November 20, 2008

Law of Attraction: Do You Really Want Things to Change in Your Life?

"I knew it!"

"I told you so!"

"Just as I thought!"

"Just as I'd expected"

"I knew she was going to be difficult!"

"I knew he was going to turn out to be a cheater!"

"I knew I should never have hired him"

"I knew I was going to hate this class...this job...this assignment".

These are just some of the expressions we use when we experience a situation that we have been dreading or assuming that would turn out negative and then we prove ourselves right.

So are these "premonitions" or are we walking into these situations thinking negatively ahead of time - thereby creating them?

The answer is both, because they both stem from the same thing - our preconceived thoughts about them.

You see, our brains like "labels." When a new experience or situation is on the horizon, it is our brains' natural function to try and put it into a "category" that we can relate to. These categories are built around past experiences we have had, or even sometimes simply heard about.

So quite often without realizing it, we can put a "future" experience into a negative category in our minds that will then "predict" the outcome of the new experience. Because we are already assuming the negative and believing the negative...well, let's just say it's not difficult to see how this is going to end up.

Here's an example. Imagine that a third grader on his first day of school is either especially exuberant or nervous. So on his first day he is either talking a lot or upset and uncooperative.

Now the teacher... who doesn't know this child yet...automatically "labels" this child as "going to be a problem" for the rest of the year. It's hard to blame the teacher from a practical standpoint, because the teacher knows that "bad" behavior has to be nipped in the bud immediately if he/she is going to maintain any kind of control over the class for the rest of the year.

So now the teacher "knows" this child has to be reprimanded as soon as the "bad" behavior begins to prevent it from getting worse. So from here on in, any time the child talks to someone else, the teacher pounces on it. If there is a dispute between this child and another student, the teacher automatically assumes that it is the "troublemakers" fault. The "troublemaker" gets spoken to more harshly than the other children and gets reprimanded more often.

So now how do you think the third grader is going to interpret this? That the teacher doesn't like him - that the teacher is always picking on him - that the teacher doesn't talk to the other students that way, etc.

So, if that is true, how do you think this student is likely to behave in the future? With anger, with resentment, by acting out "just as the teacher assumed that he would", because the teacher just knew he was going to be a troublemaker; meanwhile the child is simply re-acting to the way he was being treated in the first place.

This is the kind of vicious circle many of us get caught up in. We have one bad experience, then immediately assume anything like it belongs in the same bad experience category, so we right off the bat start looking for the "problems."

Then of course, after we have brought these exact problems about we say "You see? I knew it! I knew it was going to turn out this way!"

Well...duh!

What else can we expect to happen? We're expecting it to be a bad experience, we are focusing on all the "bad" in it... how can it end up being anything else?

If you feel you keep having the same "bad" experiences over and over again it might be time to look at your own "labeling system." Are you walking into a situation automatically assuming that you are not going to enjoy it? Automatically assuming it is going to be a bad experience, simply because of what has happened in the past?

For instance, a dreaded job, an invitation, a relationship, a financial situation, even something as mundane as a retail store? Do you ever find yourself saying things like "I hate going to that store, the lines are always so long," or I can never find a salesperson when I need one".

It is time to remember that you have the choice in every single minute to change your thoughts about something. It is time to remember that today is a new day and just because "this happened" last time - there is nothing outside of you that is saying that it has to happen the same way again. Only you can make that choice. Only you can decide what part of a situation you want to focus upon. Only you can decide what you would like the new outcome to be.

There is a favorite quote of mine from Wayne Dyer that says "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

Even though it may seem to you that "nothing ever changes" it is in fact changing constantly. Every single situation is different and brings something new to the table. However, if you keep having the same "old" thoughts about it -- then you are just going to naturally reproduce the same "old" outcomes.

So in the future, try to catch yourself when you start to go through this labeling practice. When you feel yourself automatically dreading something that reminds you of a past experience, catch yourself and soothe yourself into knowing that just because that is what happened last time, does not mean it has to happen again.

Keep your focus on a different outcome. Daydream and imagine different possibilities that you hadn't considered before. If a negative thought tries to pop in, pivot and think about what you would like to experience.

You will be amazed at how easily you can create an entirely different outcome simply by having an entirely different thought about it.

November 10, 2008

The Master Key System - Free Ebook - Freebie

Morning All!

Happy Monday. It has been awhile since I offered a free ebook, so today is that day.

Many of you might have heard about this book The Master Key System. It became popular when Rhonda Byrne - the author and producer of the movie The Secret - claimed it was one of the books (along with Wallace Wattles - The Science of Getting Rich) that truly inspired her to do the movie The Secret in the first place.

Some of you might even remember that the author of the The Master Key System, Charles Hanaal's picture even appeared in some of the promos for The Secret movie.

There have been some rumors about this book, that while inspiring, I am not sure are completely accurate.

One of the rumors is that when this book originally came out in 1912 - it was THE Secret. That is was only given to an elite few and hidden from the rest of the masses. That the people who were lucky enough to get their hands on it ended up becoming some of the most successful people on the planet due strictly to the information contained in this manuscript.

I love that story! Exciting...intriguing and I admit one of the things that had me watching the promo again and again in anticipation of The Secret's release.

In hindsight however, I realize that all of those successful people were, like yourselves, simply "ready" for the message. They were forward thinkers, already primed to think outside of the box, already more spiritually advanced than most, and while the information could give them better clarity and direction, the material itself was not responsible for their great leaps of accomplishment. Simple positive and correct thought was.

Another rumor that surrounds this book is that Bill Gates read it right before his explosion with Microsoft. A story again that is very enticing, but I believe Mr. Gates has since dispelled that notion.

So maybe the book is not "magic" -- but it is inspiring! I imagine it really did have an impact on anyone who read it back then, because there wasn't much information available at that time on the Law of Attraction. It was a totally new way to look at the world and the people who got "it" really got "it".

As forward thinkers yourselves, you have probably realized by now that EVERY new piece of information that you come across is another stepping stone in your spiritual advancement.

So with that said, read this manuscript until you find your "a-ha" moment of the day.

Happy Creating!

The Master Key System by Charles Hanaal

November 7, 2008

Using the Law of Attraction to Create More Money Exercise

While it might seem like there a ton of reasons that you don't have a lot of money right now - the fact of the matter is, when you break it all down it only comes down to two components.

1. Either you think you are undeserving of it; or

2. You somehow picked up the idea that money is "bad".

No matter which argument, doubt or excuse you can come up with, they will always lead back to one of those two core "mis"-beliefs.

So what do you do? How do you go about changing these mind sets?

Simple. You will need to address them at two different levels; consciously and sub-consciously.

Now believe it or not, this is not nearly as difficult as it might sound. All it takes is a little of your time.

The first thing we need to do is deal with your conscious thoughts around money, so let's start there.

Get out your trusty pen, pencil or word processing page and write down this sentence:

Why I don't think I deserve to have a lot of money.

Now your original reaction to this question might be - but I do think I deserve to have money - that's why I am so frustrated! If that was your answer then you are not going deep enough.

If you do not have a lot of money right now chances are there is a part of you that thinks you are undeserving. So let's see if we can uncover what it is.

Read the following examples and see if any of these strike a cord in you.

I have never been really successful at anything
I have failed at everything I have ever tried
I am a failure
I never stick with anything long enough to succeed
I constantly change my mind
I have no special talents
I've gotten fired in the past because I am not good enough
Everyone always told me I would never amount to anything.
My family never had money, what makes me think I'm special?
Other people don't have a lot of money, why should I?
People like "me" don't have money
I couldn't still be spiritual if I had money
I couldn't still be a good person if I had money
I wouldn't know how to handle a lot of money
I would just spend it stupidly like I have in the past
I was never very smart
I never finished high school
I never went to college
I never finished at the top of my class
I never got good grades
I don't work smart enough
I don't work hard enough or long enough
I am lazy
Idon't have any original ideas
I am not spiritual enough
I don't sacrifice enough
I don't take care of my health properly
I am a bad parent
I am a bad child
I am a bad spouse
I am a bad friend
I am a bad person
I don't think about others often enough

Now write down whichever ones you feel are even slightly true, plus any others you may come up with on your own. Make sure you leave at least 2 free spaces in between whichever item you write down because you are going to write underneath it in a few moments.

Part II

No write this down on the top of another piece of paper:

The reasons I think money is bad.

This is where you are going to delve into your past and pull out every negative cliché you have heard about money from your parents, your church, your neighbors, your teachers, television, etc.

Money doesn't grow on trees
Money is scarce - there's not enough to go around
Making money is hard
You can't create money out of thin air
Only "special" people have money
You need to have money to make money
Money goes to Money
No one said life was fair
No one said life was supposed to be easy
People like me don't get lucky
People like me don't have a lot of money
I should just be grateful for what I have and not be greedy
The only way to have a lot of money is to work hard at the expense of your loved ones
People who only focus on money don't have lives
Money is the root of all evil
People who have a lot of money are selfish
People who have a lot of money are spoiled
People who have a lot of money are superficial
People who have a lot of money don't have real friends
Don't take chances with money
If you have a lot of money you can't be spiritual
Only poor people can be spiritual through their "sacrifice"
If you have more than enough, then you are simply being greedy...., etc.

Again you get the point. I'm sure your family and friends had their own little pearls of wisdom. Think back to the ones that you have heard in the past. Again write down all the ones that apply to you or hit a particular cord when you read it. Be sure to leave spaces in between.

O.K. Now you are dealing with your feelings consciously. Even if you haven't really thought this deeply about it before - your lists now stand in front of you.

Part III
Now go back to your first list and in the blank line you left beneath it write down at least ONE reason why you know the negative statement is not true.

For instance in the Why I don't deserve to have money list. Say some of your reasons was lack of schooling or opportunities. Write down that tons of people became millionaires who didn't finish school or were brought up in poverty. Or how about "I never stick with anything long enough to succeed" write down that you just haven't found your passion or purpose yet and that once you do you will go after it with all your heart. If it has to do with not being a good enough person, parent, etc, write down all the things that you do do that negates that sentence. How you cook for your family, or call once a week, etc.

Then do the same for the Why Money Is Bad Category. Write down at least one thing (or as many as you like, the more the better) about why those sentences aren't true. For instance "People like me don't have a lot of money" Really? Well who then? "Normal" people hit the lottery all the time, win scratch offs, come up with multi-million dollar ideas. How about "All people with a lot of money are selfish, or self-centered" Really? How about Bill Gates and Warren Buffet? They are two of the richest men in the world and have given millions, if not billions of dollars to charities.

The point of this exercise is to give yourself reasons why what you learned in the past is false.

It is almost impossible to consciously change a negative thought if your brain isn't given a logical reason behind the change.

Part IV
Dealing with your "subconscious" mind regarding money limitations.

Now there are a few different ways you can do this.

EFT
Personally this first option is my favorite and I think the quickest and most effective. It is called EFT or The Emotional Freedom Technique. It is a form of acupressure but it consists of tapping on certain meridian points of your body. For more detailed information and videos on how to use this process visit here.

So how would you use EFT around this subject in particular? This is where both of the lists you wrote will come back into play. Go back up to your first list and tap in every one of those sentences with your EFT saying. Such as "Even though I feel I have never been really successful at anything I love and accept myself completely." And do one full tapping session around that. Next "Even though I don't think I deserve money because I never finished high school, I love and accept myself completely"

Do this for every item on your list and then even do it for the some of the reasons I've listed above that you might not think apply to you. Sometimes we don't know what exactly is holding us back and we will happily stumble on it by accident.

Subliminal Tapes

Using subliminal tapes, especially before bedtime can also be effective. It would be perfect if you have the ability to record your own voice saying I AM deserving to have all the money I desire, I AM a good person, I AM Smart Enough To Succeed At whatever I choose, etc. Download it onto an IPOD and listen as you fall asleep or simply play a tape cassette if it won't disturb another person in the room.

During Meditation

Another good time when your subconscious mind will be more open and receptive is at the end of a meditation session. After you have silenced your mind for 15 or 20 minutes take a couple of minutes at the very end to say some of those same positive sentences to yourself.

Mind Movies
You may have already heard of Mind Movies. They have just released their newest version which gives you the option of putting subliminal messages on your computer that work in the background while you continue doing your every day work in the foreground of your computer.

Type in the inspiring and deserving messages so they play in the background all day slowly being absorbed by your unconscious self.

If you would like to know more about Mind Movies, visit here.

Just playing with any these ideas for a few days can change your money mind-set drastically.

So get busy creating money in the only place it counts - your mind, and watch how quickly your outside circumstances will change.

November 6, 2008

What Would Business Robot Do?

Good Morning All!

As most of you know, every once in awhile I come across a post on someone else’s site that I find interested enough or inspiring enough to recommend here.

While cruising the net early this morning (very early this morning as a matter of fact) I came across this awesome post by Michael Neill.

I thought it was an inspirational and creative way to look at your current situation differently.

Enjoy!

“Leaders are people who can discern the inevitable and act accordingly.”
-Donald Trump

Emma was struggling to keep her home-based business alive after about a year of very hard work and very limited profits. When she hired me to help her turn things around (or help her make peace with letting the business go), the first thing I did was introduce her to a thinking tool I use with many of my clients:

Imagine a robot who has been programmed with all the best business skills and business wisdom, but has no emotional circuitry whatsoever. No matter what is going on in your business, “Business Robot” will always make the decisions and take the actions that are most likely to lead to success both short and long-term.
Now imagine that Business Robot has been hired to run your company or takeover your job for awhile - what would Business Robot do?

When I asked Emma, her first response was “he’d quit!” (Not sure why most people seem to make Business Robot a “boy-bot”, but they do!) After further questioning, she realized that in fact, the business was mostly on track - what had been troubling her was the pressure she’d been putting on herself to “make” it succeed more quickly.

A series of insights followed, including:

*Business Robot would institute a strict ABC priority policy and stick with
it, not letting himself get caught up in other people’s sense of urgency

*Business Robot would work less hours, recognizing the value of focusing on work when at work and renewing energy and resources outside of working hours

*Business Robot would go through and do an 80/20 evaluation of which clients were bringing in the most money for the least effort and vice-versa – and then would use that information as a basis for prioritizing certain clients and “firing” others
Perhaps the biggest breakthrough she got from the exploration was when she realized that far from working harder or longer, Business Robot would hire an assistant to take care of the majority of the tasks she herself found so tiresome, leaving her free and energized to do the work that she loved and excelled at.
——————–
Today’s Experiment:
——————–
1. Imagine that Business Robot has been brought in to run your company, take over your job, or manage your career - what would Business Robot do in the first week? What goals or targets would he set for the next month? Next quarter? Next year?

2. What longer-term vision would Business Robot create for you business or career?

3. Think of the biggest problem or sticking point you are facing in your
work right now - what would Business Robot do in that situation?

The key to making this “thought-experiment” work for you is to realize that as Aristotle said, “a virtue is the mean between two vices”. Your goal is not to become more robotic - just to bring the wisdom of a mentally disciplined approach into balance with the wisdom of your very human heart.

Have fun, learn heaps, and happy exploring!

With love,
Michael

I highly recommend visiting Michael’s Blog at GeniusCatalyst It is filled with many other inspiring posts.

November 4, 2008

Law of Attraction - Money Is Only An Illusion

When it comes to the law of attraction, the question I am asked most often by people is how can they use it to attract more money into their lives. Many of these people have done the reading and the exercises; some had even been pretty successful in attracting other things they’ve wanted in their lives, but for some reason the money thing seems the most elusive.

Considering what most of us think and have been taught about money, it isn’t really difficult to see where the problem might lie.

Money is the one subject most of us are bombarded with negative messages about on almost a daily basis. Any time you pick up a newspaper, watch T.V., talk to friends and family, so much of the conversation revolves around money and the supposed lack of it. The increase in milk and gas prices, increased taxes, the billions going to the war. Rise in unemployment rates, rise in bankruptcies, rise in foreclosures and personal debt. And this is on top of the silly negative messages we received as children growing up. So it not hard to see why it seems to be one of the hardest things for one to manifest.

Another thing has to do with emotion. Money invokes strong emotions. It is as strong in the people who have it, as it is in the people who do not. The Law of Attraction works stronger and faster when there is serious emotion behind it, be it in a positive or negative way.

So again, it is not surprising that someone who feels strongly about having money has tons of it while others who feel strongly about being poor experience serious lack.

Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. It is time to let go of the emotions and get practical.

The truth is there is no lack of money. In fact, money itself isn’t even real. It is all an illusion.

Money is merely legal tender we have collectively decided to give a value to. In truth it is nothing more than rectangular pieces of paper covered in green ink with miscellaneous numbers on it. And nowadays most of the time it isn’t even that physical.

It is said (and this varies from nation to nation) that only as little as 4% of the money that exists in the banks today exists as paper bills or coins.

That means that out of $100 only $4 of that is available in cash money! And that money is not even backed up by anything since we got rid of the Gold Standard in the 1970’s.

The rest of the “money” out there is just a bunch of numbers flying electronically over our heads from one account to another and back again.

Think about the last big purchase you have made. When you bought your house, your car, a major appliance. Did you have to go to the bank and physically take out those thousands and thousands of dollars in cash?

Of coarse not. You simply wrote down some numbers on a small piece of paper called a check and handed it over. Or you used a little plastic card that will cause you to receive another piece of paper at the end of the month with even more numbers on it.

Money is simply an idea we have all agreed to accept. Think about some of the other things we consider “valuable” simply because we collectively decided to. For instance, my father used to say to me about diamonds; “I have no idea why people would want to spend so much money on a bunch of shiny rocks.” And it was so funny to me because it is true.

Diamonds are simply shiny rocks created in abundance by nature. It is only in our decision (or more importantly the decision of the diamond mine owners) to declare that they are “worth” something. There have been times in the past that diamond miners would have millions of dollars worth of diamonds reserved in vaults that were distributed in limited amounts just to keep the value of diamonds high. But the diamonds themselves weren’t scarce. Granted they are beautiful -- but they are also, in fact… rocks.

How about the other things in our lives that change on almost a daily basis due to what we hear and read? For instance, how can a house that was worth $250,000 a few years ago increase to a worth of $750,000 when it is the exact same house? How does a stock worth $80 yesterday drop to $40 today based on a review given by a third party?

You see it is all in perception. So many of us have been brought up to believe we are undeserving or not entitled to have a lot of money. But that is just as big an illusion as money is itself.

It is time to stop being intimidated by a non-existing entity!

Do you want to know why you are entitled to have anything you want on this Earth?

Simply because you are here! You are entitled to everything that exists on this planet simply because you exist on this planet along with these things!

Nobody owns it! Nobody has more or a less of a right to it than you do. We are all equally entitled to all of the bounty that exists here - otherwise it wouldn‘t exist here at all to be experienced!

And do you know what else? You do not need to do anything to justify it - you do not need to prove it and you certainly don’t need to wait for someone else to allow you to have it.

It is yours to experience simply because it is here to be experienced and because you are here to experience it. You are did not come down to this gorgeous planet to experience lack. You came down here to create wonderful physical manifestations!

So it is time to get practical and get over those old tiresome theories about what is considered “valuable“ and if you are deserving of them.

If Debeers can decide how much diamonds are worth, and the Federal Reserve can decide what the interest rate is going to be, and Wall Street can decide how much stocks are worth, and consumers can decide how much the latest Elmo is going to be worth this Christmas, don’t you think it is time to declare what you choose to be worth?

Who’s going to do that if not you? Why should others get to make all the rules?

Of coarse you are entitled to a bunch of shiny rocks!

Absolutely you are entitled to rectangular pieces of paper stamped with green ink!

Darn right you are entitled to have a bunch of large numbers in some account that has your name on it!

Most importantly of all is your right to enjoy this physical lifetime simply because you choose to. Because it is why you came here! And don’t let anyone think they can take that right away from you. No government, bank, employer, credit card holder, spouse, parent…anyone!

Remember that money is simply an illusion. Basing your self-worth on it, is an even bigger illusion. It is time to shatter them both!

Be the entitled being you are supposed to be. Enjoy every minute here as you intended.

You are worthy!

Happy Creating!

November 3, 2008

Came Across A Great Post - Good Thought For The Day

Morning All!

I came across this great post this morning on the Good Vibe Blog.

It is about how the labels we put on things affect the outcome of situations in our lives.

It pretty much says it all -- so there is not much for me to add to it.

When you have a chance -- check it out!

Good Vibe Blog