We had an assignment of reading Chapter 5 from the eBook - "Betting On Yourself".  Many Leaders Only List members responded with their input. Here are the jewels of information they discovered in this lost treasure.

Michael Dlouhy Writes

Michael  will share his learning on the call.

Associate with positive minded people, avoid the rest.

Lucky people expand their view because they are curious. A greater number of exposures to others increases the odds of having favorable "chance" encounters. I can improve my odds further by seeking and attracting those who will increase my WIN factor, and avoiding those who would decrease it. It comes down to the choices I make, the company I keep.

In any given situation Winners see POSSIBILITIES, while losers only see liabilities. Winners expect to win, while losers examine all the reasons why situations will get worse. Losers may wear the APPEARANCE of success, while winners live in the moment, practice delayed gratification, and follow their own inner voices with positive expectation.

I don’t get what I want, I get what I EXPECT.

Mary Trione Writes

Thanks so much for introducing me to this e-book. The lesson I learned was to beware of "posers/wannabes" that will sabotage your efforts. Surround yourself with powerful people who will support you in your vision. Be a possibility thinker and follow your heart rather than to believe the advice of liability thinkers. Be independent in thought and spirit for these characteristics will carry through when you want to quit. You will reflect and demonstrate the attitudes of those with whom you associate. Choose your associations carefully.

1. Winners focus on the evidence for the solution to problems.
2. When sharing with others, they focus on their own self confidence and self-esteem, while taking the search for the solution oriented approach.

This chapter has reminded me of how lucky I consider myself, how I have had a life governed by my instinct and to trust in them whole hardily again and to ignore what others think and say, unless they mirror my gut instincts!

Positive Expectancy + Faith x intuition = Massive Success
Life = Possibilities vs. Liabilities

I have always been lucky! Regardless of what I have been through, I have been blessed with much good and all could have been so much worse! My instinctive answer to 'What IS my life?' = A constant adventure of change that has traveled the spectrum of possibilities and realities that have not always met, yet still I love the beauty of each day and the gift of its infinite possibilities. The shades of green each leaf has as it moves in the breeze is amazing to me! God is Good!

Reading this chapter it jumped out at me that in our society children are being told off for curiosity. Curiosity is considered bad manners. I have observed that in the beginning all children are naturally curious – what a potential they would be having without this educational impact from an early age onwards. I guess I was considered a somewhat obstinate child – I didn’t let it happen that my curiosity was killed. I learned pretty soon to rephrase it as “interest” which of course was considered good. Being a person who openly speaks about her many interests seems to have saved me from many “wannabees”. I have always been a threat to laid back people who obviously by watching me realised their lack of interest. Of course many of them have tried to make an impact with expressing their fears and limitations. One more recent example – when I moved out after my divorce at the age of 52 I bought a semi finished house and “well meaning friends” actually asked me if it was worth while to do so at that age. I was so surprised that I answered I thought it to be worth while for the coming 40 years – there is no more contact with these “friends”.

Now that the house is finished the next stage is open envy by those who didn’t dare to speak up at the time – it is great to have found family by way of mentoring for free – such a blessing to be with like minded people. There is no point in maintaining friendships which drag you down. Those who are looking for like minded people too, share the joy of living and the ability to have future perspective.

There is a text which I have been carrying in my case for many, many years which has been a guide and life line in tough times:

The winner looks for the answers - The looser wails about the problem. The winner is always full of plans - The looser always has an excuse. The winner says “I will do this” - The looser says “this is not my job”. The winner has an answer to each problem - The looser sees a problem in each answer. The winner sees a blooming dessert - The looser expects a dessert behind a green hill. The winner says “it may be difficult, but it is possible” - The looser says “it is possible but it is too difficult”.

We must have our own positive emotions and thoughts. The more positive emotions we have the more positive our thoughts will be. When we have positive emotions and thoughts, we change our view of life. We have more anticipations, we look forward to the next great thing that we know is going to happen. When a negative situation or person comes into our life on any given day, we are better equipped to cope with what lays in front of us. We are more apt to find what is positive about the situation and leave alone what is negative. We learn to let go of what does not serve our higher self, which is the soul. And it is our souls which are in constant vibration with the universe. Learning to let go of what does not serve my higher self and finding the positive is my newest journey to greatness, learning this concept, and applying it and living it.

The universe does not care what vibration we send it, it just gives us back more of what we send it. So it is very important to have a loving vibration within us on both the human and soul level. It is equally important to mix those loving vibrations with the emotions and thoughts of what we want. But we must go one step further and feel and visualize what we are wanting, we already have it. What I mean is this: let's say you want a new rocking chair for your family room. Feel yourself in that rocking chair, feel everything that rocking chair is going to give to you when you sit in it, then see yourself in the rocking chair, in the exact spot you are going to put that rocking chair. In other words, experience the experience NOW of the rocking chair. This is what highly successful people do. They know what they want, they feel it and they visualize it and they know and believe what they are wanting, feeling and visualizing will become a reality. This is how life manifests itself for you. Whatever you ask, feel and think upon is exactly what the universe is going to give back to you. And, while your waiting for it to manifest have fun!

Winners attract good luck. Winners follow inner prompting. Winners never lose a battle and have self confidence. Winners do their own thinking and don't blame others. Winners use their time positive and productive. Winners live in a state of positive expectancy. They expect to win & do. When you talk to losers terminate conversations. Winners get what they expect.

Lawrence Bergfeld  Writes

What jumped out to me is this. I attract my own luck by associating with the people who want to go in the same direction as I want. I am clear to what I am asking. I use the information that I get. I avoid taking advice from people who are not in tune with me. I know exactly what to say and do. I have a list of people who I mastermind with mentally as if they were physically present in the situation and how would they respond. I never share with them anything because I do not want to depend on them. This one girl whom I have known since childhood complimented me on e-mail of my excellent memory after 16.5 years of not meeting her in person. It was about a memory that occurred with her back at school 18 years ago. She is now across the country but fact is. If I could remember one thing and that important feedback. Because of that one compliment it is making it easier for me to use other memories in situations that I come across. Because if we do not learn from history (our history that is) we can not move forward. The good thing about it is that people will see that I am someone who knows what he is talking about because none of us are mind readers and body language speaks louder than words.

I have been conscious of positive and negative people and how they effect me for many years. I have found that, unfortunately, I allow negative people to have more power over me than positive people. I believe myself to be a mostly positive person. What I found most interesting in this chapter was the idea of possibility thinking, which is even more positive and positive thinking.

It's 7 Am December 24 2009 I'm on the train going to work. It's still dark outside and it's snowing...In a way it's nice because it's the day before Christmas but in another way it's disgusting and I wish I was some place warm! But for right now let's focus on chapter 5! That chapter helped me realize that one of my only friends in Montreal that I thought was cool turns out to be an undercover loser! But I love this loser because he's always been their for me! But at the same time he is a dream crusher! Sadly I will have to distance myself from him slowly and respectfully! Some days I feel like life is empty and meaningless but after chapter 5 I look at my day differently and know in my heart that I will never be tossed out in the snow with nowhere to sleep because I trust the universal process! I expect success I will Never quite I'm always expecting things to be in my favor.

With this new gained knowledge I can look back and see some people (not many) who have influenced my life for the better, also there were some (still are) losers involved along the way trying to sway my thinking.

I need to continually look for positive thinking personalities that will improve my wining factor.

I need to cut short my relationship with and stay away from the loser type personalities; they only increase my loss factor.

For me the key lesson in this chapter is the significance of internalizing the fact that surrounding myself with possibility thinkers helps me to develop a better image of myself and in this way helps me to create a vision of my true potential. Only then can I move into the process of becoming the best I can possibly become.

By participating in the MFF system, I have been exposed, through the live skills calls and the various master mind groups, to an expanding of my thinking well beyond what I could have imagined on my own. The positive approach that I have found in this family of choice brightens my spirit and points me in the right direction through the interaction and sharing of knowledge and experience.

On the other hand, I see clearly in this chapter that surrounding myself with negative people will drag me into their web of negativity. Even when I am only a bystander and do not participate in the negativity that force is capturing my mind and unconsciously directing my decisions. It is my responsibility to daily seek out and surround myself with positive thinkers that I may become the person God intended for me to become.

Phil Sebastian Writes

I am going to go to the end of the chapter where it describes the life of a winner . He sees life as consisting of many opportunities to make the most of his time and to further his positive role in life to accomplish. He does not go through life with his mind clouded with this problem or that so that he misses opportunities...losers do that!

The bottom line in this chapter is to hang around the positive winners that can be identified by their positive behavior toward others and themselves and to disassociate with negative losers that will drag you off on their negative role and less than success in life.

I remember as a child seeing a penny on the ground and picking it up and people telling me different things about it. One being that I would receive good luck if I kept it when it was heads up.

I have always been a curious person. I remember doing things that I regretted because the "electrical shock" from the radio gave me a jolt and education. That in reality was a good thing. the danger came from when I listened to too many people that told me that it was bad and that other things were also bad so do not search out those things you are curious about. Now I find out that the curiosity is not a bad thing but in fact it will help me find the success I have sought after all these years.

On the good side I have set out on many occasions to learn and do those things which others said "can't be done" to the point that in some circles it was said, "If you want to see it done tell David he can't do it." That brought to me much education which I have allowed to overshadow the real me. One of curiosity and creation. You see I listened to those who just wanted me to know so they didn't have to. I was guilty of listening to those who considered me brilliantly crazy.

Listening to those with a negative or can't or lack attitude will only bring me down and keep me from allowing myself to succeed. You see it is a matter that Massive Success is in ME! The thing that I must do is to listen with creativity to those who tell me honestly that I am capable of doing it and are willing to stand with me as we show to the world how much we can do.

Maybe it is best described in the coin of my childhood. For You see it was said by some that If it was tails giving it to a friend would bring luck to both of us. The person it was given to and me. Maybe I need to pick it up and with gratitude give it to the friend only when it is heads turn it over so it always is heads before I pick it up. What I am saying is I truly control my success and by turning things over when others are being negative I will succeed. Especially with the thoughts and power of the mastermind that is continually supporting my success as I am theirs.

Michael Troyer Writes

I know what Dr. Anthony is talking about in this chapter. I get told all the time that what I am involved in is an internet scam. I try not to let these opinions effect me, but it is hard sometimes. I get my inspiration from the MFF calls especially the Mental Cleanse.

Growing up I was told the reasons why I couldn't do this or that by my dad and reasons I could do anything I set my mind to by my mom. One showed me to question my abilities and think of the barriers while the other shared their undying faith that I could do great things. It was confusing.

My dad grew up in the Great Depression. So everything had limits. Nothing was guaranteed. Funny though, my mother grew up in nearly the same time period with nearly the same economic opportunities and she believed that her children could be and do anything they wanted to. Now I'm learning to forge my way out of the limited, lack mind-set. Through surrounding myself with people who have faith in me and my talents and the untapped resources that I haven't even discovered yet, I'm learning to believe that I can do great things, and that that is my destiny. God has an unlimited supply of everything I have need of, whether it be strength, joy, peace, inventive thought, talents, and material things as well. He wants me to be a giver and I need to see myself as both intangibly and tangibly wealthy, in order to give to others. God is a giver and doesn't limit Himself or live in a lack mentality so I should not either. Hanging out with Him and with like-minded people will do wonders to change me into the successful person I know is in there somewhere screaming to get out and be all I'm called to. But I must let the reality of faith sink in and become part of me.

This chapter speaks about curious people, I believe he is speaking about the Blue personalities.

Increasing your win factor involves exposing yourself to new relationships, ones that are happy, healthy and positive in nature. Keeping your doors open to meeting new people that will influence you in a positive way. Associate yourself with people who are going where you want to go.

I also find myself telling my boy's they can be and have anything they want in life, helping them to dream big dreams. I can do this today because I have associated myself with "possibility thinkers." One of my mentors continually works on self development and suggests books to read and I read them. Why? Because I know that to reach Success, I have to read the books and find the answers to what holds me back from moving forward. They help me to understand life's challenges and rewards.

We know everything happens for a reason. We must learn to slow down enough to "LISTEN" to what is going on in OUR world. What is it that you want to happen in your day or life. If you become a good listener you will find the answers to what it is you are looking for.

There is a lot we can take from this chapter that will help us to associate with WINNERS in life. Decide today to associate yourself with Winners that will help you reach your Desires and Dreams.

Judit Regev Writes

I am now Betting On Myself! Did I do that all my life? No I did not. I had my excuses for my “Loser” way of thinking, as I did not realized there is another way. It use to hurt when I heard of other people's success and for that reason I was born into poverty way of thinking. I “knew” I will never have that success I so desire. You see, I did not wish for that success, I desired it. Even so my “logic” told me I couldn’t have it, I insisted that I will.

I had no idea how to do it until May 1999 when I read my First positive non novel book “Conversations With God” by Neale Donald Walsch. I took it to my hand as I had nothing else to do at the shop I was working in and the guy I worked with was a very bad influence. On my peace of mind, so I found a way to ignore him by reading a book I had no idea will change my life. For some reason this book made me chose the people I use to invite to my life, I started to associate only with those who have a positive way of thinking and still have some “wild” dreams to achieve. But. . . I didn’t send away those who had a hold of my weak side to tell me I can’t do or achieve my dreams, I kept those know it all around me like I had no idea that I do have the right to send them away.

It was a beginning of a process for me, Slowly by the years I did more for me, I had those around me to tell me I am wasting my time, those who said I’ll never be anything as I haven’t become till now, I’m too old to start. Only I had enough of poverty, enough of being nobody, enough of seeing good life only next door.

I had no one to guide me how to and what to do, I only had one friend who had a coffee shop next to the shop I worked in. We use to have long talks about the ways we can achieve our goals, only he in my mind already had it, he owned the coffee shop so for me he was rich. Now I know better.

When I joined Mentoring For Free as a new girl on the block, I thought to myself, “are those people for real”? Well, you know what I think now as I am one of you my friends, Yes we are for real! I “lost” many “friends” during the past almost a year and a half but I gained real friends. I am using your positive thoughts and energy, I am betting on myself as I am working my way to my future.