5 Key Steps to Build Your Dream House

So you want to build a new home! You can join the multitudes of those that already have built their dream house and now enjoy living in it. Your dream is not beyond reach. Here are 5 steps that now stand between you and a completed dream house for you and your family. Follow them and you will be able to see your dream home become a reality.

1. Plan how much money you are going to need for the project.

First, you need to set a budget and then stick with it if at all possible. You do not want too many surprising costs, so this is very important. You may want to include some kind of cost guarantees in your contract.

2. Find the property where you are going to build your dream house.

This will give you a piece of real estate to put your dream house on. A lender will also require it before you get any money for a construction loan. Find out if you can get a g2238uarantee from the lender to have your construction loan converted to a mortgage later. This could save you a lot of money in closing costs later on.

3. Get a set of house plans drawn.

Sit down and sketch an idea of what the house plan is going to look like. Also write down some features you want to go into your dream house. Here is where you have a choice. You can either contact an architectural drafter, a home designer, or, you can even learn to draw your own house plans, which is by far the least expensive way to go.

4. Put your floor plans out for bids.

Once your house plans are completed, place an ad in a local newspaper or call different builders in your area to get a copy of your blueprints so that they can place bids on your new home. You will want to get at least three bids before you choose one, and be sure to check on the reputation of the builder, too, before you sign any agreements.

5. Get everything put in a contract.

If you make changes during construction, which is common, make sure there is one set of plans that is to be used as the master plan and that both you and the builder should note and initial each and every one of those changes. That way, at the end of the job, there should not be any surprises or hidden costs.

These 5 steps will definitely help you to get started in the right direction on getting your new dream home built. Take your time and do it right, and your custom dream home will give you joy for many years to come.

By Mike Valles, a freelance writer. Learn how to draw your own house plans from an architectural designer with 22+ years of experience. He has been a draftsman since 1975 who has completed over 600 residential drawings and teaches architectural drafting online at http://www.houseplandrafting101.com

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Greatestgurus

Is It Time to Retire Your Old-school Affirmations that Don't Work?

How long have you been affirming something like:

-I am rich and happy
-I am my perfect ideal weight
-I have the ideal mate
-I love my job and it pays me great

or something along those lines only to wind up feeling more frustrated and stuck. Ive known about affirmations for over 20+ years and Ive know5B4n they dont work for me for about the same amount of time. I could ask whats wrong with me and why dont they work for me? But upon closer look, a better question might be, why do some self-help experts keep promoting them as a primary change tool when they clearly dont work for most people.

Lets debunk the expert myth right now. Just because the experts tell you something works and just because many of the experts all say it works but it doesnt work for you who cares what the experts say! In truth, affirmations, as we have been taught them, dont seem to work because we have a built in resistance to the very thing we are affirming.

Heres what I mean by that: Lets use a fictitious person named Nun for our example. If Nun says to himself, I have avalanches of money flowing to me now! His inner critique is most likely going to chime in, after it stops laughing at him if thats the truth, why couldnt you pay your cell phone bill this month?

In fact, the affirmation is working because what Nun unknowingly affirmed with his tail-ender was lack and more lack. Even if his inner-critics tail-ender didnt surface to the level of conscious awareness, his subconscious mind has its own built-in resistance to change. So when Nun looks around and sees lack, his eyes take it in and his mind says what I see is the truth and there are no avalanches of anyt5B4hing but bills and more bills which I am struggling to pay.

Okay, we can replace the fictitious character with a real one, ME! I was so frustrated and disappointed and I felt like a failure because I couldnt seem to transform my life with these flowery affirmations no matter how I tried. But to my credit, I am relentless and by George, who ever he is , I knew in my heart that transformational change was possible and more importantly, it was possible for me and for everyone.

Transformation sales-hype can mislead you to think you can undo a lifetime of stinking-thinking in 30 days, and although it is possible, most people have way to much resistance going on to let it be that easy. I had to come up with my own approach which I call Releasing Technology to help me peel off the layers of resistance. I then came across EFT which led me to something called EFT Choices Affirmations. BLING, the lights went on for me. WOW, this was the missing piece for me and when combined with my Releasing Technology, I had a solid transformation tool set to help me get to the next level.

The EFT Choices Affirmation is designed in such a way that it handles the inner-critics tail-ender before it can cancel out what you are affirming. It allows you to own what is and then to create another reality by making a choice. This form of affirmation is done while using the EFT meridian tools and you are able to affirm your new choice wit5B4hout resistance. Of course, no tool works exactly the same for everyone but the success rate of this is so profound, many Therapists such as Dr. Patricia Carrington are using Energy Psychology to help people make amazing life changes.

So heres what I recommend; if old-school affirmations work for you, keep doing what you are doing. If you have other practices that give you what you need, dont jump ship just for something new to do. But if you are looking for some additional transformation technologies that carry the weight of science and ancient Eastern healing practices, then you will want to click on over to Dr. Carringtons site and download a free copy of her eBook at www.eftupdate.com. Im not trying to sell you anything and this is not an affiliate program; its just something that I personally use and I am really convinced that it can help a lot of people. By the way, EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and you can learn more about it when you visit the site I recommended.

Robin Harris is a DesignerLife Coach and the owner of http://www.ManifestWithEase.com and co-founder of http://www.SecretKeysToPassiveIncome.com which offer complimentary resources for those who wa3AEnt to embrace ease as a way of creating more happiness, prosperity, and success in life and in business. You can also connect with Robin through her Lens at http://www.squidoo.com/manifestwithease/

0399153292?ie=utf8&tag=internetsho02 20&linkcode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeasin=0399153292
Neale Donald Walsch

Law of Attraction Manifestation Exercise No. 4 - Create More Money With The Prosperity Game

This is another exercise first introduced by Abraham Hicks that I have found to be extremely helpful in creating more money in my life.

Quite often many of us say that we want more money. But because the idea of "really having" a lot of money is so foreign to us - we find it very hard to create it from our current experience.

Because we continually experience lack and are so used to working from that perspective, it is very hard to "really" imagine what having a lot of money "feels" like. And as you know the Law of Attraction works from our "beliefs" and "feelings" about what we are trying to attract.

This is where the Prosperity Game comes in. The Prosperity Game is a practice of receiving checks from "the Universe" that doubles in its amount every day. Each day as you accept this check it is your job 5B4to spend every cent of it. Sounds easy right? But, if you are not used to having a lot of money you will be surprised how hard it is at first to stretch your imagination. This is the most important part of the game. The game is designed so you can practice stretching your limited ideas about money and to get an understanding of what it really "feels" like to have unlimited amount of money at your disposal.

Here are the basics of how the game works, then we will go into the various ways you can play. Every day you will receive a virtual check from the Universe, and each day thereafter it will double in size. So, on day one you will receive a check for $1,000. You need to then spend that entire $1,000 by the end of that day. List each thing you will buy with it and the approximation of what it will cost. The next day you receive a check for $2,000. Again you must spend it all. The next day, $4,000, then $8,000, then $16,000, etc. Each day the day's before amount doubles. Sound easy enough? You would be surprised how hard it gets when you reach the $100,000 mark.

Now here is the catch. The first rule is you cannot give it away freely to anyone unless it is for a special occasion, i.e., birthday, anniversary, etc. The reason behind this is going with the thought that EVERY one of us can create any amount we desire at any time and that lack is not possible for anyone on this Earth. It is an important part of the exercise to5B4 get it into your subconscious that everyone had the same entitlement to create whatever they want in life and it helps to remind you of each persons ability to do this anytime you feel tempted to give them money. (The exception to this rule is if your future plans are to start up your own charity. Then you may list all the things you would need to purchase for it to be successful.)

The second rule is to not put it into any kind of savings unless you saving up for something specific like a house. The reason behind this is that "saving" in its traditional form infers that someday there might not be any more coming in and that you will need money to "fall back on." If you are a true creator and believer you will realize that there will never be a day when more than enough money is not constantly coming in for your use. Also if you are going to save for the "dream house" it's probably better that you not do that until your money has reached at least the $100,000 mark. This way you get used to spending the smaller amounts every day.

Different Ways to Play This Game

There are several ways to do this game. It is up to you which inspires you or is the most comfortable for you.

Use Actual Checks:

Do you have any old bank accounts that you have since closed but couldn't make yourself throw out the box of checks that went with them? They are perfect for this game. Get a blank white envelope and on the front of i5B4t write something like: Dear Your Name Here: We love you so much we have decided to give you an allowance for the rest of your life. You deserve this money just for being who you are, because who you are is perfect. This money will double in value everyday because we know that the value of you as a being doubles everyday. Use this abundance to create whatever it is you are wanting to create today and know and trust you will always have more than enough for all that you need. Love Universe (or Higher Self, whichever you prefer).

Then write out the first check for $1,000. Write it To: your name; write in the amount on the line and in the number box. In the Comments portion write: Simply Because You Are and Sign It: Love Universe.

Put this check in the envelope you wrote the other message listed above and place both under your pillow each night before you go to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, always read the message on the front of the envelope first, staple the check to a blank page in a notebook and underneath write down how you are going to spend today's money. This is a great exercise for tactile people that like to see and feel the experience of money. The opening of the envelope, the removal of the check and the handwritten ways to spend it. If you are the type of person who writes checks and pays their bills by mail this is probably the best exercise for you, because you enjoy or are comfortable with the "feel"583 of money.

Build Your Own Spreadsheet

This exercise is for people more comfortable with the computer. It is very simple to create a spreadsheet or word document for this exercise. Type the "envelope saying" listed in the above example on the first page of your word document or spread sheet. Be sure to read this first every day to remind yourself of why you are receiving this money. Then each day start a new page of the document with the new daily amount and type below it what you are purchasing today.

Great Online Program or Have It Emailed To You Daily.

If you are the type of person who loves interacting with the computer this is the perfect program for you. It is totally free and currently has over 22,000 active users. It will customize your "checks" every time you visit. Even if you miss a day - it will pick up from where you left off. The fun of this game is it asks you to focus on what you are wanting, how strong your desire is, how strong your resistance may be when you have to spend your money for the day and it will keep track of every entry so you can always go back and check on previous "purchases" or to see how far you have come. It even has a 21 day email program where they will send your "personalized checks" in the mail until doing the exercise becomes a habit.

Unfortunately many article directories will not let me put direct links into the bo5B4dy of my articles but if you click on my web address listed in the author box below, my homepage has the direct link to the on-line version titled The Prosperity Game. Like I mentioned before it is totally free and a really fun way to play the game.

Any which way you decide to play the game will be effective. So many of us say that we want to create more money in our lives, but we are so used to living inside our comfort zone that we no longer dream or stretch our minds to the possibility of what having unlimited money really means.

We sometimes get so caught up in just having enough money for the necessities that we have forgotten that we are allowed to extend our desires to the things we are just simply wanting or desiringto experience.

So go give it a try. You might be surprised what you find out about yourself. You may find you place limits on your desires that you weren't even aware of. Or find that spending all this money on yourself feels a little uncomfortable at first, because deep down you have forgotten that you are naturally deserving of all your desires.

The most important thing you will get out of this exercise however, is experiencing how it really "feels" to have unlimited abundance.

Remember the Law of Attraction brings you what you feel and think abut. So start learning how to think and feel true unlimited abundance and watch how it changes the "real" money you rece3C2ive everyday.

Happy Creating!

Janeen Clark is a Spiritual Life Coach who has been teaching, studying and applying the Law of Attraction for over 15 years. For more articles or information from this author please visit her website at http://www.theveryhappyhuman.com

Understandingrich

Simply Asking for Success

If I could only give one piece of negotiating advice to anyone then undoubtedly that piece of advice would be a simple three letter word:

“Ask.”

This simple word is the most powerful tool that you can use to maximize your success with others. Why is that? Simply because the biggest hurdle that we often face throughout our life comes from our own fear of rejection. We create our own internal roadblocks for success in the form of self-doubt and limiting beliefs. We often convince ourselves that we won’t get something, even before we ask it, because of some consideration that we create in our minds.

Human beings are motivated by two simple forces, according to peak performance expert, Anthony Robbins, (1) We try to get as far away from pain as possible, and (2) We are attracted to that which gives us pleasure. Rejection is embarrassing and it hurts our ego, hence it is painful, so we try to get as far away from rejection as possible by choosing the safe route and walking the other way. We justify walking away from a rejection by telling ourselves that if someone wanted us to have something, they would offer it to us.

The flaw in this thinking is that we do not know why a person might not offer us something. There is always a chance for rejection, but there is also a chance in acceptance. If we do not express that which we desire in the form of asking, then others will not know what we truly want. For example, a girl may not wake up thinking about going out on a date with you. Neither does your boss wake up thinking about your next raise. What is very important to you and your life, may not be apparent to the other person until you bring it to their attention.

Why you Shouldn’t Fear Rejection

Jack Canfield in his book, The Principles of Success, gives a good reason why we should not fear rejection. He says that rejection is merely an illusion because if you really look at the situation, what have you truly lost when being rejected? The answer is nothing. If you ask a girl out on a date and she says “No,” then instead of focusing on your hurt ego, realize that you did not have a date with the girl before you asked her out and you don’t have a date with her now, so really what has changed? Absolutely nothing--and think about it. You have lived your entire life without dating this girl, so you know how to deal with it. Simple move on to the next girl and play the numbers game. Eventually, someone will say YES. That’s what life is—a numbers game.

If you Don’t Ask, you will Never Receive

Opportunities float past us daily and it’s the ability of highly successful people to ask for things that they want to seize as many opportunities as possible. When you want something, simple ask for it. This is a little saying that I leave my students—“If you don’t ask, then you absolutely will not receive. If you do ask, then there is a chance that you might receive.” Either way, you stand to lose nothing by asking, so just do it.

For over 10 years, Tristan Loo has inspired, motivated, and brought success to the lives of the people he’s touched. Successful in his own right, Tristan has competed athletically against Olympians as a world-class gymnast, saved lives as a police officer, authored numerous Personal Development and Interpersonal Communication books and articles, and is a highly sought-after Personal Development Coach. Tristan is the founder of the Synergy Institute, a San Diego based Personal Development Firm. His philosophy of passionate living and helping others fulfill their dreams has continually been the driving force that has placed him well above the industry standard. Visit Tristan's website at http://www.synergyinstituteonline.com or by email at info@synergyinstituteonline.com

The Easy Way

How To Make Work Fun and Earn More Money...

"What you can do, or dream you can, begin it; boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Johann von Goethe

Making work fun and earning more money in the same sentence? It is possible to love your job, if you know how to create your ideal environment. Do you enjoy the camaraderie of walking into an office every day and seeing the same smiling faces? Or do you prefer working independently of supervision? Do you enjoy going to the same place every day or prefer a job where you're moving around? Do you like work with routine where you perform the same tasks day in and day outB61?

To make work fun and earn more money may require you to take more risks. Is it important to you to work for a large organization where you receive lots of perks and benefits? Or are you more of a maverick? Are you a risk taker who prefers to be your own boss, with the freedom to set your own hours, and possibly travel? Are you more suited to a work environment where you are moving around in different locations each day? What matters most freedom or security?

These are the questions I was asked on multiple questionnaires when I visited a career counselor and motivation coach years ago. What came up for me was a need to work independently, free of supervision, and with flexible hours. Self-motivation comes naturally to me. I love what I do for a living so it's easy for me to work without supervision. If I won $50 million in the lottery, I'd still continue with my speaking engagements, seminars and leadership training.

How about you? What are you passionate about? If you won the lottery tomorrow what would you want to do? What would you try if you knew you wouldn't fail? In making work fun and earning more money, these are questions to ask yourself. No matter how much money your career provides, you will not enjoy it unless it's in line with your core values.

How To Make Work Fun: Recreate Your Job Keeping Core Values in Mind

If you're bored with your work, find ways to recreate it. Life is too short to stay stuck in a job you can't stand. You may be in the right field, you simply need to "fine tune" your values. For example, freedom, creativity, travel and flexible hours are important to me. I don't like working in an office. Being able to spend time with my dog at the dog park in the middle of the day is a core value. As I write this, I'm sitting inside a Starbucks in a Portland, Oregon suburb where outside there are gorgeous views of the Cascades and Mt. Hood. What a great way to work! You get the point.

Ask yourself…what is my risk tolerance? What are my core values? What is something you are passionate about where even with a financial windfall you'd keep doing that thing. It may be a hobby that starts as a side job. You may have to keep your "real job" for a while to fund your dream. Figure out what you love to do and find a way to get paid for it.

Colleen Kettenhofen is a motivational speaker, workplace expert, & co-author of "The Masters of Success," as featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For more free articles and e-newsletter, or to order the book, http://www.colleenspeaks.com/ Topics: leadership, management, difficult people, public speaking. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. 315http://www.colleenspeaks.com/

What Are Key Characteristics Of A Good Coach

?

Those that are considering Success coaching may not even know where to turn when searching for the right influence to Coach them to victory. This is a crucial decision because not only will you be investing your money with them, but also your precious time.

Here are key points:

1. A good coach will ask you to step outside your comfort zone. Good coaches have a way of utilizing simple techniques to point out what may be holding you back or blocking you in areas where you hope to be prospering. Requested actions by your coach should provide a simple demonstration when completed.

2. Through conversations, your coach will have special insight about your unique characteristics and hidden strengths. Sometimes an outsider's view can remind you about your silent strengths. This might be why you are drawn to an idea of a success coach. You may have been looking for a mentor who is a more positive influence than your past or current environment. When you haven't had as much exposure to enriching relationships, it's easy to get down on yourself. A good coach will remind you why you are so special and an important part of this world.

3. An effective coach can help design a plan that is right with you and hold you accountable to it. Suggestions that are offered should ring true with your hopes before you agree to them. The "fortune" is in the follow-up, so whether you are going for business results, better relationships, a healthier lifestyle or constant course correction, the plans set forth must be followed for you to succeed.

4. A valuable coach will expect the best for you and want you to win.

In Jack Canfield's book "The Success Principles," he points out that "You only have control over three things - the thoughts you think, the images you visualize and the actions that you take (your behavior). How you use these three things determines everything that you experience." These are the things that you are looking to perfect with a one on one coaching session.

Michael Frazier, Success Coach, brings innovative and refreshing change to the Coaching field. He assists clients in designing and implementing a successful business plan and fulfilling life. Visit http://www.mikefrazierlive.com for his FREE e-book, which will give you the needed tools for Success on the Internet!

The Law of Attraction in Action

Several years ago I was looking for a new person for my team. A person who had been helping on a temporary basis was going back to graduate school and I knew I would need some assistance on several projects.

Thinking about my situation on a Monday morning, cross-country airline flight I made a list of the attributes, skills, attitudes and circumstances for the perfect person for this role. I made the list as specific as I could, thinking about details that would truly make this person “perfect.” As my week of consulting began on the west coast I reviewed the list I created each morning. On Wednesday afternoon my cell phone rang, and I had my very first conversation with Traci Nolan.

She introduced herself and told me she had heard through a friend of a friend that I might be looking for some help. Our short phone conversation left me thinking that I may have indeed found my new team member.

I talked with her face-to-face on Friday. She possessed more than 90% of164D the things on my “perfect person” list, right down to details like being a stay at home Mom with a the desire for schedule flexibility.

Traci was a great team member, and we worked together for several years. I met and worked with Traci because of the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction states that we are continually attracting things into our life that are consistent with the energy we are putting into the world.

I know that statement doesn’t seem very specific or tangible. It doesn’t change the truth or validity of the Law.

The reason many people don’t believe in this Law is that they don’t completely understand it, or they mis-apply it.

The Law’s Three Parts

Many people think this Law is about visualizing what they want – getting a clear mental picture of their desired future. These thoughts are a very powerful part of the law, but they aren’t the whole package. You absolutely must have a clear mental picture, but it must be a picture of what you really want.

People misuse this part of the Law when they think about what they don’t want – like “we want to reverse the sales trend,” or “we want to reduce turnover.” In these cases you are literally attracting more of what you don’t want! We correctly use our thoughts when we think about what we want – a highly loyal staff or exceeding our sales goals.

The second part of the Law of Attraction is your feelings. The more we visualize our desired state – the more clearly we hold that picture, and the more we believe in that visualization – the more attractive we become.

Thoughts and feeling are powerful things. And even when people correctly apply the thought part of this Law and engage their feelings in it, they are still missing a key part.

The third part of the equation is spelled out in the Law itself. Attraction. If we want the Law of Attraction to work for us personally or professionally, we must take action.

Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield had a vision and strong feelings related to making the Chicken Soup for the Soul books successful, but they also took action – everyday. They challenged themselves and their entire team to find five ways to sell books each day.

Were their vision and feelings important to the (continuing) success of these products? Of course. But without action they wouldn’t have met the ultimate success that they have achieved.

Thoughts, feelings, and actions; all in alignment. Put these three energy sources together, and you will begin to tap into the Law of Attraction.

How You Can Apply The Law

You can apply this to any part of your life – including your work and workplace. Here is a brief synopsis of how to get started.

1. If you have a strongly held picture of a desired future situation, great! If not – start there. Create the goal or future picture.

2. If this is a shared goal, get other people involved in co-creating this goal with you.

3. Believe in that vision! See yourself in that situation, with the types of employees, Customers and circumstances you would have then. Make your picture as three-dimensional as you can. Literally see yourself having achieved the goal.

4. Once your belief is strong, help others build their belief as well.

5. Take action. Maybe you don’t know exactly what the perfect next step would be. So what! Take confident action, even if it is a small step, in the direction of your desired goal.

Now you have the building blocks. After that you keep repeating steps 3-5 with confidence.

Apply the Law by using all three of these energy sources to literally begin to attract the things you desire into your situation. Think about how you can use this Law in your work today.

A Caveat

Recognize that the Law of Attraction will work, but only if you are ready to receive it on the terms of the universe – not your terms. This means that you must be willing to let go of your thoughts on exactly how or when things should happen. Do the steps above, everyday. The Law will work, just like gravity, but only if you do your part correctly.

Potential Principle – The Law of Attraction is as powerful as any physical law and just as real. When you understand it, you can use its power to change your life and your organization for the better.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on Unleashing Your Potential go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.