Many of these people started from very challenging backgrounds (abuse, depression, financial ruin, extreme shyness or being very introverted…) going on to achieve great accomplishments and happiness in their lives.

I've also worked in the prison system where I see the opposite – people who have had everything in the world going for them take the wrong road and fall deeper into the darkness despite having many opportunities to bring themselves out.

What is the difference?

What makes one person driven and the next defeated?

I Just HAD To…

We can wonder if they were lucky, blessed, exceptionally smart or talented, had extra outside help and so on…but the only consistency I observed is the unifying difference between I Just HAD to versus something less like "I WANT to…" or "I am TRYING to…"

Without exception, everyone I have ever known accomplish amazing things in their life started with a belief system based on I HAVE to…very different from "I will try" or "I want to" isn't it?

When you make it "HAVE to", that means you WILL achieve your desired outcome.  In your mind you have already achieved your objective and the journey is simply the price you have to pay to get to this pre-determined outcome.

Sure, you must overcome obstacles, get out of your own way, learn the skills and knowledge to succeed, deal with your own fear and insecurities and take action/execute on your plan, but…

It all starts with a belief that You WILL because you HAVE to. 

I have never yet met someone with a firm, unrelenting belief that they HAVE to that has not achieved their desired outcome.

Yet I have met many people who wish, dream or want to succeed, but can't

What do you think…can you remember an example where you HAD to have a desired outcome and that made the difference?

Even fewer than 1/4 say that we are passionate or very happy with what we do…but what does this REALLY mean for you and our society at large?

• 40%-50% of our entire waking lives is spent on our job, work, business – nearly half our entire life is spent doing what makes us miserable (or at least is NOT doing what makes us happy)
• Doing work that we don't enjoy means we do not feel we CONTROL our situation.  Lack of control over our time, energy and finances is the #1 factor leading to stress – if you have too much stress in your life, then it IS largely due to your work, job or business
• 90% of people do not have an effective way to relax, reduce stress or otherwise put our work day behind us…which means the OTHER 50% of our "awake" time is heavily impacted by the 50% we spend working at a job we do not like
• Stress is the #1 factor involved in reduced sleep, unhealthy immune systems, short-term and long-term bad health and emotional health problems including addiction and depression
• When you lack control, work at things you are not passionate about, your self esteem hits all-time lows meaning that you ARE NOT confident and do not PROJECT confidence (a major factor in getting ahead in life
• You immediately give up the #1 factor in having a focused, high-octane, high-energy lifestyle – passion…so you always feel and are one-step behind those around you
• Negative feelings, low energy, compromised health and unhappiness becomes the NEW NORMAL in your life – the cycle becomes complete when you don't even realize your situation any longer until something drastic happens in your life (you lose your job, you have a major health challenge, or…you die! )

Pretty bleak picture isn't it?

But tell me it isn't true?  If this doesn't quite sound like your life, then take a closer look. 

If you are one of the small minority that has learned that the secret to living life happily and productively is to live in tuen with your passion…then congratulations – leave a comment against this post to share your experiences with us

If you are someone who is reading this and suspects you may have fallen into a rut, that you have gotten away from living in tune with your passion and purpose, then leave us a comment – as a first step toward re-aligning your life, a small step like realizing where you are and deciding to begin the change in your life can be the starting point you need to get the ball rolling. 

Either way – let us hear from you.

You may be happily married with a great family, but someone you may look up to (or down on as the case may be) has it together just a little better.

Or, you may be among the top players in your sport or in your profession, but there are still 5% of the people that are doing better…so the question becomes, how can I get better at what I do?

Indeed, you could also be in a position where you are in the bottom 5%, life has thrown you some challenges and now you are ready to embark on a program of change to help you get better at what you do.

After having modeled several of the highest achievers in life and developing the blueprint in Attracting Greatness, you can be more convinced than ever that you can make positive change in your life and that you can get better no matter where your starting point, you age or life situation.

Here are 3 tips to get you started on how to get better at what you do:

1. Elevate your expectations & standards: The reality of our lives is that we achieve (almost always) to the expected standard we set for ourselves.  Sure, we may dream bigger, we may want to be bigger, but do we EXPECT to be bigger and better?  That is the more important question — to get better at what you do you must work on your mind to frame a new set of expectations (not just dreams or desires).   While improving your results starts with a dream, altering your expectations is what really helps you get to the next level

2. Consistency. The universe values consistency at an exceptionally high level.  Raise your game for one or two days and then sink back to where you were will not only NOT get you to the next level in your life, it will demonstrate inconsistency which will also lower your credibility making it that much tougher to get better at what you do the next time.  Making small adjustments and commitments that you can put into practice consistently is better than making wild leaps that can not be sustained

3. Work on your self confidence. You do not get better at what you do without having a firm inner belief system that allows you to wander into the forest of the unknown with excitement and confidence rather than dread and uncertainty.  If you want to get better at what you do, then make sure you are ready to break down the barriers that fear and uncertainty will place in front of you.

Anyone can get better at what they do – it is a matter of combining fearlessness with consistency and a new set of expectations, armed with those 3 powerful things, you can really become unstoppable.

Expect Success is a 105-page power-packed, easy-to-read and practical book on "How to Accomplish Anything In LIfe Using Your Own Inner Circle of Success" 

Here's the REAL kicker…

When you buy it today you will receive over $1,000 in fr-ee gifts.

I won't go into all the details here, because everything is covered at his website.  I’ve personally read and reviewed this book and believe it in.  I am confident it will help you achieve success faster than ever before.

Here's a quick "Expect Success" video for you…

So – head over and, just for today, claim your $1,000 in bonuses for ordering Drew's "Expect Success" book

I can remember my teenage years daydreaming in class wondering what my true purpose in life really will be – what career will I have, what sort of lifestyle will I lead and who will I lead it with?

As we grow older more and more of finding our life purpose gets wrapped up in major achievements – our first car, our home, our relationships, how we dress, how many awards or promotions we receive and so on…

Is that really the rigth way to define our purpose in life?

If so, why do so many people who have achieved peaks in their lives want to simplify life, to change your life into something completely different, but the question is….what?

It's really worth it to see how we view the purpose of life – especially as it relates to getting specific results. We are all extremely result-oriented and tend to view our lives in terms of how much we've achieved.

For instance, if you think about your life, you may consider yourself a high achiever if you earn double what you did four years ago. Maybe you have finally gotten married, and that is the real purpose in your life. Or, perhaps you've managed to work off that nasty 10lbs, is that the true catalyst to happiness?

But what about negative life experiences, does that mean evertime something bad happens we must take a nose dive, lose our self-confidence and that we are not a success anymore? What if your partner dumped you unexpectedly? How would you feel about yourself if you gained 5 pounds over the holidays?

It's a little silly to believe that your life purpose is so wrapped up in specific achievements isn't it?

It is no wonder that using specific goals, objectives and achievements as the sole guage for alignment with our life purpse leads to a roller-coaster of emotions.

If your self-worth is tied in with achieving your goals or particular position then you'll be motivated to do more only when things are going well.

Does that sound like you?

I can tell you, since we released the Ultimate Guide On Improving Self-Confidence…we have noted that thousands upon thousands suffer dramatic shifts in their self-confidence and self-esteem – the good news is that it can be quickly and permanently reinforced…if you follow the steps in the course.

The problem in both these cases is that you've tied up your self-worth in things that you don't have any control over. When events change your self-worth changes too and you suffer either way. If you're always pushing yourself to achieve, you may forget to relax and be happy with just who you are. If you are terrified of failing you may call it self-acceptance and never live up to your full potential. 

What then is the secret to finding your life purpose?

Maybe you have been looking for your purpose in life in the wrong place? 

After all, if you lose something valuable in one place and only look in another are you likely to find your missing item?

No, as it goes with finding your life purpse. 

Instead of looking for your purpose in a specific life event, goal, objective or posession, seek to uncover the ongoing reason you have deep within for existing in this life.

For some, this will be a form of spirituality, others will find it in a mission or cause that helps others.

When I examined my life and remembered back to the times, situations and events where I was most happy, there was a consistent theme – coaching, teaching or helping. 

Coaching minor hockey, teaching writers and information publishers to share their knowledge with wider audiences, helping our local church with their programs, teaching my kids how to be happy and self-sufficient – these were congruent with my life purpose.

If we look at how we live, what we contribute and how we can add value to this world, then your finding your life purpose will be both quick and rewarding. 

Here are some of the sure signs your life is stalled:

• Your energy drops dramatically
• You suddenly become undecided, confused as to your next step
• Now, playing the game becomes more important than achieving results
• Seemingly overnight you are gaining weight, not sleeping and generally in ill health
• And the biggy…you stop dreaming about what is possible barely able to make it through what "is"

It can happen without warning to the most optimistic of people.

From the pages of "Achieving Extreme Greatness" – When your life gets stuck in a rut, here are 10 things you can do to help break the habit…

1. Convince yourself it will pass.  When you are in a rut it seems that you will never break free, by recognizing that this is simply a phase you are going through, a period that you can change so take the pressure off and change will come faster
2. Exercise.  Even though times like this make any sort of physical exercise even more challenging, you must break free and focus on at least low-grade exercise such as a walk, jog or swim
3. Get social.  We tend to become withdrawn in the low points of our life, a better approach is to join a new sport, hobby, fitness class, support group or other social activity where you can be with others
4. Change your diet.  We tend to become self-destructive in times of trouble within our lives – eating too much sugar and carbohydrates, escaping reality with alcohol and stimulants – by breaking these bad habits we can build momentum that will break out of our rut
5. Change your routine.  Being stuck in a rut is really succumbing to a pattern of bad habits – by breaking your routine, just one step toward change can get the ball rolling
6. Baby steps.  Our tendancy is to wait for some major life event to break us out of our rut when the best way to quickly escape this hell-like, self-imposed prison is to take small steps each day toward improving our life
7. Change your company.  There are times in my life where I was kept in a rut largely by the negative energy of the people around me.  When you are stuck in life look around you, do you have positive role models or mentors you can rely on to help you see the light?
8. Take responsibility.  Look inward and understand that you have everything you need to succeed wildly today, it's just that you are relying on external factors for your success.   By taking responsibility for changing your situation you empower yourself to break free of your rut.
9. Introspection and Meditation.  When things around you get so heavy, so meaningless and challenging – give yourself permission to focus inward for 30-minutes each day by practicing yoga and meditation.  With just a week of consistent meditation you will be amazed at how less terrible you will feel about your current rut
10. Know the signs.  Take stock each day of your feelings, your accomplishments and how well aligned your actions are with your inner purpose and desire.  Recognize how you feel and how you respond when under pressure, out of control and out of alignment.  If you can identify these characteristics early you can take control before you get stuck in a rut

There is no reason to spend another day stuck in a rut.  Use these 10 techniques to break free and begin living life the way you really want to once again.

Jeff

But is there another way?

I've been experimenting ALLOT with positive affirmations lately and have been able to find a system that works for not only myself in almost any mindset, but for many others I help around me. 

Many of us have tried affirmations in the past, most of us for just a few days to 'see what would happen' and some of us for much longer, but many of us have had a hard time seeing any signifjcant difference.

What I did discover is there are many WRONG ways to both write and use positive affirmations when trying to improve your positive thinking and achieve new levels of self-improvement.  

You'll find the 6 key principles of using positive affirmations here  to break through negative thinking – use these methods to craft and apply your own daily affirmations. 

We can't rely on much these days, but one thing we can definitely rely on is that we will hit rough times, challenging times – we will be hit with challenges when we least expect them.  Those who prepare themselves now for what may come in the future will be the ones that will make it through these times the best.

A good portion of the "Attracting Greatness System" came from personal experiences facing crisis situations and is now available to those who want to better prepare themselves for the fast-paced, stressful and highly dynamic lifestyle we now live in. 

It's more than motivation, personal development and self-improvement – we are talking about a thorough preparation so that we can ride out storms such as the current economic crisis.

Whether you are stuck in a rut, financially challenged by the latest crisis, facing a job you hate or challenges in your own business or personal life you can heed Tony Robbin's latest words in the video below. 

Asked what his advice would be on the latest challenges in the economy Tony has it right when he talks about our ongoing need to prepare ourselves emotionally for anything that comes up because we never know what is around the corner…

Watch here:

Anthony Robbins on The Today Show

Jeff

Having outlined in detail my own experiences of getting incredibly sick with dozens of vague symptoms in my early twenties, I've become acutely aware of the importance of a healthy gut.

There is a daily war happening on our intestines and colon that, when our systems are balanced, keeps the peace very effectively…we know that is the case when we have maximum energy, have a powerful immune system where we can fight off illness, rarely get headaches or do not suffer from digestive problems such as heartburn, acid reflux, bloating or other very common, 'uncomfortable' intestinal conditions these days. 

The challenge is, when our gut's delicate balance of 'good' bacteria is disrupted, then the nastier bugs can take over and the result is a rapid spiral into pain and suffering. 

In our highly respected "Attracting Greatness" blueprint for leading a happier, healthier and exciting life, we spend significant time outlining a plan to return your body and mind to the place where they must be before we can truly be functioning as we were meant to function.  Right now, 95% or more of us are NOT where we could be once we understand the delicate balance that has been disrupted.

WHAT DISRUPTS OUR SYSTEM

Research has now proven that there are a host of disruptors to normal gut health that result on further impact to our nervous system, immune system, lymphatic system, with direct links to such diseases as Fybro Myalsia, Cancer, Heart Disease, Arthritis, and a whole host of other less serious conditions.

Here are just a few things that disrupt our normal ability to keep peace in the war that constantly goes on inside our gut:

 - antibiotic use, even from 20-years ago, will destroy our 'good' bacteria
 - poor eating habits, too many refined and processed foods will lead to an overgrowth of 'bad' bacterias
 - parasites which a large percentage of us have in our gut right now from children, pets, food, and more…
 - negative stress, a recent scientific study has shown proof that stress on our nervous system DOES directly impact the checmical functioning of our gut
 - exposure to chemicals and toxins, we are all exposed to these at some level – eventually these impact our 'good' bacteria and allow the 'bad' to win the war.

As you can see, this is not a third-world problem, not a problem for one race, income level or sex – but is a chronic problem across all of us. 

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT

First, we must realize the link between what happens in our gut and the rest of our body function is direct and very real.

Second, we must accept that our own gut health has been challenged at one time or another and so we must do what we can to help bring it back into balance – the good news is that it's not that hard and the upside benefit is massive.

Third, we must learn to manage stress in our lives.  It doesn't matter how healthy a life you live, if you cannot manage negative stress, your gut will not operate properly and you will find yourself subjected to the same diseases and bad health as a life-long smoker or obese person. 

In 'Achieving Greatness' we tell our story of how we learned about all of this the hard way and how we completely turned around my own health in less than 6-weeks – we also share the blueprint so you can do the same. 

The sooner we act on bringing back a healthy system, the sooner we can improve our enjoyment of life, achieve incredible breakthroughs and fight disease that may already be rearing its ugly head deep inside our bodies.

But…that's where I struggle a little – it seems from reading Eckhart's A New Earth, as opposed to other spiritual awakening authors such as Wayne Dyer or Deepak Chopra – he calls for TOTAL alignment with nothing more than what you are doing right now.

Certainly, eliminating fear, anxiety, and managing stress in our lives is a massive stepping stone to achieving greater things in our lives as was outlined in our newest step-by-step program "Beyond Greatness"

In fact, he argues that there are only 3 states that are congruent to being in-tune with the universe – Acceptance, Enjoyment and Enthusiasm.

I have to 100% agree that when we are in a state of enjoyment or enthusiasm, we are in line with the universe, but there is only one other state and I wonder how any progress is made given that the only other choice we have is acceptance?

Let's say I am struggling in a crappy job that I hate, I can't enjoy it or be enthusiastic about it…so I have to accept it?

Hmmm…that doesn't seem right?

I've listed to different Tolle audio's – the extensive series he did with Oprah which seemed to only raise more questions about this "passive" resistance technique that I just can't see will lead to successful enlightenment.

However, I do see the following advantages of Eckhart Tolle's advice in A New Earth:

• Living in the NOW means you remove a great deal of stress, strain and unhealthy anxiety from your life.  I still strive, but now I've learned to be a little calmer about it and not worry so much
• I do believe there is an energy that operates things at a far higher level than we exist – congruent with the teachings of the Secret and other spiritual books
• His concept of the ego constantly trying to drive you beyond the current moment is earily believable as he touches on this again and again in A New Earth

Overall, I know that the advice and concepts given in Tolle's A New Earth will improve my happiness and ability to reach the next level of awareness – somehow though I have to still understand how that co-exists with progress and the need to improve the situation around ourselves.