The Breathing Prosperity blog

Yesterday I decided to take inventory of my life. You know, you go through life and you never really stop to look at all that you have acquired and all the things you have, all the skills you’ve acquired, all the assets, all the knowledge.  I realized after my inventory yesterday that I had way more assets, resources, knowledge than I had given my self credit for. I had been acquiring and stacking away to the point where I didn’t even know exactly what I had.

It’s easy to go through life complaining that you have a lack of this or a lack of that without ever really thinking about the things that you’ve acquired and stored away out of sight; the acquisition may just be a piece of information, a great idea, not a diamond ring - when we think of things we’ve acquired we try to put some dollar signs to it or some value to it but some acquisitions are priceless or only reveal their value years later.

I had a very old book called ‘How to Think Like a Millionaire and Get Rich’ - very old book, which I left at the airport on the way to Florida earlier this month. By the way, one of the first exercises in that book was to take inventory of your life. Most people have skills and other assets that may not be in physical form that they never really give themselves any credit for but this book said that one of the first steps was to take out a piece of paper and start writing down your assets. First you do your physical assets, then you do non-Physical assets - skills, knowledge, friends, contacts - then from that point you can start realizing the true value of your life.

That book gave the story of a man who went out to find his fortune during the great gold rush and searched for years looking for gold and travelled far and wide only to come home empty-handed and exhausted and then realize that their house was sitting on the biggest oil reserve ever found. It is the same with most of us that we go out searching for the key to millions be it in stock, forex, or some get rich scheme only to come home empty-handed after years of searching, when the true key to millions is something that you already have; it is all within you.

Today is a good day to do an inventory of your life, because just like me you may just get up realizing that you are actually way richer than you had ever thought. So take an inventory of your life today and let us know what you found. And if you have no physical assets, think of all the people, contacts, information that you have acquired over your lifetime and you will realize that you can build an empire.

For those of you who are regulars here, you will know that we often talk about the Law of Attraction and applying it to our lives. We believe in prosperity for all, and prosperity includes ALL wonderful things in life, as defined by YOU.

We also believe that everything - everything - is based on energy and vibration, and all the talk about Law of Attraction is our way of helping explain the incredible processes at work in our lives. (In fact, I am writing a book about the Law of Attraction that aims to simplify and explain the basic concepts, so you can understand and apply them and start living the life of YOUR dreams. Stay tuned!)

While the Law of Attraction has always been around, we all know there has recently been some craziness surrounding the whole subject, and unfortunately this has made the whole topic become somewhat of a ‘fad’.

When I first began to explore wealth consciousness and prosperity several years ago, one name kept coming up for me, and that was Bob Doyle. Bob’s Wealth Beyond Reason program served as my introduction to the Law of Attraction, and the principles of personal creation and attraction.

Over the years I have tried and reviewed many programs on Wealth Creation, Law of Attraction and Personal Development. While I will always be a student, I have now become a teacher as well, and I take my resonsibility seriously. Of all the programs I have enjoyed (and some not-so-much!), Bob’s has been one of the strongest; one to which I often return for updates and review. It is extremely thorough, and contains many audio interviews, books, meditations and a forum…and much more! Wealth Beyond Reason offers an excellent curriculum for anyone wishing to make lasting, positive change.

Bob personally was a powerful mentor for me, and I have him to thank more than anyone for my continued and growing success today (other than myself, I suppose). When I saw him on The Secret I felt a funny mix of pride and maybe a little envy…but mostly pride (which I shared with him via a congratulatory email. Of course, being the friendly and personable guy he is, Bob responded immediately with his thanks, even though he is now a VERY busy man!).

For a primer on Wealth Beyond Reason, you can check out his excellent book at Amazon.com, or enjoy the entire program at WealthBeyondReason.com.

For those interested, Bob has put together a FREE video about the Law of Attraction, and the movie The Secret in particular. In his appealing laid-back style, Bob addresses some of the questions and objections that are being raised in the wake of all this attention on the Law of Attraction. He has found that there is a commonality in the vein of questions being raised, and has put this out purely as an explanation. You can view the video HERE.

By the way, if you still haven’t seen The Secret, you can order the DVD here, or now enjoy it on book form - click here for the book.

We have been tagged to participate in the High Vibes Game initiated by Cardin Routh of OptimistLab. The important part of a game like this, for all of us, is what we can learn from the others involved that we may be able to apply in our own lives. The High Vibe It Game is a great success, and is accumulating a growing list of how people all over tHe world raise their vibrations and feel great…this is a great list to peruse for ideas and just great feelings in general. Thanks to Andy Schmitt at The Daily Positive for including us.

I feel positive most of the time these days, and my best best tips follow:

1. Remember that you are always at CHOICE. Any time you experience an emotion or reaction that does not represent your highest vision of yourself or that goes against your intentions, first accept that you are human and that this is normal and OK. Then, use your personal power and do whatever it takes to get yourself out of the funk. This decision, above all the other steps, is what will make the biggest difference to your happiness and vibrations level on a daily basis.
2. Know what triggers you - both negative and postive. You can then try and avoid the negative when possible, and can use the positive ‘triggers’ to help you bounce back when you are feeling less than stellar.
3. Get back to basics. For many people, including me, there are simple things that always make them feel better. Whether it’s comfort food, calling a trusted friend, or spending time in natural surroundings, take good care of yourself both every day, and when you feel out of sorts.
4. Get moving. Exercise is one of the best - and quickest - ways I know of to feel great.    Physical activity is sooo good for us on so many levels, both physically and mentally. Put on your sneakers and go for a walk if you do nothing else. Your body - and your cleared mind - will thank you! Then do it again tomorrow…
5. Don’t define yourself by your past choices - even those of five minutes ago. If you are feeling guilty for falling off the bandwagon - whether it’s quitting smoking, eating healthy, exercising or any goal you are working on - remember that your next choice can get you back on track. Focus on what are doing well, and keep going. No one is a robot and we all slip now and then…just keep going! Persistence is what makes for winning achievement, AND for high vibrations. As soon as you are back on track, you will feel great again, and that is what this is all about! 

To continue the fun, I tag:

• Gleb Reys of the Personal Development blog
• Nicholas Dooley of Through the Looking Glass
• Daniel Kupec of Sound of Gold
• Melissa Petri at Wandalust
• Lyman Reed of Creating a Better Life

We are participating in a new type of book tour - a book blog tour!

It was requested of us that we join in the fun and help get the word out about a book that aims to help people live their ‘Life on Purpose.’ Each day of June this book, authored by Dr. Brad Swift, will be reviewed on a different blog. You can find the rest of the tour here.

This book details the journey of a man who ‘had it all’ - plenty of money and material possessions, a career as a veterinarian and a picture-frame family - everything looked good. By his own description Dr. Swift had the appearance of having the ‘perfect’ life, but things were far from perfect. He felt empty and miserable inside and was actually considering suicide when things changed for him.

Dr. Swift discovered the power of coaching and more importantly, the power of finding purpose in life. In his ‘Six Passages to an Inspired Life’,  Dr. Swift lays out a detailed and thoughtful plan for finding your and creating a life which lives from this purpose, and includes exercises to help with the process.

Dr. Swift has written the book with the intention of acting as your personal coach on your own journey to purpose and inspiration. He believes deeply in the value of having a coach, and in providing for you a space of love and unconditional support.

If you are struggling or in pain, feeling as if something is missing in your life; if you feel you are still searching for your purpose and are willing to put in a little effort to go through the exercises in this book to find clarity and peace and inspiration, then this would be a great book to begin with. You can find it here, and we hope you enjoy it!

Imagine a world in which we are all the same…

If you’ve ever seen the brilliant movie AI you may recall the scene where the little boy (android) discovers a room full of little boys EXACTLY like he is…and it disturbs him very deeply, having been told that he was unique and special.

The world is full of such immense and colourful variety for many wonderful reasons, not the least of which is to make things interesting. When we begin to value our differences while at the same time feeling united by appreciating what makes us similar, then can we approach enlightenment.

Many of us grow up wishing our parents had done differently, or perhaps being envious of things or privileges other kids enjoyed. Guess what? All of this variety can serve as a demonstration of what is possible now that we are grown up. Instead of resenting our parents for lessons we disagree with, or even strangers who have what we do not, why don’t we look to appreciate the ‘contrast’ as Abraham-Hicks would say, and use it to choose?…Choose who we are now…create who we want to be.

Here is an exercise that will help you envision this: Imagine you are from another planet, and you have just arrived here on earth. As far as earthlings go, you have no identity whatsoever, and you will need to create one. Your biggest asset is that you can choose who and what you would like to be, in order to blend into whichever segment of society you select. Imagine spending a week or two observing as you travel, looking at people, circumstances and surroundings, and selecting exactly those which you feel will suit you. You have no prior beliefs or personal history that will cause you to act or react in any way…you are starting from scratch. What would you choose? List the characteristics of the person you would create yourself to be…

Isn’t this already possible, here in ‘real’ life? The more we purge ourselves of our limiting beliefs and reactionary tendencies, and the more we are aware of our choices, the more we can CHOOSE. We can value your own uniqueness while at the same time discarding or replacing thoughts, actions and habits which do not serve us any longer. We can value the differences in others by realizing that not only do they help make the world more interesting, they allow us to see options from which we may select. We can - and do - create who we are. Isn’t this exciting?…

If people and places were all the same, what would be the point in travelling, in interacting at all? What could we ever learn, and how could we ever grow or expand or horizons? There is HUGE value in choice. Use this power to change your life. Realize the value in choice.

At the very moment that I write this post I find myself feeling like a bad person because I will not do what others expect me to do, and having been taught to seek approval since I was a child there is a part of me that feels that when I say No that no one will like me anymore. I seem to have those conflicts lately; the conflict of allowing yourself to be walked on and trampled while the person who walks over you smiles down at you going  ‘Yeah I like you now - I really do. You stay right there while I continue to walk over you okay?’ My back probably has a lot of skid marks from people who have walked on it all the time, trying to make me feel guilty and me seeking some level of approval. What is this need for us to be liked?…

Is it that if we aren’t liked that we will be alone forever and die? Is it that we don’t want to feel all alone in this world, why we seem to always do things even when they no longer serve us? Is the need to fit in or belong so strong that we would go against our better judgement?

We arrived in Florida last week to meet Shauna and Jacqeuline and we flew first class. My son Nicholas  -2 years old - wouldn’t stop talking. He wasn’t crying or throwing a tantrum, he just wouldn’t stop talking - Mommy this, candy that, spiderman this. I could hear the people behind me when we took our seats go ‘THIS IS NOT GOOD!’ as Nicholas sat down, and I could hear the people in front of me saying ‘Shut up’ as he was talking - like how dare I take a 2 year old in First Class - like coach for little kids, definitely not first class. I felt like the lowest piece of paper under a shoe and like the worst person alive. I swear if they had seats in coach I would have gotten up and gone to coach. I felt so embarrased and felt like maybe I should repay these people for having to put up with a kid in first class. I felt like such a bad person because I didn’t do what others expected of me which was to sit in coach with my kid and the worst part is that I would have changed my behavior so they (strangers) would like me better. Me going into coach would have them sighing in relief and they would have thought well at least she had the decencency to go into coach - such a nice woman - to take her and her talkative kid out of first class, kids aren’t meant to be here anyway.

It seems like I’ve spent the greater part of my life trying to please someone outside of myself in an effort to get people to like me; to think I’m this great person. Even in school we are taught to seek the teacher’s approval, to be popular, and that not doing what others want or expect is frowned upon and not accepted.

How much does the way others view us actually affect our lives? …

…Just thought I’d pass along an interesting book I came across that adresses the general trend to never talk about money and the effect this has on our lives.

Money is truly intertwined with our decisions, our emotions and our daily lives, and for many people the fact that they cannot openly discuss money just deepens the issues and adds to the complexity. I personally think that the more we discuss finances the more empowered we are; we can see first of all that many of our beliefs are twisted, and that we are not alone in believing them. Then we can talk things out, and learn from the mistakes and achievements of others. There is so much to be gained from open dialogue about finances, including better financial habits and a feeling of control and hope about the future.

This book, called Money Changes Everything, tells 22 stories of the impact the ‘taboo’ of money - or not talking about it - has had on the authors. Check it out for yourself…I just wanted to pass it along because it sound sreally interesting, topical and poignant. Enjoy!

Perhaps it is a function of being increasingly conscious of choices, but lately - just the past few days, in fact - I have been deeply learning some lessons I thought I already knew. Just in case my insights are of any help to you, I thought I would share them.

• It’s the little things that count: I was feeling out of sorts today after a night out on the town last night. I don’t usually indulge the way I did last night, and I paid for it today, although we were out with a group of friends and had a great time. It took me almost all day to feel better, and since I hate feeling anything but great, I tried many different things to help the process. You know what worked - what made me feel ‘myself’ again?…The things that always work. The things that make me who I am: a walk in nature, the sound of a fountain, looking at flowers, lying down looking up into a tree, the beautiful sunset. It really IS the little things.
• Money can’t buy you happiness: I have always heard this saying, yet I think most of us believe deep down that it really will. In trying to separate my feelings about money from my feelings about my life circumstances and the people I am surrounded by, I am able to see money as truly inert. If I get sick, money will have no bearing on how I feel, although I may be able to buy better care. Money can’t help me feel healthy, accomplished, loved or loving. I finally get this, and in fact I believe this insight will help me attract even more money, for the right reasons.
• Once time is gone, it’s gone: use it wisely. We cannot get it back. So true, and I’m really feeling the dual realities of both ambitiously heading toward my goals while at the same time slowing down and enjoying the now ~ each small moment. It’s like wringing the best out of life.
• Love needs to be nurtured: My relationships will not nurture themselves. I need to be the type of person I want to be, to create the relationships I want. I need to be my best, and see the best in those around me. Patience, non-judgement, tolerance, love…these are things I may have lost for a little while that I am now enjoying again, and I’m grateful for it…I suspect those around me are appreciating it too.
• Appreciating people is really important: Enough said.

Have a great night!

Did you ever receive an answer to question which you did not even realize you were asking?…

This happened to me today, when I was perusing our friend Aaron’s list of links at Todayisthatday.com. This led me to the discovery of a blog I had not read before called ‘Escape From Cubicle Nation’. You could not have picked a more magnetic title - to me - for a blog than this. Brilliant!

In beginning to read Pam’s insightful and very professional content, I came across something she herself mentions has been ’smacking her in the forehead’ lately…that of the benefit of laser focus. As in, focus on what you are REALLY good at, and the world will beat a path to your door…not because you ASK them to, but because they cannot help themselves. People are drawn to seek out excellence in any particular field. In her article, Pam says ‘Dropping things that you are mediocre at and focusing on the things that you can be truly great at is the only path to mastery.’ So true, and an answer to a question that I was not aware I was asking…which is ‘which of the many things that I could be doing should I be focusing on?…’ I have many, many, internet opportunities, tasks, business ideas and projects on the go and calling to me. I feel as if something must give, and this is a good reminder that I should be narrowing my focus. I wrote an article recently entitled ‘You Can Do Anything, But You Can’t do Everything’, and I think it’s time I take my own advice!

Can this wisdom help you in any of your endeavours?…Perhaps you have been trying to keep many balls up in the air, or have been working hard at two or three jobs, whereas if you truly focused on just one thing, the payoff would be so significantly greater that it is apparent you are actually wasting your time with the current arrangement…? Remember, we cannot save time, we can only spend it. Spend yours wisely, and wring every ounce of potential out of each moment.

For more from Pam’s article, click here. The main blog can be found by clicking here. I look forward to reading more from Pam, and thanks to Aaron for passing this along. Enjoy!

That’s right! It’s put up or shut up time. For all the people who keep having all these goals but do absolutely nothing - I could call some names but I’ll just tell whoever is reading that I’m talking about you - Aaron Potts at Today is that day.com is running a 10,000 Fists to Freedom Challenge. Now this isn’t a little challenge, it is a hardcore, scary challenge that you will probably fail. If you just got mad that I said that, you should enter the contest and prove us all wrong…

Okay so find the scariest, most fantastic, amazing goal (Aaron’s words not mine - okay fantastic may have been mine) and put your money where your mouth is. Are you ready to achieve your goals in 90 days?

Did I mention you could win $100.00 CASH?

Join the many others who will be participating and TRULY changing their lives these next 90 days. Show us - and more importantly yourself - what you’re made of! Click here to read Aaron’s invitation, and feel free to pass this on. With more people comes more POWER!