October 14th, 2008 by Jim Donovan
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“You cannot continue to tell the same story without continuing to live the same circumstances.” Abraham-Hicks
Ignoring reality may seem like a strange suggestion but that’s precisely what we have to do to create change in our lives. It’s really quite simple but can be subtly deceptive.
For example, it is pretty much accepted in psychology that we attract what we focus on or, put another way, our minds move in the direction of our thoughts.
Taking that a step further, it becomes apparent that, in order for our lives to change, we must be focusing on not what is, but rather what we want, hence ignore reality. We must start telling a different story about how our life is.
So many people cling to their “story” about how their life is and why and then wonder why it’s not changing. It can’t!
As long as you’re constantly reinforcing conditions as they are, they cannot change. Only when you are willing to let go of your “story” and start telling yourself a new one, will things on the outside begin to change.
If, for example, you wanted to drop 10 pounds you cannot be talking about how hard it is to lose weight or how overweight you are. You cannot keep looking at how slowly the weight is dropping, if at all.
Instead you have to affirm that you are, in fact, losing the weight and shift your self-talk to that of having already reached your ideal weight. Visualize yourself as already having completed the process.
Affirm, “I am in the process of reaching my ideal weight” (income, lifestyle, or whatever).
Right now, with everything going on in the financial industry, most people have their attention on what’s wrong, how much they’re losing in the market, their bills and how bad things are. The problem here is that they are still holding their attention on the problems. All that can possibly produce are similar conditions; namely problems.
The only way to change this is to notice the abundance you already have and, as like attracts like, you will begin to attract more abundance into your life.
You may have to pretend that everything is getting better. You have to start acting “as if” you are living the life you desire. Start telling yourself how great it is having the body you want, the income you desire or the great relationship you’ve been wanting.
Just doing this for a few minutes a day will “trick” your non-conscious mind into believing it is true and you will soon start to see evidence of your new life showing up. Pay attention to even the slightest sign of your dreams becoming manifest. If you’re affirming an increase in finances and someone buys you lunch, see that as evidence of your new abundance.
This, by the way, is what President Roosevelt did during the depression of the 1930’s and as a result, conditions began changing.
Roosevelt called to the White House the leading positive thinkers of his time, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, etc., and everyone agreed, with the help of the media, to start telling a story of economic recovery.
Following the law of attraction, as people started hearing how things were getting better, they began repeating it and believing it and, sure enough, things did get better. Everything begins with thought and, manifests according to our beliefs.
The quickest way I know of creating positive change in one’s life is to start making “appreciation” or “gratitude” lists each day. By putting your attention on what you appreciate and are grateful for in your life, you put yourself in the energy of attracting more things to appreciate. These, of course, are things you want.
If you doubt what I’m saying, just try it for a few weeks and see what happens. I know, from personal experience, that your life will begin to improve.
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July 12th, 2008 by Jim Donovan
As the legendary Nat King Cole sang way back in 1963, “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.”
I don’t know about you but this time of year I like to slow down and relax a little. Of course, if you’re one of my friends in Australia, New Zealand or anywhere else that it’s winter, you’re having a different experience:-)
If you are, by the way, be sure to look for the new Australian edition of This is Your Life, Not a Dress Rehearsal just released there. You can order it from the Australian Online Bookshop
Also, you can read an interview with me in the new Australian success magazine, “No Limits.” It’s an awesome publication and I’m honored to be part of it.
But, if you are in the midst of summer, or just want to relax a bit, now is the ideal time to do it. In most of the world, people are slowing down a little.
Personally, one of the things I like to do, as Steven Covey suggests, is “sharpen my saw.” I like to use these slower times of the year to learn and study. Besides, I need something more to do while sitting on the beach or even on my own patio. If you’re interested, you can read below about some of what I’m currently reading and studying.
Summer is also a great time to do some strategic planning for your business or even make your plan to add an additional income stream.
As I’ve said over and over, I believe this is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from rising prices. You can learn several ways to do this in my home study program
Georgia and I recently spent a few wonderful days visiting friends. Not only did we have fun and get to sit quietly along the Oneida river, watching the boats go by and, one afternoon taking a leisurely boat ride ourselves, I also had the opportunity to have long conversations with my friend Wayne. When he and I speak, we get into some pretty deep stuff.
One of these talks resulted in our brainstorming a new series of audio programs unlike anything ever done in the personal development field. The first of these will be ready in a few weeks and I’ll let you know more about it later.
Being away from my day-to-day environment enables me to free my mind from it’s usual tasks and allows my brain to come up with new and creative ideas. All while having a great time. Of course, I ate too much but I’ll deal with that later:-)
We all need this mental time to relax, reflect and let our minds come up with new ideas. This is hard to do if we’re in our regular routine.
So, the next time you’re thinking, “all I seem to do is work,” take some time off and as Nat King Cole suggested, enjoy those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
Do you want to know what I am studying?
My latest book is The Answer by John Assaraf. You may remember him as the “Dream Board” guy from the movie, The Secret. It’s a law of attraction book targeted toward business people and it’s great.
To continue to “sharpen my saw” in business, I’m studying (and will be acting on for a while) “Traffic Manifesto” by my friend Ross Goldberg. If the Internet is a part of your business, or you’d like it to be, you need this.
However, be warned, if you think you’re going to fluff thorough it and are not willing to take the action, don’t bother. This is a very, very comprehensive course that will give you real results . . . if . . . you do your part.
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April 5th, 2008 by Jim Donovan
April has always been a special month for me. It was April 19th when I hit my bottom, thinking my life was over, only to find out it was just beginning. And in April I stopped smoking, a habit I had since childhood.
I attended the Tony Robbins seminar and participated in the “Firewalk” on an April night back in 1991, an experience that had a profound effect on my life and contributed to my becoming a writer and starting my newsletter.
Something else I like about the month of April is that, where I live, it signals the beginning of spring, a time when I feel re-energized after the cold, quiet winter months. It’s a time when I reevaluate my goals, plant new seeds and begin new projects.
This is an ideal time to take stock of your life and decide what you’d like to create for the months ahead. One of the things that I think about are my goals for the next three months.
What would I like to accomplish between the beginning of April and July 1st when my thoughts will surely go toward summer with warm days, beaches and outdoor fun.
What would you like to do in the next three months?
In your personal life, what goal will you set right now that you could reasonably reach by July?
Have you, like me, been procrastinating about making the time t o exercise regularly? Imagine how great you will feel three months from now if you commit to starting right now. What’s standing in your way?
Have you been wanting to lose some weight? Three months is enough time to make significant progress in this area. If you want some help in this area, go here
What about your finances? Would you like to have more disposal income for a great summer vacation? If you were to begin now you could earn a nice sum by July.
If you have a business, great! Devise ways to expand your services and serve more people. If not, maybe it’s time you started something on your own.
For simple, practical ideas anyone can use, without quitting your job or giving up your business, read my new book, Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck.
Now is the ideal time to revisit your ideal life vision and see how you are progressing.
Evaluate your progress, set some new, expansive three-month goals and start moving toward them. Imagine it’s July 1st and you wake up having achieved and even exceeded the goals you set back in April. How great do you feel now?
Stay in that “completion vibration” and, from that energy, ask yourself “What action could I take immediately to move me toward my goals?”
Then, be still and wait for guidance. When you receive it, trust it and act upon it.
Always act from this higher place where you can receive guidance and inspiration from above.
By seeing and feeling your your vision as already manifest, you are emitting the same vibration as if it actually has and signaling your desires to the Universe. As the law of attraction states, it must respond in kind.
“And all things, whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21: 22
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March 12th, 2008 by Jim Donovan
I read something in the book The Secret, that like many of the ideas in the book, is quite profound.
By the way if you don’t have a copy of this powerful book, I suggest you get one. Better yet, get the book and the movie and maybe even the audio.
If you’ve read any of my books, the ideas from the secret will seem familiar to you. However, it’s a beautifully written book with powerful ideas and suggestions from some of the top people in the personal development field.
The line that struck me was “When you want to attract something, make sure your actions do not contradict what you are asking for.” This is one of those ideas that, on the surface seem obvious but, when explored deeper, are quite profound.
How many of us experience a desire and then act “out of alignment” with what we say that we want?
For example, are you one of those people who, while you want more money, says things like, “I can’t afford that!” Saying things that are not in alignment with what you desire will prevent your good from coming to you.
Remember we attract what we think about and speak about. If you go through life looking at things that you like and are saying “I can’t afford that.” You never will.
Do you desire health but look in the mirror everyday and notice how overweight you are? Again, you can not attract what you want by noticing what you do not want. The more you notice your being overweight, the harder it will be to lose the weight and become healthier.
Instead, when you look in the mirror, notice those things that you do like about yourself and are proud of. Start affirming that you are becoming more and more fit each day. Start seeing yourself at your ideal weight.
Do you want a loving, passionate relationship but spend your days noticing all the things about your partner that bother you? As the line in the TV commercial once said, “You can’t get there from here.” Start noticing what you do like and appreciate about your loved one and watch your relationship change.
Remember the law of attraction is always working in your life and does not judge. If you say you want one thing, but then behave in a manner that is out of alignment with that, you’re consistent behavior and what you steadily tell yourself and are “expecting” will be the dominant vibration. And this vibration that will resonate with and attract a similar vibration.
Your job is to keep your dominant vibration, your point of focus, on what you want. The more you do this, the more you will see your vision taking hold and the more your life will change for the better.
A key principal here is to keep reaching for the thought that feels better. Spend more time thinking about and affirming what you do want and less time (or no time at all) focused on what you don’t want or don’t yet have. Your vision will manifest. Just hold true to your desires.
If it’s more money you want, take advantage of my name your price offer for the ebook edition of my new book - Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
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March 10th, 2008 by Jim Donovan
Several years ago I wrote an article titled “Use the good dishes,” about how we tend to save our good dishes and silverware for company and I suggested that you use them for yourself once in a while. You deserve the best too.
Something else we tend to do is wear our valuable jewelry and good clothing only on special occasions. Why? What are you saving them for?
Since I live in a rural area and work at home most of the time, I look for opportunities to dress up and believe that jewelry and such, are only “bling” and should be used instead of buried away in a drawer.
When I lived in New York City it used to amuse me that there were people who kept their silverware in a safety-deposit box at the bank and would go there to take it out for dinner parties and bring it back the next day. In my opinion if you have to do this, you don’t own your possessions, they own you.
I’ve always liked what my wise uncle George once said, “If it doesn’t have a heartbeat, it’s not important.”
Don’t get me wrong, I like having nice things but I also use them, whether it’s the good dishes or a valuable watch.
As a matter of fact, if you start wearing your good clothes and jewelry, you will start to feel abundant and, as a result of the law of attraction, you will begin to attract more abundance to you.
Something I learned from Dr. Dennis Waitley many years ago that helped me raise my own self-image and, in turn my life style, was when he suggested, “Look and dress your best at all times.”
Doing this will make you feel better about yourself and that feeling will keep you in alignment for attracting what you want. So go ahead, wear your good jewelry to the supermarket.
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Tags: abraham-hicks, abundance, appreciation, attraction, gratitude, ideal weight, law of attraction, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, President Roosevelt, Roosevelt
