Have you ever read a Self Help Book that didn't help? Have you ever read a Wealth or Get Rich book and you didn't make a dime from it? Is it that all these books are just bogus information written by persons only trying to help themselves get rich off of you? I've read so many that I decided to write one myself. But, I wanted to first know how it is that I or anyone could have read these wonderful books but not see the benefit we thought we would see. I wanted to write a book that would get at the root of the problem. So I read even more books, but this time my focus would be strictly on the mind.
From my studies it has become clear to me that NO SELF IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM WILL HAVE A LASTING EFFECT until you truly understand HOW the MIND WORKS and are able to put in play a process that will enable you to control your own thinking.
There is alot of negative information that gets embedded in your mind on a daily basis. This negative information originates from Television, Radio, conversations we have with others and our own experiences. This negative information gets saved to an internal Hard Drive (Sub-Conscious) that our Mind uses to deal with daily situations. When you have a problem, your Mind references all that you have internalized to put together a solution. If the majority of what you have internalized is bad then you will respond to the problem badly. For example: If you lost your job and are trying to decide what to do next, a thought may emerge to go apply for another. Simple! But then a counter thought emerges as well, "No one is hiring right now, you can't find a job." Where did that thought come from and why would it show up when you needed positive reinforcement?
That thought, more often than not, came from a news report on TV that stated statisics showing that companies are not hiring. It came from a close friend telling you about how many people were laid of at their job. It came from hearing over and over again that minorities get hired last. It came from seeing family members lose jobs, then homes and cars and it affecting you personally.
So you have two opposing thoughts being presented to you. Each has its own evidence that it's presenting to support its case. But one is calling on memories and emotional experiences while the other just may be using current information. Usually the emotionally recorded experience will trump the current worded information.
If we don't have an understanding of our own mental process, like the one described above, and a way to counter negativety that can arise from those processes, then no Self Help book or class will ever be sufficient. Sure you may have some lasting effects from a book, class or a lecture but true change will come only when you are able to knock down and/or counter thoughts that lead to behaviors which ultimately undermine your success.
Always be found in Joy in Yourself
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
You may as well enjoy the ride!
I once saw a commercial while in Toulouse, France that showed a airplane about to crash. The passengers on board were screaming and yelling, oxygen masks were dropping down and people were tucking their heads between their legs preparing for the crash. As the camera is panning through the aircraft covering all of this, it gets to one passenger in the last row. The passenger, unlike anyone else on the plane, has their hands in the air screaming "hell yeah!" as though they were riding the greatest roller coaster ever. I don't remember what the commercial was about but I've never forgotten that scene.
While reflecting over what to include in this article, that commercial sums it up in a nustshell. There are things in life that no matter how positive you may view them, you will not be able to change the eventual outcome. If you ever find yourself in that situation do this: Enjoy the moment! No matter how crazy that may seem, enjoy each and every moment leading up to that event over which you have no control.
Some have said it like this, "Live every day as though it was your last." If tomorrow was really and truly your last day on earth what would you do? Would you sit around and cry or try to enjoy every last bit of this life that you could? We should view every negative situation like this WHILE MOVING TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME. For example, lets say that you are about to lose your home, have your car repossed or your electric and gas cut off. To even think straight about your next steps you MUST BE IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND! You cannot allow yourself to panic.
So to keep panic from occuring in dramatic situations I want you to start right now, enjoying each moment of your life in the most suttle fashion.
I want you to be aware of the feel of the chair you're sitting in, the coolness of a glass of water as you pick it up. I want you to notice different scents or frangrances in the air, and or wear your favorite cologne or perfume daily. I want you to be aware and on the lookout for things in each moment that bring you pleasure. And, I want you to consciously think "what could I be doing at this moment to enjoy myself."
Why so much on enjoyment? Because it clears the mind so that you can focus. How does it clear the mind? By shutting it down. When you are in the thrill of enjoyment, in the NOW, there are no thoughts about the past or the future and what may occur in them. Trust me, your mind won't permanently shut down, but thorugh the feeling of enjoyment your mind will suspend its venture into a possible negative outcome. And, through this suspension of thought, give your mind time to reboot. Time to look at and assess the situation differently. Then maybe, just maybe, what appears to be the eventual outcome may not come out that way at all.
Always be found in Joy in Yourself
Tony Stewart
Author
"Shift: Stop, Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
While reflecting over what to include in this article, that commercial sums it up in a nustshell. There are things in life that no matter how positive you may view them, you will not be able to change the eventual outcome. If you ever find yourself in that situation do this: Enjoy the moment! No matter how crazy that may seem, enjoy each and every moment leading up to that event over which you have no control.
Some have said it like this, "Live every day as though it was your last." If tomorrow was really and truly your last day on earth what would you do? Would you sit around and cry or try to enjoy every last bit of this life that you could? We should view every negative situation like this WHILE MOVING TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME. For example, lets say that you are about to lose your home, have your car repossed or your electric and gas cut off. To even think straight about your next steps you MUST BE IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND! You cannot allow yourself to panic.
So to keep panic from occuring in dramatic situations I want you to start right now, enjoying each moment of your life in the most suttle fashion.
I want you to be aware of the feel of the chair you're sitting in, the coolness of a glass of water as you pick it up. I want you to notice different scents or frangrances in the air, and or wear your favorite cologne or perfume daily. I want you to be aware and on the lookout for things in each moment that bring you pleasure. And, I want you to consciously think "what could I be doing at this moment to enjoy myself."
Why so much on enjoyment? Because it clears the mind so that you can focus. How does it clear the mind? By shutting it down. When you are in the thrill of enjoyment, in the NOW, there are no thoughts about the past or the future and what may occur in them. Trust me, your mind won't permanently shut down, but thorugh the feeling of enjoyment your mind will suspend its venture into a possible negative outcome. And, through this suspension of thought, give your mind time to reboot. Time to look at and assess the situation differently. Then maybe, just maybe, what appears to be the eventual outcome may not come out that way at all.
Always be found in Joy in Yourself
Tony Stewart
Author
"Shift: Stop, Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Stop Mental Time Travel and Be in the Now - Part I
The following is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of the book "Shift: Stop, Think and Be without doubt"
Stop! Stop IMAGINING THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND REACTING TO IT AS IF IT’S REAL. Stop mentally time traveling to the future or past event where the worst outcome is played out. Stop running down the street of negative thinking, daydreaming about a crazy outcome.
While sitting around frustrated one day, a friend of mine called and asked me how I was doing. I replied with a sluggish, “I’m cool”. Noticing that I was not in a good mood, he said, “I’m on my way, we are about to go listen to some Jazz at the park, check out the beautiful ladies and relax. That of course made me feel a little better but by the time he arrived, I was fully back in the mode I was in before, frustrated.
As we were driving to the Park he asked me what the frustration was about and as I began explaining, he suddenly said, “STOP!” A little startled, I turned and looked at him waiting for him to say what was on his mind and he just sat there. I asked him what was up and he said, “YOU WERE TIME TRAVELING, AND I NEEDED TO BRING YOU BACK HERE.” I asked him what he meant and why the pause in telling me that. He said, “You needed time to PAUSE. You needed to spend a little time without any thoughts in your head at all.”
He went on to say, “Right now, you’re in what I think is a relatively nice car, its clean, the air conditioner is on, we got great music on the radio and we are headed to a park full of fine women and music, BUT YOU ARE FRUSTRATED?! That means you were not really here. Your mind was somewhere else! You were somewhere other than right NOW.”
He was right. I was thinking about the next day and a certain bill that I had to pay and didn’t have the money on me to pay it. I was thinking about the repercussions of not having the money and what would possibly happen if I were to lose that particular thing because I couldn’t pay the bill. I was thinking about what others would say about me and how I would look to them and my family. I WAS NOT THERE IN THE PRESENT.
I was imagining the worst case scenario and outwardly through my posture, look and how I physically felt, reacting to it as if it were real. Mentally I was not in the car with him. I was in an imagined tomorrow living out a nightmare.
But I was also doing something else! I was ATTRACTING THAT WORST CASE SCENARIO INTO REALITY. I was willing the universe to make it actually come true! In other words, I was praying to God that it actually happens.
How was I doing this? By activating a universal law, The Law of Attraction. This law states that whatever you consistently put your combined imagination and emotional feeling on it WILL manifest in your life. Another friend once said to me that “Worry is nothing but a prayer for the negative outcome.” Why, because “worry” is another form of combined thought and emotion, but toward a NEGATIVE end.
to be continued...
Tony Stewart
Author
"Shift: Stop Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
Stop! Stop IMAGINING THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND REACTING TO IT AS IF IT’S REAL. Stop mentally time traveling to the future or past event where the worst outcome is played out. Stop running down the street of negative thinking, daydreaming about a crazy outcome.
While sitting around frustrated one day, a friend of mine called and asked me how I was doing. I replied with a sluggish, “I’m cool”. Noticing that I was not in a good mood, he said, “I’m on my way, we are about to go listen to some Jazz at the park, check out the beautiful ladies and relax. That of course made me feel a little better but by the time he arrived, I was fully back in the mode I was in before, frustrated.
As we were driving to the Park he asked me what the frustration was about and as I began explaining, he suddenly said, “STOP!” A little startled, I turned and looked at him waiting for him to say what was on his mind and he just sat there. I asked him what was up and he said, “YOU WERE TIME TRAVELING, AND I NEEDED TO BRING YOU BACK HERE.” I asked him what he meant and why the pause in telling me that. He said, “You needed time to PAUSE. You needed to spend a little time without any thoughts in your head at all.”
He went on to say, “Right now, you’re in what I think is a relatively nice car, its clean, the air conditioner is on, we got great music on the radio and we are headed to a park full of fine women and music, BUT YOU ARE FRUSTRATED?! That means you were not really here. Your mind was somewhere else! You were somewhere other than right NOW.”
He was right. I was thinking about the next day and a certain bill that I had to pay and didn’t have the money on me to pay it. I was thinking about the repercussions of not having the money and what would possibly happen if I were to lose that particular thing because I couldn’t pay the bill. I was thinking about what others would say about me and how I would look to them and my family. I WAS NOT THERE IN THE PRESENT.
I was imagining the worst case scenario and outwardly through my posture, look and how I physically felt, reacting to it as if it were real. Mentally I was not in the car with him. I was in an imagined tomorrow living out a nightmare.
But I was also doing something else! I was ATTRACTING THAT WORST CASE SCENARIO INTO REALITY. I was willing the universe to make it actually come true! In other words, I was praying to God that it actually happens.
How was I doing this? By activating a universal law, The Law of Attraction. This law states that whatever you consistently put your combined imagination and emotional feeling on it WILL manifest in your life. Another friend once said to me that “Worry is nothing but a prayer for the negative outcome.” Why, because “worry” is another form of combined thought and emotion, but toward a NEGATIVE end.
to be continued...
Tony Stewart
Author
"Shift: Stop Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
How Not to Rob Peter to Pay Paul
A friend of mine asked me the other day, "How do I NOT borrow from tomorrow to take care of today?" My mind began to come up with several techniques one could use to better handle their finances. I started to think of techniques ranging from:
1. The envelop method in which you take several envelopes and write the name of each expense on an individual envelop. Then as monies come in from your job or business you place the percentage that expense requires, from the total brought in that day/week, into that envelop.
2. The 20% method in which 20% of EVERY dollar you make goes into a Personal or Family Development Fund. That fund is broken down into sub-categories: Emergency, Investments, Entertainment, etc..., that you split that 20% amongst. Of course you may find that the other 80% is not enough to cover your current lifestyle, but it just means you'll need to make a SHIFT in your lifestyle to accomodate the new system.
3. Creating another business that brings in extra income. Though tedious and strict attention must be paid to the business systems, it can be quite lucrative. For example, something simple like a business turning old Photo Albums into digital photos. Thats a business you can start with a $300 computer and a $80 4-in-1 printer/scanner. Charge people $5.00 per photo or less if its a whole book, say $300 for the whole album. It may take some time to do and become proficient at, but thats $300 extra in a week easy with maybe 3 days work at 3 hrs. a day.
4. Cut back a little with every purchase that is not a bill and place that money into a "Do Not Rob Peter to Pay Paul" envelop. When you buy food at the grocery store just get one item less and remember to place that money into that envelop. When you are out for entertianment, just do one thing less. Instead of the $15 steak get the $11 spaghetti. Then remember to place that extra $4 in that envelop.
All of the above sound good and are good, but being a firm believer that everything BEGINS WITH YOUR THINKING, I decided to write this article from the perspective of the Mental SHIFT that's required for any of the above to happen. I'll be brief since I've already taken up enough time with the above.
To stay consistent at any of the above you have to SHIFT your thinking. You have to STOP, take sometime out and THINK in detail about the person you really desire and need to BE. Then from that moment on act, with no doubt, as though you are that person. Part of it envolves you repeating to yourself, "I DON'T ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL. THAT'S NOT ONE OF MY PROBLEMS". Say it all day (to yourself) for the next 2 days and you'll find that you won't have to say it any longer. It'll popup in your mind the minute the thought of robbing Peter comes up.
The above strikes a balance between mental discipline and techniques. The more mental discipline you have, the less techniques or systems you'll need to be successful. If you find that mental discipline is just not and will not be your cup of tea, then you'll need to implement several techniques and systems to ensure your success. Either way, there is always a solution.
Now stop being afraid of Paul and leave Peter alone.
Always be found in Joy in Yourself.
Tony Stewart
Author
"Shift: Stop, Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
1. The envelop method in which you take several envelopes and write the name of each expense on an individual envelop. Then as monies come in from your job or business you place the percentage that expense requires, from the total brought in that day/week, into that envelop.
2. The 20% method in which 20% of EVERY dollar you make goes into a Personal or Family Development Fund. That fund is broken down into sub-categories: Emergency, Investments, Entertainment, etc..., that you split that 20% amongst. Of course you may find that the other 80% is not enough to cover your current lifestyle, but it just means you'll need to make a SHIFT in your lifestyle to accomodate the new system.
3. Creating another business that brings in extra income. Though tedious and strict attention must be paid to the business systems, it can be quite lucrative. For example, something simple like a business turning old Photo Albums into digital photos. Thats a business you can start with a $300 computer and a $80 4-in-1 printer/scanner. Charge people $5.00 per photo or less if its a whole book, say $300 for the whole album. It may take some time to do and become proficient at, but thats $300 extra in a week easy with maybe 3 days work at 3 hrs. a day.
4. Cut back a little with every purchase that is not a bill and place that money into a "Do Not Rob Peter to Pay Paul" envelop. When you buy food at the grocery store just get one item less and remember to place that money into that envelop. When you are out for entertianment, just do one thing less. Instead of the $15 steak get the $11 spaghetti. Then remember to place that extra $4 in that envelop.
All of the above sound good and are good, but being a firm believer that everything BEGINS WITH YOUR THINKING, I decided to write this article from the perspective of the Mental SHIFT that's required for any of the above to happen. I'll be brief since I've already taken up enough time with the above.
To stay consistent at any of the above you have to SHIFT your thinking. You have to STOP, take sometime out and THINK in detail about the person you really desire and need to BE. Then from that moment on act, with no doubt, as though you are that person. Part of it envolves you repeating to yourself, "I DON'T ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL. THAT'S NOT ONE OF MY PROBLEMS". Say it all day (to yourself) for the next 2 days and you'll find that you won't have to say it any longer. It'll popup in your mind the minute the thought of robbing Peter comes up.
The above strikes a balance between mental discipline and techniques. The more mental discipline you have, the less techniques or systems you'll need to be successful. If you find that mental discipline is just not and will not be your cup of tea, then you'll need to implement several techniques and systems to ensure your success. Either way, there is always a solution.
Now stop being afraid of Paul and leave Peter alone.
Always be found in Joy in Yourself.
Tony Stewart
Author
"Shift: Stop, Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
Monday, June 1, 2009
Moving Through Fear
Fear: A False Expectation Appearing Real, an illusion or a trick of the Mind
Most people DON'T do what they love or strive for what they truly want in life. Why? Fear of failure or some other fear. So how do we remove that fear so we can move foward? Well you have a couple of options:
1.) Just do it! Just drop everything and move out. This is an option because as a friend of mine Leisha Reeves states, "There will never be a 'right time' to go for your dreams". So you may as well get started now. Also there is something almost magical that happens when you "Just Do it". Most of the time you'll find that the fear you had wasn't worth all the energy you gave it. You'll gain confidence in challenging other fears you have which makes you a more confident person overall. Lastly you won't have to drag around the guilt of never having made the attempt to reach your dreams. A guilt that you'll eventually blame others for.
2.) Change your view of FEAR. I consciously choose to view Fear as a signal that I'm on the right path. That nervousness I feel when approaching a challenge now brings a smile to my face because I know at this moment I am about to become a greater person and come even closer to achieving my dreams. My mind isn't even focused on the challenge as a whole. It's literally on " just put one foot in front of the other," putting one action in front of the other until I have crossed the threshold of the challenge. Think in terms of steps. Focus all the energy of your mind, body and soul into each step. Soon you'll find that you've walked right through that fear.
The above are two options that can be applied in ANY situation where fear is present. Work, relationships or starting a business all require you to have courage and be bold in your approach. You have to be motivated in being you! And, in being motivated you have to not just say it but live it by moving out on inspiration IMMEDIATELY. MOVE in the form of steps. Research those steps. Find the best answers you can get your hands on from those who have succeeded in what you're trying to accomplish. Study and apply them at the same time and you'll find that you'll have less of a challenge in overcoming your fears.
Always be found IN JOY in YOURSELF
Tony Stewart
Author
"Stop, Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
Most people DON'T do what they love or strive for what they truly want in life. Why? Fear of failure or some other fear. So how do we remove that fear so we can move foward? Well you have a couple of options:
1.) Just do it! Just drop everything and move out. This is an option because as a friend of mine Leisha Reeves states, "There will never be a 'right time' to go for your dreams". So you may as well get started now. Also there is something almost magical that happens when you "Just Do it". Most of the time you'll find that the fear you had wasn't worth all the energy you gave it. You'll gain confidence in challenging other fears you have which makes you a more confident person overall. Lastly you won't have to drag around the guilt of never having made the attempt to reach your dreams. A guilt that you'll eventually blame others for.
2.) Change your view of FEAR. I consciously choose to view Fear as a signal that I'm on the right path. That nervousness I feel when approaching a challenge now brings a smile to my face because I know at this moment I am about to become a greater person and come even closer to achieving my dreams. My mind isn't even focused on the challenge as a whole. It's literally on " just put one foot in front of the other," putting one action in front of the other until I have crossed the threshold of the challenge. Think in terms of steps. Focus all the energy of your mind, body and soul into each step. Soon you'll find that you've walked right through that fear.
The above are two options that can be applied in ANY situation where fear is present. Work, relationships or starting a business all require you to have courage and be bold in your approach. You have to be motivated in being you! And, in being motivated you have to not just say it but live it by moving out on inspiration IMMEDIATELY. MOVE in the form of steps. Research those steps. Find the best answers you can get your hands on from those who have succeeded in what you're trying to accomplish. Study and apply them at the same time and you'll find that you'll have less of a challenge in overcoming your fears.
Always be found IN JOY in YOURSELF
Tony Stewart
Author
"Stop, Think and Be without doubt"
www.stopthinkandbe.com
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