“If you can dream it you can do it.” Walt Disney

Welcome to Belief Magic! I’m convinced there is an amazing power of belief in your life, it’s just a matter of whether you’re harnessing it for good, or letting it run a muck.

I’ve been a lifelong student of personal development. You are about to embark on a journey to discover the very best of what works, already condensed to save your precious time, while still benefiting from these success secrets. In short I’ve done a lot of the legwork for you, having digested countless books, audios, videos, live seminars and personal training to live the life of my dreams.

Since I’m no different from you, obviously you can also benefit from these incredible mind technologies.  Briefly here’s my story and how it can benefit you. Growing up I became fascinated with the art of magic and knew that’s what I wanted to do for a living, yet allowed people to convince me ”that’s impossible”. Barely keeping the dream alive,  I became a licensed professional engineer since I had capabilities in math and science.

It wasn’t until I learned that “impossible” really means “I’m possible”  that I allowed my life to proceed by its own design,  rather than role playing. So I’m now a full time magician, mentalist, speaker, educator and author, but all from an engineer’s perspective. And that is the key, this combination of both left and right brain capabilities that are the hallmarks of not only my success but of some of the greatest achievers in history.

He who is convinced convinces. It took me 20 years to fully convince myself that I could truly do what I desired, full time, some 4 years ago. How I gained this critical perspective, and how you can do the same, no matter your individual desires, is where it gets interesting. Please stick  around for what promises to be an enjoyable & beneficial ride for us both!

Realize your potential! Learn how to fulfill your dreams! Check out these resources today!

Confidence Beyond Belief (Steve G. Jones, M.Ed. & Brad Yates, C.Ht.) http://3eba8lc2xz2ucwd-c0jbs9vl4v.hop.clickbank.net/

I Create Reality: Beyond Visualization: Holographic Creation (Christopher Westra) http://47bb3bk0uz5vk0dfs0o2s5hoti.hop.clickbank.net/

“You can not teach a man anything. You can only help him find it in himself.” Galileo Galilei

Do you believe what you see or see what you believe? This is worth thinking about.

I propose that accepting the latter part of the previous statement has life changing potential for you.  Increasingly psychologists and scientists, in particular quantum physicists, know that the human mind actually works more according to “I’ll see it when I believe it”.  This is due to a part of your brain known as the Reticular Activating System (RAS). You may have experienced something similar to deciding you want to buy a particular car, then shortly after, noticing many more of that particular make and even color that you had decided on previously.

The mind seeks evidence to support patterns that have been selected or imprinted, whether consciously or subconsciously. At the moment we choose to believe something, the mind seeks out proof to support the belief.  To prevent sensory overload, to a large extent, the RAS filters out what isn’t pattern matching to previous experiences and beliefs.  It has been related that Native Americans couldn’t see ships on the water floating towards their land because they had no mental vocabulary for such vessels.  Allegedly it was the shaman of the tribes, being trained to look into the unknown, who were first able to decipher these foreign objects.

You have probably already had related experiences yourself through optical illusions, particularly the hidden or dual image type.  Someone tells you there are two images hidden in a piece of artwork, but you think “that’s crazy, there’s nothing there but an abstraction”.  Chances are, you won’t see the actual images.  However if you have had previous positive experience with such illusions or trust the person that’s relaying the information, then chances are greater that you will actually see the images.

In fact, allowing the mind to switch back and forth between seeing one image and then another is a great exercise, since you literally have to believe that a particular image is there, before you allow yourself to see it. THEN you actually do “see it”.  If you don’t “believe it”, then you’ll see everything else BUT “it”.

Now you may not really believe this concept yet, in which case the non belief also becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. That means you will perhaps subconsciously choose to not believe you can achieve, create, or possess what you really want, in which case the odds of actually doing so decrease dramatically.  I know this through a lifetime of direct experience, in addition through studying numerous ultra achievers through out history, and noticing that virtually all credit their success in large part to the tremendous power of belief.

Please note this is much more than positive thinking, as it encompasses visualization, and actually knowing, which changes mind-body chemistry, and therefore actions leading to real results.  Deep down the real you already knows this concept to be valid.  However negative experiences and influences we all go through and receive in our “education of how to be an adult”, may have conditioned this childlike sense of knowing out of us.   The brain really does see what it knows to be true.  So affirm to yourself what you at least once knew to be true really is, and benefit forever from this simple switch of perspective!

Lean how to use your own powers of belief and your subconscious mind energies for health, prosperity and personal achievement with these tools:

The Personal Power Course (Wallace D. Wattles) http://d55d1bl9ub989q5lzdjo6t2p2-.hop.clickbank.net/

Belief Buster Kit (Aine Belton) http://dfdc5jdev654fw1ypbwbmz3lv3.hop.clickbank.net/

Visualization: The Secret Key (Ross Craft) http://47cb2eq3sbexbu36pm8z5×9ncu.hop.clickbank.net/

How To Set And Achieve A Goal (Arina Nikitina) http://27a7fcgeqxfycqbolfm8cf3ybe.hop.clickbank.net/

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them to the impossible.” Arthur C. Clarke

You would be astounded by the incredible feats of memory regularly displayed by “memory champions” and perhaps surprised that there are even such competitions. These demonstrations by minds not greater than yours are truly amazing.

I say “not greater than yours” while you tell yourself, “I don’t have a good memory” or “I always forget names”, which affirms just that. The difference is a trained mind uses a memory system which is much more efficient than rote repetitive fact absorption.

Similarly, speed readers know that they don’t need to pronounce words in their head which just slow us down.

For some reason, training one’s mind is scarier to most people than exercising their body, yet is invaluable in so many ways. Learning a memory system doesn’t take much effort, however, like anything else, requires practice to master.

Real learning takes place in a state of relaxation. Here’s a summary of basic brain function. Scientists have classified brain waves into 4 types: Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta. Alpha is the relaxed state optimal for learning, and ranges from 7 to 14 cycles per second (cps). It was discovered first, hence the name, even though it’s second fastest. I use an acronym which is a wonderful memory device in itself, to remember it: BATeD.

Beta is the everyday “rock and roll” state, considered greater than 14 brainwave cycles per second. Lower than alpha is theta, which is deep meditation or the sleep state, and typically classified as 4 to 7 cps. The lowest brain wave frequency at less than 4 cps, is delta, which is coma and very deep sleep or unconscious states.

It’s counter-intuitive, however optimal learning takes place in alpha state which is pleasurable and calming. Children are in alpha state more than adults which is a secondary reason why Kindergartners learn things like language faster, using songs and rhyming games, than college students do in rigid, stressful classroom environments.

Here’s one quick, simple thing you can start doing NOW that can easily double your reading speed and learning rate. Before starting any reading or task that requires comprehension or concentration, take several minutes to put yourself in a calm state. Take several deep breaths with eyes closed. Release any distracting thoughts and place yourself in present moment awareness.

A great way to do that is close your eyes and look at the spot in the center of the forehead, between your eyes. This is what is known as the third eye. You’ll notice that it’s almost impossible to be distracted or anxious while doing that. Perhaps you’ll notice the forehead becoming smoother. You can actually feel the mind shift gears, like ripples on a pond settling down as you drift into alpha.

Congratulations, you have just learned an advanced “guru” concept for free, which many have paid thousands and invested years for in “advanced eastern meditation retreats” and the like. Now give yourself a positive affirmation related to the task at hand, such as “I’m a fast reader!”

Saying it out loud can’t hurt, but actually believing it is essential. Even if “the critical you” denies it, silence that voice and recommit to your positive affirmation. Now you’re ready to learn! Just that simple technique has enormous benefits. Here are some essential tools to further accelerate your learning.

For accelerated learning & improving one’s mind:

Magical Concentration (Ed Straacher)

Quantum Memory (Dominic O’Brien) http://www.beliefmagic.com/quantum_memory

Accelerated Learning Techniques (Brian Tracy & Colin Rose) http://www.beliefmagic.com/accelerated_learning

Jump Start Your Brain (Ed Hall) http://www.beliefmagic.com/jump_start

Brain’s Unlimited Power (Leon Edward) http://1344cbg8p7c0aybaic125-3w7w.hop.clickbank.net/

Infinite Memory: Accelerated Learning (Ryan Cameron) http://63ac5ecbr7637p9ds6rarc1jes.hop.clickbank.net/

The Memory Book (Harry Lorayne & Jerry Lucas) http://www.beliefmagic.com/memorybook

How to Improve Your Memory (Harry Lorayne)

Mega Memory (Kevin Trudeau) http://www.beliefmagic.com/megamemory

Improve Your Memory (Gary Small, MD) http://www.beliefmagic.com/improve_memory

Buzan’s Book of Genius (Tony Buzan & Raymond Keene)

How to Think Like Einstein: Simple Ways to Break the Rules and Discover Your Hidden Genius (Scott Thorp) http://www.beliefmagic.com/einstein

Photo Reading (Learning Strategies Corporation)

10 Days to Faster Reading (Abby Marks-Beale) http://www.beliefmagic.com/10_days

Read More, Faster…On-Screen (Pam Mullan) http://www.beliefmagic.com/read_more

Eye Q Speed Reading Computer Program (Infinite Mind)

I Read Minds And So Do You (Anton Zellman) http://www.beliefmagic.com/readminds

Laugh and Learn (Doni Tamblyn) http://www.beliefmagic.com/laugh_learn

Visual Illusions (M. Luckiesh) http://www.beliefmagic.com/visual_illusions

Creativity and Thinking & Brain and Mind (both by Robert L Kuhn, Ph.D.)

Discovering & Recovering Your Creative Self (Julia Cameron & Mark Bryan) http://www.beliefmagic.com/creative_self

The Power of Intuition (Judith Orloff & Deepak Chopra) http://www.beliefmagic.com/intuition

Brainwave Sympathy; Audios to Orchestrate Your State of Mind (Jeffrey Thompson)

Well enjoy your alpha state of learning and soon you’ll be amazing yourself and others!

“Nurture your mind with great thoughts for you will never go any higher than what you think.” Benjamin Disraeli

At some point everyone learns that their thoughts affect outcomes. I first recall experiencing this playing baseball as a kid. It sure seemed like my thoughts like, “hit the ball to me, I’m ready to make a play!” positively influenced the chances of me successfully fielding the ball. Similarly letting my confidence lapse and wishing the ball away from me, more often than not, resulted in a mishandling of the ball I could have fielded.

You probably know people for whom nearly everything seems to go well, or the opposite, those with constant bad luck. I began to wonder how random this was or if there were processes contributing to the success or failure. Logically this process would have to be unconscious in the case of the frequent failure, unless they were the strange individuals who liked to fail, perhaps to prove a preconceived belief as discussed earlier.

As I explored various philosophies, continued my direct observation and read biographies of successful individuals in a wide variety if fields, I noticed a commonality. Nearly all schools of thought have a version of the idea that we can’t always change circumstances, but we can change ourselves. Our positive thoughts may indeed influence circumstances and better prepare us to handle negative situations that arise even for the most fortunate.

In other words, you need a set of tools to increase your competence in the game of life. This is what is known as personal development, self help/motivation or “being the best you you can be.” It is a shame these real success secrets aren’t more emphasized in school. So you need to school yourself, and shortly I will present you with a list of what’s contributed in some small way to my own success.

Since my goal every time I write is to give is to give you one extremely valuable tool you can begin to use right away, I will do that now. Like most powerful concepts, many often overlook its simplicity, so get ready!…

Control your mental chatter! You need to monitor what goes on in your command center and filter out the junk. This can be daunting since thought patterns become deeply ingrained. So start in one particular area, for example, a bad habit like tending to be late for appointments. When this happens, you probably scold yourself by mentally speaking “You idiot you’re always late, look what a mess you’ve caused”.

The key is, as soon as you notice that, change the channel to use a radio analogy. Even thought it’s not true yet, ACT AS IF you are a timely person by saying things like: “Every day now I am on time. I am always punctual because I allow myself plenty of time to prepare.” Now silence the critic voice that says that’s not true.

You must repeat such affirmations frequently and for some duration, since studies show it takes approximately 28 days to change a habit. It will take time for new grooves to be established and the mind to act on the new belief. Once you begin to consciously feed your mind positive thoughts instead of dwelling on or responding to constant external garbage, you are becoming your own pilot. And time is fun when you’re flying!

The following covers a wide variety of topics so there’s bound to be something helpful for whatever improvement you desire!

“Who supplies another with a constructive thought has enriched him forever.” Alfred A. Montafert Writer

Miscellaneous Personal Development & Achievement:

The Peaceful Warrior’s Path to Everyday Enlightenment (Dan Millman) http://nightingale.directtrack.com/z/10711/CD1447/

The Science of Personal Achievement (Napolean Hill) http://www.beliefmagic.com/achievement

Jump & the Net Will Appear (Robin Crow)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/jump_net

The Seven Greatest Success Ideas (Tom Morris, Ph.D.)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/success_ideas

The Pleasure Principle (Paul Pearsall)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/pleasure_principle

Unlimited Energy (Peter McLoughlin)

Creating A Powerful Presence (Bert Decker)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/powerful_presence

The Brand Called You (Peter Montoya)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/brand_you

The Art of Exceptional Living (Jim Rohn, along with related works) http://www.beliefmagic.com/exceptional_living

Action Strategies for Personal Achievement (Brian Tracy) http://www.beliefmagic.com/action_strategies

What Color is Your Parachute (Richard Bolles)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/parachute

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (Richard Carlson, Ph.D.)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/small_stuff

Taming your Gremlin (Richard Carson, a different author than previous) http://www.beliefmagic.com/taming_gremlin

Goals (Brian Tracy)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/goals

Action! Nothing Happens Until Something Moves (Robert Ringer)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/nothing_happens

Getting Things Done (David Allen) http://www.beliefmagic.com/getting_done

Ready for Anything (David Allen)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/ready

The Artists Way (Julie Cameron)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/higher_creativity

Crazy Busy (Edward Hallowell, MD)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/crazy_busy

Inner Peace for Busy People (Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.) http://www.beliefmagic.com/inner_peace

Organizing from the Inside Out (Julie Morgenstern)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/organizing_life

Inspire Any Audience (Tony Jeary)   http://www.beliefmagic.com/powerful_presentations

How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less (Nicholas Boothman) http://www.beliefmagic.com/90_seconds

Improving Your Intuition (Video, TMW Media Group)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/your_intuition

101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers (Caryl Rae Krannich, Ph.D.) http://www.beliefmagic.com/effective_speakers

The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Playhttp://www.beliefmagic.com/now_habbit

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand in rapt awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” Albert Einstein

Weird! Is about all you can say after gaining a basic understanding of quantum physics.

And you can do so without understanding complex mathematics, etc.  It certainly reminds one that things aren’t always as they seem, and the world is a truly magical place. I’ll try to just summarize a bit of the strange phenomena here as I believe understanding how some of the unseen universe actually works is instructive in realizing our potential in it.

Some of these experiments scientifically prove that mere measuring or observing affects outcomes!  Therefore what religion and mystical traditions have been saying for ages is now verified under laboratory test conditions.  That is, the bio-electric energy humans generate does indeed influence surrounding conditions.

Simply, relativity means the laws of physics remain constant no matter one’s perspective, as long as in uniform motion, that is constant speed and direction. For example the speed of light remains constant even if you’re traveling relative to it while measuring the velocity. As a result of this basic law of relativity that Einstein taught us much about, bizarre things happen to space and time to maintain constancy.

Much of this is counter-intuitive and you may wonder the relevance to you and everyday life. That’s because quantum effects can’t be measured until you get to the very small or minuscule time differences. However we are made up of these subatomic particles upon which these seemingly supernatural processes are so dramatic, so logically the implications affect you as well.

Here are some of the quirky truths. Solid objects are hardly solid! In fact when analyzing smaller and smaller components of the atom, it is really energy of pure intelligence.  Einstein’s famous equation related energy to mass by a function of the speed of light.

Length compression has been discovered, where objects such as a measuring stick become slightly smaller or shorter when accelerated, particularly towards the speed of light. Time goes slower when one moves very fast, a concept known as time dilation. Results of such experiments have been verified in high tech laboratories and necessarily accounted for by NASA, etc.

What this means is that when space travel becomes sufficiently advanced, one will be able to grow younger by moving very fast! This is not something that causes clocks to run slow but slows actual processes down. Mind boggling, I know, yet true. Yesterday’s science fiction has indeed become today’s science fact. Since boggling minds is my profession, allow me to proceed…

Two subatomic particles are spinning in the same direction. They separate them and perhaps even shield one from “seeing” the other.  In the lab they are able to manipulate the spin of just one, and instantly the other changes direction as well, as if it knows, phenomena known as entanglement. Einstein called this “spooky action at a distance”.

This leads to all sorts of implications that perhaps people can have “entangled minds” as well.  If so, this could explain the frequent accounts of a mother knowing exactly when her child has been in an accident and the like. Don’t misread me, I am a great skeptic for much of what is claimed to be “psychic”, yet when experiments prove that subatomic particles behave differently depending on whether they are being watched or not, my mind is open to this idea of sympathetic knowledge.

To further elaborate, light can be either a wave or a particle depending on observation.  Scientists conduct what’s known as the double slit experiment and what should be clear outcomes become probability. This again bothered Einstein leading to his widely paraphrased quote, “God does not play dice with the universe.”

One theory is the parallel world theory, which says BOTH outcomes of a probabilistic event actually occur.  Once the “wave function collapses” to use proper terminology, we only see one outcome in our universe and the other is displayed in another world! This sci-fi like scenario is subscribed to by one school of scientific thought, since explaining anything that defies logic does require creative thinking…

Rapid progress is being made in these areas and while currently there are as many questions as there are answers, advances in quantum physics is beginning to completely transform “common knowledge”. Quantum computers are on the horizon which will make today’s fast computers obsolete.

Since simply observing an experiment can affect it’s outcome, it seems elementary that our own thoughts can have a positive or negative effect on our own lives and perhaps more.  And that’s just it, the further matter is broken down and analyzed, the more we realize it consists of pure intelligence.  Therefore placing our minds in “positive vibration” would seem to increase alignment with positive forces in the universe.

Superposition is another unexplainable piece of natural magic. An electron orbiting the atom can instantly be in another orbit, with literally no time differential to get from one place to the other!

In my presentation of  “Miracle of the Mind!” (www.MagicBeyondImagination.com/mind.html)  I relate the implications of these Physics concepts to the world we experience or create for ourselves. It’s interesting to discover what your mind is capable of and how you can actually apply it!

Like the electron, we too can go from “no where” to “Now here”.  Keep your eyes open to the everyday magic all around you, and accept that this wonderful world has been carefully designed for you to render positive outcomes!

Without writing a book in itself on these advanced principles,  I believe you can benefit, if not at least be thoroughly amazed, by a few sources that give further explanation of these fantastic real world processes.  Be prepared for the increased rate of understanding and harnessing of results.  This will soon become more relevant to common technology, and perhaps the very role our minds play through “entanglement” with the universe,  as more scientists now attest is undeniable.

Quantum Physics:

The Dancing Wuli Masters (Gary Zukav) http://www.beliefmagic.com/new_physics

In Search of Schrondinger’s Cat (John Gribbin) http://www.beliefmagic.com/physics_reality

Down the Rabbit Hole/What the Bleep Do We Know (Marlee Matlin) (I find particularly one of the presenter’s logic flawed in her attempt to disprove God, while other experiments point to the very existence of God. On a whole these videos offer a wealth of information, including specific examples proving the power of belief, or for that matter, mere observation! After watching these and perhaps reading Zukav’s work, most any layperson will have a good basic understanding of Quantum Physics and actually enjoy the process. Very interesting!)http://www.beliefmagic.com/rabbit_hole

A Brief History of Time (Steven Hawking) http://www.beliefmagic.com/time

The Stuart Wilde Gift Collection (Life Was Never Meant to be a Struggle, Intuition, Miracles) Covers a variety of topics including some quantum physics concepts http://www.beliefmagic.com/stuart_wilde

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance” Confucious

I have had a lifelong habit of studying everything I can find related to human achievement and potential, the near infinite potential of the mind, and countless success principles from every source imaginable. I benefit from the relevant and meaningful, while discarding what’s unproven, risky or rather crazy.

By not immediately ruling out what others often do, coupled with left-right brain education and experiencing completely different careers for example, one gains some unique perspective and knowledge.

Following are just a few sources I’ve synthesized knowledge from. However keep in mind, I haven’t accepted much of anything without it proving itself in some way, either directly to me, or in a fashion that can’t be disputed. In a number of the works, while I don’t agree with some specifics, I found enough useful content to make them beneficial.

While you may be familiar with some and want to investigate others, the good news is I’m doing most of the work for you by distilling some of the best ideas and combining with my own direct knowledge here. I have tried to break them into loose categories, however obviously there is some overlapping.

I’m a huge fan of audio learning, to make more productive use of drive time and task oriented work. I have benefited from many Nightingale Conant audio programs and I have included links to these beneficial programs as well as to Amazon for other titles. And no, you don’t pay more by using an affiliate link!

Largely just related to “Thought Science” we have:

Thinking BIG, The Keys to Personal Power & Maximum Performance (Brian Tracy) http://www.beliefmagic.com/thinkingbig

The Strangest Secret ( Earl Nightingale)  http://nightingale.directtrack.com/z/10762/CD1447/

The Secrets to Manifesting Your Destiny (Wayne Dyer, along with related works)http://nightingale.directtrack.com/z/10752/CD1447/

Think and Grow Rich (Napolean Hill) http://www.beliefmagic.com/grow

The Magic of Believing (Claude Bristol) http://www.beliefmagic.com/magic of believing

As A Man Thinketh (James Allen)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/man_thinketh

Byways to Blessedness (James Allen)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/byways

Hidden Power, How to Unleash the Power of Your Subconscious Mind (James K Van Fleet)http://www.beliefmagic.com/subconscious_mind

Psycho Cybernetics (Dr Maxwell Maltz) http://www.beliefmagic.com/psycho_cybernetics

Mind is the Builder, Your Life is the Result (Edgar Cayce Philosophy, compiled by Dick Daily)

You Were Born Rich (Bob Proctor; This and the following title encompass much more than the financial areas) http://www.beliefmagic.com/born_rich

The Science of Getting Rich (Wallace Wattles)   http://www.beliefmagic.com/science_rich

This was the original source for The Secret (Rhonda Byrne) which downplayed the “work required aspect” required for the law of attraction to function properly. It also substituted the word “Universe” for God as the provider of all abundance; Wattles’ work does a much better job in these two areas…

Just one of these works can drastically improve your life!

“Live out of your imagination, not your history.” Steven Covey

In his best selling book, “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill wrote, “You will never have a definite purpose in life; you will never have self confidence; you will never have initiative and leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see yourself in possession of them.” He further stated, “Imagination is the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known.”

The book is based on his long term study of some of the most successful people of the 20th century, from which he distilled the common traits or techniques employed by these high achievers. If you haven’t read this monumental work, I highly recommend you do so. It provides a wealth of useful information and techniques even outside the realm of finances. You can get it here  http://www.beliefmagic.com/grow

Just the story of its creation, as commissioned by Andrew Carnegie, is an interesting read in itself. I typically see this book still credited today by the most accomplished in many diverse fields, as one of their most valued literary inspirations.

There is a concept called “Fantasy – Theory – Fact.” This means that everything has its origination in the form of fantasy, which a courageous person has dared to turn into a theory, which later proved itself as fact. Even something simple like the chair you are sitting in, existed first as thought in a builder’s mind, then plans or a design – the theory, and finally the proof which supports your body.

The act of creation is perhaps our highest spiritual ability. Biblically, mankind is created in God’s image. When people reproduce, the created child is in their image, demonstrating this God-like ability we are gifted with. Everything that exists starts as a thought in someone’s mind. It is up to the individual creator to transform the thought energy into the physical reality.

Yes energy is readily transformed into mass as dictated by Einstein’s famous equation, energy equals mass, times the speed of light squared. As a side note, the process can be speeded up through a Master Mind Group and other techniques, as discussed in “Think & Grow Rich”!…

Of course more radical theories like the earth is round, not flat, are first met with violent opposition, and whether the theory is developed depends on the tenacity of the one proposing it. So too are our internal belief systems like that. Personal inner critics love to deny that their master (that’s you!) has a basis for confidence to achieve a desire, particularly if they weren’t successful in achieving something similar before.

Our brains’ reticular activation system again looks for scenes it can identify with or has previously patterned. Yet the daring who ignore or silence their self critic to follow their dream, often a long process requiring incredible persistence, meet with uncommon success. The process is analogous to rerouting the river of your mind to travel where you really want to go, not what you or those concerned for your well-being, perceive as a practical destination for you.

Even more mundane tasks require the willpower to first undertake them. Writing down what needs to be done (much more on this to follow!) is a great way to start. Don’t deny that you are a creator, you do it all the time. However deciding on WHAT, WHEN and HOW you will create these things is the more serious work!

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”  Lloyd Jones  Spiritual Depression

Our minds function much more efficiently when we frequently shift to what’s desired rather than focusing on what’s not, or just random thoughts. An analogy would be turning on the TV or radio and just watching or listening to whatever happens to be on, as opposed to directed absorption by learning what’s on and seeking beneficial information out. I say “information” rather than “programs” because who wants to be programmed anyway, unless your ideal self is the one doing the programming?!

People who have to be truly “on” at certain times such as performers, athletes and I imagine surgeons and other tradesmen requiring complete attention and concentration, know how critical it is to get in the proper state of mind before commencing the task. As the saying goes, it’s ok to have butterflies as long as you get them to fly in formation!

Every distraction and useless worry imaginable presents themselves before performance time. So it’s critical to constantly switch back to the positive vision of what you want to create and be IN the moment. The famous magician Howard Thurston reportedly jumped up and down before the curtain opening saying, “I love my audience!” Even for more mundane tasks such as reading, a little time spent on clearing the mind and bringing to attention what you want to get out of the book before turning the first page, is more than offset by the resulting accelerated pace.

Olympic athletes use mental rehearsal to win races, because at that level, the fraction of a second difference among competitors in equal physical condition, appears to be mental. They are taught to use every sense in their visualization of the positive outcome. For basketball, they “feel” the ball leaving their fingers, “see” the ball going through the hoop and “hear” the crowd roar its approval over and over, long before the moment comes.

It’s a great way to “practice” a skill when you don’t have time to. I rehearse magic in my head on the way to shows etc. The more this is done the deeper the pattern is set in the mind and the easier it then runs when actually performing the task.

The whole concept of mental rehearsal was discovered through training astronauts with sophisticated equipmet to observe mind and body reactions to changing stimuli. They discovered that the astronauts’ brains produced  similar wave patterns when just imagining performing tasks, as they did when actually doing them! This insight was quickly transferred to the US Olympic training program and has been credited with many successes. Why not benefit from applying this same principle to to your own life? 

The material covered in the following should help you learn or improve this technique.  Visualization: The Secret Key (Ross Craft) http://47cb2eq3sbexbu36pm8z5×9ncu.hop.clickbank.net/

The stories are legendary of POW’s in solitary confinement who frequently spent their time mentally playing games of golf, and after release and recovery, surprise everyone by playing a fantastic game after not playing for many years. However they are surprised they miss at all since they didn’t in their mental rehearsals!

For a final sports example, consider boxers who know they can’t afford to spend any time worrying about being hit, but instead must constantly imagine the opponent “going down”. In a sport where the wills of two opponents are perhaps most tested, the required internal verbal bragging is so intense it becomes externalized to convince not only the opponent but perhaps the bragger as well.

It’s impossible for our minds to be empty. Thus meditation techniques such as Transcendental Meditation (TM) teach one to quiet the mind by focusing on a mantra. Typically a mantra is a fundamental sound rather than an actual word which carries distracting connotations. The problem is one has to pay hundreds of dollars to learn a sound (plus pay “homage” to its founder in the training phase but that’s another story), when it can be just made up! 

The technique though is still valid, as it leads the mind to a blissful state where creative thoughts and subconscious guidance often appear following a meditation session. This knowledge was already present but couldn’t get through all the mental static one’s mind typically conducts. It is an example of directed use of the mind, as is prayer, goal setting and the like.

This contrasts with just letting thoughts or more typically worries, constantly appear as one deals with every day situations. For example, shift focus from a concern over lack of money, to seeing ways to bring more of it into your life. Remember to involve your senses and create the feelings the end result brings. “Let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6).

Following is a resource helpful in breaking limiting beliefs. Belief Buster Kit (Aine Belton) http://dfdc5jdev654fw1ypbwbmz3lv3.hop.clickbank.net/

Alcoholics and drug addicts are taught to focus on being sober rather than not drinking or drugging. This perspective is critical to maintaining sobriety, while the concept of paying attention to what one wants and eliminating needless worries about what MIGHT happen is essential for overall success in most any endeavor.

In summary, the goal is to use your mind rather than let it use you. Direct it to where you want to go, rather than filling free time with mindless radio/TV or whatever thoughts happen to show up. The real benefit comes when regular time is actually set aside for positive visualizations. You may feel you don’t have time for this, yet consider the bow which must be pulled back before the arrow can fly forward.

Mental rehearsal enables the subconscious mind to provide guidance to the conscious mind and body to achieve the desired result. Thinking is not easy work which is why so few people actually do it, to paraphrase Henry Ford. Filling your mind with more positive directed thoughts and visualizations will quickly inspire you to do so even more often, as the results are spectacular!

Here is a good general resource to help you achieve more desired outcomes. The Personal Power Course (Wallace D. Wattles) http://d55d1bl9ub989q5lzdjo6t2p2-.hop.clickbank.net/

“When you discover your mission you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.”                              W. Clement Stone

The problem with goal setting is people often aim to achieve something that is incongruent with more pressing desires. For example someone may want to lose weight and they realize they will need to start a regular exercise program. However long hours at work are keeping them away from their family and resolving this sense of deterioration in close personal relationships is of utmost concern. This leads to a vicious cycle as they then feel bad about not achieving their weight loss goal.

What helps is to spell out the benefits to your subconscious mind and mentally resolve all internal conflicts before setting the goal. If the person above spends just a little time analyzing the situation, they will observe that if they lose weight they will feel better, and therefore be able to enjoy their time with family more and probably be around longer to do so as well! They also may come up with a compromise on the time factor; perhaps some of the family time could involve athletic activities.   

Goals are best set in the positive rather than the negative tense. For example, regarding weight loss say, “By July 1^st, I weigh X” (the desired weight) rather than “I’m losing weight” which draws focus back to the problem of excess weight. It’s difficult for the subconscious mind to distinguish a negative concept from a positive one. Notice the pattern of beginning with the end in mind, so the steps needed to work backwards to achieve it become apparent. Setting specific, measurable goals in the positive & present tense is the key.  

The whys of goal setting are critical to achieving the whats. Once the mind has a clear vision of the desired outcome and resulting sense of well being, the hows become easier. We often need to sell ourselves on a course of action by clearly relating why it is important to an overall mission. It has often been said that people buy what they want and justify it by creating a sense of need. Similarly your goal needs to be something you really want. This is why people who haven’t really found a sense of purpose for their life, seem to find it harder to set and achieve goals. Just the act of setting your goals on paper forces a valuable review of where you are headed.

Once you know what lights your fire you will find it easier to gather kindling wood. The required work is then really play. Goal setting for creative types and entrepreneurs who love the work like play, can be more challenging since they are drawn to too many wonderful objectives, which all seem attainable. Yet in our brief span on Earth, “Every choice is a thousand relinquishments”, so one must consciously prioritize what they want to achieve in the available time.

The big goal is best broken down into smaller projects with timelines for completion set. This is disciplined fun, blending the radical with rational mind sets. Working from a list really helps clarify objectives. Creating a daily list is best, however I found too many days slipped away without my doing so. I probably would have stopped doing it all together as frustration increased, if I hadn’t switched to a weekly list. I typically create this on Sunday evenings as I briefly compare last week’s accomplishments to its list, transfer outstanding items and add new items, to create next week’s list. You’ll have to experiment to see what system you find most beneficial and then stick to it, even if you miss doing so occasionally.

If you’ve never used a set of written goals or desired outcomes, you probably don’t realize how it increases productivity. Perhaps before going on a trip you have written down what needs to get done before leaving, and saw how much you complete when deadlines are specified and tasks are organized. A short term to do list, and a longer term goal plan should be used as part of an overall system.

Just clearly establishing objectives by itself increases achievement and also activates the unconscious mind, resulting in further benefit as discussed in previous articles. You are now really involved or committed, having used three senses to write your objectives, sight, touch and sound. Most people don’t smell or taste the paper, but that’s up to you!

Interesting studies have been done on our visual-mental processing systems. If a person in a darkened room looks at a chart filled with words immediately after the lights are briefly turned on, typically they can’t make any out. However if the person is simply instructed to focus on one small section of the chart when the lights come on, they can comprehend some words. So too we must focus on particular tasks in our life by defining them clearly, best done by writing them out.

Consistently achieving goals is one of the biggest self esteem boosters around. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with everything you are not getting to. However once you know that you’re at least doing something about these uncompleted items you can rest easier, even if it’s just a small step. Studies show writing objectives down increases chances of attainment and I can personally say also frees the mind to contemplate more lofty ideals!

One last BIG tip: Do the most difficult or resisted thing FIRST each day! What we resist, persists as they say, and it’s usually what most needs doing. To paraphrase Brian Tracy, if you had to eat a live frog but did it first thing in the morning, the rest of the day would be like a piece of cake. Speaking of cake, be sure to reward yourself each time you do achieve a goal. So here’s to a piece of cake and achieving YOUR mission! I welcome your comments.

Here are a couple of great books/audios which more fully explain the above.

Goals (Brian Tracy)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/goals

Action! Nothing Happens Until Something Moves (Robert Ringer)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/nothing_happens

Getting Things Done (David Allen) http://www.beliefmagic.com/getting_done

Ready for Anything (David Allen)  http://www.beliefmagic.com/ready

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”  Lao Tzu

Most people understand more about how their computer works than they do about their own mind. Although we do manage to “reboot” it every day whether through caffeine or your favorite method of waking up! Unfortunately we don’t come with a similar owner’s manual as the computer. (Although personally I find The Bible comes close, perhaps explaining its status as the all time best selling book.) Since any knowledge gained about the inner workings of one’s mind has only positive potential, we’ll look at a few valuable self-improvement techniques here.

Doctors and scientists have discovered “mirror neurons” in our brains which are critical for learning. A person who has some knowledge and skill of say piano playing for example, when intently watching someone else piano playing, will have the same neurons “fire” as if they were playing themselves! This means that similar chemicals and nerves are activated as if really doing the activity, thus improving the body’s ability to prepare and perform this same task. Interestingly the same mirror neurons are not activated in a person who does not have any skill in a particular area when witnessing it.

I discussed the value of mental rehearsal previously here http://www.beliefmagic.com/mental-rehearsal-a-shortcut-to-success  Related studies led to the often heard, “The mind can’t distinguish between a real and imaginary experience”. As you can see there are three main skill learning methods: actual practice, mental practice and observation.

The more a skill is practiced, obviously, the easier it becomes. This is because less brain circuitry is used by, say an experienced musician, than by a beginner, as the body develops what’s known as muscle memory. Often this is the culmination of the four learning phases: unconscious incompetent (when a person doesn’t know they are bad!), conscious incompetent, conscious competence and finally unconscious competent, or the muscle memory phase.

In one of the most well-known studies on creative visualization in sports, Russian scientists compared four groups of Olympic athletes in terms of their training schedules:

• Group 1 = 100% physical training;
• Group 2 – 75% physical training with 25% mental training;
• Group 3 – 50% physical training with 50% mental training;
• Group 4 – 25% physical training with 75% mental training.

Group 4, with 75% of their time devoted to mental training, performed the best. The Soviets found that mental images can act as a prelude to muscular impulses. Reports from many athletes along with research findings, suggest imagery is an effective tool to enhance performance and psychological states such as confidence, which in itself has been show to improve performance.

Here are two  related resources I have found valuable: 

Thinking BIG, The Keys to Personal Power & Maximum Performance (Brian Tracy)http://www.beliefmagic.com/thinkingbig

The Strangest Secret ( Earl Nightingale)   http://nightingale.directtrack.com/z/10762/CD1447/

 Understanding how mental imagery affects various aspects of our lives, gives one the incentive to perform positive mental visualizations or spend time viewing others performing a desired skill, which are probably the next best things to actually doing it for oneself. The opposite of positive visualizations could be labeled F.E.A.R. or “False Evidence Appearing Real”.

A part of the brain known as the amygdala developed to alert the body to negative stimuli, very valuable to primitive man. It works in conjunction with the hormone cortisol which is released in stressful situations and makes the amygdala more sensitive. Chronic stress overrides the hippocampus, which normally keeps the amygdala in check and is involved with memory formation. What to do about this self perpetuating cycle?…

Research has shown that when you verbalize or label your feelings, you stimulate activity in the prefrontal cortex or very front of the brain, which lowers overreaction of the amygdala. This is what some call “supportive observer comments”.

For example you are nervous about giving a presentation at work, so instead of just saying “I’m so nervous”, a more helpful approach is to identify the feelings with a sense of detachment and then shift focus to the desired positive outcome. You might say (either silently or out loud if you are alone), “my mind is trying to increase my level of stress and nervousness but I know I will do great!” If you then do your best to act as if you are not nervous, you may notice the anxiety dissipating. “Acting as if” is a powerful tool which can even improve overall happiness, being a step beyond mental rehearsal.  

Another technique is based on studies that seem to indicate many memories are actually recreated each time they are summoned, rather than stored in the brain. This indicates that memory is malleable, perhaps explaining why different witnesses to the same incident often have very different recollections of it, and those images within the same observer vary over time.

Understanding this can help to dampen painful memories by infusing just a little positive imagery and feelings with the negative each time you recollect them. The positive imagery can relate to something entirely different but just thinking of it at the same time, can help. When the memory is recalled the next time, it seems that a little of the added positive imagery is summoned also and over time, post traumatic stress can be lessened.

In summary, think about the power in combining some of these techniques! A stressful situation can be eased in real time through detachment, supportive observer comments and acting as if the situation was more pleasant. The remaining negative memory can be improved by blending positive memories with recollections of it.

In the case of a skilled performance, observation, creative visualization and mental rehearsal (along with actual practice of course) will increase muscle memory and lead to improved future performance. The key is to remember to use these techniques, which you will once you experience the great benefit they hold!

There are some practical techniques and useful knowledge passed on here. Your comments, questions, and/or experiences are welcomed and encouraged!