About "My Positive Club"

In 2007, Floyd was interviewed on a radio broadcast about his opinion of the rapidly shifting economy and its affect on the real estate industry. It was during his time with host Carl Keating, that Floyd introduced the concept of starting a "Positive Club" that he believed could change the course of not only our economy, but our world, one person at a time. The response to this idea was overwhelming and Floyd's commitment to positive change focused.

Below are excerpts from an article recounting how Floyd's Positive Club came to be:

Accentuate the Positive

Discovering empowerment in positive thoughts, words and actions

By Floyd Wickman

As a person that some considered to be a guru in the real estate industry I was invited to be a guest on Carl Keating's radio show in the metropolitan Detroit area. One of the questions Carl posed to me that day was to ask my opinion regarding what we could do about the shifting economy affecting the real estate industry. Of course, I admitted to Carl that I was not an economist; in fact, when I'm speaking to audiences I often use a humor line that if you could take all the economists in the world and lay them end-to-end, that would probably be a good start! Then, I simply answered, "I believe that if someone would start a positive club and everybody joined, we could solve our problems almost overnight."

Since that time, we have received many positive comments regarding my statement and I have made it a point to bring up the concept throughout my travels and speaking engagements. People, naturally, began asking me if there really was such a thing as a "Positive Club." Since the obvious answer was no, I decided to start one!

Why "My Positive Club?"

I've had plenty of experience when it comes to the affect negativity can play on the lives and careers of good people. I've met so many terrific individuals who allow themselves to become inundated by pessimistic influences. To me, that and the encouragement I received from audiences and friends to do something about all that negativity became the fuel for my desire to develop a "Positive Club" solution that could make a difference.

Step one for me was to make sure that "My Positive Club" was financially possible for everyone, especially those who could afford it the least. So, I put together a team of good people with good intentions and the right mindset for helping this project come together. With a little homework, some heart and a lot of sweat, we realized that we could offer our membership the ability to join for just cents per day. For that they would receive several weekly positive reinforcement audio messages loaded with tips, techniques and ideas all designed to help them become more successful by thinking, speaking and acting more positively. They would also receive a frame-able copy of the following club mantra and the 7 Promises of Positive People to remind them of their commitment to positive change:

"There is no negative that can't be overcome by

positive thoughts, words and actions."

Why thoughts, words and actions in that order? Simple. That is the natural order for all progress both positive and negative. The goal of our club, of course, is positive change which starts first with what we think, then what we say and finally what we do in terms of taking action. Zig Ziglar describes this process well in his book Better Than Good, when he refers to Frank Outlaw's theory on the topic:

Watch your thoughts — they become words.

Watch your words — they become actions.

Watch your actions — they become habits.

Watch your habits — they become character.

Watch your character — for it becomes your destiny.

Imagine the impact we could make if we all got together and EVERYBODY began to think, talk and act positively. We could change the world, or at the very least, our little parts of it and in doing so find more success.

We all want the same things. In the course of all of my years of travel, training and speaking to more than 3,000 audiences, I have come to appreciate that we really do all want the same things. We all want to be happy. We all want to be healthy and we all want to be successful. We also are seeking a more balanced life, less stress and great relationships. How can positive thoughts words and actions help us to be these things? Consider the words of these four outstanding minds:

Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich revealed "what the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Conceiving is never the problem, achieving usually is and it is caused by lack of belief. So the more we can help people to think, talk and act positively, the better their odds at succeeding.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz, the founder and author of Psycho-Cybernetics, proved scientifically that our subconscious mind is the steering mechanism for all of our thoughts, words and actions. We can control this mechanism by feeding our subconscious mind those positive influences that will steer us towards achieving the results we are looking for.

Abe Lincoln was quoted as saying, "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Even before studying the mind became a science — old Abe knew that we accomplish what we think about.

Syrus, a Latin writer of maxims stretching all the way back to 100 BC, shared, "No man is happy who does not think himself so." This, again supports the belief that we decide the outcome of our lives and it begins with how we think.

I've had the wonderful opportunity to prove this principal many times throughout my own life. From an atmosphere of various kinds of abuse as a child to troubled teenage years to 9^th grade dropout, failing at almost everything before succeeding I can testify to the power of positive thoughts, words and actions and how those things can turn failure into success in almost any area of one's life.

So to guarantee that "My Positive Club" members have the best odds of accomplishing the results they seek, I'm asking each to commit to 7 promises. These are promises not just to the club, not to me, but to themselves and those people in their lives that want them to succeed.

RESPOND to all situations with positive thoughts, words or actions.
- Manage your thoughts. When disappointment occurs such as losing a sale, missing a special occasion or not getting a promotion, you must not let your disappointment turn to discouragement. Find the lessons to learn, the opportunity to grow or change and the silver lining in each. Harnessing the ability to turn negatives into positives will carry you through every facet of your life.
- Use your words. This could be as simple as when asked questions such as: "How are you?" "How's business?" "How are things going?" You respond with a positive set of words such as: "Great!" "Better than good!" "Wonderful!" Try anything that would project a positive response to the other person. Your words will serve as a positive affirmation to not only the person you are speaking to but your own subconscious mind as well.
- Watch your actions. There are always going to be situations in life where you find yourself wanting to act out in a negative way. More often than not, it is a quick impulse you regret later such as when someone hurts or feelings or disrespects you in some way, and your first reaction is to hurt them back. Remember however, that fighting a negative with a negative only compounds the problem. Consider instead, using a positive to make your point and you will win at every turn. For that person that hurts you, offer forgiveness or a note of understanding. When a disappointment occurs, shift your focus to the blessings you can count for the day and call and thank the people who touched your life in a positive way.

RECITE My Positive Club Mantra 3 times daily.
- An important factor in developing a positive mental approach to a negative environment is to train the brain to think and act positively. An effective method for doing this is to repeat a positive affirmation out loud each day. My Positive Club Mantra is designed to be just such a positive affirmation. Through repetition you will begin acting more positively because you are talking more positively and you are talking more positively because you are thinking more positively. So, putting positive thoughts in your mind repeatedly eventually causes positive action. This is the law of cause and effect.

DISPLAY My Positive Club Mantra conspicuously.
- Seeing is believing. Conspicuously displaying your mantra will cause others to ask about it, learn about it and help you share both the mantra and your commitment to it.

SHARE My Positive Club Mantra with at least 1 person daily.
- Making this mantra part of your daily conversations and correspondence
- whether it's part of your email signature, your promotional materials or simply saying it, you're spreading the word and making a difference. Who says one person can't change the world?

WRITE out a positive affirmation daily.
- Believe it or not, if at the beginning of each day you found a quiet space and wrote out exactly the kind of day you wish to have, you very often will create your own self-fulfilling prophecy. Try these affirmations to start;
- - Today I will have a productive day.
  - Today I will be at my best, full of energy and enthusiasm and eager to accomplish my goals.
  - My skills and experience will allow me to successfully conduct my business and achieve great results.
  - Today I know that God is with me and wants me to be healthy, happy and live a balanced life.

DO one act of kindness daily.
- If you have ever been a student of mine, then you know how I feel about the "get by giving" way of life. Actions really do speak louder than words and the act of kindly reaching out to others is contagious. This concept of "paying it forward" is not a new one but an important one, especially in the world we live in today. You do get by giving.
- The old saying, "what goes around comes around" is as true today as ever. Need hope, give hope. Need kindness, give kindness. Need encouragement, give encouragement. Whatever you need, give it away first and you'll give it back.

THANK God for my blessings daily.
- Regardless of your religious beliefs, be they learned from Mohammed, Buddha or Jesus Christ, most of us have been taught to not only ask God daily for what we need, but to also thank Him for what we have. Just as parents are more likely to give not just to the son or daughter who need them, but the child who consistently expresses their appreciation for all that they have been given. Count your blessings and you'll find they quickly add up!

I'm convinced that if a person can adopt a pattern of thinking, talking and acting positively for an entire year, they will ultimately develop the skills to be in positive control of their whole life. To that end, I am going to provide "My Positive Club" members with a downloadable audio clip of �Positive Thoughts for Positive People' for each week of the year. I encourage members to listen to that recording whether they download it to their MP3 player, copy it to a cd or listen on their computer until the message is burned into their brain. Some of the topics of these positive thoughts for positive people are as follows:

How to turn adversity into success.
How to re-engineer your life for more balance.
How to achieve a long range goal.
The process of positive projection.
Developing a winning attitude.
How to keep yourself motivated on a daily basis.
Finding passion in your career path.
How to enhance your personal relationships.
How to believe in the abundance of life.
How to eliminate worry.
How to bring teamwork into your family.
PLUS 41 More!

With all of these and more, you will have the ability to download several life-enhancing messages, giving you the direction, motivation and path you need to achieve your life's goals, more self confidence and esteem, balance and better relationships.

I have been in the training business for more than three decades. In that time, I've learned with absolute certainty that nothing works permanently without a positive influence and audio repetition is key to changing the patterns in your life. Timing is important, too, so pick a time to listen to these audio clips when it does not detract from your productive activities. So, whether you are driving, relaxing or getting ready for the day, infusing your mind with these positive messages is the perfect way to start!

So, in closing, allow me to make you a challenge and a promise: Do one of two things: either re-read this article and apply the principles it teaches on your own, or join us as a member of "My Positive Club," adopt these promises and way of life and together let's bring into our world what it needs the most:positive thoughts, words and actions.� My promise to you will be that I will do everything in my power to bring you those messages that can most help you accomplish your goals and dreams.

Warmest positive regards,