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Motivation

A guest you had on recently was discussing the power of finding the answers from within that we so often believe are outside of ourselves. What was the name of her book?

Walk Into The Light And Reclaim Your Soul's Purpose was written by Clementine Marie Giovannetti. Her work, in helping people to heal and find their own path, has become her life's devotion. She promotes through her one-on-one sessions the need for us all to slow down, to cut out the "distractions" in our life, so that we can hear our soul's message. To schedule a one-on-one session on the phone, call 530-626-3244. Her book is available by calling 1-800-929-7889.

You recently interviewed a singer who had a great life story and voice. Who was she?

Marci Viola is a wonderful person with an incredibly soulful voice. In a world that focuses on the negative, she is such a positive person with a talent that I encourage everyone to listen to her CD. It will definitely add a lift to your day. Why shouldn't we surround ourselves with beautiful music? Uplifting, fun, romantic, energizing, full of soul . . . that's what her music is all about. Enhance your mood as I do with her voice. Plus, she does an incredible job with the band Ambrosia's hit "How Much I Feel." Beautiful! To order call toll-free 1-866-759-0951. You'll be very happy you did.

Do you have more information about the double rainbow photo you mentioned on your show?

I've talked in the past about a beautiful "double rainbow" photo and poster sent to me by one of our listeners in Hawaii, David Lindstrom. For more information, you can reach him at 808-654-1364 (Beeper), by email (malibudavid@yahoo.com) or 808-826-9198 (Fax). A gorgeous photo taken right in Hawaii.

A friend heard on your show a list of attributes associated with being a millionaire. Could you share these with me?

In the book The Millionaire Mind, Thomas J. Stanley debunks the myth that most millionaires are born into wealthy families and go to Ivy League colleges. In his interview with over 1,200 millionaires, here is what he found: most were told they were not smart enough to do well in business, no correlation between grade point averages and financial success . . . they chose careers that matched personal abilities . . . creative and practical . . . work harder than most . . . focused on a goal and took the risks necessary to achieve it, without taking foolish risks. So . . . what are you waiting for? Evaluate each of these attributes in regard to your life and make the changes where they are needed.

You've spoken many times about one of your favorite books on discipline and growth that has the word "power" in the title. What is it?

The name of the book is Silent Power by Stuart Wilde . . . and yes by far one of the best books ever written, in my opinion, on taking charge of our lives. It is all about demonstrating power over our emotional responses to people and events in the world that many times can rattle or upset us. Stuart describes techniques for helping us to stay centered within, focused, and ultimately happy. A must have book.
 

The conversation surrounding the need to be comfortable speaking in front of people was interesting. I guess the impact on our career possibilities is greater than I thought. You mentioned resources to help, please put this on your site.

Of all the classes we can take to increase our chances of continual growth in our careers, I really do believe public speaking courses can almost guarantee success. If you have several bright, motivated and intelligent people, all applying for an open position, yet one of them is a skilled speaker, who do you think 9 times out of 10 will get the promotion? To enhance your presentation skills, consider the following: acting classes, Toastmaster International meetings, public speaking classes, Dale Carnegie training course and books such as "You Are The Message: Getting What You Want By Being Who You Are" by Roger Ailes and "Star Quality: Seven Steps to Develop Your Charismatic Power" by Christen Brown.

I saw you speak at a convention recently where you focused a lot of your lecture around a quote talking about lack of our own uniqueness and strength that we have a tendency to forget about. I don't know who the author is but would love to see it in print.

The following quote from Nelson Mandela is one of the most powerful, beautiful and insightful messages that I have ever seen. Read it slowly and feel your own emotion build and release. This quote should be on every refrigerator, in every child's room, and on every bathroom mirror in the world. Enjoy!

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us. It is not just in some of us. It is in everyone. As we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear our presence automatically liberates others.” Nelson Mandela

A climbing enthusiast you had on the show gave a quote I loved about going after your dreams, but I did not write it down. Do you remember his comments?

Many people have commented about the interview with Dr. Ken Kamler, a surgeon and mountain climber who has scaled Mt. Everest six times in the past eight years. Just incredible! His quote was, "Everyone should have a Mt. Everest." And the question to ask ourselves is, "What is my Mt. Everest?" What goal have I set for myself that is exciting and challenging, demanding? Is life sliding by with no real passion? Your "Mt. Everest" could be the memoir to write, the six mile race, a high school equivalency diploma, an addiction to release, a "run" down the rapids of the Colorado River, to skydive, to create a neighborhood watch program, to find a spiritual path that you connect with . . . . Stop, take a moment right now and jot down your "Mt. Everest." Don't let another day slip by.

I feel stuck at age 50, not moving forward in life with the gusto I'd like. So many dreams about making a difference, writing a book, etc. I'd like an idea or two to get me moving.

I recently shared a quote from Andy Grove, CEO of Intel, about making a commitment to a project and then going after it as if you cannot fail. "You have to pretend you're 100% sure (you can do this) . . . anything less will condemn your efforts to failure. You have to take action; you can't hedge." Ask yourself, what do I have to lose by writing this book or creating a neighborhood litter pick-up program? It either gets published, or you publish it, or at the very least you go through the writing process and learn much more about yourself, your topic, business, and the world in general than you know right now. You cannot lose by going after a dream regardless of the end result. I recently read an article about Effie Leland Wilder, author of the books Out to Pasture, Over What Hill? and Older But Wilder, which have sold over 450,000 copies. Not bad for someone who started writing at 85 years of age! Now at 89, she is writing her fourth book. We can only accomplish our dreams and goals by beginning them. You and I can learn a lot about life from Effie. Let's not let these lessons, these wonderful inspirations, collect dust. It's time for each of us to get moving.

You continue to reference musicians who are bringing a new spiritual belief into their music. Is this something new, or do you think it's being discussed on stage because of the times we are in?

I do not believe that the spirituality we hear now in music is new, it just might be that more of us are recognizing the importance of this in our own lives, so we are more aware of all the places it resonates . . . even places that have been very spiritual, like music, for hundreds of years. From jazz and blues to rock, I constantly am aware of the message of faith, hope, love, perseverance and compassion that is being discussed through these different music styles. And as we try to lead a life full of these virtues, we start to hear the message that's been there forever. Check out the alternative group Everlast and their song "What It's Like," a song about how quickly we judge people who are not like us and you'll see the power of music in helping us to be more compassionate. At a recent concert in Barcelona, Spain, Bruce Springsteen told the crowd, "This is the rededication and rebirth of our band, and we're here to serve you." It sounds like something that would come out of Wayne Dyer's book Manifest Your Destiny, yet I know this message has been spread through the efforts of many musicians for a long, long time.

You had a Hollywood TV producer on recently who said there are four keys to success in career ambition. What are these?

Larry Thompson, producer of the recent television hit "And The Beat Goes On: The Sonny & Cher Story" said that in his 30 years of working with successful people in all walks of life, including celebrities, he found they all have the following attributes:

1. Talent.
2. A positive team of people surrounding them (think about who you spend time with . . . are they negative? victims of life? do they constantly shoot down your dreams? The choice is yours today — successful people do create relationships with positive individuals).
3. Rage (as Larry described it, a passion that creates the knowing within an individual that they will accomplish their goals, that they are deserving of success, that challenges face us all . . . lmost like a "blind passion").
4. Luck (I described luck in my series of motivational audios and lectures as the product of preparation and persistence).

I have heard on your radio program, the concept of visualization, but am not sure how to do this to help my business grow. As I sell for a living, I am always trying to improve my productivity. Also, have you considered having your radio show on in the afternoon during the week?

For your work, think of visualization as a tool to help you become more confident and proficient at selling your product. Visualization is the art of seeing yourself at the level of success that you aspire to, even though you have not achieved this yet. Begin by sitting quietly in a chair or your car before you go in to close a sale. Take four deep breaths and exhale slowly. See yourself with all of your senses successfully completing the sale or accepting the "Salesperson of the Year Award." Really get into what this successful scenario looks like . . the room, the person, the event . . . feels like . . . the feeling of accomplishment, achievement, and so on. The main difference between those who really exceed through the use of visualization has to do with the involvement of our emotions and senses while utilizing this technique for success. Remember the importance of "service" — one of our main goals in business should be to serve and assist our clients in their line of work through our products or services. See your clients becoming successful because of your involvement with them. Serve their needs and you'll take care of your future. Do this for as little as 2-3 minutes or up to 30 minutes daily. Regarding my radio show, we are always looking for ways to expand our show, and afternoons would be great! (Learn more about visualization with step-by-step instruction on the audio cassette How to Break Through Your Mental Barriers for Success).

I am writing to ask why someone would feel unhappy if they have everything going for them in life? I have a great family, kids that care about me, good health, yet I feel sad often. I feel embarrassed talking about this with others because I have nothing to complain about, yet I do not feel good about myself.

Sadness does not have to have an outside reason to justify itself. It can come on at various times in life with no apparent reason, but this does not invalidate these feelings. Please pay attention to them because trying to submerge these feelings with thoughts like "I have no reason to be sad" can make us feel guilty on top of being sad. Accept the fact that you are sad and seek some help from a counselor or physician trained in emotional healing. Depression can come wrapped in many different forms. Sometimes it can be genetically based where the chemicals in our brain are not getting to where they need to be. Other times, it can be because we have lost sight of our purpose for being here. Getting involved in helping others or into an activity that we used to love participating in can also open ourselves up to the self nurturing we may be missing. How to Heal Depression by Harold H. Bloomfield & Peter McWilliams is a great reference (book or audio cassette) that helps explain the unexpected sadness that you are experiencing. Also look at Thomas Moore's book Care of the Soul. Our book Phoenix Soul follows my path during a period where I was asking the same questions you are asking.

My children are interested in making money (9 year old boy, 14 year old girl) and starting some kind of business together. You spoke recently of a book that might help young entrepreneurs, but I did not get the name of it. Thanks.

I spoke about a video for young entrepreneurs entitled "Acorn Entrepreneurs: Visions of Young Enterprises", which consists of interviews with business owners between 10 and 17 years of age. This could be a great starting point for your children, as well as organizations like Junior Achievement (recommended by a listener in Austin, Texas). To order, call 1-800-566-2121. Also, call your Chamber of Commerce to see if they know of additional avenues of information for young entrepreneurs.

I am a 40 year old man who has been unemployed, or as you said on your show one night, "between jobs" for six months. I am a professional in management and have sent out 75 resumes and received no response at all to date. Any ideas? Thank you.

Searching for a job has changed dramatically in the last 15 years. While at one point you may have been successful in finding employment by just sending out resumes, it rarely works today. Becoming creative in your search is the only thing that works. First, do you have any powerful letters of recommendation? Do they say that they would hire you again as soon as that option occurs? What local organizations are you involved in? Chambers of Commerce meetings and nonprofit organizations are great places to network and collect potential clients' business cards. Many employment opportunities have come from people seeing someone like yourself involved in community affairs consistently. Which top five or six companies in your immediate area would you like to work for? Instead of just sending a letter, be mildly persistent and set up an interview with the Human Relations Department. Interview THEM. Even if they say no jobs are available, ask them what they would consider to be the main attributes for someone to have in order to secure a position with them. Consider attending school for further education. show prospective clients that you are serious about your training, then, network, network, network. For more information, call the 5 O'clock Club (800-538-6645) or The Highlands Institute (800-373-0083) and check out Marsha Sinetar's book To Build the Life You Want, Create the Work You Love.

I just discovered your radio program while vacationing — you have a very impressive bio and I am quite impressed about all the good work that you do. One question I had during my trip to your web page is do you base your belief system on a higher power? This is curious to me, especially standing for all that you do.

Yes, without my higher power I would not be where I am today. My work and life are very centered in spiritual practices — from arising in the morning with a meditation / prayer on gratitude to my mid-day meditation and evening prayer. But this is not the way for everyone. I believe we must search for what feels right re: a religion or spiritual practice and then follow that path. Over time, our decisions might change and our beliefs may be altered. But regardless of who or what you turn to for spiritual support, I ask everyone to be open minded to the potential of all forms of spiritual practice. I turn to God daily with prayer and meditation on all that I am grateful for, and to the teachings of Buddhism to help me stay centered, mindful and living in the moment the best that I can. I was raised Catholic, which I still am, but I have learned so much from other teachings that I follow and I am blessed for that.

I ordered all six of your tapes. No More Stress, How to Break Through Your Mental Barriers for Success, How to Stay Mentally Fit & Incredibly Productive, Balancing Act, Fit to Travel and Stress Free. These tapes have changed my life. I am 38 years old and I am actually going after my dreams now. My wife has noticed that I am less stressed. I love your radio show. I listen to it every weekend. I don't have a question today, but I wanted to tell you I have read one of the books you recommended, The Aladdin Factor. When I opened the book the first story the author told was how for years he would carry the grocery bags up the stairs and his wife would put the food away in the kitchen. This went on for years. Until he was so mad he asked his wife if she would help him carry the items and he would help her put them away. She said yes. His point was that for years he was upset that his wife would not help him with the groceries. All he had to do was ask the first time and not be upset for years. That story was me. I loved that book and still go back and read parts of it.

I was so excited and pleased to receive your e-mail. I am also really proud that you took the initiative to change your approach to your life. Wow, great things can happen when we all open our minds to our potential. For those of you who have not really thought about exploring a new side of your life recently, which will definitely add more joy and energy, I ask you to do this now. Our audios are designed to help stretch your mind into thinking in new directions. Be open to change. Challenge yourself. Reap the rewards personally. What have you got to lose? I love the book The Aladdin Factor. The basic premise of the story is that we rarely ask for what we really want in life. A new lifestyle coaching client of mine is in this position right now. For years she has chosen not to delegate household and yard chores to anyone else in the family. Due to her belief that she can do it better and quicker than anyone else, her time is constantly saddled with more and more chores, leaving no time to exercise. Now with the knowledge that all she has to do is "ask" for assistance, a new world will open up for her. More time. Less stress. Just ask and the universe will respond.

Both my daughter (15) and son (19) have dreams of owning their own business, which is great but foreign to my husband and me as we've never had an inclination to do this. How do we help them pursue their dreams, as you encourage us to do every week on your show?

First, it is wonderful that you will encourage your children to pursue something foreign to you. Many parents unintentionally (or intentionally?) douse their children's passions to follow risky yet rewarding paths that they themselves feel uncomfortable following. Call your local university and community college to see if they offer any courses for budding entrepreneurs. Order your children subscriptions to magazines like Entrepreneur, Success and Inc. The Junior Chamber Center for Entrepreneurship and Career Advancement (1-800-529-2337) offers college age and older individuals courses on topics like marketing and writing a business plan.

Could you print one of your favorite quotes regarding our desire to get to heaven even though we make mistakes daily?

This truly is a great quote by Phyllis McGinley, one that can allow us to pursue a life filled with meaning, purpose and service without the guilt associated with our imperfections or "humanness."

"The wonderful thing about saints is that they were human. They lost their tempers, scolded God, were egotistical or testy or impatient in their turns, made mistakes and regretted them. Still they went on doggedly blundering toward heaven."

Could you tell me what exactly the quote was about one's mission is to be supportive to other people -- something along those lines and who said it?

The quote was from an article that I had written for our web site about six months ago entitled "The Negative Power of Criticism." It read, "Make it your mission to be a supportive force in people's lives." It does matter how we live every day. You and I have a choice daily to be either supportive of strangers and friends or to live unconsciously, aware only of our own needs and wants. To begin, simply look daily for opportunities to smile at a stranger, bring a small gift to a friend or to listen with empathy and love to someone expressing their feelings without the need to correct them or tell them, "well all you need to do is . . . ." Think about this quote, then chose to act differently. It is our actions that determine our power as a supportive force in this universe.

Several weeks ago you had answered an e-mail on your show about five powerful words to live by. Could you print these?

What a beautiful opportunity to revisit a great question and to evaluate how we are living on a day-to-day basis. I believe that we all can live in a place of greater beauty and inner peace by meditating on these words and their personal meaning to you daily:

LOVE Bring into focus the attempt to love ourselves and others more every day;

GRATITUDE Upon rising and retiring, show gratitude to God or your higher power for what the day brings. It might mean gratitude for making it through the day, for the smile from a stranger, the love of a friend, a simple meal, a warm bed, a sunset, a pet. Create the 30 seconds it takes daily to do this.

BELIEF Studies reported by Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Prayer is Good Medicine; Norman Vincent Peale, Ph.D., author of The Power of Positive Thinking; and many others have shown that to have a belief in something greater than ourselves can enhance our health, immune system and attitude.

LAUGHTER Could this be the best medicine? Is there a correlation between the fact that a child who laughs an average of 300 times/day can be optimistic and curious about life vs. an adult who laughs an average of only 17 times/day? Create the space for humor through uplifting people, books, movies daily . . . and at ourselves and all of our humanness!

INNER PEACE Created by living honestly and truthfully every day in everything you do. Be conscious. Be aware of all of your decisions. On top of this, create 10-20 minutes/day to meditate or pray and get ready to "roll" in the feelings associated with inner peace.

This question is regarding a story you gave last weekend about your belief in our need to have a more prosperous mental attitude for money to come into our lives. What was the tape series you spoke of?

Our beliefs do create our daily experiences, so if we have a belief that states we do not deserve to be wealthy, or that money causes problems in relationships, or that having a lot of money is not associated with a simplified existence, then we will probably struggle with money, our finances and wealth all of our lives. The tape series "Prosperity Consciousness" by Fredric Lehrman is exceptional. Open your mind to the fact that you deserve to be financially set and watch your existence change. For more information, send an email to prospero23@earthlink.net.

You spoke with a caller who made mention of confronting that negative voice inside of himself and he found a success level with this approach. Since this approach was not elaborated upon, I am wondering if you could address this topic here?

A simple, yet effective technique we discussed is an awareness procedure, which is the first step in halting many forms of negative self talk. Pay attention to how many times per day these negative voices arise, jot down in a notebook or planner how often this occurs daily. Be aware. Next, every time this occurs, say the word "cancel" and then substitute a positive statement in its place, "I'm open to accepting compliments," "I'm an optimistic person who cares about my role in life." Work with a professional if you feel you need one-on-one assistance. Also, a great book on this topic is Taming Your Gremlin by Richard Carson

I was listening to your show recently and you quoted an interesting saying about how you should act as if the universe depends on what you do, but laugh at yourself . . . Could you please send me the exact quote -- I would like to hang it up on my bulletin board at work.

The following Buddhist quote is from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Finding Flow, explaining the importance of living with a balanced mind set: "Act as if the future of the Universe depends on what you do, while laughing at yourself for thinking that your actions make any difference. " Kind of the perfect combination of a healthy ego mixed with a large dose of humility.

I am studying for the bar exam and I am in a panic. I am trying to stay focused, but the inevitable fear of failure tends to get me down and then I don't study. Is there anything you can advise?

Breathe deeply, 10 times, 5-7 times each day, relax and use visualization to aid you in accomplishing your goal. See yourself walking calmly into the exam, completing it and leaving relaxed and confident. Do this daily. Break up your studying sessions into 20-30 minute intervals. Get up, move around, water the plants, etc. and then return for another session. Eat low fat protein prior to your times of study as well as the day of the test. Our audios No More Stress (to relax) and How to Break Through Your Mental Barriers for Success (to take you step by step through visualization) can help.

  

Heaven On Earth
By David Essel
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Slow Down
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Language for the
Heart & Soul
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Phoenix Soul
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Maximize Your Potential
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"Cat" Calloway
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David is the current Host of The Health Report national televison show.

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