Thursday 25 December 2014

BE YOUR OWN PIED PIPER



BE YOUR OWN PIED PIPER

‘Dear Children, do not let anyone lead you astray’ (1 John 3:7). Of course, this is not easy! The easiest thing in the world is to live like a drifter, subject to the push and pull of the tide, and have others push you around. Mastering yourself is a skill, to be acquired over time. It can lead to true power. Are you ready to get to know yourself? Then, and only then, will you give true wisdom a chance. Otherwise, you may remain a powerless stranger in a land of lost opportunities. Isn’t it about time, that you call time on your life like a dog, that has lost its scent (Voltaire)? Enough is enough!

Mental clutter is your biggest challenge. All the pressures of the work day stand in the way of imagining your personal ambition. Knowing what matters to you enables you to put your energy in the right direction. Give your own thoughts the necessary space in order to not to succeed in things, that don’t really matter. You are presently surrounded by a myriad of technological gadgets, which may prevent you from focussing on your life-changing events. Don’t put off your life, as it was meant to be, until the day. when your life must end.

Are you submerged by busyness, while your productivity suffers? If you find a way to escape everyday clutter, then you can release your imagination and your creativity, which could lead to your magical life. It’s such a life, that you must feel you deserve, as you finally are on the way of unleashing your true potential. Besides, the world loves authenticity and has disdain for a fake. Who knows, where you could end up, if you manage to be true to yourself?

Anybody can do it, because anybody has a passion for something. It does require your wholehearted dedication. You will have to immerse yourself in achieving this, no matter what. The good news is, that you will be driven to it, whatever is going on around you. You feel you have no other choice. It can bring out the completely irrational side in the best of us. You may even overshoot your own potential and then you’ve reached a wholly different level in your life!

RICK SCHMULL

December 25th, 2014

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.


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Wednesday 10 December 2014

HOW TO HIT THE JACKPOT


HOW TO HIT THE JACKPOT


You can hit the Jackpot, yes, you can! You could attract Lady Luck, because nearly everybody does it at some point in their life. Pursuing a partner, a career, the living of your life, etc, inevitably leads to a certain degree of success, often against the odds, because you were driven to it. Then why not make a habit of hitting the Jackpot again and again? Spectacular things seem to happen to others, from time to time. When is it your turn?

The secret of sustainable success is quiet self-criticism. Every day you should close your eyes somewhere and ask yourself, if you’re doing the right thing in order to get from Here to There. You should make yourself sweat, every time, as you require yourself to do your utmost in order to bring the best out of you. You need to shake yourself up constantly, in order to live like you deserve to live. You should be in a trance-like state of mind, never standing still, but always moving. Complacency is your enemy, because the world is changing so fast, that you haven’t got time to lose. You have to be able to adapt to different circumstances all the time.


To go after a better life, you have to take calculated risks. Why not identify the risks you are willing to assume in order to reach certain goals? Remember to always have a backup plan if things initially don’t work out. You don’t want to be left High and Dry! As long as you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you will have enough mental strength not to be overwhelmed by fear of failure. Risk-takers have to muster enough courage to do the job. ‘Just do it’ (Nike)! Planet Earth is a tough place and a can-do attitude is essential for you to live up to the challenges, that await you.


Your life is often a self-fulfilling prophecy, believe it or not, and that’s why you should pursue your goals with a positive attitude, no matter what your failure rate happens to be. You can’t imagine, how many, seemingly fatal failures, many very successful people have had! Doing it wrong to get it right. Going for failure sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Well, pushing yourself to the limit involves a high chance of failure. But that is part of the process. You are actually preparing yourself for great success. So don’t wait around, until the lights go out for the last time.


RICK SCHMULL


December 10th, 2014

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.


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Thursday 6 November 2014

NO IFS OR BUTS


NO IFS OR BUTS

Have you come to the point yet, that you no longer accept your present situation? Then, let’s get going! Leave your former life behind. No Ifs or Buts! From now on, you cannot afford to go through a day in your life, without thinking of how things should be. Don’t say, that you’re ‘going to do it’. Just do it and now is as good a time as any. You have the power to improve your future, not your past. Start living your dream. Just go for it. Don’t be a quitter, but keep pushing yourself. Write down, what you have got going for you. What are your ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ assets? Everybody has to start somewhere, mostly at the bottom and go through the motions. It’s not what you are anyway, it’s what you will become. Keep learning, all the time. There are no shortcuts. Accept some more risk and uncertainty. Real planning would be ideal, but most of us have to go through a process of trial and error. As long as you keep moving, you are on your way. You are now in search of your breakout opportunity. These opportunities come and go. If you don’t seize them, you lose them. Also, nothing is permanent in life, because the world is not static. Therefore, you cannot rest on your laurels.



You are a work in progress at all times. But try to be the best in your little corner of the world. You have to carve that out. Nobody else will do that for you. The world couldn’t care less, if you fail. There is no safety net. That’s fine, because as long as you become successful in the end, after countless failures, you have become unbeatable. You learn from failure. The ladder of success requires you to fail in order for you to become better than anyone else. You’ll be able to defeat an entire army singlehandedly. That’s right. Once you have unleashed your own super powers, you’ll be forever inspired and you inspire other people. Great success flows from that. You’ll be looking forward to an exciting future. You can’t wait to get up in the morning!

Nobody is really self-made. That’s just a good story. You need mentors. You need to become part of a network of allies, that share your interests. You need to recruit and build a dream team. Collaboration is the name of the game. Are they rowing in the same direction? Make sure, how to deal with any bad apples in that team. You also need to hang out with people, who are already the way you want to be. Don’t think, what can I get from this person, but rather, what can I do for this person? Send him a note about a subject, that may be of interest and go from there. He may not respond immediately, but that’s fine. He may be very busy. But, over time, he will remember your great little attentions, which may have become helpful to him. That’s the way to get reciprocity going. That will magically open doors!



Remember, character and integrity create word of mouth. Your reputation is everything. Never compromise on that, because that’s 80% of your success. Accept responsibility and tell the truth. Don’t ever accept mediocrity. Also, if you are consistent in delivering an insanely good service, people will remember you, talk about you and refer their friends to you. If you come across as nice, then you are giving people a pleasant experience. You may have to go to acting school for that! No, it may be acting up to a point, but you should sound genuine at all times. Which could be a challenge, especially with people, who’ve got issues. Look for ways to help these people and they may actually become your friends or customers for life.

Not living your dream has a price too. It’s called ‘regret’. But don’t dwell too long on ‘I should have’ or on ‘I shouldn’t have’. The past is the past. Your aim should be to attract the future the way you want it. A sensational life may be waiting in the wings. Others seem to have such a life. Why not you?




RICK SCHMULL


6th November, 2014


WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.

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Wednesday 22 October 2014

RISK IS NOT YOUR ENEMY


RISK IS NOT YOUR ENEMY


Irrational risk is. Don’t bet the farm. But in order to move forward in life, you do have to have something at risk at all times. Risk is part of life. If you constantly try to avoid risk, risk may find you. In fact, the world is not static, so what may seem safe today, could be outdated tomorrow. Detroit was the birthplace of mass production and the Silicon Valley of its day. During the 1930’s, 1940’’s and 1950’s, it experienced its Golden Age. But then customer preferences changed. Not moving with the times, proved fatal. In this world, it’s eat or be eaten. Nothing is permanent. No, Sir.

You have to accept uncertainty and try to deal with it. It’s chaos out there. No real loyalty exists. Stay flexible, keep moving, and ride the Big Waves as they are coming your way. These Waves come and go, so if you don’t seize them, you lose them. These Waves may even offer genuine Breakout Opportunities! Rapid change requires a strategy of trial and error, which does not exclude real planning. Of course, some things are simply not meant to be, but life goes on. Next! You cannot change history anyway, but you can try to shape your future.


Why are so many people, who aren’t better than you, so much ‘luckier’ than you? They’re just in the right place at the right time, right? No, it’s all about willingness. The willingness to make sacrifices and pay the price. Because that increases the likelihood, that you are in the right place at the right time! Never rest on your laurels. You’re a work in progress at all times. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. Indeed, you may have to run twice as fast, just to stay even. Otherwise, you could be obsolete tomorrow.


The biggest risk in life is inertia and complacency. You have to be action and results oriented. Life is being judged by results. The world couldn’t care less about you and your situation, if you fail to show results. Feeling tired? Get people to help you or make sure, that there is new blood in your team. Are they rowing in the same direction? A solo game doesn’t work. Nobody is self-made. That just makes a good story. Life is not all about me, me me. Now, that’s really risky!


RICK SCHMULL


October 22nd, 2014


WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.

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Wednesday 24 September 2014

DID YOU HEAR, WHAT HE IS NOT SAYING?


DID YOU HEAR, WHAT HE IS NOT SAYING?


In order to keep the peace with you and others, most people, especially in certain cultures, will never say, what they really mean.That’s why it’s up to you to select the best course of action. Often, the most obvious one, may have to be avoided. There is, for instance, a huge difference between a spontaneous and a feigned smile. How do you pick up on that? This is all part of the game of life. And that’s the reason, why genuine friends and partners, whom we expect to be sincere, are indispensible over time. Dealing with this on your own, is a huge challenge every time. Surely, you may be suffering from the same fate, not being straightforward about your thoughts and feelings towards others. Your attitude towards others may determine their attitude towards you! Perhaps knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of others (Carl Jung).


Sincerity is a rare human quality in a very imperfect world. Sincerity never triumphs completely, because society relies so much on form and convention and its participants walk the walk and talk the talk according to certain rituals, which have become commonplace in everyday life. Sincerity carries risks. Most people aren’t strong enough to be sincere.There is frankly no place anymore for expressing your true feelings in public, especially if these are in any way humiliating another person or group. ‘Why make him suffer an unnecessarily cruel fate?’ (Nelson Mandela). Sincerity often ends up being regrettable, because you wouldn’t be keen to have to look at yourself in the mirror, would you?

In the final analysis, public sincerity may hurt you the most. Are you using criticism of others to build your own ego? In order to navigate through life successfully, you typically cannot show your hand, certainly not right away. You don’t have to be deceitful nor hypocritical, but being totally open about things, better left unsaid, may make your life unneccesarily tough.

RICK SCHMULL

25th September, 2014

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.

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Friday 19 September 2014

CHARACTER, NOT KNOWLEDGE, IS POWER


CHARACTER, NOT KNOWLEDGE, IS POWER

True character is priceless. Your life is bound to be remarkable, if you manage to keep your good name. Not every character is the genuine article, which is dangerous for the unwary. Character is the result of years of trial and error, so don’t worry if you fear the lack of it for now. It is something formed over time, in spite of constant temptation to abandon your commitments. Character building requires patience and self-discipline and that project in itself is genius. You may live in a ‘knowledge society’, but all the data and information become meaningless, if trust is missing.

Those, who can be trusted, achieve lasting success. You will make a fortune, if you are considered dependable. You should never yield to pressure to take ‘shortcuts’, because it will be hard to make right, what is clearly wrong. True character avoids the ‘road to ruin’. Also, integrity is an essential condition to keep your whole show on the road. Otherwise, your tenacity to achieve success will be in vain and all your talents will be wasted.

The brightest and most creative minds produce masterpieces only, if they have managed to bring order to chaos, while ensuring greatness by never losing their true character. Conformity can lead to quiet desperation and therefore, total freedom of mind may well be necessary, before you become aware of the best way to become the person you could be.

RICK SCHMULL

19th September, 2014

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.


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Wednesday 17 September 2014

OPTIMISM BREEDS SUCCESS

OPTIMISM BREEDS SUCCESS

Despite all the talent and desire, failure can still occur if optimism is missing. Not blind optimism, but optimism with a keen eye for reality. That is why you will be able to bounce back after inevitable setbacks. You have to teach yourself, that defeat does not have to be permanent. Pessimism does not have to be ‘normal’, when disaster strikes. Pessimism drags you down and could cause depression. Habitual optimism should be developed over time, because you may well lack that trait. No, prescription drugs are not the answer!

Optimism makes you persevere. You will view all obstacles as challenges, which will encourage you to succeed and never ‘give up’. As you become a better dreamer and you visualize your future, you have just turned yourself into an unbeatable force! Of course, your positive attitude has to be repeated over and over again, because ‘stuff happens’, that will threaten to throw you off course all the time.


As this world offers such a privileged existence for those, who succeed, any apparent failure could be devastating. That’s why there seems to be such an epidemic of depression around. But you can actually change the way you think! There are times, that a rapid personal change is called for in order to avoid a free fall into the abyss. Fortunately, you are able to devote precious time towards self-improvement, because you’re not a robot! Your behavior ultimately depends on yourself, not on others or on ‘circumstances’. In addition, the world couldn’t care less about you and your ‘issues’, therefore you better get moving and sort yourself out. If you don’t, nobody else will.

RICK SCHMULL

17th September, 2014

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.


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Saturday 6 September 2014

REINVENTING YOURSELF


REINVENTING YOURSELF

Reinvention should be the basis of life of anyone. If you’re not happy with the way things are, change them. Move on from everything, that you no longer are prepared to tolerate! Your past should not control your present and future. Look forward to your personal transformation. Ignite your boundless energy to start living your dream. Seize the day! Your new life cannot wait. All it takes, is to do away with your illusory limitations. All problems are temporary and should therefore not affect your nervous system permanently. Why shouldn’t everyone have a shot at being on top of the world? If so, then you will truly feel alive.

You may feel trapped in jobs or relationships, that have become dead-end. You should question your present situation at all times. If you are close to thinking: ‘Enough is Enough’, you may have done yourself a great favour. You may be on the way to living your dream. Nothing should be considered unrealistic. Why don’t you make a list of your most outrageous dreams? Guess what: you will feel compelled to do whatever it takes to fulfill your dreams! There should be no limits to your imagination, ever. Many people will try to put you down. Don’t lose your confidence, if you are at the receiving end of this common practice. Choose a thought, that honours you, who you are and you are about to get back in control of your environment. Over time, you will be treated with respect, because you will prove to the world, that you deserve recognition.

Your mind determines nearly everything and may therefore need regular ‘surgery’. Reinventing yourself is an absolute requirement to keep going. If you don’t change with the world around you, you will get left behind, big time. Don’t wait for your future to find you, because you’ll wait in vain. Moving forward, is what counts, even with baby steps. Just imagine the future, that you want and you’re feeling better already! If you’re feeling fear, that’s O.K., as long as you act anyway. That’s called COURAGE.

RICK SCHMULL
September 6th, 2014

WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.

Thursday 28 August 2014

YOU CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS TOO


YOU CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS TOO


If you really believe in something, there will be no room for fear. If you master fear, you can move mountains too. Faith eliminates all limits to deal with difficult situations. Positive thinking works! Especially in the face of defeat and rejection. Try to expect the best instead of the worst. Try to tell yourself at all times, that you deserve the best. Never doubt yourself, because otherwise you will cease to function the way you should. A winner attracts a good outcome! Defeat is never permanent. You make life harder than it really is, by imagining things, which should not be considered realistic anyway. Try to minimize things, that tend to sap your energy. Your immediate goal in life is to get rid of cynicism and hopelessness.

Don’t deny yourself the rewards, that are rightfully yours. Who said so? You did! You are intent on clearing the way to the fulfillment of your potential. You need a constantly renewable source of energy in order to be able to restore your life again and again. You certainly want to avoid ‘burnout’, so make sure, that you are surrounded by people, who are better than you. That’s the only way to feel challenged, which is a condition to improve your situation time and time again. Without feedback from rivals, you will hit the rocks. Don’t act like a blind man, walking near a cliff.


The vital question you have to ask yourself is, if you are ready and able to jump into the unknown. Without such seemingly terrifying experiences, you won’t grow. You have to find a way of overcoming personal limitations. You sometimes have to see life as an adventure, breaking new frontiers in order to discover your real self. Life is a race against time and you may have no choice than to make things happen yourself. The world owes you nothing and couldn’t care less, if you don’t manage to rise above yourself. But once you do, then magic happens.


RICK SCHMULL
28th August, 2014


WESTCLIFF-On-SEA, Essex, U.K.

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