You Have the Power to Control How People Treat You

You can make people like you or hate you; respect you or criticize you; support you or chop you down.

You can also get people to trust you, support you and help you succeed.

The way you do this is outlined by L. Ron Hubbard in The Way to Happiness.

"Try to Treat Others as You Would Want Them to Treat You"


"Just figure out how you would want people to treat you.

"You would possibly, first of all, want to be treated justly: you wouldn't want people lying about you or falsely or harshly condemning you. Right?

"You would probably want your friends and companions to be loyal: you would not want them to betray you."

"You would want people to be fair in their dealings with you.

"You would want them to be honest with you and not cheat you. Correct?

"You might want to be treated kindly and without cruelty."

"You would probably prefer to be given respect, not insulted.

"Possibly you would want others to be polite to you and also treat you with dignity. Right?

"You might like people to admire you.

"When you did something for them you would possibly like people to appreciate you. Correct?

"You would probably like others to be friendly toward you.

"From some you might want love.

"And above all, you wouldn't want these people just pretending these things, you would want them to be quite real in their attitudes and to be acting with integrity*."

"It requires no great stretch of imagination for one to recognize that if he were to be treated that way regularly by others around him, his life would exist on a pleasant level." -- L. Ron Hubbard
(*integrity: honesty, truthfulness)
Three Steps to Get People to Treat You the Way You Want to Be Treated

1. Make a list of each person you wish to influence: spouse, children, parents, employees, bosses, co-workers, colleagues and so on.

2. Next to each name, write how you want them to treat you.

3. Then write how you will treat that person, in that same way.

In some cases, you might be amazed at how quickly this works.

In other cases, you may need to persist for a long time, so don't give up!

Your Unlimited Potential

A "potentiality" is defined as the capacity for growth or improvement; a possibility; a power.

For example, if you were sitting on a box of dynamite, you would be sitting on a potentiality. The dynamite isn't exploding . . . but it could.

The fact is: You ARE sitting on a box of dynamite; and it's big!

"Your potentialities are a great deal better than anyone ever permitted you to believe." -- L. Ron Hubbard


Right now, you are capable of making improvements in your career, your finances and your life that are more significant and satisfying than anything you have ever done. You can potentially shatter your past achievement records, eliminate your worst problems and feel absolutely great. Everything you have done in the past becomes minor compared to what you can do in the future.

Most people have the wrong idea about success. They believe "you can only do so much," or "you just need to keep on trying" or "success takes time." Such thinking slows you down and limits your lifetime achievements.

Instead, simply take a new view of yourself, your habits and your thinking. And then ACT!

To make a significant, instant improvement in your career and life, you must jump out of your rut. Overcome your addiction to safe, conservative plans. Break out of old patterns and find new attitudes.

Don't settle for small improvements. Do something bold and exciting. Find a destination you passionately want and make it happen!
Your Destination
When you plan a vacation, you don't start by examining the route. You start by choosing a destination. The route becomes obvious when you focus on the goal. And the bigger the destination, the more exciting the trip.

What is the most exciting destination you can imagine for yourself? What objective makes your heart pound? What goal lifts your mood?

These are your potentialities. These are your dreams. These are what you can believe in!

To get there, start by concentrating on the end result. Put yourself in the picture your dreams. Create a vision of you reaching your goals.

Then act. Take a small step, a large step or a leap. Any progress will lead to more progress, as long as you remember to think of your ultimate success.

The time to start is now. Focus on a goal and light the fuse!

Joy for Your Job

"Work is only as good as it's enjoyed, not as it's paid." -- L. Ron Hubbard (from The Problems of Work)

When you do what you love, your odds of success are much greater. You have more passion, more energy and more fun.

When you enjoy your job, you look forward to Monday mornings. Your days fly by. You make steady progress.

Work enjoyment is contagious. The people around you get along better. They follow your example and get more done.

So what if you do not enjoy your work?
The Parts You Hate

Every job, every profession and every business includes distasteful aspects--the complicated, boring, dirty or difficult parts of the job. Yet conquering these difficulties, and enjoying your job anyway, is how you succeed.

To get rich, simply find and perform an important job most people can't do or won't do. For example, drilling tiny holes in people's teeth or performing surgery on people's stomachs is very tough work, but it makes dentists and physicians wealthy.

If you have no love for your job, the difficult parts become unbearable. You hate going to work. You hate the people. You want to quit.

When you love the purpose and results of your work, the difficulties are easier to deal with. You take pride in conquering them. The benefits of the job outweigh the liabilities.

Five Steps to Getting More Enjoyment from Your Work


1. List what you like about your work. What makes it worth doing? For example, working with good people, improving your customers' lives, doing a technically perfect job and so on.

2. List what you dislike about your work. What makes you want to quit? For example, working long hours, customer complaints, health risks, mean bosses and so on.

3. List your purposes for this job. Why did you start? What is the big picture? Why do you do this work?

4. Review and add items to the above three lists. Continue until you feel more joy for your work. When the lists are balanced, your passion takes over and you love your job.

5. If the four steps above do not help you find joy for your job, you need to make some changes.

Change your routine. Work with different people. Do a better job. Transfer to a different department. Change directions, get a new job or learn a new profession.

Change a negative attitude. Learn to accept help. Stop cutting corners.

Keep making changes until the joy of your job is greater than its difficulties.

If you own a business that gives you no joy, change it as well. Make it into an operation that makes you happy. Replace difficult employees. Delegate more responsibilities. Improve the quality of the service or product. Make the operation bigger or smaller. Sell out and start another business.
Go!

When you love your work, you recognize opportunities and make better decisions. You know where you are going. You are on the road to your major, significant success.

Take your foot off the brakes and floor it!

The Root of a Successful Marriage


"You want to know why somebody is failing consistently in his marriage. It's because he's unwilling to take responsibility for others than himself." -- L. Ron Hubbard

People who do not take responsibility for others have failed marriages as well as failed jobs, failed businesses and failed friendships.

Because they are unwilling to take responsibility for their mates or spouses, they say things like:

"I was so stupid to marry you!"

"He's your kid, not mine."

"That's the dumbest career choice you've ever made."

"You're really getting fat."

"I'm reporting you to the authorities."

"If you had checked the car's oil like I said, it wouldn't need all these repairs."

"You can't communicate."

"My husband didn't show up for work? Not my problem."

"My wife maxed out the credit cards, so she can pay them,I won't."

A marriage is miserable when the husband and wife are unwilling to be responsible for each other. They argue, fight, blame,criticize, scream and cry. The marriage ends in divorce.

The Responsible Marriage

"The willingness to take responsibility for somebody other than yourself is at the root of every successful marriage." -- L. Ron Hubbard


When you take responsibility for someone else, you accept their actions as your own. You care for the person, guard the person, help the person and are interested in the person. You accept the person as he or she is.

When you are willing to take responsibility for your mate, you say things like:

"We made a good decision to get married. I think we'll make it better and better."
"He's your kid and I love him."

"If that's the career choice you want to make, I'll support you on it."

"Should we work on losing weight together? How about if we both start exercising and eating better."

"We'd better fix this problem before someone reports you to the authorities."

"Oops! We forgot to watch the car's oil. I'll get it fixed tomorrow."

"We need to fix our communication. Is it okay with you if we turn off the TV and listen to each other."

"My husband didn't show up for work? I'll find him and one of us will call you right back."
"We maxed out the credit cards and we'll pay them off."

A marriage is joyful when the husband and wife take responsibility for each other. They create a happy home for themselves and their children. They stay in love.

How to Have More Courage

If you were afraid of nothing, how would your life improve?

Fear stops success. For example, a man who wants to get married, but is afraid of women, will probably not get married. His fear stops him from reaching his goal.

If you want to run a big company, you will fail if you are afraid of making big decisions. If you want to be a successful doctor, you cannot be afraid of sick people. If you want to succeed as an athlete, you cannot be afraid of hard, painful practice.

All types of fears can ruin your success: fear of angry people, fear of selling, fear of paperwork, fear of speaking to groups, fear of stating the truth, fear of asking for money, fear of responsibility, fear of flying, fear of looking stupid, fear of displeasing someone and more.

If you were afraid of nothing, what goals would you set? What could you accomplish?
The Best Way to Remove a Fear Is to Face the Fear

"Definition: Fear is a state of imperception*; fear is an unwillingness to confront." -- L. Ron Hubbard
(imperception = not perceiving; no awareness)

When you fear something, you cannot perceive it very well. Your awareness is reduced. You do not look at it.

To dissolve a fear, you must face it, confront it, experience it, perceive it and look it in the eye. Until you do this, the fear persists.

If you let a fear control you, you will avoid it, ignore it, alter it or run away from it.

For example, Bob is terrified that his son is homosexual. Bob's friend comes up to him and says, "So Bob, I hear your son is gay. Is that true?"

Bob has five options:

Avoid it: "My son? Oh, he's moving to New York."

Ignore it: "So how are your kids doing?"

Alter it: "No, he just dresses well."

Run away from it: "Oops! Look at the time! I've got to go. Bye."

Face it: "Yes, my son is gay."

Only the last option dissolves Bob's fear. It makes Bob happier than the other options. He can also be more successful as a father.

Which of these five options do you use to deal with your fears?

Nancy


Nancy is afraid of offending people. Because of her fear, she cannot reach her goal to be a manager. Instead, she is stuck in a low-paying, boring, computer typing job.

Sometimes, Nancy ignores conflicts. For example, a worker in the next cubicle plays loud music. Nancy gets some earplugs.

Sometimes Nancy alters the problem. For example, Nancy returns to her desk to see a co-worker looking in her drawers. The co-worker says, "I'm looking for a pen." Nancy later notices $20 is missing. She alters what she knows has happened and says, "I must have left the cash at home."

So Nancy decides to change her life and face her fears. She walks over to the next cubicle, looks directly at the worker and says, "Please turn down the music." The worker is stunned and turns off the radio. Nancy then goes to the other co-worker and says, "I'm missing $20 that was in my desk before you went through it. Do you have it?" The co-worker says, "Oh, yes, I meant to ask, can I could borrow it?" Nancy says, "Sorry, I need it today" and gets her $20 back.

Nancy feels happier than she has in years. She decides to go face her boss and ask for the management training she has always wanted.

You can do the same with any of your own fears. You might think facing a fear will make the situation worse. You might think that facing the fear might even kill you.

But is living as a coward really a life?

Recommendation


When you look fear in the face, you gain strength, courage and confidence. You stop being a coward and start succeeding.

Each time you face a fear, it gets easier. You continue to confront the fear and it eventually disappears.

When you face a fear, and act despite the fear, you have courage.

Confronting your fears not only makes you more successful, it makes you happier.

"To be happy, one only must be able to confront, which is to say, experience those things that are." -- L. Ron Hubbard

Why You Need Goals



To make 2014 your most successful year ever, you need exciting goals.

"Without goals, hopes, ambitions or dreams, the attainment of pleasure is nearly impossible." -- L. Ron Hubbard


Fifteen Signs You Need to Set Some Goals

1. You want to accomplish something great, but you don't know what to do.

2. Even though you are busy, you accomplish little.

3. Little problems seem like big problems.

4. You hate your work or other parts of your life.

5. Nothing interests or excites you; you have little passion for what you are doing.

6. Staying focused or concentrating is difficult.

7. You are waiting for someone else to give you opportunities or make you successful.

8. Even if you seem more successful than others, you are still unhappy.

9. You spread out a little work to fill your whole day.

10. Your life seems to be going downhill.

11. Your days are filled with meaningless motion.

12. Negative feelings are controlling your life: apathy, depression, fear, grief, pain, hopelessness, anxiety, anger, jealousy, revenge and so on.

13. You wonder what will happen to you in the future.

14. You know your potential is unlimited, yet you do not change.

15. Life does not contain much happiness or pleasure.

Even if you realize you need to set goals, you might use one or more of the following excuses.


Top Ten Excuses For Not Setting Goals

10. "I don't know how to set goals."

9. "I set some goals one time, but it didn't make any difference."

8. "I would rather do what others want me to do."

7. "I'll probably fail anyway, so why try?"

6. "I don't need to improve anything."

5. "My life is not in my control."

4. "I just keep changing my mind on what I want."

3. "Why set goals? I'll forget about them."

2. "Success is too much work."

1. "I don't have time to set goals."

However, these excuses are less valid when you consider the amazing benefits you earn from having goals.


Ten Benefits of Goals

1. If you have goals, you have direction. You can invest your time and effort in a specific way that pays off.


A race car that is chained to the ground is the same as having no goals. You push on the gas pedal and the engine roars. The tires spin and smoke. Yet no matter how hard you push on the pedal, you go nowhere.

2. When opportunities pop up that can help you reach a goal, you recognize and seize them.


Opportunities are all around you. The trick is noticing them. When you have a goal in mind, opportunities are easier to see.

For example, when you decide to buy a red Chevy truck, you suddenly notice dozens of red Chevy trucks on the road. Before you had the goal of getting the truck, you probably drove past red Chevy trucks every day and never noticed them.

When you have a goal in mind, you see ways to reach your goal you never noticed before.

3. You make better decisions.

When faced with an important choice, you simply ask yourself, "Which of these options will best help me reach my goal? Will Plan A help me with my goal or will Plan B do it best?"

Like a flashlight in the night, your goal lights up your best choice.

4. Goals motivate you and give you energy.


For example, when you are preparing to go on vacation, you get more done in less time. You have a firm goal to finish several tasks and then go on your trip. The excitement of the vacation helps you work hard and fast without getting tired.

5. You have more control of your life.


When events in life knock you around, goals can put you back in control. For example, you get arrested by the police and spend time in jail for something you did not do. The day after you are released from jail, you focus on your goals and continue onward. The bad incident does not ruin your life.

6. You can have greater confidence. You can take the initiative. You can be a leader.


Imagine you and your group are lost in the wilderness. You alone know the correct direction to hike. You would not follow someone else. You would not sit down and worry. You would take the initiative and lead your group to safety. Goals give you the same level of confidence.

7. You can determine if your current activity contributes to your overall success or not
.

For example, you find yourself digging a hole in the ground. You ask yourself, "Why am I digging this hole?" You then realize, "Oh, yeah! I'm building my own house and need a good basement." Or you realize, "Wait a minute. This hole is for my buddy's house! He's pretty persuasive! He already owes me plenty. It's time to go dig my own basement."

As another example, you are frustrated and cannot sleep because you accomplished nothing worthwhile during the day. But then you realize you took three good steps toward one of your goals. You pat yourself on the back and fall asleep.

8. Long-range goals help you solve short-term problems.


For example, you and your spouse have a long-term goal of raising your three children to be happy, healthy, honest and productive. You keep that goal in mind when your son is caught stealing a jacket at the shopping mall. Of course, you work out a punishment, but you also use the incident to teach your son the benefits of honesty. The big picture helps you take wiser actions.

9. Your plans are more effective.


Each morning, you can plan your day based on your goals. For example, "What can I do today that will take me one step closer to my goal of becoming independently wealthy?"

Weekly plans, monthly plans and yearly plans give you better results when you line them up and match them to specific goals.

10. Goals give you hope for a better future. Goals make you happier.


Watch the fans at a football or baseball game. They have a goal to win the game. For a few hours, the goal helps them escape the problems of life. Even if they lose, they have fun.

Goals help you make life more enjoyable, even exhilarating. Goals give you a natural "high" you can never achieve from chemicals or other artificial means.

"Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals." -- L. Ron Hubbard


 

Happy New Year!