August 28th, 2010 ~ NO COMMENTS

Good, Bad, Guilt, Fear….oh my.

I used to have a strong fear of success. Oh sure, I said I wanted this and wanted that, had this goal or that goal, but at the end of the day, it frightened be subconsciously. Fear that I would lose some of my friends, that they would think I was different, fear of having to “live up” to whatever lifestyle one was supposed to have when one is “successful”. (sounds so ridiculous now to read that).

And then there was the guilt. Feeling guilty of maybe having the things that some others don’t, and feeling unworthy of it. Why should I have something if that person doesn’t have it? Those types of thoughts.

These thoughts and beliefs can truly paralyze us. They can stop us in our tracks. It is self-sabotage at its finest. We can actually create situations for ourselves that put roadblocks in front of us without realizing we are doing it, because it is below the surface, it’s in our subconscious mind.

My belief is that we are on this earth to live abundantly. That word, “abundantly” is not going to mean the same thing to everyone. In fact, it will mean something different for each and every person. So, what your abundance is is up to you. It could be lots of money. It could be lots of joy. It could mean having a lot or friends, loved ones, or just feeling loved. It could be that you are doing what you love to do every single day, raising a family, etc. You get to decide.  But make sure you actually decide.

And once you decide, don’t let fear of actually getting there stop you. And don’t let the feeling of guilt for having a good life stop you either. In fact, take those words out of your subconscious mind, as well as your conscious mind forever. They aren’t doing you any good anyways.

To your own “abundance”,

Jamie

August 13th, 2010 ~ NO COMMENTS

Thinking Outside The Box

It’s probably an understatement to say that we are living in, well, let’s say “strange” economic times. Certainly we would all agree that things are different now then, say, 5 years ago. I currently live in Las Vegas, and 5 years ago in Vegas things were booming like crazy. Housing prices were through the roof, there were plenty of jobs to be had, whether you were in construction, entertainment, the service industry, whatever. Things were good. Life was good. Hmmm….a bit different story today.

I am not going to rehash the unemployment numbers, or the percentages that housing prices have gone down. My purpose here is not to depress anyone, or state the obvious. So let’s get to my point for writing this:

When everything was all hunky-dory and we were all just grooving along on auto-pilot like life will be just like this forever, what were you doing? And the bigger question is this: What are you doing NOW? Are you doing the same thing? And what are your results? If you are one of the lucky ones that has a career that is still flourishing since the downturn, and all is well with your life, then I say awesome and congratulations. But if, like the world, things have changed for you and things are not so great, think about what you are doing to change with the times. Are you changing at all?

Remember Einstein’s definition on insanity: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Folks, now is the time to think “outside the box.” In fact, I say this is just about a necessity. The old days are over. One job for life, one career, retirement provided by your employer that will be there when you retire. These are things that for most will not be a reality. It’s a new day, it’s a whole new world. But it’s also a time for renewal, for reinvigorating ourselves, rethinking our lives in general. It’s a time when our creativity and zest for life will be brought to its fullest potential. It’s a time to really focus on what we truly are passionate about, what our talents are (are you using your given talents?), what our strengths are.

Speaking of strengths, check out www.strengthsfinder.com for an analysis of what you truly excel at. It can be a real eye opener. But I digress….

The only thing that will hold you back from achieving everything you want, all of your goals, your hopes, dreams (yes, even now in this economy) is…..YOU. Figure out what you want, which for most is the hardest part. Focus on that like there is nothing else, pinpoint, laser attention to that vision. Finally, take the action required, think outside the box, there is NO obstacle that you cannot overcome. Go and get it.

Let’s shred those boxes,

Jamie

July 15th, 2010 ~ 1 COMMENT

Too Much Trouble To Have A Little Fun?

I recently have started doing something that I haven’t done in 25 years: play baseball. There is an over 35 league (I’m plenty over that), that a friend of mine has been in, and I happened to see him one day at a park, playing a game. My very first reaction was excitement. “Wow, that looks like a lot of fun, I really miss playing ball!”

So we got to talking, and he invited me on to the team to play when they started up again. Sounded awesome. But then, as can often happen within our strange little human brains, we start THINKING. “Hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t be doing this, I should be doing things more important, I don’t have time for this, what if I totally embarrass myself, get hurt, hurt someone else, get sunstroke, put out an eye….” AAAHHHH!!!!

I immediately tried to talk myself out of this. Something that was going to bring me joy, it was going to be sheer fun, not really take up much of my time (once a week for a couple hours), and here I was giving myself every excuse why I COULDN’T and SHOULDN’T do it. Sounds kind of insane, right? Yup. Totally insane.

So, once I took a hold of my sanity, I realized that I needed to do this. I needed to do something just for the sheer fun of it. After all, like attracts like, according to the Law of Attraction, so if I had some fun, then I would naturally attract more fun and joy into my life. And who doesn’t need some more of that? There was really no good reason why I shouldn’t do this.

So I am doing it. We had a practice the other day, and the only collateral damage was a few balls thrown into the fence, and a few sore muscles. (okay, a LOT of sore muscles). But it was a BLAST. Our first game is this Sunday. Wish me luck! Oh, and go have some fun yourself. No excuses!

Here’s to your joy and excitement,

-Jamie

July 12th, 2010 ~ 2 COMMENTS

The Great Depression Created What?

The Great Depression, as we all know was a difficult time for many. But not everyone was suffering during this time. In fact, more millionaires were created during the Great Depression than any other time in US history. It’s true. Ingenuity and creativity were sparked by the downtrodden economy,  and some folks rose to the challenge and changed their lives.

Well, we are living in a similar situation right now. There are opportunities for creativity, ingenuity, and, yes, wealth creation. It’s a time for self-reflection, a time for looking inward at what really matters to us. It’s also about finding what really drives us, what moves us, what our true strengths and passions are. I believe if we follow our passions, go with our natural strengths, we will find success. It is what we are here for in the first place.

-Jamie

June 26th, 2010 ~ 2 COMMENTS

What Do You REALLY Want?

I know I write quite a bit here about things like focusing on what you want, personal development,  proper nutrition, among other things. I do truly believe that we are capable of bringing into our lives whatever it is that is truly in line with our passions, our strengths, our desires.

But, here is the thing. What is it that we REALLY want? And I don’t mean something like a new TV, as nice as all of these amazing looking flat panels are these days! What I mean is, how do you want to FEEL? Or course, all of us want to be happy, healthy, fulfilled, right? And what is at the center of all of that? What, at the end of the day, will keep us happy, healthy, fulfilled? It is inner peace. Think about that for a second. What if, you actually had complete, inner peace in your life right now. An inner peace so strong that there wasn’t anything that could upset you. There wasn’t any circumstance to break that perfect sense of bliss within. Nice.

Is it a pipe dream? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing I do know is this. If we have inner peace, then that means that nothing “out there” is going to be a problem for us. There is nothing “outside” of ourselves to disrupt the inner balance and calm state of being.  Hmmm….so maybe if we focus on creating inner peace, then the outer world will take care of itself.  The world “out there” has a tendency to “fold in” around what we think, feel, and focus on. So if what we think, feel and focus on is inner peace, then the outer has no choice but to conform to that.

So don’t give it a choice. Focus on the inner, focus on inner peace, and see what happens. Hey, maybe someone will bring you a new TV! (just watch a peaceful station )

To your inner peace,

Jamie

June 15th, 2010 ~ NO COMMENTS

Do We Have To Choose Peace OR Prosperity?

I have a great saying in my home office that reads: “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart”

I love this saying, but the big question is how do we get to that place where we are still in our hearts? I mean, most of us are running around like crazy, trying to do this and that, pay the bills, feed the dogs, work out, make dinner, get to work on time, maybe even just hold down a job. Does that sound familiar? Where does the peace come into play?

In all of this striving to do more, get more, and be more, is there something that we forgot to do? Did we forget to focus on US? And by US, I don’t mean the money, the car, the house, the job, the goals. Nothing wrong with any of that, but we are so easily distracted these days from what we really want and need. And what do we really want? We want peace. We want a sense of tranquility with ourselves and our surroundings. ….I sense you may be saying “well, duh, of course that’s what I want”… but hear me out.

While it may seem like a no-brainer to want these things, how many of us actually focus on creating that in our lives. We may think we are, we may think that by continually striving for more things, for a bigger promotion, for more money, etc. that this will somehow create peace in our lives. But somehow this doesn’t happen. You see, peace can only come from within. Everything else that is external can be taken away from us at any time. Peace is lasting, In fact, peace is EVER-lasting. And it’s a funny thing about inner peace; when you feel it, things just sort of seem to happen. You may actually GET that promotion, or you may get a raise, you may find yourself in nicer surroundings. The trick is not to get caught up in these things, not to get too attached to them. Be attached to your sense of peace.

The world has a way of folding in around a peaceful purpose. And you will find that prosperity loves to find and latch onto someone who has found a lasting sense of peace. So all these things we talk about today, like abundance and prosperity, it all can be yours, but first and foremost let’s focus on the inner, let’s create inner peace for ourselves. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors anyways.

To your own inner peace,

Jamie

March 6th, 2010 ~ NO COMMENTS

The Silent Epidemic

This is a MUST WATCH VIDEO! Jamie Oliver spoke at the recent TED conference in Long Beach, CA. I was actually staying at the same hotel where this was happening, and I was totally bummed that I couldn’t go! What Jamie has to say is of massive importance for our society, our evolution as a whole. I welcome your comments.

-Jamie

March 2nd, 2010 ~ NO COMMENTS

The “Impossible” Dream

Have you ever really looked at the lyrics to the song “The Impossible Dream”? I was thinking about this recently, thinking about what the vision for my life is, and I remembered seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger in an interview. In this interview he was asked how he had achieved the things that he has in his life. His story is pretty amazing actually. But he ALWAYS has had big dreams.

He says that he has set goals for himself that are so lofty, that they are almost unimaginable that he could even reach them. But this kept him striving, always pushing or that next rung. Now I am not saying that we should all be always on the edge of our seats, always pushing, never stopping to smell the roses, or enjoy the beauty in life. No.

Life is meant to be fun, enjoyable, blissful. And we should follow our path, we should go in the direction that is meant for us. And yes, sometimes that means pushing ourselves, growing, learning, reaching. And if you are in one of those places, as I am right now, then maybe these lyrics will mean something to you. I know they spoke to me loud enough that I wanted to share them with you.

And so with that, I say go and get your “Impossible Dream”!

-Jamie

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

February 2nd, 2010 ~ 1 COMMENT

The Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle, sometimes called the 80/20 rule, proposes that in any given situation it will be 20% of a certain input will produce 80% of the total output, or production. For example, 20% of the workers in a given job are going to produce 80% of the actual production. The remaining 80% are not productive. This can be applied to many situations, not just workforces, but nature as well….20% of the seed produces 80% of the harvest; or 20% of your customers buy 80% of the products.

The percentages are not always 80/20, they could be 90/10, or 70/30, but there is always an unevenness in the distribution. The ratio can, and does change. But understanding this principle can help in understanding where to put our attention. For example, let’s say you run a business selling light bulbs. You notice that 20% of your customers are repeat buyers. They routinely purchase your stock, they don’t complain, they pay on time, they are your model customer. They also happen to account for 80% of your business.

On the other hand, 80% of your customers don’t actually buy much, they return their merchandise time and time again, they take up more of your time because they are constantly complaining, calling, emailing, etc. ANd on top of this, they are only adding 20% to your profits. If you see that this is the case you may want to get rid of these customers, and find more like the 20% that are making your life easier. After all, most of your business is coming from them anyways, so you can afford to lose the ones that are only contributing 20%.

This is a simplistic example, but it is a real example. Check out these great articles on Pareto’s Principle.

First, from  www.betterexplained.com, and then check out how the 80/20 rule helps us to be more effective at www.pinnacle.com.

And just a side note, the Pareto Principle was “discovered” by an Italian economist by the name of Vilfredo Pareto, who in the early 1900′s saw that the distribution of wealth in his country was, you guessed it, uneven in its distribution. In other words, 20% of the population controlled roughly 80% of the wealth.  Interesting stuff to say the least.

Hey, I wonder if 20% of my diet produces 80% of my health? Or 20% of my yoga class is producing most of the results? Can I rest for the remainder of the class? Hmmmm…I have to think about that one.

To your health and happiness,

Jamie

January 24th, 2010 ~ NO COMMENTS

Get Your Advice From The Right People

I recently wrote in my facebook status “Make sure you are getting advice from people who have done what you are trying to do”. I would like to explain this statement. You see, getting advice is something that just about everyone does at some point, and it could be for something that is practically meaningless, or it could be for something that could literally change your life.

For example, let’s say you wanted to write a song, but you had never written a song before. You had no idea how. But something inspired you to say “hey, I am going to learn how to write a song”. You probably would somehow seek out advice on how to start. You may start searching the web, you may start asking other people, maybe you buy a book on songwriting.

Maybe you would want to ask someone who has already written songs, someone who has actually done it. I mean, are you going to ask your best friend, the insurance salesman, who, while is an incredible person as a whole, and is an amazing insurance salesman, but has zero experience when it comes to songwriting? This may sound funny, but think about it; everybody has an opinion about everything. And while your friends and family are people who love you (hopefully) and want the best for you, they may be giving you the wrong advice.

Maybe you want to earn a certain amount of income. how do you do it? Well, for starters, talk to people who have already earned the amount of money that you wish to earn. Anyone else who tells you how to do it doesn’t know how, period. So don’t ask for their advice. They may give it to you anyways, and you can thank them for being helpful, but don’t give it much credence. It’s not that they are being unkind, or trying to trip you up, they just don’t know.

Get your advice from someone who has done what you are trying to do.

So, what are you trying to do?

To your most awesome day,

Jamie