Tag: guitar

RIGHT after I posted my last blog — about wanting to attract a 1955 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing SL300 into my life —  I learned the windows in the Gullwing doors do not lower. That means once you close the doors, you are sealed inside.

It also means the inside cockpit will get HOT. Yes, there are side vents. But drivers in the 1950s would open the Gullwing doors at stop lights in order to let air in. (!)

No wonder Clark Cable has the door open!

I live in hot and humid Texas. This car would not be pleasant to be in for very long.

With this fresh news now in my awareness, the tag phrase “…this or something even better” takes on a whole lot more relevance.

I no longer want that car.

Lesson: Always be willing to adjust your goals as new information comes to you.

But let’s dig deeper.

Why did I want that car in the first place?

Why was I inspired to pursue it?

Why didn’t it work out?

I think there’s a lesson here for you and me. Let me reveal it through a quick story…

Teye and his amazing guitars

Recently I met Teye, an Austin guitar maker of some gorgeous hand made guitars. His are playable art. They sound incredible and look beautiful. He brought in two guitars (pictured above) and we talked for a couple of hours about guitars and music. Along the way, he told me his story. (Told here with his permission.)

At one point he was wealthy and well off. He drove a luxury car, was highly paid as a performing musician as well as a music teacher, and had the life most of us would envy. He was set for life.

But Teye wasn’t happy.

In fact, he told me he was almost suicidal.

Why?

Because he had no challenge. He was comfortable. He was coasting. He had nothing in him to turn into a fire. No spark. He was alive but dead inside.

He was one of those “quietly desperate” that Thoreau warned us about.

And that’s when he did something about it.

He contacted the late Tony Zemaitis, a guitar maker of now legendary and collectible guitars. Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and other icons love his guitars.

Teye commissioned Zemaitis to make a guitar for him. It would cost around ten grand to get the project rolling. This was around 1990, when ten grand meant more than it does today.

The late Tony Zemaitis

This was the action Teye needed to take to come alive again.

But I didn’t understand it perfectly, so I asked for details.

“How did ordering a Zemaitis guitar change your life?”

“Because I had to do something different to raise the extra money,” Teye told me. “Wanting it broke me out of my comfort zone and forced me to think bigger and act bigger. Today I’m a guitar maker largely because of that big step back then.”

This stunning guitar was made for Teye by Zemaitis. Today it's worth upwards to $100,000.

And that’s why I was led to want that Gullwing, a car selling for more than $850,000. Not that I’m unhappy or feeling desperate, but it was time for me to expand my potential and increase my wealth set point.

The effort to attract the Gullwing wasn’t about attracting such an expensive car; it was about stretching myself into being the kind of person who could easily afford such a car.

Previously the most expensive car I ever owned was the Rolls-Royce Phantom. I bought it for $450,000 — on the day the stock market dropped the most points since the Great Depression of 1929. So much for me being a victim of circumstances.

Getting that car expanded my sense of deservingness, and also led to the creation of the now famous Rolls-Royce Phantom Mastermind, an evening with me that became so popular ABC News covered the one I did with fitness celebrity Jennifer Nicole Lee. Those special masterminds also paid for the Rolls. In short, attracting the Rolls also attracted the means to pay for the Rolls.

Jennifer Nicole Lee at Phantom Mastermind

But the Gullwing was selling for $900,000.

That’s twice what the Rolls sold for!

This was expanding my own sense of what’s possible.

I remember making the call to the dealership that has the Mercedes. I was nervous. In my mind, I didn’t think of myself as a high-end car collector. I have a handful of cars, and I’ve given away a handful of cars. But I’m no Jay Leno.

See PS below about this book

Well, that’s simply a belief. And beliefs are what create our reality. So wanting that car made me look at — and dissolve — my limiting beliefs.

Obviously I’m not encouraging you to order cars or guitars beyond your means. But I am encouraging you to reach beyond your comfort zone and go for more. It doesn’t have to be a purchase, it can be a purpose.

Whenever you desire something bigger than yourself, you expand your mind, melt limitations, and turbocharge your energy.

I've hired Teye to build this beauty for me

The other day I interviewed Arielle Ford, the world’s most famous book publicist, for my Hypnotic Gold members. She told me the authors who were the most successful were the ones with “a sense of mission.” They weren’t just selling books; they were changing lives.

I finished reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s amazing book, Total Recall, and see the same sense of “goals bigger than me” syndrome. When he was governor of California, he created a list of goals that made the people around him hyperventilate. But he knew “big risk, big reward.”

My wanting a rare Gullwing, if only for a few days, expanded my potential to allow more into my life, and increased my creativity in conjuring up ways to receive more. After all, a billionaire friend once told me, “The more people you help, the more wealthy you can become.”

Think about that.

Lots of lessons in this post:

• Adjust your goals as new information becomes available.
• Desire something bigger than yourself to stretch your potential.
• Have a mission to serve others while expanding your own power.

You may have gleaned another lesson or two from this post and the last one. Feel free to share your insights with me and others with a comment below.

Meanwhile, I wonder what goal is next?

Ao Akua,

joe

PS — Your goals should make you excited as well as a little nervous. If you want to see someone showing you what it is all about to go for something truly huge, watch this video of Phillipe Petit in 1974 walking a tight rope across the Twin Towers. He spent years dreaming and planning. And when he got in the air on that rope high above New York City, he spent 45 minutes there! Read Petit’s astonishing book, Man On Wire (or see the documentary of the same name), for the breathtaking details. What is your big daring scary exciting dream?

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Recently I posted the following on my Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/drjoevitale:

“Action attracts motivation. Get moving and you get motivated.”

That insight was driven home while I was reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autobiography, Total Recall, a book I love. Even at over 600 pages, I’m reading every word of it. There are lessons on life, fitness, marketing, achievement, politics, service, and so much more. It’s fascinating. You might say — as Arnold often does about life — it’s “Fantastic!”

I LOVE Arnold's book!

One of the methods Arnold uses to achieve such legendary success is setting goals. Nothing new there, but do you do it? And do you do it the way Arnold does?

Arnold declared he would be a famous Hollywood movie star while still a youth in Austria who couldn’t speak English. (!)

Talk about thinking BIG.

Throughout Arnold’s incredible book I see the reoccurring theme that big goals lead to big results.

Arnold doesn’t appear to have deadlines on the goals (unless it’s something like a bodybuilding contest with a specific date already attached to it). Instead, he has the goal in his consciousness and simply works toward it, trusting it will manifest in its own good time. This is different from what most people do: most set goals with drop-dead deadlines.

Not Arnold.

Judging from his astonishing life and all his record-breaking success, his goal setting process works.

What I’ve also noticed is that once he stated a goal, he began to move toward it. He started to take action. Lots of action. He’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever heard of. When he saw his calves were weak, he started doing 1,000 calf raises exercises per day.

One thousand.

A day.

Talk about action!

Why is this photo here? See the PS below.

There’s a real secret here: action leads to motivation, and motivation leads to action.

You can test it out for yourself.

What do you have to do or want to do?

I need to write a blog post here for you every few weeks to stay current. I don’t always feel motivated to do so, because I don’t always have something to say when I first start writing. But my intention is to do my best to stay current, relevant, and interesting to you.

But how do I do that when I don’t feel motivated?

Here’s my secret: I simply go to my computer, fire up my blog, and start writing.

Yes, even when I have no clear idea where I’m going.

I take action anyway.

I know motivation will catch up later.

Same thing happens when I write songs. I may have no idea for a song and little motivation to write one. But I know I want to have one written.

So what do I do?

I start strumming my guitar.

I take action.

Yes, I love to have motivation first. But you don’t have to depend on it. You can call it out.

I just finished reading Neil Young’s autobiography, Waging Heavy Peace, and learned that’s how he writes most songs: pick up a guitar and start playing. Invite the songs to arrive with action.

He invites the muse with action

Hare’s what I invite you to do:

1. State a goal. Just declare it. What would you love to have, do or be? (Be honest.)

2. Decide to go for it. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to attract it? (If not, you haven’t stated the goal you really want.)

3. Take action. Whether you feel like it or not, just start moving. Let motivation catch up. (What can you do right now?)

All of the above requires a certain level of faith.

You have faith that stating a goal is going to make a difference.

You have faith that your decision is going to stir energies seen and unseen in the universe, in and around you.

You have faith that your actions will lead to the expected results.

You have faith that all of this will work out for your highest good, and in its own sweet time.

That said, it shouldn’t surprise you that the title of one of my next books is Faith.

Meanwhile, here’s another example for you:

After the completion of my fourth album, The Healing Song, I sat and felt at peace. I was relaxed, felt good, but didn’t have any motivation or goal to create any more music. As a result, no new songs came to me.

My fourth music album

When Daniel Barrett came by my studio for our twice weekly sessions, I told him how I felt. I said I think my music is over, as I don’t feel inspired or compelled or motivated to record any more.

As we explored the issues and my concerns, I suddenly felt I could do another album. I grew excited about it. I then declared, “I want to create one more CD by the end of the year. Let’s record five new songs.”

This was a pretty bold goal, especially when I had just said my mental well was dry, and the end of the year is only a couple of months away, but Daniel went with the energy and agreed we could do it.

In fact, he upped the ante and challenged me to create ten new songs for it.

I then declared that I would make it so. I made the decision.

And guess what?

There's that car again! See PS below.

As a result, a song came to me later that day.

And another the next day.

And a third a few days later.

Wait!

There were no songs before the goal, and three songs after it?

Hmmmmm. Maybe there’s something to this goal setting secret.

Note the insight:

Goals trigger action.

But you don’t need motivation to take action; you can start doing and the motivation will catch up.

Let me sum it up like this:

I love Arnold's book so much I hunted for a signed one

Goals are how you start a fire within yourself. You might be feeling “blah” and have no desire for much of anything but living in the moment and vegging. But let an inspired idea become a goal and suddenly you ignite the pilot light in your soul. Now you have direction, purpose, and energy. The goal triggers the release of new powers, and even begins to attract opportunities and more to bring the goal into reality. Welcome to the world of miracles.

Is this exciting or what?

Arnold knows this.

I know this.

Now you do, too.

What are you going to do with it?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS — The car photos above are of a pristine 1955 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing 300SL, one of the most collectible cars in the world. I saw the listing for this one and felt inspired to announce it as a new goal.  No deadline. No pressure. Just thinking about it is stretching my wealth comfort zone, as these cars often sell for over one million dollars. But that’s the whole idea: to stretch. Wouldn’t it be cool if that amazing car (or something even better!) was mine in the next few months (or sooner)? So here I am, publicly sharing it with you. I have no idea when it will appear in my life, but I’m open and ready for it. After all, I do know how to attract cars. Now it’s your turn: What do you want to attract into your life next? (Be honest!)

Just have to share:  I’m on the cover of the September issue of Austin All Natural magazine. Here I am with publisher Michael Abedin holding up the special issue. The cover story is about my fourth music album, The Healing Song. You can read the issue online by clicking right here or you can pick up a copy at health food and new age stores in the Austin, Texas area. Enjoy!

With publisher Michael Abedin

See if you can spot the key lessons in this story…

The legendary founding father, Thomas Jefferson, planted a tree outside his bedroom window in 1807. We know that fact because he recorded it in his journal. Around 1870, a photograph of Monticello shows the poplar tree Jefferson planted, now healthy and tall. But by 2008, the tree became diseased and had to be cut down to protect Jefferson’s famous home.

But all was not lost.

U.S. President Thomas Jefferson

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation contacted two guitar builders in Virginia by the name of Huss & Dalton. They wanted to see if they could make guitars from the 200 year old fallen tree. This would be a bold and risky move, as poplar is not a wood normally used to create guitars (though some builders have done it). It’s considered very hard and difficult wood to work with.

Still, the builders wanted to try.

Monticello Edition OO Guitar #3

They succeeded.

Huss & Dalton worked hard and created three guitars from the historic tree. All three were being sold through the Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. The first two guitars left without my even knowing they had been built. But by the time the third one was in progress, I knew of it and wanted to be one of the first to see it when it was completed.

When it was ready, it was loaned out to Artisan Guitars in Nashville. Artisan was to introduce the historic collectible guitar to the guitar world. One of the first loyal customers they contacted was me.

I saw all the photos of the guitar, read the description, and knew it was for me. That 200 year old wood would have a resonance to it that would sing. The fact that Jefferson planted the tree made it even more significant. Plus I already owned two Huss & Dalton guitars and love them. (One guitar inspired the song “Ghost Train” on my fourth music album, The Healing Song.)

Some people buy stocks; I buy guitars. I knew this would be a sound investment.

Thomas Jefferson visits me

I wanted it.

But I also knew others would be seeing it, such as famed country western guitar slinger Brad Paisley. I needed to act quick. I did, by fed-xing a cashier’s check for the full amount for the guitar. I wanted it alright.

NOW.

When it arrived the next day, I was so excited I asked Nerissa to film the unveiling. (You can watch it below.)

“Do not neglect your music. It will be a companion which will sweeten many hours of life to you.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1790

The guitar is a small body size OO style, a little bigger than the 1867 parlor sized Martin I own. The Jefferson guitar’s wood is Red Spruce from Virginia on top, with back and sides made from the gorgeous tulip poplar Jefferson planted in 1807. The bridge and fretboard is persimmon while the neck wood is black walnut. The lower fretboard has a wood burned engraving of Monticello, and Jefferson’s signature, by artist Kenny Farmer.

Jefferson Monticello Guitar Close-Up

The sound of this little steel string is smooth, surprisingly loud, and resonant. Playing it is easy. Right out of the case, and after tuning it, I started playing it effortlessly, smoothly, pretending Jefferson was sitting in the room, eyes closed, smile on his face, soaking up the heavenly music in the air. Since Jefferson was a musician who played the violin and bought guitars for his family, I know he would love this special guitar and it’s magical sound.

Obviously, I love the guitar.

Mathew Dixon with "Jefferson"

But what does all of this have to do with the Law of Attraction and attracting what you want?

The brief answer is this: There’s nothing in me interfering with guitar collecting. I have no beliefs saying anything negative, limiting, or counter to my desire.

Of course, it wasn’t always that way.

When I was struggling in poverty in Houston, trying to get published and feeling frustrated, collecting guitars never entered my mind. I was into survival. As I kept working on myself — through countless books, seminars, audios, and finally with coaching — I was able to break free.

Daniel Barrett with "Jefferson"

And that’s the point.

People trying to attract something into their lives often don’t realize they first need to get clear of any unconscious beliefs about what they want to attract.

I’ve spoken and written about this insight for almost two decades now, but it doesn’t hurt to convey the same message through a different story. This story about my attracting the famed guitar reveals what it takes to attract whatever you want.

Here are some key lessons:

1. I knew what I wanted. (Do you know what you want?)

2. I took action. (Are you taking action?)

3. I kept clear. (Are you getting clear?)

That’s it. When you know what you want, take action toward it, and remove any limiting beliefs about having it, you will tend to attract (and move toward) what you want fast and easy.

I created Miracles Coaching years ago to help people in this area. I’ve learned that it is way too easy not to see your own limiting beliefs. You are living within the beliefs, so unless someone points them out to you, you may never realize what they are.

“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.” – Thomas Jefferson

If you’re drooling to get a guitar like this of your own, Huss & Dalton plans to make two more. Go see their site.

Meanwhile, listen to the music of your soul – and act on what you hear.

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS– You can hear the wonderful guitar being played (not by me) at http://artisanguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/images/H-D-Monticello.mp3 You can watch me receiving the Thomas Jefferson Monticello guitar made by Huss & Dalton right here:

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Now that my fourth music album (The Healing Song) is complete and ready for the world, I thought I’d give you a little background on each song. This one has three Grammy winners involved, legendary band members, and is a true labor of love.

Credits for "The Healing Song"

You can hear samples of the 11 songs at The Healing Song and of course you can order the audio CD there, too.

“Ghost Train” came from playing around with a brand new Huss & Dalton acoustic guitar made in part from 100 year old “sinker” mahogany, meaning the wood had been under water in Belize for a century. All guitars have something to say. I was holding this Huss & Dalton, fooling around with chords and words, and suddenly a unique strumming pattern emerged, along with my moaning. I never realized the moaning was a train whistle until weeks after recording it. This is a protest song, about ending war, and came from the depths of me. I don’t consciously focus on war, but apparently my unconscious does. When we recorded it, both famous drummer Joe Vitale and renown bass player Glenn Fukunaga said if they heard this on the radio, they’d stop whatever they were doing and turn it up. It’s haunting.

“Pray the Devil (Back to Hell)” erupts from my soul as a type of catharsis. It was almost the title of the album. The idea is to truly beat the devil back into the bushes with rock music and prayer. The rock tempo and impassioned lyrics are a healing in music form. You’ll feel it. It’s intense.

“Faith” came as a tie-in to a book I have coming out in 2013 titled, well, Faith. I don’t seem able to control music, but I can request it. This song came from my prayer to write something that would co-promote the book. The muse honored my request and gave this upbeat yet stern song. The beach music vibe is in stark contrast to the minor key chorus asking you where’s your faith when things turn bleak. Who needs faith? You do.

CD for "The Healing Song"

“Glow” came to me as I worked with my guitar teacher, Mathew Dixon. I wanted to remind people that joy was in them and with them no matter what the world presented. You could “glow” no matter what. This is the kind of song I feel a parent could sing to a child, to convey wisdom about life. It has a Jim Morrison or Black Keys feel. I love it.

“What’s your Name?” is a long and in your face terse song about a woman who betrays you. But the woman is really the muse. She messes with you. You ask for one thing, she gives another. You play a certain style of music, she makes you play another. I’ve learned to obey her, but I still wonder who she really is. I’m the puppet and she pulls my strings. Disturbing yet freeing.

“Empowered!” is a stand out. It triggers inner strength. I’m talking walk-on-water power. Listening to it can make you feel superhuman. It began with me playing a 1960s Danelectro amp-in-the-case vintage electric guitar, trying to improvise the opening of the famous Janis Joplin song Summertime. You won’t hear Janis, though. You’ll hear my band — Glenn, Joe, Daniel Barrett, me — improvising some of the most mesmerizing music EVER. Glenn played the most hypnotic ukulele I’ve ever heard. I then went back and added my vocals; statements of empowerment that are addressed to your big Self not your little self. These are reminders of your God-like power. I’m telling you, this track can change your life FOREVER. The result is hypnotic. I play it daily. Whew.

Cover of "The Healing Song"

“Sunny Side” is my version of the public domain classic, “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life.” Daniel and I kicked around ways to record it. Almost everyone does an upbeat rockish gospel version. I wanted something different. My spoken word, then softly sung chorus, is the ticket. You’ve probably never heard such a soothing version of this famous song. Healing.

“Smile” is a step in the direction of my being a crooner. I love Dean Martin’s approach to this 1954 hit but wanted my own. This is it. While it can be seen as a song of despair, it’s actually a song of hope. It’s barely a minute and a half long, but its message warms my heart and makes me, er, smile. I’m proud of it.

“The Healing Song” is a hypnotic ode, created with my spoken words and the cello playing and original music of Grammy winner David Darling. I kept a lot of things in mind when composing the poetry to this, from the healing mental treatments of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby to what I’ve learned from my forty plus years in hypnosis. This is a powerful track. We recorded this one first, not knowing what the other tracks would be at the time. You can listen to it whenever you have a challenge, and let it help you vanish the issue. It’s magic. (It’s also free to download at www.thehealingsong.com.)

My band for "The Healing Song"

“Perfect Love” is for fun. I had it when I recorded Strut! (my first singer-songwriter album) but didn’t feel it was worthy of being recorded. It seemed silly and confusing. But when I performed it for my music peers, they loved it. So it went on this album. It’s not about anything more than self-delusion and then self-acceptance. You are good enough.

“Put Your Pants Back On” is all fun but with a message. I wanted to warn parents that if they weren’t careful in April, they’d make a Christmas baby. I’m a Christmas baby (born December 29) and know the pain of growing up getting two presents on Christmas day: one for my birthday, one for Christmas. You may think that’s no big deal, until on your birthday there isn’t a gift or a party. People think there were several people in the studio when we recorded this one but it was just Daniel Barrett and myself. It’s spontaneous and fun, and I chuckle whenever I hear it. I dare you not to enjoy it.

You can hear samples of the songs over at The Healing Song and of course you can order the CD there, too.

All four of my albums were created out of my fiery passion to enjoy life and create music that can heal. I’m hoping it inspires you to pursue your own dreams.

After all, isn’t that what life is all about?

Ao Akua,

joe

PS — My other healing music albums are at —

http://www.GetUpandStrut.com

http://www.HealingMojoMusic.com

http://www.AligningtoZero.info

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