COMMITMENT PAYS OFF

                        COMMITMENT PAYS OFF FOR ASPIRING NOVELIST

                    SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AMERICAN WAY MAGAZINE CARRIED A FASCINATING INTERVIEW WITH BEST -SELLING NOVELIST DAVID BALDACCI. BALDACCI IS THE AUTHOR OF THE IMMENSELY SUCCESSFUL NOVELS ABSOLUTE POWER, TOTAL CONTROL AND THE WINNER. MILLIONS OF COPIES OF HIS BOOKS HAVE BEEN SOLD.

                   LET ME ASSURE YOU, HOWEVER, THAT BALDACCI WAS NO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS. HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FINANCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS WERE THE RESULT OF HIS TOTAL COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING OF DEVOLING HIS TALENTS AS A  WRITER. LIKE ME, BALDACCI STARTED OUT AS A LAWYER. HE STARTED LAW SCHOOL IN 1983 AND DIDN'T GIVE ANY THOUGHT TO BECOMING A BEST-SELLING NOVELIST. HE SIMPLY ENJOYED WRITING.

                   YET, AT THE OUTSET, BALDACCI KNEW THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE THE NECCESSARY WRITING SKILLS, SO HE MADE A COMMITMENT, AS HE PUT IT, TO LEARN THE CRAFT OF WRITING. FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, HE DIDN'T FINISH ANY OF HIS PROJECT. EVERY DAY, HE JUST WORKED ON CHARACTERS, PLOT DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER WRITING BASICS. 

                  AT THE TIME, HE WAS A PRACTICING LAWYER, AND HE AND HIS WIFE HAD TWO YOUNG CHILDREN. WHEN DID HE FIND THE TIME TO DO THIS WRITING? BALDACCI WORKED ON HIS WRITING EVERT NIGHT FROM 10.00 PM UNTIL 2.00 AM. NOW, THAT'S A COMMITMENT TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT HE HAD FUN WRITING-IT WASN'T A CHORE. BY THE WAY, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU STAY UP ALL NIGHT TO PURSUE YOUR GOAL-THAT 10.00 PM TO 2.00 AM SHIFT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WORK FOR ME, AND IT MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU, EITHER!

                AFTER 10 YEARS OF WRITING, BALDACCI HAD COMPLETED SOME SHORT STORIES AND A FEW SCREENPLAYS, HIS TOTAL SALES: ZERO ALL THAT HE HAD TO SHOW FOR HIS EFFORTS WERE  A LOT OF REJECTION FROM EDITORS. 

               IN 1996, ALL OF BALDACCI'S EFFORTS PAID OFF...... BIG TIME! HE RECEIVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE LITERALLY AND MOVIE RIGHTS TO HIS BLOCBUSTER THRILLER ABSOLUTE POWER. THE START OF THE MOVIE WAS CLINT EASTWOOD. SUCH IS THE POWER OF A PERSON WHO IS COMMITTED.

POWER TO THE WORLD

                                        LOVE IS THE POWER TO THE WORLD

            THE FORCE OF LOVE HAS NO OPPOSITE. THERE IS NO OTHER POWER IN LIFE BUT LOVE. THERE ISN'T A FORCE OF NEGATIVITY. IN ANCIENT TIMES, NEGATIVITY WAS SOMETIMES DESCRIBED AS 'THE DEVIL' OR 'EVIL'. BEING TEMPTED BY EVIL OR THE DEVIL SIMPLY MEANT BEING TEMPTED TO FALL INTO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS, RATHER THAN STANDING FIRM IN THE POSITIVE FORCE OF LOVE. THERE IS NO FORCE OF NEGATIVITY. THERE IS ONLY ONE FORCE, AND THAT FORCE IS LOVE.

            ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS YOU SEE IN THE WORLD ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS MANIFESTATIONS OF A LACK OF LOVE. WHETHER THAT NEGATIVITY IS IN A PERSON, PLACE, CIRCUMSTANCE, OR EVENT, IT HAS ALWAYS COME FROM A LACK OF LOVE. THERE ISN'T A FORCE OF SADNESS; SADNESS IS A LACK OF HAPPINESS, AND ALL HAPPINESS COMES FROM LOVE.THERE ISN'T A FORCE OF FAILURE; FAILURE IS A LACK OF SUCCESS AND ALL SUCCESS COMES FROM LOVE. THERE ISN'T FORCE OF ILLNESS; ILLNESS IS A LACK OF HEALTH, AND ALL HEALTH COME FROM LOVE. THERE ISN'T A FORCE OF POVERTY; POVERTY IS A LACK OF ABUNDANCE, AND ALL ABUNDANCE COMES FORM LOVE. LOVE IS THE POSITIVE FORCE OF LIFE, AND ANY NEGATIVE CONDITION ALWAYS COMES FROM A LACK OF LOVE.

               WHEN PEOPLE REACH THE TIPPING POINT OF GIVING MORE LOVE THAN NEGATIVITY, WE WILL SEE NEGATIVITY VANISH FROM THE PLANET AT A RAPID RATE. IMAGINE IT! EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU CHOOSE TO GIVE LOVE, YOUR LOVE IS HELPING TO TIP THE ENTIRE WORLD INTO POSITIVITY! SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE TIPPING POINT NOW. WHETHER THEY'RE RIGHT OF NOT, MORE THAN EVER, NOW IS THE TIME TO GIVE LOVE AND POSITIVITY. DO IT FOR YOUR LIFE. DO IT FOR YOUR COUNTRY. DO IT FOR THE WORLD.

       " WHEN THE HEART IS SET RIGHT, THEN THE PERSONAL LIFE

         IS CULTIVATED. WHEN THE PERSONAL LIFE IS CULTIVATED,

         THEN THE HOME LIFE IS REGULATED. WHEN THE HOME LIFE

         IS REGULATED, THEN THE NATIONAL LIFEIS ORDERLYL;

         AND WHEN THE NATIONAL LIFE IS ORDERLY, THEN THE WORLD

         IS AT PEACE"

 

OPPORTUNITY

                                      SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY

             SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU ARE HANDLING MONEY TO MAKE THE MONEY MULTIPLY BY FEELING GOOD. FEEL LOVE WHEN YOU PAY FOR ANYTHING ! FEEL LOVE WHEN YOU HAND OVER MONEY! FEEL LOVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART BY IMAGINING HOW MUCH YOUR MONEY IS HELPING THE COMPANY AND THE STAFF WHO WORK FOR THE COMPANY. IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE MONEY YOU'RE GIVING INSTEAD OF FEELING BAD BECAUSE YOU HAVE LESS MONEY. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING PLENTY OF MONEY AND STRUGGLING WITH MONEY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

           HERE IS A GAME YOU CAN PLAY SO YOU REMEMBER TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT MONEY EACH TIME YOU HANDLE IT. IMAGINE A DOLLAR BILL. IMAGINE THE FRONT OF THE DOLLAR BILL AS THE POSITIVE SIDE, WHICH REPRESENTS PLENTY OF MONEY, IMAGINE THE BACK OF THE DOLLAR BILL AS THE NEGATIVE SIDE REPRESENTING  A LACK OF MONEY. EACH TIME FACING YOU. PUT BILLS IN YOUR WALLET WITH THE FRONT FACING YOU. WHEN YOU HAND OVER MONEY, MAKE SURE THE FRONT IS FACING UPWARD. BY DOING THIS YOU ARE USING MONEY AS YOUR CUE TO REMEMBER TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT PLENTY OF  MONEY  .

            IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE WEALTY RIGHT NOW. IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE MONEY YOU NEED RIGHT NOW. HOW WOULD YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE DIFFERENTLY? THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS YOU WOULD DO. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? YOU WOULD FEEL DIFFERENT AND BECAUSE YOU WOULD FEEL DIFFERENT, YOU WOULD WALK DEFFERENTLY. YOU WOULD TALK DIFFERENTLY. YOU WOULD HOLD YOUR BODY IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND YOU WOULD MOVE DIFFERENTLY, YOU WOULD BE DIFFERENT. YOUR REATION TO PEOPLE, CIRCUMSTANCES, EVENTS, AND EVERYTHING IN LIFE WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BECAUSE YOU WOULD FEEL DIFFERENT! YOU WOULD BE RELAXED. YOU WOULD BE EASYGOING ABOUT EVERYTHING. YOU WOULD ENJOY EVERY DAY, WITHOUT GIVING ANY THOUGHT TO TOMORROW. THAT'S THE FEELING YOU WANT TO CAPTURE. THAT IS THE FEELING OF LOVE FOR MONEY. AND THAT FEELING IS MAGNETICALLY STICKY!

          " CAPTURE THE FEELING ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR REALIZED

             WISH BY ASSUMING THE FEELING THAT WOULD BE YOURS

             WERE YOU ALREADY IN POSSESIONOF THE THING YOU DESIRE,

             AND YOUR WISH WILL OBJECTIFY ITSELF".

         

 

          

             

GREAT MULTIPLIER

                                     GRATITUDE THE GREAT MULTIPLIER

          WHEN YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE THNGS YOU HAVE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL THEY MAY BE, YOU WILL RECEIVE MORE OF THOSE THINGS. IF YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE MONEY YOU HAVE, HOWEVER LITTLE, YOU WILL RECEIVE MORE MONEY. IF YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR A RELATIONSHIP, EVEN IF IT'S NOT PERFECT, THE RELATIONSHIP WILL GET BETTER, IF YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE JOB THAT YOU HAVE, EVEN IF IT'S NOT YOUR DREAM JOB, YOU WILL RECEIVE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES IN YOUR WORK. BECAUSE GRATITUDE IS THE GREAT MUTIPLIER OF LIFE!

       " IF THE ONLY PRAYER YOU SAY IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE IS

          THANK YOU' -THAT IS ENOUGH"

         GRATITUDE BEGINNS WITH TWO SIMPLE WORDS-THANK YOU-BUT YOU HAVE TO FEEL GRATEFUL WITH ALL YOUR HEART. THE MORE YOU START TO SAY THANK YOU, THE MORE YOU WILL FEEL IT, AND THE MORE LOVE YOU WILL GIVE. THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO USE THE POWER OF GRATITUDE IN YOUR LIFE, AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS GIVING LOVE.

   1. BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN YOUR LIFE (PAST)

   2. BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE RECEIVING IN YOUR LIFE (PRESENT)    

   3. BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE, AS THOUGH YOU HAVE RECEIVED IT (FUTURE)

             IF YOU'RE NOT GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU'VE RECEIVED, AND WHAT YOU'RE RECEIVING YOU'RE NOT GIVING LOVE, AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGEANY OF YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN YOU GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT YOU'VE RECEIVED AND WHAT YOU'RE CONTINUING TO RECEIVE, IT MULTIPLIES THIOSE THINGS. AT THE SAME TIME, GRATITUDE BRINGS WHAT YOU WANT! BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE, AS THOUGH YOU HAVE RECEIVED IT, AND THE LAW OF ATTRACTION SAYS YOU MUST RECEIVE IT.

             " GRATITUDE FOR THE ABUNDANCE YOU HAVE RECEIVED IS

                THE BEST INSURANCE  THAT THE AUNDANCE WILL CONTINUE" 

       

DIFFERENCE

                                     WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

         "OUT OF CLUTTER, FIND SIMPLICITY. FROM DISCORD,

           FIND HARMONY. IN THE MIDDLE OF DIFFICULTY

           LIES OPPORTUNITY"

               IF YOUR MIND IS CONSUMED WITH TOO MANY DETAIL, THE LITTLE DETAILS WILL DISTRACT YOU AND PULL YOU DOWN. YOIU CAN'T BE SINGLE-MINDED ABOUT FEELING GOOD IF YOU'RE CHASING YOUR TAIL OVER SMALL DETAILS THAT DON'T MATTER. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF YOU GET YOUR CLOTHES INTO THE DRY CLEANERS BEFORE THEY CLOSE, REALLY? WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE TO YOUR LIFE IF YOUR SPORTS TEAM DIDN'T WIN THIS WEEK? THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT WEEK. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF THE GROCERY STORE HAS RUN OUT OF ORGANGES? WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF YOU HAVE TO STAND IN A LINE FOR A FEW MINUTES? IN THE WHOLE SCHEME OF THINGS, WHAT DIFFERENCE DO THOSE LITTLE THINGS MAKE?

           SMALL DETAILS DISTRACT YOU, AND THEY CAN SABOTAGE YOUR LIFE. IF YOU GIVE TOO MUCH IMPORTANCE TO UNNECESSARY DETAILS, YOU WILL NOT FEEL GOOD. NONE OF THOSE THINGS MATTERS IN THE SCHEME OF YOUR LIFE ! SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE. DO IT TO PROTECT YOUR GOOD FEELINGS. DO IT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET RID OF THE SMALL DETAILS, YOU CREATE SPACE FOR EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO POUR INTO YOUR LIFE.

POINTS

                                                           POINTS OF POWER

 

       * HOW YOU FEEL IN ANY ONE MOMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE HOW YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW IS CREATING YOUR LIFE.

       * YOUR FEELINGS ARE THE POWER OF THOUGHTS AND WORDS. IT'S WHAT YOU FEEL THAT MATTERS!.

       * ALL GOOD FEELINGS COME FROM LOVE!ALL NEGATIVE FEELINGS COME FROM A LOT OF LOVE.

      * EVERY GOOD FEELING UNITES YOU WITH THE FORCE OF LOVE, BECAUSE LOVE IS THE SOURCE OF AL GOOD FEELINGS.

      * AMPLIFY YOUR GOOD FEELINGS BY THINKING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS YOU LOVE. COUNT THE THINGS YOU LOVE NONSTOP ONE AFTER THE OTHER. KEEP LISTING EVERYTHING YOU LOVE UNTIL YOU FEEL AMAZING.

      * HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT EACH SUBJECT IN YOUR LIFE IS AN EXACT REFLECTION OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVING OUT AN EACH SUBJECT.

     * LIFE ISN'T HAPPENING TO YOU-LIFE IS RESPONDING TO YOU! EVERY SUBJECT OF YOUR LIFE IS YOUR CALL AND YOU MAKE THE CALL ON EVERYTHING IN LIFE BY WHAT YOU GIVE.

     * THERE ARE INFINITE LEVELS OF GOOD FEELINGS YOU CAN FEEL, WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO END TO THE HEIGHTS OF LIFE YOU CAN RECEIVE.

     * ALL THE THINGS YOU LOVE WANT YOU! DOLLARS WANT YOU. HEALTH WANTS YOU. HAPPINESS WANT YOU.

     * DON'T STRUGGLE TO CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR LIFE. GIVE LOVE THROUGH YOUR GOOD FEELINGS AND WHAT YOU WANT WILL APPEAR!

     * YOU HAVE TO GIVE GOOD FEELINGS FIRST. YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY FIRST, AND GIVE HAPPINESS, TO RECEIVE HAPPY THINGS! WHATEVER YOU WANT TO RECEIVE IN LIFE, YOU MUST GIVE FIRST!

    

MONEY

                                                      SAY YES TO MONEY

                REMEMBER, ANY TIME YOU HEAR OF ANOTHER PERSON RECEIVING MORE MONEY OR SUCCESS, GET EXCITED, BECAUSE IT MEANSYOU'RE ON THAT FREQUENCY, SO BE AS EXCITED AS IF IT WERE HAPPENING TO YOU, BECAUSE YOUR REACTION TO THE NEWS IS EVERYTHING. IF YOU REACT WITH JOY AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE OTHER PRESON, YOU ARE SAYING YES TO MORE MONEY AND SUCCESS FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU REACT BY FEELING DISAPPOINTED OR ENVIOUS THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING TO YOU, YOUR BAD FEELINGS ARE SAYING NO TO MORE MONEY AND SUCCESS FOR YOURSELF, IF YOU HEAR OF A PERSON WINNING THE LOTTERY, OR YOU HEAR OF A COMPANY MAKING RECORD PROFITS, BE EXCITED AND HAPPY FOR THEM. THE FACT THAT YOU HEARD THE NEWS TELLS YOU THAT YOU'RE ON THE SAME FREQUENCY, AND YOUR REACTION OF FEELING GOOD FEELINGS FOR THOSE PEOPLE SAYS YES FOR YOU!

             A FEW YEARS AGO, I REACHED AN ALL-TIME LOW WITH MONEY IN MY LIFE. I HAD SEVERAL CREDIT CARDS THAT I HAD CHARGED UP, MY APARTMENT WAS MORTGAGED TO THE LIMIT, AND MY COMPANY WAS IN DEBT FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLERS BECAUSE I WAS MAKING A FILM CALLED THE SECRET. I THINK MY SITUATION WITH MONEY WAS ABOUT AS BAD AS ANYBODY'S CAN GET. I WANTED MONEY TO FINISH THE FILM, I KNEW THE LAW OF ATTRACTION, AND I KNEW I HAD TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT MONEY TO BRING IT TO ME. BUT IT WASN'T EASY BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE DAY I WAS CONFRONTED BY THE MOUNTING DEBT, WITH PEOPLE CALLING FOR MONEY, AND HAD NO IDEA HOW I WOULD BE ABLE TO PAY MY STAFF'S WAGES. SO I TOOK DRASTIC ACTION.

           I WALKED TO AN ATM AND DREW OUT SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS FROM MY CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. I NEEDED THAT MONEY SO BADLY TO PAY BILLS AND BUY FOOD, BUT I TOOK THE MONEY IN MY HAND, WALKED DOWN A BUSY STREET, AND I GAVE THE MONEY AWAY TO PEOPLE ON THE STREET.

          I PUT A $50 BILL IN MY HAND, AND AS I WALKED, I LOOKED AT EACH PERSON'S FACE AS THEY WALKED TOWARD ME, TRYING TO DECIDE WHO TO GIVE THE MONEY TO. I WANTED TO GIVE MONEY TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON, BUT I ONLY HAD A CERTAIN AMOUNT. I LET MY HEART CHOOSE AND I GAVE THE MONEY AWAY TO ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I HAD FELT LOVE FOR MONEY. BUT IT WASN'T THE MONEY ITSELF THAT CAUSED ME TO FEEL LOVE, IT WAS GIVING THE MONEY TO PEOPLE THAT MADE ME FEEL LOVE FOR MONEY. IT WAS A FRIDAY, AND AFTERWARD I HAD TEARS OF JOY ALL WEEKEND ABOUT HOW GOOD IT FELT IN GIVE MONEY.

          ON MONDAY AFTERNOON SOMETHING ASTOUNDING HAPPENED; MY BANK ACCOUNT RECEIVED $25000 THROUGH THE MOST INCREDIBLE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. THAT $25000 LITERALLY FELL OUT OF THE SKY INTO MY LIFE AND INTO MY ACCOUNT. I HAD BOUGHT SOME SHARES IN A FRIEND'S COMPANY YEARS EARLIER, AND I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER INCREASED IN VALUE. BUT THAT MONDAY MORNING I RECEIVED  A PHONE CALL ASKING ME IF I WOULD SELL MY SHARES AS THEY HAD SKEROCKETED IN VALUE, AND BY MONDAY AFTERNOON THE MONEY FOR THE SHARES WAS IN MY ACCOUNT.

          I DIDN'T SET OUT TO GIVE MONEY AWAY TO BRING MORE MONEY TO ME. I GAVE IT AWAY SO I WOULD FEEL LOVE ABOUT MONEY. I WANTED TO CHANGE A LIFETIME OF FEELING BAD ABOUT MONEY. IF I HAD GIVEN AWAY THAT MONEY IN ORDER TO GET MONEY. IT WOULD NEVER HAVE WORKED, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE MEAN I WAS MOTIVATED BY FEELING A LACK OF MONEY, WHICH IS NEGATIVE ISTEAD OF BEING MOTIVATED BY LOVE. BUT IF YOU GIVE MONEY AWAY, AND IF YOU FEEL LOVE WHEN YOU GIVE IT, MOST SURELY IT WILL RETURN TO YOU. ONE MAN WROTE A CHECK DONATED $100 T A CHARITY HE FELT WAS REALLY WORTHWHILE. WITHIN TEN HOURS OF WRITING THE CHECK, HE CLOSED THE LARGEST SALE HE HAD EVER HAD IN HIS COMPANY.

               IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH MONEY, IN ORDER TO FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT MONEY, YOU CAN SEND THOUGHTS OF ABUNDANCE OF MONEY TO THE PEOPLE WHOME YOU PASS ON THE STREET DURING THE DAY. LOOK AT EACH OF THEIR FACES AND IMAGINE GIVING THEM PLENTY OF MONEY, AND IMAGINE THEIR JOY. FEEL IT, AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PERSON. IT'S SIMPLE THING TO DO, BUT IF YOU REALLY FEEL IT, IT WILL CHANGE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT MONEY, AND IT WILL CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO MONEY IN YOUR LIFE.