Freeing your mind from limiting beliefs

There are many factors that prevent us from reaching enlightenment and true happiness in life. Some of these factors were learned within our childhood and continued later through adulthood. It's been known for quite some time that our childhood experiences affect us later in life. For example: A person may host limiting beliefs that he is a failure because his parents always told him so. All throughout his life he continued to believe he was a failure because that's what he's used to hearing. In fact, feelings of failure subside often within his mind simply because he hasn’t accepted anything different. In fact, his beliefs have most likely grown to large fears over the period of time. On top of these negative beliefs he hosts about himself, he accumulates many additional limitations through his adulthood, and most possibly will never replace this negativity with anything different. This is the story about hundreds of thousands of us. Daily we go through life with self-limiting beliefs generated from our parents and other influences. Freeing your mind from limiting beliefs can create a profound effect in a positive manner.

Life has never demanded the same from us, nor do we have the same expectations as we did years ago. Even though we may want similar materialistic things in life, we’ve been molded completely differently than our early relatives. The society that we live in today has created more responsibilities for us, and asks more from us. The modern day has created more demands and has become faster paced. Even though technology has increased our efficiency, it has also caused many problems creating more responsibilities for us. For example: Most of us couldn’t imagine living without our cellular telephones even for a day. In fact, we assume that our colleagues will have their cell phones on with them at all times. We expect them to answer by the second ring or we assume they're avoiding us. Text messages have increased our expectations and demands tenfold and also impersonalize our conversations. Even though television and radio programs entertain us and connect us to the environment, it also solicits more advertisements than our minds can handle. Within the thousands of advertisements we hear and see each day, they’re filled with psychological phrases that make us demand more of ourselves. They make us feel almost empty inside and leave us wanting more. It makes us feel unfulfilled with what we already have. We then feel the need for the best and latest technology because we are told we need it. They leave us feeling greedy for stuff we don’t need. This way of living only creates stress and discomfort. All of these factors lead to a defeated mindset.

If one is always thinking about the type of lifestyle he or she wants to live in the future, or the materialistic things that they want to possess, like the nice house, the cabin at the lake, the newest smart phone, and the millions of other products that are marketed to us each day, then there is zero possibility of becoming enlightened or finding any realm of happiness. This way of thinking leads only to a dark, ill and faded future, filled with dissatisfaction. When one is only searching for money, possessions or materialistic things, his mind becomes limited and all possibilities of reaching satisfaction are eliminated. When one is ready to live in the moment, and only when, he or she will instantly bring satisfaction and the best opportunities and relationships into their lives.

Many factors have led our minds to believe that we’re not as good as the person next to us. We’ve begin to compare ourselves with those around us, and are quite dissatisfied with who we are because of it. Every time we compare ourselves to another person, it adds to the negative limitations we already hold about ourselves. Our limitations have made us become lonely and unhappy. They’ve increased the anxiety and fear inside ourselves, and they’ve created invisible demands that rid us of our self-esteem and confidence. Every time we’re jealous of another person, it just adds to the anger, hostility and madness that we host towards the world. Every negative thought that you think about; weather it’s against another person or against yourself, you’re adding to your ill perception of the way the world actually works. It defeats you of your inner being and eliminates all chances of a spiritual awakening.

You need to wake up and smell the opportunities that surround you every day. You need not only smell it, you need to grasp onto it and use it to your advantage. You need to hold on tight and never let go because the life you were given deserves a lot more than you were led to believe. Any limitation within your mind eliminates the chances of becoming a truly liberated individual. It’s very important to take notice of your limitations and get rid of them as soon as they start to form. Even though, many of the limitations that you hold can be difficult to get rid of, any limitation can be eliminated by simply acknowledging it’s there and taking the time to gradually work it down to nothing. Free yourself from your mind. Don’t let anything stand in your way of becoming the best living being that you can be. Don’t allow negative thoughts like anger, hatred, remorse or jealousy defeat you. Let go of your desires of a luxurious lifestyle and embrace the one you’re currently living today.  Get rid of the negative beliefs you hold and embrace only the positive attributes of your mind. Be happy with what you already have and don’t let advertisements tell you otherwise.

There’s a lot more to life than materialistic things. Only the satisfied will realize this throughout their lives. In fact, technology will always advance, life will continuously get faster paced until we’re ready to realize that life isn’t a race; it’s meant to be enjoyed and taken advantage of, not taken for granted. Far too many people believe that happiness lies in the arms of another person or that it can be bought in a store. Knowing from experience and great research, this is ill advice and should be eliminated from one’s conscience. Happiness can only come in the form of living in the moment. After the moment is lived, it will simply become history. If one lives in the past or the future, they’re subtracting all the positive qualities that are given to them. Living in the past will drive us insane and make us want to relive impossible experiences. In fact, once an experience is lived, it cannot be duplicated. Every experience is unique in its own way. No two experiences are the same. Thinkers of the past will generate hostility towards the present, which only drives them further away from their goals and desires in life. Living in the future is just as bad and will generate similar feelings. It will rob you of any opportunity to enjoy the current moment. It took me a lot of time to eliminate the negative limitations that I held within myself; however, when I was ready to move forward and get rid of them, I was able to live in the moment. When this happened, I became a lot more compassionate for society and the environment around me. With compassion came happiness and contentment. When I was finally content with what I had, my mind was ready for enlightenment.

What is your ideal lifestyle?

“Happiness determines the quality of our lives. Without it we are merely wasting away our lives.”


This topic is yet another that can be explored into the deep depths. There are an intimate amount of factors that come into play within this discussion. The majority of people I talk to are committed that money is the most important component to their ideal lifestyle. In fact, I'm confident you would agree that money is an obvious factor in the realm of modern happiness. For the most part, the amount in a person's bank accounts defines their level of happiness. There are however a variety of factors that come into play in living an optimal lifestyle.

I’ve sought answers from every type of person on this very subject. The young, the old, the wise, the ones who think they're wise, even religious and spiritual perspectives have impacted my judgment towards this subject. I’ve gathered literally thousands of points of reference in relation to this question. I've come to a conclusion that happiness is the most important factor when forming and ideal lifestyle. Happiness determines the quality of our lives. There are three key components in achieving any realm of happiness. They are compassion, success and confidence.

Compassion connects us to the environment and allows us to succeed through respect. The Dalai Lama claims that Compassion is the root of all successes. In fact, compassion will help you succeed beyond your wildest dreams. What you give to others you will receive in return. Some of the most successful people are those that give to others without the necessity of receiving. When you give to others you will feel more complete and wholesome. This is why compassion is so important in the mix.

Confidence may be one of the most overlooked factors in the realm. The truth is; without confidence our lives will diminish drastically. Confidence is another key component to all successes. Sadly, very few of us harness enough of it to achieve the type of happiness that’s just around the corner. Success in business, in relationships, in fact, success in any form cannot thrive without it. Every action we take in life relies on having a strong level of confidence. Often times, our judgments about ourselves are weaker than they are in reality. This is formed through negative beliefs we've formed in our lives. Confidence allows us to believe in ourselves.

Success is the final component that I want to throw into the mix. It happens to be another very important factor in achieving an ideal lifestyle. Success is a whole different topic to be explored. In fact, it means something different for everyone. What does success mean to you? Does it mean having more money, more clients, more children, or more family time? Does it mean having a better paying job, a huge house and lots of toys?

The truth is; everyone has a different opinion on what the ideal lifestyle is. This answer can only be defined by your own opinion. Who makes you most happy? What activities make you the most happiest? Work towards fulfilling these and you will bring upon happiness. Once you find happiness you'll find your ideal lifestyle.

Why are mistakes important?

“Nothing worthwhile comes without making plenty of mistakes.”

There are many explanations to this question, yet the basis of it can be defined in a simple answer – lessons. Even though mistakes can overwhelm us at times there are opportunities within each and every mistake we make.

Nothing worthwhile comes without a fight. Yet, nothing worthwhile comes without making plenty of mistakes. One of my favorite motivators comes by the name of Anthony Robbins. In his lectures he states, "If you make a mistake make a big one because you'll learn so much more." This expression couldn’t be more accurate. Mistakes are meant to be made. Without them, sadly you wouldn't accomplish anything worthwhile.

We all make mistakes. They come in different colors and shapes of all sizes. They come at random and during times when you'd least expect them. Mistakes are needed for effective learning and development. Unfortunately, most of us are ashamed of them. Mistakes are often looked at as negative hindrances and setbacks and rarely perceived as gifts for advancement. Mistakes should be looked at as opportunities for growth.

We make mistakes to learn the system of life. Without them we wouldn’t be able to judge success. Even though it can be difficult to forget a mistake, each one can act as an experience to move forward. Mistakes should be looked at as encouragement rather than as failure. Mistakes provide us with the necessary information needed to garner success and happiness. Satisfaction is received when we try a second or third time and finally succeed. It's through our mistakes that we learn the fundamentals to live happier lives.

Don't let your mistakes crush you. They're meant to be lived and appreciated. Each of them were served to you to learn valuable life lessons. Take the time today to reminisce all of the mistakes of your past. Write them down one by one. As you relive each experience be sure to erase it from your conscious mind; no longer to be seen as a negative hindrance. Don't let your mistakes drag you down any longer. It’s time to forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made. They have weighed you down far too long. Without them you wouldn't be who you are today.



Strategy:

Meditate on some of your most recent mistakes. As you gather images to your experiences ask yourself these questions. What emotions did I feel? How did the experience affect my life? What did I learn from the experience? I guarantee each time you reflect upon your mistakes you'll come to a conclusion that each experience helped shape your personal characteristics in some way. They made you a better person. With each mistake you’ll uncover inner personal growth. Look back at the time when you lost your first love, or the time when you lost in the triathlon in junior high school. Maybe it was a time when you were laughed at in the cafeteria when you dropped your lunch all on the floor. Whatever mistake was made I can assure you that it has helped you in some way. Your first love may have felt perfect back then but now you realize that he/she isn't the right fit for you. Perhaps you learned to treat your new partner differently through the mistakes you made in your past relationships. As far as the triathlon in middle school, perhaps the reason you failed was because you weren't as prepared as the other competitors. Now you’ve learned to practice much more before your next event. Dropping your lunch on the floor could've acted as simple lesson of taking proper precautions when entering the facility next time. Either way, the mistakes you've made were designed for your benefit. They were designed to make you a better person.

Writing your mistakes down on paper will help you move towards happiness. Doing this Simple exercise can help transform your thoughts to a much more positive and healthy mindset. In doing this, you will be able to forgive yourself and move forward in life. Only when you're able to face your past mistakes and forgive yourself you be able to live an ideal lifestyle and move towards happiness. You have the power within you to make a huge difference in your life. Take the time to erase your negative past today.

21 day challenge

The last five years I've been studying life. Everything about it. Rather than going the typical spiritual path - questioning life (Who, what, where, when, why), I went even more beyond and questioned literally every decision I made daily (for five years). I judged each one based on whether it was a positive or negative experience in nature, and noted the lesson within each. My observations have led me to realize so many fascinating things that would normally get overlooked by the average individual - example: karma does exist; our choices lead us to either positive or negative future outcomes. This is all based on my own personal experiences. When I succumbed to a bad habit it would always lead to something negative happening in my life. It worked in reverse form when I did something good for society. This of course is only one example. There are however many.

Weighing my daily activities, and searching for the lessons within my routine allowed me to capitalize on the things I was doing wrong. I noticed small little habits that were creating inefficiencies for an optimal lifestyle. When I took notice of them I did whatever possible to eliminate them one at a time. In addition, I was able to gain a better perspective of what true happiness is, for me.

When you observe your own life and your own daily activities you start to gain clarity on who you are. You start to get to know yourself. So many profound things happen when you truly get to know yourself. You become a much more confident person and your goals and passions start to unveil. You gain a clear perspective of your values and beliefs which forces yourself to focus on a healthier lifestyle. When it comes down to it all, there's no negatives when getting to know yourself.

PRESCRIPTION: Over the next 21 days I want you to keep track of all of your experiences. I'm not just talking about a few experiences here and there, I'm talking about EVERY experience you go through each and every single day for the next three weeks. I want you to judge whether the experience was positive or negative in nature. I want you to write down the lesson that was learned. And, I want you to write down one thing you could've done better if you re lived the experience. You'll be amazed at the stuff you come up with. You're free to document your experience in a journal. This way you can backtrack on the lessons learned in the process. This is a great way to start your path of soul-searching.

And, GO!!!

Why are you still blaming them?

Most of our issues stem from our childhood. Psychologist has been studying this for years. They've found that blame plays a huge role in our issues. If we were just to accept it and move on we would be much happier people, but, most of the time this isn't the case.

It's true that our parents parenting was the main cause among our current issues, but that doesn't mean you need to blame them forever about it. Your parents either did the best with what they had, or they had no idea how to do it properly. There's a good chance they had no idea what they were doing when they raised you. I'm sure you've dealt with hurt, emotional breakdown and a variety of other letdowns in your life, but that doesn't mean you need to let it affect your current reality.

We've all been hurt in the past by other people. Whether it was your parents, siblings, best friend, or whoever, the memory can still exist, but it's time to let go of your emotional connection towards the situation. It's only weighing you down.

Too many people hold on to their past negativity. They've tried to forge their way to a better lifestyle but they're constantly dragged down by their emotional attachment they host towards their negativity. Until they let go of it they'll continue to live a life of mediocrity.

Stop blaming others for the hurt you went through. It's not helping you in any way. Choose to forgive, forget, or whatever you need to do to move on from the situation. The quicker you can move on the quicker you can find ideal happiness.

Meditation

Each of us are responsible for our own happiness. Happiness is something that’s brought on by the observer, not just given. It’s something that needs your minds consistent focus and attention. Once it comes it doesn’t just stay and never leave. It is something that needs ongoing cultivation. There are no manuals (other than this one) telling you how to be happy. We aren’t taught in school how to be happy. No professor has a class on happiness. The good news, as you’ve already seen, is that there’s plenty of exercises to help you gain happiness. One of which is meditation.

Our fast-paced society makes us forget about the important aspects of our lives. Our children, our friends, our passions and desires are withered away at the hands of the things we think will make us happy; materialism and more money. In addition, technology has wasted away our connection with our families. It’s ironic how cellular phones disconnect us more than they bring us together. Its primary focus is now in the games, the apps, the online tournaments, and everything else the phone can do. The secondary function is communication. Our lives are being wasted away slowly through technology. We can see it in our news feeds, through television ads, it even pops up on your home screen when you’re searching the web. The time you spend on the technology in your pocket is what’s keeping you from finding happiness. Among the busyness I recommend you meditate regularly to slow down life’s pace.

Meditation serves some incredible health benefits, like increased patience, decreased stress and prolonged happiness. It also allows you to tap into your imagination which can enable endless possibilities too. The truth about meditation is; it only serves those who believe in the process, and those who are patient. When you are actively meditating your body automatically starts defragging (cleaning) the junk from your mindset. It’s the best way to detoxify the plague that ruins your thoughts. There are a variety of methods of meditation. It all depends on which style makes you comfortable. I prefer to do most of meditation alone in my own home. I feel that public forums take away from the experience because the meditation room is usually filled with people. I feel like people are watching me while my eyes are closed. This gives me slight anxiety and doesn’t allow me to tap into my full meditative state. This is my personal opinion, and perhaps something I just need to accept and deal with, but for now I appreciate the meditation from my home. Here is a simple meditation exercise that will serve tremendous results.

Exercise – Zero point meditation
Before I can teach the meditation itself, you need to understand what Zero point actually means. Zero point is the short term for Zero point energy field. We live in a physical world; in a three dimensional reality. In this 3D world everything we understand is split into two categories; matter and anti-matter. All matter in its depth, including me and you vibrate at a certain frequency. Each of us vibrate on a different level of frequency because our values, beliefs and thoughts are entirely different.
If you hit a piano tuning fork against a solid object, a certain vibrational frequency will be emitted, depending on how hard you hit it. You can actually hear the frequency in which it’s vibrating. Humans have become evolved in a way they can be conscious of their intelligent energy. The Zero point is a measurement of the frequency your body and mind are vibrating at. Vibrating at a higher frequency is important because you can only attract that of which is vibrating at a similar frequency into your life. If you’re vibrating at a low frequency there’s a good possibility you won’t attract the positive change you were hoping to achieve before you opened this book. By operating at a higher frequency you will reap the rewards of happiness.

The Zero point is a balanced state of consciousness. This is an experience where you feel fully in the moment. It is a combined state between zero emotion and zero thought. During this state you feel connected only with your own personal energy. At this stage all other energy in the environment around you starts to flow with the rhythm of your energy rather than against you. Once this exercise is completed your body and mind will feel an increased state of energy and vitality. This exercise allows you to not only tap into your Zero point energy, it also allows you to leverage it to increase the possibilities in your life. With practice you’ll actually be able to manipulate and enhance your current energy. Remember, when you’re operating at a higher frequency better people come into your life, more better-quality opportunities are unfolded, and you become a much happier individual. Here’s how you can tap into your own Zero point energy through meditation.

So, to begin, let’s start with a simple energy exercise. Take both of your palms and rub them together vigorously for about 30 seconds to one minute. Then stop abruptly. Feel the blood rushing through your fingertips. You can feel the heat. That heat is energy. Separate your palms parallel to each other, approximately an inch apart. Gently move your hands closer, then further apart, closer, then further apart. Repeat this pattern a couple of times. Observe the feeling of the space between your hands. You can literally feel the energy transfer as your hands come closer together. This is just a simple example that gives you a glimpse of your energy field.
Now for the meditation.

Part 1 consists of a breathing exercise, Part 2 is a visualization exercise, and Part 3 is the meditation.
Part 1: Find a quiet comfortable place and sit either crossed legged or on a chair. Feet slightly apart with your palms facing upward resting on your thighs. In order to assist with concentration and getting the full benefit of this meditation you need to learn how to relax your body. Relaxing the body is an important aspect in the meditation process. It’s important to relax the body before you can relax your mind. Here we will use a type of breathing called Yogic breathing.
Breathe in through your nose and let your stomach expand with each breathe. Hold your breath for six seconds. Breathe out through your mouth, and let your stomach fully deflate with each breath. The attention should be on your stomach and not your chest. Do as many reps as you need to get slightly tired.

Part 2: Grounding (visualization) is a very important part of the process. More so than the breathing exercise. We all have built-up stress in our bodies. This stress runs through our veins until it’s relieved. Imagine bottling up all your frustrations and not relieving your emotions (the tension) until you have a negative conversation with another person. You let it all out on him/her. Maybe you even start crying. Fifteen minutes later it feels like you came from the spa. You feel rejuvenated. This is considered grounding. Grounding allows you to connect with the peace in your own energy field. It allows you to visualize without being scrutinized by yourself.
Stress impacts your life a lot more than you may realize. In fact, most of the illnesses and sickness you’ll experience is due to a low immune system. Your immune system is deficient because of the bottled-up stress in your life. The stress came from the negative conversations you’ve had with family and co-workers. It comes from obstacles standing your way. Even the traffic on your way to work affects your stress levels. Once you get a grasp on your stress you’re able to excel your way to happiness. Let’s get back to the exercise.

Zero-point meditation: Imagine a beam of light passing through from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. Also imagine roots coming out of the ground. These roots are attached to your feet. Imagine all the energy flowing through the beam of light, from your head to your soles is free-flowing energy passing through you into the rest of the environment. Now release all your emotions into the environment. Let the negativity you’ve bottled up over the past few weeks fade from your consciousness as you expel it. Fell these emotions leaving your body through the beam of light. Feel it like lava flowing down past the roots attached to your feet. At the same time, empty your mindset of thought altogether. Imagine your thoughts being sucked away through the beam of light flowing through you. Emotions out downwards, thoughts out upwards. Expel them simultaneously. This feeling alone is worth the effort you put into it. Initially, it may take some time to register your thoughts and find the comfort you need to move forward. With practice this will come. Do this continuously until you hear the sounds of your heart pulsating through your chest.

Part 3: At this point you have reached a vacuum of thoughts and emotions and now ready for the next part of the process; receiving the meditation. It will happen naturally. Just observe and be still, and feel the energy around you. Just be present, live in the moment, and enjoy the process. Breathe slowly and relax. Doing this regularly will increase your lifespan and help you achieve things much easier. When your mind is free from toxins your body fights off illness and stresses much easier. Less stress equals more happiness.

Attaining the connection to the Zero point will help your body and mind to operate at an optimal vibrational frequency. If this exercise is done regularly your spiritual path with evolve quickly.

The Law of Attraction

This topic has been explored more in the last decade than most. In fact, it’s an active part of millions of people’s daily regimen. It’s something that has brought more happiness than anything else. In fact, it’s something I personally have adhered to like cement over the past five years. It’s also a huge source of my own happiness.

Happiness isn’t something that will last forever unless it’s properly cultivated. It’s made of properties that flounder quite quickly, especially if it isn’t embraced. It’s like a driver’s license; a privilege, not a right. You don’t actually own the happiness unless you embrace it and respect it.

What do I mean by this?

Happiness doesn’t come in physical form. It’s a mental thing. It’s something your mind creates from thin air. Well, not actually. Happiness is generated from thoughts, but that’s all. If you don’t take the time to visualize your goals in life, or make an effort to get to know yourself through properly understanding your passions and ambitions, values and beliefs, etc, there’s very little opportunity for you to embrace any realm of happiness. Happiness comes to those who believe in themselves; those who appreciate their lives, and those who are grateful. It doesn’t come to those expecting it, or those ungrateful. Happiness however is withdrawn from one who commits a crime, abuses others, or does something against their own values and beliefs. One of the best ways to visualize is to implement the Law of attraction.

It’s been agreed by hundreds of scientists across the Nation that thoughts equal things. Although this may be tough to process, it’s an integral part of the Law of attraction and bringing it into fruition. With practise you will develop a strong ability to bring your thoughts into reality.

Often times, I like to think of life as a video game. The mechanics are virtually the same. In fact, Google is one of the closest synthetic forms of reality (the online search engine). It may sound funny comparing our human reality with that on the computer screen, but video game technology is really a synthetic form of reality. In fact, there are endless options when producing these video games because everything is possible. That’s the interesting thing when comparing the two, the same goes with our human lives; anything is possible.

Your reality is only as strong as your belief system. If you believe you can achieve it you will. If you don’t you won’t. Understanding this will enable you to embrace more powerful forms of thought. Think about it; your entire day is built on thoughts. Every aspect of your life is generated through thought. Every decision you make is based solely on the results of your thoughts. This in itself should entice you to start thinking more positive. Your life will not process anything you do not believe. If you believe in the Law of attraction it will work for you. If you don’t it won’t.



Exercise: Envisioning your ideals

This exercise requires the willingness to explore your mindset.

The Law of attraction is based on the belief that your thoughts are in direct reflection to the results you experience. This means; if you think positive you’ll reap positive rewards, however the opposite is true for negative thinking. If negative thoughts enter your mind you’ll flounder in negativity. I want you to take this information in and absorb it as though it were 100% tested, tried and true, because it has been. In fact, the Law of attraction has been assisting people to happiness for plenty of decades. It’s only recently been brought to public light. It works. You just need to let it work for you.

Let’s start with a simple exercise that will introduce you to the Law of attraction. This technique is a visual exercise that’ll help you tap into your imagination which will allow you to alter the outcome of your future reality. I know it sounds a little too outrageous to believe, however those who believe in the Law of attraction are those living fulfilling lives, remember?

First of all, find a nice quiet, comfortable place where you can relax. Somewhere out of the way of noisy distractions. You don’t need any props, just your mindset. Ideally, implementing breathing exercises before and after this experience is recommended, however, due to simplicity let’s skip the breathing stuff. Okay, imagine your ideal lifestyle. What does it look like? I want you to delve as deep as you can with this one. Imagine your ideal lifestyle. How old are you in your vision? Get as detailed as possible. Do you have any kids? If so, what are their names? What kind of career are you fulfilling? Take it a step further … what kind of money do you make? Are there any materialistic items, like a fancy car, or houseboat that you’ve added to your ideal image? Even think of the simplistic details. The ones you already overlooked. Are there any pets in the picture? Where do you live? Don’t just pick any house, imagine your most desired home. The one you saw the other day that made you gawk and awe as you drove by. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of it all. What type of coworkers do you work with? Who are your closest influences? What types of hobbies and passions do you fulfill? I think you get the point.

The Law of attraction takes intense dedication and belief to be brought into fruition. Without the intense desire and belief in its possibilities you’re destined to fail before you even start. The more you practice the more rewards you’ll experience. This is a fun activity that will allow you to explore your imagination into great depths. When was the last time you tapped into your imagination this actively?

The law of attraction helps you excel at your goals and ambitions. It’s the easiest way to keep track of your efforts in achieving optimal happiness. You are only one that can visualize your thoughts. This means; you’re the only one that can leverage the effect of your thoughts. By taking the law of attraction seriously you’re ahead of those that resist. It makes complete sense that thoughts equal things. This is why it has already helped numerous people excel in all areas of life. Those that resist its power will unfortunately continue living in mediocrity. I encourage you to take the Law of attraction seriously for at least thirty days. I guarantee you’ll be amazed with the results.

I remember one of the first times when the law of attraction worked for me. Here’s the story.



My Soul-mate search

I had just ended a relationship with my first wife in September of 2010. We were separated for divorce. I felt lost and insignificant because I had lost my companion; the person I leaned on for support, and the one that had been there with me for the past seven years. Instantly I felt distant from society. It felt like I had lost everything I had worked towards. In fact, all of my previous accomplishments felt insignificant too.

A couple of days after our break-up, some of my friends were trying to boost my spirits up because they saw how much of a negative toll the separation had taken on me. At first, they seemed like they were joking as they introduced to me an online dating site that offered the possibility of finding the perfect soul mate. I immediately thought it was a stupid idea however after talking to a few people around the table whom had already witnessed positive results from it, I decided to look at it with a little more depth.

When I got home that evening, I rushed to my computer and turned it on. I had no idea what to do from there. I asked a friend to come over to help. In less than an hour later I had an active online dating account. It was kind of awkward at first, as I scrolled through all the various profiles. It felt like I was a customer at the grocery store looking for the best cut of beef (Okay, bad analogy), but I soon learned the algorithm of the online dating world, and I was well on my way to finding my perfect soul mate – at least that’s what they guaranteed.

After a few hours I had read over a few dozen profiles. I then put the computer aside and pondered my thoughts about the whole online dating situation. I knew there were negative aspects to the realm, like having to financially afford the multiple dates and finding the time for it all; all of which seemed to be a hindrance, but I soon dismissed those thoughts altogether, turned my computer back on and continued searching more online profiles. It got addictive quickly.

After eliminating all negativity from my mind, I grabbed a piece of paper and pen and jotted down every feature I wanted my perfect soul mate to have; like passion, charisma, sense of humour, etc. My list soon turned into a novel. I went into the great depths and wrote down every single thing that was important to me within a relationship. I no longer wanted to see failure within my close relationships. I was tired of seeing divorce in my perspective. I wanted to alter my happiness to a healthier state. This meant healthier relationships. I desperately needed to find someone who shared similar beliefs and values. Someone that would support my beliefs and encourage me to be the best I could be. I scribbled with my pen for hours. I wrote until I was tired of writing.

After vigorously playing the happiness picture in my mind, I finally had a clear image of happiness; at least within a relationship. As I went through the hundreds of profiles thereafter, I listened to my instincts which told me who to contact. Four days later I met my exact description – Melanie. It's been five and a half years since we met and I can say that I am happily married to my best friend. We now have two wonderful children together. They surely add to my happiness.

Experiencing Melanie as my best friend has already been an incredible experience. We share the same goals, similar beliefs and we encourage each other on a regular basis. Life with her is exciting and passionate. After she came into my life I was sold on the law of attraction. I knew that if I found her with the power of my thoughts then I could use the same principles for my other desires.

You too can experience similar results in your life if you let the Law of attraction work for you. You are the creator of your own destiny. You are the one that calls the shots in your life. Be proactive and don't let time pass by too quickly without trying to find your ideal happiness. With a little effort you can find your passion, and with consistent effort you can take your passion to unbelievable heights. That passion, whatever it is, can be found by visualizing and allowing the Law of attraction to manifest your visions. Your deepest desires are waiting for you. The environment acts the same as it does for everyone. If you use your thoughts efficiently and you grasp onto the opportunities that come to you, you’ll bring happiness in abundance.

Get rid of your habits for good!

As a motivator I not only talk but I listen to hundreds of stories every semester about how difficult it is to eliminate habits. Habits stand in our way to living healthy and positive lifestyles. They block our chances to reaching fulfilling happiness. In fact, within most of my conversations with my students I've noticed their worst habit is the reason why they're procrastinating. They've literally let their habit take over and control their destiny. It doesn't make sense.

Habits are actions you repeatedly do for the sake of comfort. They're generally developed during/after a stressful period of time in your life. They help us gain a level mind, but they harness too many negative aspects to be overlooked. They come in various forms, such as smoking, chewing, biting and sucking. In fact, there are a plethora of different actions within any given habit. They all serve the same purpose, and they all contain the same characteristics. Each of us have formed them. Very few of us have eliminated them.

While studying habits; their role in our lives and the damage they cause us, I looked into my own habits. In fact, I looked into them quite in depth. I had to. It was like the pink elephant scenario. It was staring me directly in the face. In doing so, I realized even I too harnesses habits that are standing in the way of my fulfilling happiness. As I looked into their origins I realized they came into my life always during a time of desperation. For example, I took up smoking cigarettes after my divorce (six years ago). The habit lasted more than five years. It wasn't until I saw the damage it was causing; yellow teeth, bad for my health, expensive, and all the other common toxins smokers complain about when I finally eliminated it for good. To be honest, it isn't very difficult to determine if a habit is bad or good for you because all habits are bad for you. They serve no positive purpose but comfort. There are way more negative affects from any given habit than positive. Period.

Anyway. In dealing with eliminating habits there are a few techniques you can use. By far, the strongest method I've seen I've also been teaching for years. It was created through my own practices. It's something nobody else teaches and is unique to my own brand. I highly recommend it.

The technique :
You're going to need a day planner/daily organizer for this exercise.
Step 1: list your common habits from 1-5 (or more) on a page. From worse to least.
Step 2: write a vow to yourself to eliminate your habits (all of them) within 21 days on another page.
Step 3: list three activities you would like to do in your lifetime. Suggestion: something on your bucket list. List them from most expensive to least expensive. Ie: trip to Bali ($3k), sky-diving ($600), tattoo($300).
Step 4: the following day (and for 21 consecutive days) take note of your daily habits; write it down every time a habit overtakes your mind. Remember, you're paying attention to all your habits, not just one. *You need you to realize how powerful ALL of your habits are affecting your life, not just one.
Anyway. At the end of each day you'll record your habits on paper (in each perspective day). Put pencil ticks for the amount of times your mind succumbed to each habit.

At the end of the 21 day cycle you'll not only have a ton (or very little) of pencil ticks, but you'll see how powerful your habits negatively affected your mindset. You'll be able to see when/why and where your habits came in the strongest, and for what reason. You'll actually learn quite a bit about yourself in the process.

With your will power and taking advantage of Step 2 you'll see how far you can actually make it to eliminating ALL your habits, not just one. When you do you'll feel amazing. And, you'll become your best possible self, reaching true enlightenment.

Reward yourself with Step 3. I would recommend the following: if you dwindle all your habits down to less than once per day for the last seven days of the 21 day exercise then you get to reward yourself with the 3k trip to Bali. If you don't achieve your mission you get the next best option, or nothing at all. At the very least you'll learn a lot about yourself, and you'll learn to become the best YOU possible.

It is scientifically proven that it takes 21 days to form/replace a habit

Your best self comes to play when your habits are put away.

Simple addictions

My phone addiction. This one hosts a series of negative attributes. First of all, and most importantly, it keeps me away from my family. I stop playing with my kids when I get a text message, or when I get a notification from social media. It's ridiculous how much time I spend on my phone. If it's not one application it's another. Each one robbing me of time that could've been used wisely - on my kids. It not only wastes my time, it wastes my energy and it's slowly driving me to insanity. Although this habit may not seem as harsh as smoking cigarettes, shopping or a sex addiction, it's uncontrollable and it needs to be eliminated, just like the rest.

I recently vowed to myself to stop using social media, at least for 48 hours. I can tell you it was rather refreshing. I learned quite a bit about myself in the process. I spend more quality time with my children. I spend more quality time with my wife, and I actually focusing on the activities at hand, rather than being consumed in my phone. I started becoming happier, less afraid and more relaxed. I think the negativity in my newsfeed was getting to me. I've since then eliminated any negativity from my newsfeed. If I see a negative post that's not congruent with my values and believes I unfollow that person. I unfriended any companies, or anyone that's trying to market something to me because I've known for a long time that materialism doesn't make us happier, and there's no need for them in my life, nor are the people that try and push it my way. I've also turned off notifications on all applications on my phone. This way I won't be consumed with it.

These days, I'm all about positivity. I've lived approximately 13,000 days. It would be sad to realize if I didn't already learn that negativity is detrimental to our lives. And, a lot of that negativity comes from our addictions to our cell phones and computers. I'm going to choose to move on happier with less distractions. Im putting my phone down now.

Before I leave, I just wanted to mention the moral of the story. I recommend you take account of all your own habits. Are there a few you've overlooked, such as your addiction to coffee, certain foods, or even an activity? You'll be amazed to realize how much our habits bring us down. They grind down our mentality, force us to become comfortable, and keep us from achieving what we truly want - happiness. Kick em outta your life too!

OK, I'm putting my phone down now ;)

How important are role models?

“Role models are key to our successes. They’re the ones that have the best wisdom. They bring positivity in our weakest and darkness moments.”

The Universe sends unique gifts to each of us. These gifts usually come randomly. They come in the form of promotions with our jobs, friends through coworkers, or ideas for business goals. What is often overlooked is our most treasured gift; our role models. These relationships were given to us to form better quality lives.

There are many positive qualities within our relationships. Laughter, fun and happiness are some of the benefits we receive when dealing with other people. I’m sure you can remember a time when another person went out of their way to help you in a difficult situation. Despite their physical ability to assist you, their encouragement helped you generate the energy you needed to move forward in life. Perhaps this person provided many mental rescues to you over the years. These people helped us become better people. These people are considered role models.

Role models come at every age. They come in a variety of sizes, colors and cultures. Some exist within our families and close circle of friendships; whereas, others are found as we pursue our jobs and careers. There’s something special about them. It’s almost like they have an aura that shines a radiance of positive energy because you always feel your best whenever you’re around them. They make you feel comfortable, confident and happy, almost like an angel would. Their compassion out shines any other emotion. No matter what you do in life, they never place judgements on you. There are very few of them but they exist all around us. They’re the ones that help guide us on the path of righteousness and the ones that cheer us on when we’re down in the dumps. Role models are the keys to our successes. They’re the ones that contain the best wisdom. They bring positivity and light in our weakest and darkness moments. They are more to us than typical friends and acquaintances. Their compassion is contagious. Often, a role model can be a sibling, and Aunt or Uncle, perhaps even one of our closest friends. They can be our neighbors, Grandparents, the manager at work, or even a teacher at school. They can be anyone in our lives. Role models are given to us to learn important life lessons. They were positioned in our lives to grow and to prepare ourselves for the experiences that await us.

Often times, it’s difficult to find the positive inspiration we need to move forward. Our role models are the messengers of positive inspiration. They are the ones we confide in when the times are tough. They provide the courage we need to make positive changes. Role models are more important than you may realize. When you’re ready to accept them, the Universe will present them to you.

You may be a person who is blessed to have many wonderful role models. Most of us are challenged and barely have even one in our lives. Look at some of your best friends, are they role models to you? Take a gander through your family tree, are any of them worthy of this role? Maybe you will find them in the circle of your closest friends, or perhaps they are located in your church or perish. They can be found in every type of relationship. When you spot them be sure to take advantage of their guidance and wisdom. All too often, they’re taken for granted and forgotten. When you receive a generous gift from the Universe in the form of a role model remember they were given to you to make a positive change.



Strategy:

Make a list of your closest friends. Include everyone that spends at least a few hours a month with you. This will likely include your parents, siblings, classmates and anyone more than an just an acquaintance. Write a plus or a minus beside each person’s name to signify their influence. A plus means he or she is a positive influence, and a negative means he or she is a negative influence. Once your list is complete count how many pluses you have. This will give you an accurate indication of how many people are on your side of success.

Take the list and categorize them. Create three different categories: 1. Easy to talk to 2. Inspiring and encouraging and 3. wants to help me succeed. Find the category that best suits each influence. This exercise will help you define your role models. When your list is completed, make a commitment to spend more time with these people.

What is the meaning of life?

“The true meaning of life is to find happiness.”


This is definitely a topic that can be explored into the depths, the deep depths. The magnitude of this topic makes it difficult to cover all aspects of the equation. The truth of the matter is; each of us has our own definition of what the meaning of our lives are. Some are more seasoned whom have already delved deep into the answers of their own lives, whereas, it can take literally a lifetime for others to come to terms with this question. It all depends on how eager they are to find out.

I’ve explored this subject for over a decade. In fact, I’ve looked into this subject in hundreds of different ways and from almost every perspective. I’ve looked at life from religious perspectives, I've questioned thousands of people about it, even science has played an active role on my judgments about life. I’ve gone quite a bit further than the average person would in researching this topic. It’s a question that deserves a well defined answer.

In my research, over the years, I’ve discussed this topic with people in almost every demographic. From young students in grade school to the recently retired and those on their death bed. It didn’t matter whom I sought advice from, if they had a viewpoint on the subject I was happy to listen. After receiving so many perspectives on this subject I begun to form a clear opinion. I believe the meaning of life is to find happiness. Happiness comes in different forms for everyone. Although our television sets sell us the image that happiness resides within our purchases, it's actually quite the opposite.  True happiness is hidden behind our relationships with other people. It’s masked behind our everyday experiences. It’s defined by the smiles on our faces.

Life is meant to be lived and experienced not taken for granted. It is meant to be appreciated. Even though it often takes lethal cancers, hideous infections and other forms of traumatic experiences to discover, the true meaning of life is to enjoy it. The meaning of life is to live in the moment. I believe that life is meant to have its ups and downs. Each experience brings valuable lessons. These lessons lead us towards happiness. Happiness is the meaning of life.



Strategy:

Create a Positive Focus. A Positive Focus is an exercise designed for people to discover their ideal happiness. This three stage formula separates the negatives from the positive aspects in life and encourages those who use it to find their happiness.

The First Step: In a journal, jot down your top ten achievements within the past few years. If you have difficulties finding them, think back in time, as long as you can remember. I’m sure you’ll be able to muster up at least ten.

The Second Step: Write ten things from your past that made you feel like a better person. Perhaps you helped an elderly person across the street one day, or maybe you won an achievement award. Whatever they were, jot down the ones that made you feel fulfilled.

The Third Step: Write down ten things you’re grateful for in your life. Consider your relationships, your career, even materialistic things. Whatever you’re grateful for be sure to jot it down. After you’ve completed this exercise be sure to place your list somewhere you will see it every day. Often times, we lose track of what makes us happy.

What will you say when you're seventy?

When I was younger I quite frequently imagined myself as a seventy year-old man sitting in a rocking chair. As I rocked back and forth I pondered my accomplishments; wondering if I worked hard enough at achieving an optimal lifestyle, and questioning if I took advantage of living. I'm not sure if these thoughts made me work harder at achieving everything on my bucket list, or if it inspired me to enjoy my life more. Either way, it made me contemplate what true happiness really was. It seemed like every two weeks I was changing my mind; fulfilling whatever my mind told me to work on. I was frustrated because I couldn't make up my mind. Happiness seemed so difficulty to accomplish.

Now, as a thirty-five year old man I ponder the same questions. But, this time I feel less frustrated because I've already accomplished a better life than I once imagined. Although I once thought an ideal lifestyle once consisted of money, fame and materialistic things my experiences have led me to understand that the true meaning of happiness doesn't include any of this.

I'm truly content with my life today because I chose to fulfill my passions early in life. I didn't procrastinate regardless of the obstacles that stood in my way, and I didn't allow fear to run my decisions, I just went for it. In fact, I was always working on some type of project I was passionate to work on. Doing this has allowed me to appreciate all the other opportunities in my life outside of work/passion life. And now, as a father of two wonderful children I've enlisted my focus on being the best possible parent I can be, with less focus on work, and without the strain of a less accomplished life.

My life has been filled with all different kinds of achievements over the years. But, as I look back I realize these aren't important to anybody else but myself. This fact let me to believe that the type of happiness we all long for only exists within our relationships with other people, including our friends, family and those we choose to spend our days with. Definitely not something you can buy in a store.

I'm blessed to experience life through my own eyes. I am more happy today than ever before. I have better friends, a refreshed perspective of reality and my days are spent with great people. And, although I'm only half the age of 70, I am blessed to be able to say that I'm content with the life that was served to me, and I will continue to see the positive in my experiences as I move forward. Life is a beautiful thing.

Moral of the story: Don't wait too long to for fill your passions. Take the opportunity right now to complete the tasks you've been meaning to get at for years. Kickstart your imagination. When you are sitting in your rocking chair at 70 you're going to be asking yourself these exact same questions. What will your answers be?

Defeating my own fear

It's interesting to witness children's fear. It seems like they're scared of everything. Well, I'm talking about two year olds. I can't remember what fear was like and how much it affected me when I was five and six but I can surely tell from the reaction of my own children that they fear a lot. Seeing their fear has brought me back to remember all the fears I've conquered in my own life. It's interesting to see how easy it is to conquer a fear in the ages before our teens. It then brings my awareness to the simple yet scary thought of my today's fears - the ones I don't think about often. The ones I stay away from at all costs. The truth is; I have two fears. 1 the fear of being my true self in public, and 2 restarting my career from scratch (doing something very different). Both of which are needed if I want to continue my passion in helping the masses.

At 35, whenever I have to restart something it feels like I'm super late in the game. I mean, I've already restarted like four or five times in my life, if not more, based on my experiences and accomplishments. I mean, I feel like I've already rode the whole rodeo. I feel annoyed that I have to restart again in the first place. Plus, The other part of my fear is that I'll have to show my whole self to the public if I want to move forward. This may seem like an easy feat, but I've never showed my true one hundred percent genuine self in public. Not even during my motivational talks to the kids. I mean, I do get into character when elaborating on some personal heartfelt stories to the youth, but I'm talking about more in depth than that. Only my close immediate family has ever seen my true 100% genuine self – including all the comedic functions that I only choose to expel when they are around. The funny thing is, I've recently written an entirely new motivational show geared to an entirely different audience – college students. I already started strong by accomplishing such a great script, but in order to accomplish the entire task, I'll need to present this stuff on stage in front of them. Theres a lot of material that forces me to step outside of my comfort zone. This means I'll have to accept the fact that I have to step up to the plate and be myself. And, actually do it.

I'm actually quite excited to overcome one of my fears. It's actually quite exciting having a fear at the age of 35. I was getting to the point where I thought fear was no longer. Like it was extinct. I mean, I've spent my entire life eliminating all my other fears – that's what I did in my teenage years and 20s. I thought fear was something only my kids had. I'm actually quite amazed that I came across fear in the first place. I guess looking at eliminating fear in a positive way like this is the best way to approach it.

Fear is just another negative habit that needs to be replaced and/or eliminated altogether. The best way to overcome it is to stare it directly in the face and commit to chipping away at it day after day until it's withered to nothing. The funny thing is; it seems like the older I get the more difficult it is to change, or get rid of a negative habit. I guess it's an old dogs new tricks kind of thing. It fills my veins with fear, the thought of tapping into the part of me that nobody sees and getting up in front of an audience of a thousand. The standing on stage part is fine. It's the thought of unwinding enough to be my true self. But, like I said (or wrote), it needs to be done.

I'm really going to enjoy the feeling I get after I accomplish this task. I'm going to enjoy it even more when I get to show my kids that Daddy can walk his talk. It's easy showing my kids how to do it, but is it actually? I guess I will see..

Who are infinite dreamers?

“Dreams are the recipe to our passion, our actions are the ingredients.”


Infinite dreamers are exceptional people. They’re the most interesting people. They’re the ones that generate the most passion in their lives; they're the happiest; the ones that have the most fun and generally the ones that take more risks for achievement. Being an infinite dreamer takes a lot of dedication because of the negative influences that surround them. Those that stray away from the negativity are the ones that have the best imagination. They become the best dreamers. The truth is; we all have the ability to become infinite dreamers.

In my years as a motivator I’ve heard every excuse when it comes to failed dreams. From lack of time and commitment to lack of passion and interest, and everything in between. I’ve heard it all. When talking about the difference between dreaming and non-believing, almost every time it comes down to imagination. Near one hundred percent of all millionaires are dreamers.They have wonderful imaginations.

Dreams give us freedom. They generate a playground for our thoughts. They're the recipe to passion. Dreamers are those who believe anything is possible. They’re the ones dedicated to their craft. Dreamers are the ones that break away from negativity when it persists. They’re the ones that imagine their days ahead of time, and they never falter around obstacles because they’re confident in their abilities. They set their goals strong, further than most would because their imagination serves them confidence. Dreaming is what makes people feel alive.

Where do dreams come from? Dreams come in all different shapes and sizes. Some say they come from Angel’s in the sky, while others try to prove there’s the great Law of Attraction at hand. It doesn’t matter how our dreams get inside our heads, the important thing is that we use them to enjoy our lives. A dream is strong enough to move mountains. It’s greater than the ability of a freight train. Dreams have led to major innovations and technological advances. They've led to landing people on the Moon and other major accomplishments. They’ve brought us the ability to solve health cures. They’re literally miracles in the making. The truth is; if you cannot visualize it, it will be impossible to bring to fruition.Become a dreamer and never let rejection overcome your goal, regardless of what it is. Don’t let anyone discourage you. Dreamers create endless opportunities.



Strategy:

Visualize your most ideal lifestyle. Imagine the happiest environment. Take your daydream and explore every aspect of its presence. In this dream where do you live? Where do you work? How much money do you make? What types of coworkers do you work with? What types of relationships serve you? Be as detailed as possible. Delve deep into this visualization exercise. Be aware of everything that surrounds you, including the city you live in and the friends you hang around with. Pay attention to the small facts too, like the hours you work each day and how long your commute to work is each morning. The simple details help us form the most infinite dreams.

Start a journal and write down your infinite dream. Describe your emotions as well. How do you feel as you live your dream? You may want to start with a simple point form description at first, then you can work it into a more formal story later. Writing your thoughts can act as incredible inspiration. Revisiting your daydream often will allow you to bring it to fruition quicker.

"Nothing great can be achieved without first dreaming about it.”

Eliminating habits and the backfire effect

Habits are a big part of our lives. We all have them. The truth about them is; they serve no purpose for us. We are blinded by the small initial satisfaction we get when we succumb to their desires. We get let down after this initial satisfaction when we shame ourselves for doing it in the first place. We later fall prisoner to them because they eventually dwindle our lives down to nothing. The reality is; we know our addictions are there, but we don't do anything to get rid of them because they serve a small amount of comfort (for a split second).

Think about all the various but common habits - smoking cigarettes, shopping, eating sugar, scrolling our news feeds, etc., they all serve the exact same feelings. Habits are addictions. They're all the same in the realm of the amount of destruction they do to our lives. No one addiction is superior. They're all the same.

I often write about habits and their destructive nature because I've gone into great depths to seek their reasoning in our lives. I've seen highly addicted people surpass their addictions and become true wholesome great people. It is possible to eliminate any given habit, no matter what the circumstance. Now that we've discussed the nature of habits and their role in our lives I want to share my thoughts on the opposite side of the equation - eliminating them.

Obviously, eliminating any given habit will increase your happiness. There are some backfires however when overcoming one. For example; often times people replace a habit when they get rid of one. A smoker might eat food during their regular scheduled smoke break at work (rather than smoke cigarettes). This is merely to replace the comfort the smoker once received and looked forward to. I gave up smoking cigarettes but I became glued to my phone. I needed something to replace my comfort of smoking, so I latched onto my phone. Now I can't put it down. This has caused an ever bigger issue with my personal life compared to smoking (without mentioning the obvious health effects of smoking) because now I spend less quality time with my daughters at home - I'm glued to my phone. My phone addiction has now surpassed where my smoking addiction ever was.

I want to send an important message about eliminating habits and the after-effects when you do so, like the one mentioned. Be aware that you may replace the habit with another one. It's our bodies way of defending the discomfort of not being addicted anymore. A friend of mine was a heavy drug and alcohol user. He replaced his addiction of chugging beers with that of chugging triple-triple coffee's. He drinks at least six a day. Obviously, coffee is a healthier addiction (you would think), but recently he was diagnosed with stage two diabetes.

Our addiction/habits are self-defeating prophecies. They serve no purpose for us, yet we continuously become blinded by their deceit. Don't let them ruin your life anymore. Decide to eliminate them for good. But, remember the backfire affect.

I'm going to make a vow to myself right now - to not visit social media for the next 48 hours. I believe I'll realize how damaging my phone addiction was. I also believe I'll get to enjoy my family more. Any posts on my social media for the next 48 hours should only be the ones I have scheduled to post.

I'll see you in 49 hours ;)

The origin of your beliefs

Our beliefs are derived from our past experiences and from our closest influences. Each of us goes through different experiences in life which means that our own individual beliefs are unique to ourselves. No other human being has the exact same beliefs to the exact same degree. In fact, each experience in life potentially alters our perceptions of the way we see reality. When we go through negative experiences, it automatically alters the lens we see the world through. This lens can become quite tainted with impurities over a period of time. These impurities force us to become anxious with ourselves, frustrated with life, and actually strengthen and become more forceful within your mind over the years. This creates nasty mental problems and disables us to live life to its fullest. It also prevents us from achieving happiness in any form and grounds us from attaining the goals and ambitions that serve within our minds. It’s important to locate these impurities as soon as possible so you can proactively work towards eliminating them altogether. Once eliminated, new positive beliefs can be formed.

Many of the beliefs that we harness as adults were formed within the first stages of our lives. Our parents, Grandparents, friends and siblings, Aunts and Uncles, and a variety of other influences contributed to the formation of our early beliefs. When we come into the world as children we know no different. Until we reach an age where we realize we can modify our own beliefs, we simply latch onto the beliefs of our everyday influences. Many of us harness the same types of beliefs as our parents because they were our biggest influences in our lives. Many times, these beliefs strengthen as we grow older because we haven’t latched onto new more empowering beliefs. For example: many of the fears that we have as adults are similar to the fears that our parents had. We’ve simply gravitated towards their fears because that's all we've experienced. Perhaps these fears have grown throughout our lives, even though we rarely experience them. Over the years, we’ve literally become our influences. We’ve been molded to repeat similar actions as they did, and we’ve even been guided along a similar life path too. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for a child to follow similar roles in the workplace as their parents. It’s what they’ve been accustomed to, and our parents know no different because that’s what they’re used to. In fact, anger, hatred, abuse and many other damaging emotions are also taught by our superiors. We absorb a lot of our parents beliefs. More than you may realize. The good news is that you need no longer be consumed by any limitations, any hurtful emotions or any self-defeating beliefs that you’ve learned in the past. You have the power within yourself to be who you want to be.

Creating an optimal mindset that’s fueled with passion, happiness and compassion takes dedication. There are literally hundreds of different labels, beliefs and emotional attachments that we’ve absorbed throughout our lives. Yes, genetics do play a role in the growth of our human characteristics, however, your mind is singly controlled by you and nobody else. This means that you control what type of information encrypts your mindset. You have the ability to make positive changes to your beliefs.

Throughout the years, we’ve become seasoned to believe that we’re not good enough to achieve our desires. This was simply brought on by factors relating to failure, mistakes and abuse within our lives. Other factors contribute to this; however, the painful memories of early childhood experiences still seem to bring up feelings of dissatisfaction. As mentioned, our beliefs are derived from the beliefs of others. It’s important to grasp onto the beliefs that suit your lifestyle. Everyone is unique in their own way. We all want different desires in life. It’s important to gravitate towards the beliefs that support your desires. You aren’t your past! There’s no reason to hold onto any ill or negative beliefs at all. Ill beliefs simply create a false sense of who you are and act as a barrier between ourselves and our goals in life.

When we reflect upon the origin of our thoughts and beliefs, we become to realize that not only did our beliefs derive from our closest influences (our parents, friends, peer groups and the like); they’re also compiled from other various mental influences like television, radio, billboards and other advertisements. In fact, studies have shown that the average person is prone to literally thousands of advertisements per day. These advertisements are filled with mental garbage that promises satisfaction and contentment upon purchasing their products. People who see these advertisements are sold on the fact that they will feel happier, content and less stressed upon purchasing their brands; however, most times, they just leave us wanting more and make us feel more dissatisfied with ourselves. Their advertisements include subliminal messages that weaken our esteem and make us feel inadequate, which ultimately leads to more negativity and disappointment. They make us feel like we need their products to feel happy again, or they make us believe that happiness lies within a simple click of the mouse on our computers. We are perfectly fine with what we have. In fact, we need to eliminate the feelings of inadequacy and start appreciating what we already have. We need to shut out the negative influences that taint our beliefs, and we need to latch onto the positive beliefs that empower us. The truth is; when you realize how grateful you are for what we already have, you will become a lot less focused on everyone else and become a lot more committed within.

In addition, some of our beliefs come from spirituality or religious domains. I won’t touch too much on this topic because I expressed all my thoughts in my first book The Next Chapter. There are literally hundreds of different religions, if not thousands among us. These religions were based on various beliefs to help their members bring on spiritual enlightenment. However you formed your beliefs it's important to know that you are the one that calls the shots within your life. You are the one that is in charge of the way you live your life. There are potentially thousands of different answers to some of the most profound questions in our lives, not just one. Knowing this important fact can act as encouragement to seek the right life path; the one with beliefs that are right for you!

Being Enlightened

The term enlightenment was derived in the early thirteen hundred’s. It’s an English word that was coined to express a spiritual awakening. It’s also described as “the end of suffering.” To be truly enlightened, one must search deep within their spiritual selves. Nobody can force enlightenment upon another individual. It must be done in collaboration with pure thoughts and meditation. An individual’s body must be at peace in a positive environment to bring it to fruition. The fullest form of enlightenment generally comes after a person has eliminated all reoccurring thoughts within their mind; they are still and at peace with themselves, and have deleted any possible forms of negativity surfacing their mind. True enlightenment is an incredible feeling. It instantly makes you feel compassionate towards others and brings powerful confidence to ones psyche.

Enlightenment comes to those who are completely at ease with their mind; with absolutely no ill feelings whatsoever about themselves or towards anyone else; with zero hatred, remorse, regret or dissatisfaction in their lives. It comes to those who have one hundred percent full control over their thoughts. Those that can control their minds to think positively and eliminate the negativity. It comes to inspired minds and to those that have found their passion. In fact, enlightenment comes in a variety of methods. Most importantly, it comes to those that wish to find it.

I’ve been pursuing enlightenment for many years. Earlier on, I didn’t believe it was possible to accomplish; to be enlightened. I assumed I just had to deal with what was presented to my mind. In fact, I didn’t realize that I had full control over my moods either. Complete peace within my mind sounded foolish, and to be able to control my inner emotions always seemed so intriguing yet near impossible. It wasn't until I saw proof. Actually, I read it in a book. My inspiration came from scriptures of Buddhist monks that described their own experiences in becoming enlightened. Some worked very hard on training their mind to reach full enlightenment. In fact, they served almost every waking hour of their days training their minds to eliminate the bad and bring in only the good. They sat in silent chambers for years trying to unleash their inner happiness. Their accounts shared that happiness wasn't brought by external things.It wast their minds served them everything they needed to be truly happy people. This showed me dedication and perseverance. It radiated affection and brought me in close enough to strive for the same. It was impressive to see how dedicated they were to reach such a goal. In fact, they brought themselves to be the best, most positive individuals possible. Their ambition sparked interest for me to to follow suit. It made me seek the inner desire to become the most pure, happy and content individual that I could be.

Being truly enlightened is a wonderful feeling. The best way I can describe the experience is feelings of satisfaction, joy, happiness, and contentment all at once, mixed with a little fantasy. It's truly living in the moment one hundred percent. Being enlightened is brought on by those who take it seriously. It cannot be forced, nor can it be released in a negative environment. It can be produced over and over again with dedication. In fact, many people claim to experience enlightenment for great lengths of time. Even though it takes strength of the mind to be achieve but even the weakest minds have found it.

I encourage you to try.

Increased confidence

Your imagination is the breeding ground for happiness. Confidence is the driving force behind your imagination. Being diligent in cultivating strong confidence will ensure you’ll be a happy player in the game of life.

I believe confidence is the most underrated characteristic in life. Without it your life stays stagnant and under developed. But, who’s to blame; they don’t teach about confidence in the regular school curriculum, do they?

Often times, lack of confidence comes from continuous negative self-talk. Generally, this negative discussion stems from actions or words transferred from other people. Unfortunately, this type of interaction only serves as a roadblock from achieving your ideal lifestyle. The good news is; once this issue is determined YOU have the opportunity to alter your perspective.

Exercise: Eliminate the negative self-talk
How often do you tell yourself you aren’t good enough? How often do you let your (or other people’s) words discriminate against your passion and hobbies? How do you feel when you give up on your passions? How long have you felt this way for? You need to end this negative self-talk right now. It’s not helping you achieve anything but a mediocre lifestyle.
Negative self-talk is usually derived from neighboring beliefs of your ancestors and closest influences. They engrained this negative self-talk into your mind earlier than you can probably remember. Without realizing it you held onto these self-defeating thoughts well into your adult life, and you never understood why your life is still mediocre because you keep reiterating them over and over. The good news is; there’s plenty of ways to eliminate the negative self-talk that dwindles your life’s mission.

Write a journal
Step one: Start writing a journal. You probably have a half-empty pad of paper lying somewhere around your house just waiting to be used. Over a series of five days I want you to spend at least fifteen minutes per day on this exercise. Each day jot down three negative statements you believe about yourself. Write with as much detail as possible. The details help with visualization. Examples: There’s no point taking my hobbies to the next level because my uncle told me it wasn’t realistic, or There’s no way I can become a ___________, my father told me I wasn’t very smart.
Often times, we have no idea we harness these negative qualities. This exercise will help you spot each of them. The truth is; nothing can be changed unless it’s spotted first. Each negative statement engrained in your mentality is taking away from the ideal perspective.

Step two: After the fifth day you’ll have a total of fifteen negative statements written down. You may not realize you actually harness fifteen negative statements in your mentality, but I guess you’ll see in five days. You probably have more than that. Either way, the best thing you can do is start the process of elimination. Writing them down will allow you to see them, feel them and relieve them. Writing really is a great tool to relieve stresses and anxiety. It allows you to tap into your imagination.
Pick one of the fifteen and work your way down the list one-by-one. When you see the statement written down delve deep into your inner emotions and feel the statement. Write down the emotions you feel when you say the statement aloud. Now read the statement five times simultaneously. Feel the same emotions you felt when you last said the statement. As you experience these emotions over and over your body and mind will generate an immunity to them. Soon the immunity will make you feel comfortable to tweak the statement to one that suits your current lifestyle; a more positive one.

Your negative self-talk can easily be eliminated. You first need to find it. Now go and find that half-used journal under the couch. You’ll be amazed how far you can tweak your perspective, simply by journaling your thoughts.

Knowing your self worth

Bullying is an issue that we’ve been dealing with for Centuries. My father, his father, even my great Grandfather experienced it. We all experience it in some way, at some point in our lives. Some experience it in school as a youthful teenager, while others experience it at home in a nasty relationship, or even in the work place. Neither of us are immune to it. It happens on the streets, it happens at soccer practice, and it happens to the people that you'd least expect. Bullying is a term that is commonly misconceived as a random playground mishap, but it's so much more than that. It tears apart a person’s confidence, it rapes them of their courage and it causes serious psychological affects if not dealt with properly. To a Police officer bullying is no different than assault, abuse or harassment. I've seen it happen at schools, many times. In fact, I've heard countless stories about it. I've even experienced it myself. Bullying is like a plague that keeps circulating through our communities. It generates quickly and it comes with an incredible force that sets you back instantly. If a person experiences too much of it, they’re at an even higher risks of serious health problems.

In my experience as a motivator to high school students I've seen bullying take people in drastic measures. It's effects can lasts well into adulthood. In fact, I've seen grown adults with poor self-esteem experiencing nasty health problems because of it. Tremendous amounts of guilt and shame can well inside of a bullied victim for years if not dealt with properly. It can be detrimental to a person's life plan.  It's simply not a laughing matter.

Eliminating the abuse within your life will drastically increase your self-worth. It will help increase your confidence and it will make you feel more important to society. Having a strong level of confidence will help you overcome any negativity. By increasing your self-worth, you're changing the way you see the World entirely. It all starts with associating yourself around healthy relationships. Who are the people that you associate with? Who are the friends you hang around with? Who are your influences? Who are the people you’re taking advice from? The people in your life will either make you or break you. Are they taking more than they're giving back? Are they good-willed, positive people, or do they drag you down and defeat you?

You are an important person who matters! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

A lesson on belief and taking action

Over the years, I’ve grown new perceptions of how the World really works. In fact, I’ve continuously studied people; how they think, and how they react to the environment around them. My conclusions are astounding. As a matter of fact, I learned that people who are happy; those who find their inner happiness, and those who bring out the positive in negative situations, generally took more action with their lives. They built the courage inside to take charge of their lives, rather than those who constantly fought against their own happiness by always thinking in negative terms. I've realized that those who were generally positive thinkers had a stronger belief system.

Belief and action are two important fundamentals that one must instill in order to achieve success. Far too often I have talked with friends or family members, and as they tell me passions and inspirations, they continue to tell me how lazy they are, or they make excuses as to why they don’t take action. They seem to never experience the fruits of life. In fact, their stories tell the exact opposite. If they were to reach a little further, perhaps step outside of their comfort zones and grasp onto opportunities with a more positive mindset, they would live a joyous life, but no matter what you tell them they remain in a negative state. Let me tell you this; without a positive belief comes zero action.

How do you react when the environment provides you with an opportunity? What beliefs are you feeding your mind? Are your thoughts dragging you down and making you lazy?

All too often, we remain grounded in reality because of the illusion of our limitations. Our limitations hold us back from wanting more. They make us lazy feeling defeated and make us sleep longer. They deplete our self-worth, and we lose our imagination in the process, forgetting what’s truly important. Don't let this happen to you. Create a solid belief system by eliminating your negative beliefs one at a time. Start thinking positive in every situation, and believe in yourself! Doing so will allow you to take action towards your passions without procrastinating.