Monday, November 22, 2010

It's ALL Good! (Balance)



In a recent conversation with a good friend, the subject came up about balance. Referring to the balance of good and bad. The question was this person was not so sure about what comes back to you when you put something out there.

I can see how this question might come up in any inquisitive mind when looking to the world for answers. What we see in the media is often a sign of the most corrupt among us (putting out bad) enjoying the most reward (controlling what we might consider an obscene amount of money and freedom), although at the expense of others.

Let me start this off by saying it is not my intention to get into the motives behind the media and what stories they promote and why. That would be a whole other blog post, if not a book! The focus here then is on what constitutes balance and is there actually a balance.

When you give out good, an equal good must return to you. When you give out bad, an equal bad must return to you. This is Law, as I hope to explain. It does not matter if you are referring to an individual or to society as a whole. It all works the very same way.

What you do give out is compared to a seed, whether this seed be in the form of your thought, your attitude, or your beliefs. The same concept has been mirrored in nature with an apple seed, for example. You will never get anything but an apple from an apple seed. Period.

The world is filled with what we might consider good and what we might consider bad, equally at any time. The truth is that what is simply is. Good or bad are relative terms. It is kind of like the man who walked around all day long complaining about not having shoes to wear, until he met another man who had no feet.

If you choose to focus on the bad, you will find all the evidence you need to confirm that the world is bad (war, economy, social disintegration, etc.). If you focus on the good, you will find all the evidence you need to confirm that the world is good (opportunities for growth and improvement, emerging consciousness, the potential for free energy, etc.).

Approximately 95% of the focus may be on the negative, and only a mere 5% on the positive. However, with a positive thought being some 10 times more powerful than a negative thought, in the big picture of mass consciousness it all balances out. That 5% x 10 = 50%.

You may not be able to control what goes on in the world. But you do have complete control (if you choose to USE this control) of your own focus, your thoughts. A large percentage of the population freely allows their thinking to be controlled by outside sources. This IS their choice.

Make a determined effort to remain focused on what YOU decide. You have, in doing this, the power to create your own experience the way you choose. This is all based on the infallible Law of your being. Focus your thoughts on the good.

 Good will only produce good. This brings up a point that tends to frustrate many. What happens when we do a good deed, and we are betrayed? Did this Law suddenly stop working? No.

First of all, understand that you have many, many thoughts throughout your day. It is very likely that you have many good thoughts and you have a number of not-so-good thoughts. For this reason, your results tend to be mixed, some good and some bad. the goal should be for you to get your predominant thinking to a more positive level. This is when you will see real results.

Another point to consider is the Law of Gender and Gestation. It takes a certain amount of time for any thought to actually manifest. Again back to the seed analogy. It takes time for a seed to produce the plant. It takes time from the conception of a baby to when you're changing diapers.

In other words, as James Ray said in The Secret, "This is not who you are. This is who you were." You are living in a residual form of your previous thinking. If you could change and make ALL of your thoughts positive from this point on, you would still continue to have some not very pleasant experiences for a time to come.

One last point on this is that results do not have to come from where you expect them to come from. You may plant the seed of a good thought or deed in one place, and the result may come from somewhere totally off your radar. If you plant the good seeds of thought, you will get good results from those thoughts. Guaranteed.

If you begin to raise your awareness of your thinking, you will be able to prove all of this to yourself. This proof will mean so much more than anything I or someone else might say to you. Try it.

You should not expect to be able to control every thought throughout your day, at least not when you first begin to exercise this control. You have far too many thoughts to be able to do an efficient job of keeping track of them. However, their is an easier way.

Your thoughts initiate the manifestation process in your body in the form of feelings. When you are thinking harmonious thoughts, those in line with your own higher self, you feel good. When your thoughts are lacking in harmony, you are not thinking in line with your higher self, and you feel bad.

Feelings are much easier to recognize. Simply consider how you feel throughout the day. If you are feeling good, your thoughts are going where you want them to go. The moment you feel anything less than good, pay attention to your thoughts and consciously guide them back to something more positive. Begin by thinking of gratitude.

This may take some time if you are not accustomed to monitoring your own feelings. Have some fun with it. When you catch yourself feeling not good and are able to trace it to the conversation you just had earlier about the economy or a bad relationship, you will know that you are beginning to get a hold of your own thoughts.

You will begin to see how changing your focus in thought and in conversation will change your very state of being. When you feel better, you can know that you have discovered the true meaning of Balance.

I want YOU to Succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt
Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way

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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Great Minds of FACEBOOK


"The likes of a great mind is not so rare as so many would tend to believe. It is the common recognition of such a mind that is truly rare." ~Jeffrey Brandt

It was these words that inspired me to write this blog post. I have been on Facebook for just a little over a year now. I find Facebook to be a valuable resource for inspiration. Every time I log on I find a plethora of very well known quotes that were meant to inspire, and they do.

As my friend list has grown, I find myself increasingly inspired by the many things they write on their walls to share with others as well. I'm not talking about the icons of great thought. These words I am referring to were not written by anybody we might consider to be famous, but the words obviously came from a place of inspired thought.

I do spend a good amount of time simply thinking about life, about people and how we all interact with each other and with the world. We can see things going well or we can see things falling apart, with equal ease. There is almost overwhelming evidence to prove either view of the world.

On the one side there are the wars, the economy, the social injustice and corruption. On the other side there is this thing called social networking that offers the ability for us to come together with practically anybody anywhere. It was just recently that Facebook has celebrated breaking the 500 million mark. Think about that one. Only China and India have a greater population than Facebook!

And this population is so very diverse. My own list of friends in Facebook is but the smallest of samples, but I am happy with who I have attracted and who I have been attracted to. This blog post is dedicated to a few of these friends who were so kind as to share with me their wise words of advice.

Annie Caskey said "You must love yourself." What a beautiful concept for anybody to experience. Self-love is where it all begins.

Maria Isabel Zipagan said "The worst handicap of a man is not knowing what his worth is. Awareness is a tool to succeed." This brings to mind something I once wrote for my daughter when she was just two months old: "Get to know yourself, and you will come to know a Miracle!"

This is a key to growing yourself in life. As Joella Hermans so wonderfully puts it: "Love yourself and take good care of yourself with pure self-respect. All the layers of education and upbringing by others will systematically peel off, and pure Source-energy will appear!"

Wow! That is powerful. And Heide Hoffman shared with me: "Realize who you are and love yourself as God's creature. Let your Giveaways be filled with love. Whatever you do, do it with 100% attention."

You know the truth is the more of yourself you give to others, the more you, yourself, become. A part of you is carried on in every person you have given yourself to.

Living by these words, you will ease your own way to living a more abundant and successful life because you will be living a life of love. This is important because life can at times feel quite challenging.

Bobby Bautista gave us some great advice when he said "Living is like going through an obstacle course. You have to be fit and determined to reach your goal. If you give up on any of these obstacles, you won't succeed."

Abdul Rahman Kota lets us know to be careful with our attitude when he says: "Happy and peaceful feelings will become your obstacle to success if those feelings are not interconnected with your ultimate goal." I like the idea of binding positive feelings with the outcome you wish to reach or attain. This really is a key to getting there.

An excellent key to maintain focus and determination is to use affirmations as Tami Carroll suggests: "I AM overflowing with joy and gratitude. All is well." I love this one!

Tami Carroll also explains how to use your affirmations: "Write it down. Be specific. Read it 3 times a day. Keep it a secret. Believe. It works!"

And Lynn Albers speaks with the perfect level of self confidence when she states: "I can because I do." I have much respect for Lynn not only as a Facebook friend, but I am privileged to know her as a personal friend as well.

Anna Kubicka's words made me smile deeply inside. "Success means to me the satisfaction of my soul and the heart beat of my HAPPY HEART. Accomplished purpose of life or making one of my goals of life = HAPPY."

Stella Routis wants us to remember we are one with others when she says: "Compassion towards all beings on earth brings the very purpose of life, which is happiness." These are among the wisest words I've heard ever.

Focus is so important to getting the results we want out of life. Listen these other words of Abdul Rahman Kota: "If you plant flowers you can make a beautiful garden, but by planting different kinds of flowers, you may end up making a jungle."

And Bobby Bautista emphasizes: "Your thoughts mold you; your deeds reveal your intrinsic being."

I've long considered Wayne Davis to be a great thinker. He shared with me: "Success is not thinking about success, as it only represents an arbitrary interpretation by an ego that doesn't really exist." He then added: "I suppose if I was going to give credence to a measure of success though, it would be based on how much of your life you give away to others." I am always pleased by reading the words of Wayne.

Finally, I saved the best for last. My daughter who will turn Thirteen this month wanted to add her thoughts to this post. I just love the way she thinks and I have no idea where she gets it!

"Just follow your heart. Everything else will fall into place if you listen to the voice inside you, not to the criticism outside." ~Naomi Brandt (Age 12)

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and PLEASE share the link on your Facebook page if you enjoyed it.

Jeffrey Brandt
Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Out of the Comfort Zone

If you are on the path of Personal Growth, you must remember the obvious. This path entails Growth. That means that you will be stretching. You will be stepping into uncharted territory, at least for you. To put it bluntly, you will be required to do things you've not done before or at least doing things in a different way than you are accustomed.


What this means is that to grow you must step out of what is currently your comfort zone. Any time you do this, you will likely make mistakes, or at the very least, you may feel a bit awkward. This is normal and nothing unusual.


As you already know, it is my purpose to grow and to share with others what I have learned through my blog, my books, and my pages on Facebook. My journey actually began long before this. I have spent many years reading and studying the best sources I could find.


I knew I had much to learn and I continued to persevere in my studies until results to my liking began to emerge. It was a struggle, for sure. I came from a difficult past. In my faith, I grew until my circumstances began to change, and the change became increasingly rapid.


Soon a part of me knew it was time to begin expressing my perspective of this journey of life in a way that others would find helpful by applying these concepts in their own lives. I chose to do so using the medium of Facebook.


At the time, I knew next to nothing about this technology, but I went ahead and opened my personal page. As I became more comfortable with my ability to navigate, I began to reach out to others of like mind.


Mind you I really didn't know exactly what I was doing when I began, but it felt right. My own learning curve was accelerating rapidly by this time, and I knew I was doing the right thing. Was I comfortable with what I was doing? No. Looking back today, was it worth it? YES!


Less than one year ago I had only a dozen or so "friends" on Facebook. I had heard about blogging, but wasn't sure I was up to putting in the effort required to maintain a blog up to date. I looked inside myself and found the answer that I was not so sure I wanted to hear. I began my blog.


It actually took a couple of months before I saw any real results from what I felt was a Herculean effort on my part. Was I outside of my own comfort zone? Yes. Was it worth it? YES!


I had one book that I had previously published and it was selling pretty well. This was Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way. An unexpected benefit from my blogging and my Facebook encounters is that people that had not known about this book began asking about it and orders suddenly increased.


I am proud of my book, Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way; however, the topic of my blog is slightly different. It is more about developing your mindset to dream and to go after those dreams. Goal-setting and prosperity consciousness.


From this recognition, I wrote a second book by the same title as my blog, Manifest By Design Now. I chose to write this book rather quickly and get it out there as soon as I possibly could, because I knew there were many who were interested in and could benefit from this information. I was also learning that what Joe Vitale said in The Secret was true: The Universe likes speed.


Was I comfortable writing and releasing a book this quickly? No. Was it worth it? YES! I decided to be up front about this book and explain that it was actually only the essence of what I saw as the complete version. I offered it with the request that those who would read it would also offer me feedback, comments, and suggestions that I may use to improve the book with time.


I've been extremely pleased with the responses I've gotten. I've made several changes to the book since then. I've expanded on a few of the concepts to be clearer and added some points. This book is like a living book that just keeps getting better! I still plan on getting it published some time in 2011, and welcome any further feedback on the downloadable version.


More recently my journey has led me to even greater personal challenges. Perhaps you've seen a few of the videos I've been releasing on Facebook. I have a confession to make about this. But first let me give you a little background on where I am coming from.


I know this material very well. Not just from reading, listening to audios and watching videos and webinars, but I've been practicing these ideas with pretty decent success for some time. I also have years of experience in teaching and giving seminars to groups of people.


When I decided I wanted to create some videos, I didn't realize how different it was going to be talking to a camera rather than to real people in front of me. I found this extremely challenging for me. I am very aware that my camera presence needed (and still needs) a lot of work.


Now I could have just held off on putting the videos out there for the world to see how amateurish my first videos were. But, I believe in what I teach. I have often compared growing yourself to a child's learning to walk. They fall down a lot, but this doesn't faze them. They simply get back up again and go. So I let the world witness my struggle. I'm still having a challenging time, but I do feel better about each new video.


I guess what I'd like to say with all this rambling is that I am sincere in my message to you. What I teach is real. I am 100% confident that you can achieve ANYTHING you set your mind to do, if you approach it with the right attitude. This means focus, and this means persistence. It may take some time, but really who cares? The time is going to pass anyway. You may as well be doing something worthwhile and if you do, you can know that success awaits you, whatever success means to you.


YOU are the reason I do what I do. I owe you everything my friends. Thank you for following my blog, and please if you enjoy it take the time to click the icon to share it on your facebook page for others to see it as well. Even the videos I'll be creating every week or so. Thank you.



I want YOU to succeed!!



Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.






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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Dissatisfaction

Many people come to a point in life when they feel dissatisfied with their current circumstances. When this happens, it is common to feel depressed. Understand that dissatisfaction is no reason to become depressed. The dissatisfaction is simply a loving message from your higher self, your real self.


The message is telling you that you are something more than you are currently expressing. This is a beautiful thing. Just imagine for a moment; life is telling you that you are ready to grow further, to become more than you are at present. You are being given a gift, but you must first understand how to open this gift.


And this, my friend, is what I would like to share with you. I want to show you how to open that gift and receive the blessing that is yours. At Christmas time, when you receive a gift, you don't sit there with your gift in front of you and wait for someone else to come along and open it for you , do you?


Often times the Truth is hidden in the most obvious place, a place no one would ever think to look for it. This is definitely the case with dissatisfaction. You see, everything you are currently experiencing is a result of what you have brought unto yourself. You can look outward and blame other people, circumstances, or whatever you want. But in doing so, you are only continuing to live in this dissatisfaction, and it will become even stronger.


You assure the continuing dissatisfaction because you have not yet learned that it is you who draws to you the circumstances you must confront each and every day. By believing that others are at fault, you must by default believe that others must do something to make your own life better. The Truth of the matter is, you must make that change yourself.


If you do already know this much, you may be asking "how do I GET this change?"


You don't GET the change, you must BE the change. Mahatma Gandhi said it well when he told us we must BE the change we want to see in the world. The same holds true with your personal self. You must BE the change you want to see in yourself.


If you want a changed life, you must change the way YOU are living. This sounds simple enough, and it is. Why is it that so many people know and understand this, yet they fail to do something differently?


Some people will try something different, and if it fails to bring the desired change they seek, they give up. Does a child give up trying to learn to walk, to talk, to ride a bicycle?


The child still lives in you, and this child knows what is needed to get you what you desire. Take the lesson in. How does a child go about learning something new? He does it without fear or reserve. Does the child master the new task without meeting failure?


Of course not. He will fail over and over again, until he gets it right. Failure is not a concern until we learn to be concerned with it. Just begin doing what it is you want to do in the best way you know how to do it. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. With time and practice, you will begin getting it right.


It doesn't matter if you don't yet have all of the resources you need to do it as you might like to do it either. If you really do need more resources, they will become available to you as you become ready for them. You must begin to act with what you have at hand, before more will come to you.


Here again, look to the lessons that can be learned from a child. They are incredibly attuned to their possibilities and how to use their imaginations. They don't give up on what they want simply because they don't have all of the necessary resources at hand. They get creative! You can too!


The more you can begin to look at the process of going after your goals as a game, it will not only become more enjoyable for you, but you will also begin to make more headway than you ever had before. There is a method to this madness. and it all begins with a certain dissatisfaction with our current circumstances.


I want YOU to succeed!!



Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest By Design Now.


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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Affirmations

When it comes to using affirmations, I've heard much conflicting information. There are a great many sources out there that swear by their use and highly recommend them. There are also many others who claim they may not be all that effective. I personally went kind of back and forth with using them for several years. I used them for awhile and then stopped using them for awhile.


It was only during this last year that I really came to a definite conclusion on their true value. I do believe they can be very effective, when used in the correct manner. The key being in how they are used.


I have seen so many sources that encourage us to use them in a way that on a conscious level we end up blocking whatever effect they were meant to have. For example I believe it would do me little good to repeat to myself "I am a millionaire" if I'm so broke I can't even pay attention!


For an affirmation to take effect on you, it must get into your subconscious mind. For anything to get into your subconscious mind, it must first pass through your conscious mind. If you are listening to affirmations subliminally beneath soothing music, they may be more effective even if they are not consciously believable. I have not tested this method enough to say with any authority.


What I have tested on myself is changing the structure of the wording, in which case I have had varying results. I seen many suggestions to put the affirmation in a progressive form. With the above example that would be like saying "I am becoming a millionaire."


I'm not so sure this would be much easier to accept on a conscious level if I were suffering financially. I do think it is better than the first example however.


If money is a big issue for you, I might suggest taking an entirely different route that would produce the same end result. This would be a method that could be believable no matter what your current financial situation may be.



"I am becoming increasingly aware of more and better ideas that may increase my wealth in great ways. As I dwell upon these lucrative ideas in thought, my confidence grows and I begin to take real action. First on the small ideas. With time and increased confidence, I become more daring and the results become equally more rewarding. Life is truly becoming fun for me"



Nothing in the above affirmation indicates you are anything but what you are. However, it gives a strong feeling of growth toward a highly desired objective, even if this objective is to become a millionaire.


You can use this same formula with any material goal you desire by slightly changing the wording. "I am becoming increasingly aware of more and better ideas that will help me to get (the car of your dreams)..."


Most importantly in using any affirmation is to use the words that inspire the feelings inside of you that are in harmony with what you desire. Above where I said "lucrative ideas", you might substitute "wonderful ideas, wealthy ideas, incredible ideas, etc." The idea is that I believe the very best affirmations are those you either come up with yourself or borrowed from someone else but use only after you have changed a few words to make it your own.


In writing your own affirmations, you do want to follow a few simple but very important rules. First, keep them ALWAYS in the positive. "I AM becoming my ideal weight" rather than "I am no longer overweight." To make this rule simpler, only describe the ideal outcome, the end result.


The above examples describe what we might call material type goals. They are goals that you can physically measure or quantify. There is another type of goal that I would like to touch on as well. Often we would like to change something about our personality or character. These goals are not so easily measured as are weight or wealth or possessions.


Being happy for example, can be a worthy goal if you are often depressed. Being confident if you are suffering from a low perception of self (self-esteem). Being calm if you are known to have a quick temper.


Simply repeating "I am happy" when you are suffering from depressive thoughts may do you little good. Like the millionaire example at the beginning of this blog, you may consciously reject it if you just don't feel it. And saying "I am becoming happy" is perhaps better, but there is another way around this that is likely the best path to take.


Forget about describing yourself in the state you wish to be if you honestly can't make yourself believe it. There is a way to get this very result no matter what you are feeling about yourself now. Again, it comes through placing your focus in a different way that will bring the desired result to you without resistance.


I am happy. "Happy" is an adjective. If it is an adjective that does not truly describe you, it will do you little good to try and believe it, so don't! Change the adjective to a noun and focus ONLY on that word.



HAPPINESS


What does happiness mean to you? What comes to your mind when you think about the word "Happiness?" Do you see children playing? Do you see yourself in a rich and luxurious lifestyle? Do you see your favorite sport? Someone you love?


I don't care what it is you think about, but if you hold the word happiness in your mind and dwell on it searching for meaning to the word, you will begin thinking of things that bring happiness to your inner experience. You will become happy!


This works the same with Confidence.

It works the same with Calmness.

It works the same with Intelligence.


Think of any quality you would like to manifest in your being and dwell upon that quality. You will begin to feel it. Once you do begin to feel it, you can then begin to won if by saying AND believing "I AM happiness" or "I AM confidence" or "I AM Calmness" or "I AM intelligence."


Don't blindly accept affirmations, and don't blindly reject them either. They can be valuable IF used correctly and used in the way your mind works. Experiment with them. I have only touched on a few points relative to their use here as my space is very limited.


I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject as well. Do let me know.


I want YOU to succeed!!



Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest By Design Now.




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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.