Terry Shadwell Happiness, Motivation and Success

The Write Stuff

2011-04-06T00:23:00.000-07:00

Just recently I sat down and started to write a short story and was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. Like the poems I write they are normally quick and easy to knock off. A simple easy vision that can translate onto paper very quickly. What surprised me was how much that I actually enjoyed it.

You I love to write, its one of my passions. I started at a young age and wrote nonstop. I wanted to write science fiction, and during my teen years I must have written easily over 50 stories. Of course they were very immature and childish, but I think deep down they had a good basis. Deep, deep down I mean.

The problem I had back then was I had no plans to my stories and I was trying to write novels. As you can probably guess the stories had no real structure and jumped about all over the place. I found the whole process to be tedious and boring after a while and I stopped. Plus I was growing up, meeting girls, working and moving on to a different phase of my life.

When I hit about 24 I started to get the urge to write again. This time I moved on to poems and have been doing that for the last 16 years. The short stories are virtually just an extension of the poem theme, but unlike when I was 14 I now have plans and structures for my work.

The funny thing was I didn’t get the idea of structure for my stories until I had some for my own life. I over the years that having goals and direction in life was important, and it applied perfectly to my writings. Thinking about what I want to write and plotting out the, well, plot was the best thing to do.

Once I know where I want to go, the story flows easier out easier and I can stay on track. I used get mental blocks before, or as I used to call it, writing myself into a corner. Now, however, it all comes so much easier and I can write for hours and walk away happy with the results.

The same can be said for my life in general. I know where I want to go and it is easier to get there, instead of wandering aimlessly through life. So if you haven’t already done so, start developing some plans for your life. Set your goals and start working towards them. You will be so much happier that you did.

One of my goals is to get people to read my poems and stories. I am working on a romance novel at the moment, but that has been developing for over 5 years and will take a lot longer yet before it see the light of day. Other stories, romance, horror, and of course the adventure of my Labrador Sebastian, will come a lot quicker.

As for the science fiction, I have an old Star Trek story I wrote a few years back, that with a little reworking and maturing, could make for an interesting read. We’ll just see how that goes for now.

Terrys Short Story Page

Terrys Poetry Page

Terry Shadwell Happiness, Motivation and Success

Terry Shadwell

And It's Goodnight From Him

2010-11-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

For nearly two years now I have been writing articles for the paper. In that time we have covered a lot of ground, mainly on motivation and change. The reason I have been focusing on these two in particular is because I see them both as fundamentally important in a person’s life. Change, and acceptance of change, is probably the most important area in life that people need to develop. So in saying that, things are about to change here.

This shall be my last column for the foreseeable future. There has been change in my life and it has taken me away from the ideas and concepts that I originally started with. The whole idea for the weekly articles was to build my profile and move into the professional speaking circuit as a motivator. However, the more I looked and listened to those already on the circuit, the less motivated I was to join them.

Most motivators have replanned speeches that the recite over and over again. The same story, the same anecdote constantly repeated and never anything new. They choose the topic for the occasion; choose their speeches and just recite away, and most of the time it’s just rubbish. They say one thing and then do another. I can’t do that.

So I have shifted my business into a new area and only time will tell if it will be successful. However, I do feel that what I am doing now is more true to who I am, and I can promote a product, not just myself. I am not interested in being famous; just want to run my own business. Fame brings to many problems and is annoying. Never under estimate the true beauty of anonymity.

Before I go I do want to run over a few points with you so that you can continue into your future with a great chance of success.

1. Always accept change

2. Treat others the way you would like to be treated

3. Set your goals and take action everyday to move towards them

4. Don’t let other stop you from achieving your dreams

5. Don’t let your fears stop you from achieving your dreams.

6. Be thoughtful, generous and kind

7. Be strong and have confidence

8. Be honest

9. Take time to relax and see the world

10. Be proactive, not reactive and live life to the fullest.

Thank you to all the people that have read the articles over the years. You feed back and comments have been greatly appreciated. I know at times I have been blunt, and even controversial in some of the things that I have said, but that is just life. And for all of those who came and complained, I have only two words to say to you and the second one is “off!”

Please take care, follow through on everything that you dream of and have a good life. I hope Christmas is good to you this year and that you have a wonderful and enjoyable time. Thank you to Sue Harvey at the Warren Weekly for allowing me to write this column. It has been fun, and I will miss it. However, I now need to write articles for other areas on my business, such as weight loss, travel tips and more. They will be more advertising articles designed to push people to my website, and I will most probably outsource that work to somebody else.

And so this is goodbye. But don’t cry for me Marge and Tina (thanks Graham, Bill and Tim), I will still be around, and more than happy to shoot the breeze or to motivate whenever you need. Just remember one important thing, SMILE, it’s not that bad.

Terry Shadwell.

Universal Knowledge

2010-10-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks I have been contemplating the very existence of the universe. I have been thinking endlessly about what is out their beyond the boundaries of the universe, if there are any boundaries at all. Nothing has any scientific basis, but it has all made my brain hurt.

I have conceived two theories. Theory one is that both time and space do go on forever and that is just too much for the average brain to handle. Theory two, which I like/hate more is that time and space, for the want of better word I will say loop back on itself. There is no foreverness and no “outside” of the universe. Funny thing about the second theory is that for as big as the universe may be, the thought of not having an outside to go to makes me feel rather claustrophobic.

However, regardless of how time and space do actually operate, the one thing I have been doing is learning. Thinking, contemplating and deducting are all skills needed for people to learn and to develop understanding. I may not be right about what I have been thinking, but I have learnt to open my mind up to new possibilities.

Being open minded is a key feature in being able to learn. People with closed minds are not interested in learning and ignore any new information that may affect them. People with open minds often seek more information and crave a deeper understanding of the world around them.

I do want to make a distinction about information and knowledge. Information is great, but knowledge is using information to achieve a desired outcome. Information isn’t power, knowledge is.

People that are knowledgeable have a great understanding and empathy of the world around them. They remain calm when events happen and plan what type of action would be best for a response. They don’t get emotional and just rush in without thinking.

To be knowledgeable you need to not only be willing to learn but listen to what is going on around you. You need to be able to take various sources of information and piece them together to get a better understanding of what is happening. This means watch the news, learn the theories and talk with people involved. Then you will have a bigger picture and be able to take more appropriate action.

It’s through this sort of thinking that we have the modern technology of the world today. Knowledgeable people share their ideas, work together and devise new theories, technology and create the marvels of science that we take for granted in our everyday living. They also come up with more ideas.

You need to know what is going on in the world. You need to let you mind expand and see the bigger picture. It will make you more tolerant, empathetic and happier.

Regardless of the size and shape of the universe in the long run, being happy is probably the most important thing of all. Whether or not we figure it all out is not important, happiness is, and good knowledge will definite make you happy.

Terry Shadwell

Top or Bottom; Your choice

2010-10-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

Once again the tabloid media of Australia does it again. They are running headline about how the rich people have money and the average person does not and that it is all wrong. They are promoting the fact that the people at the top of big businesses are earning millions and the poor old worker doesn’t even get a 10^th of that amount. It’s an absolute outrage and a national disgrace that the average worker doesn’t earn millions every week themselves.

The actual outrage and disgrace is that people that call themselves journalists can write such rubbish, and still have respect for themselves. I know why they do it; because headlines like that sell papers, even if it’s only half true. Omit certain facts and embellish others and call it news, and that is what every commercial news report is about. As they say “why let the truth stand in the way of a good story?”

Now I can understand why people get upset when other people make a $20 million a year when they only make $50, 000 but they do miss some main points. The people at the top of big business have a lot of responsibilities and a lot of peoples financial lives depend on them. They are on call 24/7 and if something major happens they have to be on the scene and deal with the situation.

The other major fact is that they have spent years working hard, long hours away from family and in stressful work situations to make it to the top to earn that money, why the average worker has stood about with their finger fair up their backsides whinging that they should have more money for doing only half the work, time, and effort of a CEO.

So here’s the point, Shut Up. Stop whinging and if you want the big money go and do what is required to get the big money. Go and get formal education, start at the ground floor, work 12-14 hour days, spend weekends working, manage the different personality traits of you employees, work your way up through the system and fight your way into a good position. Then, and only then, if you’re not earning good money for all the time and effort that you given to the business, you can have a whinge.

I don’t know who ever told you life was meant to be fair, but I know two things, they were stupid, and they were wrong. Things like fairness and equality are silly rules played out in school class rooms around the world. The real world is about everybody for themselves and the one that works the hardest and smartest is the one that comes out on top, and if you’re not that person, then go suck eggs.

If you want money, then get of your backside and go and get it. It will not come to you and no one is going to work hard to make you money. This is the choice you have to make so for god’s sake make it, decide to work hard and have what you want, or stay where you are and be quite.

I will also tell you this, you cannot be lazy and rich. Even lottery winners that a lazy soon lose it all and have to go back to work. So what do you want to be? Rich, or lazy? They are your only choices.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. All articles can be found at my blog http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/

Are you Living a Life or a Lie?

2010-10-10T22:49:00.001-07:00

Very soon we will be heading into my favourite time of year, Summer. There is a lot I like about the summer months. Long days, BBQ’s, swimming, holidays, and of course the big birthday event in December each year, Mine. However, this year there is wee bit of work to do before I can embrace summer head on.

The winter months this year have been, shall we say, fattening. I managed to find a few extra pounds of cuddliness this winter and it’s not good. My clothes are too tight and I look awful, especially in my purple G-string (try getting that image out of your brain!).

I would like to say that all my extra pounds came because I wasn’t able to keep up my running after my knee went out. I’d also like to say that my shoulder went out again and I wasn’t able t do my weights. I also like to point out that I also pulled my calf muscle. I’d like to inform you that they were all the problems that led to my weight gain.

Oh God would I like to be able to tell you that were all true.

I suppose I can, as it all happened, but they were not to causes of my wobbly new body. The main factors were laziness and eating too much rubbish. If I wanted I could have still found ways to stay active, but a warm fire, a cosy lounge and chocolate were just too inviting on a cold dark winters night.

However, the weight is not the problem. I can lose it and lose it quickly, now that most of the body is better again. The real problem was admitting in the first place that I was overweight and that it was my fault and I was not a victim of circumstance.

To many people blame other things for their problems or worse, never admit that they have a problem in the first place. They live a lie and unfortunately some of people prefer the lie to real life. Living the lie and blaming anything and everything else for your problems is easier than having to admit that you failed and you will now have to work to make things better.

Let me ask you a few questions. Are you living a life you can be proud of? Are you the person that you hoped that you would one day become? Are you taking responsibility for you actions? Are you living a life or living a lie?

Look at yourself and see if you are the person that you want to be. Look at you physical appearance, and your manners, attitudes and outlook on life. If what you see doesn’t match what you always wanted then you need to take action an change your life.

I am not the man I want to be at the moment but am willing to admit to it and take action to be better in a lot of different ways. I have visions of what I want. A body like Superman, they brains of Stephen Hawkins and the love of Jews like Mel Gibson. Ok, not the last then.

Take action and start to live the life you wanted. Stop making excuses or blaming others and admit that if you want to be successful, then you have to make yourself successful.

Into The Great Unknown

2010-09-20T02:14:00.001-07:00

We had a garage sale last week and we sold off a lot of our old furniture. While I was happy to see it go, there was a little bit of sadness as well. Some of the stuff that went I had grown up will. I still have memories of these pieces going back 30 years. Now I would be living a life without them, and while it is only furniture, it still feels a little odd. However, while the past has that warm, safe comforting feel attached to it, it’s not good enough to stop me from embracing the future.

You see, life is about change and bringing new people, items, and events into your life. It would be a dull old world if nothing ever changed. Let me give you an example. I love music, and the music I grew up with through the 80’s is some of my favourite. Yet if that was the only music I ever listened to it would become very boring. New music is always great. I may not like all of it, but I never liked all the stuff from the 80’s either.

I know it can be hard sometimes to embrace change, even if we have been waiting for it for a long time. No matter how bright a future may seem it can be very scary. Letting go of everything we have ever known, and walking into the unknown takes a lot of courage. However that should not be a reason to deny your future.

After the fall of communism in the former USSR, many people were lost and disillusioned with the idea of capitalism. In fact many people wanted to have communism reinstated. Why would anybody want to go back to a dictatorship? Because it was all they ever knew. They had been spoon fed for decades by the government that they didn’t know how to think and fend for themselves. They had been supplied with food, shelter, water and even ideas that the sudden appearance of what we call freedom was terrifying. They didn’t like communism, they just felt safer with what they knew.

So let’s stop fearing the future. It’s a complete and utter waste time. It’s about as useful as being scared of the dark. What will happen will happen, however, you can take some steps to make your future the way you want. Set goals, and start working towards them. Plan your moves and take action. Things will sometimes go astray, but it’s how you respond to them that will make the difference. The future is yours for the taking, you just have to be willing to reach out and grab it.

The past is always worth holding on to, but it must not stop you from having a future. Let go of your fears and let your heart, mind and soul soar with the endless possibilities that await you. Spend each day trying to make it better than the last and have a life that is worth living.

Terry Shadwell

2010-09-05T23:05:00.001-07:00

“True happiness does not come from money.” I don’t know how many times I have heard people say this, especially from all the millionaires and billionaires. These so called guru’s who tell us that true happiness is found within, and not through the private jets, luxury boats, exotic mansions and other extremely expensive worldly goods, and goodies, that they have. They swan around the world, being paid millions by us, so that they can tell us that money is not the be all and end all of happiness.

In fact I have heard quite a few of these experts say “I’d give it all up to have true happiness.” Well I guess that none of them have ever found true happiness because none of them have ever given up any money.

Well I will tell you to day that they are wrong and money does lead to happiness. I won’t tell you that you need millions, or even billion of dollars, but you need enough to make yourself comfortable. You need to have money in order to survive in our society.

You see this world works on money and without it you can do very little, including buying food, shelter and clothing. Go tell a starving person that can’t afford food that they should be happy because they have no money, but just give a warning so that I can call the ambulance first. True happiness does come from within, but it can very hard to search for that happiness when you a to busy searching for food to keep you alive and clothes to keep you warm.

How about love and money? Sure The Beatles tell us “money can’t buy me love”, but it can buy you a divorce. A lot of marriages break down due to money, or more accurately, the lack of money. Fighting to pay bills, not being able to buy new items or to have a holiday puts a lot of stress on relationships, and slowly they break down. Love, the one true happiness that people want, is destroyed because of no money.

If having money can stop someone from being hungry and help a relationship from imploding does that not suggest that money can make people happy? What about the fact that people can go and do what they want, have what they want, and be who they want, because money will allow them to do so? Is that not money bringing happiness to a person’s life?

Let’s stop kidding ourselves. Money does buy happiness, but it will not buy total happiness. Money will help you get to the things and to the places that can make you happier. However, when you get there you need to happy within, or all the tangible goods, holiday destinations and people around you will not make you happy at all.

Don’t be greedy either or allow yourself to be consumed for money. That will not make you happy. In fact greed and obsession are probably the fastest way to making yourself unhappy. My advice, work, save, invest, and enjoy the life your money will allow you to have.

And stop paying people money to tell you that you don’t need money to be happy.

Terry Shadwell

(This should be) The End of the World as We Know It.

2010-08-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

This week I am going to play doomsayer. We face, in the next few years, the worst financial crisis that we will ever see. The governments have very little room to move to save the economy and maybe they should just let it collapse, but there can, and most likely, will be problems

.In a depressed economy people lose faith in governments and seek out people, normally a dictator, to give them leadership. The blame for the problems gets shifted from the real causes to a minority group, and the dictator informs a gullible and desperate population that the only way to get out of the mess is to steal resources from another country. In other words, War. However, that is what has happened in the past; it does not need to happen again.

If we do enter into another depression, we as a world need to see it as a time for change. Now I’m not going to promote an altruistic future, and the whole world living in peace, equity and total harmony. What I am saying is that we need to take steps to ensure that we make a world where we can ensure that the greed of men and women do not out weight the needs of ordinary people or the environment.

People have a right to be rich, and our economy works that way, and it will always work that way, but it can be better. Companies are making outrages fortunes at the expense of ordinary people and the environment. I know and believe that companies need to make profits so that they can employ people and keep the economy going. However, the excessive fortunes are disappearing into only a few pockets and the environment in which we need to survive is being raped and ruined.

Currently we live in a world with fantastic technology, and while it can be used to help companies make a profit, it can also be utilised to improve the environment, not to destroy it. We should be using our technology to reduce the damage while still extracting everything we need. In fact any smart business would realise that there is a fortune to make in protecting animals and the environment.

A smart business person would understand that we need this world, this island Earth ,to survive. If we destroy it we destroy ourselves. We have limited resources, and businesses should not be abusing them just to line their own pockets.

Let me make one thing clear, I have no problem with greed. Greed make us ambitious, and it has led to many great inventions. Without ambition and a touch of greed we would still be sitting in caves, wondering what the twinkling things in the night sky are. Greed and ambition have brought around innovation. However, our ambition and greed needs to be tempered with what is right for everybody and the planet.

So now we have a chance between boom or ka-boom, and unfortunately we are very close to both. At the moment many countries are on the verge of bankruptcy. People in countries around the world are losing faith with their governments, as seen here in Australia and England with hung parliaments. Throughout the world we are starting to find a minority group, the Muslims (minority in most western countries that is) to pick on for our problems. Most Europeans countries are already starting to Ban the Burka. All we are waiting on now is a dictator to lead us around by the nose.

But It doesn’t have to be this way. Stop investing into the old ways of the economy and let’s start focusing our economy into making this world better, not just for ourselves, but for our environment as well.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. I am not a greenie in any sense. I believe in farming, logging and the mining of raw materials and I know most are looking already for more ecological ways to continue their practices. We just need to continue and to put more money into constant improvement.

A Motivated Learner

2010-08-22T22:46:00.001-07:00

Once again I wish to take you on a trip into my twisted and warped mind of mine. Let’s start our journey at the freakle cortex just behind the oddball lobe. It is here that my mind splits from normality and wanders (or cartwheels) into the abyss of stupidity, which I call home. How can I prove all this that’s easy? I spent all weekend working, and I loved it.

Over the weekend I worked on my business. That meant spending all day Saturday and Sunday sitting in front of a computer working. While I do not love the sitting in front of a computer part, I did enjoy what I was doing.

I was working on my twitter accounts, namely the dogs twitter account. I had just bought a brand new course that showed me how to improve what I was doing. What was great about it was that it said what I was already doing was right, but there we’re better ways of doing it.

But I digress. You see it wasn’t the work so much that I loved but the opportunity to learn. I enjoy learning, especially when it’s made interesting. The funny thing is I have found most people enjoy learning, regardless of how hard a subject matter is, if they are interested in that subject and it is presented in an engaging manner.

You see, I think that learning is the most important thing a person can do, whether it is a formal education, or on the job learning. Now I will argue that a formal education is not for everybody. In fact some of the most of the wealthiest people in the world never finished school. However, they all say that just because school was not for them, learning was still important.

Most of the wealthiest people may not have graduated from school, but they all have degrees from the University of Hard Knocks. They decided what they liked and they went and learnt about it. It took years, a lot of tries, a lot of failures, and a lot and lot of learning, but now they can do and control their world.

Most successful people will always tell you that the key to their success was learning from their mistakes and never repeating them. That’s great, but what you also need to do is learn from your triumphs and repeat them. Success and failure can both be a great teacher.

So you need to be learning. If you are like me and you need to retrain from one job to another, then you will need a formal education. I went from being a Fitter and Machinist to a Business/Legal Studies teacher, with a formal education. It took a few years but it was fun and a learnt a lot of great stuff.

I also run my own internet marketing business. All of that I have learnt through both trial and error, and from courses set up by people already working in the same industry. Again, most of them are fun and exciting and I am learning a lot of invaluable information.

Whichever way you choose to learn is up to you, but go out and learn something new, even if it’s another documentary from Sir David Attenborough. The more you know the better you will be in life. And who knows, you may even want to work over your weekend learning something new, just like me.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. if you want to have a look at what I did over the weekend, visit http://bassysblog.blogspot.com, or look for goodboybassy on twitter (this is where most of the work was done), or Bassy Shadwell on Facebook.

I am confident, don't you agree?

2010-08-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

I am confident. Don’t you agree?

I loved that new movie, didn’t you? I think that person is great, what do you think? We hear these statements from people all the time. They come from people that are not confident about their own opinion, and are worried that if they like something others don’t then they will be shunned.

Unfortunately theses statements do not stop with what others think, but go to a level where people are always questioning their own abilities. “I don’t think I can handle that job. I probably wouldn’t be able to beat him in a race. I’m just not cut out for that kind of life.”

This is a severe lack of confidence and it comes about from two main reasons. The ability to think, or over think, and the constant berating of people that have more confidence than us.

The ability to think or to reason is a great thing. With reason we can make arguments against pollution and whale hunting (sorry, Japanese experimental research), but we can also reason why we shouldn’t believe in ourselves.

Now this can be good at times as I can happily reason that I cannot jump out of a plane without a parachute and live. Reason can stop us from doing stupid things (Japanese experimental research), but it can also destroy our confidence. We can easily argue with ourselves that we are not good enough to do something, or be with someone, or to go somewhere.

When we over analyse a situation we will find all the problems with it and blow everything out of proportion. We only see the problems and nothing else and then start making reasons as to why we can’t do something. This is sad when the issues that we face should be the things that drive us towards something, not away.

Every issue is an opportunity to fix something, or to make it work, or to win somebody over. They are not issues, they are challenges. Change your attitude and how you look at problem, and you will instantly feel more confident. Break every problem down. And instead of saying “I don’t think I can”, start saying, “if I take small steps and learn more about it, then I know I can.”

Remember a lion doesn’t over analyse anything. It doesn’t need moral support from its pride. It knows it’s the best and fastest, and it acts like it.

The second issue on confidence is that most people like to knock those around them that are more confident then themselves. I wrote once that “arrogance is the confidence that other people lack”. In some ways I still believe it. People that lack confidence tend to believe that those that are able to believe in themselves, make decisions and take action without the need to seek approval from other around them are arrogant. “They just think they are so good because they don’t need our self limiting and soul destroying opinion.”

However, you can be this way. By breaking a problem down it becomes easier to manage and easier to make a decision about and take action on. Confident people aren’t arrogant; they just learnt how to tackle problems one step at a time. They also have faith in their ability to do things. Plus they stopped seeking out and listening to others that put them down. In fact they have surrounded themselves with people that build them up.

This can be you. Change how you look at problems and make them a challenge instead. Break the challenge down to its smallest level, make a decision and take action. Have faith in your abilities. Stop listening to people that put you down and surround yourself with people that will help you and build you up.

You have the ability to do this. And before long you will be feeling confident and able to achieve whatever you put your mind to.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. Don’t forget from my main site http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/ you can find links to all my pages on cricket, league, AFL, soccer and much, much more

Animal Crackers

2010-08-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

I woke the other day thinking about a friend that I had not seen in many years. Within half an hour, without me doing anything, she contacted me to become a friend on Facebook. Just a coincidence? Maybe. But what about the other day when I was thinking about a movie that I haven’t seen for a few years, only to have it on the TV just a couple of days later? And what about 327 always coming up in my life? Is the power of though strong enough to make something happen? You think someone would look into all of this. Well guess what, they have.

In 1997 a scientists at the University of Geneva divided photons (light particles) and, using a fibre optic cable, sent the pairs of light particles over 12 km’s apart. Reaching the end of these fibres’, the two photons we forced to randomly choose between alternate pathways. Uncannily, in every case the choice of any one photon mirrored its partner, even though there was no physical way for each photon to communicate with each other.

What this experiment suggests is that at a subatomic level there is a connection between everything in the universe. In laymen’s terms, it means that you have a connection that you don’t understand with the world around you.

It is interesting to note that even though we do not understand this connection, we have in some way always known that it existed. We have all had coincidences where we thought about someone you haven’t seen for a while and then you run into them, or they ring you. You think about a song, and then you hear it over and over for the next three days.

Is it just coincidence, or have we all managed to tap into this connection somehow? Now some people have a name for this connection already, they call it God, and maybe the scientists have just proven that he/she really does exist. Or maybe it just is some type of mysterious force. All we do know is that it exists.

And it is at this point that we can use it to our own advantage.

Start thinking positive thoughts about whatever it is that you want. It may not just magically appear, but you will see results. The connections that we have will come alive and you will start moving towards your dreams and your dreams towards you.

The problem is that I believe that negative thoughts can outgun positive thoughts. So get rid of them. Remember, the connections work on what we think, so negative thoughts will only bring negative results.

And never think bad thoughts about another person, or try to wish upon them bad luck. You get back what you put out. If you wish pain and suffering upon someone, it will come back to you. Just wish them out of your life and that they have a great life away from you. You’re putting out positive thoughts and it will come back to you.

So be positive about what you want. You also need to be realistic, but have faith in your abilities, be positive and above all else, smile.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. Congratulations to those who have guessed where the titles for the articles were coming from. They are all Marx Brothers Films. So were A Day at the Races and A Night at the Opera, which Queen also used for two of their albums.

P.P.S. Please also remember the poetry is up at http://terryspoetrypage.blogspot.com/

Duck Soup

2010-08-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

The first thing I want to say this week is congratulations to the Years 12 Art students at Warren Central School for their art work. It was outstanding and showed a lot of imagination and skill. In fact I am envious of such creative talent. However, I must admit that the meanings of the work had to be pointed out to me. That’s not because they were hard to understand, it just that I don’t understand art. However, just because I don’t get it doesn’t mean I can like it and I can still see the quality and effort in all of the work.

The art work started me thinking about how people express themselves. Some people express themselves through art; others do it through sculpture, writing, singing, music, landscaping, gardening, poetry or a plethora of other means. It really doesn’t matter how people express themselves, just as long as they do.

As most would know, from a couple of weeks ago, I write poetry. It allows me to express a whole range of emotions. It’s very relaxing and I really enjoy the experience. I also like writing in general. In fact I am prolific a writer. Aside from these article, which I thoroughly enjoy writing, I write articles for Internet Marketing, self help guides, business guides, and short stories. All of it allows me to express myself about things that I believe is important.

The other way that I express myself is through music. I can’t write or read music unfortunately, but I can play it. I love being a drummer. Ah yes I am a little drummer boy, well not little. I love singing as well. Plus I love to dance. Yes that’s right everybody a man that is not afraid to dance. I believe that music is, in my world at the very least, the true expression of the soul.

Glen A. Baker once stated that he would rather be in front seat of the car listening to the radio than in back seat with the girl. Well move over Glen, I’m in the front with you and turn it up, all the way to 11.

The important thing to remember, whether you do art, music, poetry or whatever, is that your work is your expression. It’s beneficial for you, and you do not need to have it validated by anyone else. Just because someone doesn’t understand or like what you are doing, doesn’t matter. As long as you are happy, then keep going and allow yourself to be as creative as possible.

So this week, let the inside out. Be creative, paint, sing, dance, write, sculpt, or anything you want, but be true to yourself. Go wild. But please, do not let other stop you, and do not let the fear of what others think curtail your activities. If you don’t want to show people, then that’s fine, but create anyway. Express your heart, your mind and your soul.

I have my poetry page up now http://terryspoetrypage.blogspot.com and slowly it is being filled up.

Remember, we are all artist is some way. We are all creative. We may not all be Rembrandts or Picassos, but that is not important. Let yourself shine and be happy.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. I hope that the title today will help you figure out where they are coming from. I’ll give you a hint, Zeppo was one Karl wasn’t.

Horse Feathers

2010-07-25T22:58:00.001-07:00

Here’s a though for you. Do you believe that being selfish can actually be the most generous thing you can do? I know that sounds almost like an oxy-moron but it is true. Let me explain.

Most people think that the best thing that they can do is help other people. Some even push themselves to the limit in order to see that others are safe or doing well. The problem is some people burn out from all the effort they put in, or even worse, they die.

Why we can be grateful for all the effort that they have undertaken, the issue is that they can never do it again. It’s like money. People who win lottery are swamped by charities of all sorts asking for money. In most cases lottery winners are pestered nonstop to hand over the cash, and a lot of places will not take no for an answer. They just want the money and will take all of it if they can.

While charities are good, the collection arms of these areas are vicious. The problem arises is that the person who has the money gives it all away believing that they are doing the right thing. They are being selfless, and they feel good. But what happens when the money is gone? They can no longer give, and in fact they end up needing the support of the charities that they just gave their money too.

The better thing do to is to be selfish and don’t give away any of your winning. You hold on to the lot and invest it. Then you allocate a portion of the interest earn from the initial winnings. This way you can give to more over a great period of time. That is more generous. By holding on to the money, you look after yourself and you can help others.

This is what people that burn themselves out forget. They are so focused on helping others that they don not time to care for themselves. They don’t take time to relax or look after their own health. The burn our or die and the great work that they were doing is lost. Yet if they just looked after themselves they could have continued for years to come doing what they love and helping many more people.

So this week I want you to take care of yourself. Take time to relax and be selfish. You are allowed to do that. You will not go to Hell because you took a day off to pamper yourself. Indulge in the things that you like and don’t feel guilty about it. The world will still be here tomorrow and they problems of today will not disappear. And because you have been selfish you can now be generous for a lot longer.

You cannot help or save everybody, and trying to do so will not help or save you. Look after yourself and be a little bit selfish. I think the best way to conclude this article is to take a line from Super Tramp, “Give, give a little bit.... ”

Terry Shadwell

P.S. As for the title, there is a method to the madness.

Happiness

2010-07-18T23:09:00.001-07:00

I was working at home the other day on my internet business, and something struck me. This is really boring. No, not boring, mind numbingly boring. Sitting in front of a computer mucking around with web sites was putting me to sleep.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not attacking IM in any way. It’s a great way to make a few extra dollars, or to run a full time business. It just that it doesn’t excite me. The idea if sitting there, alone, starring at a computer screen is very dull. There is no social interaction at all. Boring and lonely.

What happened to Terry Shadwell Rock Star, Terry Shadwell Movie Actor, Terry Shadwell Astronaut, Terry Shadwell Pole Dancer? How did I end up Terry Shadwell Teacher and Internet Marketer? I planned on a glamorous life filled with all the lavishes of the world. I expected to be loved by millions. Teaching is not glamorous, popular, or sexy. Well not as sexy as a rocking pole dancing actor in space.

I planned, ok dreamt, of a life far more exciting than teaching children through the day, and starring at a computer at night. Yet this is where I am at. This is my daily life. This is not what I wished for.

Ok maybe my life has not worked out the way that I had wished for, but it doesn’t matter. You see, I am happy with my life. In fact I think I have a great life. I know my life is not for everybody, but that doesn’t matter, it is good for me. The most important thing is I am happy and that is more important than money and fame. I just wish more people could be happy in their own lives.

Happiness is not at the end of the rainbow. It’s not something that is being hidden from you either. It is right here, right now, if you want it to be. I say all the time, smile, it will make you feel good, and it’s true. Just smile and feel good. Start feeling good and look at your life from a positive light, instead of seeing only the negatives. It is a choice.

If you look at your life, you will see it is not the money or physical objects that make you happy, but the people you share your life with. Getting together with friends, family and acting silly, that is happiness. Playing with your kids and watching them grow up to be great people, that is true happiness. None of that is based on money. It comes from just being yourself and enjoying what you have.

And you know what the funny thing is? I may find sitting in front of the computer all by myself to be boring, but I still enjoy it. It will never make me rich, and that’s fine. As I said not everything has to be about the money. So enjoy life, do what makes you happy and be pleased with what you have.

Terry Shadwell

My Passion, Poetry

2010-07-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would change things this week. Instead of an article I offer you a poem instead. You see, poetry gets me inspired.

Desert Highway

I can see the bright lights of home from here.

I always did like this ridge,

Standing on the road that winds down into the town

And on to the endless horizons to the west.

Has it has been so long since I have been here?

I used to stand up here for hours and dream of the possibilities over that far horizon.

You and I would stand here and talk of what we would do.

Locked in each other’s arms,

We dreamed how we would get out,

How we would escape from this town

And leave the inhibited inhabitants behind.

We would argue over were we would go.

Fought over what adventures we would face

And laughed at the fun we knew we would have,

Together.

But as the years passed and we grew,

We also grew apart,

And in the end you went your way

And I left,

Carrying only half a heart

And broken dreams.

Now, after all these years, I am back,

I have returned from the great adventure

And the wild hunt that the world has to offer.

I know that you are still here.

I know you never left,

Never fulfilled your greatest desires.

But still,

I want to see you,

To catch up,

To see who you have become,

To find out if you are happy,

To look into your eyes again.

I have missed you,

But after what we had, that is to be expected,

And standing here doesn’t help.

Looking down on to the lights I have forgotten how small this town was,

Then again, a broad mind and horizon tends to put things into perspective.

I have stood in cities that roared with passion twenty-four hours a day,

Sailed oceans whipped with fury

And cried at the view at the top of the world.

I have seen more in my life than most men will ever forget

And though I did it alone,

I have had all the adventures we ever talked about.

Though sometimes in the dark,

When the adventure grew too much

And world grew so large it would threaten to crush me,

I would think of you,

And pretend that you were here with me

Pretend that your arms were once again around me

And prayed that one day you would find your way to me.

But I must admit,

Though I missed you, I did not miss this town,

And I was a fool to come back.

My life isn’t here,

It never was,

And I know that if walk I back in now I will never get out again.

So I will go.

Probably better not to disturb the peace.

I just hope that one day you manage to find your way from under the restrictive blanket that still covers this town.

When you do,

Look for me,

I’ll be the lonely guy standing at the top of the world.

How to create Passion in Your Life

2010-07-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks we have been looking at passion, what it is, love and hate, and what kills our passion. Well today we will look at how to create passion in our lives. Why? Because those people that love with passion have a far more enjoyable and fulfilling life than those that do not.

The first step to being able to live with passion is to acknowledge your feelings. You need to allow yourself to actually feel and get emotional over what happens in your life, not just close yourself of to everything. That does not mean you need to live with your heart on your sleeve or become angry over the smallest things. It means that you are allowed to laugh at what you find funny, cry at the sad moments of a film, tell those around you that you love and miss them, and take a stand on issues that you believe need to be dealt with.

Another way to create passion back into your life is to let go of the false facade that you have created about yourself in your life. Stop pretending to be to highly sophisticate person and allow that inner child to shine through. You can’t live with passion when you are not being yourself. If you need to hold back and be someone you’re not, then you’re not enjoying what is going on around you. The funny thing is your friends and family will not stop loving you if you are just being yourself.

What people do not understand about passion is that it cannot be faked. Some people like to over react to various things hopping that people think that they are passionate and really care about an issue. You see them get angry and scream and yell, yet you can tell that they are only doing it to make themselves look good. The same can be said about people that go on TV and jump up and down on the host lounge, hopping that people will believe that they are in love. What these people don’t realise is that their over acting only highlights that the only thing that they are passionate about is themselves and self centeredness is never good for anybody.

True passion comes into your life you are just being yourself. Go and do what it is in life that you want to do. Don’t let the fringe dwellers and the want to be’s judge you. They are ones that will drain you of your passion. Why? Because they are afraid that you will have a better and more enjoyable life than they are. So get rid of these people and if they try to stop you or hold you back, then use that as a reason to go and do it anyway.

So be yourself, surround yourself with true friends and allow your emotions to shine through. Then you will see that passion will come back into your life. You will be living a far more enjoyable life and you may even be able to help others have a better life as well.

Terry Shadwell

What Kills our Passion?

2010-06-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

I have a friend, really I do, that has one of the most uninspiring, soul drain, passion killing habits that I have ever seen. This friend packs his lunch everyday. No, that’s not the U.S.D.P.K part of it all. He packs his lunch on a Sunday night for the week, and every sandwich is the same. He has Devon (yuck) with tomato sauce. Every. Single. Day.

Oh my God. I mean, I hate Devon, especially the old party favourite of Devon wrapped around cold mashed potato (oh yes that was the FANCY treat of the 70’s). But that’s not the main point either. It’s the fact that his lunch is so, well, boooooorrrrrring.

I hate to see he is what he is like in the rest of his life. What’s he day like? What’s his entertainment like. What’s he like in bed? Well maybe I don’t want to know that last one. I just don’t understand how anybody can be like that. How can anybody be so repetitive? How can anybody be so repetitive?

You see, it’s the boring, mundane, repetitive stuff in life that kills out passion. How can we be expected to love, or hate, if we are just bored with the world? We see the same people every day, we do the same things, we eat the same food, and we just get dull.

You think about when you first meet somebody new that you like, really like. You feel alive, your heart races, you want to be with them, do new thing together and go new place. It’s great. That new love gets you living again.

But after a couple of years, you get tired of the same old jokes, the snoring, the picking of the nose, the butt scratching and all the bad habits. Work, debts and the demands of the kids stops you from being inventive. You fall into a routine, and before you know it Romeo is gone and all that is left is Homer Simpson.

Life gets so dull that while you stop putting out the love, you can’t even care about the injustices of the world anymore either. Who cares if Kev and Jules’s have a fight and someone stabbed someone in the back. You don’t care about the Gulf and the sick birdies; you just want to know that you can still fill your car up liquefied dinosaurs.

The only thing that you have left with passion is a small seedy fruit that goes well on ice-cream. And the major problem for most people is that they don’t even know that this has happened to their lives. They are so uninterested in what is going on in their lives; they can’t even tell that they are drowning in dreariness.

Think about this. When was the last time you went on holidays and got away from the routine? When was the last time you went out to dinner somewhere different? When was the last time you went to a party and you all through your keys into a bowl? Went was the last time you did something new. And by new I don’t mean swapping Devon for Empire Meat.

Break of the shackles of the routine. Throw of the chains of boredom. Pick out a new set of keys. But for heaven’s sake, do something different. Take a chance, do a dance or find a new romance. But be different.

You will be happier, and you will be living a better life.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. My keys have a pink bunny on them.

What Makes Us Passionate.

2010-06-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

Last week we started looking at passion and how important it is to live with passion. I also asked you to do something different in your life. I hope that you are doing so. I hope you are taking chances and starting to enjoy yourself again. If not, that’s ok, for today we will look at what makes people passionate.

Passion is an intense emotion. It drives us, and compels us to take action for or against certain things that are happening around us. Passion makes us walk through the rain to her door. It makes us trek through the jungle to stop the machines. It makes us feel happy or angry, but it does make us feel alive.

Love

Love can make you do anything. We’ve walked on air. And we have all cried ourselves to sleep. Love brings out all of emotions and can leave us feeling venerable. Yet we will move heaven and earth to ensure that we have it, and do not lose it.

However, love alone will not make us do everything. The passion comes when people start to realise that they cannot live without whatever, or whoever, it is that they love. It’s not just love, not just a want, but a need.

Their love has become an addiction. You breathe her name and you live for her touch. You’ve watched him sleep from the day you brought him home to now. After 65 years you think as one and can’t operate when they’re not there. There is no alternative, you have to be together. That’s not just love, that’s pure passion.

Hate

This is a powerful emotion, and at sometime we all experience it through our lives. Hate isn’t just dislike or anger, it is a complete revolution to an injustice that has been committed. The death of Orang-utans for money, the needless death of millions through starvation, or the needs of one be neglected by an uncaring society.

Blood boils, and the ability to stay silent, or to sit still disappears. Again like love, you have to act. You can feel yourself ready to explode. It has to stop. Now, no matter how, it just has to stop! You will not let another tear be shed, or a beautiful creature to die, just so someone else can line their pockets.

Or not

Regardless of whether it is love or hate, you feel emotions flowing through. They are strong and overpowering, and when they flow, we must obey them. We lose rational thought and act.

But it’s not always that way. Sometimes we don’t feel passionate about anything. We love and care for them, but we don’t live for them. Or we get angry but we feel unable to do anything. Plus, it’s too hard.

We lose passion and adopt apathy. It’s easier. Orang-utans can be seen in zoos, and we’ve been together for 15 years she doesn’t want romance anymore.

You have to make a choice. You can choose to live with passion, or go on with an apathetic, of just plan pathetic, live style. I advocate change.

Your home work last week was to do something different from your norm to try and get you to live again. I hope you all followed through. This week I am going to up the ante. First you will have to do something different again. Not the same different as last week, but something completely different. Second I want you to for something going on around you that you either love and want to support, or hate and want to change. Find out as much as you can, because soon I will ask you to take action on it.

Terry Shadwell

P.S For those who sent their pictures in thank you. I’ll get them up on the blog a.s.a.p. If you still want to send your photos in then I will get them up as well. There is no time limit for photos either.

My address is:

Terry Shadwell

PO Box 327

Warren

NSW 2824

Australia

Or you can send them to i-b-s@dodo.com.au

My Days are Numbered

2010-05-30T23:47:00.001-07:00

Did I ever tell you about 327? No? Well sit back and let me tell you a little story. When I was growing up the number 327 became a big part of my life. It was the number of the bus that I and my friend would catch into town to go to the beach. Later it became the bus that would bring us home from a late night out.

So what’s so important about a bus? Nothing, it just happened to be the 327. The same number that would appear in my favourite movie, Star Wars. Throughout the entire series, 327 has appeared or be mentioned numerous times.

I know what you’re saying, coincidence. Maybe, but what about the fact that if I need to check the time of an afternoon, it just happens to be 3:27. My phone number has 327 in it. When I needed a post office box, I was given 427. I laughed and asked if 327 was available. Guess what? Earlier that day the person that owned it had closed their account and I got PO Box 327.

I could tell you more but there wouldn’t be enough room to fit it in. But what does it all mean? Honestly I don’t know. I all know is that the universe has attached that number to me. It may have some significance or it may mean nothing at all. However, if I see something that has 327 attached to it I will go after it, because it is normally worth it.

What I do know is that there is a connection in the universe that is guiding me. An unseen connection, call it god, fate, or whatever, there is something bigger going on that what we cannot see. In fact according to the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything is 42. What’s that got to do with 327? 3X2X7 equals?

Terry Shadwell

Success by Media

2010-05-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

I have a bone to pick with the response to Jessica Watsons achievement. First of all let me clear in saying that I am not picking on her and I think she did a great job. My big problem is how the media is portraying her.

First of all they are all claiming that she is a hero. Most of you would know from my article a few weeks back what I think about a statement like that. She is not a hero; she is a highly motivated and courageous young woman that achieved her dreams for her own benefit. However, let's remember one thing, in her eyes she is not a hero, it's just a flawed, ratings hungry, and an increasingly inaccurate media that is making those claims.

Which leads me to this point? The media are making assertions that to be successful in life you need to do something absolutely amazing. Only people that sale the world, climb Mount Everest, amassed a vast fortune or some other feat are successful people. Only then if you have risked life and limb are you motivated and a person that should be revered.

What a load of cow poo!

If you were to believe everything that the media says then you would never feel good about yourself. Let me tell you here and now that you are a successful person. You do not need to do anything more than what you already are to be a wonderful fantastic person. A belief in yourself is more important than anything else. You do not need the adulation of the media to be a motivated successful person.

In fact around Australia and around the world, some of the most successful people are never seen by the media. They work quietly and tirelessly in the back ground carving out their lives. They may be no more than a window cleaner, secretary or teacher. Yet everyday they look after themselves and their families. They make sure the people around them are fed, safe and loved. How can a mother or a father that give of their time to their children not be considered to be a motivated and successful person?

And the media are nowhere to be seen. So stop thinking that the people that sail the world are the great people of this world. The great people are the ones that work hard and make life better for those around them. You are the great people of this world and even if the media doesn't ever see you it doesn't matter. You are still great.

Success comes from you achieving what it is you want to achieve. It never has to pass across a news desk, and nobody else ever needs to know about it. As long as you are happy with what you have done then you are successful. Stop looking for others to put you on a pedestal and realise that true success come from your internal sense of satisfaction, not external gratification.

Isn't it Weird?

2010-04-26T01:39:00.001-07:00

During a conference last week we were told that great teachers are normally the weird ones. That sits well with me as I am one of the weirdest people I have ever met. Does that make me a great teacher? I don’t know, that’s not my main worry, or the point of the article. I just want to reiterate my weirdness to you all.

How am I weird? Well, on the surface I am just as normal as you all. Of the course the main problem is that I am hoping you are normal. You are normal, aren’t you? Ok, back to the main point, me and weird.

First of all, I am my own opposite. I love the hot and love the cold. Love heavy metal, love classical. Love hard work, love being lazy. Love people, love being alone. Love women, love women (ok not opposite on everything) See a pattern here? For everything I love, I also love the opposite. I could be bi-polar, but I know I have never bought anything polar in my life!

How’s this for weird. I do not get enjoyment from watching sport, especially on TV. I can watch the AFL grand final, or go to a game every 10^th blue moon, but other than that, I just find it boring. I just can’t sit in front of a TV for two hours watching people run around. It sends me to sleep.

I collect things. I have been a collector all my life. Some people would call it hoarding, but I disagree. I collect Star Wars books at the moment. Before this, it was Star Trek books, comics, CD’s, Key rings, sugar packets(oh yeh), and so on. I love to have a complete set of something. Now days most of my collections have been sold off or given away, but I still collect various things. Anyone want some 20 year old sugar?

Finally I am a nerd. I love reading business, marketing and scientific information. I love science fiction. I understand everything the guys on the Big Bang Theory talk about. Give me some glasses, a few pens in my pocket and pull my pants up to my nipples and you can call me Poindexter. But remember I am my own opposite, so I also love camping, fishing, and getting my hands dirty.

So what is the point of all of this? For all of my weirdness (and there are some things that I can’t tell you in this article) I am myself. Years ago I stopped trying to be just like everybody else. I stopped liking their music, their movies, their beliefs and their ideas of what makes a person. I just started being myself. I told peer pressure and the people who love to apply it to get lost and I started living my life.

This changed who I was. Once I was able to be myself and just let myself go I became happier and started to enjoy life. I became popular too. Not because I am weird, just because people wanted to see the real me, not some facade that I was hiding behind. They had been waiting a long time to see the person inside and they accepted me for who I was, not for who I was trying to be.

So today I am asking you to be yourself. Like in your life what you want to like, regardless of what your friends think. Do what you want in your life that you want to do. Your friends, if they are true friends will stand by you, because they want you to be happy. Stop bowing to peer pressure and start enjoying your life.

Your life is too short to be worrying about trying to fit in with people. Be yourself and be happy. And add some weirdness to your life. Step out of your shell and let yourself go.

I’m off to read some books on marketing. Anyone seen my high waste pants with the nipple clips?

Terry Shadwell

We Can Be Heroes

2010-04-18T14:51:00.001-07:00

If there is one term that is used by the media a lot that can get my blood boiling, it is “sporting hero.” I refuse to see sports people as hero. A hero is a person that takes action to help or save other people while putting aside their own needs. Under no circumstances do sporting people do this. They do their chosen sport to please themselves, not to help anybody else, and they get paid for their actions. I don’t blame them for that, we all do things for ourselves but it doesn’t make them a hero. Sure, visiting sick kids in hospitals is nice, but not heroic, and they never do it without making sure the media is there to watch them. They are famous and that is all, they are not heroes.

Do you really want to aspire to be like some of the people playing sport? These so call heroes which are there to inspire us, abuse drugs, alcohol, women, the law and even their own fans. Sure they are just a part of the general society and they get picked on because they are in the lime light, but you can ask for the fame then get upset when it works against you.

The best sorts of heroes are the people that do what needs to be done without asking for the fame and glory that goes with it. People that stand up to the plate in times of need for the benefit of other people not for the benefit of themselves. You may think that it can be hard to find these types of people but that is untrue.

Bush fire fighters are a great example of people that are heroes. They volunteer for this duty and they give up their time and money to do this. These people go out to save lives and property every year in some of the worst conditions and they do it for free. They do it because it needs to be done, not for the fame or the glory. Sure they may have in their ranks the same problems as our sporting stars but at least they aren’t just in it for themselves like the sporting stars.

However, you don’t have to be a fire fighter to be a hero, anybody that volunteers their time to help others around the world, or in their own community are heroes. Members of Lions or Rotary Clubs, members of the Meals on Wheels, the SES, or in any other volunteer organisation are the real heroes of our world. Without them our world would be a lot worse off.

So stop looking at sport stars for your guidance and please stop looking at them and addressing them as heroes. Look in to your own community and see the real heroes. You can even become a hero yourself in the long run and start helping others.

In the long run, the quality of the community we live is determined by the amount of people that care for it and participate in making better. If you think your community needs improving then it is time to become a volunteer and make a difference.

Just like in your own life, no one will make the changes required unless you get out there and do it.

Flogging a Dead Horse

2010-03-28T04:40:00.001-07:00

The most horrid thing happened to me the other day. My Play Station 3 (PS3) broke down. Now before you think that I’m upset because I can no longer play games on it you are wrong. I am upset because I can no longer watch DVD’s, including Blue Ray, play various content (including movies, music and pictures) from my computer via the PS3, play games (yes I play games), and the most important aspect of it all, I can no longer watch the ABC via the internet.

A couple of months ago I found that the ABC was now allowing people to get their I-View service (internet TV) via the PS3. This meant that we can get most ABC programs through the internet and watch them when we wanted on the TV. There is no need for a video recorder and when can watch them at a time that suits us. The picture and sound quality are excellent and almost rival the digital broadcasts.

It is an amazing piece of technology and I can help wonder why the other commercial stations have not adopted this for their own services. However, it didn’t take me long to figure out why. Over the last 3-4 years they have spent billions of dollars trying to get their digit networks up and running. Because they have spent billions on the digital net work, they have also handed over millions in political donations to get all the political parties to agree to get rid of the analogue service.

Now as a business owner we all know that you have to spend money to make money, and the way TV stations make money is through advertising. They are hoping to make back all their money be having everybody watching digital TV ads on their digital TV networks.

But then along comes the ABC and steals their thunder. Through this service they are saying, there is no need to upgrade to a digital TV or get a set top box, just watch the programs of the internet. All the major TV stations are furious. How dare they? How dare they prove to the world that what they have done in building the digital network is just a waste of time and they should have been watching the trends a little bit harder?

So what to do? Well as far as the commercial networks are concerned, the best thing to do is just to push ahead anyway. Ignore everything and just keep going. That makes perfect business sense. Sure, they have made a half hearted effort to put some shows up online, but they haven’t quite figured out how to do it properly yet. They are too afraid that if they give you a decent service on line then the billions poured into the digital networks will be for naught.

So what if they are? In business, just like as in life, some time you need to cut your losses and move on. You can’t keep trying to make something work if there is no use in making it work, or to use the colloquial term, flogging a dead horse. Once something is obsolete, let it go and move on. You can keep your fond memories, but you have to accept change and keep moving forward.

I see too many people who are too stubborn to let something go because they have put to much time, money and effort into it. This type of action does not bring success, only failure and heart break. Yes, you made the right decision at the time and you tried your best, but now its time to do something new.

So don’t be like the TV stations, don’t waste your time. Quit while you’re ahead and move on. Just because it didn’t work is not a problem, you’ll will get over it in time, learn from the experience and be better for it. Remember stubborn people don’t get anywhere in life. Live, learn and grow.

Oh and yes I will be getting the PS3 fixed.

Terry Shadwell

Creating Inspiration in Your Life

2010-03-21T13:10:00.001-07:00

If motivation is just about setting goals and moving towards them, why do so many people fail to achieve their dreams? The simple answer is that they do not have the commitment or the inspiration to follow through on their plans. They rush out in the first week full of gusto, but a week later, maybe two, they have lost all inspiration and have quit. So how do we find that inspiration?

Why can a woman that has been over weight all of her life, lose that entire weight do that she can look good for just one day, her wedding day? Because she has inspiration and commitment. To her it is so important to look her best on her weeding day that she will get up early every morning and exercise, undertake a strict diet regime on food and she will do this every day right up to the special day.

What keeps her going and not wanting to quit. She has created a feeling in her mind of how she will feel if she manages to lose that weight and look good. She has thought about this, and continues to think about this everyday up to the wedding. That great feeling of looking beautiful for all her friends’, family and husband to be is real inspiration. Not only that, she has also though about how it will feel to not achieve her goal. To be fat and overweight, not looking like she wants and being a disappointment to everybody. That is also great inspiration.

In her mind she now has a feeling that is pulling her towards her goals, and a feeling that is pushing her towards her goals. This is the push/pull effect and it works time and time again.

In our lives we will do very little to move or change our lives when we feel very comfortable with it. We would like to take action to get to a more comfortable spot, but things are fine here so why change? It is only when we feel uncomfortable that we take actions to change. This is a reactionary measure and it does not show much motivation.

To be motivated and to have inspiration and commitment, we need to create that push/pull effect in our lives whenever we want so that we can achieve our dreams. The easiest way to do that is to that about what our lives will be if we do not take action to achieve our goals. Where will we be in 1 year, 5, 10, 15 20 years if we do not do anything to move forward in our lives? Will you be happy or upset that you have never achieved the things you set out to get?

That is the push part. Trying to make you uncomfortable and get moving.

The next part is to think about where you will be in 1year, 5, 10, 15, 20 years if we do take action. Will you have everything you ever wanted? Will you be travelling the world and having a great life? Will you have the life you always wanted with the people you want to be with? Will you be living your dreams?

This is the pull. Moving away from your uncomfortable world and moving towards a more comfortable one.

I use this push/pull method on daily basis. I have created the strong feelings of success and failure in my mind and use them to motivate me every day. It’s why I push myself to run, or do weights daily. It’s why I will do what I have to do no matter how hard it gets or how much I feel like slacking off. And it is what separates the want-to-be’s from the people-who-are.

When you can really make yourself feel the pain of failing and the pleasure of succeeding, you will be more inspired. You will be able to push through the negative thoughts that hold you back, have more commitment and being willing to do what it takes, when ever its needs, for how long you have to do it.

I would like to help you create the push/pull feeling in your mind so that you can start moving towards your dreams. Over at http://www.invigoratingbusinesssolutions.com/beinspired/index.htm I have a recording that will help to create that the push/pull effects. It’s free for you to listen to with absolutely no catches and I hope it helps to inspire you.

Terry Shadwell.

The Heart of a Man

2010-03-11T01:25:00.000-08:00

For most of us in life we have a dream of what we want to aspire to in life. Some want to be rock stars, movie actor, big business people, or a whole range of other things. We dream at some stage in our lives that we can walk the boards and be one of the rich and famous. Unfortunately for most it stays a dream, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.

I have a dream for most of my life about being great famous science fiction writer. I love the idea of writing stories about wars in the stars and enterprising young crew trekking to bold new worlds. The adventures, romance, and conquest of evil on a galactic scale has been my dream since early childhood. The works of Lucas, Williamson, Asimov, K. Dick, and the art of Foss, Vallejo and Bell have stirred my imagination for years.

Alas it was not to be. As a sci-fi writer, I am not the best. Plus, I will admit that I do not have the patience to sit for hours writing a book. Oh, I can write one, but it would take me ten years to finish. So I realised that have my name on the cover of a best selling sci-fi book was dream that I just can’t pursue, well not yet anyway.

However, that does not mean I need to give up on my dream. I knew that if I couldn’t write sci-fi, there had to be something else that I could do to get my name in print. There had to be something I could write that would be quick and hopefully easier, that I could do. Along came poetry.

I started writing poetry in 1995. I admit it was rough at the start but I soon found my stride. In fact in ’96-97 I wrote profusely. I must have written over 100 poems in that time. A lot were rubbish, but most were good.

I enjoyed writing so much that I even took up calligraphy so that I could hand write my poems into a book. I don’t have much time for calligraphy at the moment and the fonts on the computer make it so easy, but there is still an enjoyment on writing beautiful writing. Every now and again when I get the chance I will pull out my pen and write the beautiful words beautifully.

I may not have made it as science fiction writer but I have made it as a poet. I have had poems published in magazines and this week will see the online launch of my book, Heart of a Man. It has been a long time coming and been through several variations over the years. However, at last I am ready to release it on to an unsuspecting world.

So what have I learnt from this whole experience? Be prepared to change your dreams. If you know that what you want will be hard to reach, then change what you’re after and go for the next closest thing. Life is about compromise, maybe you can’t always have what, or who you want, but you can get closer to it if you alter your dreams a little. Plus once you’re closer to your original dream, it will then be easier to obtain it, or them.

The most important thing to remember is to never give up.

I know that once established as a poet, I can then seek help in getting some sci-fi work done. Maybe the great writers will come asking for my help to write a book. Maybe (I can dream). So if you’re shooting for the stars, go for the moon instead, and then use it leap frog it to the whole galaxy.

Terry Shadwell.

p.s The book is located at http://www.invigoratingbusinesssolutions.com/theheartofaman/The%20Heart%20Of%20A%20Man.html

90 Not Out

2010-03-01T00:12:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was my grandfathers 90^th birthday. Just ten years short of tonne, the old boys not doing too badly. Born John Phineas Thompson in 1920 and has seen and participated in some of the biggest events of the world. He has done his duty for both King and Country, and he has been a great father and grandfather.

Jack, as he is known best, was in the Air Force during World War Two and served in Papua New Guinea and the Island defending Australia from the Japanese invasion. During his time in the forces he saw many amazing scenes. I remember him recounting how he watching clouds on the horizon ripple from the shock waves of the exploding bombs. He also saw many horrors and sights that a person should not have to witness. Jack was on the cleanup crew for the crashed aircraft. He doesn’t talk about that very much.

At war’s end Jack returned to home and soon met and married Nelly Johns and together they had two girls, Judy (or better know to me as mum) and Helen. Jack also returned to his job at NSW State Rail’s Cardiff Workshops as a fitter and turner, a trade that Judy’s two sons would also adopt. Over the years he worked hard and rose to the position of Forman.

While working at the workshop Jack took some time off in the 60’s and in a kombi took Nell, Judy and Helen on a trip around Australia. This was a very educational trip and exposed the whole family to a different way of life. At the end of the trip the whole family returned to a normal life.

Jack became a grandfather for the first time in August 1970. This was the first of four grandkids, then it grew to six. Now days he has 6 great grandchildren. Both Jack and Nelly were dedicated to their family and often have big gathering at their place. As family do, they move apart over the years and both Jack and Nell would spend their time travelling to see everyone.

Jack retired in 1980 and was very glad to finally have time to rest and do all the things that he had been planning. He fished, travelled, painted and repainted the house and had a good life. His long and dedicated service to the railways earned him a gold pass that, still to this day, allows him to travel free in Australia on the various rail services. He and Nell used the pass and had a great time seeing Australia.

After nearly 60 year together Nell passed away in 2007. She had been suffering for the last ten years and was house bound for most of that time. Jack was dedicated to her and did everything for her in her final years.

Now days Jack lives in a nursing home in Newcastle. As he has always been for most of his life, he is king of the kids in the home and is known to all the women as Jackie. He is very popular with the ladies and they all want him around for tea or “coffee”. He remains quite active and recently bought a computer and learning how to send emails and to shop on line.

When talking to him on the weekend he still has his faculties about him. He’s still quick witted, for his age, and gives back as good as he gets. I asked him what his philosophy for life was; he thought for a moment and said “Just Live”.

A great idea. He is 90 and still living a full and enjoyable life. He gets out of the home as often as possible and lives every day with enthusiasm. Unfortunately some people half his age or more are wasting theirs. They squander their time of frivolous pursuits or waste it in front of the TV. Just Live does not mean just exist, but live a life worth living. See the world and all of its glory. Smell the rose, kick up your heels, take and adventure and explore the world around you. Make sure that when you get to 90 you can be proud of all that you have done.

Happy Birthday Pop. My life has been better because of you. I love you. And Just Live longer.

See you at 100.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. For those of you that are interested, my new web site for my business Invigorating Business Solutions is just about finished. For more information please visit www.invigoratingbusinesssolutions.com

Thunderstruck

2010-02-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

On the weekend I caught the train from Newcastle to Sydney with my brother to watch AC/DC at ANZ Stadium (former Olympic stadium). There was over 70'000 people in attendance most over the age of 35. There was a sea of black T-shirts (which both me and my brother were now sporting) and thousands upon thousands of flashing red horns.

Wolf Mother got the crowd started and everyone was ready at 9pm when ACDC took to the stage.

The first song was Big Train of their Black Ice album. This was followed by Back in Black. Everyone was having a great time, and when they started Thunderstruck the whole stadium exploded. Everyone was to the feet seeing dancing and clapping, and the show was only getting started.

When they started playing She’s Got The Jack it didn't take long for women in the audience to start flashing their breasticles and for Angus to get his kit off and show the crowd his lily white body. That’s what you get for living in England to long. However, Angus had the crowd’s attention and he delivered a powerful and energetic performance. This is quite amazing considering he is now in his fifties, and has been doing this since the 70's.

The whole show lasted for two hours and was a fantastic effort from the band that had already played three shows in Melbourne and one in Sydney, and they still have the rest of Oz to go.

The highlights for the nights were the pictorial tribute to Bon Scott who passed away 30 years ago, and then Angus's twenty minute guitar solo. Man, can that guy play.

The only disappointment of the night was that they didn't sing Long Way To The Top. However, they no longer need to sing that song. It was a long way to the top for ACDC. They had a lot of trouble, but they continued and they got to the top a long time ago and have been there ever since.

Mind you they didn't get to the top by luck, they got there by setting goals, working hard to achieve them, adjusting them as needed and then setting more. They never gave in, they never slackened off, and they kept their commitment all the way through. And it has paid off.

Regardless of who you are and what you are doing, you too can have this level of success if you want it. All you need to do is decide what it is you want to achieve, set your goals, start working your way towards them and never give in. AC/DC would not be where they are today if they had thrown in the towel when it got too hard.

AD/DC have been Australia’s biggest band, and most of us in Australia have grown up on their music. This was evident of the wide variety of ages at the concert. The youngest I saw was 10 and there was plenty people 50-60+.

If you get the opportunity to see them while they are still playing, I highly recommend it. They are a great show, and you will enjoy it, even if you are not a huge fan. Plus there may never be another chance to see them.

To finish off I would just like to say to Acca Dacca that for those of us who you have rocked, we salute you.

A Better Choice

2010-02-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Last year I wrote an article about decision making. I talked about how important it is in your life to have the ability to make decisions. The people that have trouble making decisions are the ones that will struggle through life and never achieve their dreams.

While making decisions is important, today I wanted to talk to you about choice and the choices you make. We are faced with choices every day; from what time we get up, what we will eat through to what time we will go to bed. Some choices can be simple and not take much though, and other may take a lot of consideration without a clear understanding of what the outcome of our choice may be.

One of the best things about a human being is the ability to evaluate the information we have in from of us and to choose an option that that is most beneficial for us. It is important to remember that the quality of life that we live is a direct result of the quality of choices we make. The better your choices, the better quality of life you will have.

The people that are living in big houses, with flashy cars, big boats and the lifestyle we want have made choices that were beneficial to them. They chose to take action, obey the laws, put in all the effort that was needed and seek help from others. They also chose to take full responsibility for their choices and learn when things went wrong.

On the other hand those people rotting away in gaol, doing drugs or just wasting their live have not made very good choices. They do not obey laws, take action or seek help. They don’t take responsibility for the choices, blame others and keep repeating their mistakes.

It can be hard sometimes to know what is the right and wrong choice to make. We will not always have all the information we need to make a fully informed choice, but that is just the way of life. A decision is required and you will just have to go with what looks best at the time. If it works out, great, however, if it was not the best choice, you then need to take action to make it better. Choose to take responsibility and complete the work, not to blame others and complain.

I also know that we have moments of weakness were we feel like giving up. We know longer want to do the work, stick to the diet, continue to study or we just feel like that chocolate. It is now that your choices matter. Choosing to continue, especially when you want to throw in the towel, is what creates that quality of life that you want.

So next time you need to make a choice, you need to think will it make my life better or worse. If you always choose better than you will have a fantastic life.

Terry Shadwell

Negative People are Great Motivation

2010-02-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

Ever had a person trying to motivate you by sucking out all of your energy and enthusiasm? I have. I was unfortunate enough to be part of a group of people that had to listen to an over inflated ego telling us that because we were not as good as them we sucked and the only way to be good was to be like them.

I couldn’t believe this person was actually trying to motivate us. I was hoping that this person would be a leader and set the example for us to follow. They failed my miserably, however, they did motivate me. They really pushed me to be nothing like them. I do not care what happens to me in life as long as I never end up like that person.

I know you may think that that sound nasty, but that is far from the truth. In life we have role models, people that inspire us and people that we hope we emulate. We love the way they handle themselves, motivate others and deal with various situations. Most of us would be proud just to be half the person they are.

However the same can be said for people we do not like. They disgust us through their actions, or lack of, their attitude towards people and how they chuck a big wobbly when things don’t go their way. These people are also role models or anti-models if you would like. We will do anything not to be like them. We all like to hope that we can handle ourselves better than they do.

In my life I have a wide range of people that I do not want to be like. People that I have met over my years that are foolish, lazy, sneak, untrustworthy, irrational, arrogant and/or obnoxious. They are everything that I see wrong with the world and they are great motivation. I watch how they handle themselves and then try to ensure that I never behave like that. I will move heaven and earth to make sure that I am never put into the same category as them.

In the old theory of motivation of the carrot and the stick, my anti-models are the stick. They are the pain that I do not want in my life. My role models are, of course, the carrot.

Anti-models can also motivate you in another way. Not only do they create a desire not to be like them, they also create a desire not to be with them. They drain you in every single manner and you feel wasted and lost at the end of the day. They are like vampires sucking the life from you.

The best thing to do is to move away from them the best that you can. If you can eliminate them from your life then that’s great. If you can do that, then try to limit your exposure to them. Keep them at a distance and only deal with them when you have you.

Of course while you are getting rid of your anti-models surround yourself with role models and positive people. Remember these people will support, encourage and motivate you. And at the end of the day with them you will feel more alive than ever before.

So use the anti-models to motivate you as your stick and move away from them the best you can. Then use your role models to also motivate you as you carrot and move closer to them.

I think you will then have far better life.

Time to Relax

2010-02-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

One of the problems is see time and time again from many people is that they don’t know how to switch off and relax. They feel that because that they run a business they must spend every waking moment working on that business.

When I first start my business I was exactly the same. I would spend every moment working to try and get the business to be successful. I would work on it after I came home from my day job, often staying up to the wee hours trying to do things. I would also spend weekend doing other things with the business.

I know that when starting a business you need to put the time and effort in to making it work properly, however, you cannot allow it to dominate your life. I saw a break down in my relationship, and I become very stressed, tired and cranky.

As I was working late every night and not switching off before I went to bed I would often have trouble getting to sleep. When I did sleep I found that I was dreaming of something business related. You can imagine that those dreams are not very relaxing either.

After about 9 months I was a wreck. I had worked nearly every day and never thought about anything else but the business. Another problem was the business was doing any good due to fact that I could keep focused on it any more. I decided that I had to change something.

The first thing was I set time limits on my work. I would get up early 6:30 and work through to 7:45. After that I had to prepare for my other job. The getting up early was great as it allowed me to have a better focus on my work than working at 11pm.

I also set a limit for the amount of time of an afternoon when I would work. I try not to work past 6pm. I will try to finish early if I can. I will at times work a bit later, but only if it is really required.

This has allowed me to have time for myself. I can have the morning working without interruptions and then the evening with my fiancé. Plus I can now relax for a few hours before going to bed, which means I can sleep better. However that was not the only limits I put on my time.

I also decided that I would no longer work on weekends unless it was a matter of urgency. Not only was I running an online business and working full time, I was also cleaning windows of a Saturday morning. Then I was coming home to work on the online business.

That has all stopped and I no longer work on the weekend. My weekends are now mine and I can do whatever I want. I am prepared to work hard through the week and get up early as long as I can sleep in and relax on the weekend.

Has this helped my business? Yes. Because of time limits I now have a pressure to n finish everything by a certain time. Before I would just let it drag on. I am more focused and prepared to work because it’s not stressful or a burden anymore. All of this plus feeling relaxed has allowed me to improve my work and communicate with my clients better. It’s a win win all around.

So if you are feeling stressed, you need to set limits on your time. You will be more successful in the long run if you can take time away from your business. It can be hard to let go, but you will feel better in the long run. Believe in yourself, your abilities and your business and it will work out for you.

Just ask yourself this question, why are you running your own business? Is it for the stress or the lifestyle you hope to gain? If you’re in it for the lifestyle, then start living it now. Don’t let another moment go by. Relax, smell the flowers and enjoy life.

The Gift Of Giving

2010-01-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

Last year I wrote an article about helping other people. I wrote how it helps to make you feel good and how it is beneficial to your life. Well today I want to talk about the power of giving. I am not just talking here about the giving of money, but in giving your time, your energy and you your whole soul to help benefit people.

Have you ever met a person that is working to help people on the street, or helping those in countries less fortunate than our? They are passionate people who have a lot of enthusiasm and motivation. They also seem to have a great inner peace and understanding.

This comes from the knowledge that everything that they do is helping others. They are not focused on themselves; they are focused on making sure that others around them can have a great life.

And through all of this they never seem to struggle or miss out on the regular things that the rest of us have in life. In fact they often have more. Why? Because when you give of yourself, the world gives back.

The people that help others give out hope, respect, confidence, love and honesty. They get this back, not only from those that they help, but from other that have watched them and seen the great things that they do.

Now I not say that the quickest way to wealth is to give it all away. And I am definitely not saying that you should go and help somebody because you are hoping to get something out of it. To do so takes away the whole reason for helping people. You have to help people because they need it, not so that you benefit from it.

So how do you help people? There are many ways. The first and the most convenient for most people is to donate money. We can’t all fly to a third world country, and it does not show you to be a bad person because you have to honour your commitments you already have in life. A donating to a charity group is a good start.

There are community groups, religious groups and various organisations that you can also join to help others in your local area. Through a donation of your time and effort you can make a difference to the people in your community and to the community in general. They will do things from feeding and sheltering the poor and unfortunate through to fund raising and home visits.

There is also international organisation that allow you to do anything from donating money through to travelling abroad to help people in another country. Teacher, engineers, doctors, nurses and a whole range of people are needed each year to help though in less fortunate places build a better life for themselves.

So start helping yourself by helping others. Give what you can in time or money or both to those who need your help. Give because you want to give, not because you feel you have to your think you may get something back. It doesn’t matter how big or small, it makes the world a better place.

Oh, and you will get something back, honour, respect, confidence and pride. That makes you instantly successful.

Terry Shadwell

Get Started

2010-01-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article in a business magazine a little while back about the importance of starting a business. Some people were stating that the most important thing is a business plan. They were adamant that without a good business plan you would fail.

However, there was one person that stated that the key to starting a good business is starting. They said that too many people focus on getting the business plan right and never starting the business.

I have to say I agree. The people that spend every waking moment working on a business plan are normally the people procrastinating. They have a great idea but they are afraid to start a business because they are afraid of what might happen.

The funny thing is, unless you are trying to get a bank loan, you don’t need a business plan. All you need is a good set of goals.

You need to have goals that are well defined, achievable and measurable. When you have goals of such nature then you are more likely to achieve your goals.

You see a business plan is just a set of goal anyway. They are just your business goals.

But goals are not enough. You need to have determination, enthusiasm and confidence. You need to be able to pick yourself up when things don’t go to plan, you need to be able to bounce back and learn from what went wrong.

But most of all you need to start your business. A business plan, goals, determination, enthusiasm and confidence are no match for experience. You need to get the experience of running the business.

No matter how good you are at everything else, there will always be something you didn’t think of or plan for, and your fancy business plan is useless.

One sad fact that most people don’t realise is that most first time business fail. This is normally due to lack of experience. In fact most of the richest people in the world have failed in business. All they did was learn what went wrong and start again.

You need to be aware that your first attempt at a business will probably go wrong. Its not a bad thing, just be aware. And if you know it might fail, then lower the cost of starting your business. Don’t borrow hundreds of thousands and then wind up bankrupt.

So if you want to start a business, not matter what it is, start. Set your goals and start learning what the business teaches you. Don’t waste your time thinking if only or one day. Do it now, lower your cost and take a chance.

Terry Shadwell

Don’t forget your free books at http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/

Another Wasted Resolution

2010-01-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

Are your tired of making resolutions that you don’t keep? Are you sick of saying that you will achieve your dreams this year only to let them slip away again? Do you want change in your life? Do you want to be successful and have everything you have always wanted?

At the beginning of the year most people set a New Year’s resolution. They decide that they will give up drinking, smoking or they will lose weight, take more time off or a thousand other things. Yet within two weeks that person has giving up on their resolution and is back to their old habits.

Why do they give up so easy? The answer is simple; they do not have drive or commitment. Their New Year’s resolution was made on the spare of the moment and they never had any real intention of following it, in fact you will find that most people plan to break their resolution as soon as they can.

However, some people do continue and they start making great changes in their lives. They lose their weight, they stop drinking, they make lots of money and they live their dreams. They do this because they have drive and commitment in their lives. They are believed that if they don’t follow through that they will feel like a failure. Plus they can see the rewards in their minds if they take a small step every day to achieve their dreams.

The most important aspect of the process is the person that goes on to achieve their dreams has taken their New Year’s Resolution and turned it into a goal. It has stopped being an off handed comment to being a real need.

So that is what you have to do. Turn your resolution into a goal. Commit to it with all of your heart and get some drive to push you through. Then you too will see some changes in your life.

The New Year

2010-01-01T22:50:00.001-08:00

I hope everybody is ready for the New Year. This should be the year where you make some real changes in your life and start living your dreams. There is no reason why you should be putting things off or saying “I’ll do it tomorrow.” That will get you nowhere and only bring you regrets.

I plan to make some big changes this year. I have big plans for my finances, lifestyle, health and work. I will be taking a few chances (calculated and thought through first) and start to push my boundaries even further. I want to meet more people and continue to expand my horizons.

While I do all of this I want to show you what I am doing, so that you can copy my successes and avoid any mistakes that I make. We can take this journey together and both be better off for it at the end of the year.

Wouldn’t you like to get to the 31^st of December 2010 and look back and see what you have completed. You can stand there New Years Eve and say this was my best year ever, and next year will be better again. It’s so much better than standing there saying “I wish I had.”

So in 2010 let’s start a new journey together. Let’s start making changes to our lives right now. As soon as you finish reading this I want you to go and do one thing that you have been putting off. Don’t say I’ll do it tomorrow, go and do it now. Start strong and continue to build on your strengths.

Terry Shadwell

Back Up Your Information

2009-12-20T15:53:00.001-08:00

A few weeks a back I came across a thread about someone that had lost all their work and information when their computer crashed. Being a smart person I decided that I needed to back up all my information. However, being a not so smart person I put it off.

Three days after I read the thread the external hard drive crashed taking with it all my pictures, business related programs, videos, music and much, much more. Fortunately I still had most on my computer and I was still able to work.

Two weeks ago I picked up a virus from a trusted web site. It went in and changed my internet explorer setting, my ability to open regedit and the ability to restore the computer. It got right into the operating system and stuffed everything.

I was able to back up what I had on the computer on to an older computer. I then reformatted my computer and reloaded everything. However I came close to losing everything.

I could handle losing business programs, handle losing music and movies, but the whole idea of losing our personal picture was devastating.

I did learn a lot from this experience.

1. Keep all your important information in a hard copy somewhere. That means print what you need to print and burn the rest on to CD or DVD. Its time consuming but worth it.

2. Back your emails up on a regular basis. If your using Outlook you need to back up to data management file. It has all your emails, addresses and settings. Put it on a hard copy, external hard drive or another computer.

3. Back up your favourites lists. It can be murder when you lose these. They are simple and easy and can be copied to hard copy or another computer in minutes. You can also back them up on line at some web sites.

4. Don't put it off. Don't wait until its to late or you will be like me and regret not taking action.

5. There are no such places as trusted web sites. Hackers and virus makers (words don't really convey my hatred of these scum) will attack any site just for the fun of it. They have no reason but to annoy. So make sure that you have good virus protection. I use McAffee for virus and good old Scotty Watch Dog to stop internal changes. Scotty's free and well worth it.

There is a happy ending to this tale of woe however. I was able to back everything up. My fiancé had most of our picture and music on her lap top, and two day after I got my computer running again the external hard drive came out of retirement and is working fine again.

This may not be the case for you. Back everything up, now, and save yourself the hassles in the future. Sure it’s a pain printing and burning and backing everything up, but it’s better than losing the lot.

P.S. after the hard drive crashed and before I got the virus I accidently deleted my My Document folder which had everything in it. I think I sat there for five minutes like a stunned mullet not believing what I had done. Lucky enough one of my friends that knows more about computers than I quickly found it again. I came close to kissing him, close.

P.P.S. Don’t forget your free 10 Free ebooks. Click Here.

The Fat Man Cometh

2009-11-30T11:46:00.001-08:00

In less than a month it will be Christmas. The one time of year when everybody should be happy, giving and joyful. Yeh right. Christmas is the one time of year when stress and anger go through the roof. The one time of year and people get abusive and start fights over the smallest problem.

There are few reasons for this level of stress and anger. The first is that it is the end of the year. Everybody is tired and looking for a break. After a long hard year the idea of a few days or weeks off is really appealing. The only problem is that it is still a few weeks away and we just want it now.

The second problem is that we need to go shopping and buy everybody presents. People we don’t see or talk to all year have to have presents bought for them. And what do we buy them? Another set soaps for Aunty Dot and the new version of the Koran crossword book for long lost Cousin Saddam (why hasn’t he written?), and it’s the same thing every year.

Then there is endless circling of shopping centre car parks to find a parking spot. Like birds of prey circling a kill, everyone is ready to pounce, using their cars as weapons. Then once you get your spot and head inside you have to fight through the crowds just to get milk and bread, or being dragged from shop to shop as you still can’t find that perfect present for mum.

And if that’s not bad enough you have to listen to endless jingles and Christmas song that have be recorded to death and redone by some artist that is only trying to cash in this year. Jim Barnes, Keith Urban, Brittany Spears please just stop, and not just with the carols either.

However this is nothing compared with the day itself. Most people dread Christmas day as they know it will bring arguments and fights. Relatives cranky or physical over a wrong word or sideways glance. A Christmas ruined by someone that didn’t know better, act their age or should have kept their mouth shut.

I wish I could give you a magic wand to help wish away all the problems, but we need to remember it’s the adversities that we face in life that make us stronger. You can use Christmas this year to build your patients, tolerance, and forgiveness. Let’s face facts, that is what the season is all about.

Be patient with those people in the car park, tolerant of the crowds in the shops and forgive those people who can be as patient or tolerant as you. As for the gifts for Aunty Dot, remember it is the thought that counts. If somebody gets upset over the present you give, it is not a reflection on you, but an indication of their selfishness. Forgive them and move on.

As for being tired and worn out from a long year, try and take time out before Christmas to relax. If everything isn’t perfect by the time the family comes around, it’s not the end of the world. They will still love you anyway.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. As a special gift I have ten free ebooks to give away. Just go to the blog and follow the links. http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com

Shy Boy

2009-11-22T22:55:00.001-08:00

Most people that meet now day would probably say that I am an extrovert. Always on show and love attention. However, would you believe that only ten years ago I would have been considered shy? I used to be really shy and it was keeping me back from doing a lot of things and meeting a lot of people.

I was afraid to talk or introduce myself to people. I was scared of what they would think of me. If the person was a female of the opposite sex then I was as good as useless. There was no way I would go up and talk to her. She may tell me to get lost or laugh at me.

It took a while to learn that my shyness wasn’t about because I am a timid person, it was because I lacked a strong believe in myself, my appearance and my own confidence. I was a strong believer in self doubt. In fact it was so strong that it crippled me in a couple of areas. The only thing that I had going for me was I knew that I had to change.

That need for change kept on build until I was 27. At that time I was overweight, long hair and living with my parents. My friends were all fit and health, married or dating people and living in their own houses. Instead of feeling like a young man that could tackle the world, felt, and acted like a little boy.

The problem with that was I was content to stay there. I would have been happy to allow things to be done for me and remained immature. Again this was due to the lack of confidence and shyness that I was carrying. Fortunately, a rather nasty comment about my weight snapped me into action.

In a period of 4 months I lost 20kgs through walking, eating properly and a wee bit of weight lifting. I then decide to cut my hair. In fact I went from hair half way down my back to a number one. This all made me feel better and build my confidence, which then gave me strength to move out of mum and dad’s place into my own home.

I then decided to go out with some friends one night and when they first saw me they were stunned. Some could hardly believe it was me. Their positive comments about my looks, my weight and even my attitude helped to build my confidence. I even had enough confidence to talk to a woman.

I was kicking myself for taking so long to get to this point. I couldn’t help but think about all of the opportunities I had lost in those years of self doubt. I decide that that would never happen again. I was determined to make sure that I never hid away again and never missed another opportunity.

So I came up with a simple set of questions that can be applied to any situation. The first is, “What will happen if I don’t do this?” The second is a “What will happen if I do do this?” In relation to a talking to a girl, if I don’t talk to her, then I never know if she does like, or if I had a chance to get to know her better. Could I spend the rest of my life regretting not just saying hello?

What would happen if I did talk to her? She may like me and I may get to know her. Alternately she may say she is not interested, but at least I would know where I stood and I could go talk to somebody else.

So I say to you, don’t let shyness stand in your way. Build your confidence, take chances and talk to people. Ask yourself the same questions I still ask myself and start having a life you will enjoy living.

Terry Shadwell

Terry Shadwell invites you to visit his blog at http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/ Here there are more great articles about motivation, blogging, affiliate marketing and other money making strategies. There are also free tools and ebooks that will help you improve you sales online. http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/

Number One On Google - So What!

2009-11-05T02:17:00.001-08:00

The other day I thought that I would check out my listing on Google. When I typed in my name, as that is what I am branding, I found that I was in the number one position. I also found that I dominated the first few pages.

"Wow", I thunk to myself, "this is pretty good, and I did it without even trying". I thought that this would be good and would help to bring traffic to my site. I mean it is well known that the number one spot on Google is the best place to be.

However (and I say however because everyone else always say but), I also realised that being number one really didn’t mean a thing to me or my business. Who is looking for Terry Shadwell? I mean who sits down in front of the computer and types in my name, except me?

I am an unknown in the eyes of the world. I am not a rock god, I can’t act, and my adult industry career end after my first movie titled Mr Floppy. So who is looking for me, except my creditors? Who in their right mind just out of the blue thinks “Terry Shadwell, I better Google him?”

To be number one in Google is great, if you are what people are looking for. I hear too many people push the idea of being in the top search position, but are you in a niche that no one cares about? Who is going to buy Terry Shadwell ($20, going cheap, will give refunds).
I will try to stay number one in my niche and beat off that name stealing Hypnotherapist from Ireland (Hi Terry). But (oops I mean however) I don’t know if it will do me any good.

So what do I do? (Rhetorical question) Try and brand something else, or push on until I am world famous and good looking? Ok just world famous then. I think I will push on. Why, because I am number one on Google in my niche, and sooner or later people will get to know the name Terry Shadwell. Someday, somewhere, someone will desperate enough to want my body? That is, of course, if people get that desperate.

However (see sounds better than but) I find that I get more traffic from articles, Twitter and other social networking sites. I find that the social networking sites attract people that are interested in getting to know me, well, they want what I have to promote. I also find that putting myself into Wikipedia as one of the most notable people in Warren doesn’t hurt either.

So why this long winded rant about being number one on Google by one the best looking guys in the world (mum says I’m good looking so it must be true). Just to ensure that people who are new to the market realise that the information that other people give or sell to you may not always be 100% accurate.

Test everything, learn from your mistakes and success and be willing to not believe everything that people tell you.

Thanks for listening

Ter...... Ahhh you should know my name by now

Terry Shadwell invites you to visit his blog at http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com Here there are more great articles about motivation, blogging, affiliate marketing and other money making strategies. There are also free tools and ebooks that will help you improve you sales online. http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/

On The Face of It

2009-11-02T01:32:00.001-08:00

Today I want to talk about the power of the internet. I use the internet exclusively to run my business and I find it very useful and easy to use. However, I have found over the last couple of months that some people are not interested in the internet and how it can help their business. Now that’s ok and I am not here to force anybody to undertake anything that they don’t want to do. But I think that it is important to enlighten people about the potential of social networking, and how it can help their business and help to stay in contact with people.

Social networking is a way of meeting people and staying in contact with them across the internet. I currently use social networking as the backbone of my business. Sights such as Facebook and Twitter are good examples of social networking sights. They are easy to use and allow people to stay in contact with each other all over the world.

Some people I have talked to have expressed to me their dislike for such sites. Again I state that that is their prerogative. However, I feel that these people are missing out on so much. Facebook, which now has close to 250 million users is one of the best ways to stay in contact with people. You can write messages, share photo’s and link them to other sites if you like.

I currently have my own Facebook page and I am in contact with people that I haven’t seen since school, friends from uni and a cousin living in Townsville. Without Facebook I would not be talking to these people at all, but now I can catch up and share photo’s and feel part of their lives again.

From a business point of view it is fantastic. I can promote my products Facebook and push people through to my web page and try to entice them to buy my products. The same can be said for all aspects of social networks. On the internet to undertake marketing, you need to go where the people are. You go to them and encourage them back, and Facebook is where they all are.

The reason I will argue for people to use Facebook or other social networking sight is because in business you have to do what your customer wants. If they want to have all the new flash things then you need to give them that. If your target market wants old and refined then that’s what you provide. In today’s world, we need to stay up to date with online marketing. It has the potential to bring in hundreds of thousands of people to our web site, shop, event or town. It cannot be ignored.

You can of course ignore if you want. You can say no to the new technology, but it will only have a detrimental fact on your business. Look at the Encyclopaedia Britannia, they ignored technology and were virtually whipped out over night when Windows bough out their own encyclopaedia on CD. They assumed people would prefer books, not a CD that could download up-to-date information from the internet.

We all use new technology every day. Most people have a computer. Don’t let it go to waste just because you don’t like something. To give an example of how much I rely on it, I use Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, a host of video hosting sites, Blogs, bookmarking sights, article networking, forums, classified sites and answer sites. When worked together I can promote myself to hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.

Can you really afford as a business not to have more customers?

Other than that you can just be social.

Try something new. It always feels great.

Terry Shadwell.

P.S Take a look at the blog, http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/ there you will find links to all my other pages, well, most of them anyway.

2009-10-25T13:21:00.001-07:00

Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again? No Way................

I love the way some songs can melt away the years and put right back at a fantastic time in your life. I have various songs that can transfer me back 20 years in an instant. One that comes to mind in Sweet Child O’ Mine by Gun n’ Roses. It takes me back to a wonderful summer with friends, the beach and long hot nights. Good God has it been twenty years?

A few weeks ago I wrote about letting go of the past and looking forward in life, and I still believe in that. However, I think it is important to remember our past, so that we don’t forget the important events that changed our lives. It is important to remember the lessons that we have learnt so that we don’t repeat them.

When my father was in his clothing business, he was leasing premises from a couple of people that had been bankrupt 5 times. How they even managed to get back into business for the 6^th time was beyond me. Anyone can go bankrupt in a business, and normally the first time many go bust it is because they still don’t know enough about what they are doing.

The second time someone hits the wall is because they are done over be a supplier or partner. For most people that is then it. They have learnt about the business, the industry and all the little tips and never go bankrupt again. However if some ones does go a third, fourth, fifth time it is because they haven’t learnt from the previous steps. They are unaware of what going on and are blindly repeating their mistakes, just like the old man’s friends. They never took the time to see where they went wrong and learn from their mistakes.

While it is important to learn from your mistakes, it is also important to learn from your successes. When something goes right you need to record it so that in the future you can do it again. That is how many people have become successful. They make sure that they learn from their mistakes and successes and then work to have more success than failure.

So how do we learn from our mistakes and successes? Every time something happens, review what happened, look to see what went right, what went wrong and if there was any way of improving what you did. Big businesses do that after everything they do, that way they refine their techniques and continue to improve.

So when the music takes you away again next time, look at what happened at that time. See what you can learn from it and how you can either avoid or repeat that situation. Mind you in saying that Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer takes to a time that even if I want to recreate, I don’t think my body could handle anymore. And as for Boys of Summer by Don Henley? Don’t ask.

See you next week.

Terry Shadwell

Stubbornness is a Virtue

2009-10-18T22:42:00.001-07:00

I got in trouble the other day for being stubborn. I get in trouble a lot for being stubborn but I had good reason this time. I set a goal a few years back that I would retire by 40. I was only in my twenties when I set this goal, but I was, and still am determined to be able to walk away from work by the time I hit the big four zero.

In just over 2 year I will be forty. For my goal to become a reality I need to be working and creating some extra income. That’s not hard, well, too hard anyway. But I got in trouble because my stubbornness refused to give in and say it was all too hard. I refused to give up on my dream.

Sure I admit that with a few of my extra cash ideas have not gone as good as I had hoped. But I know now that most of the reason that things didn’t work was because I didn’t have enough knowledge in the area I was working in. That has changed. However, now that I have learnt and continue to learn I can see a change ahead, and I refuse to give up.

I see too many people give up on their dreams and it really disappointing. There are too many people sitting around thinking about what they could have done if they had just continued, just learnt a little more, or just tried in the first place. Too many people living in broken dreams

No matter what happens, there is never a good enough reason to give up on your goals. You need to be committed and follow through at every step. To give an example I get up at six each morning and spend an hour and a half working on the business before I go to work. Then I will spend another hour after work doing a few more things.

It may seem like a lot of work but to me it is worth it. My focus on my goal is so strong that missing it will make me feel worse than any early morning ever will. The idea that I will have to continue to work until I am 67 fills me with dread. So I will continue to try and make money, save and invest.

I will say one thing though. While I am stubborn on not giving up my goal, I am not stubborn enough to ignore when something isn’t working. If thing don’t work then I will change my approach. Educate myself in the area I am working in, seek help, or change completely. Stubbornness and ignorance has never helped anybody achieve their dreams.

So do yourself a favour, no matter what your dream or goal, go for it and never give up. Never let anybody tell you you can’t do it. Be stubborn. And if people keep trying to tell you you can’t, get new friends.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. To show you that I can change, I shut down my web page over the school holidays. I do have a new page, but it is for marketing purposes only, but if you want to see it, go to http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com and grab the Blog Link Generator, it will take you to the new page.

P.P.S While at the blog, check it out, there are plenty of useful tips for making money on line.

Total Control Over You

2009-10-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more I hate in life than not have control over what is happening in my life. Don’t get me wrong I am not a control freak, and often I just like sitting back and going with the flow. However, I don’t like being told what to do. The main reason is I have the ability to make decisions.

Many people often feel powerless in their lives. They feel this way because they have feel that they have little control over what is going on around them. Decisions are being made without them and they feel as if things are spiralling out of control.

Often these people are also looking for something, or someone, to come along and save them. They want a knight in shining armour. They believe that before they can move out of their current situations they have to be given the opportunity. Unfortunately they are wrong.

The most powerful people in the world are not powerful because they have money or political power. They are powerful because they are not afraid to make decisions. They know that to get anything done in life they have to decide what is going to happen. They are aware that their decisions may not always make their lives better, but they also know that if they don’t make a decision then thing won’t change. So they are willing to take a chance.

You also need to be willing to take a chance. If you currently feel that you don’t have control over your life, then you need to stand up and start making decisions about what you want to happen. You need to decide what is best for you and take action. Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let the “what ifs” take the wind out of your sales. Take a chance and see where you end up.

You see when you are not in total control of your life; you miss the opportunities that are waiting for you. You are so focused on what is going on around you that you don’t see what else is out there. Once you make a decision, just like magic, doors open or it appears like that. In fact the doors were always open, you just couldn’t see them. Making a decision allows you to change your mind set and you go from saying I can’t to saying I can.

This happened to me when I decided to stop being a fitter and machinist and go to uni. While I was feeling stuck in my job, all I could think was, there was no way out. As soon, and I mean the very instant, I decided to quit my job and go to uni, all the problems that were stopping me disappeared and I all I could see was the answers. It was like a veil had been lifted.

And that has not changed in the last ten years. Every time I am faced with a problem, as soon as I make decision on what I need to do, not matter how big or small, the problem disappears and the answer comes. I stop thinking about choice I have to make, and start thinking about how to make that choice work out the best.

It will work for you too. Stop letting others run your life, take a chance, make a decision, follow it through and watch as new opportunities appear. What do you have to lose? If you don’t like where now, no one else is going to change it for you. You have the ability to do this and let’s face facts, if you don’t like the way things are now then any change has to be better. And the best thing? No matter how things work out, you can be proud that you made the decision that got yourself there. Now you can make another decision and continue to be control of your life.

What decisions have you been putting off?

Terry Shadwell.

www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Phoenix

2009-09-27T23:48:00.001-07:00

Phoenix

Over this week Year 12 Students from across the state will say goodbye to school for the last time. They will take the coming holidays to prepare for the HSC exam. Then they will be free for the first time to decide what they want to do with their lives. For some this will be a happy time, for others it will be a time of sadness as they are forced out of the comfort and predictable routine that school has given them for the last 13 years. For those who are worried about the future I offer you this, Death.

I say death, as the death card is the best card you can pull out of a Tarot deck. Death does not mean you face a horrible ending in the near future, in means change, new beginnings and transformation. It symbolises the end of an old cycle and beginning of a new. It tells you to learn from you past, let go of it and move on to the new a glorious future that awaits you.

No matter whom you are, a Year 12 student or not, you must always be willing to let go of the past and move towards the future. You can achieve nothing by sitting around wishing that things hadn’t ended. It stops you from seeing new opportunities in your life.

Too many people like to sit back and reminisce but it doesn’t achieve anything. Yes when you were younger things were better. Yes people had more respect for themselves and each other. Yes we could leave the doors open of a night time or when we went out. Yes it all looks better when we deny the awful truth of our past and paint it up better than it actually was.

But whether or not the past was better, it is still the past. It was good, but I would rather think about how good my future is going to be, rather than thinking about how good things were. All the people of this world that have everything they want in life don’t focus on the past they focus on what the future will bring.

So it is now time to change. Let go of old beliefs that may be stopping you from going forward in your life or business. Just because something has always been that way does not mean it has to be like that forever. Take a leap of faith and see what the future holds.

If you are a Year 12 student, I wish you the best of luck in everything that you do in life. You future is bright and brilliant and it has so much to offer. Keep your ideas fresh and new and don’t allow yourself to get into ruts or dwell on the past.

For those of us who are not finishing school, look around you and see what needs to put to rest and what needs to revitalised. Drop you old fashion beliefs and stop living in the past. Take a chance, do something new and live again.

I will end this week with a short quote that I came up with some time ago.

Tradition: A custom, habit, experience of regular occurrence followed by people to stupid to come up with new ideas.

All ways have a new idea

Terry Shadwell

P.S. the new page is up and running. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Stand Up for your self

2009-09-20T23:15:00.001-07:00

Last week we spoke about not fighting the system, rolling with the punches and going with the flow. Today I want to tell you the exact opposite.

Now I’m not here to retract what I was saying, in fact I still believe that you need to work with and use the system. What I want to tell you today is that no matter what happens to you in life there will always be a time when you will have to stand up for what’s right and what you believe in. Some times that will mean going against the flow of what others think are right.

Most of the time this will come when you have someone, whether they are a person, group, boss, company or government that is trying to bully you. Unfortunately in life we all face bullying in some way or form. It can have a really bad effect on people leading to stress, anxiety and physical sickness.

Most of the people that bully do so because it makes them feel powerful. They choose to attack people weaker than them and force them into doing what they think is right. It may be doing work for them, not saying something that should be said or trying to get you to accept their inappropriate way of life.

Bullies usually run in packs. They do this as they are not strong or brave by themselves. Individually they are cowards, but together they believe they have strength and power.

What they don’t realise is that no matter how big they are or how many there is, the moment you say no and stand up to them they lose their power. Oh they don’t back down straight away. They will scream and yell at you and make more threats but in the long run, as you continue to stand your ground they will lose steam.

Most big companies, governments and bosses love to throw rules and regulations at you. This doesn’t matter. They have little ground to stand on if they have been doing the wrong thing such as bullying you. They know this as well, that’s why they will make bigger and bigger threats. They are trying to bluff you in shutting up and doing nothing that will get them in trouble.

Now when you decide that you are going to stand up for yourself you need to be sure that you are not starting to bully back. You need to ensure that you are doing the right thing. In what may sound like an oxymoron you need to do use the system when standing up against it. Or in plain English, you need to use everything that is available to you when standing up to the bullies. Remember they are doing the wrong thing and you won’t make things better by doing the wrong thing back.

So make your stand. Say no to people trying to push you around. Ensure that you are doing the right thing and use the system to help you.

I know it can be hard but to use an old quote “it’s better to die on your feet than to live on your knees”.

Terry Shadwell

2009-09-13T22:31:00.001-07:00

A systematic approach.

When I was younger I tended to be a bit of a hot head. I would get angry quickly and always wanted to prove to people that my ideas and beliefs were right. I would argue black and blue and get angry when people couldn’t see my point of view.

Thankfully over the years I have calmed down and no longer need to fight the system. I believe that fighting the system gets you nowhere in life. In fact the most successful people in the world don’t fight the system, they use it to their own advantage.

If you have a look at the people that want to fight the system, they are normally angry young men and women that are being manipulated by other people and their ideas. All your student protests and Green Peace marches are carried out by people who believe what others tell them.

Now don’t get me wrong. I think it’s good that these people are passionate about their beliefs and they have brought about some changes. The problem is that these people are fighting the system and never have much to show for it. If they were to use the system then they would be so much better off, both in the amount of success that they would have and financially. This is what the organisers of protests and marches figured out long ago.

The heads of student protest and Green Peace have stopped fighting the system. They realised years back that instead of fighting the system they would use it, manipulate it and other people to their own advantage. They put out all of their documents and propaganda and get people angry and militant over various issues. They then get the mob to march, and get arrested while they sit back and watch and never get in trouble.

The organisers are also the people that do very well financially out of these organisations. When you look at most of the protesters, especially your radical greenies, they drive old cars, wear second hand clothes and struggle to make ends meet. The organisers have big flash houses and fly around the world in luxury.

In extreme circumstances this is what happens in terrorism. The heads of the major terrorist groups recruit angry young men, brainwash them and get them to die for the cause. The leaders stand back, take to glory and continue to live. The leaders use the system, the terrorist operative fights the system and dies. Take 9/11 as an example. Osama Bin Laden sits back and claims his victory while he sends young men to die. And I bet, that no matter how fanatical they may have been, in the last seconds of their lives as the buildings came hurtling towards them, they felt rather stupid that they had allowed themselves to be manipulated into killing themselves for such a piece of shit like Osama Bin Laden

While your life may not be so extreme I need you to ask yourself if you are fighting the system or working with it. I’m not trying to say that you shouldn’t stand up for yourself or to sell out yourself either. However, you need to make a decision on where you want to be in life. Are you fighting a cause because its important, or fighting just to fight?

Maybe it’s time to put down the gloves. If fighting won’t achieve your dreams it’s time to do something new. No matter what you are trying to achieve, use the system. Follow the steps, whether you like them or not and you will be more successful. If it was a running race, as a person using the system you would have run, accepted your medal and finished your shower, while the fighter is still arguing why the white starting line should be in brail for blind people. Your done and they can’t get started.

In simple terms, do you want to be right, or do you want to be successful?

See you next week

Terry Shadwell

P.S. The web page has been down and not doing much for a few months but it should be back up by the end of the week. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

2009-09-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

Your Wildest Dreams

2009-08-26T06:25:00.001-07:00

It can be funny how your life works out sometimes. The other day I was teaching my students about the Newcastle Earthquake. I was telling them how it felt to stand there as the quake struck when it occurred to me that on the 28^th December 2009 it will have been 20 years since that fateful day. It got me to thinking about where I was twenty years ago. It also got me thinking about who I was twenty years ago.

In 1989 I was 17 in fact I turned 18 only 6 days before the earthquake. I was a 2^nd year apprentice fitter and machinist working in a work shop at Warners Bay. I was still living at my parents house, still didn’t have my licence, and I was completely and utterly heartbroken as my girlfriend of the time had just left me.

I was your typical teenager. Loved hanging around with friends, going out late and just being teenage boy silly. I hated work and believed that music was the best thing ever invented (I feel the same way about both things still today). Yet all was not good.

Even though I was young and full of life I didn’t have to much going for me. I was directionless, had no ambition and severely lacked self confidence. I didn’t want to do any hard work and just wanted to skive off all day. I had no plans for my future and while I had, and still have, a great imagination, I had no dreams to follow.

While I know now, I never understood it at the time that that was why my girlfriend had left me. She didn’t want to hang around with some one that wasn’t ambitious and didn’t wanted to go out and explore life. Nor could I blame her. When I look back at who I was I wouldn’t want to date me either. Ok that just sounded weird.

Anyway, it is surprising what can be achieved in just ten years. In July 1999 I quit my job as a fitter and entered university undertaking a Bachelor of Business and later a Diploma of Teaching. By that time I had started to believe in my own abilities and had some pretty strong goals to follow. I had travelled and worked in England by myself and worked in the coal mines in Central QLD. Oh and I had my licence. Actually I had a few different licences, most for driving underground vehicles. I’m pretty wiz bang on a shuttle car.

Skip forward another ten years to now August 2009. I’m now heading towards 38 not 18. I currently work full time as a teacher of History, Geography, Commerce, Legal Studies, Retail Operations and Business Studies at Warren Central School. I have my Trade Certificate in Fitting and Machining, a Bachelor of Business majoring in both Management and Marketing, a Diploma of Education and a Certificate IV in Training and Development.

I have been to England, Fiji , cruised on the old Fair Star, plus visited numerous destination with in Oz. I also live in Central NSW in Warren and own my own house. I have two dogs, a cat and an over abundance of frogs.

I also run three different businesses, including window cleaning, a motivational business and a marketing business. I also write for two newspapers and I am a published poet. I have played drums in a band and was lead singer for the schools rock band.

I am now more confident than ever before, and have plenty of goals that I want to achieve. I have dreams of my future and know what I want to do. In fact I have been talking to people around Warren about doing a show next year with me being the headlining act. It will be a music show and I will be singing.

From a directionless child 20 years ago to what I am now, I don’t recognise myself. And all it took was a push, a wakeup call. It took a broken heart to shake my world and start moving forward.

Now I tell you all of this not to impress you but to impress upon you what you can achieve in life. There is no reason why you cannot go out and achieve everything you ever want in life. Set your goals, believe in yourself and start moving towards your dreams. It is possible to change your life, and remember that no matter where you are or what you are doing you do have one person that will always believe in you. Me. Because as they say, if I can do it, I know you can.

I’ll end today with one of my poems called 101 Ways.

Not only have I changed my spots,

I have also changed the cat inside.

See you next week.

Terry Shadwell.

The Big Bite

2009-08-16T23:16:00.001-07:00

Did I tell you that I have an amazing super power? I really do. It’s not a fantastic super power such as flying or being able to see through wall or anything cool like that, but it is still amazing. What is it? It is the power to stick a whole Big Mac in my mouth at once and, and this is the amazing part, I can still chew it and swallow it without having to take it out again. Your stunned aren’t you. I know how you feel. I was pretty shocked the first time I did it as well. So was the girlfriend I was with. Well I think she was amazed, she just could have been disgusted, I can’t really remember. It was about 20 Years ago when I first learnt of my powers , and I haven’t used them for about 19 years. Anyway I wouldn’t suggest that you try this at home if you don’t have super powers like me. Which brings me back to the main point of my article, don’t bite off more than you can chew.

In life we get busy and want to do as much as we can. We don’t want to miss out on things so we undertake a lot of tasks and sometimes we take on too much. I know how this feels. Currently I work full time, run a window cleaning business, run a web page for my motivational business, write for the newspapers, write and maintain two blogs (ones for the dog) plus I also need to do some marketing. This is all on top of my looking after the house, animals and finding time to relax. However I don’t think that I am doing too as I am able to fit everything in without an one area sufferings. But I can tell you that I will not take on anything else. I would then be over loaded and things will suffer.

I see people all the time running around like chickens with the heads cut off. They have taken so much on that they cannot complete any of their tasks. They get swamped by their work and slowly drown in the ever increasing load. I normally find two types of people that fit into area, people that will not trust another ability, and people trying to prove themselves.

The first group, who don’t trust others create their own work load. They take on far too much but don’t want to share the work load as they believe that no else will do it as good as them. I watch people like this all the time. They are struggling under all the weight but refuse to share the work or even ask for help. However what they fail to realise is that the quality of their work is now suffering due to the fact that they were rushed just to get it completed. If they just learn to trust others and ask for help they would be far better off.

The second group are the people out to prove themselves. They want to look like hero’s and take on as much as they can. They want to impress people and believe that by doing all the work that they will look intelligent, or reliable, or like they are Mr/Miss Perfect. They don’t want other peoples help as they are afraid that the helper may take some of their glory. However, the problem is that they will only work hard on the project that will give them to most glory, everything is swept aside and excuses made for why the work was never done.

In the long run it doesn’t matter which type of person they are, the results are always the same. Someone who can’t complete the work to a satisfactory standard and person that is extremely stressed. They see a breakdown in their relationships and start suffering illness from their stress. However it does not have to be this way. There are some simple ways out of this dilemma.

You need to reduce the amount of work that you are doing. The first thing is ask for help. Never be too arrogant to think that only you can do it. A good manager employs people that are better at him/her in a particular area. Then the manager can trust that person. The second method is saying no to more work. If you have enough on your plate, then say no to more. You don’t have t do everything and you will better off completing all your current tasks to a high level than only half of them or all of them to only as half as good as they could have been.

So in simple terms ask for help and lower your work load.

That is my plans over the next few months. I will lowering my work load and I will be asking for help to do some of the stuff that I currently do myself.

As for shovelling another Big Mac into my mouth, those days are long past. Well that is until my super powers again to save the world. And I promise to use my powers for goodliness and not rottenness.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. don’t forget you can follow me on my web page twitter, face book and my very own blog with a new video http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/ or you can follow the adventures of a over energetic Labrador at http://bassysblog.blogspot.com/

The Escaped Video

2009-08-13T05:55:00.001-07:00

I lot of people have been asking about the new course. So I though that I would give you a taste of what is coming. The course is taking a bit long than I would like, but that's so I can give you some really good stuff.

I found out the other day that a friend of mine that is an expert in photography is coming to visit. I have already spoke to her and she has agreed to share with me, and ultimately you an experience where everything went wrong for her a long way from home. She will tell us about how by changing her approach to the problem she went from a disaster to one of the best experiences in her life. I’m sure you’ll love it.

There is nothing better than relaxing.

Now I am the worse person in the world for keeping secrets. So I know that there will be more video slipping out over the next few weeks. So stay tunned.

If you would like you can sign up to receive an email about new video releases and when the new course is ready.

As I do not believe in spamming I will only send you emails about blog updates, new video’s and the new course. I will not sell you email address. I wouldn’t know how.

So if you want to learn how happiness can make you successful and give you everything you want in life. Sign up now.

Also don’t forget you can visit the web page www.livingyoudreams.webcitypro.com and grab your copy of my own ebook The Internet, eBay and Motivation. And the best thing is, it’s FREE.

Terry Shadwell

2009-08-09T23:33:00.001-07:00

Family Man

I got a nice surprise the other day. My parents, whom I believed to touring around the top end of Australia, appeared on my door step. The old man was quick (well as quick as the old guy can go now days) out of their bus and eager to show off his brand new beard. Mum, moving, shall we say, more gracefully, appeared out from the bus and came over. Mum was feeling a bit off and was losing her voice. Mum often loses her voice when she is feeling off, however I have also noticed that this happens when she is feeling stressed.

To cut a long story short, too late you say, we decided that it was easy to go out for dinner, have a few drinks and relax. As we sat around the table and joked and laughed, I noticed that Mums voice was returning and by the end of the night she had her voice back. This got me to thinking about the importance of family and the need to work out your differences and stay in contact with them.

I know that a lot of people have had problems with their family and that they want very little to do with them. It has been said before that while you can choose your friends you cannot choose your family. However the bond that you have with your friends is never the same that you have with family. And now matter how much you may despise some members of your family, there will be always that one person you have a connection with, whether it’s a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, parents or grandparents. That one person that you can talk too.

The benefit about talking to a family member is that they have a better understanding about you and your family than any friend ever will. Plus as you are keeping it within the family and you can whinge your little heart out without the worry that it will heard by the wrong people.

I believe that it is also important to mend to riffs in families. They are the people that we have a past with, the people you grew up with and know you the best. Even if you are angry over an event, you may find that the person you are displeased with may be missing you and upset that you are not talking. And the funny thing is that when you see that person again, if you have a good relationship all is soon forgiven and the problem is just water under the bridge.

However, always expect to fight with your family. Even now in my mature(?) years I still fight with my brother. We both need to be right and have things done our own way. While we done have the punch ups we use to when we were kids, we can get quite angry with each other. Then, five minutes later we can sit down have a drink together like nothing ever happened. The only person that gets upset is Mum, but she still rouses on both of us.

No matter what has happened in the past try to build a bridge back to your family. There are a lot of people out there that are disappointed that they never got the chance to clear the air with a family member or even got to see them again. Don’t an opportunity pass you by. You have the ability to take action. Don’t wait for the other person to do it, you could wait for a long time. Be humble and speak to them. It may not turn out the way you want, but unless you try you will never know. Who knows, it could work out great and you will be a lot better off for it.

I still like the opportunity to talk with my family and love having my Mum and Dad visit (mum will cook for me when she comes out, she even washed clothes for me last time). I know that they like coming to visit and that when they leave they always feel better. So do I. So reconnect with your family, take a chance, you never know you could make their day.

Terry Shadwell

p.s FREE BOOK, don’t forget to visit my web page to find out how to get your FREE BOOK. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Airlines

2009-08-02T00:10:00.001-07:00

This is what I also do for the papers. They print my articles and I give them a free word search. Now you can have it to. Just to make it fun there is always one silly one in there.

N A E R O K J A P A N S C L B A O

T H A I A I R W A Y S E R G R I C

S I N G A P O R E K S N I J I R G

Q N R E H T U O S A N I H C T N S

R O Y A L B R U N E I L U T I E Y

A I R V A N U A T U B R M H S W A

S E N I L R I A D E T I N U H Z W

A R I A A D U A L C D A P A A E R

V G A R U D A I N D O N E S I A I

L A T N E N I T N O C A A N R L A

P P H I L I P P I N E C N A W A T

C A T H A Y P A C I F I C H A N E

H E U L B N I G R I V R Y T Y D M

R I A M O D E E R F E E C F S M M

M A L A Y S I A F G B M G U V G U

C I F I C A P R I A C A G L W I L

Q A N T A S P T N O M O L O S S P

AIR NEW ZEALAND

AIR PACIFIC

AIR VANUATU

AMERICAN AIRLINES

BRITISH AIRWAYS

CATHAY PACIFIC

CHINA SOUTHERN

CONTINENTAL

FREEDOM AIR

GARUDA INDONESIA

JAPAN

KOREAN

LAUDA AIR

LUFTHANSA

MALAYSIA

PHILIPPINE

PLUMMET AIRWAYS

QANTAS

ROYAL BRUNEI

SINGAPORE

SOLOMON

THAI AIRWAYS

TIGER

UNITED AIRLINES

VIRGIN BLUE

I believe in you

2009-08-01T23:13:00.001-07:00

There is a FREE ebook this week if you want, you just need to read the article to find out how to get it.

I have to tell you something thing that you may find a bit shocking and even a little bit disturbing: I don’t drink tea or coffee. I know what you’re thinking, “how can you not drink them?”. Most people think that when I tell them and most, just like you, are stunned that a mature person does not drink tea and coffee. They find almost incredible that I am not foolishly addicted to caffeine just like them.

So why is it such a problem for many people? One simple answer, they cannot and will not allow themselves to believe that people may like something different than the rest of the “civilised” world. If I was to tell people I was a vegan or Muslim they would be more accepting, but they find it very hard to accept that an adult does not do what every other adult on the planet does. And if there is one thing I know people hate is being asked to question the beliefs that they hold so dear.

People can become very angry if you make them question their beliefs. They will defend them no matter how right or wrong they are. They are not prepared to let go of what could be the very foundation for their current life. Some, not all thankfully, can become very violent and take extreme actions if you dare question the fundamentals of their existence.

It is a shame people become so agitated over such minor things such as beliefs. Let’s face facts, what you and I believe on certain subjects will always vary and neither of us are right, and neither are us are wrong. But does it matter? Of course not, in fact having differing beliefs allows us the opportunity to see the world in another light, to be creative and do different things.

So the best way to get through is not to question other peoples beliefs, it is to be more accepting of them. Listen to anther persons point of view and be willing to question your beliefs and not theirs.

Tolerance and acceptance are some of the fundamental principles to having a great life. You will be more open minded and willing to roll with the punches when they come your way. Being tolerant accepting and willing to roll with the punches will also make you happier. You won’t get your nose out of joint when someone talks about something you don’t believe in, or if they don’t participate in what you want them to. You will have a chance to look at the situation from their point of view and respect them instead of getting angry and tell them that they are wrong and stupid.

Well that’s my belief anyway.

So next time you ask if I want a cup of tea/coffee and I politely say no, you will be able to see it from my point of view. Don’t get upset because I just want water, or that, unlike most people (you?), I can jump out of bed happy everyday without the need for a caffeine fix. That annoys people more than anything else.

Ok I’ll talk to you all next week. Keep smiling, help others and relax.

Terry Shadwell

p.s you can stay up to date with my motivational advice when you follow me on twitter, just look for terryshadwell (one word) and if you want a FREE copy of my ebook The Internet, eBay and Motivation visit www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com to find out how.

Let Your hair down

2009-07-19T20:56:00.001-07:00

When was the last time you really let your hair down and had some fun? If you can’t remember then I can tell you it has been far too long. I know that in this modern world we are all busy, but you can never allow yourself to be too busy to have fun.

The one thing really annoys me is the fact that as people get older they believe that they need to be more serious. They believe that they are not allowed to laugh at the childish things in life and it is important to be seen as an adult. What a crock of poo. You can’t be expected to find something not funny just because society expects that of you. That is just being unrealistic in the expectations you are placing upon yourself.

As children we all loved rolling down hills, skipping along holding hands and playing hide and go seek. I bet if your over the age of 20 you have done these things for a while (unless playing with your grandkids). Is there a real reason why you don’t do this things, I mean they were fun when you were younger, so why did you stop?

I Can see two main reasons why we stop doing the things we did when we were young. The first is you no longer find them fun? I can’t believe that for a minute. Ask and mother, father and/or grandparent and see if they have fun doing this with their children and see if they say no. They won’t because they enjoy it.

The second and the mains reason people stop playing their childhood games is because someone told you that you were now too old to play these games and that you had to conform and grow up. And I bet that ever since that day you stopped doing what you wanted and started to conform with what society expected of you. I don’t blame you, it good to fit in and be wanted, that is, if you like being the good little automaton like everybody else. Plodding through your day, checking your behaviour and making sure that you don’t do anything that will make you stand out in public.

Well I say to hell with that. The most successful people in life are the one that let their hair down, embrace their inner child and are prepared to standout. Stop being the same as everybody else and start being different. Skip to work, sing while you shop (I do) and let go of the expectations that you have put upon yourself. You only have one life, who cares what other people think about you, go have some fun.

And if other people don’t like your new attitude, just ignore them and keep on going.

I’m off now to have some fun and do what I want. I’ll catch you later, oh and if you see me shopping and I’m singing, come and join in.

Terry Shadwell

P.S The web page will be down for the next two weeks. There is a new video up there so shoot over and have a look. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Honesty

2009-07-13T00:41:00.001-07:00

Did I tell you that I am good looking? Not only that I am a millionaire, I have been into space twice ( as pilot of the space shuttle too), won an Oscar, directed Jurassic Park, been President of the U.S.A., and I currently holding talks with FIFA to get the World Cup in Warren. I am also a dud in bed!

I know you don’t believe me, and I don’t blame you. None of the first paragraph is true (except for the looks). It is all too farfetched to believe. No one in their right mind would believe anybody that makes such outrageous claims. So why do some people just keep filling our lives with such B.S.

Unfortunately some people can’t help it. They do it for attention. They need to be seen as being great and will say anything to make you think that they are perfect. The problem is that they then have to keep piling other lies on top of the original to try and make it stick.

Some lie to cover their mistakes or inability to do what needs to be done. They try to baffle us with lies so that we won’t see how much they are failing. They believe that they can keep people off their backs with lies long enough to fix the problem, but in the long run it all falls apart around them.

When the person it caught out for lying they then try to give more lies to get past it, tell us they were only joking or tell us we took it the wrong way. However that is the least of their problems. Once when somebody is caught out for lying they are never believed again. Their credibility is lost and it takes them a long time to regain the trust they have destroyed. That is, of course, that the liar actually realises that they have been caught out and people no long believe them.

The best way to make sure that you don’t get caught out is to never tell lies. Ok, I know, we all tell lies, the thing is don’t tell lies are going to make you look stupid. White lies to stop people from feeling hurt are not bad but don’t overdo them. However, try not to tell lies. It very hard to be caught out lying when you are telling the truth. Plus the truth is always far more interesting than lies.

The most successful business always try to be honest with their customers. People will always return to a business they feel has been up front with them. I have seen firsthand as a business owner lied to customer about delivery of products in an attempt to buy time. It all came unstuck and in the long run the customers left and the business failed. If they had just told the truth, customers would have understood and stood buy the business.

So be honest. Tell people the truth about yourself, and if in business, be honest about your product and what it will do for them. They will appreciate the honesty and will like you for the truth far more than the lies.

Ok that’s this week done. I’ll speak to you next week.

P.S. the web page is still undergoing changes, all the free stuff is still up, plus the new video. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Knowing When to Quit

2009-07-05T07:31:00.001-07:00

Knowing When to Quit

The other week we talked about the difficulty some people face in getting started in taking action in life. The lack of goals is one of the problems many people have in getting motivated. However, for people with goals that are driven to succeed they can face the problem of knowing when to say enough is enough and to quit.

Now before we go to much further I think it is important to understand that quitting does not mean failure. People need to know when to stop for two basic reasons, 1) they have achieved their goal, or 2) what they have been trying is not working and they need to re-evaluate their approach. Unfortunately while quitting isn’t failing not knowing when to quit is.

Let’s look at the first group of people, the they have achieved their goals group. These people have trouble, not in recognising that they have obtained their goals but in letting them go. Because a lot of people get so focused on their goals it becomes a major part of their life. When the goal is achieved in then means that they now have nothing to do or focus on. They can become aimless and depressed so they refocus back on what their achieved goal and keep going back over the same old thing. Lance Armstrong and Tony Lockett are people that have achieved their goals but have now have nothing to move onto so they try to recapture their former glory. They need to set new goals and set new challenges so they do more in their lives. The same goes for the everyday person, be happy that you have achieved you goal, let it go, set an new one and move on.

The second group are, of course, the people who fail to recognise that their current approach is not working. These people continue to go at their task hammer and tong failing to notice if they are achieving anything for their efforts. This group think that if they just continue down the same old path that someday everything will be better. Unfortunately these people are so determined to achieve their goal that they can’t let it go. It has become such a need that they will try forever to obtain it, even if it is forever out of reach. This group needs to know when something can’t be done, be happy with their progress and with what they have learned on their journey and take that to a new project or a new approach to an old problem.

I have been through so many situations in both categories it has been unbelievable. Finally I realised that I needed to change my ways, be pleased that I had achieved my goals, let go of some that were not working and change my approach to others. When I did that I found that my life was instantly better as I wasn’t chasing my tale and worrying about things that I would never achieve. Now I just take what I have learned from my mistakes and success and apply them to something new, helping me to be more successful.

I know if you learn to recognise when to quit you will be happier too. Be prepared and brave enough to say I have had enough, or this is not working. Learn from your efforts and move on. I know you have the ability to do this. You are all smart enough and I do believe in you.

And with that in mind it is now time to quit for this week. Talk to you next week.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. I have decided to quit what I was doing on my web page, take what I have learned and start again. The free tools, videos and books are still there but will be gone in a month, so be quick. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Blinded By The Light

2009-06-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had an epiphany? A true moment of clarity. I was lucky enough to have one last night. Well lucky in a sense, it was midnight and I want to head to bed when this moment of clarity hit me. While it was great to have, the timing sure did suck.

Anyway back to the point. I had been working all weekend on my business. I work all weekend because it is about the only time I get to work on it. With a full time job it can be hard to fit things in. But I digress. I had been working all weekend on getting the web page updated, recording some videos for the page and reviewing a book that I want to get up for sale as well. So late Sunday night while watching some TV I had recorded I was feeling rather burnt out and over the business. Then out of nowhere it struck me. This moment of clarity. For some strange reason I of a sudden knew that I was doing the right thing. I knew that this business was the right thing to do and that no matter what the set back I needed to continue.

So I am asking you a simple question so that I hope you may get some clarity in your life. Do you know what it is that you want to do? I hope you, however, if you don’t then you need to sit down and think about what it is in life that you want to accomplish. This not simple goals, but what you really want from life. My main ambition is to run a profitable business where I can motivate people and help them achieve their dreams. I want to be able to do from home and travel the world and assist people build a better life for themselves. I may not be there yet, but I know now that I will one day achieve my dream.

Let me ask you another question. What are you prepared to do to make your dreams a reality? A lot of people want to achieve in life but they have very little drive within them to get out and go after their dreams. They are afraid to take the risks that are involved with some of their dreams so they don’t even try. They seen it as it is better not to try than to try and fail. However, through education and knowledge a smart person can achieve their dreams by reducing the risk involved. That is why I continue to read about internet marketing and follow in the footsteps of those people that have come before me that have been successful. They took the risks, found the problems, and have now drawn a road map on how to achieve where they failed. I follow the map, I do not need to reinvent the wheel.

Now we have two points that you need to focus on, what do you want and what are you prepared to do to get it. Everyday I seen people answering theses questions. I see them walking early morning on the coldest morning in winter, running businesses to the wee hours of night, or facing up to job that they hate so one day soon they will have their dreams. This happen with millions of people every day. The only problem is there are still more people out there that have no idea what they want or they are too lazy or afraid to do what it takes to capture their dreams. I do not want you to be one of those people.

Today I want you to think about what you really want from life. You can use your goals to help you, but I want you to have an ultimate vision of what you want your life to be about. Do you want to be remembered by people as the best cleaner in the world, or would you rather be thought about as that people that cared for others, or was always friendly or lent a helping hand? Then I want you to think about what you are willing to do to make this dream a reality. What risks are you prepared to take? How are you going to lower that risk so that if things do go wrong, you can learn from it bounce back and continue to move towards you dreams?

Then I want you to put things into action, today. Don’t put things off, you never know when you may get another chance to do what you want to do. Then I want you to take steps everyday to move closer to your dreams. Seek help if you need it and learn from the people that have already walked the path you want to follow. I believe that you can achieve your dreams. I know that you can do.

Then you to will have you epiphany.

12:38 am. I better head off to bed. I will talk to you next week.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. I have overhauled the web page, dropped the price and added a who swag of goodies. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com . Take a look, the motivational course is designed to help you achieve your dreams.

Standing up to be counted

2009-06-21T22:56:00.001-07:00

Standing up to be counted

At least once in every person’s life they will be asked to stand up to take control of a situation and be a leader. For a lot of people this can be daunting. The idea that they are responsible for not only their decisions but for actions of other people can be very overwhelming. Some people will fold under the pressure and other will shine and become outstanding leaders. Through the years I have seen some fantastic leaders, where they were bosses or sport coaches, they knew how to draw the best out of people and encourage them to do the best they could. Then I have seen some people that have no idea about leadership and all they do is rub people up the wrong way and, for the most, are only interested in themselves and what they can get out of the whole situation. So today we will look at leadership and how you can utilise it to your life and the lives of those around you better.

The first trait of leadership is listening to people. A good leader listens to his/her staff or team to find out what are their strengths and weakness. Through listening to their staff a leader will discover what personal issues their staff are facing, what a person thinks of their own abilities and what goal aspiration and dreams a person has. Listening allows a leader to find out information that they wouldn’t normally get through a person’s work or through various evaluations. When a leader does not do listen to their staff they have little idea about why their staffs/teams performance is down, and then they have little chance on being able to help that person get through their problem.

Listen to the people around you then allows you to be more supportive of your staff. A good leader supports and encourages their staff through positive comments which then allows them to perform at their best. The old saying is you catch more flying with honey than vinegar, this is what a leader lives by. A leader get more from their staff by supporting them through the hard times whether it is a work related matter or a person issue. An offer of support is always welcomed by people in need. Leaders also encourages their staff and rarely yell at them. They never put them down or belittle them. A leader talks to staff about mistakes they have made and works together on a solution. They thank their staff for their efforts and encourages them to try harder through challenging them to do better for better rewards. When a leader shows no support or yells everyday at their staff, the staff moral is low, there is high absenteeism and productivity is down. The staff will offer no support to the leader as they get none from them. Remember you get back what you put out.

Another important aspect of a leader is that they motivate their staff to achieve their goals, even if their goals are not related to the business. A leader realises that their staff have dreams and aspirations and by helping them achieve their goals the staff will be happier. Happier staff means better performance. Another reason to motivate staff to go for non-business related goals is because a good leader will see the opportunities to integrate the staffs goals with the business goals. For example a worker wants more money, the company can help by providing more over time, or providing extra training so that the person can move up in the company to a high paying job. This is a win-win for the business and the staff. When the leader ignores or belittles the staff members dreams because they are not related to the business the staff are less likely to try and achieve anything making for unhappy staff and less production.

A leader must also at times make the hard call and do things that can make them unpopular. A leader works the good of everybody and not just their personal gain. The coach of a team has to choose players on their performance. Players are often dropped if they are not up to scratch, even if they were the best player last week. They choose what is best for the team. A leader recognises that playing or not playing someone one personal feelings is foolish and will damage team moral. Leaders that cannot make the hard calls often run inefficient businesses as they are not willing to take responsibility for their actions.

The final area that we will look at is admitting mistakes. A good leader knows when they are wrong and admits to it. As a leader you need to take the good with the bad. While a leader gets to stand up at take all the glory, they also need to step back and take criticism for when they do the wrong thing. They need to admit to the problem, then take steps with the staff to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. If the leader has not got the support of the staff this will be hard, but if you have been supporting your staff, then they will be more forgiving and more willing to help you out. Plus when you make a mistake, as a good leader you will be willing to listen to advice from staff that will help solve the problem. Poor leaders try to cover mistakes, blame other people and even ignore that problems exist.

So I want you to be able to look at the tips above and try to implement them into your life. A good leader does these things everyday regardless, not when they just have to. Being a leader is quite simple to do and can be done every day. Listen to the people around you, support them and encourage them and never belittle them, motivated them and help them achieve their dreams and be willing to say that you were wrong.

If you try this every day you will soon become good a good leader and you will see a massive in change in your life, in how you now think and what people now think of you. Remember it not what happens to us in life that people judge us, it is how we respond. You won’t be perfect straight away but you do need to keep on trying and if things go wrong try again because you can only get better. To quote David Lee Roth “Stand up, the more you do it the less you fall down.”

Terry Shadwell

p.s. I have recently revised my eBook, The Internet, eBay and Motivation and put it back out for sale. A great little book that is now for sale either through eBay, or through my web page www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com. Check it out, it is all about how I started to create success in my life.

Be The Best That You Can Be

2009-06-14T23:11:00.001-07:00

Be The Best That You Can Be.

I was watching the news the other night when they started talking about the young Portuguese soccer play Ronaldo. He had just switched teams from Manchester United to Real Madrid and will be receiving $400,000 per game. That means that every 3 weeks he will make $1.2 million. That’s a lot of money in anybody’s language. That money does not include all the money he will make from endorsements, advertising and interviews which will also run into the hundreds of millions. Then there is all the benefits that come with his position such as being flown around the world and staying at the best hotels at other peoples expense, just to name a few. The funny thing is, if you think Ronaldo is earning a lot then spare a though for David Beckham, he still earns more.

So how do these people do it? How do they end up getting so much money? Were they just lucky? Were they just in the right spot at the right time? Were they driven to be rich? Well the simple answer for these questions is no. They make a lot of money because they have become the best that they can be in their chosen area. If they had chosen to focus on making money then they would never have made it. The same can be said for musicians, actors, business people and you.

You will never make money by focusing on money. It may sound funny but you can’t be good at money. You can be good at playing a sport or running a business but you can’t be good at money. Even a stockbroker isn’t good at money, they are good at reading the stock market and evaluating everything that comes their way, that’s when they make money. Money is an item just like a TV. You can be good at being TV and money is just the same. So you need to work at being good at doing or making something, that’s is when you will start to see the rewards.

Take a good builder, he builds a good house and he will probably get good money for it. Now take a fantastic builder, he will build a fantastic house and get fantastic money for it. The good builder can’t ask the same price for his house as the fantastic builder because it is only good not fantastic. To get the same money as the fantastic builder the good builder needs to improve his workmanship, his tools, his knowledge and so on. The same can be said for you.

You can’t expect to be paid fantastic money or be given opportunities if you are not prepared to continually improve yourself and be the best that you can be. If you are just mediocre then that is the type of money and opportunities you will get. The more skilled workers will be given more chances to make more money through promotion or being whisked away by other firms that recognised their talents. If you want that to happen to you then you need to be better.

You have to always remember that the people that have passed you by and are now earning more money, not because they focused on being rich, but because they focused on being the best they could be at their job or sport, etc. So you need to ensure that you keep on learning and keep applying you knowledge and effort to everything that you do. If you do you will see that the better you become the more opportunity to make money will appear.

When you focus on making money you are not working on being the best in your chosen area. You look at ways of making or saving money, ignoring that talents and skills that will help you make money. You don’t need to go out searching for money and hoping that it will make you good. Money is out there looking for you, and it will come when you have made yourself good. Ronaldo isn’t a good soccer player because they pay him a lot of money. He gets a lot of money because he is a good soccer player.

There is no reason you cannot earn as much or even more than Ronaldo and Beckham combine if you become the best in your chosen area. So don’t focus on becoming good at money, focus on becoming good at something that will earn you a lot of money.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. The web page www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com is almost ready for its relaunch. With that will come my live shows. For more information please log on to the free members page and stay up to date with the latest developments as well as all the free goodies.

2009-06-08T01:26:00.001-07:00

I must have tried about 15 different ways to start this article. I tried various stories, quotes, some song lyrics and even a picture, but nothing was working. I wanted to take time today to tell you how you can make yourself immune to failure yet I was failing at writing the very words to do so. I was sitting here thinking about how I was failing when it struck me that I wasn’t failing, I was just trying different methods of getting the article started. And that is the essence of being immune to failure.

Failure occurs when you do not learn from your mistakes. Try this example, you try to drive in a nail with the handle of a hammer and find it doesn’t work . That’s ok it is a mistake and we all make them, now you have to choices on how to get the nail in. The first choice is you keep on going and see if you can get the handle to do the job for you. This is failure. This is where you have not learnt from your mistakes and keep going blindly. The second choice is you turn the hammer around and use the head to drive in the nail. Whether or not the nail goes in is not important, the fact that you learnt from your mistakes means you haven’t failed. So you saw what was wrong and tried something new. You may try other ten times to get that nail in, but as long as you learn every time something goes wrong and take steps to fix it you will never fail

It took Edison 20,000 attempts to get the light bulb working. When asked about his failure he simply replied “I didn’t fail, I just found 20,000 method of not making the light bulb.” Every time something didn’t work he simply changed his approach and tried again until he got the bulb working. If he had not learnt from his mistakes then he would have failed, and this can be easily applied to your life.

It doesn’t matter whether it is in business, at work, at school or in life in general, you need to take notice if what goes wrong. You then need to examine what caused the problem, what can be done to fix it and how you can prevent it from happening again. Learning from the mistakes and fixing them. But if you just keep on doing the same thing and not learning from your mistakes then you will be doomed to failure for the rest of your life.

The only other way to fail is never trying in the first place. People that sit back and watch life go by, to afraid to do anything in case they fail have already failed. You need to take action take action in your life an try things. You avoid talking to that active woman because you’re afraid that you’ll look like a failure if she turns you away. Unfortunately you have already failed by sitting there and doing nothing. At least if you talk to her and she says no, you can review what happened and then try a different approach with somebody else.

Learning is the key. Learn what went wrong, learn how to fix it and learn how to ensure that it never happens again. This is how you make yourself immune to failure.

So now I have finished the article. I thought when I started that I would never get it done. However I was not prepared to give up. That would have been failure, just if I had tried to keep writing with the same open that wasn’t working. By changing my approach and my ideas I have now been successful.

So the next time something goes wrong don’t throw up your hands and walk away or keep trying the same thing if it’s not working. Change your approach and look at the problem differently. At the very least you will learn what is not working.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. As I have already told you the web page is undergoing major overhaul. It should be finished soon, however in the mean time don’t forget the free members page. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

2009-05-31T23:19:00.001-07:00

It funny when I talk to people about what they want in their lives many do not have a clue about what they want. They have no idea about what they want to achieve or what they should do to get more into their lives. Most know that they what more but just not they want. They are aimless and living pretty much day to day.

Then I meet some people that are driven. They are driven to succeed and know what it is that they want in their lives. They live with passion and have exciting lives. Plus they are so determined to succeed that they will not let anyone or anything stand in their way. They will achieve their dreams no matter what.

Why is there such difference in people? The simple answer is goals. The people that are determined to succeed have goals the aimless people do not. The successful people know what they want, when they want it by and how they will achieve it. They take steps, no matter how small, to move closer to their dreams.

What you need to remember as well is that the successful people are not always the most educated. In fact there is no relation between your level of success and you level of education. Some of the most successful people today did not finish school. The top sportspeople in the world get millions and many failed school, so education isn’t a factor. However what is important is their drive and determination to succeed at all costs. They knew what they wanted and they moved heaven and earth to get it. In short they set their goals and went out and achieved them.

So what are goals? A goal is something that you want to achieve in life. It can be such things as plasma screen TVs, houses and cars or it could be losing weight, changing your beliefs or trying something new. It doesn’t matter what your goal is as long as it is something that is important to you and motivates you. The more important a goal is to your the more likely you are to achieve it.

The power of goal setting is indisputable in the area of success. Let’s face facts, you cannot be successful if you don’t know what you want to achieve. Most people in business understand this, that is why they set specific goals on such things as how much they want to earn, how they will expand their products and locations and how they will ensure customer satisfaction. When they know what they want to achieve then they have a better chance of making things work for them. In Australia most business have five year goals and are reviewed every six months. In Japan they have 200 year goals for the business and they who company is working towards them, and they are achieving them.

Asides from a business goals are important for the average person. Take a person that is wants to lose weight. They may be unhappy about their size but still feed their face every day with rubbish and drink soft drink. They have no determination to do anything about their size. Take the same person but now they are getting married in six months. They will be out will be out walking every day, changing their diet and taking every step necessary to loos that weight. Why the difference? Because not they are motivated to look good for their weeding day. They have set a big goal and they want to make sure that they achieve it. Plus that goal is so important to them that they will do whatever it takes to achieve it.

This week I am going to set you a little task. I want you to take 10 minutes to set out your goals. I want you to write down everything that you want in life. However make sure that it is things that you really want. If you don’t want to go to Paris then don’t put it on your list. Then again if you want to go to Spain then that goes on your goal list. The more important your gaols are to you then you will be more motivated to achieve them. Take time write out what you want and by when you want it, then every morning look at your list and see what you can do to move you one step closer to your dreams.

I look at my goals everyday and make sure that I am always moving towards them.

Next week we will look at how to make yourself immune to failure.

Terry Shadwell

p.s. Over the next few week all products on the web page will be unavailable for sale while the site is reviewed. However the free membership page is still up and running and we are adding more all the time. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Success

2009-05-24T14:40:00.001-07:00

Now that we have finished our ten steps to make you feel better I thought it would be a good time to look at how we measure success. Success is something that most people crave and yet a lot of the time people feel anything but successful. So we will look at why success is not that hard to achieve and why you are actually successful already.

How do most people judge success? Is it being famous? Is it being rich? Is it being the boss of a major business? Well let’s look at who we judge as being successful. Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Huge Jackman, Nicole Kidman and the list goes on. This people are considered to be some of the most successful people in the world but do we all need to reach their levels before we are successful? I say no.

Let’s look at another way to look at success. Being successful means that you are feeling happy about the outcomes of whatever it was you were trying to do. That can be becoming a famous movie star right across to weeding the garden. It is not up to other people to decide whether or not you are successful but up to you to know when you are successful. If we all had to be rich and famous to be successful then most of us would be feeling a lot like failures every day. Thankfully that not the case.

Being successful is actually quite easy to achieve and does not require you to be a house hold name. Go back to when you were 3 – 4 years old. How did you feel the first time you were able to dress yourself or tie your own shoe laces? I bet you felt pretty successful. What about the first time you asked somebody out on a date and they said yes? I bet you felt incredibly successful. Then there was the first time you got a job, your licence, finished uni, got married, had kids and so on and on. These were major points in your life where you can sit back and be proud of yourself for achieving what you were trying to do. In simple terms you had been successful.

You have been having success all your life and you’re not a movie star. The fact that you can put food on the table every night make you a success. The fact that you can provide food, shelter, clothing, warmth and love to you family makes you very successful. There are a too many people in the world that can’t even that. They struggle everyday to find enough food to feed their family. They see success as just surviving from day to day.

Then there are the people that have had a suffered major health complications or have been in serious accidents . For some of them success comes from being able to walk, chew their own food or to be able to speak again. For some the fact that they can breathe again on their own is a major sign of success for them. They don’t care about money or fame, they just want to get back to what we see as average.

Even some movie stars do not feel successful. Many actors and actresses are never happy with their own performances no matter what we think. Many suffer from depression. They have everything we think that makes a person successful and yet they are still unhappy. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Rowan Atkinson stated that he was never happy with his acting and that the only time help felt truly successful was when he received his truck licence.

So how do we make ourselves feel successful? Easy, the first thing we need to do is change our ideas of success. We need to realise that success does not come from doing something major in life, it comes from the everyday tasks we achieve. It starts when we start feeling happy about achieving the small things in life as well as the big. When you have finished cleaning the house take time to feel happy about achieving your outcomes. Same with that report you need to write or garden to weed or presentation you need to make. If you can feel successful about doing the small things you will make your life so much better.

To give you an example, I feel extremely successful about writing this column every week. I get to help people feel better about themselves and have a better life. That makes me feel great. However, I feel successful just finishing writing the report, because it means that I have achieved my desired outcomes and can feel proud of myself. I’m not rich or famous but I feel successful. Plus you need to remember you get back whatever you put out. If you put out success it will come back to you.

So to recap, if you want to be successful you need to change how you judge success in your life. Does success mean that you need to be being rich and famous or can you feel successful knowing that you have the ability to tie your shoe laces each morning. You need to learn to celebrate the small things in life as well as the big. You also need to remember that success come from being happy with the outcomes of what you set out to do.

And as I said at the start, I think you are successful already because you have achieved so much already. So take a moment to sit back and think about all the things you have achieved and feel proud of yourself. You put in the time and effort, be pleased with what you have done.

To help you with building upon your success next week we will look at the power of goal setting, then the week after that we will look at how ensure that you are always successful by making you immune to failure.

Terry Shadwell

P.S most people seem to be unaware that I have a web page. In fact I have a couple. The main site in www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com . My other site is a blog site where all my articles are posted, so if you miss an article or would like to reread one you can find it at http://terrenceshadwell.blogspot.com or just type Terrence Shadwell into Google or Yahoo and see what pops up.

All My Blogs

2009-05-24T06:48:00.001-07:00

I have quite a few blogs that I like to put to. They all say the same thing but it helps to get my name out there, and in the world of marketing this is important. Over the next few weeks we will have a look at internet marketing in a simple manner and how to get it working for you.

http://moneywealthcash.blogspot.com/

http://mywealthheath.blogspot.com/

http://mymoneyandmotivation.blogspot.com/

http://greatmoneyideasnow.blogspot.com/

http://wealthwheniwant.blogspot.com/

http://liveyourfuture.blogspot.com/

http://terryshadwell.wordpress.com/

http://terrenceshadwell.wordpress.com/

http://shadwellmotivation.wordpress.com/

http://shadwellmotivation.blogspot.com/

http://tshadwell.blogspot.com/

http://moneymakersanonymous.blogspot.com/

http://terryshadwellmotivation.blogspot.com/

http://terrenceshadwell.blogspot.com/

http://terrenceshadwellmotivation.blogspot.com/

http://shadwellsuccess.blogspot.com/

http://terryshadwell.blogspot.com/

http://terrenceshadwellsuccess.blogspot.com/

Over the next few weeks I will add more. And thanks to modern science I only have to send one email and it goes to the entire list.

Terry Shadwell

Don’t forget www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Fun Fun Fun

2009-05-20T06:27:00.001-07:00

This is just a quick post to remind you that you are great. I know it may sound a bit funny but everyday it’s nice to be told again that you are great and a wonderful person. Any time you are down you just need to remember how good you really are. You can achieve anything. Just keep on smiling and have a great day.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the web page www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com . It will be going over a major overhaul and we will be offering a motivation program that will be very hard to resisit.

The Butterfly Ball

2009-05-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

Step 10 Love

Today we look at our last step to success, love. Love is the most powerful emotion that we as human beings have. Love will drive a person to do more than any other emotion. It is the emotion that we all want to feel and we will do anything to get it.

Why do we want love so much? The feeling of love gives us a natural high and makes us feel wonderful. It makes us feel alive and that we can conquer the world. It fills us with happiness, allowing us to see the world in a better light.

It also makes us feel instantly successful. We can stand tall and proud knowing that just by being who you are someone else thinks that you are the best thing earth. And let’s face it, you are and don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

The best thing about love is the state it puts us in. The successful happy feeling that loves gives us, helps to open our eyes to more possibilities. Now that you are looking at the world differently you will see more than ever before and you will also being willing to take more chances.

The best thing about love is that it does not have to come from only one source. The love shared between couples is normally the love that sends us soaring into the stratosphere. There is nothing better than spending time with that special someone. Starring into their eyes and holding them close. Then when you are away from them your thoughts are consumed by their smile. You try to be a better person because of them and do more to impress them. You lose weight, take that promotion and start living life again. However this is not the only area in which we get love.

The love shared between a parent and their children is also incredible. Most parents live a wonderful life feeling incredibly successful because of their children. Just as like with your partner, you work harder to be a better person for your children. There is nothing better than watching them smile and grow through life. Receiving that hug and kiss from your child each night is fantastic and fills you with unparalleled joy.

For those that do not have a partner or children, they are not left out of the equation. There is also the love shared between people and their pets. Just like your partner or children, you also love to make you pets happy and do more them. You also enjoy the fact that they think you are the best person in the world. They make you feel needed and they also love you. I love it when my cat jumps on my chest and falls asleep feeling safe and secure. I also know my Labrador thinks I am the bestest foodage bringer person in the wholest world. And I love his floppy ears.

It doesn’t matter from where, who or what you receive love as long as it is important to you. If you can get it from all three then that's great. If you receive it from just one source, then that’s great as well.

Just remember, to get love in your life you must first put love out. You will not get love if you hide your emotions away. We often hold back in showing our love because we are worried about getting hurt, but what good is a life without risk. Would you rather not take the risk and never get to know that person or would you rather take the risk and have a chance of getting to know them. They may say no, but at least you know where you stand and can move on. So if you love someone, then take a risk, show them some love and then you can move on from there. Don’t let another day go by thinking “if only.”

Well that’s it for the ten steps to success. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you. This is not the end however. I will be back next week looking at what success means to you, then I will look at some easy steps to make money on line.

Until then, smile, laugh at yourself, make others feel good, relax, be proactive, stop being jealous, continue to learn, exercise, let your emotions go and love.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. Over the next month I will be revising the Living Your Dreams web page. I will be adding products and getting rid of some. So if there is anything that you like it would be best to grab it before its gone, www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

These Tears I Cry

2009-05-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Step 9 Letting Go Of Your Emotions

One of the major steps in making yourself feel successful is ensuring that you do not hold in your emotions. That doesn't mean that you want to get angry in public and star ranting and raving. It means that you cannot afford to bottle your emotions and let them build up in side you. You need to find a place to let them out.

The first emotion you need to let out is anger. Letting anger build up inside you is not at all healthy. When you become angry and hold it, you then carry that anger throughout you entire day taking it out on people that have not done anything to deserve it. When you are angry at people for no reason, they become angry with you and your day just continues to goes downhill.

Plus holding in anger makes you tense and can lead to stress. I don't know how many doctors I have heard talking about stress and the health problems it causes. All I do know is that it is not good.

There are plenty ways of letting your emotions out as well. The first one is going for a walk or exercising. Exercise is good for de-stressing. Exercise helps to lower any aggression you may are feeling. You will burn up adrenaline and get a boost of positive energy (Potter-Efron, 2005).

As you exercise you can work through you problem and sort out your issues. Plus, I know that I have said this before, but a good punching bag is invaluable. If you attack it with all of your pent up anger you will soon find it gone.

Another way to let your emotion out is by having a good cry. Crying is one of the best healthy ways to get out suppressed emotions. Crying releases endorphins which are hormones that act as both mood elevators and pain killers. That’s why you feel much better after crying.

There is nothing wrong with having a cry either. I know that the older I get the more emotional I become and I must admit I am becoming a big softy. If I see a story on the news about an animal being hurt I am crying in seconds. However I have no problem with this because it allows me to get my emotions out.

If you don't feel like exercising or having a cry then you need to talk to someone about your problems. You need to find a friend that you can talk to and let it all out with them. I know that sometimes it can be hard to find someone to talk to, but that doesn’t mean that you are all alone. It does not matter if you are religious or what religion you are, you can always confide in a priest. They are trained to talk to people and help them out. Plus they care.

If you don't feel like talking to them you can also contact Help Line (http://www.helplines.org.au). They will listen to any problems that you have. They are trained professionals and most of them have been through similar problems so they are talking from experience.

Whatever way you choose in unimportant as long as you don't hold your emotions in and let them start causing you health problems.

That’s it for this week. Next week will be our final in our ten step program, but it will not be the end of this column.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. Don’t forget the web page www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com . Over the next few months I will be adding a lot more.

Chewing the Fat

2009-04-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Step 8 Exercise

To two words in the English language that most people do not like to hear, they are diet and exercise. Why? Because many people see diet as having to go without the things they love, and exercise as something that will cause them pain. However both can be quite pleasurable and good for you.

A good diet (and not the fad diets from the trashy magazines) can help you lose a lot of weight, but it does not mean that you need to go without the foods you love. A good diet will take into account the various foods you need to eat and allow you to still retain some of the more pleasurable foods. They deal more with moderation than starving. I would suggest seeking out a qualified dietician if you are serious about losing weight.

Regardless of what people think about exercise, it can be a lot of fun. First of all it helps you to lose weight. That is enjoyable just by itself. There is not better feeling than knowing that your clothes are now too big for you. Plus as you lose weight you can do more. It’s not that hard to climb stairs or to walk a few steps.

Exercise can also be very sociable. If you are playing sport on a team it is a very social activity. You get to meet new people, feel part of a team, run around and lose weight and have a laugh and a chat at the end of the match. You can also make some good friends though sport. I still see people from my old football team even though I have not played for nearly ten years.

Exercise doesn’t have to revolve around a sporting team either. Just going for a walk with friends can be just as good. Walking and talking, it is great fun. You lose weight and catch up with what has been happening in your friend’s lives.

However if you are like me and like to go out and walk or run by yourself then there are still plenty of benefits. Exercise gets you blood pumping around your entire body, including your brain. I find when I am out running that my brain works the hardest. On some of my runs I have come up with some of my best ideas.

Exercise is also good for de-stressing. It gives you the opportunity to work out your problems as you walk or run. Exercise helps to lower any aggression you may also be feeling. If you really want to de-stress and get rid of any aggression, get a punching bag. They work a treat, trust me.

The final reason for exercise is sex. This is a double whammy. The fitter you are the better the sex you can have. However, the best thing about sex it is a physical activity that can help you lose weight (unless you get pregnant), be more sociable, get your brain working, and help you de-stress.

No matter how you exercise you will feel better about yourself. You will sleep better and feel more energised throughout your entire day.

So get out and get active.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. If you want to feel more motivated to exercise than visit www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com and grab the Living Your Dreams Motivation Course.

A World of Knowledge

2009-04-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Step 7 The power of Learning

Welcome back. This week we are looking at the importance of continued learning and how it can shape your life.

I’ll make a distinction between learning and education from the start. Education is based around a formal academic environment. Schools, TAFE’s and Universities. It relies on theory and exams on issues that you rarely care about and has little relation to the real world, except for the ability to read, write and count.

Learning on the other hand is what happens in the real world to real people. Learning comes from your everyday experiences and through reading such things as newspapers and book. There are no tests and very little theory. Most of what you learn comes from trial and error and the desire to gain a better understanding about a topic you are interested in.

The most important aspect of learning comes from the ability to learn from your mistakes. In life we all make mistakes, that's a part of being human. However, to many people fail to realise what went wrong and go back and do the same thing again ending up with the same results. They didn’t take time to review their situation and learn from the event. If they had they would have seen what went wrong, changed what they were doing and tried again, most likely have a better success.

The top businesses in the world do this on a daily basis. They review how things went for the day and then implement changes to insure that things go better the next day. If they didn’t they would be out of business very quickly. So you need to be looking at what you are doing on a regular basis and be ready to change if it is not working for you.

Another aspect of learning in opens up your mind to new possibilities and to change. Whether it is learning from your mistakes or through reading you start to see the world differently. You start to see more possibilities and opportunities. If you learn about investing or motivation or how to play tennis, you now have a better understanding of how these things work. It gives you a chance to do something in that area that you have never done before.

It also allows you to accept change easier. Now that you have more knowledge in a certain area you will be more willing to give it a try. Take investing in houses. Most people have little idea of what they should do when investing into house. However, if they read a few books, attend a few seminars and seek some help, they will be willing to change their ideas about investing in houses and give it a shot.

The last issue about learning is that it helps to de-stress. People get worked up and anxious about things they don’t know about, or when they have made a mistake. By learning about that area or reviewing their mistake people come to find that it wasn’t about bad as they first thought. They don’t feel as worried and they can more on and try something new.

So learning is important. It helps you to stop making the same mistakes over and over again. It helps you to accept new ideas and change into your life. It can also help remove stress from your life.

To be successful in life you need to be able and willing to learn. Remember Richard Branson, Donald Trump and Bill Gates never finished their formal education, but they went out and learned what they needed to be successful. They made their mistakes, but they only made them once.

And there is no reason you can’t be as successful as them. You just need to learn what they did.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. The new Living Your Dream eBook Pack 1 is now available at www.ivingyourdreams.webcitypro.com . 15 eBooks on how to make money on line.

The Green Eyed Monster

2009-04-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Step 6 Ridding yourself of Jealousy

Don’t you just hate how other people have more than you? They have a bigger house, flasher car and more money than you. It just plain sucks doesn’t it? Couldn’t you just hate them?

Well if you answered yes to the above questions it means that you suffer from jealousy, and it can be a big problem. You see jealousy distorts our view of the world and corrupts our moral beliefs. Let me explain.

If we become jealous of somebody because we don’t have what they have we can very quickly become angry with that person. Jealousy stops us from thinking rationally; we just get angry because it is easier to do. The problem then is once you are angry with a person it can quickly lead to hatred. You hate them because they have what you don’t. By now jealousy has corrupted you your mind totally and for some people they drop all their moral beliefs and seek revenge on the people they are jealous of.

However through all of this we did not stop to ask some very simple questions. Such as, why does this person have more? What did this person do to get where they are? We just decided that the person who has everything we want was somebody to hate. It was quicker and simpler then to ask another simple question. What do I need to do to have what they have?

Jealous people don’t want to ask the tough questions. They want to hate other people who have more than them and blame the successful people of the world for their problems. They want to sit back, do nothing and expect that the world owes them a living. The fact that other people have worked hard to achieve all they have does not entre their minds.

In the long run jealous people just end up wasting time on being jealous and never achieve anything. Yet this does not need to be the case. We need to get past being jealousy and move to envy. Where jealousy shuts our mind down envy opens it up to new possibilities.

Envious people don’t hate others for having more; they seek out successful people and ask them questions. What did you do to achieve your success? How long did it take you? How hard did you work? How can I achieve the same results? And, can you show me how to be successful like you? Most people will be happy to show you and willing to help you to achieve. Why? Because most of them were once in the same position as you and they too moved past jealousy and embraced envy.

Envy can be great for motivation. It pushes you and drives you to succeed. Envious people realise that the only way that they are going to be successful in life is if they go out and make themselves successful. Just like I know that you can go out and make yourself successful.

So let’s stop hating people that have more. Stop sitting back and blaming them because we did not go out and do the hard work to achieve what they have. Let’s stop being jealous. We will become envious. Start asking questions on how we will be successful. Start asking the people that have what you want how they achieved it. Seek out their guidance and support. And we will work hard and take the steps to success.

See you next week.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. Don’t forget the eBook, The Internet, eBay and Motivation is up for sale for only $1 at www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com plus your free eBook and budget planner are available in the free members area.

Smart Money

2009-04-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to take a break from our ten step program. Today I want to talk about your financial intelligence, and how important it is to raise your knowledge about money. The more you know and understand about money the more likely you are to become rich.

As a school teacher I believe that a good education is fundamental to being successful in life. However, I do not believe that a formal based education such as school and university is the only education a person needs to be successful. People need to have an education in finance and creating wealth.

The reason this is not taught in schools and universities is because students need to learn more important aspects of life such as English and maths. Your education in financial intelligence has to take place outside of these institutions and it is something that you are responsible for.

What is financial intelligence? I’m glad you asked. It’s not just about raising your knowledge about money, but gaining an understanding of how money works and how you can get money working for you through saving and investing.

You see one of the biggest problems people have is that they over spend. Most people live on 110% of the wages. That means they spend it all and then use credit cards. The main reason that this happens is because they have very little idea about where they are spending their money and how much they are spending.

A sad fact of life is most people do not keep a budget. They don't plan their expenses and just spend spend spend. If big businesses took this sort of action they would be broke. So you need to learn how to control your finances and the use of a budget is the best way to go about it.

Once you are in control you can then see what your money is being wasted on and where you can cut back in spending. Then you should have some money left over at the end of the week and you can stop living on credit. Then you have a choice either to invest that money or start paying off your debts.

Financial education is also about learning about investing. You will not be rich through saving money alone. You need to find an area to invest in. The main choices for most people are housing and shares. Both have their upside and both have a down side.

To be successful in investing you need to study as much information about your chosen area as possible. If you going in with only a limited idea of what you are doing then you will not succeed. So you need to buy books, and attend seminars about housing or shares and read them thoroughly before you start.

Let’s recap. You need a good education to be successful in life, and to have lots of money you need to build your financial intelligence. This includes learning how to budget and learning how to invest.

If you do not do learn how to save money you will never be rich. You will simply keep on spending it and never have any money to invest. If you don’t invest your money then you will never have you money working for you earning you more money. This is the basis of financial intelligence.

The best book I can recommend in starting your education in financial intelligence is Robert Kyosaki’s book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It will challenge what you believe about money and help open your eyes to a wider world.

That's all this week. I’ll be back next week with step 6.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. Don’t forget the web page www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com . I have posted up my book The Internet, eBay and Motivation (only $1). A great tool for learning how to make easy money on line, plus the free members’ page is now open with a free budget planner to help you get your finances sorted out. Plus the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad is available through our bookstore.

Couch Potatoes Need Not Apply!

2009-04-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Step 5 Be Proactive

Being proactive is one of the most important steps in having a great life. Being proactive means you’re willing to go out and take action in your life to make it better, not just sitting back and whinging about how life treats you.

Proactive people are the people that you see every morning about 6 a clock walking the streets for exercise. They are also the people that run their own business and are active members of the community. Sport stars, movie actors or music stars are also proactive people. They are the people that have decided that no matter what, they are going to be successful in life. They don’t leave it to chance, they take action.

You too need to take action in your life if you want to be successful. That means if you’re waiting for something to happen in your life to make it better you could be waiting a long time. If you want something in your life, you need to go out and get it. No one is going to do your work for you; it ups to you to make your life better.

Another way to be proactive is to look for new things in your life. I was in a cafe the other day listening to some, let’s say mature, women talking about computers. One was talking about a free program, Skype, which allows her to talk to her friends and family worldwide for free on the internet instead of using a phone.

I was truly impressed. Too many people at her age or younger would not even consider using a computer let allow a new program. But what is showed to me was a person that was willing to look for something new in her life to make it better.

This can be you too. You need to be constantly looking for new things in your life. New things, whether they are people, ideas, items that helps to keep life exciting. It keeps it fresh and keeps the mind open to new possibilities and more acceptable of change.

And there’s our next point, change. To ensure that you can be ready to take action and look for new things in life you need to ready to accept change in your life.

The only constant in the universe is change. Change happens in our lives every day and you can’t stop it. Too many people complain about changes in their lives and spit the dummy when it happens. But for all the whinging and complaining it never changes back. And in the long run, if you don’t accept change then you are left on the rubbish heap.

There are plenty of businesses that have shut down over the years because they refused to acknowledge that change was happening in their area. They put their heads in the sand and kept going with what they believed to be right, until they were proven wrong and were forced to close.

This doesn’t need to be you. You need to be staying up to date with the latest information, and actively seeking change in your life. If you look for change, whether it is at work, in your relationships, in your body or where ever, then you will be more willing to accept it when it comes.

So let’s recap. Being proactive means taking action in your life to get what you want. It also includes looking for new things in your life that will make it better. And it also means encouraging and accepting change in your life.

So get out there and take control of your life and start enjoying it again.

I’ll see you next week with Getting rid of Jealousy.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. yes once again I will mention the web page. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com . The Free members’ page is up and running and my eBook The internet, eBay and Motivation is also for sale.

Relax Don’t Do It

2009-04-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Step 4 Relaxation

Lets do a quick recap of the last 4 weeks. First of all you were told that in order to feel good you need to smile. I hope you are all smiling and feeling good. The second step was learning to laugh at yourself. Laughing at yourself makes you feel good and allows you to accept mistakes. The third was helping other people to feel good. Helping other people helps you to feel good.

Now we are up to step 4, relaxation. One of the biggest problems we have in life is not taking enough time out to enjoy life. Yes we have to work, but we also need to take time out to do the things we want in life.

Let me ask you a question, do you really want to spend your whole day at work? Is that what you really enjoy? I know some people may say yes. However I know a lot of people will say no. If your a parent do you really want to spend all that time away from your children? They grow so fast, is working 10-12 hours days worth it if you miss out on their lives?

What about your partner? Has work become between you both? Do you come home from work to tired to want to be romantic? Do you just want to crawl into bed and sleep instead of a nice romantic dinner, bottle of wine and candles?

Is spending all your time at work really worth missing out on your children and your wonderful partner?

If you are reading this and your starting to agree with this then you need to take some time off. Even if is in the middle of the week, take a sicky, tell the kids they have the day off school, grab the wife/husband and go and do something fun. Remember work and school will still be there tomorrow, and in the great scheme of life neither is really that important that you cant take a day here or there to enjoy life.

No matter how important you think your job is you need to take time to stop and recharge your batteries. You can be of no use to anybody if you flog yourself to death at you job. You need to take care of yourself first before you can take care of somebody else.

And if you work to hard you can loose perspective on why you actually are working. You need to stop and smell the roses and remind yourself about how great life really is. Refocus on why you are working. Is it to have a great life or to take you away from what you really want to do?

Not only do you need to have time with the family but you need to take time just for you. Take time to just treat you. You are worth it. Do the things you think are fun, horse riding, skydiving, white water rafting, bush walking, surfing, bubble bath, massage or going to a footy game.

You need to look after you. You need to ensure that you are happy and feeling great before you try to make anybody else happy.

So after you read, this take a day off grab the other half and the kids or just go by yourself and go some where for fun. That my challenge to you. When will be the next opportunity to do this. NO EXCUSES, get out there and have some fun. Work/school will be there tomorrow. So Relax and go have some fun. I know I will.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. The free members page is now up and running at www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com. So grab you budget planner and free ebay book. Over the next few weeks I will be adding more.

I’ve got a good feeling about this

2009-03-19T04:01:00.000-07:00

Step 3 Make other people feel good

Ok here is the third step in our ten about making you feel good. And funny enough it has little to do with you. It’s all about making other people feel good.

When you help somebody else feel good in their life you feel good. It’s not rocket science it’s just common sense. Go give it a try and see if I’m lying. To make it easier let’s go back to step one about smiling. Smiling makes you feel happy and if you smile at some one else and they smile back they will feel happy.

So go find someone right now and approach them with a big and genuine smile. I bet they smile back. Instantly you have made them feel better. Now you can feel the double affects of smiling and making someone else happy.

Of course that’s only way of making someone else feel good. Another way is lending a hand when they need help. Whether it’s business or personal related helping someone get something done makes them feel good. They will be appreciative and you can walk away knowing that you did something nice.

The other day at the supermarket a woman’s bag of groceries broke and spilt across the floor. I had two choices. I could just walk away and leave her there to pick it herself or I could lend a hand. For me it was more important to help than to leave her struggling by herself. After we had picked up everything she was happy and appreciative I walked away happy knowing that I had made her feel good.

If you enjoy helping people like I do then you can join various groups and associations that do just that. I am a member of Rotary; however there are other clubs such as Lions. Each club works to help people in their community and on a global scale. There are also many volunteer organisations that help people every day. It’s a great feeling to be out helping people and I highly recommend being a member of Rotary or Lions or becoming a volunteer.

But that’s not the only way of helping people out. Sometimes you may know someone that is down and depressed. They may just need to talk to someone. That’s when you can really help. Allowing someone to get a problem of their chest can really make someone feel better. It displays caring on your behalf, and we all like to know that there is someone out there that cares about us.

And of course if you want to make someone feel good make them laugh. This is easier if you can laugh at yourself. Have a joke or do something silly. Either way laughing is always good.

That’s it for this week.

The Super Spunky and Very Attractive (This isn’t supposed to be funny!)

Terry Shadwell

P.S. Yes, it’s that time again www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com. The motivation course is up for sale and our members page is only days away.

Laugh and the world laughs with you

2009-03-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

Step 2 Laugh at yourself.

One of the most important things in life is not taking everything to serious. Life is supposed to be enjoyed and you need to be able to roll with the punches and laugh at the mistakes you make. This a very important aspect in your life if you really want to make it great.

People that can’t laugh at themselves are the ones that lose their temper and get angry very quickly over the smallest issue. They get upset because the computer is slow at loading or someone looked at them funny or their favourite show is not on the TV. They blow up over nothing and expect us to think that they have done the right thing.

You know this type of person. They think the world owes them a living and they can justify each action because they were angry. Its someone else's fault, they're no to blame regardless of what they have done.

And the funny thing is you never see these people being successful in life. They are the ones that move from job to job, if they get that far, and waste their lives complaining about how they never had a luck break. Everyone else was lucky, they just missed out. And now they hate the world.

But what a wonderful life it would be if they learnt not to take things to seriously and just laugh at a situation and move on. And that's what life is about, laugh off the issues, fix them and move on.

Laughing at yourself when you make a mistake allows you to realise that you made the mistake and that you need to fix it. It means you a prepared to take responsibility for your actions.

You don't get angry over nothing. You just have to accept the situation and move on. You can have a joke with people and not get angry when some one pokes fun at you.

Mix this in with smiling and you start to have a better life straight away.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. as always I will remind you of my web page. Over the next few weeks I will have free downloads of books and tools to help you make the most out of life. www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Smile, its not that bad

2009-03-03T04:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome back. Over the next few weeks we will run through a ten step program that will help you to feel better in your life and get you more motivated. These steps are different from what is in my motivational course (on sale now at www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com). These steps are simple easy guides to how to make instant improvement in your life.

Step One: SMILE

It may sound simple but if you want instant happiness in your life all you have to do is smile. I know you probably think that I am mad, but give it a try. Take a big cheesy grin for a test run and tell me how it handles. Go on, give it a try.

How do you feel? Happier? I bet you do. The reason is, you cant feel two emotions at once. You cant be sad and happy at the same time, or angry and happy, or disappointed and happy or whatever and happy. It just doesn't work.

Sure you can be angry, smile make yourself happy, then go back to being angry again. But you have to work at making yourself angry again, and is it worth that effort. But enough of that.

The reason I want you to smile in your life and smile more often is because it is good for you and changes how you look at the world. It allows you to see the world in a different light, different from how you see the world when your angry or sad.

As we already know simply smiling makes you feel happier. However it can also make other people feel happy. You smile at someone they are more likely to smile back. That then makes you happy and then happy. And what a terrible world to live in when everybody is happy.

And since smiling makes you happy you are now more open to seeing opportunities in your life. When you angry or sad you are not looking for new opportunities and see most things as a chore and a hassle. However when you happy your eyes are open and you are willing to do more and take on new challenges.

Think about this, two people stand at the bottom of a hill. The angry one sees the walk up as a hassle and they get even more upset. the happy one sees it as an opportunity to loose some extra weight. It how you see the world that makes a difference in your life, and happy people see the world a lot better.

Another great thing about smiling is it helps you to distress. Because you are changing your attitude and looking at old problems in a different light it helps to take away stress. It helps you to relax and start afresh.

I do understand that sometimes it can be a little hard to just smile and make yourself feel better so there are few little things you can do to make you smile. Listen to your favourite music, visit friends, play with your kids or pets, watch or listen to something you find funny.

In the end it doesn’t matter how you make yourself smile, what does matter is that you do smile. This is your first step in a great new life. A step into a world with fantastic opportunities in be more motivated, losing weight, make more money or whatever it is you want to do. If you want the world can be your oyster.

And that should be enough to make you smile.

I’ll be back soon with step 2, laughing at yourself.

Terrence Shadwell

P.S. Don’t forget the Living Your Dreams Motivation Course available at www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com

Be careful of what advice you buy

2009-02-27T02:53:00.000-08:00

As a person interested in making money and lots of it I often look for people that are willing to share their information. Their is a lot of people want to help you become rich. They have made their money and now they are ready to share it with you.

But it will cost you. And I will cost you big time. I have seen courses on developing you financial intelligence selling from $5000 and up. DVD’s on property development for $10,000.

Now I have no problem with people selling their knowledge, I do exactly that myself. And I believe that if people really want good information then they will be willing to pay for it. People give free information much credit. But if they buy the information then they will be more willing to listen and take note of what it tells them. The only problem I have is with the cost of some of the courses.

The main reason I have a problem with these courses is fact that they charge so much. $2,000 for a seminar on share investments, $5,000 on replacing your income, $10,000 on building a property portfolio. If you paid out all of that it’s nearly $20,000 before you have even started to make any money. All that has happened is that the person selling the information is sitting back adding to their already massive fortune.

I’m not saying in anyway that people can’t make a profit on their information, but from here they just look greedy. They could sell for half the price, make a profit and still have a decent respect for their product.

And what annoys me the most is the fact that most of this information can be learnt for a tenth of the price, if your willing to do a bit of reading and trial and error. And lets face facts, not matter what information you buy from somebody telling you how to avoid certain mistakes, you will still make them anyway and find a few new ones that they never covered.

What would you rather do, give away you hard earned $20,000 to someone that already has a fortune, or invest it in property or shares? Sure in share and property you may loose the money, but you will also run the risk if making a profit and getting you on the road to wealth. It not a really hard question is it?

As I said earlier you can also gain the same information from books. Most books on build financial intelligence, property investment, share investment and lowering taxes and protecting your assets cost about about $25 to $50. If you only read ten books that's only $500 and you can be out putting the theory into practice as you go. Plus the information in books allows you have a bit of flexibility and add your own ideas into the mix to make sure things fit to your needs.

If you still want to go and do a course then that's great. If it fits your needs then go for it and I hope you make your wealth. However one thing I have noticed about courses is that they only tell you the same information that was in the book.

I had someone recently try to sell me a financial course for $5000. To try and sell the product they emailed me a contents list of this course. It was very impressive. It went into a lot of detail. I only had one problem with it. I already knew everything they were talking about. I got most of the information from a free eBook they were promoting and the rest from reading various other books that had only cost me $250 all up.

So instead of giving this rich person my hard earned $5000 I put it into shares, using a strategy that had only cost me $29.99 to learn. It was the same strategy he was flogging, but because I took the time and effort to go and learn it for myself I didn’t waste my money.

And this is what I want you to remember. Paying to go to courses is not wrong or foolish, but you need to ensure that the course is right for you and not just going to take away your money. If you are just starting to make a bit of money then read first, invest and make your money. Once you are doing better you can then attend courses to fine tune what you are doing. But if you only have $5000, don’t blow it on course, invest it.

The rich don’t need your money, you do. Put yourself first. Your worth it.

Terrence Shadwell

p.s. Yes I know another plug for my web page. However this time I want to direct you to the book section of the web page. There are a lot of books about financial intelligence and they are at a good price. Also the other book section has some that are very good.

Be Tight, Not Cheap

2009-02-23T02:23:00.000-08:00

The one thing I have noticed about people with money is they are not cheap people. They give, give, give. They give of their time, their services and their money. They are open and honest and friendly.

People that want to be rich are the complete opposite. They are greedy self centred and treat people badly. They think that the way to be rich and above every body else is to put everybody down. They waste their money and blame others for their own mistakes.

The rich are tight and savvy, wannabes are cheap and stupid.

So why the difference? Rich people have learnt that the best way to be create wealth in their lives is not to waste money and help others that need it. They realise that you get back in spades what you put out.

Simply, if you put out happiness, you will get more of it back. If put out love, you get more of it back. If you put out love, respect, honesty and courage, you get more of it back. And if you give money to those that need it, you will also get it back, more than you put out.

Wannabes put out arrogance, rudeness, contempt and distain. And that's what they get back. As they are also cheap and don’t give out any money. They just spend it on themselves and never help other people. They are selfish and never lift a finger to help others.

That doesn’t mean that rich people just waste money. They are careful with their spending and ensure that it is all accounted for. They save money and don’t just fritter it away.

Wannabe’s waste their money. They spend on anything they can and keep no records of the actions. They don’t save any money and blow the lot. And then they have to go back to work and start all over again.

So what is the moral of this story. Be tight, not cheap. Start saving money, keep good track of your money, help other in need, smile and be polite to others and give of yourself, that is treat other people how you would like to be treated. It will make you feel good, and you will get back what you put out.

If you don’t believe me then go out and try it. That doesn’t mean you should just give all your money away. It means start saving some money, and help somebody and smile.

At the very least it can’t hurt.

Terrence Shadwell

P.s. As always visit www.livingyourdreams.webcitypro.com to get more information on creating a successful life.

Support of Friends

2009-02-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a woman the other day that I really respect. We started talking about investment and I started telling her about my plans and what I wanted to achieve. To my utter surprise she took a very negative attitude towards all of my ideas. That would be ok if I was talking about some crack pots schemes but I was mentioning some well known and practiced share investment and housing strategies.

However, no matter what I said she was negative about it all and could only tell me about all the risks that I faced if I was to invest. She told me all the old stories too about the troubles that she has seen other people go through. Not once did she say that I was doing the right thing or try to give good advice about how to avoid potential problems. It was just constant tales of woe.

This is a woman that runs her own business and is quite knowledgeable about money. It was a real bring down and I walked away thinking that maybe I should just stop trying and not worry about the investments I had planned.

I spent the rest of the day in the dumps, self doubting myself and questioning every thing I did. Was it worth taking risks? Should I just listen to her and not try? Should I just accept that only other people can be rich?

Fortunately, later that night my fiancé came home after spending a week away seeing her family. She had also caught up with my parents and spent time with them.

After exchanging our stories of what had happened to us over the week apart I told her about the conversation with my friend. She too was like me and surprised that someone so knowledgeable could be so negative. But then my fiancé told me something that helped to get rid of all my self doubts and questioning.

She said “Your mother is really proud of you at the moment and believes that you will achieve everything that you want.”

Now I know mother a supposed to say certain things about their children. And I know I am the best looking person in the world because my mum told me. However she also told me I can sing, yet all the cracked mirrors do not agree with her.

However what it did prove to me was be careful of who you listen to. There is going to be a lot of people around you that are going to be negative and bring you down. And there will be people around you that will support you and encourage you. And you level of success in life will depend on who you listen to.

There are a million and one reasons why people will be negative and bring you down. The why is unimportant. What is important is that these people will suck your life from you and stop you from achieving anything and everything you have ever wanted. All they will do is point out the problems and troubles in everything you want to do. And so enough you will start to believe them.

Think about it. If you want to invest into a house then you will be able to find someone that can tell you why you shouldn’t. They had a friend that went through problems. You will have to pay to much tax. What if you can rent it? What if the tents don’t pay? What if………

If you find someone like this you need to do two things. 1) Just see what else they are negative about. You will probably find that they are negative about everything and never say anything positive and 2) ask them how much property/shares/whatever they have. And if they don’t invest in anything then walk away.

You do not want to know this person or be around them anymore. This is not a friend. Friends encourage people to succeed, not hold them back.

What you need to do is start finding people that will help you, motivate you and encourage you to do the best in life. If that’s you mum then that’s fine. Cause in the long run while mums do need to be nice they are also honest and will tell you when something is wrong. They will encourage you but they won’t just sit back and let you make mistakes. They will guide you and support you. And you can get friends just like this.

There are people in the world that will support you and motivate you. There are actual clubs of people like this. Clubs such as Rotary and Lions exist to help people. They are full of supportive people that get together to help others and they are non religious, in case that is a problems for you.

If you don't want to join one of those clubs, you will find people in your own office or work place that have a more positive out look on life. Get to know those people and start getting some positive feed back from them.

And there is me. I will always tell you you can succeed. I’ll be like your mother, giving you positive feed back and ensuring that you have checked your facts first so that you don’t make mistakes. I’ll guide you and advise you, through this blog and my own web page and I’ll try to steer you in the right direction.

You can be successful. With the right attitude, a strong belief in yourself, the right supportive people (including a good accountant and lawyers to give good advice on your decisions) and good friends you will start to see you dreams come true. And I will be here to keep telling you that you can.

I’ll talk to you again soon.

Terry Shadwell

P.S. As always don’t forget the motivation course at Living Your Dreams. I spent six weeks recording this to ensure that you had the best advice and motivational support to make your life great. I wouldn’t have spent all that time if I didn’t think you were worth it.