Tag: love

Now that I’m on an intense learning adventure to sing, play guitar, write my own music, and record my own album in 2011, I get to see what it’s like to struggle in the pursuit of a goal in a new category.

The key word is “new.”

I’ve written over fifty books. Writing another one would be easy. I’ve already wrestled with the demons in that category. I won.

But learning how to sing and play guitar is a new category for me.  I’m struggling in it.

The struggle isn’t real. Not in any outward, measurable way. But it’s sure real otherwise. The struggle is within; it’s the conscious and unconscious thoughts of self judgment that make us fight with our own progress.

It’s not any fun, either.

Let me explain:

In my third lesson with Daniel Barrett (lead singer for the band PorterDavis), he asked me to play and sing I song I had been working on. (The acoustic guitar version of the Rob Thomas song Lonely No More. See PPS below.)

I did. But as soon as I made a mistake, my body tensed, my playing got awkward, my singing was strained, and my face filled with tension. I was even mad at myself.

Dan’s eyes grew large and he waved his hand to stop me, saying, “Man, you just brought in the entire Gestapo on yourself!”

I stopped.

I took a deep breath.

I reflected on what just happened.

A part of me wanted my singing and playing to be perfect. Even though there is nothing like perfection in the world — none of us can agree on the perfect song or singer, let alone much else — some aspect of my mind had set the bar so high that there was no way I was going to reach it. And when I flubbed, that same mind beat me silly.

I realized what I was doing.

You can’t really learn much when you’re in chains.

I took a deep breath.

I relaxed.

I let the chains drop.

I remembered that the goal is to sing and play and learn, and to have fun as I did so. Yes, I had lots to learn. But beating myself for my efforts wasn’t helping. At all.

Dan and I talked for a while about how we judge ourselves harshly. It’s a learned behavior. We all have it. Try to learn anything challenging and new and you’ll see what I mean.

A part of us is trying to please our inner critics — parents or teachers, family or friends, or even ourselves. We’re trying to learn, but when we don’t meet those invisible high standards and those invisible voices in our head, we lower the boom on ourselves.

That doesn’t help.

No wonder so many people give up on their goals, dreams and intentions.

A lot of who they are listening to, that is talking them out of their own best interests, is their own mind.

As Bruce Barton (who I wrote about in my book The Seven Lost Secrets of Success) once said:

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstances.”

If you’re trying to attract anything in your life, stop trying and start relaxing, all while moving toward your goal with intention, passion and action, and your results will accelerate.

Be as gentle with yourself as you would be with a baby learning to walk, or a puppy you’re training to sit up or roll over.

This is a huge insight.

My going through the process of learning to be a musician is letting me see how this works in me. I’m sharing it so you can reflect on how it works in you, too.

Don’t let the “Mind Gestapo” stop you or slow you.

It’s just a voice.

It’s just self-talk.

But you’re in control of it.

Bring in the Love Army instead.

Love yourself, your process and your present talents.

With love, you can achieve and attract what you want — and you’ll enjoy the adventure all the more.

I’m no longer struggling with playing guitar, singing, or writing my own music.

I’m now in charge of the voices in my head in this new category of learning.

I won.

You can win, too.

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – This post also illustrates the need for a really good coach.

PPS – For funsies, here is singer/songwriter Rob Thomas (of the band Matchbox 20) performing the acoustic guitar version of his hit song, Lonely No More:

Member BBB 2003 – 2011

Recently I struggled with an inspired idea. I’ll share the personal story with you here as it illustrates how the Law of Attraction actually works.  If this pushes any buttons in you, use that as an opportunity to get clear of any limiting beliefs you may have about abundance. Those “buttons” in you are restricting beliefs currently wired in your brain. You can change them. This is your chance to experience a miracle.

Here goes:

Years ago I wrote about buying a $700 gold cigar lighter. (You can see the gold lighter and hear the story on the free DVD that comes with the hardcover version of my book, Attract Money Now.)

The lighter became a teaching tool to help people experience their limitations about money and deservingness, and to release them. After all, it’s not about the lighter. The lighter is just a lighter. It’s more about what the lighter (and the price of it) triggers in you.

With that in mind, let me tell you the following story…

A month or so ago I ordered an expensive ($10k) watch for myself. It’s a limited-edition Spyker inspired collectible Swiss timepiece, made out of turned steel and French Bouveret hand-stitched leather. It’s designed to replicate aspects of the Spyker car. It was engraved with my name on the back, and my Spyker car production number (174) on the side. It arrived, I put it on, and I’ve been loving it ever since.

The people who sold the watch to me (Expression d’Artistes) wisely kept sending me magazine reviews of their watches. That’s good marketing. It prevented any buyer’s remorse, and it kept their products top level in my mind.

But every time they sent a review, another watch kept leaping out from the photos. This other one is black French leather, pink 18-k gold with a black dial. The first time I saw a picture of it, I loved it. But I didn’t do anything about it.

The second time I saw the watch, I decided that it is calling me for a reason.

So I asked how much it cost.

Turns out it is over $30,000.

I paused to take that in.

Thirty thousand dollars for a watch?

I know luxury watches can sell for many times that amount, but still.

I know that a gold watch can be a sound investment, but still.

The world’s most expensive watch may be the Big Bang Chronograph, which sells for $1,000,000. Yes, one million dollars. It’s practically nothing but diamonds.

But still.

I wasn’t drawn to it.

Even so, the $30,000 Spyker gold watch seemed really expensive to me, and even for me.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about that watch.

Every time I thought of it, I wanted it.

The thing is, it was triggering my wealth comfort zone. I was hitting my own ceiling of deservingness, something I talk about in such books as Attract Money Now.

I really wrestled with this.

I did clearing and cleaning.

One memory that surfaced was this: It was decades ago. My late wife was cooking dinner. She picked up a jar of tomato sauce but dropped it. It shattered. And we didn’t have the two dollars to buy another one!

Memories like that one needed erased.

So I kept clearing.

I kept hoping the desire for the watch would leave me alone.

But it didn’t.

So here’s where I had to get ruthlessly honest with myself.

I reminded myself that I teach people one of the seven steps in Attract Money Now is Prosperous Purchasing. I was even reminded of how I explained this on national television last year when I was visiting a friend the other day and she played that very TV show for me. (She wanted me to see how good I looked on her giant flat-screen TV monitor. I was impressed.)

There I was, telling people, “When the desire is there, and the money is there, buy the thing!”

I said it’s a way to experience and anchor abundance. I also said don’t buy anything if it will put you in debt or make you feel desperate. Otherwise, if the passion is there, the product or service is there, and the money is there, buy!

Was I going to take my own advice or not?

Nope.

Not yet.

Then I remembered another key statement I teach people: that when you change your beliefs about scarcity to abundance, then spending money and giving money become ways to attract money.

That’s worth repeating:

When you change your beliefs about scarcity to abundance, then spending money and giving money become ways to attract money.

Did I believe what I teach or not?

And with my new audio program coming out tomorrow about abundance, called The Abundance Paradigm, with me declaring you can easily shift from the scarcity mindset to the abundance mindset, was I coming from scarcity or abundance when considering buying the watch?

Well?After doing just one of the advanced clearing processes in my new program, I finally got clear and decided to order the $30,000 watch.

Ah, life is so much better once you make the decision you wanted to make all along. 🙂

And here’s where the magic appeared.

The very day I wired the deposit for the watch, I received a royalty check from one of my publishers.

I was surprised as it seemed early. I was even more surprised when I opened the envelope and saw the amount.

It was the largest royalty check I had ever received — ever!

Buying the watch would be a tiny percentage of the check.

Clearly letting go of my scarcity beliefs, following my own advice, and staying in the flow of life rewarded me for my action.

Do you see how this works?

Inspiration was asking me to do something: get that gold watch.

Clearing was helping me dissolve the beliefs I had about taking action: you deserve what you desire.

Action caused me to complete the inspiration to get the watch as well as to attract more than enough money to pay for it: action leads to attraction.

The formula looks like this:

Inspiration + Clearing + Action = Magic!

Remember, this post isn’t about a $30,000 gold watch.

Not any more than the $700 gold lighter was about the lighter.

Instead, it’s about following your passion, honoring your inspirations, and letting what comes up be a personal development tool to raise your vibration and your deservingness level.

Everything that occurs in your life is designed to help you to awaken.

I’m telling you, there’s real magic and miracles in the world.

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

What is inspiration asking you to do?

What is this moment asking of you?

Do it!

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – Terrific new videos explaining the Law of Attraction, and three secrets to make it work for you all the time, including an amazing new clearing process I personally lead you through, are ready for you to view right here.

Note: My new audio CD program releases tomorrow. It’s called The Abundance Paradigm: Moving from the Law of Attraction to the Law of Creation. It’s the most spiritual, practical, and experiential program of my entire career. You will love it. Curious? Click here.

Member BBB 2003-2011

The final secret in our ten principles of abundance is below.

I’m calling this series The Abundance Manifesto. This is to help pave the way for my new audio CD program, The Abundance Paradigm: Moving from the Law of Attraction to the Law of Creation (coming out November 9th).

These are my observations about how you can attract personal and planetary wealth. Wealth, of course, is more than money, so these ideas are more sweeping than you may at first realize.

Since I’m just sculpting these thoughts, please be forgiving in reviewing them. In fact, what I’d love is your opinion. Please comment on each to help me refine them all. The end result will be a useful set of insights for you, me, and everyone else.

Here’s the tenth and final secret:

Thou shalt experience the miracle of now

In this moment, all is well. This moment is abundance. This moment is the miracle. Not seeing the miracle of the moment means the ego is limiting the view. Coming from fear is not coming from faith. When in this moment, where abundance lives and breathes, seeing the next action and next inspiration is a breeze. It’s right there. Better said, it’s right here.

PS – Get your free sample of Miracles Coaching by clicking right here.

Note: My new audio CD program releases November 9th. It’s called The Abundance Paradigm: Moving from the Law of Attraction to the Law of Creation. It’s the most spiritual, practical, and experiential program of my entire career. You will love it. If you’re on my email list, look for an announcement about it tomorrow.

Member BBB 2003 – 2011

Secret #9 of the ten principles of abundance is below.

As you probably know by now, I’m calling this series The Abundance Manifesto. This is to help pave the way for my new audio program, The Abundance Paradigm: Moving from the Law of Attraction to the Law of Creation (coming out November 9th).

These are my observations about how you can attract personal and planetary wealth. Wealth, of course, is more than money, so these ideas are more sweeping than you may at first realize.

Since I’m just sculpting these thoughts, please be forgiving in reviewing them. In fact, what I’d love is your opinion. Please comment on each to help me refine them all. The end result will be a useful set of insights for you, me, and everyone else.

Here’s secret nine:

Thou shalt see behind each challenge

Problems are opportunities in disguise. Undress them to see the solution. Inside every challenge is the resolution to that challenge. A scarcity mind sees the problem; the abundant mind sees the product, or service, or solution. You must relax the focus from fire alarm concern to trusting heart-felt expectation.

PS – Get your free sample of Miracles Coaching by clicking right here.

Note: My new audio program is called The Abundance Paradigm: Moving from the Law of Attraction to the Law of Creation. Stay tuned for details.

Member BBB 2003 – 2011

Secret #8 of our ten principles of abundance is below.

As you probably know by now, I’m calling this series The Abundance Manifesto. This is to help pave the way for my new audio program, The Abundance Paradigm: Moving from the Law of Attraction to the Law of Creation (coming out on November 9th).

These are my observations about how you can attract personal and planetary wealth. Wealth, of course, is more than money, so these ideas are more sweeping than you may at first realize.

Since I’m just sculpting these thoughts, please be forgiving in reviewing them. In fact, what I’d love is your opinion. Please comment on each to help me refine them all. The end result will be a useful set of insights for you, me, and everyone else.

Here’s secret eight:

Thou shall help others

Helping others expands your worldview to include the rest of the planet. It also expands your energy to move it from ego to Spirit. Helping family, friends, community and world increases abundance for all. The more you extend a hand to others, the more you feel abundance as a reality for you. Helping others helps you.

PS – Be sure to get your free sample of Miracles Coaching by clicking right here.

Note: My new audio program is The Abundance Paradigm: Moving from the Law of Attraction to the Law of Creation.  Comes out November 9th.

Member BBB 2003 – 2011