Anita's Video Blog #2 for January 20, 2010

Anita's Video Blog #1 - January 17, 2010

Are you on track towards your goals? Well what does that mean? It means are your goals wriiten down, all of them, no matter how many you have. Write them down. Some you will accomplish this week, others this month, and still others later this year. Some will be accomplished years down the road.

What is important is that you declare them. I wrote my chidlren's book story 13 years ago, in 1997. Even thought it was rejected many times, I never gave up on it. I just worked on it off and on ver the years and now it is being published. WOW!

So now I am publishing TWO books this year. One for adults and now a picture book for children. Praise the Lord!

Get on board the GOAL TRAIN and see what wonderful and amazing places your journey to your goals takes you.

T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves Miracles - Accountablilty

For those of you are have and are reading my E-Book, "Ready, Set, Goals" this is the place where we hold one another accountable for ahcieving our goals, dreams and living our lives on Purpose.

We are also including weekly reminders, tips, accountability, plus additional exercises or projects and expert advice  through our newsletter, "The Goal Getters."

If you have not yet subcribed to the newsletter, do it now.

If you have questions please feel free to post them in the comment section below or email your questions to my preferred email address at  ajoyfulnoise14@aol.com

There are two ways to live life. One, as though nothing is a miracle. The other, as though everything is ? Einstein

Ready, Set, Goals - Day 12: The GOAL Getters!

Getting after your goals is personal. No one is going to succeed, triumph, overcome for you, but there are champions of success who will work along with you, encourage you and guide you. You have to be a Goal Getter!

Most people want an easy solution. Most people want something for nothing and so they end up with nothing worthwhile. Most people want the results of setting GOALS without actually setting Goals.

You have gone through these 12 modules because you are not most people. You are among the few, the determined, the committed, the triumphant, the asking, seeking and knocking.



“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7

The formula it not mine. Jesus gave the formula over 2000 years ago.

Ask: first you have to ask for you want – believe you will receive it.

Seek: Do something about what you want – expect to get or find the answer.

Knock: The way or the opportunity will be revealed to you because you first asked and then sought (took action)

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:*

Most people stop right here. But there are other principles you must not ignore.



FAITH:

You must have faith. You must believe that your answer is on the way even thought you have none, zero, evidence that it is coming.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

The key to faith is belief. You must BELIEVE. Most people cannot or will not believe that their miracle is on the way, that their answer is coming, that the opportunity is about to manifest itself, that the door is moments away from opening-

So they sell out. They give up. They settle for the status quo. They sell their birthright. Their dream is negotiable. Don’t negotiate your dreams. Don’t put a price on your dreams.

You can put a time limit on when you want to achieve a goal. You can give a goal a date in which you want to reach it. And whether you accomplish your goal by that date or not, the important thing is that you keep going towards your goal even after that date passes.

With your dreams, you need to have more trust, faith and belief that God has it under control. Trust that you have asked, you seeking and you will find. Trust, believe and expect that the door will be opened.

Your goals are really LANDMARKS telling you that you are going in the right direction. Your goals are your map to your DREAMS. Your goals let you know that you are getting closer to your dream. Your goals keep you on target and moving forward.



SOW GOOD SEEDS

You also must sow good seeds. It is the “Law of the Harvest” If you want to reap (realize) your dreams, you have to plant seeds of faith, goodness, love, forgiveness, kindness, thankfulness, gratitude, peace, joy, etc. These are your SUCCESS SEEDS.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

Many people deceive themselves into thinking that they can reap good and great things by sowing seeds of strife, gossip, lying, cheating, spite, cruelty and yes even unbelief, worry, doubt, fear, blame, unforgiveness, etc. For most people this is again where they sell out. They sell their birthright, their dreams because they cannot or will not let go. Don’t let any of these be your price.

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

Your Outcome will equal your Effort. The point here is not that you Give to Get, but that you give bountifully no matter what the reward or benefit. But the cool thing is, you are going to benefit whether you want to or not. It’s God’s promise. It’s automatic. You cannot undo it.

You cannot Re-Negotiate the terms of this Law with God, and you cannot “out give” God either.


TITHING and GIVING

Now this may or may not be one of your key ingredients for success. But the richest and most successful people in history and today understand the importance of GIVING, especially TITHING.

They give not only of their time and talents, but also of their finances. This again, is where most people fail to understand why they are struggling to live their dreams, to have the abundant life that is their birthright. They have sold it for what they think they cannot or do no want to do- give ten percent in tithes. Tithing was their price – don’t let it be your price.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. “ Luke 6:38



YOU HAVE GREATNESS WITHIN YOU ALREADY

I have not shared anything with you that you did not already know or have heard or read somewhere else. My GOAL in writing this series was to present some motivation, inspiration, projects, exercises and insight to get and keep you on track to your DREAMS.

We all need each other to keep us moving forward. Your comments, ideas and suggestions keep me excited about writing for you. My writing keeps you excited about living a triumphant life – I hope. Your living a triumphant life makes your family, community, city, country and the world more meaningful for everyone.

I touch or inspire you in a meaningful way. You touch someone’s life in a meaningful way, he or she in turn, pay-it-forward, and touch another person’s life in a meaningful way. I hear about it from someone and they touch my life in a meaningful way.

Exercise 14

You can start Paying It Forward by telling others about this Series.
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In this way we are all so busy giving to one another, we don’t have time to think about ourselves, and yet the blessings and miracles will start pouring in, so much so, that we will not be able to contain them. So we will give more, and more will be given to us. And we will give yet more, and more will be given us.

Are you getting the picture. Do you see why you cannot out give God.

God starts the whole thing off. By trusting, being thankful, and having faith in God miracles will begin to manifest in your life.

I understand that life can get to be a bit much and you can easily get side tracked. That is why I have made it possible for you to continue to stretch out towards your dreams through my newsletter, “The Goal Getters”

If you have not singed up for it yet, do it right now. Most people will try to go it alone. Even I have those who I look to for inspiration and guidance.

Each week you will get a reminder with motivation, inspiration, tips, etc. to get and keep you on track to your goals and dreams,

T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves Miracles

Here’s To Living Your Dreams!

Ready, Set, Goals - Day 11: Are Your Dreams Non-Negotiable?

Your dreams are priceless. Success in achieving your goals depends in large part to the value you place on your goals and dreams. What is the amount of money you would take in place of your dreams?
That is a critical question because it determines at what price point you will say, “Dreams, they never come true anyways.”

People come up with a gazillion excuses as to why they have not yet realized or at least started toward their dreams.






Some of the more famous excuses are…

“I don’t have the time.”

“I don’t have the money.”

“I could never do that, it was just a dream.”

“I’ll do it when I get older.”

“I’ll do it when the kids are grown up.”

“There’s no money in it.”

“What would people think.”

“I’m too old now, I should have done it when I was younger.”

“I have a family to support.”

                      …and on and on the list goes.


A Small Price on His Birthright: The Story of Jacob and Esau (Gen 25:20 - 28:5)

Esau and Jacob were twin brothers. Esau was the oldest by a few minutes, so he was entitled to the birthright and inheritance. But his brother Jacob was their mother’s favorite son. She came up with a plan to help Jacob buy the birthright from his brother Esau.

Jacob made some lentil soup and when his brother Esau had returned home after working very, very hard, he asked Jacob for some lentil soup. Jacob agreed to give him some lentil soup if he would give up his birthright. Esau was so hungry that he agreed to give up his birthright, his inheritance for a bowl of lentils.

Esau sold his birthright for a measly bowl of lentils. That was his price. That is what he was willing to take in exchange for his dream. But there is a second part to the story. Although Jacob had bought the birthright he still needed the blessing of his father Isaac.

Jacob’s mother helped him disguise himself as Esau. You see Esau was a very hairy man so Jacob’s mother helped him cover himself with hair and she also prepared his fathers favorite meal. Now with his disguise and meal in hand, Jacob went in unto his father who could barely see.

His father was suspicious because Jacob didn’t sound like Esau. His father reached over and felt his arms and thanks to the disguise, Jacob fooled his father and received the blessing. You can imagine that when Esau found out he was highly upset. In fact, he wanted to kill Jacob.

Jacob’s had to flee for his life. Jacob had the birthright and the blessing, but he had to give up everything to get them. Esau sold his birthright and lost the blessing because one night he was hungry.

What will you take in exchange for your dream?

Like Esau many sell their dreams for a meal, or a meal ticket. They give up on their dreams for a secure (not so much anymore) job. A job is fine if it’s your DREAM Job. Maybe you always dreamed of being a doctor or a teacher or a nurse. Then by all means go for your dream job.

Now that you have identifies your goals and dreams you must develop and determination and perseverance to accomplish them. Again, most people get this far and not much farther. The purpose of the series is to,

Help you Identify your goals and dreams, and to declare Why you want to achieve them, then to Expect to achieve and finally, take Action towards achieving them.

Yes, there will be challenges and days you just want to take the easy road. There will be days you wish you could just win the lottery and buy your dreams. But the truth is you cannot buy your dreams either.

If you go out and somehow artificially but your dreams you deprive yourself of the journey and the person you will become as a result of going for your dreams. True success cannot be bought, it must be earned. Jacob bought the birthright but he still needed to earn the blessing, and he only got that by deception too. That is why God changed his name from Jacob, which means deceiver, to Israel.

Do not deceive yourself into thinking that you can live a “life on purpose” while denying yourself of “your purpose in life.”

This is a step that many people skip in setting goals. And it is a major reason they do not ever reach those goal. A resolution is a promise to change something in your life that you are not satisfied with, whereas a goal or dream is a passionate desire to fulfill your right to an abundant life. In other words, you seek a lifestyle change. You seek purpose and value and meaning in your life.

What is the most famous new years resolution? I think it is “This year I’m going to lose weight.” Of course there are others like stop smoking, stop drinking, read more, spend more time with kids, etc.

Now the reason this resolution does not make it into February is because it is not attached to some greater purpose. That is why I spent so much time having you declare your WHY. Why is it your goal or dream? Your why has to be strong, unbreakable, non-negotiable.

People will try to negotiate you out of your dreams. They do this for selfish reasons and if you probe long enough you will discover it to be thus. Watch out for negative people who will try to make you feel silly for having a dream.

I know some of you might be thinking, yes, but you do not know what it’s like living with so and so, or working at such and such company, or being broke or losing a loved one, or, or, or…

I do know what most of those situations are like, but I also know I had a choice to accept them and remain in bondage to them, or to overcome them and use them as building blocks for reaching my dreams and accomplishing my goals.

"Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them."  ~Einstein

If you think your problems are holding you back – then they certainly will hold you back all of your life.

But if you think of your problems as experiences and opportunities to climb to great heights in success, personal growth, quality of life and dream builders, then they will certainly be that for you.

I know this is the hard part. That is why I will be with you every step of the way. Each week I will send you a reminder to keep moving forward. In that reminder will be testimonials, motivation, Inspiration, insight, tips, ideas and resources to keep you on track.

You need to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, “The Goal-Getters”

You assignment is to catch up on any of the previous post and/or sit back and visualize what your new life will be like. Use all five senses and really imagine your amazing new life with your goals accomplished and your dreams realized. Again, be specific and see it as clearly as you can. Smile and breathe deeply and think thoughts of gratitude.

Ready, Set, Goals - Day 10: Are You a Soaring Eagle or a Circling Buzzard?

Eagles are goal-oriented birds. They are success minded and use their various skills toward a specific aim or purpose.

Buzzards on the other hand are weak-minded, opportunistic birds. They too have aim and purpose, but their intent is to get what they can by the efforts of others – to take advantage of others.

The masses choose the buzzard lifestyle. Think about a buzzard (aka. Vulture). It is of the family of eagles and hawks, but is far from the majesty and grandeur of an eagle. Why? Because buzzards spot something that is dying and then circle above it waiting for it to die so they can eat.



The Mentality of the Buzzard

Why doesn’t the buzzard kill it itself or finish it off? Because of fear. Buzzards have weak claws. They live off the hard work of other animals. They live a life of hoping and waiting for their next meal to be served up by some other animal.

Most people are the same way. They won’t admit it, but it is true. They need someone else to provide for them whether it’s the government or an employer.

The culprit is fear. Fear will keep you in bondage to a so-so life. But there is an undercurrent of fear. People simply sell their birth right of an abundant and prosperous life because of fear of the unknown, or more simply put, hunger. We’ll get deeper into fear and overcoming fear on day eleven.

The Mentality of the Eagle

I don’t know of any country that has chosen the buzzard for their national symbol. When people see an eagle whether in person or in a picture or on a movie screen their reaction is always one of awe. Why? Because the symbolic power, strength and freedom associated with the Bald Eagle in particular, resonates deep within our spirit - which is why they were selected as the U.S. national symbol.

The eagle has a certain presence, especially when in flight. The eagle while in flight can see its target from a great distance and can see another eagle soaring nearly 50 miles away.

Notice that the vulture (aka. Buzzard) does not get the same reaction. Why? Because they only eat what something else had already killed. They are incapable of seeking out their own means of subsistence. They have weak claws and live chiefly on "carrion" (dead and decaying flesh).

Eagles have a different mentality altogether. Eagles are birds of opportunity. They get out there and look for what they want and need. Eagles are powerful and courageous and skillful hunters.

Do you remember those National Geographic documentaries? I remember seeing one on eagles and they showed an eagle zero in on its goal – in this case a fish swimming in the ocean. That eagle was able to spot it’s goal (target) from miles away, head towards it, swoop down and pluck it out of the water with it’s claws and hardly lose any momentum. They can do the same thing with small animals on land.

You have to have that kind of determination about your goals and dreams if you are ever to capture them. Imagine that the ocean is full of all the goals and dreams of every living person in the world. Your goals are in this vast ocean of possibility. In order for you to obtain your goals and realize your dreams, you first have to identify them - you have done that part already.

Take Action

Now comes the part where most people fall short…taking action. Now you must possess relentless determination and skill and knowledge and passion. It is all within you already, but it is up to you to develop it, refine it and bring it out. You must align yourself with other eagle-like individuals and groups.

As you begin to think of yourself as eagle-like, and you begin to hang out with and learn from other eagles, you will your claws getting stronger, your eyesight for spotting opportunities getting sharper, your ability to soar towards you goals improving and your outlook on how great life can and will be expanding. You will see farther than you have ever seen before – beyond what the physical eye can see.

You must take action. Take flight to the ocean where your dreams and goals are swimming around just waiting for you to take hold of them. You have to recognize them and swoop down and grasp them and soar with them to the land of fulfillment. That abundant life is for everyone, but God will not force it upon you.


Exercise 13:

What is Your Mentality?

Write out you answer, response or reaction to each statement below.

How do you spend your Days? Time? Life?...

On the lookout for opportunities or hoping for one?___________________________________________

Expecting greatness or accepting the status quo?_____________________________________________

With love in your heart or bitterness and contempt?___________________________________________

Expecting success or anticipating failure?___________________________________________________

Giving of your time and talents or using others for your own gain?________________________________

Loving people and using money or using people and loving money?_______________________________

Being a Go Giver or being a Go Getter?___________________________________________________

In gratitude and thankfulness or in selfishness and being un-thankful?______________________________

In prayer and meditation or in wishful thinking?______________________________________________

In finding ways to serve or in finding ways to be served?_______________________________________

Going the extra mile or stopping short of a mile every chance you get?____________________________

Building value-rich relationships or shallow “what’s in it for me” relationships?_______________________

Appreciating what you have or complaining about what you don’t have?___________________________

Sowing seeds rich in giving or sowing seeds of me and mine?____________________________________

Developing a more meaningful me, or this is who I am so whoever doesn’t like it, too bad?_____________

I look for the positive in every situation or there can’t be a positive in every situation?_________________

Growing, improving & manifesting or stagnant, under-developed & unclear?________________________

Setting goals or hoping for the best?______________________________________________________

Keeping physically fit or I’ll get in shape someday?___________________________________________

Eating healthy foods or I worry about that after my body starts falling apart?________________________

Keeping my home & work areas clutter free or I know where everything is?________________________

I am Happy or I will be happy when XYZ happens?__________________________________________

I smile more often than not or there’s not much to smile about these days?__________________________

I speak mainly high-energy words or I say whatever comes to my mind?___________________________

I look for the good in everyone or I can’t see past other’s faults?_________________________________

I have ways to motivate myself or I went to one of those motivational things once?____________________

I am passionate about my goals and dreams or I’m only in it for the money?_________________________

I live my life with purpose or the only purpose in life is to survive the best you can?____________________

I tithe or give 10% of my earnings or I barely have enough to take care of my own?___________________

I accept responsibility for where I am in life right now or it’s not my fault?__________________________

As much as possible I think positive thoughts or who can keep that up all the time?___________________

The glass is half full or half empty?________________________________________________________

I read non-fiction books for personal development or I prefer to watch television?____________________

I find inspiring and creative ways to unwind or I need a drink (alcohol) to unwind?____________________

I network with success-minded people or I network with whoever I can pitch?______________________

What I do today determines my tomorrows or I might not be here tomorrow so who cares?_____________


**Write a few of your own and share them in the comment section below.

Again I ask the question…

Are you a soaring eagle or a circling buzzard?

You do not want to get stuck going in circles day in and day out, month after month and year after year. Buzzards fly around in circles but are going nowhere. Most people are living their lives the same way – circling around mediocrity.

I know that saying, “Birds of a feather flock together” is cliché and over-used, but nevertheless, it is true.

Have you ever seen an eagle flying around with a bunch of buzzards?

I know someone is thinking, yeah, but what if you’re married to one?

Go back to the above list. You’ll find your answers there. Each situation is different. Each person is different. So far, we as a nation have not gone out and shot all the buzzards in the world because we think they are useless or lack character or skill. If we look for the good in them, we’ll surely find it.

Stop circling and focusing on your problems and fears. Get out there, soar, and you’ll find solutions and opportunities that will blow your mind and blast your problems and fears right out of your life.

Keep working on your projects:
Project 1: Your Vision Board
Project 2: Your Success Notebook

Copyright© 2009 Anita Crawford Clark       All rights reserved worldwide

Ready, Set, Goals - Day 9: Your Potential for Greatness

What is Your potential for Greatness? By now you should have clearly defined goals and dreams. So what is the next step? Now you have to start working on a plan of action to accomplish your goals.
Project 2:

Your Success Book

First, you need to get some materials. I want you to get a three-ring binder and some lined paper for it. You will also need dividers for each month of the year. You can buy these already labeled or buy the kind you have to write on the label yourself.

You have an overall goal for 2010 or the next 12 months.

Let’s say your goal is to have drive more traffic to your website. First of all, that is too general. Be more specific. How much more traffic? 100 visitors per month? 200? 500? How many.

Secondly, what do you want them to do or experience when they visit your website? Spend time there? Sign up for your free offer? Buy something? Be specific.

Third, do you want them to visit once or over and over again? Do you want to refer their friends? Sign up for membership? Have fun? Learn something? What will be their experience as a result of visiting your website.

Along with this line of thinking you may be thinking, wow, I never thought about all of those aspects concerning people visiting my website. I just wanted to drive more traffic to my site.

You see, this is where you put action and energy behind your goal.


Example:

Goal: Have 300 visitors per day to my website or something better

Why: To sell 100 XYZ items each week (be specific) or something better

When: In 60 days or less

Education: Resources/Training needed to accomplish a specific goal. (You can learn this yourself, get a coach, take a class, read a book, search online, or outsource it.)

Personal Development: Read How to Win friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie; listen to motivational and inspirational CDs while in my car; subscribe to a personal development newsletter; exercise, healthy eating, prayer and meditation.

Expectation/Plan: (Implement strategies on-line and off-line that will direct and drive people to my website.)

     1. Use video to up my rankings in the search engines

     2. Start a blog or write for some article sites to drive traffic

     3. Build a presence and following on Twitter and Facebook

     4. Go to networking meetings

     5. Pay-per-click ads

     6. Etc…

Again the key with your plan is to be very specific. How many videos? How often? On what sites? How many followers do you need on twitter to see an increase in traffic to your website? How many friends or fans on Facebook? How many networking meetings do you need to go to? You get the idea.

In the front of your binder put your worksheets from all previous exercises.

For your January (or your first month) write out what you “Expect” and plan to accomplish for this month towards your goal or dream. If you have more than one goal, use a separate sheet of paper for each one.

Goal: (State your goal)

Why: (Why is it a goal or dream? Why is it important?)

When: (when do you expect to have accomplished this goal?)

Education: (what resources, training, etc. if any, do you need?)

Personal Development: (What are you doing to grow as a person? To develop a can win attitude? To develop an attitude of gratitude? To develop and become the greatest you, you can be?)

Expectations/Plan: (You get what you expect. You take action by implementing plans for those expectations. Then doors will begin opening that were not even a part of your plans…this is where the miraculous kicks in.)

Repeat this at the beginning of each month.

You will then further break this down to weekly and then daily goals.

What do you expect for this week?

What do you expect for today?

Write it down.

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Again I ask the question, What is your potential for Greatness?

Everyone has the potential for greatness, but not everyone will search for, I mean really seek out a great life and lifestyle. Instead, most people will actually seek out and settle for a mediocre life and lifestyle.

What is the difference between life and lifestyle?

We will refer to human life here, specifically, your Life as a vital or living being. Your Life is further defined by the physical and mental experiences you have during the period from birth to death. In other words it is the written history of your life – your biography. Whether it is written down or not, you are writing your own biography everyday of your life. How you live your life, your way of living is your lifestyle.

Your life is the duration of your existence and your lifestyle is what you do and how you live during your existence.

So let me give you some definitions here:

Mediocre: of moderate or low quality; common, indifferent, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, second-rate, so-so.

Greatness: the quality or state of being great; markedly superior in character, quality, or skill; being beyond the average; excellent, fabulous, splendid, adept, masterful, proficient and accomplished.

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."

~ Ellen Goodman

Most people accept mediocrity because the path is easier – or so it seems. The path to mediocrity has been traveled by the masses. The journey is familiar. The road is clearly laid out. The outcome is known. Most people choose this path because there are fewer surprises.

You Decide…

Greatness or Mediocrity?