A little-known secret to attracting success in all areas of life is to look for the win-win-win in every relationship.
This is far more than what most people do.
Let me explain with a story.
For the last ten years we have lived peacefully in the Hill Country of Texas. We love it here. There is a vacant two acre lot beside my home office. The owners of it visit their property once a year. I try to buy it from them. They refuse. They come back a year later. I offer to buy it again. They refuse. And so it goes. The situation has been acceptable as they haven’t built anything on the property in all this time. It’s been quiet. All is well.
But recently they sent workers and surveyors out to their land. The writing was on the wall. Construction would begin soon. I was facing a year of noise from the building of their home, and then a lifetime of neighbors. I dreaded it. I was imagining my serenity gone forever.
I knew there had to be a win-win-win someplace here. I just couldn’t see it.
What was I going to do?
I went into my bag of tricks.
I did everything I could think of.
But construction started anyway.
Where’s my win-win-win, I wondered?
Nerissa jumped online and found a five acre tract of land for sale near us. She looked it up to a get a sense of the price of land in our area. We were going to use that info to make a last ditch offer to buy the neighbor’s land. But her finding that information led me to come up with a wild idea.
Apparently all that cleaning, clearing and praying paid off.
I received an idea that I was pretty sure was genius.
I found the realtor for the five acres and told her, “If you’re good at one phone call, I can get you two sales of land.”
She was intrigued.
I told her the story of the two acres beside me. I told her about the five acres near us. And then I said —
“Call the owners of the two acres and tell them I will buy their land for the price of the five acres down the street.”
That would be a win-win-win.
This way I would get their land, they would get a much bigger lot for their home, and the realtor would get two sales.
Win-win-win.
Yes, I would be paying almost twice what the two acres are worth, but emotionally, that land meant a million dollars of freedom to me. It is well worth the investment.
Not everyone would do this, of course.
Most would fight to find a way to get the two acres and nudge out the neighbors. That’s a single win.
Another person might go for the win of the two acres, and try to help the owners of the acres find the equivalent land. That’s a win-win but not one to write home about.
Almost nobody would think to include the realtor. They’d use a shadow buyer to somehow cut out the realtor. But that’s a win-win, not a win-win-win.
Again, a little-known secret in life is to go for the win-win-win.
I do the same thing in my affiliate programs. If I endorse something, then I have used the program and love it so much I am now an affiliate for it (win), I know the creator of the program is making a fair profit from selling it through me (win), and I know the end buyer of it will be happy (win).
Why don’t more of us do this?
Most of the time we get lazy and just come from the mindset of taking care of our own needs. But I’ve found that the true joy in living is in taking care of your needs while you also take care of others.
Here’s one more story to illustrate my point…
Recently I was watching an incredible documentary called Rock Prophecies, about this amazing photographer for the rock stars.
Robert Knight has photographed the icons of music, from Led Zeppelin, Slash, Jeff Beck, Rolling Stones to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, Sick Puppies, and more. Today he looks for the yet to be discovered legends, such as Tyler Dow Bryant. His story is riveting and inspiring. (Get the DVD at http://www.rockprophecies.com)
The photographer typically doesn’t sell the negatives to his breathtaking rare photos. He was the only photographer at Stevie Ray Vaughan’s last concert, for example, yet he’s never released those photos. Or many others, of many other stars. He’s been offered over three million dollars for his entire collection. He won’t sell.
But then Robert’s mother got Alzheimer’s. She had to be put in into a constant care facility. This was going to cost about $9,000 a month.
The photographer didn’t know what he was going to do but he knew something had to be decided.
Out of apparently nowhere, the sister to Jimi Hendrix contacted Robert. They worked out a win-win-win deal where Robert would sell the negatives of his Jimi Hendrix photos to Jimi Hendrix’s sister and the Hendrix foundation, and in exchange he would get enough money to pay his mother’s health bills every month.
Obviously this is a win-win-win. Robert got the money. The Jimi Hendrix foundation got the rare photos. And Robert’s mother is getting the care she needs.
Do you see how this works?
What I’m really talking about here is love.
Love everyone involved in your negotiation and partnership and you’ll naturally attract the win-win-win.
The next time you are faced with a negotiation, a sale, or a relationship issue, ask yourself, “Where’s the win-win-win here?”
If you assume there is one, then your mind will start looking for it.
So turn on your mental radar for the next win-win-win.
It’s there.
Ao Akua,
Joe
PS — I’ve been reading an insightful little book titled It’s Not All About Me and think it’s appropriate to mention it here. While this book isn’t about negotiation per se, it is brilliant in explaining that you need to focus on others in order to build rapport and attract what you want. A breezy, heart expanding, thoughtful and practical read. I recommend it.
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!
Filmed years ago for television and just put online in its entirety, you can watch it right here:
How do you attract more of what you want?
What do you do when it feels like nothing is working out for you?
Recently I interviewed Patricia Ryan Madson*, author of the book, Improv Wisdom. You might recall that I wrote about Patricia’s book on this blog on May 1st, exploring the question, “Without you, what would not get done?”
In my interview, Patricia said something that jarred me into a new reality.
She said, “In every moment, we are always receiving far more than we ever give.”
I had to reflect on her statement to truly get it:
In every moment, we are always receiving far more than we ever give.
Patricia went on to explain that right now you are receiving air, blood flow, support from a chair, technology from your computer or other device, light from the sun or your room lights, these words from me, and more.
But we take all of that for granted. All we stop and say thank you for is when someone gives you something or does something specifically for you. But what about everything else? The amount you are receiving right now is almost overwhelming.
Are you aware of it?
Are you grateful for it?
I had dinner one night with Paul Zane Pilzer*, author of The Next Millionaires. He explained over 300 people were involved in preparing our meal. He was referring to the farmers and pickers and distributors and carriers and restaurant owner and cooks and servers and more.
Imagine that. Over 300 people were working to deliver a meal!
I’ve been traveling a great deal again, for TV shows, movies, events, speaking gigs, music production and more. When I stop and think about all the “unseen helpers” who make sure me and my luggage get there on time, or all the “behind the scenes” people who do their jobs sight unseen so my face gets projected over the air to millions of televisions in homes nationwide, it is incredible.
In order to complete my fourth music album, more people were involved than just my band. I traveled to L.A. and Nashville so Grammy winners could mix and master the music. This is a lot to be grateful for, and can even feel overwhelming when you become aware of it all.
“Wake Up to the Gifts” is the ninth maxim in Patricia’s wonderful and wise little book, Improv Wisdom. She asks us to look for the “unseen” gifts, like the screen and processor allowing you to read these words, or the planet giving you all you need to live and breathe right now.
She also asks us to understand the interdependence of all things.
I can’t write these words without you. You can’t read these words without me writing them.
But it goes further than that. We need the folks who made the computers you and I are using, the Internet providers, the electric company, the people making or delivering our food, handling our flights and our mail, and more. We also need the elements of life itself, that provide both you and me with all we need to stay alive.
You don’t achieve or attract anything by yourself.
Are you aware of that?
Are you grateful for that?
In Improv Wisdom, Patricia suggests you make “Thank you” your mantra.
Of course, in the book I coauthored with Dr. Hew Len, Zero Limits, we suggest you make the four phrases of ho’oponopono your mantra: “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”
Either way, these methods are tools to help you see what you are receiving is a miracle.
It also is your opportunity to give back.
Since you are receiving so much, what can you do to give more?
You’ll never be able to give in a way that balances all you receive. That’s the miraculous imbalance of life: it’s stacked in your favor.
Think about this. You are receiving so much right now — most of which you were unaware of and took for granted — that you can never give enough to tip the scales. You can never give more than you receive. You are simply receiving way too much.
Think about it this way…
Every time you turn on your TV and flip through the hundreds of channels, remember that those shows were written, produced, directed and performed just for YOU.
Every time you go to the theatre and see a movie or a play, remember that it was made just for YOU.
Every time you turn on the radio and hear your favorite music, commentators, DJs, guest speakers, etc., for your listening enjoyment, again it was all created just for YOU.
When you think about the world honing its craft for YOUR daily entertainment, that’s powerful.
Can you appreciate how much there is to be grateful for?
It might make you think twice before complaining about having to pay $10 for a movie ticket nowadays. After all, the movie you are about to see probably had a budget of millions of dollars. Your investment is very small compared to what it costs to create a multimillion dollar motion picture…JUST FOR YOU!
The “miraculous imbalance” is also a gift to you.
But you probably never thought about it before today.
And here’s where you can begin to attract more of what you want.
Back to our opening questions…
It begins by noticing everything you have already attracted.
The thing is, most people focus on what they got that they don’t want, or on want they want that they haven’t attracted yet.
That’s hardly a practical approach to success.
And if you know anything about the Law of Attraction, you know that’s the wrong place to put your attention.
When you notice and acknowledge what you are being given right now, you morph your energy and your mood into something far more magnetic, compelling and loving.
Noticing the good you are already receiving tunes your being into a “good magnet.” You can start attracting even more good because you’ve awakened to the good you have and are continuing to receive. This opens your eyes to the magnitude of life; the magic and miracles all around you.
So the next time you hear anyone say, “I’m not attracting what I want,” realize they are declaring their blindness and deafness to all they have been given and are still receiving. Your job isn’t to correct them. It’s to smile, look around, acknowledge the gifts, and find a way to give back.
That said, what can you do right now to give more?
Well?
Ao Akua,
* I interviewed Patricia Ryan Madson (as well as Paul Zane Pilzer) for members of Hypnotic Gold. These are member-only interviews that I’ve been doing for more than seven years now, amounting to well over 80 interviews. For more information, and to find out how to become a member of this select group, just click right here.
PS – One more story of gratitude: When I was growing up, Clint Walker was the cowboy television star I admired. I never stopped to consider how his famous TV series, Cheyenne, entertained me weekly, for years, and yet I paid nothing. It was broadcast right into my parent’s home. Free. Today I realize how grateful I am for Clint and his show. (And my TV set.) He later appeared in many movies, such as The Dirty Dozen and Night of the Grizzly. You might imagine my surprise when I learned Clint Walker is still with us, alive at 85, writing his autobiography, working on a second novel, and selling signed photos and more off his website at www.clintwalker.com. I wrote to Clint, to thank him for all he did to give me a positive role model all those childhood years. I haven’t heard from him yet, and may never. Still, I’m grateful. I’m pretty sure he is grateful for the “miraculous imbalance” in life, too. In the spirit of giving back, here’s Clint Walker from a few years ago sharing life and death stories about listening to your inner voice:
Someone wrote me this curious question–
“I have a question regarding your recent promotion for The Secret to Attracting Money, I hope this doesn’t offend, it is a genuine question.
“You clearly want to help people out of poverty, so why are you charging $120 for the course? The people who need it most are people who are suffering greatly from having no money and because of this they can never buy the course to help them out of their situation?
“You are already a millionaire and do not need any more money to be financially secure, would it not be a wonderful gift of unconditional love to the universe to offer this course free so that it truly helps those who are suffering and cannot get out of their situation because they don’t have any money. In return the Universe will surely reward you.”
I say it’s a “curious question” because the person asking it doesn’t seem to realize a few facts —
1. I already give away my e-book, Attract Money Now.
Anyone who is broke — which is such a misleading term, as most people reading my emails or this blog actually have money and don’t appreciate or acknowledge it — but any “broke” person can go read it right now at http://www.attractmoneynow.com
2. Most people don’t respect anything handed to them.
Oh, there are exceptions to every statement, but in general “free” is not respected. You can have my e-book mentioned above absolutely gratis, but did you go get it? I’ve been giving it away for over two years now. Did you read it? Did you use it? (Be honest.)
3. A physical product takes a lot of people to create, all of whom need paid.
If I charge for my audio course, The Secret to Attract Money, it’s because about 300 people are involved in its creation, marketing and distribution. My trying to pay all their fees isn’t wise or sane or easily possible. It’d also be unfair, as it would cause an imbalance in the ebb and flow of the financial world. Money needs to circulate. I’m not the creator of it; I’m just a channel. So are you. I do my part. You are supposed to do yours.
But let’s look a little closer at this.
Limiting beliefs are also invisible beliefs.
That’s right: Limiting beliefs are also invisible beliefs.
You don’t see them or usually even realize you have them.
The person asking the above curious question doesn’t realize he or she is exposing their limiting beliefs about money.
What about you?
Do you think money is evil?
Do you think there’s scarcity in the world?
Do you think poor people should be handed things?
Do you think wealthy people should just give away everything?
Do you think you have enough — or too much — money?
Your answers help reveal your invisible limiting beliefs.
Money is neutral.
What you unconsciously think about money is what is causing you to attract it — or repel it.
If you want to become more aware of all of this, and free yourself to live a life of magic and miracles, and to have enough money to help the people and the causes you care about, then go check out — http://www.SecretToAttractingMoney.com
Ao Akua,
joe
PS — Remember, if you are “broke,” then you can go read my e-book, Attract Money Now, free, over at — http://www.AttractMoneyNow.com