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The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, ‘Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?’

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, ‘Of course you may!’ and she gave me a giant squeeze.

‘Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?’ I asked.

She jokingly replied, ‘I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…’

‘No seriously,’ I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

‘I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!’ she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this ‘time machine’ as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, ‘I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.’

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ‘ We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.’

She concluded her speech by courageously singing ‘The Rose.’

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep….

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they’ll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

Universal Energy promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If Source Energy brings you to it, it will bring you through it.

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What did you think? How does this make you feel? What are you going to do differently based on reading this?

Please comment below

Ray Stendall

This blog posting was originally published by Ray Stendall on http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog. This content is Copyrighted (C) 2009 and can not be reused in anyway for commercial purposes. This content can be used to increase global awareness for what it takes to be successful but credit must be given to Ray Stendall from http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

This happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time.
The message is simple and often not fully appreciated.

Have you ever had a dream that you did not protect or talk yourself out of?

Being successful in life and business is a decision – it has nothing to do with fate or your destiny. It has everything to do with being clear about what you want and what you plan to give in very definite terms to get it. Many people in life go through the process of living in an automated way. Some never take the time to figure out exactly who they want to be, and what they plan to do, so they can have what they really want.

When you “want something in life …go get it period.”

Watch this clip and then watch the movie… even if you have seen it before (great learning lessons can be found here and if applied can make all the difference in the world).

Share your inner power with me … comment below

Till Next Time,

Your Partner In Your Success,

Ray Stendall

PS: Provide your name and email and I can let you know when I have new blog post that makes you think.

Do you know specifically where you are going? Have you developed a strategy to get where you want to go as an entrepreneur or business owner? In today’s economy there is no time to drift. Write down the specific places you are going to take your business then chart a course to get there.

Everything begins with a decision and a desire to move from point A to Point B.
Today – this very moment get clear on what you want and the price you are willing to pay for it to come true. Make sure you are very clear on the “Why” you are doing this – to motivate yourself during the difficult times and there will be difficult times. How else would you appreciate the good times if you had nothing to compare it to? From now on please view challenges in life as tests… tests to see if you are worthy of the success you seek.

Till Next Time – Your Friend and Partner in Your Success,

Ray Stendall

Please share your comments!

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”

www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

I would like to share with you a video from Napoleon Hill.   Dr. Hill has had the greatest influence on my life. I had the good fortune to study his famous book “Think and Grow Rich” in 1987 when I was 12 and my father gave it to me.  Listen carefully to his message and may it move you to a higher state of consciousness as it did for me.

Over the years my studies have helped me greatly and soon I will be a certified instructor with the Napoleon Hill Foundation which gives me tremendous joy. I look forward to sharing with you ideas and thoughts which can make a huge difference in your life. You have unlimited potential once you take control of your own mind and intelligently direct it to what you want!

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”
www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

Today is election day here in the USA! Do you think this election will impact you financially?

I do not think so – listen to this podcast to hear why I have come to this conclusion.

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”

www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”
www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

This blog posting was originally published by Ray Stendall on http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog. This content is Copyrighted (C) 2008 and can not be reused in anyway for commercial purposes. This content can be used to increase global awareness for what it takes to be successful but credit must be given to Ray Stendall from http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

I am adding this article to this blog in case you missed it.

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”

http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

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Have you ever noticed that all great men and women who have done, or are in the process of doing, important work have the attribute of “Supreme Self-Confidence”?

Before we go any further, let’s define the term: Supreme Self-Confidence is the outward expression of an emotion that communicates to others that the individual in question:

a) Has a firm grasp of reality and the work that needs to be done,
b) Has a major purpose they are diligently working towards,
c) Believes to their core that they can provide a World Class solution,
d) Moves calmly in the direction of their vision undeterred by all circumstances and naysayers.

Is it any doubt why these people tend to be successful? How do you feel when you come across someone you respect who appears to have a plan and communicates through their body language that they confidently have the ability to execute? Most of us feel very good, because deep down this is an attribute we all strive for. These individuals are seen as “islands of paradise” in an ocean of worry, doubt, fear and anxiety perpetrated by the media and individuals with a negative mental attitude.

Now that we have a working definition of “Supreme Self-Confidence” how do we cultivate it in our lives?

1) The first step is understanding exactly who you are in terms of:

a)Your values, beliefs and philosophy of life
b)Your perceived strengths and weaknesses in the major aspects of your life such as your health, relationships, business, career, and overall personality traits etc.

2) The second step is to clearly understand what you want. Most of us set goals based on what we think we can do, or what we know we can do, and not what we really want. We need to have a clear purpose that can be emotionalized to serve as our foundation for building Supreme Self-Confidence.

3) The third step is to realize that thoughts are things and they need to observed and respected. Based on addressing the first two steps our thoughts need to be written down. The process helps to clarify your thinking to ensure you develop a laser like focus that is necessary to achieve your goals. After your write down your thoughts, you need to answer the very important question “Why do I want it?” Do not settle for all the common answers – you must find an answer that you can really become emotional about.

4) The fourth step is to condition your mind. Supreme Self-Confidence comes from conditioning your mind on an ongoing basis. You can do this through the process of auto suggestion which is how we volitionally impact our subconscious mind. As you become emotional, your subconscious mind listens and then controls everything you attract into your life in terms of people and resources. This process is critical and always comes before any sustainable action. You need to clearly see yourself being successful at the task at hand down to the very last detail. As you see this happening in your mind over and over again, you will build a white hot burning desire that will begin to radiate from you with everyone you meet.

5) The fifth step is a heightened sense of awareness. Supreme Self-Confidence requires awareness for how you come across to others. You must become hyperaware of how you dress, how you move, how you greet people, your posture when you sit and when you stand, and the tone and fluctuation of your voice. In short every perceivable attribute that can be observed visually along with your body language that is observed at a subconscious level must be considered. A professional is at their best at all times – always remember this. The above should not be misunderstood to be someone else – just be the highest and best version of yourself.

6) The six and final step is to take action. Taking action shows to your subconscious mind that you are serious and not a wishful thinker. As you take action, the conscious and subconscious mind work together to build momentum in the direction of your definite purpose. Taking action helps you develop a healthy obsession for what you want.

As you think about these six basic steps, I want you to make a commitment to objectively examine yourself in relation to the above every 3 months and make course corrections. This process ensures that you are internally aligned – when this happens you will express this quiet Supreme Self-Confidence to everyone you meet. This self-confidence will in turn draw the people and resources you need to fulfill your vision. As you fulfill your vision, you will use this positive experience to give yourself even more momentum for the next vision you conceptualize and move forward on. This my friends is the secret to how the “Greats” exhibit Supreme Self-Confidence.

Ray Stendall is a MindSet Management expert in Silicon Valley CA. He speaks regularly to audiences about how they can significantly enhance their results my becoming aware of their MindSet and level of consciousness so they can elevate it to be in harmony with what they want. Please visit and subscribe to Ray’s new blog to not miss new and exciting articles along with audio and video podcasts: www.YourGreatMind.com/blog or contact him at: Ray@WealthExpressions.com
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1) Limiting your calories: Most people think that if they eat healthy and low fat food, they don’t need to limit their calories. I have bad news for you. To release weight you need to burn more calories than you take in.

2) Muscle building: Muscle building is in my opinion very beneficial in losing weight. Why? Because muscle building is a very intense type of exercise that will help raise your metabolism. By raising your metabolism you will be burning more fat and at the same time toning your muscles.

3)Reduce the amount of starchy food: Starchy food like white rice, white bread, pasta and bake goods are not good for weight loss & fat loss. These food have lots of empty calories and when eaten to often will promote weight gain. They lack vital vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy body.

4) Exercise first thing in the morning: A lot of research have been done on exercising on a empty stomach. It as been found that you can tap in your fat reserves faster. The best time to do it is first thing in the morning. Why… because you have been fasting for 8 -10 hours.

5) Drink lots of water: Water as no calories and keep you full for 30 to 60 minutes. Instead of drinking cola or fruit juice, drink some water and you will see that you will release weight faster.

6) Train with a group of people: Training with a group can get you very result. You will be able to help and motivate each others in attaining your mutual goal. I recommend you join an exercise group of your choice like yoga, spinning or aqua fitness.

7) Have a specific goal: It will be easier to release weight if you have a specific goal. I recommend you write down on a piece of paper what kind of physique you would like, be very specific. Write the actual numbers you want. Like “26 inches waist within 12 months”. Read this piece of paper every day and you will start to focus more on your goal.

Let me know what you think of these ideas.

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”

http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

I hope you enjoy this and as always look forward to your comments

With Gratitude and Abundance,

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”

Http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

I hope you enjoy this and as always look forward to your comments.

With Gratitude and Abundance,

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”

http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog

Hope you enjoy this and I welcome your comments

Ray Stendall AKA “The Catalyst”

http://www.yourgreatmind.com/blog