Here though… I want to talk about the beliefs that are deep rooted… the ones that pop up and surprise us. Even myself, I was brought up in a primarily Christian home, and I still have a lot of Christian beliefs, (and I have to emphasize and specify that I have a lot of limiting Christian beliefs) that still pop up every now and then. I’m not saying that Christianity is a limiting religion. We’ll leave that for a whole other discussion.

But there are a lot of interpretations of various aspects of the Christian religion that I do feel can limit a person. I know that I can say it has limited me. As I said, a lot of these beliefs will resurface every now and then, and I have to catch myself and say, “Oh my gosh, that’s not what I want to create for myself. Yes, I was taught that when I was younger. But wow, that is not what I want to create for myself. I want to create ____.” And I shift my focus to that.
Again, this is someone who’s done 20 years of this type of work, not only on myself, but I’ve been teaching others as well. I still have belief systems that are just latent, that just come blasting out every now and then. It just kind of throws me for a loop.

It is these latent beliefs that we have to catch on change. Catching it once is not going to be enough. This is a process that we have to work on a daily basis, putting the positive influence there. Realizing that our old way of thinking can still creep in and throw off all of the good, new, positive work we have been doing on ourselves.

Anyway, I just want you to walk away from reading this post and not be discouraged, and not be frustrated, but actually be encouraged to know that you can make any shift you want. You can make any change and shift your paradigm to anything you want. The thing that I want to put out here as a suggestion, as a recommendation of making this process easier for you, is to not expect it overnight. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace and recognize that just because you watched the secret last week or last month or even last year doesn’t mean that you’re going to be a millionaire this year. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to have all of these things just showing up.

Now things will start happening quickly because there may be some areas that you were able to shift very, very quickly. But in those other areas that may be a little more deeply-rooted than others, give yourself grace. Be kind to yourself and love yourself. Give yourself the time that you may need to shift from one place to another. This will benefit you on so many levels.

There are a number of popular “Self Help” books out there that deal with “personality types”. They list a number of categories and state that everyone fits neatly into one of them. People seem to eat this stuff up. They look through the descriptions and find one that seems to fit them perfectly. “Wow,” they’ll say, “that’s describes me exactly!” The book will usually say that by knowing your type, you’ll understand why you think and react the way you do.

This may help some people to a certain point. For instance, someone may know that they often have extreme or inappropriate reactions, but don’t understand why. When they’re told that this behavior is typical of their “type”, they feel some sense of relief. Instead of believing they’re just a weak or bad person, they see that it’s not their fault. They also see that they’re not alone, which brings some comfort.

Feeling negative about yourself is never a good thing, so if this helps to move you from a place of self-loathing it can be helpful. But there some real risks involved with this kind of thinking.

First of all, it can provide an excuse for not making positive changes. I’ve heard people say, “I can’t help thinking or reacting this way – I’m a such-and-such type, so I have no choice.” They believe that because they are a “type”, their thoughts and feelings are out of their control. They make the decision that they have no choice but to “go along for the ride”. By the way, this goes for zodiacs as well.

Additionally, in line with the law of attraction, when you focus on ‘being a certain way’ you’ll attract the situations that bring about you ‘being a certain way’. A good friend of mine used to always curse people out and say, “Well, that’s the Aries in me…I can’t help it…” So, guess what, she’d always attract people that did things to get cursed out. (Though there really isn’t anything that serious that you “need” to curse someone out…but you get my point)

Turning control of your life over to other forces or people can sometimes feel comforting. You might feel relief from the pressure involved in making decisions and accepting responsibility. This can feel like freedom, but it’s a very superficial freedom. It’s really more like deciding to put yourself in prison.

Your power as a human being comes from being able to create yourself and your reality. You should desire to become the person you ideally want to be, not the person that the universe “determined” you must be. The universe wants you to expand your horizons and use your full potential, not limit yourself. The universe is created by you imagining what you desire and then acting to make that desire a reality. Your potential for growth has no limits, except for the limits you impose on yourself.

The personality “type” that you are now is a result of past beliefs. You may say, “But when I look at my past, I can see that I have always been this way. This is obviously who I really am.” That pattern of thought may have been there for a long time, but that doesn’t mean it can’t change. It remains a pattern because you reinforce it and give it power.

Maybe this has been your life story so far, but you have the power to tell a different story. You can’t change the past, but you can determine everything that will happen from this point on. Decide what you want to be like in the future – which starts NOW! Start telling that story to yourself. Focus all of your attention on the next chapter of your life. The universe will always support your desires.

Practical Application

Just because you’re a “ESTJ” or a “Libra” or a “Red” or a “Bear” – you can ALWAYS choose to be the person you want to be. Use the knowledge of your “personality type” as an empowerment tool, not a crutch

“I can’t,” she said. “I’ve got to go to work that day.

She honestly sounded so down and depressed that I figured that she hated her job and asked her if she did. She said no… and went on so say… while it wasn’t the best job in the world, it was not the worst one either. From the look on her face, though, you’d think she was digging ditches or scraping gum off bathroom walls..

Of course, seeing this as an opportunity for growth… I asked her to try something: I said, “Instead of saying I’ve ‘got’ to go to work, say I ‘get’ to go to work.”

It made her smile, and I could tell that she was a little skeptical, but she promised to give it a try.

Changing “got” to “get” may seem really insignificant…and you might be wondering how this will change your situation….but the truth is: your thoughts (subsequently you words) create your reality.

What most people don’t realize is that we make our own happiness… however, at the same time, we make our life miserable, frustrating, etc. This all comes from the words we use to describe things.

The way that you choose to see a situation will definitely determine how you respond to it, both physically and emotionally.

Remember that your body takes cues very easily. Have you ever found that when you smiled, you actually started feeling happier? Even by changing something that minor, you are cuing your body to be more receptive and to enjoy itself more.

When you’re in a place where you’re feeling down about everything and discontent, be aware that this is something that can easily snowball on itself. You’ll find that when this happens, it is so easy to lose momentum and energy…and it can spiral out of control. This is where depression comes from… it’s just an ongoing choice to feel bad, then it gets worse and worse, until it ‘seems’ to be out of control.

Make a conscious choice to improve your attitude and the way that you see things.

Like the woman I talked to the other day, instead of saying that work is something that you’ve “GOT” to do, recognize it for a privilege and a joy – because it is. What’s the alternative???

There is something positive in the situation if only you can find it.
– Do you get to make other people happy during your job?
– Are you pleased to make the day easier for your co-workers?

It is true that not all of us have our ideal jobs, but there is definitely something bright to look for.

You could say that you have a job where people call in with complaints all day, or instead you can say that you have a job where you help people towards customer satisfaction. It’s all in how you view it.

Practical Application

Though this may sound the typical “half empty/half full” rhetoric… please don’t overlook this very important lesson.

Be aware of what you’re saying because it’s creating your reality “as you speak”.

I played basketball with a friend of mine yesterday and I was amazed at how quickly I got tired running up and down the court. It’s totally different than running on a treadmill…

I don’t remember it being like this 20 years ago… but I wasn’t 33 years old, 20 years ago either

I have a different respect for basketball players…now.

Anyway, I’m getting back into my workout routine now.

A few years ago, I spent on average about 2 -3 hours a day in the gym. I was taking classes, hitting all the funky exercise machines, free weights, you name it. You would have thought that I was one of those ‘gym rats’…or more eloquently said, “fitness buffs” …but I wasn’t.

I really didn’t like it all that much…I got SOME enjoyment out of it because it became a social outlet for me and I was definitely pleased with the results I was getting,

So, in other words I didn’t HATE it, but I didn’t LOVE it either.

But because I work on the computer all day, I knew I needed to get some regular exercise, so I started going.

I didn’t like it.

I’d go for 2 or 3 days, get frustrated, then quit.

Get motivated again, go for 2-3 days, then quit.

This went on for several weeks, then I realized that I need to create some accountability to keep me there. So I got a personal trainer…. ha, ha, ha.

Well the trainer created the accountability I needed, but he made me dislike the gym more than I already did. He was pushing too hard (in my opinion).

I wasn’t interested in becoming the Hulk, I just wanted to get ‘fit’ and stay in shape…but he was piling on all the weights, yelling at me and making me do push-ups and laps when I didn’t want to be there in the first place.

So I fired him and tried it on my own again.

Same thing.

I’d go for a few days and quit.

So I went to a second trainer. Told him very clearly and directly that I don’t like coming to the gym and if it it wasn’t fun for me, I wouldn’t go. I told him I wasn’t interested in heavy weights and ‘hard’ workouts.

He started out a little better than the first guy, but after 2 weeks, he reverted to the ‘feel the burn’ mode…so I fired him as well.

So how did I get to the point of going to the gym 2-3 hours per day? Well, it took me 6 months to get to there. And here’s what I did:

I started where I was at the time.

I went to the gym, got on the treadmill – for 3 minutes and went home…I didn’t even break a sweat.

The next day, I went to the gym, got on the treadmill – for 3 minutes and went home.

The next day, the same.

I did that for about a week. on the 5th day, I increased my time to 5 minutes.

About a week later I was up to 10 minutes.

But here’s the cool thing. After 2 weeks I’d gone to the gym EVERYDAY consistently.

After about 3 1/2 weeks, I was totally SHOCKED by what happened. I’d gone to the gym as usual and got on the treadmill. By this time, I’d gotten an ipod and was listening to programs during my workout. Well, to my surprise, I finished listening to a program and looked at the treadmill to find that I’d been on it for 45 mins!!!

I shouted out Whoo-hoo!! Everyone thought I was nuts, but I was excited about that. I mean, this was only after being in the gym for 3 1/2 weeks!

So from there, I started using some of the other equipment in the gym and I took the same approach. I started out with 5 reps then stopped.

The next time I went, I’d do 5 reps and stopped.

I did the same build up until I was doing 3 reps of 15 on the different muscle groups.

After about 6 months, I was looking great, feeling great and semi-enjoying the gym.

What’s the lesson here?

Start where you are…

Whether it’s working out, business, relationships, etc. Start where you are and build on that.

So many times, we try to ‘get it all now’ and overwhelm ourselves, then we quit.

Trying to go to the gym and ‘doing what everyone else was doing’ was a BIG mistake for me. I was comparing my fitness level to that of people who’d been in the gym for months or years…

Additionally, I had no ridiculous expectations for myself either. I wasn’t trying to lose 50 pounds in 30 days…my life wasn’t in jeopardy. I just wanted to get ‘fit’

So where it took me 4-6 months to start seeing results, It may have taken someone else 2 months, but who cares? I’m not in a business where my physical make-up determines my salary and I wasn’t trying to impress anyone either…

And comparatively speaking, I was much better off than the people who tried to ‘hit it hard’ and quit forever.

Practical Application
Don’t try to ‘do it all’ right now…you can’t do that anyway, so why try?

Start where you are and pace yourself…especially in things you really don’t truly enjoy….there’s no rush. The world isn’t going to end because you didn’t do that extra set of squats

Take Care

~ Antonio ~

One of my mentors (who makes about 15 million per year in his sleep) considers himself a ‘good ole country boy’. He told me something that really changed my outlook on this thing we call ‘multi-tasking’.

He said,

“You can’t catch one rabbit chasin’ five”

Living in Atlanta, Miami, and Las Vegas…I’ve barely seen a rabbit, let alone chased them. But this lesson was one I wish I would have learned years ago – FOCUS.

Something I’ve had the hardest time doing….focusing on one thing until reaching excellence.

Notice I used very specific language there… I didn’t merely say ‘focusing on one thing until completion… I’ve done that many times, but admittedly, it’s been half-ass or ‘just enough’. Reaching excellence to me means that you’ve given something 100% and reached the ability to grow on it’s own. Almost like rearing a child to adulthood.

When you look at all the people who are outrageously successful in life…they usually got there by doing one thing very well.

Bill Gates – Started with an operating system call MS DOS…that birthed Windows, then MS Office, Internet Explorer, then all the other stuff…all the way to hardware – Mice and XBox gaming consoles.

Oprah Winfrey – Started as an ‘on location’ reporter, then a talk show, now a magazine, a network…etc.

Donald Trump – Real Estate to TV show celebrity, bottled water, books, etc

Magic Johnson – Basketball to Starbucks, Movie Theaters, etc.

All these people started doing one thing….singular focus. Got to the TOP of their respective industries, then started branching out.

I think we should do the same in our lives. Especially as it relates to the things we want to manifest in our lives.

Here’s why…

(Obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone – but based on the research I’ve studied, it applies to about 98% of the population)

Our brains have an unlimited capacity to do just about anything we want, but unfortunately, we’re only consciously using about 12% (at most).

I’m going to bore you with just a little science here…but I’ll get to the point quickly:

The primary motor cortex, is one of the principal brain areas involved in motor function. And based on the portion we use to ‘do’ things we don’t really have a significant ability to consciously do multiple things at once.

So what does this mean?

This means that just like a computer, we really only do one thing at a time…on a conscious level. However, similar to a computer, we can switch back and forth to appear to be ‘multi-tasking’.

So when we think we’re doing 2 things at the same time, we’re really doing them at about 50% of the mental capacity we would. So if we’re ‘doing’ 4 things at the same time, we’re giving them about 25% mental capacity.

Now just imagine if you bought a brand new car and it only started once out of every 4 times?

It would be a lemon.

This is what happens when we’re manifest multiple things into our lives.

We divide our energy into multiple directions.

Please understand that I’m not suggesting that you completely ignore one area of your life to manifest something else. However, if you aren’t realizing the things you want in your life, you may want to consider focusing on one area.

You may have blocks that you may not be able to see while working on multiple things.

Again, I emphasize that the mind has unlimited capabilities. So theoretically, if you wanted to manifest a new multi-million dollar business, the mate of your dreams, the body/health you desire, a new house, world peace…and everything else you want all at the same time – you can. Theoretically.

However, most of us don’t have that ability.

Practical Application::

Look at the things you’re manifesting for yourself. Are they coming to you? One way to know if they are is if you’re experiencing the syncronicities and ‘coincidences’ that are getting you closer to your desire… If you aren’t seeing or experiencing those things, then you may have ‘too much stuff’ going on in your life. Slow down. Grab a meditation CD and relax. Take some time to just ‘be’ with yourself.

Again, if you have the ability to accomplish multiple things at once, great… go for it.

But for the majority who don’t, consider singularly focused visualization for a short time 3-4 weeks and watch the amazing thing that happen

Yours in Creation,

Antonio

She’ll complain about the hours she works at her job, and I’ll say, “Why don’t you do something about that”. She says, well it’s not that bad, I only have to work these hours a few times per month.

She’ll complain about how her co-workers won’t do their job and all the work falls on her… So, I’ll ask, “Why don’t you do something about that?”

She replies, “Well, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble and I don’t mind doing the extra work”

We aren’t kids anymore and we don’t have the luxury of ‘mommy or daddy’ coming to fix stuff for us. We have to take responsibility for what’s going in our lives, but the first step is to do an accurate assessment of your situation by ‘admitting’ the truth about it.

Clearly, she has a problems with these things because she brings them up over and over and over and over in our conversations about how stressful and annoying her job is.

But when I say something like, “you should look at finding another job…” or “maybe you should talk to your manager about the things that are frustrating you…” She’s jumps back at me and says, “Oh it’s not that important…just drop it!”

Here’s my point: Things usually don’t change unless we cause change to happen.

We won’t cause change unless we can clearly see that change is necessary. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it. Well if you ‘think’ your life isn’t ‘broke’, you won’t put forth the effort to fix it.

• If you’re broke (finances)…admit it and do something about it
• If you’re fat…admit it and do something about it
• If your job is horrible…admit it and do something about it
• If your relationship status isn’t where you want it to be…admit it and do something about it
• If your life sucks…admit it and do something about it

Okay, can I be blunt here? If there’s a problem in your life, either do something about it or shut-up complaining.

Not to sound, mean, it’s really about taking responsibility for your life. The first step of that is to stop making excuses for things and being honest with yourself. This way you can accurately determine what you need or want to change so you can do something about it.

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