7 Secrets Of Success From Watching Rocky

By: Zoe Routh

I don't even like boxing, but I got to tell you I learned a lot from Rocky and Sylvester Stallone about creating your own success.

In anticipation of the 6th sequel in the Rocky series, 'Rocky Balboa', my husband and I watched all five Rocky movies (one day we even watched four in a row!) to get up to speed with development of the character and his story. This is quite basic: underdog hero experiences tough times, receives a challenge that questions his manhood and sense of what is 'right' and 'wrong', intense training scenes showing incredible physique, and a close, tough fighting scene with a feel good 'victory' for Rocky - the 'people's hero'.

It's not the story line or the films themselves that are as much an inspiration as Sylvester's Stallone's own story of rags to riches as a punk, nobody actor and screenwriter to multimillionaire writer and director of one the most successful film series.With $106 left in his bank account, Stallone offered his script of 'Rocky' to various producers. He wanted to sell the script and star in the lead role. The producers rejected him as the lead but offered him $50 000 for the script. They did not think he was a bankable star -too ugly, too short, and talked too funny to be a good leading actor. They wanted to cast Ryan O'Neal, who enjoyed boxing, or Burt Reynolds or Paul Newman or Steve McQueen, or Al Pacino.

$50 000 was a lot of money considering he had so little cash and a pregnant wife to look after. However old Sly stuck to his guns, and refused to take the deal without the lead role. The bids for the script kept going up, but without the offer of the leading role. Stallone says of the negotiations,

"I made a simple declaration to my agent and whoever wanted to hear, that I would sooner burn the script, that I would sooner bury the script, that I would sooner put the script out to sea and blow it up than to have anyone else play Rocky. "If the price went up to half a million, if the price went up to a million, 'I said, 'No sale. ", Finally, the producers swung over to my side and used their influence to convince United Artists to take me on. The script went to Arthur Krim, Eric Pleskow, Mike Medavoy, and all the upper echelon of the United Artists organization and finally it came down, the word from above, that it was a "go" for one million dollars. Not a penny more, not a penny less. One million dollars!"

Rocky then won the Academy Best Picture award in 1976.

Ok so how does this help you on your own personal development journey you may well be asking? It's not as far-fetched as it may seem at first. Regardless of whether you like Rocky or not, there are some valued lessons from Rocky and old Sly about being the Director of your own Movie of Life.

1. Know that you are the Director of your own Life Movie.

When Stallone wrote Rocky, he wrote the role for himself. It was his story and it was his role. There was no way he was going to leave it for anyone else, even if the script was buried for lack of buyers. His commitment went beyond temptation to sell out - he had an unshakeable faith that this was the right thing to do for himself and for his life. The universe rewarded his clear and true intentions with massive rewards. For Stallone, it was never about the money - it was about the expression of his life's passion.

Imagine for one moment you can create your own world, just as Sylvester Stallone did in Rocky. This is the truth that Stallone knew and you need to embrace too: you are the DIRECTOR of your life. You ARE creating it every moment. You are the scriptwriter, director, producer and actor in the Movie of your Life. Many people however, are unconscious directors, believing that life just happens; they believe that they are bit actors in someone else's (God's? the government's? their parents'?) movie, with little say on direction, content, and genre of the movie's production.

To understand that you are the Director of your own Life Movie, you need to feel this conviction in your bones like Stallone - you have to know at a cellular level that you are in charge of the scripting, directing, production, and execution of your own Life Movie.
It's time now for you to claim your role as the Director of Your Life Movie and get on with living the coolest version of your life.

2. Pick the genre for your Life Movie.

Let your passion be your guiding force. Stallone explains how he discovered the passion that fuelled his success. He searched his feelings. He asked himself, "What did I really enjoy seeing up on the screen? I enjoyed heroism. I enjoyed great love. I enjoyed stories of dignity, of courage, of man's ability to rise above his station and take life by the throat and not let go until he succeeded." This was Rocky's story, and it was Stallone's too.

What do YOU wish to experience? What do you enjoy? What are your favourite movies and why?

How would you describe your life now? A tragedy? A comedy? An adventure? How would you like it to be from now on?

Knowing the overall theme and genre will guide you in the creative process.

3. Feelings make the blockbuster.

One of my employers once said, "if you can make them laugh and cry in one movie, you've got a winner." Movies that are successful are the ones that make you feel something deeply and strongly - whether that is joy, terror, exhilaration, inspiration, sadness or any combination of the above. A movie that plays your feelings like a fiddle is one that captures the hearts and imagination of its viewers.

Your life is like that too - it is the feelings that make for a good time or not. You choose experiences (consciously or not) that allow you to feel the whole gamut of human emotions. This is what we are here on the planet to do - to enjoy the ride of human feelings.

Sylvester Stallone was very clear on what he wanted his viewers to experience when he wrote Rocky: he wanted people to feel inspired by the little guy who triumphs despite the odds. Some of the other emotions he wanted people to experience were:

• Pathos - compassion for the poor downtrodden hero
• Suspense - will he fight? Who will he fight? How will he fight? Will he win?
• Inspiration -very funky music and cool training sessions showing the most inhuman training regimen - you try doing a one armed push up!
• Fear - will he get his face pushed backward through a chair? Will he get brain damage?
• Exhilaration - Rocky triumphs despite the odds, showing astonishing spirit and resilience
• Joy- Rocky wins and shares it all with the woman he loves.

What feelings do you want to experience in your Life Movie. Joy? Exhilaration? Freedom? Creativity? Passion? Curiosity? Insight? Inspiration? Fear? Horror? Pain? What have you experienced so far? Do you want more of the same or something different?

4. Write the script.

Knowing what he wanted to experience at the movies and the types of feelings he wanted viewers to feel, Stallone wrote the script to produce these results.

Write your Life Movie script. Pick a date in the future, maybe 5 years, or 10 years or 20 - whatever feels like fun to you, and write a text of what has happened in your Life Movie. Most important to include are the feelings you experienced throughout. Joy, challenge, exhilaration - write it all in vivid detail. Tell the story, put in plenty of detail in vibrant colours, textures, characters, tastes, smells - the more descriptive you can make the script, the easier it will be for it to translate in to reality.

Review the script once you have written it. How does it feel when you read it? Do you experience all the range of emotions you want? Does it feel exciting? Does it sound like a life worth living? If you have a resounding 'yes' as answer to each of those questions, then you are on a winner.

5. Get the music right.

Nothing brings to life a script more than the music. There was no coincidence that 'Eye of the Tiger' featured heavily in one of the Rocky movies. This was strong, heart-pounding music that makes you want to jump up and run up a big flight of stairs and do crazy upside down sit-ups. Check any Rocky fan's I pod, and they've got Eye of the Tiger on there for their gym workout.Pick music that evokes the feelings of your Life Movie. Play it often - in the car, at home, at the gym. This will keep you plugged in to the creation and production of your Life Movie.

6. Recruit a production team.

Very few movies are ever made just by one person. You need a whole team. You need people on your team that are in line with your vision, theme, and passion. If they are not a match, dump them from your crew.

Check to see if you have the right crew:

• Friends that support your goals or are on similar paths
• Family that is as excited as you are about the possibilities of your Life Movie
• A mentor to serve as a model - one that has done a similar movie and achieved the results you want
• A coach to guide you through the hurdles and setbacks and to point out how to improve (do I have to throw in the obvious Rocky coach, "Mickey" as the allusion here?!)
• Specialists in any technical area to bring out your best - business coach, accountant, financial planner, nutritionist, massage therapist, personal trainer, image designer, travel agent.

The crew is an incredibly important component to the successful production and delivery of your Life Movie. Make sure you get the right people on board.

7. Enjoy it.

Creating your Life Movie should be a joyful process. It is not just about getting to the end to press 'play'. The real joy is in the creative process, the delight and surprises and miracles that occur along the way as you commit to creating the masterpiece that is your life.

For more Stallone and Rocky wisdom, go to http://www.sylvesterstallone.com/ .

Cancer survivor Zoe Routh is the Head Coach at Inner Compass. Zoë helps personal development enthusiasts create their own best life using the law of attraction. Zoë is the author of ebook Absolute Productivity – a handbook for your personal and professional life. Sign up for Compass Bearings - a free monthly on line magazine for personal development enthusiasts who want easy new success strategies using the law of attraction. Get more free tips at www.innercompass.com.au

6 Tips for Improving Your Communication Style

By: Peter Murphy

How To Improve Communication Skills And Your Personal Style? Here are six tips for improving your communication style:

1. Knowing how to improve communication skills will come easier once you become aware of your own communication style.
   Each person has a unique way of communicating. Listen to your own speech. What sorts of words do you use? Which sort of body language and what tone of voice are you using?
   Now, think of someone who, in your opinion, is a good communicator. Compare your style to theirs. You’ve just taken an important first step in how to improve communication skills.


2. Now that you are aware of your own style, study the style of those around you. How do the most important people in your life converse? How do they say things? Look for approaches you can model and make your own.


3. Adjust to the other styles of communication. Don’t think it is too late to change your way of conversing because it’s been years. You had to learn to communicate in the first place and you can unlearn certain behaviors or change them. Sometimes we get stuck in a communication rut.
   A father once was having a hard time with his teenaged daughter. She was growing and he thought she didn’t tell him what was going on in her life. They were in a heated discussion when he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
   Her answer was that she had, but he was too busy lecturing her to hear her. He learned that adjusting his style to his daughter would involve listening first before jumping right into solving the problem.


4. To build rapport, during a conversation try and match the other person’s movements, posture and verbal style. Don’t do everything they do, but mirror one or two things. For example, if the person gives mostly short answers to questions, you follow suit.
   Or, maybe they talk at a slower pace than you usually do-slow your speaking speed to match theirs. This may sound simplistic but it is a very potent way to make someone feel very relaxed and comfortable in your presence.


5. The way you communicate at home may not be the same as in a different environment. Make sure you change your style to suit the different setting. Some comments you might want to tell your best friend, in private.
   Other things can be shared in a group setting. Learn how to improve communication skills by altering your style for the appropriate setting. Many of us know someone who offers far too much information in a group setting.


6. Don’t criticize others for communicating differently. If we all communicated in the same way, we’d soon be bored with each other.
   Getting a good grasp of your communication style and finding ways to accommodate other peoples’ styles, is a good way to improve your communication skills.

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. This report reveals the secret strategies all high achievers use to communicate with charm and impact. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: www.howtotalkwithconfidence.com/report.htm

9 Characteristics Of Enthusiastic People

By: Ineke Van Lint

Nine Characteristics Of Enthusiastic PeopleEnthusiasm is passion. Enthusiasm is living your dream. Enthusiasm is a divine energy you will feel as a reward for pursuing your dreams and staying on your own path.

Someone who is earnestly looking for his mission, discovers it and lives it, will organize his entire life around this divine assignment. This person offers his talents to the world, betters his environment, adds his personal value to it, and ends up happy and satisfied.

The characteristics below help you recognize this person (or become one yourself!) :

1.Enthusiasm is the most obvious feature.

This person lives live fully, enjoys every moment, and lives in the present, radiating a lot of self-confidence. He knows he is valid part of the universe and feels appreciated and guided.

2.This person possesses a special driving force that guides her through the roadblocks.

He has access to an endless source of energy that lifts him above the masses. His energy level is much higher than average. People can notice he is being lifted up by a kind of light beam. He is very engaged, travels lightly and makes a delicate impression. He is convinced that any roadblocks can be overcome. Nothing stops him.

3. This person easily makes choices.

There is something guiding the course of his life, namely his mission, which he uses as a road map to find out where to go next and with whom. He can tell good company from bad company, unimportant matters from important matters. He doesn’t lose himself in irrelevant details but remains focused on his mission. He is guided by his inner voice, his intuition.

4. He dares to take risks.

He has the courage to finish the projects he started. He has the energy and wisdom to concretely manifest his ideas.

5. He possesses an extraordinary creativity, inspiring those people around him.

He has the ability to create and produce. He is capable of manifesting his thoughts: what is an idea today will become real within a few months or even earlier. He makes full use of his resources. He fully realizes his psychological and spiritual potential.

6. This person has a mysterious charisma.

People like to be near him, enjoy his high energy level and feel invigorated afterwards. People pick up some wisdom from him and feel better after meeting him.

7. He has an unwavering faith in the universe and in himself, as he too is part of this universe.

He is aware of spiritual law and lives according to them, consciously or unconsciously. He understands how his dreams and passions are the engine of his evolution and he knows the universe is organized such that it meets his needs. First and foremost he listens to his heart and follows its directions with faith and conviction.

8. This person exhibits a high level of dedication, gets fully engaged, and knows the universe to be his biggest and best partner.

He has a clear vision of his goal, does not get distracted, and uses his energy entirely towards the manifestation of his dreams. When he experiences fear, it does not paralyze him, but doubles his devotion. He knows fear is something you have to go through, he focuses on what is more important than his fear, and for this he can count on his inner strength and guidance.

9. He is original in his approach and experiences total freedom while fulfilling his mission.

He is aware of the fact that he is the co-creator of his life. He is not being lived, not warming the bench, not being afraid of what’s going to hit him next. On the contrary, he reflects about his future and takes all necessary action to effectively realize his desired future.

Someone who has found his mission and takes it to heart is someone who has deciphered the secret code of the soul. And he receives the corresponding gifts: a great deal of enthusiasm, an extraordinary creativity and deep satisfaction. He accepts these gifts gracefully and gratefully, and generously offers them to other people who cross his path. He is a shining light in the life of those who are so happy to have met him.

Join the enthusiastics yourself! Become a person happy to get out of bed in the mroning, ready to go on with your mission. It’s all about finding your passion and living it out! Get out of this life of misery, do what you like, do what feels good, have faith and start finally living your real life!

Written by Ineke Van Lint, psychologist. Find your passion and boost your life with enthusiasm. Live your life your way, full of joy and abundance . A brand new free ebook on htpp://www.theenthusiasm.com

The Power Of Yes

By: Zoe Routh

Like a good Aussie girl, I spent Australia Day on the beach. As I lay in the soft white sand, I watched my husband Rob play in the waves with our niece and nephews. Six-year-old Iman has long been reluctant to try the boogie board – afraid of getting dumped by the waves. She would hang out on the shore instead, shrieking and running from any wave that splashed above her ankles.

Something magical was in the air that morning however, and this time when Rob asked her if she would try the board, she said ‘ok’. Just like that. Rob helped her catch a wave and I swear the sun itself shone through that gap-toothed smile! The thrill and pleasure of the ocean was open to her now. From that instant we knew we had a surfer girl on our hands. She rode wave after wave in total delight.

What changed for Immy? The risks were all still the same- she could still get dumped, she could fall off the board, and she could still get knocked over by a big wave.

What changed for Immy is that she said ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’. In the magic of a single moment she changed forever her experience at the beach. A whole new universe of joy opened to her.

The power of ‘yes’ is the power of allowing, of acceptance, of openness, of joy. It is this way we create our lives in a simple moment. We have a choice always to say ‘yes’ to life’s opportunities or ‘no’ and resist them out of fear. When we shrink from a choice our soul begs us to take, we are shutting out the flow of universal abundance. When we resist, we shy away from ease and grace. We make things harder for ourselves. Getting what we want becomes an experience of struggle and of overcoming. Nothing we truly desire gets created easily in resistance.

When we follow instead the nudge of our intuition in spite of fear, we say ‘yes’ to the abundance of the universe and flow of good energy. Do you remember saying ‘yes’ in a difficult situation? Like the first time you drove a car? Or when you gave a speech? Or went on the Tower of Terror ride at Dreamworld? Did you feel the rush of energy? Even if you never did it again, you know the wild exhilaration of being able to say “I did it.”

What do we miss out on when we say ‘no’? What could we experience if we just simply said ‘yes’? What doors may open if we said ‘yes’ to a job offer, a proposal, or a simple ride on a boogie board?

Life’s waiting for you out there. Let it in. Say ‘yes’. Ride the wave. Go surfer dudes!

Cancer survivor Zoë Routh is the Head Coach at Inner Compass. Zoë helps personal development enthusiasts create their own best life using the law of attraction. Zoë is the author of ebook Absolute Productivity – a handbook for your personal and professional life. Sign up for Compass Bearings - a free on line magazine for personal development enthusiasts who want easy new success strategies using the law of attraction. Get more free tips at www.innercompass.com.au

Food For The Soul

By: Patricia Sanders

We all need food for our soul, something that speaks to us, sustains us, pulls us through, inspires us, comforts us. There are many things that can be. It is different for everyone.What feeds your soul? Make a list and let it inspire you to do things that feed your soul everyday.

Here is a delicious homemade whole wheat bread recipe my husband and I make. Cooking or baking can feed your soul. Put love into your food when you are preparing and cooking your food and it can actually feed your sensuality. Sensuality is not just sexual. (picture of a loaf of bread we baked)

ENJOY SOME HOMEMADE FOOD FOR THE SOUL

100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 36 minutes
• Ready In: 3 hours
• Yields : 2 Loaves

If you like fluffy brown bread this it. No white flour here. You can use any 100% whole grain wheat flour. I mill my own. This bread is not heavy like most 100% whole wheat breads. If it is you used too much flour and your dough was too stiff. If it flattens out and won’t stand up you need more flour. The total amount of flour is usually about 6 1/2 cups. This recipe has been in my family for years and we all make it. We make a lot more now that we have powerful mixers and the hand kneeding is bye bye.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 Cups of hot water
• 1/4 Cup of Oil, Olive is fine
• 1/4 Cup of honey
• 2 Tbs Molasses
• 1 Tbs Salt, Sea Salt is good
• 6 1/2 cups of 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour
• 2 1/2 Tbs of Dry Active

Yeast DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix.
2. Add: 2 Cups 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour. Mix then add 2 Tbs of Dry Active Yeast. If your not sure about your yeast proof it in a little warm water first.
3. Add: 4 Cups of 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour.
4. Mix until the consistency is some what even. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/4 Cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour so the bread will be fluffy. In any case do not exceed 7 1/2 cups of wheat flour. You can trade one cup of wheat flour for one cup of all purpose white if you wish. Don’t over mix or the bread will be tough.
5. When your dough is finished, Cover the bowl and let it rise for about 30-45 minutes. The dough will be larger but it doesn’t need to double when using a heavy mixer.
6. Grease two bread pans with Crisco. You can also flour the pans to reduce sticking.
7. Mix again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.
8. Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can work the dough and shape it. Roll it in theflour and shape it in your hands to make a nice ball getting enough flour on it so it isn’t sticky. Divide the ball in half and do it again. Shape the loaves by turning the dough under it’s self over and over. When the dough is shaped right the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top. Drop the loaves in your bread pans and let them rise until almost doubled. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 36 minutes. If you forgot to preheat 41 minutes. (gas oven).
9. When done turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away (a great time for real butter) don’t wrap it until completely cooled. (Condensation will make it soggy) Put in tinfoil to store on the counter. If you put it in the refrigerator it will turn into a brick.

Enjoy.