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Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

How Great I Am!

Playing for Change

Anthony Robbins Tells the Rocky Story

Meet Nick Vujicic

Dare Video

Will Smith's Words of Wisdom

The Art of the Start

The Art of the Start:
This is a great short clip by Guy Kawasaki who I follow religiously through his RSS Feed aggregator site alltop.com 
More and more we hear the comment that if you increase the quality of life, you attract the biggest following and make the most difference. I 100% agree. 

The Empathic Civilization

The Empathic Civilization
Jeremy Riftkin “Ethical Prophet” as he is called, does an animated development skit of society. Very cool and very informative. 

An Afternoon with Tony Robbins

An Afternoon with Tony Robbins

A week and a half ago I spent 4 hours listening to Peak Performance Coach Tony Robbins in Sydney. It was the most inspiring, value adding, motivating and thought provoking talk I have seen. This is a personal recap of the key points covered for all out there in iWorld (note: this is only brief points of what was an information packed session which to get full value, one should attend and experience first hand):
The Smartest people make money and create wealth during an economic winter. In doing so you should prepare yourself with these 3 Leadership Mandates:
1. See it as it is, not worse than it is. The Australian economy will get worse but know that anticipation is power! If you know the road ahead it will dramatically help you. Many people are skeptics, it takes no courage to be skeptical! 
2.  See it better than it is. ‘Without vision, people perish”. If you dont have a tomorrow, you will go nowhere. Don’t live passively while learning.
3. Make it the way you see it!  Get certain about it!
The Psychology of the Entrepreneur: (a) every business must have a system. McDonalds has sold over 245 Billion Burgers due to a systemized approach. (b) you must learn to overcome adversity. If you look at Oprah’s story before she started the Oprah Winfery show, all odds were against her but she overcame her situation. 
You need to get Emotional Fitness and develop Psychological Strength! To do this you need to change your psychological mindset. When studying the key reasons why people believe they fail the most common points were a lack of:
(a) Time (b) money (c) energy (d) technology (e) education (p) people
All of the above are resources. These however are not the reason people fail. It is not a lack of resources which cause us to fail but a lack of RESOURCEFULNESS! The ultimate resource is human emotion!
“It is not the season, it is you!” - You need to condition yourself to believe that you will grow through any season! 
Many of the biggest companies today were grown in an economic recession. Examples are:
CNN - PIZZA HUT   - CHEVRON    -EXXON   -MICROSOFT   -FEDEX  -GE    -APPLE     -HYATT   - IBM   -DISNEY
Your business will grown when you do!!!
WalMart outgrew all others as its leader, Sam Walton developed a culture to serve its customers better than any other outlet. Walmart is today the biggest retail outlet in the world. You need to create a culture in what you do. 
The biggest thing which rules your life is your decisions. Your decisions = your destiny. This is what controls your life. 
Tony gives a great analogy of when he began working with Andre Agassi and at the time Andre slipped from no #1 in the world to no #34. After a few sessions with Tony, it was found he was not focusing the way he was when he won Wimbeldon and that his physiology was totally different when approaching other players on the court to what it used to be. Once he began to get his state and physiology right, he went back to winning. 
3 DECISIONS:
1. What to focus on? Focus = Feeling. Do not focus on what you cannot control. Most of us are dabblers and never commit. Once you commit and focus your success will follow. 
2. What does this mean? Treat people like you did in the beginning always. There is a law of familiarity which says if you are around people or anything for long enough you take it for granted. This is part of the Australian culture which conditions you not to go for the full game. Evident through the notion of tall poppy syndrome. 
3. What should I do? What controls your decisions is: (a) your state and (b) your blue print. Your energy is part of your state. Your energy comes from your fuel which is food. A strong state will begin with strong energy. Energy is power. 
“Passion is the genesis of genius” - Tony Robbins
Who you spend time with is who you become! Find people who inspire you and create your own seminar of people you want to model!
Emotion is create by motion! (At this moment U2 Plays and 7000 people are dancing…crazy!)
The first way to change your state is your physiology. Then you must change what you focus on. This can be done through anchoring and finding your triggers to get yourself into a peak state. 
How is your blue print affecting your happiness in life?
Formula for Happiness: Life Conditions = Blueprint
When your present life conditions match your core expectations, you will experience happiness in this area of your life. 
Formula for unhappiness: Pain provides 3 choices!
1. First Choice: Ignore and finally blame (a) events - an event can never jump out and say ‘hey that is crap dont blame me for your lack of success’. (b)others, (c)self, (d) past. Ignorance is not bliss! All of the above are past related
2. Second Choice:  Change your life conditions! Present related
3. Third Choice: (a) Change your physiology (b) Change Your focus (c) Change your meaning
Blaming will not move you forward. Your income income is directed by your standards of who you hang around. 
All decision making must be done from a peak state. Big opportunities have been missed because people were not in the right state. 
Change is automatic, it only requires action!
There are 3 Pillars of Progess:

• Focused - You must get focused on what you want. Clear- You must get clear on your vision. Compelling - You need to make what you are doing or want to do compelling. Choose what and why questions to make it compelling. 
• Get the best strategies/mentor/tools/map/coaching for results. 
• Get into ACTION no success comes without action! Get yourself into a state of certainty about where you are going and take MASSIVE ACTION!

Hope you enjoyed!
Dom (written whilst taking Massive Action!)

Flash Mob Dance hits San Diego

Hot off the Press : 

The World is Watching YOU!

Exciting news to share ! You are a super star if nearly two weeks ago on July 17, 2010, you participated in our very first FLASH MOB at Moonlight Beach in California.
The footage from the event was launched on youtube a week ago and already has 28,000+ folks engaging in watching our video!  Here is a great example of how fast an idea can go from brainstorming with friends to the world within a matter of days. Now that is audience engagement! Rock on FREEstars!

XS Events Sales

Event Sales
Learn about how to throw your next event!!

Testimonials from the Red Carpet

Did you know even PIGS go Bankrupt? PIGS go bankrupt?

Did you know even PIGS go bankrupt?

Submitted by Novalena

We live in a global community and sometimes it is very easy to ONLY live in the box of what is going on in your own backyard. With FreeStyle we hope to illuminate for you the happenings of the World that inspire you to take action and do your own research to create your own meanings for how you want to shape your life.

There is a concept in the world financial market called "P.I.G.S." The acronym stands for Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. These countries are in financial trouble. Greece has already declared bankruptcy and Spain is following in suit. When learning about how a country can go bankrupt FreeStyle insiders asked a reliable source in the banking industry and he explained it's very similar to how an individual files for bankruptcy.

The country borrows more then they can pay back to the world financial banking institutions and eventually will have to break up sectors of their business holdings to keep living. Imagine the power behind being free and being able to purchase land or businesses in one of these countries in financial need. Do your research and get in the know!

FreeStyle meets a new LifeStyle in Paris

FreeStyle meets a new LifeStyle in Paris!

July 1, 2010, by Novalena Betancourt




Traveling gives you the opportunity to see life from a different perspective. Sometimes it's the angles of life that allow your clarity to take form and your creativity to flow. During a recent trip to Paris, I stumbled upon a beautiful park. Famous, I'm sure but what I found there wasn't necessarily the ageless history but the liveliness of the spirit of the french who take the time to just "be" in the moment. What I saw that inspired me during my rendevous with gal pal Heather:

- A music man who played a song for fun and donations if you felt like practicing "giving" - his plate was full!
- Laughter of the children who had an amusement park created for them for FREE:)
- Popsicle stands with every flavor of the rainbow - I got the mixed one!
- Quiet areas for folks to sit and put their feet up on chairs while reading a book or taking an afternoon slumber - there were hundreds of folks practicing this in the middle of the park!
- Live ponies for the entertainment of children and relaxation of parents!
- Circle-ups with friends and families having picnics on the grass while enjoying the sun:)
- Fresh flowers and water fountains to cool yourself nearby every corner of the park
-Smiling faces of everyone who came to the park to celebrate life! Moment by moment:-)
We live in a global community and sometimes it is very easy to ONLY live in the box of what is going on in your own backyard. With FreeStyle we hope to illuminate for you the happenings of the World that inspire you to take action and do your own research to create your own meanings for how you want to shape your life.

There is a concept in the world financial market called "P.I.G.S." The acronym stands for Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. These countries are in financial trouble. Greece has already declared bankruptcy and Spain is following in suit. When learning about how a country can go bankrupt FreeStyle insiders asked a reliable source in the banking industry and he explained it's very similar to how an individual files for bankruptcy.

The country borrows more then they can pay back to the world financial banking institutions and eventually will have to break up sectors of their business holdings to keep living. Imagine the power behind being free and being able to purchase land or businesses in one of these countries in financial need. Do your research and get in the know!

Understanding the Art of Self Discipline

Understanding the True Definition of Self Discipline...

Sumbitted by Amber Sawhill


Self discipline is one of the most common topics that comes back over and over again with my coaching clients. It seems like all of us are struggle to have the discipline to do something (or anything) in our life. Trouble waking up in the morning? Can’t get yourself to clean the dishes? Can’t finish that report or project on time? Can’t get yourself to exercise regularly? All of these scenarios have an issue rooted in the lack of self discipline.
What I have found to be one of the main causes why most people cannot master discipline easily or keep it up for the long haul, is a clear misunderstanding of the true definition of what self discipline really is. You see, most people go about self discipline in a way in which they eventually expect themselves to start liking whatever it is that they are doing, and when that doesn’t happen, they fumble back into their comfort zone, and give themselves all kinds of excuses as to why it didn’t work out. Such as “I’m not the type to be on time”, or “I’m the type that likes to be under pressure”, or “I’m a night owl”.
Here’s your wake up call:
Self discipline is doing something even if you hate it or don’t feel like doing it.
Doing something because you enjoy doing it is NOT discipline. Many months ago I started a work out regimen, where I had to wake up very early and complete an intensive workout. Yes, it’s absolutely brutal the first couple of weeks. After a while, you get a little bit used to it. Months later, the habit is there, I do it every day, but it does not mean I like it! I totally would prefer to sleep that extra hour, but discipline is pushing me out of my bed and into the workout. When you understand that you will probably never like doing whatever it is that you want yourself to do, you can start to build incredibly powerful self discipline. That is the case because now, you’re removing the expectation that one day you will feel great about it, and it will be super easy. If you expect it to be hard, yet you push through every single time, you will create discipline on a level that will reverberate into every other area of your life. This is where you can begin to create something magical into your life.


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Self discipline is exactly like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the more you get used to it, and the further you can push yourself. Don’t try to overhaul your entire life in one big swoop! Just like you can’t lift the biggest weights right away, you have to work your way up. I usually recommend my clients to start with something small, just to get their feet wet, and to get used to the idea that doing something that you don’t want to do, or that you will never like, is OK! As a matter of fact, it’s via this road that you will achieve your life’s greatest successes. Then, over time, you can gradually add more to your list of things to do that you don’t particularly like.
Doing something that you absolutely don’t want to do but that you know is great for you is the ultimate way to express self discipline in its purest form. Keep in mind that you will probably never enjoy doing it, but that if you keep on doing it, the rewards that you will reap will be far beyond the measly little satisfaction that you get by not doing it in the first place. If you can wrap your head around this concept, you are guaranteed to inflict immensely powerful self discipline into your life, which will in turn completely transform the life that you want from a dream, into sheer reality.

FreeStyle Explores the Journey to the Emmy's

FreeStyle Explores the Journey to the Emmy's

Submitted by Novalena

I recently said yes to the opportunity to attend the Emmy's this past weekend and found with a child's amazement how well actors, directors and writers play the game of life.

There are many self-help books offering a formula to attract anything you want in life...and as much as I believe in the law of attraction; without definite purpose, desire, faith and action you will always stand in the same place on your journey.

When I sat back and watched these larger than life characters take center stage to receive accolades for their deliberate passion; George Clooney, Al Pacino, the cast of Glee, Jewel...the illusion became so much more clear for me.

I was sitting in the same room with these icons who seem so out of reach realizing how similar they are to each of us.  Somehow along their way they found a passion for performing arts and began to practice it.  They probably failed forward hundreds of times and in the process began to shape their personal brands.  Getting out of the house and in action by sharing their passion began to build their audience base and prepare them for opportunities as they surfaced...sooner or later the perfect opportunities appeared and life elevated to the next level of associations and abundance...and then this process repeated itself at a new and higher standard...until one day they are center stage where the world can see them be recognized for never giving up.

The Emmy's is a celebration for never deserting the dream.  For discovering more of who you are and facing the bullshit that you encounter while pursuing your passion.  It's a moment along the game of life to encourage you to dig deeper and stronger!  Who do you want to show up as in this lifetime?  Be your own director and get in the game.

With a full and open heart,

Novalena

7 Key Qualities of a Successful Entreprenuer

Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful Entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and posses several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. Successful entrepreneurs like the ambitious Richard Branson have an inner drive to succeed and grow their business, rather than having a Harvard Business degree or technical knowledge in a particular field. All successful entrepreneurs have the following qualities:

Inner Drive to Succeed
Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and expand their business. They see the bigger picture and are often very ambitious. Entrepreneurs set massive goals for themselves and stay committed to achieving them regardless of the obstacles that get in the way.

Strong Belief in themselves
Successful entrepreneurs have a healthy opinion of themselves and often have a strong and assertive personality. They are focused and determined to achieve their goals and believe completely in their ability to achieve them. Their self optimism can often been seen by others as flamboyance or arrogance but entrepreneurs are just too focused to spend too much time thinking about un-constructive criticism.

Search for New Ideas and Innovation
All entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to do things better and to improve their products or service. They are constantly looking for ways to improve. They're creative, innovative and resourceful.

Openness to Change
If something is not working for them they simply change. Entrepreneurs know the importance of keeping on top of their industry and the only way to being number one is to evolve and change with the times. They're up to date with the latest technology or service techniques and are always ready to change if they see a new opportunity arise.

Competitive by Nature
Successful entrepreneurs thrive on competition. The only way to reach their goals and live up to their self imposed high standards is to compete with other successful businesses.

Highly Motivated and Energetic
Entrepreneurs are always on the move, full of energy and highly motivated. They are driven to succeed and have an abundance of self motivation. The high standards and ambition of many entrepreneurs demand that they have to be motivated!

Accepting of Constructive Criticism and Rejection
Innovative entrepreneurs are often at the forefront of their industry so they hear the words "it can't be done" quite a bit. They readjust their path if the criticism is constructive and useful to their overall plan, otherwise they will simply disregard the comments as pessimism. Also, the best entrepreneurs know that rejection and obstacles are a part of any leading business and they deal with them appropriately.

True entrepreneurs are resourceful, passionate and driven to succeed and improve. They're pioneers and are comfortable fighting on the frontline The great ones are ready to be laughed at and criticized in the beginning because they can see their path ahead and are too busy working towards their dream.

Most personal development and productivity experts suggest mornings as the best time for clear and focused results-driven work. I’ve experienced the same and form my days around just a few hours of work in the morning between 10am and 1pm. I also believe that different people work best at different times, but no matter when you’re productive hours are, it’s important you set up your day for greater wellbeing with some healthy morning rituals. Here are ten ideas:

Wake up. Don’t hit snooze. Jump out of bed as if someone threw a bucket of cold water on you. Half of your day’s success is actually showing up and being excited. Rest time is over, get out of bed now.

Drink a pint of water first thing in the morning. If you don’t like water on its own, squeeze some fresh lime into it (or a Nutrilite twist tube!). Water is great for you – you know that, mom said that and now we’ve got to do it!

Go out and take in the sunlight. Its energy, invigoration and excitement is absolutely amazing. Get up and spend a minute outside looking up in the sky taking in the morning light. Wrap up warm if it’s cold, but make sure you do it.

Spend time in silence. Be grateful for what you have. Mentally or on paper, plan the day out. If you don’t do the previous night, write out your to-do list of the most exciting and important things.

Cuddle your kids (or find some to cuddle). Kids bring excitement and awe in the way they think and view the world. Spending time around them helps you to cultivate the inner child within you. And doing it from the morning is even better.

Brush your tongue. Lose the morning breath and start off on a minty note.

Go for a walk. Or hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes. People who walk in the morning have more energy than those who walk at night after a long day. Use the work to appreciate your surroundings and plan your day. In silence if possible.

Drink green tea. Instead of coffee, have a cup of green tea. It boosts your energy,  provides antioxidants and has been promoted as a great natural healthy option.

Journal. A list of rituals without journaling in the morning isn’t complete. Sit down for a short period and write out whatever comes to mind, whether it immediately makes sense or not.

What do you do in the morning as part of your “rituals”?

Confidence is a tool you can use in your everyday life to do all kinds of cool stuff, not the least of which is to stop second-guessing yourself, manage your fears, and become better able to do more of the things that really matter to you.
But not many people realize that their self-confidence works just like a muscle – it grows in response to the level of performance required of it.  Either you use it or you lose it.  That’s why I’ve given you 63 ways to grow your confidence so that you can become a giant.

• Learning is a good thing, so sign up for that evening class and enjoy it.

• Get out of your own head by reaching out to another and asking what you can do for them today.

• Hit the gym.  The physiological effects will leave you feeling great.

• Go to a networking event and focus on how you can be helpful to other people rather than being nervous about your own stuff.

• Get crystal clear on the things that truly matter to you.  If those things aren’t a priority  in your life, now is the time to make them so!

• Write a list of the things you’re tolerating and putting up with in your life, then write down how you can remove, minimize or diminish each one.

• Look at a great win or success you’ve experienced and give yourself credit for your part in it.  Recognizing your achievements is not egotistical, it’s healthy.

• Next time you’re at a social event, don’t just stick with the people you know – go and have a conversation with someone you don’t know and you never know what – or who – you’ll discover.

• Next time you find yourself trying to talk your way out of doing something (a party invite, a challenging project or whatever else), say ‘What the hell’ and go do it anyway.

• Do one thing each day that makes you smile (on the inside or on the outside).

• Look for the patterns of thought that take you to a place where you start second-guessing or over-thinking.  Now imagine that your best friend went through exactly the same thought process and ended up holding themselves back – what would you want to say to them?

• Ask out that girl or guy you fancy (only if you’re single, don’t want to get you into trouble).

• You have to keep your mind well fed, so write a list of 20 things that keeps your mind feeling nourished and make sure you’re giving them room in your life.

• Stop playing different roles and squeezing yourself into boxes based on what you think people expect you to act like.

• every time you tell yourself that you can’t have, won’t get or aren’t good enough to get what you want.

  Learn to catch yourself

• Take yourself off auto-pilot – make deliberate decisions on what really matters to you.

• What would make this easier?”

  Next time you come up against a risk or a challenge, listen to what you tell yourself and look for a way that that inner dialog can be improved.  Ask yourself, “

• It just doesn’t matter.”

  Scared of looking silly? You and everyone else.  It’s no biggie so don’t let it stop you.  Say it with me – “

• Listen to your doubts but be ready to make deliberate decisions once you’ve heard them.  Sometimes your doubts are there to let you know what you need to prepare for, so you can use them to your benefit as you move forwards.

• Think of a time when it felt like a whole bank of switches in your head flicked to the on position and you were firing on all cylinders.  What were you doing and what’s the reason it felt so great?

• You’ve got a whole bunch of out-dated rules that determine what you do, don’t do, should do and shouldn’t do.  These rules limit your thinking and behavior.  Tear up your rule book and notice how free you are to make great decisions.

• Do you get annoyed with yourself because you didn’t make the most of something or stepped back form an opportunity?  Don’t beat yourself up because that’s just going to make you feel worse.  Instead, be brutally honest and ask yourself what you gained from the situation and what you lost out on.  Based on this win/lose balance, what’s a different choice you can make next time?

• If you’d already done everything in life you’d have no need to be scared.  Don’t ever think that being scared means you’re not confident, it simply means you’re going somewhere new.

• If there’s someone in your life who puts you down or makes you feel small, you owe it to yourself to let them know that you expect something different from now on.  You deserve better.

• Acknowledge and welcome all of your experiences – the good stuff as well as the bad stuff.  It’s all equally valid and hiding things away because you don’t like them is just creating conflict.

• Always recognize that you’re more than a match for any situation you might find yourself in, no matter how tough the going gets.

• Don’t get swept up in the drama of what’s happening right now, look for more useful ways of engaging with what happens in your life.

• Don’t automatically give in to the instant pay-off – it often means you’re selling yourself short.

• I deserve better than this!”, take a step back and say “I can BE better than this.”

  When you feel like stamping your foot and yelling “

• Confidence sometimes means admitting you’re wrong – always be ready to hold your hands up and change your mind.

• Trust your instincts.  They know what they’re talking about.

• Fear is a way of letting you know that you’re about to stretch yourself and grow your confidence.  That’s a good thing, so use it to take yourself forwards rather than run away.

• Imagine you’re visited by a successful, confident, attractive and vibrant version of you from the future, a version of you who’s everything you hope to be.  What do they want to tell you?

• Don’t feel like you have to do everything yourself – sometimes the most confident thing to do is ask for help.

• Take a chance on something tomorrow.  Anything, big or small, just take a chance.

• You need to be around people who make you feel like YOU, so spend more time with the people who support and encourage you and less with those who undermine you.

• Stop struggling against the things you don’t like in your life – create a congruent environment around you that flows and allows you to be you.

• No man is an island, and you need to be a part of the world you around to feel confident.  What can you participate in that’s important to you?

• Forget the pros and cons – do something bold in the face of your challenges and fears.

• Work on developing the skills you need to win at the things that matter to you.  What can you practice that would radically improve your chances of winning?

• The body is a mirror for the mind, so shifting your body into a confident state can have surprising results.

• Don’t get disheartened or de-motivated when you get to 90% with something you’re working on – push through and you’ll see that the last 10% is where the magic happens.

• Keep comparing yourself to others?  Stop it, don’t try to validate yourself through comparison – you’re just peachy as you are.

• Put your head above the parapet at work and speak up if there’s something you think could be improved or if you have an idea you think has legs.

• If there’s something you’ve been struggling to understand for a while, stop trying to understand it.  Accept it just as it is, fully and wholly.

• Your environment directly impacts your self-perception, so if you’re surrounded by clutter, paperwork and rubbish put a morning aside to clean up your stuff and get organized.

• Write yourself a list of the amazing things you’d love to do in your life, and make a start by simply looking into the first one or two things that leap out at you.

• Don’t make your happiness or self-worth dependent on being in a relationship or being validated by someone else.  Find your inherent value first, and your relationships and confidence will be immeasurably better.

• Your strengths can be used to overcome any of your weaknesses.  We all have weaknesses but they only undermine your confidence if you let them.

• The longer you leave that big thing on your to-do list the more it’ll drain you and the bigger it’ll seem – get it done and free yourself up.

• does matter, because if you have a bad relationship with your body you won’t be feeling confident in yourself.  Get trim if you need to, just make sure you get along with your body.

  Your body image

• Being confident is an ongoing process.  It isn’t a goal or an end-point that you reach and then stop.  Keep playing to the best of your ability and your confidence will always be there to support you.

• Try a new path.  The well-trodden paths of your life can easily turn from familiarity to apathy and disconnection.  A new path wakes you up.

• Don’t say “Yes” to taking on a task simply because you don’t want to rock the boat – you can politely decline requests you can’t meet and don’t need to create an excuse for it.

• Look at the people you respect who seem confident – don’t copy them, but identify what it is they do differently that conveys confidence and what you can learn from it.

• Make a plan to do something, then make deliberate choices to follow through.  Seeing progress gives you important self-reinforcement.

• When you feel yourself focusing inwards and becoming paralyzed with doubt or fear, switch to focusing outwards at what you can engage and interact with.

• Still beating yourself up for failing or screwing up? It might not be a barrel of laughs but it’s not going to help you get through it.  Much better to recognize that everything, whether it turns out how you wanted it to or not, is how you practice living a rich life.