The other day a friend and I were talking about Sarah Palin's interview with Oprah.

"Oh, don't tell me that you actually like her now," my friend said.

I replied, "Let's just say that I can understand Sarah Palin's perspective. I have more compassion for her and have a new-found respect for her."

According to my friend, the Republican party is screwed up. But I don't want this post to be about politics. I just want to let you know where my friend is coming from...

I went on to talk about how we're all so caught up with labels. My friend is a "Democrat" and Sarah Palin is a "Republican".

Why can't we just see each other as just magnificent human beings?

When we attach labels to ourselves, we get boxed into a set of rules. Now we're supposed to act according to that label. If we don't, then we've failed.

Steve Pavlina wrote an interesting post about label-free relationships that coincides with some of my thoughts. I would hasten to say that many people out there are unhappy because of what we expect from other people. We expect someone to act a certain way because they are a "girlfriend" or "husband". We want people to do things for us because they're just supposed to or they "owe" us.

I call myself a "writer", but even that label has its own set of rules. I'm supposed to put commas and capitalize letters in sentences...I'm supposed to come up with profound things to say and I should be able to express myself clearly.

I love what Joanna Young says in her post, Peel Off the Labels to Give Yourself Space:

"The labels you’re given, or that you learn to apply to yourself, can hold you back. Limit your sense of what is possible.

Peeling off those labels, and replacing them with words that create space, opportunity, and possibility can be a powerful thing."

When you let go of the labels, you're free to just follow your passions without judgement. You don't have to do something because you're a "this" or "that". You live life with freedom. You feel more energized. You're in the flow....and you're happier.

Because in the end, all we want to be is happy, right?

Photo Credit: bitchcakesny

One of my ongoing practices is to live in the moment. This is a challenge for many people because we are constantly bombarded with messages such as "planning for the future" or "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Many of us are also playing scenes of the past in our head over and over, having regrets and thinking, If only I had done this....

What I have learned these past few years is that when you live consciously in the present moment, you're free from the stresses of life. It enables you to feel calm and to think with an astounding clarity.

Living in the moment is easier said that done. After all, with so much going on around us, it's easy to get distracted by fears, worries, frustrations, and stress. However, once you get into the groove of living in the moment, you'll wonder how you could have lived any other way!

So, what can you do to make living in the moment your way of life?

Here are some tips to gain present-moment thinking:

1. Meditate. The very point of meditation is to live in the present moment and accept things just as they are. It's a practice that you'll get better at the more you do it. To help quiet your mind, the best thing you can do is focus on your breathing and keep striving to release your thoughts with each breath you take.

2. Accept the past. You'll feel better about yourself once you learn to accept past situations. There's nothing you can do to change the past. Bringing the past into your present only clouds your present thinking and makes it harder for you to concentrate on the present moment.

Of course, thoughts of the past will still arise, but when you learn to accept it for what it is, you'll be able to return to the present moment without regret or grief.

3. Accept the future. On the other side of the coin, you also need to accept the future. How much time do you waste in a day by sitting around thinking about what you're going to do? When you stop thinking, you have more time to actually do it!

I know that many people are constantly worrying about money, so make sure to read my past post, "How to Stop Worrying About Money".

4. Be mindful. When you're mindful, you pay close attention to what you're doing in the present. You may think it's just a mundane chore, but it's important to do it with an open mind. Open up your senses to what you're doing. You might be overwhelmed with positive feelings that you didn't know existed.

5. Get in touch with nature. Take some time to get in touch with nature. You can go for a walk or just sit under a tree. There aren't many things that can open you up to the present moment like opening up to the vastness of nature.

Relax, Relax, Relax

As long as you maintain a relaxed attitude, you can achieve conscious living. It may help to think of yourself and your brain as separate entities. Your brain can be thinking thoughts all over the place while your "self" watches. When you maintain the wisdom to realize that your thoughts are out of control, the self can pull you back into the present.

Of course these goals are best achieved through meditative practice, but you can also try any activity that you find relaxing if meditation isn't for you. While you're relaxing, pay attention to your breathing and try to take deep breaths. Remind yourself that, in this moment, the past and the future don't matter in the least.

After you've successfully added present moment thinking to a relaxing part of your day, it's time to spread the awareness to other times of the day. The more time you can spend in the present, the better.

Live in the here and now, and enjoy a more fulfilling life!

Photo Credit (top of page): Jason Rogers

Many people are going through some very challenging times right now. I've been spending time with close friends who are either having issues with personal relationships or having trouble making ends meet. These friends are familiar with the Law of Attraction and know how it works, but after coaching them with their issues, I've come to realize that even though they have the knowledge about the Law of Attraction, they have yet to put that knowledge into action. They have yet to apply what they've learned.

I'm sure many of you can relate. I know that I've been through this process myself. You know what the Law of Attraction is, but what now?

I think that we're going through a wonderful time right now because many of us are starting to awaken to the possibility of a much more abundant life....THE GOOD LIFE!

One person who has inspired me through this proces of awakening to what I call my "true spirit" is Bob Doyle. If you've been reading this blog for some time, you know who I'm talking about. Bob Doyle is the creator of the Wealth Beyond Reason program and recently he did a one hour free webinar titled, "Taking Care of Yourself During Troubled Times".

In this free webinar Bob talks about the idea of resistance and how it is playing a role in why you are not attracting the life that you want. He also gives you exercises and tools that can apply right now to start overcoming the challenges you are facing.

Click here to listen to this very inspiring webinar...

I'd love to hear your thoughts or stories about how the Law of Attraction is working in your life! If there is a topic you'd like for me to talk about on this blog, please leave a comment.

Photo Credit: PostcardsFromHome

Showing gratitude is a great way to spread positive feelings in the world around you. When you think about it, reaching your goals starts with a single positive thought. Feeling grateful for what you have can produce the same good feelings and keep you moving toward your goals.

Doesn't it feel good when someone sincerely expresses his or her gratitude to you for something you did? These positive feelings can lift you up, boost your enthusiasm, and motivate you to achieve even more.

Gratitude is one of the main elements in the Law of Attraction. When you show gratitude for the things that you have, The Universe continues to give you more. Remember that like attracts like!

Here are five benefits of gratitude:

1. Reaching your goals. When you feel grateful, it tends to be a lasting and selfless feeling. It's much more than just a momentary burst of positive energy; it has staying power that inspires you to reach your goals.

2. Strengthened relationships. There are many ways you can express your gratitude to your loved ones, including saying, "Thank you," writing a letter, or giving them a thoughtful gift. When you learn to avoid taking your loved ones for granted, you'll have a long lasting and loving relationship.

3. Improved communication. Gratitude can mean better communication all around. By expressing your gratitude to strangers, they'll be more likely to show an interest in helping you as well.

4. More effective constructive criticism. No matter how we express constructive criticism, it often makes the recipient defensive or even angry. No one likes a blow to the ego. In this situation, a grateful attitude can take you a long way. You can express criticism quite effectively when you also emphasize what you appreciate about them.

5. Preserving memories. You can preserve memories in a positive way when you keep a gratitude journal. You'll be able to enjoy your memories again and again when you read about these happy times in the future.

Show Your Gratitude Every Day

Showing gratitude to others may seem like a selfless act, but it's something that you also benefit from. When you show your gratitude every day, you change the way you think.

You'll appreciate your good life when the majority of your thoughts remain positive. Negative thoughts can sometimes be overwhelming, and just because you have them doesn't mean you're a bad person. Everyone has negative thoughts at one time or another, but you can strive to keep them to a minimum with the help of a grateful attitude.

One way to show your gratitude every day is to remind yourself of the big picture when a negative thought arises. If a petty argument with your spouse makes you feel angry and heated, take a deep breath and think for a moment. Remember that the argument is not permanent and, instead, feel grateful for the gift of this relationship.

In what ways do you show gratitude each day?

Read more of my thoughts about gratitude...

>>>>Get the "Attitude of Gratitude" subliminal mp3.

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Photo credits: hurricanemaine, Bùi Linh Ngân

Awhile back I wrote about the power of subliminal messages to attract money and wealth. If you're still skeptical, perhaps this post will finally convince you what you may be missing out on when it comes to attracting wealth more easily into your life.

Again, I should reiterate that for me, the word "wealth" encompasses many things including money, good health, better relationships, etc.

For the past several months I've developed a daily routine of listening to subliminal mp3's and watching videos that contain subliminal messages to help attract the flow of money. As I've said before, I have been watching this subliminal wealth video. My friend, Bill Perry, also gave me a mp3 to listen that contains money affirmations. (BTW, Bill has another great mp3 called "Sleep" that I listen to at night).

What I do is listen to these mp3 and videos at night before bed and in the morning when I first wake up. This is the time when your mind is in Alpha state and more receptive to these subliminal messages.

Since I last posted about this back in May, I want to update you on more things that have flowed into my life:

• More writing and SEO projects from current clients, including two of the biggest projects I've ever done in my writing and internet marketing career.


• Another big advertiser for my Audi blog. Actually, advertising revenue for my blogs has tripled since last year.


• More time has freed up in my schedule and I've been able to visit my parents every month. Time is more important than money to me!


• I won $250 playing nickel slots at the casino this past weekend ;)

Many people fail when trying to use the law of attraction as they are consciously trying, but their subconscious mind doesn't believe or has negative thoughts which hold them back.

However, with the power of subliminal messages you can target your subconscious mind to eliminate these limiting beliefs and ensure that your entire body, mind, and subconscious mind are all working together – thereby boosting your chance of success dramatically.

Recently I have been corresponding with a company called Real Subliminal and learning about their “Attract Money in Abundance” album. The album works on similar principles to their Law of Attraction Album, only that ALL of the messages on this album are focused on attracting wealth, prosperity, and money in abundance into your life.

Here is a sample of a recording from Real Subliminal...

Order the "Attract Money in Abundance" album and enter code "FINANCIALFREEDOM" to get 20% off.

Do you have any experiences using subliminal messages to attract your desires?

This week's inspirational quote for living an abundant life comes from Wayne Dyer's Twitter stream...

"when you're inspired, you activate dormant forces, and the abundance you seek in any form comes streaming into your life"

So, are you inspired?

When you wake up in the morning, are you excited about what the day will bring?

Do you love what you do?

To get started on living a more inspired life, check out this list I put together awhile back....49 ways to live a more fulfilling life.

I also like this article I found at the Healthy Holistic Living website: Are You Living An Inspired Life?

This article is published with permission from Brian Tracy...As a follower of his philosophies, I thought I'd pass on some of his wisdom. There is one part of this article that I do disagree with (the fourth way - I share my thoughts in italics), but overall he offers some sound advice.

Five Ways to Become Wealthy
By: Brian Tracy


There are basically five ways that you can become wealthy starting with nothing in America based on over 25 years of research into American millionaires.

The Five Roads to Financial Success in America and How to Choose Your Own

There are basically five ways that you can become wealthy starting with nothing in America based on over 25 years of research into American millionaires. Number one, you can inherit it. Less than 10 percent of wealthy Americans inherited any of their money, and it's less and less every single year.

The Second Way

The second way that you can become wealthy is you can achieve it professionally. You can become a doctor or a lawyer or an architect or an accountant. You can become extremely good at what you do, be paid very well, and hold on to the money.

The Third Way

The third way you can achieve it is you can become a senior executive of a large corporation. You can be highly paid; you can have stock options and bonuses. And if you stay with the company long enough, for enough years, you can be paid enough to become wealthy.

The Fourth Way

You can win it. But only a tiny fraction of one percent of wealthy Americans got that way by winning their money some way or another. As a matter of fact, the odds against you winning the lottery are the equivalent of lightning striking twice in the same place. They're millions and millions to one. But if you really believe you can win money, you don't think about the odds.

The Best Way

The fifth way that you can become wealthy is you can start your own business and earn it all by yourself. Starting your own business has been and will always be the high road to becoming wealthy for most self-made millionaires. Entrepreneurship in America offers more opportunities and opens more doors than all other possibilities put together. This is why it has been said that if you have the ability to start your own business and you don't do it, you are a fool. I'll repeat that. If you have the ability to start your own business and you don't do it, you're a fool.

Where do you start?

You start by getting your finances under control. The very first thing you do is you make a decision to get your finances under control. Some years ago, a man named George Classon wrote a book called The Richest Man in Babylon. It's a classic on financial success and what Classon said in that book was that the key to becoming wealthy is to pay yourself first. Take ten percent off your earnings, off your gross income every month and put it aside. Learn to live on ninety percent or less of your gross income. So the very first thing that you do is you begin to save your money.

Action Exercises

Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put yourself onto the high road to personal wealth:

First, resolve today to begin saving your money a little bit at a time. Set a goal to save 10% of your earnings, to put it away and to never touch it. This will change your life.

Second, immediately register your own business or sole proprietorship. Open a bank account, get business cards and letterhead and create the corporate entity under which you can do business. Your business opportunities will appear far sooner than you think. If you build it, they will come.

Photo Credit: Andrew Magill

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