One of the key principles of The No Complaining Rule is that we have a choice of how we invest our energy at home and at work. We can focus on the negative or the positive. We can focus on problems or use problems to create solutions. And we can focus on sharing positive energy or negative energy. It’s all about our intention, our focus and our habits. Bad habits create bad results and good habits create good results. And since one of the best ways to stop a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit, here are 5 positive things we can do each day instead of complain.

5. Pray and Meditate. Scientific research shows that these daily practices reduce stress; boost positive energy; and promote health, vitality, and longevity. When you are faced with the urge to complain or you are feeling stressed to the max, stop, be still, plug-in to the ultimate power, and recharge.

The most important thing you do for your success is to take control of the suggestive elements in your environment. Be sure that what you are seeing and listening to is consistent with the goals you want to achieve.

Listen Your Way to Success
Listen to educational audio programs in your car. The average person drives 12,000 to 25,000 miles per year which works out to between 500 and 1,000 hours per year that the average person spends in his or her car. You can become an expert in your field by simply listening to educational audio programs as you drive from place to place.

Take Courses in Your Field
Attend seminars given by experts in your field. Take additional courses and learn everything you possibly can. Learn from the experts. Ask them questions, write them letters, read their books, read their articles and listen to people with proven track records in the area in which you want to be successful.

Get Around the Right People
Associate only with positive, success-oriented people. Get around winners. As we say, fly with the eagles. You can’t fly with the eagles if you keep scratching with the turkeys. Get away from the go-nowhere types and above all, get away from negative people. Get away from negative coworkers. If you’ve got a negative boss, seriously consider changing jobs. Associating on a regular basis with negative people is enough in itself to condemn you to a life of underachievement, frustration and failure. Associate only with positive people. Get around winners.

Visualize Your Goals
The last thing before you sleep and the first thing in the morning, think about and visualize your goals as realities. See your goal as though it already existed. Your subconscious mind is only activated by affirmations and pictures that are received in the present tense. See your goal vividly just before you go to sleep. See yourself performing at your best. See the situations that you’re facing working out exactly the way you want them to.

Feed Yourself Mental Pictures
See yourself living the kind of life that you want to live. See yourself with the kind of relationships, the kind of health, the kind of car, the kind of home you really want. Visualize just before you fall asleep at night. The first thing you do when you get up in the morning is to feed yourself mental pictures. Those are the two times of the day when your subconscious mind is most receptive to new programming, when you fall asleep and when you wake up.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do, all day long, to keep your mind and emotions focused on your goals and financial success:

First, listen to audio programs in your car and when you travel around. Continue feeding your mind with a stream of high-quality, educational, motivational material that moves you toward your goal.

Second, resolve to associate with positive, optimistic people most of the time. Get around winners and get away from negative people who criticize, condemn and complain. This can change your life as much as any other factor.

The young boy, the young girl, says, “Someday when I get out of school, move away from home and start to college, I’m really going to have fun, I’ll be happy and life will be great.” The college student says, “Someday when I graduate, get my degree, get a job, my own apartment, I’ll be happy and am really gonna’ live!” The young couple says, “When we get moved into our new home, get that promotion and join the Country Club, we’ll really be happy and life will be so good.” Mother and father say, “Someday, when those kids get out of school and we get this place paid off, we’re really gonna’ be happy and truly enjoy life.” The accountant says, “When tax season’s over…”; the teacher says, “When school’s out…”; the farmer says, “When the crops are in…”; the technician says, “When this program’s completed…”; the engineer says, “When this job’s done…”; the speaker/entertainer says, “When this tour’s finished…”; the candidate says, “When I’m elected…”; the coach/player says, “When the season’s over…”; the statistician says, “When all the numbers are in…”; the health minister says, “When I see what the others are gonna’ do…”; … ad infinitum. The older couple says, “Someday when we retire, we’re really gonna’ enjoy life, do all those things we’ve been wanting to do but never seemed to take time to do…we’re gonna’ be happy ‘n have a good time then!”

On the way out, they look back longingly and say, “Wow! If only I had it to do over again, I’d have gone barefoot to school in the spring like Billy Bob did… ‘n slipped off to the creek with Ralph Raymond and Joe Day to go swimming after school like they did. If only I hadn’t gotten married so young, I’d have gone to Alaska with Ed, Kendall and Pete… what fun that would have been! If only I’d borrowed the money, taken the chance, and developed that idea of mine into a business like Ed did instead of taking a job with the Grist Mill because of the security they offered, two weeks vacation with pay each year… a company car and expense account… an insurance program… retirement, social security, ‘n a gold watch. If only I could do it over again, I’d smile more, worry less… I’d take chances, I’d travel to exotic places, meeting interesting people, ride motorcycles, fly airplanes and hot air balloons… I’d hike mountain trails, zip across the desert, camp out, canoe, portage, fish, hunt, laugh, love and live! Oh, if only I could live it all over, I’d take better care of myself, exercise more often, drink less booze ‘n more juice… eat less fat ‘n more veggies. I’d treasure every day, love everybody, thank God for my blessings and lessons, my successes and my setbacks…” if only…”, I’d be happy and truly live every day!”

There’s an old fable…and the title of a recent great book by Mark L. Feldman and Michael F. Spratt that goes, “There were five frogs on a log… four of ‘em decided to jump. How many frogs are left on the log?

The most common answer is one. The second most popular answer is none… because, they reason, if four decided to jump, the remaining frog probably went along with the majority. The right answer is five!

Deciding to do something and taking the action to do it, are two entirely different things! My Daddy used to say, “Aiming to, don’t pick no cotton!”

The leaders… the real winners in life are the ones who evaluate the situation, make a decision and take action! Got something that’s bothering you? Write out in a clear, complete statement, not a question, the challenge you are facing. Ask yourself, “What are the causes of this situation?” Often you resolve it there… if not… then ask yourself, “What are all the possible answers to this challenge?” Write out all the possible answers… brainstorm, don’t evaluate. Then review all the possible answers… decide on the best possible answer… then ACT… do it now!

Get rid of the “Someday I’m gonna’…” and the “If only…” syndrome, and get on with LIFE!  

You Get What You Give
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his essay, “Compensation,” wrote that each person is compensated in like manner for that which he or she has contributed. The Law of Compensation is another restatement of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. It says that you will always be compensated for your efforts and for your contribution, whatever it is, however much or however little.

Increase Your Value
This Law of Compensation also says that you can never be compensated in the long term for more than you put in. The income you earn today is your compensation for what you have done in the past. If you want to increase your compensation, you must increase the value of your contribution.

Fill Your Mind With Success
Your mental attitude, your feelings of happiness and satisfaction, are also the result of the things that you have put into your own mind. If you fill your own mind with thoughts, visions and ideas of success, happiness and optimism, you will be compensated by those positive experiences in your daily activities.

Do More Than You’re Paid For
Another corollary of the Law of Sowing and Reaping is what is sometimes called the, “Law of Overcompensation.” This law says that great success comes from those who always make it a habit to put in more than they take out. They do more than they are paid for. They are always looking for opportunities to exceed expectations. And because they are always overcompensating, they are always being over rewarded with the esteem of their employers and customers and with the financial rewards that go along with their personal success.

Provide the Causes, Enjoy The Effects
One of your main responsibilities in life is to align yourself and your activities with Law of Cause and Effect (and its corollaries), accepting that it is an inexorable law that always works, whether anyone is looking or not. Your job is to institute the causes that are consistent with the effects that you want to enjoy in your life. When you do, you will realize and enjoy the rewards you desire.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, remind yourself regularly that your rewards will always be in direct proportion to your service to others. How could you increase the value of your services to your customers today?

Second, look for ways to go the extra mile, to use the Law of Overcompensation in everything you do. This is the great secret of success.