How to Know if You’re Close to The Victory

In previous posts, I've used the comparison of giving birth to a child ... to giving birth to a dream. This analogy helps us comprehend how we could possibly know whether we are close to finally achieving a goal or reaching our dream.

Think about the first struggles you faced after setting a big goal. At first the discomfort, as in labor, is just bad enough to get your attention, but certainly tolerable. Near the end, the pains are (for many) as if you're at the door of death itself.

During that final transition, the surges come so quickly and then last so long that it would seem there is no relief in the middle whatsoever.

When they come that way, fast a furious, back to back, it's nature's way of saying that it's almost over. Each pain is associated with progress, though it often cannot be measured, and sometimes appears fruitless.

So if you have a dream, and things are looking really, really bad, and you're getting hit by one challenge after another with scarcely room to catch your breath in the middle, you are poised for the most glorious success you can imagine if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Sometimes the relief only shows up at the moment you have come to the absolute end of all you can do. So, you simply cannot allow yourself to give up any sooner. Sometimes it comes when you've cut off all possibility of retreat.

A person who has not experienced this level of commitment could never possibly feel the exhilaration of the victory that corresponds to it. There are no words to describe it, although you may experience a degree of it vicariously through others who've had books or movies made about them, like Rudy Rutteger or Will Stoneman.

To sum up, I love how this poet makes the point:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

(Author Unknown)

So now it's your turn. Be the hero in your family. Don't give up on your dream for freedom, and show it by taking yet another step forward.

Prosperity Question: Must there be a struggle at all?

As described in the Phase 2 lessons of The Jackrabbit Factor Ecourse, we live in a Universe governed by natural laws, including the Law of Rhythm. We will have what feel like ups and downs, even when we're on a very focused and determined "rabbit hunt."

The good news is that the discomfort comes in surges. We're given breaks along the way. We have relatively better days in between (and on either side of) the tougher days.

It's like going through labor to bring a child into the world. The labor pains come in surges. The mother is given breaks to have a chance to gather her strength.

Does there need to be a struggle at all? I'm told that some women have learned the art of labor without pain or medication... but I would guess their mental toughness was something that had to be developed, and I don't know how it could have been developed entirely without opportunity to practice during some pain.

The baby will come, with or without the pain. Experienced midwifes however will tell you that the more you fight the pain, the worse it will hurt.

The same thing goes with trying to give birth to a dream. There is work to be done regardless. It hurts less when you don't fight it. Progress happens better when you relax, in spite of hardships and apparent setbacks (which are really only "setbacks" as much as labor pains are considered "setbacks." In reality, each one brings you closer to the goal if you could really see it for what it was.)

One thing is for sure, the joy at the end far surpasses whatever is required along the way. Keep your eye on the prize and remember that NOBODY was ever pregnant forever!

Prosperity Challenge: Is Victory Really Possible?

When challenges come, have you ever doubted whether there really is success to be had on the other side? A continual barrage of setbacks can cause you to question even the possibility of victory.

It was only last month that I myself was beginning to wonder if some of my latest dreams in the making were God's tool just to get me to do what he wanted with the proverbial carrot dangling in front of my face which never gets any closer. In fact, some of my dreams felt like they were more than two long years overdue. All I could do was keep moving my feet in that direction, but I don't know if I had ever been stretched that far. However, instead of teasing me eternally, God let it finally materialize. I'm sobered, and grateful, and I certainly don't take it for granted.

If you're questioning the possibility of victory, know that the success is already there awaiting your arrival, and keep moving in that direction until you reach it. There is no "IF," there's only "WHEN." I know now that it's true on a deeper level than before. I'm a different, and better person for having my own perserverance so severely tested.

I knew the challenges were good, because I had long since learned that with the Law of Attraction, the challenges are actually part of the recipe to the very cake I ordered. But I had begun to wonder if the challenges would ever give way to the victory. Now I know (again) that they eventually do.

Every time I have set a goal of significant magnitude, I have been obliged to face a challenge or two (or three, or a HUNDRED) that had be overcome before I was to finally able to enjoy the victory I sought.

I can say with certainty that the images of our dreams are ours because they are possible, and are waiting for us at the end of our persistence test.

By the grace of God, it comes. One thing I can say for sure though, is that God does not give us the victory if WE stop preparing for it.

Each time, this goal setting process seems to stretch me to my limits, and beyond. Yes, each time. The more I go through the process, however, the more practice I have in enduring it. Every story of success that I share with you has an untold struggle that went with it. No matter how many times I've succeeded, the process repeats itself to some degree.

Having an understanding of the process doesn't take the process away, it simply makes it bearable and helps me keep doing my part. It gives me peace of mind to realize and be consciously aware of the fact that the darkness, uncertainty, and turmoil in the middle is simply the gift, the opportunity to prove myself. It's where I can exercise my faith like a muscle, demonstrate my drive to press on (though it may feel like I'm crawling to the finish line, bleeding and delirious), and hold fast to my expectancy of the WIN on the other side. Knowing how the Law works, I begin to feel differently about the struggle, and seeing it for what it is, I'm better able to be grateful for it, and thus the sooner I'm able to receive.

Maybe you didn't know this is how the Law of Attraction really works.

Your job is to set the goal, see it done, feel the victory ahead of time, take action when opportunities and/or ideas come along (no matter how frightening they may be), and finally, do not neglect one other final ingredient to the recipe:

Perseverance. Your greatest victories will always follow the most intense struggles.

"Then, what is the law of attraction for if I still have to endure challenges?"

The Law of Attraction simply guarantees you will absolutely be provided with everything you need to accomplish the goal . . . and it will all show up just when you need it, at the right and perfect time . . . never any sooner. It promises that if you can conceive it, you can achieve it.

So what will you accomplish next?

Prosperity Tip: How to Survive the Downs

Have you ever met someone whose finances seem to be falling apart and they’re happy anyway? Have you ever wanted to say, “Hey, what on earth do you have to be happy about?? You’re supposed to be miserable and depressed about your finances!”

There are those who are simply in denial, to be sure, and who hope that the problems will go away if they just ignore them. However, there are others who feel happy even when things are going down because they know a secret. They understand the 7 Laws of Success. Let me explain...

These people feel happy during a downturn because they know the ride never goes downhill forever. By law, it always turns upward again at the bottom - just like on a rollercoaster.

They smile now because they're focused on the longer term; and they're already thinking about the joy of the heights that life will take them to next.

Now, while we’re on this “roller coaster theme,” imagine you’ve saved for years to take your family to an exciting theme park on the other side of the country. You’ve pictured the laughter, the fun, the memories you plan to create: the joy of being together, the food, the free time… it’s all so very wonderful!

Now it’s finally time to take that trip. You enjoy a relaxing plane ride, settle in at the hotel, spend the night, and in the morning you have a full day to take in all of the theme park attractions.

After entering the gate, you notice that just inside the entrance there are two roller coaster rides to choose from. The first one is called "Straight-Shot to Success" and goes like this:

You get on, and it pulls the line of cars all the way to the top of a twenty-story tower where it ….

… lets you off so you can climb down the stairs to do it again.

Look at the level of enthusiasm the people in this picture are demonstrating, just before unloading to climb down and repeat the experience!

Actually, that would make for a pretty boring rollercoaster ride. But in life, isn't that what we often think we want: A steady, predictable, safe and easy climb to success? In truth, if that's what we ended up with, we'd be pretty dissatisfied with the whole experience.

So, let's take a look at the second roller coaster ride called "Joy in the Journey," which instead goes something like this:

You get on, and it pulls you to the top of a big hill and then turns you loose into a series of ups and downs, loops and turns. Everyone is terrified and laughing, all at the same time.

Even when the people plummet at break-neck speeds straight toward the ground, they have a smile on their face.

Now, is that twisted, or what? Are they in denial?

No. They are genuinely enjoying themselves, because they know that the terror is temporary, that it is an illusion, and that it will come to an end. They know that in truth, they are in a controlled, safe environment that is simply giving them the appearance of danger. Deep down, they know everything is going to be okay in the long run.

Which rollercoaster ride do you think would have the longest waiting line? "Straight-Shot to Success," or "Joy in the Journey?"

I choose the latter. Here's what helps me endure the scary parts:

Believe it or not, like a rollercoaster ride, Life itself is a safe environment, even with all its dangers. Contrary to appearances, it truly is a safe place to be. From God’s vantage point, the things we fear are nothing to Him, including death itself.

Do you realize that the life you live is precisely the life you would have chosen all along? THIS is the life that brings you the greatest joy: the life with all the ups and aggravating downs. Be grateful for your downs... and as you allow your heart to swell with gratitude, you're putting yourself into the right mindset to receive the best "ups" that God has to offer.

In reality, the ups and downs we experience are provided in order to help us feel. The change from up to down (or down to up) is precisely what makes it possible for us to recognize the difference from one emotion to the other. Without the downs, the ups would be meaningless. The lows help us feel and appreciate the highs.

Bob Proctor says, “Most people tiptoe through life, trying to make it safely to death.” Do you see the irony in that? Instead, we should have courage and press on toward our dreams with full, fearless intention.

Fear not!

As Mark Twain said, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened."

You have a choice of what to think about. So think on the expected highs that put a smile on your face, instead of worrying about the imagined train wreck at the bottom of the hill that hasn't even happened yet.

It is only when your heart is at peace that it is prepared to recieve inspired solutions to your problems.

So, if you're headed in a downward direction, be at peace. The tracks are bent and will surely guide your rollercoaster car up to the top again in time. It’s going to be thrilling! And in fact, by the Law of Rhythm, you're already on your

For a few good laughs

We released The Jackrabbit Factor ebook (El Factor Liebre - Spanish version) for FREE today!

Even though the story was translated professionally, I couldn't help myself from trying to create a webpage to deliver it.

The problem is, I don't really know Spanish.

So I found a free online translation tool and did the best I could. Our professional translator had a good laugh and is now working on fixing the mess I made. It will be fixed very soon.

So just for a few good laughs, I thought I'd share some of the quirky translation errors. It's fun translating the so-called Spanish version back into English to see what happened to the original text. Here's one example:

"Brought to you by ThoughtsAlive.com"

Translated to: "Traído a usted cerca ThoughtsAlive.com"

Which translates back to: "Brought you it surrounds Thoughtsalive.com."

Here's another example:

"Don't worry, the book was translated professionally. We're sorry for the translation errors on this webpage!”

Translated to: "No se preocupe, este libro fue traducido al español profesionalmente. ¡Estamos apesadumbrados para los errores de la traducción en este Web page!"

Which translates back to: “One does not worry, this book was translated the Spanish professionally. We are grieved for the errors of the translation in this Web page!”

Even better, here are a few of my translated glowing testimonials.

"Within a pair of weeks I received the promotion to the director and an important increase of the pay... To Harper"

"I tripled to my retired rent and my husband of its work of the day... To say the information is to change of the life would be an underestimation! Thanks! – Marnie"

"... we will double really to our rent the east next year. Thanks, Leslie, to share these principles... CREALMENTE WORK! What excites more to me, is than there is no limit to which we can reach in the future! Thanks again! It smooths H"

Alas, we are grieved for the "errors of the translation." We believe they will be corrected within a day or two. Until then, feliz lectura!

Please invite your Spanish-speaking friends to get a FREE copy Jackrabbit Factor (in Spanish) professionally translated.

(English speakers can still get it for free at JackrabbitFactor.com.)

Now, if you're ready to take your understanding of the principles from The Jackrabbit Factor to the next level, sign up for the 8-week basic Jackrabbit Factor Ecourse...

...or if you're ready for more advanced concepts, sign up for the complete 12-week Family Time & Money Freedom Course.

There's never been a better time to get started... let me help you experience a powerful transformation toward an amazing new level of peace and prosperity for you and your family!

Prosperity: It's a Language Thing

I’ve been so motivated to release the free Spanish Jackrabbit Factor ebook in a hurry, that although the BOOK was translated professionally, I took it upon myself to translate the webpage that delivers it with an online translation tool.

The results (I’m told) are comical, so the page will be professionally translated within a day or two.

However, as I finished, it hit me like a ton of bricks: I realized that learning to use the principles of prosperity for a better life is like learning to use a whole new language.

At first, you’re bound to make some mistakes. That’s normal. In terms of setting goals, It's happened to me, too. There have been times when I thought I was communicating my desires in a goal statement very clearly, but instead they turned into circumstances that I never intended at all.

You know what? That's okay... it's part of the learning process.

Now let's get a little ridiculous:

Imagine going to a Spanish speaking country with nothing more than a basic understanding of the Spanish language and an English/Spanish translation handbook. (By “basic” I mean how much I know: words like “burrito,” “enchilada,” “hola,” “uno, dos, tres…” “Taco Bell,” …You get the idea.)

So you arrive in the foreign country and climb into a taxicab. You open your book and intend to tell the driver, "I want to go someplace quiet and beautiful where I can feel the Spirit of God." So word by word, you search your translation book and say, "Deseo ir en alguna parte tranquilidad y hermoso donde puedo sentir el alcohol del dios."

You spoke clearly and confidently, knowing that you said just what the book told you to say.

What you didn't know was that the driver (who is a native of the country) hears, "Desire to go beautiful tranquility somewhere and where I can feel the alcohol of the God."

Now let me ask you, where do you think he will take you??

When you end up at a saloon instead of a botanical garden or church, you might look at your Spanish book and throw it away saying, "This language doesn't work!!!"

(Pause for reflection...)

Now, have you met anyone who has discovered the language of prosperity through "The Secret" or other books / tools, made an attempt to use it, and then threw it all away because “it” didn't work?

Maybe you've even thought about throwing it all away.

Realize this: the language of faith and prosperity is just that: it’s a language... of the Spirit. It takes time to develop fluency. It takes practice to understand the cause and effect of thinking, feeling, and acting in this new and certain way.

When things don't go the way you expect them to go, accept the results and simply learn from them. Take the lessons that are available in every challenge and let them work in you, so you can get closer to your goal more accurately the next time.

Don't throw away the principles that you know deep down are true, even if the results you get aren't what you expected them to be. When you end up at a saloon instead of a beautiful botanical garden, it wasn't because the "book" or "language" didn't work; the language actually works perfectly. You simply missed one critical word, substituting the word for “Holy Spirit” with the Spanish word for “sprits” (alcohol).

The words we choose as we set goals will also make a critical difference in the final outcome.

Let me give you an example. For a long time I had a goal statement that said, "Money comes to me frequently and easily from multiple sources in increasing quantities on a continual basis. People want my products; God helps his children through me."

After about a year of this, I realized that the part, "People want my products" is exactly what I was getting: thousands of people who wanted my products. But the goal stated that way doesn't exactly translate into revenue.

That's when I changed my statement to more accurately reflect my true desire: "People BUY my products; God helps his children through me."

See the difference? One word can make a big difference.

It's a language thing.

We communicate our desires and receive what we ask for. "Ask and ye shall receive" is a true principle. But this language of faith that we are trying to learn comes from a foreign culture, a way of life that perhaps we remember from somewhere long ago, but has been temporarily forgotten in this mortal realm.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that in God's culture, or “way of life,” when someone asks Him for increased faith, He doesn't necessarily deliver faith, but opportunities to exercise faith. When we ask for financial freedom, He doesn't give us piles of money but opportunities to develop multiple streams of income. When we ask for strength, we are given challenging experiences where we can develop the very strength we asked for. (The movie "Evan Almighty" illustrates this point beautifully - it is a movie I highly recommend.)

The bottom line is this: The more fluent we become in God's language of faith, the more peacefully we will grow toward accomplishing all we truly desire.

Learn more at ProsperYourFamily.com.