Laugh Often

I have always been a student of success. To me success means making a difference. That's the message of this poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

To laugh often and much

to win the respect of intelligent people

and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty;

to find the best in others;

to leave the world a bit better,

whether by a healthy child,

a garden patch

or a redeemed social condition;

to know even one life has breathed easier

because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

Did I make a difference in someone else's life today? I hope I can often say, "Yes I did."

Why Are You Here On This Earth?

Do you know the purpose of your life? Do you know why you are here? Once you discover your Big Why your life will take on a magical quality of peace and passion.

Here's mine: to live my life every day in a way that positively impacts the lives of others. I want to make a difference. This is my passion and my desire.

How do I go about fulfilling my purpose?

• I begin every day by expressing gratitude for the blessings in my life. I spend a few minutes giving thanks for my health, my family, my loved ones, my career, the sunrise, the new day, etc.


• I think about how each day is a full of wonderful opportunities.


• As a Financial Advisor I help people achieve their dreams and accomplish meaningful goals in their life.


• As a husband, father, and friend I try to give my best in love and commitment.

I remember a little song from my childhood that said, "This little light of mine....I'm gonna let it shine." That's my goal. To let my little light shine in my little corner of this world.

Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life

I am a big fan of Jack Canfield (the "Chicken Soup" author) and a student of success. A while back I purchased his book, "The Success Principles," and it's sat untouched on my night stand for far too long. I couldn't bring myself to read it because of the dreadful circumstances I was facing.

A while back I faced major personal set-backs that really took the wind out of my sails. It started when my business partner of 13 years decided to end our relationship. The bursting real estate bubble brought an end to my real estate brokerage business and personal real estate holdings. In every area of my life I faced major challenges: relationships, finances, career, self-esteem, you name it.

I certainly didn't feel like a success. It was a time of distress and darkness.

But here's what I've learned. I brought it all upon myself. Oh, I could blame others, blame the market, blame circumstances, or blame it on the economy. But, in reality I understand that the results I get are because of the choices I make.

So, today I opened Jack's book and intend to read it and take it to heart. And, I will blog about it as well.

He begins by writing about the Fundamentals of Success and the first principle is that we must learn to "Take 100% Responsibility" for our lives. The truth is that there is only one person responsible for the quality of the life you live.

That person is YOU.

You are where you are today and what you are today because of the choices you have made in the past. What is also gloriously true is that the past is the past. All that matters from this day forward is that you choose to act as if you are 100% responsible for the future. If you truly believe this and commit to act in self-empowering ways, your future will unfold in all the marvelous ways you want.

I am in charge of my life. You are in charge of your life. I don't know about you, but I choose success!

The Power of Words and Thoughts

The words we speak and the thoughts we think are much more POWERFUL than most of us realize. We carelessly use words and hold thoughts without realizing the effect they have upon ourselves and others. Or, we can use our words and thoughts to make magic in our lives. One of my goals in 2008 is to be more careful with my words and thoughts and to use my words and thoughts to create the life I really, really want.

The words that we speak and the thoughts that we think can change our physical reality. "Hado" is the phenomenon brought to light by the work of Japanese researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto. "Hado" refers to the subatomic vibration which exists in all matter and its basis, the energy of consciousness.

Dr. Emoto is best known for his study of water and how words affect its physical reality. Water samples were subjected to various words, spoken and written, as well as music, and then frozen and looked at under a microscope. The results were staggering. Dr. Emoto says,

"Words are the vibrations of nature. Therefore beautiful words create beautiful nature. Ugly words create ugly nature. This is the root of the universe.”

Here are two examples of water crystals subjected to the following words: "I will kill you" followed by "Love and Gratitude."

If words and thoughts can have this effect upon water, what effect do they have upon our lives, relationships, goals, and dreams? I wonder....

• What words and thoughts do I hold in my mind each day?
• What effect do the words I speak to others have?
• What effect do the words I use in my own "self-talk" have within my body and life?
• How can I use my words and thoughts to manifest my goals and dreams?

You can read about Dr. Emoto's work at http://www.hado.net/

(copyright 2007 by Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved)

Taking a Risk Is Hard To Do

No matter what you do, there are always going to be risks associated with it. One of the hardest things to do in life is to take risks. When it comes to money some people say they are not willing to risk their financial security. They find risk-taking to be frightening.

KEY: Everything you do in life involves risk.

Think about it. Even if you decide to do nothing, there is risk in that! You cannot escape the fact that a life without risk is impossible.

You have probably seen a clip of Wildebeests crossing the Crocodile infested rivers in Africa. The Wildebeests gather by the thousands waiting to cross. If they avoid the risk and stay on this side of the river they face starvation. If they take the risk, plunge into the water, they risk being eaten alive. But getting to the other side is necessary for their survival. The eventually face their fear head-on and take the plunge.

"But what if I fail?" - What if you do? You can start over in a new exciting adventure. Maybe that's the wrong question. Maybe we should be asking, "What if I succeed?" The first question focuses on fear; the second question focuses on possibilities.

If you are worried about money, you are probably focusing on fear which makes you feel powerless to change your situation. The key is to change your mind-set and begin focusing on possibilities which creates new solutions.

Remember the key to the Law of Attraction: What we think about comes about. If you focus your thoughts and emotions on failure, that's what you'll get. However, if you focus your thoughts and emotions on possibilities, the universe will open the doors to success.

(Copyright © 2007 By Dan Forbes. All Rights Reserved.

Happiness is Just a Thought Away

People who understand the Law of Attraction do not live their lives in fear or want. They understand and cooperate with the laws of the universe. They know that what we give out we also receive. The energy we give out is the results we get back.

We are creating our lives by the thoughts we hold and focus on.

I am reading and studying, "Beyond Positive Thinking," by Dr. Robert Anthony. Here is what he says about this:

"When you realize this, you also realize that your life is an exact duplication of your thoughts; so when you look at your own life, you can always see right down to the exact detail what your thoughts are, because your body, your relationships and your life is a feedback mechanism of your mind. It is constantly sending you feedback about what is held in your thoughts."

Here's what I get from this...

Take a look at your bank balance -it reflects your thoughts about money.

Take a look at your relationships - they reflect your thoughts about people close to you and your thoughts about yourself.

Take a look at your body - it reflects your thoughts about food, exercise, health, and your self esteem.

Take a look at your happiness - it reflects your thoughts about life.

Some people wrongly say, "I tried to use the Law of Attraction to change my life and it didn't work. I don't believe in it."

I say the Law of Attraction is always working perfectly in your life. Believe in it or not, it IS at work in your life.

If you are not happy in some area of your life there is good news. You can change any thought that is not supportive of what you want to be, do, or have. You are never just stuck in place. You can change. Happiness is just a thought away.

(From my personal notes reading "Beyond Positive Thinking," by Dr. Robert Anthony)

(Copyright © 2008 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.

The Law of Attraction and Affirmations

My previous post was about affirmations and the power they create in our lives. When we write down our goals we create a mental picture of what we want and it becomes an intention. Affirmations are a way to program our subconscious to bring forth that intention.

Dr. Robert Anthony in Beyond Positive Thinking calls this "imprinting" and says it is a three-step process:

• You affirm your goal with an "intention statement."
• You picture the end result.
• You feel the emotion that goes along with accomplishing the goal.

Step 1 - Affirm Your Goal with an "Intention Statement."
Dr. Anthony writes, "An ‘intention statement' is simply a statement of fact or belief that is written out in a personal, positive, present tense form as though the goal were already a reality."
An example would be, "It is my intention to earn $100,000 this year."

He suggests that every statement begin with the words "it is my intention..." In this way you will overcome any resistance from your subconscious mind. The key is to make sure that the intention you really want is the TRUE intention.

I have used affirmations for years, but have not used this kind of introduction to my statements. For example, one of the money affirmations I have used in the past was, "I am totally worthy of taking home $20,000 per month because I provide a valuable service to others." I didn't say, "It is my intention to take home $20,000 per month..." because I really believed it already.

Another money affirmation I have used is, "I easily attract money into my life and have massive financial abundance...because I deserve it!"

If you encounter any resistance to your affirmations try using the intention statement.

Step 2 - Picture the End Result
When using affirmations you want to picture the accomplishment of the goal in your mind. See yourself successfully becoming, doing, or having what you want.

Remember that affirmations work on the theory of displacement. You can demonstrate this by taking a glass of water and adding food coloring. If you add red food coloring the water will be turned red. However, if you hold that full glass of water under the faucet and start running clear water into the glass, eventually the red water will be displaced with the clear water. So, you are displacing the old picture or self-image with a new one.

We move toward the goal that we picture. We create what we focus on.

Step 3 - Feel the Emotion That Goes Along with Accomplishment
More than words, the subconscious responds to feelings. The more emotion you attach to your affirmation, the quicker it will become reality. Ask yourself, "What will it feel like when I reach my goal?" Picture yourself accomplishing your goal and call forth the emotions and feelings you will feel.

All three of these steps are required for affirmations to work in your life. Dr. Anthony proposes:

• A 10% success rate if you only read or state your affirmations.
• A 55% success rate if you read or state your affirmation and visualize the end result.
• A 100% success rate if you read or state your affirmation, picture the end result, and feel the emotion behind the accomplishment of it.

(Copyright © 2008 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.

Attracting Money Into Your Life, Or Not

You have heard the saying, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." It almost sounds unfair until you realize that what we think about comes about. Those who are rich are constantly thinking about riches. Those who are poor are constantly thinking about poverty. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If you do not have all the money you want in your life, it's because you are using the Law of Attraction in reverse. It's not the state of the economy, it's not the market, and it's not some outside force. It is because you are focused on what you don't want, instead of what you do want.

That may be a tough truth to accept but the Law of Attraction teaches us that we attract more of what we focus on. If our beliefs, assumptions, thoughts, ideas, and notions result in an expectation of scarcity, lack, or poverty, then that is exactly what our life will look like.

Here's the truth. We are the ones responsible for having or not having enough. We must accept this fact before we can move on. If we are experiencing financial lack, it is because we are serving our negative thoughts.

It's like creating a monster. If you create a monster, eventually the monster turns on you.

Here in Florida every once in a while you come across someone who tries to make a pet out of an Alligator. It always ends badly, usually with the owner being attacked at some point. Alligators are wild creatures and they don't make good pets. They will turn on you. Our negative thoughts about money turn against us and bring us scarcity and lack.

(From my personal notes reading "Beyond Positive Thinking," by Dr. Robert Anthony)

(Copyright © 2008 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.

The Only One Who Can Stop You Is You

Nothing and no one can stop you from creating the life you desire. Ultimately, the only one who can really stop you is YOU and your own limiting beliefs.

The truth is, we can create anything we desire, and it doesn't have to take a lot of effort and work. However, if we think it takes a lot of effort and work to get what we want, then our life is going to be a struggle. The idea that it takes effort and work to get what we want is a limiting belief.

The Law of Attraction or getting what you want in life is as simple as this: Choose what you want and believe you are going to get it. With our conscious mind we focus on what we want. Then our subconscious mind goes to work to figure out the HOW.

Our biggest problem is accepting the simplicity of it all. Most of us have been taught life is more complicated than that. The idea that it is difficult or complicated to create what we want is another limiting belief.

Now, you can't get started until you know exactly what you want. If have difficulty with deciding what it is that you really want just choose SOMETHING.

In Beyond Positive Thinking, Dr. Robert Anthony writes,

"The important thing is to choose something. Just get started. If it's the ‘wrong' thing, you will find out and then you can make corrections...Affirm the specific thing that you want to be, to do, and to have. Once you have (done that), your subconscious will ...support you in creating what you want."

(Copyright © 2007 By Dan Forbes. All Rights Reserved.

How To Attract a New Car Into Your Life

I started to name this post, "Law of Attraction: 'We become what we think about all day long' - Emerson" But then I thought I'd get right to the nitty-gritty with the headline. Do you want a new car, more money, a happier life? Then read this post...

Our minds are the most powerful machines on earth. Learn how to control your mind and you will have the key to your life.

Your subconscious mind will achieve anything you believe to be true for you. The key is that we have the right beliefs. Dr. Emile Coue used autosuggestion in his clinic in France. He had his patients repeat this statement: “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” It had amazing results because of the constant repetition.

Affirmations work on the theory of displacement. You can demonstrate this by taking a glass of water and adding food coloring. If you add red food coloring the water will be turned red. However, if you hold that full glass of water under the faucet and start running clear water into the glass, eventually the red water will be displaced with the clear water.

When you displace negative, unproductive, unworkable thoughts with positive, productive, powerful thoughts, the same thing happens. You don’t have to focus on getting rid of the limiting beliefs. You merely need to focus on thinking about the new positive beliefs that support getting what you want instead of what you don’t want.

Emerson said, “We become what we think about all day long.” The important thing is that we can control what we think about through positive self-talk or affirmations. Using affirmations is one of the easiest ways to change our lives. However, most people don’t know how to use affirmations correctly.

TWO KEYS TO USING AFFIRMATIONS CORRECTLY:

1. Combine your affirmation with imagery or visualization. Hold the thought in your mind until it creates a mental picture or image. Experience it in your mind. Affirmations are the thoughts you choose to think about. Imagery goes a step further and generates emotion and belief. Visualization creates beliefs and attitudes without the actual event having taken place.

2. Put as much emotion into your imagery as possible. Create excitement, desire, and enthusiasm. Run the picture over and over again in your mind and experience the feeling. New thoughts programmed with repetition, and imagery become dominant thoughts. Dominant thoughts become our reality.

The concepts I am writing about comes from Dr. Robert Anthony’s book, “Beyond Positive Thinking.” Here are some other points he makes:

1. “The key is to be able to picture or imagine the end results so vividly that it appears real.” Once the subconscious mind accepts an idea, it will work to bring it to pass. If we supply the end result that we want to achieve, our subconscious will supply the “how to.”

2. “The aim of affirmation and visualization is to evoke the feeling that the goal has already been achieved.” If you can create this feeling, you will attract the result you want.

3. “If you do not put yourself in the picture, you may not be in the end result.” Always put yourself in the picture. See yourself accomplishing the goal or behavior. If you can’t see yourself being, doing, or having it, you won’t.

For example, imagine you want a new Chrysler Crossfire convertible. Every day you visualize the car and faithfully put lots of emotion into your affirmation with imagery and repetition. Suddenly, a new Chrysler Crossfire comes into your life. You look through the window and there it sits ---in your neighbor’s driveway. You now have a new convertible in your life, but you are not in it. Make sure to put yourself in the picture.

On my Vision Board is a picture of me standing beside a silver Chrysler Crossfire convertible. I rented it while visiting Las Vegas and decided I would love to own one. So I added it to my board and affirmed, visualized, and thought about owning and driving the car I desired. A few months later I owned a black Chrysler Crossfire. I keep a picture of it on my Vision Board to remind me of the power of affirmations.

What You Believe You Can Do, You Can

What we believe we are, we are. What we believe we can do, we can. What we believe we can have, we will. This is the way the Law of Attraction works in our lives. It is as certain as the Law of Gravity.

Prior to May 6th, 1954, no one in sports believed it was possible to run a mile in under four minutes. Hundreds of runners had attempted to break the four minute mark to no avail. Because no one believed it was possible, it became reality.

But there was one runner who believed differently. He truly believed that he could break the four minute mile. On that day in May of 1954, Roger Bannister ran the mile in three minutes and fifty nine seconds.

Then an amazing thing happened. Everyone’s belief changed. Now it was believable to finish the mile in less than four minutes. By the end of the next year, every major professional runner had run the mile in under four minutes. How? Because they believed it once Roger Bannister proved it could be done.

Our self-limiting beliefs hinder us from accomplishing our goals. So before anything else, when you set a goal you must BELIEVE that you can accomplish it. Once you believe it, you can see yourself accomplishing it, and then you will. The HOW will find a way.

You can heal a broken relationship…if you believe you can. You can overcome a defeating habit…if you think you can. You can have a strong, healthy body…if you think you can.

Go ahead; create your own magnificent goal. You can do it!

The Law of Attraction: Why Goals Don’t Work

Dr. Robert Anthony, in his book, Beyond Positive Thinking, writes about goals and the importance of “positive feedback.” He proposes that the primary factor in the successful use of goals is positive feedback. Without it our goals don’t work.

When the goal-setter fails to receive any positive feedback he or she soon gives up.

In my office I have a Vision Board on one wall. It’s a simple cork board with pictures, notes, and visual reminders of my be, do, and have goals. It is my vision of what I want to be, what I want to do, and what I want to have.

Each day I take a moment to look at my Vision Board and feel the good feeling of accomplishing my goals. It’s amazing to see these goals fulfilled.

My Vision Board helps keep me focuses. That’s important because what we think about comes about. What we focus on, we create in our lives.

Dr. Anthony suggests keeping a notebook that lists our goals and the obstacles we face along the way. It is our positive feedback notebook.

Here are few suggestions:

1. Post a Vision Board and add pictures and visuals that represent your goals.

2. Spend a few moments each day looking at your Vision Board and ask, “What will it feel like to reach these goals?” Imagine yourself living your dreams.

3. Buy a notebook and write down your goals, including the obstacles you have to overcome along the way.

4. As you reach your goals, make notes in your notebook and then review them from time to time.

5. Keep adding to your list of accomplished goals. Every time you look at it, you’ll gain more and more confidence in your ability to reach your goals.

I wish I had started such a notebook years ago. I think of the hundreds of goals I’ve set. Some I reached, some I didn’t. If I had recorded how I overcame obstacles in the past, I can only imagine how that information could help me today. If I had recorded the celebration of goals reached, my confidence today might be much higher.

So, I encourage you to do two things today:
1. Erect a Vision Board. Put it somewhere that you’ll see it every day.
2. Buy a notebook. Write down your goals and start giving yourself some positive feedback.

Goals don’t work for some people because they don’t create any positive feedback. Your goals will work for you because you are going to take action today, right?

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Copyright © 2007 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved .
The material herein may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published without the authors written permission. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law.

Law of Attraction: What do you really, really want?

Your desire is what sets the universe in motion. So, it is important that you are absolutely clear about what you really, really want. Most people don’t create the kind of life they want because they haven’t clearly determined what they want to be, do, or have.

If you were driving from Florida to California one of your first steps would be to take a map and determine which highways you were going to take. You wouldn’t just get in your car and start driving or else you might end up in New York. Your desire is to get to California. Once you know that, you know the next step, and the next.

Successful people know where they want to go and visualize what it is going to look like when they get there.

Why is it that most New Year’s resolutions don’t work? It’s because they usually focus on what we don’t want:

• I am going to quit smoking


• I am going to stop overeating


• I am going to get out of debt

These types of intentions focus on what we don’t want rather than what we do want. They reflect a negative self-talk. All our subconscious mind hears is smoking, overeating, and debt. Since this is our focus, the Law of Attraction works perfectly to bring more smoking, overeating, and debt into our lives.

A better way is to focus on what you do want. For example:

• I want to live a smoke-free, healthy life


• I want to be healthy, fit, and full of energy.


• I want to be debt-free and have $25,000 in reserves.

Do you see the difference?

Tips:
1. Look at where you are in your life right now. Where you are today is where you want to be. After all you made the choices that got you here.

2. Is your life working the way you want it to? Are you where you want to be? Do you have the things you want to have? What do you really want to be, do, and have?

3. If time, money, health, etc., were no object, what would you do?

4. Write down your goals. The act of writing a goal down increases the odds of reaching it by 1000%.

5. Write down the benefits you will receive by reaching your goal. This will force you to understand WHY you want to accomplish this specific goal.

6. Ask, “What circumstances or conditions must I overcome to reach this goal?” Think through the obstacles and let your subconscious mind find the solutions.

7. Get started. You can change your mind later if you want to, but for the moment the most important thing is to take action right now!

==============

(My thoughts from reading Beyond Positive Thinking by Dr. Robert Anthony)

Law of Attraction: Being, Doing and Having. Most people have it backwards!

In his book, Beyond Positive Thinking, Dr. Robert Anthony writes about our innate desire to reach our potential. He identifies three beliefs that keep us from being happy and satisfied:

#1—What I don’t have is better than what I do have. (The grass is greener on the other side of the fence).

#2—Having more is better. (More money, more stuff, more love, etc.)

#3—When I get what I want, I will be happy. This is based on the idea that if we work hard and solve all of our problems, someday we will be happy.

The Law of Attraction says that whatever you think about becomes your reality. So, what do you think about most of the time? Most people think about their problems.

Dr. Anthony says, “We have been trained to think about what isn’t, what should be and what we don’t have, and then how we might remedy a situation, solve it or make it better, and so when you first awake, you focus automatically on all the problems that you must face that day.”

This backwards thinking has us believing that if we HAVE the things that happy people have, we will DO what happy people do, and then we will BE happy. The truth of the matter is that we are the most blessed and advanced society on earth, yet we are far from being happy.

Again, the Law of Attraction teaches us that life flows from BEING, to DOING, into HAVING. If you are BEING happy (from the inside out), you will start DOING what happy people do, and you will HAVE what happy people have.

This doesn’t mean you have to accept where you are now and what you have now, and give up any desire of something better. It simply means that at the BEING level you already have want you want. You are already, right now a SUCCESS.

Surround Yourself with “Can-Do” People

Take a good look at the people in your life who are telling you,
“It can’t be done,”
“There’s no way,”
“Your goal is unreasonable.”

Are you allowing others to set limits on whether you are capable or not? If you listen to the naysayer, you are giving them power over your life. Is that the way you want to live your life?

Do you surround yourself with people who tell you why things can’t be done, or with people who help you find solutions? Be careful of the kind of people with whom you surround yourself.

“We don’t have problems, just solutions.”

This was the motto of Rear Admiral Eugene Fluckey, the man responsible for destroying more tonnage of Japanese shipping than any other submarine commander during World War II.

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford lived next door to each other just a few miles from where I live in Florida. Along with tire maker, Harvey Firestone they fished together; camped together and entertained guests such as naturalist John Burroughs and Presidents Coolidge and Hoover. These great men surrounded themselves with other great men.

If you are serious about reaching your goals and attracting fabulous things into your life, surround yourself with “Can-Do” people.

You’ll See It When You Believe It

Most of us were taught “seeing is believing” as a child. We were taught to be realistic and logical. We learned to say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” This type of thinking is exactly what holds us back from accomplishing our most cherished goals. It stifles the imagination.

The Law of Attraction is about a new awareness which can be described as, “You’ll see it when you believe it.” The fact that we can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there. We don’t see opportunities or solutions because we aren’t looking for them. We must first determine what we are looking for.

Rather than seeing first and then believing, we must first set our goal and then the universe will move to help us accomplish it.

You must first decide what you want before you can become aware of how to get it. Your brain acts like an email spam filter. It receives thousands of bits of information daily and filters out any information that is not important. If it didn’t work this way our nervous system would be overwhelmed. By deciding what you want, your brain knows what information is of value.

The normal response to setting a challenging goal is “I can’t see how I’ll accomplish this. I don’t know where the money is going to come from. Who is going to help me? I don’t have what I need” or “I don’t know what I need to know.”

The truth is this: You don’t need to know all those answers. What you need to know is, “What is the end result? Where do I want to end up? What do I want to create?” Determine the goal first and then all the necessary information will follow.

People who get things done, who achieve lofty goals, know this secret: You’ll see it when you believe it. You must believe in the goal first, and then you will see how to accomplish it. You will find a way to make it happen.

Success and the “Sure-Enough” Principle

What you expect of yourself, others, a day, or a situation, determines the outcome. Once you lock onto the idea of how you think things are going to work out, you then create the situation to make it a reality – and sure enough you get what you expect. It’s the Sure-Enough Principle.

Examples:
If you expect to fail at a certain task, sure enough, you will.
If you expect someone is going to disappoint you, sure enough, they will.
If you expect a day to go badly, sure enough, it will.


Mike Ferry says, “On both the good days and the bad days, the results are what you think about.”

Therefore, to get better results in life we must create better expectations. One way to do this is to visualize what you want and stop picturing, thinking, and talking about what you don’t want.
Successful people look at what they want and move toward the end result. It is as simple as keeping your mind off what you don’t want and on what you do want.

So, what do you want? What makes you happy? Why do you get up every day? Why do you go to work? Why do you associate with the people around you?

“When we are on purpose – doing what we love to do – we will attract the people and circumstances we need to accomplish our purpose.”

(Thoughts from my reading journal while reading, “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony)

You’ll Always Be a Failure in Someone’s Eyes

If you have been reading my posts you know that I am reading, studying, and applying the truths found in Beyond Positive Thinking by Dr. Robert Anthony. In chapter two he writes about the importance of understanding who you are. Here are a few of Dr. Anthony’s words and my thoughts.

“We literally act out the kind of person that we think that we are.” Think about it. If you think you are a failure, you probably will be. If you think you are fat, you probably will be. If you think that money is short, it probably will be. We create what we think. What we believe about ourselves, our world, and others is what we experience.

“We experience in life what we’re deeply convinced is so.” If your thought patterns say, “I can’t be, do, or have what I want; I don’t deserve this or that; I’m a bad person,” that will become your reality. We must be convinced that we can be, do, or have anything we want, really convinced.

“You’ll always be a failure in someone’s eyes.” No matter how hard you try, someone is going to say it’s not good enough and you’re not okay. You will never win the approval of everyone. Remember that what you do may succeed or fail, but YOU yourself are not a failure. Sure we all have things in our lives that we regret, but we must learn to move on. “We have to learn the lesson and throw away the experience.”

Dr. Anthony tells the story of great teacher who lived 700 years ago. As he lay dying his students asked if he was afraid to die. “Yes,” he replied, “I am afraid to meet my maker.” They were shocked, “How can that be? You have lived such a great life. You led us out of the wilderness like Moses. You have judged between us wisely like Solomon.” Softly he replied, “When I meet God, He will not ask, ‘Have you been like Moses or Solomon?’ He will ask, ‘Have you been yourself?’ Throughout time, people have struggled to be themselves.

You have been created in a marvelous, perfect way. It is not others that you need to please.

A few years ago the U.S. Army had a great slogan, “Be all that you can be.” Have you given life your best? That is the true test.

Are You Chained to Your Limiting Beliefs?

Remember going to the circus and seeing the great big elephants tied to a wooden stake with just a thin rope? The baby elephants on the other hand, had a big chain around their leg which was tied to a long metal stake. The baby elephant was chained this way so that it couldn’t escape.

If the chain is strong enough and the stake driven deep into the ground, the baby elephant can’t get away from its hold. Eventually the day comes when the baby elephant gives up trying to escape and accepts its bondage. It no longer struggles against the chain and stake.

At that point the metal stake and chain is replaced with the wooden stake and thin rope. The elephant has been conditioned to BELIEVE that it can’t get away. Because it believes this, it doesn’t even try.

We too are like that elephant when we allow our limiting beliefs to hold us back. We are chained to the past because we don’t know any better. We are limited not by reality, but by reality as we perceive it to be.

What kind of limiting beliefs hold people back?
I’m too old
I’m too young
I’m can’t afford it
I’m not smart enough
I tried it once and it didn’t work
Etc.

Phil Bilzon is a Personal Performance Coach and gives this exercise for overcoming limiting beliefs.


1. State a belief you have that stops you performing at your best (“I can’t call Expireds,” for instance).

2. Write down the self-talk that goes with this belief (“I am useless at this”).

3. Describe the comfort zone this places you in (“Calling Expireds fills me with fear so I don’t include it in my list of skills”).

4. State the opposite of your limiting belief (“I can call Expireds and feel positive about doing so”).

5. Write down the new and positive self-talk that goes with this belief (“Calling Expireds is something I can do”).

6. Describe the new and expanded comfort zone this places you in (“Calling Expireds fills me with excitement and anticipation”).

7. What is it like having this new belief? (“My business is growing because I’m good at calling Expireds.”)

8. Describe how you are behaving when you have this new belief (“I see myself picking up the phone and confidently dialing the number …”).

9. As someone with this new found belief, take a walk and act as if you are living this new belief; become your new belief.

What kind of life could you and I be living if we threw off the chains of limiting beliefs? What if we simply forgot the things that we can’t do and just did them?

(Thoughts from my reading journal while reading, “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony)

You Are Always "Right"

What part does the subconscious mind play in applying the Law of Attraction to our lives? Well, job number one of the subconscious mind is to follow the instructions of the conscious mind. It will effectively work to prove that the conscious mind is always “right.”

Remember Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.”

If you consciously think and believe that you can’t be, do, or have what you want, the subconscious mind will create the circumstances to prove that you are “right.”

If you believe business is bad, it will be.

If you believe that relationships are a struggle, they will be.

If you believe that you must work hard for money, you will have to work hard.

What would happen is you began to consciously think more positively?

You see, the subconscious mind doesn’t really think for itself. It doesn’t know the difference between reality and imagination. That’s why when you have a nightmare you awaken in a sweat, with heart pounding. It wasn’t real, but your mind perceived it as real. And, the effects were obvious in your body.

You can train your mind to focus on believing that what you want to be, do, and have is quite possible. Everything you want can be created through your mind.

Napolean Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich” said, "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, It can achieve."

You are always right.

(Thoughts from my reading journal while reading, “Beyond Positive Thinking” by Dr. Robert Anthony)