Getting Ready to Get Ready

Getting Ready to Get Ready

      One of the personalities we discuss in our thrice weekly calls is called Green. Although we all exhibit traits from all personality colors, we have a primary or root color. I am a green, primarily. This has been great for me as an engineer and for making plans, but it can be a handicap for working with people. I believe, however, that by reviewing my habit when I have successfully turned these plans into successful execution, I reveal a method for getting out of a mode of getting ready to get ready.

      I plan. I do this well. I can anticipate all of the possible challenges and threats and devise countermeasures to overcome or avoid them. This is often the place where I get stuck. So, I have to move on and decide that the blueprint is sufficiently robust and just move on.

      When I envision the outcome, truly see it in my mind, I create a point of focus. The more vivid the picture, the more intense I can believe in it's realization. I picture the result in many of its stages and the initial framework is built upon to finally reveal the finished product. Layer upon layer of progress is illustrated in my mental motion picture.

      Now I must jump. I need to take action. All of the well worn habits of preparing need to be done now: getting dressed properly, packing my bag, leaving the house, and must be done with mechanical, automatic process.

      I GO. I do it. I get into a zone of execution. I rest. I resume. I focus on the images of my mental motion picture, of the finished product, and just keep in action mode. Are you like me and get stuck getting ready to get ready? Or, have you progressed to action and success?

     

     

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

P.S. With the help of others in our mastermind group, I hope to relate similar breakthroughs for the obstacles encountered by the other 3 personality types. And you can also join in this process with us: http://bit.ly/MLMskill

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How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear

HOW TO OUTWIT THE SIX GHOSTS OF FEAR

      Indecision, doubt and fear are the three enemies Napoleon Hill uses to describe the primary obstacles to our achieving what we desire.
      These are powerful adversaries. In the competitive world of commerce we find an acronym, FUD, or, Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Major technological companies have even embraced these to wield, like swords against their competition. If enough FUD is put out there, it makes it all the more difficult to chop through the weeds and find the real, substantiated facts. The less black and white the information, the more FUD there is.
      For me, my biggest challenges, have not been the jump from the airplane, my survival is at risk kind of fears. But, the insidious uncertainty that mentally seems to be around the next corner that causes me to not make a decision, and fail to act.
      Instead of boldly moving forward, I find I succumb to the temptation of choosing to just do something else. Often this is something well traveled, in the past, and is well known and understood. I rationalize that these other things, although not really important right now, still need to get done. And, I will feel some sense of accomplishment, having marked these off my list.
      I return, however, to the important task at hand, and again feel the impact of these enemies as they chip away at my self-esteem. I find myself asking how did this not get done, again? I begin to question my motivation. If this was so important to me, why didn't it get done?
      ... to read the rest of this post, please visit our public forum, where you will also find our mastermind lessons on this subject.
with gratitude and in service,
Tony Koker
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Faith - Belief in the Result without Evidence?

Faith - Belief in the Result without Evidence?

      I don't think our belief has to be completely without any evidence. We can see some of the stairs on the staircase, we just cannot see the whole flight.

      I've had so many examples of this in my life lately, that I couldn't get focused on one upon which to write. So please forgive me if I bounce around a little. Hopefully, the common theme will still find it's way out.

      My wife has a desire to acquire 10 rental properties to ease our retirement. We have already completed our purchase and full rental of 1, and are close to completing another. We already know that this will happen, that we're already looking for number 3.

      I am forging the keys to release me from my employment confinement and servitude. I am having fun attracting and sponsoring Black Diamonds into my business, easily and consistently, through education and teamwork. The evidence is building, one customer, one representative at a time. But the goal is real to me. The Black Diamonds are already in my business, if only in my belief right now. I know I am not only speaking this into existence, but demanding it through continuous slight edges every minute of every day.

      We desire to achieve these things in voluntary service. Our rental properties provide others with great places to live. The products of my business. both the actual materials for customers, as well as the hand up for representatives are the focus and provide value. Our desire is to serve. The big difference, especially for me, is that this is MY choice. I own the result. We have no long-lasting doubt because we know the universe will accommodate a path. Our desires have manifest goals which are concrete destinations. Having accomplished this before, we even know that the hills we march over today pale in comparison to the mountain we are actually ascending. The total will always be greater than the simple sum of the parts.

      There is plenty of evidence that we are making progress, little by slow, day by day. But this evidence is insufficient. There are challenges to our belief many times, every day. We both took the day off from everything, yesterday. Turned off our phones and unplugged. We took time to refocus and re-embrace our faith that the fruit from the trees we're tending will be prosperous. By repeating our self-talk every day we perform the same focus - harmonically vibrating the existence of our goals into reality with the universe.

      I don't think our belief has to be completely without any evidence. We can see some of the stairs on the staircase, we just cannot see the whole flight, yet, but we know it's there.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

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The Foundation

Desire - The foundation of your "WHY"

      If you were like me, and completely focused on the short-term non-pleasure (discomfort, high-stress or pain) avoidance technique of looking short-term, past the current obstacle, like 8 hours of work, for your employer. And then had planned things that certainly wouldn't have enough time to be completed or fully enjoyed, after subtracting commuting, eating, attending to personal hygiene and of course sleeping. That wasn't living in the "now". But, was living in "a little later", or "next time". And, never feeling fullfilled or satisfied. Always running hard, to get through the current event, trying to grab onto that ever elusive carrot, just out of reach ahead.

      I was lost. I was on a perpetual gerbil treadmill, going fast, but going nowhere. I could see the blur of the spokes in front of me, but failed to notice, that off to either side, nothing moved or changed. Almost like having blinders on, I was always focused on the short-term easing of non-pleasure.

      I still find myself, from time to time, caught in this mental rut. The grooves from the past run very deep, and take time to be filled back in or maneuvered around.

      The difference today, is my desire. I also have to say that I rely heavily on my belief, or faith, in being able to fully achieve, if not completely exceed my expectations. But, that is a discussion for a subsequent week. My desire is my measuring post. I am still not able to devote my full time to working towards achieving the goals of my desires. Who really is able to do this? We all need rest, refreshment, and other necessities of living. Certainly, we CAN combine efforts, so some can be achieved simultaneously. So, my progress has to be measured during those times I am actively working to achieve those goals. It CAN be THOUGHT OF all of the time, even when we are sleeping. I've established this pattern through my self talk, or autosuggestion, which is another subject for another day.

      My desire is motivating. It oozes from my pores. I'm broadcasting it to those around me into all of their senses. The universe receives and responds to my influence like a big splash into a body of water, sending waves out in every direction and back and out again. This is all symbolic, however. I still don't want to be disruptive, but want to be subtle. The created waves can lift others along side me like a gentle embrace, without the brutality or shock of a tidal wave. I still make the big splash, I just make sure not to land on someone.

      As I progress forward, even failing forward, I tally the slight edge achieved with every advance. This tally reinforces by belief. The heat from the fire of my desire burns hotter. Each and every time I progress forward, I accelerate.

      My desire is what I want to experience in life. It focuses on the people and everything I value. It is MY values, but I've also learned that working in a mastermind group helps me to use the strength and focus found in increased numbers. Together we work on our common desires.

      There is not one single principle that is the secret, but the combination of knowing them and doing them all. Desire is the fire in the belly that fuels the getting up from the mat, when we're down. It fuels us to continue onward when we feel fatigue. It drives us through monotony and even heart-pounding fear. The ripples created by the action, belief in the goals of desire, cannot be stopped, and echo long after the action.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

P.S. Check out this and other insights at our public forum.

P.P.S. Also see my other Foundation page here.

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Knowledge, Music and Action

Specialized Knowledge

      I think this is sometimes called inside information. The tips, tricks, short cuts, details and secrets that people know, but may not share because of the power of the knowledge. The not sharing part is part of human nature, but is based in fear. You may have to tag or label your fear to embrace what it is for you, if this is still a big challenge for you, but for me it was fear of lack. I was afraid that if I shared the knowledge, I was somehow giving away something. That somehow my power or control was being lost. But I've come to understand that sharing information doesn't make us weaker, it helps us build strong trusting teams, who work together to raise the tide. When the tide rises, all ships rise together.

      I am confident in the knowledge that my knowledge is abundant. I have more than I need. The store house is bursting at the seams, and the doors need to remain swung fully wide open.

      I am also still needy. I am hungry and thirsty for more. I certainly don't know everything, and, even those things I think I get, often I find other perspectives or more clarity only over time and interaction.

      Reading books like The Slight Edge, Think and Grow Rich, and How to Win Friends and Influence People are certainly paths, when studied, that lead to deeper understanding and needed specialized knowledge. But, nothing compares to collaboration and mastermind. And, even with all of these resources at our disposal, none of it will matter without a crucial final ingredient.

      Action. At some point, based upon our desires, we have to set goals and start moving. We have to have the faith to proceed even when we do not have all of the evidence. Knowing what the music is, what it sounds like, how it is composed, and even how it is performed is all useless, unless it is actually performed. Do not let the show conclude and find you didn't play your masterpiece.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

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Dare To Retake Control Of Your Mind

Thoughts are Things

      I KNOW I understand this concept, most times, and I THINK I understand this concept, sometimes. I am a Computer Engineer trained in electronics. I am also a Computer Programmer trained in computer programming languages. That training was simply learning the things that were thought up by someone else - the building blocks, like bricks. I don't recreate the brick, usually, I just assemble groups of them in different ways. Maybe I chop away pieces of the blocks, but I rarely consider changing the material the brick is made of, nor using something other than mortar to glue it together. Everyone is trained to conform to the system, at least in the corporate and business world. Even me. I say that I can draw out a plan and then build what was designed, but even using the words "can draw" instead of "am drawing" is holding me back.

      Just the difference in the thoughts of actually doing it, and now; instead of might, could, or possibly, etc. - is the only difference between calling upon the universe to assemble the resources necessary to fulfill the goal, or not.

      In Mentoring for Free the system begins by teaching about people and their personalities. Before we can begin to understand other people, we first have to understand ourselves.

      Our minds are the most complicated and sophisticated computer there is. But even calling it a computer doesn't do it justice. Aside from the five senses it has, it also has an electrochemical system and body with emotional and spiritual components.

      A mind designed the computer. A mind created programming languages and still continues to evolve both. Someday a mastermind group will evolve a computer to be mature enough to be able to really serve us as an intuitive tool requiring little or no training, instead of the complicated instruments they are today. Free thinking programmers who understand and know how to use and guide their own minds are needed, however, to drive us to the highest level of thought to even conceive the design, instead of formulating everything for the lowest common denominator. We are not even close to being all the same. We are all unique.

      Together, I know that what is possible will totally overwhelm and astound. Masterminding our collective thoughts invokes and manifests unbounded results.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony, Lisa, Michael and Amanda Koker

 

P.S. Give More. Enthusiastically Rejoice in Abundance for Sharing. Become a Hope and Inspiration for the New Year and New Beginnings: 30dayCleanse.com

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Self Talk

"Auto-Suggestion

The Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind

The Third Step Toward Riches"

      After reading this chapter of "Think and Grow Rich" and Napoleon Hill's words on auto-suggestion when he states that we should carry out this instruction as if we are still a child, it reminds me of a saying my wife has used since we first started dating: "We're just ba'y kids in a grown up ba'y world". This has been one of our themes during our relationship where we try to approach many challenges from a child-like perspective.

      Having a singular focus a child will persist in their efforts until the objective is accomplished. If told that someone in a large crowd in a stadium has a special present for the child, they will go from person to person, not skipping a single soul, even to the final person in the crowd, if necessary, until they find that present. Without hesitation they ask "Do you have it?". From person to person they go, no fear, no obstacles, just an obsessive action.

      As adults, we work to stay focused like that again. We deal with the complexities we've allowed to invade our mind. We deal with the people and situations that confront us in our routines and the demands that are put upon us. We overcome the negative emotions that spontaneously erupt and threaten to dampen our desire.

      By focusing on a written statement, which we recite out loud, we actively focus on the positive emotions we associate with our burning desires. We concentrate, like the child, on holding that present in our hands. We know what it will feel like in our hands. The weight of it, the sight of it, the total thrill of owning it is already coursing through our body even as we travel forward in the aisles between the seats.

      We have instilled the emotion, focused burning desire and faith all with this simple act of writing down instructions for our subconscious, reading them aloud, and repeating them often, keeping that child, that we are, moving from person to person, through aisle after aisle to get OUR present.

 

with gratitude and in service,

Tony, Lisa, Michael and Amanda

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The Sixth Sense

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A sixth sense, a portion of our subconscious mind, our "Creative Imagination", "a receiving set for ideas, plans and thoughts" are all phrases that Napoleon Hill uses to describe this week's topic. Intuition, gut feeling, instinct, knowing that we know, if you know what I mean are also phrases that could be used. Mental and spiritual ... Miracles ... Aha, eureka or epiphany moments ... these are the results we achieve or are achieved on our behalf.

Once we can relate to what it is, how do we endeavor to use it? The steps have been clearly outlined during our journey through the preceding chapters. We can then receive "without efforts or demands."

A virtual mastermind group is a solution that Napoleon Hill describes, perhaps to embarrassing detail (to himself), through much of the latter part of the chapter. Even this seems to have worked, for a time, then it didn't work so well, or he lost faith in it. It was then abandoned, only to return again in urnest but in a further evolved and more insistent form. The focal characters were always shifting and changing over time. A student of the characters he was able to leverage their gifts for his behalf.

Is this a form your Creative Imagination is suggesting you should use? If so, who are your Counselors? Are they your heroes? Are they real or fictitious? So often I have found myself focused upon someone who themselves are a creation of someone else's imagination. How do I stay focused in reality, yet avail myself of this enormously powerful ability? Growing up I admired Sherlock Holmes as an role model. I've even tried to focus on real people, but most that I look to, when scrutinized expose their flaws. We all have these. That's why we need so many on our committee. We have to be able to balance the positives and stay focused on our true desires as they further unfold. We are multifaceted diamonds, but still in-the-rough on many edges. We may believe we understand what our true desires are, but, as we grow, we learn that these too evolve into even greater places.

Of all of the characters who are on my committee, those who remain silent, in the dark recesses towards the back, step forward into the foreground, in the bright light to be heard again when the time is right. I call them characters, because, although they do start off as real as possible people, they always seem to become a little glamorized. I've found they tend to be flawless in their special attribute(s) and have managed to completely reduce any negative side effects to nearly imperceptible. But that, after all, is what we are really trying to do with ourselves, isn't it?

With all of the media that bombards us daily it is extremely difficult to stay focused in real role models. It has to be worked at. We have to eliminate those who let the distracting creep in, while we have to also work to surround ourselves as much as possible with those who are focused and taking action. We can meet with them on the phone, in person, or, by other means. Perhaps we can even arrange to sit down and have a meal with them, or travel and visit or even vacation with them. Even brief encounters can plant the seeds for a successful addition to the mastermind.

I could write volumes about my counselors. My dad, who passed away in 1989, is still a major and active participant in my committee. The epitome of self-sacrifice, he never wavers in his dedication to actively performing to be of benefit to all those around him. My wife, who has found and uses the secret of service to others as the means in indirectly achieving her own desires. Even my children, who have grown into critical thinking adults. They too provide me with constant council using the evolved fusion of the experiences they've had and are still having on their journeys, but from new perspectives. Many teachers as well as historical figures also play roles. I constantly read to explore for others who may have learned just one more special ingredient to be added to the recipe.

If you are not inspired to utilize Hill's process of a virtual mastermind what do you do? How vivid can this process become? Can you see images of places, people and things, much like a dream, but remaining fully conscious? Is it day dreaming? Such an intense state of deep focus of vibration and thought could be considered meditation. Yet it all seems to occur in an instant. And complex challenges are dealt with over many of these sessions over, possibly, a great deal of time.

The sum total of all that we have explored so far, this is certainly the master key with which to unlock all doors.

 

with gratitude and in service,

Tony, Lisa, Michael and Amanda Koker

The Brain - A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought

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      Having read, written and discussed the subconscious mind, last week I think I focused on myself and what is sent from the subconscious to the conscious mind. In doing so I skimmed over the creative imagination although that is the fuel for the subconscious; the connecting dots were not evident to me until this week.

      Like in a couple of other lesssons this time through the book, my first inkling was to write some more about self-talk, and how this programs our subconscious and conscious mind to work in concert to focus and act on our desires. However, although similar, the lesson I learned this week was significantly greater in size, power and importance.

      I was poking around in my marketing and advertising effort, after tonight's Coach's Corner Mastermind call, and then, as I was brushing my teeth before bed, I had another ah-haa moment. A crystal clear picture appeared in my mind. My pulse began to race as I realized just what Napoleon Hill is talking about in this chapter. I could actually see this principle in action although it initially was simply for the limited scope of my marketing and advertising effort. I then went back to my computer to capture what I saw in that picture, but as it applies to the much greater scope Napoleon Hill presents.

      While our self-talk permits us to personally program our thoughts to be in harmony with our desires, it is our creative imagination, which links us to Infinite Intelligence. Hill reminded us of sex transmutation as our strongest internal and emotional method to increasing the rate of vibrations, but here, in this chapter, he attempts to touch upon that which is significantly more powerful and without bounds.

      He talked about the 14 billion orderly nerve cells we have in our brain, with some discussion of telepathy and clairvoyance and then hinted some more at this awesome force and its intangible nature.

      We are all part of this invisible ocean of vibrations. When we program ourselves to produce a harmony of desire that is focused and able to be acted upon, we become a towering light house, shining our beacon throughout this ocean for all who are receptive to see and experience. When we further combine our efforts with others, through brainstorming and mastermind sessions, we create repeaters or harmonic sympathizers that amplify the vibrations, increasing the intensity of our light, and extending it's range well beyond the bounds of ourselves and our surroundings.

      Those that have better understanding than we do, pick up the signal, and send back suggestions for improvement. Infinite Intelligence, in tune with all of the waves as well as the existance or absence of light houses, further influences and directs the vibrations like a conductor of an orchestra. Those that are seeking improvement just need to be open and aware enough to see the changes. Maybe the light we see blinks, or changes color? Our creative imagination provides the channel into our subconscious.

      We need to constantly work to remain in harmonic sympathy within ourselves as well as with our mastermind group to continue to provide the energy and vibrations necessary to remain in that towering light house. As we constantly succumb to the distracting or even negative influences around us in our sensory world, we need to develop habits that help us to keep our lighthouse in superior working order.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

The Subconscious Mind

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My Subconscious Mind

      After reading this chapter again I was impressed upon to describe with detail what a walking tour of my subconscious mind might be like. I don't really have a view of what it might look like from the outside looking in, except for what we normally see as a grey, wrinkled yet large pea-shaped mass. Rather, I observe as though I am already inside.

      I feel dampness as I seem to be at the lowest levels. It is very dark here. The walls seem like those of a cave. There are sights, sounds and feelings here, but they seem very base and raw, yet very powerful. I feel intense fear and hunger, my heart is racing and I find myself focusing on my need to keep breathing. There actually seems to be writing on the walls, but the chill and anxiousness I feel here strongly encourages me to wander higher and beyond.

      As I move upward along one of the paths, I see all manner of flashing lights, like nearby rooms with displayed images, or strobes of colorful performance or party venues. Light and dark the lights pulse with various energies. Its a wonder of activity, yet it seems as though everything is contained, packaged neatly into compartments, yet readily available to be accessed. It almost seems like a library full of bookshelves, yet there are all manner of storage. Some containers seem to have sights, sounds, textures, heat and even odors, while others buzz alone with energy.

      There is just so much to experience, I cannot possibly explore everywhere. There seems to be activity. Containers appear to be in a constant process of being rearranged, reordered, called forward, and just as quickly dismissed in a rush into the echos of the cavernous beyond.

      At the highest level of my subconscious mind I hear this rhythmic repetition. It sounds like words, but they quickly vibrate into sensual collections. Collections of images, sounds, scents and vibrations of emotion combine into this song. There is no counterflow or resistance here. In comes the song. The package starts rather vague. As the song continues, the package is taking shape. Almost like a mist or fog it begins to resemble something more and more tangible. As the song is repeated, the process expands to influence all of the activity. The rearrangement of everything begins to vibrate to the rhythm and melody of the song.

      All at once, the song stops, but the activity continues long after. There are subtle signs that the activity is beginning to again become more random, but just as quickly as it stopped the words begin again and the song plays on and the activity continues stronger than ever.

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

THE MYSTERY OF SEX TRANSMUTATION

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“the changing, or transferring of one element, or form of energy, into another.” - Napoleon Hill

"The emotion of sex brings into being a state of mind." - Napoleon Hill

The emotion of sex is positive, intense, and powerful. It is a direct, driving and motivating influence. Usually we try to use as many of our senses, or use descriptions of sensual experience when we write or tell a story or lesson. But, that is what makes the emotion of sex such a challenge to transmute. We have to train ourselves to focus this emotion inwardly, away from our senses, and into vibrations of thought. Maybe we can feel this. Feel the increased vibrations of other positive emotions. Enthusiasm, desire, love, romance, faith, hope and even prosperity all can be derived from the channeled emotion of sex. It can cause adrenaline to be felt corsing through our veins, but not for other physical responses, but mental (thoughtful) and emotional ones.

Working backwards to thoughts are things, and even further, emotions become thoughts. Emotions are energy and vibrations. Thoughts are energy and vibrations. We must try to focus the emotion of sex and its tremendous energy. Our strongest emotion can best feed our creative imagination, if we channel it and link with Infinite Intelligence. Emotions become thoughts.

Do emotions have color? What color is the emotion of sex? Is it red, or is white hotter?

Society struggles with sex. The emotion often plants seeds of physical thoughts. Its appeal is used for marketing and advertising in the world around us. We can be pulled like a leashed animal by it when we allow those messages into our minds. Turn the tables and use it to thrive.

It can help us to overcome hardships, difficulties or obstacles.

It lets us lead an offensive (vs. defensive) posture. It can be aggressive, yet playful and uplifting.

 

with gratitude and in service,

Tony Koker

POWER OF THE MASTER MIND - THE DRIVING FORCE

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Our Master Mind Alliance - What is it really?
A sounding board, of directors, directors of our own lives.
A Place ... a room? a conference room ... in the clouds, but surrounded by sunshine, delightful sounds and pleasant breezes.
We hug with our speech, each word a caress of grateful lovingkindness for each other.
A Place to verify knowledge.
A Place to discover where we are off course and make corrections.
A Place to get refueled.
A Place to fuel others.
A Place of strength and power. Energizing and invigorating.
Renewed and focused, we are better equipped to return to action.
 
with gratitude and in service,
Tony Koker

Wait a minute, you can do that tomorrow, can't you?

The mastery of procrastination

Organized planning

I've heard it said many times, if you enjoy what you're doing, you'll never work a day in your life. As many, many, many people take a day and recognize some event, like TGIF, the weekend, or even a holiday, they are possibly giving up a little bit of their plan. I'm not saying that I don't coordinate my activities with others. I do make plans together, so we can accommodate each others schedules and desires. But I live my life like everyday is a special event. I weave all of the positive emotions throughout my day as much as I possibly can. And, the sweetest times are those spent helping others do the same, and, greatest yet, when theirs is much greater than mine. Oh what a lift it is to feel their joy!

But. I have to have a plan.

My Daily To-Do List = ordered list of have-to-do's (just for example):

1. self-talk,
2. write lesson plan,
3. self-talk,
4. call prospect

• .
• :
• - one habit-making or habit-breaking exercise.
• .
• :
• - eat (ok, those sounds I've been hearing should be quieted, I think)
• .
• :
• - sleep (or am I sleep-walking again? maybe I should have had food earlier than I did, so I'd have more non-adrenalin energy?)
• .
• :
• - breath (yeah, sometimes I actually have to think about this one - it helps me relax, when I take a couple of deep breaths)
• .
• :
• - etc

I try to "Manage yesterday's decisions daily". I'm "all in", so this is a quick process:

1. on track,
2. not-so-much

• Easy, #1. on track.

But, if I stop too long to evaluate the situation, I need to go back and assess my why.

Distractions - see habit-making / habit-breaking (ok, so this habit-making / habit-breaking list is wa-a-ay too long, already; I'll just have to settle for being perfect, just the way I am, and move on, now)

OK, life happens. You just have to "... pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again ..." Everything happens for a reason. Next.

Multi-tasking - who are we kidding? I can only, really, do just one thing at a time. FOCUS!

If the radio station in MY mind is tuned to the "you suck" channel, _I_ have to recognize this NOW! _I_ have control over the ONLY dial. _I_ can switch it to the "you rock" channel. NOW!!

I have already layed-out the organized plan. There is no time to put anything off until later, or tomorrow. I am counting on me. People are counting on me. The world is counting on US.

My desires are DESIRES. They're not fanciful or unimportant wisps of thought. I already have them fulfilled, in my mind, and I WILL have them in my hand and the hands of those that I love.

in gratitude and service,
Tony Koker

What is holding you back?

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It was just after the Coaches Corner Mastermind call when I got paged for my job. Yeah, it was around 1 am on Sunday morning and I got paged. Some equipment set off a bunch of alarms and they called me to diagnose this issue so they could engage the proper people or vendor to fix it. Luckily I can do this from my setup at home, without having to travel into anywhere. Anyway, it was the state of mind I recognized, only in hindsight of answering the page that was my epiphany.

I had been frustrated, again, another weekend going by, and little by slow was too slow ... maybe I'm still stuck with a fear of lack? Am I afraid I'm not ready? Is there something I didn't do, yet? Is this exceptionally snowy winter giving me another excuse to not succeed? I keep putting together plans and steps, but I end up with 50 tasks. all moving slowly forward, but nothing done. Or, at least, nothing that seems to be working. Maybe I'm not saying my self-talk enough? Maybe I lack the conviction I need to make it work? Analysis paralysis again? Why do I let these simple steps pile into a mess that overwhelms me?

When I answered the page, everything changed. I was in my element. I was performing tasks I'd trained years and years to master. No hesitation. No doubts. I knew right where to go, which system(s) to check, and which things to do. It wasn't that I knew what was wrong in an instant, but the logic I followed was solid and well traveled. I had used this stuff, over and over again, and knew exactly what to expect. I knew what connects to what, what fails or doesn't, but mostly, how to interpret the often cryptic messages and reports. I was in the zone. I knew that I knew that I knew. Even if I didn't know something with exacting detail, I knew to be comfortable in the knowledge that I could figure it out. I knew the missing pieces would present themselves to me. There was no fear, no worry, just confidence and faith.

The weekend is over now, but I am now equipped with a tool. A tool that I already had at my disposal, but which can now be applied to the task I now desire.

Economic Recovery - Act NOW

Everyone, the world over, has been effected by the current economic conditions. Most people have scrambled for a good position. It's just like a unpredicted storm has hit. And, although we all have that in common, that's where it ends. Even the position we've established, or are attempting to establish is different. First we do a quick damage assessment. We all wonder why none (or few) of our boarded-up windows survived; even when we thought the storm was over, another wave of fury attacked - and no one is really sure it's over, even now.
Once we finished (maybe just our first of many) damage assessments, we then chose our next stance - do we hunker down for the next wave? Or, what? Are we so battle-weary? Not only are we attacked by news we intentionally hear, watch, or read, the attacks are also insidious - they sneak through commercials wrapped around everything from our coffee cups to our recreation; an unrelenting bombardment of snippets of sound, pictures, words and ideas. They are all trying to rent space in our head - slowly eroding any sense of control, we thought we had.
But, we don't have to abrogate our authority to them. We don't have to willingly submit to the beating; to give up the power, they're actually afraid of. We are not as weak as they'd like us to think we are. We're not perfect, by any means, but we're okay, just the way we are. We have to gain strength, not acquiesce and give it away. We have to build ourselves up, individually, and, as a team.
We have to build our own master-mind alliance; a team of like-minded thinkers and doers. Knowledge of this is just the first step. Knowledge is NOT power, but the action, put into play, through the use of that knowledge - THAT is where the power is!
We cannot hunker down, any longer. We have to stand up. We have to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, hands joined together. We need to silence the lies. We need to turn down the noise level. We have to take action: 30-day Mental-Cleanse link sent upon request.

Specialized Knowledge

Re-reading Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich", "Chapter 5 - Specialized Knowledge (personal experiences or observations)" puts a floodlight on an area in my recent personal development, allowing me to see with great clarity and focus a major course correction that was needed in my life. I am a practising Computer Systems Engineer. So, clearly, having a specialized knowledge of technology is required. And, although I have had a reasonably successful journey, somewhere along the way I succumbed to a narrow focus on the knowledge and lost sight of the bigger picture. I had allowed my mind to become distracted and stimulated physically (stimulants, yes, like coffee and alcohol) and through events, rather than the ideas that set me on the path in the first place. I had stopped dreaming. I had stopped focusing on the goal. I stopped to savour the accomplishment, but forgot it was supposed to be just one more piece in the puzzle. I had unwittingly traded a position, part of a building master mind group, and instead had become swallowed up as someone else's staff employee.
With wide open eyes (mindful thoughts, renewed desire, faith and a resurrected auto-suggestion habit-building), I am moving again on a path with even greater goals. I have found that we each have our own abilities, strengths and weaknesses. I'm piecing the puzzle together again, finding additional sources for specialized knowledge for which I lack, staying mindful that together we will be rebuilt. We will accomplish goals we have yet to even conceive. The clouds are evaporating from the sky, the sun is shining bright and our convoy is picking up speed.

With Enthusiasm and Gratitude