I am sure you have had something negative happen to you in your life.

So why do bad things happen?  What create them?

There are two schools of thought out there when it comes to the world.

#1 You have no control over everything that happens outside of you and you are helpless to world events.

#2  You create everything that happens outside of you.  Your perception of reality makes it real.  You attract or create everything that happens to you in your life.

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As you can see, these are VERY different belief sets, but as unlikely as it may seem, both of these belief sets lead us to the same conclusion.

Let’s take a look at belief #1.  This is the belief that comes from feeling separate from the world around you.  Here you have believe that when something bad happens to you, there is nothing you can do but respond to the bad thing.   There are no lessons to be learned in creating the bad thing, because you had nothing to do with it occurring in the first place.   A Secularist may believe that the world is random and that it is random chance, and a religious person may blame the devil, or feel that he/she is being punished from God, but either way, the thing they all agree on is that they do not create the world outside of them.

So, with that belief set, the obvious conclusion I come to is this:

IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO YOU, YOU SHOULD KEEP A POSITIVE MINDSET.  YOU SHOULD TRY TO NOT LET BAD THINGS BOTHER YOU BECAUSE YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT TO BEGIN WITH.  WHEN YOU FEEL BAD, YOU LET THE WORLD CHANGE YOU, AND GETTING ANGRY AND/OR DEPRESSED IS SIMPLY BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH AND LOWERS YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS.

Now let’s take a look at belief #2.  People with this belief take responsibility for everything that happens in their life, good or bad.  They believe that they create the world outside of them, and that every interaction is a product of their own creation.  A secularist may believe the world to be a projection created by the mind and that reality is a malleable illusion.  A religious person may believe that they are co-creators with God, and that they are connected with everything because everything is a creation of God and therefore they are in the same flow of being of God, with everything in existence.

So, with that belief set, the obvious conclusion I come to is this:

IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO YOU, YOU SHOULD KEEP A POSITIVE MINDSET.  YOU SHOULD TRY TO NOT LET BAD THINGS BOTHER YOU BECAUSE YOU WILL CREATE MORE BAD THINGS BY REACTING AND FEELING NEGATIVE.  WHEN YOU FEEL BAD, YOU CREATE MORE NEGATIVE THINGS IN YOUR OWN LIFE.  GETTING ANGRY AND/OR DEPRESSED IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH, LOWERS YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS AND ATTRACTS/CREATES MORE BAD THINGS IN YOUR LIFE.

So you see, either way, being positive in a negative situation is solution.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

and it is 100% free!

Close your eyes and search your mind for something that makes you happy.

Not something forced or something that SHOULD make you happy, but rather something that brings you pure joy.

You will know when you find it because when you think about it or imagine it, you will FEEL happy inside.

Now that you have found it, concentrate on it all day long.  Think about this happy place or happy person or happy thought all day long.

You’ll improve your day greatly.

HINT:  I find this works best with something you are looking forward to, but have not accomplished yet.

For example:  If you were expecting a baby, or a grandchild, this would be a very happy thought indeed, that has not arrived yet.

Another example:  If you have a goal for buying something large, like a house, then focus on the happy feeling of owning your new house.

When you do this, you will find that life’s little problems roll off your back easily and you’ll find yourself with a new spring in your step.

I know it may be hard to believe, but no one can make you angry.  No one can make you cry.

Yes, people can behave in ways that you do not prefer, but ultimately it is always your choice on how you choose to react to their actions.

Have an argument with someone?

Okay, now that it is over you can choose to let it go and no longer think about it.  It is your choice.  If you choose to dwell on it, then you will only be damaging yourself.

It may be tempting to want to hold on to anger because:  “You know you were right”  or because “That is not fair”, but anger weakens you over time.  You may feel empowered by anger, but it wreaks havoc on your body and your health….

When it comes to arguments (especially with spouses) Kim Miller use to teach:  “I would rather be happy than right.”

The law of attraction tells us that we get more of what we feel like, so if you allow yourself to feel angry often, you will be attracting more things for you to feel angry about.

How often do you hear that?

Not often enough, I am sure.

Most of us are too hard on ourselves and we spend far too much time focusing on the one thing we did wrong that day and forget to praise all the wonderful things we are doing everyday.

You really are a great person who is getting better everyday in every way.  The mere fact that you are reading this is proof of that.  So try not to be so hard on yourself.

Remember, focus on what you want… not on what you don’t want.

So what if you make a mistake here and there.  That is to be expected.  No one…  (and I mean NO ONE) is perfect.

So give yourself the praise you need, and tell yourself how great you truly are!

So many of us walk through our life in a zombie like stupor, living in a state of being that I like to call “autopilot”.

When you are living a life on Autopilot you get into a routine (or is it a RUT?) and you just go through the motions day in and day out.

While this may be surviving, it is NOT Living!

WAKE UP…..

I challenge you to wake up and realize the potential in your life.  Become aware of who you really are.

You are the creator of your reality!

It is okay to dream of a better life!

You can never have anything more than you have right now unless you reach beyond where you are right now!

So reach up and grab what you want!

Become who you want to be…..

The only thing holding you back….   IS YOU.

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Thank you for being a loyal member to this website and/or my weekly newsletter. I am honored to have over 6,500 readers & members.

New Years is upon us!

Which of course means it is the time for new years resolutions.

Have you made your new years resolution yet?  More importantly, have you taken any steps to make your resolution come true?

You have it in your power to make 2010 the best year of your life.
You really do.

Of course that is what I want for you, so I put together a little new years present that I hope will help you make 2010 the best year ever.

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Gift #1

(Download)

This is a simple worksheet for your New Years Resolution.

If you truly want to make a change in your life for the better in 2010, then write it down.  You will also find a place to write down WHY you want to accomplish this task.  This is INCREDIBLY important down the road.  It has a place for you to create micro (weekly) goals and Monthly (mini Goals).

Of course the entire point of this worksheet is to help you stay on track so that you can be successful in 2010.

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Gift #2

A Motivational Image – Suitable for Desktop Wallpaper

Please Select The Image Size From Below:
(Right Click To Save)

800 x 600 JPG
1024 x 768 JPG
1152 x 864 JPG
1280 x 800 JPG
1280 x 1024 JPG
1440 x 900 JPG
1600 x 1200 JPG
1680 x 1050 JPG
1920 x 1200 JPG

Motivation is the key to staying on track in 2010.

This is why I have created a method to help you stay motivated for ALL of 2010.  A way for you to stay on track so that you make 2010 the year you finally accomplish your goals.

Your 2010 Success

Click Here

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Gift #3

3 Steps To Make Your Dreams Into Reality

(Download)

This is the simplest formula for achieving your goals in 2010.  If you want to achieve your goals this year, you will have to do these three things.  No matter how much hype or fluff any “self development” product  or tool promises, you can not skip any of these three steps.

It seems easy enough…  just 3 little things stand between you and greatness.

It is easy to figure out what you want.

* Maybe you want to lose weight

* Maybe you want to quit smoking

* Maybe you want to make more money

It doesn’t matter what it is, all the those goals require motivation, a plan, and of course action.

Taking action isn’t hard.   Just ask everyone who has quit smoking and started back up again… or the person who went on a diet for 2 weeks before they went back to their old way of eating.

The plan was easy enough, and the action was there, but it was the MOTIVATION that lets people down.

Motivation is the one key to your success.  Even if the plan is modest, as long as you are motivated enough to stick with it, YOU WILL SUCCEED.

Hopefully the PDF above will help you with some tips to keep you motivated, but I would also like to offer you something I created JUST TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED ALL of 2010.

I knew motivation was the key to everything, so I wrote this with you mind:

Please Read This – Click Here

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There are a lot of tools that can help you improve your life, such as the free subliminal videos, or the Secret Course, or even the simple Manifesting Cards.

But guess what?

Without motivation, no tool can work for you.

You have to actually watch the subliminal video in order for it to have a chance to imprint on your subconscious mind.   You would have to actually read the Secret Course and practice what it teaches.

I think one of the reasons that the Manifesting Cards are so successful for people is because it is quick and easy to use, so it does not require as much motivation, but still….  like any tool, if you don’t use it, it can’t work.

Exercise equipment that you never use, can not get you into shape.

I hope you will make this year different from all the years past, and that you check out Your 2010 Success and truly make this year different.

I wish you the best of success in 2010.

Warmest Regards,

- John Derrick

PS – Try to keep a positive attitude.  So what if you quit smoking for 60 days and started back up?  At least you took the burden off of your body for 60 days…  and next time you will do even better.

So what if you lost 20 lbs but put most of it back during the holidays.  Now you know you can do it!  Not to mention that good you did your body when that weight was off and you know how good being thinner felt so it is even more likely that you will accomplish it again.

As long as you stay motivated and keep moving forward, it doesn’t matter how slow your progress is, everyday you are 1 day closer to your goals.

As my 7 year old, Declan,  loves to say  “Never give up, never surrender!”
(He picked that up from the movie Galaxy Quest)

]]> http://johnderrick.com/self_improvement/motivational/my-new-years-present-to-you/feed/ 0 http://johnderrick.com/miscellaneous/feels-good/the-mayonnaise-jar-and-two-cups-of-coffee/ http://johnderrick.com/miscellaneous/feels-good/the-mayonnaise-jar-and-two-cups-of-coffee/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:07:11 +0000 John Derrick http://johnderrick.com/?p=513 I think you will agree that there is a “feel good” lesson in this little story:

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When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in
a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two cups of
coffee.

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A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ” I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things in life. Your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions: things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else: the small stuff.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Yes and No.

Can they actually backfire?

Yes. Let me explain:

The two most powerful times to use a daily affirmation is when you first wake up before you get out of bed, and the last thought you have just before you go off to sleep. Those are the best times to program your subconscious mind. Certainly, the more times each day the better, but those two times pack the most impact.

Now, let’s say that your affirmation is “My body is completely healthy and lean” and it’s  the first thing you say every morning and the last thing you think before you drift off to sleep each night.

Will these words make you healthy and lean?

NO.

Words have no power in the law of attraction. If you say that you are healthy and lean everyday it will have no attraction power by itself. None. Zip. Zero. You might as well say you are the king of Egypt for all it matters.

It is the feeling that activates the attraction. Feeling is the vibration that goes out from you into the universe and actively attracts to you. Hollow words with no feelings attached have no power whatsoever.

So to make an affirmation have any power at all, you have to have to FEEL that which you are saying. In the example above, many people who are overweight will affirm that they are thin, but inside they are FEELING even fatter as they say the affirmation because they know it is a lie. Day in and day out, the affirmation is resulting in the FEELING of being fat, so you are in essence attracting more of being fat, not being thin. Thus, the affirmation backfires completely.

The universe does not speak English, Spanish or any other spoken or written language. The universe runs completely on vibration. Vibrations in you are powered by feelings. So if you want to have or be something, you have to vibrate at that level. Words are completely unnecessary to the universe, but they can be helpful for you to get you into that state of vibration.

If you can feel thin, without any words at all, then consider that your daily affirmation. IF you need words to make you feel thin, then use the words, but remember it is the feeling that counts. Pay attention to what you are feeling when you say the affirmation.

Remember, all affirmations are to be said (and felt) in the present tense, never the future. For example you never affirm that you are GOING TO BE anything, because what you are putting out into the universe is a constant message of “going to be” , and not actually being or having that you desire. That is never a good place to be stuck.

If you want to be healthy, feel healthy now and be thankful now for your great health. If you want to have money, feel having money now and be thankful for the tons of money you currently have. Like attracts like. You don’t want to attract “Someday being rich” to yourself.

Gratitude is a powerful vibrational feeling, so it can be used to begin almost any affirmation.
Some great examples of affirmations are:

I am so grateful that:
Money comes to be easily and frequently
My life flows through grace and ease
I have the house of my dreams
That universe is supporting me in my every effort

Even more powerful than affirmations is the use of a Manifesting Card. A Manifesting Card combines the power of daily affirmations, with the power of a vision boards, visualization, power of positive thinking, and the gratitude method….

Imagine the power of all those tools rolled into one little card that you can easily put into your pocket…    that is the power of a Manifesting Card.

Using the Manifesting Cards method will dramatically cut down the time it takes for your manifestations to come true.

Daily affirmations DO work, but they can take a LONG time before you see results.  There are many different reasons for this, all of which I cover inside here.

So if you are like me, and you don’t like to wait for the things you want today, I suggest you use the Manifesting Cards method.

Check it out for yourself, Click Here.

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I have often said that there is nothing that any self development guru can teach you that you don’t already know deep inside.

It’s how you sometimes know who is calling on the phone before you pick it up or look at the Caller ID.

We have all heard of people who had a “bad feeling”, or heard a a little voice warning them not to go on a trip only to find out hours later that their plane crashed and they would have been on it if they had not heeded that warning.

We all have this power, but it is a darkly kept secret because we have been kept in the dark about it!

Your intuition is like a magic wand in your pocket!

It is an inner compass that will align you to your highest path and potential, that you can consciously access and apply!

It is your ultimate ally!

Find out how you can unlock it in this awesome FREEreport!

It is the innate tool within you that swings wide open the doors to True Success; success that reflects and expresses your inherent gifts, talents and soul’s calling.

This mysterious power will give you access to higher realms of awareness beyond five-sensory perception.

It is your most treasured resource, and lies latent and untapped, waiting to be unleashed within!

************************************
Here’s just some of what you’ll discover:
************************************

* The four primary intuitive channels

* The most powerful way to shift your consciousness

* How to get the intuitive ball rolling right away

* The vast and magnificent overseer of your multi selves – past, present and future, conscious and subconscious.

* How to decode the whispers in your physical reality

* The highest vibration in the universe & how to meld with it

* How to ‘create the space’ for your intuition

* Wisdom beyond the intellectual capacities of the mind

* What will initiate your receiving guidance

* The antidote to the ego virus

* And so much more

Warmest Regards,

- John Derrick

With all the negative news about the economy, and people losing their jobs, there is a lot of fear out there right now, which is why I choose to look at my life from a slightly different angle…

I will use myself as an example here, but odds are you can apply 90% of what I am about to say to yourself as well.

I am richer than all the Kings in centuries past.   King Solomon never had a heated house like I do.  With all his wealth and power he never had wall to wall carpet, like I do.

The mighty Merlin, if he indeed existed, would be amazed at the magic box I have in my front room.  With this box I can see events from around the world.  Yes, I sit in total comfort on my soft couch while I watch my magical box that let’s me see a million actors and brings me news from every corner of the globe.

Great Rome in all its glory was proud to have public baths which were heated, while I take hot baths or showers in my own home everyday.  In fact, water both hot and cold are piped right into my house, in several locations even, and with a flip of a switch I can have hot or cold water in an instant, day or night.

The richest men in history’s past would collect books from around the world and build private libraries with all their wealth…. yet they would blush at how small their collection of information is when compared to what I can access on the internet.

Any question I want answered is just a few keystrokes away on the internet.  For a few dollars I can have a new book immediately sent to me from anywhere around the world.

For a few cents I can have messengers deliver a paper message of mine to the furthest reaches of my country, or for free I could send an email message to the furthest reaches of the entire planet.

I am immune to Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertusis, Hepatitis A and B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Polio, Meningitis and more…  because I was given a few shots as a child.  In fact, everyone I know is immune to most of these, and these diseases have been nearly wiped out from my nation.

My children are strong and healthy, and none of my three children nor my wife died in child birth, as was so common before modern medicine.

I can travel further than any king in a fraction of the time.  Thousands of men have paved all the roads ahead of me, making long distance travel fast, smooth and easy.  I can travel many times the speed of a horse while remaining in luxury, no bouncing up and down and I am completely protected from the elements.

Yes, I am so rich that I can board a plane and fly from one city to another at speeds no man in centuries past would dare to dream.

I am so rich that I have no shortage of food, in fact the problem I have is quite the opposite.  I have such an abundance of rich and tasty food flown in from around the world, but I must be careful to not to eat so much that I explode.

But even if I do eat so much that I become a rounder version of myself, I can still have people make me clothes that fit…  yes, I am truly rich.

Even the bed I sleep in would have made the richest men in history proud, it is soft and firm at the same time, and I sleep like a baby in it, on cotton sheets with a thread count higher than was ever possible in histories past.

I can pick up a phone and call anyone nearly anywhere in the world, and I can keep this magical phone in my pocket and use invisible waves in the air to make these magical calls whenever I desire.

The air in my home is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  I have a device to take dust out of the air and make it crisp and clean.  I can cook in my house without the need for fire, and I have a hood with vent that removes any smoke to the outside if smoke should occur.

When I sleep at night I have devices which monitor the air for smoke, and in case of a fire they will wake me up and warn me.  Of course if fire should occur, men will come rushing to my aid, day or night, and use giant hoses to put the fire out.

Yes, I am truly rich….

Not just because I am happy and in love with my wife.  Not just because my children love me as much as I love them or because they look up to me.

No…  I am physically rich….    Rich beyond the great Caesar himself ever was…

I even do what most rich people in the past have done, I forget how rich that I am and take my wealth for granite.  I forget how magical my life is and sometimes think about how I could have more…..

Not today… not right now….   Right now I am thankful for my vast wealth.

So was I wrong?   Are you richer than you imagined too?

When I entered the post office the woman behind the counter asked, “How are you today?”

“Doing Great,” I replied.  “And how are you?”

“Not to bad” she answered flashing a brief half-hearted smile.

Years ago, before I began this journey of self development if you had asked me how I was doing I too would have said something similar.

“not too bad” or “could be worse” were my standard replies to this innocent question.

When someone you barely know asks you how you are doing, they don’t really want to know any details, it is just a form of small talk.

But how you respond reveals a lot about yourself.  It reveals how you measure your own life.

If you see life positively, you will measure it in the positive.  “doing good”  for a good day, and for a bad day you would say something along the lines of “not so good”.

If you view life negatively you will measure it in the negative, with statements like “not to bad” being your measurement of your good days and for a bad day something similar to  “terrible” .

Is the glass half empty or half full?  

How do you measure your life?  Is it on a scale of good to better or bad to worse?

Little things like this give us insight into our subconscious mind and how we actually view the world.

The Law of Attraction tells us that our thoughts and the feeling that come from those thoughts are shaping our life and the world around us.

So if you are measuring your life in negative terms, may I suggest that you make a conscious effort to shift that way of thinking and begin measuring life in positive terms.

You might just be surprised by how much better your days go.

Oren Arnold

The partner who hogs the covers every night, because he/she is not out with someone else.

The child who is not cleaning his room, but Is watching TV, because that means he Is at home and not on the streets.

For the taxes that I pay,because it means that I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party,because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because It means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating/cooling bill, because it means I am warm/refreshed.

For the lady behind me in church that sings off key, because it means that I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and Ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means I am alive.

And finally…

For too much e-Mail, because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

Enter The Contest Here

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to find out about the HUGE 1 DAY ONLY suprise I have planned for Nov 11th 2008.

So why Nov 11th?   Why did I name my company eleven eleven and what is the deal with 11:11 anyway?  Read Here

If you want to win a prize, make sure you enter the contest before Nov 11th, because that is the day I will randomly draw names of winners.

Official Law of Attraction Contest Here