There are countless books, seminars and courses on the topic of self-improvement. You can go to motivational seminars, purchase CDs and workbooks, and order subscriptions.

There is a wide variety of information and there are plenty of tools available, all designed with the intent of helping people to be successful. I realize that some of those goods may not be as effective as they claim, but for our purposes, I’m talking about the good products: the ones with principles that work.

There are people who take one course or another, or read a book or two, and it really helps them to improve - they see the results they have been looking for. Then there are others who take the exact same courses, or read the exact same books, and nothing happens. For them, there is no change.

Why is that? How can two people be exposed to the same information and yet, only one of them see the results they were looking for? Was it because one person worked harder at it than the other? Was it because one person spent more time and concentrated more than the other?

Working hard and spending time and concentrating are very effective ways of accomplishing a goal. But have you ever heard the phrase, “his heart just wasn’t into it?" That simple cliché actually bears serious implications and it holds the answer as to why something works for some and not for others.

Whatever the topic - financial prosperity, weight loss, real estate, it really doesn’t matter what the course is. You can listen to all the information, study all the material, review it over and over and still see no appreciable results. The reason? Your heart is not into it.

Now when I say, “your heart is not into it," I am not talking about your time and energy and effort. I am talking about what is inside your heart, what belief system you have.

Far too many people take a course with the attitude of “Well, let’s see if this works out." They go in all excited about a new venture of learning, but after not immediately seeing the results that they want, they quit. They should have quit before they started! There is absolutely no way they could have ever succeeded because their belief system simply said, “No."

For example, suppose you take a good course on sales, designed to help you increase your sales. If you don’t see yourself on the inside as a great salesperson, you are wasting your time. In other words, the course is not going to make you a better salesman. It can give you the tools for being successful. It can show you great tips and ideas that successful people use. It can show you how to maximize your time and increase your business. But if you still see yourself as a mediocre salesperson, the information will be of no great value to you.

How do successful people see themselves? Do they see themselves as failures, as mediocre, as just struggling to get by? No way. Ask a successful person sometime.

The sad part is that most people think that the reason successful people have such a great attitude is because they are successful. It’s just the opposite. They are successful because they have a great attitude on the inside. They have developed a belief system of success.

First, change what’s on the inside. Work hard developing that aspect. Tell yourself over and over where you desire to go in life. Visualize over and over who you really desire to be. Constantly expect the results that you desire.

It will take some effort. It will take some time. And whatever method or methods you use, be it affirmations, visualization, whatever, find something that you can do consistently, day after day. You really can change your belief system!

There are a lot of great tools out there. If they are not working for you, then take a little time and work on your personal belief system. Replace the old failure-oriented thoughts with new thoughts of success.

Get your mind into a state of expecting positive results. Then, when you take a course, read a book, or listen to a tape, your heart will be in it, and it will work for you.

He is also the author of the book, “Healing from God is Available". He has produced other motivation and inspirational items, including the audio CD, “Healing Words", available at http://www.ChristianInspirationalGifts.com