We have all grown up in an age where exploration into dramatic new territory has become routine. We have had people travel into space to live for short periods of time. We have sent people to explore the moon. We have built machines to take people under the ocean to live and work. And we have even built machines, as extensions of ourselves, to go to places where we could not go physically and send back pictures and other data.

There is another arena that it is possible for us to explore - one that we can do personally. It requires a “risk taker” mentality and an adventurous spirit, and I want to give you instructions on how to get there. I am going to take you on a philosophical journey beyond yourself. This may seem a bit esoteric and mysterious, but humor me for a moment.

Begin by getting for yourself a clean sheet of white paper. Now, take a pencil and draw a small dot in the middle of it. For our purposes here, that dot represents something very important about you. It is the sum total of your entire life.

Now for most people, what the dot represents, and the territory inside the dot, is the most important thing there is. It represents their life, their understanding of reality, and all of their experience.

But there is something else on the page with the dot. Look at all of the white space. The white space represents your potential. This is where you could explore if you had a mind to. It represents all of the knowledge you don’t have, all of the experiences you have never had, all of the people you don’t know, and all of the activities you have never done.

But most people don’t ever spend much time and effort probing outside of the dot. Perhaps as many as 95% of the entire population of the planet are satisfied to live in their dot. Now, certainly, as life is lived, the dot expands some. Everyone learns new things and experiences new experiences in the course of their lives and this naturally expands the dot. But it is a relatively insignificant expansion compared to what is possible. For most people there is no intentional activity that they create to expand the dot. It just, sort of, happens.

But, this need not be the case. It is possible to blast out of the dot in every direction and create a life that explodes with new knowledge, relationships, activities and experiences all the time. But, it doesn’t just happen. This kind of life must be crafted and intentionally lived. It requires expending energy and effort, which few are willing to do.

Five Steps for Expanding Your Dot

So, how is it possible to get on this journey? There is a simple five step formula that you can use to begin this journey.

1. Hopefully the dot exercise has helped you take this first step. Beginning the journey starts with a realization. You have to realize that the possibility exists to grow beyond where you are. Once you realize the possibilities, you can begin to do things to make changes.

2. Realization means nothing if you don’t care. The second step is ramp up the desire to expand your universe. Many people are quite content to go to the same job year in and year out, then come home after work, grab a TV dinner and sit in front of the TV until time to go to bed - and do it all over again the next day.

3. Once you have the desire to explore new avenues of life, you then have to figure out, specifically, what you want to explore. There are a lot more possibilities than any one person could ever personally conquer. So the third step is to do an analysis and make a decision. Where is your life now and in what areas do you need, and want, to grow beyond where you currently are.

4. The fourth step is to make a plan. There are specific steps that have to be taken to accomplish whatever it is you choose to do. You may have to study or practice or work out or make some new relationships. In other words, you have to begin to intentionality figure out what you have to do to walk your new path.

5. The final procedure in the process is to work your plan. This is not a one step or even a one dimensional process. It will take time and effort. It will take re-evaluation and adjustments. But, it has to be played out in life if your dot is going to expand.

There’s the Door

Your dot is your life. There is no way that I, or anyone else for that matter, can expand your dot for you. If you want it to be bigger, you have to do the work.

There is something that I can do though, and that is to point you toward the door. It is the door to greater significance than your life has ever known. It is the door to more excitement. It is the door to more purpose and meaning. It is the door to more knowledge and experience. But, you have to walk through it yourself. No one can do it for you. You can get guidance, insight and encouragement from a lot of places, but you have to walk your own walk. Begin now! Expand your dot.

About The Author

Dr. Freddy Davis is the owner of TSM Enterprises and conducts conferences, seminars and organizational training for executives, managers and sales professionals to help develop greater effectiveness and productivity. He is the author of the book Supercharged! as well as the Nutshell Series of books for strengthening business. You can visit the TSM website at www.tsmenterprises.com, or you can contact Freddy directly at 888-883-0656 or davis@iname.com.

davis@iname.com

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With the release of the new movie, the popularity of Superman is growing. I don’t think he ever went away, but it’s now becoming easier to find superman items in the store. This should make your job of finding birthday party supplies extremely easy.

As mentioned above, finding supplies featuring Superman shouldn’t be difficult. Use the following mostly as a checklist for your little guy’s next birthday party.

- Cake
Most cake decorators will have several different Superman layouts. If you are making your own, you should be able to easily find a small toy to place on top.

- Ice Cream
A simple item which needs little additional information. Regular ice cream should work for a Superman party.

- Plastic Forks and Spoons
Superman’s colors are red and blue, so purchase these colors if possible. If you already have some left over from last year, this will work too. Keep in mind red is also the color of Spiderman!

- Plates and Napkins
These should feature Superman if possible, but go with red and blue if you must.

- Decorations
Streamers and balloons should be in red and blue only, or Superman specific if possible.

- Invitations
These MUST feature Superman if you are planning a Superman theme. If you can’t find any, let your son make his own. Save one invitation for your scrapbook to remember the special day!

Don’t forget to get your little superhero involved in the party. After all, it’s HIS special day!

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Day traders quickly buy and sell stocks during the day, hoping
their stocks will continue climbing or falling in value for the
seconds to minutes they own the stock. This allows them to lock
in quick profits. Day traders usually buy on borrowed money,
hoping that they will reap higher profits through leverage.

Day trading, however, can be highly risky. Most individual
investors don’t have the wealth, time, or temperament to make
money and sustain the devastating losses that day trading can
bring.

Here are some of the facts that every investor should know:

-Be Prepared For Severe Financial Losses

Day traders typically suffer severe financial losses in their
first months of trading. Many never graduate to profit-making
status.

Given these outcomes, it’s clear: you should only risk money you
can afford to lose. Never use money you’ll need for daily living
expenses, retirement, or take out a second mortgage, or use your
student loan money for day trading.

-Day Traders Don’t “Invest”

They sit in front of computer screens and look for a stock that
is either moving up or down in value. They want to ride the
momentum of the stock and get out of the stock before it changes
course. They don’t know for certain how the stock will move, but
they’re hoping that it’ll move in one direction, either up or
down in value.

True day traders don’t own any stocks overnight because of the
extreme risk that prices will change radically from one day to
the next, leading to large losses.

-Day Trading Is a Stressful and Expensive Full Time Job

You must watch the market continuously during the day at your
computer. It’s extremely difficult and demands great
concentration to watch dozens of ticker quotes and price
fluctuations to spot market trends.

You’ll also have high expenses, paying your firms large amounts
in commissions, for training and computers. You should know up
front how much you need to make to cover expenses and break
even.

-Day Traders Borrow Money Heavily Or Buy Stocks On Margin

Borrowing money to trade in stocks is always a risky business.
Day trading strategies demand using the leverage of borrowed
money to make profits.

This is why many day traders lose all their money and may end up
in debt as well. You should understand how margin works, how
much time you’ll have to meet a margin call, and the potential
for getting in over your head.

-Check Out Day Trading Firms With Your State Securities
Regulator

Like all broker-dealers, day trading firms must register with
the SEC and the states in which they do business. Confirm
registration by calling your state securities regulator, and ask
if the firm has a record of problems with regulators or their
customers.

You can find the telephone number for your state securities
regulator in the government section of your phone book, or by
calling the North American Securities Administrators Association
at (202) 737-0900. NASAA also provides this information on its
website at http://www.nasaa.org/QuickLinks/ContactYourRegulator
.cfm.

Just like anything else in life with potentially great rewards,
there’s risk involved with day trading. Just make sure you’re in
the right mindset and armed with sound information before you
through yourself headfirst into buying and selling stocks.

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