Julia sent me a message saying that she wanted to talk about “Listening with Love’s Ear” for this week’s Podcast. You would have been amused by the blank stare that took hold of my face. I really had no idea how this was going to add to my propserity. But you know, I gave her a chance to explain. I kept an open mind. I remembered how generous she’s been with her time and experience for the past 18 months of Podcasts and pretty soon it all became crystal clear. There’s a tremendous power and benefit in listening with full respect, attention and consideration. And there’s equal power in speaking in the same way. In our hurry-up, impatient, news bite world, we want to get it over with and move on but the most benefit now and in the future might be to stay open and go deeper to where the real power is.
People often develop the insidious habit of insisting that everything be right. Perfectionism is a belief and behavior that can block your thoughts, actions, relationships and, of course, prosperity. When we turn perfectionism on the outside world it is bad enough but when turned on ourselves it is evil and destructive. Japanese craftsman always deliberately leave a flaw in their woodwork as a reminder of this crippling behavior. Are you blocking your prosperity because you find that it’s never right and never meets your expectations? Pride is a sin and perfectionism venal.
If you want to be a medical doctor in the United States, unless your Frank Abagnale Jr., you have to go to college, go through medical school and an internship and for certain specialties do a residency. This can take 10 years or more but the rewards are great both financially and in terms of service to your community. It’s really much the same for just about any career. Sam Walton started out with a single store not an empire. Warren Buffet with one stock. Keeping your goals in mind, your eye on the prize and being willing to pay your dues in work and education will assure your long term success and satisfaction.
Even person has a breaking point. If situations or circumstances in our lives are not to our liking, we may tolerate them until something gives way. Sometimes, we lash out in anger; sometimes we swallow the anger and it gnaws away at our psyche leading to stress and illness. Anger is the most destructive of the emotions but we need not let it get the upper hand. By learning to set our limits, our psychological boundaries, and stating them clearly to those who matter the most, we can make tremendous progress towards a life that’s harmonious, healthy and happy.
Joseph Sugarman has had a long career in the direct mail marketing industry. He’s an authority on copywriting for catalogs and magazines. He has been an associate of many of those who have worked on The Secret. He has been an inspiration and model to me throughout my business career. We are delighted that Julia was able to interview him at his home in Maui. Joe gives great advice with his signature simultaneous bravado and humility. We know you’ll appreciate him as much as we do.
We have a saying around my house that the easiest thing to do is complain. How much easier to place the blame on someone else instead of acting responsibily and taking care of it yourself? These complaints are a form of judgment. Perhaps against our selves (which we get into next week) but most of the time we are judging our friends, neighbors and co-workers in a self-defeating act of criticism and projection. What fears are we dragging up that keep us from seeing our reality and companions as they truly are instead of projections of our psyche? Does it matter? What can we do about it? We try to answer just those questions.
The first and most important step to take to make your life happy and propserous is to learn to be positive and specific in what you ask for. The fastest way to sabotague your efforts towards prosperity is by being negative, vague and indecisive. One surefire and simple way to crystalize your thinking is by creating a mission statement. Put your life on purpose, light a fire under your motivation, make a believer out of yourself and everyone around you. One concise, specific, definite and visionary statement is all it takes. Not sure yet what your mission is? We teach you how to get off your duff and out there making a difference for your life and the world around you.
In our materialistic Western culture, we are trained to judge and value people based on external criteria such as beauty and possessions. Over time, even the most glorious and beautiful monuments crumble and fade into obscurity. We may grow old gracefully and we sincerely hope that we all do, but grow old we must. When we are children, do we look at ourselves and regret how much we’ve changed? Yet, many of us are hard on ourselves when our hair turns gray and we have to don those reading spectacles. Instead of beating yourself up for the right and necessary changes of life, come with us and celebrate the chance to gracefully embrace those changes and use this positive attitude as the engine to move you to a higher level of prosperity.
In the old days, it was common to keep a diary. This was a place where personal thoughts could make it to the page. In recording your personal history, there is a process of grounding that lets you see where you’ve been, where you are and where you hope to go. By writing, we avoid the obsessive thought loops that happen when we try to work it out it in our head. Whether you call it a journal, notebook, diary, blog or personal story, doesn’t matter. Write it down!!! Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation or presentation. This is your private refuge for your ideas, emotions and dreams. We recommend keeping it private so you are free to truly expressive yourself without fear of criticism or misunderstanding. But whether it’s as private as a diary secure under lock and key or as public as a video blog on MySpace, bringing your thoughts to air by the light of day will make you the master of your life.
The Essential Laws of Fearless Living by Guy Finley
No matter who we are or what we do, there will come times when we feel angry, hurt or resentful. The feelings are natural and at times like this, we may feel an urge to strike back. Even if we are aware enough that we KNOW responding in anger is wrong, we might feel the need to be defensive or resort to other measures to make the hurt seem less significant. By letting go of the need to be right, we can find ways to bring closure, wholeness and viable solutions to any situation. Here’s how.
Here’s the special link for purchasing Guy Finley’s latest book.
It gets you 108 free bonuses including 3 from us !!
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