, although this cyclical pattern didn't live up to expectations in 2007). On average, the fourth year in the Presidential cycle has seen an average annual return of 7.35% in the broad market. The best year by far was 1996. As Bill Clinton easily nabbed a second term against Bob Dole, the market charged 26.01% higher. The worst two years were 1960, when the market fell 9.35% and a controversial election resulted in John F. Kennedy defeating then-Vice President Richard Nixon, and 2000, when the market gave back 6.18% amid the technology bubble-bust.

It's also interesting to note the potentially bullish impact of bipartisan rule. In the past, a discord between Congress and the President has been good for the stock market (possibly because warring factions lead to inaction by government). Noted economist Ed Yardini once observed: "I wholeheartedly encourage people to vote for gridlock; it's good for Wall Street and for Main Street too."

Currently, there's a stalemate, with the White House controlled by Republicans while Democrats hold Congress. Next November, with 35 Senate seats and the Presidential slot up for grabs, we could wind up with a change in both branches. This will be something to keep in mind as we make our financial decisions for 2009.

Crude Awakening

In the fourth quarter of last year, the price of crude per barrel was lower relative the first quarter of 2006. This was certainly not the case this year, as black gold muscled continuously higher for most of the year and briefly threatened to overtake the psychologically significant $100 level.

At press time, long-term crude futures were nearly 43% higher for the year and the average price at the pumps (for regular-grade unleaded) was still hovering around $3.00. The simple fact of the matter is, since crude toppled the $30-per-barrel level in May 2003, black gold has been on an indefatigable run higher. People lamented $50-a-barrel oil and $80-a-barrel oil. And though the rising price of fuel has ultimately impacted everyone, from the commuter fueling up every week to the airline traveler feeling the brunt of higher ticket prices (to the consumer, who has seen the cost of many products increase to compensate for rising fuel), the overall jump in crude futures has been somewhat of a non-issue for the stock market.

Though oil has tripled in value in the past four-plus years, economic growth has remained healthy. The annual gross domestic product (GDP) rose an average of 5.95% from 2003 through 2006 and is currently expected to rise approximately 4.8% in 2007. Unlike the oil crisis in the mid-1970s, when supply was crimped, prices spiked, and filling stations were forced to deal with lines of frustrated customers, today's gains in oil are the product of increased demand. If we were to see oil suddenly fall back even as low as the $50-per-barrel mark, it would probably be the result of some deeper-seeded economic issues. Consumers and the economy have put up with rising oil this long; fuel costs should continue to be digested rather effortlessly in 2008 as well. However, forecasts for GDP growth in 2008 are just above 1.5%. Thus, a slowdown is factored into the market.

Finally, from a contrarian perspective I note that those forecasting crude oil prices for 2008 have adopted a "fool me 10 times, shame on me" attitude, vowing that they will not again be fooled into predicting (as they have, year after year) that the price of oil will revert to the mean and retreat. One of Mr. Market's favorite tricks is to blow away those who modify a long-held stance because they feel they've finally "learned their lesson".

Stay tune for more from part 2 that will further analyze the technical trend and market sentiment...

I begin exciting and inspirational ventures everyday

I begin exciting and inspirational ventures everyday.

I am deeply fulfilled by all that I do

I am deeply fulfilled by all that I do.

Your Golden Compass To Success In Life

The latest hot topic that I have been discussing or touching on when meet up with friends is either Self Improvement or What Do You Want in life.

To me, they are kind of inter-related to each other.

Life is prone to have challenges, issues, problems, obstacles, etc ahead of us. However, it shouldn't bother or even hinder us from becoming what we want to be or ought to be.

That's where self improvement play a role. We must keep improving and growing ourselves bigger than our problems. Then, the so-called problem will be too small to be a real problem to us. That's how we should manage our life and achieve what we want.

To help some of my friends to explore further, I have posted some of the relevant articles on self improvement and what do you really want in life in this blog lately.

At the same time, I recommend one of the latest cutting edge tool by SkyQuestCom for friends who are keen to improve and catch up with what they have been left lagging behind.

Some of the friends are open to the ideas and start learning. Some of them are still lost...

To help my lost friends, I am sharing another 8 questions you can ask yourself and as a guide to self improvement.

Hope this is helpful to you, my friends...

1. What do you really want?
The question of the ages. The No.1 reason why people don't get what they want is because they do not know what they want.

So many things you want to do with your life and so little time to even go about during the day. Find something that you are good at can help realize that small step towards further improvement.

Click here for more about what do you really want...

2. Do you need a change?
There's always the easy way and the right way when it comes to decision making. We can be comfortable with what we are doing by taking the easy way out. However, is that the right way or the way that will lead us to what we want?

If not, we might need a change to be back on the right track.

How to change? What are the tool and ways available to help to change?

Personally, I attend self improvement seminars and courses on annual basis. This is one of the fastest way to help gather the latest information and technology for self improvement purpose.

3. What's the bright side of all this changes?
With so much that is happening around us esp for those who are running on the rat race and stuck at the 9 to 5 job. There seem to be no room for even considering that light at the end of the tunnel.

We can still see it as something positive without undergoing so much scrutiny. If it's a train at the end of the tunnel, take it for a ride and see what makes the world go round!

Never try, never know...

4. Have you done enough for yourself?
Have you? or is there something more you want to do? Discontentment in every aspect can be dangerous in large doses, but in small amounts you'll be able to see and do stuff you could never imagine that you could be doing.

5. Are you happy at where you are today?
It's an unfair question, so let it be an answer!

You love being a good and loving mom or dad to your kids, then take it up a notch! Your kids will love you forever.

The same goes with your everyday life! You have to love yourselves in order to be loved and happy.

6. How much could you have?
I suppose in this case there is no such things on having things too much or too little, but it's more on how badly you really need it.

I'd like to have lots of money, no denying that, but the question is that how much are we willing to work for it?

7. What motivates you?
What motivates you? It's an answer you have to find out for yourself.

There are so many things that can make everyone happy, but to choose one of the many may be the hardest part. It's unlike the case where you can't have some of your favorite food in a buffet and forget about it.

To find what motivates us, we just need to try and test it piece by piece, day by day...

8. What Really Makes You Tick?
So? What really makes you tick?

It can be anything that we always want to be. However, to achieve something that seem much difficult and bigger than us might resulting us giving up before we even start the journey.

Hence, we need to keep learning and growin ourselves to be bigger than our challenges. Then, whatever that we want to attain will appeared to be something much achieveable before we given up.

Last but not least, always remember that self improvement is not just about the physical or philosophical change that we have to undergo but it's something that we really want...

By improving and growing ourselves day by day, the big challenge will appear relatively smaller and everything will be possible at the end of the tunnel.

I have unlimited wealth

I have unlimited wealth.

All areas of my life are abundant and fulfilling.

Financial Freedom and Self Improvement go hand in hand

Financial freedom and self improvement go hand in hand to achieve success in life.

How do a person know whether they need to continue learning and growing themselves?

This is a question with no definite answer.

It will all depend on the individual.

Many people have goals, dreams or ambitions but do not know how to go about achieving them. They may have thought about what would self improvement can help them to achieve their ideal life or financial freedom. However, they have no idea how to even begin to make the plans and take the actions required to make them a reality.

Some people have a vague idea on how to go about self improvement. These are the ones that believe that if only they had a better job, or had been given better opportunities, or met the love of their life, or whatever else, everything would be fine and they would be happy.

They feel that their happiness or lack of happiness is decided by external factors and their thoughts and actions are of little consequence.

Some believe that if only they had more money they could have whatever they want and be on their way to self improvement.

They may have spent little time thinking about what they actually want from life, and do not really believe there is anything they can do to create their fuzzy version of utopia anyway, apart from buying more lottery tickets.

There is another group who does not even know what they actually want from their lives and may even have little idea what would really makes them happy. They seem to just drift from day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year, and do little more than just about get by.

Those who stuck in the rat race may have seemingly secure jobs and be earning enough to live relatively comfortable lives. They may seem happy enough and have no great ambition to achieve anything more from their lives than they currently have.

So, is self improvement really important?

The reality is that throughout our lives we are all constantly growing and developing. If we are not learning and growing everyday, we are dying.
Circumstances make us grow and develop, even if we do not make the conscious decision to do so. Up to a certain age, we learn through formal education and we continue to learn through our experiences for the rest of our lives. We have to learn and grow to deal with everything that life throws at us. We all have to go through self improvement.

Modern life moves at a dramatically faster pace than at anytime in history. For anyone living in modern society there are more opportunities to do anything that you want to do with your life than ever before.

However, there is also more competition than ever before, and ever changing technology means that there really are few, if any ‘jobs for life’ anymore.

It is now normal not only to change jobs quite often throughout our working lives, but even to completely change careers and industries.

Because the workplace is so competitive, people who are ambitious and hungry for success know they need to learn new skills and knowledge to keep ahead of the pack.

To attain this, self improvement is critical and needed.

These are the people that will be most likely to keep their jobs, or progress within their chosen field, or that will be readily employable in different organizations or industries.

A commitment to self improvement and personal growth may well be the deciding factor in achieving success in life be it financial or time success.

I have gone through this whole thought process. Procastinate. Wasting time. Stuck at the junction and do not know where to head to...

Don't wait any longer if there is an amazing tool that can accelerate our self improvement process by learning from the world experts and gurus at our comfort any time any where. Your goal is to learn and grow the most in the shortest period of time.

What is stopping you from growing?

What is stopping you from achieving what you want?
Nothing except you...

This tool has helped me a lot to keep learning and improving myself and get out of rat race and I hope you can benefit from it too.

"SkyQuestCom is one of the best resources in the world today to help you learn the skills you need to be successful." ~ Brian Tracy

I am happy for those who do well and have plenty as there are enough abundance for everyone

I am happy for those who do well and have plenty as there are enough abundance for everyone.

Can We Make Money Through Blogging?

Can we really make money online through blogging?

Is achieving financial freedom through making money online a dream?

What is blogging? How to make money through blogging?

There are two major types of business models that internet marketers use to make money blogging.

The first and most common way to turn a blog into a profit making machine is selling advertising to different companies and brands who want to reach that blog's readers.

The second kind of money making blog is one that helps a single brand improve its image by creating positive associations between the blog and the product in the mind of consumers.

Both kinds of blogs can make a lot of money, especially if the creator has a keen mind for marketing.

If you are blogging with the goal of selling advertising, there are two basic ways that you can go about recruiting sponsors who want to put ads on your site; you can let someone else do all of the legwork, or you can do the work yourself and keep all of the revenue.

Within the first group, many people make money blogging by selling space through Google's AdSense program. The advantages of this program are numerous, as it requires very little effort on the part of the blogger or webmaster to begin raking in profits.

However, most people discover that they make less money through this method than they had hoped that their blog would earn.

Selling advertising directly to companies who want to put banner ads or sponsored links on your blog can take quite a bit of time, but it is often fairly lucrative.

If you have a lot of contacts in industries that are related to the topic of your blog, you may want to try to go this route. People who have a strong background in sales and are experienced at pitching proposals can make quite a bit of money by renting blog space to interested companies.

The greatest challenge with this model is that you often have to build quite a sizable subscribers before you can attract advertisers, which can mean that you have to do several months of work before you start to make money blogging.

As blogging becomes a more and more lucrative business, a lot of established companies are considering how they can get into the action.

One way that companies are capitalizing on the blog movement is by having blogs that provide a friendly branding for their corporation. Often, a company will employ an established blogger to create a weblog designed specifically to appeal to that company's customers and to create positive associations with the brand inconsumers' minds.

More than one writer who never even dreamed that he or she could make money blogging has been approached by a company and offered quite a good offer.

In short, there are more and more ways to make money through money. It is a matter of whether you are taking immediate action or not.

Giving Our Very Best To Life

The act of giving our very best to the needy can likewise cultivate the best emotional satisfaction in our heart. It is the best inspiration in our life.

Whatever form of help we extend, be it service or something of value, we will undoubtedly receive something better in return.

Is there anything better than a simple “thank you” that is meant with sincerity?
Is there anything better than an appreciation that makes we feel needed and important?

Is there anything better than to see smiles on other people’s faces for having made them feel equally important and cared for?

Is there anything better than adding value to others life?

If our physical resources are limited, we can put our talent or creativity to work. Our urge to help those in need should inspire us to find ways in accumulating resources to actualize our intention. We can come up with ideas to generate more money through fund raising programs. We may also give more of our time doing volunteer service.

In the process of giving our very best, our cooperation, attention, and entire being need not be strained.

We may get physically exhausted; but emotionally, we will be charged with a heart full of compliments, making us feel all-important.

We will feel revitalized and invigorated.

We will become more enthusiastic.

All these occur because we love what we’re doing.

When we set our mind to work for a good reason, we are actually tapping and activating power that promotes health in every corner of our physical, psychological, and emotional being. Our emotions will run high in a positive manner. We will feel sentimentally contented with what we are doing.

We will feel as though we’re the highest paid executive in the business; not because we’re being paid with money, but because we’re being paid with our own sense of fulfillment.

When we give our very best, the best will bounce back to us.

Feed Shark

I take time to play and laugh everyday

I take time to play and laugh everyday.

I am grateful to be alive!

I am grateful to be alive!

SkyQuestCom Helps Me To Be A Winner In Life

We all have the ability to make decisions that will determine the ultimate destiny and purpose in life! Before we can do it, we need to know what is our purpose in life. What do we want to achieve in life?

The No.1 reason why most people don't achieve what they want because they do not know what they want.

For me, I want to achieve financial freedom that will free up most of my time to help and add value to others life. I don't want to stuck in the rat race and selling my soul to the 9 to 5 job. I want to be a winner in life.

What is a winner in life then?

In fact, there is a very thin line between a Winner or Loser.

Just like the Olympic Games, we could win a Gold Medal by beating our competitors by the tiniest one thousandth of a second!

When we compare life to the Olympics, it is the same. We need to always maintain a "Winner's Mindset" in order to attain our purpose in life!

Below is a comparison of Winners vs. Losers' mindset:

Winners are always part of the answers;
Losers are always part of the problems.

Winners always have programs;
Losers always have excuses.

Winners say, "Let me do it for you";
Losers say, "That's not my job."

Winners see an answer for every problem;
Losers see a problem for every answer.

Winners see a green near every sand trap;
Losers see two or three sand traps near every green.

Winners say, "It may be difficult, but it's possible;
Losers say, "It may be possible, but it's too difficult."

Are you a winner or loser?

BE A WINNER!!!

We need to make a conscious decision to be a Winner and always
maintain a Winner's mindset in order to win the Gold Medal in OUR life! Just
like Olympian athletes, we need to train ourselves each and EVERYDAY
CONSISTENTLY to win our Gold Medal!

The ultimate sure fire training method is to continually feed our mind with world class mentality and motivational nourishment.

Everyday, I feed my mind with winner's mindset and mentality by watching at least one video seminar of world class gurus like Robert Kiyosaki, Jay Abraham, T Harv Eker, Blair Singer, Joe Girard, Robert G Allen, Brian Tracy, Dr Dolf De Roos and lots more.

All these positive energy from world experts are available any time any where as long as there is internet connection. Thanks to SkyQuestCom. SkyQuestCom has been a great inspirational and personal development tool to help me getting out of rat race and achieve financial freedom faster...

It is definitely one of the greatest decision and investment that I have invested to grow myself.

I am glad that I have been learning and growing everyday...if not, I am dying!

How about you? Don't wait. Make your decision now...

What do you want in life?

Relevant Squidoo for more info:
http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-escape-rat-race

I have the perfect living space

I have the perfect living space.
It is peaceful and filled with loving thoughts.

Which is a more effective way of learning? Reading or Watching and Listening?

Have you heard about speed or fast track reading?

Speed reading is just like when we are driving and speeding along the freeway or highway. Speeding may allow we to arrive at our intended destination. However, along the way, are we able to take note of the things that we may have missed while speeding along the fast lane? As in driving, zooming in fast does not give enough opportunity to see and enjoy the view.

It is the same to speed reading.

Much of what we learn can be acquired through reading. The simple activity of getting in a comfortable position and start reading a book of our choice opens up a new world for us. Reading enables us to tap into the minds of great people.

The more we read, the more we know. In the hope of reading more books, some attempt fast track reading. It is believed that the faster we read, the more we cover.

Fast track reading may involve reading by phrases and concepts compared with the word-for-word method. Fast track reading enables us to cover more pages with the same rate. However, one limitation of this method of learning is that we tend to remember only a small portion of the main idea. There is danger that we might miss the important details in the book.

There is a solution for this. Few people are aware of this seldom-talked about technique in fast learning. This is based on the principle that the mind thinks in pictures.

Learning is accelerated when we “see” the whole idea of the write-up or book. Seeing “live pictures” of ideas and thoughts of the writer makes learning experiential and unforgettable.

When we see nothing while reading, we learn nothing. Fast reading becomes useless. Just going through the motions of fast reading can give us a hazy picture of the subject matter. But like a mist, this picture often quickly evaporates into thin air. Fast reading without visual pictures often informs but very seldom impresses.

Impressions last while information changes with time. Past information is easily forgotten in favor of new ones. Impressions change you, and these are stored permanently in the mind.

For learning to become effective, it requires brief pauses to be able to visualize and reflect. Effective learning is not about how fast you can finish reading a book. It is more on how you effectively comprehend the ideas brought forth by the writer.

SkyQuestCom understands this very well and provides an amazing tool that not only helping us to learn faster while allowing us to capture the impression of the authors or speakers directly.

Just imagine how great would it be if you can have Robert Kiyosaki summarizing the gists of "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and delivering the messages to us through a visual and audio media.

Instead of spending hours and hours reading the book, we now receive the key messages directly from Robert Kiyosaki in less than 60 minutes video seminar.

How wonderful is that, isn't it?

With the innovation of internet, learning through online seminars has shorten our learning cycle tremendously compared to reading few hundred pages of books. With the greater visual and audio effect, learning by leveraging on online video seminars is definitely something that we can not afford to miss for not leaving behind the internet era.

We need to continue learning and growing the most in the shortest period to catch up with those ahead of us.

Remember, if we are not learning and growing everyday, we are dying!

We don't want to be another group of zombies!

I receive gifts, win more prizes and receive all that I want from known and unknown sources

I receive gifts, win more prizes and receive all that I want from known and unknown sources.

Simple Tips To Keep You Motivated Everday!

Occasionally, do you feel that life is just meaningless, dull, empty, purposeless, negative especially when you are lost at the junction of life...do not know the direction where are you suppose to be heading to...

If yes, you just need to find ways, helps and tools to keep you upbeat and fully charged all the time. Life is short. Just don't spend to long wondering at the cross road.

In fact, life is just like the set menus of restaurants whereby different kinds of foods are being served at different time or stage - from appetizers, to main dishes, to desserts - life also has its menu for an upbeat life. Different people have their own individual menu that keep them happy, cheerful and optimistic.

Discover what's your favorite menus in life. They will help to keep your life meaningful, fulfilling, enjoyable, inspiring, and interesting.

Personally, I try to minimize negativity and kick start my day positively by watching at least one motivational web seminar of the world class speakers like Robert Kiyosaki, Anthony Robbins, T Harv Eker, John Foppe, Joe Girard, Denis Waitley, John Gray and lots more by SkyQuestCom.

One of my favorite inspiration is the online video of Mr John P. Foppe, author of famous books: What’s Your Excuse? and Armed With Hope. John Foope was born without arms, yet, he is able to cook, eat, drive, draw, type and is married to a wonderful lady.

Watching how he tackles life with his toes really amazes me esp after hearing his message from the web seminar, I am not looking at him but myself. John takes away all my excuses and gives me a new perspective in my life especially my journey to financial freedom.

"Our only handicaps are those mental and emotional ones that prevent us from participating fully in life." Every pathway to success is a step-by-step process requiring a focus on resources instead of handicaps, assets instead of liabilities. Enjoy this short video by John...

Cool? Amazing? Want more inspiration from John Foppe?

Another amazing video by John Foppe

On top of that, the other way to keep ourselves motivated and upbeat is help the needy, the poor, the handicapped, the ailing, the broken-hearted, the homeless, the lost, and the environment.

The list can go on and on...

When we help the needy - in services, monetary value, or other forms (lending a shoulder to cry on or an understanding ear to listen to other people’s problems) - the returns are ten folds over.

However, don’t expect anything in return. Just the contentment we experience in our heart is an incomparably satisfying feeling. Giving something wholeheartedly without expecting anything in return is divine. Imagine ourselves as the person on the receiving end. We can’t wait to return the favor once we get the opportunity to do so.

Another way to enjoy life is to listen to music. Play our good old favorite songs and sing along. Sing our best. Sing carelessly or out of tune - whatever it takes to make our heart contented and whatever makes us laugh and happy.

Just hum the tune if we don’t remember the words. Sing until we laugh heartily. The idea is to keep ourselves happy and cheerful. Do this in private with our close friends or relatives though. We don’t want to annoy our neighbors too... :)

In fact, my favorite is the sound of nature is also music. The sound of river flowing, the gust of wind on a tree branch, waves on the seashore, and birds chirping are as natural as nature can be, and the way music should be. The sound of nature can make us relax, positive and optimistic because it is a beautiful and serene sound.

At the same time, we need to face the reality too. Life does have its share of troubles, disasters, and misfortunes. Bad news exists and it disturbs our minds. Totally ignoring it may not always be the answer to approach life in a realistic manner. However, we can always find ways to avoid being affected by it to maintain the dominance of life’s beauty.

A party without humor and laughter is a dull one. The same is true in our life. Fill our life with lots of humor and laughter to keep it upbeat. The more spontaneous a humorous situation is, the more natural it is, and the better it can liven up our spirits.

Look at the lessons that can be derived from misfortunes. Mistakes allow us to learn and see opportunities hidden behind adversities. Always find meaning from every event in our life. See through the shell game and value every lesson that we learn.

Sincerely hope this is helpful and meaningful to you too...

Feed Shark

If you are not learning and growing everyday, you are dying!

If you are not learning and growing everyday, you are dying!

What have you been learning lately?

When was the last time you read a book?
Are you a wide reader?

In a gathering, you can tell who the wide readers are. Wide readers think and speak well. They win the admiration, respect, and good opinion of others.

Reading expands the mind. In fact, many people consider it as one of the satisfying pleasures of humans, for it involves physical as well as mental activities.

Reading is primarily a mental activity. After all, you read with your mind and use your imagination to paint the setting of the detective thriller you are reading. You use you mind to imagine the pain that the main character experiences as the story unfolds. You bring into play the different arguments and ideas brought up by the author in that self-help book you are holding.

To read effectively, reading helps you develop a wide vocabulary through extensive reading. A skillful reader has a wide recognition vocabulary. He may not know exactly what every word means, but he will have a good general idea of the meaning of the sentence.

Reading makes you alert and curious about new words. Other readers develop the dictionary habit. Every time they come across a strange word, they try to figure out what it can possibly mean by the context. If they cannot do this, they refer to the dictionary.

Likewise, reading develops intellectual curiosity by exposing you to a variety of materials. You learn to read by reading books of increasing difficulty and variety. As in other forms of activity, you learn by actually doing.

Reading trains you to have an active and open mind. Merely grasping the writer’s idea is not enough. You must make a positive response to what you read. Be an active, not a passive, reader. Develop the habit of drawing your own conclusions, the habit of active thinking, of agreeing or disagreeing with the author. Keep your mind open; understand and weigh the ideas that you read. A practical part of active reading is the drawing of conclusions.

Allow me to share four basic rules for effective reading::

1. Try to read more and more. Remember the saying that practice makes perfect. Practicing in the correct way makes perfect.

2. Develop the habit of reading for main ideas. Look for the subject and predicate. Do not waste time on details or little words.

3. Learn to read with focus and concentration. Think of what you are reading. Do not let your attention wander somewhere else. Good readers read with understanding.

4. Learn to budget your time. Experiment with your reading time. Try purposely to read faster. Give yourself a time limit on specific material that you read.

However, what if you are a slower reader like me? The progress of reading is just seem slow no matter how hard you try. Disappointed at the slow progress at time and thinking of giving up?

What if there is a tool for you to learn through visual and audio media? It allows you to grab the gist and learn the most in the shortest period by watching video seminars of the experts at the comfort of your house, or when you are having coffee at Starbucks as long as there is an internet access.

That is just perfect, isn't it?

Allow me to introduce this amazing tools and resources to you... SkyQuestCom...

SkyQuestCom offers over 200 online video seminars of the world's greatest experts who are ground breaking leaders in their respective fields..

You get the wisdom, experience and expertise of the most brilliant minds from around the world, collectively assembled in 200 online video seminars. Their secret strategies, techniques and methods have helped millions of people worldwide achieve astounding levels of success and financial freedom.

Yes, I said 200 online video seminars of world class speakers just at your door step!

They are world-class speakers such as:

• Robert Kiyosaki - the best selling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
• Brian Tracy - the world's leading authority in Business.
• T Harv Eker - the best selling author of The Secret Of Millionaire Mind.
• Jay Abraham - the world's #1 marketing guru
• John Gray - best selling relationship author of, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.
• John Foppe - author and speaker, born without arms, helping millions of people overcome own mental and emotional obstacles and translate visions into outcomes.
• Antonio Inoki - famous speaker who brought respect to Japanese Professional Wrestling.
• Joe Girard - Guinness Book of Record's Best Salesman in the World.
• and many more!

Listen to what Brian Tracy and Stephen Pierce, the world's leading authorities in business have to say...

Also sharing a brief version of my favorite video seminar of John Foppe by SkyQuestCom. You will definitely be amazed by how John Foppe using his toes to open a can of drink and drink it in front of the audiences.

Enjoy...

Visit this website for more info: http://www.inspiringjourneytofinancialfreedom.com/SkyQuestCom.html

Feed Shark

I read books that enrich my soul and give me food for thought

I read books that enrich my soul and give me food for thought.
There is always more to learn.

Tips#10 Escape Rat Race For Good

Tips#10 Grab the right timing

I still remember what my first millionaire mentor taught me on how critical it is to take advantage of timing. When you understand this strategy you will be able to quickly narrow down all of the potential business opportunities out there to just a few.

The fast track to escaping the rat race is to take advantage of perfect timing!

Coincidentally, one of the common key to incredible success of all my mentors is taking advantage of timing when opportunities lie in front of us!

They also explain and highlight to me that their success was mostly due to the fact that they get the right timing was perfect.

So, the key to accelerate our success is to look for an opportunity in which we can take advantage of perfect timing.

For instance, those who grab the opportunity and go into the business when the business is building its foundation, most of the time, they achieve rapid success. If we are fortunate enough to recognise a brilliant opportunity during its foundation stage, we can take advantage of timing.

When we are positioned in the foundation of a business, we will be there when it goes into hyper growth. Those who are involved in the foundation of a company usually enjoy the benefits of hyper growth. Hyper growth is where true wealth is created.

Now, I am not saying you can’t be successful by joining a more mature company, but it is certainly easier to get there during the foundation period.

So, do as my mentors did and position ourselves in front of a business or
industry that is about to go into hyper growth.

We can definitely accelerate our success easier by taking advantage of perfect timing!

Prosperity flows into my life from expected and unexpected channels

Prosperity flows into my life from expected and unexpected channels.

Tips#9 Escape Rat Race For Good

Tips#9 Stay Focus.

Once we have found the right opportunity and made a positive decision to get involved then we must focus all of our efforts in the right manner.

One of the key reasons that people fail to create a successful
home based business is that they fail to focus all of their efforts
in a laser like manner.

They become easily distracted by everything else that is going on in their life. Every new business opportunity that comes along they join and then do
nothing.

If we want to be successful and live our dream lifestyle, we must learn to stay focus like a laser.

What do we want to focus on then?

We could easily focus on what many other people do and focus on the things that is not critical or do not carry any impact to our success like …

- The product was delivered a day late or somebody was terribly late
- Someone said no or reject the request
- We fail to make a million dollars in our first week

… but the question is ‘Is this the most important thing for us to focus on to achieve success?’

Of course NOT!

We must focus on critical areas in our new business that will lead us to
success.

Yes, there are always going to be things that go wrong.

Yes, there are always going to be negatives if we look for them or find fault with them.

Unless we learn to stay focus on what is most important to us in achieving our success and financial freedom, we are destined to immerse ourselves in those things that lead to failure or perpetually stucked in rat race.

Last but not least, just focus all of our efforts on areas that will lead us to success!

Joyous new ideas are circulating freely within me

Joyous new ideas are circulating freely within me.

Tips#8 Escape Rat Race For Good

Tips# 8 Acquire necessary skills.

If we are currently caught up in the rat race, financially just getting by and
not living our dream life. Then, we may need to expand and acquire some new skills. Constant self improvement is key.

Those people who manage to escape rat race do so by being prepared to invest in themselves and acquire the necessary skills!

If we are going to be successful in our own highly leveraged business then there are some new skills we may require. The great news is these skills are easily accessible. Anybody with a strong enough desire can acquire these skills starting today especially in the internet era.

Firstly we will need to think differently than the people we may currently associate with through work and our social life.

For most people their thinking is the number one thing that
holds them back from their dream life. If we want to be successful, we need to change our old habitual ways of thinking and begin to adopt a prosperity mind set. Failure to do so will leave us right were we are in your current situation only this time even deeper.

Everything we need to know to achieve success can be learnt. All of the information, skills and mindset that we need is within arms reach. All we have to do is be prepared to reach out for it.

Without these skills and new way of thinking, we are destined to remain where we are right now.

Is this what you want? I suspect not or you would not be reading this blog, right?

All of the skills we need to live a dream lifestyle and achieve financial freedom are available to us!

Tips#7 Escape Rat Race for good

Tips#7 follows a proven business system

A big mistake many people make is to start a business and become a solo-entrepreneur. If you do this then you will need to make all of the mistakes yourself, learn all of the lessons you need and eventually figure out what you need to do to be successful.

We do not want to be a solo-entrepreneur! It is much better to join a business that provides a proven business system.

Why? Simple … we will fast track our success!

We are far more likely to succeed in business if we can plug into a proven business system and follow the process of someone who has already been successful.

This is why the franchising business model is so popular … it provides a proven step-bysystem that can be run by a seventeen year olds boy or girl. Only problem is there is no leverage in most franchise businesses. Franchise owners outlay huge sums of money to buy into the business because we want the proven system to follow … but the reality is we are simply buying ourselves a job.

There are a number of business opportunities available that provide us with a proven business system, and successful people who will work with us directly to virtually guarantee our success.

The beauty of some of the business system is they provide the opportunity for us to learn while making money. How great is that?

Discover the secret here...

Tips#6 Escape Rat Race

Tips#6 Take decisive action.

Those who have broken free from the rat race and achieve financial freedom is those who have taken decisive action!

When we put off taking action we put off our better future. When we procrastinate on moving forward in an empowered way we dig ourselves deeper into the rut that we may find where we are currently in.

Decisive action is what will make the difference for us in moving from
our present circumstances to the life we can only dream of right now!

Those who manage to escape rat race are those that take decisive action when they are presented with the right opportunity. They carefully evaluate all opportunities until they find an opportunity that excites them and stands up to their stringent assessment criteria.

Once they believe they have found it … they move swiftly and decisively to get involved. They make an empowered positive yes decision to get started immediately. There is no hesitation or indecision. They literally jump at the chance to begin working on their financial freedom.

If you we serious about improving our life, leaving the rat race treadmill for good and creating financial abundance then we must act decisively.

The best business opportunity in the world is of little value to the person who decides to think it over for a week or two, or more, and eventually succumbs to the temptation of watching all of the TV sitcoms every night rather than being decisive, bold and action oriented.

It is possible for everyone to escape from the rat race and live our dream life … but only if we take decisive positive action when we are presented with the right business opportunity!

I only speak words that are loving and constructive

I only speak words that are loving and constructive.

What do you really want in life?

Yesterday, I was having a catch up session with one of my best friend. We touch on this topic...and I am dedicating this message for her. I sincerely hope that she finds her answer sooner...

"What do you really want in life?"

The No. 1 reason why most people don't get what they want is because they don't know what they want...

Interestingly, most people don’t discover what they want in life until it’s time to die – and by then, it is too late... Don't you think so?

Most people spend the best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.”

Are you one of the living zombies?

What do you really want in life?

Millionaire?

Famous?

Successful?

Financial Freedom?

Some people struggle in answering such question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure. They dilly dally in their decision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by.

Are you one of these people?

If you are undecided about what you want out of life, don't worry. There are many ways of discovering your purpose in life.

To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart. Oftentimes, people are ruled by logic. People live by what they think they should be or by what others like them to be. The discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your authentic self. Your authentic self is the real you.

Listen to your heart to be able to listen to your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like play where the task is accomplished without hesitation. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance.

You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals. Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get what you want in life. Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.

However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart.

The poet Rumi wisely said:
Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life.
Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline.
It’s all a fine balance - the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life.

Listen to your instinct. Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction on things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your authentic self communicates with you and guides you via instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then is to listen attentively.

Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children. “We come from a family of doctors, so my son must also be a doctor.” How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the impossibility of your dream. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics.

Did they achieve theirs dreams?

Do they dream big at all?

Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not theirs. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say.

Hear them out just the same.

But the final decision should be yours.

There is only thing to remember:
Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his brightest life will look like.

Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire.

You will never go wrong.

My body represents perfection

My body represents perfection. I am vibrantly healthy.

Tips#5 Escape Rat Race

Tips#5 - Looking for Opportunity not Security

As long as we seek security in what we are doing we are destined to remain a member of the rat race. Security is the shackle that binds us to the rat race. So many people are caught up in the rat race simply because they are more focused on security than they are on opportunity.

In order to break free from the rat race we need to seek opportunity first and security second. The landscape of opportunity is where the promised land of freedom lies.

In our society we are taught to get a good education and then find a
good company or job that will provide you with a secure position and income for many years or forever.

But did we know that this mindset is a new development?

Around a hundred years ago most people worked for themselves either on the land or through specialised skills.

Most people were entrepreneurs who had a mindset of seeking opportunity first rather than security. Due to the revolution of the industrial age that people have changed the mindset of people to work for large corporations because they thought it would lead to greater security.

Whilst we may believe we have security in what we are doing right now … the truth of the matter is that most of the people who have sought security are miserably unhappy being a worker drone in the larger collective.

People who seek security first always see the negatives or what is wrong in the opportunities they do look at. People who seek opportunity recognise the negatives, but their focus gravitates towards the positive side and the potential.

To break free from the rat race and create abundance for us and our family, we must begin to seek opportunity that has the potential to lead us to financial freedom.

Tips#4 Escape Rat Race

If we truly desire to create wealth and escape the rat race then we must have our own business.

Why?

Well, just as Jim Rohn, the business authority, says …"Profits are always better than wages!"

It’s a simple principle based on the cold hard fact that few people become wealthy working for someone else. If we work for someone else the business owners are simply buying our talents, skills and experience at wholesale and selling us at retail while the business owners keep all of the profits.

We must have our own business if we want a true chance of gaining massive leverage through the efforts of a large number of people.

A word of caution is: not all businesses provide the same level or opportunity to escape the rat race. Do you know that there are many people who mortgage their house, scrape together all of their savings to go and buy a fast food franchise (or any other franchise). They then work ridiculous hours, manage difficult employees, pay massive overheads, and only to take home a meagre wage.

Sounds like they would be better off to stay in the rat race ya...

They are certainly no closer to escaping the rat race.

It is vital that we look for a business opportunity that we can start and run whilst keeping our current jobs. We want a business that involves little investment or risk, can be run part time in hours that suit us and provide an unlimited stream of income as a result of its leverage creation opportunity.

Look for an opportunity that we can channel our TV time or 8 to 10 hours per week for the next two to four years. With the right opportunity we will be able to create financial freedom and escape from rat race for good.

We must start our own business to escape the rat race and become fabulously wealthy and it must be a business that is highly leveraged!

Click here to discover more info...


Feed Shark

Every mistake is a learning experience for me to be a better person

Every mistake is a learning experience for me to be a better person.

My vision will come true because I believe

My vision will come true because I believe.

4 Tips to Self Improvement

If only self improvement advice were free and scattered around everywhere, then there will be no problem regarding life, happiness and success. But then again, this is life. And it does not work that way.

What would you do if you are trapped in an environment that you do not want to be in? What if you are sick and tired of your job?

What can we do to solve this dilemma?

It is possible to take inspired and motivated action to survive your present situation and live the life you always dreamed of.

It is not that easy though. You will have to come out of your comfort zones to discover potentials and opportunities waiting for you. You have to conquer your fear and take calculated risks. You have to stay focused and persevere despite the difficulties you will encounter.

Success does not come easy. It takes heart, passion and time. Experience is also a factor. The learning you get everybody becomes your foundation. These are the things we do not need to pay for.

You have to work harder, dig deeper, and sacrifice more to attain your ambitions. But no, you do not have to hate the world and feel bad when you encounter difficult situation. Just remember the Law of Attraction. If you hate the world, the world will hate you back.

What can you do? Below are some free advices to help you when facing difficult situations in life. They will also serve as your guide to improve yourself.

1. Learn to love your current situation. See all the positive sides of life. Be enthusiastic. Love your boss, your coworkers, your family, your friends, and even strangers that you meet on the streets. It may not be easy, but nothing is impossible with a strong will power. Just do not fall in love so much that you totally forget about your dreams. Love, but try to hold on to reality.

2. Balance is the key. Dream and take some positive action to move you toward your goals. Take it one step at a time.

While you are slowly starting on the long journey to success esp financial freedom, be patient and be as enthusiastic as possible. Do not hurry up too much that you totally forget how to enjoy life. Appreciate the beautiful things you will encounter on the journey.

One day, you will finally attain what you have always longed for. But when that day comes, do not look down on those who belittled you. Forgive and forget.

3. Stay humble. Do not criticize others when you see that you are becoming more successful than they are. Try to help them. Inject your positive aura into their personalities. When you give, you will yield back equal or greater rewards.

4. Are you ready to begin the journey? Start it with the courage and desire to improve your life. Survive and go through it with persistence, enthusiasm, and positive thinking. Finish it with a resounding bang of accomplishment and with the desire to help others succeed as well.

There are many other self improvement advice that will get as you get on with your daily life. Take note that you are not alone. There are others in much more difficult situations. That is why is there will be a shortage of free advice about self improvement you can get from other people who are only too happy to help.

Today is the beginning of my new life

Today is the beginning of my new life.