The Power of the Master Mind

Create a mastermind group as a way to network, share responses and achieve greater success.

Table of Contents:

1. Baby Steps
2. Feature Article: THE POWER OF THE MASTER MIND
3. Quotes
4. Recommended Resources: Abundant Living
5. Self-Care
6. Final Thoughts: Winners

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1. Baby Steps

A mastermind group is a support team that meets on a regular basis
to provide and receive advice, feedback and ideas. As Napolean Hill
discovered, the results that are produced can be far greater than the
sum of the parts. Explore involvement in a mastermind group as a
way to network, share resources, and achieve greater success!

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2. Feature Article: THE POWER OF THE MASTER MIND

Are you looking for creative and critical input regarding business
projects? Why not form (or join) a mastermind group?

The phrase "mastermind group" was first coined by Napolean Hill
in his classic book, Think and Grow Rich. In researching his book,
Hill spent 20 years studying hundreds of success Americans,
including Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and Thomas Edison.

Hill defines the "master mind" as "coordination of knowledge and
effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the
attainment of a definite purpose." To state it simply, a mastermind
group is a support team that meets on a regular basis to provide and
receive advice, feedback and ideas.

The specific benefits of a mastermind group include:

You can create a successful mastermind group by taking the
following steps:

1. Form the group. Contact a number of prospective members. They
should work in non-competing fields, and be people that will
contribute to the synergy of the group. An ideal group size is 4-6.

2. Create a regular schedule. Monthly seems to work well, and a
regular day and time is best. All members should be committed to
this schedule.

3. Formulate a plan. A set format causes the meetings to run more
efficiently. For example, the first 30 minutes could be open for general
discussion. Then, each member could receive an allotted amount of
time (15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the group) to discuss
his or her "issue of the month."

4. Include an occasional guest (optional). Some mastermind groups
include guest as part of their format. These guests could be invited
to speak on a particular topic (e.g., an attorney who specializes in
estate planning), or could participate in the planned format.

5. Take action. One of the benefits of a mastermind group is built-in
accountability. Be sure to take action on the ideas that were generated
at the meeting. Furthermore, develop a support structure that includes
follow-up reporting at the next meeting. Be sure to report both your
successes, and your challenges.

NOTE: If you are interested in participating in a mastermind group,
I invite you to email me at brian@lifeexcellence.com. In your email,
please describe your background, the results you would
like to create in such a group and a description of the
people you envision being in your group.

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3. Quotes

Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until
all factors are favorable do nothing.
William Feather

I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck,
take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.
Brian Tracy

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Wayne Gretzky

When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so
regretfully upon the closed door that we don't see the one that
has opened for us.
Alexander Graham Bell

What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
Robert Schuller

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4. Recommended Resources: Abundant Living

Love: What Life is All About
by Leo Buscaglia

Leo Buscaglia is one of the great teachers of living and loving-full
of passion, charm, humor and wisdom. This book will convince you
that the road to a fuller, happier life is open to you, and it reveals
how every day can be enriched, enhanced and, most of all, enjoyed.
To order book, click here

Prescriptions for Living
by Bernie S. Siegel

Prescriptions is a storybook filled with parables, reflections and
personal anecdotes that illuminate the beauty, magic and truth in
our everyday lives. As Siegel reveals, hope and joy is everywhere
if we know where to look and how to see it.
To order book, click here

Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and
Rekindle the Spirit
edited by Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen

Two of America's best-loved inspirational speakers share this
treasury of collected stories that have touched the hearts of people
everywhere.
To order book, click here

Tuesdays With Morrie
by Mitch Album

This book chronicles the time together of a student and his former
teacher. Album rekindled his relationship with Morrie after learning
of his teacher's battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. It is a touching
book, and one that you will want to revisit periodically, in order to
reinforce the powerful lesson that the story provides.
To order book, click here

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5. Self-Care

With all of life's responsibilities, time for solitude eludes most of us.
The tides of life tend to speed up the pace of our existence, and the
thought of an activity like meditation is often dismissed as a waste
of time, or at least not the best use of our time. However, scheduling
a regular time of quiet solitude, or meditation, could have a profound
effect on your life.

The idea of "just sitting" is quite awkward for most of us (especially
in the Western culture). But, as you tame your body to relax, and to
sit completely still, your mind will also begin to relax. Eventually,
both your mind and body will relish the simplicity of this quiet state.

There are many ways to meditate, and the steps below suggest one
technique.

1. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.

2. Sit comfortably, with your spinal column straight, and your
hands resting on your knees.

3. Close your eyes, and breathe naturally.

4. Allow your thoughts to flow. Note that they are occurring, then
let them go. Gently focus on your breathing, even as your thoughts
and feelings flow.

5. Do this for 30 minutes per day.

This may seem impossible at first. But try it for 30 days, and you
will discover an awareness that you perhaps never knew existed. As
this discovery unfolds, please email me. I'd love to hear from you!
brian@lifeexcellence.com.

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6. Final Thoughts: Winners

Winners take chances.
Like everyone else, they fear failing, but they refuse to let fear control them.
Winners don't give up.
When life gets rough, they hang in until the going gets better.
Winners are flexible.
They realize there is more than one way and are willing to try others.
Winners know they are not perfect.
They respect their weaknesses while making the most of their strengths.
Winners fall but they don't stay down.
They stubbornly refuse to let a fall keep them from climbing.
Winners don't blame fate for their failures, nor luck for their successes.
Winners accept responsibility for their lives.
Winners are positive thinkers who see good in all things.
>From the ordinary, they make the extraordinary.
Winners believe in the path they have chosen even when it is hard,
even when others can't see where they are going.
Winners are patient.
They know a goal is only as worthy as the effort that is required to achieve it.
Winners are people who believe in themselves.
They make this world a better place to be.
Author unknown

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Thank you for reading the LifeExcellence Newsletter.
Be a WINNER this week!
- Brian Bartes

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