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Compared to Whom?
Thought for today…
“If you think you’re doing well, ask yourself this critical thinking question: Compared to whom? The average person? The middle class? The world-class? Whom you compare yourself to will help you identify your current level of consciousness.”
-Steve Siebold, author, 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class
How to Change the World
If you want the world to be a better place, begin by transforming one person into a happier, healthier, wealthier individual: you.
Take 5
Thanks to my friend Mark Ryan you can now see a 5 minute excerpt from my new two-DVD set called The Missing Secret by clicking below.
If it doesn’t work, then go directly to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3258822887385014971
You can learn more about the two talks on the DVDs here: The Missing Secret.
I truly believe these presentations go beyond the movie The Secret but of course see the movie first to get a foundation for the material I deliver.
Ao Akua
PS – Expect Miracles!
Thresholds: Is it serving or selling?
Most people complain that they don’t have enough money.
They look at their bills, they look at their wants and needs, they look at their checkbook, and then they look terrified.
How will they pay their bills?
How will they feed their family?
How will they attract more money?
I’m sure you know the feeling. We’ve all been there. You may be there right now.
Now what’s really curious to me is this:
The movie The Secret and many of the teachers in it offer proven ways to attract money and other material things. This obviously works, given the thousands of testimonials from people who now have money when previously they couldn’t find it in a bank with the vault door open.
But some people are complaining that the focus of the movie is only on money or material things. They say it’s self-serving. They say it’s egotistic.
Do you hear the cultural programming at work?
“Money is bad.”
“Taking care of yourself is bad.”
“Material things are not spiritual.”
Please note the discrepancy: when you want money and at the same time say focusing on it is bad or selfish, you are pushing it away.
Even the fans of the movie are doing this.
Some of the very people who use the Law of Attraction to get out of debt or attract a new car, at a later point only attract so much money before they begin to think they are being selfish. At that point they unconsciously turn off the flow and wonder what happened. They then begin to criticize the movie, too.
It’s a strange thing to see.
First, people scramble to find money and worry and fret about it.
Then, they actually learn how to attract it, get some, and begin to complain that money isn’t spiritual.
Wait a minute.
Weren’t these the same people who wanted money in the first place?
Why was money good when they didn’t have it and bad when they finally got it?
All of this is because of people’s beliefs.
They hit their threshold of deservingness.
My father plays the lottery. But when the lotto gets to a hundred million dollars, he quits playing. He says that amount is “too much” and “that much money will ruin you.”
Winning ninety-nine million is OK but one hundred million isn’t?
Again, we’re dealing with beliefs.
We’re dealing with thresholds of deservingness.
I was at an event once when a fellow called his wife and handed me the phone. He wanted a star of The Secret to surprise her.
I took the call, said my name, and heard her scream.
She was talking to a celebrity. She was giddy with excitement.
But then she started asking me what I was doing to save the world.
This woman had gone from being a fan of The Secret and using what she learned to manifest a few things, to hitting her comfort zone and now not wanting anything else.
What happened?
Another example is this: many of the teachers in the movie The Secret create products and services to help you achieve your goals. When your mindset is open, you thank them for their services. When your mindset is closed, you say they are just “selling.”
Well, are they selling or serving?
It’s both and it’s neither. It depends on your beliefs.
It depends on your threshold of deservingness.
If you think they are taking advantage of you, you call it selling (because you think selling is bad).
If you think they are helping you, you call it serving (because you know serving is good).
Again, it’s all about beliefs, and particularly your belief about what you feel you deserve.
That belief creates a threshold that you won’t get past without some work.
It reminds me of a question a therapist used to ask patients:
“How good can you stand it?”
Most of us can’t stand it really good.
“What will the neighbors think?”
“What will my family think?”
“If it’s too good, surely something bad will happen.”
“I don’t deserve it too good.”
“If it’s too good, it won’t last and I’ll be miserable again.”
“If I’m happy, I won’t do anything to save the planet.”
Those are all limiting beliefs.
Your life can be fantastic. Truly amazing. But very often we hit a comfort level and won’t go past it. Why? Because of our self-imposed limits.
Because of our threshold of deservingness.
You can deceive yourself with rationalizations and criticisms about The Secret, me, others, the world, etc; but the end result is, you limit your own good.
I keep reminding people that once you get clear, there’s not much you can’t have, do, or be.
Your goal should always be happiness, what I call spiritual awakening, but the only limits along the way are your own.
How good can you stand it, anyway?
Ao Akua,
PS – In the spirit of serving, here’s some news you may like: I gave two talks on “The Missing Secret” last February. Apparently these presentations awakened a lot of people. You can see a two-minute video excerpt and read more over at www.missingsecret.info I think these talks (now available on two DVDs) represent the best work I’ve done yet. They also include material from my forthcoming books, The Key and Zero Limits. I explain counter-intentions and beliefs in such a way, with a simple illustration you’ll never forget, that these may become the most transformative DVDs of your life. Go watch the preview. Hey, it’s free. You deserve that, don’t you?
The Top Ten Things I Do Every Day to be Successful
Aaron Potts started a great Internet experiment called “Simply Successful Secrets”.
He invited bloggers to write a post about the 5-10 things they do most days (at least 4-5 days a week) that help them be successful.
Participating bloggers then “tag” other bloggers, inviting them to contribute to the experiment, revealing their own secrets to success.
Each blog post is linked back to Aaron’s original post and to the person who tagged them.
As you might imagine, this is a brilliant way to get all the bloggers new readers, elevate all the blogs in the search engines, and help educate everyone — readers as well as bloggers — by revealing daily success tips they may never have thought of before.
I received Mary Ann Copson’s email invitation to me to participate in this grand experiment and decided this would be entertaining as well as educational.
So, here are the top ten things I do every day to be successful:
1. Exercise.
I exercise 4 to 5 days a week. Weight-lifting is three days a week. Cardio/aerobics is two. I usually do this in the morning, after I’ve had enough coffee to awaken most of my body and alert it to the fact that we’re about to move. Exercise is a great stress reducer as well as confidence builder. Plus burning off calories lets me consume some calories and not regret it. I work-out in my own gym, so I don’t have far to walk to get there. Truth be known, I wish I didn’t have to exercise. But I also know there’s no healthy way around it. So I, as Nike advises, “Just do it.”
2. E-mail.
I check e-mail all day long, but heavily in the morning. I do my best to answer important e-mails quickly, as if writing a short telegram where every word costs plenty. Since my business is largely Internet driven, taking care of urgent e-mails keeps me prosperous and customers happy. Since I’m in the movie The Secret, often these e-mails come from reporters or people wanting to set up interviews with me, so it’s important I act on these right away. I answer most email faster than most autoresponders. I also have a couple of mentoring programs, such as Miracles Coaching, and I love receiving emails from people achieving new levels of success from this coaching. Donald Trump once wrote, “Email is for wimps.” For me, it’s for the successful.
3. Read.
It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I read numerous books, many at one time, and throughout the day. I love books. I’m an admitted bookaholic. I rarely read fiction and can’t get enough nonfiction in the areas of marketing, copywriting, publicity, advertising, spirituality, psychology, health, healing, hypnosis, mind power, new thought, muscle building, close-up magic, etc.
4. Write.
I’m always working on a new book. I have so many books out now that I can’t remember them all, which means I can sometimes re-read one of my own books and be entertained, since it’s new to me, too. Usually there is one book I am focusing on writing to the exclusion of all else. Right now I’m writing The Key: The Missing Secret to Attracting Whatever You Want, but I also have two other books to write and several more to promote. Focus gives me power. I write every day, either on a book, an email campaign, a blog post, a website, a news release, or an article for www.mrfire.com/ I even write blog posts from my Blackberry. I’m a writer, so I write. A lot.
5. Hot Tub
My Jacuzzi is the greatest investment of my life. I’ve never been so relaxed after being in it for just 30 minutes at 101 degrees. I now do this virtually every day. There’s nothing like resting and revitalizing yourself so you can go back into the office and resume work. I think it’s essential to meditate and relax, in some way, daily. If you’re too busy to do this, then you really need to do this.
6. Gratitude
About six months ago I started smoking cigars. Not cigarettes with all their paper and additives; cigars. Say what you want, cigar smoking has become a type of gratitude meditation for me. I usually smoke a Cuban cigar outside, on the pool deck, in the evening. Sometimes I play one of my guitars, too. As I relax and look at the sky, I give gratitude for my life. I didn’t always have a luxurious lifestyle. I was homeless thirty or so years ago. I am grateful to have survived it and grateful to be alive today. Life is good. Giving thanks makes it better. Watch my smoke.
7. I Love You.
Every day I spend time with Nerissa, our cats and dog, and feel the love. I’ve learned that the simple statement “I love you” can create miracles. “I love you” keeps the bliss alive. I explain this in my forthcoming book, Zero Limits. But I do this every day. I’m doing it right now. I’m silently saying I love you as I write this.
8. Planning.
Every evening I list what I will do the next day. But I do this in a unique way. I learned this method from Jerry and Esther Hicks. I make two lists. On one list I write the things I am scheduled to do, such as make calls, do an interview, turn in my tax records to my corporate accountants, etc. On the other list I write what I want the Universe to do. This may sound goofy, but the Divine (the Universe, God, Life, Tao, etc) will handle some of your bigger requests, if you simply ask. Again, this may seem gonzo to you, but it’s my reality. Apparently, it works. I continue to do it. Have for years.
9. Research.
I visit very few websites, but those I do are essential to me. I visit Amazon every day. I’m always checking on how my babies (books) are doing, such as The Attractor Factor and my P.T. Barnum book. I’m always looking to see what new books Amazon suggests I get. I read a handful of blogs. I don’t pay too much attention to the current news. I’m interested in trends, gadgets, new technology, health, healing, the Law of Attraction, etc. But my quick turbo-speed web surfing keeps me at least abreast of what’s happening, so I can spot opportunities for new products, etc.
10. Nap.
I try to take a nap every afternoon. Sometimes being in the hot tub relaxes me so much that’s it best to take a nap right after being in it. I need a nap to let my muscles recuperate from working-out. I also need a nap to let my mind refuel after writing and reading most of the day. I don’t usually get a lot of sleep at night, so an afternoon nap keeps me sane, too.
There you have it. Those are my daily success to-dos.
As for other bloggers I’d like to see respond to this “tag” and reveal their own daily secrets to success, they include:
Pat O’Bryan
Jim Edwards
Bill Hibbler
Craig Perrine
David Garfinkel
Seth Godin
Dan Kennedy
Michelle Malkin
Sir Ri
chard Branson
Kathy Sierra
Mark Joyner
James Ray
Jon Stewart
Feel free to share this message with anyone you like. I’m sure we can all benefit from the success tips of the successful.
Ao Akua,
Joe
Mister Fire!
PS — What are the top 5 things you do every day to get and stay successful? Why not post them as a comment here, or on your own blog and link back to this one?
