Living True To Your Self

The only way to take control of your life, raise your standard of living and move beyond merely surviving is to create your own unique product or service that you offer to increasing numbers of people in exchange for the things of value that you desire. This simple formula applies to countries as well as people. A self-sufficient economy has its own products or services of value to export to the world. Similarly, a self-sufficient individual has something of value to exchange in the global marketplace. That thing of value is based on your natural talent, skill, or interest-in other words, your passion!

Today, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010, starting at 10am, I’ll be a presenter at the Marianas High School (MHS) Career Day event. The only challenge, as I see it is that I don’t really know what my career is!

By traditional definitions, I HAD a career at one time, but I gave that up. Nowadays, what others would call my "career" doesn’t fit neatly in a box, and it isn’t easily defined by a single profession, a single industry, or a single role, but by the pursuit of my passions, the fulfillment of my desires, and a personal commitment to live true to myself at all times.

In any event, as I’m actually writing this column a day before Career Day, here’s what will likely happen when I get there. (Note: All my advice is for students everywhere, not just at MHS!)

First, I’ll share my story:

"Once upon a time, there was this civil engineer who hated his career, followed his passion, started a sideline business self-publishing his own books, made enough money to quit his job, ran away to a tropical island in the South Pacific, and started a tourism business so he could give tours of the island to pretty girls every day!"

Then, I’ll tell them what I actually do from day to day:

At any given time, depending on the needs of the moment, the requests of my clients, or the mood I’m in, I might be writing a book, coaching other aspiring passionpreneurs, designing websites, composing columns, consulting other business owners on internet marketing, or selling the virtues of Saipan as a destination for tourists and expats, nomads, and new residents. At at other times, you’ll find me basking in the sun on the rocks in Marpi doing absolutely nothing at all.
I don’t separate my career from my lifestyle. In other words, what I choose to do every day "for a living" is determined by the lifestyle I want to live. Many people choose their jobs, professions and careers based on how much money they will make. I choose mine based on how much personal freedom and control it can offer me, and by how much it allows me to live out my purpose and my passion every day.

Someone will probably ask me what my purpose is...

My purpose, as I see it, is to teach others alternative ways of thinking, acting and being in order to discover their own truth about themselves and why they are here.

Then, someone will probably ask me what my own passion is...

Most of what I do revolves around my writing and communication ability. The primary talent that I have that helps me fulfill my purpose, create products to sell, generate income, and, thereby choose my "career" is my ability to string a sensible sentence or two together. I think I can write well enough to communicate valuable ideas.
Through my writing, I am able to create books that people want to buy. Then, combined with what I’ve learned about selling on the internet, I can create (write) websites that communicate the value in those books, and persuade people to buy them.

Then, someone will probably ask how much money I make...

And, I’ll artfully avoid the question because:
- how much money I make has no bearing on how much you can make. (In my own consulting practice, I’ve often helped people make more money than I do)
- if you follow my advice and pursue your passion, your own "career" will look nothing like mine, so that’s like deciding if you want to become a baker, by asking a candle-stick maker how much money she makes!
- In my country, it’s considered rude to ask that question!
However, I will mention as a teaser that when I wrote my first book, and started selling it by mail-order way before the internet came along, I made enough money to match my civil engineering income!

Then, I’ll share what the bottom line is for me...

Because I live true to myself, I get to choose my clients, my business partners, what sorts of products I will sell, and what sorts of industries I will get involved in. In other words, I get to choose how I spend my time. I’m not controlled by a boss who sets my salary, stabbed in the back by co-workers who want to get ahead, and I always reserve the right to simply walk away from clients, and situations that I don’t want to work with or in.

Now, being so selective about how I spend my time, may or may not be the formula for becoming fabulously wealthy, but it’s part of the formula for living the life of my own choice, rather than someone else’s, and that is my own bottom line.

Someone may ask what they should be doing now...

Your mission, starting now, and definitely before you get to college is to determine your purpose, find out what you’re good at, and look to create something of value to share with the world so that you can "create" your way to wealth, rather than "compete" with others for it. If you simply look for a job, you’ll always be in competition with others who want the same job. However, if you create something new based on your talents and passion, you earn money based on creation, not competition.
A lifestyle and wealth generated by competition can always be taken away from you if someone faster, cheaper, flashier or younger comes along. However, a lifestyle and the ability to create wealth generated by creation is yours forever.

Then I’ll suggest that "Desire is Power"...

The desire to do a thing is an indication that you have the power to do that thing. The urge you feel to play the piano, paint, draw, write a book, compose music, help others, save the environment or teach others is God’s way of seeking full expression through you. Your desire is your God-given ability trying to push its way out into the world. It may require training and practice for you to become better at the thing, but just the fact that you have the desire is evidence of something seeking expression.

By the same token, the lack of desire to do a thing-your lack of interest in playing the piano, drawing, writing, composing, etc. also provides valuable information. You see, where there is no interest, there is no power. That should be honored, too, and you shouldn’t force yourself to do a thing that you don’t have the interest, desire or passion to do. That will lead to frustration, dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment in life.

I’ll probably complicate the issue by telling them that at the same time, it’s also important to try new things to discover what you’re good at, and what you really like.

Then, I’ll share The Payoff and the Proof...

Someone asked me recently how successful I’ve been in pursuing my passion. My answer is that the very fact that my books exist is proof that there was something of value inside me that needed to be expressed. The fact that they sell enough to sustain me is proof that this value is recognized by others. The feedback I receive from customers who’ve been helped to pursue their dreams as a result of information I shared with them is proof that the books are helping me fulfill my purpose. The recognition I receive, (for instance, CNMI Senate Resolution No. 15-54 here on Saipan) is proof that its value is being acknowledged in a wider context.

But all that is just half the story, since there’s a personal payoff that means even more to me. The payoff for me is that I have the freedom to choose where I want to live, and as a result, rather than living a frustrating life in a cold climate, stuck in a career that someone else chose for me, doing something I don’t enjoy doing just to earn money, I have the honor and privilege of being here on a beautiful island, on a warm, sunny day surrounded by bright, intelligent students eager to learn new ways of thinking and being so that they can be all they want to be! What a career!

CHECK OUT HIPHOPBIZ.COM order Change the Game, or The Hip Hop Record Label Business Plan to help you live true to YOUR self!

Anatomy of a Business Plan

The only way to take control of your life, raise your standard of living and move beyond merely surviving is to create your own unique product or service that you offer to increasing numbers of people in exchange for the things of value that you desire. This simple formula applies to countries as well as people. A self-sufficient economy has its own products or services of value to export to the world. Similarly, a self-sufficient individual has something of value to exchange in the global marketplace. That thing of value is based on your natural talent, skill, or interest-in other words, your passion!

For the past few weeks I’ve been working on writing a business plan for a special project. So, today, I thought I’d share with you some tips and ideas for writing business plans.

People typically pay hundreds and thousands of dollars to professionally write a business plan. It’s my contention, however, that 90 percent of your business plan can and should be written by you. Your business, especially if it is one based on your passion, is after all, the vehicle you will use to take you to the realization of your dreams-whether they be for just some extra income, or a whole new lifestyle. And who knows better than you what that vehicle should look like?

So today begins a recurring feature I call "The Anatomy of a Business Plan" designed to introduce you to, educate you about, and empower you with the knowledge to create a business plan for your own unique passion-centered business, whether it be Hip Hop or anything else!


Why you need a business plan

As the name implies, a business plan is a plan for your business. If your business idea is one that requires some capital (money) to launch or grow, then any investor or bank will request to see your business plan.

The purpose of any good business plan, therefore, is to communicate the the capabilities and talents of the principals (that’s you and other owner/partners), and the soundness of the strategies you will implement in order to 1. Grow the business, 2. Achieve profitability, 3. Repay any loans, and 4. Reward any investors.

However, there’s a more important reason for you to write a business plan. Even if you are not seeking investors or a loan, (and for those of you who know my philosophy, know that I maintain that you don’t need MONEY to start a business, and that what you need instead is VALUE), the process of thinking through and composing your business plan helps you to declare your intention to yourself and the universe, focus on and commit to a specific outcome, verbalize and write down your goals, harness your innate creativity, activate the power of your subconscious mind, mobilize your Higher Self, and change your vibrational state, and the frequency of your thoughts to one of hope and the possibility of a desired future, thereby bringing to you, by the Law of Attraction, the people, events and circumstances which will work in concert on seen and unseen levels of reality to manifest your dream.

For that reason, even if you are already in business and making money, writing a business plan can help you. In addition, since market conditions are constantly changing, writing a plan (especially the marketing and financials sections) can help you get a firmer handle on what you are and can and should be doing to grow your business, where your money is actually going every month, and how to monitor and reduce expenses and operating costs.

Additionally, a good business informs sales personnel, suppliers, and others about your operations and goals and, in-effect serves as an operations manual for your employees.

A business plan is not a one-time-only endeavor. As it serves as guide, as well as gauge, many entrepreneurs tweak their business plans on monthly, even weekly basis.

While every business plan format can be different, they all must include certain necessary information that banks and investors require, and that you need to master your business. So, to help you be as thorough as possible, we'll be using what I call the "Business Plan Standard Template" to create your plan.

So, as a first step, I encourage you to get out a notepad, open up a computer document, and start taking notes and answering the questions in each section. By the time this series is over, you’ll have everything you need, and more, to write a winning business plan, and put it in motion. You may also discover some unique ideas you hadn’t considered before!

There are 14 sections to this template. Each section has 10 or so subsections which help to give a full overview of each area of focus. This week, we’ll provide an overview of each major section. Then, in subsequent weeks, we’ll dissect each one in more detail


The 14 Sections are

I. Executive Summary
II. Company Description
III. Industry Analysis
IV. Target Market
V. Competition
VI. Strategic Position
VII. Marketing Plan and Sales Strategy
VIII. Operations
IX. Technology Plan
X. Management and Organization
XI. Community Involvement
XII. Development, Milestones and Exit Plan
XIII. Financials
XIV. Appendix


I. Executive Summary

The Executive Summary is arguably the most important part of the business plan. It draws the reader's attention to its key points without necessitating a complete reading of the plan. In fact, many people who receive your plan will only read the summary.


The Executive Summary addresses the following points:

Briefly describe the nature of your business and why you are sure of its success. What is the basic concept of your business? State your industry sector (e.g. retail, manufacturing, wholesaling), your market and your competitive advantage. How does your product or service stand out from that of your competitors? What is the legal structure of your business? (e.g. sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation) Is your business already operating or is it in start-up phase? If it is operating, provide a brief summary of its evolution to date, including achievements, patents, prototypes, contracts and market research confirming its feasibility. Who are the key players running the company? Briefly summarize your management team's experience and references. How much money are you requesting (if applicable) and for what purpose? How much has the founder invested in the business to date? How has he or she used this money? In brief, what are the expected financial results? State gross revenue and net profits for the first year of operation. Do you intend to draw a salary from your business in the first year? If so, how much? Otherwise, how will you support yourself?

Write the answers to these questions in third person, as if you are sitting in a loan officer's office explaining your business. Here is an excerpt from the Executive Summary of a plan from a company called “Fantastic Florals. (courtesy of Bplans.com)

Fantastic Florals, Inc. (FFI) imports exclusively handmade flowers by artisans from Indonesia. The firm’s main office is in Anytown, Oregon, and has a customs house broker in Seattle, Washington to deal with related matters.

FFI quality products are unique and exclusive, and its target consumers are women with upper-middle to upper-end incomes. FFI’s competitive edge is that the products are 100% handmade, unlike competitor’s products. By this fact, the firm hopes to attract people that value the artistry of producing silk flowers. Since FFI products are mostly silk flowers and silk hair accessories, it considers itself to be in the retail gift market, although some consumers purchase the product for themselves. [end of excerpt]

You should wait until you've completed the entire plan before writing the Executive summary. In this way, you'll have a better understanding of the big picture and focus on the basics.

Next time we'll explore the “Company Description” Section.

* * *

Review, Take a Test Drive and Order the Hip Hop Business Plan at www.HipHopBusinessPlan.com

The Power of the Penny

A friend of mine who just started blogging last month earned 48 cents through his blog in his first few days. “Forty-eight cents???” you ask. Yes, forty-eight cents! But before you go snickering and laughing, answer this question:

Which would you rather have: a penny doubled each day for a month or $10,000? If you haven't already encountered this question before, you might be tempted to take the $10,000. After all, $10,000 is $10,000, and a penny is only a penny. And even if you suspect that doubling a penny each day might in fact amount to a huge number, most people might not intuitively realize just how much is really at stake. The correct answer-provided you want the option that will make you richer-is to take the penny option. Here's what you will receive each day for 30 days if you choose the penny doubled each day option.

Day 1 - 1 cent
Day 2 - 2 cents
Day 3 - 4 cents
Day 4 - 8 cents
Day 5 - 16 cents
Day 6 - 32 cents
Day 7 - 64 cents
Day 8 - $1.28
Day 9 - $2.56
Day 10 - $5.12
Day 11 - $10.24
Day 12 - $20.48
Day 13 - $40.96
Day 14 - $81.92
Day 15 - $163.84
Day 16 - $327.68
Day 17 - $655.36
Day 18 - $1,310.72
Day 19 - $2,621.44
Day 20 - $5,242.88
Day 21 - $10,485.76
Day 22 - $20,971.52
Day 23 - $41,943.04
Day 24 - $83,886.08
Day 25 - $167,772.16
Day 26 - $335,544.32
Day 27 - $671,088.64
Day 28 - $1,342,177.28
Day 29 - $2,684,354.56
Day 30 - $5,368,709.12

Seen for what it is, this example is truly astounding! A single penny, doubled for an entire month yields a final day's return of over 5 million dollars, and a total accumulated return of over 10 million! It's an example of growth which progresses not arithmetically (i.e. by single units) but by what's known as Geometric Progression, (also known as a geometric sequence or a geometric series)-a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous term by a fixed number called the common ratio. Like the progression of rewards on the popular game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which goes from $100 to a $1 million in just 12 questions by roughly doubling each prize (common ratio=2), the concept of geometric growth is indeed a powerful one.

But enough math, how does this apply to your business as a passionpreneur? Well, you can apply the principle of the doubling penny in your marketing and advertising campaigns to grow your business and sell more products.

Now before you get too excited, keep in mind that the reason many people never realize the full potential of their marketing and advertising efforts is simply this: They don't have the patience to see it through. Look back at our example for a moment, and notice how the rewards grow. A week after you've started, your daily take is still just 64 cents. Fifteen days later-fully half way through the process-your daily take is just $163, just 0.00305 percent of what it will be on the final day. (That's LESS than 1/2 of 1/10 of 1 percent!). Two-thirds of the way through, at $5242.88, your day's reward is just about 1/10 of a percent of what the reward will be on the final day. So for many people, since it's difficult to gauge how the momentum of a campaign is really growing, they abandon the campaign before they reach Day 30!

If you own a business you are marketing, or a product or service you wish to sell, your mission is to tell the world about it. Imagine if the numbers in our penny example represented the number of people who bought your product. Or, let's be conservative, and say it represents the number of people who merely HEAR about your product. And let's say that only 1 percent of these people purchase your product for $25. So 53,687 people buying your product means sales of $1,342,177.25.

In truth, when it comes to getting the word out about a business or product, a 1 percent response rate is considered great. Success in marketing is really a numbers game. The more people you tell, the more people will eventually become your customers.

Now, I know what you're thinking: What if there aren't 53,687 in my neighborhood who I can count on to purchase my product or service. What should I do?


Think Global

One answer to that question will bring us back conveniently to our blogger and his 48-cent income. That 48 cents, which will eventually be deposited into a Paypal® or local bank account, was generated by clicks on an Adsense Ad. Those clicks might have been generated by visitors to his blog from anywhere in the world from Australia to Zimbabwe.

And that 48 cents and the potential it represents isn't even based on a physical product! It's entirely advertising-generated, based on the typically small percentage of website visitors who click on ads while visiting a blog. What if you had a website devoted to a product that people were actively searching for?

It is my fervent belief that one of the best strategies for every business in this new paradigm is to embrace technology in order to expand the potential market for new and existing products, as much as practical and possible, beyond your immediate shores.


Think Empire

Another strategy for maximizing your sales is to think “empire.” Every product idea that you have has the potential to be the basis of an empire. When I wrote my first book to help music entrepreneurs in the Rap industry start their own record label, I immediately started thinking about extending the concept to apply to other types of music as well. I envisioned books for Gospel, Rock, Jazz and Rhythm and Blues musicians. It was this sort of vision that always drove me to create new products along the same original theme. Today, the empire has become the “Turn Your Passion Into Profit” line of products.

To build your own empire, you too must become a possibility thinker. You must think in terms of sequels, 2nd editions, translations into other languages, modifications for different ethnic groups, religions, special interests or children, movie rights, calendars, mugs, clothing and even food! You must ask yourself, which other target audience could I sell to using the same concept with slight modification? What other types of products could lend themselves to being marketed under the same theme as my original idea? A prime example of this type of “empire thinking” is Jack Canfield's Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. There are now Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul, mother's, writer's, children's, and probably even the chicken's souls! Just kidding, Jack! From the onset of your business, you should be an empire thinker to increase the markets for what you sell.


Think Money Tree

And finally, to help you come up with a viable business idea, heed the words of Robert Allen, author of Multiple Streams of Income, who says the perfect business needs to be a "money tree." Each letter of the phrase “M.O.N.E.Y. T.R.E.E.” represents a quality or feature that the perfect business should possess in order to survive and thrive.

Multiple-Your business must create multiple streams of income for you

Outstanding-Your product or service must be outstanding in its field.

No money Down-Your business should require little or no money down as an initial investment.

Employee-Resistant-The less employees your business requires, the safer, the easier and the more profitable it will be.

Yield should be high-You must be in an industry and have a profit margin that produces a high profit yield.

Timely-Your product or service should be timely.

Residual-Your business should create residual streams of income for you.

Essential-What you provide should be essential, or at least people must feel that it is.

Enthusiasm-In order to survive and thrive in business, you must be enthusiastic about what you do.

With the right questions, the right answers, and the right commitment, it’s not inconceivable that you too can harness the Power of the Penny to launch and grow your business.

* * *

The Power of the Penny

A friend of mine who just started blogging last month earned 48 cents through his blog in his first few days. “Forty-eight cents???” you ask. Yes, forty-eight cents! But before you go snickering and laughing, answer this question: Which would you rather have: a penny doubled each day for a month or $10,000? If you haven't already encountered this question before, you might be tempted to take the $10,000. After all, $10,000 is $10,000, and a penny is only a penny. And even if you suspect that doubling a penny each day might in fact amount to a huge number, most people might not intuitively realize just how much is really at stake. The correct answer-provided you want the option that will make you richer-is to take the penny option. Here's what you will receive each day for 30 days if you choose the penny doubled each day option.  Day 1 - 1 cent  Day 2 - 2 cents  Day 3 - 4 cents  Day 4 - 8 cents  Day 5 - 16 cents  Day 6 - 32 cents  Day 7 - 64 cents  Day 8 - $1.28  Day 9 - $2.56  Day 10 - $5.12  Day 11 - $10.24  Day 12 - $20.48  Day 13 - $40.96  Day 14 - $81.92  Day 15 - $163.84  Day 16 - $327.68  Day 17 - $655.36  Day 18 - $1,310.72  Day 19 - $2,621.44  Day 20 - $5,242.88  Day 21 - $10,485.76  Day 22 - $20,971.52  Day 23 - $41,943.04  Day 24 - $83,886.08  Day 25 - $167,772.16  Day 26 - $335,544.32  Day 27 - $671,088.64  Day 28 - $1,342,177.28  Day 29 - $2,684,354.56  Day 30 - $5,368,709.12 Seen for what it is, this example is truly astounding! A single penny, doubled for an entire month yields a final day's return of over 5 million dollars, and a total accumulated return of over 10 million! It's an example of growth which progresses not arithmetically (i.e. by single units) but by what's known as Geometric Progression, (also known as a geometric sequence or a geometric series)-a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous term by a fixed number called the common ratio. Like the progression of rewards on the popular game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which goes from $100 to a $1 million in just 12 questions by roughly doubling each prize (common ratio=2), the concept of geometric growth is indeed a powerful one.  But enough math, how does this apply to your business as a passionpreneur? Well, you can apply the principle of the doubling penny in your marketing and advertising campaigns to grow your business and sell more products. Now before you get too excited, keep in mind that the reason many people never realize the full potential of their marketing and advertising efforts is simply this: They don't have the patience to see it through. Look back at our example for a moment, and notice how the rewards grow. A week after you've started, your daily take is still just 64 cents. Fifteen days later-fully half way through the process-your daily take is just $163, just 0.00305 percent of what it will be on the final day. (That's LESS than 1/2 of 1/10 of 1 percent!). Two-thirds of the way through, at $5242.88, your day's reward is just about 1/10 of a percent of what the reward will be on the final day. So for many people, since it's difficult to gauge how the momentum of a campaign is really growing, they abandon the campaign before they reach Day 30! If you own a business you are marketing, or a product or service you wish to sell, your mission is to tell the world about it. Imagine if the numbers in our penny example represented the number of people who bought your product. Or, let's be conservative, and say it represents the number of people who merely HEAR about your product. And let's say that only 1 percent of these people purchase your product for $25. So 53,687 people buying your product means sales of $1,342,177.25.  In truth, when it comes to getting the word out about a business or product, a 1 percent response rate is considered great. Success in marketing is really a numbers game. The more people you tell, the more people will eventually become your customers.  Now, I know what you're thinking: What if there aren't 53,687 in my neighborhood  who I can count on to purchase my product or service. What should I do? Think Global One answer to that question will bring us back conveniently to our blogger and his 48-cent income. That 48 cents, which will eventually be deposited into a Paypal® or local bank account, was generated by clicks on an Adsense Ad. Those clicks might have been generated by visitors to his blog from anywhere in the world from Australia to Zimbabwe.  And that 48 cents and the potential it represents isn't even based on a physical product! It's entirely advertising-generated, based on the typically small percentage of website visitors who click on ads while visiting a blog. What if you had a website devoted to a product that people were actively searching for?  It is my fervent belief that one of the best strategies for every business in this new paradigm is to embrace technology in order to expand the potential market for new and existing products, as much as practical and possible, beyond your immediate shores.   Think Empire Another strategy for maximizing your sales is to think “empire.” Every product idea that you have has the potential to be the basis of an empire. When I wrote my first book to help music entrepreneurs in the Rap industry start their own record label, I immediately started thinking about extending the concept to apply to other types of music as well. I envisioned books for Gospel, Rock, Jazz and Rhythm and Blues musicians. It was this sort of vision that always drove me to create new products along the same original theme. Today, the empire has become the “Turn Your Passion Into Profit” line of products.  To build your own empire, you too must become a possibility thinker. You must think in terms of sequels, 2nd editions, translations into other languages, modifications for different ethnic groups, religions, special interests or children, movie rights, calendars, mugs, clothing and even food! You must ask yourself, which other target audience could I sell to using the same concept with slight modification? What other types of products could lend themselves to being marketed under the same theme as my original idea? A prime example of this type of “empire thinking” is Jack Canfield's Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. There are now Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul, mother's, writer's, children's, and probably even the chicken's souls! Just kidding, Jack! From the onset of your business, you should be an empire thinker to increase the markets for what you sell.  Think Money Tree And finally, to help you come up with a viable business idea, heed the words of Robert Allen, author of Multiple Streams of Income, who says the perfect business needs to be a "money tree." Each letter of the phrase “M.O.N.E.Y. T.R.E.E.” represents a quality or feature that the perfect business should possess in order to survive and thrive.  Multiple-Your business must create multiple streams of income for you  Outstanding-Your product or service must be outstanding in its field.  No money Down-Your business should require little or no money down as an initial investment. Employee-Resistant-The less employees your business requires, the safer, the easier and the more profitable it will be.  Yield should be high-You must be in an industry and have a profit margin that produces a high profit yield.  Timely-Your product or service should be timely.  Residual-Your business should create residual streams of income for you.  Essential-What you provide should be essential, or at least people must feel that it is.  Enthusiasm-In order to survive and thrive in business, you must be enthusiastic about what you do. With the right questions, the right answers, and the right commitment, it’s not inconceivable that you too can harness the Power of the Penny to launch and grow your business.  * * *

How to Stay Positive All the Time

NOTE: I originally wrote this article for the Saipan Tribune, a newspaper published on the island of Saipan where I've executed my escape from the rat race. (please note that when you see specific Saipan-related references).  However, the response from people beyond Saipan's shores has been so great, that I've added it here for Hip Hop Entrepreneurs and anyone else who might benefit.

Someone asked me recently how I manage to keep such a positive attitude all the time-even through all the change, turmoil, chaos and upheaval. It's simply based on my underlying belief about the world:

“We live in a creative universe. The foundation for any creation is your belief system. The tools of creation are your thoughts and words.”

Never say anything you don't want to be true

It's simple. If you believe that your thoughts create your reality, and that your words have creative power, then it only makes sense that you strive to think and speak only in ways that create the reality you desire.

In other words, never say anything that you don't want to be true. Don't say things like, “I'm not good in math.” Say instead: I'm working on improving my math skills. Don't say “I'm too fat.” Say instead I'm working on losing weight.

So, let's try one together. Repeat after me: “Saipan is going through a transition right now.” There, now doesn't that feel a little more hopeful than what others are saying?

This mindset doesn't require that you avoid the reality of a situation. It simply suggests that you craft your statements about the world in ways that inspire hope and possibilities rather than negativity and doom. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

No matter how true you believe something to be, if it's negative, there's no need to actually say it out loud. No good can come of it. In fact, you can actually choose never to say anything unless it helps and supports another human being in thinking, believing and performing at their best. (Remember the old maxim: If you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all.) Remember, most people are not inspired to excel when they feel depressed and hopeless about their situation. People generally rise to the level of their potential based on a sense of hope.

“Okay, Walt, but people need to know the reality of the situation.”

“No they don't. They can see it for themselves. What they need to know is that they have the power to create a new reality if they choose to.”

There's no good argument that favors choosing doom and gloom over possibilities, unless your agenda is to depress people, or take away their power. The news media is trapped in a cycle of reporting negativity in order to survive. You, however, don't have to be.

Never say never

The next belief I have about life is that anything is possible. And, if you believe that anything is possible, then you must stay away from any pronouncements that limit those possibilities. I call them “limiting absolutes.” 

In everyday conversation, limiting absolutes generally start with the words “Everyone...”, “No one...”, “We all know that....” “It's a fact that...” and go on to describe a belief system that the speaker believes is indisputable fact. 

“No one is going to invest in Saipan until...” “Everyone knows that Japan is our most important market...” “Saipan has no natural resources.”

These are nothing more than beliefs; limiting beliefs that stifle growth.

The point here is not to debate whether these are provable, or to cite evidence to prove them. The point is to endeavor to say things that allow other possibilities to exist so we are not so cripplingly limited by the situation in the first place.

“Okay, Walt, but 90 percent of our tourists do come from Japan.”

“Alright, so let's say it's true. Now what? What did we gain from saying that? What does that do to encourage people to explore other markets? How does that spur innovation and creative thought to get us out of that 'reality'? It doesn't add anything. We don't need to keep saying it. It's a dream killer.”

Never give away your power

Another way to stay positive is to never give away your power. Don't give your power to “Nov. 28.” Don't give your power to Article 12. Don't give your power to visas and green cards. Don't give away the power you possess to steer your life in a certain direction to an external force outside of you. The reason people find it so hard to be positive is that they've given away their power to belief systems that, in some cases, were specifically designed to take away their power. That keeps them dependent and controlled, and thus unhappy. Studies have shown that the degree of contentment in a person's life is directly related to how much control they feel they have. More sense of control equals greater happiness.

Always have a 'Plan B'

So how do you NOT give your power away and stay in control? A good strategy is to always have a “Plan B.” Remember, any plan that relies solely on the actions of another individual, or an outside force in order to be successful is a flawed plan. What will you do, and more importantly, what are you putting in place now just in case your “Plan A” falls through? One surefire way to stay positive all the time is to never allow any one person or situation to hold the key to your success or happiness.

Question your current belief system...all of it!

Now, I'm about to suggest something radical here. I'm going to suggest that if you are not living the kind of life you want to live, or getting the results you want, it's because your belief system is flawed. Plain and simple. 

We live in a supportive universe. The potential exists in every waking moment to create anything you desire. So, if things aren't going your way, it's probably nothing you're doing wrong per se; it's more likely something you believe that is not in alignment with truth. In other words, there is something you believe to be true about yourself, about other people, and/or about how the world works that is not true. Let me give you an example.

If you are not as slim and trim as you wish to be, for example, it's because something you believe about yourself (e.g., I'm just naturally a big-boned person) or something you believe about how the universe operates (e.g., milk does a body good) that is not in alignment with reality. It's practically impossible for you to stay healthy and stay out of the hospital eating the standard American diet of processed snacks, vitamin-stripped foods, pasteurized dairy products with growth hormones, meats with antibiotics, vegetables with pesticides, prematurely picked and force-ripened fruits, and so on. The truth is, the food you're eating is not fit for human consumption, and, in many cases is actually designed to get you addicted to it. Only when you adopt a belief system that is based on the truth about your body, and the effects of such a diet, will you be able to take control of your body, your health, and create the results you desire in that area of your life.

The reason you'll occasionally hear references to health in my columns is because the widely-held belief system around food, health, health care and medicine has fed people lies and fears about what is true, and has been specifically designed to take away their power and put it in the hands of pharmaceutical companies and food conglomerates, crippled the masses (literally and figuratively), increased their dependency and level of fear, and thus limited their growth and potential. Challenging and changing one's belief system in this one area could radically change a person's perception about themselves, about others, and about the world, and would help them take back their power, free up energy (both mental/emotional and physical) to devote to their creative pursuits, their relationships, family, and, lo and behold, have the remarkable side-effect of keeping them more positive.....all the time! (People's concept of religion is another area that warrants discussion.... but I'm way smarter than that!)

So, you must question all of your belief system. Everything is connected. What you believe about life, death, sickness, health, good, evil, men, women, black, white, love, family, and the reason for your existence are all things that affect what you do in life. Adjusting your beliefs in just one area could have a profound and life-changing effect in other areas. Changing your beliefs about health and food might free you from financial debt. Changing your beliefs about religion could help you in your business. Really!

Choose your lovers and leaders the same way

Finally, an important way to stay positive all the time is to watch who you spend time with. You might consider having the same criteria for your friends, lovers and even the people you follow down the political trail. How do you feel after being with them? Do they bring out the best in you? Do you feel drained and depressed, or do you feel energized and inspired? Do they whine and complain, or do they offer ideas and solutions? Be wary of people who argue on behalf of their own, or your limitations and encourage dependence rather and independence. Keep company with people who are going in their own positive direction, or who, at the very least are not discouraging you from going in yours.

So, in answer to that question posed to me last week, the secret to staying positive all the time is having and acting on the right set of beliefs, developing a sense of hope and accountability for your outcomes, hanging with and accepting leadership from the right set of people..and drinking soy milk!

Thanks to all those who attended Sunday's workshop and who are courageous enough to begin developing a new belief system about what's possible for them using their passion for writing! Visit www.saipanliving.com for photos and video from the event.

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