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Dear , 
 
This week I have been reflecting on Gratitude.
Do you remember as a child being encouraged to write thank you
letters for the gifts you received at Christmas? Can you recall how
much easier it was to write to the relative who gave you something
you really liked and were grateful for,  compared with the ill
fitting jumper from your aunt?

When we have genuine feelings of gratitude writing the letter
becomes easy, almost automatic, as our feelings rush out onto the
page. 
 
We can extend this principle to other areas of our lives today. If
we approach the working day for example or perhaps our important
relationships with gratitude, imagine how much more positive energy
that will generate and the impact it will have.
 
Right now, take a few seconds and reflect on the things that you
are, or could be grateful for. I guarantee you will feel an
immediate benefit.
 
Continuing the Gratitude theme, I am extremely grateful and excited
for the opportunity to share with you the new version of the
Successblog at www.ursuccess.net.
 
Please take a few minutes to have a look at the archives of
articles and help yourselves to the complimentary downloads
available in the Resources section. 
 
I would love to hear your comments and thoughts.
 
Daniel 
URSuccess.net

 The Power of Positive Affirmations

Like many things we don't fully understand, it would be easy to
dismiss the power of affirmations, but enough respected and highly
successful people use them that, they deserve investigation. 

Regrettably, many of us grow up with a set of beliefs about
ourselves that are less than empowering. As we grow up we begin to
put ourselves down for any slight failure, whether real or
imagined. Our parents, teachers and other influential adults can
inadvertently create a diminished self image and install a number
of limiting beliefs. This is compounded by the numbers of times we
think or talk to ourselves everyday in negative terms. The use of
positive affirmations is a powerful technique to change that
negative self-talk into something more positive. 

Leading thinkers and researchers on the use of affirmations include
Jack Canfield and John Assaraf. Research on the effectiveness of
positive affirmations as a life enhancing tool has led to the
formation of the following eight step system for setting positive
affirmations. 

1.    Affirmations should start with the words I AM. These are two
of the most powerful words in the English language as they send a
command to the subconscious part of our minds. 

2.    Positive - our minds like to work in pictures, therefore we
cannot not think about something. So trying not to think of a pink
elephant will undoubtedly bring up an image of a pink elephant. An
affirmation such as I am enjoying breathing clean air will be more
effective than I am no longer a smoker.
 
3.    State in the present tense. This sets up an imbalance in the
subconscious which it will then seek to correct. For example if you
want to gain a particular position at work, state I am the regional
sales manager, rather than I want to be or I will be. 

4.    Specific - Our subconscious minds require clear specific
instructions which allow them to accurately pursue what we have
programmed in the form of positive affirmations. So "I am rich" is
not specific enough, better to say "I am earning $100,000 per
year". You may also like to add the phrase this or something
better, because if you are too limiting in your desires, such as "I
want to marry Susan", she might not be interested, available or the
best match for you. 

5.    Contain an active verb - without getting into high school
grammar mode, an active verb is a do-ing word such as living,
having, achieving, earning and so on. 

6.    Contain a feeling - this magnifies the power of your
affirmations by adding the fuel of emotion. Consider including
feelings such as joyful, excited, thankful or freedom.
 
7.    Keep it brief - to be most effective, your affirmation should
be easily remembered and repeated often. By keeping it brief you
are far more likely to remember it. As a fun exercise you could
consider trying to make it rhyme. In this way, similar to
advertising jingles, your affirmation will stick in your head. 

8.    Make it personal - your affirmations should be about you. You
will not be successful in trying to change another person, neither
are you likely to be fully engaged with words that someone else has
suggested for you. 

A suggested format might look something like this: 
"I am so thankful for the freedom that being a millionaire brings
me" or "I am so proud to be accepting my diploma in front of my
family and friends".
 
The final thing to remember about positive affirmations is that
they must be repeated frequently to reprogram your subconscious
into accepting they are true. Some teachers suggest 100 times a
day, others recommend putting your affirmations on your bedside
table and reciting first thing in the morning and last thing at
night.
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Finally for this edition I wanted to ask for your help in spreading
the word about a special charity auction for the children in Haiti. 
I was shocked to hear as many as 1 million children may have lost
one or both parents.

To raise money for the Red Cross I am auctioning via Ebay the very
first published copy of my new children's book - The Financial
Fairy Tales - Dreams Can Come True.

For more information click here
http://www.thefinancialfairytales.com/blog/blog.html

Please help spread the word and if you feel able, make a bid, I
would love one of my friends to win it.
Thank you