Motivational songs?

Yes.

Why?

Because everything programs you.

You don’t have to be consciously focused on conversations around you, or the media blaring news over TVs in a bar or restaurant, or billboards in your field of vision as you drive, or even the music playing in the background as you work, walk, rest, exercise or lounge.

It’s still all programming you.

Your mind is picking up around 40,000,000 bits of information in every second.

Even right now, as you read these words.

You’re not aware of it all, thank goodness, because another part of your mind is filtering it.

That other part lets you become aware of only what is necessary to your goals and survival.

But that other part is also receiving all that other programming.

My fifth and most recent singer-songwriter album

When it comes to attracting more of what you want using the Law of Attraction, you need to become aware of this hidden programming, and consciously surround yourself with what supports you.

And that’s where I want to talk about motivational songs.

Music can program you for lack and limitation.

I’ve written about this many times, explaining if you can’t seem to get what you want today, it could very well be due to the Rolling Stones singing “You can’t always get what you want” into your brain since the 1960s.

Great song.

Lousy affirmation.

What we need to do today is carefully choose what we allow into our heads.

We have choice.

You can still listen to the Rolling Stones, or any other band you love, just with an awareness of the lyrics and the consciousness to prevent any limited thinking programming.

You can also search for more upbeat, positive music.

For example, more and more music is being called “healing music” and “self help” music. It’s music intentionally created to motivate you, inspire you, or even enlighten you.

A quick search brought up these top motivational songs:

• What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor
• Over The Rainbow – Judy Garland
• Beautiful Day – U2
• Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye
• Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles
• Imagine – John Lennon
• Walking On Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
• Don’t Give Up – Peter Gabriel
• Let It Be – The Beatles
• I Feel Good – James Brown
• Heroes – David Bowie
• Heal The World – Michael Jackson
• Get Up Stand Up – Bob Marley
• Walk – Foo Fighters
• Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
• Dream On – Aerosmith
• Perfect Day – Lou Reed
• Lovely Day – Bill Withers
• Smile – Nat King Cole

You can of course create your own playlist of self-help or motivational songs.

Meanwhile, let me share some of my own adventures in making motivational music:

Back in 2011, when I began recording my first album, I consciously decided to make it a “meditation meets the blues” recording.

I brought in my muse and support at the time, Sarah McSweeney, and together with producer Daniel Barrett, we created Blue Healer.

We also recorded it in record time (no pun intended), so I could be on the cover of Austin All Natural magazine announcing my first ever music album.

We succeeded, too.

My famous band

My next album in 2012, was my first singer-songwriter one.

I knew I wanted to create songs that helped me feel inspired and motivated. The album title track, Strut!, was a rally call for people to “strut around” when they felt down.

It’s the positive psychology principle that just smiling, even when you don’t feel like it, will change your internal state.

Fake a smile to feel a smile.

Strut to feel like strutting.

My first major music video from the Strut! album became, over the years, my all-time most watched video. You can still see “Everybody’s Going Through Something” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzT_yljj-SU

At this point I’ve recorded five singer-songwriter albums.

I’m going to record album six in January, after my private songwriting lesson with the legendary Melissa Etheridge next week. (!)

I’ll again attract my all-star band back into the studio:

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Joe Vitale (yes, same name as mine),
• legendary bass player Glenn Fukunaga,
• Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon,
• and of course my producer, Daniel Barrett.

Together we’ll make more motivational songs.

But I’m not the only one creating music to help people.

Free book at http://www.healingmusicbook.com

In the last few years of making music, I’ve met many other artists creating their own forms of motivational songs, or healing music, and self help music.

For example –

• Jana Stanfield, another great singer, told me about a group of singer-songwriters who were all making positive music. Called EmPower Music & Arts and it’s at https://www.empowerma.com/
• Bob Baker, well known for his books on how to market music, dropped by one day and gave me a copy of an album he created with Pooki Lee. I listened and loved it. Opening Up to the Good is all about feel-good music you feed your mind. Check it out at https://soulmassage.bandcamp.com/
• Ruthie Foster, a Grammy nominated blues singer I adore, made an album with me (!), and Daniel Barrett, called Stretch. We call it musical medicine. Details at http://www.transformingmusic.com/
• And of course Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon and I have recorded several instrumental albums, many of which are bestsellers for us. Almost all of them are inspired by the Hawaiian spiritual healing system called ho’oponopono. You can read about those albums and others at http://www.allhealingmusic.com

I could go on.

Obviously, you have choice in what you listen to.

The Jive Aces, a really cool swing-jump-jazz dance band from the UK, has a video that makes me smile whenever I watch it. Over 2,000,000 have seen it. It’s “Bring Me Sunshine” and you can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXvJ8UquYoo 

The point of this post is to help you remember to consciously guard the roads into your mind.

Whether it’s audio or visual, you want to feed your brain what will nourish and support you.

Listening to the right music is one key way to do it.

Meanwhile, dance, sing and strut your stuff!

Ao Akua

Joe

PS- A list of my singer-songwriter albums is here at CDBaby and almost all of my albums so far are listed at http://www.allhealingmusic.com

Member BBB 2003 – 2017

As I type these words, people in Paris are traumatized by the recent surprise attacks on them, and worried about family, friends, and their future well-being.

While the world is still reeling from the effects of war, many are now bracing for something that could be worse.

As I overhear all of this, I hear an underlying victim mentality.

We’re victims of storms.

We’re victims of attacks.

We’re victims of a poorly run government.

We’re victims of gas prices, gas shortages, inflation, recession, taxes, wars, and more.

I’m going to say something unusual.

It may upset some people.

I’m hoping it will inspire you.

Here goes:

You have more power than you think.

While you may not want to stand in the path of war, you don’t have to cower under the bed, either.

As odd as it may sound, I believe that if enough of us think positive, we can create a counter storm of sorts.

We can protect ourselves and our loved ones with our thoughts.

I’ve described and proved this with the research in the back of my book, The Attractor Factor.

More than nineteen studies *proved* that when a large group of people hold positive intentions, those intentions radiate out and become reality.

I asked my readers to help stop Hurricane Rita almost ten years ago.

Rita stopped.

I asked my readers to help stop the Texas wildfires several years ago.

The fires stopped.

I asked my readers to help my dying mother several years ago.

My mother is still with us.

Together, we can do something about Paris, too.

I’m not saying ignore current reality.

I’m asking you to create a better reality.

I’m saying don’t get caught up in fear.

I’m asking you to come from faith.

Look. If you think an attack will get you or a loved one, then it’s already gotten you.

You’re living in fear.

Your life is dark, gloomy and in a cage.

The media is flawless at whipping us into fear.

So I suggest ignoring the mainstream media.

It’s not information, it’s propaganda.

That’s why it’s called “programming.”

It gets large groups of people to think negative, which of course then becomes reality.

Why can’t we do the opposite?

Why can’t we get large groups of people to think positive?

Yes, be sure to travel safely and wisely.

Yes, be sure you take care of yourself and your family.

Yes, contribute to any causes you believe in that help people who need it right now.

But also check the storehouse in your mind.

Are you living in fear, or living in trust?

Are you coming from fear, or faith?

Are you focused on the negative, or are you doing something to create a positive?

We are always at choice.

My plea is that the readers of this blog — you — will stop, breathe, and focus on love; pray, or in some positive way send out an energy that will help dissolve the fear in and around us.

I’m asking you to do this today.

As I was writing this, I was reminded of the famous Paradoxical Commandments written by Dr. Kent M. Keith.

They go like this –

“People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

“If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

“If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

“The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

“Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

“The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

“People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

“What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

“People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

“Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.”

I know you may feel that thinking positive may be a waste of time.

Do it anyway.

I know you may feel that your efforts are insignificant.

Do it anyway.

I know you may wonder if group meditation will really work.

Do it anyway.

I know you may doubt if prayer will help.

Do it anyway.

Let’s create the positive future we want right now.

Let’s focus on spirit.

Let’s focus on love.

What I’m asking you to do is be happy, right now.

Smile.

Send that loving energy out, in the direction of Paris.

Intend for all to be well, for, in reality, from a spiritual view of life, all is well.

We can make a difference.

It begins with you.

And me.

Will you join me?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – Please forward this post to family and friends, share it on Facebook and Twitter, and wherever you think it will make a difference. Thank you.

Note: Some resources for you:

For information on The Paradoxical Commandments see –
http://www.paradoxicalcommandments.com/

For information on meditation stopping wars and attacks see –
http://www.worldpeacegroup.org/world_peace_through_meditation.html

For information on prayer and The Secret Prayer see –
http://www.thesecretprayer.com

Member BBB 2003 - 2016

I read Michael Singer’s bestselling book, The Surrender Experiment, in one day.

His true story of simply meditating every day and doing whatever was in front of him to do led to everything from him being a land owner, leader of a spiritual community, author of a bestselling book, a multimillionaire with hundreds of employees, and more.

Read it in one day

All he says he did each day was “surrender” to the “flow” of life.

While I loved the book, it raised a lot of questions.

For example, Singer seems oblivious to his own belief system.

Early in the book, when he is offered money to teach, he resists and refuses.

That hardly sounds like surrender.

It sounds more like he had beliefs about money.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t he surrender to the offering?

Later, when his software service becomes so marketable that it brings millions of dollars in his direction, he redirects it away from himself, buying more and more land and donating it to his growing spiritual community, which is where he happens to live.

There is nothing wrong with any of this, of course.

But being aware of this behavior is crucial to spiritual awakening.

Too many people still think “money bad” when in fact money is neutral.

It’s your beliefs about it that make it good, bad, or indifferent.

Also, Singer says he has “no intentions” and no “personal preferences” – yet he intends to meditate every day and intends to surrender to the flow, and prefers to meditate in the morning and at night.

And when he can’t decide something, the most powerful personality in the room gets him to “surrender” to his desire, such as take a job, or take pay.

Clearly, the author is intending and preferring.

But let’s go even deeper.

Singer’s surrender to the flow of life lands him with an FBI raid, a lawsuit of the magnitude more attorneys then you have ever thought possible are brought in to handle the case, and the journey through the courts lasts years.

While it all worked out in the end – which is part of Singer’s point – why did it happen in the first place?

Throughout his book he suggests that the “the flow” of life is an underlying spiritual force that has intelligence and that is taking care of us, leading us to the experiences we need for our next growth spurt and consciousness expansion.

While I don’t argue with the flow – I do my best to honor it each day myself – you have to stop and reflect on what is the flow – your unconscious mind or the sum total of all life’s previous decisions or some wise Divinity?

Carl Jung said it best with the quote I used in my book, The Attractor Factor —

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Millions of people, including Singer, swear by meditation as the way to see beyond the chatter of the mind and find the flow.

But many new books, such as The Buddha Pill, offer compelling evidence that meditation can actually be dark.

Personally I feel it depends on the user.

If you are already of sound mind and body, meditation may help you relax even more and give you the ability to see behind the curtain, to the “whiteboard” or Witness of life.

But if you are new to meditation and personal development, and have any emotional issues or past traumas, meditation may mask your wounds, hide your emotions, and allow your unconscious to trick you.

For example, we saw the movie Love Sick the other night.

It was about a man who falls in love and then sabotages his love.

To everyone else, he is insane.

Why would he sabotage his own love life?

To himself, he is sane.

His behavior and what he sees is all very real, and very accurate, to him.

It isn’t until someone shows him an MRI scan of his own brain in love, and explains his self destructive behavior, that he wakes up and begins to reshape his brain to create new behavior.

But his “flow” led him to paranoia.

His “natural” tendency was to fall in love and then find a reason to break off the relationship.

That was his flow.

And it wasn’t healthy, or getting him what he really wanted.

Again, I firmly believe that the unconscious/subconscious is running the ship of our lives, and often into rocks.

The late Debbie Ford, who I studied and loved, also taught that our "shadow" side can deceive us

We have to awaken to our own programming to get a handle on just what is urging us to act.

After all, I’ve spent decades teaching about “counter-intentions” — those unconscious beliefs that cause you not to attract your conscious intentions.

Books such as The Key and audios such as The Missing Secret are designed to help you awaken to what is and is not the flow in your life.

Here’s another example that you’ll probably relate to:

When you go on a diet, your natural “flow” is to keep eating, not stop.

The current of your life is already moving in the direction of over eating.

That is your present “flow.”

It will feel like you are battling the flow in order to hold your hands down when facing yummy foods.

So, do you really want to follow the flow when you are dieting?

Here’s another example:

When I was drafting the post about my new Gullwing Mastermind, I accidentally hit a key that deleted the entire post.

I was shocked.

I had no idea what I did, or how, or why.

In my panic, I closed all my open windows and rebooted my computer.

When I opened the post, the file had returned.

But then things got even stranger.

When I reached to hit the button to save my post, I accidentally published it.

I couldn’t believe it.

I wasn’t ready to publish the article yet.

But I took a deep breath, decided “something” wanted me to go ahead and post that article, and I accepted it.

But was it my unconscious or the flow that made me do it?

To paraphrase Jung, until you awaken, you will say Fate (or The Flow) is creating your life, when in reality it’s your own unconscious mind.

And let’s not forget that you can re-direct the flow with a decision.

If you haven’t been working out, your flow is to stay on the couch.

But after you set an intention and make a decision to exercise, your new flow will have you moving again.

At first it may feel unnatural, because you are going against the “flow” of a habit you had, but as you persist, your new flow will become natural.

Said another way, the neuro-pathways in your brain were already paved and running to keep you on the sofa; when you decided to exercise, you began to build new neuro-pathways, thereby creating a new behavior, a new habit, and a new flow.

So yes, there is a flow in your life already moving, but you can redirect it with a decision.

You just have to be awake enough to do it.

And now, before you go, let’s look at this whole issue even closer...

There is a deeper level of flow, the “witness” behind it all, and identifying more with It than the thoughts and feelings overlaying it, may be a wiser approach to surrender.

Our job is to discern the difference.

For example, what drove me to write this commentary?

On one level it could be my unconscious beliefs about being “right” and how I feel it is necessary to prove how smart I am by pointing out what Singer missed.

On another level, it could be due to the deeper flow nudging me to write this because it needs written, no matter what explanation or rationale, in order to contribute to the awakening of the planet.

Or maybe I jut decided it was a great opportunity to speak my mind.

Which is correct?

I honestly don’t know.

The Witness non-judgmentally observes all.

But I, like Singer, am simply doing what I sense is the next appropriate thing for me to do in this moment.

Again, I loved Singer’s book and urge you to read it. It is a hypnotic read, fast moving, and entertaining. He is on to something with surrender, but just be alert to what you are surrendering to.

After all, the Witness just witnesses; it doesn’t tell you what to do.

It will witness you cry or laugh or do or not do.

You, as a thinking, feeling being, still get to decide.

Bottom line: surrender to the flow that is the most loving and empowering, while paying attention to how you created/attracted the flow in the first place through your own previous decisions, and know that any decision you make now contributes to or even redirects the flow.

I’ll say that again –

• surrender to the flow that is the most loving and empowering,
• while paying attention to how you created/attracted the flow in the first place,
• and know that any decision you make now contributes to or even redirects the flow.

Just something to think about.

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – I am currently reading Singer’s earlier book, titled The Untethered Soul. It is also excellent.

Member BBB 2003 - 2015

My first book was published in 1984.

It was called Zen and the Art of Writing.

My first book published in 1984; received no money but the road to credibility was born

It contained methods for increasing creativity, from NLP to meditation to Focusing to improv, all tools I had studied along the way in developing myself as a writer.

It was cause for celebration as I had struggled my entire adult life to get published, through homelessness and poverty, and a lot of desperate days and nights.

Well, I was finally published.

But ultimately that led to disappointment.

Because I didn’t have a name, or a following, or a marketing formula, or a very good publisher, the book was a dud.

I didn’t receive a dime from the book.

Ever.

No advance.

No royalties.

Nothing.

I was left to continue my struggle.

It would be almost ten more years (!) before I had a book published that did anything for me.

In 1992 I released The Seven Lost Secrets of Success and got a taste of what it’s like to be a rising star as an author.

I discovered that a book is an advertisement for my services.

People would read it and want to do business with me.

I never received an advance for the book, though.

But being the author of it brought me opportunities.

I was invited to speak at events, go on radio shows, get hired to write sales letters and ads, and more.

The book brought me business.

But it would get even better.

In 1994 I wrote The AMA Complete Guide to Small Business Advertising for the American Management Association.

I received a small advance – finally – for that book.

At first I was disappointed at such a low amount.

But after decades of trying to get published and finally receiving an advance, even a small one, I was grateful.

And that book changed my life.

Complete strangers and large companies hired me without meeting me, all because I was the author of an important book.

I’m talking known entities like The Red Cross, as well as movers and shakers such as politicians, lawyers, authors, speakers, celebrities, oil magnates, millionaires and billionaires, CEOs and more.

All I had to do was answer the phone.

And by then I had a bit of a local name as a copywriter, had my own small database of fans, and was with a publisher that at least knew a little about marketing.

I was able to leverage my books into attracting more money.

Being an author made me an author-ity.

That was a turning point in my career.

That experience of being published and being seen as the authority happened repeatedly, and kept growing, as I kept writing, publishing, and marketing.

In 1996 I wrote one of the pioneering books on how to make money online.

It was titled Cyber Writing and it, too, brought me more business as a copywriter, even though the book itself brought me almost nothing in terms of royalties.

And because the Internet was now available to the masses, my audience became the entire world.

Of course, releasing Hypnotic Writing (thanks to Mark Joyner’s persistent encouragement) as my first e-book (and later selling it to a major publisher) did wonders in establishing me as the copywriter to hire.

I became an Internet celebrity.

I could list more publishing milestones, both audio and print, but you get the idea.

Obviously, being an author gives a credibility that is bankable.

But the best was yet to come.

I've written way too many books to list here, but this one got me into the movie "The Secret"

In 2006 I was invited to appear in what became the hit movie The Secret — invited because of one of my books (The Attractor Factor) — and I ended up in the New York Times best-selling book, The Secret, too.

And while I wasn’t paid to be in the book (or the movie), being included in such historic wonders brought global attention to me and elevated my career into outer space.

Being a contributing author in such a mega-bestseller brought me even bigger and better opportunities, even when neither the book or movie brought me anything directly financially.

I’m now an acknowledged success.

The offers and opportunities keep rolling in.

It’s a sweet life.

But it sure didn’t happen overnight.

What I’m offering you today is a way to have “overnight” success – and save yourself all the hassle and disappointment I went through – by being a coauthor in my next bestselling book, what I’m calling “The Prosperity Factor.”

http://www.instantbestsellingauthor.com

A few people want to know why there’s an investment to participate.

Easy answer:

Because you’re paying to skyrocket your career in one strategic move.

You can play the game and try to get published on your own.

I did that.

It took me DECADES.

Literally.

And even if and when you get published on your own, you still need to promote your book.

If you don’t have a built in audience, or a reputation, or a list, or a plan, good luck.

I tried that, too.

Took me years.

What I’m offering you is a one time chance to explode on the scene – riding on my name and fame, benefiting from my database and strategy, and guaranteed to be a bestselling author almost overnight.

http://www.instantbestsellingauthor.com

I have a team in place to help you.

I have the printer and the contacts.

They all need paid.

Your investment is an investment to leap over the desperate masses and shine as a bestselling author – now, not decades from now.

It’s an investment in yourself.

Believe me, if I could have done this in my struggle years, and hitched my wagon to a star, and had success as an author almost instantly, I would have grabbed it.

It would have saved me years to decades of waiting, praying, trying, hoping and struggling.

If you see the value of being in and on the cover of my next bestseller, and advancing your career in one smart move, then go to http://www.instantbestsellingauthor.com

This is your chance.

Seize it.

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – Keep in mind that a lot of people will want to be in this book, and space is obviously limited, so if you are sincerely interested in advancing your career in one strategic smart move, then please zip over to http://www.instantbestsellingauthor.com right now. This is your moment. Grab it. Why not do it right now, while it’s on your mind?

Member BBB 2003 - 2015

At my recent presentation at Sundance in Utah, I invited everyone to think of a problem that they wish would go away — a nagging one that seemed to stick no matter what — one that they never even tell anyone about because it hurts so much…

I wanted them to feel the block — whether a block preventing them from attracting money, health, love, or anything else — so I could help them release it once and for all.

I then played just four of the eight tracks from the new healing album, “Invoking Divinity.”

My ninth album

I knew the inspired music, calming 432 Hz frequency, and clearing ho’oponopono prayers would help them melt anything in the way of their experiencing bliss right now and being free to have, do, or be virtually anything they could imagine.

Did it work?

Here’s what one person said..

“As I listened to Invoking Divinity for
the first time, in my mind I thought about
something recent that had happened to me
that was very painful emotionally.

“Each time I thought or talked about the painful
experience, I couldn’t help but cry.  Even though
I tried to let go of the emotions, it seemed like
I couldn’t.  When Joe Vitale asked me to think
about something that needed clearing, I immediately
thought of that event.

“As I listened to the first track, sure enough,
the tears streamed down my face. I felt the emotion
of the event very deeply.  Somehow, by the third track,
the pain was gone. After all this time, just sitting
and listening to your healing music soothed my pain,
and then completely healed me. As the fourth track
started, I began to have clear inspiration about what
I should do with my class (I’m an elementary school
teacher) and particularly with some of the students
that struggle for one reason or another.

“Not only did the music heal me, it opened up a portal
to inspiration for me.  I believe this shift from within
me will create miraculous positive influence on my
students and many others.  Thank you, from the bottom
of my heart, for the blessing of your healing music.
Now I have a deep desire to get the music translated
in Chinese so my Chinese-speaking family can benefit
like I did!”

Yang Yue
Huai Nan, China

And…

“Listening to your newest album Invoking Divinity was
profound for me, thank you for healing me, thank you
for inspiring me– again.

“That was probably the best 20 minutes I could ever
spend. Moving from track to track on the CD and just
feeling my energy shift was absolutely profound. Your
music is a blessing to humanity.”

Steve Gardner
www.discoveringlifenow.com

Thank you, Steve and Yang Yue.

The eight tracks (40 minutes total) on the album are a combination of subliminal and audible clearing prayers and Divine music.

All I played at the event were 20 minutes of audible sounds and prayers (just four tracks).

Imagine what all 40 minutes could do for you!

Please do yourself a favor and go discover the power of “Invoking Divinity.”

Story, photos, audio samples and more are at http://www.InvokingDivinity.com

Expect Miracles.

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS — If you want to raise your vibration, relax, clean, clear, and experience heaven, just go see http://www.InvokingDivinity.com

Member BBB 2003 -2015