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	<title>Friends of Success</title>
	<link>http://www.friendsofsuccess.com</link>
	<description>Just another WordPress weblog</description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>The Fern and The Bamboo</title>
		<link>http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=8</link>
		<comments>http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=8#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:38:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>friendsofsuccess</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=8</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Fern &#38; The Bamboo is an old story.
It&#8217;s application is timeless
I wanted to share this story with you&#8230;.
Be Inspired!!!!
One day I cried out to God and told him that I was suffering and struggling and asked him if he had forgotten about me. His answer surprised me&#8230;
&#8220;Look around&#8221;, He said. &#8220;Do you see the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://friendsofsuccess.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/fern2.jpg" title="Direct link to file"><img src="http://friendsofsuccess.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/fern2.jpg" alt="fern2.jpg" height="128" width="96" /></a><br />
The Fern &amp; The Bamboo is an old story.<br />
It&#8217;s application is timeless<br />
I wanted to share this story with you&#8230;.<br />
Be Inspired!!!!<br />
One day I cried out to God and told him that I was suffering and struggling and asked him if he had forgotten about me. His answer surprised me&#8230;</p>
<p>&#8220;Look around&#8221;, He said. &#8220;Do you see the fern and the bamboo?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Yes&#8221;, I replied.</p>
<p>&#8220;When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of<br />
them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from<br />
the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the<br />
bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.</p>
<p>In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again,<br />
nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo&#8221;.</p>
<p>He said. &#8220;In the third and fourth years, there was still nothing from the<br />
bamboo seed. But I would not quit.&#8221;</p>
<p>He said. &#8220;Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.<br />
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.</p>
<p>But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had<br />
spent the five years growing roots . Those roots made it strong and gave it<br />
what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge<br />
it could not handle.&#8221;</p>
<p>He said to me. &#8220;Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been<br />
struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the<br />
bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don&#8217;t compare yourself to others.&#8221;</p>
<p>He said. &#8220;The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both<br />
make the forest beautiful.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Your time will come,&#8221; God said to me. &#8220;You will rise high!&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;How high should I rise?&#8221; I asked.</p>
<p>&#8220;How high will the bamboo rise?&#8221; He asked in return.</p>
<p>&#8220;As high as it can?&#8221; I questioned.</p>
<p>&#8220;Yes.&#8221; He said, &#8220;Give me gratitude by RISING as high as you can.&#8221;</p>
<p>I left the forest and brought back this story.<br />
I hope these words can help<br />
you see that God will never give up on you&#8230;&#8230;.</p>
<p>~ Anonymous.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Making of &#8220;Friends of Success&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=9</link>
		<comments>http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=9#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:54:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>friendsofsuccess</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=9</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Friends of success is the Draft Name for a book I&#8217;m working on.
The story has interviews from some of the country&#8217;s best know authors and speakers
This blog/Podcast is a combination of some of my ideas as well as the interviews of these authors.
&#8220;Friends of Success&#8221; is a feel good, motivational, self help book designed to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://friendsofsuccess.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/book-cover.jpg" title="Direct link to file"><img src="http://friendsofsuccess.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/book-cover.thumbnail.jpg" alt="book-cover.jpg" height="128" width="87" /></a><br />
Friends of success is the Draft Name for a book I&#8217;m working on.</p>
<p>The story has interviews from some of the country&#8217;s best know authors and speakers<br />
This blog/Podcast is a combination of some of my ideas as well as the interviews of these authors.</p>
<p>&#8220;Friends of Success&#8221; is a feel good, motivational, self help book designed to inspire and cause a breakthrough in personal growth.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s kind of a &#8220;Think and Grow Rich&#8221; meets &#8220;The Secret&#8221;</p>
<p>I want to thank you in advance for your support&#8230;.</p>
<p>&#8211; Martin</p>
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		<title>Contrast and The Art of Allowing</title>
		<link>http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=7</link>
		<comments>http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=7#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Sep 2007 05:44:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>friendsofsuccess</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.friendsofsuccess.com/?p=7</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The current financial markets are giving us a lot of reasons to resist success and not act upon the opportunities available.
With the media feeding the idea of a &#8220;Down Market&#8221; I find so many real estate professionals falling victim to the negative energy that permeates their business.
Before the “SLOW DOWN” of the market or pre [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://friendsofsuccess.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/iceberg.jpg" title="Direct link to file"><img src="http://friendsofsuccess.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/iceberg.jpg" alt="iceberg.jpg" height="128" width="161" /></a><br />
The current financial markets are giving us a lot of reasons to resist success and not act upon the opportunities available.</p>
<p>With the media feeding the idea of a &#8220;Down Market&#8221; I find so many real estate professionals falling victim to the negative energy that permeates their business.</p>
<p>Before the “SLOW DOWN” of the market or pre 2005 market most real estate professionals we saw at least 7 years of pure abundance. No one questioned if it was a good market… It obviously was a great time to buy and sell real estate.</p>
<p>There was very little if any need to create a new conversation or recite affirmations to cause the universe to send more business. Business for most real estate professionals was simply a matter of answering the phone or holding an open house.</p>
<p>In 2007 the real estate market experienced what in &#8220;The Secret&#8221; language I refer to as contrast. Lately I have come to embrace the concept of contrast.</p>
<p>What is contrast: Well for me it’s the experience of being out of alignment with myself. It’s the uneasiness that I feel when I am aware of the GAP between what I’m truly committed to and where I&#8217;m finding myself in a given moment. It is my queue to realign or reset myself to what I am all about.</p>
<p>And I believe this is what is happening globally in many of the financial markets.</p>
<p><strong>But do we need to stay in the contrast?</strong></p>
<p>No we do not…</p>
<p>Contrast is an opportunity….<br />
An opportunity to Allow for Success</p>
<p>It is an opportunity to turn our attention to what it is we would prefer and give ourselves the gift of allowing.</p>
<p>Here’s a simple exercise on how to use contrast and make a change:</p>
<p><strong>1.    Identify the Contrast</strong><br />
<em>example: I feel overweight</em><br />
<strong>2.    Reflect on what it is you would prefer</strong><br />
<em>example: I would prefer to weigh 170 lbs.</em><br />
<strong>3.    Direct you personal awareness to what it would feel like having “What it is you prefer”</strong><br />
<em>example: I would feel healthy and fit and look good and wear stylish clothes.</em><br />
<strong>4.    Empty your mind and relax into that feeling</strong><br />
<em>example: I silently meditate on the idea of feeling healthy and fit and looking good and wearing stylish clothes.</em><br />
<strong>5.    While in the feeling recite a detailed account to yourself silently or out loud using “I Am” statements.  In other words what you would be experiencing if you were to have the desired preference.</strong><br />
example:<br />
<em>I Am experiencing joy and beauty as I wear the coolest jeans<br />
I Am experience tremendous energy and vitality my 170 lbs. body<br />
With pleasure I Am making healthy food choices</em><br />
etc.<br />
<strong>6.    Upon conclusion state</strong></p>
<p><em>“This or something better for the good of all concerned” </em></p>
<p><strong>7. Joyfully Allow</strong></p>
<p><strong>Why do we conclude with the statement?</strong><br />
<em>“This or something better for the good of all concerned” </em><br />
<strong> Check out my next Blog and Podcast</strong></p>
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