Living Skills For Human Excellence & Success | The Human Life Map | The Secret Path Of Life

Prices are up and income is low. Over the past year or so the economic downturn has slowed the lifestyle of the rich and the not-so-rich. Here are some ideas to help put green back in your pocket.

First, recycle all of the items that you no longer need. It’s amazing how much money many people have invested in recreational equipment such as boats and ski-doos, art, books, sports gear, electronic equipment and dozens of other items that seemed like a good purchase long ago when the coffers were brimming with cash.

Cut back on waste. Do you really need 500 channels of television or 17 pairs of shoes? Trimming back the unused or only slightly used waste can put precious dollars back into your bank account. A penny saved really is a penny earned.

Turn yourself into a money making machine. People seem to develop a view of a job as time spent working for someone else. In fact, an income producing job is when you are working for yourself. Every skill, talent and shred of knowledge you possess is valuable to someone or some company. Learn to convert that value into an income stream. Check our freelance job sites like CORPe-Rate, elance or Guru and start creating a fresh source of income.

Finally, learn to barter. Stores near you are hurting for your business. Smart shoppers know that it is easy to negotiate great deals if you promise to buy more often. I’ve seen people recently get 20 percent meal discounts for eating frequently at local diners as well as those that have local stores notify them when new products come in. They then discount the older products drastically to move the stock out. Sometimes these deep discounts can be at cost or below.

Smart living leads to smart money. Use what you have, your mind, talent and ideas.

It was certainly a moving and emotional memorial today for Michael Jackson. It was so gratifying to see the people turn out and realize that there were most likely 125 at home that couldn’t be there for every person in attendance.

I told myself that I wasn’t going to write a blog entry today, but I’ll crawl out of my self-imposed hole of emotional pain. To be honest my mind and heart are numb right now.

I’m still dealing with the “this can’t be happening” process right now. Every time I turn on the television or look into the crowd there is a surreal feeling that comes over me. My brain is attempting to rationalize the finality of it all.

Oh, I’ve lost loved ones and even clients before, but there are times when it just seems to knock the wind out of you. Especially with several key entertainment industry deaths in the past two weeks.

But Michael was different. Like Elvis and John Lennon the death of Michael Jackson is truly a passing of a musical era.

I was saddened to see all the negative comments on YouTube and Time magazine.

People that seem to roam the videos simply to vent their anger and nasty attitudes. I thought they might ease a little, but they seem focused on putting their opinion across in the rudest possible manner and if you don’t like it they are compelled to force you to.

I get them on our blogs too. They send in tasteless emails littered with the liberal explicitive. I know better, but I do feel the emotional cut left by their harsh words because I do care about people especially our readers.

After 60 plus hours of work and hundreds of miles of travel each week it gets harder to write with purpose and substance for our readers after absorbing those nasty remarks.

Ask anyone that works to help others and they’ll tell you they work far harder than they ever would in a normal 9 to 5 job. And that requires motivation and energy. Two things I’ve had less of in the past week.

Michael Jackson was one of the most giving entertainers I’ve ever seen. He was driven to bring social issues to bear and gave of himself to many charities and human programs.

Personally, I will miss him much like I miss my old friend Steve Irwin.

Michael had a heart of gold to match his gold records and he gave until he had no heart left.

Our lives will have a large void without him.

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

Most people judge the thoughts and decisions of Michael Jackson in measure against their own living experience. They simply don’t consider the fact that Michael didn’t live according to exactly the same standards and experiences the general public finds normal.

Michael never had the opportunity to experience a normal childhood. His was a world of recording and stage performances, celebrities and cameras.

He was truly a man in the mirror of media attention. An exhibit in a way. Constantly behind the window of public scrutiny.

How would you have fared if your every move, every decision and every living moment were under the social microscope?

So it is with people of fame and public popularity.

It’s a double edged sword. The very thing they desire the most is often the thing that causes them the most concern. That’s why they surround themselves with agents, managers and publicists. It buffers them from the harshness of fame and fortune. Softens the process of success and public attention.

Without that buffer the experience can be too demanding and sometimes dangerous.

But it’s also that mindset that made them famous. Without the evolution into public attention the celebrity will not experience the success. One must accept the need to personally change and evolve and the responsibility and accountability that comes with such change.

That is the essence of going from “average” to “successful”.

Most people spend their every moment trying to change someone or something else. Their focus is also solely on changing the environment or circumstances instead of addressing the issues that make them what they are and the image and character the public perceives.

“Successful” is a state of mind. People that struggle and “fail” look like they are. They haven’t an ounce of “evolution” in them.

When you learn to evolve as a person and improve your contribution that makes a positive impact on the general public you will begin to immediately experience success.

Michael Jackson was focused on his craft. All of the great performers and athletes are. They evolve to become successful. Sometimes that evolution changes them dramatically physically, mentally and emotionally.

Be careful which social ruler you measure Michael Jackson or any successful person by. Yours may be a little different measure from theirs.

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

I write a lot of articles and entries regarding the conditions of the human and the concepts of improvement, but not as much about the coaching process. It seems to some that any mention of vocation is commercial and a sell out to giving endless streams of free information on the internet.

However, how people think about coaching directly affects the impact and quality of the coaching process. Teaching is useless unless one can reach the students most in need. Those are the very students most likely to refuse study.

One of the things that bothers me the most is the difficulty we as professional coaches have in reaching the very people that need us the most. One of the primary symptoms of poor living direction is that the person refuses to admit the need for or accept the help of anyone else especially a coach or mentor.

So, I went to the people to ask questions and find out why. More than just a business tool the use of coaching and mentoring to develop stability, direction and measurable progress is an accepted and even required concept in some of the most diverse fields from sports to medicine.

Generally individuals in management or creative fields accept the need and importance of coaching very easily, but the “average” person in the core consumer market struggles along on their own randomly facing down the challenges that the living experience throws their way.

First, I identified individuals and families that had adopted the “struggling on their own” patterns and then I asked them specific questions on support and coaching such as:

Have you ever had a mentor or coach?

If so or if not, why?

What is your view on coaching or mentoring?

Here are the results.

None of these people had ever had a coach or mentor. There were a few family members offering advice, but they had never been formally coached for free or otherwise. The concept of coaching and mentoring was almost foreign to them.

Few of these people understood the benefits potential of having someone else for support. They couldn’t understand how another person was going to help them elevate their results or lifestyle.

They had been making a living on their own since high school. They had always done things on their own and didn’t see any reason to change that pattern.

Coaching was something for other people. People involved in special things like sports and movies far above anything these people saw as remotely in their future. They simply didn’t need it and probably couldn’t afford it.

Their two major response patterns were:

Even though almost every person was unhappy with current social position, career, lifestyle, or living results the response was… “I’ve done alright up to this point. I don’t see any reason to change.”

Even though most admitted being stuck, confused and not knowing what to do next or where to turn the response was… “I don’t see what someone else can do for me. It’s just something else for me to worry about.”

These two statements are the answers to questions regarding the success of some and the defeat of others. Learn them well and look for them within yourself. Look deeply and I’m certain you will find some of these feelings lurking in the shadows.

I don’t see any reason to change.

I don’t see what someone else can do for me.

On top of all that most of these people admitted that anything added to their living experience automatically became a worry even before results were had.

These are the common denominators between success and struggle. Like it or not, commercial or otherwise I just told you the truth. Sports teams, athletes and performers have specialized coaches for a reason. Executives, highly educated and paid executives, have coaches and mentors to bring out their best.

These people recognize and accept the need for change and support. This is a hurdle you must overcome long before you begin to restructure your living patterns and results. Our biggest struggle is reaching out to the people who simply won’t accept help.

How much value would my words have if I wasn’t willing to take my own advice? This past year I paid a mentor to work with me on one aspect of my business.

Was it worth the cost? Absolutely. The direction and knowledge more than made up for any expense. In fact, I have always gotten great value out of good advice and skill sets and I’ve had many valuable coaches and mentors.

Take a good look at the top paid executives, sports athletes and celebrities and you’ll be hard pressed to find any that haven’t used or currently have a coach or mentor in some form. Look closely at the people and families struggling along and you’ll see no coaching at all.

It’s not the end all answer, but it’s the truth.

The difference? Change and support.

If you don’t want a coach then find someone that exhibits quality living skills and ask them for a little mentoring. You never know sometimes a good teacher is only a request away.

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

I guess you’ve tried just about everything. I think you’re right perhaps you should just give up and stop making an effort. I mean, why bother?

Is that your reasoning? I certainly hope not, but you might be surprised to find out how many people do give up.

After years of struggle and setbacks they simply stop trying to make progress. They accept the status quo as normal and only want to maintain a level playing field.

Without initiative and the vision of a better future your motivation is squashed and you are ultimately doomed to a redundant trial and error life path that doesn’t support a stable or abundant lifestyle.

Even worse, your children are first hand witness to the entire pattern. After a few years they accept your patterns as normal and begin to shape their thoughts and patterns in your image.

This doesn’t have to be! You have the ability to change immediately and without the help of anyone. The first and most important step you have already completed.

Being aware that the situation exists.

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

I can remember talking to several of Michael Jackson’s producers years ago. It was right between Thriller and Bad and Michael’s influence was at an all time high. We knew he was creating history.

I can ardently remember how focused and detailed he was when it came to his image and performance. Like a machine he would dance and cavort to the rants of the audience.

Once again we have lost a great performer too young. Many people question Michael’s lifestyle, but the social air at his level is so rare that it affects the perspective and excessive income fuels to urges.

I shall always remember him fondly at his zenith when his songs reverberated with the public pulse much like Elvis years before. I’m numb right now at the shock of the news, but our end is after all inevitable. Still, I wish he had stayed a while longer because I still felt he had so much left inside.

With great success comes great responsibility and accountability. In the end I think the pressure simply grew to be too much for his frail condition.

Let’s remember Michael Jackson the person and icon and not the lifestyle image.

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

You are alive in case you hadn’t noticed. That process consists of getting up every morning and living. Nature doesn’t care if you lead a full life it only dictates that you think and breathe. The only functional requirements are those of the human body.

And some people take it right to the limit. They barely function. They hardly move other than fulfilling the basic needs of eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom. Life has become nothing more than a biological process keeping them in front of a television or table of food.

Others pretend to live while they are waiting for some amazing future moment when they can finally be free to live. They want to retire. The years dedicated to the work effort are simply shunned off and passed by. These people want to squeeze a lifetime into their last few remaining years.

In fact, there are many people that never make it to the retirement years because of sickness, injury or unforeseen circumstances. Their living experience is cut short before they get to that golden promise of retirement happiness.

So what is the answer to living? Do it now!

Living is what occurs every morning when you awake. You don’t have to wait for a certain amount of money, or personal circumstances or retirement. You are free right now to create the living experience that represents you to the public.

Then there’s fear. Most people have it some more than others. The same fear that causes you to hesitate before doing something may be paralyzing to another. There are a great many people that are afraid of losing, rejection or perceived failure and also some that fear success and the demands, changes and exposure it might bring.

Guess what? Here’s an interesting fact we observed over the years. Most people never notice other people in this ocean of humanity unless you exhibit either very poor results or very good results. They notice the extremes of the living scale.

The public notices people that commit crimes or have such poor living skills that they stand out from the general public. People also pay attention to those that exhibit the traits of the highly refined and wealthy. The average people in the middle seem to pass by almost unnoticed.

That means if you choose to stay in a state of poor results you are more likely to be noticed for those characteristics than you would be if you made an effort to improve. Which side of the scale would you rather be known for?

Personally, I choose the quality living side. Get up, get cleaned up, dress for success and start exploring the living process for what it truly is and not for some opinion of what it means to you.

Children naturally enjoy the living experience. It’s all they have! They don’t understand the demands, jobs, retirement and other factors that cloud the thinking of adults. All children know is that they are alive and exploring and enjoying the living experience as much as possible. They don’t dread getting up in the morning and they don’t crawl off to bed at night beaten by the experiences of the previous day.

Recapture the child that still lives within you. Grasp living for what it is…a process. Spread your influence out to others without fear of rejection, failure or success. It is you, it is life and if others don’t find that appealing, so what?

One of my favorite quotes is “Living Better is Living Smarter”, but there are times when “Living Better is Simply Living at All”.

Every morning is a blank canvas. Your decisions, motivations and actions are the colors. What are you going to paint for others to see in your living experience today?

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

A while back I happened upon a lady that had a revelation about Casey Anthony. She had been devoutly following the story since last summer and was emotionally wrapped up in the process of discovery and trial.

The news media pummels the stories every day as they blast the news into your home through the television. Lost and abducted children, murdered children and families and chaos around the world.

We see these stories all the time so I am always curious why some people latch on to certain events and almost make them personal. Sometimes to the degree that their emotions come pouring out into their lifestyle and the people around them.

The lady that I am speaking of was totally wrapped up in this story. She watched the news all day and never missed the tabloid style news reports devoted almost entirely to these crimes that appear later in the evening on television.

She was caught, hook, line and sinker. Her days were filled with sorrow for little Caylee and disgust for Casey Anthony. She was bitter, resentful and filled with hatred. To quote her very words to me, “If I could get my hands on her ( Casey ) I’d choke her to death myself”.

A rather interesting response coming from someone NOT associated with this case or family in any way other than what she sees or hears in the news.

So we sat down to talk. First, I explained that I was also disheartened by the constant news of young children being abducted, mistreated or killed. However, I was not connected to these people or their cases in any way.

My avenue of releasing the feelings was to help support the specific groups designed to find missing children and to develop educational courses for parents and people that might stem these poor patterns and decisions by others in the future.

I didn’t take the cases personally or let my emotions get the better of me. I didn’t picket on the sidewalk outside the Anthony home and wasn’t going to harbor feelings of anger and hatred toward the people involved.

As we talked I began to point out her other patterns of thought. Her acceptance of poor results and unwillingness to accept that her struggles were the result of poor thoughts and decisions.

She had become exactly what she believed she was. She was the sum of her poor thought patterns. In fact, she had been feeling sick and stressed as she held in the anger and hatred she had for Casey Anthony.

Suddenly she saw the light. She stood up as if something had shocked her. With mouth agape she looked around her home and realized that she had been locked within a lifestyle prison of her own making.

Her unwillingness to accept help and her denial of responsibility for her lifestyle results had created an endless loop of poor living patterns that kept her trapped. She had constantly focused on tabloid news, she lived through it and those thoughts disconnected her from the real world that impacted her living experience.

She wailed, tears flowed and she fell to her knees thankful for the light of clarity she had just become aware of. The change was immediate and profound.

This lady has evolved. She started a new career, bought a new home, new vehicle and completely changed herself. Today she appears to be a totally different person.

Yesterday, I asked her about Casey Anthony. “Terrible thing isn’t it” she replied. “I’m certain the trial will bring everything to light and she will face the punishment due if she is convicted”.

“But Casey Anthony isn’t my concern as I have much more in my life to focus on than what Casey Anthony is or is not doing right now”.

Big changes bring more big changes. Her “stinkin thinkin” was a thing of the past and she had abandoned the empty bitter shell that has encompassed her for so long.

You can too if you only have someone help you to see and overcome the barriers you have placed around yourself.

When do you want to start living your life?

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

What do you think is the difference between the successful person surrounded by fame and fortune and the “average” person struggling every day for a basic wage or salary? Intelligence? Image and appearance? Skills and talent? Actually it’s none of those things.

The reason? They have “stinkin thinkin” to quote Zig Ziglar.

Poor people think poor.

Let me define poor before we continue. This is not so much a money issue as a living quality choice. Most of us relate the term poor to financial status. In fact, I look at poor thinking as poor living choices and direction.

When you make poor living decisions you usually suffer from poor financial condition as a result. They go hand-in-hand.

Here’s a point I make in seminars. I can stand 10 “average” people on one side of a room. These people generally work very hard at their “jobs” and have incomes of $50,000 or less.

On the other side of the room I stand 10 “successful” people. These people also work hard, but they work and live smarter and their incomes are $100,000 or more.

The “average” group gets up and follows essentially the same pattern of life day after day all the while expecting something different to happen.

The “successful” group gets up and adapts their day to the results they expect. They understand the need for change and evolution to promote new results.

The “average” group lives a random existence. They “wing it” all day based on what life throws their way.

The “successful” group has written objectives. They “structure” their days and adjust to the things that come up.

The “average” group has problems that are delays, setbacks or dead ends.

The “successful” group has challenges that require planning to overcome.

The “average” group measures success by money and social status.

The “successful” group measures success by happiness and fulfillment.

The “average” people don’t need help and refuse to admit or accept the need or validity of a support team.

The “successful” group seeks out help and support. They fully understand that they cannot and should not do it all on their own when there are other people that can help to speed them along toward their objectives.

After our seminars “successful” people use what they have learned to boost their results while the “average” group generally returns to their same old patterns. They rarely apply what they have learned to the living experience and then claim that “it simply doesn’t work”.

The “successful” people don’t have excuses they have motivation. The “average” people have a book full of excuses, blame and claims of unfair results.

In short, “average” people have “stinkin thinkin”. Their thought patterns almost guarantee a boring poor result living experience and that breeds dissatisfaction and misery. They get random erratic results and therefore make less money and often have a much lower social status.

These people are constantly starting over, being delayed or struggling with daily living. Worse than that their children often grow up to be just like the parents. The parents have doomed their children to a life of unnecessary toil and poor lifestyle unless the child can break free from the patterns on their own as they mature.

Which group are you in? Which group do you want to be in?

No one is holding you back. It’s entirely YOUR decision how your life will turn out.

What’s your decision?

Learn more about adapting to a better lifestyle here.

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

There is one golden rule to success that simply cannot be denied. One rule that encompasses all of the results you get with the public and determines the positive or negative response returned for your efforts.

You must impact the lives of others in a positive manner. In fact, your success is defined by how many people you impact and how much your positive influence improves their lives.

Plus you must deliver far more than you promise. People are smothered by ads and claims making guarantees and promises of performance every day. After a while they become numb or skeptical to those claims.

You must impact their lives positively and you must provide them with much more than promised. Keep them happy, go far beyond what anyone could or would have expected in service and your returns will be greater than you ever dreamed.

In short:

Take a moment to ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TODAY