Excerpt from book

Published on November 2016 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 94 | Comments: 0 | Views: 781
of 62
Download PDF   Embed   Report

This is a 68 page except from 12 Principles of Success & Fulfillment for Life.

Comments

Content

12 Principles of Success & Fulfillment in Life

Hawk Levins, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2013 Hawk Levins, Ph.D. All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 1491051035 ISBN-13: 978-1491051030

DEDICATION
To my father who taught me to believe in myself and pursue my dreams. To the mother of my children who loved me in spite of my failures and ignorance. Together we raised a wonderful family and taught our children to love life and one another, be a blessing to others when possible, and pursue success and fulfillment in life. Heaven has you now, and though you may be absent from our lives, you will live in our hearts forever. To my wonderful children and grandchildren, without whom my heart would be lonely, a little short on love, and certainly absent of delight. I am forever grateful for all of you.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments Introduction i iii

1 Realize the Journey, Mission, Adventure Model of Living 1 Introduction An incredible journey to LEARN An incredible journey to LOVE An incredible journey to GROW A dedicated mission to DISCOVER A dedicated mission to EMBRACE A dedicated mission to FULFILL An extraordinary adventure to ESCAPE An extraordinary adventure EXPLORE An extraordinary adventure INSPIRE 2 Make a Comprehensive Life Plan Introduction The architect is you Your mission statement Desired outcomes Priorities and intentions Strategic courses of action 3 Develop a Focused, Effective and Powerful Mind Introduction The power of the mind Positive and negative thought patterns Beliefs, attitudes, emotions and feelings Memory Your toolbox 49 37

Affirmations and visualizing Focused, effective and powerful mind 4 Learn Practical Resource Management Introduction Management Leadership Time Energy Yourself Other people 5 Practice Irresistible Attractiveness Introduction Thirty-six characteristics 6 Build Up Health, Wellness and Strength Introduction Our present lifestyles Healthy body, soul and spirit Eating in a healthy way Daily exercise Alternative medicine Improving lifestyles Toxic chemicals are everywhere Refreshing and relaxing Developing spiritual interests and capabilities 7 Discover Eight Components of Happiness Introduction Be authentic Have great balance
v

62

72

86

104

Make excellent decisions Maintain an optimistic outlook Anticipate amazing opportunities Develop optimum performance Generate positive energy Freely give 8 Gain Financial Independence, Abundance and Wealth Introduction The problem Defined The big not so easy The fix New perspectives New actions New freedoms No more financial handcuffs 9 Live With Intention Introduction Two intentions Quantum mechanics and intention What is an intention? How to create an intention Examples of intention Associated phenomenon to intention Summary 10 Understand Wholeness of Body, Soul and Spirit Introduction The parts Our damaging ego
vi

121

132

141

Powerful forces Miscellaneous definitions Spiritual development

11 Experience Virtues of the Heart Introduction Something is wrong Law of attraction Traits of righteousness Summary 12 Have Absolute Freedom Introduction Eight major issues/problems Energy therapies Summary

149

163

About the Author

178

vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To my wonderful friend, Jessica Huggett, who extended countless hours checking and rechecking the text for errors and flow. Thank you Jessica, you are amazing! To my mentors, teachers, colleagues, peers, clients and students, without whom my mind would be unchallenged, my skills would be undeveloped and my never-ending drive to improve would not exist. I have achieved great success and fulfillment in life because of every one of you.

viii

INTRODUCTION
hile we may not remember the questions running through our tiny minds on the day we were born: “Why is there so much light?” “Where is my mom?” “Who is holding me upside down?” “When can I eat?” a few things were certain; we had arrived in a big new world, there were strange noises, and there was a great deal to learn. Our priorities were a little different in those days, and although it might have been too early to satisfy our curiosity by asking questions, success was already on our mind. Even though our goals and objectives (such as enjoying some warm milk) were simple, we were all about achieving victory. It didn’t take long to learn that if we wanted something out of life (like a clean, dry diaper), we were going to have to take action in order to achieve it. And while screaming and crying worked just fine in those days, most of us have learned that additional skills are needed if we want to have any hope of maintaining our track record with success. What then does success mean? By any measure, success is the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted. In other words, success occurs when we add the correct amounts of cream and sugar to our morning coffee. Success happens when we find something interesting to watch, after channel surfing for three or more minutes. Success takes place when we find the person we want to be with for the rest of our life. And success transpires when we figure out how to experience it without working so hard at it. Interesting; but is that even possible? According to Bessie Stanley, who wrote and submitted the poem Success to a magazine contest in 1904: “He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.” Of course, some people would offer that the secret to success is something you would not expect; according to billionaire Sir Richard Brandson, the secret to success is failure. While somewhat true, there is certainly a well-defined path to success, which anyone can walk. You see, almost everyone has some idea of what success is, or certainly what it means to them. An entire industry known as the Science of Success was created to help define, explain and teach it. There are those who define success as having an expensive car, a nice home or two, sufficient funds to travel to exotic destinations three or four times a year and so on. That is perfectly fine, but at some point most of us ask the question, “Is success by itself, on any level, enough?” In other words, is there anything that can be paired with success, creating a wonderful marriage of two often ambiguous but important elements? The answer is yes; that partner is fulfillment. While sometimes confused with success, fulfillment is more about purpose than achievement; more about a sense of peace than accomplishment; more about an inner contentment instead of a vehicle parked in the drive. Without fulfillment, we will always want more, like a person with no stomach signals eating at a buffet; and eating, and eating. Without fulfillment, there are questions such as, “Is this all there is?” Without fulfillment, there will be emotions and feelings of
ix

W

emptiness; thoughts and musings that something is missing. Simply put, fulfillment is a level of immense satisfaction, resulting from finding the purpose or reason that something or someone is here. Fulfillment will easily make you feel fully alive, happy, joyful, and will cause one of those, “This is what life is about!” kinds of experiences. Yes, success does take place when we find the person we want to spend the rest of our life with; but fulfillment happens when that person says “Yes!” to our proposal. America’s Master Life Coach Anthony Robbins highlights a valuable gem in his description of fulfillment as follows: “Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfillment.” Contribution, that is, to other people, to simple or wonderful causes, and to making the world a better place for us all. Interestingly, it isn’t difficult to find great books such as Success Intelligence by Robert Holden, good publications such as Success Magazine, and even movies or documentaries highlighting or endorsing success. And if one searches thoroughly enough, one can find printed material and entertainment accentuating fulfillment; such as Guideposts Magazine, and the 1993 American football player movie Rudy. The pickings are slim, however; perhaps fulfillment is harder to grasp, doesn’t sell as well, or even worse, we are deluded into thinking that success is much more important. There could be many reasons for the obvious lack of excellent publications detailing both success and fulfillment. While this work does not claim to fill that dent, it does describe in detail the principles needed to experience both. Remember, success without fulfillment is empty and unsatisfying; your goal must be both success and fulfillment. It would be an absolute tragedy to spend your life working hard pursuing success, only to arrive at the end, feeling empty and discontented. A principle is a fundamental truth or proposition, which serves as a cornerstone for behavior or actions. People who live by principles are people who have structure and standards in their lives. When something unexpected happens, a principled person doesn’t re-act; they simply act based on that which is deep within. They respond based on the beliefs and values they hold, which were learned in advance of any crisis or opportunity. In a similar way, when we learn about, understand and apply the principles of success and fulfillment, we are creating a foundation and backbone structure designed to help us think, believe, and act in a manner conducive to both success and fulfillment in life. We all deal with and face problems and issues; some of us on a daily basis. The top five problems people are faced with today are financial (see chapter eight), relationships (see chapter five), addictions/habits (see chapter twelve), time management (see chapter four), and health (see chapter six). The best possible way to tackle any or all of these is to be prepared in advance. If that’s not possible, facing them head on with a clear, attentive mind and a thorough understanding of why they occurred is the best approach. In addition, this book is about new perspectives (see chapter one); new ways of getting things done (see chapter nine): happiness (see chapter seven); planning ahead (see chapter two);
x

knowing why we behave like we do (see chapter ten); thinking (see chapter three); and character (see chapter eleven). Here then is a brief summary of the 12 Principles of Success and Fulfillment for Life: In chapter one, “Realize the Journey, Mission, Adventure Model of Living,” you are exposed to a new way of viewing and living life. Each of us is on an incredible journey as we go through life, offering us opportunities to continually learn, offer and experience love, and welcome what happens naturally every day of our lives: growth. We want to know why we are here – find our purpose, and we want to have fun and enjoy our time in this life. In each section, you will find examples and applications to help you understand and apply this model to your own life. Chapter two, “Make a Comprehensive Life Plan” puts forth the argument that prior to building anything of value, a well thought out and detailed plan is absolutely necessary. Clearly, a builder wouldn’t begin construction of even a small log cabin without a set of blueprints; why would anyone expect to create a life of value and opportunity without a thorough life plan? The chapter walks you systematically through developing and documenting a complete plan for your life. In chapter three, “Develop a Focused, Effective and Powerful Mind,” you will begin to see the connection between thoughts and behavior, the power of the mind, and several effective methods and tools which can help you tune out noise, eliminate negative thought patterns, and apply effective mental techniques to achieve your goals and objectives. Chapter four, “Learn Practical Resource Management” is based on the premise that we all function in a finite world with limited resources. If we do not understand the basic tenets of management and how to apply them, we will likely default to a deficit way of thinking and living. In addition, the skills and ten components of effective leadership are detailed and discussed, followed by an explanation of the seventeen elements of self-management. In chapter five, “Practice Irresistible Attractiveness,” you are introduced to the premise that attractiveness is a personality attribute, and unless we learn and apply the specific elements and characteristics of attractiveness to our life and behavior, we will likely generate an “unmagnetic” energy about ourselves. This will result in spending our free time trying to figure out why people, ideas and opportunities just don’t seem very interested in us. Details and examples of the thirtysix attributes of attractiveness are included in this chapter. Chapter six, “Build Up Health, Wellness and Strength” discusses the importance of moving towards personal health and wellness, and the goal of feeling good on all fronts. Statistics supporting the depressing overall health conditions in the U.S.A. are presented followed by the primary causes: dreadful eating habits, poor nutrition and lack of exercise. Additional reasons of sickness are explained, good diet is detailed, daily exercise is endorsed, and the importance of alternative medicine is revealed. This chapter also presents the dangers of toxicity in the home and discusses ways to eliminate that hazard.

xi

In chapter seven, “Discover Eight Components of Happiness,” the assertion is made that searching for happiness is a waste of time, because happiness is a by-product of eight specific behaviors. Each of these behaviors are thoroughly detailed and explained, and recommendations are presented which will help the reader to implement these behaviors in his or her life, thus establishing the means for happiness to occur naturally. Chapter eight, “Gain Financial Independence, Abundance and Wealth” documents the problem and consequence of money mismanagement across all age and demographic populations. Contrary to outsider supposition, our nation and its people are very poor money managers. The chapter includes statistics, definitions, and solutions to the problem, as well as a clear description of the benefits of having no debt. In chapter nine, “Live With Intention,” you are introduced to the two distinctive ways of viewing what intention is, and how we can interact with and take advantage of both. Also included is a brief overview of where intention fits into quantum mechanics, as well as a clear step-by-step procedure on how to create and utilize intentions in your everyday life. Chapter ten, “Understand Wholeness of Body, Soul and Spirit” explains the correlation and functionality between our major parts of body, soul, and spirit. Further details of each component within the major parts are given, including the need to strengthen and develop these parts for balance, harmony and peace. Also included is an explanation of why our egos are more detrimental to us than they are helpful. In chapter eleven, “Experience Virtues of the Heart,” the reader is reminded that although our thoughts and beliefs drive our behavior, our virtues, whatever they may be, reside in our hearts and most often amplify, and personify our beliefs. The reader is introduced to eighteen traits of righteousness, and is encouraged to develop and demonstrate these qualities as a means of preparing for and welcoming positive and successful outcomes. Also included is an explanation of how the Law of Attraction really works. Chapter twelve, “Have Absolute Freedom” provides the reader with specific details on how to resolve and eliminate the psychological or physical problems and issues which result from trauma, crises, limiting beliefs, fears and so on. A thorough explanation of how negative emotions impact our energy systems, creating imbalances, disturbances and blockages which indirectly prevent us from living our lives free from stress, anxiety, illness and so on. Six systems of energy therapy are presented, and the reader is encouraged to consider these unconventional, but every effective forms of relief, and to reject the notion that “I guess I’ll just have to live with that.” While it is accurate to say that each of us is unique due to our upbringing, culture or financial status, it is also true that we are similar in many ways. We all want to love and be loved, we all want to be happy and we all want a peaceful and prosperous life. Certainly, we want to enjoy life, have friends and families, and take pleasure in everything around us. However, the world we live in can, at times, be unpredictable, unfriendly and even dangerous. It is undeniable some were taught how to hate, how to steal and deceive, and even how to kill from a very early age. No doubt some were never exposed to personal responsibility, kindness, compassion or faith. However, that does not mean we should live our lives in fear, in isolation, or in full body armor.
xii

We can, and should live our lives as an incredible journey. We can, and should find our purpose for being here. Finally, we can, and should pursue and enjoy adventure as often as possible. I hope this book inspires you to be more successful and fulfilled than you otherwise would have been. If it does, it will have accomplished its purpose. I hope it drives you to seek more knowledge, wisdom and understanding. There is so much to learn about life, about people, and about this place in the universe we call home. There are general answers to questions all around you; however, you will probably find them to be incomplete for you personally. However, you will find answers to your specific questions by looking deep within; by being quiet and still; by listening to the voice from your own spirit. There you will find the doorway, and a path leading you to a successful and fulfilling life. There are a couple of ways to absorb this material; (1) read the entire book from beginning to end, or (2) commit to a year of studying and applying the ideas from each principle, one per month. We are currently developing a supplemental website, which will contain exercises, audio files, affirmations, visualization projects and so on. If you are interested in this second option, please sign up for our blog posts via email on our blog website: why12principles.com. We will notify all subscribers when this site and material is ready. I wish you all the best there is in this life. Hawk Levins, Ph.D.

xiii

one
REALIZE THE JOURNEY, MISSION, ADVENTURE MODEL OF LIVING

T

he Journey, Mission, Adventure model is a simple, yet elegant way to strive towards living a rich, full and rewarding life. By viewing our everyday lives as:

...an incredible Journey, to LEARN, LOVE and GROW, we become the best we can be. ...a dedicated Mission, to DISCOVER, EMBRACE and FULFILL, we make the world a better place. ...an extraordinary Adventure, to ESCAPE, EXPLORE and INSPIRE, we add excitement, possibilities and broaden our horizons.

At one point or another in our lives, most of us no doubt entertain these questions: “Why am I here? What is life all about? Why is there so much pain in the world? How can I find happiness? Why do children suffer?” and “Is there a God?” Clearly these are deep, philosophical questions, which may have a multitude of answers, most of which beget questions of their own. For example, “If there is a God, why would He let children die at the hand of an insane gunman?” Some of these questions have been answered by the great teachers of time; some by scientists and philosophers, and others by the leaders of nations. However, most of these answers were inclined to be universal, simply due to them being intended for the general populace. The problem is, these kinds of answers tend to be unsatisfactory; even patronizing. Why is this? Well, one reason might be that these answers are not specific or personal; they are simply broad-spectrum content, designed to appease as many as possible. When we look for the answers to our own questions externally – that is, outside of ourselves, we may very well be looking for clarity in all the wrong places. Here’s an idea – a new approach to finding answers for many of our questions. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had the answers to the questions –to our questions already within us? What if we were born complete – with questions and with answers; and all we needed to do was spend more time and effort looking inward, listening to our own hearts, our own conscience, and our own spirits? Perhaps one of the reasons there are so many disagreements among people today, is the impractical concept of only one external answer to an important, yet very personal question. One answer to the questions from two or three people could be reasonable. But one answer to the questions from ten thousand people? That just doesn’t seem like it would work very well, does it? One of the saddest epitaphs to learn of is one that describes an unhappy or unfulfilled life. Why would someone live an unhappy or unfulfilled life? Could it be their questions went unanswered? Could it be the “universal” or “generic” answers to life’s questions were not
1

enough? Maybe it was because they never learned the value of the journey; that they spent their life chasing a destination. Maybe they didn’t realize their life did have a higher purpose; that there was a reason for them being here. Perhaps they didn’t understand the concept that they needed inspiration and adventure, but just didn’t know where to look to find them. As we move through different stages in our lives, our questions will change, as will the answers to those questions. If we spend our lives looking for external answers, we will certainly miss the truth that is already inside of us. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with reading the works of teachers, scientists, and experts in one area or another. There is nothing wrong with seeking truth from writings that have been with us for thousands of years. There is nothing wrong with asking for an opinion. All of these are ideas and thoughts that may very well be encouraging and even motivating. But the important answers, the personalized answers are already within you, right where they have been all along. But remember, they are well hidden, and if you didn’t know they were there, you would surely miss them. This first chapter – the Journey, Mission, Adventure model of living – is intended as a guide; perhaps a new perspective to life. It is designed to start your thinking process, and get you to consider some interesting possibilities. To apply this model to ourselves we need only realize that our lives, just like this model, are already multi-dimensional and that structure and understanding will help us live them to the fullest extent possible. Now, the Journey, Mission, Adventure Model of Living. Life is an incredible Journey, to LEARN, Love and Grow The journey we call life is filled with opportunities to LEARN: from public, private and home school, on-the-job training, the military, college, and everything in-between, including the infamous and often unpleasant school of hard knocks. While on our journey, we should strive to continually improve ourselves, through formal and informal education, reading, community classes, and learning from others. Learning keeps the mind sharp, allows us to expand our circle of friends, and even opens the door to new opportunities, such as teaching a class, or leading a church or neighborhood group. One of the most rewarding and satisfying things anyone can do is help someone else learn something new, either through a formal mentoring program or by just offering to show a friend or an acquaintance how to do something they’ve never tried before. In fact, the best way to learn just about anything is to teach it. Why not make a commitment to yourself and improve your life by learning, or even teaching something new within the next thirty days? “Learning never exhausts the mind.” Leonardo da Vinci The following are a few important examples of how TO LEARN: Learn new knowledge & skills
2

Lifelong learning isn’t a tedious chore; it’s a source of joy! It’s exactly what you did as a baby, then as a child, then as a young adult. Curiosity is an impetus to learning, and asking questions is an effective way to grow your skills and interests. From the perspective of an outsider, it is tempting to think that something may be just too difficult to learn and do. However, consider human beings have learned every skill and trade known to man, and over time, many have become experts in their craft. A good rule of thumb is, if someone else can do it, chances are you can too. It may take a little longer, and you might make a few mistakes; but just about anything is achievable. It is entirely possible that you don’t enjoy learning, or at least you think you don’t. In reality however, the problem may simply be that your learning mode is different from the technique in use. For example, some people learn by watching and listening, some by books, and others by hands-on practice. Whatever the case, make a list of your interests, and find a college class, software package, book or DVD, and add to your skill set and knowledge base. You may very well find the experience pleasant and enjoyable. Learn how to solve problems There are two ways to look at any problem: as something “bad” that happened, or as a classroom of opportunity. It’s all about perspective; looking at the same situation from various viewpoints. Since we all have various skills and experiences, we all see things differently. The 2008 hit movie Vantage Point was a political thriller detailing the shooting of a president, re-told from multiple perspectives. This idea is applicable in real life. Also consider that the problem you see may just be a symptom of the real issue. For example, the scene of a car accident may not initially reveal the irresponsible drinking and driving habits – the real issue – of one of the drivers. The top five problems people deal with today are financial, relationship, addictions/habits, time management, and health. Problem solving always includes asking the questions: “Why did this, or why is this happening?” and “What can I learn from this?” Keep in mind that for every problem there is a solution, for every question there is an answer, and for every choice there is a consequence. Part of solving…

A Dedicated Mission: to Discover, to Embrace, to FULFILL It is possible to carry out a life purpose in a few days – or it can take decades to complete. It can be as monumental as leading an entire nation of people to freedom or a higher plane of spirituality – or as seemingly inconsequential as a small idea that results in a new way of packaging food. The point being, whatever it is, we can rest assured it is something needful, and something good. There will always be critics who say that it really doesn’t make any difference if we carry out our life mission or not—someone else will do it if we don’t. This is false for two reasons: first, it will matter
3

to us; FULFILLING our purpose in life gives life greater meaning, and results in contentment and joy. But even more importantly, fulfilling our life mission always makes a difference—usually a big one—in other people’s lives. “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” Albert Schweitzer The following are a few important examples of how TO FULFILL: ~Fulfill every challenge & opportunity During our lifetimes, we will likely face many challenges; some will be relatively straightforward and uncomplicated, requiring minimal effort and mental energy to resolve. Others will be convoluted, troublesome, and seem impossible to solve. There are two ways to view any challenge; in a positive light, or in a negative one. In a positive light, challenges are welcomed as occasions to learn, grow and even prosper. In a negative light, challenges are resisted as difficulties which cause stress, tension and anxiety. Learning to face and fulfill challenges which come our way will absolutely move us in the direction of fulfilling our life mission, however we view those challenges. This is true because fulfilling our mission will require us to be creative, strong, resolute, and persistent. Unfortunately, we aren’t born with these qualities; they are developed over time as we progress through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood. Certainly we will make good decisions and mistakes, and learn valuable lessons from each one. Besides challenges, we will also be presented with opportunities throughout our lives. However, not all opportunities are safe, favorable, or worthwhile, and unless we exercise wisdom in evaluating which opportunities are valuable and which would send us off in the wrong direction, we could easily waste precious resources and end up severely sidetracked. Once a decision has been made regarding an opportunity being a positive and important one, taking action to fulfill it is absolutely the right move. Fortunately, our minds have the capacity to creatively seek out solutions when challenges come our way. However, in order for us to take advantage of this, we must be responsible, decisive and disciplined. Responsible means we don’t attempt to push our problems over on to someone else; decisive means we are able to review the facts and make an intelligent choice; and disciplined means we are willing to take action, rather than procrastinate and hope that whatever the issue is, it will magically go away. Challenges actually keep us sharp, provide us with valuable experience, allow us to move toward success, and allow our body, soul and spirit to develop. According to Marketing legend Joseph Sugarman, “Each problem (we face) has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity.” In other words, when we are faced with a challenge, we could recognize its true value by seeing it as an opportunity, and work through it, moving us closer to fulfilling our life mission.
4

Not all challenges or even opportunities are pleasant or enjoyable; but most are occasions for us to learn and grow, to apply our analytical and creative skills, and to experience satisfaction in eliminating dilemmas from our lives. Take time to think through challenges and possible solutions, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. When mulling over solutions, don’t ask, “Has anyone done this before?” Instead ask, “Why hasn’t anyone done this before?” Learning to use your mental energies like Leonardo daVinci, Nicola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Mozart, and other creative thinkers and doers will not only help you fulfill challenges and opportunities; it will help you welcome them into your life with open arms. ~Fulfill our desires Have you ever played a sport with a group of people where captains were picked and teams were created by taking turns choosing players? Remember how you felt each time you were passed by as the captains picked their team members? If you are like most people, you had a strong – perhaps even burning desire to be chosen, but with each false pick your heart sank a little more. Why? Because fulfilling your desire was in someone else’s control. But what if fulfilling your desires was totally within your control? Practically all of us have desires, dreams, goals and objectives for our lives. Many of these desires were inspired by a person or an experience from our childhood; such as a family friend, a local hero, or someone who compassionately helped others like a nurse or a police officer. As we grow towards maturity, we entertain thoughts of our desires, and what we would have to do in order for us to make them come true; some kind of schooling, training, and so on. Sadly, some of us – perhaps many of us – become distracted or sidetracked by life or some form of a roadblock, and just don’t get around to seeing our dreams fulfilled. Without a doubt, there will always be blockades and barriers to preventing us from fulfilling our desires. These will appear in various forms throughout our lives: lack of education, financial resources, people, previous commitments, and so on. However, you may finally be close to or at a place in your life where you have the freedom to pursue your dreams. Although it might not be obvious to you at this moment, you are now the captain of your own team; you get to make the rules, choose the players, and call the shots. Fulfilling your desires may not be easy, quick, or cheap, but it’s very possible. Most importantly, your desires can and should be fulfilled, simply because it has everything to do with discovering, embracing and fulfilling your mission and purpose in life. ~Fulfill our promises Short of a signature on a written contract, a promise is the best assurance that someone will do whatever it is they said they will do. When someone says, “I promise I will take you to Disneyland next year,” or “Mom, if you get me a puppy, I promise I will take care of it!” they are giving the highest verbal commitment possible. So what exactly is a promise, and why is it so important? Is it a commitment? Is it a guarantee? Is it a warranty? Yes, yes, yes and more. Consider a time once existed when there were no paper contracts, no signatures, and no legal documents; nothing more than a spoken word and perhaps a handshake. In other words, historically when someone made a verbal agreement – a promise – to another person, it was as good as gold. Promises are a major part of practically every wedding ceremony; every relationship; every
5

affiliation, association or employment opportunity. Some would say that a promise, given by a person of high moral and ethical standards, is in reality better than a contract. Unfortunately, not everyone keeps promises, commitments, agreements or obligations. When someone makes a promise to another but fails to keep it, the message is a simple one: “I don’t value you, and my words don’t really mean what they sound like.” In other words, “You really can’t believe what I say; I cannot be trusted.” Breaking a promise isn’t the end of the world, but it could very well be the end of a relationship. Marriages end from broken promises. Jobs are terminated when promises aren’t kept. Friendships fade when promises are meaningless. What should you do if you break a promise? Well if the relationship or job or association is important, and your reputation is important, there is only one thing to do: apologize and make it right. Fulfilling promises to others and even to yourself is very important. One of the most valuable qualities a person can possess is honesty; without honesty a promise will likely be no more than letters and words which make up a sentence. Keeping our promises will help us to maintain great relationships, enjoy pleasant associations, and even fulfill our mission in life. ~Fulfill our purpose in life The following two statements have been universal in many cultures for hundreds of years: •People want to feel like their life has meaning. •There are many problems facing our planet and humanity, and someone needs to address them. We are purpose driven beings; that is, we spend a great deal of our lives searching for meaning, for ways to contribute, and for the satisfaction of being part of something important. Whether we discover that in our family, our faith, our work, our nation, our activities, or something else, human beings ache to fill that need. It is very ironic, therefore, that with so much pain and suffering in the world, one would suppose that a sort of “match-up” computer program could help bridge this gulf, and help bring together problems and people with valuable solutions. So what exactly does fulfilling our purpose in life mean? Does it mean we will be happy or find contentment? Does it mean we will be rich, or at least have no debt? How long will it take, just a few days, or many, many years? And what if when you find out what your purpose is, and decide you don’t want to carry it out? Fish dinner? Besides being purpose driven, people are also insanely curious. How, why, what, when, where; on and on the questions go. If you have been around small children, you know this is perfectly normal. Now to be sure, there is nothing wrong with questions – asking questions is a great way to learn – however, anything that prevents us from taking action and carrying out our purpose in life – whether it is too many questions or too many distractions – is something that we can clearly do without. Buckminster Fuller was an American designer, inventor, and teacher. “Bucky” became known as “the planet’s friendly genius,” and in his later years set out to discover the rules God set up for the universe. His hypothesis was simple: the more we know about those rules, and apply them to our everyday lives, the more wonderful our lives will be. His take on life purpose was simple: “The purpose of our lives is to add value to the people of this generation and those that follow.” In other words, use your knowledge and skills to solve problems, and bring more joy into the world.
6

More than likely, you already have some ideas about your life purpose. You probably already know what your gifts, skills, talents and interests are. You may already know your potential. No doubt, there are several things you can do right now to make the world – or at least your world – a better place. You can touch people’s lives and make them feel important. You can teach children to read and give them more understanding. You can volunteer in your community at shelters or a soup kitchen. You can work through a church to provide clothing and food to underprivileged people and nations. You can counsel youth who are living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. You can ask around to locate a family in need, and provide them with a desperately needed appliance. You can visit and love the elderly. You can serve in the Peace Corps. You can design a better way to collect and eliminate waste, or even better, teach a class on how to live more efficiently, thus creating less waste. In other words, you can, you can, you can, and you can. Fulfilling your mission in life is more about a journey than an ending. All of us are growing, learning, loving, exploring, and observing the world we live in. Change is everywhere around us. We are keeping our hearts and minds open, and trusting our instincts to bring us into the place and time we need to be. And we realize that life is a precious gift, and we intend to make sure that ours is not wasted.

7

two
MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LIFE PLAN
an you think of anyone in the construction industry who would take on the task of building a home or commercial building without a complete set of plans and blueprints? How about an automobile manufacturer: any chance of a new model car or truck without careful design and planning? Maybe NASA could just launch the next generation of shuttles or rockets by spontaneously bolting together pieces of metal, engines, wings and control systems. It’s actually a little silly to consider doing just about anything without some kind of plan, yet the number one reason that 80% of small businesses fail within their first year is due to a poor or non-existent business plan. That doesn’t surprise you, does it? So the question we must ask ourselves is this: why do people so carefully and thoroughly plan and prepare for projects such as buildings, automobiles, vacations, armed conflict, sporting events, education, and so on, but we just don't plan very thoroughly for our own lives? Aren’t we at least as important as some vehicle, rocket ship, or brick and steel building? The old cliché is true: by failing to plan, we practically plan to fail. Every single life lived, and every single life that will someday be lived is important. True, we may choose to live our lives any way we desire. However, by not establishing what success actually means to each of us individually, and by not setting intelligent, measurable, achievable goals and objectives for our lives, we may find ourselves feeling a little like a hamster running on an exercise wheel. In other words, caught up in the movement of going round and round and round, maybe even burning a few calories in the process, but essentially going nowhere fast. When we take the time to make our own comprehensive life plan; (1) a mission statement or statements, (2) desired outcomes, (3) priorities and intentions, and (4) strategic courses of action, we are actively creating our lives rather than passively waiting to see where tomorrow might take us. This amazing gift of life is just too beautiful and important to waste by sitting around hoping for the best; we absolutely will benefit in a big way by having a well designed and thought out plan. As the architect of your own life, it is entirely within your power to live exactly the way you always hoped and dreamed you could. Rest assured, however, it won’t happen by chance, or by wishing and praying; it will only happen if you have a plan for it, and you actively follow that plan. There are a number of very good reasons to spend the time and effort and make a comprehensive life plan for yourself, including the following:
8

C

• • • • • • • • • • •

A comprehensive life plan will help you understand yourself more fully. A comprehensive life plan will assist you in focusing on what is truly important to you. A comprehensive life plan will support your efforts to keep your life in balance. A comprehensive life plan will allow you to decide and measure what success and fulfillment mean. A comprehensive life plan will make it easier for you discover your mission (or purpose) in life. A comprehensive life plan will encourage you to be optimistic and excited about your future. A comprehensive life plan will facilitate you in setting goals and objectives for yourself. A comprehensive life plan will stave off regrets near the end of your life. A comprehensive life plan will cause you to think outside the box that many people are constrained by. A comprehensive life plan will drive you to consider a legacy to leave to your loved ones. A comprehensive life plan will make you the boss of you.

Now perhaps at this point…

Desired Outcomes There is a revival taking place in education regarding desired outcomes, also called learning outcomes. A learning outcome is a statement which specifies what learners will know or be able to do, as a result of a specific learning activity. These outcomes are the result of a needs assessment, which are the details regarding an existing condition and a desired outcome. For example, an existing condition might be a learner’s inability to solve certain types of mathematical problems; the desired outcome would be the learner’s ability to understand and demonstrate how to solve such problems. A needs assessment is to provide instruction and training to the learner in order to bridge or eliminate this gap. The final step would be to write the learning outcome, which might state: students who receive specific instruction in applying mathematical problem solving techniques will be able to demonstrate how to solve such problems. Got all that? We’ve come a long way from the days of the one-room schoolhouse and the concepts of the three “R’s:” reading, writing and arithmetic. It’s interesting that the U.S.A. was built on simple principles and goals, simple educational plans and systems, simple teaching and instruction, and simple character. Without a good (and uncomplicated) educational system, the future public will know little of the honesty, ethics, compassion and service that gave our nation a great beginning. Alas, however, our society and way of life have become complicated, and perhaps thus the need for academic administrators and educators to “fit into” the government mandated mold. Whatever the case, outcomes inside and outside of education are important and actually quite simple to both write and use.

9

By the way, some may think of desired outcomes as a form of “working from the end,” which simply means to decide on a product, service, experience, or behavior, and then figure out the best way to work towards that. A physical version of this concept is known as “reverse engineering,” where an industrial competitor or foreign military disassembles a product or weapon, learns everything possible about the device, and is then able to re-create their own version. In his bestselling book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven R. Covey explains this fully in Habit Two: Begin with the End in Mind. According to Covey, everything is created twice, once in the mind and once in physical reality. He warns his readers that they need to be vigilant about figuring out what they truly want in life, not only for themselves, but also to prevent being taken advantage of by others. If we begin each day with a goal and a mental picture of what we want to take place, and then actively pursue that, Covey says we will be successful in creating our own destiny. Desired outcomes, which are much more detailed than mission statements do work; but just so we’re clear, they don’t steer us in the direction we want to go – they are the direction we want to go. An automobile manufacturer needs desired outcomes in order to create a new model of a car, one that might be best utilized for two people, luggage and great gas mileage. A maker of hot air balloons needs desired outcomes in order to determine what material to use, what the balloon's purpose will be, and what type of fuel will be used. What about the desired outcome of a delivery service provider? Or the desired outcome of an emergency evacuation plan? When people are bluntly asked what they want in life, they usually either (1) know exactly what they want, (2) they have a generic cookie-cutter response such as, “I want to be famous, make lots of money, and have several houses scattered around the world,” or (3) they pause and say, “Well, I guess I’ve really never thought that much about what I want.” Whatever the case, it is to your advantage to now take the time, not only to think about what you want, but start writing it down. Sure, we’ve all been knocked around a little, and most of us have pushed our childhood dreams to the back burners of our minds, and maybe we’ve even stopped believing in ourselves just a little bit. Ask yourself this question, “If I could design my life exactly the way I want it to be, how would it look?” "If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." Jim Rohn In other words, would you like to have a great lifestyle, feel good, have more friends, be recognized and appreciated, have peace of mind, be healthy, and have wonderful opportunities? How about being able to help your family, friends and others? Maybe eliminate all debt, relax more, travel, and have money in the bank? Perhaps you’d like to finally get a handle on your finances, start your own business, and have the kind of freedom you previously only dreamt about. During our lives, most of us focus on the things we want to have, or the things we want to do, much more than who we are or what we want to become. Developing our beliefs, attitudes, mental strength, and character is often on our back-burners when it comes to setting goals and choosing priorities. But a quick review of the word “human-being” should help us remember that we are “beings” first; that our beliefs, attitudes, emotions and feelings are very important, and as we’ll learn in the next chapter, ultimately drive our behavior. Certainly there will be plenty of room for what we want to do and what we want to have, but let’s not neglect what we need to be. In fact, taking the time to develop a complete desired outcomes list detailing what you want is very worthwhile, and actually enjoyable. This process will help you think about and focus on what you really want out of life. You can make adjustments as necessary, as ideas come to mind, as old dreams resurface, and as
10

possibilities begin to emerge. This is not a time to be shy – as a matter of fact; this is the time for each one of us to simply go for the gold! The following is an example of personal desired outcomes, in a form more commonly known as BE, DO, HAVE: •This is what I intend and choose to BE: •Happy and celebrating life, each and every day. •Loving, kind and compassionate in my dealings with all people and all of life. •Grateful for my family and friends. •Totally confident about everything that I believe, think, say, and do. •This is what I intend and choose to DO: •Travel and enjoy many tropical destinations and beaches. •Learn how to handle my money and become financially independent. •Retire at age 52 and relocate to a warm, peaceful and beautiful area of the world. •This is what I intend and choose to HAVE: •A great group of friends. •The financial means to contribute to people and organizations in need. •A beautiful second home on the east coast. •A nice pontoon boat to share with family and friends. By no means is the above list complete. As you create your own BE, DO, HAVE list, you will probably add and delete items from it, and fine-tune it multiple times; but remember to think BIG. Some might see this as a bucket list, and that's perfectly fine. If you want to own and drive a convertible Lexus, put that in the HAVE section. If you have a dream of climbing a mountain, put that in the DO section. If you want to experience more joy in your life, put that in the BE section. It may be helpful to consider entries in various areas such as faith, self, spouse, family, friends, finances, career, health, exercise, activities, travel, peers, and education. When you write down your goals and review them, your subconscious mind goes to work finding ways to help you achieve them. Certain events capture your attention, ideas come to mind, and you're drawn to people who cross your path. Regular reviews will help you to stay focused, and as you may already know, you attract what you focus on, whether it is good or not so good.

11

three
DEVELOP A FOCUSED, EFFECTIVE & POWERFUL MIND

O

ur minds are incredibly powerful, and are capable of driving our thoughts, beliefs and behavior in positive and desired ways. By understanding positive and negative thought patterns, and the links between beliefs, attitudes, emotions and feelings, it is entirely possible to use the power of our minds to accomplish virtually anything.

Even though our conscious mind influences and impacts our behavior, rest assured that our subconscious mind is the invisible driving force behind practically everything we do. It is therefore even more important to learn how to use mental tools such as affirmations, visualization, immersion, contemplation, daydreaming, and imagination, so that we can influence and even reprogram our subconscious mind to help move us in the direction we want to go. The power of the mind So what is a focused, effective and powerful mind, and why is it important? Whether you realize it or not, your life is like a mirror, reflecting your thoughts, your expectations, your emotions and feelings, your beliefs and attitudes, and ultimately your behavior out to the world around you. Unfortunately, a better mirror won’t perk up the reflection much; the way to truly improve the reflection is to make changes to what's being reflected, and these changes begin in your mind. If your desire is to see more peace, compassion, love, strength, and responsibility in others and in the world around you, the place to begin is in your mind. Reflections are valuable, because they help us to see and understand what is going on around us, and within us. A movie preview is a reflection of what you'll experience if you carve out a couple hours to go to a show. A book summary or outline is a reflection of what the book is all about. A restaurant critic will provide you with a reflection of some new and interesting culinary experience for the weekend. Moreover, most of the news outlets provide an oftentimes-biased reflection of what is going on in the world; including too much turmoil and chaos, unrest, sadness and confusion. These reflections are similar in function to what others see continually by the mirror of our lives. A focused, effective and powerful mind is a director of sorts - like the director of a movie. Great movies are remarkable in part because of the skill and experience of the director, and his or
12

her ability to visualize what the viewer will eventually see. You have the freedom to take your life in any direction you choose – you pick the characters, the scenery, the props – everything. You do that by developing your director – your mind – to be focused, effective and powerful, and entrusting it with the production of your life. Focused means without distractions, like an Olympic swimmer going for the gold, or spinal surgeon fusing a broken back. Think of a ray of light like a laser beam, completely opposite of sunlight, which spreads in all directions. Laser beams can cut through steel, carry millions of individual conversations, and if powerful enough, destroy a threatening missile. Effective is defined as getting the job done; producing the desired and intended result. Finally, the word powerful is usually associated with great strength, great wealth, great effort, or even incredible force or potential. So then a focused, effective and powerful mind is like a director who zeroes in on what he or she wants to reflect outward, knows how and where to get the necessary resources to make it happen, and puts forth all required energy to pull it off. Before we get too far in our discussion of the mind…

Affirmations and Visualizing Of all the mental tools and techniques recommended by researchers, authors and experts, the tools of affirmations and visualization are undoubtedly the most powerful ones. Affirmations are simply positive statements that are designed to describe a desired outcome. For example: •My body and I are healthy, happy, and energetic. •I forgive all who have offended or hurt me. •I have a gratifying and rewarding job. •I enjoy being around happy and pleasant people every day. •I love learning new skills, and using my own hands to improve my home. By repeating statements such as these on a regular basis, our subconscious minds will begin to absorb them as truth, even though we may still entertain negative statements like the following in our conscious minds: •I can’t stand what I do for a living. •This bad diet of mine is probably going to give me a heart attack. •I’m just never going to get out of this depressing area where I live. Remember, the negative statements we carry around in our heads all day are usually from a lifetime of poor programming. They may not go away quickly or easily, but through regular use of positive affirmations, they will fade away. When using affirmations, it’s best to not use negative words, because your subconscious mind will pick up the negatives. So instead of saying, “I am not getting fat anymore,” try using, “Everyday, I am moving closer to my ideal weight.” Can you see the difference? The companion to affirmations is visualization, which is simply using your mind’s eye to rehearse an event or a situation that has not happened yet. This is accomplished while picturing yourself having
13

or doing something you want to have or do, and achieving the results you really desire. Most people have experienced some form of daydreaming in their lives, usually while sitting in a boring class, or while driving and getting tired (which is very dangerous, by the way). You have probably experienced a time when you could close your eyes and “see” yourself somewhere else, perhaps enjoying a sunny afternoon on a warm beach, drinking something cool and refreshing. Through practice, it is entirely possible to “hear” the water and the waves splashing against the sand, to “see” children running and playing, to even “feel” the warm rays of the sun against your skin. When you add emotions and feelings such as happiness and pleasure to these vivid sights and sounds, your visualization technique will be very powerful, and you will benefit in many ways. Since our minds function to a great degree by way of images, learning to visualize a result we want to achieve in life is very powerful. In your mind you can go anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do, be anyone you want to be, and create anything you want to create. Many researchers and scientists agree that our subconscious minds can’t even tell the difference between vivid mental rehearsal and reality. Nikola Tesla was an inventor from Europe, who for a short time worked for Thomas Edison. Tesla had an incredible mind, and through his visualizing techniques, came up with the concept of alternating current motors and generators. Nikola described this unusual ability as “building apparatuses in my mind” to the degree of rotating them, balancing them, observing their vibrations, wear and tear, and efficiency. Before he built anything, he would first create it in his mind, modify it, test it, analyze it and perfect it. Only then would he build it. He sold many of his ideas and inventions, including the advantages of A.C. over D.C. to George Westinghouse, who became a pioneer of the electrical power distribution industry. To this day, many have tried to duplicate his mental visualizing skills, and almost all have been unsuccessful. In our day, top notch athletes have learned how to “see” themselves performing their craft in their minds, while imagining the sounds, sights, feelings and even smells that they would experience in real life. There are documented cases of people who have improved circulation to their legs and feet by imagining sitting or standing next to a fire, listening to the crackling wood, seeing the area light up, and feeling the heat moving up and down their body, legs and feet. Doctors can testify to the power of healing from patients who practiced visualizing an infection or other medical condition being destroyed by powerful “warrior” anti-bodies. Some people have even learned to use visualization techniques to rid themselves of tumors, and even life threatening diseases such as cancer. Scientists tell us that when our brain visualizes something, it responds the same as if we had the experience in real life – it creates new neural paths identical to those created from an actual experience. Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds ever, understood the power of the imagination. In his autobiography, he recalls how at age 16 he “imagined chasing after a beam of light…,” which later led to his creation of the special theory of relativity. In his later life, he was correct in stating that while learning is important, “Imagination is more important than knowledge…” Visualizing is not difficult. If you’ve ever planned a vacation, you’ve more than likely visualized. If you are a parent, and your children were out with friends, you’ve visualized all kinds of possible places they could be, and trouble they could be in. If you enjoy reading, you’ve visualized while reading, and more than likely done a better job in your mind than the producer who later made a movie based on the book.

14

To begin your visualization practice, choose a couple of times throughout your day when you can sit quietly outside, or inside if the weather is uncooperative. Close your eyes, relax, and breathe in deeply and slowly. As you breathe out, imagine all tensions, problems or worries leaving with your breath. Count backwards from five to one as you breathe out. With your eyes closed, state your intention. For example, “I intend to imagine myself enjoying a nice conversation with someone I know, talking, laughing and having a great time.” Then without any struggle or effort, see this person walking up to you with a smile and a pleasant “hello!” Perhaps they have extended their hand, or even reached to embrace you. Imagine smiling and responding positively. See the person telling you how good it is to see you, asking how you have been. Imagine your positive response, and imagine how good you feel during this conversation. Imagine this person has some good news for you. For example, they ran into an old friend from school who asked about you, and that friend has asked for your contact information. The most wonderful thing about visualizing is that you have total control. You can invite anyone you want, and do whatever you want. Finally, when you visualize, you will want to use the time frame of the present. For example, see yourself sitting in the front seat of the car you want right now, rather than sometime in the future. With practice, you will be able to imagine yourself having great interactions with people everywhere, fantastic relationships with family and friends, an enjoyable and satisfying career, good feelings, better health, and certainly a successful and fulfilling life. That is your goal, right? Do not be surprised when your thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, emotions and feelings begin to change and become much more positive. Your behavior is based on these, and there is no doubt that what you “see” in your mind will begin to occur in your real life. Be faithful to yourself and set aside time each day to work on your mind. Practice your affirmations faithfully. Always be kind and patient with yourself, and remember the effects of poor programming took years. You will have success. There are things in life we have no control over. However, absolutely no one other than you can control what you imagine, what you think, and what you believe.

15

four
LEARN PRACTICAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
e may not have hundreds of millions of dollars to manage or spend, however if we live a full life, we do have hundreds of millions of seconds to use. Actually, all any of us truly has is time, energy, and ourselves; that's about it! This principle is about organizing and learning to manage in order to get the best possible results out of those three resources. As we grow and mature, we realize that everything in life is an exchange: we trade time for money, money for food, food for energy, energy for work and enjoyment, and so on. Since life doesn’t come with a reset button to start over, we can benefit greatly by becoming a partner with our environment and our world rather than a dominator, a conserver rather than a consumer, and an energy giver rather than an energy taker. No matter what people may say, we all have choices, and every minute we choose to live with anger, we forfeit 60 seconds of happiness. Every minute of regret results in losing 60 seconds of satisfaction. Worst of all, every minute of bitterness is 60 seconds of love gone forever. It isn’t very difficult to learn how to manage and care for our resources, and live wonderful, successful and fulfilled lives. And since the clock is ticking, let’s get started. Most reasonable adults agree that everything in this life is finite: water, air, food, fuel, and so on. Yet due to poor management skills and lack of concern, the amount of food thrown away in the U.S.A. each year could easily feed every hungry person in the world. Waste is a tremendous problem in virtually every developed country; and not just wasted food, but practically every resource available. The good news is that many schools and teachers are now including materials on reducing waste and putting into practice more efficient ways of acquiring and using these resources. The bad news is, in some cases it may already be too late. “One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment . . . ; If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along.” Franklin D. Roosevelt Many of the major problems which people around the world face everyday are not exactly new problems. They are old problems which have multiplied and expanded as nations have developed and people have adapted to busy lifestyles – two parents working, single parent households, busy, stressful living, and other characteristics of modern society. Shouldn’t it be exactly the opposite? Shouldn’t advancing cultures have fewer problems? To acknowledge that even one child in the
16

W

United States – by many indicators the most powerful nation in the world – would be hungry at all is unimaginable, yet it routinely happens every day. In fact, some sources tell us that this problem is larger than children; that one out of every six people is frequently hungry. That’s a staggering fifty million people in the U.S.A. alone who don't have enough to eat. This is just the tip of the iceberg, because beyond hunger, people regularly try to cope with problems such as overwhelming debt, addictions, wounded relationships, bad habits, lack of confidence, and poor health. Not exactly a sophisticated or mature way for a society to live…

Time Your greatest resource isn’t money, power, popularity, wealth, or any other tangible item that may come to mind; your greatest resource is the life you have been given. If you expect to live for eighty years, you will be around for 960 months; or 29,200 days; or 700,800 hours; or 42,048,000 minutes; or 2,522,880,000 seconds. While that may seem like a quite a lot of time, comparatively speaking it really isn’t, especially when you think of eighty years as a dot on an unlimited line extending in both directions representing past, present and future. Most of us think of time as a value, such as how long am I going to be stuck in this traffic, or how many more minutes must pass before our table is available for dinner. But what is time, really? Even Albert Einstein, the brilliant scientist who developed the theory of relativity (the idea that time and space are not absolute concepts but rather relative and related), had a difficult time explaining exactly what time was. His theories contradicted those of Sir Isaac Newton, who taught that time was in fact an absolute. In his later years, Einstein concluded that past, present and future all existed simultaneously, and that time, as most of us think about it, is simply an illusion. Well, whether or not time is an illusion, practically all of us can agree on one fact: sometimes time seems to go by too quickly and we need to make the most of what we have. If you are a fan of sci-fi entertainment about time travel or time travel theories, you’re familiar with H. G Wells’ time machine, warp-speed, worm holes, and giga-watt flux-capacitors. However, it’s all just fantasy, right? Well, maybe not. Dr. Ronald Mallett, an American theoretical physicist who studied Einstein’s theories and papers for years, is planning to build a real time machine. He’s been teaching physics at the University of Connecticut for over three decades, and believes that he has cracked the code for actual time travel. His primary motivation is to go back in time to his own childhood, and save his father from a heart attack. If he is successful, history may become as flexible as a gigantic rubber band! Philosophers, religious scholars, researchers and scientists have been trying to make sense of time for eons. Many have literally looked to the stars for enlightenment, but have found little satisfaction in the form of definitive answers. Perhaps you have considered the idea that time, at least time for us, is tied to the rotation of the earth on its axis, and the rotation of the earth around the sun. Our clocks and calendars are based on these movements in space; one day for each rotation of the earth around its axis, and one year for each revolution of the earth around the sun. Interestingly, it has been documented that the faster an astronaut travels in space, the slower he or she ages. It seems possible then, that time is linked to both the proximity of our sun, and how fast we move through space. Not
17

exactly the easiest subject to explain or understand – perhaps if we just had a little more time to sort through it all! For all of us who are alive and well, the amount of time remaining on our balance sheet is a limited resource. How we look at that balance – our perspective of that time will directly affect our lives in many ways. According to Dr. Deepak Chopra, an author and alternative medicine expert, “People who feel that they are 'running out of time' have sped up their biological clocks. They have faster heart rates and jittery platelets with high levels of adrenaline. When they drop dead from a premature heart attack, they have literally ‘run out of time.’” Perhaps the best approach to time is to appreciate it, respect it, and put it to use by living a successful and fulfilled life. Isn’t that precisely what time is for?

18

five
PRACTICE IRRESTIBLE ATTRACTIVENESS
ome of us behave in unpleasant or unlikable ways that simply drive other people away. This behavior is counterproductive to relationships, happiness and success in life. Irresistible Attractiveness is an almost state of magnetism, which causes wonderful people, ideas, opportunities and prospects to come to US, rather than us chasing THEM. Towards that end, it is necessary to work on both our internal (thoughts, beliefs and attitudes) and our external (health/hygiene, dress, community and environment) elements. For example, self-confidence, enthusiasm and curiosity (internal) are critical. So are persistence, truth, and compassion. Moreover, we should always dress to the occasion, be strong and healthy, consider those around us, and look for ways to add value to people’s lives (all external). Many of us worry, or are at least concerned about what other people might think of us; that’s mostly because of our egos, and it’s very unattractive. Expending the time and energy to do that can be exhausting! Many times more valuable is what we think of ourselves: that’s our self-image, and it defines who we are, what we do, and what we want out of life. Now that’s attractive! Certainly, it is true that people have opinions, and yes, it is true that people are interesting. Of course, it's important to hear what your friends have to say about their lives; what they enjoy and what they are up to. Interest in others is good also, because people love to know they are of value. When you tell someone they look nice, or when you praise a friend for an accomplishment; that’s a big deal to them. Now, if you want to know what someone thinks about your outfit or your hair, rather than hoping they’ll notice; ask them. If you want to know what a friend thinks about your plans to go out with so and so, ask them. Otherwise, focus on yourself, your plans, your ideas, your strengths, and your skills. You might think this is unkind or inconsiderate, but it is perfectly fine – in fact, important – to be selfish, so that you can focus on what you need to be; then contribute to the world. Think about this; how can you fix something if you are fragile and ill prepared? How can you have the energy to build someone up if your own life is in disarray? If you want to make a difference in the world – in your world – first build your confidence and become a person of character; then call the world and say, “Hey, it looks like you need a little help; I’ll be right over.” When you take the time and energy to work on yourself, you can become very attractive. The
19

S

world will take notice and people will enjoy being around you. If part or all of your purpose in life is to help others, then do that. However, a word of warning: there are, and will always be those who take advantage of the kindness of others, who require constant attention, who are energy drainers. If you enjoy being around others – and this may sound harsh – you will want to avoid these kinds of people. It is simply unattractive to focus on someone who will ultimately drag you down. What follows are thirty-six characteristics of irresistibly attractive people. Some require time to develop, and others are rather simple to put into practice. To begin, choose three or four that appeal to you, and implement them into your life right away. Then go back and add a few more; rinse and repeat. Remember your ultimate goal – to become irresistibly attractive. Believe in Yourself One of the major points of this book is the importance of belief. When people believe something or believe in something, that something will have a very strong impact on their behavior. A belief is often more than a permanent or mature thought; a belief becomes a part of who we are as individuals. A doctor believes in the healing power of medicine. A terrorist believes that what they are doing is necessary. And a pilot believes in the principles of aerodynamics. In order to accomplish our desires and our goals, it is crucial that we learn to believe in ourselves; to believe that we can learn, love and grow. We must also believe that we have a mission or a purpose in life, and that we will find a way to fulfill that purpose. And we must believe the world is a big place and is worthy of our exploring it and being inspired by it. To believe in ourselves is to see our way through the negative messages, and to feel good about the world around us, and those who make up that world. Most people want to believe in the goodness of human nature – this is an attractive quality. There is always more than one way to view any event or situation. The murderer and the minister live in the same world, surrounded by many of the same things. Yet their belief structures are very different. To believe in ourselves is to feel important and worthwhile. When trials come into our lives, people who believe in themselves find hope. When difficulties come into our lives, people who believe in themselves soldier on. Self-belief is strong, valuable, significant, and of course, very attractive.

Exude Mystery. Some people believe they have to provide an answer to anything they are asked about. That is ridiculous! Not only is revealing TMI (too much information) very unattractive, it can be downright boring! Being mysterious has a sense of allure to it; it leaves people wanting more, even guessing what you are all about. Here are a few ideas to improve your “mystery element:” •Have a wry smile, and just look mischievous; people will wonder what you’re up to. •Leave some things unsaid; people will try to figure you out. •Answer a question with another question. •Do not volunteer information that isn’t requested. •Stop abusing chemicals; this demonstrates lack of self-control and implies addictions. •Demonstrate confidence, even if you aren’t sure of something one hundred percent.
20

•Do not get too excited – it’s better to remain calm and save the energy for another time. •Use eye contact and smiles together – look a person in the eye, smile, then scan their smile before resuming eye contact. •Have a sense of humor – learn some good one-liners and short jokes, and practice the art of delivery. •Be polite and considerate. There really is no mystery to being attractive; the more mysterious you are, the more attractive you become. Listen More; Talk Less. It is easy to imagine that almost every family has at least one person who just talks and talks and talks and talks. If you have experienced life in that majority, you already know how people tactfully attempt to avoid the chronic chatterer! It’s very unattractive, right? There is an old amusing song by artist Joe Jones titled, You Talk Too Much, which clearly describes the talker and the topics of irritating babble. If in the unfortunate case that you are this person – take heart – there’s a very simple solution – duct tape; ok, just kidding! Seriously, simply stop talking so much and start listening. Now, don’t be concerned that if you stop talking you’ll slowly fade away into the unknown. On the contrary – when you express interest in other people and their lives, you will become more noticeable, because in a world filled with people who could care less, you’ll stand out as someone who does care. Being considerate of people, listening to their ideas and their thoughts is attractive, and will cause others to enjoy being around you. Show More Interest in Others. Everyone wants to feel important, but no one enjoys being around a “know-it-all,” who is focused only on him or herself. When you learn how to direct your attention to other people by being interested in their life, their goals and their experiences, you become irresistible. Successful communication is always a two-way street; people want to belong to a conversation, rather than being verbally dominated. When chatting with someone, it can be tempting to “one-up” them by telling your story; don’t do that! Once you are in conversation, acknowledge the person speaking by looking them in the eye and nodding as you listen. It is also important to be friendly and smile. Don’t be distracted by other people nearby; and stop allowing your phone to control you. You might even repeat parts of their dialog back to them to let them know you are “with them.” There are two ways to spend your life: always trying to make yourself feel important, which results in being lonely; or make other people feel important, and end up with more friends and acquaintances than Carter has peanuts.

21

six
BUILD UP HEALTH, WELLNESS & STRENGTH

W

hat would your life be like if someone handed you more money than you could count? It might be challenging to enjoy your newfound financial freedom if you were grossly overweight, and clinically diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. Our ultimate goal should be to feel good on all fronts: spiritually, mentally and physically. In order to achieve that, we may have to adjust our lifestyles by learning to eat in a healthy way, exercising in some form every day, developing our minds, understanding our emotions, strengthening our immune system and expanding our spiritual horizons.

These are not nearly as challenging as they may seem. Almost every habit we develop is nothing more than a pattern, which can be modified or replaced. We can develop better eating habits by eating three smaller meals and two or three healthy snacks per day instead of the traditional three large meals. We can drink more water, and expose ourselves to fewer chemicals. We can limit our diet of bad news and replace it with time spent in nature, good music, and meditation. We can build our strength, learn to focus, and walk away from hectic or unnerving activities. In the same way we choose anything else, we can choose to be healthy, well and strong. Most Americans do not spend much time thinking about their health and wellness; unless, of course, something bad happens. Health is a “snapshot;” how things are at any given moment. Wellness is an “attitude,” one that promotes healthy lifestyles and excellent choices. Overall, our national health and wellness leave a lot to be desired. The facts speak for themselves: over half of us are clinically obese, and fully a third of us have a chronic condition. We eat poorly, are dehydrated, don’t exercise or get enough rest, are toxic, stressed, constipated, and over medicated. It’s simply not a very encouraging picture. Our present lifestyles Something must be wrong. According to a 2004 report by the United Health Foundation, the overall health and wellbeing of the U.S. population has improved by 17.5% since 1990, with all states showing a positive change. However, despite a fifteen-year history of improvement in overall health, the rate of improvement has leveled off in recent years: • During the 1990s, health in the United States improved at an annual rate of 1.5% each
22

year. • During the 2000s, health in the United States improved at an annual rate of .2% each year (1/8 the rate of the 1990’s). It could be that a variety of personal, community and public policy issues contribute to this slowing progress, including rising rates of obesity, higher infant mortality rate, greater percentage of people without health insurance, declining high school graduation rates, and increased poverty rate among children. Even with improvements however, the big picture is not looking very good. Based on information from Centers for Disease Control, Americans spend more than $950 billion dollars on direct medical costs. Each year, we are sick for over four billion days; about thirteen days each for every man, woman and child. Statistics confirm that roughly 100 million (about one out of every three) Americans suffer from chronic illnesses such as pre-diabetes, obesity, bronchitis or arthritis, or a combination of medical disorders (such as metabolic syndrome), which increase the chances of diabetes and cardiovascular conditions and disease. Treating these rapidly growing numbers is straining the health care system, and will likely lead to its eventual collapse. As a matter of fact, the following numbers are more than likely going to make you feel a little queasy…

Eating in a Healthy Way Just as our spirit, soul, and body are individual parts of our total being, working seamlessly together for our benefit, our body contains multiple systems that are designed to work together to keep us living a healthy and energetic life. Our circulatory, respiratory, immune, skeletal, excretory, urinary, muscular, endocrine, digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems require periodic attention and necessary protection. We would be wise to have annual check-ups to ensure our major organs and systems are working as they should, and control any issues or potential problems such as abnormal blood pressure, sugar levels, cholesterol, and weight. In order for these systems to function properly, it is critically important that they be fueled and maintained properly. Imagine how your car would run if you poured cooking oil, mayonnaise, or soft drinks into the fuel tank. Or if you added chicken noodle soup to the cooling system. Or if you carefully poured milk to the master cylinder of the brake system. Or added peanut butter to the transmission. Not a very pretty picture, is it? Even if you were lucky enough to get your vehicle started, the engine would probably overheat very quickly, the transmission would not last long, and the brakes would not stop the car. This is ridiculous to think about, yet many people take far better care of their cars than they do of their body. We all know about the importance of good eating habits; but most of us find all kinds of reasons such as, “I don't have time,” or “it's just too expensive,” and we continue to eat in unhealthful ways. The results of feeding our bodies with low grade or contaminated fuel occasionally is tolerable; however, over time, the negative effects add up, as was detailed early on in this chapter. When people do not make it a priority to eat well or to strengthen their body much, the impact is very significant: their health declines, their body weight increases, the responsibility for maintaining their own health
23

fades away, and they become another causality of the health care crisis in America. There is a very simple solution to this problem; all of us have the ability to participate in improving our own health, wellness and strength. The benefits of eating nutritiously are many including becoming and staying physically fit, reaching and maintaining our ideal weight, better rest and sleep, having more energy and feeling better, and helping to prevent illness. When we eat junk food or fast food with low nutritional value, our cells are not satisfied, and our brain sends signals to keep eating, hoping for some quality fuel. The excess food then ends up being stored which works against weight management. If your goal is to lose weight, remember that one pound is about 3500 calories, so you'll need to start eating higher nutritional value food, and reduce total calorie intake. Consider that a reduction of 500 calories per day through exercise and better food choices can result in losing about a pound per week. You will also want to find ways to boost your metabolism; here are a few ideas to get you moving in the right direction: •Establish better eating habits: eat three smaller meals per day, and two or three healthy snacks in between. •Eat a nutritious breakfast such as healthy oatmeal or something like Smart-Start cereal & juice. Skipping breakfast sends all the wrong messages to your body. •Have a midmorning snack such as fruit, raisins, yogurt & water. •Eat a nutritious sandwich or salad for lunch, and drink water instead of soda. As advertised, Subway offers a variety of delicious sandwiches containing “6 grams of fat or less.” •Give up white bread; it is a larger contributor to obesity than alcohol, sweets, or meat and potatoes. And cut down on pop, chips, pie, cake, sugary snacks, and candy. Sugar is the enemy of nutritional eating and a healthy lifestyle. •Increase your daily intake of fiber, water, fruits, and veggies. Have an apple around midmorning and a banana or pear in the afternoon. Then have some carrots or celery sticks to munch on about an hour before a healthy dinner. •Reduce fats and oils. Excess fat slows digestion, which can lead to heartburn, bloating and constipation. A high-fat diet may also worsen the symptoms of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis and Crohn's disease. A diet high in saturated fat or animal fat may also increase your risk of colon cancer. •For dinner, enjoy some grilled chicken or fish such as salmon, some vegetables, a salad, and a glass of water or wine. Do not drink soft drinks with meals, or even better, at all. •Consider taking a probiotic supplement to boost your immune system, improve digestion, resolve upper G.I. problems, improve liver health, and assist in regularity. •If you are hungry a couple hours after dinner, try a healthy smoothie with fiber, some juice, or even some cereal. •Take exceptional care of your teeth and gums: a clean mouth not only smells nice, but it fends off numerous types of germs, bacteria and microorganisms that can easily compromise your immune system. •Begin a strength-training exercise program. If you are serious about eating in a healthier way, forget about diets – just put that idea completely out of your mind. Millions of people go on diets, lose weight, then gain it all back; plus extra! And they do it over and over and over, until they get discouraged and give up altogether. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, have more energy than you ever imagined, look and feel great, you are going to have to change your life-style; permanently! For the most part, our eating routines are habits, and new habits can be formed in about three to four weeks. You may also find it helpful to begin a
24

new way of eating by starting with a healthful cleanse, such as a seven day juice detox. Make sure to check any cleanse program out thoroughly, and if you have any history with medical issues, be sure to consult your medical professional. Finally, consider a regular program of fasting, which for many has proven to support weight loss and fitness, prevent cancer, add to longevity and help resist some nervous system ailments such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's. In addition, regular fasting will facilitate you in breaking your addiction to the idea that you just have to eat. It is always better to view eating as a necessary activity to live a healthy life, rather than viewing living as a means to eat whatever you want, whenever you want.

25

seven
DISCOVER EIGHT COMPONENTS OF HAPPINESS

J

ust about everything we do in life, we do because we want to be happy! Experiencing happiness helps us to live longer, laugh more, feel better and enjoy a more pleasurable life. It's not that we don't try to be happy; we do. Problem is, finding happiness isn’t as simple as we thought! Perhaps the elusive secret to happiness lies in the examination of the causes of unhappiness; specifically in those mindsets and circumstances that prevent us from enjoying a life of pleasure and bliss. For instance, when we behave like someone other than whom we really are, we cannot Be Authentic.

How can a person be happy when they are living a lie about themselves? Or if we over emphasize or focus too much on any one interest or task, we cannot Have Great Balance. How can someone be happy when all they do is work, work, work? Or if we do not thoroughly consider all the facts and consequences regarding a situation, we will be unable to Make Excellent Decisions. How can anyone be happy when they make poor decisions, for example, about money, relationships and food? Or if we dwell on a past struggle or something dreadful that might happen, we make it difficult to Maintain an Optimistic Outlook. How can a person be happy when they don’t envision good things happening?

26

Or if we view our struggles and problems as end results rather than as challenges to solve, we can’t Anticipate Amazing Opportunities. How can someone be happy when they routinely see tough situations as having no resolution? Or if we fail to see the potential which exists in every single one of us, we won’t even try to Develop Optimum Performance. How can anyone be happy when they never get better at their skills, talents or capabilities? Or if we remain ignorant of the power and building blocks of all of creation, we cannot Generate Positive Energy. How can a person be happy when they are always tired, discouraged and dragging others down? Or if we hold too tightly to the temporary things all around us, we are powerless to Freely Give. How can someone be happy when they are greedy, selfish and/or egotistical? The fact is, happiness is not a thing we seek after, and it is not a goal or an objective to put on our to-do list. Happiness is a by-product, and it’s important to note that seeking after by-products evidently does not work. For instance, seeking after money will not produce money; but finding your purpose in life and using your knowledge and skills to make other people’s lives better; now that will produce money (more on this in chapter eight). Why? Simply because people will pay for products, services and experiences that will improve their lives and make them feel good. The same is true with happiness; if you spend your time seeking after happiness – you will not find it; in fact, you will probably find a lot of heartache, disappointment and misery. As a by-product, happiness is an automatic result of being who you really are, finding balance in life, making great decisions, being optimistic, expecting opportunities, developing yourself, being an energy originator, and giving to others…

MAINTAIN AN OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK “The most powerful thing you can do to change the world is to change your own beliefs about the nature of life, people, and reality to something more positive… and begin to act accordingly.” Shakti Gawain According to a number of studies, people who practice optimism can expect to live longer, have
27

stronger relationships, be healthier; more contented, and just be more fun to be around. That’s not surprising, is it? So what is optimism? Optimism is a choice to see the world and everything in it as good, positive, and healthy. Of course, optimists are not ignorant of the reality of dangers and evil people in the world; however, they do intentionally focus their thoughts and energy in positive directions. Optimism is a key component to attracting good things into your life, the fuel to accomplishing goals, a way to encourage high-quality social and community relationships, and a means to look deeper for true enjoyment in life. Opponents to optimistic people will identify themselves as “realists” or “pessimists,” which are abbreviated ways of stating that life isn’t quite good enough to be overly positive yet, or simply too challenging to believe that good things are going to happen. These are both viewpoints, and are just as valid as an optimistic perspective. Optimists are “Don’t worry – be happy!” people; realists are “I’ll wait and see” people, and pessimists are “Nothing good is going to come out of this” people. The most interesting part about those descriptive statements is that all three people may be looking at the exact same situation or issue. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Sir Winston Churchill Without a doubt, there are people who are stuck in a pessimist or realistic rut; who would love to move over into the lane of optimism. The good news is that absolutely nothing external to us needs to change. The water level in the glass that is half-empty, and in the glass that is half-full are exactly the same. In other words, to move away from pessimism, you will not have to change the water or the glass – you will only have to change how you view the water in the glass. The following are ways to help someone move toward optimism, by helping them to change their perspective: •Since we know that to assume is to make something unpleasant out of ourselves, let go of the assumption that people and events are against you. Almost everyone is busy trying to do the best they can with what they have, so unless you are a fugitive on the run, people honestly do not have time to make your life miserable. Thinking that the world is out to get you is simply a waste of mental and emotional energy. •Consider that everyone makes mistakes, and mistakes are opportunities to learn, rather than demonstrations of faulty humanity. The past is called the past because we are supposed to leave it behind. Every day comes with new choices and opportunities to make excellent decisions, so why not start doing that instead? •Choose one good thought every day such as: “What is the kindest thing I can say to myself today?” •Reduce or eliminate “static” from your life – noise, distractions, the news, people and places which may be contributing to a negative world perspective. •Celebrate your free will every day. Free will is not a license to do anything regardless of the consequences, but rather the liberty to do anything right, good and kind; both for you and for others around you. An act of kindness towards a stranger isn’t only for the stranger – it’s actually for you and the stranger.

28

•Decide to become grateful for the little things in life; a smile, a friend’s touch, water to drink, and beautiful stars visible in the night sky. Gratefulness comes with many benefits such as better health and contentment, and the more grateful we become, the closer our perception toward optimism will move. •Decide to be persistent in reaching your goals and dreams. Persistence is more valuable than a high IQ, and more achievable than winning a 10k marathon. Many college graduates have stated that their persistence got them through school, even when their lack of academic ability simply didn’t make the cut. •In the big scheme of things, our lives are short, so we need to make every minute count. Pessimism is like an invisible thief, and if you allow it to, it will burn up minutes of your life that you can never get back. •View problems and obstacles as “classrooms of opportunity,” rather than “troublesome events” that just seem to never end. When we practice seeing situations and issues from more than one viewpoint, we have a new choice that we didn’t previously have. Choosing the more favorable perspective is practicing optimism, and demonstrating true wisdom. “You can do anything you think you can. This knowledge is literally the gift of the gods, for through it you can solve every human problem. It should make of you an incurable optimist. It is the open door.” Robert Collier Why should each one of us maintain an optimistic outlook? Well first, a primary by-product of optimism is happiness. Even better, optimism prolongs life, bolsters immune systems, reduces chances of heart attack or other chronic illnesses, and attracts other optimistic people. But best of all, optimism drives us to live our lives with purpose, energy and positive expectation. Is there any better way?

29

eight
GAIN FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE, ABUNDANCE & WEALTH
ne of the best ways to solve problems is to ask questions such as “Why did this happen,” “How did this happen,” and “Who is responsible?” For example, in a country which controls thirty percent of the world’s wealth, how is it possible that over fifty percent of Americans have no savings, over seventy percent of working people live paycheck-to-paycheck, and one of the fastest growing businesses in 2007 was the payday loan store? Certainly, we are not poor. On average, Americans earn $37,000 per year, which places them in the top four percent of income earners in the world! So why are so many of us in such terrible financial shape? What if we lived within our means, and we purchased what we needed, rather than what some persuasive, slick advertisement said we needed? Would it make a difference if we stopped wasting food, money, and time? It is a fact that many people in the U.S. throw away about one-third of their food every day. What if we started living like we could not borrow money, and we behaved as if we already had more than enough? Would that make any difference in how we thought about money, our time and our lives? Just imagine for a moment what your life would be like if you had the financial means to do whatever you wanted to do; including making meaningful contribution to people or organizations if you were compelled to do so. What would that feel like? More than likely, it would feel exactly like independence, abundance and wealth. The Problem What is it about money that divides the U.S. population into two very different groups: Those who seem to have a handle on money, have little or no debt, never have a credit card balance beyond thirty days and don't seem to be bothered by how far away payday is, or Those who struggle continually with their money; paying their bills late, having credit card debt, and poor savings and spending practices? By the way, if we compare the size of these two groups, the first group encompasses only about ten percent of the population, while the second group includes everyone else. That is a very large number of people struggling with their money! Let's review some commonly available
30

O

statistics to make sure we understand how tremendous this problem truly is: • Fifty nine percent of Americans spend more than half their income on debt. • Forty eight percent of Americans are uncomfortable with their total amount of household debt. • Sixty eight percent of young families are uncomfortable with their debt. • The average U.S. household credit card debt: o In 1990 was $2,985. o In 2002 was $8,562. o In 2012 was $15,500. • Thirty one percent of Americans have more than $10,000 in credit card debt. • Consumer debt (excluding mortgages) in the U.S. exceeds $1.4 trillion (about $4,700 for every man, woman and child). • American savings rate, percentage of gross income: o In 1983 was 11.3%. o In 1992 was 8.7%. o In 2000 it was 0%. o In 2005 it was -0.5%; this is the lowest since the 1930’s great depression. • Fifty eight percent of Americans have no savings at all. • Less than 50% of Americans are confident their retirement savings will be adequate to sustain them in their non-working years. • Twenty five percent of Americans have no retirement savings at all. • In 2003 the median retirement savings amount was $40,000. • Only 25% of Americans feel knowledgeable about managing everyday finances. • The fastest growing segment of bankruptcy filings is young Americans aged 20–24. • More people filed for bankruptcy in 2004 than graduated from college. • Americans write about 450 million bad checks every year: o That is 1.27 million bad checks per day. o This results in $5 billion in fees and penalties to the financial institutions annually. o Put another way, Americans collectively spend $13,698,630 per day on penalties for bad checks. Most of us realize people do not get into dire fiscal straits overnight; it usually takes a series of bad decisions and poor financial choices…

The Big Not So Easy Now that you have a better understanding of some basic terms and our current financial climate, let us pause for a little three-question quiz. First question: what is our most serious financial problem? Is it:

31

•Poverty? •Unemployment? •Stock Market crashes? •Bank robberies? •Inflation? •Recession? •Identity theft? •The sub-prime lending disaster? •Run-away taxes? Question number two: who would like to separate you from your hard-earned money? •Merchants. •The media. •Retailers. •Providers of goods, services, and experiences. •Financers. •Entertainment industry. •Shysters and Scammers. •Thieves. •Your not-so-favorite uncle. Third and final question: how many people in the United States are living in poverty? Poverty is defined as an individual earning less than $12,400, or a family of four earning less than $18,000 per year. •Fifteen percent of Americans, or almost forty seven million people. •Over 19% of all Hispanics. •Over 25% of all African Americans. •Over 28% of all single mothers. •Over 12.9 million children. How did you do? If you answered the above quiz questions with “none of the above,” “all of the above,” and “all of the above,” you answered correctly. However, since the answer to first quiz question was “none of the above,” what do you think the correct answer is? The number one money problem for both consumers and the government in the U.S.A. and perhaps even the world is debt. Banks, credit card companies and financial institutions build beautiful, majestic skyscrapers with money they amass by loaning average people money every single day. Debt has destroyed families, companies, cities, marriages, and retirements, and is ruining people's futures, freedoms and their potential for enjoying a life of financial independence, completely free of money related stress and anxiety. Our country is continuing to borrow money in order to function at a basic level and, according to the financial watchdogs, as of March 2013 has amassed a debt of almost twelve trillion dollars. That is twelve thousand, billion dollars. This is money that our country does not have, and currently has no way of ever paying back. At some point, other nations will stop loaning the United States money, citizens will stop purchasing treasury notes and bonds, and our current way of living far beyond our means will end very badly. Of course there are some who would say that being in debt isn't a problem; that it's just the way the
32

system and our society is. If this is you, ask yourself the following question: “Am I the kind of person who would give up days, weeks, months – even years – of my life, and receive absolutely nothing of value in return?” This is a valid question because people who enter into debt for anything which loses value over time (cars, clothes, or computers), or anything which has no residual value (vacations, experiences, cell phone services) and so on, are doing exactly that. Remember how your choices and behavior are related to what you think and believe, and what Henry Ford said about what happens if you think a certain way? If you were born into a home or a lifestyle of debt, thinking that debt is not a problem is understandable; it is how you were taught to think about money. The same idea applies to people who were born into welfare homes; it's simply what they know. Just remember that people who are in debt are enslaved to whomever or whatever they owe money to. Based on our earlier definition of money (a vehicle of exchange), people who are in debt actually owe a part of their life that has not even happened, to someone or something else. In other words, put bluntly, debt equals slavery equals present and future bondage. Although not very pleasant, this is the agonizing truth. “You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you.” Dave Ramsey

33

nine
LIVE WITH INTENTION
or most people, intention is similar to a statement of a goal or an objective, as in: “I intend to start losing weight next week.” However, if that were all there was to intention, there would be no need for the word intention; the words goal or objective would do just fine. However, for a growing number of people around the world who believe in quantum mechanics, quantum physics, energy, and the interconnectivity of everything in the universe, intention is much more than a goal or an objective; it is a massive force, which helps to create the reality of every living being. To be sure, there are two distinct ways of viewing intention: intention as a force or a field of energy external to us, and intention as a choice or a purpose, from deep within us. As a field of energy, according to the late author Carlos Castaneda, intention is “an immeasurable, indescribable force which… everything in the entire cosmos is attached to.” The more we learn about this force, and its influence on us, the easier it is for us to fulfill our own desires, goals and purpose. Likewise, if we consciously or unconsciously resist this field, the more we may struggle to realize success and find contentment. As a choice, intention is simply the alignment of our own desires, thoughts, and focus. When we declare our intention to a specific aim and harmonize our thoughts, desires, and focus, the result will be the power and motivation to achieve amazing results in our lives. Clearly, the most productive approach to living with intention is a double barrel approach: learn all we can about the external field of intention, and then align our own internal desires, thoughts and focus with it. According to dozens of authors, speakers, researchers, doctors and even scientists, the idea that our thoughts – and in particular our intentions – having a definitive impact on our world, is a documented, factual one. Although serious students of quantum theories cannot explain exactly how intention works any more than the average person can explain how electricity works, they clearly believe and are willing to stake their reputations on the idea that it does. John Maxwell is an evangelical Christian author and speaker who has written more than sixty books, most of which focus on leadership. The first law in his recent book, The Fifteen Invaluable Laws of Growth is the Law of Intentionality. This law states that personal growth, one of the most important pursuits a person can have, will not just happen all by itself. John says personal growth does not come automatically with age or experience, but that there must be an
34

F

intention, followed by action. He warns that life is filled with obstacles which will prevent us from reaching our potential; obstacles such as fears, procrastination, and discouragement from mistakes. Unless we live with intention, and take advantage of every opportunity to grow ourselves, we will fail to reach our potential and fulfill our purpose in life. Certainly you can see that John is speaking primarily about intention as a choice, from within us. But intention is also a field of energy, external to us, gently pushing or pulling us towards that which we focus on and think about. In his book, The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way, Dr. Wayne Dyer discusses a powerful source of energy called the field of intention. He advances the idea that people who have learned to tap into this field of energy are called “connectors;” that anyone can become a connector and unlock the power of intention by…

Examples of Intention We live in a world filled with abundance: of people, of beauty, of wealth, of goodness, and of pleasure. Every one of us was designed, created and intended to: •Be joyful, peaceful, healthy, focused, confident, loving, kind, authentic, compassionate and forgiving. •Reach our goals, achieve our desires, realize our dreams and make great decisions. •Enjoy intimacy, financial independence, abundance, and increase our knowledge, understanding & wisdom. On the other hand, we were NOT created nor intended to suffer from or experience anger, fear, stress, bitterness, animosity, pain, anxiety, hate, disease, rejection, lack, deception, abuse, or revenge. Why then do so many people suffer? Have we drifted so far from the source of all good, from our purpose for being here on this planet that it has affected our ability to live in peace and contentment, and enjoy all that exists around us? Let's take a short quiz. For just a few moments, suspend everything that you have heard and been taught, all of your opinions and judgments, all of your criticisms and cynicisms, and ask yourself the following questions: •Do you think and believe people were brought into this world to hate and kill each other? •Do you think and believe it is acceptable for people to be mean, discourteous and unkind to other people? •Do you think and believe people were brought into this world to be entertained by way of mocking and ridiculing others? •Do you think and believe that people were brought into this world to raise other people up on pedestals and reverence them almost to the point of worship, due to how they look, or because of their athletic, social, musical, artistic, and entertainment talents? •Do you think and believe it is acceptable for people to behave in a way that interferes with other's rights of peace, prosperity and happiness? •Do you think and believe it is suitable for people to act and behave like someone they truly aren't?
35

Chances are you do not believe any of the above, yet based on the behavior of millions of people, many actually do. Our species, mankind, is the only one which attacks and kills itself because of greed, revenge, anger, hatred, and at times for absolutely no reason at all. The closer we move to peace, to our source, to the field of intention, to the universe, to God, to whatever you want to call that or Who which is responsible for everyone of us having life and being here, the more all of the above questions become irrelevant. All of humanity has the freedom to choose how to live, what to do with their life, and how to respond to everything and everyone in and around their world. Any one of us can choose and intend to: BE loving, kind and compassionate in our dealings with all people and all of life, DO whatever it takes to learn how to handle our finances and become financially independent, HAVE a great group of friends who support and encourage us as we grow, prosper, become healthier and enjoy life. These are intentions and choices, which will not only make our lives better, but are also in alignment with the field of intention. It is not too difficult to figure out what is or is not in conflict with our source, because deep within all of us lies the essence of that which we came from. We do not have to guess what is right, good, and purposeful; we already know. Here are a few more intentions and choices that any one of us can pursue, if we so choose: •A commitment to respect for self, others, and all of creation, •A commitment to honesty, peace, harmony and love towards family and friends, •A commitment to be authentic, kind and unpretentious towards all people, •A commitment to develop and strengthen all of myself: body, soul and spirit, •A commitment to learn all I can about Who or what brought me here, why I am here, and what I should do while I’m here. When we make commitments like the above, we are aligning ourselves with our creator and moving closer to all that is just and good. “I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of failing or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to be open to me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit.” Dawna Markova

36

ten
UNDERSTAND WHOLENESS OF BODY, SOUL & SPIRIT
e humans are amazing creatures: intricately and purposely designed to function at a level that no machine or computer could ever rival. Even though our parts have specific functions, features and strengths, our bodies, souls and spirits rely on each other and work together as a team. As a result, when our body is not well, our thinking, our emotions and our ability to make good decisions are affected. When we are emotionally troubled, our soul and body are impacted. In addition, we both influence and are influenced in all of our parts by the world around us. While the body and soul are typically referenced and usually obvious, it is easy to neglect or even ignore the intangible spirit. Learning to understand and develop our spirituality is not about religion; it’s about the search to discover and grow the nature of our essence; our true selves. This quest usually leads to a deeper sense of self, and a freedom from many of the fears and limitations which burden us. As a result, we become less self-centered, less needful of the approval or recognition of others, and less concerned about social status or collecting possessions. We can discover a greater inner peace and security, which does not yield to events and circumstances occurring around us. In other words, we become more complete, healthier and more loving human beings. Our spirit is probably the most challenging part of our makeup to comprehend and explain, so it may be helpful to refer to the drawing of three concentric ovals labeled body, soul and spirit on page 142. The innermost oval represents the spirit; the soul is next and the outermost oval is the body. Within our spirit, the deepest place of our being, resides our second heart, or spirit-heart (the seat of virtue), our self-image, our conscience, our emotions, our subconscious mind, our intentions, and our beliefs. Clearly, there is no proof of exactly which pieces of our whole being exist where, and some teachers would say our beliefs, emotions, self-image and conscience live within our hearts. Through anecdotal evidence, we know that our heart is buried deep within us, and we know what we feel when we endure a “broken heart,” due to a failed relationship or the loss of a loved one. We experience firsthand the unbearable pain from the deepest part of our being. In most cases, this anguish and suffering will radiate outward into our soul, creating issues such as sadness or depression; and to our body, causing tears, physical weakness, a fragile immune system and decreased overall wellness.

W

37

The middle oval represents our soul, which is where our mind, will, feelings, attitudes and ego reside. Both our feelings and our attitudes (in our soul) are products of emotions and beliefs in our spirit, respectively. Put another way, emotions in our spirit produce feelings in our soul, and beliefs in our spirit produce attitudes in our soul. These connections may make a little more sense if you think about someone experiencing good feelings because they are emotionally enthused about a relationship, or someone having a bad attitude because they believe they have been cheated. If we happen to be a person of strong faith and we believe in God or a Higher Power of sorts, it is our spirit which allows us to communicate our faith towards this Power, in the form of prayer, worship, meditation or introspection. This is an example of the wholeness of body, soul and spirit working together: besides faith in our spirit, we may also experience thoughts, choices, feelings, attitudes in our soul, and changes in our bodily systems, body language, and certainly our behavior. As has been discussed many times, our choices and our behavior are based upon our thoughts and our beliefs; but even more accurately, what we think in our soul, what we believe in our spirit, and what we sense in our body. Certainly some of these behaviors are undesirable…

Our Damaging Ego Unfortunately, we all have an ego, a part of our soul, which seems to have a distorted view of the world we live in. The ego communicates with our logical left-side brain, and attempts to keep us safe at any cost, even if it means hurting others. Sadly, with regard to personality, our ego serves very little purpose; perhaps none. Dr. Wayne Dyer likes to say that ego is an acronym for “Edging God Out” of our lives, and his appraisal is difficult to argue with. Most of us know someone who is egotistical; self-centered, unconcerned with others, and unpleasant to be around. Your ego will even argue with itself; “Of course I am needed; why else would I be here?” However, if you do not make a concentrated effort to lessen its influence, your ego will easily help you to be: •Stubborn (It’s my way or the highway). •Arrogant (Nobody can do it like I can do it). •Impatient (Come on; hurry up already). •Proud (Look at what I did all by myself). •Worried (What do others think of me). •Unattractive (Who needs other people anyway)? •Greedy (I want more). •Destructive (I’m tired of not being happy). Our egos are actually quite clever; they will attempt to justify distasteful behavior by presenting quasi-positive features of negative characteristics. For example, “Impatience can be good, because time is money, and you'll just become poor letting someone less experienced help you do this.” Or, “Pride is valuable, because even kids need to learn how to be independent.” There are a few things any of us can do to minimize our egos; and these will go a long way toward
38

personal growth and development. Here is a list: •Stop trying to impress people, just be your authentic self, and incorporate the ideas of irresistible attractiveness. •Do not talk badly about other people; remember Thumper in the children’s movie Bambi; “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.” •Check your motives for doing something; are they to gain recognition, or to genuinely help someone in need? •Work to improve your own confidence so that you are less dependent on the praise, flattery and compliments of others. •Make peace with yourself, but work to learn and improve yourself as much as possible. •Become aware of your egotistical thoughts and suggestions, acknowledge them, then let them go.

39

eleven
EXPERIENCE VIRTUES OF THE HEART
here is a significant difference between choices and behavior, driven from the mind only, and choices and behavior, which are influenced by the heart. The heart is the seat of virtue, and although virtue has many definitions, the simplest meaning is traits of righteousness, which describe a person's character and personality. When we take time and put forth the effort to build virtuous traits and qualities into our hearts, we are not only building up a reserve of valuable personality qualities, but we are preparing ourselves for triumphant outcomes, no matter what life may bring our way. What are these traits of righteousness, and why are they important? Well, certainly there are many traits that could be presented. What follows, however, are eighteen outstanding and complimentary qualities, detailed explanations, and examples of how to apply each one in your own life. In the same way that we that we had to learn how to walk, talk, and eat, we must learn how to apply traits of righteousness in our life. How did we learn to walk, talk, and eat? By beginning gently, practicing, continually improving, and learning from our mistakes. Here are eighteen traits of righteousness: Gratefulness and Faith help connect us to our Creator. Compassion and Kindness is our way of caring for others. Patience and Praise is how we build up both children and adults. Tolerance and Self Control allow us to prosper in an imperfect world. Love and Forgiveness go hand-in-hand, and are necessary for healthy relationships and a peaceful life. Truth and Humility are the absence of hidden agendas and deception. Peace and Contentment help us realize that true satisfaction does not depend on material conditions. Wisdom and Joy result in our maintaining a good attitude, even when faced with unpleasant conditions. Goodness and Mercy allow us to encourage and contribute to humanity, regardless of the mistakes people make.

T

40

By now, you are aware of how powerful your heart, or more precisely your spirit-heart, truly is. When we learn how to live from the virtues of our hearts, and take advantage of the logic and rationality of our minds, we possess enormous potential to make a difference in the world, and in other people’s lives. Practically all religious systems, sacred texts and practices of faith discuss the human heart, and the power of the heart, even warning of the dangers of a deceitful heart or a heart void of righteousness. It could easily be argued that the world could be, and undoubtedly would be a very different place, if only the hearts of all mankind were filled with virtue. Of course, we can hope, pray, or meditate for such an outcome; but even better, we can begin with our own heart. Study the eighteen traits, think about each one, and then visualize yourself applying each trait. Remember, there are virtually no limits…

~Patience and Praise …are how we demonstrate our understanding of people's shortcomings, while contributing to and building up both children and adults. “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau Patience: The capacity or ability to bear challenges or trials calmly or without complaint. Accepting a difficult situation without issuing a deadline to end it. Applications of patience: •Allowing space for drivers who are just learning, or who are almost finished with their years behind the wheel. •Enduring children who are learning to be responsible and take care of their own things. •Living within the limitations of your income, and working towards eliminating debt. •Allowing someone to explain a situation fully without jumping to conclusions. •Having a backup plan in case of unexpected delays, accidents, or other issues that may likely come up. “Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity.” Samuel Johnson Praise: The act of expressing admiration for something, or to someone. Commendation for outstanding effort or work. Applications of praise: •Remembering that it is easier to find fault in people than it is to find reasons to compliment them. •Telling friends or family that you appreciate their thoughtful attitude and their pleasant personality, anytime the opportunity presents itself. •Taking time to acknowledge children when they do what they are asked to do. •Congratulating others for reaching their goals and objectives.
41

•Finding a way to pay tribute to people for their achievements or legacy while they are still living. Why are these traits important? It is not too likely that the prospect of being around people who are impatient or critical is something that appeals to you. By developing the traits of patience and praise, we will attract people with these and similar qualities into our own lives. The more we contribute to developing and attracting traits of righteousness, the sooner the world will become a better, safer and more wonderful place for everyone to live.

42

twelve
HAVE ABSOLUTE FREEDOM

M

any of us live with the effects or results of trauma, limiting beliefs, crises & stress, confusion, bad habits, addictions, surrendered ground, and various forms of fear. In most cases, we create coping mechanisms to deal with these issues, simply because we don’t know what else to do. Besides keeping us from reaching our full potential, pursuing our dreams and enjoying success and fulfillment, these issues will likely be the sources of problems in our lives, including stress, anxiety, discomfort and even a host of physical maladies.

Unfortunately, thinking or believing these problems will simply go away on their own does not work; in fact, the more we think about them, the worse we usually feel. There is only one way to have absolute freedom in our lives, and that is to fully remove all emotional ties to the memories of the negative experiences and issues, effectively and permanently. By learning how to use EFT, BSFF, Mind Power, Meditation, Ask and Receive and/or The Work, we can experience total freedom in all aspects of our being. With these issues resolved, there is no reason that we cannot be everything we truly want, and were intended to be. Even in a day of technological marvels, instant worldwide communication, medical miracles, and space exploration, the precise workings and functioning of our minds and hearts are not very clear. What we do know, however, is that our actions and our behaviors are strongly associated and related to our thoughts, beliefs, and our emotions. There is little doubt about the statement: “We will become what we think; we will experience what we believe.” If there is anything that science and medicine is struggling with defining and explaining, it is energy and how it affects our beings and our everyday lives. Consider, therefore the following possibilities: What if all of our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, feelings, attitudes and even dreams are nothing more than energy? What if we ourselves are mostly (or even entirely) energy? What if everything around us is energy? What if our minds and hearts are energy based and more powerful than we could ever imagine? To some, these ideas may indeed be “way out there.” However, to a growing number of
43

people, these concepts are completely legitimate. Not many scientists or experts would disagree that everything within the universe is either matter or energy. Consider what Albert Einstein, the father of energy theorems had to say about this common belief: “Concerning matter, we have all been wrong. What we have called matter is energy, whose vibration has been lowered as to be perceptible to the senses. There is no matter.” As mentioned in chapter six (health, wellness and strength), our ultimate goal is to feel good on all fronts or in all realms: spirit, soul and body. In other words…

Before reviewing these energy therapies and techniques (EFT, BSFF, Mind Power, Meditation, Ask and Receive, and The Work), let's examine the eight major issues or problems that impact our health, wellness, and ultimately our absolute freedom: Trauma •Physical, mental, emotional or spiritual abuse. •Negative events and experiences such as loss of a loved one, which cause emotional upsets. •As energy based beings, these upsets disturb, block, interrupt or knock our energy systems “off balance” (remember, emotion = energy-in-motion). •These disturbances, blockages, interruptions and balance problems affect our Spirits, Souls and Bodies and create stress, fears, anxieties, illness, pain, suffering, and a host of other maladies and conditions. Crises & Stress •A crisis has occurred when our expected and routine life is suddenly interrupted and requires our immediate and intense attention. •Examples: •Your automobile's fuel line cracks and your engine catches fire while driving down the expressway. •Your house floods or burns down. •A loved one becomes ill and suddenly dies. •You are informed of cutbacks at work and receive a pink slip of paper detailing your last day. •You unknowingly create stress in your life by responding to a challenging situation with anger, resentment or jealousy. Limiting Beliefs •Unquestioned, but erroneous assumptions we hold about our capabilities; restrictive thoughts that have matured into beliefs, which are contrary to what we want to achieve. •Most of our population – about ninety percent – has or experiences low self-esteem; this causes doubt, hesitation and uncertainty. •Constant negative self-talk: “I can’t;” “I’m not sure;” “I’m not strong enough.” •These beliefs stop us from reaching our goals and objectives, no matter what we do, or how hard we try. •Over time, these beliefs become fixed in our subconscious mind, and as such, require no conscious thought or decision.
44

•Since our thoughts and beliefs filter our perception of the world, they easily drive our actions or inactions. It is a truth that we will ultimately experience what we believe. We do not believe what we see; rather we see and experience what we already believe. Confusion •Seems like your mind is in a fog and you cannot seem to focus or concentrate. •Usually results from multi-tasking or having too much on your mind. •Can also be a medical issue such as a chemical imbalance, improper medication or a psychological disorder. Bad Habits •Bad habits are usually negative or unwanted patterns of behavior such as using tobacco, excessive drinking, and being late for work, school or appointments. •Since your brain functions well on patterns, bad habits are established easily because your brain will recognize a pattern and become comfortable with it. •Even though we know bad habits are not good for us, over time they become a familiar way to cope with stress, boredom, and unhappiness. Addictions •Addictions are behaviors or external substances that our body and brain craves intensely, resulting in our having little control over participating in the behavior or ingesting the substance. •Since the brain registers all pleasure in the same way, a delicious meal or too much alcohol both result in the release of dopamine. This “feel good” brain chemical causes pleasure throughout the body, and also impacts our learning and memory functions. •Severe addiction is a chronic disease that will likely require professional counseling, prescriptions and even medical care. Surrendered Ground Surrendered ground is simply the idea that each time we consider, entertain or accept an untruth about ourselves, we are willingly giving up “ground” within our spirits or souls, which were designed for pleasant emotions, intimacy, divine connection, faith, hope, and clear conscience; or pleasant thoughts, good decisions, positive feelings and optimistic attitudes. In the same manner that a nation loses “ground” to an enemy during war, we lose ground when we succumb to false truths about ourselves or about those we love and care for. Here is the sequence and results in which ground is given up: 1. Introduce a lie in the mind: “I’m an idiot!” 2. Affects the spirit (heart, emotions, and beliefs). 3. Lie is established; tower of terror (self-deception) is constructed. 4. Ground must be given up in order for the lie to take up residence. 5. Negative and pessimistic emotions, feelings, beliefs and attitudes develop; logic and reason are hampered. 6. Poor or bad decisions occur. 7. Problematic behavior & “tormentors” follow. One of the most significant problems any of us has is our negative and/or false beliefs, both of which cause us considerable grief. An example of a negative belief is “This isn’t going to work!” An example of a false belief is, “I’m as fat as an elephant!” These are both examples of
45

towers of terror, which require surrendered ground and result in defeat. Finally, towers of terror and surrendered ground result in “tormentors,” negative emotions, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, choices, behaviors and so on. Examples include anger, bitterness, resentment, confusion, illness, anxiety, depression, irrational fears, poor decisions, and damaged relationships. Doing nothing about these issues and problems is no way to live; and failure to break free will certainly hamper our liberty to experiencing success and fulfillment in life.

46

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Hawk Levins is a retired college professor with over thirty-three years of teaching, advising, program development, and interaction with approximately seven thousand students, fifteen to eighty-six years of age. In addition to expertise in the areas of computer science, business, technology and aviation, he wrote grants, and managed facilities, programs, equipment and faculty. He also worked with community leaders, educators and businesses, developing new academic programs such as an innovative aviation and aerospace program designed for K-12 students and teachers, which included a partnership with NASA. As a professor, he thrived on learning and improving himself through education and study, by attending conferences and seminars, presenting papers and lectures about teaching and learning, and technology. In 1990, he was selected by the State of Illinois to travel to Bangkok, Thailand, to help college technology teachers be more effective in their classrooms. Outside of education, he has been a consultant to public and private businesses, a corporate pilot, computer networking expert, and business owner. He is a licensed airplane and helicopter pilot, and a former master flight instructor. In addition, he is a fully certified and active advanced open water scuba diver, and a skilled energy therapist. While serving and teaching in the USAF, he supervised rebuilding and activating a decommissioned early-warning radar site on the Gulf Coast, which was consequently used as a laboratory for hundreds of radar technicians. Throughout his professional career, he spent thousands of hours with his students and clients, helping them find solutions to problems, resolve issues, and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. He is a father of six and at this writing, Papa to eight beautiful grandchildren. His life mantra, given to him by his father at age five is simple but profound: “You can do anything, if you put all of your heart and mind into it.” His life mission is to help equip people of all ages to enjoy wonderful, successful, fulfilling, purposeful, healthy and peaceful lives. His current project is building a 200 mph, two-seat, all aluminum RV-7A airplane. Future projects include a Talon A600 helicopter, writing additional books and developing supplemental materials for readers. Dr. Levins holds a BS in management, a MA in Business, and a Ph.D. in education. He may be reached by email: [email protected].

47

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close