It was clear from the variety of entries in the What is Success Contest that the word “success” means many things to many people.  After reading the comments, it was clear that everyone that entered put a lot of thought behind what they wrote. To all that entered, I wish YOU success in all that you do.  But I had to pick 3 winners, so here they are……drum roll please!

First Place and winner of an Expect Success Book (filled with positive quotes) is Debbie (#24):

“Success to me is Read More...

If you want to be successful in life or any endeavor, you first have to decide what success looks like in order to know when you have achieved it.

Last month we posted a video on our blog entitled “What is Success”. In the video, everyday people off the street where asked to define the word success. That got me thinking how our clients and readers would answer that question. Which leads me to this month’s contest:

How do you define success?

To enter, type you Read More...

Thank you to all those who contributed to last month’s contest. I really enjoyed reading and learning from the advice given. Time sure allows for great insight and I believe our 18-year-old selves would have been even more amazing to learn from such wisdom.

Here are our winners for the contest:

3rd Place and winner of a Freedom Personal Development Water Bottle is comment #6 from Ginni Hoinacki:

I would tell my 18 your old self to not take yourself so Read More...

Last year I hosted the contest Hindsight is 20/20 and wanted to do similar contest this year, but with a twist.

Imagine you could go back in time and have a conversation with yourself at age 18. Turning 18 is an exciting age – you are finally a legally recognized adult, you can vote and the world is full of possibilities. Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your younger self?

Perhaps you would pass along a few words of wisdom. Maybe there was an opportunity you wish would have taken, or a mistake that you wish Read More...

Thanks for all of the great entries!  It was tough to pick a winner this month. There were many good questions and some of them were technical in nature and others were a revelation of the fear that many people possess. Our two winners seemed to really have some serious fear when in front of large groups so I had to award the prizes to them because of their honesty. Perhaps winning a contest will give them a reason to smile the next time they are about to present in front of a group and that will help loosen them up a bit. I think some of the answers that all of those with questions had can be found in the advice Read More...

When it comes to public speaking, there are two extremes of the speaking spectrum – those who are terrified of presenting to a group and those who always jump at the chance to be in front of an audience. Most people fall somewhere between these two points depending on the size and make up of the audience. Where are you on the speaking spectrum?

In the business world, it is often our job to lead meetings, give presentations to clients and talk in front of rooms full of people. Being an effective communicator, both one-on-one and in front of a group, is necessary to inform, educate and persuade. The better you are able to express your ideas, the more success you will experience.

This month’s contest has two Read More...

Nido Qubein taught me that there are fundamentally two kinds of people. There are those who wake up and say “Ooooh, good morning God!” Then there are those who say “Oh, good god…morning.” Which are you?

During the day, there are 2 times that your brain is most receptive to “programming”. One of these times is as soon as you wake up (the other is before you go to bed.)

Whether it is conscious or unconscious, the first few thoughts you have when you wake up will set the tone for the rest of your day. Spoken out loud they can be even more powerful.

So, how do you start your day? Do you say something positive (either to yourself or out loud) or are you grumbling about having to get up?

The Read More...

In a cultural full of consumption and instant gratification, the financial responsible and discipline to save for a purchase can be challenging…but, we all know it is the smart thing to do.

Regardless of your level of income, saving for a dream you have – such as a flat screen, a trip around the world or new BMW – can be easy if you get creative, even in these down economic times.

For instance, you could have your bank automatically take 5% of your paycheck and deposit it into a savings account for your dreams.

Another way to save is to not spend any coin money. Instead round all of your purchases up to the next dollar and deposit your coins into a savings account once a Read More...

What a fun contest! The staff at Freedom Personal Development had a great time reading through all 64 charity nominations and voting for the winners. We wished every charity could have received a donation. It was truly inspiring to learn about the work people all over the globe are doing to help others.

Here are the top three charities that won as well as what the money will be used for:

1st Place – $1,000 to Byron Katie’s The Work Foundation www.thework.com

The Work is a simple yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches you to identify and question thoughts that cause all the suffering in the world. Read More...

Happy Holidays! In the spirit of the season, the winners of our blog contest this month will be three charities, and we need your help to find them!

Please tell us what is your favorite charity and why. From your responses, we will be picking three charities to make donations to. Between first, second and third place, we will be giving a total of $1,600!

To enter the contest, at the bottom of this page, simply type your name, email and website (if you have one) and your answer to this question:

What is your favorite charity and why?
Submit Your Answer

The Read More...