#1 Best-Selling author, Dr. Kaplan is one of the most highly endorsed authors—ever! Dr. Kaplan and his books have been highly acclaimed and endorsed by such people as Donald Trump, Tom McMillen, Brian Tracy, Marla Maples, Kathy Coover, Norman Vincent Peale, Mark Victor Hansen, Duane Clemmons, Ken Blanchard, Patch Adams, Les Brown, Jack Canfield, Wally “Famous” Amos, Rudy Ruettiger, and many, many more.
Here are just a few of the many endorsements for Dr. Kaplan’s latest and best book ever, The 5 Minute Motivator.
The 5 Minute Motivator offers a practical, unique approach to experience greater success and happiness. This book will help you appreciate the blessings in your life.
Marci Shimoff, New York Times Best-Selling author Love for No Reason and Happy for No Reason
This wonderful book shows you how to become a totally positive person every day, and accomplish more than you ever thought possible “5 Minutes” at a time.
Brian Tracy, Professional Speaker, Best-Selling Author of more than 40 books, Business/Life Coach, Sales Trainer,CEO of Brian Tracy International™
The tools and insights that Dr. Kaplan shares in his book, The 5 Minute Motivator are instrumental for anyone hoping to achieve their life’s goals. This book will teach you how to make things happen and get results in life, “5 minutes” at a time. If you are looking for positive change in your life, this book of enlightening materials should be a must for your library.
Dr.
Joe Rubino,
Best-selling author of 9 books, including
31
Ways to Champion Children to Develop High Self -Esteem
Dr. Kaplan continues to educate and motivate—300 seconds at a time. His new book, The 5 Minute Motivator provides a magical stairway to a life changing experience. Success is about knowing who you are, believing in yourself and applying the principles, techniques and systems, he has so carefully provided the reader in his new book. If you are looking to be the best you can be, this book will change your life 5 minutes at a time.
Dr. Fabrizio Mancini,
President,
Parker University and Parker Seminars
Author of The
Power of Self-Healing
Dr. Kaplan is someone for whom I have tremendous respect and admiration. Anyone who has heard Dr. Kaplan speak or read one of his books would agree. As Mrs. United States 2005 and a cosmetic dentist who served on the Board of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, I see everyday how lives are transformed for the better based simply by how someone feels about themselves. Dr. Kaplan clearly has a gift that aids people in finding that place where life takes on a much brighter rainbow and beautiful outlook.
Dr. Chiann Fan Gibson, Mrs. United States 2005
Our teachers and parents repeatedly told us the “keys to success.” They said, “Stay focused! Concentrate! Play to your strengths!” Dr. Kaplan’s, The 5 Minute Motivator teaches you how to VISUALIZE your success and confidently unlock your natural potential.The old phrases will now have new meaning because The 5 Minute Motivator shows you how to comfortably make these concepts part of your way of life and stay one step ahead of the competition!
Ira Sherman, Managing Partner,
Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata and Siegel, P.C.,
Past President,
D.C. Trial Lawyers Association
The 5 Minute Motivator is a slam dunk for anyone who wants to reboot their life. Dr Kaplan’s prescriptions are time honored—the power of the mind to change our lives. As the Bible and Dr Kaplan teach us, “What you sow in your thoughts, will determine what you reap in life”. This book is a must read.
Tom McMillen, Former Congressman and Chairman of Presidents Council on Sports and Physical Fitness and 11-year NBA veteran
Is it possible to invest 300 seconds with a book and receive a life-changing idea that can redirect your life? Such a book is Dr. Eric Kaplan’s, The 5 Minute Motivator. As the co-founder of a dynamic growing company, thousands of associates and customers look to me for direction and motivation. So who motivates the motivator? Dr. Kaplan motivates me. He helps the reader realize in short 300-second chapters that the power of your mind, your words, your choices, your daily actions can change your life. I especially enjoy the chapters on how to turn back the clock with tips on youthful aging. I’m motivated to live life to the fullest and help others achieve their dreams.
Kathy Coover, Co-Founder, Executive Vice President Isagenix International LLC
Dr. Eric Kaplan’s, The 5 Minute Motivator is the complete guide for positive transformation! Brilliantly simple and simply brilliant. I encourage you make this book your daily helping of positivity and watch your life transform into the beautiful destiny you were meant to live.
Peggy McColl, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Your Destiny Switch
The 5 Minute Motivator lays out a simple and powerful program for achieving your goals and dreams and triumphing over the inevitable setbacks and challenges we all experience.
Pamela Yellen, Author of the New York Times Best-Seller Bank On Yourself: The Life-Changing Secret to Growing
No life or business is free from adversity. How we deal with that adversity will ultimately determine our success as business leaders and individuals. Eric Kaplan has faced adversity head on and grown to become a recognized leader in health, wellness and chiropractic medicine. His latest book is a must read for anyone dealing with the day to day challenges of running a business or a family. He presents a new way to look at the world which will become a powerful tool for anyone trying to harness the impact of change.
William Meyer, Chairman Meyer Jabara Hotels, Chairman of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Vice Chairman of The Quantum Foundation, Recipient of the Haym Salomon Award, Serves on the Board of Overseers of the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania
As a pro athlete I sought out the best in training, nutrition, and healing and Dr. Kaplan was always the first one I would call. His life experience and formal training as a doctor made him a trusted resource for guidance throughout my career. He exposed me to non-invasive, drug free, state of the art healing that repaired me and prepared me for a career in sports wellness after 10 years in the NFL. A life-long friend, mentor, and practitioner, his lessons of life are shared in his book. His book sacks the competition, literally. It’s a must read and I’ll share it with my players and friends.
Duane Clemons, Vikings, Defensive Captain of Kansas City Chiefs & Cincinnatti Bengals,1996-2006
Dr Kaplan’s book will add “Time to your Life and Life to your Time.” He is one among those in the quest for immortality and in “5 Minutes” he explains the power of telomeres and their ability to turn back the clock. He touches the mental, spiritual and the physical keys to living a healthy happy life, one minute at a time; a must read for anyone who wants to be healthy, live longer and enjoy their time on this planet.
Dr. Bill Andrews, Ph.D, Telomere Scientist Founder and President, Sierra Sciences
The 5 Minute Motivator offers advice to help the reader construct a life of success and happiness.
Tony Hsieh, New York Times Best-Selling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc.
Dr. Kaplan Talks the Talk and Walks the Walk, literally. After being 100% paralyzed and making a miraculous recovery, he understands what it takes to win. His will and positive mental attitude are displayed in the pages of his new book, The 5 Minute Motivator. As a professional athlete, I understand the inner winner we all must reach for to succeed in life. Dr. Kaplan’s book Awakens the Winner in us all. This book is a must read. I highly recommend it,
Mark McNulty, PGA Tour Professional, winner of 58 events, including 5 Majors, Senior PGA Championship, Senior British Open Championship, US Senior Open, Senior Players Championship
I love Dr. Eric Kaplan’s new book, The 5 Minute Motivator, for its simplicity and yet profound impact on one’s life. It is truly an inspirational book for many
Ping Li, Best-Selling Author of Awakening: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Purpose on Earth
Dr Kaplan’s new book The 5 Minute Motivator will WOW you “5 Minutes” at a time. He challenges the reader while delivering his message. A must for anyone who wants to get the most out of their life. Dr Kaplan makes you realize if you see the invisible in life, you can do the impossible.
Dr. Gerry Mattia,
President Discforce, Inc., President Energy Vitality
Former
President International Chiropractic Association Council on Sports
and Physical Fitness
A powerful guide to living life well, The 5 Minute Motivator proves that time invested in our truest purpose is indeed time well-spent.
Christine Louise Hohlbaum, Best-Selling author of The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World
Dr Kaplan’s new book, The 5 Minute Motivator will help you gain a renewed and vivid appreciation of life, minute by minute. The book offers a “tool kit” that will infuse your brain with a new sense of aliveness and possibility.
Anat Baniel, Clinical Psychologist and Best-Selling Author of Move Into Life and Kids Beyond Limits
Dr. Kaplan’s book provides not only the empirical formula to winning and success, but he provides you with a map, “5 Minutes” at a time. His skills as a teacher, educator, and motivator are second to none. This book is must read for anyone looking to reach their full potential.
Tom Ness, Golf Professional, Author Golf Digest, Recognized by Golf Digest as one of the Top 50 golf instructors in the United States
The search is over! Finally the magic pill of “plug and play” motivation exists today. Much more than a booster shot of motivation, Dr. Kaplan’s game plan to success is the simplest, easiest, most concise and direct strategy to bring out the BEST in each one of us. My only regret is I didn’t have access to it years ago. The 5 Minute Motivator will serve as the master plan in laying our personal course to our #1 desire to achieve, to become and to WIN!
Dr. Perry Bard, CEO Concierge Coaches
Dr. Kaplan has written another life-changing book. The 5 Minute Motivator is a powerful and comprehensive guide to success and happiness that anyone at any age can experience. His book will help you build the life of love and happiness “300 Seconds” at a time. Thank you. Eric, for this important, life-changing book.”If you want to experience inner fulfillment on a whole new level, read this book.”
Dr. Stuart Hoffman,
Amazon #1 Best-Selling author of
I
AM a Lovable ME!
As an author, teacher and businesswomen, I will incorporate your lessons into daily ideas for living. I found your book uplifting and motivating. Your book is a gift that keeps on giving.
Catherine MacDonald, #1 Amazon Best-selling author of The Way
Dr. Kaplan has done it again—he motivates, inspires and entertains the reader throughout the entire book. This book is simply awesome. It’s loaded with good values and lessons that every person should instill in their lives.
Jacki Baskow, CEO Baskow and Associates
What does it take to engage all your senses in a journey to discover your richest, most fulfilling life? According to author Dr. Eric Kaplan, it only takes 5 minutes! The deceptively simple premise—and sheer genius—of The 5-Minute Motivator is that miracles can happen by thinking and focusing differently for only 5 minutes a day. Using this inspiring book as your daily guide to those transformative moments will become a habit that you will never want to break.
Dr. Christine Ranck, Amazon #1 Best-Selling Co-Author of Ignite the Genius Within
As a professional golfer I understand what it takes to win—on and off the golf course. Dr. Kaplan has written another life-changing book that can show you the way to heath and happiness. He provides the reader with a powerful and comprehensive program that anyone can employ in their life regardless or their occupation. If you want to experience happiness and success at a whole new level, read this book. It will be the best “5 Minutes” you will ever invest in yourself.
Dana Quigley, PGA Golf Professional, winner of 29 events, 2005 Champions Tour, Player of The Year 2005
Dr. Eric Kaplan’s, The 5 Minute Motivator shows us that the fulfillment which we so eagerly seek is actually just a few steps away. Through incredibly simple exercises, Dr. Kaplan helps us realize that we can achieve what we dream, inspire others to do the same, and that abundance already exists in each of our lives. It’s up to us to recognize it. Pick up this book whenever you have a few spare minutes and allow it to replenish your positivity and reactivate your drive for life.
Dr. Carmen Harra, Clinical psychologist, intuitive counselor, and best-selling author of Everyday Karma and Wholeliness
It is said that ‘a people without a vision perish.’ In The 5 Minute Motivator, Dr. Eric Kaplan takes you on an incredible journey where he unveils your inner gifts and unravels hidden mysteries to enable you to think with a winning mind and experience the dreams you’ve long desired.
Ken Lang, Author of Walking Among the Dead
The 5 Minute Motivator is a book for everyone who wishes to live their dream, inspire their children, and touch the lives of all who they know. If you wish to change your life and elicit the greatness within, then The 5 Minute Motivator by Dr. Eric Kaplan is the book to launch your success with. Every parent should share the wisdom in this book with the people they value most—their children. I loved my experience in reading this book!
Dr. Ted Brooks, Ph.D., MS., Nutrition, Isagenix Millionaire
Dr. Kaplan has certainly hit the nail on the head with his latest work, The 5 Minute Motivator. There are times in life when we need to be reminded of our strengths and that it’s okay to reach for our goals in life regardless of our age. I would recommend this book to everyone, young and old, who wants to get more out of their circumstances in life. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down and plan on referring to its content often when I need motivation and encouragement. Well done.
Dr. Ken Simpson, DC, 2009 IsaBody Challenge Grand Prize Winner
Dr. Kaplan has outdone himself. The principles in this book should be taught in every school and college. If that happened, this country would be even better. Congratulations on doing such an amazing job.
Nelson Peregoy,
2-Star General, US Army (Ret.)
Author of Wounded
Warrior
As a firm believer in the power of believing in oneself, I was overjoyed to read a success story in which a small amount of time set aside every day, as little as 5 minutes, can command worlds of success. As proud as I am to endorse this book, I am even more gratified to know that its message will help and inspire others.
Michelle Franklin, Award-winning fantasy and romance author Creator of The Haanta Series
Dr Kaplan’s book is more than highly motivational. It shows you how to simply and elegantly remove mental toxins, naturally. It’s mandatory reading for anyone who wants to live a healthy, happy life.
Beth Greer, Best-Selling author Super Natural Home and Environmental Health Consultant
If you are looking for a shot of inspiration read, The 5 Minute Motivator is a must read book. Dr. Eric Kaplan offers great tips to keep us on top of “the game of life.”
Caroline Sutherland, Best-Selling Author of The Body Knows… How to Stay Young
The 5 Minute Motivator might be an understatement. This is a 5-minute life changer! While each snippet requires only 5 minutes to read, they contain a day’s worth of digestion. There is so much power in each story and the quotations are inspiring and thoughtful. A great way to start each day that all rolls into an abundant life! How cool is that!
Carl Bozeman, Amazon Best-Selling author of On Being God - Beyond Your Life’s Purpose
I am lucky in that I interact with Dr. Eric Kaplan frequently and am always amazed by his clear and most helpful insights about how to deal in a positive way with life’s many problems. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from his approach to healthy living. This book gets to the point—clear, precise, direct. If you want to reach your potential as a person this book is the empirical guide. A must read.
Joseph Littenberg, Senior Partner Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz, and Mentlik, Recognized As the Best IP Counselor
The 5 Minute Motivator is a must read for any leader. Just setting aside 5 minutes per day for personal growth can be life-altering. Many pearls of wisdom are jammed-packed in this book with most of them told in parable stories which are memorable. Well worth the price of admission, I highly recommend that you also take a ride on this book adventure.
Sam Santiago, PMP, Amazon Best-Selling Author of The Official Book of Innovation
Dr Kaplan’s book proves that in life you should never, ever, Give Up On Love. His book is more than highly motivational, it is inspirational. In an interval of only “5 Minutes” he helps the reader remove mental barriers that exist in life, in a natural and positive manner. I would consider this book essential reading for anyone who wants to live a healthy, happier, and more loving life. It is simple to understand and elegantly written. This book can help transform anyone, enabling them to reach their potential and fulfill their dreams.
Tim Carroll, Best-Selling Author of Don’t Ever Give Up On Love
Dr Kaplan’s book, The 5 Minute Motivator inspires anyone and everyone to be better—”5 Minutes” at a time. His words elegantly and spiritually compel the reader to look at the blessings of living, laughing, loving, and learning. A fun and powerful read.
Anna Maria Prezio, Author of #1 Best-Selling book Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster
In the game of life, there is no playbook to winning better than Dr. Kaplan’s new book, The 5 Minute Motivator. This book will take you on an adventure to success, 300 seconds at a time, I will share this book my staff, my friends, and my family. I know it will change and enhance their lives as much as it has mine.
Carlos Becerra, CEO North America Medical
Kaplan promises. Kaplan delivers. I have written, co-authored, and ghostwritten more than 40 published books, many of them on motivation and management, and I wish I could claim some credit for participation in Dr. Kaplan’s latest project. He covers all the bases of achieving and maintaining genuine success—mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical. His book is as uplifting as it is informative.
Dan Baldwin, Author of The Caldera Series and Sales Prospecting for Dummies by Tom Hopkins
Dr. Kaplan offers his readers the opportunity to convert dreams into goals, change goals into plans, and live the life they’ve always wanted. He then delivers on his promise by offering practical advice, powerful stories, and needed inspiration... all in 5-minute bite-size pieces.
Joshua Becker, Author of #1 Best-Selling book, Simplify
THE 5 MINUTE MOTIVATOR
Dr. Eric Kaplan
Copyright © 2011 Dr. Eric Kaplan
ISBN: 978-1-936539-42-0
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher, except by reviewers who may quote brief excerpts in connection with a review in a newspaper, magazine, or electronic publication; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without written permission from the publisher.
Smashwords Edition
Red Willow Publishing
The 5 Minute Motivator
In Memory...
Dr. Donald Gutstein was my professor, my mentor, and my friend. He turned boys into men, girls into women, and men and women into doctors. I am grateful for all that I am, realizing this man helped make me the man that I am; I will miss him.
I am also grateful to so many family members I’ve lost that have inspired me throughout my life including, my parents Elsie & Mike Kaplan, for making my life and success possible. To all my grandparents, for their love, belief and support.
To my aunts and uncles, Diane Adler, Herbert Punyon, Vivian Daniels, and cousins Doris & Milton Garfunkel, Norman Roth, Lou, Al, Marty & Dick Brenner, Jerome Shapiro, and Ruth Zuck.
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my two sons, Michael Kaplan and Jason Kaplan, my future healers. I am hoping the stories in this book will be passed from generation to generation. You both motivate me and inspire me to be my best. I love you both.
Acknowledgements
I want to acknowledge my wife, my muse of 31 years—Bonnie Kaplan—whose patience and understanding has been a blessing.
My brother Steven Kaplan and his wife Gloria Kaplan, I am blessed to have these people in my life to share my life.
To my entire family—aunts, uncles, cousins—for their love and support.
To all my friends, for being my friends.
I especially want to acknowledge the elders of my family, my Aunt Gloria Punyon, she has been there for me my entire life, she is my second mother and always inspired me and believed in everything I ever did. To my Uncle Herbert “Buddy” Adler, who spent his life with class and dignity and always lead by example. Growing up with their families, Amy, Ellen, Joel and Jerry are memories I will always cherish.
To my other uncle, Milton Daniels, and cousins who I love like uncles and aunts, Jack Segall, Milton and Linda Siegel, Jerome and Barbara Levine, Maxine Shapiro, and Phil Zuck.
The 5 Minute Motivator
Success is based on attitude, and attitude can be altered by time. We are all born with an equal inheritance of approximately 700,000 hours. One of the great differences between life and death is that life offers us a choice, while death offers a mystery. We have a choice of how we live these 700,000 hours and we can choose the quality of our existence on this journey of life. Many people live their lives in a whirlpool, marred by confusion, and absent of direction on their quest to succeed. Man and woman were born to succeed. It’s the goal of this book to continually activate endorphins by turning your basic coffee break into a 5 minute motivator. In “5 minutes” or less, simply by reading any chapter in this book, you can alter your being, alter your existence, transform your dreams into realities, and have your realities create dreams for other people. This book will offer a series of vignettes, motivational techniques, and stories that will teach you the secrets of success. The 5 Minute Motivator is a proven system that will unlock your powers to succeed.
This book contains an empirical formula to personal success that introduces a synergy of methods and ideas, techniques, and motivational anecdotes—all brought together in one place. Each individual component can be learned and revisited in just “5 minutes” a day. The principles of success, health, and happiness are not new. The concept of the 5 minute motivator is to embellish these principles into a user-friendly system that maintains your interest while providing a winning strategy: Winning at the game of life.
Life is based on numbers: the seconds in a minute, the minutes in an hour, hours in a day, days in a week, weeks in a month, months in a year, and years in a life. The human body consists of approximately one trillion cells, which work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, never taking a vacation, let alone a minute off. When you stop to consider that the human body is perfect—that a heart beats an average of 72 times per minute, which is approximately 100,000 times per day, over 700,000 times per week, almost 3 million times per month, and over 34 million times per year—and never takes a minute off—you realize that our life is dictated by time. We need to utilize time efficiently to experience all life has to offer. Life is like a combination lock, only with more numbers. If you select the right numbers in the right sequence, you can unlock the treasure chest of health, happiness, and success. In “5 minutes” you can be the locksmith of your destiny. It takes just “5 minutes” to change your psychology, alter your physiology, and transform you into the person that you were born to be. The only way to break a bad habit is simply to drop it. What we need to do is create healthy, happy, and positive habits. In just 5 minutes, a minimum of once a day, The 5 minute Motivator will provide the techniques that can literally transform your destiny. Imagine if success could be obtained in only 5 minutes!
Walt Disney said, “Your imagination creates your reality.” Close your eyes. Look into your subconscious, your inner eye. What do you see? Like an architect, you must create the blueprints of your life. Imagine you could be anywhere you wished—on an island, in the mountains, maybe even at sea. Transport yourself wherever you wish. Smell the air. Feel the sun and the wind. Hear the birds. See yourself smiling, at peace, and happy. Picture yourself as you want to be.
Now, I ask you: How did you get to this place? You put yourself there through your imagination. Visualization will create reality. With this realization, you have learned the first key to unlocking your inner dreams—your imagination will create your reality.
My wife and I came back from the dead. We looked death in the eye and said, “It’s not my time.” We have come to treasure life and our time on this planet. Life is for living, laughing, loving, and learning, not whining, worrying, and working.
Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.
Thomas L. Holdcroft
Chapter 1
Life is Difficult
M. Scott Peck, MD sold over five million copies of his book, The Road Less Traveled. What I remember most from reading this book are the first three words: Life is difficult. Is that a positive or negative thought, or is it just a fact? We must all recognize that success does not follow the path of least resistance, that words can be substituted for other words, and that words do not have to control our mindset. It’s the thoughts we create, the visions we apply while reading these words that define our lives and put up obstacles to that success.
In 5 minutes, or 300 seconds, you can control your mind and your life by accepting your circumstances and by changing your attitude.
My wife and I were completely paralyzed after cosmetic injections. We weren’t able to move a muscle in our bodies, not even to open our eyes. The doctors and nurses weren’t sure at times if we were alive or dead. Our prognosis was grim. Would we survive, and if we did, what condition we would be in? We were expected to live our lives in wheelchairs, possibly on ventilators. They advised us to change our lives and either sell our home or make it wheelchair accessible. We were facing difficult times ahead and we needed to find a way back to life, a road to recovery, a road to success, health, and happiness. We found it once we knew God would not abandon us in our time of need. We needed faith and we needed to work harder than we had ever worked. We needed to believe more then we have ever believed. It started daily during rehab with our mindset. All people have obstacles—even the President of the United States has obstacles—but change is about turning obstacles into challenges
Can we, transform “life is difficult” to “life is a challenge”? Of course we can. Life is full of challenges. Life is about choices. Every day we make choices. The key is to make the right choices. You can be a winner or a loser, happy or unhappy, healthy or sick, a victor or a victim, apt or inept, willing or unwilling, strong or weak. James Allen, author of the best-selling book, As A Man Thinketh, said, “A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses.” He also stated, “The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state...Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”
We must take the plunge into life. Life cannot consist of indecision and second-guessing. We must be more than average, average is defined as the best of the worst and the worst of the best! There is no middle ground in life. We must not be scared to be who we are or think what we think. We must not be frozen by our fears. These are the mortal enemies of spontaneous brilliance. We must not forsake our uniqueness to become a carbon copy of the Madonna’s and the Michael Jackson’s of the world. We must utilize our uniqueness, and through this uniqueness create spontaneity.
Without action, your dreams, goals, or plans will have little meaning to the world. The dreamers are the saviors of the world. As the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so men, through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations, are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers.
James Allen
Living and risking are very close companions. If you sense that you’ve made a good decision, have faith and move forward. A wise man once said, “If you put everything off until you are sure of it, you will get nothing done.” You don’t have to take life the way it comes to you. You have the ability to move away or to step back. You have the ability to set goals and to make affirmations. Life is for the living, and dreaming creates reality. What if Edison didn’t see the light, Morse didn’t hear the code, or Graham didn’t hear the bell? What if the Wright brothers were wrong? What if Galileo wasn’t a night owl? What if Columbus didn’t like to sail? What if Einstein didn’t like math or didn’t have the time?
By converting your dreams into goals and your goals into plans, you can design your life to come to you the way you want it. You can live your life on purpose instead of by chance. Allow yourself the freedom to grow and develop the habit of saying yes to your own potential. Take the time to think of all the reasons why you can, and why you will excel at something wonderful, because there will always be plenty of people around you to tell you why you can’t. It takes just “5 minutes” to dig in to your subconscious spirit—to your soul—and transform your being. You must have a positive thought for every day—an inner core, an inner saying, a mantra. A lack of opportunity is driven by a lack of vision. Go for the opportunity!
Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, and if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
James Allen
The road you choose in life will only be as strong and as powerful as your attitude. How you see the world is how the world will see you. Are you a positive person? Are you willing to spend “5 minutes” per day to change your life, to give yourself the life you have always dreamed of, the life you deserve? Or are you going to do the same thing, the same way and expect a different result? You were put on this earth to do something wonderful with your life. Your job is to find out what that wonderful thing is and then throw your whole heart into doing it extremely well.
One day a traveler was walking along a road on his journey from one village to another. As he walked he noticed a monk tending the ground in the fields beside the road. The monk said “Good day” to the traveler, and the traveler nodded to the monk.
The traveler then turned to the monk and said, “Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Not at all,” replied the monk.
“I am traveling from the village in the mountains to the village in the valley and I was wondering if you knew what it is like in the village in the valley?”
“Tell me,” said the monk, “What was your experience of the village in the mountains?”
“Dreadful,” replied the traveler, “to be honest I am glad to be away from there. I found the people most unwelcoming. When I first arrived I was greeted coldly. I was never made to feel part of the village no matter how hard I tried. The villagers keep very much to themselves; they don’t take kindly to strangers. So tell me, what can I expect in the village in the valley?”
“I am sorry to tell you,” said the monk, “but I think your experience will be much the same there”.
The traveler hung his head despondently and walked on.
Later that same day, another traveler was journeying down the same road and he also came upon the monk.
“I’m going to the village in the valley,” said the second traveler, “Do you know what it is like?”
“I do,” replied the monk “But first tell me, where have you come from?”
“I’ve come from the village in the mountains.”
“And how was that?”
“It was a wonderful experience. I would have stayed if I could, but I’m committed to traveling on. I felt as though I was a member of the family in the village. The elders gave me much advice, the children laughed and joked with me and people were generally kind and generous. I am sad to have left there. It will always hold special memories for me. And what of the village in the valley?” he asked again.
“I think you will find it much the same” replied the monk, “Good day to you”.
“Good day and thank you,” the traveler replied, smiled, and journeyed on.
In life, as the Monk revealed in the story above, your attitude will carry you from town to town, person to person, and situation to situation. Your attitude can be altered by simply altering your way of thinking. We’re all masters of our own thoughts, our own destiny. Our thoughts are the seeds to our actions, our actions are the seeds to our future. Plant your seeds of positive thinking daily and watch your dreams grow.
By seeing yourself the way you want to be, you can become this person. Spend “5 minutes” each day believing in yourself, believing that you can leap barriers and achieve your goals—that is the ticket to success. One of the most powerful tools for building self-confidence is visualization.
Once you decide what you want in life, simply visualize yourself having it. Visualization helps you use your mind and your natural creative imagination to actually manifest those things that you wish to achieve most in your life. This is a very powerful technique that for centuries has been proven to work.
To harness the power of visualizations you must truly believe in its amazing power to work in your life. If you don’t have true belief in your heart, you will sabotage any attempts you make toward achieving total success. With a positive mindset and a positive attitude you can bring about wonderful events in your life. However, if you call yourself stupid or say you are miserable or unlucky or use any such negative term or statement, you will begin to visualize those things and sure enough they will become true in your life. This book will take you on a journey to success “5 minutes” at a time. James Allen said, “Man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allow to run wild; but whether cutivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abudance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein and will continue to produce their kind.”
What you think about, comes about. People that think positive, that compliment themselves and expect good things to occur, are more likely to develop an image in their mind to match what they say to themselves. Affirmations are positive self-talk. We all talk to ourselves, so keep your self-talk positive, reassuring, and always expect the best out of every situation in life. Use self-talk and visualization with very strong emotions to create a vivid image of your goals in life as if they were already accomplished. The very act of visualization bringing about wonderful events in your life has occurred without you even being aware. You visualized yourself walking before you ever walked, you visualized yourself falling in love, before you ever fell in love. Some people call it coincidence, but there is no such thing as coincidence in this world. We are responsible for what happens to us throughout our lives.
Our brain and our mind are the most powerful forces on earth and the more we learn to use them to our positive advantage, the better our lives can be. You can change your circumstances and accomplishments in your life just by thinking about them and creating a true and strong, vivid images of what it is you desire.
My mantra is: Whatever it takes. The road to success is always under construction and in life there’s no free ride. This road to success often has many detours. But you can spend just “5 minutes”—only 300 seconds a day—visualizing whatever you want in life. Choose your dream job, car, relationship, house, or family. Each day, like an architect, design your dream life. Think about the materials you will need, the time it will take to build this life, the site of your new life. You are the architect of your dreams, your destiny.
Just imagine if God said, “Be the architect of your life. You can become whatever you design.” Now, realize you are. Life supplies us with all the tools, materials, and abilities that are needed. It’s now up to you to develop the blueprints and build your future. It takes as little as “5 minutes” to plant the seeds of success that will lead to a fruitful harvest of greatness that lies within your spirit. If you plant your dreams into your heart, spirit, and soul, their roots will anchor your vision and create your reality.
I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.
Golda Meir
Chapter 2
The Awakening
Join me as we enter my time machine and revisit the past. The mind is an amazing instrument, for it harbors the ability to turn the present into the past, the past into the present, or the present into the future. Today, let’s take “5 minutes” and take control of your present and move your success to the future, while we learn from the past.
The past is history, the future is a mystery, but this moment right here and right now is a gift, which is why we call it the “present.” Our goal in this chapter is to unwrap our gift and make use of our present, this moment, and the next “5 minutes.”
You see, once you started this chapter you opened my time machine. Whatever happened in your past is done and over with. Don’t hang on to bad memories, learn from the past and move on. You can’t undo your past, so once we accept it, we are able to move on and enjoy our “Present.” I’m sorry if someone hurt your feelings, but dwelling on the past will not help your future. Our future can be determined by our present mindset, what we think, feel and do right here, right now is the gift of life.
Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.
Ann Landers
Let me take you to the past and introduce you to Henry Ford. Henry Ford had very little schooling, yet he was a highly educated man because he acquired the ability to combine natural and economic premises and he understood the value of resources. He recognized that by masterminding with brilliant men, he had the ability to achieve anything he wanted. But, as often happens, there were always those who would steal his thunder or try to conform his unconformable spirit.
During World War I, Ford brought suit against the Chicago Tribune because that publication had called him an ignoramus, an ignorant pacifist. When the suit came to trial, the Tribune’s lawyers wanted to prove that Henry Ford was, in fact, ignorant. As the story goes, during cross-examination the question was asked, “How many soldiers did the British send over to subdue the rebellion of the colonies in 1776?” With a grin, Mr. Ford replied, “I do not know just how many, but I have heard it was a lot more than ever went back.” Of course, this brought raucous laughter to the courtroom and enraged the opposing counsel. This line of interrogation continued for more than an hour, with the defense attorneys asking meaningless questions designed to discredit Mr. Ford. The barrage of questions was obnoxious and insulting. Nevertheless, Ford sat calmly throughout the entire performance. Finally, he stood up and pointed a finger at the interrogating attorney and said, “If I should really wish to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any other that you have been asking, let me remind you that I have row of electric pushbuttons hanging over my desk. And, by placing my finger on the right button, I could call in men who could give the correct answer to all the questions that you have asked, and too many that you have neither the intelligence to ask, nor to answer. Now, sir, will you kindly tell me why I should bother filling my head with useless details in order to answer every foolish question that anyone may ask, when I have able men about me who can supply me with all the facts I want when I call for them?”
There was a silence in the courtroom. The questioning attorney’s jaw dropped as his eyes opened wide. The judged leaned forward and stared Ford directly in the eyes. The jury awoke as if an explosion had just occurred. And Henry Ford won his case. He proved to all that education comes with the development of one’s mind and the utilization and implementation of resources. No, he could not name the capitols of each state, but he taught the world that one man can intelligently use the knowledge possessed by another for his own gain. The man who embraces this understanding is as much or more educated as the man who merely possesses knowledge, but does not know what to do with it. Let us utilize our resources.
We live in a world filled with an abundance of resources. We are so concerned with the pursuit of wealth that we often fail to recognize how wealthy we already are. This is because many of us attribute our wealth to personal holdings (how big is my house, my property, my bank account, etc.). Yet, we don’t realize the many other resources we own. In this great country, we have the ability to go to parks, beaches, wilderness preserves—thousands of acres that we all own. Yes, in many of these national historic sites there is an entrance fee, but if you personally owned this property, what would your daily upkeep and taxes cost? What about libraries? What about the Internet? We live in a land with an abundance of knowledge in which we can access the best of the world’s minds, all in a matter of “5 minutes.” Our life is not defined by personal property or things. We are so consumed with selfish idealism that we forget the abundant realism that surrounds us. Life is not about yours and mine—life is about ours. Why buy an estate just to gate it off and isolate yourself from others? We work to accumulate possessions that we hoard, while life’s real treasures reside in abundance everywhere around us. “Public” means yours, mine, and ours. Why limit yourself to what you can buy then limit others to sharing?
Take “5 minutes” today, and every day forward, to enjoy the abundance that is yours. Take a walk on a beach or in a park. See a museum or visit a library. Realize as you visualize that the treasures of the world are at your fingertips, within your grasp. They are just “5 minutes” away!
Maxwell Maltz, the author of Psycho-Cybernetics, said that if you do something for 21 consecutive days, it becomes a habit. For example, if you read something positive for “5 minutes” every day for 21 days, it will become habit. Let’s spend the next “5 minutes” studying my ways to make every day a happy day.
“5 Minute” Ways to Have a Great Day Today
1. Wake Up “5 Minutes” Earlier Than Normal
Get up “5
minutes” before the alarm goes off and take the first “5 minutes”
for yourself. Exercise, meditate, set your daily goals, say your
affirmations, and hug your spouse or loved one and your family. Read
a poem, enjoy the sunrise. Spend “5 minutes” setting your goals.
Once we get busy and into our daily routine, there never seems to be
enough time in the day for ourselves.
2. Read, Listen and Watch Something Uplifting
We are
inundated by the media. Make positive choices with the books you read
and the shows you watch. Positive things in any form will uplift your
spirit. Read your affirmations and make this a daily “5 Minute”
habit. A great day does not begin with the negative news we see on
our televisions, listen to on the radio, or read in our newspapers.
Great days begin with great ideas, with great energy.
3. A Healthy Breakfast Will Start Your Day Off Right
I
start my day with a protein shake; it takes less than “5 minutes.”
(Go to my web site www.5minutemotivator.com
to learn more about my healthy living habits.) Lets start our day
with healthy foods in our body. Protein comes from the Greek word
proteus, meaning “of prime importance.” Think about the
energy our bodies need to perform on any given day. Life is not a
race, it’s a marathon. What would you need to eat and drink to win
it?
4. Awaken Your Winning Attitude
Your attitude is the first
choice you make every day. Spend your first “5 minutes” each day
awakening the winning attitude within yourself. Don’t let your
attitude come between you and your success. Be careful to keep it
positive all day long. A good attitude and a good smile will make for
a winning day.
5. Listen to Family and Friends
My father once said, “God
gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.” Listen to the people
around you because they’ll have a profound effect on how you get
through life. Our closest friends and family are our greatest
environmental influences. Make sure you have the best advisors you
can find and when you find them, listen.
6. Make the Most of Every Day
Start each day in a positive
way. When you get to your work, make it the best place to be not only
for yourself, but those around you. Learn to appreciate each every
second, every minute, every hour of every day. Make your work place a
happier place. So many of us go to work and never think about making
the office a fun and happy place. Raise the spirit of your office and
a raise is in your future, as well. Focus on your contribution. What
would it be like if you were not around? Make yourself irreplaceable.
Give 100% each and every day.
7. Always Remember the Walls Have Ears
Make a point of
speaking well of others. Wish others the best in life and they will
do the same for you. Remember, what goes around does come around.
Don’t talk negative about anyone. Try to understand them as
individuals and be aware of their life and their circumstances.
Practice being a support system to your friends and family and
co-workers. The world needs you.
8. Be Fair and Honest with Everyone
Honesty does make a
difference. Ethics goes a long way and you only have one name—make
it a good one. What you give to others is usually what you get from
others. Practice integrity that people can see, sense, and feel.
Always make a conscious effort to be aware of what you say and how
you say it. Tone goes a long way in communication. Learn to walk your
talk at all times. The more people trust you, the more of their time
they will trust with you.
9. Pace Your Energy to Last The Entire Day
Lets manage our
energy to last a full day. Be careful of unnecessary bursts of
energy, you don’t want to burn out to early in the day. The key is
to have something left over for your friends and family. Remember,
you’re not a candle, you have the ability to control the burn of
your light. Pace yourself and your energy throughout the day. By
spending “5 minutes” planning your entire day before you begin,
you’ll have what you need. Remember the old saying “look alive.”
10. Early To Bed Early to Rise
Develop the “5 Minute”
habit of reading positive material before you sleep. You can’t
succeed if you don’t read. Remember, throughout the day that life
is what we make it, day by day. Practice having the best day ever; it
adds up to a great life. And don’t forget #1—get up a half hour
early tomorrow to start your day in a positive way.
Let us turn these ways into habits. Remember, we either have good habits or bad habits. The best way to break a bad habit is to drop it. I know it will take hard work to master the secrets to health and happiness, but that is why you joined me on this journey and it’s worth the investment of “5 minutes” per day.
Seneca said, “It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.” The rough road you choose can lead you to greatness. Everyone would be wealthy if it were easy. But perhaps everyone is wealthy. Don’t be blinded by other people’s thoughts. Within every person lives a spirit, a desire, a mindset, a knowledge that you were put on earth for a reason. The Sanskrit calls it a Dharma. What was God’s purpose in putting you on earth? If God’s gift to man is life, then man’s gift to God is what he does with that life. You have a choice; a choice to move in any direction. Since you do have alternatives, choose only one direction—up.
Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Gandhi
Chapter 3
The Secret of Life
According to an ancient Greek story, a gathering of the gods took place on Mount Olympus when the world was young. Having created the earth, man, all the animals and birds, the creatures of the sea, flowers, plants, and all other living things, the gods still had one thing left to do. They had to hide the secret of life where it couldn’t be found until mankind had grown and evolved in consciousness to a point where they were ready for such wisdom and understanding. The gods argued back and forth over where to hide the secret of life. One said, “Let’s hide it on the highest peak of the highest mountain. Mankind will not find it there.” But another god responded, “We have created mankind with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and an insatiable curiosity and ambition. It’s because of these traits that he will eventually conquer the mountain and obtain the secret of life.” The gods continued to talk of mankind’s strengths and weaknesses, realizing that many times a person’s strength was derived from his or her weaknesses. They knew that mankind was born without the ability to climb; yet that weakness could be turned into strength because it could give the incentive to learn to climb. Man was not born knowing how to swim, a weakness. The ability to learn to swim was a strength.
“We should not underestimate the power of mankind,” one god said to another. And, they continued to dialogue and make suggestions until one god suggested, “We need to hide the secret in the deepest part of the deepest ocean.” To this another god responded, “That won’t work. We have designed mankind with unlimited energy; a boundless imagination, and a burning desire to seek, dream, and explore the world—to succeed at all costs. Mankind’s inherent ability to succeed will provide him with the ability to conquer even the greatest ocean depths.”
Finally, one of the gods came up with what he felt was the solution: “Let us hide this in the one place where mankind will never look. A place they will only come to when they have exhausted all other possibilities and are finally ready.”
“And where will that be?” the gods chorused.
Zeus stood up and replied, “We will hide it in the deepest part of the human heart. For mankind will not look there until he has truly evolved.”
And so they did.
Man’s quest for the secret of life spans 5,000 years of recorded history and has occupied some of the world’s wisest men and women, as well as some of the greatest leaders of all religions. The key that will unlock the vast treasure chest of greatness, lies deep within each person. We need to stop looking outside of ourselves for the answers, since all the answers of the universe lie somewhere within.
One unsettled man chose to enter into a journey, a quest. After looking around at what he had, he became more concerned with what he did not have. So he sold all his worldly possessions in search of the secret of life and flew to India. Upon arriving in India, the natives looked at the man and said, “How can we help you?”
The man said, “I am here to find the secret of life.”
And they pointed to a local mountain and said, “If you climb up that mountain and you ask to speak to the Maharajah Mukesh, he will tell you of the secret of life.”
So, the man picked up his gear and climbed the mountain. There, on top of the mountain in a shack surrounded by sheep, was a tattered old man whose eyes were illuminated by strength, not weakness.
The Maharajah looked at the man and asked, “How may I help you, my son?”
“I am here to learn the secret of life,” said the man.
“My son,” said the Maharajah, “you have traveled all this way to learn something you already know.”
The man looked at the Master and said, “Maharajah, if I knew the answer, I would not ask the question.”
“The answer, my son, is not complex,” answered the Master, “but it is something you must understand. The secret of life is I AM.”
The man was surprised and repeated, “I am?”
The Master looked into the traveler’s tired eyes and replied, “Yes, my son. I AM.”
The man became irritated and retorted, “Well, there has to be more to life than that! This is something that I already knew!”
The Master looked at the man and said, “But is it something that you believe?”
The man then declared, “You’re a phony,” and he left.
He went back down the mountain and found the man who had recommended that he seek the Master. The man fumed, “He was no visionary! He didn’t know the answer! Have you seen the way he lives? He lives amongst sheep in a broken-down shack with tattered clothes. This man could not know the secret of life!”
The guide looked at the man and responded, “There is only one master of equal knowledge. To see him you must travel a great distance. This journey will take ten days through the mountains, to the peak of the Himalayas.”
So the man hired a party and for ten days he traveled through the Himalayas. On the tenth day, the sun rose as they began their march, and on the slope of the mountain ahead, the man saw one of the most beautiful temples he had ever seen, a temple that sparkled of gold and silver. The closer he got to the temple, the more impressed he became with the magnificent dwelling. He walked in and asked to meet the Master. Soon, the Master came to meet the traveler. He had silver hair, his eyes shone, and he was surrounded by an aura of peace and contentment. When he spoke, his words were gentle: “My son, you have traveled a long way. How can I help you?” And the man replied, “I have come here to learn the secret of life.”