Here is a variation of something that they are teaching in the movie The Secret. Picture a glass of water sitting on a table.
The experts tell us that some 90% of Americans are in some stage of dehydration because they do not drink enough water. In fact, if Americans would drink just 5 8 oz glasses of water a day, the occurrances of several diseases would decrease by double digits.
So why is it so hard for us to drink water? We know that we should.
Could it be that it is related to how we look at it? Glass of water on the table: Boring! We need Propel or Life Water or Vitamin Water or the scourge of the American population, the diet soft drink. (Read and Google the ingredients some time).
Or maybe it is because it is too easily accessible. You can turn on your fawcett, and you can drink the water without worry in many parts of the world. It is essentially free, so maybe we think that means that it is not worth anything. (I know there is a water bill, but it does not rise very big from us drinking water, mostly from showers, baths, toilets and lawn watering).
If you had been stuck in the desert for a couple of days without water, you would have a completely different view on what that glass of water is, namely life itself. We would really appreciate it then.
But can we learn to appreciate it for what it is without The Universe having to throw us into the desert first? If we could, then there would be no purpose for The Universe to throw us into the desert. Like the mobility I describe in my last post, can we appreciate something without it being taken us away from us first? If we could, we would be doing so much better appreciating our world.
So back to the glass of water on the table . . .
Is it the "plain old glass of water that does not interest me" ??
Or is it "The Elixir of Life, Health and Hydration".
You get to decide which one it is.
And if you decide it is the second one, I do not think you would have any delay in drinking it.
And being healthier as a result.
So decide already.
Joseph
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Mobility for Granted
I had a unique experience about two weeks ago while playing a game of volleyball. I like to play volleyball when I can. Even though I am over 40 and over 250, I thought nothing of jumping up for blocks or spikes, and I have been doing it for several years. I was not even wearing high top shoes, and I do have some.
But this time was different.
Looking back, I am not even sure now why I was jumping on this play, because I was the setter, and I was going for the set, and you do not jump for that. I suppose that because I was jumping for no reason at all, my conscious and subconscious minds did not do their job in getting my feet and ankles strait for the landing. As a result, I rolled my left foot inward, and I heard the crack as a bone broke. They call it a dancer's fracture.
And just in that split second, before I could even consciously realize what had happened, my mobility that I had enjoyed for 40 years was suddenly taken away. Strangely, it did not hurt that much, but I could put no weight at all on that foot.
And so the next day I found myself on crutches, which require a lot more coordination to use then people who have not used them think. The most annoying part is that I was unable to carry anything at all, because just moving required my one good foot and both hands. Life is funny when you have to sit and stratagize about how to get a water bottle to your bedroom from your kitchen.
And thus I found myself taking my mobility for granted. I had been doing it for 40 years. Taking it for granted means not taking the time to appreciate it; to feel the appreciation that I was able to move and do according to my will.
And so I wonder . . .
Did I attract this experience to myself? Of course.
Was that because the Universe was reminding me that I was unappreciative? Maybe. What do you think?
Here is the real question. If I had been appreciative, and had not for so long taken my mobility for granted, would the universe need to send me this kind of a reminder? I think not.
There are several who would say that it was just "dumb luck", or was a totally random occurrance which I was statistically bound to, or was just what happens when a 40+ tries to play volleyball like they are 21 or something. Yeah maybe.
But I do not think so. Everything happens for a reason.
And I can appreciate the experience that it has been. I had never before in 40+ years broken any bone. I had also not had any surgery since I was two, and I do not remember that one at all. I gained a new appreciation for my mobility, and I had the experience of going through the surgery that was required to put the bone fragment back where it was supposed to be and screw it in there. Before I went out, I remember being wheeled into the OR and having the EKG stickers being stuck to me; and then I remember suddenly waking up in the recovery room and being sent home. I noticed that I had bit my own tongue during the time I was out. I can be especially thankful for having medical insurance, as the total bill for this bad jump, including the surgery, is $4000.00+ before insurance.
And then, after the surgery, I had a splint on the foot and could put no weight on it. This was scheduled for a whole week; but I was fortunate that the appointment to have it removed was moved up three days and I was able to get out of the splint, back into the big black boot, and then lose the crutches.
Now that I have done that, the hard part is over, only the removal of stiches and the 7-8 week healing (boot) period remains, and it will be better every single day then it was the previous day.
And no permanent damage was done, and another result is that I will be much more careful playing volleyball, which will be a good thing.
Yes, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and there was a reason for this. Even if I never know exactly what it was (it could be different than anything I mentioned), I am confident that there was a reason for it.
And I am good with that.
Joseph
But this time was different.
Looking back, I am not even sure now why I was jumping on this play, because I was the setter, and I was going for the set, and you do not jump for that. I suppose that because I was jumping for no reason at all, my conscious and subconscious minds did not do their job in getting my feet and ankles strait for the landing. As a result, I rolled my left foot inward, and I heard the crack as a bone broke. They call it a dancer's fracture.
And just in that split second, before I could even consciously realize what had happened, my mobility that I had enjoyed for 40 years was suddenly taken away. Strangely, it did not hurt that much, but I could put no weight at all on that foot.
And so the next day I found myself on crutches, which require a lot more coordination to use then people who have not used them think. The most annoying part is that I was unable to carry anything at all, because just moving required my one good foot and both hands. Life is funny when you have to sit and stratagize about how to get a water bottle to your bedroom from your kitchen.
And thus I found myself taking my mobility for granted. I had been doing it for 40 years. Taking it for granted means not taking the time to appreciate it; to feel the appreciation that I was able to move and do according to my will.
And so I wonder . . .
Did I attract this experience to myself? Of course.
Was that because the Universe was reminding me that I was unappreciative? Maybe. What do you think?
Here is the real question. If I had been appreciative, and had not for so long taken my mobility for granted, would the universe need to send me this kind of a reminder? I think not.
There are several who would say that it was just "dumb luck", or was a totally random occurrance which I was statistically bound to, or was just what happens when a 40+ tries to play volleyball like they are 21 or something. Yeah maybe.
But I do not think so. Everything happens for a reason.
And I can appreciate the experience that it has been. I had never before in 40+ years broken any bone. I had also not had any surgery since I was two, and I do not remember that one at all. I gained a new appreciation for my mobility, and I had the experience of going through the surgery that was required to put the bone fragment back where it was supposed to be and screw it in there. Before I went out, I remember being wheeled into the OR and having the EKG stickers being stuck to me; and then I remember suddenly waking up in the recovery room and being sent home. I noticed that I had bit my own tongue during the time I was out. I can be especially thankful for having medical insurance, as the total bill for this bad jump, including the surgery, is $4000.00+ before insurance.
And then, after the surgery, I had a splint on the foot and could put no weight on it. This was scheduled for a whole week; but I was fortunate that the appointment to have it removed was moved up three days and I was able to get out of the splint, back into the big black boot, and then lose the crutches.
Now that I have done that, the hard part is over, only the removal of stiches and the 7-8 week healing (boot) period remains, and it will be better every single day then it was the previous day.
And no permanent damage was done, and another result is that I will be much more careful playing volleyball, which will be a good thing.
Yes, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and there was a reason for this. Even if I never know exactly what it was (it could be different than anything I mentioned), I am confident that there was a reason for it.
And I am good with that.
Joseph
Sunday, May 18, 2008
From Whence Cometh Adversity? Again?
This blog is generally about topics covered in The Secret. While the word "adversity" is not used in the book or movie, I believe that the movie is trying to tell us that we have more control over adversity in our lives than we may think. I want to investigate that thought in this posting.
So adversity (or you could call it things that we do not want), can seem to come at us from all directions; but as I have pondered this, I now believe that these directions can be cataloged.
Source Number One: Our own sins and mistakes.
This is the classic source for most all of us. When we sin, there are consequences in so doing. Those consequences can come to us in the form of adversity. Our mistakes can cause us further adversity. The good news here is that at least on the sin part, we are really in full control. We can decide not to sin. While no one of us is perfect, the tears and anguish as a result of consequences of sin can be greatly mitigated by some proactive action on our part. For instance, we can think of a situation we could find ourself in one day, and make the decision now what we would do. Having decided it, it makes it much easier to actually do that later.
Adversity as a result of mistakes can come from many sources. We can mitigate many of these as well. As an example, we can be careful and defensive drivers. We can keep a safety mindset. We can plan ahead for some things and think them through before actually doing them. The good news here is that we can greatly minimize the effects of mistakes with some small effort on our part.
What we should never do, however, is to allow a fear of mistakes to stop us from taking positive actions, such as starting a new business. WE have to make those mistakes in order to believe and learn. If we start the business as a side thing to our primary income source, we can afford to make some mistakes without causing undue financial hardship.
Source Number Two: When we forget the Lord
Am I saying that adversity can come to us because we do not remember the Lord? Consider the following words from an ancient American prophet:
Yea, and we may see at the very time when He (The Lord) doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of His people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One -- yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten His people with many afflictions, yea, except He doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember Him.
And you know that these words are true, despite the fact that we would really like to think that we are better than that. Here is the real question: Can we continue to remember the Lord in our prosperity? Above all other things that happen, this seems to be the greatest test of modern times for some people. Of course there are others who will not even call upon the Lord in their poverty.
Source Number Three: Our own power of attraction
The message of The Secret is all about this one; but it is not such a popular thought because we always want to blame someone else for adversity that comes our way. There are very few of us who can say to themselves in that situation: NICE Creation!
Men attract that which they love, and also that which they fear (James Allen: As A Man Thinketh). This tends to make life really interesting as what we love and what we fear keep getting drawn to us.
Can we do something about it? You bet. Dump the False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR).
"Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet; and they are continually killing thousands just as surely though less rapidly. Those who live in fear of disease are the ones who get it; anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body and leaves it open to the entrance of disease."
How do we get rid of fear in our minds? The same way we get rid of any other thought that we do not want ---- Replace it with something better! You have 17 seconds to do so.
While no one is generally worried about the things that they love being attracted to them, we should pay some attention. What do we love? If we love something that is a sin, then we are hard-wiring a disconnect. We will continually attract the adversity of that sin into our lives.
Mythical Source Number Four: Someone, God, or The Universe is out to get you.
Utter falsehood.
But I know that few will truly believe those words. Worlds without end, they are true. Any affliction in your life is not as a result of this, but of items 1-3 or 4-5 instead. If you take a moment to think about it, you will see.
Source Number Four: Blocked Blessings
Stay with me on this one. The Universe is a place of order, and blessings come to us as a result of our doing things in the service of others. These blessings are coming from "on high" whether that means "God" or "The Universe" to you does not matter because the end effect is the same.
We know through statistics that those who are able to serve others are happier. Married folks are generally happier than single ones. Those who are involved in churches or service organizations are happier than those who are not. Please understand that we cannot stop the resultant blessings from coming our way because of these activities. Why would we even try to stop them?
Because we think our life is GOOD ENOUGH.
And so with those thoughts, we attempt to block new blessings, because we do not perceive the need for them.
And yet we cannot block them. They build up over time, and failing to find a way in through normal channels; they will use a different transport mechanism, and we have a name for it.
WE call it an Affliction.
Yes, you heard that right. And it is easy to tell if you got this one. If you were more blessed after the affliction than you were before it, then you got an affliction that was transporting your new blessing(s).
Can we stop this type of adversity from coming our way?
Sure thing.
But it means being open minded and never thinking that God or the Universe is done with us. Always there are new blessings coming our way. Let us be receiving. The greatest human tragedy of all could be when we come to understand that adversity we caused ourselves by being closed to new blessings.
Once other small thing to remember: New Blessings = Change. Embrace it, do not fear it.
Source Number Five: We must be taught
Of all sources listed, this is got to be the most annoying source of adversity. God or the Universe knows that for us to learn certain things, we have to be dragged in kicking and screaming. If the current adversity does not fit the other options, and it is not clear that any new blessings will come from it, then it is likely here to teach us something.
Something we could not learn in any other way.
So when the problem comes, ask it what it is trying to teach you.
And listen for the answer.
For when you have been taught that which it came to teach --- it will move on.
Can we avoid this one?
Maybe.
But we have to have an open mind so that we can be taught, and we have to make some effort to seek some learning. I think of this type of adversity as the last resort option from on high. If the normal learning channels are not being used, or the mind is not open to be taught, then the affliction/problem is sent. Last resort, not first.
There is another version of this one that is because we do not understand something. The bset example of this I have seen in media was presented in the Disney movie "The Kid". Through an interesting plot device, an 8 year old version and a 40 year old version of the same man come to an experience that is happening in the eight year old's life. He (the 8 yr old) does not understand why his father is mean to him/yells at him; but the 40 year old version knows exactly why! His dad is scared.
How much affliction comes into our lives because we simply do no really understand what is going on? Can we stop this kind?
To do so we must seek understanding. With all our getting, we must get understanding!
Mythical Source Number Five: Agency of others
This is the pretend category for those who do not get catagory three or the law of attraction.
Men were granted agency; and there will be some who abuse it to the harm of others. As soon as someone decides to do this foul deed, there must be at least one other person to be the victim. There could be several others. In some cases the victim is themself only.
Many think that this is an entirely random process, but the police know that the great majority of the time there is history that is the lead to the horrible event.
And for those minority cases that appear totally random; they are not. Someone attracted that to themself based on their fear, or even possibly what they love. I know it's hard to understand, and I am not a "blame the victim" person. The perpetrator of the crime is fully responsible for it and will bear the full consequence in the eternities. The victim is hurt physically, but undamaged spiritually. In time the wounds can heal, unless they were killed, in which case their time here was meant to be at an end, and they move on, as ALL of us will at some point in the future.
Fear of being a random victim of a crime is not advisible. Get to work creating something so that your mind can move on to bigger and better things.
OK, so those are the categories. I am hoping that through all of this, you have been able to see that you have more power than you think in all of this process.
So ponder that one for a while.
And then see your life with new eyes.
Eyes of understanding.
Joseph
So adversity (or you could call it things that we do not want), can seem to come at us from all directions; but as I have pondered this, I now believe that these directions can be cataloged.
Source Number One: Our own sins and mistakes.
This is the classic source for most all of us. When we sin, there are consequences in so doing. Those consequences can come to us in the form of adversity. Our mistakes can cause us further adversity. The good news here is that at least on the sin part, we are really in full control. We can decide not to sin. While no one of us is perfect, the tears and anguish as a result of consequences of sin can be greatly mitigated by some proactive action on our part. For instance, we can think of a situation we could find ourself in one day, and make the decision now what we would do. Having decided it, it makes it much easier to actually do that later.
Adversity as a result of mistakes can come from many sources. We can mitigate many of these as well. As an example, we can be careful and defensive drivers. We can keep a safety mindset. We can plan ahead for some things and think them through before actually doing them. The good news here is that we can greatly minimize the effects of mistakes with some small effort on our part.
What we should never do, however, is to allow a fear of mistakes to stop us from taking positive actions, such as starting a new business. WE have to make those mistakes in order to believe and learn. If we start the business as a side thing to our primary income source, we can afford to make some mistakes without causing undue financial hardship.
Source Number Two: When we forget the Lord
Am I saying that adversity can come to us because we do not remember the Lord? Consider the following words from an ancient American prophet:
Yea, and we may see at the very time when He (The Lord) doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of His people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One -- yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten His people with many afflictions, yea, except He doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember Him.
And you know that these words are true, despite the fact that we would really like to think that we are better than that. Here is the real question: Can we continue to remember the Lord in our prosperity? Above all other things that happen, this seems to be the greatest test of modern times for some people. Of course there are others who will not even call upon the Lord in their poverty.
Source Number Three: Our own power of attraction
The message of The Secret is all about this one; but it is not such a popular thought because we always want to blame someone else for adversity that comes our way. There are very few of us who can say to themselves in that situation: NICE Creation!
Men attract that which they love, and also that which they fear (James Allen: As A Man Thinketh). This tends to make life really interesting as what we love and what we fear keep getting drawn to us.
Can we do something about it? You bet. Dump the False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR).
"Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet; and they are continually killing thousands just as surely though less rapidly. Those who live in fear of disease are the ones who get it; anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body and leaves it open to the entrance of disease."
How do we get rid of fear in our minds? The same way we get rid of any other thought that we do not want ---- Replace it with something better! You have 17 seconds to do so.
While no one is generally worried about the things that they love being attracted to them, we should pay some attention. What do we love? If we love something that is a sin, then we are hard-wiring a disconnect. We will continually attract the adversity of that sin into our lives.
Mythical Source Number Four: Someone, God, or The Universe is out to get you.
Utter falsehood.
But I know that few will truly believe those words. Worlds without end, they are true. Any affliction in your life is not as a result of this, but of items 1-3 or 4-5 instead. If you take a moment to think about it, you will see.
Source Number Four: Blocked Blessings
Stay with me on this one. The Universe is a place of order, and blessings come to us as a result of our doing things in the service of others. These blessings are coming from "on high" whether that means "God" or "The Universe" to you does not matter because the end effect is the same.
We know through statistics that those who are able to serve others are happier. Married folks are generally happier than single ones. Those who are involved in churches or service organizations are happier than those who are not. Please understand that we cannot stop the resultant blessings from coming our way because of these activities. Why would we even try to stop them?
Because we think our life is GOOD ENOUGH.
And so with those thoughts, we attempt to block new blessings, because we do not perceive the need for them.
And yet we cannot block them. They build up over time, and failing to find a way in through normal channels; they will use a different transport mechanism, and we have a name for it.
WE call it an Affliction.
Yes, you heard that right. And it is easy to tell if you got this one. If you were more blessed after the affliction than you were before it, then you got an affliction that was transporting your new blessing(s).
Can we stop this type of adversity from coming our way?
Sure thing.
But it means being open minded and never thinking that God or the Universe is done with us. Always there are new blessings coming our way. Let us be receiving. The greatest human tragedy of all could be when we come to understand that adversity we caused ourselves by being closed to new blessings.
Once other small thing to remember: New Blessings = Change. Embrace it, do not fear it.
Source Number Five: We must be taught
Of all sources listed, this is got to be the most annoying source of adversity. God or the Universe knows that for us to learn certain things, we have to be dragged in kicking and screaming. If the current adversity does not fit the other options, and it is not clear that any new blessings will come from it, then it is likely here to teach us something.
Something we could not learn in any other way.
So when the problem comes, ask it what it is trying to teach you.
And listen for the answer.
For when you have been taught that which it came to teach --- it will move on.
Can we avoid this one?
Maybe.
But we have to have an open mind so that we can be taught, and we have to make some effort to seek some learning. I think of this type of adversity as the last resort option from on high. If the normal learning channels are not being used, or the mind is not open to be taught, then the affliction/problem is sent. Last resort, not first.
There is another version of this one that is because we do not understand something. The bset example of this I have seen in media was presented in the Disney movie "The Kid". Through an interesting plot device, an 8 year old version and a 40 year old version of the same man come to an experience that is happening in the eight year old's life. He (the 8 yr old) does not understand why his father is mean to him/yells at him; but the 40 year old version knows exactly why! His dad is scared.
How much affliction comes into our lives because we simply do no really understand what is going on? Can we stop this kind?
To do so we must seek understanding. With all our getting, we must get understanding!
Mythical Source Number Five: Agency of others
This is the pretend category for those who do not get catagory three or the law of attraction.
Men were granted agency; and there will be some who abuse it to the harm of others. As soon as someone decides to do this foul deed, there must be at least one other person to be the victim. There could be several others. In some cases the victim is themself only.
Many think that this is an entirely random process, but the police know that the great majority of the time there is history that is the lead to the horrible event.
And for those minority cases that appear totally random; they are not. Someone attracted that to themself based on their fear, or even possibly what they love. I know it's hard to understand, and I am not a "blame the victim" person. The perpetrator of the crime is fully responsible for it and will bear the full consequence in the eternities. The victim is hurt physically, but undamaged spiritually. In time the wounds can heal, unless they were killed, in which case their time here was meant to be at an end, and they move on, as ALL of us will at some point in the future.
Fear of being a random victim of a crime is not advisible. Get to work creating something so that your mind can move on to bigger and better things.
OK, so those are the categories. I am hoping that through all of this, you have been able to see that you have more power than you think in all of this process.
So ponder that one for a while.
And then see your life with new eyes.
Eyes of understanding.
Joseph
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Undisputed Power of Your Memory
I am not remembering right now that they say very much about your memories in the movie or the book The Secret. Yet they spend a good part of the movie talking about Gratitude and Visualization as powerful processes. I am hoping in this post to make a connection for you that perhaps has not been made yet, and my intent is that this will clear a mental block for you and free you to create something even bigger.
When you try to create something that you have not created before, or something bigger which you have tried before in a smaller version, your mind seeks natually a precendent for what you are trying to do, and it will look for that precedent in your memories.
And since there are really no neutral memories, when it finds that memory (and it will) it is going to find a good memory or a bad memory.
If it finds a bad memory, then your power to accomplish what you are trying to do will be all but zapped. After all, if the activity led to a bad memory last time, why would we want to do that again? We will find ourselves (our words are powerful) saying something like: "Oh I knew this would happen. This always happens to me. "
If it finds a good memory, something perhaps that we enjoyed in the past, then our power to accomplish has just increased by about 1000 percent. The mind, finding such a pleasant thing, will do everything possible to bring it back again. In this scenario, our mind will say something like "I knew I could do that!"
So if we have bad memories around previous events in our life that are in the direction that we want to go, does this now mean that we are doomed to not succeed in that direction?
Pretty much.
Until you do something about it.
And here's what you do . . . .
Make better memories to replace the bad ones.
Yes, I can hear your question. I thought you just said that trying to DO better based on those past memories was doomed to failure?
I did, and I am glad to see you are listening.
But I said nothing at all about DO.
Because you can THINK yourself a new memory.
Surely you jest!
I jest not; and don't call me Shirley.
"But it (a replacement memory) would be a LIE!"
Well, I understand that mentality, because up until very recently it was mine. If it is a lie, then who are we lying to? Ourselves of course, unless we are sharing our modified memory with others because speaking it gives it more power. But to me, this seems to be a letter versus the spirit of the law argument. What is the ultimate purpose of doing this? So that we can be of greater service to those around us. Our increased success will naturaly come on the heels of providing increased value to others. So I would say that the ends justify the means, but I understand that this idea of it being a lie could be the biggest stumbling block that some of us face.
If we continue in the idea that our new modified memories are a lie, then we will zap their power to help us. We have to find a way to get around that. Perhaps we should contact a new "disease" called bad memory-itis. We just cannot seem to retain any bad memories, they just fall right out of our head!
I will use public speaking as an example, because when someone moves towards the magic of life the chance to do public speaking seems to increase.
If you tried it once and had a bad experience then you will be afraid of it. We know that men attract that which they love, and that which they fear (now you know why your life is so interesting!). That bad memory will return your fear and it will be very unlikely that you improve on it much while the fear is present. You will leave unsatisfied and convinced that you did not reach anyone.
Of course, if it is something that you already enjoy doing (like me), then you have great memories about it, and it matters not if you find yourself before a bigger audience than ever before, because your history says you are good at it. I personally believe that I reach about 90% of the people that I speak to. If I put some mental effort into memory modification then I could get this number to 100%; but I have not done that because I generally felt that 90% was GOOD ENOUGH. Shame on me?
But take the case of someone who puts mental effort into memory modification.
Through visualization, this person can play a movie in their mind of them speaking before a large group and being well received. In the movie they are confident and speak without fear. They are funny and they obviously reach 100% of those they are speaking with. The more they play this movie in their mind, the stronger a memory it becomes. WHY?
Because the mind does NOT make the distinction as to whether it really happened, or you just visualized it. So as far as the mind is concerned, if you visualized it, you did it!
And so it is NOT a lie.
Yes I know that the bad memory is still there somewhere and it's kind of pesky. You look at that memory with feelings of gratitude. You were granted an opportunity to speak before and as such you will be offered the opportunity again. You are grateful for that. You may have learned that there is something that you should not do when public speaking, and you are grateful for that as well. Swallow up any remaining bad memory in gratitude, and it will go where it belongs.
And then let me know where you will be speaking, because once you do all of this you will be a master speaker, and if there is a possible way I would love to come and hear you speak!
Let me know!
Joseph
When you try to create something that you have not created before, or something bigger which you have tried before in a smaller version, your mind seeks natually a precendent for what you are trying to do, and it will look for that precedent in your memories.
And since there are really no neutral memories, when it finds that memory (and it will) it is going to find a good memory or a bad memory.
If it finds a bad memory, then your power to accomplish what you are trying to do will be all but zapped. After all, if the activity led to a bad memory last time, why would we want to do that again? We will find ourselves (our words are powerful) saying something like: "Oh I knew this would happen. This always happens to me. "
If it finds a good memory, something perhaps that we enjoyed in the past, then our power to accomplish has just increased by about 1000 percent. The mind, finding such a pleasant thing, will do everything possible to bring it back again. In this scenario, our mind will say something like "I knew I could do that!"
So if we have bad memories around previous events in our life that are in the direction that we want to go, does this now mean that we are doomed to not succeed in that direction?
Pretty much.
Until you do something about it.
And here's what you do . . . .
Make better memories to replace the bad ones.
Yes, I can hear your question. I thought you just said that trying to DO better based on those past memories was doomed to failure?
I did, and I am glad to see you are listening.
But I said nothing at all about DO.
Because you can THINK yourself a new memory.
Surely you jest!
I jest not; and don't call me Shirley.
"But it (a replacement memory) would be a LIE!"
Well, I understand that mentality, because up until very recently it was mine. If it is a lie, then who are we lying to? Ourselves of course, unless we are sharing our modified memory with others because speaking it gives it more power. But to me, this seems to be a letter versus the spirit of the law argument. What is the ultimate purpose of doing this? So that we can be of greater service to those around us. Our increased success will naturaly come on the heels of providing increased value to others. So I would say that the ends justify the means, but I understand that this idea of it being a lie could be the biggest stumbling block that some of us face.
If we continue in the idea that our new modified memories are a lie, then we will zap their power to help us. We have to find a way to get around that. Perhaps we should contact a new "disease" called bad memory-itis. We just cannot seem to retain any bad memories, they just fall right out of our head!
I will use public speaking as an example, because when someone moves towards the magic of life the chance to do public speaking seems to increase.
If you tried it once and had a bad experience then you will be afraid of it. We know that men attract that which they love, and that which they fear (now you know why your life is so interesting!). That bad memory will return your fear and it will be very unlikely that you improve on it much while the fear is present. You will leave unsatisfied and convinced that you did not reach anyone.
Of course, if it is something that you already enjoy doing (like me), then you have great memories about it, and it matters not if you find yourself before a bigger audience than ever before, because your history says you are good at it. I personally believe that I reach about 90% of the people that I speak to. If I put some mental effort into memory modification then I could get this number to 100%; but I have not done that because I generally felt that 90% was GOOD ENOUGH. Shame on me?
But take the case of someone who puts mental effort into memory modification.
Through visualization, this person can play a movie in their mind of them speaking before a large group and being well received. In the movie they are confident and speak without fear. They are funny and they obviously reach 100% of those they are speaking with. The more they play this movie in their mind, the stronger a memory it becomes. WHY?
Because the mind does NOT make the distinction as to whether it really happened, or you just visualized it. So as far as the mind is concerned, if you visualized it, you did it!
And so it is NOT a lie.
Yes I know that the bad memory is still there somewhere and it's kind of pesky. You look at that memory with feelings of gratitude. You were granted an opportunity to speak before and as such you will be offered the opportunity again. You are grateful for that. You may have learned that there is something that you should not do when public speaking, and you are grateful for that as well. Swallow up any remaining bad memory in gratitude, and it will go where it belongs.
And then let me know where you will be speaking, because once you do all of this you will be a master speaker, and if there is a possible way I would love to come and hear you speak!
Let me know!
Joseph
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
How did they live more than 900 years?
This subject may seem a little off topic for a blog that is generally about The Secret, but there is actually a subliminal bit in the movie that sheds some light on this subject.
There is a two frame flash of the title and author of a book early in the movie. The book is "Life Power and How to Live It" by Elizabeth Towne. Chapter One of this book is entitled "Methuselah and The Sun", and it begins with these words:
“There are people who declare that time was when a great canopy of vapor hung over the Earth and revolved with it, as Jupiter’s vapory canopies now do; and that this vapory canopy kept off almost completely the actinic (death-dealing) rays, while it admitted light and heat rays. Thus they account for Adam’s and Methuselah’s great ages. And they say that, unless this vapory canopy is again formed around our Earth, to ward off these death dealing rays, we shall never attain immortality in the flesh.”
Well this is certainly an interesting idea, and it is possible that it was postulated even before her book. If anyone knows an earlier source, please leave a comment.
But is there any support for this idea in the Scripture? Well there is this . . .
"But there went up a mist from the Earth, and watered the whole face of the ground."
That is Genesis 2:6 in the King James Version of the Bible.
OK, assuming that this is true for a second, does it fit in? Here is the computation.
Aligning with the Jewish calendar, it appears that the expulsion from Eden happened about 4000 BC. The timelines in the Bible seem to indicate about this time as well. We have record of the following people living with the following life spans:
Adam (4000-3070BC) 930 years.
Seth (3870-2958BC) 912 years.
Enos (3765-2860BC) 905 years.
Cainan (3675-2765BC) 910 years.
Mahalaleel (3605-2710BC) 895 years. (Hmmm, dies early :-) )
Jared (3540-2578BC) 962 years.
Enoch (3378-3013BC) 365 years. (Enoch was taken to Heaven and did not live his whole span).
Methuselah (3313-2344BC) 969 years. (Longest recorded lifespan that we know of).
Lamech (3126-2349BC) 777 years. (His father Methuselah outlived him).
(In the year 3070 Adam dies.)
Noah (2944-1994BC) 950 years. Flood came at 600 years, or about 2344BC.
(All the other patriarchs die except Methuselah and Lamech in this time frame)
Noah's Three sons are born in 2494-Japeth 2452-Shem and 2444-Ham.
Again the approximate date of the flood event is from 2-17-2344BC to 2-27-2343BC before they actually left the Ark. Noah still had the really long life span, half of it post-flood. But the days of men shortened gradually according to what we read in Genesis 10. The lifespans got to be around 500 years, then 400, then 300, 200 and finally just over 100.
So what happened? Well the Flood is what happened. But it appears that the mist was not all taken away at once, but the flood appears to have started the process where the mist slowly went away. The gradually shortening life spans seem to indicate that people at each new generation were exposed to more of the aging rays of the sun than the previous generation had been.
So can we ever live to be 900 years old in this mortal life?
Sure, if the mist comes back.
Otherwise, it's wait 'till the resurrection, and then of course we will live forever.
Rock on!
Joseph
There is a two frame flash of the title and author of a book early in the movie. The book is "Life Power and How to Live It" by Elizabeth Towne. Chapter One of this book is entitled "Methuselah and The Sun", and it begins with these words:
“There are people who declare that time was when a great canopy of vapor hung over the Earth and revolved with it, as Jupiter’s vapory canopies now do; and that this vapory canopy kept off almost completely the actinic (death-dealing) rays, while it admitted light and heat rays. Thus they account for Adam’s and Methuselah’s great ages. And they say that, unless this vapory canopy is again formed around our Earth, to ward off these death dealing rays, we shall never attain immortality in the flesh.”
Well this is certainly an interesting idea, and it is possible that it was postulated even before her book. If anyone knows an earlier source, please leave a comment.
But is there any support for this idea in the Scripture? Well there is this . . .
"But there went up a mist from the Earth, and watered the whole face of the ground."
That is Genesis 2:6 in the King James Version of the Bible.
OK, assuming that this is true for a second, does it fit in? Here is the computation.
Aligning with the Jewish calendar, it appears that the expulsion from Eden happened about 4000 BC. The timelines in the Bible seem to indicate about this time as well. We have record of the following people living with the following life spans:
Adam (4000-3070BC) 930 years.
Seth (3870-2958BC) 912 years.
Enos (3765-2860BC) 905 years.
Cainan (3675-2765BC) 910 years.
Mahalaleel (3605-2710BC) 895 years. (Hmmm, dies early :-) )
Jared (3540-2578BC) 962 years.
Enoch (3378-3013BC) 365 years. (Enoch was taken to Heaven and did not live his whole span).
Methuselah (3313-2344BC) 969 years. (Longest recorded lifespan that we know of).
Lamech (3126-2349BC) 777 years. (His father Methuselah outlived him).
(In the year 3070 Adam dies.)
Noah (2944-1994BC) 950 years. Flood came at 600 years, or about 2344BC.
(All the other patriarchs die except Methuselah and Lamech in this time frame)
Noah's Three sons are born in 2494-Japeth 2452-Shem and 2444-Ham.
Again the approximate date of the flood event is from 2-17-2344BC to 2-27-2343BC before they actually left the Ark. Noah still had the really long life span, half of it post-flood. But the days of men shortened gradually according to what we read in Genesis 10. The lifespans got to be around 500 years, then 400, then 300, 200 and finally just over 100.
So what happened? Well the Flood is what happened. But it appears that the mist was not all taken away at once, but the flood appears to have started the process where the mist slowly went away. The gradually shortening life spans seem to indicate that people at each new generation were exposed to more of the aging rays of the sun than the previous generation had been.
So can we ever live to be 900 years old in this mortal life?
Sure, if the mist comes back.
Otherwise, it's wait 'till the resurrection, and then of course we will live forever.
Rock on!
Joseph
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Even at Birth, The Soul Comes to its Own
In my opinion, no study of the things taught in the book and the movie The Secret is complete without a companion review of the book "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen. This book is from the same era as "The Science of Getting Rich" and it about 20 years ahead of "Secret of The Ages", which are the two main works that Rhonda Drew on for the movie.
I wish to remark about the following passage from "As A Man Thinketh":
and man, therefore, as the Lord and master of thought, is the maker of himself, the shaper and author of his environment. Even at birth the soul comes to its own, and through every step of its earthly pilgrimage it attracts those combinations of conditions which reveal itself, which are the reflections of its own purity and impurity, its strengths and weakness. (italics added).
As I have watched various forums where ideas around The Secret are discussed, I have often seen the topic come up about the abused children, and especially the babies. Critics of the movie are quick to use this topic as their argument as to the falsehood of the entire thing, because how could anyone suggest in good conscience that innocent little children "attracted" the abuse that is heaped upon them in some cases? Especially the babies who are too young to even know what is going on, much less attract something consciously . . .
I would say that this is perhaps their most powerful argument against the entire concept. I am also not here to say that they are wrong on this. But I do have some insight to offer that may shed some additional light on the subject, because I have been studying all of this for over a year now and something has just now come to me.
There is one point that must be understood first that will prevent progression if we cannot obtain agreement. That point is that we lived as individuals prior to our coming to this Earth. This can be a tough one for some because there is a "veil of forgetfulness" that is firmly in place; and because of it, we have no direct memory of our life prior to this one.
But we did live prior to this life, and we had a Father there in the same sense that we had a father here on this Earth. The Father there is the Father or our Spirit. He is our Heavenly Father. Now when we came from that existance to this current Earthly existence; what would we have brought with us? This is an exceedingly important question for us to understand the answer to.
And to help us understand the answer, allow me to jump forward to what we will take with us to the next existence after this one . . . two things:
1. Our intelligence. What we have learned. Our Wisdom, our mental know-how. Our creativity.
2. Our current vibration.
So follow me here. If these are the two things that we will bring to the next phase . . . are they also the two things that were brought to this phase ????
I think that generally they would be; but the veil of forgetfulness prevents us from taking advantage of the first. Because of the veil, we are not privy to our previous intelligence, and in effect we must start completely over. This is why education is more a matter of remembering things more than learning them, because we knew them all before. The root of the word "education", which is the latin educo, means to "bring to rememberance", not to learn.
But then there is our vibration; and it seems clear that we either did not have one at all, or we brought one with us. If we truly existed, then we would have had to have a vibration, because no energy can exist that does not. Those who do not believe that we existed before would have an argument for a blank slate on the vibration at birth; but if you believe that we existed before this life, then it unavoidably follows that we would have had a vibration there and brought it with us when we came here.
This was a powerful realization for me, especially when I pondered on the idea of "even at birth the soul comes to its own". What is "its own" ?? That would be a compatible vibration.
Now get real! Am I saying that someone might have brought a vibration with them that placed them in the abusive home ??
To tell the truth I do not know this 100% . . . but I also cannot think of any other explanation as to how they ended up there, except for a belief that someone was "unlucky".
Is "luck" a factor in a Universe that is controlled completely by divine and natual laws? We think of or know people who have been "lucky"; but I think we are just using that word because we did not really understand the operation of natural laws that was in play.
Where we end up when we come to this Earth makes an incredible difference in our lives. 90% or so of our subconscious programming is instilled in us prior to our second birthday. With this being such an important thing, would it really be left to chance?
You tell me.
But I don't think so.
I also want to be crystal clear here that I make no commentary whatsoever on any idea that someone had a "good" vibration or a "bad" vibration coming here and were placed accordingly. This would be more fodder for the critics who make another point that The Secret seems to be all about "blame the victim".
I do not know, but as opposed to being good or bad, I think our vibration just was; and because it was, it could only be placed with others that were compatible. Now is a good time to bring in some additional words from "As A Man Thinketh":
Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. ( . . . ) Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.
So why do I write all of this?
Because it might be helpful for someone to understand that there was a plan in place different from "unlucky" in the birth and placement of the soul.
And it leads me to what I want to say most of all . . .
Your NOW is so much more important than your past.
Your future is based on your NOW.
Your NOW is defined by you in every detail that you care to expend thought on.
So make it a good one, because all of us had dysfunctions in our past. The "victim" will hold on to those for dear life!
And the victor will let them go and forgive!
And then he will be truly free.
Be free.
Joseph
P.S. If you would like a free eBook copy of the book "As A Man Thinketh", click here.
I wish to remark about the following passage from "As A Man Thinketh":
and man, therefore, as the Lord and master of thought, is the maker of himself, the shaper and author of his environment. Even at birth the soul comes to its own, and through every step of its earthly pilgrimage it attracts those combinations of conditions which reveal itself, which are the reflections of its own purity and impurity, its strengths and weakness. (italics added).
As I have watched various forums where ideas around The Secret are discussed, I have often seen the topic come up about the abused children, and especially the babies. Critics of the movie are quick to use this topic as their argument as to the falsehood of the entire thing, because how could anyone suggest in good conscience that innocent little children "attracted" the abuse that is heaped upon them in some cases? Especially the babies who are too young to even know what is going on, much less attract something consciously . . .
I would say that this is perhaps their most powerful argument against the entire concept. I am also not here to say that they are wrong on this. But I do have some insight to offer that may shed some additional light on the subject, because I have been studying all of this for over a year now and something has just now come to me.
There is one point that must be understood first that will prevent progression if we cannot obtain agreement. That point is that we lived as individuals prior to our coming to this Earth. This can be a tough one for some because there is a "veil of forgetfulness" that is firmly in place; and because of it, we have no direct memory of our life prior to this one.
But we did live prior to this life, and we had a Father there in the same sense that we had a father here on this Earth. The Father there is the Father or our Spirit. He is our Heavenly Father. Now when we came from that existance to this current Earthly existence; what would we have brought with us? This is an exceedingly important question for us to understand the answer to.
And to help us understand the answer, allow me to jump forward to what we will take with us to the next existence after this one . . . two things:
1. Our intelligence. What we have learned. Our Wisdom, our mental know-how. Our creativity.
2. Our current vibration.
So follow me here. If these are the two things that we will bring to the next phase . . . are they also the two things that were brought to this phase ????
I think that generally they would be; but the veil of forgetfulness prevents us from taking advantage of the first. Because of the veil, we are not privy to our previous intelligence, and in effect we must start completely over. This is why education is more a matter of remembering things more than learning them, because we knew them all before. The root of the word "education", which is the latin educo, means to "bring to rememberance", not to learn.
But then there is our vibration; and it seems clear that we either did not have one at all, or we brought one with us. If we truly existed, then we would have had to have a vibration, because no energy can exist that does not. Those who do not believe that we existed before would have an argument for a blank slate on the vibration at birth; but if you believe that we existed before this life, then it unavoidably follows that we would have had a vibration there and brought it with us when we came here.
This was a powerful realization for me, especially when I pondered on the idea of "even at birth the soul comes to its own". What is "its own" ?? That would be a compatible vibration.
Now get real! Am I saying that someone might have brought a vibration with them that placed them in the abusive home ??
To tell the truth I do not know this 100% . . . but I also cannot think of any other explanation as to how they ended up there, except for a belief that someone was "unlucky".
Is "luck" a factor in a Universe that is controlled completely by divine and natual laws? We think of or know people who have been "lucky"; but I think we are just using that word because we did not really understand the operation of natural laws that was in play.
Where we end up when we come to this Earth makes an incredible difference in our lives. 90% or so of our subconscious programming is instilled in us prior to our second birthday. With this being such an important thing, would it really be left to chance?
You tell me.
But I don't think so.
I also want to be crystal clear here that I make no commentary whatsoever on any idea that someone had a "good" vibration or a "bad" vibration coming here and were placed accordingly. This would be more fodder for the critics who make another point that The Secret seems to be all about "blame the victim".
I do not know, but as opposed to being good or bad, I think our vibration just was; and because it was, it could only be placed with others that were compatible. Now is a good time to bring in some additional words from "As A Man Thinketh":
Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. ( . . . ) Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.
So why do I write all of this?
Because it might be helpful for someone to understand that there was a plan in place different from "unlucky" in the birth and placement of the soul.
And it leads me to what I want to say most of all . . .
Your NOW is so much more important than your past.
Your future is based on your NOW.
Your NOW is defined by you in every detail that you care to expend thought on.
So make it a good one, because all of us had dysfunctions in our past. The "victim" will hold on to those for dear life!
And the victor will let them go and forgive!
And then he will be truly free.
Be free.
Joseph
P.S. If you would like a free eBook copy of the book "As A Man Thinketh", click here.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Great is as Great does
Today I would like to talk about a topic that fits in with the materials presented in The Secret, but which is not addressed directly. If you saw the movie Forest Gump, they you may remember a scene where Forest is talking to someone on a bench and that person says "are you stupid or something?". Forest responds by saying "Stupid is as Stupid does".
I want to talk about the opposite of this. If I were to ask you: What is a great basketball player? Would you respond with a list of requirements of what makes a great basketball player, or would you just say Michael Jordan? Same with Golf, would you give me a list of requirements of how to be a great golfer, or would you just say Tiger Woods? Notice I am asking what, not who; but it does not matter.
If Michael Jordan wrote a book that somehow contained all that he knew about being a great basketball player, would I become a great basketball player just by reading it? I think we can all agree that the answer is "certainly not".
Somebody who is a true great is the person who defines what it is to be great; but it is never the person who is trying to copy someone else. Prior to Michael Jordan, there was no one who played the game like he later would. He was not following any patterns, he was inventing his great career at every moment.
Since he had (obviously) decided within himself that he was a great player, it simply followed that everything he did would be great. Does this sound too simplistic? Well there is also the matter of belief. When Mr. Jordan had the thought in his head that he was a true great, he really believed it. And that made all the difference. Nothing can stop the Law of Attraction faster than unbelief.
Have you ever wondered why the great basketball player takes almost three steps on the way to his dunk and the rookie player gets called for traveling for taking 1.5 steps? It is not because the officials are favoring the great player, despite what many might think. It is because the great player believes or "be"s the great player in his/her mind first, and then with that strong belief (and some practice to be sure), is enabled to make great plays that are things of beauty and which do not attract adverse calls by a referee.
OK great you say, but I am not Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods . . . in fact I am not even close.
And I have to strongly disagree with you on that point I am afraid.
I know you are not Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. There can be only one each anyway. Being Michael or Tiger is not the point, but being yourself is very extremely much the point.
Because you have some sort of talent; and with practice and proper development of that talent you can become the next world great. You have to know what the talent is first, and you may need some help getting to a world wide stage; but the Internet is a world wide stage; and this blog potentially reaches millions of people for the promotion that I give it, as an example.
So here is how it goes . . .
You identify one or more talents that you have: Things that you seem to be able to do better than almost anyone else.
You practice towards the development of that talent(s). For multiple ones you would pick the one that you enjoy doing the most; NOT the one that you think you can make the most money from. I will explain this in a bit.
You may, at first, work a day job that allows you to use and develop that talent. This is great as long as it does not stop you from taking the next step.
You will start your own business, with you as the owner, of being of service to people by using your talent, whatever it is. As you do this, you will begin to learn fundamental principles of marketing and especially Internet marketing so that you can grow your business. I am here to tell you that you can not learn these principles in any class (Sorry to the good MBA schools).
No, the only way to learn how to market something is to create it first and then get out there and sell it on the Internet. You will learn your first lesson when the hundreds of sales that you envisioned just are not happening for your first attempt. Real world results are a better teacher than all the theory classes you will ever have. As the Klemmer folks say: Never judge anything except by the results, it is sometimes harsh, but it is always fair.
If you enjoy what you are doing and if you are talented at it, and if you have some sort of a followup strategy, such as a customer newsletter (which I have used successfully), then you will slowly grow that business. The key is repeat business from existing customers to add to new business from all marketing sources.
I have written previously about my computer help business that I have started. I created this out of thin air. Because I am talented in the areas of technical troubleshooting and personal communications, I can not only solve my customer's issues, but I can do it in such as way as they enjoy my having been there. Everyone wants my newsletter after my first visit, and once they have received that 3-4 times then I become entrenched as their computer guy. Even if I raise prices later, they are likely to stick with me (unless I am way out of line . . . but I have no overhead and my competition, if you can call them that, has a lot).
So it is a slow but steady growth process, and a business that keeps growing will one day become a big business, as long as it is not mis-managed. I like to say that it is the growing direction that is the most important, not the growing speed. If you have more customers on your newsletter list at the end of the month than at the beginning, then it is a growing business, and when they keep growing you eventually get to the point where you need to hire some help, and then the business can grow some more.
But do not be afraid to start small or slow . . . I charge insanely low prices currently for what I do compared to my competitors. Having no overhead allows me to do this. I charge about $80.00 for two hours of home computer consulting where my competitors charge more than twice that. The appropriate time for me to raise my prices will be when I am so heavily scheduled at my current rates that I can hardly keep up; and as the business continues to grow, that day is surely coming.
You could argue that I am defining what great is for a home computer help business, for the simple reason that I believe that I am great at it. My customers are very appreciative of the work that I do, which I judge when they cheerfully hand over the money for my services. This actually suprised me some at first, people handing me this money so willingly, but I had provided such value to them that they were only too happy to do it. Now I am not surprised by it any more.
But learn the key here. Your greatness has to come as the result of running your own business, or it is never really your greatness. Working for someone else, in any capacity, is not likely the path to the unrestricted presentation of your talents, and you salary is typically always bounded in the upper direction, no matter how much value you provide to how many people.
But do not quit your day job just yet. It is important that you be free to grow your talent inspired business at an appropriate rate, and being free from worrying about how much you are making at first will be GREATLY helpful. Desperation around finances may motivate some to succeed, but in some cases it can actually drive away that which you seek. When should you quit your day job? Do not even start thinking about it until you are making in profit twice as much as what your salary is counting all of your benefits; and seeing a clear path and reasoning for how your business continues to grow. Sometimes you can reduce hours at your existing job to free up some more time for your porfitable business.
As your business grows to a certain point and beyond it, you will begin to have a better understanding of what they are talking about in The Secret when they talk about living in the "magic of life". And why not? You are growing a business and gaining increasing income doing what you love to do. You are providing value to others and have the satisfaction of doing so. Your upward income and value providing possibilities are unlimited. You are being a creator. You have created a business out of thin air (really is is from The Field); and you are learning about how to be a creator.
I am here to tell you that this is one of the most important things we can do during this lifetime, and that is learn how to be a creator. Trust me on this one.
We were ALL meant to create.
Please do not stop yourself from doing so.
Joseph
I want to talk about the opposite of this. If I were to ask you: What is a great basketball player? Would you respond with a list of requirements of what makes a great basketball player, or would you just say Michael Jordan? Same with Golf, would you give me a list of requirements of how to be a great golfer, or would you just say Tiger Woods? Notice I am asking what, not who; but it does not matter.
If Michael Jordan wrote a book that somehow contained all that he knew about being a great basketball player, would I become a great basketball player just by reading it? I think we can all agree that the answer is "certainly not".
Somebody who is a true great is the person who defines what it is to be great; but it is never the person who is trying to copy someone else. Prior to Michael Jordan, there was no one who played the game like he later would. He was not following any patterns, he was inventing his great career at every moment.
Since he had (obviously) decided within himself that he was a great player, it simply followed that everything he did would be great. Does this sound too simplistic? Well there is also the matter of belief. When Mr. Jordan had the thought in his head that he was a true great, he really believed it. And that made all the difference. Nothing can stop the Law of Attraction faster than unbelief.
Have you ever wondered why the great basketball player takes almost three steps on the way to his dunk and the rookie player gets called for traveling for taking 1.5 steps? It is not because the officials are favoring the great player, despite what many might think. It is because the great player believes or "be"s the great player in his/her mind first, and then with that strong belief (and some practice to be sure), is enabled to make great plays that are things of beauty and which do not attract adverse calls by a referee.
OK great you say, but I am not Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods . . . in fact I am not even close.
And I have to strongly disagree with you on that point I am afraid.
I know you are not Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. There can be only one each anyway. Being Michael or Tiger is not the point, but being yourself is very extremely much the point.
Because you have some sort of talent; and with practice and proper development of that talent you can become the next world great. You have to know what the talent is first, and you may need some help getting to a world wide stage; but the Internet is a world wide stage; and this blog potentially reaches millions of people for the promotion that I give it, as an example.
So here is how it goes . . .
You identify one or more talents that you have: Things that you seem to be able to do better than almost anyone else.
You practice towards the development of that talent(s). For multiple ones you would pick the one that you enjoy doing the most; NOT the one that you think you can make the most money from. I will explain this in a bit.
You may, at first, work a day job that allows you to use and develop that talent. This is great as long as it does not stop you from taking the next step.
You will start your own business, with you as the owner, of being of service to people by using your talent, whatever it is. As you do this, you will begin to learn fundamental principles of marketing and especially Internet marketing so that you can grow your business. I am here to tell you that you can not learn these principles in any class (Sorry to the good MBA schools).
No, the only way to learn how to market something is to create it first and then get out there and sell it on the Internet. You will learn your first lesson when the hundreds of sales that you envisioned just are not happening for your first attempt. Real world results are a better teacher than all the theory classes you will ever have. As the Klemmer folks say: Never judge anything except by the results, it is sometimes harsh, but it is always fair.
If you enjoy what you are doing and if you are talented at it, and if you have some sort of a followup strategy, such as a customer newsletter (which I have used successfully), then you will slowly grow that business. The key is repeat business from existing customers to add to new business from all marketing sources.
I have written previously about my computer help business that I have started. I created this out of thin air. Because I am talented in the areas of technical troubleshooting and personal communications, I can not only solve my customer's issues, but I can do it in such as way as they enjoy my having been there. Everyone wants my newsletter after my first visit, and once they have received that 3-4 times then I become entrenched as their computer guy. Even if I raise prices later, they are likely to stick with me (unless I am way out of line . . . but I have no overhead and my competition, if you can call them that, has a lot).
So it is a slow but steady growth process, and a business that keeps growing will one day become a big business, as long as it is not mis-managed. I like to say that it is the growing direction that is the most important, not the growing speed. If you have more customers on your newsletter list at the end of the month than at the beginning, then it is a growing business, and when they keep growing you eventually get to the point where you need to hire some help, and then the business can grow some more.
But do not be afraid to start small or slow . . . I charge insanely low prices currently for what I do compared to my competitors. Having no overhead allows me to do this. I charge about $80.00 for two hours of home computer consulting where my competitors charge more than twice that. The appropriate time for me to raise my prices will be when I am so heavily scheduled at my current rates that I can hardly keep up; and as the business continues to grow, that day is surely coming.
You could argue that I am defining what great is for a home computer help business, for the simple reason that I believe that I am great at it. My customers are very appreciative of the work that I do, which I judge when they cheerfully hand over the money for my services. This actually suprised me some at first, people handing me this money so willingly, but I had provided such value to them that they were only too happy to do it. Now I am not surprised by it any more.
But learn the key here. Your greatness has to come as the result of running your own business, or it is never really your greatness. Working for someone else, in any capacity, is not likely the path to the unrestricted presentation of your talents, and you salary is typically always bounded in the upper direction, no matter how much value you provide to how many people.
But do not quit your day job just yet. It is important that you be free to grow your talent inspired business at an appropriate rate, and being free from worrying about how much you are making at first will be GREATLY helpful. Desperation around finances may motivate some to succeed, but in some cases it can actually drive away that which you seek. When should you quit your day job? Do not even start thinking about it until you are making in profit twice as much as what your salary is counting all of your benefits; and seeing a clear path and reasoning for how your business continues to grow. Sometimes you can reduce hours at your existing job to free up some more time for your porfitable business.
As your business grows to a certain point and beyond it, you will begin to have a better understanding of what they are talking about in The Secret when they talk about living in the "magic of life". And why not? You are growing a business and gaining increasing income doing what you love to do. You are providing value to others and have the satisfaction of doing so. Your upward income and value providing possibilities are unlimited. You are being a creator. You have created a business out of thin air (really is is from The Field); and you are learning about how to be a creator.
I am here to tell you that this is one of the most important things we can do during this lifetime, and that is learn how to be a creator. Trust me on this one.
We were ALL meant to create.
Please do not stop yourself from doing so.
Joseph
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