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Welcome to Your Achievement Ezine
Issue 320 - July 19, 2007

YourSuccessStore.com - Your very best source for Inspiration, Sales, Leadership and Personal Development Resources and home of Your Achievement Ezine featuring the very best personal development articles, quotes and success tools from Your Masters of Success.

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Your Achievement Ezine is committed to helping our readers grow both personally and professionally by consistently applying time proven principles and ideas in areas such as time management, leadership, communication, sales, investment, marketing and goal setting from many of today's recognized authorities on success. We thank you for reading and for forwarding this on to others who might benefit.

"Genuine security arises from actual, first-hand knowledge that one is both capable and worthy of achieving happiness (through conscious, responsible action) and, once having attained it, that he deserves it."   Michael J. Hurd

Today's issue includes:

1. Your Achievement Article - I'll See It When I Believe It! by Tony Alessandra
2. Your Achievement Quotes - Discipline, Do It Now! and Dream Big Dreams
3. Your Achievement Tips - Life Would Be Easy... If It Weren't for COMMUNICATION Differences by Connie Podesta
4. Mr. Platinum Rule...
5. More Information

1. Your Achievement Article

I'll See It When I Believe It! by Tony Alessandra

It has been estimated that we each have upwards of 50,000 thoughts per day. How many of yours are negative? Sometimes you have to do a mental spring-cleaning to get rid of those negative thoughts that have become ingrained attitudes. Stopping self-destructive thoughts is like stopping any other bad habit - it takes time and effort.

Among the most effective ways to do this are visualization and affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements about yourself that you repeat over and over in your head until they are programmed into your subconscious.

Visualization is mentally picturing yourself the way you want to be. You've heard the old saying "I'll believe it when I see it". Well, the reverse is also true: "I'll see it when I believe it!" Affirmations and visualizations may not feel true at first. They may not even be true! However, they can become so.

Consider what happens when you tell yourself repeatedly, "I'm lousy at remembering names." There will never be any improvement there. Therefore, if you catch yourself saying it, stop and immediately say to yourself, "I'm good at remembering names."

Consider the effect of telling yourself, "I'm feeling pretty good today." Or "I can lose ten pounds." Or "I am good at getting people to see things my way." Anything you say to yourself repeatedly will actually influence your reality.

Writing down your affirmations and putting them in some handy place - above your desk, on your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car - will help keep them in mind as well as in sight. Use affirmations and visualizations to project what success will feel like and look like. Imagine, in as much detail as you possibly can, how you feel as the boss singles you out for exceeding your quota, or how the audience hangs on your every word during your speech, or how your confident presence causes heads to turn everywhere you go.

To enhance your charisma and persuasion (while making others feel good about themselves), you can apply the very same techniques by turning them outward. Begin thinking positive affirmations about people you work and live with.

For example, "Bob seems much calmer and patient of late. I wonder what has changed in him." During your next interaction with Bob, you will most likely remember your positive thought about him and start your conversation with, "Bob, I've noticed a change in you. You seem really kind and patient while counseling your new employees recently and I admire that. How did you acquire this wonderful characteristic?"

Bob would likely respond with a smile and a story about a book he found, a consultant he hired, or a seminar he attended. Regardless of his reply, you have sincerely complimented another person, put out a positive thought, and begun a new habit of approaching others using "appreciative inquiry"... finding the good in another person or situation first, instead of finding fault or flaws.

Criticizing is easy and sometimes becomes habit, but re-training your mind to find the positive attributes in yourself and others will win you friends, increase your income, and make you feel better about being a better you.

Here's to more personal insight,
Tony Alessandra

Now you can easily understand in a matter of hours what took Tony Alessandra thirty years to research, refine, and now reveal to you. This week Tony has generously offered his complete package of MP3 downloadables, eBooks, workbooks and e-reports at an amazing discount to our subscribers only! Buy individually or SAVE a bundle on the whole package (includes 31 products). For descriptions of each product visit http://alessandra.yoursuccessstore.com or call 877-929-0439.
 

"Would you know others? Read yourself -- and learn!" Friedrich von Schiller

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"Every achiever that I have ever met says, 'My life turned around when I began to believe in me.'"Dr. Robert Schuller

2. Your Achievement Quotes

DISCIPLINE

"Your philosophy determines whether you will go for the disciplines or continue the errors." -- Jim Rohn

"Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." -- Roy L. Smith

"The only competition you will ever have is the competition between your disciplined and undisciplined mind." -- James A. Ray

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -- Stephen King

DO IT NOW!

"... focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." -- Greg Anderson

"Now is the only time there is. Make your now wow, your minutes miracles, and your days pay. Your life will have been magnificently lived and invested, and when you die you will have made a difference." -- Mark Victor Hansen

"Stop rationalizing, stop stewing. Get up out of your chair and start doing." -- Denis Waitley

"It's a strange thing, you have said it thousands of times I am sure… you will never know what you can do until you try. However the sad truth is, that most people never try anything until they know they can do it." -- Bob Proctor

DREAM BIG DREAMS

"Live your best life. Dream big. Live fully." -- Oprah Winfrey

"…when you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life, you then have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life." -- Stedman Graham

"Live out of your imagination, not your history." -- Stephen Covey

"Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate accomplishments." -- Napoleon Hill

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation." Arthur Ashe

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"What you see is what you get, and who you feel like is who you really are." Denis Waitley

3. Your Achievement Tips

Life Would Be Easy... If It Weren't for COMMUNICATION Differences by Connie Podesta

With the passing of every new year, each of us needs to understand the magnitude of social and economic change in the world. In the past, change in business and social life was incremental and a set of personal strategies for achieving excellence was not required. Today, in the knowledge-based world, where change is the rule, a set of personal strategies is essential for success, even survival. Never again will you be able to go to your place of business on autopilot, comfortable and secure that the organization, state or government will provide for and look after you. You must look in the mirror when you ask who is responsible for your success or failure. You must become a lifelong learner and leader, for to be a follower is to fall hopelessly behind the pace of progress. The power brokers in the new global arena will be the knowledge facilitators. Ignorance will be even more the tyrant and enslaver than in the past. As you look in the mirror to see the 21st Century you, there will also be another image standing beside you. It is your competition. Your competition, from now on, will be a hungry immigrant with a wireless, hand-held, digital assistant. Hungry for food, hungry for a home, for a new car, for security, for a college education. Hungry for knowledge. Smart, quick thinking, skilled and willing to do anything necessary to be competitive in the world marketplace. Working long hours and Saturdays, staying open later, serving customers better and more cheerfully. To be a player in the 21st Century you have to be willing to give more in service than you receive in payment.

Sometimes it seems that folks just don't get it. No matter what you say or how you say it, they simply don't have a clue - and don't seem too worried about getting one either! It's not their nature to understand; that's just how they "are." Maybe so, but more often than not, the problem is a result of a communication breakdown.

In this digitally inter-connected world, you'd think we could "fix" such basic differences. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as plugging another device into the system. Maybe they're the problem. Maybe you are. We all know difficult people - and, in fact, we can all be the difficult person.

A little background on communication styles can help us understand the issues and learn how to alter our approach to eventually make life a little easier for both parties.

The Basics
Every time we speak, we choose and use one of four basic communication styles: assertive, aggressive, passive and passive-aggressive.

Assertive Communication
The most effective and healthiest form of communication is the assertive style. It's how we naturally express ourselves when our self-esteem is intact, giving us the confidence to communicate without games and manipulation.

When we are being assertive, we work hard to create mutually satisfying solutions. We communicate our needs clearly and forthrightly. We care about the relationship and strive for a win/win situation. We know our limits and refuse to be pushed beyond them just because someone else wants or needs something from us. Surprisingly, assertive is the style most people use least.

Aggressive Communication
Aggressive communication always involves manipulation. We may attempt to make people do what we want by inducing guilt (hurt) or by using intimidation and control tactics (anger). Covert or overt, we simply want our needs met - and right now! Although there are a few arenas where aggressive behavior is called for (i.e., sports or war), it will never work in a relationship. Ironically, the more aggressive sports rely heavily on team members and rational coaching strategies.

Passive Communication
Passive communication is based on compliance and hopes to avoid confrontation at all costs. In this mode we don't talk much, question even less, and actually do very little. We just don't want to rock the boat. Passives have learned that it is safer not to react and better to disappear than to stand up and be noticed.

Passive-Aggressive Communication
A combination of styles, passive-aggressive avoids direct confrontation (passive), but attempts to get even through manipulation (aggressive). If you've ever thought about making that certain someone who needs to be "taught a thing or two" suffer (even just a teeny bit), you've stepped pretty close to (if not on into) the devious and sneaky world of the passive-aggressive.

So now what?
Clearly, for many reasons, the only healthy communication style is assertive communication. Surely you can identify many people in your own life that favor each of the four styles. Most of us use a combination of these four styles, depending on the person or situation. The styles we choose generally depend on what our past experiences have taught us will work best to get our needs met in each specific situation. If you take a really good look at yourself, you've probably used each throughout your lifetime.

Understanding the four basic types of communication will help you learn how to react most effectively when confronted with a difficult person. It will also help you recognize when you are using manipulative behavior to get your own needs met. Remember, you always have a choice as to which communication style you use. If you're serious about taking control of your life, practice being more assertive. It will help you diffuse anger, reduce guilt and build relationships - both personally and professionally.

Take Action!
Begin to pay attention to which communication styles you use throughout the day. How often do you use a communication style other than assertive?

Watch and identify the communication styles some of the difficult people in your life use. Can you begin to notice how others use manipulative techniques to get their way.

Connie Podesta is an author, counselor, educator, humorist, playwright, consultant, songwriter, actress and trainer. She radiates a super-charged, high-energy presence that immediately involves people and has them responding to her exciting challenge to reach for the best in themselves! With her talent for humor, flair for drama and unique insight into human behavior, Connie delivers solid content and practical techniques that can be put to use immediately at work and home. To order Connie Podesta's products including The Best of Connie Podesta 6 CD Collection, Making Choices That Count: The Secret of Self-Esteem, How to be the Person Successful Companies Fight to Keep and JOURNEY - A One Woman Play or buy All and Save!, go to http://conniepodesta.yoursuccessstore.com or call 877-929-0439 © 2004, 2007 Connie Podesta.

"Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself." Harvey Fierstein

4. Mr. Platinum Rule....

"Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are." Malcolm Forbes

5. More Information

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