I was very inspired by John C. Maxwell’s article in the most recent issue of Success Magazine. I want to share his mentor’s (John Wooden) secret to success and happiness here. According to John Wooden, you can find happiness in your life by making and keeping these nine promises:

1. Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.
2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special that you value.
3. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others.
4. Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
5. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
6. Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.
7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
8. Promise to give so much time improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
9. Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

I am personally printing out these nine promises and putting them on my office wall where I can see and read them daily. I hope these inspire you and improve your life.

This reminds me that life is short, and that I should live in the moment every day, every moment, and value each of my experiences and all the people in my life today, not just sacrifice for some elusive future.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?
You’d better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift….
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

A good friend and business partner, Allan Edwards, gave me this almost a year ago. With the rest of our core team, we signed the Resolutions together…

Here it is:

Unstoppable Resolutions

• I am devoted to my purpose.
• I am following my heart’s passion.
• I believe in myself and my ideas.
• I am preparing daily for the fulfillment of my dream.
• I am building a team for support and to ask for help.
• When obstacles come, I seek creative solutions.
• No matter how long it takes, or how difficult the task may be, I will persevere until I achieve my purpose.

I am unstoppable!

X_____________________ Date________________

Copy and paste this page and print it out for yourself. Read it daily in your pursuit of a life of purpose.

Define Your Personal Vision

• List your goals and aspirations on paper.
• Find an underlying theme running through your list. Summarize this theme in two sentences. Take note of how you feel about these sentences.
• Arrange the two sentences into a vision statement that speaks to your heart even more than to your head. Make sure it captures how you would like to experience your life, how you would like to relate to others, and what you would like to achieve. Take note of the feelings your statement evokes.
• Read it in front of a mirror looking yourself in the eyes, noticing your feelings and observing any doubts. Believe in the importance of your vision, even if your mind says it can’t be realized. Consciously choose your vision: Say to yourself, “I choose this vision. I choose to believe in it, in spite of any doubts.”
• Share this vision with your loved ones, and ask for their support.

Consciously Focusing on Your Vision

• Write your vision statement on several index cards. Post them in highly visible places, such as your refrigerator, car visor, bathroom mirror, desk, inside your planner, etc … be sure to carry one with your inside your purse, wallet, or pocket.
• Repeat your vision statement to yourself first thing in the morning, last thing before bed, and many times throughout the day. Remind yourself about what you most desire and your aspirations.
• Find opportunities to discuss your vision with others. Notice your interaction with others; consciously watch what actions bring you closer to your vision, and which may be working against the realization of your vision.

After diligently doing this exercise, I came to my own personal vision statement:

“I am creating a life of freedom, passion, and purpose. My purpose is to empower others to improve their own lives and the world. I trust myself and live with joy.”

This personal vision statement, dear to my heart, will also be the primary focus of my blog, teachings, and business philosophy moving forward.

I encourage you to develop your own unique Personal Vision Statement that calls to your heart and mind. If you need any guidance in the process, please do not hesitate to contact me.

To learn more about Robert E. Staub’s works, visit him at www.StaubLeadership.com

To get your copy of The 7 Acts of Courage: Bold Leadership for a Wholehearted Life…

Let’s start the blog off with this powerful yet simple quote:
“Happiness is not by accident, happiness is by design.” – Jim Rohn

For a number of strange reasons, 90% of the populations seems to disregard this simple truth. Ask around and you will find that most people are waiting for happiness. Waiting for the right person to come into their lives to make them happy. Waiting for the right job opportunity to pop up. Waiting to graduate, waiting to get a promotion, waiting to be married, waiting to have the kids out of the house, waiting for their business to become successful … always waiting for some circumstance to be happy. In reality, the right circumstances never come, and thus these people can never achieve long term happiness. They are only happy when they have a good day or a good week, but they don’t really live happy lives because they are always waiting for something to happen.

The truth is, if you want happiness, you have to create it in your own life. Happiness doesn’t just happen; happiness is intentionally designed. And if you are not happy, it is probably because you haven’t designed a life of happiness for yourself yet. How you design that happiness depends entirely on you, but the first step is always to take personal responsibility for your own happiness. The moment you do so, your life will change dramatically.

EVEN THOSE WHO DECIDE TO DESIGN THEIR OWN HAPPINESS often times fall into another trap. They design happiness in the future, but not in the present.

They say things like…

When I am making over $10,000 a month with my business I will be happy.

When I build a team of 5,000 people I will be happy.

When I have this car, this home, this much free time … I will be happy.

When I graduate college I will be happy.

When I have mastered this new skill, I will be happy.

… My question to these people is: Why not now?

Why not be happy now? Of course, use your drive and ambition to create a happier future; but simultaneously learn to be completely content and happy with the life you have. You will find that once you learn to do this, you will actually achieve all of those goals faster. You will attract more of the right people into your life and your business. You will attract more income. You will have more energy. Your life will improve immeasurably the minute that you decide to live a happy life, even if your lofty goals haven’t been accomplished yet. Decide to be happy with the person you are today, and you will automatically push yourself on a path to becoming the person you want to be.

If you are building a network marketing business … remember this: your prospects see more than just your business opportunity, products, and compensation plan; they see you and your lifestyle. If you are happy, they will be attracted to you, even if you’re NOT making a lot of money yet! If you are stressed out and upset, you automatically push good people away, even if your income is exemplary. Furthermore, everything you do duplicates, so duplicate a happy team with a core value of personal fulfillment, and you will automatically develop loyal distributors, customers, and leaders.

I hope that you choose happiness, starting today. I wish you all the success that you deserve!

Yours in Mastery,
Dmitriy Kozlov

P.S. – One of the most vital keys to creating long term happiness in your life is committing to life long personal growth and development. Pick up a new book or audio program today, or register yourself for a seminar. I have seen this simple habit and commitment absolutely revolutionize countless lives. Start today.