How do you read a good book?

I was listening to an interview with Bob Proctor, of The Secret, the other day, and he said something that just jumped out at me like a ghost on Halloween. (I'm sorry, it's October 30th and I couldn't resist). Anyway, what Bob said was when most people read a book, they think they've read the book.


Now I know this may sound a little strange, but let me explain the context from which this statement came. Many people are seeking desperately for an answer. They want change in their life, and they think reading a good book will give them the answer they seek. And the truth is that there are a great many books out there that do answer the question of how. I've even written one of them.


Reading a good book is like getting into the mind of the writer. Depending on where this writer is coming from, that can mean having access to some very wise counsel. Take Napoleon Hill's famous book, Think and Grow Rich. Mr. Hill spent something like 12 years studying the 500 richest and most successful people of his time to put together a formula for others to follow to become successful themselves.


Evidently he did an excellent job at this too. After all, there are dozens of successful people today that credit this book as the basis for their own success. Bob Proctor repeatedly mentions this title as the initiating spark that set him on a path to success.


With testimonials like this, it is no wonder this book and others like it make their way to the best seller lists. There are thousands who want to have this same experience, or so we hear. But there really is more to the story.


Often times, someone will hear of a good book, and they will go out and buy it. They read it, and nothing happens. They may even do everything the book suggests. Still they get no real results. Then they may feel frustrated, but there is something more.


When Bob Proctor was given Think and Grow Rich, he didn't just read the book. He read it this book again and again and again. I've heard him say that he is still reading this book. He's also read a few other books. I heard him say he has something like 3,000 books in his personal library.


Beyond reading the book, Think and Grow Rich, Bob said he even got the recorded version. Mind you this was in the day of the vinyl records! He said he got an adapter to play this recording in his car as he was driving around. Came you imagine the dedication to not only receive the message of the book, but to get that message planted into his subconscious mind?


This is tenacity. Bob often mentions Wallace Wattles' The Science of Getting Rich as another book he has read countless times. One other was James Allen's As a Man Thinketh. By the way, I've read each of these books a number of times and agree that they are awesome books.


I have always been a rather voracious reader myself, and I do have certain books that I continue to read over and over again to the point I know them like the back of my hand. When I was really struggling I knew there had to be something in these books I was reading that would help me if I just kept at it long enough. This something I just knew instinctively.


It was when I was reading one of Brian Tracy's books that I learned I was doing the right thing. He suggested reading a book every week. He pointed out how far this would get you in the way of an education after a year, or after five years. It really is amazing when you stop to think about it. You can have the equivalent of a PhD after a few years of this. The years are going to pass by regardless of what you do, so why not get yourself a top rate education?


Dr. Joe Vitale is only too eager to point out his love for books. Les Brown says the same. The list goes on and on. The books are valuable, but you have to know how to use them. I don't know how others read but I do have a peculiar manner of reading a good book. I'd like to share it with you. You might want to try it. I'm not saying it is the best way for you, but I would suggest you give some thought as to how you read as well as what you read.


I really get into a good book while I am reading it. I want zero distractions. I demand this much. I'm thinking about the words and trying to get myself into the head of whoever wrote those words. When I come to something that is particularly deep or profound, I read that part through a second time and underline the words while I am reading them.


After I have done this, I pause to reflect on what I had just read for a few minutes. I first take in the depth of the meaning in its whole. Then I find a relation to the concept in my own life experience. I take my time on this. Sometimes I even write a short note in the margins of the page to remind me when I read this book again at a later date. I am in no hurry to move on when I am contemplating something profound.


Finally I will read this part through one more time before I do continue on. If the book I just finished reading was very good or intense, I will read it a second time immediately after finishing it. Then I usually move on to another book. At some future date, I will surely go back and read this book again.


I read daily. I do not read a new book every week any more. I did this for about five or six years. Now I am constantly going back and forth between new books and my many favorites, including the above mentioned titles. I also haev become a big fan on listening ot books on my MP3 Player. I will easily listen to the same book over and over again for a week straight and love every minute of it!


And by the way, I also read the books I've written, over and over again. I learn much from reading them as well. Reading is one of the best pass times you can choose. Especially when you are hungry to grow.



I want YOU to succeed!!



Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes To Find Your Way, 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.

The Power by Rhonda Byrne

I just received my copy of The Power by Rhonda Byrne in time to begin my weekend. I devoured it as I have done the same with every book of this caliber. I would like to share with you my take on this particular book now.


Let me start by giving you a little perspective on my perspective. I have read, reread, and studied literally dozens of books that deal specifically with the Law of Attraction, and hundreds more about success in general. This would include books on business, sales, management, psychology, marketing, spirituality, religion, and the mind.


On books that deal specifically with the Law of Attraction, I've seen very deep and profound books, such as the works of Thomas Troward, Charles Haanel, Prentice Mulford, Robert Collier and the like. I've read very practical books. I've read very scientific explanations of the subject. I've even read more esoteric works, religious works, feel-good works, etc.


I was my major plan, when I discovered this idea, to come at it from every angle possible to get a more comprehensive grasp on the subject. I'm a big advocate of applying accelerated learning techniques, one of which includes coming at something from several angles to increase the number of neuronal links in the brain. We get a much better understanding of something when we can see how it relates to other ideas.


Obviously, to do this requires a very strong commitment. I am definitely committed, and seeing the most amazing results from this commitment. I've spent years studying and learning to apply these concepts.


I'm very excited at the recent explosion of resources that are coming out into the market place and getting more widespread attention. I believe this has been due to the release of The Secret more than any other factor.


The Secret is what I would classify as a feel good approach. In the movie, each of the Secret teachers does an exemplary job of explaining what you need to do to put the Law of Attraction into operation for you to attract what you want. They tell you the what, and they do so in a way that makes you feel good, at least for the time being while you are watching it.


This was the reason this movie became so popular with so many millions and spread so rapidly. Even Rhonda Byrne explained that she used the Secret to create The Secret. Ingenious!


The Power really does go further. It does what it says it would do in the preview video, if you did get a chance to see it. In The Secret, they spoke of the importance of feeling good, but in The Power, this topic goes to new levels beyond the "what" to explain more the "why" and the "how" to accomplish this.


My hat's off to Rhonda Byrne on this one for sure. The power is exactly what it has been advertised to be. It is a Masterpiece. Because it was just released, I really don't want to explain in great detail what it is about. I would rather you go out, get it, and see for yourself.


But I will say this. If you understood The Secret enough to know that it has substance, even if you didn't get the full results you wanted, you have to get this book. If you read it with intention and feeling, you will gain an in depth understanding of the power behind the Secret. Maybe this is all you need to have a truly amazing life. I know I have.



I want YOU to succeed!



Jeffrey Brandt

Author of 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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting my website.

A Conversation with Paul Martinelli

It is my sincerest desire to do all I can to give you the tools you need to discover and attain the success you desire and deserve. If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you will have found in it many nuggets to help you to this end. I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few weeks on how to upgrade the impact I may have on helping others on their journey.


I just got off the phone with Paul Martinelli, who just returned from a European tour. You may have seen him in the DVD Beyond The Secret. He is an amazing human being who travels the world helping people like you and I learn how to bring out the greatness we all hold inside. He is also a business partner with Les Brown, who is also very well known as a mentor and motivational speaker to many Fortune 500 companies.


In my conversation with Paul, he offered to do a phone call in which I am inviting you to listen in on and to ask any question you like relative to achieving your dreams. This presents an amazing opportunity for you. Just imagine, what is it you most want to know about how to create the life you truly desire!


But I do need your help right now. The topic of self-help/personal growth is vast. I'd like to hear from you what specific topic ideas you would like to hear Paul talk about. You may leave a comment here or on my page in Facebook. Just click the Facebook link to the right.


The exact time and date are to be determined, but it will be within the next couple of weeks, so do let me know your topic suggestions and questions. And don't forget one of the most important lessons of success is to avoid procrastination. Success does not stand still and wait for anybody. So let me know and we'll "see" you on the phone call!



I want YOU to succeed!!



Or as Paul Martinelli would say, "Hold your image!"



Jeffrey Brandt

Author of 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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting my website.

That's easy for YOU to say!

I've heard it before. I've even thought it before. So I know where you are coming from if you're thinking it too. What? You hear one of the Secret teachers telling you how you should think more positively and put yourself in that place that you desire to be in order to make it happen for you. And there you are thinking "yes, that's easy for YOU to say. Look at your life. You're living the life that dreams are made of."


Well, let me tell you in no uncertain terms that so long as you don't change your beliefs, nothing outside will change either in any lasting way. If you're thinking something like:



"If I could only break myself free from this energy sucking job, this stress-filled relationship, or this impossible situation, then I could really take off."



Your life will not change in this case, because it is very clear where your beliefs lie. You're stuck! If you believe yourself to be stuck, you will remain stuck. Until you can change this belief, you will never find that opportunity to break free. I know this sounds like a paradox, but you have to believe you are free before you will be free. But, how?


This is a very challenging concept to accept for many, but for those who do grasp it, miracles happen. The very best advice I can give you is to look for examples of people who did this and managed to break themselves free from circumstances even worse than your own. There are examples. Find them. Use them to inspire yourself to change your mentality.


Even if you don't know how this can be possible right now, by seeing that others have done it, you will at least learn to see that it has to be possible. this is the beginning of your transformation. It may take some time to come around, but consider this:

Time will pass whether you are working towards something to free yourself or not.

Would it not be better to spend that time working on changing your own beliefs? If it does take time, so be it. The sooner you can begin thinking in this way, the sooner you will be able to grasp the concept of believing you are "freeing" yourself.


When you can honestly believe that you are freeing yourself, you can begin to work on believing you are already free. Think of your job as a stepping stone. It pays the bills while you work on educating yourself in success. The bad relationship educates you in all that still have to learn about creating a beneficent relationship. Your situation teaches you how to avoid getting yourself into this type of problem down the road, and to really appreciate the good you can see in your life.


And in any of these cases, you will learn something of value to offer others in the form of wisdom once you come out on top of things. This is the essence of service to others, which is a key to true and lasting success.


The idea is to change your focus in the ways so that you can do so as much as possible right now in this very moment. Work on maintaining your focus there until it becomes your predominant way of thinking. When this happens, you will surely begin seeing miracles happen in your life.


In short, you will actually see breaking free as something imminent. When you see it as imminent, you will have begun to lift yourself to a new level of existence. It will soon be your turn to hear someone say to you "Yes, that's easy for YOU to say. Look at your life. You're living the life that dreams are made of."



I want YOU to be successful!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of 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. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting his website.

Two very important points

It seems the number of people who are beginning to feel the urge to really get ahead in life is growing everyday. Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s the state of affairs in the world. Maybe it’s divine intervention. It doesn’t really matter the reason why this is happening, but I do see it happening, and that is a good thing.



Another thing I have noticed is that many people who really want something better in their lives are not sure how to go about getting it. This is not a problem, however. It’s not a problem because the answers to what they are looking for are not that difficult to find.


I’d like to share with you two very important points that can help you, if you are someone who desires to better your life but don’t know where to start. The whole purpose of this blog is to help you to be the success you deserve to be. I want to help.



First point: I’ve found there is a very large and growing number of successful people in every area who are feeling the desire to share their ideas of how they became successful.



Second point: The ideas they each express are not at all difficult to grasp.



So how do you find this information? You can find it in the books they write or books that have been written about them. You can find audios, videos, online courses. You can speak directly with many of them or people who have access to them.


In fact, an entire field is opening up called life coaching, success coaching, mentoring programs and many other related programs. It truly is booming. Now, this brings up something I often hear from people in a tough spot in life. “What about people like me? I don’t have the money to invest in many of these programs, and how do I know which program will work best for me?”


First of all you need to recognize this kind of thinking is exactly the kind of thinking that is keeping you from becoming the success you desire to begin with. You’re thinking limitations. Limitations will keep you right where you are at right now. You need to expand your thinking in a way that you can know that somehow, someway, you are going to find the way!


This is so very important. And you will need to develop this mindset before you will even begin to move ahead. There is always a way, no matter where you are currently coming from. Even if you can’t see how just yet, at least take the time to meditate on this idea until you can open yourself to the possibility.


You may have heard of Joe Vitale, teacher in the hit DVD The Secret. He was living on the streets of Dallas when he began his journey. He began by going to the public library and reading books by and about successful people. Now that’s determination!


If you’re reading this blog, you’ve obviously got an internet connection. Use it to Google successful people. Begin with people that resonate with you, and expand from there. You might start with the names you’ve heard mentioned in The Secret. Or you might begin with the names of famous people in business, other writers. Just begin looking. This costs you nothing more than your time.


The idea is to begin something. Just complaining and not doing anything about it will get you no further than you are in this moment. You might be surprised how much good information is out there that won’t cost you a dime. This will at least be enough to get you started on your own road to success.


As you begin to grow, you will surely come across more opportunities, but these opportunities will never come into your awareness if you don’t first get out there and begin looking for them. You can start right here by looking back through these archived blogs. There is a wealth of very good information.


If you are seeking to achieve your goals, I also have an excellent book that tells you specifically how to attain the right mindset to quickly achieve those goals. Manifest By Design Now: A Better Way to Achieve Your Dreams in Five Easy Steps. You can find a downloadable ebook version at Jeffrey Brandt Products.



I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

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

Are YOU living below the neck?

I’ve seen or heard statistics that only about 5% of the population attains mega success. What about the other 95%? They would be the average and below. About 95% of the population watches TV on a regular basis. This leaves about 5% that rarely, if ever, watch TV. Did you know it is precisely the same 5% that are considered to be the most successful that watch the least TV?


About 95% of the population believes it is important to consider security when investing their money. And the other 5%? They are less concerned with security. They are really looking for potential return on investment (ROI). The 95% are thinking about saving for retirement. The 5% are thinking about creating multiple streams of income of the passive type.


How much do you really know about this 5%? If you don’t know much about the way they think, I suggest, no, I URGE you to begin looking into the way they think. YOUR future depends on it! Where do you find this information? Well, there may be many ways of doing so, but I’ll let you know an easy and efficient way to get an in depth understanding of their thinking processes, and how you can make these processes your own.

Books

I’ve read dozens of books on the topic, but I’ll just mention a few of the best I’ve read to get you started. If you’re anything like me, after reading a few of these you’ll want to continue reading more. If that is the case, let me know and I’ll be glad to share with you more titles. But one word of extremely IMPORTANT advice: Don’t stop at reading these books. Put them into ACTION!


The best book I know on this subject is one I’ve mentioned in one of my first blog posts. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. Wow, this book is loaded with all the ammunition you’ll need to take off, if you do as the book says. It is broken in down into seventeen “wealth files” that explain the most powerful differences between the thinking of the rich from the poor and middle class. This book is a must read for sure.


How To Think Like A Millionaire by Mark Fisher and Marc Allen is a short but important work that will give you great insight into new ways of thinking. This was one of the first books I’ve read by Marc Allen, who has written several very good books. He is also the founder and Publisher of New World Library.


If you enjoy reading fables you will definitely enjoy one written by Mark Fisher called The Instant Millionaire. This was one of the first I read on the topic and has had a most extraordinary impact on my life, and I don’t normally read fiction. I highly recommend it.


Bob Proctor has two books I cannot recommend enough: You Were Born Rich, and It’s Not About The Money. Bob really makes it clear the importance of changing the way you think and he eloquently explains how to do this in either one of these two books.


Now I could go on and make quite a list but rather I will say this. Read anything by any of the following writers: Dan Kennedy, Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Robert Allen, Mark Victor Hansen, or any of the teachers from The Secret.


The main goal of my blog is to help you change your mindset in a way to help you achieve your goals. Reading these books will help you immensely! I’ve only mentioned a few of the many I’ve read and use daily, but like I said, you will likely want to read more once you begin. That my friend is the key. Devour this information and your change will happen faster than you can imagine.




Now back to the title of this post: Are YOU living below the neck? What does it mean? Well, if you remember I was making a lot of comments about 95% vs. 5%. Your head consists of roughly 5% of your total body mass. 95% of the people are working in jobs that basically require their body but not so much their head. Those who use their heads are the ones who earn more and find their lives to be far more satisfactory. Think about everything you do in your daily life. Are YOU living below the neck? If so, know that you can change this right NOW.


Decide for once what it is you want and decide for once that you are going to get it. Decide for once that you are going to spend some time everyday learning something new that will lead you in the direction of what you want. Read books. Study them. Contemplate what you learn. Imagine your ideal. Open yourself to ideas and inspiration. Begin living in a new way. Begin living above the neck.


Send me message on Facebook and ask for my new book, Manifest By Design Now. I’ll give it to you for FREE because I want you to be successful. This offer will not last for long but I do want you to have it now so you can begin your new life. Show some initiative to better your life, and in the process help to make a better world for all. That’s what I’m asking. Do it now.



Jeffrey Brandt

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

The Test

Do yourself a favor!


When you study in school or in a university, you learn your lessons, and then you expect a test before receiving your prize, whether this prize be a title or diploma. When you begin studying the Law of Attraction, you might just as well expect the same treatment. You learn all about visualizing your goal and taking action. You also learn the importance of persistence. You learn there will be road blocks, but that you can overcome them with persistence.


Why is it then that so many learn well the necessary lessons, but then give up when the real test becomes evident in their experience? They run into a few road blocks and decide it’s too much work. Remember your lessons! Persistence is the one quality that when lacking brings people to shipwreck more than any other. They give up too soon to see real physical results manifest in their lives.


Know that you will be tested. You expect it in other areas of your life. You might as well know that this area will be no different. Prepare yourself with confidence to follow through no matter what. Know that after the test, you will come out with more than you ever had before.


Many people who have seen programs like The Secret get mislead by the positive energy of these shows. That positive energy is a very necessary element to activating the Law of Attraction. The more positive your energy, the more powerful you attract to you what it is you are seeking, however, what you are seeking will not likely come to you without your going through feelings of self-doubt or other negative emotions.


The key is to recognize this likely scenario and be ready for it. If and when your energy begins to drop, make sure you realize that allowing it to drop is not only going to stop the attractive force you were generating, it may also begin to repel what it is you were seeking.


If the negative energy you feel becomes too much for you to put off, at the very least, make a conscious decision that you will only take a break from your efforts long enough to experience what you really sense that is negative until you can work your way through it. Then you will get right back to attracting again! And follow through.


The idea is to sustain your positive energy indefinitely. When you see the teachers in the film The Secret, they appear as if their lives are simply wonderful every day. I can easily imagine that they are also. There may very well be a few bumps along the way every now and then, but nothing will bring them down for more than a short while.


I say this based on my own experience. I’ve seen a dramatic shift in my own energy that began several years ago. This shift was slow at first, but soon began to accelerate when I did decide that I was going to be positive on a continual basis. When I could not keep myself positive, for whatever reason, I simply made a deal with myself as I stated above.


I consciously decided that I would give in but only for a short time because I knew that being negative would not help me. The interesting thing was that when I began making this deal with myself my periods of feeling down dramatically decreased in both intensity and frequency. I felt more like I was in control even when I wasn’t in total control.


Very soon after, I noticed myself not being bothered by people or situations that would have driven me crazy with negative energy before. So please, give this idea some thought and see if it is something you might want to try. Consider it an experiment. Consider it a test. I am confident you will be pleasantly surprised.



Love your life experience,

Jeffrey Brandt

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