I’ve always loved the Indiana Jones movies. My all time favorite is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. When the lastest one came out - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I raced to the movies with high hopes it would be great. After waiting almost 20 years since the last one, I left the movie with a smile. Watching Harrison Ford’s character brilliantly battle his way through seemingly impossible situations and triumphing over his adversaries is not only entertaining, I’m also inspired.

We see Harrison Ford appear as a bookish, mild mannered professor teaching archeology to University student and watch him transform into his Indiana Jones persona with his trademark clothing, hat and bullwhip. The hero of the story had appeared to save the day!

Here are some things Indiana Jones can teach us about courage:

1. Adapt and improvise. In each movie Indie seems to be caught in impossible situations and almost killed dozens on times. (Yes we know he’s the hero and meant to survive, or….maybe not????) Do we see him flinch in fear and resign himself to his doom? No way. His mind races for options and solutions as he improvises and adapts, signaling the invitation for his companions to join with him. His resilience and courage helps him to be victorious.

How often do you retreat and give up when things look bleak and seemingly impossible? Do you have the courage to say, “oh yeah - I don’t accept that” and invite your creative nature to kick in. Do you engage the support of others to be a part of innovative solutions?

2. Stand up and fight for what you believe in. With his trademark hat and bullwhip in hand, archeologist and adventurer Indie stands up to the German army, the Russians, and the Thuggee to defend and save the people he cares about and to protect precious artifacts from falling into the wrong hands. With a strong moral and ethical code, he is steadfast in staying true to his values and who he is despite the temptations and dangers.

How far would you go to protect and defend the people and things you value most? What would you be willing to overcome to champion yourself? What would you say no to or yes to in order to remain true to who you are?

3. Things are not always what they seem. One scene that consistently stands out in my mind that has left the most vivid impression is in my favorite - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I’ve heard many people refer to the same scene because of it’s symbology and inspiration. Indie stands on the edge of the mountain looking across a crevice to the doorway to another mountain. He must cross to the other side to find the Holy Grail so that he can save Sean Connery’s life. He must take a leap of faith. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and puts one foot out into nothingness and a wooden plank appears beneath his feet so that he can cross to the other side safely. WOW. What a powerful metaphor!

Are you willing to take a leap of faith without knowing the outcome? Would you surrender and trust because everything inside you says, “Go for it! Do it,” even it if seems crazy?

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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At a recent networking meeting, I had the opportunity to hear Pernille Spiers-Lopez speak.

Danish born, Pernille immigrated to the United States about 26 years ago as a young woman. After a few jobs that didn’t pan out for her, she found herself working in the Marketplace at Ikea, an international home furnishings retail chain originating from Sweden. Rising quickly through the company, Pernille was vaulted to become President of Ikea North America in 1997. An innovator and change advocate, she shared that her rise to success and personal life satisfaction was tremendously aided by her commitment to her spiritual and personal growth journey.

I had the privilege to be seated at her table with a small group and immediately recognized a kindred spirit. While she delivered her speech, I sat there and grinned as she echoed many of the things I continually talk and write about.

Here are the keys to success she spoke about:

1. Know your values – what you stand for. Live your life in alignment with your values so that you are being true to who you are.

2. Grow yourself as a person; invest in yourself and your people. As a result of changes she initiated at Ikea that were employee supportive, the chain has shown increases in profits and employee retention. Personally, she credits her own consciousness journey as adding more joy and peace to her life as well as helping her to be an effective leader.

3. Be courageous. As President of Ikea, she initiated multiple company changes that dramatically increased employee retention including: addressing flexibility needs, creating a “quiet room” for nursing mothers, and substantially increasing the number of women and minorities in management She spoke quite a bit about being willing to trust herself in her choices and actions. Knowing who she is gives her courage to make the tough and easier decisions as a leader, wife and mother with compassion and strength.

4. Surround yourself with good people. In addition to building a strong workforce, she mentioned her participation in two business groups gives her additional support in being successful.

5. Embrace innovation and change. She sees possibilities and improvement in the experience of change to be inviting rather than fearing the unknown. Attitude affects how we view things - as a positive or a negative; compelling or repelling. With all of the positive innovations she has initiated at work, she commented with a small laugh that her teams have asked her not to make any more big changes this year. Her pride in what she has accomplished as a leader at Ikea was evident.

6. Be passionate. What makes you feel the most alive, calls to your heart, and brings you the most joy? She acknowledged how her passion fuels her courage and willingness to show up.

7. Take a stand for what you believe in no matter if it’s an unpopular position or meets resistance. Trust in yourself and inner knowing without wavering when you feel solidly clear about something you believe in. Hold onto that power without giving it away to others. Her passion and trust in her instincts and abilities empowers her to stand strong as a leader. She stated she is not afraid to stand up for her values and fight for what she believes is right.

8. Set personal and business boundaries. With her busy schedule, Pernille clearly states that when she’s at work, she is fully focused on the demands of her job. She works 8-5, has no Blackberry, and turns her cell phone off when she’s at home. What keeps her strong is listening to her body and her intuition while having strong work-life balance boundaries. She’s learned to separate her work and home life so that she can be fully present to what matters most in her life.

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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Do you realize that when you speak, move or look at people in a particular way, you actually trigger off certain judgments?

Are you aware that the manner in which you speak, the body languageor posture you take on affect the people around you, and this could put you in unpleasant situations, especially in situations when people interpret your communication incorrectly.

Doing so breaks the rapport we have with others, sabotaging our communication in the process. Being aware of our language and mannerisms, we can learn how to use them effectively for the purpose of building rapport with others.

In fact, if you were to walk into a restaurant and observe people, couples especially, you will be able to tell the difference between couples who are in very close rapport with each other and couples who have been married for a long time. We just simply need to observe their body language.

For instance, if the woman is leaning forward, it is very likely that she would be in rapport with her partner, and he would be leaning forward too. The uncanny harmony makes them somewhat like mirror images to each other. And very often when one starts to move, the other also moves, making the entire communication process looks like a dance of harmony.

Their body postures look very similar too. Have you seen a couple's photograph? Take a close look at their facial expressions. Many couples tend to look a lot like each other, this is reflected themost in their smile and eyes.

This happens probably because due to the intimate contact they have had over the years, leading to a lot of unconscious modeling of each party.

Do you know of anyone who owns a pet? Most of the time, the pet somehow takes on the features of its owner, sometimes physically, sometimes in terms of their behavior.

Think about your close group of friends. I am certain you hear similar language, phrases or opinions in a social gathering. You probably share similar mannerisms, interests and even values. The more similarities you have, the greater in rapport you tend to be. These few examples boil down to one interesting fact; All of us tend to like things that are similar to ourselves.

Thus, the primary principle in rapport building is to create similarity. Similarity leads to trust, and trust leads to an open flow of communication. What results is a positive feeling of being in the company of someone you like. There are certain patterns of behavior that occur naturally in the process of communication and rapport.

Thus it is actually very easy to build rapport with other people once we understand how to use these patterns.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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“Life’s weather is but temporary. It’s the seasons that really matter. Finding balance in the storm. Life” - Anon

Do you find yourself spiraling downward when something happens that you find upsetting? If you say yes, it’s not usual. Many people feel happy when something happens that they want or like and fell unhappy when something unwanted occurs.

Here’s an example:

A few years ago I was in a car accident. I had just left my house and I had a few errands to run locally. I admit I tend to drive fast and I noticed the two cars ahead of me had come to a stop. The lead car was waiting for traffic to clear in order to make a left turn. I quickly applied my brakes and saw I would be able to stop safely as I checked my rearview mirror to see who was behind me. It was evident to me that the car behind was also going too fast and was going to hit me. The impact was strong enough to push me across the opposing lane of traffic bounce off of a guardrail before I was able to stop the car.

You might say, “Boy Lorraine, not a good day!” I agree that it wasn’t what I wanted my day to be.

The downside? My car was fully paid for and, a week before had undergone major maintenance work. The accident totaled my car.

Some immediate blessings? I was bruised and unhurt and I could have been killed. Apparently, when I was hit and pushed across the road, the lead car had finally made the left turn because there was no traffic. I called a healer friend who came immediately and met me at the hospital (where I was checked out for any injuries). My chiropractor opened his office to do a session.

When I returned home, my spirits were low and I could have begun feeling sorry for myself and bemoan the ramifications of having to get a new car, etc. It was a perfect invitation for my mood to start plummeting. Instead I chose to look at the experience from a wider lens.

Here are 7 ways to shift your mood to a better place:

1. Gratitude. Focusing on all you have in your life is an immediate mood shifter. Honor the losses that might be part of any circumstance and allow your viewpoint to expand in appreciation for all the riches you have that truly matters.

2. Interrupt negative self-talk and choose a better thought to put your attention. Notice where your thoughts are focused. What stories and dramas are you creating? Are they serving to help you feel better or worse? If you’re unable to let the stories go and dramas go immediately, exaggerate it BIG. Really act it out and play with it so that it becomes absurd. It might even become funny! Click here to read my article on dealing with negative self-talk. Take a stand and choose to put your attention on a better feeling thought.

3. Accept what happened. Dwelling on the past and ruminating on the details only adds more stress and upset. What we resist, persists. The more we struggle against our unwanted life circumstances the more power we give our unhappiness to affect our present moments. It is what it is. Each moment is temporary and gives birth to the next. Acceptance opens the door to…

4. Look for the blessings. Every situation is a healing and growth opportunity. Asking questions like: What are the gifts from this experience? (Focus on the gratitude). What can I learn from this situation? Recognize everything happens for a reason even if it appears to make no logical sense. Approaching life from this perspective invites greater ease and flow. Looking through the eyes of the Victim or the Champion/Hero/Creator is a choice. Seeing your life experience with appreciations invites possibilities to unfold.

5. Ask for help. Reach out to your circle of friends if you need an ear, a hug, a boost or a kick in the butt to get yourself into a healthier mindset. Be willing to receive help and invite the people in your life to be a loving support if you need it!

6. Help someone. Our natural state is one of loving generosity and well-being. Extending support to another can be a great heart lifter in reconnecting us to our spirit.

7. Do something that brings you joy, makes you laugh, and feeds your spirit. A few months ago, my buddy Anita Pathik- Law and I were talking on the phone and we started laughing. The kind of laughter that turns into side-splitting laughter that continued for over 6 minutes. It was hilarious. She recorded it and if I ever need a boost, all I have to do is play it and I start laughing!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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If you had a person, let us say Jeff, who places a very high valueon freedom and fun, and you compared him with someone else, called Sam who places a very high value on security and comfort. Wouldthey behave very differently and make very different decisions? Of course they would. Will they go on the same kind of vacation? I do not think so.

You know, Jeff who values freedom and fun might go mountain climbing ,sky diving, while Sam who values comfort and security may go on acultural museum visit for example. They will buy very different cars, marry very different kind of women and probably be in very different jobs.

When I wanted to find out what drove the top insurance agents in Singapore, I interviewed the top three and asked them, "What gave them the energy and the passion that made them different from all their colleagues?" The first lady I interviewed remarked that she was really driven every single day by her family. The way she wakes up at 6 a.m.every morning, she plans her day, makes the calls and followsthrough, she thinks about her family and how she is going to givethem what she never had before. See, her value of family was totally in line with her goals ofbeing successful in her career.

But when I asked the second insurance agent who was equally successful, what drove him? He said it was not family at all. What drove him was the sense of achievement, of beating the competitionand always being ranked number one. This other person was just as successful again but what really drove him was a difference sense of value. The third agent, who was equally as successful, was totally different. She said that every time she sold an insurance policyshe felt so wonderful inside, knowing she had made a difference tothe security of the family she was serving. And this inspired her to go on and on in spite of all the hard work and rejection. Again, her value of contribution and making a difference was totally in line with her goals.

These are all different values that drive all these people. But then when I worked with agents who were below average, those who were struggling to get by, I found out it was because either theywere not clear on their values or that their values were totally misaligned with their goals sabotaging their goals in the process.

It is very important for you to know what your towards values are. What are the significant emotions do you move towards on a daily basis? What are the values do you move away from? Knowing and clarifying these values will allow you to make better decisions and take the required actions that are in line with yourvalues thus allowing you to accomplish your goals naturally.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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Do you want to be in control of your life and create the results you desire? To be in a position of power and change whatever is not working in your life? Do you want to be able to change the people around you, the results you produce and even how you feel?

Most people believe that power and control are limited to the fortunate few who were born into power (e.g.: the tycoon's son), or acquire power through exceptional talent, business acumen or lady luck.

They believe (and we'll prove them wrong), that the rest of us are destined to be buffeted by whatever winds of change swirl around us. Economic slowdown, recession, company takeovers are the common winds of change.

The truth is, you do not need to have money or be in a top position to take control over what happens. In fact, people at the helm can also lose control...with much bigger consequences.

Look at the CEOs who watch their company's profits nose-dive helplessly in a bear market.

Or what about the US Army Generals who entered Iraq thinking that they were liberators of the people only arriving to find themselves regarded as invaders. Were they, the high and mighty in control? Not at all!

Taking Absolute Responsibility Gives YOU Absolute Power

The secret is to take absolute responsibility for whatever happens. That's right! When you take full responsibility for whatever happens, it means you acknowledge the fact that you have created whatever happens.

If you created it, then you have the power to change it. So, taking absolute responsibility for something puts you in a position of absolute power.

The extent to which you take responsibility over something is the extent to which you have control over it.

For example, if you take responsibility for your low pay, it means you acknowledge the fact that it was your actions and decisions that were the cause of this result.

Reasons could be that you are not creating enough value to be paid more; you have not demonstrated your true value to your boss; or that you chose to work in a company which does not recognize your true value.

Regardless of the reason or position you are in, you have the power to take charge and change anything in your life. The moment you take responsibility, you put yourself on the road to doing something about it.

You can either find ways to create more value by going beyond what is expected, make yourself more valuable by upgrading your skills, ask for a pay raise or find another job that will pay you what you are worth.

When you start taking any of these actions, your situation will change... you will get paid more!

Taking absolute responsibility for your situations and results puts you in a position of absolute power. So remember every time you feel like blaming others or circumstances, stop and take charge!

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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People who achieve their goals are those who are truly committed to get what they want. To them, their goals are not a mere wish or a weak desire. They are an absolute must.

When a goal becomes a must, we operate from a very different frame of mind. When something becomes an absolute must, we will do whatever it takes to get it (within ethical, legal & moral boundaries of course).

When something becomes a must, we will stretch well beyond our comfort zones and keep changing our strategy as many times as it takes.

Time and again, you will notice that people who succeed are those who show this level of commitment. In fact I believe that failures, setbacks and frustrations are life's ways of testing our level of commitment.

Most people fail this test by quitting when they hit major obstacles. The few who succeed do so because they do whatever it takes to overcome obstacles.

I truly believe that when something becomes a must for you, and you are willing to do whatever it takes, you will always find a way!

For most people, achieving success in anything is rarely a must. They would like to lose weight, but it is not a must. They would love to make more money, but they won't die without it. They wish they could take charge of their lives, but they could live without it.

The moment something becomes a 'should' instead of a 'must', you will rarely achieve it. You will always find a way to put it off or to quit the moment you meet resistance.

People like Sylvester Stallone, Steven Spielberg or a Donald Trump who achieve success are not born more focused, more disciplined or more lucky than the average person.

What makes them different is that they make their goals a must for themselves. They are not willing to accept anything less than the best.

So let me ask you a question.

Are your dreams and goals an absolute must or are they just weak desires that you can live without? Have you been truly committed to do whatever it takes in the past or have you quit and given yourself excuses along the way?

If you haven't then it's time you take yourself and your goals seriously because if success isn't a must for you then there is no way that you can become successful. Because success only reserves itself for people who want it bad enough to make a MUST!

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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At any point of time, you create your own states!

If you are feeling confident, then you are creating that confidence within yourself. If you are feeling depressed, you are creating your own depression. When you are motivated, you are creating that state of empowerment.

No one or nothing can affect or change your state unless you choose to allow yourself to get into that state.

Is this really true? Well, think about this. Why is it that two people can encounter the exact same event, but feel totally different about it?

One person may experience fear at having to speak in front of a large audience, while the other feels totally relaxed.

One person may feel totally motivated coming into the office, while the other feels bored & tired. One person may feel inspired and challenged when faced with an obstacle while another person feels demoralized.

So, you see, it is not what happens on the outside that affects a person's state, but what happens on the inside.

So how do we create our states? When we are feeling totally motivated, how do we create this state? When we are depressed, how do we create that depressing mood?

How we feel at any moment in time is determined by both of these Keys:

1. Our Physiology 2. Our Internal Re-presentation.

Your Physiology Affects Your State

The first thing that determines the state you are in is your physiology. Physiology means the condition and use of the physical body.

The condition of your body has a direct impact on how you feel. Do you feel different when your body is well rested and physically vibrant?

When your muscles are relaxed and your cells are bursting with energy, you are most likely to be in a peak state.

Conversely, after a night of tossing and turning with worry, having insufficient sleep, won't you feel your muscles aching and your joints being stiff?

You will easily get into states of tiredness, frustration and depression, non of these being very resourceful states.

This is why it is so important that our body is maintained in peak condition through both proper diet and exercise.

Highly successful individuals from Presidents to pop stars are consistently able to be in peak states because they keep themselves in peak physical condition through comprehensive exercise regimes.

Engaging in daily aerobic activities like swimming, running, cycling or jumping on the trampoline has an effect of oxygenating our body much more readily.

As oxygen and nutrients are carried into our bodies, our cells are nourished more effectively, giving us a lot more energy!

When our physical body is in a peak condition, we will find ourselves being in peak emotional states as well.

Your Internal Re-presentation Affects Your State.

The second factor that affects our state is your internal re-presentation. Your internal re-presentation is a fancy term meaning "How and What we think about."

What we perceive is not reality but an internal re-presentation of reality. It is how we internally re-present what is going on around us inside our mind.

This is why two people can encounter the same event, represent and feel very differently about this same event in their minds

Some of the key filters that determine what we delete, distort and generalize are our Beliefs, Values and Attitudes.

Because different people have different beliefs, values and attitudes, they delete, distort and generalize things very differently.

As a result, all of us experience a very different re-presentation of the world.

Some people have powerful beliefs, values and attitudes that allow them to constantly re-present things in a way placing them in an empowering state while others constantly re-present things in a way that puts them in a lousy, ineffective state.

Successful people are able to take charge and consciously direct their states from moment to moment. Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, find themselves constantly at the mercy of their (bad) habits and their environment.

By taking charge of our physiology and forming empowering internal representations, we have the keys that will allow us to be in constantly resourceful states enabling us to perform at our peak.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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Seeing in their mind a picture of them self feeling good about the exciting endeavours they are to complete for the day, instantly they jump out of bed, energized and ready.

For another person, when the alarm clock rings in the morning, an internal voice is fired off, automatically going, "What time is it?" "Why must I wake up so early?" How much longer can I sleep? "Give me five more minutes."

Picturing in their minds the people and things of their dislike, they enter a state of lethargy causing them to turn over and go back to sleep.

Being late for work....they start and stay in a frantic state for the entire day!

What mental program are you playing daily?

How do you habitually re-present things in your mind? If you have been playing a destructive program, you must begin to change it immediately.

Whatever we picture in our minds, the sounds we play, and what we say to ourselves affects the states we are in.

Some people have a pattern of constantly re-presenting things in such a way that makes them feel depressed. Others do the opposite.

For some people, the moment they experience a setback, they will create all the worst pictures & sounds in their mind! They will keep re-playing the internal movie of themselves failing and even picture themselves screwing up all future attempts.

They have an internal voice that goes, 'why does this happen to me?' 'I always screw up!' By re-presenting the experience this way, you put yourself in the worst possible state! You will probably feel frustrated, overwhelmed and scared that you will stop taking action.

The moment you start consciously directing the pictures and words in your head, you start getting control over your emotions and actions!

Instead of painting a scene of doom and gloom like most people do after experiencing a set-back, a temporary defeat, successful individuals picture all the possibilities of turning the situation around.

Picturing their final, successful outcome, they say to themselves, "What can I learn from this set-back?" How can I turn this around?'

Constantly being in a state of confidence and motivation, such individuals keep taking action until their desired final outcomes are met.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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Our brain is by far one of the most powerful tools in the world. Habitual performance is created on the fly. We hardly have to sit down and design our experiences. However, this short cut comes at aridiculous price. Most people form habits and then think that they cannot change them anymore.

I think it is from my own experience that I say that habitual performance can make or break you. But, if it is at breaking point,it would be a smart choice to decide to create a new and empowering habit instead, do not you think? How do habits form? Let us take a peek into our brain for the moment. We know that we have got brain cells known as neurons. Habits are formed when neurons begin to branch out to other neurons through a communication mode called an action potential. This is a small electrical impulse that runs through our brain cells that help to form neuro-connections.

The closest visual representation is much like what might happen if an octopus were to extend on of its tentacles to touch another octopus. When a connection is formed, we have a neuro pathway. The more this neuro pathway is used, the more solidified it becomes.

So, when do we get these electrical impulses in our head? All the time! Think about it this way: Every time you wake up, you wake upin a particular way and move in a particular fashion, and carry outa particular sequence or steps in order for you to get out of bed, and off to work. And this is a pattern of habit for you everysingle day, is not it? Likewise, is not it true that sometimes when you see someone, you might just feel lousy? Think, boss! The key issue is some of these habitual patterns take place when you least expect or want it to happen.

In such a situation, you will have to use a technique to get a new pattern installed and let the old pattern die away. This techniqueis known as The Switch Pattern, developed by Dr. Richard Bandler. The Switch Pattern uses distance as a driver because distance tends to control other sub modalities. For instance, if you made an image go further into the distance, the picture tend to become smaller, less focused, and tends to lose color along the way. In order for us to do The Switch Pattern effectively, we need to identify the characteristics of effective change processes using The Switch Pattern.

Creating behavioral change processes, not imaginary static outcomes. It is important to focus on the outcome of the changethat you want to create. For instance, if your problem situation isovereating, you cannot simply imagine yourself being thin. You have to think of behaviors you will be exhibiting in order for you to eat less. For instance, you could deliberately choose to see yourself, or imagine yourself eating half of what you normally eat. You could deliberately choose to eat only up to seventy percent of your stomach's capacity and drink more water. For instance, clearly imagining the feeling of what it is like when you eat up to seventypercent of your stomach's capacity.

Likewise, if you are procrastinating, just visualizing yourself doing work is not going to cut it. What do you want to feel instead? How would you help yourself to get there? You will have to see yourself do something to change your state. For instance, if you procrastinate, you might have to visualize the image ofyourself feeling the fear of the consequences if you did not do it. Some of you already do this. You think about how bad the consequences will be if you did not get it done right now. Alternatively, you might choose to do something else that changes your state, such as doing a set of fifty push ups to suck yourself up. Once you know of a behavior that you can do to change your state, see yourself doing the desired behavior clearly.

To your success!

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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Has there been another time when you felt totally motivated in getting started on a project? A time when you just sat down and got it done immediately?

I believe we are aware that this situation rarely happens, never happening in times when we need to get something done.

We Create our States of Motivation and Procrastination

We have to understand that we create entirely different states using our physiology and internal re-presentation. When we understand this, we will be able to change, interrupt and change states whenever we need to.

When you were procrastinating, you were using your physiology in a particular way. Your breathing was probably slow and shallow. Your muscles were droopy, your eyes were looking down and your facial muscles were probably flaccid.

What about your internal re-presentation? You were probably seeing pictures of yourself having a tough time, being overwhelmed and getting frustrated. You were probably saying to yourself in the most weary and bored tone of life, "Must I do this now? Can I do it later?"

How do we create Motivation?

A question we have to ask ourselves, when we are in a motivated state, taking action and accomplishing our tasks, how did we create that?

Our physiology was probably different. We were sitting differently, breathing differently and moving differently. We were probably re-presenting the task very differently in our mind.

We were seeing ourselves getting results, having fun and doing things effortlessly. We were probably saying, "do it now!" "Let's get it done!" in a more excited, higher pitched tone of voice.

Remember, our states are hardly managed consciously. We do not consciously shift our physiology nor do we control our internal re-presentations with the intention of controlling our states.

Instead, our minds are allowed to run on autopilot causing us to lose control of our own states, ensuing in mediocre results that we are not to be pleased about.

Now that we are aware that states of motivation and procrastination are entirely created by us, the responsibility is on us to learn and take charge of our physiology and internal representation, propelling us to attain the greater results we desire.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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If we can replicate the way a winner runs his brain, then we can replicate the way they think and behave, and hence the results they produce. If others can walk on stage and deliver a speech with confidence, so can you.

If others are able to constantly direct their emotions to feel motivated and confident, so can you! If others display highly creative skills, you can do so too.

Remember, they are able to do so because they are running effective mental programs. With the same neurology, you just have to unlock their secrets and run your brain in exactly the same way.

Think about this for a while.

Are you afraid of public speaking? Some people get terrified just by looking at a large audience in front of them. Their hands turn cold, their legs shake uncontrollably, their face turns white and they start to stutter when they open their mouths.

This is called a phobia and all of us have phobias for one thing or another. Yet at the same time, why is it that another person, seeing exactly the same audience can feel comfortable, relaxed, confident - even eager to speak.

Such seemingly natural orators speak to an entire auditorium as easily as if there was only one person in front of them. They may even be able to entertain the audience, make people loosen up and laugh, and they feel great about being up there too.

Again, what is it that makes the confident speaker different from the fearful one? They have the same mental resources available to them.

The difference lies in how they represent the experience of the audience and the stage in their brains. You see, the thought and behavioral patterns they run through their neuro-connections are completely different.

The first person's brain is wired up in such a way that seeing the audience immediately triggers off a 'fear' program that shuts their entire body down. This is expressed physically in sweaty palms and brow, butterflies in the stomach.

Quite the opposite occurs when the confident speaker sees the audience. His neural connections fires off a 'relaxed and confidence' pattern that allows him to perform at his best!

Unfortunately, most people have never learned how to direct and re-program the limiting patterns they run. They are not in charge of their brains. Instead, their brains take charge of them.

They let their brains go on 'auto pilot', running mediocre programs that keep limiting their performance.

As a result, they will always feel that there are things they can never do, simply because they believe that it is not within their control. Or ability.

You too can do what you thought was impossible before, like exercising consistently until you get to your ideal weight. Or give a powerful speech and inspire a two-thousand strong audience.

Once you learn how to change a program in your brain, in fact any program, it will ultimately change how your body reacts. And you can accomplish anything you set your mind (or brain) to.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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All of us have got dreams we aspire to attain in our lives. These dreams come from people who inspire us. We may dream of making $20,000 a month, owning a luxury-y car and living in a million dollar mansion. At the same time, based on our beliefs, we also have what I call a 'level of acceptance'.

This 'level of acceptance' means that though you may aspire to earn $20,000 a month, you are willing to accept earning $3000 a month.

Although you would love to live in a million dollar house, you are quite willing to settle for a small apartment, Although you would love to be at an ideal weight of 65kg, you are willing to live life at 75kg.

You may set a goal to earn $20,000 but if you are willing to accept earning $3000, then $3000 is what you are going to end up getting. Why? Because the $3000 level of acceptance is what we make a 'must' for ourselves.

We will not allow ourselves to earn below that level of what we believe is our minimum. This is our tolerance level. The moment we think we are going to go below our acceptance level, our mind hits panic mode and we will do whatever it takes to get above that. Again, when we are committed to do whatever it takes, we will get it.

People who make $20,000 a month do so because to them, that is their level of acceptance That is what they believe they are worth. They will not accept anything less. They will never accept $5000 or even $10,000 a month. They will do whatever it takes to get the level they believe they deserve.

You Must Raise your Acceptance Levels.

Unless we raise our acceptance levels, we will never do what is necessary to achieve our goals. So if you want to make more money, you have to raise your standards of what you are willing to accept. You have to raise your standards of what you are willing to accept.

Be very honest with yourself, what is your current level of expectation and level of acceptance in the different areas of your life? Invest the time to reflect and to write down your thoughts.

If you want success to become your reality, make it so that you will never settle for anything less. Raise your level of acceptance to the level of your goals and you can't help but become successful.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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The process of turning a negative experience into a positive one is called reframing.

The two ways in which you can do this is Content Reframing and Context Reframing.

Content Reframing

Content reframing is the process of changing a negative experience into a positive one by changing the meaning of the experience. Remember, every event has multiple meanings. The meaning we choose to focus on is what becomes real for us.

The best way to do a content reframe is to ask the question, 'What else can this mean?' 'How can this benefit or empower me instead of depressing me?'

For example, if the recession hit when you were about to start your business, you could content reframe it by saying, 'Good! This means that business costs, like rental and salaries, will be lower and allow us to break even faster'.

Or you could say, 'Good! This means prospective clients will be more open to listening to suppliers who offer better value for money.' There are multiple reasons why starting a business in a recession will be a positive experience!

What if someone told you, 'My son does not stop talking' You could reframe this negative comment by saying 'Good that means he must be full of ideas', or, 'This means he must be very intelligent.'

If the person you love leaves you for someone else, reframe the loss by saying, 'Good. This means that I can find someone who truly loves me' or 'this means I can find someone who is more caring, beautiful and loyal.'

Context Reframing

Another way to reframe an experience is to do a context reframe. A context reframe is the process of changing a negative experience into a positive one by changing the context from which it is perceived.

Have you ever had a negative experience only to look back at it five years later and say, 'That was a blessing in disguise?' In a different context (i.e. the future), the meaning of that experience changed from bad to good.

In doing a context reframe, you must ask the question, 'in a different time or place, how would the meaning be beneficial?'

You see, everything that seems bad now, when put into a different time or place, could appear beneficial.

Going back to the first example of starting a business in a recession, you could use a context reframe by saying, 'When the economy picks up, the company will be positioned to do very well as it has been tested & strengthened by the recession'.

You could do a context reframe on the boy who talks all the time by saying, 'When he grows up, he will make a good public speaker' (context of time). Or you could also say, 'The fact that he talks all the time will certainly earn him a place on the school debating team (context of place). Are you getting the hang of it?

How we represent or (frame) our experiences determine our response and the outcomes we achieve. Therefore we must learn to constantly frame experiences in ways that empower ourselves and the people around us.

When we change the way we represent (frame) something, we totally change the meaning and the emotions associated with that experience. As a result, we change the decisions we make and the actions we take.

You must learn how to create resourceful meanings out of every experience. Successful leaders and entrepreneurs do this to empower themselves and others to reach their goals.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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Have you ever wanted to feel confident in certain situations when you were not? Like, meeting a client or giving a presentation. Would not it be powerful for you to change a lazy state at will to a motivated one?

How would that change your life? How about changing a fear to go on stage to feeling enthusiastic about doing it? How much will it change results you are able to produce in your life? Well, you can. You are in charge of your state and your physiology is one of the most powerful tools you can use to change your states. If you wanted to feel confident, all you have to do is to adopt the total physiology of confidence. If you want to feel motivated, adopt the physiology of motivation.This may sound very simplistic, but it is exactly how the brain and body are neurologically wired up together. The trouble with most people is that they are not willing to do whatever it takes to manage their states. They just let their states be affected by other people, or let it go on autopilot.

So, how do you to get a state of confidence? Imagine that you are going to make a presentation which you have prepared for but as usual you do not feel confident about it. You feel those butterflies in your stomach and you are afraid that everything will just go blank, and it has been this lack of confidence that has affected your performance in the past. If you think about it, I am sure there has been a time in the past where you felt totally confident about giving a talk, or feeling really confident in doing something you are good at. Go back to the time and adopt the same physiology.

Stand the way you stood when you felt totally confident, breathe the way you breathe when you felt totally powerful and confident, have the same tension in your face, your arms and your hands. Have the same focus in your eyes and say to yourself in your head what you normally say when you are feeling totally confident in that same exact tone and voice. It could be like, "Yes! We will do it. No problem!" I want you to get up right now and do this exercise, alright? If you had follow what I said, do you feel that confidence stay? I bet you would.

As long as you have access to the power of states of the past, you mind and body can recreate it exactly like it by accessing the past resources. There is a saying that says this, "Fake it till you make it!" If you are not confident, act as if you are confident, and you will become confident. And if you are not motivated, act as if you are motivated, and you will feel motivated.

To your success!

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

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I’ve been asked several times to make the distinction between promises and to-do lists. Here’s one way to look at the difference. When setting your sights on a goal you wish to reach in the future, you will typically lay out an action plan that includes the steps you will take to get from here to there, right? In other words, what you will do to arrive at your destination. Each step will have a result. While it might initially start out as a promise, you might find yourself slipping into creating a to-do list.

Consider making a mental paradigm shift on the idea of goal-setting to focus on committing to weekly and monthly agreements as stepping stones to the bigger vision you have for yourself. When you identify actions you will take and promise to follow through (to yourself or anyone else) you have created an agreement to fulfill.

In other words, being congruent with your intentions and actions keeps you in integrity with your dreams and desires. How good do you feel when you say you’ll do something and then you don’t do it?

One of your goals might be to systematize your business so that you’re working more efficiently. Your steps might include:

1. Evaluating current programs and continuing to upgrade where needed.

2. Calling a web person to revamp your website.

3. Scheduling time to declutter and organizing your office.

4. Ordering new office equipment.

5. Updating your marketing material.

6. Outsourcing work.

7. Registering for a new course or training.

I make this distinction because getting caught up in making lists rather than being accountable or in integrity to the promises being made will affect the value received from masterminding. The goal is not to show how busy you are doing stuff, rather to make agreements that have a built-in intention that challenges you to s-t-r-e-t-c-h outside of your comfort zone.

The agreements you make are meant to nudge you forward and might create some discomfort so that you feeling slightly off balance. Being slightly off kilter offers opportunities to limitless possibilities that can lead to rich results. In fact, you might choose to add something in your promises that is deliberately uncomfortable with the intent of kicking things up a notch.

The promises you agree to are meant to stretch you out of your comfort zone so that you are challenging yourself to grow yourself and your business. They reflect your dreams and desires in ways that are meant to motivate and inspire you forward.

So be bold in challenging yourself to have what you desire. The possibilities are endless.

Have a great day!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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How often do you register for classes and courses that promise to share success strategies and secrets to help you grow your business? How many books and products do you buy with the hopes of learning from experts in the field? If they’re successfull, they must know things you don’t know or you’d be more successful, right?

Some of these trainings, courses and classes carry a hefty price tag ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. And yet, people whip out their credit cards and yell, ”sign me up” because if the result is making more money, the short term investment is worth it. Long-term gains are compelling and the investment is justifiable if it delivers. That’s the reasoning folks use to say yes.

I’ve signed up myself. I’m in favor of quality programs and products. I even promote them to my email lists, colleagues, and friends. Why not? If I find something great from a proven expert, why would I keep it a secret? I invest in acquiring knowledge and honing my skills all the time.

I sell my own products and programs too. I share what I’ve experienced and learned personally, and from my work with clients.

So, what’s my point?

Just this…….. investing in getting to know yourself well is key to any success you dream about. When the program or product offers personal development, transformation or spiritual growth, people are less inclined to make the time and financial investment in their own evolution and awakening.

How many times do you complete a program with the intention to follow all the steps suggested and all the strategies outlined? How long do you stay motivated and keep it up?

It’s amazing to me how many people will come up with reasons why they hem and haw about paying for programs that will help them spiritually awaken, address self-sabotage, work with The Law of Attraction, eliminate negative thinking/beliefs, and experience greater personal happiness. Yes, some of these products and programs carry a larger investment in time and money.

There is a direct relationship with who you are on the inside and what you do outside in the world. Failure to see the value of investing in growing yourself as a person, as well as growing your business, will affect your outcome - guaranteed. You might be losing more than you can imagine.

~ If you have issues about being wealthy, how do you think that will affect your ability to generate and attract a lot of money?

~ If you have beliefs around unworthiness, how do you think that will affect your ability to have business success and personal happiness?

~ If fear is a driving force in your life, what affect will that have on your willingness to take action so that you can have the good stuff in life?

So, this is also a bit of a rant. I’ve had to confront my own excuses when money comes into the picture and I find myself saying, ” It’s too expensive, or it’s not in my budget”. Forget thinking cost and begin thinking investment. I’m talking about making the long-term investment in YOU rather than using the short-term amount as a reason to say no.

~ If your own self-defeating beliefs and behaviors are sabotaging your efforts, achieving substantial results from any program or resource will be diminished.

~ If you are making decisions that are in conflict with your heart, values and spirit, guess how successfull and happy you’ll be?

~ If you are consistently overriding your instincts and inner wisdom, how much peace will you be giving up AND at what cost to you?

Drop the ” I can’t afford it, it’s too expensive, I don’t have time, now is a good time…” excuses you use to sit on the sidelines and watch the world move forward.

If you need assistance to bust through some business and personal barriers, make the time and financial investment to buy, hire, borrow, barter…. for the people and things that will help you become unfettered from whatever is holding you back or keeping you down.

It’s not rocket science.

It’s your life. Aren’t you worth the investment?

To your success and happiness!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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In the past I’ve created collages - visual pictures that can represent any idea, desire - anything. Now the most popular names are vision boards and treasure maps. In anticipation of creating my vision for 2008 I went over to Staples and picked up a large package of poster boards and bought glue. I sat for several hours with magazines and started cutting pictures, colors, words and phrases that really resonated with me. I even went online in search of some specific pictures and created words and phrases in Word so I could make my vision as complete as I could imagine.

My intention was to create a map of 2008 looking backward as if the year had already occurred. The result would be a celebration of the year that was my best year EVER!

Last Saturday I sat at my table with everything spread out and began bringing life to my treasure map. It was amazing to begin bringing what was in my heart onto the poster board and watching the picture take shape. My dreams and desires to have greater prosperity and inner peace, dramatically decreasing my debt, opening to receive more love in all areas of my life, committing to a healthier lifestyle and reducing weight, deepening my faith and trust with Source - all came alive as the picture took form. Five hours later it was complete.

I know I was Divinely guided in the Creation of the map because of how I felt as the picture came together.

To make the map even more powerfull and personal, I put my picture on the faces of others, added poems, special mementos, wrote in words with colored markers, and included international money to represent taking my business to a bigger global market.

The treasure map is incredible.

I have it hanging on my wall at the top of the stairs to my office a few feet away from my desk. Each time I look up (which is pretty often) I see the treasure map beckoning me. It inspires and motivates me.

In the creation of the treasure map I made a decision to receive the “good stuff”. I gave myself permission to say YES to my dreams and desires so that I could celebrate the accomplishment and receiving of what I want. (I wrote about letting yourself have outrageous success and personal happiness a few months ago. It was one of my most popular posts. Go read it)

AND I did one more that my dear friend Anita Pathik Law recommended. I wrote a Thank You Letter to Source (God, Higher Power, The Divine..) for all the miracles, blessings, gifts, challenges, and opportunities that I received in 2008. I spelled out what I was gratefull for in detail. I was surprised at the rush of emotion that came up as I wrote it. As I read the letter, dated 12/31/08, to Anita I was sobbing with joy and gratitude.

The creation of the Treasure Map and Thank You Letter was a humbling experience.

Click here to see my map

If you are inspired to do this for yourself, leaving me a comment would be appreciated!

Have a great day!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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Last week I did a presentation to a room full of women business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders. The topic was “Letting Yourself Have Outrageous Success and Personal Happiness”.

I looked forward to talking about the topic because so often I hear people complain about not having enough money, struggling with procrastination and overwhelm, feeling stuck or unhappy with themselves, their work, their life……

My client came in this morning angry and in a funk. She was angry with herself because she was dragging her feet on doing some things that would create financial ease in her life. Instead she was feeling desperate about paying her bills and was beating herself up for creating her situation. She has tons of tools to help her shift her attitude, feel more upbeat and positively energized. What was she doing about how she felt or the strain on her finances? Nothing. She was putting all of her attention on feeling bad and powerless.

Exactly my point of last week’s presentation.

What we do is engage in self-sabotage

* Mind games – risk aversion, avoidance (excuses, rationalizations, justifications) that might sound like, “I know what I’m supposed to do but I just don’t do it” I can’t afford it. I don’t have the time. Now is not the right time, I’m not ready”.

* Dramas/stories – The conversations we have inside our heads (worse case scenarios, imaginings). We tell ourselves, “I can’t do it. It’s too hard/too big. It will take too long….”

* Negative beliefs – We hold on to conscious and unconscious beliefs that dictate who we are, how we feel, and what we do (or don’t do). We tell ourselves, “I’m not smart enough/good enough/. Good things happen to others – not me”.

* Fear – fear of success/failure, pain and pleasure are the most dominant fears. We scare ourselves into despair and immobility. We make up stories to justify saying no to our dreams and desires.

* Procrastination leads to feeling guilty. We become disappointed and feel frustrated because we believe we have broken our agreement and promises to ourselves and others. That gives up permission to beat ourselves up. We punish ourselves and withhold the good stuff.

What do you tell yourself that makes it ok to say no to having what you want or need? When we continue to sabotage ourselves, it’s because we get something from it. There’s always a payoff.

What’s yours?

Wanna stop?

You can!

Anytime you say.

How about NOW?

Here are some keys to help your shift from NO to GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

1. Power of alignment – Inner conflict is felt when we are in discord with our heads and our heart. When your decisions, choices and actions line up with your spirit, core values, true desires and vision your life will have greater prosperity and happiness. Get to know yourself well. Make it a practice to listen to your heart, follow your instincts and trust yourself.

2. Deliberately choose to have better feelings and thoughts. Your imagined fears, negative self-talk, and beliefs about unworthiness serve you to recognize when you are in your drama and self-created stories by. Notice how you are feeling and what you are thinking. Your thoughts affect how you feel and what you do. When you can see what’s happening, you can choose to become the champion of your story or the victim of your circumstance. What you put your attention on expands.

3. Clarify what you really want. What inspires and excites you?

Identify a strong dream or desire.
Write down why you want it.
What will “having it” give you that you don’t have now?
Why do you want that?
What will having it……

Run this exercise to get to the heart of what you really want.

4. Decide to have it. Give yourself permission to receive what you want and desire. Commit to it. Refuse to take no for an answer.

5. Develop a positive/empowering mindset by challenging and replacing self-defeating attitudes and behaviors. Feel compassion and self- love by focusing on what’s right about you; what makes you special and unique.

6. Install accountability. Add people and systems to your team to help you stay motivated and inspired. Show up

7. Create a power strategy when you need a boost. Add things that motivate, inspire, nurture you – gratitude. When you give to yourself, the people in your life will get the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.

Remember to celebrate your successes along the way!

As you go through your day, I challenge you to let yourself have what you need and want to have the success and happiness you desire.

~ Say yes to following up with those business leads, calling prospects, attending networking events, taking 5 marketing actions today….

~ Say yes to booking that massage, taking a long weekend, scheduling lunch with a friend…

~ Say yes to registering for that class, learning one new skill, hiring a coach…

Say yes to having the abundance you want and the life you dream about. Need some help? Purchase any of my featured products to give you insights, tools and time to take charge of your life! It’s time to become the hero of your own life story. If not now, when?

Have a terrific day!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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