So … how’s your mental health these days?

There’s so much going on in the world—things certainly aren’t boring, that’s for sure! Signs of change are apparent, from cautious optimism on the economic front to political shifts around the world. While some respond to change with excitement and hope, others can see the same events with fear and apprehension, responding much differently.

I like the example of the twins abused by their father in childhood. One becomes abusive toward her own family later in life, while the other expresses the love and caring with her future family absent from her experience. Both ask, “How else would I be?” And both are right.

There are more than enough reasons to choose non-supportive responses to life’s shocks and tribulations, but we’ve still got to keep our inner game tight if we want to be happy and successful—regardless of what happened decades ago or last night—so let’s do some more mental check-ups, yes?

We’ve got to keep an eye on negative conditioning that takes hold and steers us away from what we want. We’re not going to let non-supportive conditioning take root, or we’re going to begin the process of uprooting that negativity.

In the example of the twins, very few if any people would knowingly choose to participate in abusive and unhappy relationships, yet that’s what shows up for the one that linked love with conflict rather than affection.

So now what happens? The twin that links love with abuse gets angrier, no matter who the relationship is with—the angrier she gets, the closer she comes to a point in her life where she’s sick and tired of being angry. Finally she says, ‘I just want to be happy and peaceful.’ She asks the same mind that created the link between love and abuse what to do.

Not knowing anything else but conflict, that same mind says, “If you want to get rid of the anger you’re going to have to get rid of the love,” and so she does, subconsciously. She sabotages herself or just takes herself out of the game completely.

By the way … the same goes for money, yes or yes? People with negative associations to money—who still make a lot of it anyway—manage to give it away, make bad investments or they have a divorce. Or people just don’t make it at all. Whatever the non-supportive associations, it usually comes down to an issue of awareness—knowing that these things are going on. And this goes for everything, not just money or love.

So what’s your condition? Stable? Critical? Are those roots supportive or non-supportive toward your success-building? Are they deep or are they shallow?
It takes conscious effort to uncover the different types of conditioning we undergo—from family roots, to school, church, and media, culture— the list goes on and on. It’s nothing that can truly be grasped and appreciated in just a few blogs.

However, take advantage of a community of like-minded people. Share your thoughts on the different ways we’re conditioned, the subtle yet profound ways this conditioning impacts us, and some ways you “debug” those programs—whether from Million Mind seminars or some tactics you’ve picked up along the way. We want to hear from you!

I believe we are spiritual beings living physical lives, and to make the most of this life we have to take care of, nurture, and more importantly listen to the clues that spirit gives us, mostly through gut intuition and feelings we have.

At some point, though, we have to honor the physical side of our lives as well, and that means taking action. To hell if conditions aren’t perfect, or if this circumstance isn’t quite ideal or that person isn’t following through the way they said they would. We’ve got to take all these spiritual principles and put them into action.

That’s exactly where a lot of people get stuck, even those with greater awareness and knowledge. You know you want to work out, need to get into better shape for the sake of generating more energy to work your mission. But what step is often the hardest to take? That first one.

Depending how long you had been in your last cycle, getting the ball rolling can feel like pushing a boulder uphill, metaphorically speaking. You need to build the next muscle and final spiritual muscle that separates the successful from those still waiting at the gate: momentum.

Momentum is that force that makes it easier for someone who’s successful to do what’s right than to do what’s wrong. Momentum is that process of getting that snowball moving. The hardest part about working out is getting to the gym.  Once you get there, it’s not that hard to do.

When you’re in motion, that’s when things begin to line up, not before (that goes for you perfectionist!). When in doubt, act. What did everyone else tell you? When in doubt, stop and think about it. No! That’s why I say thinking is dangerous to your wealth!

Most people who I know that got rich didn’t think too much. They saw a piece of property: ‘This looks good. Anything structurally wrong? Environmentally? No? Good, I’ll buy it.’ Twenty years later they’re very rich. They really planned that one out, huh?

Just as an aside, if you’re really “smart,” chances are you’re not going to be really rich. You’re going to get in your way, a real momentum killer. Those who aren’t too “smart” are open to knowing (A) They don’t know everything the need to know to be rich (B) Will learn how to be rich, even if it temporarily hurt’s their pride to know exactly how far off they were to begin with.

A body in motion will remain in motion and a body at rest will remain at rest. What do we want to do? Get into motion! Once you’re there, it gets easier. We already know that. Now we gotta just do it.

What in your life do you just need to get started and adjust as you go? What have you been waiting for? What’s the fear? Is that true or did you just make it up?

You will make it. Trust yourself. Love yourself and know that you make it all up. It’s your freaking story!

Now we want to hear from you! What are some positive momentum-changers that have worked for you?

https://bit.ly/NewMMI

When you’re my age and you bring up entertainers who have been doing their thing for decades, you run the risk of dating yourself. But I think it’s safe to say even younger people are familiar with the late comedian George Carlin. He and a Pacifica radio station single-handedly changed Federal Communication Commission policies by letting us know what the seven filthiest words are in the English language.

There is no beating the comic genius of Carlin, but I can take a different track and offer some of the best words we can use to communicate powerfully and effectively, especially when you’re trying to influence someone positively.

These are things that we sort of already know intuitively: when engaging in conversation with friends or strangers alike, you want them to feel like you know where they’re coming from, even if you disagree with them. You want them to feel understood.

Hence, two of the four best words we can use when communicating: I understand.

If you can get into the habit of responding to every communication with the first two words being ‘I understand,’ generally you will disarm 80% of any negative or resistant energy right there and then. Even if you don’t understand, you say, “Can you clarify that for me just a little bit more?” It’s all about listening, yes? Make them feel heard and understood. Once you’re past that stage, work on the convincing part next.

What else have we instinctively learned about what to say? Well, what don’t you want to say after you’ve repeated back what the other person said yet you don’t agree with it? The dreaded ‘but.’ What usually happens when you say, “Yeah, I see what you’re saying, but …” You know. The other person gets that impatient or irritated look, like you just negated everything they were talking about even though you almost had them convinced that you knew where they were coming from.

The answer is as simple as replacing ‘but’ with ‘and.’ “Yeah, I hear what you’re saying, and here’s something else I was thinking about in addition to that.” It’s as easy as that.

Now what’s that last ‘nice’ word? It’s something that helps us identify with others while still also distinguishing our point of view, without making the other person feel like they’re being distinguished away from you. So instead of saying, “You have a ways to go,” you say ‘we.’

“You know, sometimes we as people have a tendency to make snap judgments even though we don’t have all the facts just yet.” That’s a nice way of telling someone they’re being short-sighted or pig-headed without making them feel bad about it. That’s a great tool in leadership or for anyone who displays openness to being educated.

The beauty of this exercise is that you don’t have to take mine or anyone’s word for it. Experiment with these four words consciously for the next week or so. Notice any differences in how people in your life react to you? Are you able to bring your perspective to others more effectively, or outright convince other people toward your point of view? Can’t wait to hear how it goes for you!

Over the last couple of weeks there has been some amazing feedback to my blogs about the power of our intentions, and how that affects what we go after in life. I wanted to follow up a bit on intention and talk about how we go about implementing our intentions.

I’m sure at least some of you have heard this before, but imagine you’re either looking to buy or sell a home, as a consumer or as an agent. What are the three most important words in real estate? Location, location, location! It takes skill and experience to negotiate, and knowledge to get a good deal done, but in the end the most important aspect of real estate is simple. Location determines a bunch, yes or yes?

Now take this approach toward success. What would be the three most important words when it comes to getting what you want? What’s the simplest thing we need to know?

Focus, focus, focus!

Intention is powerful—it’s the fuel that gets us going and moving, but without direction, we could end up going the wrong way! So in addition to intention we need concentration. We need to focus our energy in a single, unified direction. That’s what allows us to use our full power versus scattering it.

Another one of those no-brainers, right? But it’s another one of those things that’s easy to know yet easy to forget, and harder to make into a solid principle of action. I know because I was there.

Back in the day I had a wholesale jewelry business that was doing okay—not great—but not too bad for that stage in my life. Then I got offered to sell hats wholesale.  Then T-shirts. Then something else. I figured I already had a client base from the first business, so why not? “Sell more, make more!” Guess how that turned out?

My income went all the way from about $700 or $800 a week to losing about $500 a week. I couldn’t understand why. I didn’t get it. So you know what I did? I went and got a job!

See where loss of concentration can take us? It’s the classic case of jack of all trades, master of none. You get all these irons going in the fire, but it’s mostly because of fear that you’re not going to make it if you just focus on one of those. If you were to put 100% energy in to one thing, though, there’s a real good chance you would make it.

Successful people are good at aligning all of their energy toward a single direction. Think of it like a rocket at takeoff. It takes much more energy getting off the ground than to get to where it’s going. Same with us. Once you’re well into the journey and you’re doing very well, thank you, that’s when you diversify!

So at the beginning of any business, you need to trust yourself. You need every single ounce of energy focused on the same spot in the same direction going where you’re going.

If you know what I’m talking about, please share your story with the community. What are some of your revelations and discovers about the power of focus? How did you go from ‘Duh!’ to ‘Aha!”? We want to hear from you!