Introduction
1 - Master Potential
2 - Master Goals
3 - Master Time
4 - Master Money & Work
5 - Master Small Business
6 - Master Real Estate
7 - Master Health
8 - Master Mind
9 - Master Relationships
10 - Master Life
Conclusion

Lesson Eight - Master Mind

Operational Guidelines

Your mind is your strongest asset.
Give yourself the gift of quiet time.
Confidence energizes and multiplies your efforts.
Believe in a higher power.
Love your family and support your friends.
If it's not personal or permanent, let it go.

   In the midst of the turmoil of modern life, we must occasionally pause and ask ourselves, "Is what I am doing now or about to do compatible with my life mission and bringing me closer to my goals?" Answer yes or no.

   As a Master of Success, you are a tough, thoughtful, spiritual person of action. Your mind is your strongest asset. You have a well thought through concept of the meaning of your life. You have a strong character built on a foundation of core beliefs that guide your daily life. You walk toward the challenges of self-improvement knowing that adversity teaches. You will do what needs to be done. You do not wilt under pressure; you take decisive action.

   Pause right now. Pause often. Think about the values you were taught at home, at school, at church or from youth sports or scouting. Think about the great works: the Bible, Talmud or Koran, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the American Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

   There is no need to pretend or feign ignorance. You know what to do and how to act. Breathe and become the master of your moods. You can't always control what happens to you, but you can control what happens inside you.

   In your mind, controlling your thoughts, you can make the choice to harm or to heal. You can make the choice to criticize or to teach. You can make the choice to be arrogant or humble. You can make the choice to roll over in bed or get up and accomplish something significant.

   You can choose happiness. It is being happy that makes you a success. Pause right now. You can choose to be happy about your children, the weather, your sports teams, a television program, a joke, your goals, your golf game, your garden, your career and a thousand and one other things. When you reach your goals, you don't want to be greedy and smug; you'll want to feel fulfilled and happy.

   Remember that the Master Success System is about clearly defined well-executed goal attainment resulting in a well balanced and fulfilled life. Workaholics are more loser than winner. From a base of good mental health, you must take time every day to rest, relax and recharge. You invest this time to refocus and make the minor adjustments that keep your life balanced. You invest this time to develop and maintain the style and the attitudes of an achiever ready to stay the course. Through relaxation and meditation, you become calm yet invigorated. Relaxing allows you to wash away the mental muddle of your busy days. Reflection will give you the opportunity to separate fact and truth from rumor and conjecture. You build the strength necessary to battle discouragement, admit your mistakes, forgive others and move on. You will feel renewed and ready to make good things happen. Peace and tranquility through quiet time will become your private refuge. You will cherish this time that you spend with yourself.

   What makes you smart? What makes you tough? What makes you a good person? What makes you an achiever? What are you doing to prepare for the next step on your life's journey? Pause. Take the time to think, to adjust, and then to proceed.

Read an Action Principle^® each morning and let the positive thought resonate throughout the day. Positive repetition creates the Master.

Build Your Self-Confidence

Over the long term, good mental health resulting from personal introspection and accomplishment will help you to develop an inner character that you will be proud to show and share with the world. It will also help you deal with human conditions and situations that develop beyond your control. You must feel comfortable with yourself and with the decisions you make. Some of your decisions will demand serious contemplation, will take risk and may involve a dubious payoff years in the future. This is where self-confidence becomes so important. There are no guarantees. Reflecting upon what you have done, why you took the actions you did and how you will act in the future will all combine to build your self-confidence. You are the visionary who must see your own bright future, a future of your own choosing.

Accept your minority status. Masters of Success are in the minority. You are not society's nanny. Few will ask you to judge them. Basically, teach your children, mentor those voluntarily seeking your guidance and, then, mind your own business. Others change when they decide to change. Your example is powerful, your harangue much less so. Remember that unsolicited advice is frequently taken as criticism.

Confidence energizes and multiplies your efforts. Pause to consider where you have been, where you are and where you are going and then get going. Continually re-evaluate your goals, health, business, career and relationships.

Concentrate On the Good

   If your posture and your attitude exude confidence, you will not only feel good, you will look good. You will live a high quality life. You aren't naïve believing the world and everything in it to be perfect. Yet you believe that people tend to find what they are looking for. If you concentrate on the bad and what doesn't work and what isn't beautiful and how everything isn't quite to your liking, then that's what you'll find. If you concentrate on the good, you will find many more opportunities to smile. Your life is made up of your choices. It is a conscious choice to view your world as pleasant. You can choose to see the good in people. It is a conscious choice to see the good in others. Encourage the beginner. Push the champion. Forgive the offender. Join the workers. Love those with a positive spirit. Be hopeful. Be happy.

   The great books, great biographies, great quotations and great speeches have stood the test of time for a reason. Inspire yourself. Study them.

   How Will You React To Challenges?

   You are the person responsible for saving yourself from the mounting stresses associated with daily living. You are the one who has to rebound from the inevitable mistakes and disappointments associated with being a person of action. To be successful, you must move beyond the comfort of the status quo and risk something. As you move through the learning curve toward the better you, at times you may feel that you have every right to feel discouraged. You will feel that you should have listened to those who advised caution or inaction. It will be tough to maintain a positive mental attitude in spite of the setbacks and the occasional "I told you so." These are the important moments of decision. It's when you hear the criticism or when you realize that you have made a big mistake. It's when you have to admit that a lot of time, talent and money may have been wasted. Will you choose to quit or bounce back? It is how you decide to react in these challenging defining moments that ultimately will make all the difference. Stick to it. Even if you can get away with it, do you really want to be a pathetic little person forever hiding in the background while others take the risks and do the hard work?

   You are the one who must decide to become tough enough to withstand the consequences of mistakes, failures and cynicism. You are the one who must step forward, volunteer, and say, "Don't worry. I'll do it." You are the one who must decide to be kind enough to treat others as you wish to be treated even when the reverse doesn't happen. You are the one who must decide to dare to risk in pursuing a course of action leading to wealth. You are the one who has to deal with the daily annoyances of the rude, indifferent and incompetent behavior of others. Most of the time, people are not worried about you. They are self-absorbed and focused on their own agenda. This isn't good or bad; this is reality.

   As a Master of Success, you try. You take life on. You are choosing to be a player in the game. You stumble. You pause to steady yourself. You try again armed with experience and new insight. Your goal attainment won't always be easy. Then, reaching one goal leads to a new path toward a new goal on your life's journey. Blood, sweat and tears are all a part of successful living. So are smiles and the exhilaration of the attempt.

   You must also have the inner fortitude and peace of mind to deal with the accidents and misfortunes that are outside of your control: a sick child, loss of a parent, a plant closing, abandonment or rejection by a loved one, crime, personal illnesses or natural disasters. Things may happen that are so devastating that you can't rationally put them into perspective. You can only put your faith in God's grand plan. Be accepting. You can only do the best that you can.

Whether you like it or not, humbly accept the world as not of your making. Sometimes, temporarily, the fool or the bully will hold the power. Pause and take a deep breath. Get to solid ground. Be prepared. Do your best. Be patient. Take the longer view.

Material Success Can Amount To Nothing

   What happens if you are hard charging and don't take time to consider the consequences of your actions?

   Success means nothing if you are a professional athlete hooked on drugs. Success means nothing if you are an executive who abuses his family. Success means nothing if you have to lie or cheat to win an advantage.

   If you are a greedy miser, you are a loser. Your life will be clouded by paranoia. Remember that on the day you die, everything you owned will belong to someone else.

   Good mental health demands that you be honest with yourself. No one else is looking. This is you. Because there are major events in our lives that we can't control, we must become more self-disciplined to control in a positive way all that is within our power to choose. Your mental health depends on it.

   You don't have to be an ascetic. Enjoy your life. Think moderation. Having two drinks can be relaxing. Swilling ten drinks is getting drunk. Driving 65 is getting somewhere quickly. Driving 85 is reckless. Watching an hour of television is not watching all night every night. Giving a few dollars every once in a while to charity is not giving back what you really can. Gambling ten dollars is not risking half your paycheck. Control yourself or admit that you need help and get it.

   Right now, in this defining moment you can choose to change. You are instantly a new person. Your journey is only over when God calls you and until then you can pick yourself up and keep moving forward.

   If you have done wrong to others, you can try to make amends. Realize that others may be under no moral obligation to forgive you. In most cases, your sincerity will win you another chance. In rare instances, man will not or cannot forgive and only God can forgive.

   Fully understanding the imperfections of man, you accept that at times you will be disappointed, let down, gossiped about and plotted against by others, some close to you. Be sure your response is worth the effort and consequences. As appropriate, control your feelings. As appropriate, remain non-judgmental. Weigh the personal cost, since vengeance may only serve to perpetuate the matter. Walking away or cutting off may be the decisive action necessary. Hard as it may be at the moment, to lighten your own journey, forgiveness may be the expedient path to moving on to the better.

Time does not serve the evil person well. They usually do reap what they sow and usually do get what they deserve in this life or the next.

You Need Time Off

Action Principle # 59
Enjoy Your Quiet Time

   Everyone needs quiet time in their day when they can just be with their own thoughts. This isn't daydreaming. The serenity of quiet time can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It can be traditional Zen or transcendental meditation, but it can also be taking a walk, gardening, making a pot of tea or taking a long, hot shower. You may wish to pray. Every day, take twenty minutes to stop, reflect and enjoy being who you are. Think about the past, present, future or nothing in particular. Relax yourself and you will feel renewed. Tranquility will re-energize you. Without trying, you will be amazed at how your subconscious mind releases so many good ideas.

   Just as the time you spend exercising strengthens the physical you, quiet reflection strengthens the spiritual you. Quiet time also give you the opportunity to practice minding your own business. Take a deep breath and continue to breathe slowly and steadily. Look around. Use all of your senses. You will find contentment in the solitude.

   You'll need 20-30 minutes per day of quiet time. You need seven to eight hours of sleep every night. You need at least one day off per week. Since most hotels offer special weekend packages, consider treating yourself and your family to a mini-weekend vacation every few months. Two weeks of annual vacation is a good idea. Off time gives you the opportunity to put your life in perspective.

   As a Master of Success, you are forever refocusing. Go Back to Action Principle #3, Write A Personal Mission Statement. Where have you been, where are you now and where are you headed? Plan your individual and family relaxation time and guard this time as jealously as any of your other activities. Let the phone ring. The email can wait. Relax and enjoy the time you spend with your masterful self.

   Masters of Success are thoughtful. They are introspective. You decide what you want and why you want it. You test your ideas and conclusions during your quiet time. When you make a mistake, your quiet time will allow you calmly to consider your options and the next best course of action. You thought about it. You tried. You were wrong. You learned. It's time to move on. You interpret life's events with emotional maturity. A master is a thoughtful, relaxed person of action. Simply persist on your journey, living in the present and letting the future unfold.

   Quiet reflection will make you a stronger communicator in that you will have planned your comments in advance. You will be more focused and concise. You will have time to reason logically through options making you better at conflict resolution and negotiation. You should become a better listener, more patient and better able to differentiate between what you can change and what you must accept as beyond your ability to change. You will allow yourself the opportunity to reason through negative thoughts, prejudices and positions. As possible and appropriate, you will replace the negative with the positive.

Accepting Daily Life

There is joy in loving, helping and caring for others as you build positive relationships. Yet, you must realize that your good intentions may not be reciprocated. You are not naïve. You know that there are bad people in the world. There are lazy, boorish, stupid, perverted, mean and inconsiderate people. Some people act badly in moments of decision. Some people act badly almost all the time. As you master success and begin to travel the world, you will find that the overwhelming majority of people from all cultures and all countries are like you with the same aspirations to lead prosperous and peaceful lives. The overwhelming majority of people anywhere will welcome your hand extended in friendship. Yet, history and common sense teach us that some groups must be watched and some individuals must be guarded against.

Do all you can for those who are genuinely in need of your helping hand. However, you are under no obligation to serve those who could do for themselves and instead choose to be lazy or selfish.

   Remember, your life is your time. You can make the personal choice to be positive as you brush aside the minor daily annoyances that everyone faces. You can choose to compartmentalize and deal with petty grievances by yourself while moving forward. The gossip and the whiner seek solace in relating their small problems to others. Instead, what they often get is more time wasted as their audience commiserates with their own endless list of travails.

   On occasion, letting the moment pass is difficult. You may feel slighted or indignant. You may feel that you have every right to strike back. Discipline yourself to remain silent when you are angry. This isn't easy for anyone, master or novice. Anger saps your energy and can cloud your reasoning. Find a way around it. Wait. Breathe. Consider. This is self-control. Reach the right decision for you and then take decisive action, which may be to walk away silently.

   You are cut off in traffic. The incident is already over before you can react. Why upset yourself? The offender is gone. Is it important to find out how many cars you can pass until you lose your license, are in an accident or swerve in front of someone even crazier than you? You can choose to play road rage and "follow the loser" or you can choose to get back to enjoying your favorite music as the incident passes.

   Your medium steak is delivered well done. You can eat the steak. You can wait for a new steak to be re-cooked. These are your only choices. You cannot undo the past. Get upset and ruin the meal for everyone or relax and enjoy your wine while the staff corrects the problem.

   The queue at the Registry of Motor Vehicles is thirty minutes long. This line was not formed just to annoy you. Remember your Action Principle^®, "Always Bring A Book." Take out your electronic book and wait your turn. You are experiencing everyday life. Be patient. Others notice those in control.

   Is it personal? Is it permanent? Look at the motive of your offender. Most angry, negative people are not out to get you. The road-rager has no idea who you are. Neither does the chef nor the Registry clerk. They are wild, mad and upset. Let them be. They are ruining their lives. Don't let them affect your moment. Don't argue in haste. Consider your options after a good night's sleep. Pray to understand, accept and live with the truth. Be sure that tomorrow you do not regret the actions you took today.

Life Teaches the Master

   Many people find it difficult to accept criticism and will immediately assume a defensive pose waiting to counterattack. They are stuck on transmit. They only listen, waiting for an opening so that they can strike back. They learn nothing. Can you reverse this thinking? Someone treats you in an inconsiderate way. You can get angry and strike back. Or, you can look at the incident as an opportunity to train your will and skill. Go with the force. When you are pushed, pull. When you are pulled, push. You can go further and in your mind you can thank the offender for presenting you with this opportunity to be the master of your emotions. To be mentally strong, you must practice and pass many of these small tests. It is not easy. It is the journey.

   Of course, being human and imperfect, you accept that a critical evaluation of your efforts may be justified. Listen for constructive criticism. You may learn of mistakes that you can correct. You may learn of important steps that you may have skipped. You may learn of alternative strategies, perspectives, ideas and theories. You may be introduced to new successful models to copy. You may identify new resources or personnel who could assist your work. In any of these cases, criticism may be disguised as an opportunity for improvement. Life is teaching you a lesson if you pay attention.

   You must be equally on guard against false praise. The well-meaning flattery of others may lull you into the belief that you can stop learning and practicing. You will never learn so much that you can't learn more. You will never wish to stop growing. You are not easily tricked. Be the master.

   There are times to intercede, render an opinion or defend. And, there are other times when you should be quiet and stay out of it. Often, upon reflection, you will see that it may be best to stick to your priorities and let others solve their own problems. Again, you can't change others. Over and over the truth remains that living as a positive no nonsense example is your best teaching tool.

   You do not want to live a life where your happiness only comes from special events; birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, vacations or Saturday nights out. On your journey, you want to feel happy as you take each step throughout each day knowing that you are doing your best both to work and relax at your personal master level. You are doing this for yourself, for those you love and for those who are your responsibility. You are proud. You are calm. You are happy.

How to meditate and relax

   Meditation is a practice that leads to spiritual enlightenment and is encouraged in many different religions: Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. In silent meditation, you often feel the link between you and a higher power. You will hear your inner self. Bring your inner power to the surface, into the light, illuminating your path.

   In the Master Success System, meditation can be done in a variety of ways. Meditation can be sitting cross-legged on a pillow in an incense filled room chanting mantras. Meditation can also be praying, gardening, taking a hot shower, stretching, yoga, t'ai chi, or going for a walk. If you choose an active form of meditation, you want the physical motions to be mindless. You want to minimize the possibility of interruption. Go to a quiet place, a regular place. You want to be alone with your thoughts. Be silent, breathe and relax. This is meditation. It is breathing in and breathing out. It is being conscious of your actions. Be aware; be mindful. Pay attention as you wash the dishes. Listen to your breathing. Quiet your mind. Look for opportunities to concentrate on the now. Meditation brings you to the present moment. Taste the food as you eat it. Feel the wind in your face as you run. Feel the muscles as you exercise. Feel the sweat. Feel all of life. Meditation should leave you feeling invigorated and awakened. Some like to slow themselves to the sound of a bell or gong. The term "Buddha" means "the awakened one." Smile. Awaken. In this moment, arise from the old you to your better self.

   Meditation can certainly help you on your path to self-discovery. As you make this personal discovery, you will know how your words can hurt or soothe, your touch can injure or reassure, your example can destroy or inspire. Doing his or her best, the master walks that middle line and is neither overly influenced by neither criticism nor praise.

   Relaxing is even easier and less formal. You can relax at any time. You can relax for ten minutes or one minute. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Inhale through your nose and count to 6. Slowly exhale through your mouth as you count down from 6. Repeat for several minutes. Concentrate on your breathing with longer and deeper inhales and exhales. Practice breathing from your center, which is just below your navel. Control the flow of your breath without straining. Feel your belly rather than your chest rise and fall. Deep and long breathing is associated with calmness while weak and shallow breathing is associated with anxiety. You want to be as serene as possible without falling asleep. When worries appear, let them float by like clouds or see them disappear as a pebble slowly falling to the bottom of a pond. Relax. Tense and release the muscles in your body. Start with the toes. Tense the muscles for a few seconds and release. Go to the calves, thighs, abs, pecs, back, fingers, hands, lower arms, upper arms, neck and finally the muscles in the face. Feel warm and relaxed.

   When difficulties arise, bring your mind back to your breathing in and out. Before any stressful situation, breathe through your nose, filling your lungs as your stomach rises. Loosen the muscles in your face. Loosen your jaw. Let your shoulders hang. Relax your hands as if you were holding a baby chick. Your body will slow, allowing you to concentrate on the task at hand. Relax and bring yourself back to your calm center.

   Focus on all the positive energy that surrounds you. There are lots of people who want to see you succeed. If you are a follower of the Action Principles^®, you are a good person. You will be a good parent, good friend and good boss. Focus your energy on your ability to do good. Relax. Control your breathing and your posture. If you meditate regularly, it will touch all areas of your life. As you learn to control your breathing and relax, you will feel the power of your spirit grow. You will learn a lot about a wonderful person - you! You are the Master Piece.

Stop and notice how your behavior affects others. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Are you a positive force, negative force or wallpaper?

How to Solve Your Personal Problems

Masters of Success aren't people without problems but people willing to confront and deal with the problems they have. What are you anxious about? What are you worried about and what's the worst that can happen? Will the problem definitely occur or is it only a possibility? How serious is the problem? Can you deal with it yourself or should you call for the help of others? Is worrying about the problem worse than the problem? Is there a simple or immediate solution? How would a coward act? How would one of your heroes respond? Have you successfully resolved a similar problem in the past? Now, how will the self-confident and capable you handle this problem? You are tired. You want to do anything else but deal with this problem. You deal with it anyway. It is resolved. You move on. Quiet time is very important to problem solving. It helps you to focus on the matter at hand, eliminate extraneous points and develop workable solutions and options. And, perhaps, most importantly, it allows you to clarify when the problem under discussion is the actual problem or just a convenient or socially acceptable substitute for a deeper hidden concern. Make sure that the problem you are solving is the real problem. Look deeply within to identify the attitudes which may have been holding back your progress.

Begin by precisely defining the problem. Stick to the issue.
Analyze the problem from different perspectives.
Consider solutions. If appropriate, brainstorm with others or seek professional help.
Consider the ramifications of different solutions.
Choose your best option.
Take decisive action.
Follow up. Review. Adjust.
Move on.

How to pray

   Faith enriches your life. Belief in God is a wonderful blessing. You will have an anchor to secure your life. You will have a solid values base upon which to build your plans. You will have a guide to govern your business and personal life. You will have comfort in times of need. You will have thoughtful clergy from whom to seek counsel. You will have an ally in raising responsible children. You will have a place to meet friends. It isn't easy to go to church, synagogue or the mosque every week or to follow the tenets of the Bible, Talmud or the Koran. It takes effort but the rewards of religious practice are life enhancing.

   With humility, submit. Every religion has prayers. A prayer is your conversation with God. Your success and happiness is God's loving answer. Listen for God's messages and instructions. Your selfless good works in helping others are your prayers put into action.

   Hold your tongue. Give the homeless man a dollar. Don't spread the gossip. Allow those in a rush to rush by. Do a good job at work. Study. Work on eliminating a bad habit. Smile. Give thanks. You are saying a prayer. Choose to live within this state of grace. God notices.

Choose a prayer book from your religion and choose a daily passage to ponder.

How to clear the slate

   Clear the slate. Every day is a new day. Any moment can be an important moment of decision that changes everything.

   Would it be helpful to you to keep a journal or diary of your thoughts? Whatever has been bothering or pleasing you, write it down. Some find it helpful to keep the writings as a reference. Others find it cathartic to "get it off their chest" and tear up or burn the bad thoughts or mistakes. Keep trying but don't be too hard on yourself. You aren't a loser or an idiot because you made a mistake. Don't beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself. The path on your journey was never going to be perfectly smooth. Now that you know better and are more experienced, move on. If you are persistent, you will make progress.

   Resentment takes up a lot of energy.

   Roman Catholics have the sacrament of reconciliation to address the past and begin again with hope. Clergy from all religions are trained as counselors to offer solace, comfort and advice. Every community has mental health professionals from psychologists to marriage counselors offering support groups and individual therapy. Talk to your parents, teachers and friends. If you need help, don't procrastinate and make the problem worse. Take action. Whatever your problem, there are responsible people who will help you. If you don't like one person's ideas, ask another. If different people give you the same answer, you'd better listen. Help yourself.

   Be a friend. If you are close to someone who may benefit from professional mental health care, take the risk and tell him or her. Don't give up on them. Use that persistence. Help others.

   Consider how people who have had near death experiences talk about reappraising their lives. All of a sudden big problems and concerns don't seem that big. All of a sudden, little things like smiles and kind words and birds singing and sunsets become important. They may speak of their lives having new purpose and of living to enjoy every precious minute of life. You don't have to wait until you are on your deathbed to look back and wonder "What if?" You can start appreciating and living your life now.

How to use visualization

   Can you see yourself being handed the diploma, breaking the tape at the finish line, and hearing the applause in your honor?

   Visualize. Close your eyes. See the new you in your entire splendor. What you can see in your mind can be your guide to attainment. See it. See it every day. Do it. Do it every day. This is your movie. You are the star. You are an actor playing yourself. Fake it as you make it. The stronger your visualized impressions, the more the odds for attainment turn in your favor. Visualization is internal practice. You replace practicing with your body with practicing with your mind.

   Visualize now and later. See yourself at your best right now. Right now, the only thing that stands between you and your goals is a little bit of time. See yourself after a month and after six months and after a year of hard work and commitment to your goals.

   Peak performance starts in the mind. Many athletes use visualization to picture themselves performing at their best. They learn to concentrate through visualization. They learn to train in their minds even when they can't physically practice. You can do the same. See yourself in a year, five years, in your golden years. See yourself enjoying the full fruits of your labor. You will be successful. You will have both peace and prosperity. See it all. Try to involve all of your senses in the imaging: see, hear, taste, feel, and smell. As you immerse yourself in your future, ideas for how to get there will start to emerge. Put yourself in your best performance mode. Believe. The ways will come.

   Who is the person with whom you are most comfortable? What is the one place where you are most comfortable? What was the scene of your greatest achievement? Immerse yourself. Be there.

   Go to a relaxing spot in your mind. Breathe deeply. Concentrate on the details of your accomplishments. See the cars, the house, and the clothes. See the respect in the people's eyes that you have helped. Touch the fine fabric of your suit. Taste the wine. Feel the handshake. Use your senses to help your imagination complete this wonderful scene.

   Mother Teresa used visualization in her work when she described seeing Jesus in every face. Often questioned about the difficulty of her work with the poor and the sick, she would comment on how many clever disguises Jesus had. Every day, Mother Teresa radiated proof that you see in life what you choose to see. You choose. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. Why not make that thought a positive one?

How to simplify your life

   Do you need a $100,000 college education or a $40,000 car or a $600,000 house? If you can, go to a state college, drive a less fancy car or live in a smaller house. If you can do with less, you give yourself a financial gift of many more favorable options.

   In the Master Success System, the idea of life simplification is important.

   Life simplification is not driving a junk car or wearing old clothes. Instead, simplification is living a life with a purpose. From your goal setting and time management, you know what is important to you and you design your life around these goals, objectives, values and interests. If you really like restoring antique cars, fishing with your grandchildren, making quilts with your girlfriends or playing the guitar with a local band, you should find ways to do more of what you love and work to pare away the rest.

   Every day, you'll know how to make the correct personal choices for you and no one else. Every day, decision by decision, you mold your future for good or bad. You can simplify your life and have more time and money for your dreams or complicate and clutter your life with more draining activities.

   Quiet time helps you get rid of mental junk. Now, get rid of the physical clutter that you don't need. If you haven't worn it or used it in a year, give it to charity.

Climb the career ladder and invest. Make enough money to have many wonderful life options. Be in control of your own journey.

Love Many Things

A Master of Success lives a full life. A walk in the park or along the shoreline costs nothing. You can go to great restaurants for lunch often at half the cost. You can travel during off seasons. You can love minor league, college or high school sports. You can support Community Theater. You can purchase designer clothes at discount or quality used goods online. Libraries offer a host of wonderful diversions. Life is worth living. Research, participate and enjoy.

A Parable of Socrates

Socrates walked through the marketplace with his disciples and as he passed from stall to stall, he admired the fine silks and leathers. Later, walking home, he was empty handed but smiling. One of his disciples asked, "Master, how can you be so happy? You didn't buy anything." Socrates replied, "I am content knowing that I can be happy without all those things."

Go Hardcore

Your strongest asset is your mind. Visualize your masterful self. Pamper your mind through relaxation and meditation. Consciously be alone with yourself in the moment and see so much. Take time off. Enjoy yourself. Expand your mind through reading and both formal and informal education. Love many things.