JUST THE BASICS: IF YOU ARE LIKE ME YOU HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT LAST MONTHS MESSAGE. WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT IS THAT OLD BORING WORD "GOALS". LONG BEFORE I EVER HEARD MY FIRST MOTIVATIONAL TAPE, WHEN I WAS A VERY YOUNG MAN, I WAS TOLD CONTINUOUSLY TO SET GOALS AND THAT GOALS CAUSE RESULTS. I TRIED TO IMPLEMENT GOALS OFTEN WITH LITTLE SUCCESS AND I FINALLY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE WAS MORE TO REACHING A GOAL THEN JUST SAYING I WANTED SOMETHING, BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS. LUCKY FOR ME, I WAS INTRIGUED BY THE IDEA THAT I COULD ACCOMPLISH THE THINGS IN LIFE THAT I WANTED BY JUST MAKING THEM MY GOALS. THROUGH THE FOLLOWING YEARS I FOUND MYSELF SEEKING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT GOALS AND POSITIVE THINKING. I STARTED TO COME ACROSS WRITINGS FROM MARK TWAIN, MARCUS AURELIUS, PLATO, SHAKESPEARE AND THE BIBLE THAT SUGGESTED THAT THE IDEA OF SETTING GOALS HAD BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND SEEMED TO WORK. I STARTED LOOKING FOR PROOF THAT SETTING YOUR COURSE TOWARD A DESTINATION WOULD BRING YOU TO YOUR GOAL OR DESTINATION WITH SOME DEGREE OF ACCURACY. THERE WERE PLENTY OF BOOKS FILLED WITH EXAMPLES OF GOALS BEING REACHED. WITH ALL THE EXAMPLES IN FRONT OF ME I STILL HAD QUESTIONS. WAS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE EXAMPLES PEOPLE WERE TELLING ME ABOUT WERE CASES OF, ONCE THEY BECAME SUCCESSFUL THEY REARRANGED THEIR HISTORY TO FIT THE GOAL PROFILE? OR WERE THEY JUST FULL OF HOT AIR? KNOWING THAT ONCE YOU SET A GOAL YOU MUST NOT QUIT ON IT FOR ANY REASON (READ LAST MONTHS MESSAGE, WE WILL ALSO TALK FURTHER ON DISCIPLINE IN UP COMING MESSAGES) I WANTED TO KNOW MORE. I DECIDED TO STOP LOOKING IN BOOKS AND START LOOKING FOR EXAMPLES AND CONCENTRATE ON FINDING PROOF. I WANTED TO FIND SITUATIONS THAT WOULD BE RE-OCCURRING AND INDISPUTABLE. I LOOKED FOR PROOF THAT THERE WAS A FORCE SURROUNDING A GOAL THAT WOULD DRAW A PERSON TO IT. I BELIEVED IT EXISTED, BUT FOR ME TO TURN MY FUTURE OVER TO A CERTAIN PATH I NEEDED TO KNOW MORE. MY FATHER WAS AN AVID OUTDOORSMAN AND PASSED THIS LOVE OF NATURE ON TO ME, FOR WHICH I WILL ALWAYS BE THANKFUL. ONE DAY I TOOK MY DOG FOR A WALK IN THE WOODS AND IT WAS THERE THAT I CAME ACROSS AN IDEA OF WHERE I MIGHT FIND THE ANSWERS I NEEDED. AT THE TIME (1974) OUR ECONOMY WAS SUFFERING AND I THOUGHT OF THE MANY PEOPLE I KNEW OF WHO WERE SUFFERING. I ALSO REMEMBERED PEOPLE WHO WERE DOING QUITE WELL. MY MIND BOUNCED AROUND FROM THOUGHT TO THOUGHT, UNTIL IT CAME ACROSS A MAN THAT I WORKED WITH. HE WAS FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY AND WAS QUITE WELL OFF. HE HAD BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY FOR 10 YEARS AND ALTHOUGH HE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WITH LITTLE MONEY HE NOW OWNED A 4 FAMILY HOME AND A 2 FAMILY HOME THAT HE LIVED IN. HIS GOAL AS HE TOLD IT WAS TO OWN A 2 FAMILY, 4 FAMILY, AND TO OWN A ONE FAMILY FOR HIMSELF. THIS TO ME WAS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE POSSIBLY REACHING A GOAL AND NOT PROOF THAT GOALS WORK. BUT THEN IT HIT ME THIS COULD BE THE PROOF I WAS LOOKING FOR! IF IT WAS, I HAD A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF ME, BUT WHEN I WAS FINISHED I MAY HAVE THE ANSWER AND BE ABLE TO SET MY COURSE AND ACHIEVE MY GOALS. I ASKED EVERY IMMIGRANT I COULD FIND ABOUT THEIR LIFE AND I KEPT HEARING THE SAME THING. THERE WERE SMALL VARIATIONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING. EVERY IMMIGRANT WHO OWNED PROPERTY HAD THE SAME STORY. I HAD MY PROOF, FINALLY AFTER YEARS OF SEARCHING I WAS SURE, IF I SET GOALS AND WORKED TOWARDS THEM I WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL. THE PROOF: HERE IS THE PROOF THAT CONVINCED ME AND STARTED ME ON THE ROAD TO FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INDEPENDENCE. THE SUCCESSFUL IMMIGRANTS I INTERVIEWED ALL HAD ONE THING IN COMMON; THEY ALL USED WHAT WE CALL SUGGESTIVE VISUALIZATION (PART OF LAST MONTHS MESSAGE) . ONLY THEY CALL IT DREAMING. WHEN THEY WERE IN THEIR COUNTRY THEY WOULD HEAR STORIES OF AMERICA AND THE RICHES TO BE FOUND. THEY WOULD HEAR THAT A MAN AND A WOMAN COULD BECOME PROPERTY OWNERS AND HAVE A BIG ONE FAMILY HOUSE, A 2 FAMILY AND A 4 FAMILY. THE CHILDREN LAID IN BED IN THE ROOM NEXT TO THE KITCHEN AND HEARD THE STORIES BEING PASSED BETWEEN FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE PARENTS SMILED AT ONE ANOTHER AT THE END OF THE DAY BOTH THINKING SOON, VERY SOON. THEY SAW THESE HOMES WHEN THEY LAID THEIR HEADS DOWN AT NIGHT BEFORE THEY FELL A SLEEP. IN THEIR MINDS EYE THEY SAW THEIR MOTHER AND FATHER AND ALL OF THEIR FAMILY GATHERING AT THEIR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. THEY COULD SMELL THE DIFFERENT AROMAS AS THEIR LOVED ONES SAT AND PREPARED TO BREAK BREAD TOGETHER. THEY WATCHED OUT THE WINDOW AS THEIR CHILDREN PLAYED IN THE BACKYARD IN FREEDOM AND SAFETY. THEY FELT DEEPLY MOVED AND THANKFUL FOR ALL THEY WERE SEEING, FEELING AND HEARING. YOU SEE TO THEM THEY WANTED THIS SO BADLY THEY COULD FEEL THE WARMTH OF FAMILY, SMELL THE FOODS AND HEAR THE CHILDREN AT PLAY, THEY WERE ALREADY THERE. AS FOR THEIR INVESTMENT PROPERTIES THE DREAM WHEN THEY CLOSED THEIR EYES AT NIGHT THEY SAW THEMSELVES WALKING THROUGH THEIR 2 AND 4 FAMILY RENTAL PROPERTIES, SHOWING THEM TO PERSPECTIVE TENANTS. THEY FELT THE SUN BEATING DOWN ON THEIR BACKS WHEN THEY CUT THE LAWN. THEY COULD SMELL THE PAINT AND THE CLEANING SOLUTION AS THEY MAINTAINED THE PROPERTIES. IN THEIR MINDS THEY ALREADY OWNED THESE PROPERTIES. OK, YOU SAY THAT IS NOT PROOF IT COULD BE JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A SUCCESSFUL MANS STORY AND STORIES ARE JUST THAT, STORIES NOT FACT. THE FACTS: MOST OF OUR SOCIETY HIDES FROM THE FACTS. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING THE FACTS USUALLY MEANS YOU MIGHT HAVE TO ABANDON YOUR POSITION ON LIFE. IF YOU DID THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADMIT YOU WERE WRONG, NOBODY LIKES TO BE WRONG. WHAT MOST OF US DO IS TAKE A POSITION, HOLD THAT POSITION AND LET OUR PREJUDICES SERVE TO KEEP US DOWN AND THEY DO. WELL HERE IS THE FACT THAT CHANGED MY LIFE AND OPENED THE FLOOD GATES OF GOOD FORTUNE FOR ME. I HOPE IT WILL HELP YOU. WHEN THESE PEOPLE CAME TO AMERICA WE KNOW THAT FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES THEY HAD BEEN DREAMING ABOUT A SPECIFIC GOAL. WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHETHER THEY KNEW IT OR NOT THEY WERE USING SUGGESTIVE VISUALIZATION. THE PICTURE THEY SAW IN THEIR MINDS EYE WAS OF 2 HOUSES, 3 HOUSES OR 5 HOUSES IT WAS DEFINITIVE AND CLEAR AND ALREADY THEIRS. DURING MY INTERVIEWS I FOUND THAT WITHIN A FEW YEARS OF ARRIVING IN THE UNITED STATES THEY REACHED THEIR GOAL. THEY OWNED THE HOUSE AND/OR HOUSES THEY DREAMED ABOUT IN THE OLD COUNTRY. NOW FOR THE PROOF I HAVE BEEN PROMISING YOU. THESE IMMIGRANTS CAME OVER WITH LITTLE OR NO MONEY AND COULD NOT SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. YET WITHIN A SHORT TIME AND AT A YOUNG AGE REACHED THEIR GOAL. PROOF, NOW IN POSSESSION OF EQUITY, CREDIT, CASH AND A COMMAND OF THE LANGUAGE THEY WENT NO FURTHER. YOU SEE WHEN THEY ARE 50, 60, 70 OR 80 YEARS OLD THEY STILL ONLY HAVE WHAT THEY VISUALIZED. THEY HAD ALL THE ABILITY TO GROW FINANCIALLY, BUT WENT NO FURTHER. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO EXPAND THEIR EMPIRE NOW THAT THEY WERE ESTABLISHED AND OWNED PROPERTY IN AMERICA, BUT THEY DID NOT. THEY BECAME WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT AND NO MORE. YOU SEE IT WASN'T THAT THEY WERE SMARTER OR HAD MORE SKILLS THAN THE PERSON WHO IS NOT SUCCESSFUL. THEY WERE PROGRAMMED TO REACH THE PICTURE THEY SAW NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, DAY AFTER DAY AND THEY THOUGHT ONCE THEY GOT TO AMERICA IT WOULD BE THEIRS. HAD THEY VISUALIZED MORE THEY WOULD HAVE ACHIEVED IT. TO THIS DAY I STILL HEAR UNSUCCESSFUL PEOPLE SAYING THAT THE IMMIGRANTS CAME INTO THIS COUNTRY WITH MONEY AND THAT IS HOW THEY GOT AHEAD. THE UNSUCCESSFUL PEOPLE SAY IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT ANY OTHER WAY, JUST LOOK IN TODAY'S NEWSPAPER, THINGS ARE TOUGH, BULL. MAYBE THE IMMIGRANTS HAD ANOTHER GREAT ADVANTAGE BESIDES THE DREAM. THEY COULD NOT READ OUR NEGATIVE NEWSPAPERS (REMEMBER THE NOVEMBER MESSAGE ABOUT THE NEWSPAPER / NEWS). SO THEY CREATED THEIR OWN POSITIVE WORLD WHILE WE WALLOWED IN OUR SELF IMPOSED INFORMED IGNORANCE. IF WE WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES, THE LIVES OF THOSE WE LOVE AND ADD TO OUR COMMUNITY, IT MAY BE TIME TO ADMIT THE FACTS ARE RIGHT AND ACCEPT A CHANGE. GOALS THAT ARE WORKED PROPERLY WORK. WHAT IS YOUR GOAL AND HOW DETERMINED ARE YOU TO REACH IT? WHAT WILL YOU SACRIFICE TO REACH YOUR GOAL? IS YOUR GOAL IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO WORK WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE OFF? CAN YOU NOT TURN ON THE TV, BUT INSTEAD READ A BOOK THAT WILL HELP BRING YOU CLOSER TO YOUR GOAL? ONCE YOU HAVE A GOAL AND NEW INFORMATION TO GO FORWARD WILL YOU GO AFTER YOUR GOAL WITH CONVICTION, DISCIPLINE AND PERSEVERANCE? OR WILL YOU JOIN THE RANKS OF THE KNOW IT ALL'S WHO SPEND THEIR DAY LOOKING FOR REASONS WHY THEY ARE FAILING? IT IS EASY TO ANSWER THESE QUESTION CORRECTLY, BUT NOT QUITE AS EASY TO FOLLOW THROUGH. THAT IS WHERE THE DISCIPLINE COMES IN. IF YOU WANT A BETTER LIFE YOU MUST TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. SETTING A GOAL AND STICKING WITH IT NO MATTER WHAT, IS NOT EASY. REMEMBER, I SAID NO MATTER WHAT. FROM TIME TO TIME YOU WILL FEEL WITH EVERY FIBER OF YOUR BODY THAT TO CONTINUE ON YOUR PATH TOWARDS YOUR GOAL IS A MISTAKE. YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS WORRYING ABOUT WHAT IS NOT HAPPENING FOR YOU. THOSE FEELINGS ARE SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN DON'T GIVE INTO THEM, DON'T COMPLICATE YOUR GOAL. KEEP IT SIMPLE AND DON'T LOOK BACK, LOOK AHEAD. REMEMBER WHAT YOU LEARNED IN OTHER MESSAGES. YOU MUST HAVE ONE GOAL, NOT A SERIES OF GOALS. YOU CAN ONLY GO ONE PLACE AT A TIME AND GO NOWHERE ELSE UNTIL YOU GET TO YOUR FIRST GOAL. KEEP IT SIMPLE. IF YOU REACH YOUR GOAL YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU WANT. IF YOU TRY AND REACH SEVERAL GOALS YOU WILL NEVER REACH ANY.

See you soon.

As you know this is a series. We have been asked to make the previous issues available. If you will send us a stamped, self addressed legal envelope and $3.00 (three dollars), we will send you copies of the earlier messages. Send it to OIL BUTLER INTERNATIONAL, 1599 RT. 22, UNION, NJ 07083.