The Law of Happiness

Understanding of this law can help you achieve a lot of happiness

The law of Happiness states that :

" IF YOU WANT TO STAY HAPPY THEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP OTHERS HAPPY "

Explanation :

Every individual is surrounded by other individuals/people. All these individuals/people are categorized into 5 circles.

The first or the innermost circle : consists of people who you are coming in contact with the most i.e on a daily basis or very frequently. Examples are your wife/husband, co workers etc.

The second circle : which surrounds the first circle are the people who you meet let us say once or twice a week and are not as frequently in contact with you as the people in the first circle. Examples are some friends you see or visit or people in a class that you are taking once a week etc.

The third circle : surrounds the second circle and consists of individuals who you meet once or twice a year or even once in 5 or any number of years. You know all these people. Examples are distant relatives, old friends etc.

The fourth circle : consists of people you don't know but can meet at any time. Examples are attendant at a grocery store, someone you talk to in an elevator etc.

The fifth circle : Comprises of people you don't know or meet but these people know you. Examples are of fans of rock stars or famous people etc.

Your happiness depends directly, on how happy the individuals are with you, in all these 5 circles.


To achieve 'ABSOLUTE HAPPINESS' all the people in all these 5 circles should be happy with you.

It does not matter how much money/fame or power you have. These things cannot directly affect your happiness. Your happiness will depend on how happy others are with you. If money/power or fame could bring you happiness then we would not see countless cases of suicides, depression etc. among the rich/powerful and famous people. Money and other things can only affect your happiness indirectly. Example is that if your wife and family are not happy with you/or are sad because you are poor then their unhappiness/sadness will affect directly on your happiness.

I would assign different weights to all the circles. The first circle will carry the most weight, the second will carry less weight than the first, the third will carry less weight than the second and so on.

The First or the Innermost circle is of most important. It is very important to have the most people happy in this circle.

It will be very difficult for an individual to be happy if ALL the members of the first circle are not happy, even though the members of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th circle are happy with that individual. There will be some happiness experienced, because of the people of the other circles, but the individual will not be able to stay generally happy even at a basic level.

Similarly if ALL the people of the first circle are happy, and the the people of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th circle are not happy then that individual can still be generally happy at a basic level. There will be unhappiness experienced because of the people in the other circles, but a person can attain general happiness at a basic level just because ALL the members in the first circle are happy with that individual.

Also the level of happiness depends on the number of people in the individual's circles. For example let us say there are two people A and B. A has 2 people in his first circle and B has 10 people in his first circle. Let us assume they have no more people in any other circle. If both the people in A's circle are happy with A, and all the 10 people in B's circle are happy with B, then B will be more happy than A, as more people(8 more) carrying the same weight are happy with B.

Similarly based on the above the more the people the happy in the closer circles to you the more you are happy. Now here is another example in which I will try to measure happiness. Let us say A and B both have 5 people in the first circle and 10 people in the second circle and they do not have any other people in any other circles. Let us assume for arguments sake that the weight of each individual's happiness in the first circle is 75 points, and the weight of each individual's happiness in the second circle is 30 points each. Let us assume that A has 4 people happy in the first circle and no one happy in the second circle. Let us assume that B has 2 people happy in the first circle and 5 people happy in the second circle. So the points of happiness for both A and B will be as follows :

A = 75 x 4 = 300

B = (75 x 2) + (30 x 5) = 150 + 150 = 300

As you can see that A had only 4 people happy, while B had a total of 2+5 = 7 people happy. Still they both have achieved the same happiness points and are both equally happy. The reason is that A has more people in the first circle happy than B has. I hope you get the importance of getting more and more people happier in the inner circles first and then making people happy in the other circles.

Also the unhappiness of any individual with you will affect your happiness no matter what. Even if it is not your fault and some person is not happy with you, then that unhappiness of theirs towards you, will affect your happiness. It will not affect you with the same intensity or same points as it would affect you if it were your fault, but it will affect you at some lower level. Again the intensity will be high if the person is in the first circle and lower in the higher circles.

Try to keep people happy even if it is not your fault, or even if it is their fault, especially in the lower circles. If they cannot be made happy, then stay as far away from them as possible, and in least frequent contact with them as possible.

10 Ideas to Jump Start Your Self-Confidence

To begin feeling that first spark of self-confidence within you, try as many of these as you like. It's important to enjoy yourself along the way. Have fun!

1. Correctly do 25 pushups, 50 sit-ups, or 1 cartwheel.

2. Learn all of the words to a fun new song on the radio and sing it aloud while driving down the road.

3. Open up your cookbook to a completely new recipe and learn to cook it well.

4. Learn how to say, "I love you" in two different languages other than your own.

5. Teach someone how to read, how to fish, or how to play a musical instrument.

6. Look inside a thesaurus to find new ways to say the same old things.

7. Find three funny jokes and learn to tell them really well.

8. Get a makeover, new hairstyle, or all new socks & underwear.

9. Learn how to say, "I'm sorry" and mean it.

10. Look into the eyes of strangers and hold their gaze long enough to see the insecurity in all of us.

Ten Ways to Eliminate Guilt From Your Life

1. Say "Yes" Only When You Want To

You want to please everyone, but you end up disappointed in yourself. Don't say "Yes" unless you absolutely want to. If someone tries to make you feel bad about it, remember that they are more concerned about their own agenda.

2. Think Before You Speak

Before you communicate, think about what you are going to say. Make sure you communicate clearly so that the other person fully understands the information you want to share. It's better to prevent an argument or disagreement than to try to retract what you have said.

3. Establish and Enforce Personal Boundaries

Make sure that friends and family are clear on what you will and will not accept from them. Be specific about your boundaries. Don't assume people can read your mind. Speak up about anything that displeases or offends you.

4. Have a Sense of Humor

Some people use sarcasm to make other people feel bad intentionally and unintentionally. Be witty when someone uses sarcasm to make you feel bad. Laugh it off or make a joke about it. Have the upper hand in the situation.

5. Have Self Respect

Your opinion, time, and values are important. If you don't let other know that you have respect for yourself, how can you expect them to respect you? If you don't value what you have to offer, no one else will.

6. Keep Your Promises

Unless you have an emergency, do what you say you'll do to avoid any conflicts later. Honor your promises. Be fully committed to the promise by prioritizing what is most important to you. If you promised to visit your grandmother, do it at a time that is convenient for you.

7. Take Care of Your Feelings First

Do you put other people's feelings first? Each time you do, you give away a little of your personal power and self respect. By protecting someone's fragile ego, you are neglecting your needs.

8. Don't Make Assumptions

You don't know for sure what someone else is feeling or thinking. The only way to know is to ask. Don't be so sure that people are going to judge or condemn you.

9. Forgive Yourself

We all make mistakes. Give up blaming and berating yourself. If you hold on to them, it is difficult to move forward and let go of the past.

10. Do Your Best

You can't please everyone. Sometimes you can't win, no matter what choice you make. You don't need to justify your choices. If you've done your best, that's all that matters.

7 Unique Ways To Make Someone Smile

Do you want to put a smile on someone's face? Maybe make their day a little bit brighter? It doesn't have to take much time or money on your part. In fact, many things can be done as a part of your normal routine and cost little or nothing. You won't know how many people are encouraged by your kindness because smiles are contagious. Try out one or more of these 7 ways today to put smiles on their faces.

1. Write an encouraging note to others that have encouraged you or that need encouragement. Handwritten notes that are given to encourage, not just for thanking someone for a gift, are rare. That makes handwritten notes even more special. Start a new practice of sitting down and writing an encouraging note on a regular basis. You just might start an epidemic!

2. Take a friend out to lunch or invite her to your home for a meal. You will get to know each other even better than you do right now. If you feel like being more adventurous, throw a party for several of your friends and put smiles on a multitude of faces.

3. Give someone an inspirational book to read. You will feel good doing it, reading the book will change the person, and they will think of you every time they read it.

4. Ask a friend or relative if you can take care of their kid(s) for a day or evening. If you have been a parent, you know the value of being able to have a few hours of "adult time" without worrying about the children. Don't wait to be asked to baby-sit when it is required. Offer to do it at a time when the parent can do something fun and relaxing.

5. Deliver a meal to someone you know that is sick or having a rough time. We have all been sick and know the last thing you want to do is be out of bed. There are also times when life is tough and it is hard to do all of the daily chores. You can be a tremendous help by providing a meal that can be enjoyed.

6. Volunteer time to supporting your local church or charity. Every minute you dedicate to a church or charity will cause many smiles. You will put a smile on the face of each leader just for helping without being asked. You will also be putting smiles on the faces of those that are being helped through the organization.

7. Thank everyone that supports you throughout the day. The list of those that you come in contact with is endless. Remember family and friends, secretaries, co-workers, teachers, Sunday school teachers, pastors, store employees, janitors, gas station attendants, those that deliver your mail and newspaper, and servers at restaurants.

I know this is a list of 7 ways to put a smile on someone's face, but there is one more way that can't be ignored. Reveal a genuine smile to everyone you meet. You will experience how easy it is to get others to smile!

Seven Strategies You Need to Know About Strengthening Your Self-Esteem

Did you know that your life's success in all areas is directly related to having a healthy self-esteem? You've heard the cliché "You are what you eat." Many would also argue that "You are what you think."

Nathaniel Brandon, one of the most notable psychologists on self-esteem put it nicely: "There is no value-judgment more important to man-no factor more decisive in his psychological development & motivation than the estimate he passes on himself."

It is the secret or "hidden self-esteem" in particular, that will get you through those very dark spots. It will enable you to find a valuable lesson each time you face an obstacle.

The hidden or secret self-esteem is how you feel about yourself deep down. It is the most accurate description of how you feel, regardless of what obstacles are thrown in your path.

If it's strong, then you will be able to deal better with stress and your relationships. You'll be successful by your own standards and have no need to boast about it. Your surface self- esteem, however, can vary widely depending on the day of the week. It's a temporary feeling.

Environmental factors can play a role in how you view yourself.

It most certainly did for me. For example (the very short version), I felt essentially fatherless. I got called weird a lot growing up (and fat, too!).

Artists, musicians, and the mathematically inclined tend to be labeled as eccentric. I am all three! Teenagers generally ridiculed eccentricity in my environment back then.

Honestly, I don't believe my secret nor surface self-esteem was as healthy as it could be in all areas until I was finished with school-Graduate School!

So how did I get from there to here?

Let's look at some strategies and see if any or all of them can get you on the road to developing or strengthening your self-esteem. Here are seven of them:

1. Clear out the junk: This means anything hurtful and unconstructive that you've been told by someone you care(d) about (or even some you didn't) is to be taken with a grain of salt. It's one thing to be given constructive criticism in life, but quite another when people are downright mean about it. Remember it's the offending party's issue. NOT yours.

2. Related to #1: List first why you believe the negativity you tell yourself (i.e., I'm too old. I'm too fat. Nobody loves me. I'm never good enough. etc.); laugh at that piece of paper you just wrote on; THEN tear it up and move on to the next strategy.

3. You may have heard the phrase "Attitude of gratitude." Count your blessings, which can include things people actually take for granted, such as food and shelter, access to a computer, etc.

4. List your positive attributes and talents-everybody has them! List at least five.

5. Make a list of what you love to do, starting from childhood until now and try to find time to do it at least once a week, even if it's just for a few minutes.

6. List at least three things that you would love to have the courage to do.

7. Surround yourself with positive people (think of volunteer or professional organizations that have something in common with your interests, for example).

If none of these strategies work over time, other factors may be at play that are beyond the scope of this article.

Consistently employing these strategies will make it easier to keep going even when the going gets tough. Especially when the going gets tough! Whenever you are feeling low, you don't have to try and deny it. But do know that it will pass. Knowing that it will pass will help you psychologically.

Self Confidence, Happiness, and Posture

Our use of body posture plays a key role in how we feel. When we are feeling "down", our bodies show this by hunching the shoulders, we stare at the floor, our heads hang forward. When we are seated we tend to be slumped rather than relaxed. Our walk is more of a shuffle, speech is slow and quiet.

Compare this to how we feel when on an "up". Shoulders back, eyes forward, head held high and so on.

Do the following exercise yourself and notice the difference between the two stances.

Firstly, stand up. Think of yourself as an actor who has been asked to portray a person who is feeling unhappy and sad. How would you stand? You would have all the physical positions as described above:-

Hunched shoulders,

staring at the floor,

head dropped forward,

arms hanging limply by your side,

back curved,

shallow breathing,

facial expression lifeless.

How do you feel? Awful, probably!

Now, change your position. The actor has now been asked to play someone that is full of confidence and happy. Again, how would you stand?

Shoulders back,

looking forward,

head held up,

arms forward as if offering a hug,

back straight,

deep breathing,

smiling face.

How do you feel now? That's different, eh!

Simply be altering the way we use our bodies automatically has the effect of changing the way we feel. Even if we have a genuine reason for feeling unhappy, we can reduce the impact on our emotions by standing, walking, sitting and talking in a more confident manner.

Another useful method for raising your self confidence and changing your mood is to smile.

Even just by putting a smile on to our face can be effective. Not only does it send a "happy" message to our brains, it also sends out a signal of confidence to others. This in turn will generate a more welcoming response from the people with whom you come into contact. We all respond at some level to a smile directed at us. It feels good to us and it feels good to the person sending it.

Notice the way you use your body posture and start practicing using it to improve the way you feel. Be aware of the times when you are not feeling the way you would like and how you are using your body. And, as you become more proficient at it, start enjoying the better feelings that it generates.

Motivation: 5 Powerful Emotions You Can Use

Experiencing strong emotions is not uncommon.

What is uncommon is applying these emotions to motivate you to change and grow.

Having said that, here are five emotional states that can change your life, if you act on them:

commitment, desire, disgust, decision and focus.

1. Commitment

If you are committed there is always a way, and usually more than one way. The key phrase here is if you are committed. Commitment to a relationship, exercise, career or achieving goals means that no matter what, I'm sticking to it, I'm seeing this through.

One of the nice things is that when you are committed to something, you seem to find yourself involved with other committed people.

The late singer-songwriter Harry Chapin said "Whether it's to a cause, a relationship or something else, when you hang out with people who are committed, you hang out with the folks with the live hearts, the live minds, the live eyes."

Applied to marriage, this notion of commitment is much more than just being committed to avoiding divorce. It's the commitment that you will do everything in your power to make the relationship a great place to be.

2. Desire

"How bad do you want to beat Edgewater?" my high school football coach screamed in my face when he caught me going a little too easy one day in practice. That one has stayed with me because he was right: The amount of desire I had that day was showing up in the actions I chose to take.

Desire is reflected in your actions. Desire with little or no action is not worth much. So ask yourself frequently, "How much do I want this?"

3. Disgust

Disgust is not typically an emotion associated with positive change. Or is it?

Have you ever been disgusted with a situation, a relationship or yourself?

Most of us have, of course. But have you ever been so disgusted that you were motivated to change no matter what? Being sick and tired of being sick and tired with something can be a fantastic motivator for change when you decide "no more, not again, not ever!"

4. Decision

The root word for decision is incision, which means to cut. So when you decide, really decide, that something will be different in your life, you "cut off" any other possibility. And it's reflected in your view of and attitude toward life.

Bill Marriott of Marriott Hotels said, "Failure? I've never encountered it. I just stumbled over a few temporary setbacks."

That's decision in motion.

5. Focus

Each one of us is bombarded every day with hundreds of things trying to get our attention. Focus is an emotional state that pulls together commitment desire, disgust and decision.

When I see people struggling with where they want to go, one of the first places I look is their power of focus. We tend to be pulled toward that which we focus on. Lack of focus usually equals lack of success and achievement.

Focus on all the distractions pulling for your attention, and you're not likely to get where you want to go. Focus on where you want to go and you are likely to get there.

Commitment, desire, disgust, decision and focus. Don't just experience these emotional states, apply them to create the life you desire.

7 SECRETS To A Great Life

A great life doesn't happen by accident.

A great life is the result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work towards what you want your life to be.

A great life is the result of using the 24/7 you get in a creative and thoughtful way, instead of just what comes next.

Customize these "secrets" to fit your own needs and style, and start creating your own great life today!

1. S - Simplify.

A great life is the result of simplifying your life. People often misinterpret what simplify means. It's not a way to remove work from your life. When you focus on simplifying your life, you free up energy and time for the work that you enjoy and the purpose for which you are here. In order to create a great life, you will have to make room for it in yours first.

2. E - Effort.

A great life is the result of your best effort. Creating a great life requires that you make some adjustments. It may mean re-evaluating how you spend your time, or choosing to spend your money in a different way. It may mean looking for new ways to spend your energy that coincide with your particular definition of a great life. Life will reward your best effort.

3. C - Create Priorities.

A great life is the result of creating priorities. It's easy to spend your days just responding to the next thing that gets your attention, instead of intentionally using the time, energy and money you have in a way that's important to you. Focus on removing the obstacles that get in the way of you making sure you are honoring your priorities.

4. R - Reserves.

A great life is the result of having reserves - reserves of things, time, space, energy, money, love. Simplify first in order to find a reserve, then build on that. For example, in order to find a reserve of time, first simplify by delegating a task to someone else, or simply dumping the task if it's no longer important. With reserves, you are able to live your life looking forward instead of always digging yourself out of a hole.

5. E - Eliminate distractions.

A great life is the result of eliminating distractions. Up to 75% of your mental energy can be tied up in things that are draining and distracting you. Eliminating distractions can be a difficult concept to many people, since they haven't really considered that there is another way to live. Look around at someone's life that you admire. What do they do that you would like to incorporate into your own life? Ask them how they did it. Find ways to free up your mental energy for things that are more important to you.

6. T - Thoughts.

A great life is the result of controlling your thoughts so that you accept and allow for the possibility that it actually can happen to you! Your belief in the outcome will directly dictate how successful you are. Motivated people have specific goals and look for ways to achieve them. Believing there is a solution to the same old problems you encounter year after year is vitally important to creating a life that you love. Whatever you think and believe, you create. Listen to what you're telling yourself, and adjust that voice if you need to.

7. S - Start!

A great life is the result of starting. There's the old saying everyone's familiar with "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." In order to even move from the couch to the refrigerator, you have to start. There's no better time to start than today. Don't wait for a raise, or until the kids get older, or the weather is better. Today, right now, is the right day to start to take a step in the direction of your heart's desires. It's what you do TODAY that will make a difference in your life tomorrow.

Mastering the Problem of Everyday Living

People are unhappy and defeated by their everyday problems that arise in life.

You should know that life is full of ups and downs.

But never allow your problems and struggles dominate your life. Obstacles should not be permitted to destroy your happiness and well being. You have the power in your hand to overcome any obstacle.

To overcome problems firstly you have to believe in yourself. Secondly have immense faith in your abilities. And finally have Self Confidence to face any obstacle. If you do have all these qualities you can overcome any barriers, difficulties or any limitations. Inferiority Complex can demoralize your life. So fill your mind with faith.

Norman Vincent Peale in 'The Power of Positive Thinking' said, Develop a tremendous faith in God and that will give you a humble yet soundly realistic faith in yourself. He said dynamic faith is accomplished by prayer and by practicing its prayer techniques. Formalistic and carelessly done prayer is not sufficiently powerful. Drive your prayers deep into your doubts, fear and inferiorities. Lack of Confidence is a great enemy of Mankind. Recent University Survey revealed that more than 60% of the students lack self confidence. Most of them do not trust their ability to meet responsibilities and grasp opportunities. Many are comfortable with less than what they can achieve. Fear and doubt are the main cause for lack of confidence.

The most powerful medicine to heal your lack of confidence is to believe that God is actually with you and helping you. No other medicine is so powerful as this simple belief when practiced. When negative thoughts concerning your confidence arises bring a positive thought to cancel it. Never built obstacles in your Imagination. Every obstacles must be studied and efficiently dealt with to be eliminated from your system. We all know that God has given us the power and ability to lead a Constructive life. Your mind has all the resources for a successful living. So your prayer can set you free from all fears, doubts and insecurities and you can achieve great success in your personal life and Career.

The Answer Is The Question ... Asking The Right Questions!

We all have questions about our lives, directions, and destinies.

It is the curiosity of the unknown that intrigues us to ask of the future.

It is the stress of the present and events of the past that cause us to wish for a future.

But, under circumstances and with events that create stresses and distortions, our questions, demands, and wishes can create a future that is specifically implemented to answer our questions.

The future is not written in stone, but is instead etched on a napkin based on the events of the present. When we ask a question, issue a wish, or make a demand of the Universe, it listens closely. It then establishes the path and creates a future for us to receive the necessary answer.

Of course, we only ask questions based on our past experiences. In many cases we ask general, non-specific questions, while in others we are specific of objectives not in line with our desires and vision. We tend to focus on the past to query for a future, which produces yet another path to answer questions for long past events. As we ask, we experience, and we learn. If we don't learn, then we ask the same questions and live the same experiences.

One of the common questions I hear is, "Why is life so hard?" That question, along with the accompanying thoughts and energies, creates a future to show the hard life, and its reasons, to provide the answer. We experience what we ask and demand. A better question would be, "How do I create a successful life?" This question, with its energies and thoughts, will create a future to show the path to success.

It is not so much that the Universe takes the time to tend to our questions, demands, and wishes. It is the energies that we produce as we think and query that creates the circumstances in our future. To pose the right queries and demands, think of the future and how to get there in the manner you desire --- as opposed to considering the past and how to avoid certain events and circumstances.

Past energies are negative with respect to future goals and objectives and they create situations such that cause fears come to fruition. Future energies are positive and they support the abstract space to create the wishes and desires we long for. However, so many are unacquainted with future energies that they immediately worry that a past event is about to occur as a result of a positive future event --- this to keep balance. However, true balance is at your fingertips and cuddled in your desires and vision. Expecting to relive past events as predestined balance will create circumstance to relive those events.

Although it is easier to oscillate at a lower energy in a comfort zone than to examine the possibilities of an unknown, yet pliable, future, plan to balance and take control of your life. Define your adjustable future by creating your present. Learn to manifest positive destinies by issuing positive questions and demands of the Universe. Be knowledgeable, be specific, and be direct in your questions and demands as it all comes down to the fact that we truly get what we ask for.

How to Master Lifes Problems

"Life is a Tiger-ride, by no means easy, but ride we must; to dismount is to be devoured mercilessly."

To most people, life is unfriendly, even merciless, and it is not all together incorrect for people to hold such a dreadful opinion about life if vicissitudes of life, unattainable goals and injustices are considered.

However, your "Life's Problem Solver Ezine" is about check-mating life's problems through the education of subscribers on how to take the punches that life throws, how to evade some of the punches and how to go through life with the frame of mind that puts hearts at ease, smiles on faces and make the world a better place for all who subscribe and read this "Life's Problem Solver Ezine".

You will read words and stories of men and women who never joined up with life against themselves, men and women who accomplished their purposes in life and died smiling at life.

Whatever you are faced with today is a phase in your life that will surely fade away. but how you handle each phase of your life will either make your life tolerable or miserable. Nothing is ever against life, but everything is against you if you do not apply wisdom to the way you do things, which stem from your thought. You are what you think.

Tell you something? Life is not sentimental to your desires, the original idea is unchangeably purposeful. Your outlook to life is the only power in your hands, use it positively. I have been around for a considerable number of years to have been through the thick and thin of life, and have since realised that despair feeds pain just as cheerful disposition feeds joy, no matter your station in life.

So you see, I am sure to finish my purpose and depart smiling at life. What about you? Tell me, if you are told that you have just two more years to live, how would you possibly live out those two terminal years? Cheerful and happy or otherwise? You would have surprised me if you said "cheerful and happy" even though that is the correct answer.

Most people will be too sad to continue to live, but I tell you the truth, that attitude will be foolish and make the subject miserable, after all the end has no reprieve. I shall die smiling because I know how to ride this tiger called life to death.

12 Reflections on Personal Responsibility

Responsibility means being accountable for what we think, say, and do.

Personal responsibility involves working on our own character and skill development rather than blaming others for situations and circumstances.

It means choosing to design a life that honors our values and purpose.

Here are twelve reflections on personal responsibility:

1. Personal responsibility begins from the inside and moves outward. We must begin by taking responsibility for our thoughts, choices, and reactions. Then we can be responsible for the circumstances we create in our world.

2. We have the divine gift of free will. We make conscious choices as spiritual living in a physical world. Conscious choice is a gift that carries great responsibility.

3. Every choice can benefit humanity or harm it. Even avoiding choices is a choice, and each choice will have consequences.

4. When you think something or someone else is responsible for your problems and their solutions, that exact thought is the first problem to solve.

5. People waste precious years while believing that there will be more time tomorrow than there is today. Today is the perfect day to accept and develop our gifts and talents.

6. A great philosophy of responsibility: When things are working, I am responsible... and when they need fixing, I am responsible.

7. Only our choices and actions today will bring the rainbow's end with any gold it might contain.

8. The richest blessings follow those who follow the rules and honor the universal laws for abundant living: laws for wellness, success, relationships, prosperity, spirituality, and service to others.

9. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you are only fooling yourself.

10. True personal independence is the freedom from reaction-the ability to choose actions and make choices that will influence positively the future of our lives and our world.

11. The Creator knows what it is we need to be doing and will provide us with plenty of chances to show up. However, we will not get an unlimited number of chances, and we cannot ever assume that we will have tomorrow.

12. Living serenely does not mean that we deny problems or avoid the responsibility for solving them. Just the opposite-we find the clarity and presence of mind to deal with the issues of daily living in positive constructive ways. You cannot control all the circumstances in life; however, you can learn from them. You can choose to allow every circumstance to make you stronger, wiser, more knowledgeable, more skillful, and more loving.

You can control your ability to design your life and your philosophies. A philosophy of personal responsibility allows you to live from an inner core of integrity. It will bring a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Getting What You Really Want

Everyone wants something in life, love, money, success, recognition ...

Yet too many people fail to realize their desires, and nearly all of them for the same reason. They seem to go whichever way the wheel turns, as if they have no control over their situation. If their vehicle takes them to places they never intended to be, or crashes into the brickwall of utter despair, that's just the cruelty of fate.

Don't get me wrong, I realize that truly horrible things do happen to folks, and through no fault of their own. Gigantic obstacles are placed in our way sometimes, that seem absolutely insurmountable. Generally speaking, however, getting what you really want out of life is a matter of three (possibly four) simple steps.

Firstly - and this may seem like a no-brainer - you have to decide what it is you want the most. Decide what to aim for, with some specificity. Don't make a laundry list of wishes, but focus on one thing at a time. If you're not sure about where you want to go, there's no point in getting into the vehicle in the first place.

Secondly, create an action plan. This will be your map for getting from point A, where you are now, to point B, where you want to go. You know what you want, what steps are you going to take to get it?

Some things are obvious. If you want a better job, start with skills assessment and maybe some additional training. Then you'll need to sell yourself and your skills either to your present employer for a promotion into the new position you want, or to a new employer.

Other goals will require a bit more thought. Some will really leave you stuck without a clue of how to get there. Not to worry, though, no matter where it is you want to go, someone, somewhere has probably already been there. So what did they do to get there, what road did they take? Books, biographies and such, can be a real help with this. So hit the library if you're in need of guidelines.

Get ideas, get advice, create a good map for yourself, and know where you're going. Write it down, and make sure you can read it every day.

The third and final step is execution. Do what you planned. Take the steps you outlined on your road map and be persistent. If you run into naysayers, simply ignore them. Everyone who ever did anything great always ran into naysayers.

Never take your eyes off the goal. Keep pushing. Whatever you do, do not give up until you have what you desire in your hands. Never, ever give into the notion that you 'can't get there from here.'

Decide - Plan - Execute. It is really that simple.

About that fourth step. Sometimes your action plans may not get you to where you want to be. Maybe something is missing, maybe some step is not quite right. If you find this is the case, after exercising your full patience and persistence, you simply must rework your plan.

Look at it, figure out what's missing, and get back at it. It's just like following a map through a place you've never been before. If you find taking a particular road takes you to the wrong town, rather than turning around and going home, giving up, you take a second look at your map, figure out where you made the wrong turn, and get back on the road.

Whatever you do -- Keep your hands on the wheel!