Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Where is God in all of this?

This blog is relatively new, and I must say that I am very impressed with how rapidly it is catching on. I love to read and hear the comments I’ve been getting in regards to the impact it is having upon people. I sincerely appreciate your responses. Thank you.

One recent comment I heard from a friend was that she loved what she reads. She finds it to be very informative and inspiring. She also told me she had one question that was bothering her a bit. She asked me why in all of my writing I did not mention “God or our savior Jesus Christ?”

It is true when I speak of the great power you have within yourself to create the life you dream of having I’ve not mentioned any specific source of this power other than to say this power lies within you. And this is my belief.

Some people may consider the source of this power to be their own. Others may consider the source to be the universe itself. And there are those who consider the source of all power to be from God or Jesus Christ, or Allah, or some other. I believe each of these answers to be true.

I’m not trying to patronize any particular view. I’m not trying to negate any view either. I don’t see this as necessary. I’m simply referring to the power each one of us has within to create. This power is real, and you can freely use this power as you choose. It is a power each of us already uses.

Only some of us use it unconsciously, while others deliberately use it on a conscious level. My opinion is that it is better to use it consciously to produce better results. That is the purpose of this blog. I want to help you understand the power you possess within to create a better life.

Consider the Truth of electricity. Electricity is a power that exists whether or not you are conscious of it. We did not invent it. It has been around for as long as the universe I would imagine. It was not until we discovered it that we began to use this power. Anyone can use this power. It matters not what their belief is as far as where it comes from. It matters not for what purpose they use it. It works the same for one person as it does for another.

Bob Proctor, teacher in the hit DVD The Secret, said about electricity: “You can cook a man’s dinner with electricity. And you can also cook the man.”

With this in mind, understand that it is my only intention with this blog to help people understand the power they have at their disposal by learning to use their mind in the way it functions naturally.

You may consider this power to be a gift of God. You may consider it to be the result of evolution. You may consider it to be natural law. It matters not what you consider to be the source. It is real, and it is yours to use. I believe if more people understood this, we could all create a much better world, a world based on understanding and love rather than on fear and prejudice.

You are powerful. And you are beautiful. You are growing. You are loved. You are exceptional.



“I’m simply referring to the power each one of us has within to create.”


Thank you for following this blog,


Jeffrey B. Brandt

Author: Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way: A Guide to Discovering Your Higher Self



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Monday, March 29, 2010

You Are Beautiful!



Get to know yourself,
And you will come
To know a Miracle!
--From my book, Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way


Every form of life is an expression of divinity. This means you. And you are more than the life of any other form. You are not only an expression of divinity, you are divinity. That’s right. You have within you what you need to become whatever it is that you want to become. What you will to become has no choice but to become. It is only a matter of learning to understand your being.

Everything you presently experience as your reality, your world or your self-image is based upon your beliefs. Your beliefs are based upon your own evaluation. By opening yourself to learning more about yourself and your world, your evaluation of yourself and your world will change. You see you don’t have to improve yourself. Rather you only need to reveal yourself to yourself. There is nothing more perfect than who you already are.



You only need to reveal yourself to yourself



I’ve often felt that learning is not so much adding to our knowledge, but rather it is subtracting the distorted or false “knowledge” we have somehow accumulated over our lifetime. What I mean to say is that most of us have grown up in an environment that has not always given us the most positive or accurate feedback.

As adults, we now have not just the ability, but the obligation to reevaluate ourselves. We must recreate who we are to more effectively function in the world. The world changes with each generation, and each generation must change accordingly.

Whatever you may have felt about yourself growing up is not necessarily the truth. This is the beauty of being human. You decide what is true and what is not. Think of yourself as beautiful and you are. The more you learn about yourself, the more you will see this is true. The more you see this is true, your actions and way of being will correspond. Others will pick up on this energy and you will receive “evidence” in the way you are treated by them.

Every dealing you have with others in life is first dependent upon the dealings you have with yourself. Loving yourself is not vain! Loving yourself shows you understand yourself. And only by understanding yourself will you be able to understand others and help them. Understanding and helping others will improve your standing with them. This will feed your esteem, and the cycle continues.

In short, you must focus on the beauty and the beauty will grow. All of this is based on love. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Use it. And use it freely. You are beautiful.


I love you,

Jeffrey Brandt
Author: Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way: A Guide to Discovering Your Higher Self


All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Friday, March 26, 2010

How I Found Success with Rice Krispies®

I remember when I was very young, My favorite thing for breakfast was a bowl of Rice Krispies®. I didn’t like white milk much, but I loved chocolate milk. I got the idea to put chocolate milk over my Rice Krispies®. Mmmm, that was delicious! I even came up with a name for my little invention. I called it choco Krispies.

I was quite satisfied with my little idea, until a few years later. I saw something that literally shocked me. I was with my mother at the grocery store when I saw right there on the shelf “my” new cereal! They had changed the name to Cocoa Krispies®. It was simply Rice Krispies® with the chocolate already added to the mix. You simply had to add white milk and watch it turn into chocolate milk. I suppose this kind of shows my age, but it brings up a point that I would like to make.

How many times have you looked around at stories of success and thought to yourself, “I could’ve thought of that or I could’ve done that.” Well you know you’re not alone on that one. This thought is quite common. And the thing is it is true. You could have!

So why don’t people jump on ideas when they have the chance? The answers may vary greatly, but what it usually comes down to is a lack of confidence in that they can actually do anything about it. In my case, I was just a kid. But these things continue to happen to me as well as to many others I believe.

Ideas are not really that rare. What is rare is the person who takes the idea and runs with it. Now we may not know exactly how to get an idea from inside our head out into the real world, but this doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Maybe I should’ve at least written a letter to the Kellogg’s® company to explain to them my idea when I first came up with it. My future childhood may have been quite different. Who knows?

Anyway, that opportunity has come and gone, as have many others. I still have a few ideas. But you can bet I’m working on them now. In fact this blog was one of them. When I started I had dreams of grandeur in store for sure. I keep telling myself I’m already famous. It’s just that the world hasn’t found out just yet. But I’ll be here, still plugging away at my blog.

On a more serious note, some ideas may take some time, or money, or other resources. But I can assure you, with the right mindset, you will find whatever it is you need to make it happen. What most really lack is not any of the above. These things can be had if we can only find the confidence in ourselves and in our ideas to go after them. The next time an idea comes your way, what are you going to do?

If you want to do something about it, but don’t know where to start, simply ask around. Somebody will at the very least be able to point you in a direction that brings you closer. From there you continue to do the same. Do this again and again and again if you have to. And above all, be ready to act when you have found what action to take.

If you have nobody to ask, ask me! I’ll be happy to do what I can to help someone attain success, if they are really serious about making it. And I won’t even ask for a cut! I’ll be happy just to be of assistance.

By the way, just as an aside, I moved to Mexico a while back. And while I was there, do you know what I saw? They have this same cereal. But what was interesting to me was that they call it Choco Krispies! I found my home. Until next time, this is Jeffrey Brandt.


Thank you!



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Continuous Learning

If you’ve read the past few postings on this blog, you will have sensed that I am a big believer in continuous learning. Learning is growth, and growth is the essence of life. Our society places a great deal of emphasis on learning for children, but for some reason, it tends to taper off as we become adults. There have even been paradigms suggesting that learning is not as easy for an adult as for a child.

Notice I used the word paradigm. That is because the Truth of the matter is that is all that it is. If children seem to learn new information quicker or easier than adults, it is only because they make use of all of their faculties to learn more so than adults.

Children are active by their very nature. They learn things kinesthetically. They do a new thing, whether they do it with proficiency or not. Adults tend to restrict their actually doing anything because they believe they have to do it well. Does this make any sense? Language is a prime example of this. In one of my businesses, Bridge Lingual Services, I deal with a lot of people from other countries. I hear again and again from parents who rely on their children heavily because they fell they can’t communicate well enough in English.

These children may not speak all that well either, but it isn’t long before they can. This is because they simply do it. This is kinesthetic learning. Certainly some people respond better to kinesthetic learning than others; however, this is only one way where children seem to jump in where adults don’t.

One of the best ways that children learn is by incorporating their imagination. They pretend all the time about being in different situations. They act out these situations and the “experience” of doing so goes straight to the subconscious mind. Bingo! A new habit is learned.

You see an example of this in some training exercises with adults from time to time. Take sales training for example. Role playing is often used to get new sales persons to pick up new techniques and build confidence. This is also used in classes in conflict resolution in the work place frequently. This make-believe style of learning could be used in much more far reaching ways. Use your imagination.

Another idea that helps children learn well is the simple idea of something being new or interesting. When children want to learn a certain thing, they really want to learn it. They get themselves involved with the new idea or concept and make it their own.

Often times, adults don’t seek out to learn new things. They wait until someone comes along and decides for them that they “need” to learn something new. Then they begrudgingly set out to learn it with no real vested interest in learning it. Technology is a good example. Many of us adults have grown up in a time before computers and cell phones and digital cameras and CDs.

These new technologies appeared on the scene and only appealed to the younger generation at first. Now you can hardly find a job without having at least the basics down of computing skills. Can you type on a computer keypad?

Saying that you are too old to be learning new things is only true if you decide it is true for you. But what a loss thinking like this can be. Learning is something that never has to stop, and just in continuing to learn new things continuously you improve the quality of your life. Not only because of the new thing you learned, but also because you are continuing to use what God gave you between your ears.

Continual learning can have numerous beneficial effects on your overall health and well being. Studies have shown this to be true. But really you don’t need studies to tell you this. Just find something that interests you that you know little about and get going to learn it. You’ll see for yourself. And your own experience can be much more convincing than any studies that someone might sight.



To Your Continual Growth,

Jeffrey B. Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The Paradigm of Thought



How much of what we have to learn, in Truth, is really unlearning past, now irrelevant information?

Think about that one for a minute. If you consider it well, you will see the validity of the statement, and understanding this can bring you to a new insight. Everything we know only serves us under certain conditions, and those conditions are in a state of constant flux.

If this sounds deep and confusing, let me put it this way. Nothing is written in stone. Circumstances change. It is the nature of the universe to evolve. We are no different. We must be ever ready and willing to let go of our paradigms in order to more efficiently move into the future.

Most understand this with the concept of opinions. Our opinions may change rather openly, without our giving them much thought or resistance. The concept of what we consider to be facts really should be no different. What we consider facts have changed over time, just the same. Sometimes they change easily and other times with the tooth of defense menacing the attempt.

The world was once flat, did you know? There were only four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Atoms were the smallest most basic thing that exists. Energy and matter were once separate things. One race is superior to another. People are above the animals. The earth is moving through space (as if the earth were a separate entity from the space through which it moves). Etc. Etc. Etc.

Why do we feel we need to categorize everything we can observe? Certainly doing so may be helpful, but only to the end of some specific desired result. We still say the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. This is convenient, but it is not necessarily the truth, and we do seem to know it.

Every fact you or I state is no different. Yes, something may be true, yet it is not. My point is not to confuse or put down what or how anyone thinks. It is only to add a little expansion to our thinking. It is when we are not willing to expand our thinking that we begin to put ourselves at a disadvantage. We box ourselves in to a paradigm.

The world continues on. Nothing you or I can do to change that. It is for this reason you often hear that for anything in your life to change, you must change. This knowledge is gold. Everything great begins from within.

Don’t be afraid to delve within your own consciousness, and do so with a mind ready to be changed. Growth and evolution seem to be the norm from time immemorial.

If you gather anything of value from this, let it be that it really matters not what you know. It is only what you decide to do with it that truly matters.



“Be bold in your decisions, but be humble in your present stance.”

--From my book, Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way



Remember, as always, I welcome your feedback whether in comments or questions. And thank you for reading my blog.

Jeffrey B. Brandt


All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Four Levels of Your Existence



Good things you can do with the mind.
Greater things still you can do
with the heart
.”

--From my book, Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way

The mind is a wonderful instrument to use in the creation and development of new ideas. In fact, this is exactly what it was designed to do. When you consider the equally valid fact that we are emotional beings, you will further understand that incorporating your heart into your most expansive and challenging endeavors will only serve to augment their impact.

When you look at any new idea through the eyes of your heart, you will automatically feel more connected with that idea. You will find you invest something of yourself that would not otherwise surface. We are intelligent beings. We are emotional beings. We are creative beings. We love to be a part of the creation of that which we believe to be an important venture, whether great or small.

It is good to be this way because it is in our nature to be this way. Participation in growth is what feeds the flow of energy through our being. Always in the creative process there is learning to be had. Learning is feeding on the wisdom of the universe and all of its glory. It is the reward of directed curiosity. It is the expression of the divinity within.

I say this because all knowledge out there is already within each one of us, although we don’t realize this until we have grasped it. You see you are one with everything in the universe, and when you yearn to learn a new idea, you are expressing the divinity within you to bring that connection even closer on an intellectual level, even physical level.


The real you exists on several levels:


You are spiritual. This is where you are one with all that exists.
You are intellectual. You have the capability to grasp ideas in your mind.
You are emotional. You have the ability to connect with a new idea and care for it.
You are physical. You seek to experience a new idea.

When you get every level of your being to focus in concert on the development of any new idea, you practically guarantee the success of that idea. It is similar to the power gained when several small rivers come together to form one large river. There is power!

You can know that when you get every level of your being focused on the same outcome, that outcome must be in your best interest. If it were not so, your spiritual level would not make the connection.

Try to see everything you do in your daily life from these different perspectives: spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical. The more you can bring your total awareness into the picture, the more wisdom you will find to decide if the goal is worthy, and if it is, you will have at your disposal far more resources to accomplish it.

Let me know if this is helpful to you.

Thank you,
Jeffrey B. Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Key to Change

In my last blog, The Inner World of Thought, I mentioned how certain situations from our past, when replayed in the mind, tend to bring back the same strong feelings you originally felt. The physiological response of your body is the same as if that situation were actually happening to you in this moment. In other words, the experience of the memory or imagination is as real as the experience was at the time it happened.

In realizing this as true, you see the evidence of how your subconscious mind operates. There are two important concepts that can be used to your advantage if you understand them. And that is the purpose of this very special addition of my blog. Please read on.

First of all, the subconscious mind cannot distinguish between that which is real and that which is imagined. This is precisely why the physiological reaction in your body is the same in both cases. Memory is not real, but your subconscious mind expresses the same reaction in your body as it would if it were real.

The second concept that is revealed is that the subconscious mind experiences everything on an emotional level. The subconscious mind is often referred to as the feeling mind, as opposed to the thinking (conscious) mind.

Now you may be wondering why this revelation is so important. Let me tell you that at least ninety percent of your behavior is driven by habit, not conscious decision. Personally I believe this number is much higher than ninety percent. Let me tell you also that your habits reside in the subconscious part of your mind. Habits are not conscious actions, they are automatic, which makes them so difficult to control in the long term.

You try to make a change on a conscious level, and the change lasts a short while. Before you realize it, you are back to your habitual ways. Does this sound familiar? This is evidence that the conscious mind does have the power to override the subconscious faculty of habitual actions, but only in the short term.

This is because the conscious mind, while it is powerful, can only focus on one thing at a time. While you are focused on a new behavior, you have no problems in accomplishing it. However, you do need to change your conscious focus to function in other matters as well. You cannot function in these other matters while simultaneously focusing on your changed habit. The conscious mind is not designed to multitask.

So when your conscious mind does begin focusing on other tasks and matters, the subconscious kicks in to take up the matter in the way it does, the habitual way. Now whether or not this habitual way is beneficial or detrimental to what you desire is of no consequence. Thus habits of a malicious nature are as prone to remain imbedded in your programming as are good habits. And habits are not easily changed.

There is a reason for habits. Remember if you would how you felt when you were first learning to drive a car or ride a bike or anything new. If you remember, you were likely quite awkward and inefficient, until you repeated that activity enough to become proficient. This is when your subconscious mind takes your ability to perform that task and creates a habit so that it may run basically on autopilot.

The benefit of this is that it frees up your conscious mind to think about other things while you are performing this task. This is great, really. Except when it comes to some of the habits we wish we would not have picked up or those that no longer serve us well. Habits can be changed, but it can seem impossible if not nearly so. This is where this information can be of immense value, if you put it to use.

People who wish to change a habit generally make the attempt by using their will power. The will is a conscious faculty and has little to no effect on the subconscious mind. Thus, the subconscious mind is overridden only so long as there exists a conscious focus on doing so. The moment the conscious mind takes up another task, the subconscious kicks in as it was designed to do, with no change in programming.

The will can be used to change a habit if it is consistently used, long enough to form a new habit. However, few have the discipline to carry this method through. It takes a long time to change the programming by sheer conscious will.

The subconscious mind responds well to imaginary situations. Spend some time everyday and throughout the day imagining yourself performing the new habit you wish to acquire. You can do this at any time your conscious mind is free to wander such as while walking, driving, or doing any repetitive task. Remember the subconscious mind cannot distinguish between that which is real or imagined.

Speed this process up by injecting emotion into your fantasy. Imagine how good you will feel when the new habit will be yours! Imagine that it already is yours. Make it as real and as positive as you possibly can. This is the key to making a change in habit take hold on the subconscious level.


Thank you,

Jeffrey B. Brandt




All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Friday, March 19, 2010

The Inner World of Thought

Many consider their inner state as being dependent upon their external circumstances. I am happy because… I am depressed because… He makes me so angry… On and on it goes. This seems logical, and in fact it can be true, but there is something more going on than most are aware of.

This is in total contradiction to what the greatest minds in history have taught us. I’ve read plenty from these great minds, and I have to tell you this one thing has been one of the most difficult concepts to get my head around. It is the root of what I talked about in an earlier blog about taking responsibility for your life. Once understood and accepted, it becomes very liberating.

I can tell you unequivocally that once you can get your head around this seemingly difficult concept, you too will feel the liberation that it grants. You can be free in this very moment to feel whatever it is you wish to feel. Not can you, but you are free in this very moment. You are exercising that freedom with every decision you make.

When I say that your inner state can be dependent upon your outer circumstances, understand that this can be true only because you allow it. It does not have to be that way. I see nothing wrong with allowing outside circumstances to affect our inner states, so long as we recognize that it is our choice in that moment. The problem comes when we forget that it is our choice to allow outside circumstances to dictate our feelings.

Everybody’s outside circumstances, from time to time become less than we might like. This is no reason to subject yourself to even more unpleasantness by choosing to feel negative energy such as anger or depression or fear.

Personally I believe these negative reactions are so ingrained in our being that one would have to be practically a saint to not experience them. For this reason I’m not about to tell you should never feel them. That would be hypocritical on my part if I did. I do succumb to negative feelings like anyone else.


Here's a Suggestion


However, from what I have learned and practiced, I can offer you a suggestion that has changed my life in many wonderful ways. Suppose something has happened to you that absolutely infuriates you every time you think about it. If this something has just happened, and your natural reaction was to become infuriated, as soon as you become conscious of the fact that you are infuriated, accept that reaction. You’re feeling it. It’s real. Accept it for what it is.

Then, and this is important, understand that the situation (no matter how bad) did not cause you to become infuriated. It was your choice, even if only subconsciously. It may have been a part of your conditioning, but it was something that you decided was an appropriate response at some point and time.

Shift your thinking from the situation itself to your reaction of the situation and contemplate this concept that I am explaining here. This may prove difficult to do in the heat of the moment, but I recommend you do it anyway. You may not feel content in the least, but you will surely notice a decrease in your negative feelings. This exercise is not meant to make you suddenly forget your feelings. Rather it is meant to get you started thinking in a more positive way.

The true purpose of any situation you face in life is to help you grow, and the sooner you can understand this the sooner you will grow. This does not make the problem go away, however it can stop it from robbing you of precious energy you might use to find a solution.

Often situations that leave us feeling infuriated tend to get replayed in our mind, and the feeling of being infuriated surges anew as if it were the first time. This is completely avoidable and every effort should be taken to avoid it. Because if you don’t, and you allow yourself to go through this experience again and again, you are only reinforcing this negative energy.

If you have noticed that replaying a situation tends to bring back the same strong feelings you originally felt, take note that this is evidence of how your subconscious mind operates. First, your subconscious mind cannot differentiate between what is real or imagined. This is why your reaction becomes the same, as if it were happening to you all over again. Secondly, the subconscious is the seat of emotion; it is considered the feeling mind.

If you gain nothing more from this understanding, note that this is valuable information in that this same process can be driven by you to create better results. This is a subject I will pick up on again in the next blog. So please continue. I’ll talk to you again soon!


To you journey,

Jeffrey B. Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Can I Change Him?

How much pain is created in people when they fail to realize the only change they will ever make is within themselves? We base our lives around trying to make things better ‘out there’, and we find nothing but isolation. We look to ourselves and let everything out there go, and we find continuity. Does this sound like a paradox? Maybe so, but there is a lot of Truth to be had in this line of thought.”

--Excerpted from my book, Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way: A Guide to Discovering Your Higher Self.


I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people suffering needlessly because they feel stuck trying to help another person change in some way when that person is not ready to change. It feels so human to want to reach out and try. Although the intention is good, we have to realize that each person is an individual who is experiencing what they have brought on to themselves, even if this is not always pleasant.

This is subconscious programming at work. And can be very difficult to overcome. Where the subconscious is involved, conscious reasoning may be futile, as you may have noticed. You cannot with subconscious programming because the faculty of reason is strictly a conscious faculty.

Am I saying to just let a suffering person suffer? Yes and no. What I am saying is that you must keep the big picture in mind. If someone you love or care about insists on seeing the negative side of life, the best you can do for that person is show them that this is a choice. Show them that you have decided to see the other side, the positive side. Let them know that they can see the positive as well by their own choice, and that you are there to support them in doing so.

The point is if you allow their choice to become your choice, by allowing your own energy to dissipate along with theirs, you have gained nothing for that person or for yourself. If your energy becomes negative, as in depressed because you can’t change them, you will only begin to become a detriment to your own well-being. You will not be in a position to support another.

You need to keep focused on the good that exists in life. And you need to expect this from the other person as well. Go out of your way to point out the good things you see in this person (even if the things you see seem to have nothing to do with the immediate situation). This may take their focus off the negative long enough to shift their energy.

You can support them by reaching out to the level of mind that is “seeing” the negative. The subconscious mind is emotional. This is why you must avoid at any cost becoming upset, depressed, afraid or negative in any way. This will only reinforce their present negative mindset.

By feeding them a positive outlook, you will be offering them the most support you can. But still, remember it is their choice to come around or not, even it it means making a difficult decision.

There is a consensus among most experts of the study of mindsets with regards to trying to change another person. That consensus is that there is no way you can force another to change their mindset. The very best you can do is provide an irresistible example of your own ability to choose to see things in a positive light. If you can show them that it is a personal choice; that may be enough. If not, you have to understand they made their choice.

You may have heard me speak of Les Brown before. He is an amazing motivational speaker who when asked by an attendee of one of his seminars “Can I change my husband?” His response was “No! Changing yourself is a full time job.”

I wrote this blog in response to a request of a good friend. I hope that it helps. Bless you in your journey,

Jeffrey B. Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

More than knowledge

I’ve always been interested in the idea of what makes successful people so. I would imagine this line of thought has crossed the minds of most everybody, whether they are one of the successful ones or not.

One who has not experienced success in the extreme would likely tend to think that there is some kind of knowledge that enables the extremely successful to be as they are. Still there are the many examples of “ordinary” people suddenly becoming successful in the extreme.

Did they suddenly come in to that special knowledge? If you ask them, most will say no. A few will say that they learned from another who was successful. This is the idea we hear about in mentoring.

Obviously mentoring tends to have a great impact on the lives of many. There are numerous cases to show evidence of this. The subject of self-help/prosperity in books, audio, and video programs has exploded in recent years. This has really been fed by the release of the hit DVD, The Secret.

Many have really delved into these numerous books and programs. You might be amazed at how much free information is out there in cyberspace. If you look up any of The Secret teachers, you will find a wealth of free information. I would highly recommend you look into these sites if they interest you.

However, I would like to warn you also, that most people who come to these sites, as well as those who purchase a number of books and audio on the subject, are actually looking for is some real secret formula.

They are looking for something that will suddenly transform their life into a dream lifestyle. Does this magic formula exist? Well yes and no. I say yes because it seems like a secret. So few really understand it. The true answer is no. If you’ve read or heard pretty much any motivational speaker on the subject, you will have heard what it takes to succeed in life.

You likely thought that sounds great and proceeded to give it a go for awhile, and then slipped back into your old ways. This happens to probably more than 95 percent of the students of these programs, in general. Why? I can tell you why.

This is because the knowledge sounds so simplistic, too simplistic, actually. One gets motivated, until the habitual forces within begin to kick in again. When they do, the usual conditioned response is that the information was too fairy tale to work in the real world with all of its “real” problems. Does this sound familiar?

Well in truth there is nothing wrong with the information. It is definitely real and it is definitely that simple. Where we tend to fail is in understanding and applying the correct programming that we have in our minds. In short, it is that one must understand not just the keys to success, but the keys of reprogramming the mind to be successful. This does actually take time. It can be much smoother and quicker with a little help.

I’m going to let you in on something. I’ve been working on something really cool for the past seven months. It’s almost ready and you can bet I will let you know when it is. Yes, it will be another program but this program is going to be very personalized fro those who partake in it.

Of course this means it will have to be for a very limited number of people. However, this number will grow exponentially as the program takes off. Does this sound like something you might be interested in hearing more about?

If so, let me know and I will keep you informed. Or you can just keep watching this blog for updates. This is really something amazing, but I can’t tell you more at this time. Sorry. Keep smiling.


Take care,

Jeffrey B. Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Responsibility

If you have done much reading in the field of self-help or self-empowerment, you certainly have come across the topic of responsibility. Pretty much every great teacher has had something similar to say in regards to this difficult topic. You must accept total responsibility for creating your current circumstances before you can change your circumstances.

I agree and disagree. Most do sympathize with the fact that most of our mental program errors were created when we were too young to have any idea we were even being programmed. And most will go so far as to say that this erroneous programming itself was not even done on a conscious level by our parents, teachers, and whoever else may have influenced us in this negative way.

I’m not about to talk about blame other than to say it really doesn’t matter. If you could put the entire blame on any other person, this would not help you in the least in moving you closer to your goals of self-empowerment. If you put the entire blame on yourself, this would not help you in the least in moving you closer to your goals of self-empowerment. Either way, you are thinking blame. Blame itself is disempowering.

Thinking about the origin of your present programming is not in itself going to help you anyway. Let that go. It is only placing your focus on the past which is gone. Besides, focusing on the past will only attract more of the same energy. This is energy that you obviously want to move beyond.

You may not have imprisoned yourself through your past programming, but it is up to you to free yourself. If this does not sound fair, I’m sorry. But we are all one. We are all trying to find our way.

This idea of responsibility garnered my focus for some time as it seemed to come up in so much of the reading I do in the self-help/personal growth genre. I did finally make a connection with something else that really helped me to accept it, which I truly do believe is necessary to move along. Think about this one.

A child is dependent upon his or her parents for the food he or she eats. Often this selection is not the healthiest choice. In fact, it may even be detrimental to the long term health of the child. Clothing as well is picked out, usually by the mother. As the child grows, and eventually becomes an adult, he or she could continue making the same choices about food and clothing, but frequently this does not happen.

Adults commonly alter their diets to feel better or even heal themselves of some chronic problem they may have begun to develop even as a child. Choice of clothing changes as we move into different spheres, both social and professional. Seldom does anyone consider blame in either of these cases. It is simply a natural process of evolving in our ways.

If you are inclined seek avoidance of blame for your current situation, I would encourage you to think of your mindset in the same way as your diet or clothing style. Take the reins and make the change without giving the origin a thought.


I fully agree with the idea that we must take responsibility to improve our situation. I do believe there is a better way to look at your current situation, however. When a child is born into this world, she or he has absolutely no qualms about expressing her or his self completely openly.

We do learn at some point that we are to be more selective in what we express. This has both good and not-so-good ramifications. In itself, it is not a problem. You may stifle your expressions to make for smoother interactions with others. This is good. The not-so-good outcome is that without thinking, we may begin to suppress our awareness of what it is that we truly require to be happy individuals.

I find it quite common to ask someone what they want to do with their life, and have them answer, honestly, that they really don’t know for sure what they would like to do. This is sad. I believe it is a result of our suppressing our desires from an early age.

Dreaming, as in imagination, is another perfectly natural function that tends to be suppressed early in life. I believe the best one can do, if they feel the urge to regain control of their life, is to begin allowing that inner child to come out to play once in a while. We all have this part of us. It doesn’t really go away.

So play more. Explore new things. Begin to think of adventure. Learn something new everyday. When you do this, you will discover things about yourself that you have not lost. You have only forgotten.


To your journey,

Jeffrey Brandt




All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Understanding and Application of Ideas to Reach Your Goals




It matters not so much what you know. It matters that you understand and apply that knowledge to attain the desired end result: your goals. To achieve your goals, you must be willing to risk being unsuccessful at achieving them. At least this applies in the beginning. You do have to move beyond the thinking and planning. There comes a time when nothing less than action is acceptable.

Planning has its purpose. It helps you to be clear in your thought processes. But planning will not actually move you closer to the manifestation phase of any goal-seeking campaign. Only action will do this.


Like Riding a Bicycle


Consider getting someplace on a bicycle. You must first learn how to ride the bike. You can study it all you want, but you will not learn to balance the bike (Necessary to ride it) until you actually climb on and get it moving in a forward direction. You risk falling down, but how do you learn without taking this “risk”?

When considering the risk factor, keep in mind that nonsuccess, not achieving your desired goal, does not entail complete and utter failure. It is simply necessary feedback that can be used to correct your course and move you closer to your desired goal, rather than further away from it.

Notice the word course entails that you are moving. Without movement you are going nowhere. Like and airplane or a guided missile, course correction in the process of reaching the targeted destination is standard operating procedure.

You need to take in this same mindset when going for your goals. There again, did you notice the wording? I said “going” for your goals. This means action.

Another way to think of it is in the familiar phrase “lights, camera, action!” Lights means you first must learn something about the goal you hope to achieve. Camera should remind you that you then need to focus on the details, what is necessary for you to get there. Don’t worry about that which is not essential to moving you forward. Finally there is the word action. This needs no explanation. And notice it is said with an exclamation point. Action!

Take this advice and run with it. There it is again. “Run” with it. Do this. Do that. I don’t care what you do, but you have to do something. If it’s the wrong thing, you’ll find out soon enough, if you actually do it. If you do nothing, you will never really know.

Most of all have fun while you are learning. Remembering how you got there once you do get there will allow you to then help others along the way. This is the real reward for success. Enjoy your journey and let me know if I may help you.

To your success,

Jeffrey Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Time Spent on Improving Yourself

Have you ever stopped to think about how much time and money people spend on getting an education? Besides the years spent going through the standard school system, many continue on to college, university, or vocational technical school. Even beyond this, there are still more who continue to attend extra classes, seminars, and workshops to advance their careers.

Now think about the reason why people are so willing to invest in getting an education. For the most part, the reason is because they want to improve their position in life. We want a better job, more pay, to be happier or more skilled or to have more talent. The reasons are endless, but the root of all of these reasons remains to improve your position in life.

Often times a person who has devoted much to their own education will find they are still lacking in some quality. Although they have the specialized knowledge to move far ahead of where they are, there is something that yet holds them back. Perhaps they are not sure exactly what that something is either. I can tell you this; there is something you can learn that will move you light years ahead of where you are now. It has nothing to do with specialized knowledge. It is about getting to know your own self.

You know there are an incredible number of books, CDs, videos, and programs on the topic of personal growth. Most of them have valid information that can be helpful. The information in these programs is fine, but I’ve noticed something interesting about how people treat this information. Perhaps you’ve noticed as well that when someone decides it is time to make a change in their life, they find what they consider to be a good book or program and settle in to absorb it.

They will go through the material, or at least a part of it, and then they will stop. They either give up, thinking it’s too much work or even that they wasted their money on something that really has nothing valuable to offer them. In any case, this seems to be a cycle that is often repeated several times over time.

What is it about self-help material that tends to be so misunderstood? Perhaps it is in the marketing of it. Most marketing will tell you something like this book (program, CD set, etc) can change your life. True, it can change your life. But you will still need to invest a fair amount of time to absorbing it.

People in general don’t give self-help material the chance it deserves. They don’t think about the fact that it takes years to become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, or even a plumber. Yet they somehow expect their lives to be changed simply by reading a single book or watching a DVD! Think about it. Most self-help material has a great deal of good material in it. You just need to take some time to really absorb that material and make it your own. That takes time regardless of the source.


To Your Success,

Jeffrey Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Capitalize On Everything!

How many times have you heard stories of people coming from nothing and going on to achieve great success? We hear these stories often and wonder “why can’t I do that?” It really is simple. If you believe you have nothing to offer, you will not achieve anything. Achieving means exchange of what you have to get what you want. You’ve got to change the idea of having nothing to having something very valuable, and then begin seeking the way to let others know so that you may begin exchanging it for what you hope to get.

“Ideas are in the air” as Thomas Edison once said. They are free for the taking, but you will never even know they exist until you shift your focus to one of knowing they are there and deciding you will find them.


Where Do I Find Ideas?


Actually, there are two excellent places to begin your search for ideas to capitalize on. First, look to what interests you. Do you have a hobby or a favorite pastime? This is where you likely have some knowledge, talent, skill or ability that others may be willing to pay you to teach them. Or maybe you have discovered a better way to do a thing many people dread doing, such as housework, taxes, or grooming the family pet.

Spend some time going through your daily routines and see if you can’t find some way to capitalize on some part of your day. Very often we overlook the simplest things we do simply because we do it so frequently. My mother was a great cook. I’m sure I could fill a book with all of the ideas I have picked up from observing her in the kitchen while growing up, if that held an interest for me.

The second area to find great ideas is in your problems or in the problems of others. Here is where everybody would really like to have some answers. Perhaps you’ve overcome a difficult situation and can share your own experience to help others who are now facing that same situation.

If you have found a way to overcome a really tough and common problem, you have pretty much guaranteed your own success. All that is left is to get the word out through marketing. Most people will pay very well when faced with a difficult problem to solve. Think about how much we gladly spend on doctors and lawyers! (Well, maybe not gladly, but we do pay).


A Hint That Can Save Your Sanity


Ideas are truly ephemeral. They come in a moment, and they disappear in the next moment. You really need to be alert to them when they do come, and you need to DO SOMETHING to take possession of them before they are gone.

Get yourself a notepad, and carry it with you always. Be ready to write down whatever ideas come to you in a moment. Once you have it in writing, you can then put your mind to work on it at a more convenient time. I would suggest that very same day if at all possible. Most ideas have a way of fizzling out if they are not acted upon promptly. Joe Vitale said it best in the movie, The Secret, “The Universe likes speed.”

By working on your idea, it is important to keep your focus on how you might utilize the idea in a way that adds value to your life or the life of others. While doing this, keep yourself from trying to figure out how you will accomplish this. The how will show up on its own if you give it a chance. The conscious mind is to focus on the joy and benefits of the idea. Allow your subconscious mind, with its vast reservoir of resources to do the task of finding the how as it was designed to do.

It’s True!

Most importantly, you need to know that ideas are everywhere. It really is just a matter of expecting to find them and they will appear. As with most everything in life, it all begins with the correct mindset. That means confidently knowing the answer exists and you are going to find it. Think positively.


Thank You,

Jeffrey Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Nobody Truly Begins From Zero!

Many times you have heard people say “how can I go after my dreams when I have nothing to invest, nothing to even begin with?” Perhaps you have said this to yourself. I can tell you this. Nobody truly begins with nothing at all.

There is one thing we all have, and it is all you need to begin moving toward your dream. You were born with it. Everybody has this. It is called choice. You begin by using your choice to decide what it is you want. Then you use your choice to focus on what you want to have, accomplish or become. It is from this decision that what you need will make itself known to you. By default, we tend not to use our choice, and we tend to focus on our lack, because this is most evident to us. In this case, we make our choice, however, unconsciously.


· Use your choice to decide what it is that you want
· Use your choice to focus on what you want to have, accomplish or become


Turn the light of your own conscious awareness on to your situation. Does your current status match what you would like to see? If not, then consciously choose something better for yourself, and begin to dwell upon that continuously. At the point where what you earnestly desire becomes your predominant thought, you will begin to note options. This is guaranteed.

What you first see may not seem to be ideal options, or perhaps they may not appear relevant, but when you do become aware, you must act. Act immediately, and act with the knowing that there is a reason this thought came to you. Get excited at the thought that your goal-seeking mechanism is awakening.

Like a tool that has been unused for a long while, your goal-seeking mechanism may require some Herculean effort to use, consciously at first. Believe me; this process will become more natural as you begin using it daily, even continuously.

It is important to refrain from trying to consciously decide specifically what it is that you need to find (i.e. Money) or how to go about achieving your goal. Your conscious mind is very limited in its ability to seek out all possible options. Rather, focus on the options you consciously come up with without getting too attached to them as if they were the only options available to you. You might write each thought down as it comes to you, so that you may let it go from your mind to find others.

The idea here is to get your mind focused on the act of looking for options, calmly, knowing that your unconscious mind, will then take over the task. The unconscious mind has at its disposal an unlimited reservoir of resources from which to draw upon in finding the perfect plan for you. In the recesses of your unconscious mind lie the memories of every book you have ever read, every video you’ve ever watched, every conversation you’ve taken part in, everything you’ve ever heard or even thought. It will come to you with the answer you seek, if you but allow it to do so.

The answer will come to you in the form of a flashing thought, inspirational feeling or intuitive nudge from within. Expect this, and be aware of what’s going on inside.

Don’t concern yourself with the outside circumstances once you’ve made the decision to seek higher ground. Any focus on your unwanted present circumstances at this point will only interfere with the process by blocking your greatest asset, the goal-seeking mind within, from doing its job of bringing you what you need.

There will be a certain amount of time before your options will come into your awareness. This is what is called the gestation period. What I am saying is your mind acts upon your predominant thinking. Can you see why you need to shift your focus from the unwanted to your desired outcome? The sooner you can do this; you open yourself to results in the form of awareness of options.

The sooner you begin acting on the options you receive, the more and better options will begin arriving. This becomes a fun process once you actually see it working for you a few times. It becomes very fulfilling when you consciously become witness to this process. When you do, you become aware of the divinity within you. You begin to feel a sense of empowerment.

This is important to recognize, because when you do, you become the teacher rather than the student. You should want to be the teacher, because as you help others, your own ability to manifest increases exponentially. The more you share with others, the more you yourself become.

This is an amazing process, and I want you to use it continuously in your daily life. It is then that you will move from having an intellectual understanding to having a real knowing. Be blessed!


To your Journey,

Jeffrey Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Clearing the negative energy

So you’ve invested a great deal time in learning all kinds of techniques to better your mindset. You’ve focused on a positive result. You’ve diligently repeated affirmations. You’ve read and thought about the many case histories of others who have somehow managed to shift their mindset and make wonderful changes in their lives. But you are still no further along in your own life. What gives?

It is a common experience to move a step forward and then move two steps back. Then three forward and one back. Why does this happen? It is what many have called counter intentions, or simply negative programming we haven’t dealt with properly.

You see, when you make the decision to better your life, you have made a conscious decision. You may feel better for a while, until something “bad” happens, and then all of your effort seems to go out the window. Then you pick up again where you left off, at some future date.

This “falling back” is only your subconscious programming at work. If you are not satisfied with your present circumstances and are trying to move beyond them, you need to go further than changing your conscious mindset. What happens when you don’t is that the moment you take your mind off your goal, the subconscious programming kicks in again as it was designed to do.

How do you change this subconscious programming? There is another technique called clearing. As the name suggests, it is a method to clear that programming that you consider to be undesirable. Call it house cleaning of the mind.

Everybody has programming that they would like to change. This is nothing unique to any individual. It is important to realize this and to simply take the steps necessary to neutralize it.

There are a number of ways to accomplish this, and I cannot go into them all in the limited space I have here. I will give you the basics that tend to be the gist of most of the techniques I’ve learned and used.


Awareness


To become aware of the fact that you do have negative programming and how it is affecting your results is vital. You can’t do anything about something you are not aware of. Often times, just being aware of the effect of certain programming will immediately lesson its effect on you.


Acceptance


The next step is to accept that you have somehow managed to acquire this programming. It is the belief of some that you need to trace it back to the point in your life that you did acquire it. The theory is that by revisiting this experience in light of what you know today, as a mature adult, you can then let it go.

I agree that this can be helpful and may work best for some people, but I don’t think it is absolutely necessary. It can be very difficult to do as much of our programming was acquired from the most mundane experiences in life while we were very young and probably could not pinpoint a specific moment without expensive and questionable therapy.

I also feel that spending too much time dwelling on the past, looking for negative influences may only serve to reinforce that negative energy. I guess I would describe my feeling this way:


“If you’re going to go digging up buried past memories to dwell upon, why not dig up and dwell upon the good ones you have forgotten all about?”


I believe that if you can simply accept the fact that you have this negative programming and that it has affected your results in a not-so-positive way up to this point, that should be well enough. I would add that you must accept the fact that as you begin to release that programming, keep in mind that it may not go easily. It may take time. Be patient with yourself. You are growing.


Reason


When you become aware of a limiting belief or negative programming, and you can use your faculty of reason to see how it may be affecting you in a detrimental way, simply make the decision at this time that you will let it go. Understand that this is a process. It will require time before your decision takes hold on an unconscious level.

Knowing this, you will not be discouraged when you find yourself being influenced by it from this point on. You will simply recognize what is happening, and reinstate your decision to change. Congratulate yourself on catching it and enjoy the more positive energy of liberation from a past obstacle to your success.


Release


The final step is to release the need to maintain this programming in your psych. Once you become aware, accept that it exists, and give it permission to go away. Again I remind you, this is a process. Some programming is easier than others to overcome.

Be good to yourself in that you are now seeking a better way. Every time you catch yourself slipping, reward yourself for catching what you were not even aware of earlier. This is where gratitude comes in. The more grateful you can feel, rather than frustrated, the quicker and smoother will be the change you desire.

To your best life,

Jeffrey Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Your Greatest Resource

Your greatest resource is your imagination. Your imagination has no limits. In your imagination you can fly. You can speak to the nation in your imagination. You can do anything you can fathom.

The key is to use your imagination in a guided way. You see, when you are faced with a problem, this is the perfect time to put your imagination to use. I’m not talking about fantasy. You could let your imagination play with the idea your “problem” doesn’t exist. But this is not using your imagination. It is simply allowing it to play without direction.

This use of imagination has its purpose as well. We all need a break form our world circumstances now and then. This is no different than sitting down in front of the television and watching a good movie. It is a break, nothing more. But this is not going to help you in making better of the situation that surrounds you. It gives you a reprieve, perhaps a needed one.

By using your imagination, I mean to say that you can guide it to bringing you the answers you need to alter your circumstance. The method is to first understand and believe that an answer is possible. You don’t even have to believe it exists. Just believe that it is possible.

Once you can accept that it is at least possible, you can then imagine yourself with the problem fully resolved. Enjoy this feeling for a while and really absorb the joy of the moment. Next comes the call to use your imagination to discover what might have caused the resolution of the problem. What can you imagine might have happened to have resolved this problem?

Could it have been something that you said or did? The idea is to focus on some action that you could actually control, a personal action or word that brought about the return to your being in complete control of your life.

Begin today to use your imagination as a tool to solve problems. Use your imagination to find the way to what it is that you are looking to accomplish. Use your imagination every day. The more you use it, the easier it becomes to use. Have fun with it, sure. But more than just being fun, remember it can be a very serious instrument in the designing of your future.

Imagine that!



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

When You Turn On The Light

When you turn the light on in a room, do you then proceed to dust the darkness from the walls onto the floor? Do you then sweep the darkness from the room? Well I hope not. And I’m sure this sounds a bit odd of me to be asking a question such as this, but let me ask you one more question.

What is darkness but a lack of light? When you turn on the light the darkness is gone, as if it hadn’t even existed, because in Truth, it never did exist. Now to bring this line of thought to another dimension. Are you broke? Are you in debt? Are you?

Debt, like darkness does not exist. Debt is merely the lack of something, namely money. If you had sufficient money, there would be no debt. How can one turn the switch so that money flows into life as light does when you flip the light switch?


There is a switch


This switch is in your mind. You see the key, or the switch, is in changing your mindset. The way to receive more (money) is, was, and always will be found in thinking of ways to be of service to others. The more value you can provide for others, the more others will be willing to pay you for your product, service or your information.

This is the simple Truth. Most people focus only on what it is they want for themselves without considering the complete circle. You can have what you want. You get it by helping others to get what it is they want. I believe it was Zig Ziglar who said “If you help enough other people get what they want in life, you will have no trouble getting what you want.”

If you have no money in your present life, and perhaps a pile of unpaid bills, look at this for what it really is. It is a lack of money. This sounds simple, and it is, but think about it. Shift your focus from the debt (unreal) to what it is you need or want (money). Turn the switch with your ideas to get money flowing into your life in greater proportion than your needs are.

You are not limited to the income you receive from your J-O-B. Review this week’s previous blogs to get some ideas flowing and get yourself into action now. Anything will help. Most important of all is to keep the light bulb in your head lit.

This is not just Pollyanna thinking. You may have some serious debt built up. I’ve been there, and I know what it feels like. I believe changing the mindset, although it sounds simple to do, is actually about the most difficult thing to do. It is difficult because you can’t cheat on this. You know when you are being honest with yourself or not.

I got to tell you, once you make a genuine shift in your mindset, and make it your predominant way of thinking, things will change. And they will change much faster than you ever thought they could. Nothing changes until you do. Give it a chance and you will see for yourself.

Read again the blogs from earlier this week and actually put into practice what was said. You have nothing to lose by doing so, and you have much to gain.

Thank you,

Jeffrey B. Brandt


All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Self-improvement & Success


They go Together


Everything that happens to you happens for a purpose. And sometimes, one thing leads to another. Instead of locking yourself up in a cage of fear crying over past heartaches, embarrassments, and failures, try to treat these circumstances as your teachers, and they will become your tools in both self-improvement and success.

Remember watching Patch Adams? It’s one great film that will help you improve yourself. Hunter “Patch” Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts – he decided to seek medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself to a psychiatric ward. His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of people, mentally sick people.

He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded, a schizophrenic, and so on. Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realized he has to get back on track. He woke up one morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still wanted to become a doctor. He carried with himself a positive attitude that brought him self-improvement and success. He not only improved himself, but also he improved the quality of the lives of the people around him. Did he succeed? Needless to say, he arguably became the best doctor this country has ever known.

So, when does self-improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start? Take these tips:

Stop thinking and feeling as if you’re a failure, because you’re not. How can others accept you if YOU can’t accept YOU? Relax and understand results are not good or bad; they simply are. You have the capability to change your results as you focus more on your own personal growth.

When you see hunks and models on TV, think more on self-improvement, not self pitying. Self-acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty. Or consider how much ‘they’ had vested in getting to look like they did. Know that you could do the same IF it were that important to you.

When others feel down about themselves, help them move up. Don’t go down with them. They’ll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior. Use your energies to show them a better way to view life. Help them up and you will be helping yourself up as well. There is no better therapy than that of helping others get what you want.

The world is a large room for lessons, not mistakes. Don’t feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed on some insignificant thing. There’s always another opportunity. Make room for self-improvement. Make it a part of your everyday life and your life will change. I guarantee it.

Take things one at a time. Don’t expect any result without a gestation period. Self-improvement is a one day at a time process. How long does it take a child to learn to walk or to talk? How much time is required to earn a degree in any career? Isn’t self-improvement deserving of the same investment of time? Take it slow and know that your goals are unfolding so long as you continue to move forward.

Self-improvement results in inner stability, personality development and SUCCESS. It comes from self-confidence gained by seeing the results of your efforts, self appreciation gained from knowing the dedication you’ve given, and self-esteem gained by the new and more accurate way you look at yourself.

Set meaningful and achievable goals. Self-improvement doesn’t turn you into someone else. It does turn you into a new, improved, better YOU. The idea is not to try to become someone else. You still want to be your own person. When you realize this, you realize an achievable goal, and a goal that is far more than you could ever achieve by trying to become another person.

Little things mean BIG things to other people. Sometimes, we don’t realize that the little things that we do, like a pat on the back, saying “hi” or “hello”, greeting someone “good day” or telling Mr. Smith something like “hey, I love your tie!” are simple things that mean can so much to other people. When we’re being appreciative about the beautiful things around us, we also become beautiful to them. Appreciation is reciprocal.

When you’re willing to accept change and go through the process of self-improvement, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is. The world is a place where people of different values and attitudes are always coexisting. Sometimes, even a best friend who enjoys doing many of the same things you do may not be interested if you bring up working together to improve yourselves. Many times people fear, or even resent, the idea that they might be better by doing so. Just the mere suggestion of self-improvement may convey to them that they are less than perfect in your eyes. It is an ego thing, but very real just the same.

We should always remember that there’s no such thing as an ‘overnight success.’ Success is not a destination but a journey. It is a journey that may feel rapid or slow, but much of what we feel has little to do with reality and much to do with our perspective, our attitude. Keep yourself feeling positive, knowing that every step you take is one step behind you. It is one step closer to where you are going. Be patient and be kind. Be always willing to help others on the same journey.

To your journey,

Jeffrey B. Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Finding the Common Theme

Greetings!

If this is your first time reading this blog, I recommend that you go back to yesterday’s blog first to get an idea of what we’re working towards this week. Each day during this week we will be building upon the ideas presented the days before. I asked you to write a list of all of your talents, skills, abilities, interests, and your past experiences.

If you look over the list of all of your talents, skills, abilities, interests, and past experiences, you will notice there tends to be a common theme present. This common theme is your purpose. It is the why you are here. It has everything to do with what you have to offer the world. And you will find that what you have to offer is unique to you. Only you have all of the pieces in just the right combinations and quantities to make up a totally unique perspective.

Your perspective is exactly what many other people need to see in order to get a better perspective of their own circumstances, to improve some aspect of their lives. Your discovery of this purpose can be the most valuable discovery of your life. It can set you on a path to doing the right thing, and you will be rewarded abundantly for following this path that is unique to you.

Abundance comes through exchange of products, ideas or services. The more you offer, the more you will receive. Notice I did not say the more you have to offer. I said the more you actually do offer. This means action of some sort is required on your part. You must find the way to present your product, service or ideas and follow through with it.

For example, let’s say you have a good knowledge base on some topic that would allow you to tutor a student. It would be a simple task to spread the word to everyone you know that you are available to help them or their children with their homework. You could create flyers and post them in appropriate locations. You could even speak directly with the schools and offer your services.

The idea I am getting at here is once you have a list of what you can offer, you need to look this list over and get a feeling for which areas you have a connection with. Choose something that draws you to get involved and then follow that. You are becoming solution oriented, and this will make all the difference in the world for you.

It feels good to be doing something to advance your growth. You will be doing what you came to do. Life is meant to be experimented with. It should be looked at as an adventure. If what you choose to do doesn’t pan out, try something different. Consider it to be a puzzle that you must figure out.

The change in your attitude can be instant. If you persist in seeking expression for your talents, the change in your bank account will come about soon enough. Forget about the stories you hear about people coming up with an idea and suddenly becoming millionaires. This may be possible, but it is a rare thing indeed. Even when it appears to be overnight, you can be assured that there was a lot going on to bring it about, long before the sudden rise ever manifested.

Even a small boost in your income can do wonders for how you face life. You begin to feel more in control of your circumstances. When you feel more in control, you become more in control. You become motivated to do more. Have fun with whatever you are doing. This should not be like work. It should not be just another job. Remember, a “job” only means Just Over Broke.

To your Journey,

Jeffrey B. Brandt



All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Multiple Streams of Income

If you are familiar with any of The Secret teachers, Bob Proctor in particular, you will have heard much talk about Multiple Streams of Income. Just seeing the words gives you a pretty good idea of what it means; however, there is more to it than what most people might think.

For example, most people think of getting a second job when they wish to earn some extra cash. Yes, you can do this, but what have you really done in the process of creating this extra income stream? You have exchanged more of your time, your precious time, for money.

As far as I can tell, nobody has any more than the same twenty four hours in a day than anybody else has. In other words, you may increase the amount of money you have coming in, but at what price? Can you keep this up for long without compromising the quality of your work? Would you even want to?

If you read Friday’s blog you will remember I spoke a bit about residual income. This becomes even more important when you consider entertaining the idea of creating multiple streams of income. One thing you want to avoid is becoming a slave to your job or jobs.

Speaking of “job” I heard it is an acronym for “Just Over Broke.” Sounds about right, don’t you think? The fact is, I believe, that everybody has enough talent, skill or abilities to create for themselves an abundance of income in their lives. The thing is we were never taught how to tap into our resources.

Before jumping too far ahead, I would like you to spend some serious time considering what it is that you have to offer the world that can help you tap into this abundance. Don’t think about how you are going to do it just yet. I only want you to focus on your “products” or “services” or “Information.”

Write these ideas down as they come to you so you may free your mind to seek out other ideas. You should be able to come up with a pretty good list without too much effort. I will give you a few examples of what I came up with when I did this a while back. This is only an example to get your creative juices flowing.

Bilingual (Spanish / English)
Teaching
Planning
Reading
Writing
Poetry
Guitar
Keyboards
Singing
Songwriting
Swimming
Travel
Vegetarian


Now I could go on and on with this list, and I actually did when I was going through this for myself, but I think this is sufficient to give you an idea of what you should be putting on your list. In short, put everything on your list that you can think of and think of more! This list is the key to your future results.

The next step is to look at the more difficult experiences of your life. What I mean is the experiences that gave you valuable lessons. Lessons that you could share with others who are going through the same thing you did with the idea of helping them. Remember everything is about service.

Again I will give you a few ideas from my own experiences.

Divorce
Giving up a child for adoption
Being totally broke and deeply in debt
Starting over from scratch
Relocating to another city (or Country)
Learning a new language and culture
Marital problems
Suffering a terrible accident
Homelessness
A new career


If you really put some time and thought into this task, you should have a rather extensive list. You can see that you do have something to offer. Now why are you thinking about what you can offer, when you really only want to get some extra cash in your bank account?

Because money is a medium of exchange. Although this is quite obvious, most people have never really thought about money in this way. Most think about what they could do with money and how much they would like to have some but plain and simply put, you would not likely give somebody money without receiving something you consider to be of equal or greater value. Why would you expect the world to do this for you?

You need to create something of value. Take a look at your lists and you will see that there is something of value there. The next step is to figure out how to turn these qualities into something tangible, a product, service or information.

This is what we will get into tomorrow. Before tomorrow comes, however, do your homework. Make your lists, and make them long. You may be amazed at how much of value you do have inside of you, just waiting for the method to bring it out to the world outside. This is what is necessary to “cash in.”

Until tomorrow,

Jeffrey B. Brandt




All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.