Chris Widener's Weekly Ezine
April 14, 2005
Issue 06

Welcome!

I was recently booked to speak again to two groups that I spoke for last year. One is located in Los Angeles and the other is holding their annual convention in August in beautiful Big Sky, Montana!

The group in Big Sky is a national association in the homebuilding industry, and they have asked me to speak again about Winning With Influence as well as a break out session on The Top Six Ways to Stay Motivated.

Motivation is a funny thing. On the surface, most people think of motivation as an emotional area. As in, "I just can't get motivated to get off the couch." It is a feeling. Some, when they think of a "motivational speaker", might think of someone who whips people into a frenzy and leaves them to die emotionally a few days later (of course, some may think of Matt Foley, motivational speaker, played by Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live, but I digress...)

When you think of motivation, however, you have to drill down to the root word: Motive. To be motivated means to have found your motive. And a motive is a reason to act. It is more logical than emotional. So, perhaps our problem with motivation isn't that we don't feel like it, but we don't have a reason for doing what we think we should do.

In my speeches I frequently talk about a man who had been 150 pounds overweight for most of his life. He had never found a reason to lose the weight... until his daughter needed a kidney and he was a match. The doctor gave him nine months to lose 100 pounds and guess what? He lost the weight. He always knew how (eat right and exercise) but he never had his powerful and compelling reason to act.

What about you? Suffering from a lack of motivation? Perhaps it is time to stop waiting for the spirit of the moment to whisk you into an emotional state of gumption and instead sit down and take a serious look at your life and the reasons you have to get it together (or further together for those of you already halfway down the path).

Make it your goal to find your reasons to live the life of your dreams!

You Are Made for Success!
Chris Widener


P.S. If you enjoy this week's edition and find it to be valuable, then if you would do me the favor of forwarding it to your friends, family and associates, it would be very much appreciated. If they would like to subscribe, have them send an email to: subscribe@chriswidener.com

Also, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I would like to give you a Free mp3 - The Best Test as a special Thank You for subscribing. Originally done for sales people of one of the largest corporations in the world, I put this dynamic message on mp3 for you! What they paid thousands of dollars for, you can get for free today as a special thank you!

You will find out what it takes to be the best. In this fast-paced, highly motivational message, I will challenge you to become an optimist, pursue excellence relentlessly, dream big dreams and much more! To receive your free mp3, simply click here:  http://www.jimrohn.com/specialCWEzineSignup.asp

PPS - Feel free to forward this free download opportunity to your friends and colleagues.

Many Thanks!


In This Issue.....

1. Charting Your Course to Success Weekly Article
2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary
3. The Last Word...
4. Customer Feedback
5. More Information

1. Charting Your Course to Success Weekly Article

Finding Financial Freedom by Chris Widener

Do you ever get this in your email box: Find Financial Freedom! Make $150,000 from home in the next 90 days! How about 10 times a day?

Every time I get one of these, I think to myself, "Hmmm, Financial Freedom. I already have financial freedom, even though it doesn't look like what these emails promise me."

Financial freedom is a buzzword for our generation. It is the pursuit of literally millions of people. So what is it? Is it that elusive? Can anyone get it?

Let me start by saying that this article will not be about how to earn money, or even more money. Rather, it will be about how to find financial freedom, which may or may not involve making more money.

Financial freedom - here we go!

The first step in finding financial freedom is to realize that financial freedom has absolutely nothing to do with how much money you have or make. What? Exactly. Financial freedom is something that goes on inside of you. This is why someone who makes very little can be happy and someone who makes a ton can be extremely stressed out over his or her financial situation. So the first step is to realize that financial freedom is more about our attitudes toward money than about the amount of money.

"Okay Chris, I'm with you. So what are the attitudes that provide financial freedom?" Here are a few that keep me in financial freedom.

I do not have to worry about money. I used to catch myself saying, "If I had more money, then I wouldn't have to worry about ..." But do you know what? I don't have to worry anyway. I can control my income. I can control my outgo. I can make choices that can alleviate any of my worries. I also realized that things always work out. So why worry? I choose not to worry.

I can be happy regardless of my financial state. I know people who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars and I know people who don't have two nickels to rub together. Some are happy and some aren't. And none of the people who have a lot of money say to me, "Chris, I've become so happy since I got money." They were happy before they had money and they are happy now that they have money. Their happiness has nothing to do with the money. I think it was the Billionaire David Geffen who said, "Anyone who says that money will buy them happiness has never had any money."

Money will be a means to an end, not the end itself. Another way to look at it is that money will be a tool to build the house, not the house itself. I would set some financial goals if I were you, but go beyond that to know what greater purpose there will be when you reach them. What will the house be that you will build with that tool?

I am free. I am free to earn - some people think it is bad to earn more money. It isn't. I am free to save - some people believe it is bad to save. It isn't. I am free to give money away - some people feel they will be better off hoarding it. They won't. I am free to spend - some people believe that they can't spend anything on themselves. They can. We are free to make choices. That is financial freedom. One of my favorite quotes is from Charles Wesley, "Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can." That will keep you in financial freedom.

Some other principles for financial freedom...

Debt is the primary freedom killer. Want financial freedom? The first thing you should do is to get out of debt. That is priority number one. One of the reasons I have financial freedom is that I have no debt other than my house payment. And I work hard to manage myself and our home to keep us that way. For years I drove an old junker car, and while I looked bad, I had financial freedom that others who were in debt didn't have! There is an old proverb - The borrower is the servant of the lender. Who has freedom? The lender. Who doesn't? The borrower. Develop a plan to get out of debt!

Embrace delayed gratification. Here is the principle: Buy it now and struggle later. Another principle: Delay it now, invest the money, and have all you want later on! And you won't even have to touch the principal! We tend to think that having it now will bring enjoyment, but unless you can do it and not cause yourself financial stress, you will actually get more from waiting to buy it later!

Have more by managing better. The fact is that most of us earn enough. What would be beneficial would be to set our priorities and live by a budget. As we get control, our budget will loosen up a bit and we will find ourselves enjoying it more. Money that is already there can be your answer if you put it to work for you.

Spend some time thinking through your attitudes about money. You may be surprised at how you can change a few, look at things a little bit differently and begin to enjoy true financial freedom!

Chris Widener


Chris Widener is an internationally recognized speaker, author and radio host. If you are interested in booking him to speak at your next event, go to http://www.chriswidener.com or send an email to speaker@chriswidener.com or call 877-929-0439 and ask for Hilary.



2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary

"In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing." -- Theodore Roosevelt

Chris' Commentary:
This reminds me of another favorite quote of mine from John Maxwell, "Decisions are like crying babies in church: Both should be carried out quickly." Some people labor too long over decisions. Instead we should take in the information we need, make a decision and act on it. This does two things for us. Number one, it keeps us from the paralysis of analysis. Two, if the decision is the wrong one, we then have time to make a correction. If we wait too long we have no time to correct ourselves and we have to live with it.

Action Point: What decision have you been putting off? Have you been steering away from the decision because the right thing to do is the hard thing to do? Don't put it off any longer! Make a decision to make your decision - TODAY.


Chris is the author of five books including his Newest Release, The Angel Inside - Michelangelo, Il Gigante, and Creating a Life of Power and Beauty. To order The Angel Inside go to http://www.jimrohn.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=440 or call 800-929-0434.



3. The Last Word...


Two weeks ago in my Issue 4 dated March 31, 2005 I ran a list of recommended books compiled from the 2004 Jim Rohn Weekend Leadership Event Sunday Mastermind session. Many of you appreciated the list and began looking for and purchasing the books, but encountered some challenges because the books didn't list the authors. So we've updated the list and are offering it again, this time with the authors included.

1. How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success - Frank Bettger
2. My Utmost for His Highest - Oswald Chambers
3. As a Man Thinketh - James Allen
4. One Minute Manager - Kenneth Blanchard
5. Who Moved My Cheese - Spencer Johnson & Kenneth Blanchard
6. Life is Tremendous - Charlie "Tremendous" Jones
7. Seeds of Greatness - Denis Waitley
8. Seasons of Life - Jim Rohn
9. The Bible
10. The Game of Life and How to Play It - Florence Scovel-Shinn
11. How to Read a Book - Mortimer J. Adler
12. The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer
13. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
14. Leading an Inspired Life - Jim Rohn
15. Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
16. Power of Focus - Jack Canfield
17. Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale
18. Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
19. Maximum Achievement - Brian Tracy
20. Richest Man in Babylon - George Clason
21. Laws of Success - Napoleon Hill
22. Greatest Salesman that Ever Lived - Og Mandino
23. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
24. Greatest Networker in the World - John Milton Fogg
25. You Were Born Rich - Bob Proctor
26. Winning Without Intimidation - Bob Burg
27. Atlas Shrugged - Ann Rand
28. Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl
29. Acres of Diamonds - Russell H. Conwell
30. See You at the Top - Zig Ziglar
31. 7 Habits of Highly Successful People - Steven Covey
32. Lincoln on Leadership - Donald T. Phillips

Hope this helps!
-- CW
 

4. Customer Feedback

Here are some of the testimonials and comments we received over the past week from our Ezine subscribers. We love receiving comments and feedback from our readers - so keep it coming!


That 'bit' on being the 'least' is truly inspiring.. in the days of hard knocks we all come by in life... it means so much to know such things about how life can work out for us all... how do we know how we may affect or inspire another! Thank you for such guiding words.
-- B

Dear Chris, thank you! I have just read your article in your latest e-zine, which I always look forward to. The last word... I so totally got it. I work in the film industry here in Australia, and have done well for the last 3 years, since returning to work after 11 years, along with home schooling my 3 children, and building a Herbalife business. I could be following the biggest and best films around scrounging for work, but instead have chosen to put my family first, and have taken more independent films, etc. I have had repeat employment from these Production Companies, and am yet to make "it", but the key is, they all ask for me, and want me to work for them, and to me, that's it!! And the main reason, other than that I am a very good Make Up Artist, I have a positive and compassionate outlook, get the job done with out any nonsense, am reliable, honest, and love people. This is feedback, which encourages me to be even better, is what it's all about! I love my work, and am prepared to take smaller paid jobs, and I know that one day soon, as is coming, I'll get there, wherever there is! You are so right. Again Thank you. Bless you.
-- T. Williams

Thank you, this week's ezine was Right on Target for what I was going to teach my team this weekend. Thank you.
-- Ken Longenecker

Hi Chris! I'm not sure if this comment will make it to you, but it's worth a shot! Regarding your e-zine article about worry: I, too, recognized long ago that worry was simply "stinkin' thinkin'!" My outlook on life is that MANY of life's problems are simply matters of perspective. I spend the vast majority of my time helping others to see a more positive perspective and improve their outlook on life. The result is that they are often able to make better decisions because they choose to look at a greater portion of the picture. Improved decision making makes for better leaders and citizens in this world. And it all comes from a shift in perspective. Believe it or not, I am a speaker as well. And, like you, I am working as the "least" in many circumstances because it's SO valuable to learn things while still in the background. Learning under the spotlight is a thousand times more difficult, wouldn't you agree? Because of my experience as a voice-over artist, as well as my stage experience as a narrator for plays and productions, I have been asked to be the emcee for a large convention of chiropractors in September. I'm hoping it will be a springboard to many other opportunities. In the meantime, I'm learning everything I can from Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley and you! I am also pursuing smaller speaking opportunities so that when my "dues are paid," as it were, I will know that I deserved the opportunities that presented themselves.  Thank you for your wisdom and insight, Chris. I'm impressed!
-- J. Branson


Thank you Ezine readers, for the sincere and kind words of encouragement and appreciation you sent us this week! -- CW
 

5. More Information