Create Your Reality

Dr. Martines has been in practice for 26 years. He was a four-term president of the Santa Clara County Chiropractic Society and was voted by his colleagues Doctor or the Year four times. He is active on many local boards, volunteers for various non-profits, but most important to me is… he has been my chiropractor and partner in my wellness regime for over 10 years. I definitely meditate, exercise and focus on proper nutrition, but I also credit the work that we have done together with my overall sense of well being and ability to stay positive and happy. 

Each of Us Has an Internal Map of Reality Which is Made Up of Our Experiences and Their Effect On Us.   Your internal map of reality is your perception of the world around you and how you perceive yourself fitting into it.  If your childhood experiences led you to believe that making mistakes was akin to death, your internal map will ensure your survival by making you averse to doing anything that could potentially result in a less than perfect outcome.   In addition, on a subconscious level you are so convinced that your map of reality is correct, you pull evidence from the outside world to validate it.  If your experiences led you to believe that you were unlovable, you will look for evidence to validate this and perhaps attract people to you who are incapable of loving.   But remember, your internal map is not who you are, it is a tool that you have developed to assist you with navigating in the world. You created it, so you can change it.   

Although partners in business, this mother and son team have differing very differing approaches to the Law of Attraction. While Pamela’s approach incorporates spirituality in to her work - W.T. draws from his own personal business experiences and goal setting mentality. The differing viewpoints compliment each other bringing a wider perspective to those who are hungry to find a new way of looking at life and manifest what they desire. Together they created the Your Invincible Power book series and today we are going to talk about their latest book: How to tame your ego and fuel your ambition. In its attempt to keep us safe, the ego often puts up road blocks, sets limitations and produces fear and anxitery which saps your motivation and keeps you stuck. Understanding your ego and all its tricks is key to stepping out of your comfort zone and dreaming big. 

Mastering Your Habits is the Key to Living a Healthier, Happier, and Fulfilling Life James believes that mastering your habits is at the core of living a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life. He teaches that small choices and tiny habits shape our lives and for this reason, he passionately spreads knowledge and awareness on the science of behavior and habit formation. Most people approach goals from an “outcome” perspective – meaning they focus on the end result but James suggests focusing on building small, daily habits that make it easier to automatically make decisions that inevitably move you towards your outcome. It’s a practical, very effective approach to creating the life you want, so listen and learn more!

Listen now or download my conversation with Alycia Ripley. Alycia is a published author of three novels and numerous short stories and articles. She is a testament to what hard work, positive thinking and direct focus can do. In this conversation, Alycia shares her views on how everyone can use the power of positive thoughts and actions, taking risks and thinking outside the box to create the reality they want.

Listen to my conversation with Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein. Dr. Holstein is an author and practicing psychologist committed to helping girls, tweens, teens and women of all ages develop a strong sense of self, and the confidence, resiliency and the courage to explore their talents and potential to the fullest. She coined the term The Enchanted self and her book The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy utilizes positive psychology techniques to help women rediscover and reclaim the aspects of themselves that they are proud of. Her website Enchantedself.com is full of information on how you can start to look for the positive rather than the negative about yourself and learn to recognize and develop your talents and strengths. In addition to women, Dr. Holstein has a variety of resources for tween and teen girls and their parents. Her website TheTruthForGirls.com not only features links to two of her books The Truth: The Diary of a Gutsy Tween and Secrets: Diary of a Gutsy Teen but also has blog, videos and tons of information.

Listen to my conversation with Joshua Tongol author of the book The Secret to Awesomeness Through his own experience with healing his physical ailments, Josh came to understand the power of thought and the role the subconscious mind plays in creating individual reality. He describes himself as someone who aggressively did not believe in miracles, yet he couldn’t deny the physical healing that took place once he made his healing a reality in his own mind. In this conversation, Josh and I talk about the subconscious mind – specifically how it creates your individual reality and how you can use thoughts, words, and feelings to direct it to create the life you want.

Listen to my conversation with The Emotional Pro, Ilene Dillon. Ilene has worked as a psychotherapist, author, Internet radio host, coach, continuing education provider and professional speaker. Her mission is to exponentially increase the love in individual, family, community and the world, which has led her to learn about all emotions. In this conversation, Ilene and I talked about emotions - why we have them, what they are trying to tell us about areas where we need to heal and grow and why it is important to become a master of them. Ilene also highlights the work of CCGL Global Academy, an online-based community of experts who’s mission it is to heal, unite and empower individuals, families and communities while working together to raise the next generation.

Listen to my conversation with the Unstoppable Frankie Picasso. Frankie is a Professional Certified Life, Business, Relationship and Master Coach Trainer. She is also radio host and author of the book Midlife Mojo: How to get through the midlife crisis and emerge as your true self. In this conversation, Frankie and I chat about negative self-talk, and how it molds your self-image and inhibits your ability to create the life you want. Your self-image is formed in early childhood during the socialization process and is supported by the messages you receive from those around you. Gradually the voices of authority figures such as parents or teachers bury themselves in your sub conscious and the words they use become your words…your self-talk. If the messages that you received were largely positive, your self-image will be healthy. As a result, you will feel confident and self-assured in your day-to-day interactions and activities. If the messages were negative, your self-image will be unhealthy. You will experience fear, anxiety, and be inhibited from moving forward to create that life you want. The good news is that as an adult, you can choose to not be a victim of your socialization and the messages that you took in as a child without your consent. You can become mindful of the things that you say to yourself which disempower you. And, once identified you can choose to deconstruct and reform them into statements that uplift and encourage you. As Frankie says: “It is each person’s responsibility to take charge of their life.”

Listen to my conversation with Michael Cupo, author of the book It’s Only Monday In Your Mind Michael wrote the book to share his personal insights into the workings of the mind and how creating a stillness in his mind allowed him to see the conditioned mind patterns that kept him on a quest to seek pleasure and happiness outside of himself. It is his mission to help others understand what conditioned mind patterns are, how they are formed and how creating a still, disciplined mind can lead to peace and happiness.

Listen to my conversation with multi-published author and self-development expert Robin Marvel After enduring a childhood filled with abuse, homelessness and teen pregnancy, Robin chose to overcome these challenges to create a life of purpose and passion. She has devoted her life to showing others how to do the same. Using her story, books and workshops as tools, she is inspiring others to break negative cycles and choose to live the life they desire and deserve. Motivated by a drive to break the cycle of poverty that she inherited, Robin made a solid commitment to change and create the life she wanted. Although the first steps towards any change are commitment and follow through, Robin is quick to point out that breaking habitual cycles of thinking and behavior is not as easy as flipping a switch. Since there will be times when you backslide and engage in behaviors that are not moving you closer to your goal, part of your commitment must be to get back on track no matter how many times you veer off course. According to Robin the next essential step towards taking control of your life is to take responsibility for it. Lose your victim mentality. Forgive yourself, forgive others and start taking action steps towards creating the life you want. Robin speaks from personal experience that a rough childhood is not an excuse to not perform to your optimum level. Robin’s story is inspirational and her message that we are all here to enjoy our lives and own our greatness is powerful and empowering.

Listen to my conversation with New York City-based writer, wellness coach and yoga guide, Quentin Vennie. Quentin utilizes his experience in personal training, yoga and juicing to influence and transform lives. His approach is to address the obstacles occurring inside the body, allowing the external changes to occur as a direct result. In this conversation, Quentin shares his personal journey and how he used juicing, yoga and meditation to overcome his addition to prescription drugs and learn to manage his once debilitating general panic disorder. Quentin was originally diagnosed with a panic disorder at age 14, but his mother rejected the doctor’s recommendation for medication. The disorder gained new footing when he was in his mid-20’s. This time the anxiety attacks were unmanageable and, after receiving a diagnosis of generalized anxiety and general panic disorder, he accepted medication as a treatment. In addition, he experienced severe migraine, so he was prescribed a powerful narcotic for the pain. Within 8 months he realized he was addicted. His use of the anti-anxiety medication increased six times over the original amount and, after an accidental overdose of the narcotic, he made the commitment to wean himself off both  medications, but he wasn’t sure how. While searching for answers online he came across the documentaries Sick Fat and Nearly Dead and Crazy Sexy Cancer. He watched both documentaries in the same day and went out and bought a juicer that night. From there an exploration and eventual love of Yoga developed along with meditation and healthy routine of self-care. Quentin is quick to point out that he is not “cured” of the panic disorder, but he is able to manage the frequency and intensity of the attacks. He continues to learn triggers and accepts that the disorder is a part of him but does not need to limit him.

Listen to my conversation with Emilie Cortes motivational speaker and owner of Call of the Wild Adventures, Inc., an all women’s adventure travel company. About 10 years ago Emilie discovered a passion for outdoor activities especially mountaineering. Through her experiences challenging herself in the outdoors, Emilie gained a tremendous amount of confidence in her leadership and decision making ability. She learned that she could count on herself to be resourceful and think on her feet. Her self-empowerment grew and directly impacted her personal and professional life in a variety of positive ways. It was while she was sidelined with an injury that Emilie began to see how she could create a space for others to have similar types of self-discovery experiences. This realization caused her to leave her 17-year career in financial services and pursue her passion. Emilie says Call of the Wild Adventures caters to women only because she feels it is important to give women the space to have physical challenges and to express their fears and work through them without the overlay of gender dynamics coming into play. She feels that outdoor adventure experiences are visceral so they sit in your body and created change on a different level than cerebral brain oriented activities. Call of the Wild Adventures offers all level of trips from lodge trips with wine tasting and day hikes to full on backpacking adventures

Let Go of Heartbreak In this conversation Alana Mbanza, Author of Love Sick: Leaning to Love and Let Go, talks about ways to not just let go of heartbreak but to find meaning in the experience and learn and grow from it.  Through her correspondence with others who have shared their own experiences with heartbreak, Alana noticed several common thought patterns that kept people from healing at the end of a relationship and unable to see the higher purpose behind the experience. Some common reasons that people have a hard time letting go of heartbreak are: You are telling your self that he or she was the “one”By shifting your perspective and understanding that there is no “one” person who is “meant” for you is essential to releasing the relationship and healing. Gain the insight that the person was meant to teach you something that you needed to know or show you something about yourself that you needed to see.    You are glamorizing the relationship.This makes it impossible to let go of heartbreak because you only remember the good times and forget the times when your needs and desires were not met. Instead take a balanced look at the relationship and ask yourself “what am I supposed to learn from this experience”. You may discover that the relationship taught you that you need someone who communicates well or that you need someone who has more time for you.  Seeing the lessons is a positive because you know going into your next relationship that this is something that you must have. Although it is important to grieve the loss of the relationship, to fully let go of the heartbreak, it is important to be mindful of these two common thought patterns and consciously shift them to ones that allow you to learn and grow from the experience.   

Mindfulness is not a new concept. It has been around for thousands of years and is the foundation of spiritual practices around the world. But what does it really mean to practice mindfulness? Listen to my conversation with Janetti Marotta author of 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem. Simply, when you practice mindfulness, you are being open and accepting of the present moment for what it is.  It means experiencing the rain without wishing it was sunny. Or feeling the heat without wishing for a cool breeze. It’s about enjoying a cool breeze without hoping it lasts forever or being disappointed when it stops. It’s accepting that life can be difficult and owning the awareness that it is our attachment to a thought or feeling that things should be different that creates our individual suffering. The practice of mindfulness is about learning to shift from trying to change what is happening to being with what is happening. When things don’t go the way we want, we resist what is happening. This resistance leads to dissatisfaction, which leads to anger, depression, frustration, fear, and anxiety. When we practice mindfulness, we are present. We are free of judgment, which allows us to turn towards what is occurring and embrace it. The practice of mindfulness is also about being aware and noticing without emotion or judgment our thoughts, feelings and reactions in all circumstance.  Approaching life in this way creates a sense of peace, calm and empowerment, because we are in control of our own experience allowing us to respond to circumstances rather than react to them. In the book 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem, Janetti applies the practice of mindfulnessto help readers quiet the self-criticism and self-judgment that stands between them and a happier life.  She gives every day practices that allow readers to learn to pay attention to their negative thoughts as they occur, face them and choose how they wish to respond. According to Janetti, when you learn to love yourself for who you are, you invite a sense of wholeness into your being. You get rid of a sense of failure, inadequacy, and what is not “right” in your life. Being mindful allows you to say, “yes” to life and enables you to cultivate more self-acceptance and love.

In this conversation mental strength expert, author and founder of Warrior Mind Coach, Gregg Swanson talks about the goals and how to develop a goal achieveing mindset.. The key to reaching goals is to develop a goal achieving mindset. We’ve all done this: You set a goal with the best intention to reach it and about four-to six-weeks into your quest, you start to falter, lose momentum and eventually fall off the path completely. Why? Were you lying to yourself about your commitment to reach your goal? Well, in a way you were, though not intentionally. While your conscious mind was making the commitment, your unconscious mind had its fingers crossed – so to speak. You see, reaching a goal such as getting in shape or getting out of debt requires you to alter what you normally do; to change your behavior. The challenge is your unconscious mind, whose job it is to automate behaviors to ensure that you not only physically survive but emotionally thrive, does not like change. A goal achieving mindset can only be developed by altering the thoughts and beliefs that make up the unconscious mind. Your unconscious mind drives your behavior. So, as Gregg point out in our conversation, while goals are set by the conscious mind, they are achieved by the unconscious mind. No matter what the conscious mind sets out to do, if the thoughts, beliefs, and learned programming of the unconscious mind are not altered you will snap back to old behavior patterns and fall short of your goal. So, making the changes in behavior that are necessary to achieve your goal, requires the cooperation of the unconscious mind. How do you gain the cooperation of your unconscious mind to get into a goal achieving mindset? You need to consciously choose a realistic goal and set an action plan to achieve it. As you work your plan, stay mindful and present to the thoughts and excuses that arises and the emotions and behaviors that result from them. Be diligent and document this resistance and explore the thoughts, beliefs, past experiences, and societal norms that support it. For example, you have set a goal to get out of debt and created an action plan. As you follow your plan, you should pay attention to thoughts like: “Ugg, I’ve been working so hard I deserve a new pair of shoes” or “I’ve been so stressed out I need to take a cruise and get away”. These thoughts bubble up from your unconscious mind, which in this case is ensuring that you emotionally thrive, and cause you to act in a way that is counter to your goal. In order to reach your goal, you need convince your unconscious mind that the new behaviors required to achieve your goal are beneficial to your physical and emotional survival. Paying attention to and altering thoughts is essential to developing a goal achieving mindset. In our chat, Gregg outlines several ways to do this including mental rehearsal and associating a value to the goal.

The Power of Conscious Choice Listen to my conversation with Intuitive Medium, Reiki Master, Author and Spiritual Teacher Shelly Wilson. Taking responsibility for the choices you’ve made and being brave enough to face the consequences, see patterns of results and consciously choose different ways of thinking, acting and reacting are the most fundamental steps that you can do to regain your personal power and move from being a victim to victor. In this conversation, Shelly and I talk about the power of conscious choice and how viewing all experiences as opportunities to grow enables you to live a live that is free of self-blame and judgment. Visit Shelly’s website to learn about how she can assist you on your spiritual journey. You can also access her books: 28 Days to a New YOU, Connect to the YOU Within, and Journey into Consciousness and courses: Stop Existing and Start Living! andOpening Your Heart to Love.    

In this conversation, Amy shares that the true nature of all human beings is well-being, clarity and peace of mind. Anytime you’re suffering, experiencing confusion, pain, fear, or loss; or questioning yourself or your abilities you are stuck in negative habitual thinking and that is what is holding you back from the peaceful experience of who you really are. Her message is simply to rediscover your true nature there is nothing to do, nothing to change, you are already perfect and life is easier than you are making it.

In this conversation, Pam and I talk about the importance of using joy and gratitude to open channels to receive what you want. When actively seeking to manifest what you want, it is easy to approach the process by focusing on the absence of what you want. For example, when seeking to attract a romantic partner into your life, instead of feeling lonely and asking for what you want, be grateful for the  friends and loved ones already in your life and seek to add a special someone to the mix. Or if your finances are tight and you are seeking to attract a better paying job, do so by being grateful for your current job and salary and seek to move to your next level financially. The bottom line is, if you are dissatisfied with your life or experiencing a sense of lack, you will attract more opportunities to feel these feelings. It is the basic “like attracts like” principle of the Law of Attraction. Remember, the universe cannot distinguish between what you want and don’t want. It only responds to your thought vibration and the images you hold in your mind. Your job is to focus on what you want and open channels to receive what you desire.  As Pam states, the best way to open channels is through joy and gratitude. Cultivating an attitude of joy and gratitude is a matter of being present and mindful to the blessings that surround you and appreciating what you already have. Wake up each day grateful and curious about what wonderful things are going to happen to you. Be on the look out for overwhelming and subtle blessings. Both will present themselves if you are aware enough to see them.  

In this conversation, Jana shares practical ways to fight fear and move into a hopeful place of trust and faith. In addition to being an author, speaker and inspirational humorist, Jana is an ovarian cancer survivor and founder of the Been There – Got the Wig® Breakfast Club and Ministry. Her mission is to uplift and inspire others to fight fear. She focuses on three ways to fight fear: Adopt a positive attitude Program your mind and spirit Take steps to add humor As Jana points out, it does not matter what you are facing. Whether it is a life threatening illness, a divorce, job loss, foreclosure or any other situation that challenges your sense of safety and well-being, the feeling of fear is detrimental to your ability to move through the challenge and heal. It is a documented fact that individuals who actively practice ways to fight fear and cultivate a positive mental state heal from physical disease quicker and more often than people who let fear overwhelm them to the point of hopelessness and depression. The same is true with non-life threatening challenges, like the ones mentioned above.  The more you trust the process and stay in a place of hope, the less harsh the experience will seem.  Your head will be clearer and you will have more energy to actively move yourself through. The message is, you cannot always choose what happens to you but you can always choose how to respond. The decision to be a victim or a fighter is always in your hands, so make the effort to learn and practice ways to fight fear and take control of your challenge, no matter what it is.

In this conversation Pat gives an overview of strategic goal setting tools and techniques that you can use to move your dreams into reality. “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” This quote, attributed to Benjamin Franklin, is startlingly true in its direct simplicity. Lack of planning is the reason why so many of you don’t feel like you are getting anywhere despite your hard work. You are like a mouse running haphazardly through a maze. While you might hit your target, success is not guaranteed and a lot of your time and energy is wasted in the process. The fact is you have not taken the time to think about what you really want and set concrete goals and action plans to achieve your dreams. Why is strategic goal setting important? Setting strategic goals helps you narrow your focus to what you really want to go for in life. And establishing actions plans for achieving those goals helps you focus your time and be more mindful of distractions like television, surfing the web or other people’s whims. For many of you, the process of setting strategic goals and establishing and sticking to action plans may be unfamiliar or feel overwhelming. How and where do you begin? Pat’s book The Go Getter’s Guidebook is a great place to start. It is a motivational jumping off point full of inspiring calls to action and ways to approach goals. It includes specific suggestions on what someone can do to make the changes necessary to being creating the life they want.

In this conversation, Sherry touches on her unique healing technique: QuantumPathic Energy Method or QPEM. Sherry developed QPEM from insights gained when she lost all that she knew and loved as the result of a horrible car accident. QPEM rests on the premise that all of your emotional experiences are energetically embedded into your cellular memory. These memories and the ingrained belief systems that they create, are what cause physical ailments and dis-ease. Your body has within it the innate impulse, some call it wisdom, needed to ensure it stays healthy. This is evident in your body’s ability to heal itself. Unresolved, negative experiences can alter the quality of this innate impulse and the biochemical energy within each cell. Over time this can result in physical ailments that alter the quality of your life. The QPEM allows you to connect to your body at the cellular level of consciousness and begin to release these experiences. According to Sherry, utilizing the body’s innate impulse towards balance, health and well-being, QPEM has helped people who suffered with very serious physical illnesses such as depression, cancer, Parkinson's, and diabetes. Learn more about QuantumPathic Energy Method  

How to alter your perspective on the world around you and live a life of true magic and inspiration Mitch Williams is an international award winning magician and sleight of hand artist, an inspirational speaker and an authority on creativity, personal transformation, and peak performance. As an entertainer he has performed for audiences throughout the US and Canada, in Japan and in Europe. As a speaker Mitch has presented seminars and workshops which combine his outstanding magic with uplifting and thought provoking messages on the “real magic”  around us. For over thirty-five years he has been an avid student of cutting edge information on human development, transformational psychology, future studies and psycho-spirituality. His book A call to Magic – The Artful Science of Transforming Self and World is filled with practical suggestions on how to radically alter your perspective on life and the world around you and live a life of true magic and inspiration. In this conversation, Mitch shared with listeners his unique point of view of using magic as a way to improve your quality of life to become happier and more fulfilled.

How to Cultivate and Practice the Art of Allowing Practicing the art of allowing means you are flowing, surrendering and trusting the creative process while forcing means you are in a place of constriction, distrust and fear. Attempting to force something into existence is going against the current of life. The key to the art of allowing is settling into  the awareness that we are a part of a loving and supportive universe that is here to manifest what we want. According to Colleen we are all surrounded by helpers and guides in non-physical form who are waiting for us to ask for help. She points out that we are here to experience free will and it is not up to our guides to step in and help. They understand what we are here to learn and go  through. When you ask for help, you essentially give them “permission” to intercede on your behalf and begin orchestrating what you want. Colleen offers the following three-point plan for practicing the art of allowing: Ask for what you want Know that you have been heard Let it go I, like many others, get tripped up on the third step. I have a hard time trusting the process. But I find the more I let things go, the more opportunities there are for me to see the results. These experiences stack and build trust. In our conversation, Colleen offers several ways to communicate with non-physical guides including the use of a pendulum and/or muscle testing, as well as paying attention to the way your body feels. Check out our conversation to learn more.

This is a continuation of my conversation with award winning author Mary Lore. Access part one.

Powerful thoughts is a new concept to me. I am familiar with the notion of positive thinking and have given it a try in many different circumstances. For a while I used positive thinking to try and bring a challenging relationship with a co-worker up to a higher level of communication. Every morning I would spend several minutes repeating a mantra along the lines of “Joanie and I are communicating honestly and fairly….Joanie and I are communicating openly and seeking to understand each other’s points of view…” etc. Some days it worked to put me in an open space of possibility, but most days all it did was bring to mind previous emotionally taxing, negative conversations and interactions. But, I kept at it diligently, completely ignorant to the fact that instead of creating the healthy relationship I wanted, I was solidifying the detrimental one. I didn’t believe what I was saying and my mind helped me out with examples that supported my disbelief. You see I was not paying attention to what Mary Lore calls, my follow-up thoughts. How to Tell the Difference Between Positive and Powerful Thoughts In our conversation about positive thoughts versus powerful ones, Mary points out that one way to tell the difference between the two is to pay attention to your follow-up thoughts after the initial thought. If your follow-up thoughts deflate you, make you feel fearful or unmotivated, the initial thought is not a powerful thought no matter how positive is sounds. However, if your follow-up thoughts uplift, motivate, and energize you, the initial thought is a powerful thought. In my example above if I had shifted my focus from the interaction between Joanie and I and placed it on myself, I would have felt empowered. Thoughts along the lines of “I am being my true, loving authentic self in all my interactions with Joanie and others…” would have uplifted and motivated me to be they type of person I strive to be. Mary points out that what works for one person will not work for another. And what works for years will one day stop working. The trick is to be flexible and creative with your thoughts and always check in with yourself to see how you feel. Are your shoulders tense or relaxed? Are you smiling or frowning? Do you feel light or heavy inside? These are all indications of whether or not you are thinking powerful thoughts versus positive ones.

Unleash Your Power Posted on June 30, 2013 by Lynn Crocker How to Unleash Your Power Within You to Create More Abundance, Joy and Fulfillment by Lynn Crocker   This conversation with Deborah focuses on her EXPLODE into Life™ program  which is a self-paced, multi-media program designed to unleash your power within you.  Comprised of five modules and utilizing photos, videos, audio meditations and exercises, EXPLODE into Life™ guides you to create the life you want. Module one, called Connect, prompts you to get to know your true Self, your essential nature. Through this awareness you are able to tap into your intuition and work with the energy of the Universe to receive information and guidance. Without this connection to Self and Source you end up navigating through the world without an internal guidance system. Joy is the name of module two. In order to fully engage the creative power of the Universe, you must be in a place of joy. This module teaches you how to find out what excites and inspires you and gives you a sense of joy. From this high vibrating place, you can begin to unleash your power and create what you want in your life. Module three is called Stability and encourages you to ground your life force to Earth. It offers tools for releasing negative attachments to your past including forgiving yourself and others. It teaches you to be in the world and stabilize your vision for your life. While learning to stretch out into the world, it is important to guard your connection to your Self and Source. This is where the fourth module comes in. Titled Solitude, this module teaches you how to go within to what Deborah calls your “internal spa” or personal safe space. In this space, you can recognize limiting beliefs and internal blocks that are holding you back and reconnect with your internal guidance system. The final module is called Explode and focuses on putting everything that you learned in the program into action. It teaches you how to handle the ups and downs of life while still experiencing the true joy and fulfillment that comes from living life fearlessly and intentionally.

How to Invoke the Law of Creation by Manifesting from the Heart by Lynn Crocker Loyal listeners of my show know that my guests and I talk a lot about the Law of Attraction. It is a very important law to know and become practiced with, but it is not the only way to manifest. Where as the Law of Attraction relies on the thoughts produced by your brain, the Law of Creation involves opening your heart to receive information from the universe. It’s a small but important distinction. In essence, the Law of Attraction is future focused while the Law of Creation pulls your focus into the present. According to Melissa, the Law of Creation is about living moment-to-moment and paying attention to what is lighting you up. It’s about getting out of your head and getting into feeling the vibration of your heart’s energy. The Law of Creation is about paying attention and noticing when you are feeling in a state of playfulness and truly enjoying what you are doing.  Engaging in these activities shifts the center of focus from your mind to your heart. Melissa dives into the three primary qualities of the Law of Creation: Playfulness – In a place of playfulness, you engage in discovery and are open to new experiences. You are present to what you enjoy and you choose to participate in these activities without judgment about right or wrong, good or bad. You are having fun. Consciousness – Consciousness is about separating from your mind while connecting to your heart and allowing its energy to shine through you. It is about leaving space for intuition to rise up and your heart’s desires to come to you. One of the tools that Melissa suggests to help open up this space is creating a series ofintuitive dream boards. Inclusiveness – Inclusiveness involves expanding your focus from yourself to the whole of creation. Rather than thinking “I want x,y,z” as with the Law of Attraction, the Law of Creation expands this to “I want x,y,z for myself and everyone else”. It leads to a collaboration rather than competitiveness. To summarize, the Law of Creation involves being in a place of discovery and playfulness while staying open to all possibilities; creating space for your heart’s wisdom to come through, and including others in your vision.

Everyone knows that a solid building starts with a solid foundation. The same is true about a person. A joyful, productive adult who loves herself and contributes to the well-being of others, stems from a solid emotional foundation. As children, some of us were surrounded by people who showered us with unconditional love. They protected and encouraged us and provided great models for how to respond and navigate in the world. For others, childhood was full of harsh judgements, conditional love and emotional trauma. Simply, your childhood experiences and interactions with others create the emotional foundation of how you perceive yourself, the world around you and how you fit into it. Instead of concrete or rocks, your emotional foundation is built out of core beliefs formed from your early interpretations of other’s opinions about you, what was safe and what was dangerous. The great news is your emotional foundation can be healed and strengthened. But just like repairing a building’s foundation requires an array of specialized tools, so does healing your emotional foundation. To introduce others to the necessary tools as well as how to use them, Vicki created a four-week teleseries called Embracing the 7 Essentials for Adults. Check out the overview. If you don’t want to wait until Vicki offers the course again at the end of the summer, contact her for 1:1 coaching sessions. For daily inspiration, connect to her Facebook page. 

There is a part of you that remains neutral and unaffected by what ever happens to you. This often called the Observer Self, your Higher Consciousness, the Real You, your Diving Self, Christ Consciousness, Universal Consciousness or the Soul. The name is not important. What is important is understanding that learning to reach and remain in this place of neutrality enables you to more effectively direct your thoughts and emotions and rise above the laws of rhythm, polarity, and cause & effect which cause you to swing between the perceived opposites of happiness and sadness; fear and love, depression and inspiration, etc. By remaining tapped in to your Observer Self, you can see your personality/ego in action. You can objectively take note of thoughts that trigger positive emotions and drive you to engage in activities that are inline with your goals and dreams. You can also objectively take note of thoughts that trigger negative emotions and drive you to engage in activities that hinder your goals and dreams. Through mindful practice and a commitment to remain in a place of observation you can begin to consciously choose to where to focus your thoughts and begin to direct your life. Until you reach this place of neutrality, you remain at a level of vibration where you are not fully able to create your reality. Tanya takes a deep dive into understanding creative power of your observer self in her book the Adventure of I – A Journey to the Center of Your Reality.

Using Your Intelligence and Directive Power to Transcend the Universal Laws of Rhythm, Polarity and Cause & Effect In this in-depth conversation, Tania mirrors the scientific premise that everything is made up of vibrating energy. Whether is it a rock, a tree, an animal or a human, when broken down, its core component is energy. Even things that we cannot see such as thoughts and emotions are made up of energy. The only difference is the rate or frequency at which the energy is vibrating. From a metaphysical perspective, this vibrating energy is akin to consciousness and since everything is made up of energy it follows that everything is conscious. However, while everything is conscious, only humans are truly self-aware. But, self-awareness alone is not enough to effect changes in physical reality. It is only when you move from the level of self-awareness to intelligence (i.e. deliberately paying attention to your thoughts) and the utilization of directive power (i.e controlling where you put your focus) that you can be said to be creating your reality. Without intelligence and directive power, you are allowing outer world circumstances to direct your focus. According to Tania, if you are not directing your thoughts and emotions then you are at the mercy of the universal laws of rhythm, polarity and cause & effect. You will swing between the extremes of positive and negative emotions and experiences. You will allow the outer physical world to effect how you are feeling. You will accept these feelings as facts and through a feedback loop recreate the circumstances which support your emotions. By raising your consciousness above the level of thought and emotion, you begin to direct your experience within physical reality. In essence you create your reality within yourself and project it onto the outside world rather than allowing the outside world to project reality onto you. Read Tania’s deep dive into the concept of scale of consciousness For access to all of Tania’s writings, visit her website Mind-Your-Reality.com Be sure to check out her latest book: The Adventure of I – A Journey to the Center of Your Reality which will be available for download starting June 1st.

Balancing the Feminine and Masculine Creative Energies When most people talk of creating their reality, they speak in terms of manifesting which means  consciously and deliberately striving to bring something they want into physical reality. Tools like visualization and affirmations are often used. A feeling of “taking charge” bubbles up and they feel a sense of control. As Veronica points out in our conversation, this energy of “doing” is masculine in its vibration and is aligned with labor and work. In order to truly co-create your reality with the Universe, this masculine energy of manifesting must be balanced with the feminine energy of allowing. While manifesting requires work, allowing requires listening and surrender. In other words, don’t just ask for what you want, also spend time listening to what the Universe wants for you. Just like the union of male and female is needed to create life, the union of masculine and feminine energies  is needed to co-create reality. How do you cultivate feminine energy? Stay in a place of curiosity and wonderment. Ask questions like: What am I here to do? What is in my best interest? And then as you remain present, listen to what comes up. Because our culture places so much emphasis on doing, working, striving, and achieving, Veronica points out that staying in this space of listening will initially feel uncomfortable. Our ego will tell us that we need to do more and the task master within us will try and assert itself. But through repetitive practice of working to manifest want we want and listening to what the Universe wants for us, we can balance our masculine and feminine energies and co-create a life that is aligned with our soul’s desire. Read more from Veronica Lee

How to Consciously Guard Your Vibration and Attract to You the People and Experiences You Want It is not possible to talk about the Law of Attraction without talking about vibration. The Law of Attraction at is foundation is based on the scientifically provenfacts that: at its core level, all matter is made up of energy different energies have different frequencies or vibrations and energies of similar frequencies/vibrations are attracted to each other This is why it is so important to consciously guard your vibration. Science has proven that not only do our bodies give off vibrational frequencies but so do our thoughts. It is through the principle of like-attracting-like mentioned above that we create our reality. If your vibration is low, you will attract people and experiences that match and feed the low frequency. The same is true if your vibration is high – you will attract people and experiences that match and feed the high frequency. The challenge with this fact is that if you are not present, aware and consciously guarding your vibration, you can easily “slip” into a negative frequency without even knowing it.  Complaining or gossiping, for example, may seem harmless, but pay attention to how you feel after engaging in these habits. If you notice that you feel heavy and dark, know that you are vibrating at a lower frequency. The same is true with activities such as keeping up with the latest catastrophe or maintaining a close relationship with someone one who is always talking doom and gloom. Do you feel heavy or light after reading article after article online? Do you feel uplifted or down beaten after having lunch with this friend? What about when you do something nice for someone? Or spend five minutes thinking about what you are grateful for? How do feel after engaging in these activities? Through the awareness of what makes you feel light and uplifted versus what makes you feel heavy and downtrodden, you begin to consciously guard your vibration and engage in activities that make you feel good. Read what Kate has to offer as ways to guard your precious vibration 

How to Plan and Remain Open to All Possibilities The fine line between planning and going with the flow is something that I struggle with. I am a planner. I am one of those people who plans each day before I go to bed, and at the end of each week, I plan the next. This is my natural temperament, but I also value the necessity of going with the flow. Many times the unplanned path has turned out to present opportunities that I never could have dreamed of, let alone plan for. In Lin McDowell’s blog Planning with Intention, she makes the point that planning and being open to all possibilities are not only NOT mutually exclusive but actually compliment each other. Her point is that if we begin by getting in touch with our inner core and understanding what our intention is we can set goals and make plans while remaining open to all possibilities.

How Being the Best Version of You Helps Others According to James, the Full Potential Movement is comprised of individuals who have made the commitment to live their lives at a “level 10″ physically, mentally, spiritually, socially, emotionally, financially and environmentally. The impetus for founding the moment is James’ belief that happy, healthy, balanced individuals make for happy, healthy, balanced societies. On the Full Potential website he flat out writes: “If every person were operating at their full potential, the world would be like a heaven on Earth.” The Full Potential Movement empowers you, the individual, to not only affect positive changes in yourself but in your environment – which, as James points out, includes your family and community as well as the earth as a whole. The first step is to develop a vision of what it would look like for you to live your life performing your personal best in each of the seven areas mentioned above. Once you have that vision, take an honest assessment of where you are today. Next, jot down ideas of what you need to do or not do to increase your level. Don’t beat yourself up or get in judgmental conversations with yourself, just note where you are currently and do a quick brainstorm of small, simple changes that you can take to push you forward. The key word here is small changes or as James calls them “micro-commitments”. Pick three micro-commitments and focus on them everyday. As you successfully incorporate each into your habits and routines, pick another one. The changes may seem small but they quickly build on each other and soon you will start to notice improvements in yourself and in your life. Through this stacking process of micro-commitments you are building the foundation to take on bigger commitments. James suggests focusing on the areas closest to you first: physical, mental, and spiritual. While this might seem selfish, it actually gives you the personal strength and confidence to engage at a higher level socially emotionally, financially and environmentally. Read more about the Full Potential Movement and insights from James at FullPotential.com.

Drawing on her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC, Lynn uses her knowledge to create personalized nutrition programs that suit each individual’s body, lifestyle, and goals. She doesn’t tell her clients what to eat, but instead helps clients discover for themselves what foods energize their body and mind. In this conversation, Lynn and I talk about this approach to nutrition as well as the important role nutrition plays in not just creating health bodies but also healthy minds.

Reality is in The Mind of the Beholder Dr. Amy Johnson, author of Modern Enlightenment, shares her insights about the nature of thought and how thought habits form the thought filters through which we view the world. We each have our own individualized perception of reality that is separate and apart from anyone else’s individualized perception of reality. The moment your brain begins processing stimuli, your individual consciousness is born. From this point forward you begin to experience reality from your own egocentric point of view. As you take in information your brain effectively recognizes repeated stimulus/response patterns and actually changes and forms neuropathways making the future processing of this pattern a fluid, almost undetectable process. These neurological changes are the roots of your core beliefs and form your internal map of reality. As you grow you continue to synthesize, streamline, lump and group all of your experiences based on how your individual brain filters the stimulus it receives. By seven or eight years old you have a fairly solidified version of what “reality” is which is different from every one else’s. The developmental process continues throughout your life with your brain responding and altering itself to adapt to new conscious or unconscious stimuli. In scientific terms this process is know as neuroplasticity. Thoughts that are repeated over and over get primary attention as do thoughts that are infused with fear energy. Your brain sees these as very important and wants to make sure you have access to them in times of perceived “danger.” According to Dr. Amy Johnson in her blog post on MariaShriver.com, “this is how our way of being in the world gets shaped. Something happens and out of our perceived need for survival, we define ourselves in relation to it….that’s the moment we lose a little piece of ourselves.” Your brain does this over and over again, learning, adapting, engraining, altering, changing and through this process the pure consciousness that you were born with becomes buried under layers of solidified thoughts and beliefs. I was struck by Amy’s favorite definition of enlightenment as removing the dimness or blindness from one’s heart. She makes the statement that “our hearts become dim when they are covered with layers upon layers of beliefs and expectations…removing the dimness begins with awareness and end with choice.” For Amy, enlightenment is not associated with any religious practice or philosophy. It is about accepting that your brain has been shaped and programmed by your experiences, being mindful and noticing when this programming is running your thoughts and changing it when you can. It is also about understanding that much of this programming is deeply engrained, so having compassion for yourself when it drives your emotions and behavior is essential. The quest for enlightenment is an ongoing journey. And according to Amy, her book, Modern Enlightenment, is about finding the balance between loving and accepting yourself as you are and striving to uncover and learn more to become who you were born to be.

Learn How to Create Lasting Change by Breaking Down New Year’s Resolutions into Small Habits That You Can Achieve David Singer shares his insights on why people often fall short of their new years resolutions and how they can shift their approach to create the changes they seek.  He also gives listeners a deep dive into the first two rules from his book, Six Simple Rules for a Better Life which are Be Happy and Be Nice. If you are like the average person, as 2012 wound down you began thinking about ways that you wanted 2013 to be different. Even if you did not label them as new years resolutions, chances are you thought of things like getting fit, eating healthier, quitting smoking, or watching less TV. What ever it was that you decided, it is also likely that you ran through a laundry list of things that you need to do to achieve your goal. Using eating healthier as an example, you tell yourself, “no more fried food, no more soda, no late night snacking, no chips, no cookies…only fruits, veggies and fish from here on out…” But after a couple of weeks, you are back to your old eating habits, indulging in forbidden foods and feeling bad about yourself for not sticking to your commitment. Are you a weak person? No, it is simply because attempting to make so many sweeping changes overloads your willpower and you end up back where you started. You see, we all have a limited amount of will power. It’s true. Neuroscience shows that the prefrontal cortex of the brain is responsible for willpower, focus, problem-solving and cognitive thought. When this part of the brain is overused it becomes fatigued and will power decreases exponentially. Think of it like muscle. If you went for a 7 mile jog, for example, then did three sets of squats with weights and then jumped rope, you would feel the strength in your legs drain away as fatigue set in. The same is true with the prefrontal cortex. So how does someone achieve a goal such as “eating healthier?” According to David Singer it is by breaking the goal into small chunks and focusing on only one behavior change at a time for a total of 21 days. Studies show that it takes 21 days to form a new habit and once a behavior is a habit it no longer requires will power. So instead of the general goal of eating healthier, commit to replacing your afternoon chocolate bar with a banana. Do this consistently for 21 days then pick another small change to make, such as replacing soda with water. The key is to really break the goal down into behaviors that you feel confident you can stick to. For example, if  you currently drink five cans of soda a day and cutting all five out at once seems too overwhelming, opt to cut out one instead. Do this for 21 days then reduce your daily intake by one more for 21 days and so on. In just three and a half months, you will be soda-free! In terms of getting fit, if you currently are not exercising at all, committing to waking for 20 minutes three days week might be too much to take on. Instead, commit to walking for five minutes a day, three times a week. Do this consistently for three weeks (21 days) and then commit to walking six minutes a day, three times a week. Do this consistently for another three weeks and then go up to seven minutes and so on. While it may seem like at this rate you will never achieve your goal, in reality, by the end of the year you will be up to walking 20 minutes three days a week! Set yourself up for success!  By breaking down each new years resolution into small chunks that you feel you can stick to for 21 days, your chances of succeeding increase incrementally. Interested in reading more? Check out these blogs. The science of new year’s resolutions: Why 88% fail and how to make them work How Your Willpower Is Depleted

What Is Intuition and How Do You Get in Touch With It? As described by Angela in her book, intuition is the inner voice that helps direct you towards your purpose. By listening to it and following it, you can begin to create a life that is in line with your passion and purpose. Your life flows. You are seemingly in the right place at the right time and opportunities appear to drop into your lap. You cannot be swayed by others. Listening to your intuition allows you to become the leader of your life and connect with your mission and true purpose. Intuition is an innate intelligence that we are all born with, but because our rational society discounts it in favor of reason we are taught to not listen to it; to not trust what it is telling us. As we grow into adults our intuition becomes dimmer and dimmer to the point where most of us are not in touch with it at all. In addition to the rational mind blocking your intuition, fear of being wrong, over analyzing and trying too hard are sure-fire ways to keep your intuition at bay. The good news is you are able to reawaken the connection to your intuition. In her book, The Intuition Principle, Angela points out that one of the hardest parts about getting started reawakening the connection to your intuition is that you don’t recognize its presence. It is not a booming loud voice or a physical force pulling you in one direction or another. It is quiet and subtle. Some people experience intuition as a feeling, others a gut reaction, others will see images or have a dream, others hear an actual voice. As you go through the process of reawakening your connection to your intuition, become familiar with how it communicates with you. One of the best ways to reconnect with your intuition is to meditate. When your mind is calm and quiet it is easier for you to experience your intuition. According to Angela, the benefits of meditation can be gained from only practicing 15-20 minutes a day and she outlines in her book very practical, down-to-earth meditation techniques that anyone can follow. Developing your connection to your intuition is similar to developing any skill. It might seem cumbersome at first, but with practice the intuition within you will more easily come to the surface and your life will begin to flow in a way that is in line with your authentic purpose.

Tonya Sheridan Gives Her Insight Into the Law of Allowing the Necessary Fourth Step to Utilizing the Universal Law of Attraction Putting the Universal Law of Attraction into play requires completing the following four steps: ask for what you want believe it is already yours let go allow The fourth step, the Law of Allowing, is often the most difficult. But in order to fully manifest what you want, it is necessary. So, What Does the Law of Allowing Require? The Law of Allowing requires that you put yourself into a state of openness and non-resistance to everything and everyone. This is a two-fold process that begins with allowing good energy to flow through you, around you, and in you. Although this is our natural creative state, far too many of us have allowed negative, habitual thought patterns to form. Think about it. How much of your precious time do you spend mulling over and expressing disapproving thoughts about yourself, your job or your life? How much energy do you waste entertaining and conveying negative judgements or opinions, getting mad at others for being who they are, or obsessively taking in every nuance of the latest tragedy? It might seem harmless, after all you are just thinking and talking, you are not actually DOING anything. But the fact is, remaining in a place of judgement, fear, anxiety, or anger, keeps you in aligned with lower vibrational frequencies. Remember, the Universal Law of Attraction states that "like attracts like." So if your vibration remains low, you will attract to you experiences and people that cause you to continue to stay in a low vibration and block things from you that will raise your vibration. How do you know if you are aligned with lower vibrational frequencies or higher ones? The best way to begin this discovery process is to pay attention to what is going on in your body and how you feel emotionally. When you are aligned with lower energy frequencies you will have tightness somewhere in your body. It could be your stomach, neck or shoulders. You might have a headache or backache. You will feel sad, hopeless, fearful, anxious, separate, maybe even hateful the majority of the time. When you think of others you feel judgment, jealousy, and annoyance. When you are aligned with higher energy frequencies you will feel a lightness in your body and mind. You will feel a sense of flow and unity with everything. Emotionally, you will feel love and warmth, hope, excitement and passion the majority of the time. When you think about others you do so from a viewpoint of empathy and compassion. Once you have the hang of paying attention to what is going on in your body and how you feel emotionally, begin to experiment with different thoughts. See which ones make you feel emotionally and physically good. Which ones make your shoulders drop or your stomach unclench. Which thoughts yield feelings of joy, contentment and peace. Also start to notice which circumstance and people trigger negative thoughts. How do you feel after watching the evening news? What kind of thoughts are going on in your mind after participating in an office gossip session? Try replacing the evening news with a silly sit-com and choose to skip the gossip session by going for a 15 minute walk instead. See if you feel safer, happier and more accepting. However, once you have discover the benefits of not watching the news, for example, it will be tempting for you to want to “convert” your family and friends. Sharing what you’ve discovered is fine, but be careful not take on the low energy of self-righteousness or judgment. Which Brings Up the Second Part in the Two-fold Process of the Law of Allowing The second part is that you allow everyone to be as they are. Judging, tolerating, and attempting to change others is the opposite of allowing. The Law of Allowing requires that you are not feeling negative emotions in relation to what others are doing. If someone is doing something that annoys you or making decisions that you know are not in his or her best interest, it is appropriate for you to communicate your point of view in an emotionally neutral way, but then you must let it go. Do not push back, try to change them, tolerate what they are doing or try and figure out why they do what they do. When you are in a place of allowing, you are no longer presuming that you know what is right and wrong for someone else. You allow them to continue on their individual path and see their lessons through. If you cannot maintain a neutral vibration towards someone else, take steps to remove yourself from his or her presence. And then from this separate place, spend time raising your vibration by thinking about this person from a place of compassion and empathy. The Universal Law of Attraction is Simple in Concept but Complex in it Application. There are many subtleties and nuisances to applying the Universal Law of Attraction. Some consider it an art form because it requires in depth study and tireless practice to master. This blog is in no way intended to be a stand-alone piece. If you are intrigued by what you read and listened to in my interview with Tonya Sheridan be sure to check out her website.  A couple of blogs devoted specifically to the Law of Allowing are All Your Life and The Art of Allowing Yourself and Others to Succeed.

Listen to Lynn's conversation with Robyn Holley as she sheds light on the Laws of Attraction and Deliberate Creation. The Law of Attraction, which was made somewhat mainstream by the movie The Secret, is simply stated as like attracts like. Low emotional vibrations such as anxiety, despair, hatred, and fear attract experiences that encourage you to feel more low emotional vibrations; like wise for high emotional vibrations such as peace, love, kindness and gratefulness. The challenge with the Law of Attraction is it is in effect whether you are aware of it or not. So subconscious thoughts that trigger low emotions, will attract experiences that validate the thoughts and emotions. This is how experiences that you do not want are brought to life. You are not a bad person, you are just creating by default. Identifying and altering these low frequency thought-habits is essential to resetting your default switch allowing you to begin to create more of the experiences that you do want. The Law of Deliberate Creation is in effect when you actively use the Law of Attraction to create on purpose by consciously choosing thoughts and mind images that trigger high emotional vibrations causing you to intentionally attract into your life experiences that validate these thoughts and emotions. Through this law you begin to deliberately create a joyful, fulfilling life for yourself.

This week I talked with Alana Mbanza about learning to move fearlessly through the decision making process. I touched on this topic a bit in my conversation with Stephen Guize (October 29. 2012), but I thought a deeper dive would be helpful to listeners because as a coach, I find that so many of my clients are frozen in a place of indecisiveness making them feel helpless, powerless and stuck. Alana identified that the root of indecisiveness is not necessarily having too many choices, but rather the FEAR of making the wrong decision. The emotion of fear is linked to our survival and when faced with a life or death situation it is very useful in protecting us. But most of the decisions that we make day in and day out are not true life of death situations. Some have farther-reaching consequences than others, but chances are likely you will not die if you make one decision over another. Alana and I discuss a few tips on how to move through fear to a place of decisiveness and how to quiet the critical voice that usually crops up after you have made a decision.

In this show, Lynn talks in simple terms about how each of us creates our own reality from the inside out. She points out that all of the emotions that you feel start as thoughts. And thoughts that you think over and over again become habits thanks to the super learning lump of tissue in your head…your brain! Once the thought-emotion response habit has been ingrained, you will begin to experience emotional reactions without being aware of the thought. It is these thought-emotion response habits that create the filters through which you view the world. If your habits are mostly positive and empowering, you will experience a much different reality than someone whose habits are mostly negative and disempowering. All events, occurrences, and interactions, are neutral. How you view them is your unique spin, your interpretation, YOUR reality. The 30,000 foot overview of this complex topic ends with practical tips on how to begin to bring your buried thought-emotion habits to the surface and change disempowering dynamics to empowering ones.