New Years Revolution

By Alan Forrest Smith | December 30, 2008

Sam is like most people.

Sam might remind you of YOU?

It’s new year’s eve 2007 in the most beautifully strong country on Earth … Scotland. The time; 11:47pm. Only a few hours ago Sam had revealed his ‘resolve’ or resolutions for the coming new year. Out with the old ways, in with the new.

While Sam revealed his new resolve for 2008 he looked sounded and appeared determined he would reach his aspirations, hope and dreams. After all it was a new year!

One by one, Sam and his 9 friends all shared what their new year would look like and what they wanted to become.

10, 9, 8, 7, … 3, 2, 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Fireworks served to fuel the passion and dreams. This was an exciting night for Sam.

After a very late night Sam woke up around 1:15pm on New Years Day. He was supposed to be at his parents but he can’t make it, Sam has a terrible hangover. He stays in bed. Here comes another year thinks Sam as he lies there almost helpless with brain-pain!

7 days pass. Then 14 days go by. Then 21 days. Before Sam realizes he is preparing for summer. 5 short months had flown by.

Sam meets his friends again, the first time since new years eve.

One friend asks the group …

“c’mon then … who stuck to their New Years Resolutions then?”

As they went around the table when one at a time, each revealing his/her failed resolutions.

Something was taking place in Sam as each spoke. Suddenly like a bolt of reality -injection Sam realized he would never reach his resolutions. Like all of them Sam had high hopes. Now more than ever Sam felt doomed to failure unless …

… he had a REVOLUTION in his life.

What is going on here?

Let me explain.

When we make a resolution that actually means we are resolved to follow something through. However words can be spoken very easily. So the ‘resolve’ has to take place inside of you at a much deeper level.

For example: a smoker might try dozens of times to stop over the years. All attempts are failed. Why? Because most attempts are based on the wrong or a weak decision to stop in the first place.

The smoker might try and stop due to cash problems but the addiction is too much to make it happen. The smoker might stop under family pressure but again, the reason for stopping is weak and feeble and doomed to failure.

And then …

The smoker goes to the Dr.. He tells the smoker that he has the start of a chronic disease that will kill him in two years or less.

Despite the fact he is now under a death sentence … he stops smoking in that very moment !

But how can he stop when he isn’t smoking in the surgery? He stops in his heart. He has made his resolve and it has taken a massive shock to force the change.

Will you make a new years resolution or experience a news years revolution?

That’s up to you.

Here is what I have seen and you have probably seen also.

99% of new years resolutions are not worth the breath used to say them. They rarely come to anything. They are fruitless trees in a waterless desert.

This new years eve what will you be setting you resolve for 2009?

No debt?

No recession?

No more smoking?

No more unhappiness?

No more inner battles?

No more struggles?

What will be your resolve for 2009?

What ever it will be you need to understand this.

Sometime a take a revolution to make change really happen?

My eldest son Christian has a DVD series on the century 1900 - 2000. It is brilliant.

I was shocked but left agasp to watch the DVD about the Russian revolution. Massive, gigantic, mountainous change that began with a seed of thought and spread like locusts over a whole nation.

If you want change in 2009 do yourself a favor.

Ask yourself this simple question.

Will most people that you know be making a new years resolution on December 31st?

Then ask this …

Will most that you know stick to that resolve?

If you answered NO … STOP doing what everyone else is doing.
New years resolutions are a sheep-like sentence that comes from the mouth never the heart!

It’s clearly a recipe for failure and for the first time in your life …

… create your first NEW YEARS REVOLUTION … and be your own change!

2009 … Vive la Révolution

Has this helped or even irritated you?

I’d love to know.

Hit reply or post a comment on my blog at …

www.alanforrestsmith.com/blog

Regards,

Alan Forrest Smith

http://www.OrangeBeetle.com
http://www.OrangeBeetleFamily.com
http://www.BecomeaCopywriter.co.uk
http://www.AlanForrestSmith.com/blog
http://www.OrangeBeetle.com/blog
http://www.SalonPunk.com

Invisible Christmas Man

By Alan Forrest Smith | December 23, 2008

I have this photograph of me as a kid on Christmas morning.

It’s around 5am on December 25th. I am kneeling down opening gifts from my mum and dad by the side of our tree.

The photo is interesting. It’s the 1970’s, mum and dad’s house is all orange and brown swirly wallpaper with a white space age dining table.

You can only see me in the photo wearing orange underpants only even though I remember the house being freezing.

My face speaks for itself. EXCITING!

I am only about 10 years old. In those days I used to do lots of fishing. In one hand I have a new reel and with my other arm I am leaning against my new fishing basket.

Magic times!

Back to 2008 then.

Yesterday I went into Manchester with my wee darling daughter, Lily. She is gorgeous and dresses very edgy with a great, happy, positive interesting attitude to life.

As we walked from the car we passed a young guy sat on the cold wet uninviting stone floor of the street!

He was a mess, a real mess.

His clothes were totally filthy. Honestly … he looked disgusting. His fingers were the dirtiest I have probably ever seen. One shoe was open at the front, his toes were exposed. His hair was matted, his skin had aged hom 30 years!

His eyes, face and manner were down, low, disheartened and had given up on life.

Lily looked at him with the innocence of a child and asked me who he was.

I told Lily …

"he is one of the invisible people, no one can see him"

Lily said…

"what do you mean dad?"

I replied … "darling lets stop and watch for a second". We did. We stopped and watched and you know what we saw?

I asked Lily "how many people looked at him?"

Lily replied … "none!"

Yet we saw dozens of people on their way to spend masses of cash on Christmas walk past this young man, down on his life and not one person saw him.

He was to all intents and purposes … Invisible!

Yet with a tear in my eye I couldn’t help walk away holding my wee darlings hand tight, lean down kiss her on the cheek and think this young man was once a 10 year old child opening his gifts at 5am Christmas morning from his mum and dad also.

What went wrong to this young man?

What went so tragically wrong in his life?

I could judge him and call him a filthy, lazy tramp. But how can I judge another life when I have my own to look over and try to control.

Things never go the way we expect them to do they?

Life never takes the road we really want it to does it?

Occurrence sometimes jump right out in front of us and hit us in the face when we least expect it, true?

And maybe because this young guy has had a long series of out of his control things take place in his life not only is he down and out … he is invisible to help and assistance from others.

Wow … I feel tearful writing this one. It’s a small but true story and the only thing I want to say to you is this.

If you see an invisible person over the holiday may I ask you please to ’see’ them and do one single act of kindness for them. I promise it’ll make your holiday break more special than anything.

Enjoy your break.

I can’t wait to make 2009 my best year ever!

 

–
Regards,

Alan Forrest Smith

http://www.OrangeBeetle.com
http://www.OrangeBeetleFamily.com
http://www.BecomeaCopywriter.co.uk
http://www.AlanForrestSmith.com/blog
http://www.OrangeBeetle.com/blog
http://www.SalonPunk.com

Minimum Mentalist

By Alan Forrest Smith | December 17, 2008

Isn’t weird how the brain works?

You see what we think about continually in our brain usually sets our standards or levels in life. I really believe that, do you?

Let me illustrate.

Peter was a guy that work for me some years ago in one of my hair and beauty salons.

Peter was a really nice guy, great designer and good personality. He worked hard and put in long hours to make sure he got great wages.

Peter was a little addicted to buying new cars. It was his only real vice but he continually changed his car. When I say changed his car for me it was every 3 years or so. For Peter… I’d say twice a year.

The cars he bought we ok, just ok, no more, no less but the amount of cash he spent on them was massive.

I said to him one day …

“why don’t you get a BMW?”

Peter replied …

“I can’t afford a car like that and if I bought one of those things people around here would think I am a real snob”

How interesting!

I knew for a fact Peter’s repayments on his ever changing cars were getting higher and higher. I also knew if he went a bought a brand new low priced BMW it would work out lower than what he was paying to drive his other cars.

However Peter was struggling from one thing.

Peter was a … ‘Minimum Mentalist’

What is that?

It’s when we subconsciously preset our levels of anything.

We set them high, low in the middle and rarely unless we really want to will they change.

Peter’s minimum really was the minimum. Here’s a guy on very good wages yet he never believed he could like in a detached home. He never believed he could go on exotic holidays. He never believed he could buy a BMW.

Peter had preset his levels to ‘minimum’.

Do you believe that happens to you?

Can I share another short story with you? I’ll be quick on this so let me get started.

Years and years ago I always saw myself in a large converted barn that I had converted myself. At the time I was living in a tiny cottage with only 2 small bedrooms. I wasn’t earning a great deal then but I still saw the huge barn.

As time went on I never thought it would be any different. I always saw that barn.

Around 10 years later I finally, with my family moved into my 5 bed roomed detached barn sitting on an acre of land that I had built almost by myself.

How?

My mind had been preset by myself.

I still see much bigger things. I don’;t have them now. I will get them, all of them.

So how about you? Have you set your minimums or maximums or simply preset your levels in your mind?

Can I ask you direct …

Are you aiming high?

Are you seeing the final outcome?

Can you see, smell and feel what you want?

Is it real for you?

Do you actually believe it?

I meet so many people on my travels that tell me they do the above. Yet deep down I can see inside their eyes, their heart, their inner being and see they have given up. They still would like those things but they have surrendered to life itself.

All those days of being told …

“dreaming again?”

“wake up!”

“grow up”

Has taken it’s toll. And they have fallen into the real surrendering cliché of … “if it happens, it happens”

That’s the sad case of the ‘minimum mentalist’

So how about YOU.

Are you like Peter? He just never believed he could go any higher. He could … but his presets had been set by himself, his history, his environment. Peter was a real ‘minimum mentalist!

How do we change this?
Actually very simple. You become what you feed yourself on. Not just foodstuff but brain food as well.

Do you set your life by people that are low achievers? Can you set your life by those that are higher achievers.

And the fact is we all want different things from life… don’t we?

Some want a BMW, others will not so it’s no big deal.

However Peter would say…”I can never do that”

So he continually confirmed to himself the impassability of it all. If you are like that and keep saying I can’t do it … there’s no way you’ll ever be able to do it!

So, are you a minimum mentalist or maximum mentalist or medium mentalist?

Only you know. Only you can preset your own levels. Only you can take control of your life.

Here’s what I do know.

Dreams do come true. Dreams can come true. Almost anything is possible.

Minimum, maximum … we are all mentalists!

Has this helped you?

Does it make you think?

Do you feel provoked?

Let me know.

Either hit reply or leave a comment on my blog at…

www.AlanForrestSmith.com/blog

Regards,

Alan Forrest Smith

http://www.OrangeBeetle.com
http://www.OrangeBeetleFamily.com
http://www.BecomeaCopywriter.co.uk
http://www.AlanForrestSmith.com/blog
http://www.OrangeBeetle.com/blog
http://www.SalonPunk.com

Licentious Cash!

By Alan Forrest Smith | December 5, 2008

Who said money is the root of all evil?

Lies!!!

You see there was a  guy named David.

David had everything any man could want.

He was around 6 foot in height, dark olive skin, black wavy hair, deep green eyes and had the personality to go with it.

David also had cash, plenty of it.

He could pay for a car. Pay for clothes. Pay his bills. Pay off his credit cards. Pay for holidays. In fact David was in a position where he could literally pay for everything or anything he wanted.

One day when David was in his summer retreat he got an email from his bank. In fact it was his bank manager which that in itself was pretty unusual.

The manager was asking David to ring him. It was very, very urgent.

He rang him.

David was broke and didn’t even know it… absolutely B.R.O.K.E!

Davids first question was "HOW?"

His bank manager slowly tried to explain that the investment bank he had so heavily relied on had gone into administration. His investments had been lost, more than likely… forever!

Suddenly David’s whole world collapsed. He just didn’t see it coming.

In fact he had been living such a good life on the back of his invested cash he was spending like crazy and solely relying on his investment to keep him going into his last days!

After sometime and attempting to clear up his mess David was forced to go back and live with his mother. From living in his Swiss retreat of 7 bedrooms with a mountain view to a single bedroom with his remaining belongings in a box at the foot of his bed.

Now can I ask you a question…

Do you think David would prefer to be with money or is he happy being broke?

Obvious right?

I love money. I want money. I hate … like David … when I have none. I also love what money can do.

Before I tell you more about David let me share this small story with you.

Last March on a stage in Sydney Australia I was set a challenge. The challenge was to show the 500 strong audience how to use the power of the internet to make produce cash literally out of thin air.

So I set about on Thursday starting this challenge and by Sunday I had raised just under $54,000 (it finished up around $71,000).

So here I was with cash that frankly I would have liked for myself but I decided to do something useful with it.

So I gave the cash away to a group of people that also love money. They love money because of this one thing:

They recognize that there are those that love money for self gratification, for the adoration and recognition it gives them within their chosen community but there are also those that choose to use money for a much greater good.

So my dilemma was this;

Do I use the cash to buy a car that would rust, a holiday that would soon be forgotten, an outfit that would soon go out of fashion or simply for my own pleasure? Or… do I use the money to make some kind of difference on the planet or to a life or to an individual or to something, someone, somewhere?

Honestly … I would have loved to go buy a custom Harley with the cash! …

But I gave the money to a group that are busy helping the Amazonian Indians protect our rain forest from destruction and greed.

And why would anyone want to destroy our life serving rainforest’s?

The answer is circular.

M.O.N.E.Y.

Fat, greedy top floor cats want more money to feed their self induced hypnosis that money is there for gratification only… their own gratification.

David at the start of the story.

He made his money from the Penthouse suites of rich and greedy. He relied on money for happiness. He worshiped money as his God, his savior his life long salvation.

His God… Money… Betrayed him.

It’ll betray anyone that crosses it’s path.

So…

Me, I prefer to have cash in my bank. The more, the better. I guess you feel the same.

You know I feel really happy, really truly happy I gave that cash away in Australia. It’s a moment in my life that will remain with me forever.

But I still love to have money in the bank to pay for anything I want or need in life. Why not!

I wonder if David can say the same about his passing moments now he lives in a one bed roomed flat with his mother?

Money is not the root of evil. Money is what it is… a tool amongst tools that can enhance life but also destroy life.

Broke, no thanks, not for me.

I hope this has made you think.

Let me know, hit reply or post a comment on my blog

Regards,

Alan Forrest Smith

http://www.OrangeBeetle.com
http://www.OrangeBeetleFamily.com
http://www.BecomeaCopywriter.co.uk
http://www.AlanForrestSmith.com/blog
http://www.OrangeBeetle.com/blog
http://www.SalonPunk.com

Born Thug?

By Alan Forrest Smith | December 1, 2008

You need to know, it could affect your future.

I love Louis Theroux.

His style of the ‘anti’ interview always has me compelled to watch and listen and hang on to almost every single word.

His latest documentary was based on the streets of west Philadelphia. Just out of interest before I go on did you know the word Philadelphia means city of brotherly love?

Wow … what a real shame. West Philadelphia looks more like a city of hate and death.

Anyway the point I wanted to share with you was this.

Louis was working and filming the hardened police as they went about their business of cleaning up death, shootings and drugs.

They stopped this guy and pinned him against the wall.

On one set of fingers it read the word ‘BORN’

On his other hand you could read the word ‘THUG’

So … BORN THUG!

When louis asked him why he said … " because that’s what I am, this is my life, this is how it is around here"

Although astonished at his reply I wasn’t surprised. Here’s a guy around 30 years old or more and had been brought up surrounded in fact engulfed in violence, drugs and death.

He has seen strangers shot dead walking down the street just for being a stranger.

He had no prospects, no future, no nothing as he saw things.

But can imagine the power those two words had on him?

When he wakes up he reads the words BORN THUG.

When he shaved he would read BORN THUG.

When he ate he would read BORN THUG.

When he held his baby he would read BORN THUG.

When he sat in church holding his Bible he would read BORN THUG.

If he never wore gloves in his life from the say of the tattoos to the day of his death he would be reminded that he was BORN TO BE A THUG!

Can you see what has happened here?

The guy has reinforced his internal self belief that he was actually born to be a thug. Isn’t that sad? Isn’t that shocking?

The chances of him living until he is 40 where he lives or I should say ’survives’ is virtually zero. He knows he’ll be shot to death at some point.

Can you see the almost magical power reinforcement can have for good or bad?

What do you believe about yourself?

Do you believe that you are destined for a great job and an income of $60,000 per year?

Do you belief that you are a going to eventually drive a great car but never a top of the range BMW?

Do you believe that being self employed is for those that are crazy risk takes and although you like the idea of it you think you are only just good enough for your job?

What is it you believe about YOU?

Do you know?

What is it you tell yourself on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly basis?

You don’t just say it, you act it, you are it… you are what you think, you create your own version of your daily reality.

So if you spend your life thinking "I don’t know how he does that" … you are actually reinforcing a belief at YOU CANNOT do it yourself!

You know the BORN THUG in Philadelphia (city of brotherly love) do you thin he could ever get out of the ingrained self belief he had locked himself into?

The simple answer is YES he could, he can.

He does what almost everyone does. In fact it might be something you do also.

He blamed … his environment…!

When the truth is … the blame lies with HIM!

If he would only change himself inside and truly believe of his limitless possibilities he could easily smash out of the mold he has grown into.

Is there proof he could escape? Masses of it.

If he thinks he would be the first to o it he would be wrong. There are hundreds of case studies where people in dire circumstances escape into something much better.

So how about you?

Do you belife you are a small time salon owner that will never have a huge salon?

Do you believe that you are a small time self employed business person struggling to make it and will never be a giant in business?

Do you belief that your job is good enough for you and you will do your own thing when you retire?

Do you belief that you get what you get and that’s good enough for you?

But …

If you TRAIN yourself, your mind, your heart, your body, your whole person to SEE with your internal eyes and external eyes the true possibilities of yourself … your life or business will not only change, it’ll transform beyond any previous belief.

You know what … I believe if we follow what the rest of the world is doing, we’ll get what the rest of the world gets… not a lot!

So what is your daily enforced message to yourself?

Is it… BORN THUG… or negative self locking belief.

Is it … BORN TO LIVE … or a positive progressive message that’ll guide you daily?

You know what.

The guy in Philadelphia had created his own reality. But he could change his reality but only if he really wanted to.

How about you?

I really hope this helps you.

I’d love your opinion by going over to my blog and posting a comment.

Regards,

Alan Forrest Smith

http://www.OrangeBeetle.com
http://www.OrangeBeetleFamily.com
http://www.BecomeaCopywriter.co.uk
http://www.AlanForrestSmith.com/blog
http://www.OrangeBeetle.com/blog
http://www.SalonPunk.com

Propensity Praxis

By Alan Forrest Smith | November 27, 2008

Do you have an excuse for NOT doing something that could actually benefit you?

I believe most people have… including me.

For example.

I know if I go to the gym, I feel good (and maybe even look better)

I also know if I don’t go, I feel like a slob!

So why don’t I go? Why is it sometime I don’t go for weeks? Why is it I barely walk 500 yards during those weeks?

 

The answer is actually really very simple.

My habitual weakness is my ongoing behavior or …

My propensity praxis.

Praxis:. Habitual behavior

Propensity:. Weakness

Or …

Maybe this is an excuse?… Anyway …

You know breakfast time. OK I admit I love at least 4 huge self cut slabs of toast dripping with honey. This is a habitual behavior of mine for at least 30 years minimum!

I wake up, go downstairs, pull out a loaf of bread and cut 4 slices at least and inch thick.

About 30 minutes later I feel like a slug! Yet my habit stops me from restraining myself to the power of hot toasted bread and inch thick dripping in honey.

Now and then I go through fitness periods where I will get up, go downstairs and eat, fresh fruit, drink green tea, go for a walk and frankly for the next few hours, I feel amazing.

And I even manage to keep it up for a period of time until…

Praxis Propensity comes back and bites me on the backside!

Back to toast and sluggish!

So whats going on here then? The answer is really simple.

My life has been set with a 30 year habit. That habit is totally ingrained into my person.

You see it’s not just the toast.

It’s the smell. It’s the associations. It’s the history of eating toast with granny. It’s the memories. In fact it’s dozen and one  things that are almost part of my DNA and are hard to shift like an en grained stain.

Can I share a thought with you? Not a big one but big enough to have an effect.

You know this downturn all the media are ranting, raging and spoon feeding us with daily, hourly, minutely?

Well those that will curl up and almost die during this cataclysmic (so they say) period are those that are driven by their habitual behavior!

But the good news is, behavior can be changed.

And during this manafactured, crap management recession you might have been doing stuff in your business for years that has gotten you by. And you refuse to stop doing them because … you have always have done them.

And maybe even dad did them that way when he was in business. And maybe even you feel obliged to do them that way because the manual has instructed you to do them that way. Maybe you are so confident in the systems you have ran for years, that have made you money for years, that have given you a life for years, maybe, just maybe your arrogance feels they will help you survive.

That’s your

Praxis:. Habitual behavior

Propensity:. Weakness

The downturn sucks…and even if I don’t believe in it or allow my self to be immersed in it’s negative force… there will be a stack of business casualties.

You don’t have to be one.

But you do have to change your habits. You do have to see your weakness and accept, control or …

Recognize your excuses.

Look the facts are we all like to use excuses. They are great for digging us out of a hole. Sometimes we don’t even have to think about them ourse;ves because we have people around us that will say to us …

"don’t worry, it isn’t your fault"

"Hey be easy on yourself, it’s the economy"

"It’s not all your fault, its the banks"

"we need a new president to mkae life better"

OMG … weak, lame and insidiuos thinking… but this is what happens.

So the truth is and excuse is what it is … an excuse.

I’m broke because …

I could have made it but …

We could have survived but …

We just didnt have the right stuff …

We should have made it through …

The clients just seemed to stop coming …

Blah, blah, moaning blah!

Do you recognize anything in this stuff in you, your life, your business?

Can you hear or see yourself? Be honest can you?

That’s your

Praxis:. Habitual behavior

Propensity:. Weakness

Or … is it your excuse again?

I have excuses for failure, we all do.

But being able to recognize and identify those  weakness and habits is a step that willl help you to move through them and succeed.

Do you know your own Praxis Propensity?

If you can make sure from today you do, it could be the biggest step you make in your life!

Has this helped you?

The Cult of Self

By Alan Forrest Smith | November 26, 2008

It’s interesting to realize that those who are truly successful understand the cult of self. It’s also interesting that those that walk tall, proud and clear are also those that really get the cult of self.

Do you mind if I take you back into the Amazon for a second? I learnt so much about the basic human being while in there it really is worth sharing.

In the village where the native Indians live every young man in the village has to take it in turn to become the leader of the village. Being the leader he has to take control and direct everyone, everything.

So for example I noticed in the village he would walk back and forth along the side of the village watching and directing everyone like a joint force with one mission or end goal in mind.

He would even use a huge shell that he would blow through to get there attention or direct them. He also had a long stick in his hand that he would and could also use to get more action.

The on thing I did notice though was when we first met the leader (who was only about 20) was his presence.

The first meeting took place on the village long hut. When we walked in we hat to sit around in a semi circle and wait for the leader to appear. I was expecting a real old elder type man to walk in. Eventually this young 20-ish man walked in and sat down in front of us all. To his left were blowpipes. To his right there were spears. On the back of his chair was a rifle.

He looked just like what I would imagine a real Indian would be like from an old cowboy move. Very dark skin, strong chiseled face, long black hair tied back, strong piercing eyes, small in height but very strong looking.

What I should tell you is these guys are a warrior nation.

Survival is one of their prime focuses. Pride is also high on the list. Here’s the thing; if they had to kill you to protect themselves, their family, the village, it wouldn’t be a problem… they would do it!

Let me get back to the point though. I wanted to let you know why the cult of self is so big with these people.

They know themselves. They know their own mind. They know their environment. They just get it. Knowing themselves at that much deeper level helps them to be a strong as themselves. Actually I believe this is what makes areal person… understanding the cult of self.

Let me pull you back into our world, our busy world packed to the limit with mass and confusing messages.

First the CULT; This is recognized as a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites that are generally unmovable.

Here’s one thing we know about Cult members, they are usually absolutely fanatical but … they GET whatever it is they are into. Now this article isn’t to promote the rights or even wrongs off that but I want you to think about the mindset of these people.

Once they understand… they are unmoveable. You cannot change their minds; they are fixed on their path. In turn this gives them confidence. This confidence gives them a stature that helps them to walk forward, be tall, be strong. Their ideology has been set.

Second SELF; what is self? Who are you? What are you about? Where are your core values, beliefs and thoughts?

Self is who you are inside. It has to be the man or person you have to understand. If you don’t understand that person how can you have faith in that person. If you don’t understand self, how can you have any direction in your life. If you don’t really ‘get it’ about you, your future, your purpose well sadly here is what happens.

In this media driven age where you are hammered on a daily basis almost by the minute by mass messaging if you don’t understand yourself and fall in love with the cult of self you will become like a ship with no rudder being tossed from wave to wave and never reaching any port, any destination.

This not only affects you (the self) but it also affects your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations, your ambitions.

Let me tell about a guy I met recently.

He told me he is driven. He told me he wants to succeed. He told me he has drive. He told me he is determined to be rich. Yet he also told me he attends almost every seminar that is thrown his way. He also told me he had spent all of his family’s cash in his quest for success. He also told me this; his quest for success had left himself, his wife, and his children bankrupt!

What has really taken place? He doesn’t know himself. And when you don’t know yourself this is what will happen at some level.
So get to know YOU. Fall in love with you. Have a love like a cult member for yourself. Be firm, resolute and adamant in your purpose. This way you will have a strong business. You’ll have a strong personality. You’ll have a strong family.

This is the cult.

This is the cult of self.

Something Somehow Somewhere

By Alan Forrest Smith | November 26, 2008

Something Somehow Somewhere

 

Want to know how to really grow any business?

 

It’s interesting in 1991 I was offered the opportunity of opening a larger hair salon. The first hair salon I had was just 250 square feet. This one was over 2,000 square feet it was going to be a large step into the unknown for me.

 

I took the risk (it was a risk) and went for it.

 

Within 18 months I had the number one salon in that small town of 125,000. That was number one out of 35 salons. Some of those salons had been there for well over 20 years!

However that’s not the only story I wanted to share with you.

 

I wanted to share with you the fact that making it really happen in those salons was hard work… very hard work!

I had left school at 15 years old. My first job was as a gardener. I had no qualifications of any kind. I did what most do. Go to work, get a job and get paid. That was it. That was Alan when I left school.

So suddenly in 1991 just 11 years after leaving school I had to run, build, promote, market and make profitable my new 2000 square feet salon.

Despite all the highs, lows, ups and downs it was a success… a huge success and I fell in love with my business.

Now here’s the thing; a business to most new business people is like a child. They love, protect and nourish this new-born. When anything goes wrong they cry, they weep, the feels sadness. I was no different, I loved those salons.

Without covering all of the detail right now (I will share it again soon) I lost $100,000 in cash… from that salon. At the end in 2003 I had to walk away one cold Thursday morning and lock the doors forever.

Two things took place.

1. ALL of my staff walked out. (due to an on-going lie and blackmail campaign from my landlord to against me to exhort $20,000 from me. The Police would not do anything)

2. I had created a brand new, successful business online at this point I desperately wanted to pursue.

When I walked away from those cash buyers because I had no staff, I felt sad and truly depleted but knew I was walking away to something that could easily be re-created at any point in the future.

Yet all of it was hard. It could be grind. I was easily 24/7, it could easily take its toll on my and my health. It was worth it though, no question, I loved it at the time.

Can I ask you though: would you easily walk away from $100,000 in notes?

I did.

Can I share the bigger reason for you? You have to understand though… I want to make this about strange phenomena I see globally.

I would call it…

The something, some-how, somewhere syndrome.

Sadly there are people now all over the planet that will say to me when I am travelling and teaching. They say…

Something is going to happen to me. I don’t know what but it is and it’ll make me a fortune.

When I ask how they usually say …

“Some-how…I am not sure but… somehow”

I then ask where will this happen?

The reply can be a little like…

Note: you need to imagine and intense smile across the face from the person responding!

“Look I am not sure about anything. All I know is… something, some-how, somewhere will happen to me and it’s going to be big”

THAT WAS TRUE!

I really meet people like that all the time.

Now here is what I have learnt from my own businesses. Here is something else I have learnt from watching others business. Here is what I know for a fact.

To build a house is hard work. To build a wall takes strength and muscle. To build and empire means blood being poured. To build a Lego structure takes time and thought. In fact anything that needs to be built… take time, thought and energy… lots of it.

Yet there are people out there that have been taught by others that creating success is something that they can have if they think about it enough. Questionable?, I would say so.

Yet there appears to be an almost evangelical movement of adamant followers that will propose to you or anyone willing to listen that thousands, millions or even billions are about to land on their laps!

Can I share this with you?

Blueprint, structure, research, hard work, planning, strategies, tactics, branding, usp, leverage, joint ventures and more are just a few words I would use to start with to describe success.

Are they part of you work ethic?

Do you have a plan written in stone? Can you map out every single step from start to finish? Do you know NOT ONLY your end result but every twist and turn along the way? Are you taking massive action to really make it happen for you?

And back to my salon story above… can you, will you let go if you have to?

Why do I say that? Sometimes you really have to let go to make a success.

Can you imagine what my brain was saying at the point of walking away from $100 grand?

There was a part of me that kept saying… “This is your baby, you can re-build this to get the $100k back, you can re-create all of it…” my mind was working overtime. I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t do anything to the point I was frozen to the spot.

Can I share with you the one thing I had to do? It hurt doing it. It was painful doing it. I hated doing it.

I had to do this one thing.

I had to…

LET GO…!

Yes I had to let go of my baby, let go of 16 years of looking after, building, creating and nurturing my darling salon. It really hurt.

But you know when I did let go, my life became new, fresh, exciting. Packed with new challenges, new directions.

I created a plan. I stuck with it and changed it as I needed to go so I would get the results I really wanted.

How about you then. Is your plan working? If not can you let go and move on? You know if it isn’t working… you can easily move on. Moving on can feel exciting, refreshing and energy packed. It’ll hurt but it’ll be worth it.

And then…

Something you planned will lead you and take you to a new place.

Some-how in line with your plans you’ll see things, do things, achieve things you never even knew were possible for you.

Somewhere along those paths you’ll discover new, exciting, compelling parts of your life that have remained undercover maybe for decades.

And you know what?

It’s up to you.

You create the life you desire.

You can create the life you desire.

Alan Forrest Smith

The Age of Rage

By Alan Forrest Smith | November 26, 2008

Have you noticed how everyone appears to be angry these days?

I popped out in my car to go to my mothers just yesterday. Now I admit when you drive a bright orange, customized VW Beetle, heads do turn. Hiding is impossible; even in thick fog… it’ll stand out like sore thumb.

The flip side is also that drivers like to run me off the road.

On my drive to my mothers just yesterday a small Nissan truck came racing up behind me. Now you have to know I live in the country. When I have been into the USA or Australia in the country the roads appear to be massively wide. In the UK country roads tend to be the width of one car.

 

 

So this angry driver drove so close I could almost feel his breath against my neck. When I looked in my rear mirror his face was purple. Not only was he ugly, he looked furious. Why? No idea, all I know was he wanted to pass me urgently.

Eventually after driving under pressure for almost 15 minutes with a mental Nissan driver behind me looking like a beetroot in color waiting to explode, I pulled over so he could pass.

As he passed, he slowed next to me opened his windows, screamed abuse at me, stuck his finger up at me. I looked back and smiled at him. I think this made him madder than a Bull to a red flag.

I drove on until I got to the lights some 3 miles down the road. Who should be in front of me at the lights? Yes… Mr. Beetroot head struggling to pass the next driver he wanted to vent his anger at!

It’s not just drivers though is it?

On TV everyone is angry.

In the streets, people look angry.

In the shops, men and women are angry.

At the airport (don’t get me started on Airport staff!) … also look angry.

Isn’t that sad?

Why are people looking so angry?

What is anger?

Let me quote from a mental health resource in 2008…

“Anger is a basic human emotion that is experienced by all people. Typically triggered by an emotional hurt, anger is usually experienced as an unpleasant feeling that occurs when we think we have been injured, mistreated, opposed in our long-held views, or when we are faced with obstacles that keep us from attaining personal goals.

People also vary in how easily they get angry (their anger threshold), as well as how comfortable they are with feeling angry. Some people are always getting angry while others seldom feel angry. Some people are very aware of their anger, while others fail to recognize anger when it occurs. Some experts suggest that the average adult gets angry about once a day and annoyed or peeved about three times a day. Other anger management experts suggest that getting angry fifteen times a day is more likely a realistic average. Regardless of how often we actually experience anger, it is a common and unavoidable emotion”

Did you see that in that paragraph? It said …” Other anger management experts suggest that getting angry fifteen times a day is more likely a realistic average. Regardless of how often we actually experience anger, it is a common and unavoidable emotion”

I challenge the above.

Anger is an unavoidable emotion and can be controlled.

Here’s a fact I want you to ask yourself.

After you have been angry do you feel uplifted, happy and full of life?

Or …

Do you feel depleted, flat and lifeless with a long recovery process?

You know that point when you are about to break into anger? Imagine yourself there now. Look for a pattern. Can you see what it is?

I have to look at myself here. When I am angry I am also a sulker. I feel bad. I feel flat. I feel low. It takes me a while to get back into the groove after being angry.

So if I am angry as suggested above FIFTEEN TIMES DAILY … I would be a road-wreck waiting to happen.

So I have had to learn a new skill in life. It’s to hold back and not be angry.

What is anger again?

Anger is a switch. It’s a point that you are challenged inside. It’s so deep it can’t be seen. Its that point where that small tiny switch is flick, not once, not twice, not three time. It’s flicked to the point where it literally erupts.

I suggest you can absorb those provocative attacks.

When you feel angry you need to absorb whatever it is hitting your switch.

Can I share what I do?

I simply take a huge deep breath and say to myself…

“It means nothing, let it go. It isn’t personal, it’s not about me, and the anger is about THEM”

I will repeat that time and time again to myself (not in an airy-fairy way more in a strong practical manly way) and you know what happens/ Within minutes the potential anger has gone. It’s been put out. It has vanished.

But the point I really want to get to is this:

How does anger affect your business and your life?

According to the above it seems to affect lots of lives at least 15 times a day. At 15 times a day that could eat and destroy a huge part of your day. That in turn could create a less productive life for you.

That tells me our customers and clients are more impatient than ever. That tells me our buyers or prospects want more satisfaction. That tells me we have to research more than ever before the precise needs of our customers.

Lets be honest here, life is wonderful. The birds are beautiful. The sky is stunning regardless of the weather. The animals make us smile. Deep down people are good. Angry people want to be good.

Can you find out more about your customer? Do you do that?

Can you do that?  You can create a strong, integrity based business that could bring in profits, sales and a lifestyle beyond your wildest dreams.

Anger is destructive. It’s sad. It’s painful.

In an Age of Rage, I challenge the 15 times a day above … Anger can be controlled and understood for life and business.

How about you?

Let me know what you think below.

 

Quote: What I’ve learned about being angry with people is that it generally hurts you more than it hurts them.

Oprah Winfrey.

 

Regards,

Alan Forrest Smith

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