TipsForSuccess: The Power of Your Imagination (Part One)

The Power of Your Imagination (Part One) If you were locked up in prison for ten years, how would you keep your sanity? If you feel locked in a bad marriage, bad job or bad living arrangement, it might seem like you are in prison. The stress and depression can be unbearable. Even waiting in long lines, traffic jams or boring meetings can feel like jail. Fortunately, you have the ability to improve your mood in any situation. "Imagination is a good thing, not a bad thing. With daydreaming, for instance, a person can convert a not-too-pleasant existence into something livable." -- L. Ron Hubbard Instead of feeling frustrated while sitting in a traffic jam, have a daydream about your next vacation. You can lay in your hospital bed for hours, with nothing to do, and enjoy a daydream about a shopping trip. You can spend an entire day in a jail cell while imagining a day at the beach. Your imagination reduces your stress and lightens your mood. Instead of enduring life, you enjoy it. You control the dream; the dream does not control you. Imagination is so powerful, it can do much more than make bad conditions more bearable. "Imagination could be classified as the ability to create or forecast a future or to create, change or destroy a present or past." -- L. Ron Hubbard Destroy a Past After being married to Bill for 10 years, Julie has an brief affair with an old boyfriend. She breaks off the affair and tells her husband Bill what she did. Months later, Bill tells his friend, "I've tried, but I just can't forgive her. I want us to have a wonderful marriage, but all I can think about is her in a motel bed with her old boyfriend." Bill's friend, who knows the power of imagination, says, "Use your imagination to fix this. Imagine she never had the affair." Bill does this. "Okay. Julie never even saw this guy. It never happened. She was shopping." He closes his eyes and puts his imagination to work. A few minutes later, he says, "Fantastic! I feel better about this. I even think I can forgive her now." Of course, Bill knows Julie was unfaithful, but the past incident no longer ruins his marriage. He used his imagination to destroy the affair. Change the Present Liz works for a nasty, mean boss. "Liz! I told you to clean my bathroom. Get to work you stupid cow!" She feels like crying whenever he yells at her. Liz uses her imagination to change the present. "I'm going to imagine my boss is only five years old and I let him think he's really important." Now, when the boss yells at Liz, she secretly smiles at his tantrums. Liz uses her imagination to change the present. Create a Future Three years after graduating from high school, Charles is still broke. "I work hard at ABC Computers, but I just can't get ahead. And I don't want to fix computers for the rest of my life." Charles uses his imagination to create a future. "I will create a new website that millions of people will pay to use. It will be valuable, but inexpensive. It will become very popular and will make me wealthy." He daydreams about his new website every day. He thinks of several new ideas. He imagines how each page would work. Using his imagination, he even solves all the problems that may occur with his future website business. Charles arranges to get transferred to the ABC Computers website design team. When his new boss recognizes his creativity, she gives him exciting new projects. Charles enjoys his new work a great deal. His pay doubles within a few months. Charles keeps imagining his own website business and works on it at home every night. Charles used his imagination to change his future. Four More Ways to Use Your Imagination to Succeed 1. Use your imagination to feel happier. Mentally see yourself smiling and feeling good. Try it right now. Imagine you will feel energized and happy in 60 seconds. 2. If you own a business, constantly imagine how you can provide a better service or a better product. As you turn these imagined improvements into reality, you increase your income. 3. A great way to increase your income as an employee is to do the same thing. Imagine getting more work done than ever before. Imagine ways your work becomes more valuable. Imagine your boss being so delighted with you that you get raises and promotions. 4. Use your imagination to change a condition with your body. For example, if you are ill, imagine the disease slowly dissolving. If you have a layer of fat you don't like, imagine it disappearing. If you wish to look more attractive, use your imagination to make it so. If you wish you were shorter or taller, had more hair, had more energy, looked younger or whatever, simply imagine the change. If you maintain your imaginary appearance over time, don't be too surprised if your body changes! Happy New Year!    Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.     Copyright © 2012 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.   Sign up or learn more about TipsForSuccess at www.tipsforsuccess.org.       For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm    Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org

 

 

TipsForSuccess: Do You Give More Than You Receive?

Do You Give More Than You Receive? Does life ever seem unfair to you? For example, you give more gifts and holiday cheer than anyone gives to you. You give great advice, but never get thanked for it. You donate more than your fair share to those who are less fortunate than you. And that's a good thing! "A human being feels able and competent only so long as he is permitted to contribute as much or more than he has contributed to him." -- L. Ron Hubbard For example, you promise to give five hours of work to Joe. During those hours, you are focused, efficient and professional. You get so involved with the job, you forget to watch the clock and end up working for almost six hours, but still only charge for five. Joe is impressed and you are proud. Your future with Joe feels secure. As another example, you tell Chris, "You don't need to work. We'll just give you money each month." At first, Chris thinks, "This is a great deal!" But soon, she wonders, "Am I so useless that no one thinks I can work? Can't I make a contribution?" She feels unable and incompetent. If you then get Chris to do some difficult work for the money, she feels happy and secure. As a final example, you encourage your children to contribute to the family. Your four-year old sweeps the floors each day. Your ten-year-old takes care of the pets. Your fifteen-year-old washes your car and the house windows every other week. Your family is happy as everyone feels able and competent. "A man can over-contribute and feel secure in an environment. He feels insecure the moment he under-contributes, which is to say, gives less than he receives. If you don't believe this, recall a time when everyone else brought something to the party but you didn't. How did you feel? -- L. Ron Hubbard Recommendation Give a bit more to others than they give to you. Contribute excessive time, money or other forms of help to good causes or good people. Do not expect an exchange. Continue to over-contribute whenever you can. Instead of having a fair exchange with others, arrange for an abundant exchange, with you always giving more than you receive. You will then feel, as a result, more able, more competent and more secure. All three feelings are important ingredients to your success. Happy Holidays!   Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.     Copyright © 2012 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.   Sign up or learn more about TipsForSuccess at www.tipsforsuccess.org.       For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm    Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org

 

TipsForSuccess: Your Golden Goose

Your Golden Goose Do you think your most valuable asset is a possession? Your home, your car, your stereo or your savings? No, none of these things are your most valuable asset. Even if you have millions of dollars. Your money is not your most valuable asset. In fact, it might become a liability if you get obsessed about keeping it and protecting it. Your life can become controlled by your cash. No, the most valuable financial asset you own is not a possession, but your personal golden goose. The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs The Greek slave Aesop told this story 2500 years ago. A man and his wife owned a goose that laid a golden egg every day. They decided they were not getting rich fast enough. They believed the bird must be full of gold and so decided to kill it. When they cut open their golden goose, they found it was just like any other goose. They not only failed to get rich all at once as they had hoped, they no longer enjoyed the daily golden eggs. Because you have probably heard this story, you would never think of cutting a goose that laid golden eggs for you. You would take special care of that goose. You would buy it the best goose feed, build it the most comfortable goose nest and give it the nicest goose pond available, right? The truth is, you own a golden goose. Conditions of Success "The conditions of success are few and easily stated. "The ability to hold a job depends, in the main, upon ability. "One's intelligence is directly related to his ability. There is no such thing as being too smart. But there is such a thing as being too stupid." -- L. Ron Hubbard from The Problems of Work Your ability to work and produce something valuable is the goose that lays golden eggs for you. The more ability you have, the more golden eggs you can earn. The Best Investment in the World Professional investors are constantly searching for investments (golden geese) with three qualities: 1. The investment must be safe and secure. 2. It must produce above-average income. 3. Opportunities to buy the investment must be everywhere. Your ability to make money, fits all three qualities. 1. Your ability to earn money is safe. Some idiot might try to kill your goose with criticism, attacks or backstabbing. Yet once you bounce back, your skills start to produce golden eggs again. Your skills do not easily disappear. 2. By investing in your golden goose, you can earn a huge income. For example, a doctor spends $90,000 on education and then earns $180,000 per year. He or she earns twice the education cost every year. How many other types of investments can do that? As another example, you decide to take a sales class. You pay $5,000 for the class and travel costs. You come back to your business and increase your sales by $1,000 per month or $12,000 per year. By investing $5,000, you get back $12,000 the first year. This is a return of 240% which any investor will tell you is an incredible return. You can expect an excellent return on your investment by obtaining any skill: people skills, computer skills, speaking skills and so on. Even better is improving your personal power base -- your ability to deal with difficult situations, to make correct decisions, to work harder, to accomplish more, to do tough jobs. 3. Skill-enhancement opportunities are all around you. Professional investors spend most of their time looking for golden geese. They are happy if 60% of their investments make money. By investing in your personal abilities, you can expect 90-100% of these investments will help you succeed. Because you get some improvement from everything you learn, you have no real risk. Recommendations 1. Make a list of all the abilities you have that make you money. For example, "My ability to handle customer's complaints." "My ability to lead great workshops." "My ability to build garages." 2. Next to each item on your list, write down how you can improve each of these abilities. For example, "As well has handle complaints, I'd like to know how to make people happy." "As well as leading great workshops, I'd like to give them business consulting." "As well as building garages, I'd like to learn how to build houses." 3. Next to each of these new abilities, write down what you can do to obtain them. Examples: "Read every book I can find on helping people." "Take classes in my spare time on business consulting." "Find a successful construction company owner who is willing to train me." 4. Take action. Invest all your spare time into yourself. If you do one thing every day, to improve your golden goose, you will soon have all the golden eggs you need!   Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.     Copyright © 2012 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.   Sign up or learn more about TipsForSuccess at www.tipsforsuccess.org.       For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm    Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org

 

TipsForSuccess: Succeed with Speed

Succeed with Speed How long do you wait for a haircut? For a table at a restaurant? For your car to be repaired? How long does it take before you get irritated? On the other hand, how do you feel when you receive instant service? "You need your car fixed? We can do it in five minutes." "Hello, you're right on time! Dr. Smith will see you now." "You need a new driver's license? Okay, stand here for your photo. Here's your license. Have a nice day." One of the fastest ways to hurt your business is to make people wait. After five minutes they become uncomfortable. In ten minutes they are unhappy. In fifteen they are irritable. After twenty, they decide to leave. There is no benefit in making people wait. They do not think, "Boy, these guys are really important, really busy, really in demand!" Instead, they think, "These idiots aren't very organized." "Maybe they don't think I'm very important." "To prosper, service must be as close to instant as possible." "Anything which stops or delays the flows of a business or delays or puts a customer or product on WAIT is an enemy of that business." -- L. Ron Hubbard Businesses that provide fast service or fast products take over their industries. For example, McDonalds gives you hot food in one minute, Jiffy Lube changes your car oil in ten minutes and Lenscrafters makes your glasses in an hour. All three companies have made their owners and executives wealthy because they provide fast service. The same principle works for you. Each time you make a customer wait, your boss wait or even a coworker wait, you are hurting your income. For example, a lazy waiter makes a hungry customer wait for ten minutes before taking his order and gets a $1 tip. The same customer gives a $5 tip to a waitress who takes his order within thirty seconds. With 40 customers per day, the fast waitress earns $800 more in tips each week because she gives fast service. The restaurant also makes more money as customers use a table for 45 minutes instead of 60 minutes; more meals are sold. If you own a small business, you can use this principle to beat the big boys. For example, you open a small print shop, but cannot get enough work to pay your bills. You advertise, "We will finish any print job in 24 hours." Within a week, you have ten new jobs. Even though you work 15 hours per day for a week, you steal a few of your competitors' big customers and make a small fortune. As another example, your boss asks you and two of your co-workers to gather your production numbers for the past six months. You bring it to your boss in an hour. One of your co-workers brings his numbers at the end of the week. The other co-worker forgets all about it. If you are consistently fast, who will the boss want to give more responsibility and pay? Who might get laid off? If you wish to succeed and prosper, you must be fast! Action Plan #1 1. How do you make money? List every step of the process you use. 2. Look for every delay. Where do things slow down? 3. How can you speed up these points? How can you provide nearly-instant service or a nearly-instant product? Action Plan #2 1. Who waits for you? 2. Of these people, who has influence over your success? 3. How can you break all speed records and give these people what they need instantly? Write down your plans and act!   Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.     Copyright © 2012 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.   Sign up or learn more about TipsForSuccess at www.tipsforsuccess.org.       For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm    Take better control of your life with the TipsForSuccess coaching website at www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org

 

TipsForSuccess: Want Praise? Bad Idea

Want Praise? Bad Idea "Never need praise, approval or sympathy." -- L. Ron Hubbard, from "The Code of Honor" If you need to be important, to be admired and to be praised, you will be unsuccessful. Your decisions will be wrong. People will not respect you. You will lose money. If you need admiration to be happy, you become addicted to finding more and more admiration. You lose sight of goals that really matter in life. Admiration can become an addiction. For example, you buy a car or house to earn status. You marry the wrong person because you think the marriage makes you look good. You choose a career because it makes you popular, not because you love the work. Being a big shot is great! It feels good to be admired. It is satisfying to be liked. However, to seek approval and admiration, as your goal, can ruin your career, your business, your family and your life. 10 Reasons Why Seeking Praise and Admiration Is a Bad Idea 1. You need positive evaluations from others to feel happy. 2. To get praise, you decide you need to get the credit for all good ideas at your job. When someone else comes up with a great solution, you stop it or make sure it does not work. If you can take credit for the solution, you work hard to make sure it succeeds. 3. People learn they can control you by praising you or criticizing you. They can then take advantage of you. "We'll praise you and make you feel very important, if you work for less pay than you're worth." 4. As a boss, you refuse to let anyone else make decisions because making decisions makes you feel important. You want everyone to wait for your blessing before they act. As a result, you get stressed to pieces while competent people feel insulted. 5. You avoid duties that might make you unpopular. For example, a boss might not fix employee behavior problems because he does not want to be unpopular. An employee might not demand payment from a customer as he doesn't want to be unpopular with that customer. 6. Without a regular dose of validation, you start to criticize yourself. If you're not getting praise and admiration, you feel something must be wrong with you. 7. Working for admiration takes up your time and attention. You do not focus on more valuable, long-term objectives. 8. To ensure the "herd" likes you, you follow the herd and never break into personal success beyond the herd's success. 9. When you finally achieve fame and personal glory, you still may be broke. Famous, but not rich. 10. No matter how successful you might be, if you do not get admiration, you feel like a failure. Recommendations * As much as you might like praise, realize it is just someone's opinion or evaluation. Instead of seeking evaluations from others, constantly improve your opinion of yourself. * Make your decisions based on what is right for your goals, your family, your group. * Choose goals that have nothing to do with personal glory or fame. * Admire and appreciate yourself; avoid the need for admiration from others. * Do what is right, not what you will be applauded for. * Evaluate yourself by your own standards of what you should be, not what others want you to be. * Instead of praising your employees, friends, spouse and children, give them acknowledgements for their accomplishments instead. They will be happier and more productive!   You can read "The Code of Honor" at www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology/the-scientology-creeds-and-codes/the-code-of-honor.html   Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.     Copyright © 2012 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.   Sign up or learn more about TipsForSuccess at www.tipsforsuccess.org.