One day my cell phone rang.
It doesn’t ring very often because very few people have the number.
I didn’t recognize the calling number, and there was no Caller ID name listed, so I figured it was a random sales call and declined it.
But a minute later, the phone rang again.
Same number.
Again, I declined it.
But a few minutes later, I got notified of a message.
Curious, I played the voice mail.
I was shocked at what I heard.
It was a slightly muffled conversation between two people, a man and a woman, bad mouthing my music.
It was like being a fly on the wall, listening to a couple bash your first born.
Specifically, they were quite openly thrashing my first singer-songwriter album, Strut!, from 2012.
“It’s trash!” the woman said.
“It’s really garbage!” the man said.
I was shocked.
Baffled.
Hurt.
I recognized the woman’s voice.
I thought she was a friend.
Their entire conversation lasted several minutes.
Since the woman had “butt dialed” me by accident, she didn’t have a clue that their exchange had been recorded.
But it was.
I’m not sure how you would feel if you overheard people you know trashing something you created out of love and passion, but I was confused.
I reached out to my music support team, my friends who helped create that first album, and told them what happened.
They were angry.
They wanted to call the woman and give her a piece of their mind.
I didn’t want to do that.
I wanted to process the Twilight Zone-ish experience and see what I could learn.
As I meditated on the bizarre event, I realized a few things –
Of course, I wouldn’t call someone and tell them my opinion of their books or music or them, but realizing that not everyone loves me or my work, while baffling, was somehow comforting.
And then I thought about all the good things regarding my first singer-songwriter album.
For example –
So, obviously, my music must not be “trash.”
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but what is?
And I admit that my later albums – such as One More Day (a bestseller that sold out almost instantly after it was released and includes Grammy nominated singer Ruthie Foster on one hypnotic track) – reveal a more polished singer-songwriter, but I doubt that the first album was that bad.
Not everyone loves Elvis, the Beatles, Lady Gaga, or Neil Diamond – and those people are legends – but not everyone likes any of the hundreds of thousands of new, alternative, jazz or any of a staggering amount of music coming out today, either.
So, what are you or I going to do?
Stop?
Give up?
Let the critics win?
Mark Twain wrote in his autobiography –
“I believe that the trade of critic, in literature, music, and the drama, is the most degraded of all trades, and that it has no real value–certainly no large value…However, let it go. It is the will of God that we must have critics, and missionaries, and congressmen, and humorists, and we must bear the burden.” – Mark Twain
I’m with Twain, but I didn’t get to the same conclusion overnight.
All of this was a day-long process.
It took me more than a few minutes to get clarity.
After I realized that what I was given was an opportunity to clear up some limiting beliefs I had about approval, I was free to turn the event into a teaching lesson for you and me both, hence this post.
As I wrote in my book, The Attractor Factor, I pulled a TIISG: Turn It Into Something Good.
As you pursue your dreams and goals, you will probably encounter a person or two that doesn’t approve.
You have to continue forward anyway.
There will always be critics.
Their job is easy: put you or your project down.
Your job is harder but more rewarding:
Allow them their opinion, and continue towards your vision.
After all, everyone with a butt has an opinion.
And if you’re really worried about being butt dialed a bad review, just turn off your phone.
Ao Akua,
PS – If you want to see for yourself how bad my music is, go review all 15 albums I’ve created over the last 4 years at All Healing Music.
Recently on my Facebook fan page I posted this thought:
“Whenever you get upset, it’s because you went unconscious. A hidden belief was activated. Become aware of the belief, release it, and the upset vanishes. You are then able to clearly see what to do next in the moment.”
The idea is to become aware.
When something upsets you, it’s not because of the “something” but because of your internal trigger, usually an unconscious belief.
When you become aware of the belief, you can remove the trigger.
Then when “something” happens that used to upset you, you will be calm, and better able to see your choices in the moment.
In other words, when you get upset, you have to become acutely sensitive to what belief in you is being activated.
Under your emotions is a thought about how things “should” be.
Because things are suddenly not as your unconscious mind expected, a switch was thrown, a belief was activated, and you became upset.
But once you realize what the belief is, you can change it and no longer attract the experience.
As I also posted one time —
“The meaning you give an event is the belief that attracted it.”
Once you clear the belief, you no longer need situations to remind you of it.
One way to find the belief, is to ask yourself what the situation means.
All of those statements seem like accurate observations of reality by the person stating them.
On one level, they are accurate.
But in unfiltered objective reality those statements are the beliefs that are attracting the subjective reality.
Clear the belief and you won’t attract the experience, or, if you attract something akin to it, it won’t bother you.
You’ll be free.
From time to time I post nuggets like that to help you do one thing: awaken.
For example, a while back I posted this:
“If you don’t have some self doubts and fears when you pursue a dream, then you haven’t dreamed big enough.”
The idea behind that one is to get you to stretch, and realize stretching will bring up any beliefs counter to your goal, what I call counter-intentions.
In other words, going for a big dream will make you excited and uncomfortable, at least until you clear the negative beliefs.
Why?
Because you’re leaving your comfort zone.
By the very nature of the phrase “comfort zone,” you will be uncomfortable when you leave it.
But that doesn’t mean you aren’t to go for your dreams.
It simply means that when you pursue a new goal, your limiting beliefs around it will surface.
Which brings up the question, how do you clear limiting beliefs and counter-intentions?
I’ve written and recorded numerous books and audios about many different processes you can use, from ho’oponopono to The Remembering Process to Nevillizing to the Fourth Dimension Process to Miracles Coaching and more.
But today I’m excited to announce that I will be teaching a six week class on all of this.
It’s called “Expect Miracles.”
It will be my definitive course on going beyond where you might be stuck to living a life of magic and miracles.
It will take you from beginning to advanced to awakening.
It will contain processes, meditations, visualizations and more, all led by me, all designed to help you.
It will take quotes like this from me and explain them:
“You created this moment from what you thought and felt three days ago. What you are thinking and feeling right now will create your next moments.”
In other words, Expect Miracles will help you understand how your mind works, so you can actually go past the mind and merge with the energy vortex of life itself.
In that realm, miracles are the norm.
The course begins November 10, 2015.
If this is something that resonates with you, then check it out at http://mval.li/?a=5325&c=1676&p=r&s1=
Remember – Expect Miracles!
Ao Akua,
PS – For more quotes from me, one place to look is at http://addicted2success.com/quotes/36-joe-vitale-quotes-to-inspire-a-life-of-abundance/
Brace yourself. This is the first time I’ve ever made this offer. It is limited to 10 people. It will transform your life. It is BIG. Details below…
“Joe Vitale is a true marketing, sales and promotion genius.”
– Dan Kennedy, in his book ‘No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent’
“Just when you think you understand how the world works Joe Vitale comes along and takes you to a whole new place. He’s engaging, entertaining, enlightening and – oh boy – does he ever stretch your thinking.” – Ian Percy, Reg. Psych. and member of both the US and Canadian Speaker Halls of Fame.
“No one else I know of could help someone come up with a Barnum-like Big Idea and then help them take it to fruition = becoming a huge phenomenon, which means BIG money, fame, recognition, and unique world positioning. See Joe Vitale’s outrageous list of accomplishments to know this is the real deal.” – David Garfinkel, Copywriter, Author, Consultant
What else is possible?
What’s left undone?
What can you attempt to attract or achieve that would stun even you?
Yes, you can stay comfy.
You earned it.
But we both know that life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
That’s where “the rush” is.
That’s why people do dare devil endurance feats and climb mountains and open businesses.
They want more.
That’s why people in Kuwait, already wealthy, open retail shops.
They are seeking the gusto of life.
They want to feel alive.
What’s your next dream?
While you think about your answer, allow me to share my own answer.
My own big dream is the desire for a vintage Gullwing.
That’s a Mercedes SL300 Gullwing.
That’s the iconic car considered by many as the world’s first super car.
Gullwing doors.
Leading edge engineering.
Futuristic design.
Built in 1954-55 and sought today as investment grade masterpieces.
And fetching upwards to two million dollars.
Each.
I want one.
I want one because the desire for one is melting my limits about what I think is possible.
If a once homeless man like me can attract a vintage Gullwing, what else is possible?
It’s not about the Gullwing.
It’s about The Stretch.
So, what’s your Gullwing?
It doesn’t need to be a car.
It can be anything that makes you suck in air.
It can be anything you long for but have yet to achieve.
Anything that gives you chills.
Anything that makes you a little scared and a lot excited.
What’s your Gullwing?
What would you like to experience just because you want it?
I’m looking for 10 people to join a Gullwing Mastermind with me.
This is a full year program for creating miracles.
It’s what Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, declared was the key to success.
He wrote –
“The “Master Mind” may be defined as: ‘Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.'” – Napoleon Hill
The Gullwing Mastermind private group that I am inviting you to join consists of –
ALSO –
AND –
And you will have the power of a mastermind to help you achieve your goals.
Some of the most successful people I know are in one or more mastermind groups.
I met a man recently who is in five masterminds.
These are powerful, inspiring, life changing.
You not only draw from my experience, but you have the collective power of the entire mastermind group on your side – the wisdom, energy, support, experience, education, resources, contacts, and more.
Obviously, this is a priceless experience.
But maybe you need to know more about me —
* I started as a homeless nobody, lived in poverty for a decade, and went on to fame and fortune. Today I live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Incredibly successful people hunt me down for consultations and engagements, like the princess in Kuwait who paid me six figures to speak at her event, and the son of the man who produced The Beatles who wants me in a movie and television show he is producing.
* I wrote more books than most people read in a lifetime – about 50 so far, with numerous ones being bestsellers, such as The Attractor Factor and the recent The Secret Prayer. These books have become #1 bestsellers on Amazon, in the overall category of ALL books. I have been published in every way you can name, and have secrets and insights about each approach.
* I recorded multiple bestselling self-help programs, for the largest and most famous audio producer in the world, and saw many of them become record-breaking bestsellers – even out selling Earl Nightingale’s famous programs. I know how to create, package, and sell programs so the world hears about them.
* I pioneered Internet marketing, wrote one of the first books every published about it in the 1990s, created outrageous attention grabbing stunts like being the first to hypnotize someone live online, using the Internet to out sell a Harry Potter book, and selling a hefty package and making half a million dollars in three days.
* I traveled around the world, speaking in countries as diverse as Russia, Peru, Poland, and Kuwait, and of course being a keynote speaker at major events in the USA, including for the National Speakers Association, and at mega-wealth events with Donald Trump and Tony Robbins on the same bill as me.
* I invented Hypnotic Writing, Hypnotic Marketing, Buying Trances, The Secret Mirror, The Secret Reflection, Miracles Coaching, Wealth Trigger, Hyper-Wealth, and much more, all of which are staggeringly successful. I know how to generate ideas, package them, and market them to the masses.
* I wrote sales copy for more authors, speakers, consultants, CEOs, celebrities and more, than I care to remember, increasing their sales, improving real world numbers, and more. I’m talking everyone from The Red Cross to hospitals and non-profits to Abraham of Jerry and Esther Hicks fame. I created Hypnotic Writing and wrote a book explaining it.
* I have attracted national media exposure being on everything from Larry King Live (twice) to Donny Deutsch’s Big Idea show, to being on ABC, Fox, CNN, CNBC and more. I’ve been in the New York Times and Newsweek. I know the value of media exposure in establishing you as an authority and the “go to” person.
* I have been in 15 movies, with The Secret being the most famous, and three more coming out in 2016. And I got in one of the movies because of a mastermind.
* I am coming out with my own television show in 2016. It’s going to combine a TED-style talk with Oprah-style interviews and the selling power of QVC, and is designed to inspire people to go for their dreams.
* I wrote Attract Money Now and give it away as a list builder and gift to humanity. I also give away numerous other books, including The Miracles Manual and The Abundance Manifesto. I know the value of “karmic marketing” in helping the planet and yourself.
* I brought ho’oponopono to the world, through my books, Zero Limits and AT Zero, reaching an estimated 5,000,000 people.
* Near the age of 60 I recreated myself as a musician and, at my last count, recorded 15 albums. I called myself the world’s first self-help singer-songwriter to separate myself from the overwhelming competition. Reverbnation voted me #1 singer-songwriter. My music videos have attracted hundreds of thousands of views. I have over three hundred thousand fans. My albums with Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon have made more money than most musicians ever make in an entire career. I know how to reframe and repackage to market to success.
* I developed a spiritual approach to wealth, ignoring cutthroat methods and always focusing on a balanced, healthy approach to success, based on passion and purpose. I know how to create win-win-win negotiations and conduct business from the heart.
* I can listen to virtually anybody for about 20 minutes and see or create a unique money making idea specific to them. I have done it with friends and strangers, helping them create products, and with my own wife, helping her create a bestselling cookbook.
* I created a movement to end homelessness, raised funds for those in poverty, and compiled a book to help others who struggle. I know how to think big, confront limitations, and urge people to go for their highest ideals.
* I discovered the “missing secret” in self development, the idea of counter-intentions, and have been teaching it to people for over a decade, in my books, audios, and Miracles Coaching program. This one method alone can accelerate results for anyone.
* I’m considered an expert on the Law of Attraction, and know how to use it, teach it, and go beyond it. I’ve explained deeper concepts than it in my books and audio programs, such as The Awakening Course. Most people have a superficial or erroneous understanding of LOA. I help them get clear. I help them get results.
* I invented e-classes back in the 1990s, which everyone and his brother offers today. I know how to repackage material as an authentically new product.
* I wrote There’s A Customer Born Every Minute, the only business book on P.T. Barnum, the famous circus promoter who was also a speaker, writer, politician, entrepreneur, publicity genius, and more. Studying Barnum (and others like him, like Houdini, Branson, and Trump) gave me the ability to “Barnumize” almost any business by finding or creating the Big Idea and promoting it to the world for fame, fortune and immortality.
* I created the Rolls-Royce Phantom Mastermind, where people flew in from all over the world to spend a few hours with me in the famous luxury car, going to dinner, sharing, and getting coaching from me. ABC television news covered one of them. I know how to think bigger than big and light a fire under people to go for their dreams.
I could go on.
The point is, you not only will get the collective genius of the mastermind, but you will also draw from my own experience as well.
But I have to warn you –
This won’t be cheap and it won’t be for everybody.
After all, when I offered the Rolls-Royce Phantom Mastermind, people paid $5,000 to $7,500 each for just the evening with me.
An entire year will of course be a much larger investment.
If you qualify, we can arrange a payment plan, too.
If this idea makes your palms sweat, but makes your heart race with anticipation, then contact my assistant for details.
Write Suzanne at suzanne @ mrfire.com (close spaces to make it a workable email address).
Are you ready to fly?
Are you ready to stretch?
Are you ready to go for the biggest dreams of your life?
What’s your Gullwing?
Ao Akua,
Joe
PS – What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Note: If this offer to join my Gullwing Mastermind ends up being too pricey for you at this time, remember that you can always join Miracles Coaching right now. And you can always read many of my books, such as Attract Money Now, for free.
On the night of May 24, 2015, my sleeping little city of Wimberley, Texas received more rain than the beautiful rolling hills could handle.
Within hours, the Blanco River rose over 40 feet — not inches, feet — and began to wipe out homes and lives.
The list of shocking casualties is long.
The mainstream news called it catastrophic.
It was.
But the good news is, the people are rallying, joining forces, cleaning and rebuilding.
You can’t stop the human spirit.
Your positive thoughts and prayers clearly help, so now let’s add some rocket fuel behind our mission to rebuild Wimberley.
I’m writing to ask for your assistance – and I will give you gifts for any help you give.
Please go to one or more of these sites and make a contribution:
You can help just married Mike and Katie: http://www.gofundme.com/paggg8
You can help Chuck and Tina and their children: http://www.gofundme.com/penningtonfam
You can help build Wimberley Radio: http://www.radiowimberley.org/donate.html
You can help Wimberley, Texas Area Support: http://barnabasconnects.org/join-us/
And after you give, you can go to these sites to claim your gifts. (Good till June 8, 2015)
“The Miracles Manual: The Secret Coaching Sessions” – all 3 volumes (priceless) http://miraclesmanual.com/thankyou73-dl.html
“Invoking Divinity,” the heavenly instrumental album by Guitar Monk Mathew Dixon and myself (worth $20): http://www.nimbitmusic.com/invokingdivinity/promos/Love
And here’s a bigger reward when you give even bigger –
When you give $500 or more to one of the above sites, I will personally send you a box of signed books, including my new bestseller, The Secret Prayer.
And –
When you give $1,000 or more to one of the above sites, you can have a private mastermind dinner with me in Wimberley. (Worth: $5,000)
For the last two larger donations, just send your receipt and your snail mail address to: mrfire @ gmail.com (Take out spaces to make it a workable email addy.)
Please note this offer expires June 8, 2015. Please give right now.
I appreciate you and whatever you can do to help my friends in Wimberley, Texas.
And once it’s cleaned up, please come and visit.
You will love the little community and its wonderful people.
It truly is a little bit of heaven.
Ao Akua,
PS – I think the Wimberley flooding is partly my fault. After years of drought, and the Texas wildfires of too recent memory, I prayed for rain. Well…
Note: Please note that a good reason to be at peace with money is at times like this. You can help people who need it. I am directly helping people, and I am asking that you help them, too. Together, we can make a difference. If you haven’t read my book, “Attract Money Now,” it’s still free at http://www.attractmoneynow.com
When I was in Kuwait, speaking on positive thinking and happiness, a skeptical man in the audience politely asked, “Where is the evidence that happiness will make a positive difference in my life?”
I smiled.
Even though two other speakers at the same event were recognized psychologists on happiness (one a Harvard graduate), and had already delivered compelling evidence for the benefits of positive thinking and positive psychology, this man wanted something more.
Well, I had an answer for him.
“You can find evidence for whatever you want to believe,” I replied.
“If you want to believe happiness works, then research online and you’ll find evidence to support your belief,” I continued.
“If you want to believe unhappiness is better, then research online and you can find evidence to support that belief,” I added.
And then I delivered the punch line.
“If there is evidence for both happiness and unhappiness as ways of life, which are you going to choose?”
The crowd applauded.
I don’t know if the man got the point or not. The crowd seemed to. But the polite skeptic was coming from a mindset that was arguing for his own limitations.
After all, why ask for proof that happiness is better unless you want to remain unhappy?
And why would anyone want to remain unhappy?
Author Richard Bach famously wrote, “Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.”
Many people want to stay unhappy because they believe it serves them.
They believe it keeps them “real.”
They believe if they get happy, they may not do anything, or may be denying “reality.”
What they don’t seem to understand is unhappy people are less productive, practical, realistic, healthy, humorous or social.
I learned this back in the 1980s, when I studied with Barry Neil Kaufman, author of such books as To Love Is to Be Happy With.
Barry explained there are myths around unhappiness.
One of them is the belief that unhappiness will motivate you while happiness will not.
As Barry explained it, the truth is that unhappiness will keep you stuck, while happiness will propel you forward by the simple joy of living.
My understanding of limiting beliefs went even deeper when I started working with Mandy Evans, who I often call the original Miracles Coach.
Mandy says some of our top limiting beliefs are —
1. I should be able to make lots of money, but I can’t.
2. I do not deserve success and happiness.
3. I need to think positive every day to change my limiting beliefs.
4. If someone cheats me or betrays me I have to get even or live with resentment.
5. If I were happy, I wouldn’t do anything.
6. Feeling bad motivates me to change things.
7. If I do not give people what they want, I will end up all alone.
8. I should have worked this out by now.
9. I cannot earn a living doing something I like.
10. Better stop wanting; if you get your hopes up, you’ll just get hurt.
Mandy says for each belief that seems true, ask yourself three questions:
1. Why do I believe that?
2. What might happen if I didn’t believe that?
3. Is that true?
To better grasp all of this, read Mandy’s books, Emotional Options and Travelling Free, available from Amazon, bookstores, or http://mandyevans.com/the-breakout-store
As I’ve often said, we live in a belief driven universe; change your beliefs and you get a different universe.
You are welcome to argue for your limitations, of course, or to delete them and believe something better.
Your choice.
Ao Akua,
joe
PS — The best way to pinpoint and clear limiting beliefs is with a Miracles Coach. Just click right here.