Everyone wants success.

Some people spend their every waking moment pursuing success, to the detriment of all else. For others, attaining success seems impossible. They conclude that it is destined for a select few. The rest of us are to remain "content with such things as we have."

Zig Ziglar says that, "Success is a process, not an event ... a journey, not a destination."

Jim Rohn describes it as "…a condition that must be attracted not pursued."

You can't hurry success, catch it, or find it by chance. You can't inherit it, gate-crash on it, or take it from someone else. Success is something you must work hard and long to earn for yourself. It has a price, sometimes a very high one. And most people aren't really ready to pay that price, to do what success demands.

If success has eluded you so far, perhaps you should try changing your assumptions. Here are three easy steps toward your success:

1. You must go through a growing process.
   This will require time and patience. There are no short cuts. Anything else is a temporary illusion. You must pay your dues, in full, in advance! So don't be in a hurry.
    
2. You will need to acquire specific traits and skills.
   Identify, in specific terms, what you regard as success. What traits or skills will you need to achieve this goal? Set clear, written goals. Devise plans to acquire the needed traits and skills. Learn to do what you need to do, to get where you want to go. Starting now!
    
3. You must be ready to travel the road to success, often times alone.
   "At some point in time, the pursuit of your goals becomes secondary and what you have become in the process...is what is most important. It's not the distance you go…so much as the going itself" (Les Brown).

That's what the journey to success does. It forces you to learn habits and skills that make you "full of success," or "successful."

Because you have now mastered the skills and the process, you can keep on reproducing success. You now have what it takes. But if you try to “gate-crash,” you don't get to learn the process and the skills.

Now that you know how to attract success, why not get started on the journey that will take you where you want to go? It's your decision to choose success. Fate does not foist it upon you.

Don't short-change yourself with short-cuts and counterfeits. You can have the real thing.
Go out there today and start attracting success.

It's literally yours for the taking!

Guests or potential buyers are on their way over and the house isn’t ready! Try these quick suggestions to make your house more presentable in a hurry.

If you have 60 seconds:
Spritz Air Freshener. The scent of citrus, especially lemon, signals "clean." If people think the house smells good, it looks good too.
Close your doors. Closed doors make a house look cleaner, and that’s true whether or not the rooms have been cleaned. A closed door also signals to guests not to enter, so you don’t need to clean those rooms.
Turn off the tube. Studies show that having the television on can psychologically make a house seem messy.

If you have 5 minutes:
Hide the clutter. Gather any out-of-place clothes, papers and toys into a garbage bag or laundry basket, then stash the whole thing out of sight in a closet.
Tidy the bathroom. This is the only room in the house where your guests will have lots of time alone to look around. Be sure to wipe down the sink and faucet.
Pile up pillows. People associate well arranged throw pillows with the spotless homes they see in decorating magazines.

If you have 15 minutes:
Put on a pot. Brew a fresh pot of coffee to offer your guests. The scent of coffee in a kitchen signals warmth and comfort. In fact, real estate agents often use the aroma to make homes sell faster.
Bounce away dust. Forget furniture polish. Just run a fabric softener sheet over tables, bookcases and the TV. The anti-static properties will attract dust and lift it away in no time.
Round up dust bunnies. With no time to vacuum, use a wet paper towel to collar the worst dust offenders you see, usually around chair and table legs.

For the Foyer. Simply add its length and width together to get the right size diameter for your light. For example, a 6'x 6' foyer should have a 12" fixture. For the Dining Room. Follow the foyer tip to find the right diameter; hang your fixture so that the bottom is at least 30" above the table. For the Hallway. One ceiling fixture every 8 to 10 feet provides just the right amount of light. Sconces should be staged 6 to 8 feet apart. For the Kitchen. A two-light fluorescent fixture works well for kitchens 100 square feet or less. Use a four-light for rooms up to 250 feet square. For the Bathroom. Each single vanity mirror needs at least a 24" fixture. Double vanities look best with fixtures that run their entire width.

When you are not out on the court enjoying a great game, put those tennis balls to good use at home with these smart ideas.

Inexpensive massage. Place tennis balls under the arches of your feet and roll them around for a relaxing foot massage. Strengthen your grip. Grab a tennis ball in each hand and squeeze as hard as possible for 10 seconds to strengthen your forearm, wrist and hand muscles. Get those hard to reach cobwebs. Wrap a dust cloth around a tennis ball, fasten with a rubber band and throw it right at the cobwebs. Great practice for your game, as well. Clean the pool. Float a few tennis balls in the swimming pool to absorb dirt and oil. Change balls every few weeks. Hide your valuables! Cut a partial slit in a tennis ball and stash your jewelry in it while you are at the gym.

Roofing problems can develop at any time. Most asphalt / fiberglass shingles are made to last about 15 years, but you should begin to expect some problems when your roof reaches the age of 8 to 10 years. Roof leaks are often difficult to find and could be minor or significant enough to cause damage that may appear sometime later.

• structural sagging; wavy roof frame and sheathing
• damaged, worn or missing shingles; moss growth
• corroded flashing (around chimney, dormer, vents and in valley)
• raised shingles along the bottom of roof
• icicles hanging from gutter in the winter (evidence of potential ice dams)
• stained/discolored or delaminating sheathing; damp or discolored insulation
• rusted nails and rust stains on sheathing
• water spots or black marks on the ceiling or at the junction between ceiling and wall
• water marks around ceiling fixtures

Rain or wind
Some roof problems occur when wind forces the rain under the edges of the roof or shingles. Two factors contributing to this phenomenon are an improperly sloped roof and failure to adhere (using roofing cement) the asphalt/fiberglass shingle tabs in high wind areas.

Ice dam
is an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof. They form when there is a layer of snow on the roof, which melts due to heat loss from the house into the attic. The water refreezes at the eave because it extends past the warm interior of the house and the backup of water seeps underneath the roof covering.

Moss
Wood and built-up roofs are vulnerable to the deterioration by moss for its ability to retain moisture and its root system penetrating the roof surface.

Water vapor
Exfiltration of warm moist air to drier colder air results in condensation, mold and mildew and wood decay. It causes curling; cupping and shrinkage in asphalt/fiberglass shingles, corrosion of metal roofing and rotting of wood shakes and shingles.

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We all have goals, but the forces driving us to achieve them are often hidden, even from ourselves. Can you guess which winning edge is yours? Willpower Once you decide on a course of action, you stick with it and let nothing get in your way. You see yourself as master of your own destiny. Flexibility If you hit a detour, you don’t feel frustration. You just try to figure out how to make the alternate route work for you. Passion No matter what you take on, you bring your whole heart and soul to it, making it your new cause. Eager to try new things, your boundless spirit keeps you moving forward.

Always use hooks.
Hooks designed for artwork distribute the weight of the frame and glass into the wall and down, so that the piece hangs more securely.

Heat the nail.
Before hammering, heat the picture-hook nail with a match. It’ll go in easier, making it less likely that the drywall or plaster will be damaged.

Protect the Wallpaper.
With a razor knife, cut a tiny V-shape in the paper. Lift that tab, and place the nail in that area. If you move the picture, you can just paste down the V.

Group them.
When hanging several pictures, group them close together to make a sophisticated statement.

Poor roof slope design; incorrect shingle installation on low sloped roofs Excessive exposure length, improper joint locations or no underlay Water ponding or clogged roof drains on flat roofs Missing or damaged shingles; exposed nails Improper flashing or sealing (around protrusions or valleys) Inadequate eave protection; improperly hung gutters or drip edges Deteriorated chimney (soft or eroded mortar joints; cracked or disintegrating cap) Insufficient insulation; insufficient ventilation; absence of or damaged vapor barrier Vent pipes or exhaust pipes termination into the attic Water heater, air conditioner or air handler missing safe pan and drain

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