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Copyright (c) 2010 Willie Horton

We’re in our eighth great year living in the French Alps. When we upped and left Ireland in 2002, many friends and clients remarked that we were taking a courageous decision – after all, our children were thirteen, eleven and eight years old at the time and were establishing their own little lives.

Similarly, I walked away from a big job in banking in 1996 to set up my practice as a consultant and mentor – what I’m still doing today. Once again, at the time, many people told me that I was brave and courageous to do that. But, then, I recently received an email from an Irish client – on his first day in Sydney, Australia, having moved, lock, stock and barrel with wife and family, for a new life. He joins another client, in Auckland, New Zealand, from whom I hear regularly, who took a similar plunge a couple of years back.

As we all agree, these “courageous” decisions are only courageous to the normal person. They are obvious logical next steps for those who have turned their back on pathetic normality. You might think I’m being harsh in labelling normality as pathetic but, when

A client read my 2009 Prophecy Letter recently and was perplexed by this statement that I’d made in the letter.

“I have really mastered the use of negative experiences to my advantage. I can see more clearly then ever that negativity is awesome! So much good happens when something bad happens. So many new opportunities come out of the chaos and destruction.”

He asks, “How can I benefit from my negative experiences.  Since my mind focuses on these – maybe I can use them to my advantage?”

In the end negativity is very very positive.  It is where growth occurs.  If you didn’t have negative experiences in life you would not have new desires, new hopes and dreams.  Forward movement is often in response to the awareness of backward movement.

Over the years I’ve seen that breakdown is the beginning of break through.  I have taught my clients to celebrate when bad things happen.  I’ve seen tens of thousands of examples when something bad happens, if looked at correctly, something even more positive happens on the other side.

Why Is Negative Negative Anyway?

Something is only negative when you resist it.  What you resist will persist.  What you accept will transform.  There is a hidden positive

Influences are all around us.  The TV ads that we watch, the news that we read, the music that we tune in to as well as the books that we read can have profound influence on us.  The people we associate with most of the time also play a big role in influencing our emotional well-being and shaping our thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and value system.

Positive influences expand our life while negative influences diminish our life.  Often, these influences do not change us overnight.  The effect is gradual.  Slowly but surely.  And the end result can be powerful.  Or deadly.  Never ever underestimate influences.  Since we are aware of the power of positive influences and danger of negative influences, we need to make a conscious effort to weed out or limit negative influences while we invite more of the positive influences into our life.

Spend less time on TV ads that do not add value.  Skip news that are horrifying and destructive in nature.  Unless you think there are lessons to be learned.  Listen to happy tunes.  Why set yourself to melancholy mood by listening to sad songs?  Unless you feel it can provide the temporary emotional relief you badly need.  Choose

The Hard Part

When people ask what I do and I explain, their eyes light up and they say “Wow,”….. or “Cool,”….. or something to that affect. Understandably, this reaction overlooks the everyday challenges of being a Coach. Standing inside the clubhouse, 2,000 miles from home with my disgruntled students looking out the window as the snow piles up and the wind howls, is nobody’s idea of a good time. Tomorrow’s forecast is the same and day 3 is their flight home. This we can’t control.

Fortunately, there are some things we can control.

Helping my student learn how to correctly move her gun from point A to point B is relatively straightforward. What’s harder is helping her “change” her approach to the next target. Why is it harder? Because of her fierce determination to get the X. It’s palpable. Wanting so much to succeed (X), she is totally focused on the outcome of the shot rather than the all-important change. Driving faster and faster, more aggressively down the wrong road won’t get her where she wants to go. I’m asking her to stop and make a turn. Understandably,

There has been a decline in consumer confidence in the building and construction industry. This may be the same reason why many are now doing home improvements by themselves.

Why not? A little knowledge of the technical aspects combined with the eye for creativity is enough to do the home improvement on your own.

Why are people turning to do-it-yourself home improvements?

Many construction workers who do not have a lot of experience or expertise in construction or home maintenance are out there right now trying to work on these homes across the country.

As a result, homeowners are finding that the jobs are not being completed to their satisfaction. Sometimes they are even prepaying for services that do not get done or are not part of the plan.

You do not have to rely and pay someone to improve your home. Why not try to do it yourself?

You can enhance your home’s existing concrete surfaces using acid stains, acrylic stains, epoxy paints, and scoring techniques.

If you are tired of looking at dreary gray concrete, there are some easy projects for the serious home improvement do-it-yourselfer to give your patio,