I hope this article finds you safe and well. I'm sure you have been as moved as I have in watching the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. I want to use this as an opportunity to remind myself and everyone who reads this article that affirmations alone are not enough. They are only thought tools to help you take consistent, positive, focused action. If all you do is repeat Power Affirmations, listen to Power Affirmations, etc., but don't allow them to move you to action, they will have no effect.

The True Power in Power Affirmations

What is the power in Power Affirmations (or any other thought tool for that matter)? The power is thought transformed into intelligent and persistent action. Too many times we start moving in a positive direction, but we allow ourselves to get distracted. And as soon as that happens, we lose momentum. Then when we refocus our efforts, we have to start over again. This starting/stopping, starting/stopping habit is one that is often one of the reasons significant success is so difficult. One of the primary purposes of Power Affirmations is to keep yourself focused on your goals. To keep the momentum towards your goals going.

The point of this is that only action is action.

Positive People Must Show Leadership

The other point of this note is that I believe that those of us who are positive, proactive people have a responsibility to help others--especially when a major disaster strikes. If positive people don't step up to offer assistance, who will? There are hundreds of thousands of people whose lives will never be the same. The extent of the devastation is almost too great to comprehend.

If you have studied the Power Affirmations at www.poweraffirmations.com, you will see that one of the affirmations in the wealth section, is stated:

"I now give away massive amounts of wealth to causes that I believe in."

And another one is:

"I have a responsibility to accumulate vast sums of wealth through useful service to others and to give it back to society through gifts that benefit the entire community."

Why talk about giving money away in a section about accumulating wealth? It's because you cannot build true wealth without giving to others. When you give intelligently, it opens up channels to accumulate more wealth. When you hoard your wealth, the channels dry up. This is one of the great paradoxes of the universe.

Support the American Red Cross

I think one of the most outstanding organizations that is equipped to help in this kind of emergency is the American Red Cross. Time and again this organization is on the ground quickly and for the duration when unforeseen disaster strikes. They have the means and the expertise to help. What they need from us more than anything is money. They have the ability to transform money into the very supplies the victims need in this situation whether it's food, water, shelter, medicine, etc. They transform money into these supplies in the same way a business person transforms ideas into products that can be sold to create more money. There's an incredible lesson to be learned here for those who take the time to think about it.

So I've written this article in support of the American Red Cross. Of course, I've already made my contribution. If you choose to donate to the American Red Cross, their website address is http://www.redcross.org/. It's not the first donation I've made to the Red Cross and it certainly won't be my last.

Between this disaster and the tsunami, the rebuilding of these communities in the US and abroad will take years and billions of dollars. BILLIONS.

Personally, I prefer my giving to be private so as to never have the appearance of an ulterior motive. Watch the movie "The Magnificent Obsession" starring Rock Hudson if you want to know how I prefer to handle my giving.

The primary reason I have written this article is because the need is so great. This is about encouraging everyone to take collective positive action to help an outstanding organization help the victims of this disaster. Whether your donation is $5 or more, every bit helps them fulfill their mission.

If we work together, we will make this world into a more positive place for all of us. But affirmations alone are not enough. Our thoughts must be translated into positive, persistent, and focused action.

Copyright © 2006Bill Marshall - All rights reserved. Feel free to republish this article provided you include the copyright information and the weblinks where possible.

For practical self-improvement tips, visit http://www.poweraffirmations.com Get my new free e-book, "Power Affirmations: Power Positive Conditioning for Your Subconscious Mind" And now my new ePosters of these Power Affirmations in PDF format.

MP3 files of my Power Affirmations are also available for immediate download.