Funny thing about the personal development field is that we are all told to believe in ourselves and we can achieve anything in life.  However, something I haven’t heard is ‘believing in others’.

According to the news, the world has gone completely mad and everybody is killing each other right left and centre.  If all you read was newspapers and all you watched was the news you would be led to believe that the majority of people in the world are evil.  Something I realised at an early age is that the bigger the disaster the more the newspapers would sell, the bigger the scandal the more the newspapers would sell, the bigger (insert doom and gloom adjective here) the more newspapers would sell.

I remember as a child watching the local TV station and I happened to be up until the station closed down at 12am or something like that, back when TV channels actually closed for the night, and there would be a little announcement from a pleasant man saying something like : ‘In the interests of safety please remember to switch off  your  TV and pull the plug out in case of a fire, as fire can kill’, I don’t think I got to sleep that night for fear of there being a fire.  That’s what it’s like with the news and newspapers, we are all so scared to leave our houses.

It’s time we started believing in the human race again.  We are a good bunch of people really and it’s only the very small minority who are evil, we have to keep reminding ourselves of this fact.  How many people have you known in your whole life who have turned out to be a murderer?  If you answered 1 to this question, and I am willing to bet most of us will have said ‘zero’, then a quick calculation will have shown you that a tiny tiny percentage of every single person you have known in your life have turned out to be evil monsters.  Take this percentage and apply it across the world.

I am not saying trust everyone you meet, but I would say give the benefit of the doubt before judging everyone as being evil monsters.  Yes, exercise caution and safety at all times, but in our day to day lives I think we should start believing in others again, start believing in the human race again.

Martin Luther King’s Achievements:

• travelled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times
• awarded five honorary degrees
• named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963
• became not only a leader of American blacks but also a world figure.
• became the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Alright, let’s be real.

At one point or another we have all looked up to someone else, and I think it’s safe to say a majority of people who are considered leaders may never amount anywhere near to what Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela have done. As true as this maybe,  does that mean we can’t be a leader in our own way?

I consider my father a leader, same goes for my business mentor, and even Joe, my mail man for six years.

But if we don’t need history-changing-triumphs to be considered a leader, then what do we need?

There are many characteristics that the both of us may take on when becoming a leader, to name a few:

• A Leader takes charge
• A Leader Builds teams
• A Leader has helps others succeed

All of these aspects do play a part in being a leader, but there is the question of how. How do you take charge? How do you build teams? How do you help others succeed?

In my personal experience and through what I have observed, here’s what I’ve learned when it comes to creating Newborn-Leaders.

To become a leader you must have influence, before influence you must be respected, but to be respected you must be good at something, and to strive towards being good at something…..you need:

Ambition

As obvious as it sounds that you will need to have ambition, it easy for people to not challenge themselves. And that’s because as a society, naturally, we all want the “quick fix”, a “get rich quick” strategy.  Take blogging for example, working from home is ideal for everybody (mostly everybody). But it’s not easy, and I’m quickly reminded everyday as I struggle to keep my own blog alive and running.  The best perks in life simply won’t come easy…unless we’re Paris Hilton.

So we have to be motivated, you and I.

Our biggest enemy is ourselves and there will be times when we (our minds) talk crap to ourselves,  “ You can’t do it! Don’t even try! Give up!“

But we can’t give in. Don’t worry dude, I have your back. And I’ll be damned if I sit back while you talk shit to yourself.

What’s my Solution? Reasons.

What kind of reasons? The reasons why you’re striving to better yourself, your goals, your dreams and aspirations. Most people have very unclear and vague reasons. That’s why they fail to achieve their goals. The more in depth reasons you have the better. Ultimately, whatever your reasons may be…. yell them out loud!  Upon yelling and listening to your own words of reason, if you don’t feel emotions ignited within your body–you better go back to the drawing board.

Why do you want to stir up your emotions?

Because the “impossible” happens when our emotions come into play. Take the countless stories of super-humans lifting up the “impossible” upon having a gush of emotions ignite their bodies.

Simply put, I want you to strive to set out on finding reasons that ignite you emotionally. Besides, if you’re emotionally affected by your reasons, it’s normally a good (or bad) sign that what you’re fighting for matters.

As you may or may not know, I teach people how to mingle and build relationships for a living and I worked hard to get where I am. There were many times when I went out to social events alone trying to meet and build connections with strangers. It was scary, sometimes traumatizing, meeting strangers alone. My mind would say discouraging things–variations of how I could not take charge, how I could not make friends, but mostly how I would not be successful. I was at a point in my life where I felt secluded, that no one liked me, and I was afraid that I would end up alone in life.

But in those moments of doubt, I realized that I wanted my life to be filled with friends who appreciated me for me. I knew that my future depended upon the relationships that I would build during those times.

And that’s when I manned up and decided to follow my ambitions.

Ultimately, the fear of being alone was more than enough for me to get my ass through that door and take action for my life. And those were my reasons to achieve my goals on becoming a social coach.

Four years later, 45 cities all over the world later, hundreds of clients who I’ve successfully coached later… here I am, talking to you. I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t have reasons that emotionally ignited my body to take action.

Now my question to you is this: What are Your reasons?

My good friend and fellow blogger has just released his new book Upgrade Reality.  Dirk, known to the world as ‘Diggy’ is 25 years old and is a fast rising star in the blogging and personal development world.

The book itself is for anyone who is looking to craft a successful lifestyle for themselves and shows you ways to get more confident, have a vision, start your own business, how you can become emotionally healthy and so much more.

What I was so surprised about is the book was written by a young guy.  You would think that it has been written by someone much older and with a lot more experience.

Upgrade Reality is a book to dip into time and time again and to keep on your desktop for reference for your personal development needs.

the design of the book itself is fantastic, so much so that I asked Dirk to reveal the designer for the book and have actually gone to the designer myself to start designing my own guides and books.

The only downside that I could find with the book is that he has tried to pack so much into the ebook itself that it’s chapters are short.  However this doesn’t detract from the information in the book as he doesn’t give any fluff, it’s short, to the point and will get you thinking a lot about your life and how you can change it for the better.

What you will get from the book

Get Happy – Sometimes it can be difficult to be happy and that makes life unpleasant and miserable. You will learn the simple secrets, tips and mindsets to being happy. When you are happy, not only is your own life more enjoyable, but the lives of all those around you are made better too.

Get Rich – You will learn practical and smart ways to handle your savings and you will learn some mindsets that will allow you to build our own empire. You will likely not get rich overnight and you will get no guarantees, but you do get very useful and practical advice to help get to where you want to be financially.

Get Healthy – How you eat and how you exercise have a tremendous influence on your health and well-being. You will learn how you can easily eat healthy and exercise right so you have much more energy, get sick less often and enjoy life more. If you are overweight or even obese, a proper diet and regular exercise will get you back in shape.

Get Confident – You learn how to build serious confidence and healthy self-esteem with anything that you do. This will help you to enjoy life more, not be afraid to believe in your own ideas and decisions and to do what you have been scared of doing all along. Confidence is a very important part in making friends, doing business and having healthy relationships.

Buy The book Upgrade Reality here, I don’t think you will be dissappointed

Before I go on to share with the benefits of being an early riser let me share with you a typical day for me:

4.30 – 5.00 – Get up looking forward to the day ahead, in fact really excited about the day ahead.  No alarm clock to rudely awaken me out of a good nights sleep as I get up naturally.

5.00 – 5.15 – Check in with important emails, prioritising what needs to be answered now and saving other emails for later replies.

5.15 – 5.45 – Check in with connections on SU, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  I have recently become the Guest Post editor at TheDailyBrainstorm and linking with new exciting people is one of the remits here so this part of the day is now  important.

5.45 – 6.00 – Cup of coffee and walking around the kitchen (I do all my thinking and come up with some ideas whilst walking around), put notes in my ideas book.

6.00 – 6.30 – walk for two miles or some other form of exercise.

6.30 – 6.40 – Meditation or relaxation

6.40 – 7.00 – Write for new ebooks or work on the blog, follow up with connections.

7.00 – 7.15 – Get the boys up for school and wake Sharon up to get ready for work

7.15 – 7.30 – Shower, brush teeth.  Make sure the boys are actually up

7.30 – 8.00 – Spend time with my wife just talking about the day ahead, dreams, chilling.  Having breakfast with Sharon, toast and tea whilst boys watch a little TV (if they are ready )

8.00 – 8.15 – Last minute preparations to get house in order, school bags, lunches for the boys etc, kiss Sharon goodbye (very important )

8.15 – 8.30 – Take boys to school

8.30 – 8.45 – drive to work whilst listening to a business or personal development book on my ipod

8.45 – 12.00 – work as addiction worker

12.00 – 13.00 – Go home for lunch and check in with connections, have a 10 minute Micronap.  Grab a coffee, open letters.

13.00 – 16.45 – work as addiction worker

16.45 – 18.00 – Spend time with Sharon talking about our day, chilling, cup of coffee and talking with boys if they are around.  Take them to clubs if necessary.

18.00 – 19.00 – Write, emails, connect, put dinner on if I am making it, otherwise Sharon will do it.

19.00 – 20.00 – Sit down to dinner with Sharon and the boys and talk about day

20.00 – 22.00 – Coaching calls, write some more, deal with more emails,

22.00 – 22.15 – Get the boys ready for bed and hug goodnight

22.15 – 11.30 – Chat with Sharon, watch TV, read

11.30 – 04.30 – Great nights sleep

This routine obviously changes at the weekend.  Friday night is movie night and we sit in to all watch a movie together or go to the cinema if there a good movie we all want to see (Looking forward to seeing Inception)

I still get up at 4.30 – 5.00 on Saturday and Sunday and work a little longer as Sharon doesn’t get up until around 9am and the boys around 10am.  So weekends are family time and I’ll do a little work when Sharon and the boys are watching TV, later on.

5 Benefits of Getting up Early

1. Start the day excited

I honestly wake up feeling excited about the day ahead and getting up early makes it all the more special as I love the solitude of me being the only person up at that time.  I value my alone time and this is the great time to start whilst I have no distractions.

2. Productivity

You can see a large part of my day and a lot of my work is done from when I get up at 4.30 to 6.30 and it’s within these hours I get a lot of my online work completed or started.  Without getting up early there is no way I would have the time to fit these important tasks into my life without it eating into my family time and work time, so the family/work balance is totally balanced out.

I also get time to exercise and relax with meditation or relaxation, and there is no way I would do this if I was getting up at 7.00 and rushing around getting myself and the boys ready.

3. Get time to chill out

I actually enjoy my half hours with Sharon in the morning, just chilling and talking about the day ahead and it relaxes me before going to employed work as it’s quite a mentally draining job.

4. Prepared mind

My mind is not all over the place in the mornings.  It’s actually a serene time, I’m chilled, relaxed, and happy.  This is the time I am mentally preparing for the day ahead and before I go to work later on I know exactly what I have to do for the day ahead which means I can cope with unexpected events which happen at work much better.

5. Work on my life goals

I have to admit to being extremely lucky in that I have a job I love doing in the addiction work field and I love, even more, my online work: coaching, writing, blogging etc If I hated my job it would be a lot harder to cope and I think I would feel more anxious, but for now I have time to work on my goals of doing my online work full time.

There are many more small benefits to being an early riser but for me the 5 above shine above the rest.

There are ways to train yourself to  become an early riser and my research has shown I unconsciously meet all the right conditions to help me become an early riser.

How do you feel in the mornings, are you an early riser or do you dread getting up out of your warm, cosy bed ?  Would love to hear your thoughts on this, leave a comment below.

Achieving success is an innate desire in all healthy people.  Although the meaning of success is unique to each of us, we are all driven to do our best to achieve it.  This is true whether success means becoming the CEO of a company, raising children to be happy and healthy, growing our own business, writing a novel, or just living a serene life.  Whatever our definition, we all want to be the best we can be at whatever it is we choose to pursue.

So how can we operate at our best to achieve our goals?  How do we achieve peak performance?

A great deal of research has been done to identify common characteristics of people who have achieved great things.  Some of the characteristics of peak performers include setting a vision, having a sense of adventure or curiosity, being willing to take risks, a devotion to personal growth, and a strong belief in themselves.  While there are others, I believe these 5 characteristics are the most important, and most commonly shared among top performers.  Each of these deserves further discussion.

Peak performers have vision. Before we can achieve something, we must be able to conceive it.  We must have a goal or a mission that is worthy of the sacrifices we are likely to make in achieving it.  For this reason, this mission must evoke passion and commitment so strong that it becomes larger than yourself.  It must be aligned with your values and enable you to see beyond the sacrifices, beyond the now, and into the future.  It must inspire you, and preferably others around you.

Peak performers take risks. John Paul Jones, the Father of the U.S. Navy, once told his men, “He who does not risk, cannot win.”  This has been a favorite saying of mine since I learned it on my very first day as a Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy, and to this day I use it in my email signature.

JPJ realized that in life we face many decisions, and each of them has consequences.  Anything worth achieving carries an element of risk.  I have found that the greater the potential achievement, the greater the risk.  Peak performers weigh the risks of achieving their missions against their vision.  While they are not reckless and may seek to mitigate risks through planning and preparation, they often take significant risks to achieve their goals.  If you are unwilling to take risks, to “lay it on the line,” for your vision, then it is almost certain you will never achieve it.

Peak performers see life as an adventure. Challenges and the unknown are part of life.  We can react to each in a number of different ways.  We can become frustrated, agitated, fearful, or angry.  Or, we can approach both with curiosity and interest.  Peak performers are people who see challenges and the unknown as part of the adventure of life.  They reframe challenges as opportunities to learn and accomplish; to adapt; to grow.  They view the unknown with curiosity and a sense of adventure.

Peak performers are dedicated to personal growth. Steven Covey introduced the concept of “sharpening the saw” in his blockbuster book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  He states that in order to be as effective as we can be, we must take time out to reflect and grow.  Peak performers routinely take time out, placing a priority on their own growth and development.  In doing so they learn from their experiences and are better able to adapt to the challenges and ambiguity that they face in pursuit of their dreams.

Peak performers believe in themselves. Perhaps the most important characteristic of over achievers is they possess a certainty that they will achieve their vision. This faith in themselves is not born of arrogance, but of a deep-seated belief in their mission and their abilities.  The source of this confidence comes from within, and is developed by deep reflection that leads to self-understanding and self-knowledge, and builds as peak performers learn from their mistakes and accomplishments.

Developing the characteristics of peak performer’s is not easy.  It takes courage and a dedication to the process.  It becomes a mission in itself.  However, we all have the ability within ourselves to achieve our goals and lead successful lives.

Over the last few weeks I have been trying to find out what readers of the blog would like more information on.  So I emailed my subscriber list and asked them.  4 titles topped the polls and one of them was ‘How to get more subscribers to your blog’.

This kind of surprised me, but I asked the list what they really wanted to know about this topic and in true ‘let the readers decide’ I have produced a first draft of an ebook entitled: How to Reach 10,000 Blog Subscribers.

I am giving this away for free to all CYT readers.

DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK HERE

Who is it for?

Anybody who has a blog and is looking to increase their exposure in the blogging field.  You can be in any niche and benefit from this ebook.

What you will learn

• Why your subscriber count is important.
• The four aspects of your blog you must focus on to capture readers attention
• 7 ways to dramatically increase your subscriber count

Do you like it? was it helpful? If so, I have two simple requests

1) Let me know. Share your feedback in the comments section or write to me directly.

2) Help spread the word. Pass this along to the everyone you know, maybe no everyone, I don’t think your Gran would like a copy, but you know what I mean.  Would be great to Tweet this as well.

I hope you enjoy ‘How to reach 10,000 Blog Subscribers’  it and look forward to hearing your thoughts about it.

When I first started reading ebooks way back at the end of the 1990’s I didn’t ever think there would be a time when there would be free, valuable,  information on the net.  It’s only when Rich Schefren and Eben Pagan started moving ‘The Free Line’  that things really started moving.  Then of course, more recently, Frank Kern started releasing his free videos packed full of information for marketers and entrepreneurs to help start and drive your business forward.

I have scoured the net for more recent bloggers and businesses who have released ebooks and manifestos to help others drive their businesses forward.

It’s an approach I am now taking and will be releasing 2 free ebooks before the end of the year which will be packed full of great info.  For now I will share some of the best ebooks I have read which you can grab for free (you might have to sign up for some of them but believe me they are worth your email address), Also I have not set the links to open a new tab (not got my faithful Dreamweaver here in Turkey)  so right click each link and click on ‘open in new tab’:

50 Fantastic Free eBooks to Enhance Your Online Business

1. Rich Schefren – The attention Age Doctrine Part 2
2. Dave Navarro – 7 Steps to Networking Your Way to A-Listers Fast
3. Jonathan Fields – The Firefly Manifesto
4. Chris Guillebeau – A Brief Guide to World Domination
5. Jonathan Mead – The Zero Hour Workweek
6. Seth Godin – 7 Ways to Reinvent Yourself
7. Michael Martine – How to Start a Business Blog
8. Daniel Scocco – Make Money Blogging
9. John Chow – Make Money Online
10. Rich Schefren – Internet Business Manifesto
11. Ben Tiggelaar – Dream, Dare, Do
12. David Risley – 6 Figure Blogging Blueprint
13. Jens P Berget – Successful Traffic Generation Strategies
14. Diva Marketing – Social Media Marketing GPS
15. Dave Navarro – 7 Simple Income Streams (That You Can Actually Create)
16. Chris Guillebeau – 279 Days to Overnight Success
17. David Shay – Podcasting Secrets unleashed
18. Rich Schefren – The Missing Chapter
19. Seth Godin – Insubordinate
20. Mark Levy – The Fascination factor (and How You Can Use it to Write Books)
21. Strategic Generation – Online Professional Branding
22. Alex Makarski – Internet Marketing A – Z
23. Zac Johnson – How You Can Be the next $100,000 blogger
24. Mike Smith – Guide to Guerrilla Freelancing
25. Skellie – Rockstar Personal Branding
26. Rich Schefren – The final Chapter
27. ConversationAgent – Twittertales
28. Valerie Maltoni – Why Blog + 25 Tips to Make it Work
29. Colin Wright – Personal Branding
30. David Parrish – T-Shirts and Suits A Guide to the Business of Creativity
31. WebWorkerDaily (Various) – How to Escape The Cubicle
32. Chitika – Deep Secrets of Successful Blogging
33. Seth Godin – The Tribes Casebook
34. John Jantsch – Lets talk Social Media for the Small Business
35. Rich Schefren – The Maven Matrix Manifesto
36. Scott Ginsberg – 203 Things I’ve Learned about, Writing, Marketing and Selling eBooks
37. David Meerman Scott – The New rules of PR
38. Michaeal Cheney – Top 20 Traffic Disasters to Avoid
39. Kathrien Ahn – How to be Positive When Things Suck
40. Jay Conrad Levinson – A Guide to Guerrilla marketing for Consultants (oldie but goodie)
41. Laura Vanderkam – 168 Hours: The Blank Slate of Time
42. Chris Garrett – Killer Flagship Content
43. Peter Antonio – Endless Micro Niche Markets
44. Willie Crawford – How to Make a Fortune Offering Freelance Consulting
45. Kok Choon -  The ultimate Six Figures Strategy Guide
46. Ewan Chia – Secrets of Internet Business
47. John Chow – The Ultimate Blog Profit Model
48. Rob Brooks – How to Be Aamzing on Youtube
49. Mike Enlow – Masters of Marketing
50. GeekPreneur – A Geeks Guide to Promoting Yourself  in 140 Characters or Less

Learn from the pros

The best way to learn how to stop procrastination is to know what the professionals do

No I am don’t mean productivity professionals but I am talking about people who are professionals at wasting their time

I have interviewed some of my friends who are famous for their procrastination and came up with few mistakes that they all did and that made them become procrastinators

In this post I will tell you about those mistakes and how to avoid them so that you can help yourself put an end to procrastination.

It’s a promise that if you followed these advice then you will never be a procrastinator.

How to end procrastination today

• Not being focused: If while doing any given task you answered your phone, checked your mail, opened face book, replied to a text message or even went to eat something then you will never finish the task on time. After all you will never feel that you are wasting time because each of these tasks takes less than few minutes but their combined effect results in wasting your time. If you want to be productive then be focused on the task you are doing and don’t do any side task while doing it.
• Waiting for the right mood: Lots of procrastinators delay important tasks with the excuse that they are waiting for the mood but the truth is that this mood will never come and if it came it wont last for long. At one day you might find yourself irritated, at another you might find yourself angry while a third day you might find yourself feeling bad. Even if you felt good who told you that these feelings will continue forever? The key to being productive is not to feel good all the time but to keep working even if you are feeling bad, sad or even depressed.
• Waiting for the right time: A large group of procrastinators claim that they are waiting for the right time to start but the truth is that they are afraid of failure, they like to stick to their comfort zone or they perceive the task to be very difficult. In order not to hurt their egos they deceive themselves by claming that they are waiting for the right time while in fact they just need to be brave enough to face the truth. The right time is now and If you waited for the right time you will wait forever.
• Not having a clearly defined set of tasks: Lots of people procrastinate because they don’t know exactly how to start or what to do. Productive people on the other hand usually have a list of tasks predetermined in their minds before they begin working and that’s why they never waste time thinking about which task to start with.
• Are you doing that you hate: Sometimes we blame people for procrastination while they are innocent. In many cases procrastination happens when the person hates the task that he is doing, that’s why most children waste time instead of studying. While not everything that you hate can be avoided still you can make different choices in your life that ensures that you will be doing what you like more than doing what you dislike.

Stick to these tips and procrastination will be a memory

When I don’t take 100% responsibility for my life I block my own progress and happiness. Sometimes it’s easier to play in someone else’s business or back yard instead of changing what needs to be changed in my own. Using my creative power to be a proactive participant in my life allows me to transcend my limitations and live in joy.

The following tips will allow you to shatter both internal and external barriers as well.

8 Ways to Live a Powerful and Joyous Life

1. Honor and love yourself.

It’s impossible to love anyone more than you love yourself. It’s easy to love yourself when you feel good, look great and everyone cooperates. The real test comes with accepting your flaws, working with your shadow side and loving your humanness. I’ve learned to have compassion for the part of me that is greedy, inconsiderate and judgmental. Self-love allows me to heal these parts and move forward into a brighter light and deeper love for myself and others.

2. Become your own priority.

Pamper your body, mind and spirit. Take baby steps and begin to eat right and be impeccably groomed. Take scheduled breaks through out your day. Feed your mind with spiritual and inspirational information. You add beautiful, loving energy to our world as you learn to respect yourself.

I’ve recently decided to improve my exercise habits. Evita from Evolving Wellness has convinced me to eat healthier. I eliminated red meant from my diet 30 years ago. I’m now only eating fish, chicken and turkey (anything with a face) on weekends.

3. Stop comparing, competing, and criticizing.

As you eliminate draining little habits from your daily life your energy can flow freely into your dreams and happiness. Your role in life is like a puzzle piece that fits into the jigsaw puzzle of the universe, the world is incomplete without your unique self.

When I find myself stuck in the three “C’s” I know I’m off track. It only takes minutes to own my projections and move forward. I choose to live in the flow of life trusting myself with an open mind and heart.

4. Anchor your being in appreciation.

It’s a privilege to be alive at this time. I am grateful for the difficult lessons I’m learning from our economy, the oil spill, and the war. As I make inner changes, I see my exterior world change. In stead of focusing on the media and negativity I focus on the difference I can make.

Answers to our problems lie in each of us. Each morning I decide to “wake up and smell the day.” Life is precious, I won’t waste it wishing things were different. I choose to live more consciously. The individual changes we make will change the world.

5. Activate forgiveness.

Perfection in life is not required. We all do and say things we regret. I choose to learn from my mistakes. I encourage you to be gentle with yourself and others. Resentment and bitterness poison our mind, body and spirit. Forgiving others will take you out of the dark and into the light, that’s available always.

6. Record loving moments.

Keep a journal of the happiness, love and goodness you experience everyday.  Focusing on love and good times increases love and good times. A journal of “good stuff” can be used as a great pick-me-up in difficult times. You’ll find there are infinite experiences to record. Be a part of seeing the best in every thing and every one. I’ve kept gratitude journals for eight years. I’m flooded with appreciation for my ordinary existence each time I reread one.

7. Set your intention.

Each morning set your intention for your day. “I intend to be patient today. I intend to be kind. I intend to live in the moment.” You choose your attitude, energy and direction. Consciously create the incredible and amazing life you desperately want. Resolve to choose the best for yourself. You’ll learn to brighten your own day!

8.  Serve others.

There is a story about heaven and hell…In one room a pot of delicious stew sits in the middle of a big round table. The people at the table are holding unusually long handled spoons which made reaching their mouths impossible. They are thin, sick and weak. This room represents hell.

The next room also has a large table and a delicious pot of stew as well… The people around this table also hold long-handled spoons. However these people are plump, healthy and happy because they’ve learned to feed each other. This room represents heaven. Find someone to serve everyday. Expect nothing in return.

It’s easy to lose hope, blame others and feel victimized in our world. Yet, our power lies in establishing thoughts and habits of goodness and love. Imagine throwing your pebble of good thoughts and habits in the water. Yours connect to other like-minded good thoughts and habits. Soon you begin to notice and take part in a whole new world. And everyone will ask you, “How did you get so lucky?”

As I write this post I am sitting in the beautiful country of Turkey in a small place called Orhaniye.  My family and I renting a villa there for the summer holidays.  I can hear the sound of crickets, birds and bees and am looking at the green, tree covered mountains.  I can also hear the sound of praying ring out throughout the countryside as Turkey is predominantly Muslim, it’s all extremely relaxing.

This would not have happened if I had not made the move to go and actually find this place Sakin Vadi and start the process of speaking to the owners of the villas and finding out more information about it.  We were close to getting a package holiday and then I spotted Sakin Vadi.  There was a few days where I let the thoughts of booking the holiday ruminate in my head and then I took action and started the process of finding out more which led me to eventually book it.

The space between letting it ruminate and booking the holiday is ‘The space between nothing and something’.  before I left for Turkey I made a presentation to describe this a little better and I would like to share this presentation with you here.

So please enjoy this video and as always let me know what you think.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MQtLwZt1zI

If you can’t see the video please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MQtLwZt1zI