The Zen of Success – Draw Success from Like-Minded People
Published August 25, 2010 | 
There is a success theme that runs through the economies you might have noticed or determined for yourself by now that is quite common in all global markets.
By associating with like-minded entrepreneurs and people we draw success from them in the form of validation for what we are about and the success we strive for each day, and more importantly by doing so we are able to validate the success in ourselves, although it might be a small success of reaching a goal, but it is our success.
For example, when you go to a conference you go to network with people, and not just anyone, the people that have the same ambitions you do, and the same goals for success that you do, these are the like minded people and entrepreneurs you are driven to know as part of your quest for success and happiness. 
Like-minded people are wonderful to know, as they have varying levels of success you have in common, along with the entrepreneurial drive that points in the very same direction.
The good news is that it is contagious, and it will further you along at a much greater pace than if you go it alone and are forced to learn many lessons for yourself that you might have avoided by being networked.
I believe firmly it is critical to understand the idea that success has to be built on a solid foundation of knowledge and experience, and if I can impart my views and experience into the foundation essentials that need to be shared to help you reach success in your entrepreneurial business endeavors. The global economies and communities will be far better places with much more shared success for everyone, and in the long run eventually everything will come back to me in the form of success and happiness.
The Zen of Success – Successful Thoughts on Thinking
Published August 24, 2010 | If you are able to remember one critically important thought throughout your life, it should be that the mind is for THINKING, not remembering. If you follow this incredibly important axiom, you will be sure and always have pen and paper with you to
record your important thoughts and things you need to remember, thus keeping your mind clear and focused, for you will become what you think, and our world begins with our thoughts, and we should teach those that go after us to think for themselves, and they can shape their world and make it better.
One of the most important and effective ways to gain knowledge, enlightenment and understanding about THOUGHT and the great importance of it to our lives, is to learn from Successful people in history that have gone before us and become a priceless part of our past and positive, and who were and are generous with their thoughts, experience and understanding.
The mind is everything. What you think you become. – Buddha
We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. – Buddha
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. – Buddha
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. – John Wooden
I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion. – Thomas Jefferson
I think with the Romans, that the general of today should be a soldier tomorrow if necessary. – Thomas Jefferson
I never think of the future – it comes soon enough. – Albert Einstein
Small is the number of people who see with their eyes and think with their minds. – Albert Einstein
I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right. – Albert Einstein
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. – Abraham Lincoln
As our case is new, we must think and act anew. – Abraham Lincoln
I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. – Abraham Lincoln
Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write. – John Adams
Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you are. – Norman Vincent Peale
Four things for success: work and pray, think and believe. – Norman Vincent Peale
We’ve all heard that we have to learn from our mistakes, but I think it’s more important to learn from successes. If you learn only from your mistakes, you are inclined to learn only errors. – Norman Vincent Peale
Whether you think that you can, or that you can’t, you are usually right. – Henry Ford
We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. – Swami Vivekananda
I do not believe a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night. – Henry Ford
Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think. – Ayn Rand
Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. – Napoleon Hill
The Zen of Success – You are What You Think
Published August 23, 2010 | We’ve all heard the phrase “You are what you eat.” Well, it applies mentally too, as in “You are what you think.”
You should understand that your thoughts can be either good or bad, can either be useful or useless, and either meaningful or meaningless. Now I think everyone understands that some thoughts are permanent and keep periodically rising to the surface of our mind, and then of course some thoughts are casual, and we can selectively use or discard them at our will and pleasure, and last, there are thoughts we have that disturb our minds, and thankfully there are thoughts that make the mind peaceful.
It’s a very well-known fact that actions can be good or bad, useful to us or just plain useless, as well as meaningful or just plain meaningless, and while some actions are regular and continuous, as we keep performing them occasionally, and some actions are just temporary, as we perform them selectively. 
Then, some actions are casual, and we perform them selectively at our choosing, as well as reject them at our will and pleasure. Some actions simply disturb the mind and others are wonderful at making the mind peaceful, and there are powerful actions that are incredibly good for the health and those that are extremely harmful.
Over the years we have learned the easiest way to cultivate our good thoughts is to simply get rid of our bad thoughts, and if we difficulty ridding ourselves of bad thoughts, it is very difficult then to cultivate any good thoughts, yet, if we are able to get rid of a few bad thoughts, then the mind will begin to fill with several good thoughts, and it is these good thoughts when cultivated that make the mind peaceful, and clearly focused and concentrated on any particular subject or object.
Now you should understand the easiest way for us to cultivate performing good actions is to rid ourselves of performing any bad actions, since without ridding ourselves of bad actions it is very difficult to perform any good, but even if we rid ourselves of only a few bad actions, we have started down the right path and we will start performing several good actions. Finally, it is the performance of these good actions that make the mind peaceful, body healthy and then we can be of good cheer and peaceful at all times.
The Zen of Success – Associate with Success-Minded People
Published August 19, 2010 | I think most people will agree that emotion and energy are contagious, especially as positive energy flows, so goes the emotional energy which is very contagious.
Now keeping with that thought, it just makes perfect sense to ,surround yourself with people who not only strongly support you, but truly aspire to the achievement of the same things you too, want to successfully reach. This is one very good reason why forums and groups of like-minded people are naturally powerful, even if the members come from different businesses and backgrounds. The shared commonality is that they all aspire to SUCCESS and being in that sphere of influence is a super supportive environment and the best atmosphere for helping YOU foster and build your own internal SUCCESS.
Okay, so what this means is you need to exert some control or get rid of people in your immediate environment that you know are always bent on getting you down for whatever reason. It could be a member of your family that is constantly nagging and picking on you, a friend that likes to belittle you when you talk about the success goals you have or makes fun of the work you do, as you definitely need to exert control over those kinds of situations. Especially, if there is someone whose behavior always negatively affects you whenever they are around or near you. A decision has to be made by you to either handle the situation or just part ways, and in most cases you can handle it by simple conversation and getting them to agree to stop their constant negative behavior. 
Understand that by simply confronting them, most of the time they will cease, but if it continues, then you just might need to decide to part ways.
It is critical for you to remember that you always have the right to control your own environment, as you have the right to control what your mind is exposed to and going in and out of your own head. Don’t be afraid to ever exercise that right if you need too, after all it’s for your own good and ultimately critical to your achievement of SUCCESS.
The Zen of Success – Compare YOU to who You WANT to Be
Published August 18, 2010 | It is part of our human nature that when you look at people for validation who have been able to accomplish more than you or just have more material assets than you, it’s 
easy to look at yourself and feel a little depressed, or even start to wonder what might be wrong with YOU and question why you haven’t been able to reach the same accomplishments.
Look closely at what happens when you start to have these kinds of thoughts, and the reality is you begin to make much less of yourself, and start down the path of invalidation. You should understand completely that YOU are your own best friend, and no one else will be closer to you, than YOU.
As you begin to question yourself as a result of negative comparison to others, you fall into the common trap of creating assumptions about components of success that you night not have, and they do. You must understand, then catch and remind yourself that you have everything you need to build your own success in life, right inside of you, and need nothing more. 
Then you must take positive action to stop holding yourself back, and start developing and using what you have.
Finally, always keep in mind that you as a spiritual being have immense power within yourself and you can get what you commit and stream your inner power to. Understand that you have within you the power to create new realities in life by simple validation of them. If you give any of your perceived incompetencies validation, you’ll let yourself fall victim to them. Just as validation of any shortcomings you might have, you’ll further them, but on the other hand, let yourself validate the success of others, you’ll in turn see more success for yourself, and as you learn to always recognize and validate the strengths you have, you’ll strengthen them.