Secret

I met guitar hero Bill Collings, creator of Collings acoustic and electric guitars, yesterday. His guitars are famous. They are high-end works of art, made mostly by hand and in innovative ways right here in Austin, Texas.

Famous players have acoustic and electric guitars made by Collings, including (according to the Collings’ website) Keith Richards, Lyle Lovett, Pete Townshend, Emmylou Harris, Andy Summers, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Joni Mitchell, Don Felder, John Sebastian, Lou Reed, John Fogerty, Tim O’Brien, Pete Huttlinger, Kenny Smith, Brian May, Joan Baez, John Prine, Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap, and Steven Spielberg.

Bill Collings is a trip. What a passionate, exciting, inspiring guy. He’s into guitars, race cars, and at age 62, just plain having fun.

But he’s also stretching himself.

He said, “If I don’t have someone to teach me, I’ll just stay on a plateau. There won’t be any growth. I have coaches for everything. You gotta have them!”

Made me think of why I had a Spanish tutor before I went to Peru, or a fitness instructor today, or beliefs coaches in my own life. I want to grow.

This is why I created my Miracles Coaching program. If you”re trying to transform your life and get more of the results you want, that’s the service to check out. I created it over four years ago and it’s going strong. Check it out right here.

Collings guitars is at Collings Guitars.

Miracles Coaching is at Joe Vitale Coaching.

Ao Akua

Joe
Dr. Joe Vitale

PS – Remember to get your free copy of my new book, Attract Money Now, from right here. It can help you use the Law of Attraction to attract money – and even Collings Guitars, made by Mr. Guitar Hero and his staff.

I haven’t jogged in more than twenty years but I’m ready to put on barefoot running shoes and hit the hills.

Why? What’s got into me? Why am I now “born to run”? And why barefoot??

I’ve been reading the most riveting, stimulating, adventurous, outrageous, mind altering, fun, shocking and simply unbelievable book of 2009. I’m talking about Born to Run by Christoper McDougall.

The thing is, well, hypnotic.

It’s the true story of the Tarahumara, a peace-loving small group of mega-distance running people who live hidden in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. The author heard of them and went on a quest to find them. What a quest it was.

He didn’t just dodge drug dealers and dangerous mountains, but he climbed, walked, ran, and struggled though a maze of twists and turns that make this book the healthiest detective story of the year.

Only it’s all true.

Part of the secret to the Tarahumara’s ability to run forever — literally — is the fact that they don’t wear shoes. No Nikes. No New Balances. No spring-loaded computerized made-only-for-your-feet shoes.

If anything, they wear what some would call Jesus or gladiator sandals: just a slab of thin leather under the sole with a leather thong tied around the foot and ankle. That’s it.

Of course, these running savants love to run. They smile as they run. They are like kids at play — kids who smoke black tobacco and drink corn beer — but kids in spirit, even when they’re senior citizens dashing over mountain tops.

Go figure.

You’ve got to read the book. It’s a masterpiece. Read it for the writing style. Read it for the adventure story. Read it for the amazing characters. Read it for the inspiration. Read it to be shocked. But read it.

Off with the shoes and out the door to freedom I go.

Or not.

I’ve yet to get my head around running virtually barefoot over roads and rough terrain.

I think I’ll finish Born to Run first and then decide.

Ao Akua,

Joe
Dr. Joe Vitale

PS – Here are some resources for you:

Info on Tarahumara
http://www.mexonline.com/raramuri.htm

“White Horse” leads trips into Mexico’s Copper Canyon
http:/www.caballoblanco.com/

Details on Barefoot Running
http://barefootted.com/labels/tarahumara.html

Book site for Born to Run
http://www.borntorun.org/

Vibram Five Fingers are “shoes” that look like slippers a frog would wear. Yet people run in these “barefoot running shoes.”
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

Note: Remember to read Joe Vitale’s new book Attract Money Now FREE by clicking right here.

 Actress Jenny McCarthy gave me a birthday present I’ll never forget.

Here’s the story…

I’m reading the book Yes Man by Danny Wallace. It’s the book used to make the recent movie of the same name, starring the incredible Jim Carrey.

It’s excellent and I highly recommend you read it. In fact, Danny may be my new favorite author. He’s funny, creative, and has a positive message about life. I just joined his Karma Army, a movement to get people to do good deeds every Friday.

At the recent Awakened Millionaire Training, I told everyone that my secret to life is to say YES to most opportunities and ideas that come my way.

But I qualified it by saying you need to say yes to the life affirming choices, not to just any choice.

For example, if you’re a recovering alcoholic, and someone offers you a drink, you don’t say yes to the offer. Instead, you say yes to your sobriety.

If you’re on a diet, and someone offers you cheesecake, you don’t say yes to the dessert; you instead say yes to your diet.

A while back Nerissa found out a mutual friend has a connection to actor Jim Carrey (who Nerissa met once years ago).

She asked for a birthday present for me from Jim’s lady, actress/author/Playboy model/spokesperson Jenny McCarthy.

Jenny is one of my all-time favorite people. While I’ve not yet met her, I’ve always loved seeing her on television, reading her books, or hearing about her triumphs being a mother and healing autism.

This is one strong lady.

Of course I’d welcome a signed photo of her.

When asked for a signed photo for me, Jenny said yes. She sent the photo and a copy of one of her books. That’s her, above. (Left click on it to enlarge it.)

I’m glad she said yes to my birthday gift.

What are you saying yes to today?

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS — Next stop is to get a signed photo from Jim Carrey. Jenny, can you ask Jim? 🙂

 I’ve been saying for years now that when you think differently, you see opportunities you missed before.

My favorite story is how P.T. Barnum viewed Charlie Stratton, a little boy who would never grow over three feet tall.

The Connecticut folks said it was sad. They saw Charlie as a victim.

But Barnum looked at the same little boy and saw an opportunity.

He renamed him General Tom Thumb.

Tom Thumb had a life of fame and fortune.

He entertained royalty, was loved by all, and made Barnum and himself millionaires.

Barnum was able to see something that everyone else overlooked.

He was able to think differently.

The thing is, how do you think differently?

After all, if the way you think is natural for you, how do you change it?

I’m reading a book on this very subject. Iconoclast is by Gregory Berns. He’s a neuroscientist who reveals how to think differently. I’m finding it fascinating.

Berns says the great iconoclasts (people who do things others say can’t be done) basically learned how to see differently.

Turns out your brain is lazy. Once you’ve seen something and put it in a category in your brain, you tend to group anything like it, even if incorrect, in the same category. It’s efficient but not helpful if you want to break out of the rut.

When it comes to making more money, most people look at the world and see the same opportunities they’ve seen before: typically, a job.

Because they don’t awaken their mind and expand their vision, they don’t see other opportunities.

Yet opportunities do exist.

So how do you change your thinking so you can see them?

According to Berns, one way to jolt the brain out of its preconceived category thinking is to bombard it with new experiences.

This is one reason I created the Rolls-Royce Phantom Master-Mind experience.

Sitting in a $375,000 handmade luxury automobile is a new experience for most people.

Sitting in it with me is also a new experience.

This combined unique event helps the brain expand. As a result, you see new opportunities you may have missed before.

Why don’t more people sign up for the Rolls experience or any other type of new activity?

Berns goes on to say in his book (which you should really get and read) is that fear stops people.

Fear of the unknown is the biggest fear.

You don’t take action because you fear the consequences.

Yet you must take action to get any results.

Berns says you can retrain the brain to lessen the fear. But you have to in one way or another face the fear and do the very thing you fear.

I haven’t completed Iconoclast yet, but wanted to stop reading it long enough to write this blog post for you.

If you have to think differently to get different results, then you can start by doing this:

1. Read my book on P.T. Barnum, There’s A Customer Born Every Minute.

2. Sign-up for the next Rolls-Royce Phantom Master-Mind. (Jan. 15)

3. Face your fears.

I’m sure you can think of other experiences you could do to expand your thinking and retrain your brain.

Here are a few more:

1. Attend the Attract Wealth Seminar in January in Austin.

2. Attend the Awakened Millionaire weekend with me in January in Austin.

3. Attend any event you’re drawn to, even if you have no previous experience or education concerning it.

To paraphrase Tony Robbins, if you keep on thinking the way you’ve been thinking, you’ll keep on doing what you’ve been doing, and you’ll keep on getting what you’ve been getting.

It may be time for a change.

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS — If you really want to expand your thinking, check out The Awakening Course.

 In Chicago last week I took time out from recording my third audio program for Nightingale-Conant to answer questions at a book signing. Most of the questions I’ve heard before. Some were new. At least one shocked me.

“How do you handle impatience?”

I related to that one, as I’m still impatient from time to time. I explained impatience is a sign of an inner block. It means you aren’t trusting things will work out; that you want your result right now or you’ll throw a fit. The remedy is to release the block and get back in the flow. Get clear.

 “What’s with the beads?”

I wear the beads (sometimes called prayer beads or a mala) as a reminder to stay in the now, to connect with the spiritual side of life, and because I think wearing them makes me look cool.

“When is having so many cars enough?”

Huh?

The person asking the question couldn’t articulate herself very well, so answering her was a challenge. But I had just told everyone about my $375,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom and it may have made her wonder about buying so many cars.

   I spontaenously said something in the moment that turned out to be wise.

“I haven’t gone seeking any of my cars,” I explained. “They came to me. I stumbled across the Steve Reeves ’76 Jag. I stumbled across the Steven Tyler ’98 Panoz Roadster. I never ever imagined owning a 2008 Rolls-Royce. I simply said yes to them when they were in my awareness and everything seemed to fit. I think the great secret to living a happy life is to say yes to life.”

My answer touched a chord in people.

As they lined up to have me sign copies of Expect Miracles or The Attractor Factor, many asked me to sign their book with “Say YES to life!” beside my name.

Say YES to life!

When life offers you an opportunity, say yes to it.

But YES has a double-meaning.

I also have Operation YES, my movement to end foreclosures and homelessness.

So say YES to life (and support Operation YES) and you’ll have a much happier, wealthier, and healthier life.

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS — My third audio program with Nightingale-Conant will come out February, 2009. My two previous programs are bestsellers for the company. The Power of Outrageous Marketing came out well over ten years ago and still sells well. The Missing Secret, on how to use the law of attraction to get what you want, is the company’s bestselling program in the last five years. (!)  Search for them at www.nightingale.com (I’ve been a customer of Nightingale for well over twenty years and attribute listening to their audios as part of my success.)

Note: All photos by Nerissa. (Left click on image to enlarge.)