Today I'm filming a movie (more to come on this later...) and just returned from Egypt last week where I spoke for the American Chamber of Commerce for a day and got to tour the great Pyramids -- what an experience! Seeing the Pyramids is one of the goals that was on my list, so I got to check that one off! What have you been checking off your goal list lately? Large or small it really doesn't matter, what matters is you've got your list and you're checking things off. :-) There is something so energizing knowing that you're working on your goals and moving in the direction you've determined you want to go. Isn't that powerful? Jim Rohn makes the point that humans are the only ones who can do this. He uses the example of geese. Geese are born, they fly south for the winter and head back north for the summer -- it's what they do, they're geese. One winter they aren't going to call a meeting and get together to decide they'll take a vacation from flying south. It just doesn't happen. But, the human race has the power to decide.

Now I've been working on a new audio series based on the Twelve Pillars book Jim Rohn and I did together late last year, and one of the points I make is that a vital key to success is to manage ourselves. What I mean is this: we decide we want to go in a different direction, we create a plan of action and then it's up to us to take the action. Sounds pretty simple right? But then life gets in the way, we get distracted, our fears kick in or we lose momentum because we encounter challenges -- there are a myriad of things that can happen. So, this is where the power of managing ourselves becomes crucial -- we've got to "manage" whatever it is inside ourselves that gives in to allowing ourselves to be distracted, stopped by our fears or wants to quit because there are challenges in our path. Truth is I feel better when I know I'm working toward something even if it's harder than I first imagined or things aren't working out how I think they should. It stretches us, challenges us to dig deeper within ourselves and causes us to grow, ultimately making us better and more skilled. Wow! Good stuff here!

Point I'm trying to make is that you've got it within yourself to create an amazing life filled with joy, passion and moments to treasure -- You have that power!

So, what are you waiting for?

You Are Made for Success!
Chris Widener

P.S. Today's issue is going out to 73,176 subscribers. If you've gained value from what you read in my Ezine, then I would like to thank you in advance for forwarding this issue to friends, family and associates!



In This Issue.......

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article
2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary
3. The Last Word...
4. Free Download of Chris Widener's MP3 - The Best Test and a Special Chris Widener Offer!
5. More Information

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article

Dare to Dream Again by Chris Widener

 "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -- Teddy Roosevelt

Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we were young, had a common trait - we were dreamers. The world hadn't gotten to us yet to show us that we couldn't possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we weren't built for achieving our dream (I realized about my junior year of high school that I was too short and too slow to play professional basketball. The dreamer is always the last to know).

Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn't do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don't pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content.

Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!

It is time to dream again!

Why? Here are just a few reasons:

* Avoid regret. The facts are in, and someday we will all lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had done or accomplished. I for one don't want to regret what could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.

* The world needs people like you to dream of something great and then to pursue it with all of your heart. Maybe you belong to a business, school or organization that started out with good intentions but has settled into the same ol' same ol'. Shake them up and remind them of how they could really help people if only they would dream!

* Personal and family fulfillment. One of the things that happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the capacity for and lets us experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our step and the zing in our emotions!

* Making the world a better place. All of the great accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person who had a dream. Somebody rebuffed the naysayers and said to himself or herself, "This can be done, and I am the one who will do it." And in many instances they changed the world for the better. It isn't just the Martin Luther King's and the JFK's either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who have started things large and small that help people world-wide every day.

* Leaving a legacy. How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!

So where do we start? Here are some ideas:

* Reconnect with your dream. Set aside some time to let yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in order to live the status quo? Settle on one or two dreams that you can and will pursue. Don't come up with too many. That will only deter you further.

* Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep "thinking" about it. Tell others that you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!

* Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:

* A timeline. How long will it take to the end?

* Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when you will do them.

* Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?

* An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.

* A celebration. Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!

I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!

Chris Widener  

2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary

"The one without dreams is the one without wings." -- Muhammad Ali

Chris' Commentary:
No matter what great thing it is that you want to accomplish in life, you are going to need some wings to get there. And the bigger the thing it is that you want to accomplish, the bigger your wings need to be! So what are the wings that will lift you to this great success in your life? Imagination! Every accomplishment begins as an action or repeated actions. Every action is driven by a thought. Our thoughts are reflections of what it is that we imagine. So, imagine big and you will think big. Think big and you will take big actions. Take big actions and your accomplishments will be big!

Action Point: Take some time today to imagine the great successes you want to see in your life in the next few months. Spend some time dreaming! This will start a chain reaction that will lead to the actual accomplishment!




3. The Last Word...

Some time ago I came up with my best list of legitimate reasons to delaying pursuing your dreams and goals, and I think I've come up with a solid list of five. Having said that, here they are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Okay, to be frank, there are NO great reasons to delay pursuing your dream! You aren't getting any younger and before you know it you will be looking back at your life wondering where it went. Don't leave yourself any regrets: get yourself going TODAY and pursue that dream! -- CW




4. Free Download of Chris Widener's MP3 - The Best Test and a Special Chris Widener Offer!
 
Every once in a while (especially since my ezine subscribers have been growing by leaps and bounds), I like to offer a free download to my subscribers as a "Thank You" for being part of positive change in the marketplace and world. So go ahead download it for yourself and then feel free to pass this free download along to those who will benefit from and enjoy it. And while you're at it, check out my special offer and save an additional 20%! -- CW
 

Special Chris Widener Offer! 

5. More Information

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