Rise to the Stars is one of those small things that can make a big difference in your life, if you take it seriously. We're all busy, we all have 101 better things to do than to sit in silent reflection for five or ten minutes a day-- or do we? This aptly termed Daily Focus Book for Network Marketing Entrepreneurs suggests that taking that five or ten minutes can have a transformative effect on the way you view and build your business. After checking it out, I have to say I agree with them.

With its built-in stand, Rise to the Stars is made to rest on your desk, or wherever you'll see it most prominently. It's bound so that you can flip the pages over the top as each day passes-- it also conveniently starts with Day 1, rather than January 1, 1999, so that you can get started on any day of the year. You can also start over from the beginning after the year is done.

Each page features a Quote of the Day, a Question of the Day, and an Affirmation of the Day. Authors Tricia Seymour and Rusty Barrier encourage you to read the quote, and then spend a few moments contemplating what it means for you. Then, read the question and write it down in a notebook-- "to make it tangible"-- and again, take a few moments to contemplate the answer.

Finally, read the affirmation once to yourself and then aloud. Write it down on a piece of paper and carry it with you throughout the day.

Here's two examples:

Daily Focus 31

Quote:
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. -- John Wooten

Question:
Am I willing to learn from the "beginners" in my downline?

Affirmation:
I am open and receptive to new ideas even if they aren't my normal way of doing things.

Daily Focus 55

Quote:
My experience with people is that they generally do what you expect them to do. -- Mary Kay Ash

Question:
What am I expecting from my business associates? Am I willing to expect the same from myself?

Affirmation:
I expect and experience great things from myself and my business associates.

My cover-to-cover evaluation is: the quotes are strong, the questions are insightful, and the affirmations hit home. A year of taking the time to focus every day would benefit all of us, and Rise to the Stars gives new and experienced Networkers the "what to focus on" to move a business forward. Highly recommended! --UO

The Eight Keys to Becoming Wildly Successful and Happy

by Harry A. Olsen, Ph.D.

Don't judge this book by its cover. Unlike some personal development genre writers who burst on the scene declaring they've finally figured out the secret of success, Harry Olsen takes a different approach. He recognizes the wealth of information that's available, and along with some ideas of his own, sets out, as he puts it, to make "this century's self-help literature come alive and work for you."

I like this book for two reasons particularly. One, Olsen has a Networker's view of the world. "Networks," he predicts, "will dominate the business and social world of tomorrow. . . . Community will no longer be just geographically defined. Truly who you know may count as much as what you know. It is from out of our networks that tomorrow's greatest opportunities will arise." A book written from this perspective is one that suits our industry.

The second reason I like this book is that it
focuses on the process of self-transformation. The first four keys relate to who and what we are; the last four to what we do. While some writers tend to oversimplify, Olsen has some valuable insights about subtle issues that might not get more than a sentence or two in another book-- the real difference between the quest for superiority and the quest for significance; cues that your ego is
dominating your decision-making; personal power and respecting boundaries; to name a few.

Each chapter includes exercises to help make what you've read real, and there are over 100 in the whole book, from things to do physically, to mental visualizations, to subtle shifts in the way you think. You want your highlighter handy reading this book-- Olsen comes at you fast from page one, and you'll want to be able to go back for a double-take.

One more thing-- I like this book for including the following quote (if you're not an Emerson fan, become one):

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you're ready for some new personal growth challenges, I recommend The Eight Keys. -- UO

http://www.isbn.nu/sisbn/self%20help%20success

Ordering info: 410-581-0817

I must confess, I picked this book up with a bit of skepticism. Although I have proven the power of affirmations and formal goal-setting in my own life, I generally find the affirmations in published collections to be, well, pretty corny.

My doubts were eliminated 20 pages into the book. Alexandrov is a true student of affirmations that work, and that makes him an excellent teacher. There is a prodigious amount of model affirmations included which are well-written and powerful. In fact, they are the affirmations that Alexendrov has used in his own life.

Affirmations of Wealth begins with a concise but thorough introduction to the why and how of affirmations. It's suitable to educate someone who has no experience with affirmations, though it will not on its own convert the unbelieving. If you are an experienced "affirmer," you may find this section a bit repetitive but will likely pick up some subtleties that will hone your skills and improve your results.

The bulk of the book is made up of the sample affirmations, each of which is complimented by a narration and "Wisdom for today." There are a 101 in all, hence the subtitle "101 Secrets of Daily Success." Some deal specifically with monetary wealth, but most are aimed more generally at attaining wealth of the spirit and a successful life. A few examples:

• "I am persistent in my beliefs and actions."
• "I habitually give more than I get."
• "I seek integrity and justice in my personal and
  business dealings."

Alexandrov is a religious man and includes references to God in many of his affirmations and narrations. He explains in his introduction that he is not advocating any particular religion and encourages his readers to write their own affirmations to fit their own beliefs and situations.

On my own bathroom mirror is a posted list of affirmations. I learned some things and will be adopting versions of a few of Alexandrov's affirmations, especially those centering around eliminating procrastination. I would recommend this book to anyone who expresses a desire to create successful actions and habits in their life and business.

In practice, this is not the type of book I would want distributors in my organization to read first, but as they reach the beginning leadership levels, the skills Affirmations of Wealth fosters are essential. -- Luke Melia

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Reprinted with permission from Upline, Reviews and Recommends-March 1999, 888-UPLINE-1, http://www.upline.com

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