I am so excited about this that I want firstly to let you know that my book "No Need for Heroes" is now available as an e-book ' and my thanks to Doug Floyd for doing this (the link is below in the PS). In addition please know that this E-Report contains a list of seminars planned so far for 2004 and a page about marketing of my product (it's at the end of the E-Report). All thoughts from anyone wishing to contribute to marketing ideas are appreciated.

Now to the subject at hand … Encouraging Positivity.

Do you have those "monsters" under control … you know, those "negative thoughts before they turn into monsters" that I spoke about in my last E-Report?

I am going to speak a bit more in this E-Report about the importance of keeping a check on our thoughts and having an awareness of "correcting" our thinking to be more positive. At the end of this E-Report I have included some wonderful, uplifting anecdotes and words of wisdom on this subject.

Remember … we speak to ourselves … 50,000 times per day … and who is listening? We are! So keep speaking to yourself in positive and encouraging ways. Does a negative thought cancel out a positive thought? Or if I ask it the other way around … Does a positive thought cancel out a negative thought? How do we know for sure … however I have heard that we need ten positive thoughts to "cancel out" one negative thought.

If we understand the motivating force behind negativity, it can be like a defence against a disappointment such as something that hasn't gone the way we had hoped or planned, or maybe it's somebody treating us unfairly or rudely. Blame is often involved. Negativity is like a way of fighting back and the reason we usually do this is because of the hurt or the perceived fear or anger.

Many people hold on to blame because of things that may have happened in their childhood - but this is not a way forward and does not work if somebody wants to move on in life. Acceptance is a key. What's happened, has happened and nothing in the world can change that - it's now a question of what we do with what has happened that is important. It is our attitude and willingness to move on that will free us to relinquish blame and take on new more positive, useful habits. Hanging on to blaming our parents for the way we are now just doesn't work. Why affect the remainder of our life by thinking this way? Remember that most of our parents did the best that they could at the time, with the tools and knowledge they had at the time.

Some Good Suggestions

It does require attention, awareness and vigilance to maintain a positive and optimistic outlook. Letting go of or handling negative thoughts can be challenging at times – sometimes it can feel like giving in to a situation or becoming vulnerable when you don't feel like surrendering. Negative thoughts do not protect us, they just bring further negativity and can drive us down into a spiral and cycle of depression. Drugs?
or alcohol may temporarily mask a situation however going down this track usually causes many more problems than were originally there. Being positive does not necessarily mean that you have to deny the bad or unpleasant event or issue – it is just another way of looking at things – seeing the situation from a different perspective.

It's like gaining altitude and looking down upon the whole situation to help to see a balanced view.

To deal with negativity, it is a good idea to sometimes allow ourselves to be a little bit vulnerable … and perhaps share with somebody … what is going on for us. "Getting out" what is inside our heads can be very releasing and helpful.

If you feel that you may be "burdening" your friends and family with your "problems"… then definitely consider consulting a professional counsellor. Another way that sometimes works well is to write about your thoughts and feelings. Remember the old saying that "a problem shared is a problem halved". And here's another one … "People who keep stiff upper lips find that it's very hard to smile." Going over old ground in our minds and dwelling on certain issues instead of discussing them, resolving them and then moving on only affirms negative thinking.

I believe that meditation is a really good way of working through negativity. If situations have really caused a great deal of anger, then I would recommend my meditation PP9 – Letting Go Anger (CD or tape). Often our self esteem is shattered and we blame ourselves. Re-building our self esteem can be done by using a meditation tape or CD PP10 – Self Worth and Confidence.

Here's another technique to help deal with situations as they arise to actually create positive thinking. Ask yourself these questions in meditation (and write down the answers):

* What good things do I have in my life?
* What can I learn from any negative or unpleasant situation
* What have I got to plan for or look forward to (ie. Goals)
* How many good and wonderful people do I know in my life

I have said it before and I will say it again. What I believe is that when somebody recognises a life challenge, or issue which is holding them back, then they are 50% of the way through the challenge. The next 25% is saying - Yes, I want to do something about it. So, by simply recognising a challenge and wanting to overcome it, a person is already 75% of the way there. The remaining 25% is doing it.

So the next time you recognise yourself being negative (particularly with self talk) congratulate yourself for being aware (that's 50%) and then say YES (that's now 75%) and then use some of the methods outlined above to work through the situation. (that's 100%).

Enjoy the Words of Wisdom and Encouragement below.

All the Best

Sandy MacGregor

Words of Wisdom and Encouragement 

Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realise the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. We are in charge of our Attitudes.
Charles Swindoll

Strength

Move on Past
Move on past the setbacks
Move on past the disappointments
Perseverance will ultimately prevail over even the most daunting challenges
Strength does not get used up
The more you exercise it, the more it grows
Be strong and you become stronger

Even those who are highly skilled,
exceptionally intelligent and endowed
with ample resources will fall short of the mark if they lack perseverance
By the same measure, those who begin with nothing in
their favour can achieve whatever they set out to do when
they make the commitment to keep on going

The troubles of today will soon seem trivial and
insignificant if you'll just move on past them
The only other choice is to drain your strength into
your disappointments by wallowing in self pity
Which would you choose to do
Find a reason so compelling,
so personally meaningful that you won't allow yourself to stop
Stand up, lift your eyes up, step forward and keep going -- today and every day
Ralph Marston 

You are Special

Live today like you are someone special, because you are. Live today like you are created for success and fulfilment, because you are. Live today as if a world of opportunity were stretched out in front of you, because it is.

As you go through this day, keep in mind that every thought, every feeling, every sight and sound is truly miraculous because you are alive and able to perceive it. Gaze in awe at the vastness of possibilities which are yours to choose and follow.

Live today as if what you become is more important than what you have, because it is. Live each moment of this day fully mindful of the miraculous reality of your existence.

Transcend the disappointments, because you can. View the problems as opportunities, because they are. Live with purpose, focus and joy because that is who you really are.
Ralph Marston 

From: "Conversations With God - An Uncommon Dialogue" Book 1

The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation
You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself.
Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determining Who You Want to Be.
Neale Donald Walsch 

Marketing of Sandy's Product

It's time for me to re-look at marketing in order to reach more people both in and outside Australia. I have solid foundations here in Australia, continually building since 1989 with both seminars, books and tapes, and I now feel that the timing is right to reach even more people, specifically with marketing my books, CDs and seminars on Video/DVD. I would like to explore this with anyone who may have contributing ideas.

Areas that I need to explore are:

1. Expand my retail outlets to include alternate bookshops, department stores, post offices, health food stores, etc.

a. How do I do this?
b. What Point of Sale material would be required?
c. What education does any of the retail staff need to direct people to the?
appropriate CD? (Does the retail staff need education to understand the?
power of meditation?)

2. Marketers and Agents. Will it be an advantage to have agents say in each state of Australia and perhaps overseas

3. My Internet Site is very useful and supportive. How can I optimise its potential

4. Health Industry. There are many counsellors, chiropractors, doctors, acupuncturists, dieticians, masseurs, herbalists, and more who already know (or could be educated) about the power of the mind to enhance their clients' health goals using meditation. They are all potential retail outlets.

5. Seminars on DVD/Video.

a. My Students Steps to Success one-day seminar is on video and DVD. This has a wide potential application … from individual, to use in the classroom and from … parents to teach their younger children … to teaching groups of students. What is the way forward?
b. My CALM Seminar has been filmed. With a little work it could be "massaged" to be available as an alternate way to do the seminar. Is this useful

All comments and suggestions are gratefully accepted.