I don’t know much more than you about Henry Ford, the industrial giant and tycoon who brought affordable cars to the masses in the early 1900s, but I spotted this revealing quote in his 1922 autobiography, My Life and Work:
“The natural thing to do is to work — to recognize that prosperity and happiness can be obtained only through honest effort. Human ills flow largely from attempting to escape from this natural course.”
What an obvious yet startling statement.
It seems to me that most people want to avoid work. They are seeking magic powers or special other worldly favors in order to do just that.
Whenever I offer a Law of Attraction oriented product, the public loves it. Yet whenever I offer a productivity product, they shun it.
After seeing this result over and over again for years, I realized that people want fairy dust and magic wands. They prefer to sit and visualize rather than get up and create something.
Obviously, I’m not against mind power, visualization, Law of Attraction, or most of the other tools and toys we have. They all have their place. They all assist you in achieving and attracting your desires.
But you have to do something in this world.
As Ford noted, we have to work.
“Work,” to me, is following your passion in a way that serves others.
One reason I’ve authored so many books, audios, DVDs, courses and more is I’m not afraid to work.
Yet too many self-helpers say “I attracted my result and didn’t DO anything!”
Come on. You always do something. It may not have been “work” in the sense of extreme activity, or in the traditional sense of expending energy, but you did something to bring about the result. You had to. Life is a co-creation.
I remember the creator of the hit movie The Secret bragging that her movie became a success without her “doing” anything to make it happen.
I found it hard to imagine that she overlooked all the things she did to make the movie get noticed, right down to hand picking 24 guests (including me) to be in the movie — nearly all having a list of fans and followers. They promoted the movie for her, but she did the work of putting them into the movie. She took action.
She continues to take action today, by mailing her list of Secret fans to keep the relationship with them going. That comes in handy when she promotes her next book.
Again, work — or better stated, action — is virtually always needed.
I learned how to work as a laborer on the railroad, starting at the age of five years old. (No lie.)
When I moved to Houston in the late 1970s, I managed to get day jobs as a laborer for temp agencies.
Today I still work, but it isn’t with my back. It’s with my mind.
Because I love what I do, and feel it is my life calling, it never feels like “work.”
It’s far wiser to reflect on what you want to do, and then add the magic amulets, spells and potions to that desire. But to do just the latter, you’ll most likely struggle.
I have no idea if Henry Ford was metaphysical or even psychological. I doubt it. I know he had his own quirky ideas about society, but I’m only interested in his ideas about attracting money.
He sure knew the value of work. He preaches it over and over again in his 1922 autobiography, stating that work is the secret to success.
Businesses today need to become acquainted with Henry Ford’s advice for making money.
I was impressed to see that Ford wanted to build a car that would never break down. (!) He felt true serving was helping a family by building a car they could depend on. He felt one car, that lasted a lifetime, would be the best. No need for planned obsolescence or yearly model upgrades. (Tell Apple that. Or most any other modern business.)
And Ford felt if his car ever broke down and needed service, the manufacturer should take care of the problem, not the owner.
I like this guy.
He also tried electric cars in the early 1900s, but shunned them for the same reason they aren’t ideal today: too heavy and not enough power. (Remember, both Nerissa and I drive electric cars, so I know of what Ford speaks.)
Henry Ford basically felt that if you served people, the money would follow.
His big motivating “why” — the ideal that drove him — was to create a system that kept people employed making cars that the masses would love.
As I am reading his autobiography, a few insightful quotes jump out:
“I refuse to recognize that there are impossibilities. I cannot discover that any one knows enough about anything on this earth definitely to say what is and what is not possible.”
“Everything can always be done better than it is being done.”
“Money is only a tool in business. It is just a part of the machinery.”
“Money, after all, is extremely simple. It is a part of our transportation system. It is a simple and direct method of conveying goods from one person to another. Money is in itself most admirable. It is essential. It is not intrinsically evil. It is one of the most useful devices in social life. And when it does what it was intended to do, it is all help and no hindrance.”
Don’t be afraid to work.
Remember, following your passion isn’t “work” if it’s your passion.
Add visualization and other Law of Attraction mind technologies to the passionate serving of others, and you have a formula for modern day success.
In short, action is the alchemy that transmutes ideas into reality.
I’ll repeat that —
Action is the alchemy that transmutes ideas into reality.
Finally, here is Henry Ford’s creed:
(1) An absence of fear of the future or of veneration for the past. One who fears the future, who fears failure, limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again. There is no disgrace in honest failure; there is disgrace in fearing to fail. What is past is useful only as it suggests ways and means for progress. (2) A disregard of competition. Whoever does a thing best ought to be the one to do it. It is criminal to try to get business away from another man--criminal because one is then trying to lower for personal gain the condition of one's fellow-men, to rule by force instead of by intelligence. (3) The putting of service before profit. Without a profit, business cannot extend. There is nothing inherently wrong about making a profit. Well-conducted business enterprises cannot fail to return a profit but profit must and inevitably will come as a reward for good service. It cannot be the basis--it must be the result of service. (4) Manufacturing is not buying low and selling high. It is the process of buying materials fairly and, with the smallest possible addition of cost, transforming those materials into a consumable product and distributing it to the consumer. Gambling, speculating, and sharp dealing tend only to clog this progression.
Now get to work.
Ao Akua,
joe
PS — Remember: Forget money and focus on service. Henry Ford knew this. So did Nick D’Aloisio, 17, who reportedly received close to $30 million for a news-reading iPhone app named Summly that he developed and then sold to Yahoo. D’Aloisio says money was not his motivation when developing Summly. How many more clues do we need that money comes from passion and serving, not greed and manipulation?
Recently four people won flights to Texas to have personal consultations with me.
They were a diverse group, all seeking help with key goals and stubborn blocks, and wanting my assistance in using the Law of Attraction to achieve success.
I was excited to meet each of them as this was my first public chance to prove — on film — a new mind technology I developed would work for anyone, anywhere, on anything.
My new method combines the best of what I already know and teach, but with a new element, and put together in such a breakthrough way that the ending result is almost magical.
I call it The Mirror Technique.™
Last September, I wrote a post here about how you can use a mirror to psych yourself to accomplish something. That’s an old, reliable, proven method to coach yourself for success. (See http://blog.mrfire.com/the-mirror-technique-2-0/)
But I wanted to go beyond that to create a measurable breakthrough in your life.
In fact, I wanted this new method to create breakthroughs for anyone.
Each of the four people who met with me in private got to experience The Mirror Technique™. It was astonishing to see.
I saw people start with a problem that seemed insurmountable, and leave thirty minutes later with it resolved.
Thirty minutes!
All of this was filmed, so the before and after of each person is clearly documented for all to see.
In a couple months, you’ll get to hear all about The Secret Mirror, a product based on the new mind technology I developed for instant manifestation.
I’m proud of it, as it builds on and combines more than thirty years of research and experience. It goes beyond hypnosis (which I’ve practiced since the late 1960s) and beyond language gymnastics (beyond even my own Hypnotic Writing book), and beyond my own work in the four stages of awakening and consciousness.
I’ve never seen anything like it.
You’ll hear about all of this in the coming months.
I’m just sharing my excitement with you here.
Stay tuned!
Ao Akua,
joe
PS – Here’s a stimulating (and challenging) recent conversation with me on radio about the world as a mirror of your consciousness:
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “He’ll get over it.”
It’s usually said after someone has been hurt by a statement. The person who said it will rationalize, “They’ll get over it.”
But will they?
For decades now, I’ve been doing my best to encourage people to go for their dreams. When someone says they have a desire to do something — whether enter a contest or work toward a degree or open a business or write a book — my general default setting is to urge them on.
After all, neither you or I can predict the future of anyone’s success or failure. It makes far more sense to me to be optimistic and urge them to go for it.
So you can imagine my shock when I hear people put their own family and friends down, or dissuade their dreams. It seems like the most unloving thing to do.
Yet they do it.
Why?
I know some people rationalize their own behavior with statements like, “I was just being honest” or “He needs to face reality” or the infamous “She’ll get over it.”
But are any of those statements actually true?
My bet is this: the people saying the negative, limiting, degrading or harmful statements have convinced themselves they are doing it for the good of others, when in fact they are doing it to stroke their own egos.
Why would anybody do any of this?
It’s unconscious programming.
It’s ego.
"Criticism is an indirect form of self-boasting." -Emmet Fox
No one that I know purposely wants to hurt anyone, but they still do it, not knowing they are and somehow convincing themselves otherwise.
I think it’s time to awaken.
When a flower wants to bloom, water it.
Language is so revealing. When someone says, “I like your ideas. I’ll see if I can find your books,” they are actually never going to read the books.
How do I know?
The wimpy phrase “I’ll see if” signals they aren’t committed.
When someone says, “I’ll try that,” they most likely will never try it.
Why?
Saying “I’ll try” doesn’t have any commitment.
When someone says, “I have to be honest with you,” they are often actually saying they are going to hurt you but they are hiding their dagger behind the word “honest.”
In reality, there is honesty that helps, and honesty that hurts.
Any statement can be phrased to be soft and loving, or hard and unloving. There’s always a choice.
And so it goes.
Here’s what I suggest:
Really be on alert to the language people use when speaking to you. When someone signals they are about to hurt you or your dreams, brace yourself, run away, defend yourself, or escape. These are the people who convinced themselves they are doing this “for your own good” and if they hurt you in the process, “you’ll get over it.”
“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.” -Dale Carnegie
Be on alert to your own language, too. Pay attention to your use of wimpy phrases that reveal lack of commitment or true desire. What you speak reflects what you think, and generally comes about.
A friend once told me, “If a person came into your home, dropped their pants, and took a dump on your floor, you’d have a fit. You wouldn’t allow it. Yet that’s exactly what people do when they say negative things: They crap in your head!”
In other words, we have to watch out for crappy language.
People raining on your parade are pooping in your head. Don’t allow it.
When you say something negative or unsporting to yourself, you are pooping in your own head. Don’t do it.
This post is a reminder to watch where you poop.
Ao Akua,
joe
PS — I’m not dismissing helpful advice that you seek out, and that comes from people successful in the field you are asking about. In other words, if you’re seeking wealth insights, ask a wealthy person. If you’re seeking dating advice, ask a dating expert with a track record for success. But people just randomly stating their negative opinions, coming from no experience in your desired dream, are probably a waste of time. Don’t let them poop in your head.
You can now download and read — for free — my latest e-book, The Miracles Manual: The Secret Coaching Sessions. Just go to http://www.miraclesmanual.com/
This 258-page new e-book contains questions from students in my Miracles Coaching program, and my answers. I’ve been doing this for about four years, and I’m always amazed at the in-depth and sincere questions I get.
For example —
* How do you get past fears and negativity?
* How can I turn my spouse around from being so negative?
* How do you handle difficult people?
* How do you make changes directly from the conscious into the unconscious?
* How do you get rid of a block in yourself you can’t even name?
* What is and why is Ho’oponopono so effective?
* What about when it doesn’t work?
* What do you do when all the self-help methods aren’t working?
* How do you move up a level in life to meet new people?
* What is “benestrophe”?
* How do you go from a scarcity mindset to a abundance mindset?
* What can you do to improve your health fast?
* How can you attract a specific person into your life?
* How do you attract your soul mate?
* How do you really attract money?
* How are miracles made?
Great questions, aren’t they?
Over the last few years, I gave the answers to those questions (and many more) in secret coaching sessions I held with students in my Miracles Coaching program.
Many of the best questions, and answers, are now in volume one of a 258-page new ebook called The Miracles Manual: The Secret Coaching Sessions.
It’s pretty eye-opening.
And you can have it.
Free.
I want to help as many people as I can, and I figure giving away this book is another way to do it.
Go here to get the eBook — http://www.miraclesmanual.com/
Expect Miracles!
Ao Akua,
Joe
PS — Please tell others about the The Miracles Manual. Just click on the “Share” link below this sentence. Thank you.
A woman sitting beside me on a flight recognized me from my Law of Attraction books and movie appearances and said, “Joe, I keep trying to use that stuff to win the lotto but it just isn’t happening.”
I figured we were seated together for a reason, and took this as my opportunity to offer some help.
“You know why you haven’t won the lotto?” I asked.
“I need to buy the winning ticket?”
“Well, there’s that,” I said. “But most people are insisting that the money they want come in one way: from the lottery.”
“Yea, that’s me,” she said.
“If you don’t mind my being blunt, that’s small thinking and closed minded thinking, ” I explained. “The Universe is bigger and smarter and far more resourceful than that. You don’t need to win the lottery to get the money you want. You need to be open to it coming to you in any number of other ways.”
She seemed to reflect on what I said. She commented, “I never thought of it that way.”
“You don’t really want to win the lottery,” I said. “What you really want is the money. The lotto is just one way it might come to you. Focus on what you want, not on how you will attract it.”
She really seemed to enjoy this discussion, so I proceeded.
“And if you want to go deeper into this, you don’t really even want the money,” I said.
That startled her.
“I don’t?”
“No, you want what the money will get you. The money is a means to an end. What you really need to do is focus on what you want, not on the money. The money is a tool or a vehicle. It’s just one way you can have what you really want.”
I paused as she reflected on what I just said.
When I spoke at the Hay House event in Austin recently, I told the 2,000 people in attendance that as soon as they appreciated where they were and what they had in life right now, the faster they could speed up their ability to attract what they wanted.
In other words, it’s the underlying sense of urgency that keeps most of what you want away. The signal you are sending out is one of desperation or demand, which the Universe will respond to by matching.
Do you really want more desperation, demand, impatience or dissatisfaction?
I doubt it.
As I explained to the woman on the plane, most people are insisting that things happen a certain way, not realizing that that approach is based on what the ego considers possible. Yet the “Universe of all possibilities” can surprise you by bringing you what you want in a fresh way.
So declare what you really want, appreciate what you already have, be looking for the opportunities, and take action when you see them
That’s where miracles begin.
And it just might include winning the lottery — or something even better.
Ao Akua,
Joe
PS — To more deeply understand all of this thinking, be sure to get your own free copy of my e-book, Attract Money Now. Just click this link —