HOW TO MAKE A MILLION - THINK LIKE A MILLIONAIRE**

We hope that the following article may be informative and/or helpful for your e-zine, or on your web site. Craig Lock's other articles (internet marketing, self help, writing and money) are available at: http://www.bridgeniche.com/ebooks/Ebooks.htm Please feel free to publish them in your ezine or web site. HOW TO MAKE A MILLION - THINK LIKE A MILLIONAIRE** by Craig Lock "Money can't buy you happiness. But it helps you to be miserable in comfort." Becoming a millionaire starts with one word... DESIRE. You have to REALLY want wealth and prosperity... for whatever end (reason) YOU want. Then you have to really BELIEVE that you can achieve it one day... no matter how deep in the "brown stuff" you may be! Here are a few misconceptions about millionaires: Myth Number 1: Millionaires work 10 times as hard as the ordinary man in the street. Myth Number 2: Millionaires are more intelligent and better educated than you and me. Myth Number 3: Honest people don't get rich. Myth Number 4: You need money to make money. You may be surprised to learn that most millionaires have "begged and borrowed" to get started. Some have even been bankrupt and fired! Financial prosperity and a fulfilling, well-lived life are goals we can all achieve -- if we understand the principles of success. The main attraction of money is the FREEDOM to choose your desired lifestyle. Earning a great deal of money should not be for it's own sake. I really believe that most people are too busy earning a living to stop and think about how they could get rich and solve their money problems... and that is the reason haven't been able to do so. Have you ever stopped to think through your particular situation? Here are some ideas to help you get started on the road to TRUE financial freedom. Look at each one and apply them to your individual situation. THNK WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING Millionaires love their occupations. Work is leisure, a hobby. Most millionaires continue working long after they become wealthy. First, find an idea or concept (one that leads to the birth of a PRODUCT) - one that people really want and that can help make their lives easier in some way. (I sell information about how to better manage your money and I love helping people.) Don't give yourself a choice, an exit. Put your "back to the wall" and "burn the bridges behind you." (I don't have many other options here in "Sleepy Hollow," so I use the powers of my creative imagination to the absolute fullest.) Your seemingly insurmountable problem can become the greatest opportunity for your achievement. Make the most of it! ACQUIRE THE MENTALITY OF A MILLIONAIRE Most people don't believe there are secrets to wealth -- they believe rich people are just "lucky." Most people don't believe they can ever become rich. It all starts with DESIRE.. DESIRE to be financially independant and perhaps even wealthy. I believe having substantial amounts of money gives one choices and I would like to use it one day for good to HELP other needy people, like other promising writers. Here's a joke or two about writers... What's the difference between a writer and a family pizza? The pizza can feed a family of four! What's the definition of an aspiring author? A waiter! Sorry waiters! Back to the original subject after that "entertainment break"... * FOCUS ON A GOAL. Write down the amount of money you want and how much time you'll allow yourself to acquire it. In order to achieve monetary wealth, you need an amount and a deadline to aim toward. There is magic in having a quantified objective working on your sub-conscious mind. If you don't know where you're heading, chances are you'll never get anywhere. What do we ask from life? Ninety-nine out of one hundred people don't even think about it. You be the exception to the rule and write down your goals, your wants, your dreams, your desires. Stretch yourself. "The greatest limitations are those man imposes upon himself." Therefore, the greatest obstacle to your success is a mental obstacle. Do things differently and ignore the objections of "rational" people. Set yourself an objective initially that is reasonable, yet bold (within reach, but ambitious), so you are forced to extend yourself to reach it). Most people are overly conservative and too scared to dream. Expand your mental boundaries - don't be a creature of habit with your mental limitations. TAP YOUR INNER RESOURCES "Character is destiny." DESIRE will sustain your thoughts. The more passionate your desire, the quicker you will make it happen. Benefit from the knowledge ("the pearls of wisdom") found in books, like this one (shameless plug!). Read books and keep repeating positive words. The repetition of affirmations really works by imprinting positive thoughts on your mind. NEVER GIVE UP Mastering our own destiny and fulfilling our dreams is our ultimate purpose in life. In so doing, you can (and WILL) glorify God, the Universe, the Great Creator and "Source of our Being." Find your passion and extend your goals. Love what you do. Find work that satisfies you and you will have found your passion. MASTER THE UNCONSCIOUS (SUBCONSCIOUS) MIND I believe it is how God, the Universe speaks to us individually - the "connecting link" between us and the Divine - the way the spiritual turns into thought, ideas and "physical action," in the form of a PLAN. Accept it (your feelings, your "heart") as the truth and you will. If you have faith that you will accomplish something, you will. BELIEF IS THE SECRET. The more you internalize it (a fancy term used by those 'psycho types'), which simply means making it real within you), the more powerful it becomes. "You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it." - Samuel Butler Your unconscious mind is extremely susceptible to the power of words and it can be easily influenced. Words like "can't" engrave themselves in the unconscious; so that negative thoughts and feelings become your self-image. To become rich you have to create a new self-image: one of thinking wealth and prosperity. Self-image depends largely on your expectation about who you're going to be. So work on your SELF-IMAGE. Believe in your uniqueness and ability to make your own special contribution to the world - no matter how small, or how dull, or unintelligent you think you may be. Everybody has some unique talent and there is no other like you in this world. There is a seed of greatness in each one of us - a precious resource to achieve something unique in our lives. == WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS How much money you want to earn next year? Write, "By the end of the year I will have X dollars/pounds in the bank" OR "I will have doubled my assets each year for five years (constant growth)" OR "By X (month and year) I will be a millionaire." I've done this and shared it with my family. (Anyone else would think I'm totally "off my rocker"... if they don't already!) SET SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES These are the landmarks needed to help motivate you and keep you on track. Write down your short-term goals, too. Fewer than one in one hundred people do, but surveys at Harvard University in the United States show that those one percent are the super- achievers. It's your PLAN and no-one else's. If you dream of being rich, quantify your dream into figures and specific dates. That is the first step to achieving wealth. To become a millionaire on $20,000 a year and a 10 percent increase per year, you will need to do sideline activities (plenty, mate!) so you can save and invest some of your money. REPEAT TO YOURSELF, "I will increase my income by $X this year." That's a positive affirmation. So is: "I CAN do it, I WILL do it." If you believe it strongly enough and desire it sufficiently, your mind will do the rest. It will show you HOW to achieve it by leading you to the right path. Be inwardly convinced that you will succeed and you will. Believe the solution exists to any problem. If there is no obvious solution, the mind will find a way around the obstacle, or otherwise set you on a new track. The human mind has amazing, incredible POWER. NEVER EVER DOUBT IT! The secret to success is a quantified goal and a deadline for achieving it. You will perhaps need some kind of change in your life to achieve your goals. Once set, your unconscious mind will work out the means to reach your goal. SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES WITHOUT HESITATION...like gold. Don't be paralyzed by fear, which prevents many people from living their dreams. Don't hesitate to take the steps necessary to achieve the goal. Don't underestimate your self worth. You are special and unique... and LIFE GIVES US EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECT FROM IT: No more and no less! PERSIST .....and conquer your fears. Don't fear losing money. Read Napoleon Hill's classic book, THINK AND GROW RICH. SUMMARY: A few thoughts to conclude... MOST PEOPLE WANT TO BE HAPPY, BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. It is the same with money - not quantifying what you are looking for. Sadly, so many good people die without finding the 'key'. They don't know how much they want to earn in a year. "When you don't know where you're going, you generally go nowhere." Take time out from your busy daily schedule. Time to meditate, to THINK THINGS THROUGH carefully. BELIEVE that you can achieve your goals and crave it passionately. Use your IMAGINATION. Think and act successfully. * BELIEF is the key "seed" and this will develop and grow stronger daily.. * Have FAITH (great) that you WILL achieve your goal. N.B: DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE to get you through the rough times Develop the right ATTITUDE and LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES everywhere. They are right there within reach. Then BELIEVE, TRULY BELIEVE, that YOU CAN REACH YOUR TARGET. Have the COURAGE to do what you want to do. Don't give up on your dreams. Be bold and positive. Act "as if" you are already successful. YOUR DESIRES IN LIFE: Write them down - everything you want out of life. CONCENTRATE and FOCUS - it strengthens the mind. Choosing the RIGHT DIRECTION , your niche is the key first step in that it sets your course. Together with PERSISTANCE - every day "keeping on keeping on doing the little things to move you forward". Taking little steps one by one. These are the secrets of success, I believe. The pursuit of money should not be an obsession preventing you from enjoying life. "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul?" Enjoy the challenge, because in the great scheme of things that is life, how important is money anyway? and always, remember... If you lose happiness, you lose everything. The greatest possession, the greatest treasure in life is freedom... and wealth can give you that freedom. "Discover who is it you really are; because the truth will set you free forever." I hope this article encourages you to find whatever you are looking for in life... and always remember, money isn't everything. I believe peace of mind and JOY is much more important. To your success (financial or any other endeavour in life) Craig Lock Believe in yourself and in your dream, Though impossible things may seem Someday, somehow you'll get through To the goal you have in view. Mountains fall and seas divide, Before the one who in his stride Takes a hard road by day Sweeping obstacles away Believe in yourself and in your plan Say not -I cannot -I can The prizes of life we fail to win Because we doubt the power within... ANON **** (Not that he's anywhere near there... YET! But at least he understands the theory and has a great deal of hope. We'll see what happens to him and whether the principles DO work!) For valuable money information to help you make and save your hard-earned money Get out of debt ** -Learn how to invest -Retire early -Take control of your finances See: The Million Dollar Money Tree http://www.nzenterprise.com/money/welcome.html Money Management Course: http://www.nzenterprise.com/writer/online.html Craig's money books are available at: http://www.bridgeniche.com/CLOCK/zaniestbooks.htm THIS ARTICLE MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED "I share what I know, so that you and your money may grow". "If you have knowledge, let others light a candle to it."