Book I
Inspirational Inauguration
A Declaration of Personal Freedom


Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it.

Mark Twain


With the world coming down on your shoulders,
and when frustration presses your precious time,
remember what you should do,
but envision
where you want to be in life.
Why should you
deny yourself that freedom?
How can you pass up that deal?

Some people don't handle difficult situations and failure very well without having mental breakdowns. They decide to run away scared when they are about one step from success or the truth. That's why it’s impractical to waste all your energy on painful emotions. Therefore, you should take positive baby steps to overcome stress. At this very moment, you may be experiencing the worst part of your day and preparing yourself to quit. As a result, you have accomplished nothing and won the fruit of frustration.

Sources of stress exist everywhere you look. It's so easy to succumb to procrastination and concentrate on the aggravation it would take to succeed. Yet, the keys to your success are behind door number two, the door (actions) you have not yet opened. Why haven’t you taken that next step? All the knowledge and wisdom that it takes to succeed already exist inside that wonderful biological marvel called your mind.

Most psychiatrists, psychologists and other therapists you might visit would probably ask you a series of questions that would help you draw your own conclusions as you lie back on a comfy couch. Some doctors also agree that the same premise holds true about the body’s ability to cure diseases. A few scientific studies have been conducted to demonstrate the practice and benefits of self healing techniques. Yes! Our bodies already have the capability to cure diseases without expensive medications!

Whatever wheels you’ve turned into a mental meltdown of reality can be resolved. And since you created the situation, you’re the best person to fix it, because no one knows exactly how you perceive your problems. While you might view your problem as something serious, others might view it as minor. What worked well for your friends and family may not work for you. Everybody is different! The old saying goes, "You don't know where I’ve been until you’ve walked in my shoes."

The embedded answers to all of life's problems are ready to be unlocked. Unless you are ready and willing to change, nothing happens. Later, you will discover that failure and hesitation are simply growing pains. Allow yourself to grow! If a baby fell after trying to take a few steps, would you give up on the baby and just say, "Well, this child will never learn to walk"? No, you would not do that. You would encourage the child until he or she began to walk. Therefore, you shouldn't give up just because the first, second or third attempt at something didn't work according to your initial expectations. If you want to succeed, you need to keep trying and adjust to what you have learned from your mistakes until it does work. Say to yourself, It might seem silly, but I’ll try it! I'm not going to give up now because I have already succeeded. Many techniques encourage self-motivation, reading daily inspirations, and reciting numerous meditations to condition your mind. The truth is you must start with believing you are worthy, capable, willing and able to achieve all things.

The old cliché, "You are what you eat" applies pretty nicely to taking real steps to success. What did you have for breakfast? Did you have eggs, fruit, and toast? Maybe some OJ, perhaps? Well, you probably did not eat a videotape or a book—at least I hope not. If you eat procrastination and hope for success, you might as well run a marathon on a treadmill outdoors. Actions without direction yield lost causes and wasted time. That's what happens when you practice or eat the wrong messages.

Everyone has a recipe for success. Infomercials are ready to market, package and resell copies on XM radio or cable. I'm not going to give you a secret formula or tell you to visit another Web site to purchase my latest techniques. You already bought the book!

If you remember fractions in Practical Math, your goal was to find the lowest common denominator (LCD) to reduce the work and find the answer. Guess what the LCD is for success—action! I told you it was no secret. The problem is your time has been monopolized by other people to make them wealthy and have you contribute to their success. Think about how many hours you spend at work versus home. Or better yet, how many hours do you spend at home working instead of enjoying your family? Wake up and smell the coffee! You perform repetitive and tedious tasks for the metro muscle machine of capitalism. What fraction or percentage have you devoted to family, your wife or significant other? They love you, too! What actions have you taken to spend more time with them?

You don't have to actually have a million dollars to feel like a millionaire. We all know celebrities who have millions and don't experience happiness. Right now there's probably some bad news being reported in the entertainment section. There’s lots of money to be made in writing about people’s misery. This feeds the appetite. What are you feeding your appetite—failure or success?

Good days will follow bad days. That’s life. Before you reach another major fork in the road, you have to decide what you deserve out of life. Are you headed off the cliff? Don't just ponder the actions you could have taken! You will never read this sentence for the first time ever again in your life. The past is behind you. See, it's gone! Now move on!