| How To Make A Fortuneby: Shifra Hendrie
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| | THE PRINCE ANDTHE CHICKEN FAT
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| YOU CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF WHAT YOU
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| | Here's a little kabbalistic story for
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| DON'T REALLY WANT
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| | you.
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| Life keeps getting faster and faster.
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| | Once, a king sent his only son, a
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| More and more, we spend our time trying
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| | handsome prince, to make his fortune in a
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| to make things happen, fitting more into
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| | country far across the sea. In that
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| each minute than ever before. But
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| | country, it was said, gold and jewels
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| somehow, we are neither satisfied nor
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| | were so abundant that they were lying in
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| fulfilled. Why? Because the things we're
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| | the streets.
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| running after so fervently are in most
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| | The prince was excited by the
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| cases not the things we really want.
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| | opportunity. Although his ship took
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| And, if what you go after is not what you
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| | several months to make the long journey,
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| really, truly want, it will never satisfy
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| | at last he arrived at the far-away
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| you. You will always be left wanting
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| | country. As soon as he set foot on shore
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| more.
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| | he saw that all the rumors were true -
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| In fact, you can never get enough of what
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| | the ground was literally covered with
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| you don't really want.
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| | precious stones and gold. Quickly he
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| COOKIES VERSUS APPLES
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| | picked up a handful and put them in his
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| Here's an example: When you crave cookies
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| | pocket.
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| and eat one, more often than not your
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| | Armed with his newfound riches, the
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| craving won't be satisfied. In fact,
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| | prince entered a shop filled with
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| sometimes eating one cookie actually
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| | delicacies. He picked out some delicious
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| makes your craving stronger.
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| | foods and went to the counter to pay. To
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| In contrast, when you crave a juicy red
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| | his shock and dismay, when he held out a
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| apple and eat it you almost never need to
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| | large diamond to the shopkeeper, the man
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| eat another one. The first apple hits the
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| | looked at him as if he was crazy. "What
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| spot.
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| | are you trying to give me?" he asked
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| That's because what draws you to the
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| | angrily. "A worthless stone! If you want
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| apple is a craving for things that
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| | to buy something here, you'll need to do
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| actually can be found in an apple. Things
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| | better than that! You'll need to bring in
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| like vitamins, fiber and healthy sweet
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| | some chicken fat! That's the only
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| energy - the very things that are
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| | currency we accept here."
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| abundant in a fresh, juicy fruit.
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| | "Well," thought the resilient prince,
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| But, in many cases, the craving that
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| | getting over his shock, "A person has to
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| draws you to a cookie can't be satisfied
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| | live. I'll just have to get hold of
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| by a cookie. Or even more than one.
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| | enough chicken fat to keep me going while
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| There's nothing much that your body wants
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| | I'm here. Once I'm established, I can
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| in a cookie. So when you crave that
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| | easily go out and collect a fortune of
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| cookie it's probably not really a
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| | gold and jewels." Being rather clever, he
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| physical craving. What you want is more
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| | managed to somehow acquire a few starter
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| likely a "soul food'; i.e. something
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| | chickens, selling their fat at a good
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| emotional or even spiritual. You might,
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| | profit. He reinvested and over the course
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| for example, be craving the experience of
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| | of several years amassed a great store of
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| sweetness, goodness, pleasure,
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| | chicken fat. He was able to afford a
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| connection, abundance, a sense of
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| | lovely big house, servants and expensive
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| security or comfort.
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| | furniture.
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| If you associate cookies with those
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| | The prince stayed on for twenty years -
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| feelings you'll keep going for the
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| | until he had accumulated the largest
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| cookies. But unfortunately, no matter how
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| | stock of chicken fat in the entire
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| many cookies you eat, your craving will
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| | country. He was tremendously pleased with
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| never be satisfied
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| | his success. Finally, he decided that it
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| In fact, rather than making you satisfied
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| | was time to go home, but he was so proud
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| and fulfilled, most of the time giving
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| | and excited about his success in buying
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| yourself a lot of what you don't really
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| | and selling chicken fat that he forgot
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| want does the very opposite - it makes
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| | all about the gold and jewels he came
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| your craving even bigger. This is true
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| | for.
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| whether we're talking about cookies,
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| | So, at the end of the twentieth year, he
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| booze, money, 'toys', a bigger house, or
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| | loaded up his ship with his hard-earned
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| a more exciting relationship.
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| | chicken fat and set sail.
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| That's why, sometimes, the people who
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| | When the prince at last arrived at the
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| have the biggest share of the things we
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| | palace, he watched proudly as his
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| are all striving for - things like money,
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| | servants unloaded the treasure at the
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| success and adulation - end up on drugs.
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| | feet of the king. But his father's
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| That's because money, success and
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| | expression caused his heart to drop.
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| adulation are not what they really want.
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| | "Chicken fat!" declared His Majesty in
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| They really want the happiness, pride,
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| | dismay. "Twenty years of working to make
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| love, connection, purpose, beauty,
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| | your fortune and all you could bring home
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| fulfillment and appreciation that they
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| | is chicken fat!!"
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| associate with those things.
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| | Suddenly the prince remembered why he had
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| There's nothing wrong with fame and
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| | traveled to that distant country in the
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| fortune - like there's nothing wrong with
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| | first place. Frantically, he searched the
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| cookies - as long as you aren't using
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| | pockets of his clothing - but all he
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| those things to satisfy a craving for
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| | could find was the handful of treasure
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| something else.
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| | that he had picked up from the street on
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| CRAVINGS AND ADDICTION
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| | the very first day.
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| In fact, this is one definition of
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| | CHICKEN FAT AND YOU
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| addiction - the insatiable need to
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| | Like our prince, most of us have gotten
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| satisfy a deeply rooted craving with
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| | very, very busy collecting chicken fat.
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| something that simply can't satisfy it.
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| | True, if you do manage to cleverly
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| When your craving for something is
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| | invest, as he did, you might acquire a
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| healthy, indulging that craving will not
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| | lovely home, beautiful furniture and
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| only satisfy you, it will allow you to be
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| | maybe even servants. But those things,
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| more present in your life. Enjoying a
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| | desirable as they may be, are only a
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| gourmet meal, an evening by the beach, a
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| | means to an end. If you can't remember
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| passionate connection with another
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| | why you are here, you'll never be able to
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| person, or a glass of good wine can all
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| | get what you really came for.
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| enhance your sense of joy and aliveness.
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| | HOW TO ACCUMULATE A TREASURE
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| But when your craving is unhealthy or
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| | If, on the other hand, you want to
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| addictive, the opposite is true. Rather
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| | accumulate a real treasure, this is what
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| than bringing you into the present,
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| | you should do.
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| indulging the craving will distract and
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| | First of all, stop whatever you're doing
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| dull you.
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| | right now and ask yourself why you're
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| And when you can't indulge the craving -
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| | doing it in the first place.
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| if, for example, you fail to achieve the
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| | Ask yourself what it is, deep down
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| level of material success you think you
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| | inside, that you really want. What, at
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| need - it will disappoint and frustrate
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| | the end of the day, will give you genuine
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| you too.
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| | and long-lasting satisfaction and pride?
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| HITTING THE SPOT
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| | What is it that you're putting off until
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| Imagine living a life where everything
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| | after you 'make it'? And no less
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| you crave - everything you do - actually
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| | important, what special person is waiting
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| hits the spot, leaving you present,
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| | for your time, your smile, your listening
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| alive, satisfied and fulfilled. What
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| | ear?
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| could be more desirable than that?
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| | Stop waiting for the end of the day. You
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| The trick is, in order to know what it
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| | can do something right now, this minute,
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| will take to hit that spot, you have to
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| | in order to create true joy, satisfaction
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| know exactly where the spot is. Or in
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| | and meaning in your life or the life of
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| other words, you have to know what you
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| | someone you love. To fulfill the
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| really want. Deep down inside, in the
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| | deep-rooted cravings of your soul. All
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| core of who you are.
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| | you have to do is recognize the
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| Do you want peace of mind? If you are
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| | opportunity for the treasure it is.
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| looking for it in a cookie, a new car or
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| | You don't have to stop collecting chicken
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| a greater level of material success, you
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| | fat. That's not the point. But don't
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| probably won't find it.
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| | forget to pick up the gold and jewels
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| Does that mean that you shouldn't strive
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| | that are lying all around you, unnoticed
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| for or enjoy those things? Not at all. It
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| | and unappreciated.
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| just means that you shouldn't look to
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| | That's where the real fortune lies.
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| satisfy your deep-rooted craving for
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| | © 2005 Shifra Hendrie,
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| peace of mind in the car dealership. They
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| | *Since the Torah forbids the erasing of
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| only sell cars.
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| | G-d's name, it's customary to avoid
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| For peace of mind you have to shop
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| | writing it out in full.
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| somewhere else.
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