Review of The Hamlet Secret – A Self-Directed Shakespearean Workbook

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I have been talking about James M Lynch's The Hamlet Secret - A self directed workbook (Shakespearean) for living a passionate, joy-filled life on and off, for most of 2010.

With this Workbook, YOU are your own coach, and let me also mention James' coaching website — he talks about it here — being the Star of your own life.

And don't let the Hamlet part throw you off: it is all very down-to-earth in our century, and no old English!

I finally finished this excellent workbook in 2010. It was really great and I want to share my experiences and what I gained from it. I published this review on Amazon dot com.

Let me say right away that I did not buy this book. It was offered to me and I accepted it with surprise. The gratitude came after I read it and worked through all of the exercises.

The premise behind the book is really taking 100 percent responsibility for you being who you are, your actions and inactions and where they lead you.

So whatever situation you find yourself in you have to act AS IF it was all you in order to move on from there. It follows a nice rhythm as chapters and corresponding exercises build on each other to provide you with the necessary tools required to face your fears, doubts, procrastination, etc.

The exercises in the Workbook look deceptively simple but they are not!

You literally have to UNFOLD YOURSELF (title of the opening chapter and exercise) by doing a little expose on yourself in 150 words or so starting with name, weight, who you say you are, discovering how inauthentic we are (yeah, how we lie everyday:) but it stays "soft" starting out and becomes more in-depth as you progress.

Basically, each exercise is a challenge — your challenge — to see how truthful you are with yourself and others by extension. That theme that runs through the entire book. Stop lying to yourselves people.

The chapters headings are brief and succinct Hamlet quotes which the author clearly explains in plain English and develops a theme around them followed by quaintly named exercises like "Mere Beasts", "Murder's Miraculous Tongue" "The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape" and so on.

This had to have involved so much research because they are used so effectively to illustrate the object of every lesson and the exercises expand on them for our benefit.

James M Lynch is a very down-to-earth, tough-loving and wise kind of guy – no, I don't know him – That comes through clearly in his Workbook which only comes with experience and growth. The man lives by his words. The workbook wasn't written just because coaching is sexy now and he wanted to make a fast buck.

It is very well-written and is a learning concept with a different slant, funny sometimes, bloody frustrating at other times because there are some exercises that you just do not want to do. Do them anyway. Yeah, it is hard to face yourself even though it is just you, the workbook and pen and paper.

It took me all of 2010 to complete this Self-Directed Workbook. I kid you not and it was worth it. The author suggests doing one chapter per week although there are exercises which may take two or three weeks. I tried but could not follow his suggestion.

Life was happening! Plus, I was doing other self-development work, reading other books on personal development, and adapting to a new life in a new country on a new continent.

           Image by trevhunterThe beauty about this Workbook is that you gain something every time you complete or perform an exercise, and I mean perform because sometimes it involves interacting with other people.

Not only that, I discovered that every time I returned to the next chapter, it was exactly what I needed either to face an immediate challenge in my new life.

I would not have been able to achieve the in-depth quality to my inner and outer listening skills if I had not completed the exercises. I discovered a lot that was hidden from view or that I hid from.

Can I say that this book is a one-stop shop for all your coaching and self-development needs? Absolutely not but then again, growth is an on-going process, isn't it.

I will say however that it is a fantastic tool for getting to know yourself, a live reflection via other people, accepting your faults, limiting beliefs, and stumbling blocks that you create, dealing with them honestly and moving on.

There are also some great techniques included for simple things like how pay your bills, how to interact and negotiate with a supervisor or a store manager and so on. They are different, using an "original" slant and are very effective.

Many of the exercises can be repeated, used as refreshers when you have particular issues to deal with etc. A lot of exercises were cathartic for me particularly the letter-writing ones.

For instance the "Mere Beasts" exercise which covers judgement, choice and guilty pleasures (weaknesses) got me. Life is so simple so what the fuss! I read it after one month's "absence".

I was allowing myself to be pissed off for feeling guilty about being my authentic self because someone else felt hurt by what I said. These coincidences between my life situations and chapters I happened to read just then were really special.

The "Should, Would, Could" chapter was golden for me. I was irritated with myself about an issue and the exercise clarified my feelings - unbeknownst to me - and it was only when I met the object of my angst right after and I took action that my negative feelings disappeared. HA!

This is a key point in the Workbook. You must ACT in your life. Taking action is the only thing that will move you forward and that is why the exercises are so important. Reading and saying "okay, I got it" and moving on to the next chapter ain't going to cut it!

There is a FAB exercise in the book which replaces those ridiculous yearly resolutions that nobody keeps any way. It is for the thinking man and woman.

The "Splenitive and Rash" chapter and exercise is where you get to let go, safely. WOW!!! I hadn't done this type of exercise in quite a few months and considering how I felt afterward, it was worth it.

            Image by trevhunter The "Divinity Shapes Our Ends" exercise is incredibly rewarding. Talk about do you have it or don't you! The most important for me was the "Betimes" exercise where you list all of your fears, then revisit them 4 weeks later to see if any "came true". What an eye-opener that was as well.

There are many letter writing exercises. They end up being cathartic and inspiring at the same time. You end up discovering more of your Self.

The Hamlet Secret does not encourage self-blame. If it had I would have ditched it immediately. After completing it you will have a firmer grasp of your needs which will point you in your life direction. Not only that, you will also have your own Agenda on how YOU want to conduct it, your own bucket list, and much much more. You end up with a complete list of your life's accomplishments, big and small. That to me is the cherry on the pie!

James is encouraging and prodding you to be real; to be you 100 percent of the time; to live your life as you see fit in a way that is beneficial to you, and in a responsible manner.

The final chapter covers death and grieving may be a sensitive topic to some but you know what, death is the opposite of life. It waits for us all.

If the "old" you did not begin to wake up and shake off the dusty old persona by the latter half of the book and is not in its death throes by the end of this book, then you did not do your homework!

Great job James!!!

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How About Some Food For Thought About Mastering Your Thoughts

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Okay my food for thought today is about mastering your thoughts. 

Our thoughts, guilt, honesty, and communication make an interesting mix. These issues are coming my way lately and how we deal with them affect us in various ways, mostly badly. 

To this end, I opened my trusty Hamlet Secret Workbook to do some work this morning and this paragraph caught me:

You are not your good thoughts or your bad thoughts but because you think others will think something about you because you're thinking what you're thinking you will keep inside of you what you're thinking.

If you don't admit what is going on in your head, clear it out, say it out, admit what you WANT to do without doing it you will only keep adding fuel to the fire. You'll never be able to let that thought out of the little gerbil wheel of a brain you're creating. 

Get off the guilt trip, it's a long ride with no final destination.

One last thing, no matter what you've done, every sinner has a future and every saint has a past. Deal with both with courage and create today the yesterday you'll look back on with pride tomorrow.

Don't you think that's great? I think it's such a perfect analysis - all that bloody thinking, those ridiculous thoughts which take us in an endless, useless cycle to nowhere when all we have to do is say STOP. 

Spit it out for heaven's sake and get it over with. Don't you realise that unverbalized thoughts are also communicated. Everything is energy you know, so don't be surprised when people react to them (meaning you) without understanding why or wondering "where did that come from". 

If you feel you can't or you don't want to, then change your thoughts, that's EASY and the more you practise doing so, the easier it becomes.

Whatever you do and however you do it, get a grip and master your thoughts today!

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Thoughts are Things That Get You Lost

Okay, let us talk about Thought and Purpose, Chapter 4 from James Allen's As A Man Thinketh – very à propos as I just realised after 14 whole days of my bloody ridiculous, unfocussed thoughts, that I have been allowing other people's dysfunctional actions, in the house where I'm staying, to influence me. 

And so I achieved nothing (exaggeration - I wrote an excellent 1600 word article on how to liberate yourself from emotional burdens and family strife and some very good blog posts) to create a new income stream  which is why I have been feeling so frustrated. I just woke up to the "why" of it all to know again that thoughts are things that get you lost.

What was also interesting is that I had no Internet service for more than a week during that period either so more time to think. Ha!

Thoughts are things. Napoleon Hill

Again, there is no accident. Everything is connected and when we – me and you – decide to make a change and act, the tools required show up.  For instance, James M. Lynch posted the chapter Bloody Thoughts from his The Hamlet Secret: A Self-Directed (Shakespearean) Workbook which I find interesting since that is exactly how I describe my thoughts when Ms Ego is taking me down the "dark side".

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles... by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.  Mark Twain

I found this very explicit paragraph in As A Man Thinketh when I opened the book and this chapter caught my eye – no such thing as coincidence:

A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being.

But whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought forces upon the object which he has set before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings.

This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.

A man is but the product of his thoughts,

what he thinks, he becomes. Gandhi

And you know something else, it's okay because I learn something every time I feel stymied like this. 

My periods of lucidity are more frequent which means I go months at a time of being aware instead of being on the "dark side of the ego" for months at a time.  As Mary J. Blige says We are all just a work in progress.

Much love to y'all today and every day!

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Suffering Requires Acceptance: You Cannot Help Anyone When You Pity Them!

Image by bill barber (back later this month) via Flickr

Thought for today: Suffering requires acceptance – you cannot help anyone when you pity them. Far too many people whether at home and worse yet when the go abroad automatically pity "those poor people". 

India and Africa are the two obvious continents of choice. Many express crap like "maybe I have too much or I shouldn't have so much".

When you believe that you have too much and begin to deprive yourself in order to help those "poor people", you diminish yourself and you denigrate those you wish to help. 

Pity belittles a person worse than any denigrating word ever will and you transmit that very same energy to the person or persons you are trying to assist; thereby reducing them to the level of beasts if not lower. They will forever be in your debt and curse you at the same time because of your poisoned "gifts"!

 
The world's suffering requires acceptance because none of us, individually, can change it. When we accept what is without diminishing others with pity it is a decision and an action which immediately creates a dynamic within which YOU and I, as individuals, can make the change we want to see in our world. The magic starts then.

James M. Lynch uses the following Shakespearean quote in one of the exercises The Hamlet Secret: A Self-Directed (Shakespearean) Workbook and it is now indelibly imprinted in my mind and I don't even know when that happened:

There is nothing good or bad 

but thinking makes it so.

So, when I start to overly ruminate and masticate on various poisonous events, the phrase automatically pops right up to say "Hey, watch it" and damn, does it work! Print it out in huge letters and keep it visible at all times and see what it does for you.

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My Journey of Enlightenment

My journey of enlightenment is inspired by James M Lynch's masterful "Think Exercise" in the chapter There Is Nothing Good or Bad But Thinking Makes It So, from his The Hamlet Secret: A Self-Directed (Shakespearean) Workbook for Living a Passionate, Joy-Filled Life

He suggests working through our shit, my word not his, by listing the bad things that happened to us (left a mark) and alongside each event, identify the good that came from it. 

This does not in any way negate the memory of pain and suffering; it is cathartic though and shines light in those dark places. An eighty-six year old said to me recently "there's no better antiseptic than sunshine". Make writing your "sunshine".

I was really excited to do this exercise because I have moved but wanted to explore events from autumn 2009 to see whether I sold myself a crock or not.  Here goes:

Physical and psychological abuse

The Bad Thing That Happened: Anally raped at three while my mother and so-called family were laughing and having fun just outside the open door, yet miles away in reality.

 

The Good That Came From It:  Learned to shield my Self from damage and became aware of my guardian angel.

The Bad Thing That Happened: Battering and psychological abuse.

The Good That Came From It:  I grew up. Forged a strong-willed and determined character; I became self-reliant and learned to live in my head.

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Burning of my precious books.

The Good That Came From It:  Encouraged me to develop and use my imagination, and I learned to set clear goals and achieve them (like saving my daily school money to cater to my own needs).

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Giving away all of my "bits and bobs" to my younger siblings whenever they asked.  

The Good That Came From It:  Learned how to let go and not hold onto anything.

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Rarely received Christmas or birthday (January) gifts.

The Good That Came From It:  I learned not to complain - Ha! Forgot that as an adult - and it encouraged me to depend on my own resources.

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Molested at ten by my stepfather.

 

The Good That Came From It:  Learned to judge people by their deeds not their words, and I became a powerful and relentless person who is afraid of no one. 

I learned to develop my inner resources.

Death does not exist

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Death of my "fairy" grandmother. 

 

The Good That Came From It:  Her "departure" taught me that I will never die because death does not exist; only the body dies but the soul is eternal. 


I understood this instinctively when I saw her lying in her coffin when I was nine years old; I knew that it wasn't her and said so. She was long gone.

Don't have the right to succeed

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Denied going to college.

 

The Good That Came From It:  It fired me up with the desire to get my own house and be my own boss. Achieved at twenty-one.

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Discovered that my sister had emptied my current account - one year's worth of mortgage payments - to pay her debts.

 

The Good That Came From It:  I was twenty-seven and living and working in New York City by then.  I learned to say "no" and "no more" to my family. It was also the beginning of my search for self-worth.

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Mugged and had flashbacks for months.

 

The Good That Came From It:  From my family's demonstrable lack of reaction and concern, I finally understood that there was no going back for me.

Depression

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Suicidal depression.

 

The Good That Came From It:  Released the festering decades of rage; understood the childhood trauma and its resulting dysfunction which I had been reproducing as an adult. 

I dropped the masks, role-playing and stories; learned to honestly express my feelings and be authentic in my interaction with others; discovered I was a person of worth, and I had the right to dreams, love, happiness and prosperity. I also discovered my gift for writing.

Rehabilitation 

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Growth of a non-malignant mass the size of a Pomelo (Thai grapefruit) next to my left ovary which filled my womb.

 

The Good That Came From It:  It was the "delivery" after twelve months of gestation (psychotherapy). It revealed a secret wish I had in my twenties - the desire for a baby to love and nurture as I never was.

I reconnected on an emotional level with the little abused me who needed to be accepted, loved and absorbed; and understood how thoughts and emotions culminate in physical manifestations and illness.

My search for healing introduced me to the marvelous and previously unknown world of energy healing. After six months of thought, reflection, denial, understanding and acceptance, the growth shrunk out of existence.

The worth of material things

The Bad Thing That Happened:  Bankruptcy and threat of eviction.

 

The Good That Came From It:  It exposed the false belief that I did not have the right to succeed; that difficulties must be a constant companion because life is like that. What crap! 

It also reinforced a lesson learned long ago - after much resistance this time round - to let go of material things. I will always be me no matter what.

And I discovered affirmations, numerous meditation techniques of which Kevin Schoeninger's Core Technique is one of my absolute favourites, many effective and non-invasive healing techniques as described in Create emotional space within and reconnect with your Inner Being, and tons of teachers, far too numerous to list here.

End of this journey

Here ends my journey of enlightenment exercise folks – this crap is over and done with – and I am dancing out loud.

Now, I am actively working on expecting only the best and whatever else happens will be another adventure; not that I or you have any choice:)

James my man, I cannot thank you enough for "There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so".

Much love to ya! Give it up for the man folks and his The Hamlet Secret: (Shakespearean) Workbook. And really people, buy this amazing book!

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How Do You Know If You Have Integrity? You Either Have It or You Don't

So, how do you know if you have integrity? Because it's either you've got it or you don't and the integrity I'm talking about here is about you having integrity for yourself.


Shakespeare's quote is rather appropriate here:

If it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul

As this post today is related to James M Lynch's The Hamlet Secret: A Self-Directed (Shakespearean) Workbook for Living a Passionate, Joy-Filled Life and the chapter on Integrity.

I'm slowly working through the workbook and doing all the exercises as I go along and some catch my attention more than others.

Integrity is one of them. And that's because I never considered that being true to my word to myself was part of it. For me, keeping my word to others is sacred which is why I avoid promising anything to others unless I know I will do it.

And when I don't feel like it because... I just grit my teeth and get it done (most times).

In my youth it drove me crazy and make me very angry that people around me rarely did what they said they would do. They broke their word with impunity, like "hey, what's the big deal"! That's why I'm very careful now to whom I give my word.

And sometimes I fail spectacularly when the little me comes out, sort of six centimetres (two inches) high, if you get my drift; it's when I act small.


To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.  Shakespeare


What is Integrity

James says "Integrity is simply doing what you said you would do by when you said you would do it. Integrity is not a moral stance from which you judge someone else."

And as we all know, we are guilty of judging others regardless of how we would prefer to think about ourselves.

James says that the answer to every question is a "yes" or a "no". Anything that follows the word because is a lie. Keep it simple, stupid (KISS). Shockingly blunt isn't he but after thinking about it and reviewing my actions in this light, he's correct.

Think about this - don't you feel crummy when you don't keep your word - to yourself or someone else. You do, don't you; and that's why you feel defensive and get angry (at yourself and others).

Lying is a fact of daily life: from the excuses we invent not to do something because we don't want to (even when it's on-the-job), don't feel like it, don't know how to do it and can't admit it. Because most people are unaware that they have to power to react differently. Awareness is the key.

 I had rather do and not promise than promise and not do.  Arthur Warwick 
 

The Challenge

James goes on to say "To be truly free and in the flow of passionate life, whatever gets in the way of you keeping your word has to be exposed. If you don't do what you said you are out of integrity." 

And therein lies the challenge of being what I call an integral person - a complete person.

You have to keep your word on the big things - they matter - and leaving your comfort zone and taking a risk (as James ) is part of the process. Despite feeling vulnerable and exposed, you perform and keep your word.


If you have integrity, nothing else matters. Alan Simpson

The Choice (Evolve and Grow)
 

As scary sounding as it is, your word really is your bond.

Is there really a choice then? If your goal and stated intention is to evolve and grow and assume the mantle of the magnificent, abundant human being that you are, how could you possibly achieve it without integrity; the bedrock of your character.

Whenever I find myself in new and unfamiliar situations where I have to feel my way around, as is presently the case, I always ask myself is there any other choice but to take the risk of going forward? Of course not!

Final Thoughts

This is just a taste of James M Lynch's fabulous Workbook for living a passionate joyful life. Consider it another step on your road to self actualization and get it. It's wonderfully incisive, frank and thought-provoking.

For me, the workbook is all about self-love. Either you love yourself enough to be authentic and live your truth or you don't. As he said, it's either "yes" or "no".



If you can not find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?  Ralph Waldo Emerson
















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How to Find Your True Self

How do find your true self? There are lots of books and tons of techniques and thousands upon thousands of coaches that tell you how to go about it.

I have found another one which is cute, simple and straightforward. You just have to have the guts to get started.

It's from James M. Lynch's The Hamlet Secret: A self-Directed (Shakespearean) Workbook and no, it's not about thee and thou and whatnot or quoting Shakespeare throughout.

Each chapter and exercise is based upon certain lines or acts om Hamlet. For instance, the first chapter talks about Unfolding Yourself. Don't you just love this title! It's about revealing who you are and that's the exercise - to describe yourself.

Then there's Few thy voice - put a sock in it and be present to listen to the other person: The Villain - who is really the villain in you life; it might not be who you think.

The title's are catchy and the self-analysis indepth. The exercises in the workbook are fascinating and geared to reveal to you who you truly are with all your quirks and foibles and still be a blessed person. It is all about acceptance.

And it is between you, the author and Hamlet. In other words, it is safe. The Workbook is more than worth the price. Get it and join James' network community Do It Yourself Life Coach.

Now, moving on to a sample exercise from the workbook - True Self Exercise.

1 - If you had to make a list of your "Perfect Self" what would those qualities and attributes be? 

2 - List those qualities - yes, every one and don't be shy about it.

3- What activities would that "Perfect Self" - that's you - be doing on a regular basis i.e. daily, weekly, and yearly?

4- Write down those activities in detail as well.

5- Now, here's where it gets even more interesting. Choose any activity from the above list and do it.

Examples of how I went about it.  Some items on my first list are being compassionate (instead of dismissive or critical), beautiful firm legs, butt and tummy. 

And my list of activities includes a whole lot of pampering - weekly massages, sauna, manicure and pedicure, a personal trainer, facials and so on.

Now that I'm in the Caribbean I don't know anyone and I have to find out what's available and up to my standard.

So I chose exercise as the first activity from the list. I'm accustomed working out five days a week and I no longer have a personal trainer, so I bought a T-Tapp Basic Plus Workout DVD and work out with it every morning.

This is the most important item on my list because I feel fabulously sexy and really pumped when I exercise and I love my body even more then.

And with 33 to 36 degrees (90 to 100F) temperature every day, there is no incentive to move unless you have to.

I really hope this little glimpse into James M. Lynch's Hamlet Workbook whets your appetite to go out and get yours. I promise you will not regret it!

What do you think of this True Self Exercise and what have you discovered about yourself because of it? Let me know.

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30 Tips To Inspire You To Become Prosperity Conscious

As of today, I intend to start posting on weekends instead of sticking to my five-day schedule or basically whenever I get wi-fi service since the automatic uploads are not working efficiently. Just a little whine.

I'm reading three books at the same time, chapter by delectable chapter from Napoleon Hill, Bob Proctor and James M. Lynch.

They're all about developing one's innate prosperity consciousness i.e. becoming who you already are and fulfilling your life's objectives.

The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. ~Malcolm X

When you're in your natural, prosperous state of well-being everything flows. You can handle any challenge because you are fixed and focussed on what you want: not what you don't want.

One is You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor and I'll be covering the first three chapters in this post after one pleasurable month of re-reading.

I'm already sharing Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill with you as I progress, absorb the messages and implement the lessons in each chapter. Have a look at Desire, Faith, and Auto-Suggestion.

Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting. ~Edmund Burke

The third book is James M. Lynch's The Hamlet Secret: A Self-Directed Workbook - a very different and inviting format which encourages you to delve into the workbook.

He psychs you out actually because each exercise is based on a particular premise from Shakespeare's Hamlet which appears "simple and straightforward" but in actual fact that's not the case at all.

If you are honest and true, you will find yourself spontaneously spreading your wings as you progress through the exercises outlined between the covers of this Workbook.

He's the Chief Potential Officer - don't you LOVE that title - behind the Do-It-Yourself Life Coach site. Insights from James' Workbook will come later.

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested. ~Francis Bacon

I re-read each chapter in Bob Proctor's book You Were Born Rich over a one or two-week period; same for James' Hamlet Workbook and I perform the exercises; and I read a chapter a month in Think and Grow Rich.

The insight I've gained from these books is amazing and as I apply what I learn I gain something more. And I have lots more waiting in the wings!

 

Today, I thought I'd share with you what struck a chord in me from Bob Proctor's You Were Born Rich. 

I'll start off by quoting part of the Foreword by Doug Wead which encapsulates what the book is all about.

Bob Proctor has done it again, taking you step by step to the surprising discovery that success is not always "reaching out" for something that you don't have but rather "reaching over" and rearranging the pieces already there... You can instantly apply the conclusions to your own life. It will begin to impact you long before you reach the last chapter.

The last sentence is so "on the money" and I'm only on chapter four. Enjoy the thirty tips I picked up from a master professor, Bob Proctor.  I hope they will inspire you to become prosperity conscious!

1 -  Quality is not expensive; it's priceless.

2 -  Act like the person you want to become.

Before you can do something, you must first be something. ~Goethe 

3 -  Every human being has been born rich, it's just that most people are temporarily a little short of money!

4 -  Those who know the truth learn to love it, those who love the truth learn to live it.

5 -  Money can't talk but it can hear.

6 -  Money is a servant. You should always love people and use money rather than the reverse!

7 -  Money is an effect and it must always be earned.

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America.  If I'm not there, I go to work.  ~Robert Orben

8 -  Money is not meant to be hoarded. Rather, it is meant to be used, enjoyed and circulated.

9 -  If you haven't decided to spend it, you don't need it.

10- People who are wealthy never feel uncomfortable when the subject of money is brought up.

11- People don't feel comfortable about money because they have it; they have it because they feel comfortable about it.

Money is neither my god nor my devil.  It is a form of energy that tends to make us more of who we already are, whether it's greedy or loving.  ~Dan Millman

12- If we wish to attract money to ourselves, we must begin to foster a prosperity consciousness.

13- If you want to have money, one thing you should never never do is worry about whether or not you will get the money you desire... if we habitually worry about losing the money we do have, then we are absolutely guaranteed not to worry in vain.

14- If you really want to significantly increase the amount of money you are presently earning, the first thing you must do is learn to pay substantially less attention to what others around you are saying and substantially more attention to what that "quiet voice" that speaks within you, is saying.

Opinions are the cheapest commodities on earth. ~Napoleon Hill

15- Everywhere we look in nature, our eyes come in contact with abundance; for nature knows no such thing as "failure". Therefore, there never has been and there never will be, a lack of anything, except conscious-awareness.

16- Consciousness is, and always has been, developed through thinking, and regardless of what your present situation in life may be, if you ever hope to improve it and truly become wealthy, you must begin thinking of prosperity in you mind, now.

17- Thinking is the highest function to which a human being is capable. Yet, unfortunately, very few people "think". They merely trick themselves into believing that because there is some mental activity taking place in their mind, they are "thinking".

But the truth is, most people are simply exercising the mental faculty called "memory". They are playing old movies, so old pictures just keep flashing back on the screen of their mind.

To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all; but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing. ~Abe Lincoln

18- Lack and limitation can only exist when we make room for them in our minds. But prosperity consciousness knows no lack and no limitation...

19- Understand that the wealth you are seeking is - and always has been - seeking you in return.

20- It is an absolute law of your being that you must have something mentally before you will ever have it physically!

21- In truth, you will never see the greatest part of your being because it is nonphysical in nature.

22- God has given you the ability to build any idea which you desire. So be good to yourself, choose magnificent ideas, and cease permitting your physical world to control your thinking.

Most people think they want more money than they really do, and the settle for a lot less than they could get. ~Earl Nightingale

23- Remember though, money is the servant; you are the master - you love people and you use money.

24- There are only two ways to earn money; people at work, or money at work.

25- There is no way to replace your income and create a certain and instant estate other than life insurance. That is to say, when they die, most people leave behind only enough money to pay for their funeral and possibly enough money to cover their family's living expenses for one year! 

For a relatively small sum of money, these people could have had their financial affairs set up in such a way that if something did happen to them, their financial goals would be reached by their families automatically.

Here's a heads up people: For those between forty and fifty years of age and depending on the company, a one to two million dollar life insurance policy costs between approximately forty and seventy dollars a month! It is that affordable any way you look at it. 

26- You must consider your mortgage or house payment (probably one of your largest monthly payments) as an investment NOT a debt.

27- It is you who is in charge of your finances, not your creditors!

28- Wealthy individuals follow the advice of financial experts.

29- If a person is in a deficit financial position, it means they are in the "habit" of spending more money than they earn. Similarly, if they are in a break-even position, they are in the habit of spending everything they earn.

30- The only competition you'll ever have is with your own ignorance.

Here are the last four lines of It's Up to Me by James J. Metcalfe:

And I remind myself that I

Am capable and free

And my success and happiness

Are really up to me.

And I certainly hope that these tips inspire you to take the high road to become prosperity conscious as they have me. Bob Proctor's You Were Born Rich is absolutely delicious and so enjoyable! 

It took me months to open it and obviously now's the time.  Let me know what speaks to you and why. I love good conversation.

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Activating Your Intentions for 2010: Why Do They Matter?

Well, am now back to blogging and currently resident in the most southerly Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago for a bit.

Don't know where I'll be next. It's hot which is great, and heavily humid which bothers me a lot so my body had better acclimatise itself soon.

Activating your intentions for 2010

Now, let's talk about activating your intentions for 2010 and why they matter. I thought of posting mine earlier this week but didn't follow through. Then I read Cyndi's of Evolution Ezine Our Best Intentions for 2010, and thought again that maybe I should put it out there...

I blog to share after all and I have nothing to prove so what people think about them is irrelevant.

When you clearly and specifically state what you want, in writing, you flip the switch on the energy connection between you and the universe to attract what you want. And as Cyndi says in her post, if you don't know what you want how the hell are you going to get it.

I had rewritten mine several times in December 2009 but it didn't feel right even though I knew what I wanted.

I finally understood that it was because my mind wasn't clear, my emotions were negative and therefore, I wasn't feeling the connection that I do now. I feel great!

Everyday Spirituality

1 - I intend to achieve all goals that I set with effortless effort.

2 - I intend to become the best person I can be, staying authentic and true to who I am, and be compassionate with myself when I'm on a learning curve, and celebrate who I am.

3 - I intend to increase my meditation to twice daily and be aware of how I feel which tells me what I'm thinking, and learn to have fun; allowing my heart light to shine for the highest good of all.

4 - I intend to complete, absorb and share the lessons learned in The Hamlet Secret: A Self-Directed Workbook for Living a Passionate and Joy-Filled Life by James M. Lynch, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, for the highest good of all.

5 - I intend to pay attention to that still, soft voice when it speaks to me.

Health

6 - I intend to lose my last six kilos to reach the 70 kilos my body requires, and continue to love and cherish the magnificent temple which is my body, and find new, effective and natural ways to maintain an optimum level of health and a rock solid immune system.

7 - I intend to continue Teresa Tapp's Fit and Fabulous and Boosting my energy with The Five Tibetans exercise routines to tighten, tone and reconnect with my core.

8 - I intend to listen to my body's needs, nourish it with delicious, healthy food; the nutrients of which are easily absorbed and the excess gently and efficiently eliminated.

Relationships

9 - I intend to attract the man that I want in my life who is loyal, faithful, virile, attentive, and prosperous. He comes to me free of all engagements by an act of providence which creates all new things.

He accepts who he is and loves what he does. He loves the presence in me as I love the presence in him. He supports me, he puts me first and he believes in marriage. He gives me my space. Between us there is love, freedom and mutual respect.  I want that or better for the highest good of all.

10- I intend to allow my family and those around me to be, do or have whatever they want, secure in the knowledge that I don't have to buy into their story or take anything from their experience that I don't like, for the highest good of all.

11- I intend to associate only with people who are positive, who support me, who bring out the best in me, and who vibrate on the highest levels of abundance and prosperity for the highest good of all.

Business/Money/Work

12- I intend to attract the people, tools, free resources, and opportunities I need to quickly and effortlessly replenish my six-figure account, and create multiple streams of income to make me a millionaire by December 2010 or better, so that I can participate in the projects which interest me for the betterment of all concerned.

13- I intend to increase my blog readership ten-fold or better, create a funky newsletter of lightness and brightness, write consistently informative articles and blog posts for the greater good of all, and celebrate my passion for writing.


Dis-Identify yourself from your emotions

So, what does this have to do with activating your intentions for 2010? Basically, you have to clean up your emotional act in order to connect with and attract what you want in 2010.

Feeling dissatisfied with any area of your life calls up and fuels negative thoughts and emotions which will keep you stuck right where you left off in 2009. That can't be what you want!

Therefore, disconnecting from your thoughts of lack is essential to achieving your goals in 2010. Your thoughts are not who you are.

Ed Harkness Spina beautifully outlines this case in Dis-Identifying from your emotions. He also developed the Energy Center Clearing which offers 5 free lessons containing mystic techniques to:

• Relieve Stress
  
• Overcome Fear
  
• Eliminate Anger
  
• Dis-Identify from Your Emotion, and
  
• Connect with Your True Self
  

I will give my verdict after I complete them.

Your choices in 2010

It's time to get on with the business of creating a beautiful, bountiful life for yourself in 2010. And hey, nobody said it would be easy but the truth is it's only difficult when you fight the changes occurring in your life.

In order to progress, you have two choices:

One - Fight what's happening to you and suffer miserably. Whining "why me, and why is it so hard", complaining, criticising, getting angry and frustrated and lashing out at others as I did in 2008 and 2009 doesn't cut it; or

Two - Accept that you can't stand the pain and misery anymore and give in to what is. I did not say "give up" - there is a world of difference between the two so pay attention.

I used to confuse the two as well in my self-pitying phases even when I knew it was total bullshit.

That was because I equated giving in with being weak. That's the brain-washing many of us grew up with - it has to be hard in order to feel a sense of accomplishment. What absolute crap!

It's now up to you to choose your path. And remember, as Eckhart Tolle says in A New Earth - YOU are life and it's wonderful...

So drop me a line peeps and share with me your best intentions for 2010. I would love to read them. From what I have observed and the stories I'm hearing, millions of us are riding this wave of glorious change and this is just the beginning. The future is bright!

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