6 Support Systems To Put In Place Before You Need Them

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Personal Growth Support SystemsI’m still cashing in the chips from last week’s romp through the muck. I’m shoring up my foundation with the four steps I came up with on my Back to Basics day. And now I’m exploring some of the support systems that I can strengthen and/or put into place to accelerate my growth as well as minimize the impact of future weeks spent in the muck!Everyone has ups and downs. No matter how positively focused you are, how often you meditate, workout, or get a massge and no matter how successful you are, there are times when stuff just comes up and you find yourself struggling through the muck.

A common response to those times is to go into hiding. It’s been said that isolation is one of the biggest factors leading to the demise of many small businesses. Well it’s not limited to small business owners. It’s an instinctive response.

Way back when we were running around carrying clubs and grunting a lot, the most effective survival strategy when confronted by a large creature with sharp fangs was to find a small, dark cave to hide in until the creature moved on.

That response is still in us. Even though the creatures we face aren’t so big anymore and most of them don’t have sharp fangs our innate reaction is still to find a cave to hide in until it’s over.

Unfortunately, while that response served our ancestors pretty well, it is very rarely the most effective way to deal with the stuff that comes up now.

A much better approach is to come out of the cave and connect with others. When you feel your strength waning, tap into the strength of others. When the blinders of your old wounds close in tight around your vision, draw on the perspective of others.

Unfortunately, while most of us recognize the importance of having strong support systems I have found that very few people actually take the time and effort to put these systems into place.

So where do you start? Look at the list below. If you have some of these in place already, great! Are there others that you can add to improve the effectiveness of your overall support system?

And if you don’t have any of these systems in place, getting yourself a good coach and finding an accountability partner are two good ones to start with. Each of these is relatively easy to set up and get started, and they are easy to get out of if you find they are not working for you.

But whatever systems you choose, the key is to put them into place before you need them. Once you find yourself falling down the rabbit hole, it’s unlikely that you’ll have the energy or will to reach out and create these systems.

So right now, when you DO have the energy and the will, begin taking some time each week to create support systems.

Here are Six Support Systems to get you started:

Get a Coach:

I admit it: I’m a bit biased. As a coach, I recognize the importance and effectiveness of having a great coach. A good coach will keep you focused on your goals and intentions and reign you back in when you’re spinning off in too many directions.

And when you’re having one of THOSE weeks, a good coach can bring perspective to your experience, open your eyes to the opportunities and lessons in the experience and help you zoom in on the most important items that must get done even if you’re not feeling like doing much of anything.

Join or form a mastermind group:

A mastermind group is an effective source of ongoing, consistent support. Masterminds are most often associated with business, but in reality a mastermind group can be focused on anything. Joe Vitale’s book, Meet and Grow Rich: How to Easily Create and Operate Your Own “Mastermind” Group for Health, Wealth, and More explores many aspects of forming and running a mastermind. And Evan CarMichael has a site filled with great information about Mastermind Groups.

While starting a mastermind group can take a bit of time and effort, the benefits are well worth it!

Get an accountability partner:

An accountability partnership is a very powerful support systems. If you’re in business, you will want to have a partner for your business projects. But even if you’re not a business owner or entrepreneur, you can use an accountability partner for your personal growth, work/life balance, exercise or diet goals. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

My Monday morning check-in with my accountability partner is a highlight of my week. It catalyzes me to get clear on my top priorities for the week and what I am going to commit to for the week.

Join or form a Men’s/Women’s group:

Sometimes the muck needs to be dealt with outside of the business arena. It may be that there’s just a lot of stuff happening in other areas of your life and you need support for that stuff. Same-sex support groups are a very powerful environment within which to explore the stuff that comes up.

Forming deep bonds with other members of your gender is a missing piece for many people. As with the mastermind group, forming a men’s or women’s group will take some time and energy. But the long-term benefits are potentially huge.

Establish a relationship with a therapist or counselor you trust:

For many years I was definitely anti-therapy. My early experiences with mediocre therapists turned me off to the whole idea. But in the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with several truly amazing therapists. And I have definitely seen the benefit of having a relationship – whether ongoing or as needed – with one or more therapists.

The problem is that if you do not have a relationship with a therapist, when you find yourself swimming in the deep end of your “stuff” it’s usually too late to find a great one. A much better approach is to set up the system when you’re feeling good: Get referrals. Interview a few prospective therapists. And have a few sessions to establish a connection. Then, when you find yourself slipping down that slope, you’ll be much more likely to pick up the phone to schedule a session.

Get a mentor:

A mentor is defined as a wise and trusted guide and advisor. A mentor can often save you time and frustration by guiding you around obstacles they have already been through! This is truly one of the most powerful forms of support you can have. And, for many people it can be one of the most difficult to create. But if you already have several of the other support systems in place, this may be the next place to focus your attention.

So there you go: Six support systems that can help smooth out the bumps in the road and accelerate your growth during the good times.

Keep in mind that many of these systems can be “virtual.” I have never met any of the folks in one of my mastermind groups.

If you’re ok with virtual relationships a great place to start your search is on the new Personal Development Partners forum. There are some amazing people over there looking for accountability partners and forming Mastermind groups. You’ll also find some incredible coaches participating in the conversations. Go check it out.

And if you’re looking for non-virtual, i.e. local, “real” connections, a good place to look is on your local Craigslist.

Leave a comment below and let us know what support systems you already have in place. And what other systems do you use that I haven’t listed here? Share your thoughts below.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Personal Growth, Productivity, Well-Being 

Back To Basics Day: 4 Simple Steps To Stabilize The Foundation

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When I was studying karate on the East Coast, from time to time the Sensei would have a Back To Basics Day. He didn’t call them that, but that’s what they were. During these workouts we would focus entirely on the most basic, foundational techniques. Often we would stand in a large circle and count off, doing literally hundreds of punches, kicks, and blocks.

In the early days of my training, if I could get through the avalanche of thoughts streaming through my 20-something brain, most of them telling me I was “too advanced” to be wasting my time on this stuff, I might actually get some benefit from those workouts.

Years later, after reaching the level of Shodan or first-degree black belt, I came to truly enjoy these back to basics days. By then, my brain had become much more cooperative and quiet and I was able to be present with the workout. In that state it was always amazing to recognize how much I still had to learn from and about these seemingly basic techniques.

Now as you may recall, last week was one of THOSE weeks for me. And whether or not Mercury being retrograde had anything to do with it and regardless of how many other people may have been going through a similarly bumpy time, the way I choose to turn last week’s bumpiness into a benefit is by finding the lessons and opportunities hidden in the muck.

And while I was poking around in that muck, the phrase Back To Basics came flying into my head. So apparently one of the lessons for me is to get back to the basics.

It’s a good lesson since I definitely have a tendency to get caught up in the excitement of new ideas and projects. And when I do, it’s very easy for me to forget about the basics that form the solid, strong foundation upon which any successful project will be built.

When those basic, foundational elements are missing or shaky, whatever “advanced” techniques or projects I’m building upon those elements will be just as shaky.

Not good!

So today, I had a Back to Basics day to look at what basics I might need to get back to. And after coming up with quite an impressive list (that I’ll be working through over the next few weeks) I narrowed today’s back to basics list down to these four key steps:

Buy a weekly pill reminder case:

Yes, I realize this isn’t all that glamorous. But personal growth is not always fueled by mystical experiences and epiphanies!

When it comes to supplements, I fall into the “I know they’re good for me but I can’t really be bothered” camp. When I do take them on a consistent basis, I definitely feel more energized. And it’s likely that taking them on a daily basis would smooth out some of the bumps in the road.

I do make an effort to take them every morning, but our mornings are often a wee bit crazy getting Ella ready for pre-school. And, if it’s I’m not on the morning shift with Ella, I often leaven leave super early for a hike or run in the forest. So I often forget to take them. And by the time I get home, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast, let alone taking my supplements!

So the solution I came up with is to get one of those plastic pill cases with a separate compartment for each day of the week. Yeah, sure I felt a bit silly bringing it to the cashier at Rite Aid, – “It’s for my mom, really!” – but hey, if it works…

So tonight I’ll fill in all the little compartments with my supplements and put it right in front of the bathroom sink where I can’t miss it!

Buy a Stainless Steel Water Bottle:

I KNOW that I need to drink more water. I’ve been told by my personal trainer, my wife (who happens to be a Naturopathic Doctor) and I’ve read LOTS of articles explaining how a large percentage of our fatigue can be directly linked to mild dehydration.

I know it. I get it. I just don’t do it!

Part of the problem has been the conflicting information about plastic water bottles. A few months ago I bought one of those nice Polycarbonate bottles because I read that they leached toxic stuff less than the soft plastic. But recently I’ve begun hearing that the soft plastic is actually better. So now, when it comes to plastic, I’m totally confused!

And I must be feeling some hesitation about drinking out of plastic because I’ve been leaving my water bottle on the kitchen counter rather than taking it with me. And that means I’m not drinking as much as I should.

So, today I bought a nice stainless steel water bottle. More healthy, better on the environment (I think) and it should get me to drink more water throughout the day.

I went for the 1 liter stainless steel water bottle by New Wave Enviro. My wife has had the nice Sigg Lifestyle Loop Top Water Bottle for a while. But I like the fact that the New Wave bottle can fit in a water bottle cage on a bike.

Back to 5:00 Am:

Let’s face it: Life Happens!

And when life happens, as it does, things can start to slide if you’re not paying attention. Way back when, at the start of my work with the Holosync System and my 30-day 5:00 am trial (and for several months beyond it) I was consistently getting up at 5:00 and using that first hour to meditate with the Holosync.

Well, I’ve slipped a bit. Somehow, over the past few weeks, 5:00 am has turned into “around 5:00.” And when I get up at 5:30 or 6:00 that doesn’t leave me with a whole lot of time before my daughter wakes up between 6:00 and 7:00. So I usually skip the morning meditation and try to fit it in sometime later in the day. More often than not it doesn’t fit!

You know… Life!

So my next back to basics step is getting back to a 5:00 am wake up time and meditating with the Holosync System at least three mornings each week.

Use Simpleology Every Day:

I find it simply astonishing how easy it is for me to NOT do something that I know makes my life run so much smoother. Just as I’ve slowly slipped away from waking up at 5:00 am, I’ve also let the Simpleology Daily Target Praxis drop out of my regular routine.

Remember that 20-something mind chatter I mentioned above? “You don’t need this. You’re way too advanced for this!”

Yeah right!

When I use Simpleology I get more done. It’s that simple.

When I fool myself into thinking that I don’t need it, I spend much of the day running around in circles, chasing my tail and trying to figure out which way is up!

Not good!

So my fourth Back to Basics action is to return to using the Simpleology Daily Target Praxis every work day.

Simple!

And there you have it. Those are my four back to basics actions. For the next few weeks, I’ll be focused on getting back into the groove with these basic elements and stabilizing my foundation.

What about you? Could it be time for a basics check up? Could your buildings use a bit of structural repair to the foundation?

Having a back to basics day can be a great way to catch any structural problems before they cause your entire building to collapse!

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Personal Growth, Productivity, Well-Being 

Note To Doctors: It’s Time For An Attitude Adjustment

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[Author's Note] I need to begin with two disclaimers.

First, I freely admit that I am not a big fan of the conventional medical system. In fact, I have a fairly significant charge around it. And I recognize that, from a Law of Attraction perspective, as long as I continue to have that charge, I will continue to attract examples of why I believe the system is fatally flawed.

And second, I do recognize that there are many positive examples and shining lights in the field: doctors who have broken the mold and stepped out of the Standard Operating Procedures. To all of you who are out there, you have my deepest appreciation and I ask that you forgive me for lumping you in with the rest of the crew!

[End author's note]

Ok. I admit it. I’m a bit irritated at the moment. I’ve settle down a bit since I wrote the first draft of this article last week.

On Wednesday, my wife and I took Ella to her first visit with one of the doctor’s who comes into the clinic where she receives physical and occupational therapy for her hemiparesis.

We didn’t get off to a great start when we were told that the doctor was running about 40-minutes behind schedule. That type of delay, standard operating procedure for far too many doctors, immediately sets a tone of disrespect and creates a hierarchy of power.

Once we (mostly I!) got over the initial frustration, we made the best of the time, reading with Ella and catching up on some family business.

When we were finally called into the exam room everything seemed fine at first. The doctor was friendly and playful with Ella. The other practitioners in the room – a nurse, Ella’s occupational therapist, and the clinic’s head therapist – were extremely friendly and helpful and all seemed to be going well.

But then, somewhere in the process, the doctor got on a roll. He began spewing out terminology that would have been over the heads of most normal parents. Fortunately, we’re not “normal” My wife is a naturopathic doctor and I am pretty obsessive about researching the latest information about hemiparesis, so the terminology did not phase us. But it was clearly, if unconsciously, meant to disempower us and to put him into a position of superiority.

His monologue continued, seemingly without a break for a breath. The more he talked, the more I felt placed in a box based on his experience and perceptions.

He told us that, as parents, we would naturally pamper Ella and cater to her disability (his word, not ours!).

He told us that as Ella grew up the other kids in school would make fun of her (he explained that kids were mean and that he had been the “fat boy” in school. Personal issues perhaps?).

Somewhere in his spewing he managed to point out that the most important thing was not whether Ella will ever have full use of her left hand, but rather whether who she really is shines through. If he had stopped talking long enough to really look at Ella, he would have seen her light shining out like a beacon. But he didn’t stop. He kept on going.

He told us that Ella would have problems doing this and that.

He told us that Ella would have this physical thing happen and that happen and other stuff happen. All based on his experience and perceptions.

He never stopped to find out who we are and how we are addressing this situation. He never paused to ask us if we had questions. He never opened his eyes to see any of us as unique individuals rather than as cookies cut out of the mold he has been “treating” for all of his many years.

And finally, my patience broke. I have a certain degree of tolerance for people putting me in a box. But I’m not going to let a doctor put my daughter into a box because his experience tells him that she is destined for a certain outcome.

So I stopped him. And I let him know that I didn’t appreciate him putting us into his nice, neat little box. I told him that he didn’t know us, and he hadn’t taken the time to find out about us. I let him know that he had been talking TO us not WITH us.

Based on his reaction I would guess this was probably the first time that anyone has challenged him in this way. The only way to describe his reaction is to say that he started pouting.

He cut me off and walked over to Ella to complete her examination and when he was done he walked out of the room without another word to us.

Does your doctor put you into a box or are you really seen for who you are? Are you treated like a cookie cut out of a mold or is your uniqueness recognizes? Do you feel empowered or disempowered by the contacts you have with the medical profession?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Parenting, Personal Growth, Physical Body, Well-Being 

Pre-release Special On My New Brainwave Entrainment CD

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If you’ve been an Evolving Times reader for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of the Holosync Solution.  You can read about my experience with Holosync here, here, and here.

Holosync utilizes a technology called Brainwave Entrainment. And in the 10+ months that I’ve been using the Holosync I can attest to its power as a personal development tool.

I’ve been so impressed that I decided to produce a CD to introduce this technology to others who are interested in it but don’t know how to get started.
We have all heard of the amazing and well-documented benefits of meditation. Psychology Today says this:

The brain waves of meditators show why they’re healthier. Neuroscientists have found that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex—brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. In other words, they were calmer and happier than before. 

Unfortunately, many people have a difficult time experiencing these and other benefits because they have difficulty entering a deep, meditative state.

For most people, it can take years of dedicated, daily practice to achieve the level of meditation necessary to reap these life-changing benefits.

Brainwave Entrainment Technology has been extensively tested and scientifically proven to help even novice meditators achieve deep states of meditation quickly and easily!Even though I’ve been meditating on a regular basis for almost 10-years this brainwave entrainment technology has taken my meditation practice to levels I never thought I would reach!

And it can do the same for you.

Now if all of this is new to you and sounds a bit daunting, don’t worry: As I mentioned I have just produced a brand new CD that explains everything you need to know to get the most from this life-transforming technology and provides you with a powerful taste of this technology. The CD is: An Introduction to Brainwave Entrainment Technology for Personal Growth and Success.

This CD provides you with all the information you need to know about Brainwave Entrainment Technology as well as two brainwave entrainment sessions for you to experience the power of this technology and reap the benefits in your life!

The CD includes:

  • A 20-minute lecture explaining the basic science and technology (in easy-to-understand terms – I promise!) behind Brainwave Entrainment, how it works, as well as guidelines to get the most from this powerful technology.
  • A 22-minute guided visualization with embedded brainwave entrainment tones to help you attain a deep state of restorative relaxation in just 22-minutes.
  • A bonus, 30-minute non-guided brainwave entrainment meditation session for deep relaxation.

The entrainment technology on this CD is the very latest. It utilizes state-of-the-art entrainment technology that you can actually use without headphones! If you’ve worked with Holosync or other entrainment technologies, you know that you need to use headphones to experience the benefits of the technology.
Using one or both of the meditation sessions on this CD on a daily basis will increase your overall state of contentment and provide you with an effective tool for daily rejuvenation.

Pre-Release special – Save over 40%!

I just heard from the duplicators. The CDs are completed and are on their way. I’ll have them in my office tomorrow and will be shipping them to you on Monday!

Because it’s far more effective for me to ship out a lot of orders all at once (I’ve already got the packaging party setup) I’m offering a pre-release special between now and Monday morning.

The regular price for this CD is $16.95. Other brainwave entrainment CDs sell for $19.95 up to as much as $29.99 for a single CD! (The Holosync CDs sell for well over $100 each)!

Because I want to fulfill as many orders at possible all at once, if you place your order by 10:00am (pacific time) on Monday June 4th you’ll pay just $9.95 for your taste of this life-changing technology!

After that, the regular price is $16.95.

To order your copy now, go to:

www.edwardmills.com/products/#bwe

If you have ever struggled to attain a quiet state of meditation this CD and this technology can help.

And even if you are a long-time, experienced meditator, brainwave entrainment can take your meditation practice to the next level.

Remember, order your copy before 10:00am (pacific time) on Monday, June 4th to save more than 40%.

Here’s the order page again.

www.edwardmills.com/products/#bwe

And if you have any questions, use the contact form above to send me an email. I’ll be glad to answer any questions.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Guided Visualization, Meditation, Well-Being, technology 

Tuesday Motivation For May 1st Balance and Harmony

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Tuesday Motivation doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as Monday Motivation. But since the focus of my motivation this week is on balance, taking most of yesterday off was definitely needed!

Let’s talk about balance for a minute. James Ray says that “Balance is Bogus.” He suggests we look for Harmony and recognize that at times certain areas of your life will crescendo and other areas will move into the background.

I agree with James that there are most definitely times for intense focused activity and growth in one area of your life. And I also feel that those intensive times need to be consicously balanced with times of restoration.

Can you imagine a symphony that was all crescendo and climax? Well, just as that would not make for a very enjoyable listening experience, a life filled with just crescendo and climax (ok, get your thoughts out of the gutter) is not very enjoyable either.

We absolutely need those times of calm and rest. And that is what I need to focus on this week: Brining some conscious calmness to my life.

April felt like a major crescendo in the business area of my life. Beginning with the 5-day Train the Trainer seminar from Peak Potentials three weeks ago, moving into the preparations for and the production of the first Law of Attraction Live seminar last Saturday and climaxing with my presentation on the Energetics of Attraction to well over 100 people at Sunday’s New Living Expo in San Francisco, April was a whirlwind of activity and growth in my business.

And I have been very aware of the other areas of my life that have dropped off into the background. So this week is about bringing some balance back and picking up some of the threads of my life that I have dropped in the past few weeks.

And the tricky part is going to be focusing on that balance and rest while maintaining the incredible momentum and excitement that all of this wonderful activity has generated during the past few weeks.

So here are a few of the key targets that I am going to commit to completing by Saturday at noon.

  • Take at least two hikes.
  • Send the final CD master of An Introduction to Brainwave Entrainment Technology for Personal Growth and Success to the duplicators.
  • Schedule a visioning meeting for my business.
  • Clean the kitchen!!!
  • Post two joywork assignments in the Enlightened Entrepreneurs Intensive online forum.

There you go. Nothing earth-shattering. And that’s just the way I want it! The point for me is to continue the momentum I’ve created while bringing the intensity level down.

I’ll let you know how I do.

And by the way, there was not a winner from last week’s Monday Motivation. I got everything done! Sorry.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Productivity, Well-Being 

I Thought The Earth Remembered Me

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Yesterday I needed a break. I’ve been going non-stop for over 2-weeks. I felt off-balance, disconnected and un-grounded. I probably should have listened to my wife who suggested that I take Monday off. But the little voice inside me was too strong. “You have too much to do. You can’t take a day off. Blah blah blah.”

By yesterday afternoon I knew I had no choice.

So after a nice lunch with a good friend, I walked up into the hills of Annadel State Park. I had not walked very far when a clearing at the top of a hill called to me. I wandered off the trail a bit, found a soft spot and laid myself down in the tall grass.

And I listened to the sounds of the Earth around me. Songbirds were singing in the gnarled Oak trees, a bee would occasionally buzz by, and every so often a puff of wind rustled the hanging seed pods of the grass that hung over me.

I drifted in an out of sleep, content to let my body sink into the arms of the Earth and find its center once more.

And as my body found its center and my mind loosened its grip, one of Mary Oliver’s poems drifted into my awareness.

Sleeping in the Forest

I thought the earth remembered me,
she took me back so tenderly,
arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds.
I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed,
nothing between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths
among the branches of the perfect trees.
All night I heard the small kingdoms
breathing around me, the insects,
and the birds who do their work in the darkness.
All night I rose and fell, as if in water,
grappling with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.

from Sleeping In The Forest by Mary Oliver
© Mary Oliver

As these words poured through me, I felt humble and blessed that the Earth did, indeed, remember me, even though I had forgotten her for these past two weeks.

It is so easy to forget the Earth. It is so easy to get caught up in the seductive call of computers and phones and seminars and cars and kids and other distractions.

But the wonderful thing about the Earth is that, no matter how long we forget her, no matter how disconnected we become, she always remembers us and she will always welcome us tenderly back.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Inspiration, Poetry, Well-Being 

Law Of Attraction Carnival Delayed 1 Week

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If you’re a regular reader of the Law of Attraction Carnival you may have noticed that it did not get published this past Tuesday. You may also have noticed that in my Monday Motivation I did NOT included an intention to publish the carnival on time this week. I did that on purpose.

On Tuesday I drove from Sonoma County down here to LA where I am attending the Peak Potentials 5-day Train The Trainer Certification program. And on Monday, I could tell that there was a good chance that, even with lots of positive thinking, feeling and vibrating and loads of vitamins and supplements, I would not be able to avoid the cold/flu that had gone through my wife and daughter last week.

And, indeed, as I drove down here, I could feel my body moving deeper into that physical expression of resistance that we call “sick.”

It’s been quite an interesting experience observing and playing with the different levels of presence that I can bring to the seminar. I’ll have much more to share with you about that in the next few days.

But the key thing I’ve learned is that no matter how “positive” and “up” you are emotionally and energetically, a seminar that goes from 9:00 am – midnight every day is a bit too much for a body finding its way back into a state of well-being.

And the last thing I want to do is add another stress point – publishing the carnival.

So look for the Law of Attraction Carnival next Tuesday. And then I’ll update the following carnival dates to reflect the change.

And on another blog-related note, here’s a big thank you to all of you who have left comments in the last few days. Please don’t take my lack of response as a sign of disrespect. Again, I am focused on managing my time and energy so that I can help my body move back into its natural state of well-being.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Carnival, Law of Attraction, Physical Body, Well-Being, blogs 

The Top 10 Secrets To My Success

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What sets successful people apart from those who just get by?

It’s a great question. And Aaron Potts of Today Is That Day, has issued an invitation to a few (alright a gazillion) successful bloggers to share the habits that contribute to their success. I’m game. And I must say, narrowing down the list to just 5-10 things that contribute to my success was no easy task. But I managed to pull it off.

Here they are, in no particular order, The secrets to my success.

1. Waking up at 5:00am every morning. Since my 30-day trial of waking up at 5:00am, it has become an ongoing and indispensable part of my daily routine. Those extra morning hours, before the rest of my family wakes up are often my most creative and productive.

2. Meditate every morning. No matter how busy or overwhelmed I might be feeling about my task list, I begin every day with 30-60 minutes of meditation. Being someone that likes variety I rotate different meditation enhancements into this time including the Holosync Brainwave Entrainment technology, guided visualization and hypnotherapy recordings, self-guided energy medicine techniques, intention setting, as well as simple breath-counting meditations.

3. Use brainwave entrainment technology. In addition to using the Holosync solution in the mornings, I use the Neuro-Programmer 2 at least once a day to refresh my energy level, enhance my creativity (when I’m writing) or help me relax when I’m up against a deadline.

4. I use the Simpleology web cockpit every day. I can’t say enough about Simpleology. The simple elegance of this program serves to keep me on task and on target. Using Simpleology, I get at least twice as much done on a daily basis. As a side note, the entire Simpleology system is so full of powerful tools to boost efficiency, increase income and enhance personal energy that I could list at least 10 more habits from Simpleology that I have integrated into my daily life. If you have yet experienced Simpleology, I highly recommend that you sign up for a free account right now.

5. Get outside every day. It’s so easy for me to stay cooped up all day in my cave…err…office, punching away on the keyboard. To counteract the potential for blogger’s butt, I walk to and from my office on most days and get outside for a lunch-time walk.

6. I hike at least three times a week. I need my nature fix. Without it I get grumpy. Just ask my wife! Getting out into the wild is a top priority for me.

7. Take a day off from the computer each week. This day of rest is a recent addition to my success habits. And I must admit, while I have been successful, it has not been easy. The temptation to turn on the laptop, “just for a minute,” to log into my WP control panel to approve and respond to comments or post a quick thought, or… well you get the idea. But while it has not been easy, the benefits have been great. My computer-free day is usually Sunday. So when I wake up Monday morning, I am champing at the bit (or would that be byte?) to start writing.

8. Play with my daughter. My daughter is my most effective teacher in so many ways. She teaches me about presence, play, joy, discovery, love and so much more.

9. Remember that I am here to experience joy and feel great. One of the most powerful insights from the Law of Attraction that I have integrated on a daily basis, is the truth that I am here for joy! I am here to have fun. I have little reminders about this in my office, home and car, in case I forget.

10. Play well with others. I have come to realize, better late than never, that I can’t succeed in solitude. Connecting with others has become a hugely important part of my daily routine. Whether joining the conversation here in the blogosphere, meeting with a colleague to discuss possible partnerships, connecting on a bridge line with peers for a mastermind group, or asking for perspective on new ideas from friends, stepping out of the vacuum of “solo” entrepreneur and into a larger community has been one of the most important recent secrets of my expanding success.

That’s it, although I could definitely keep going. Thanks again to Aaron Potts for initiating this conversation.

Now I’ll tag the following successful bloggers because I want to hear (steal) some of their success habits. My apologies if you’ve already been tagged. Consider it an “I second that” tag confirmation.

Fellow 9rulers
Gleb Reys,
David Seah,
Justin Ruckman, and
Alexander Kjerulf.

Plus:

Drew Rozell

And finally some long shot invitations to a few of my virtual mentors from whom I would LOVE to hear their top ten or so success secrets:

Mark Joyner,
Rich Schefren,
Robert Middleton,
Chris Knight, and
Merlin Mann

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Meditation, Productivity, Simpleology, Well-Being, blogs, technology 

Does God Feel Sad When She Sees Us Struggling?

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Last week, when I dropped Ella off at pre-school, there was a letter in her cubby from the Adapted Physical Education Teacher. She had done an assessment of Ella’s gross motor skills to track the progress she is making with her delayed left side. The assessment listed her progress in specific skill areas and gave an overall “ranking.”

At 39-months Ella’s gross motor skills are at a 21-month level. While I am well aware of Ella’s physical delay and have read various assessments in the past, there was something about this one that caused a deep sadness to well up from within me.

For some reason, I was particularly struck by the description of Ella’s jumping skills. The contrast between my perception of Ella’s attempts to jump – adorable, focused, vibrant – and the clinical terms used in the assessment – “Ella is unable to jump off the ground at this time, but she is showing emergence of this skill.” – struck me right in the heart and the tears began to flow.

I have witnessed this deep sadness in other parents and I know that I have at times been the source of this sadness for my own parents. This sadness, however, is not limited to parents of children with disabilities. It is the deep sadness that comes from watching your child – or anyone you love – struggle. It is a sadness and sense of helplessness that comes from the desire to make everything all right for your child when there is nothing that you can do.

As I drove towards my office, heart broken open, I began to wonder how God/Source/The Universe feels when she/he/it sees us struggling and living far below our potential.

It has been postulated that most of us are accessing and utilizing a mere 5-10% of our potential. If God were to have an assessment done on any of us we would certainly fall well below the “baseline” level of our potential.

Does God cry when seeing this?

My guess is no. God doesn’t strike me as one who gets caught in the trap of attachment. I believe that God sees through our struggles and into our essence. God sees our light, our full potential, shining brightly even when we don’t see it ourselves. God knows that our struggles provide the most potent opportunities to explore our self-created limitations and expand our expression of who we are.

God doesn’t get caught up in wondering what he can do to make it better. He knows that everything is perfect. Including each and every one of us!

God doesn’t wonder if she made a mistake when she created these beings (us) with limitless potential only to see them floundering to access even a tiny fraction of their power. She knows that it is through our struggles that we will, eventually, access our limitless potential.

There are times, quite often, actually, when I hold that Divine perception of Ella and see the incredible light that shines from her eyes: When I watch the intensity that she brings to her playing and learning. When I see her struggling to do things that her peers do easily. When I feel the uninhibited tenderness as she sits with me in the rocking chair and lays her head on my chest. When she gets frustrated and says, “Need help Dada,” and I encourage her to try it again. I even can hold the Divine perception of her (usually) in those moments when she connects fully with her frustration and sadness and expresses it freely.

In those moments, when I see her light, her full potential, I don’t get caught up in thinking that she is less than perfect, less than whole. I don’t look at her as a number on a scale or compare her with anyone else. I don’t wonder if I did anything “wrong” or if I somehow contributed to her disability.

But when I read that assessment, I could not stop myself from going to that place of wondering, of attachment, of deep sadness that Ella is not accessing her full potential. I got caught up in the clinical rankings and began comparing Ella and basing my perception of her on that comparison.

This experience reminded me just how tenuous our hold is on Divine perception. Our ability to see the full potential within everyone is easily shaken by our perception of the “real” physical world.

As we make our way up the vibrational scale of the Law of Attraction and move forward on our path of personal evolution, the consistency with which we hold others in the place of Divine perception can provide a valuable feedback mechanism.

Begin to pay attention to the place from which you are perceiving those around you. Are you focusing on their light or their darkness? Are you seeing their perfection or their problems? Are you appreciating their presence in your life or blaming them for what is wrong with your life?

The choice of how you perceive those around you is not always easy but it is always yours to make.

Remember that what you focus on expands in your life. If you focus on the darkness in those around you, you attract more darkness into your life. If you focus on people’s problems, you attract more problems into your own life.

If you want more joy in your life, focus on the joy you see in others. If you want more peace, focus on the peace you see in others.

I know that Ella is getting the best possible care for her condition and I recognize that she will continue to be assessed and evaluated. And while I don’t agree with the underlying concept of assessment, I accept that it is part of the system within which Ella will receive her care.

What I do know is that I will continue to hold as fully as possible onto my Divine perception of Ella. I will continue to see her perfection, her light and the joy she brings to this world. And I will hold onto the knowledge that her physical struggle is providing a powerful opportunity for her to expand her perception and expression of who she truly is.

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Art of Allowing, Law of Attraction, Parenting, Personal Growth, Physical Body, Relationships, Well-Being 

Law Of Attraction Carnival #13 – The LoA And Physical Health

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Welcome to the 13th edition of The Law of Attraction Carnival. This may be the best edition yet! We’ve got great entries on all aspects of the LoA as well as a few superb articles on this month’s topic – The Law of Attraction and Physical Health.

Physical health and the Law of Attraction is a topic that causes some people to get defensive. If we are creating our reality – as the Law of Attraction posits – that means we are creating our state of physical well-being, or lack thereof.

I have observed that even more than with the topic of money and finance, the are of physical health and the idea that we are in control of our state of health, holds a deep charge for many people.

If we accept the premise of the LoA it means that we must accept every illness, injury and disease that finds its way into our body originated in our thoughts, feelings and vibrational offering.

This can be quite uncomfortable. However, if we can get past the discomfort and begin to take responsibility for our physical health, the results can be truly dramatic.

Take a look at these featured entries for some insightful thoughts about the Law of Attraction and physical health, and watch for more entries on this topic in the future.

Featured Entries:

Let’s begin the Featured Entries section with 3 Keys to Better Health with the Law of Attraction by Aaron Potts at Today Is That Day. Aaron has this to say: “So, if everything is energy, and we can control the vibration of our energy, then we can use the Law of Attraction to bring into our existence only the vibrations that we wish to have – including those that are consistent with vibrant, long-term health.”

Next up is long-time Law of Attraction Carnival contributor Raymond David Salas of Zen Chill with How to Heal Yourself. Raymond reminds us that the key to healing ourselves is “allowing your well-being (which is already present) to express itself.”

Next is Drew Rozell a newcomer to the carnival, but certainly no newcomer to the Law of Attraction! Drew brings us LOA, Addiction, Feeling & Health an insightful look at the connection between, addiction, feelings, health and the LoA. Drew asks: “Why is feeling important? When we live life without feeling fully, we are stuck in the reaction mode responsible for addictive behavior. The old adage is true: “What you resist persists.” In other words, when we fail to feel fully, the energy pattern associated with the feeling stays stuck in the body.”

And finally we have Vicki Link with Healing through the Law of Attraction. Vicki points out that “The present moment is the accumulation of every thought, perception, desire, and belief you’ve had, but it does NOT have to determine your future experiences. The next moment is undecided and filled with every possibility. Your future can be whatsoever you desire it to be, if you hold an intent & belief which are congruent with that vision.”

If you would like your entry to be considered for a Featured Entry spot, you must submit an article that focuses on the Carnival topic. The next edition will focus on the movie, The Secret. For more details visit the Law of Attraction Homepage.

And now on to the rest of our entries for this edition of the Law of Attraction Carnival. Enjoy!

Deliberate Creation

Susan Velez presents Focus On Success Even Through Adversity posted at The Secret To Life.

Doug Ragan presents Self Improvement Articles: How you can create more abundance in your life posted at Writing and Speaking Articles.

Alan presents Stinking Thinking – Change your thoughts, change your life posted at Made to Be Great.

Walt presents Ask The Right Questions To Get The Right Answers posted at Walt Nation!.

Joy

Hueina Su presents Celebrating YOU: The Leading Lady of Your Show posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul, saying, “Remember, you are the Leading Lady (or man) and director of your own show. You are in charge and fully responsible for how your show turns out.

Law of Attraction

Nneka presents Waiting On The World To Change posted at Balanced Life Center.

Alan presents Do we reject money? – Keys to Unlock your Inner Potential posted at Made to Be Great.

Ophelia Nicholson presents Law of Attraction: Can I Have Fries, Coke and a Bentley With THAT?! posted at Law of Attraction|Breathing Prosperity |Cross the Wealth Gap Today!.

Lyn Perry presents The Law of Attraction posted at Thought Renewal

Karen Lynch presents The Power of Possibility posted at LivethePower, saying, “Start believing in your possibilities”

Bart Pair presents The Law of Attraction: Taking a Step Backward to Move Forward | 10,000 Thoughts posted at 10,000 Thoughts, saying, “An interesting take on using the Law of Attraction”

Aaron M. Potts presents Law of Attraction Naysayers and Rampant Capitalism posted at Today is that DAy.

Tristan presents Synergy Institute for Personal Development posted at The Synergy Institute, saying, “This is the most comprehensive article on vision boards on the internet and it relates the power of focus to the law of attraction.”

Susan Velez presents Limiting Beliefs We All Have Them posted at The Secret To Life.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of law of attraction using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Art of Allowing, Carnival, Deliberate Creation, Feelings, Law of Attraction, Physical Body, Well-Being, blogs 

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