Written for SearchWarp July 27 2006

Why go to college?

This question may seem absurd to you and you may answer incredulously, “To get an education!...duh..."


And that’s great! But for whom? Did you inherit your educational goals from family, peers, councillors, and teachers?


Why do you really want an education? To get a good job? Have a great career? Let’s peek into your future for a moment to gain some clarity on what that means.

What is the Most Perfect Vision of You in the Future?

Are you married? Do you have a dream career? Is your life balanced? Are you healthy? …Rich? Take a few minutes and visualize exactly what you would like your life to look like in the future. Include the smallest details.


What kind of car do you want to be driving? What color is your home? What attributes do you want your spouse to have? Write those answers down on paper. This is an important exercise to refocus the vague answer, “To get an education." Or “To get a good job." Many people have an education and are unhappy. And vice versa.


To shape your life congruently with your deeper purpose spend some time visualizing what you really want. This is where most people get stuck. Why?


Up until college most important decisions about your life have been made for you not by you. Seem untrue for an independent person like you?


Did you choose your high school? Did every mandatory subject in high school serve your deeper purpose in life? Even if you did choose what discipline to pursue in college, how did you come to that conclusion? By the time we are ready for college most of us are so far removed from our own natural passions that we don’t know what to do anymore. Then we go to college in hope to find out.


The key point to understand is that only you know what passions and dreams are right for your unique spirit. Realize that education is not there to decide this for you. It can’t possibly know what’s right for you. It’s there to facilitate the natural expression of your own deeper mission in life. The fact is you can do, be, or have anything at all. But you have to know what you want. You cannot hit a target you can’t see.


What is the Purpose of Education?


In a perfect world, education fosters the healthy development of the whole student, maximizing her innate potentiality for a highly creative life replete with personal and business successes.


It trains the rational faculty to absorb, reason, and then facilitates the means to bring the student’s unique gifts into the world. Currently our public school system gives only two avenues for this by training Linguistics and Mathematical/Logical skills. The scores on IQ tests predominantly reflect these two intelligences (unfortunately tests, in their many forms, can also direct our educational/career aspirations).


But is that all there is to being smart, English and Math? What if you’re not really all that good in those two areas? Are you destined to live a life of mediocrity, unhappy that some greatness inside of you will be buried forever? No. You are a creative genius capable of a great many things in this world. If you don’t believe this school has not served you yet. Hopefully the rest of this article can shed light on your creative genius.



Don’t sell yourself short. Your life is too important.


A Sad Reality


Many people go through four or five years of post-secondary school and end up working for a company in a position not even closely related to what they studied.


Yes some become successful in those companies. But along the way something important often gets lost. Many rush to and from work, where they work long hours to get that promotion so they can buy a bigger house and live “the life" only to be caught up in the same struggle when they get there.


They know they are unbalanced today, but tomorrow, when they land that next position! they will get started on their truest dreams, deepest desires, and most creative passions. By the time they reach retirement they realize that they have future-paced their lives toward the grave. Unfortunately, this sad reality is discovered too late for many people.


Your Career Choice


When finishing college do you want just a job? Or do you want a career that will reveal that great and uniquely personal part of your true nature? Do you want to feel fully alive and have your day to day schedule spring to life with interesting, even exotic activities? If so, how will you use college to facilitate this?


These are perhaps the most difficult questions you can dare to ask. They are also the most important if happiness is your goal. Do you want to live a balanced life filled with opening doors of opportunity? Read on…


“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself."—Galileo

In 1983 Howard Gardner, a Professor of Education at Harvard University, published a book on human intelligences called Frames of Mind. He theorized in his book that there are seven intelligences that we all have.

More recently he’s updated that to eight-and-a-half intelligences. We use them to different degrees but are naturally more proficient, or drawn toward one or two.

I discovered Howard Gardner through a program called Accelerated Learning Techniques by Brian Tracy and Colin Rose. My life changed significantly for the better when I listened to this course. Using the tools within, I went from being a sales clerk to the manager of a multi-million dollar retail store, author of three books, black sash martial artist, teacher in the shaolin kung fu tradition, and now my long-held goal of writing full-time has been realized.

Note: the intelligences below do not have a hierarchy. Each one is as important as the other. And remember we all have these intelligences to different degrees and each can be raised through hard work, discipline, and most importantly, proper motivation. Believe you can have, be, or do anything. Then set a course.


Gardner Defined Intelligence as Having Three Components


1: The aptitude to solve real-life problems.

2: The ability to create useful products or offer services of value for the culture one lives in.

3: The potential to discover problems or ask questions that allow the individual to acquire new knowledge.


Your Eight-and-a-Half Intelligences
Very Briefly: If you are strong in …


Linguistic Intelligence: You are drawn to words, spoken or written, and use them to persuade, bestow information, and to communicate clearly. You seek to be understood.


Logical/Mathematical Intelligence: You enjoy reasoning through numbers. You see logical patterns of cause and effect.


Musical Intelligence: You are sensitive to the melody, rhythm, pitch and tone of a piece of music. You have excellent listening skills. You have a large varied taste in music.


Intrapersonal Intelligence: You have an accurate view of yourself, you are aware of your motivations, desires, strengths and weaknesses.


Interpersonal Intelligence: You read other people’s emotions easily. You are empathetic, have sensitivity to face and body expressions, can sense fluctuations in voice tonality and have a natural ability to comfort those that need emotional support.


Body Kinaesthetic-Tactile Intelligence: You probably play a wide range of sports. You are drawn toward activities that use your body to express ideas and emotions. You have coordination of your muscles and have a good sense of balance.


Spatial Intelligence: You perceive the visual-spatial world accurately and are able guide yourself through that world. You see colours, lines, forms, and space well. You are a navigator, have the ability to represent visual or spatial ideas. You can visualize.


Naturalist Intelligence: You likely have many plants and flowers in and around your home. You enjoy camping and outside activities because you feel akin to mountains, streams, lakes, trees, animals… You have a green thumb.


1/2 Existential Intelligence: You think deeply and have the sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why we die, and how did we get here. What is our purpose in life?


These intelligences should be considered servants toward your purpose not masters of your excuses.
Take me for example. My dominant intelligence is not Linguistics. I work incredibly hard to hone my language skills because language facilitates a way to express my dominant strengths: Interpersonal and Intrapersonal (hence my passion to write fiction and teach).


Any intelligence can be raised with the proper motivation. Too often our deeper passions are blocked because we don’t understand that Linguistic skills, for instance, can facilitate passion, happiness, and success in our lives. We don’t get that if we work on our Mathematical/Logical skills, for example, we can become highly successful musicians. It's hard to argue that the leaders of the world need to increase their Interpersonal Intelligence if we are to solve the differences between cultural ideologies and live in a world community of peace, love, and tolerance. And perhaps the most difficult one to raise is our Intrapersonal Intelligences. It can be difficult to honestly look at our own lives and realize that they're not as good as they could and should be.


The Magic of Multiple Intelligences

The real power of these intelligences comes to life when you use two or more toward a goal. Take for instance the success of pairing musical and linguistic intelligences. By adding simple melodies to rhythm-language (poetry), beliefs, thoughts, and emotions flooded the cultural mainstream in the 20th century. Marrying these two intelligences spawned the popular music explosion and continues to make tens of thousands of people rich and famous.


In Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill talks about forming a Master Mind group. Hill defined Mastermind as:



“Coordination of knowledge, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people for the attainment of a definite purpose."

It is not likely, if at all possible, to be expert in three or more of Gardner’s Intelligences. Yes you can raise them all to a certain degree but high achievement is unlikely in more than two.

But the accomplishment of the most magnificent goal is achieved by creating a team of like-minded people with different intellectual strengths. You should gravitate toward people strong in the intelligences that you’re not. Let’s look toward a four person musical band for further clarification.


Chances are there will be somebody better at writing lyrics, another better at playing an instrument or singing, still another at choreographing a live performance… Oftentimes the band needs to hire a manager to look after promotions, legal problems, and money. The key is to organize a Mastermind group to serve your greater purpose, whatever you discover that to be. A successful band has many intelligences working for it in different ways from different people.


And finally realize that...


College is Not Everything


Don't make your whole life revolve around your school. You can easily rationalize it with wanting to do well, but it sets up a deadly trap. What do you think will happen when you start your career? Yep, that will envelop you too. At the end of it all nobody will thank you for not taking time to slow down, enjoy life, and, as it were, smell the roses along the way. Don’t future-pace your life toward the grave for happiness somewhere in the future. The best thing you can do for yourself is to find balance between personal, educational, recreational, and everything else that fills you spirit. The sooner the better.


Be happy now. Work hard in areas that fill you with passion. Enjoy each moment of the ride. Success is not a destination, it’s a journey. I know that’s a cliché now but hopefully it resonates within you.


Get Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and Accelerated Learning Techniques by Brian Tracy and Colin Rose. Then watch your life manifest with all the happiness that’s your birthright.


Best Wishes for Your Educational Goals!

As seen on SearchWarp July 09, 2006.

Many business leaders today are very well trained to generate huge profits but lack the wider social responsibility that comes with that kind of power. The collapse of Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Adelphia, Tyco et al are harbingers of what can happen if our leaders lack high ethical standards and accountability to the employees, investors, and the general public for more than just profits.

The trial, guilty verdict, and subsequent death of Kenneth Lay illuminate the negative undercurrent that power can spawn: Greed. This negative undercurrent does not confine its self to the business sector. It flows through all positions of power.

Before we take a deeper look at the underlying issues of this kind of corporate irresponsibility we should send our sincerest respects to the Mr. Lay’s family. The flames thrown toward the deceased and family are not healthy, for anybody. Statements like, “I hope he burns in hell!" or “Dying was too good for him!" do nothing but add to the excesses of animosity, hostility, and hatred that exist in the world today.

Yes it can be difficult to forgive a man that made his way to the top and then lied to and cheated many people out of their jobs, pensions, livelihoods. Even while trapped under mounds of evidence at his trial Kenneth Lay was unwilling to assume responsibility. Yes, that can produce anger. But forgiveness is not only for the forgiven, it’s a healthy release for the forgiver. Carrying hatred in the mind will cause dis-ease in the body. How does that help, anybody?


Kenneth Lay Epitomized an Unhealthy Undercurrent that Runs Through All Powerful Structures


Kenneth Lay rose from a preacher's son to become a multi-millionaire in control of many livelihoods. And when Mr. Lay—through incompetence, fraud, conspiracy, and wilful disregard and avoidance—lost control he let go of the business but not the lifestyle it had afforded him.


That fact alone is incomprehensible to those that lost everything due to his actions. Certainly, people would have sympathized more with him had he gone down with the ship. That would not have made what he did right, however, just more palatable.


Aspirations to Power


Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says in “Good Business" that we should reflect on the patterns of history to understand organizations that “…emerged because [they] promised to improve the life of the majority." He points to Christianity’s origin of helping the downtrodden to its rise to power that increasingly, “…withdrew its energies from the community and used it instead for its own profit."


Of course we know all-to-well the political double-speak of those that compassionately espouse “for the good of the people" slogans while lying and cheating their way to the top of political structures simply to serve the ego’s craving for power and control.


More recently (over the last two hundred years) capitalism has given more people the opportunity to rise to power and it, too, claims to have made the masses lives more comfortable and secure. From a Western point-of-view that can be hard to argue against. Most of us live today with more entertainment, better food, mobility, faster and cheaper communications etc. than kings and queens of only a couple of centuries ago.


Capitalism is responsible for the explosion of material wealth over the last two centuries. It has changed the playing field. We are now largely a culture of self-determination. We don’t have to be what our parents and grandparents were. Like Kenneth Lay we can rise out from under humble beginnings and aspire to great wealth. This offers a great deal of optimism to those of us that want more out of life.


But We Need to Move Forward Carefully


There was more change in the last century than in all previous centuries, combined. The growth of information has changed from linear to exponential. It is estimated that we will see more change in the next 14 years than we did in the entire last century.


This accelerated and unstoppable pace of knowledge will have a profound influence on the shape our world takes from politics to warfare to medicine to health to education to the arts and beyond. One thing for sure is that the future will look much different than anything we have seen in the past.

Industrialization has brought many comforts and securities. But there are also problems. Industrialized nations are plagued with violence, diseases, drug, alcohol, and food abuses… The few checks and balances of this kind of open market system leave us susceptible to fraudulent leaders, like Kenneth Lay, that live very expensive lifestyles while rolling the dice with the hard earned life-savings entrusted to them.


Politics, religion, and business are no different when they claim to provide systems, morals, and guidance for the betterment of society. Of course there are many honest people in all of those areas that are highly responsible and add great value to the global community.


But the temptations while in power are so great that one must be of strong moral character to assume the deep sense of responsibility, ethics, and self-control that are necessary.


But we, too, the benefactors of capitalism must develop better self control, responsibility, and balance in our lives.


Capitalism and the Instant Gratification Society


Another problem in the industrialized countries is that many people are caught-up in an instant gratification society. The emergence of television, fast food, and an increasingly hectic life-style where both parents work long hours have drawn many into here-and-now, short-lived gratification. When that instant pleasure is gone, another desire surfaces, then another until their lives revolve around the next quick fix. And the growing surplus of companies are happy to inexpensively please our every whim.


This can be seen by the obesity epidemic many North American’s have fallen into, sadly affecting many children. More to point, it also rears its face with the plethora of “get rich quick" schemes that people buy into.


We buy lottery tickets in hope to cash in big! But are we responsible enough to be millionaires? Many people believe that being a millionaire will end their troubles. If anything troubles magnify as wealth grows. The allure of big money unfortunately does not carry with it the sense of responsibility needed to make the world a better place. Responsibility comes before riches.


Responsibility must be embraced by all of us. We should learn at least the basics of national and personal economics so we can invest wisely and not get fooled by the wave of fraudulent smooth-talkers that prey on our temptations of easy money. Building a solid wealth portfolio takes discipline, study, focus, and time.


"Economics deals with society's fundamental problems it concerns everyone and belongs to all. It is the main and proper study of every citizen."– Ludwig von Mises


The undercurrent of greed created a criminal out of a once honest kid of a Baptist preacher in Missouri who delivered newspapers and mowed lawns. Kenneth Lay studied and worked hard to enjoy the privileges of the elite but he, like many others, did not embrace the responsibility such a position carried.


We Sit on the Edge of a New Era


The ascendancy of global capitalism has the ability to widen the gap between rich and poor, create a situation of personal and national insecurity, and wreak havoc on the environment.



Or we can learn from our past and as individuals bestow useful, life-saving knowledge to help free countries from hunger, child labour, human trafficking, and early mortality rates.



We should use the benefits of capitalism to extend the wealth of information available and educate people how to create personal wealth to further extend and protect our most treasured gift: Life. We need to first be responsible ourselves by learning how money works and then hold those in power accountable for their actions.


Mr. Lay’s legacy will not be a romanticized “Rages to Riches" story but the embodiment of what’s wrong with Corporate America. What more punishment could be bestowed?


Kenneth Lay Taught Us a Great Deal about the Nature of Greed and Power



With honesty of purpose with should learn from the past and pioneer new pathways to human welfare and prosperity for the future. Let’s not add fuel to the flames of hatred and revenge burning through the world. Our health is too important to harbour ill feelings. Kenneth Lay is no longer with us on this planet. Let him go. Start anew.


Finally...


As investors we should expect more from our business leaders than just quarterly returns. They should be held to a standard of ethics, morals, and accountability in direct relation to their power over people and the environment.



When they don’t live up to those standards we must hold them accountable through the law. Not from hatred or malevolence but from a deep desire to affect positive change in the world.

 The Prison and Freedom of Words

As seen on SearchWarp

 

There is no shortage today of opinions. We are bombarded by television, radio, newspapers, magazines, bill boards, popular music, books, advertisements all vying to control our thoughts.

.

Should we agree or disagree with this war? What political party should we vote for?  What school should we apply to? Is the environment really in trouble? Is big business greedy? Should abortion be outlawed? Should hand guns be banned? What church should we belong to, if any? ...and on and on...

 

Many of us have very definite views on the above topics. The media certainly is vocal about their views. For any of the above issues there is no shortage of logical, reasoned arguments trying to persuade us to choose sides. Indeed some even attack opponents with spurious slander, and libel to get their points across and coerce us into a position.

 

Where do these views come from? How did we come to our own beliefs? Words through media streams lifted to the "voice of authority" can short circuit independent thought.

 

Over the last ten years great strides have been made in understanding the human brain. We can glean incredible insights into how the media can control our thoughts and, more importantly, how we can take it back that control.

Signals in the Brain

Thoughts control our bodies' movement which can either propel us toward the realization of our own deeper personal missions in life or make us puppets for somebody else's mission.

 

 

All sensations, movements, thoughts, memories, and feelings are the result of signals that pass through neurons in the brain. Neurons have a cell body containing a nucleus. Dendrites extend out from the cell body like the branches of a tree and receive messages from other nerve cells. Signals then pass from the dendrites through the cell body and may travel away from the cell body down an axon to another neuron, a muscle cell, or cells in some other organ.

Axons may be very short, such as those that carry signals from one cell in the cortex to another cell. Or axons may be very long, such as those that carry messages from the brain all the way down the spinal cord. Why is this important to know?

Napoleon Hill, more than half a century ago, understood that thoughts result in material things. That is, if the right thought is held in the mind it will naturally manifest in the world. Therefore if we hold the thought of abundance, peace, and success that will naturally become our reality. Conversely, if negative thoughts (signals passing through neurons) are held in the mind they can stagnate our progress and create dis-ease in the body.

 

Now, look toward the daily papers and evening news: Terrorism; the proliferation of aggressive, violent, and anti-social behavior in our schools; more and more teenagers discovering their efficacy at the end of a gun barrel ... technology advancing mainly for the purpose of developing evermore sophisticated weapons of war; corruption in high levels of government and business...

 

Is it any wonder why new diseases like ADD/ADHD are on the rise, same with drug abuse, cancer and other diseases, and senseless violence in our schools? We are on negative thought overload.

 

Unfortunately, these messages, coming from all directions, can pervade our consciousness and cloud our light with their gloomy omens. Contrary to popular belief, and the mainstream media, it does not have to be that way; many people on this planet have discovered their power and are living a life filled with love, abundance, and prosperity. What those people know is that there is no shortage or lack but that we place on our own thoughts.

 

The Power of Words

 

Noah Webster once said that if every one of his possessions were taken away and he was left with only words, he'd get all his possessions back. Now there was a mind not disabled by negativity.

 

February 13 of 2003 the United Nations initiated "The International Decade of Literacy" under the theme "Literacy as Freedom". This is a most noble and timely goal. It is no surprise that this initiative comes after "The Decade of the Brain" (the 19990's).

 

According to the UN Chronicle one in five adults world-wide cannot read or write and more than 113 million children have no access to books, schools, or teachers: In short, they are deprived of an education. "The International Decade of Literacy" marks a defining moment in world events. But why is literacy so important?

 

Without adequate language skills, we are defenceless against those that do. Inadequate language skills, more than anything else, control our thoughts and subsequently leave us susceptible to any charlatan that wants to empty our pockets or control us.

 

We must understand that language is primarily a tool of thought, not communication. We use language to intellectually grasp concepts then, and only then, language becomes the vehicle to clearly communicate those concepts. Language gives us the power to understand, differentiate, and then build on endless arrays of concepts and principals. The more words we have in our vocabulary, the less likely we are to be fooled by them.

 

A strong vocabulary driven through the mechanism of grammar can enhance thinking skills with greater clarity and, more importantly, prevent others from using language as a means of control. Without proficiency of this powerful tool, we are at the mercy of silver-tongued power seekers (often in control of the media) that impel entire nations to the brink of disaster, or keep them stagnated in a pool of poverty. Automatically accepting sound-good slogans, aphorisms, or dictums puts us in a position of weakness and vulnerability.

 

For example, consider the saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me?" That is a false adage. Names are words and words can penetrate more deeply than sticks and stones. They can insidiously strip self-confidence, self-esteem, and leave emotional scars. The strife a mentally abused person suffers can be more devastating and long-lasting than physical abuse.

 

 Words Provoke Action

 

From this side of the twentieth century it is difficult to understand how so many people were duped into unleashing unimaginable atrocities on humanity. But in the moment, at a time when the economic gap was widening and many people were looking at a bleak future, the bellicose utterances of despotic leaders manipulated the vulnerable into calculated, efficient killing machines. Those with other ideas-words grouped together-were exterminated.

 

It's no accident that the first thing these despots take control of is the media streams to the people.

 

Moving forward to today and terrorism. It may seem like a completely different set of circumstances, but the underling issues have not changed. Now, the bellicosity of self-appointed prophets, with political motives, persuade a group of mostly illiterate people into detonating themselves on buses and in schools filled with innocent children. These terrorists, often adolescent children themselves, are indoctrinated with hate from a young age.

 

When the fire of adolescence burns through their veins they are ripened to be God's vicegerent. How many of those people were given a choice of what religion to choose? How many of them had even read the Qur'an, the Torah, or the Bible? How many of these people realize how closely Judaism and Islam are related in spirituality and language? And the saddest question of all:

 

How many of these children realize that they are silencing their own potentially powerful voices in a moment of fury. Voices, like Gandhi's voice of non-violence, that would go further to right the wrongs bestowed upon their people.

 

Language is a powerful tool that must be appreciated fully by anybody wanting to thrive and survive in this coming era. 

 

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We don't let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas." -Joseph Stalin

 

We are bombarded daily with ideas telling us what to buy, think, and do. Large companies of the world spend billions of dollars each year logging their logo into our brains. Political parties use media streams to caress sound-good ideas into our brains and lure us away from integrated, critical thinking required to form our own opinions and live our own missions.

 

What is the answer? Turn off CNN and read scholarly articles, reports not supported by big business and political parties, poetry, and, most importantly read great literature. There is nothing better to shift the brain into gear than by reading great metaphorical prose.

 

If we must read the newspapers and stay on top of world events do so sparingly. We must be conscious of the thoughts that we allow to circulate around our brains and recess in our bodies. If we want to affect positive change in this filled-with-opportunities era we live in right now we must start by taking responsibility of our thoughts.

 

A Peaceful Vision

 

Imagine a world where people deal fairly with each other, respect differences of opinion, and actively encourage those with limited resources to develop themselves and their communities in positive, life-affirming ways. This world cherishes its cultural diversity and uses it to elevate humanity to new and better ways of living. Of course this world, humbled by its awesome power harnesses clean, efficient energy that protects the planet and keeps its inhabitants vibrantly alive in all essential ways.

 

  

Go here to see an interesting cartoon by Mark  Joyner, obviously about "The Secret". It is meant, like Michael's blog, to raise an important question about the message of "The Secret".

Personally, I loved "The Secret". I found it to be inspiring because it tells us that we are powerful; we can do, have, or be anything on which we direct our focus. Yes, this is nothing new; the ideas presented have been circulating around the personal growth industry for many decades.

But I like to receive empowering messages in different formats to engage all my senses. I can be a slow learner-or should I say I learn well with time and patience(my NLP teacher would be happy with the way I reframed that)-and enjoy the repetition of great messages like "The Secret" bestows.

The Important Message:

The route to success comes not from only sending positive or intentions out into the universe and waiting for them to manifest. Those thoughts must be followed by actions, a plan of attack. But not necessarily a ridged plan...

As a novelist I set out the intention, "I'm going to write an inspiring novel." But I can't stop there; the novel will not write itself. I must write an outline, a guide on how I want the story to unfold. Then begin writing knowing that along the way all kinds of hurdles will present themselves (the universe's way of asking if I'm really serious about this intention).

There are lulls, times when I wonder what the heck I'm doing and why? I push through, the voice of my writing teacher resonating, "When you start a story, finish it before you start another!" I know of many people out there lining their desk drawers with half-finished manuscripts because there's always a better story on the horizon.

I push on to finish. But when I'm finished the story looks much different than the outline I started-out with. It's better, deeper, and parts of it feel like they came from some sort of "divine-intervention". The characters often take a life of their own and it feels at times that they are saying, "No, no, Brad, I would not say or do that!"

"The Secret" misses a lot of the in-between work needed to bend the universe toward your dreams. Where it succeeds is in invoking the inner spirit; the part of us that has been inundated with negativity from parents, teachers, and people in "authority"; all placing limits on our unique spirits. It inspires us to ask, "If I could really have anything, what would I want?" This feeling of being able to have anything releases the chains of inhibition and brings us closer to our natural purposes.

My belief is when our inner spirit is invoked with a purpose, a dream, our minds and bodies will naturally conform to that dream. It will feel effortless because when our thoughts and actions are in line with our spirits there is no contradiction, no resistance; save the odd test the universe will hurl our way to make sure we are serious about this dream.

Then when our dreams manifests into reality it can seem mysterious, like, "Wow, that was easy!" "The Secret" does not delve deeply into this because, in my view, that was not its purpose. It was meant to unleash our spirits trusting that the rest will take care of its self.

Case in Point:

8 years ago I was sitting in a kung fu class on a Friday night. These were intense two hour classes. On this particular night we did some goal-setting, dream-catching exercises. Our teacher was an NLP practitioner and wrote our goals down on paper, then we did some stepping into a circle exercises and bringing the feeling of already having those goals achieved.

By the age of 40 I wanted to achieve the following things:

I wanted to have my black sash

I wanted to have published my first novel

I wanted to be writing full time

I wanted to be married to my soul-mate

July 2005 I tested for my black sash. I personally did not think I was ready, but my teacher did. I passed, it almost killed me, but I passed. I turned 40 in August 2005.

I published my first novel "On the Fringes" in 2002

My second personal development book, "The Engaged Mind" in  2004

And now I have a children's story being considered by major publishers (please send out good thoughts for me :-))

I am writing full time now because the manufacturing company I worked for closed its doors. I got a package that will take me most of the way through this year with full pay.

I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world and am extremely happy.

Some of those things above seemed to come about by chance, like the universe was bending to my will. I met my wife through mutual friends, the large manufacturing plant closed down (honest I had nothing to do with that decision!), my meeting somebody that wanted to help me produce my novel...

But I did not just set out the intention and wait. I set out the intention, attached it to my emotions like I already had it, and went about acting in accordance to those dreams.

Instead of going out for beers with friends I wrote after work and on weekends until my novel was finished. I went to train in kung fu when I felt like grabbing a 6 pack and watching the hockey game, I dated extensively, painfully... You get the idea.

The fact is you can do, have, or be anything you want. Know that that's true. "The Secret" is very inspirational and engages the inner spirit then sets it free. As Neil Peart and Rush say, " A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission." (I love that song!)

I look forward to the products and services that will appear over the next decade or so from those that now believe in their heart and soul that they can achieve even their most grandiose dreams.

You've all got a customer in me!

Brad

Go here to discover 11 little known secrets to create Powerful Presentations.

Imagine a world where people deal fairly with each other, respect differences of opinion, and actively encourage those with limited resources to develop themselves and their communities in positive, life-affirming ways. This world cherishes its cultural diversity and uses it to elevate humanity to new and better ways of living. Of course this world, humbled by its awesome power harnesses clean, efficient energy that protects the planet and keeps its inhabitants vibrantly alive in all essential ways. Imagine...

   

Getting attacked on the street can be a scary thing. The following are Ten Commandments of Survival.

1: Thou shall not give up

Even if things seem useless, that sure death is upon you, never, ever give up: Never say Die! It's not over until it's over.

2: Thou shall overcome Fear

F.E.A.R. = Future Expectation of Adverse Results

Do not future pace the fight. Act in the moment and never give up.

3: Thou shall be Surreptitious

In a self-defence situation, it is not how you play the game it's whether you win or lose. Never telegraph your intentions. Be sneaky, sly, devious.

4: Thou shall always avoid confrontation

No fight is always best. Even if you feel you are stronger, faster, and can win easily it is better to concede a loss in the battle of words (ego preening) than to tangle physically. 

5:  Thou shall never lose awareness of the surroundings

Rocks, sticks, pipes, sand, and other weapons can help. Keep awareness and use what's at your disposal to save your life. Never back yourself into a corner. Note: with multiple attackers it can be beneficial to have a wall at your back, but always seek an escape route.

6: Thou shall Run

If you can run away, get the hell out of there. See commandment 4.

7: Thou shall have No Emotional Attachment to the attack

Victim language like, "Why am I being attacked? I'm done for. He, she, it is too strong!" almost eliminates your chances of survival. Know, right now, that you have power inside that you don't even know about. Never say Die!

Conversely you should not let emotions of rage continue the fight longer than absolutely necessary to end the attack. See commandment 9.

8: Thou shall have Killer Intent

You should be ready to do whatever it takes to save you and/or your loved ones

9: Thou shall not Kill, unless absolutely necessary

Get in, do what needs to be done to protect yourself and/or a loved one, and get out of there. No more, no less.

10: Thou shall win the fight

Losing is not an option. Win at all costs. See commandment 1.

   

The combined sound of many conversations peaked and dipped through the wafting aromas of restaurants lining the common area of tables and chairs.

Breaking out of the droning hum two voices (dueling adversaries) compete to be right; as if by shear volume and speed of speech they could prove their points. On the other side of the cafeteria spontaneously bursts of laughter rise above the hum then settle back into the collective din.

In the middle of it all stands Mickey Mouse, a statue full of life and movement. His left hand is balled into a fist and planted firmly on his left hip. Extended away from his body his right arm elongates toward an open hand. All fingers point east and the thumb, as if wanting no part of that direction, springs aloft toward the ceiling. His welcoming posture says, "Welcome, Friend, to my cafeteria. Take a seat anywhere and be happy!"

Mickey's head is tilted slightly to the left, his smiling mouth spanning the width of his face. Covering his purple body a space scene unfolds showing colourful depictions of Saturn, Mars, the Milky Way...brilliant stars sporadically sparkle across this animated figure that's been a cultural icon for over 75 years. It was if he had just returned from a universal tour, the images across his body memories of a fantastic voyage...

Beyond Mickey a bustling-with-activity atrium opens that resembles a 5 star resort. This center is alive with colour, art, and sunshine. Four glassed-in elevators rise and descend through the middle of this open area. They never tire in their duty to carry passengers up and down, stopping only momentarily to drop off and pick up from any of the eight floors.

90 feet above it all a glass dome splashes natural sun-light down across the Atrium. Colourful paintings attached to a wall just below the second floor show families on beaches enjoying a day in the sun; swimming, relaxing, surfing.

One might expect to be sold a time-share from one of the many booths set-out in the atrium. But the people working these booths are not selling vacations. They are selling hope.

Despite the din and buzz of activity one man sleeps, not far from Mickey's welcoming hand. He is face-down on a cold, hard cafeteria table, oblivious to constant flow of passers-by.

Sagging jowls covered by three-day scruff, an awkwardly contorted body slouching over the table, and flickering eyes beneath heavy lids depict a painfully pathetic man that had, some time ago, given up attending to practical matters of appearance.

Nobody stops to look at this man. There are no side-ways glares or hushed whispers or malicious comments ...even the cleaning people are not taken off stride by this disheveled man. They diligently, almost mindlessly, go about wiping, cleaning, even sweeping around his feet! It is not as if this man is invisible. Everybody is quite aware of his presence and his predicament. Every second of sleep for him is like a week's vacation from the silent despair that pervades his every waking moment.  

This is not an unusual site for Mickey. Slouched over that table sleeps just another man that has been awake too long and has stressed too much; a man that has had his spirit beaten down by a force beyond his control; crushed by an evil he cannot see. For days he has fought to show strength, to play the role of protector, but he is helplessness... His mind and body finally exhausted allowed gravity to pull him down to the table in a busy cafeteria.

His child's spirit has been crushed down by a deadly disease. The only comfort he has right now is knowing that there is no better place, no more skilled care-takers, than here at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital.

He has not noticed the brightly decorated atrium; he will not remember the skilful design of a structure that breathes optimism and inspires life. In the future, looking back, this whole time will be a blur in his memory, save the face and the voice of the doctor that told him his child was sick; save the nurses that worked tirelessly to bring comfort and smiles to his child's face; save that moment when the doctor says, "Your child is healthy again!" He dreams...

When he wakes he will notice Mickey Mouse, a beakon of hope. Maybe Mickey has the answer! Logic, emotion, and faith have not worked so far. Like a drowning man clutching for straws he'll summon a little Mickey Magic. Maybe somewhere in the far reaches of space Mickey found the answer, found the cure. Maybe, just maybe, Mickey can wave a  hand to sprinkle star dust and drive out the sickness and revive that sparkling youthful spirit he so adored! When he awakes he'll hope, until reality sets back in , that this was all just a bad dream.  

  

Posted on My Blog October 11 2005

On the weekend my wife and I were invited to join her colleagues and sail on Lake Ontario. It would be a nice break from sitting at my desk and working on my Shaolin website.

I laughed to myself as we pulled away from the shore and thought, "If all you have is a hammer, everything tends to look like a nail." As a long-time martial artist I tended to see things through the shaolin kung fu lens.

The sail was full and pulling. Waves rolled in softly from the horizon until breaking dramatically against the rocky shoreline. Rosy-faced into the wind we glided; the day was brisk, sunny, and full of life.

I asked our captain if this was a good sailing day. He said, "Be nicer if the water wasn't quite as wavy, but at least we have wind." He paused for a moment then said profoundly, "You take what nature gives you."

As glittering sun sparked off the water I reflected on how great life was, how fortunate I was. Seizing the view on that sunny autumn afternoon I leaned back and enjoyed the peace and beauty that surrounded us.

This was the ultimate goal of Shaolin philosophy, I thought: To be in the moment; awake, aware, free.

I glimpsed the serene Zen-like look of peace on the captain's face as he inched the large wheel left. He commented that the ever-so-slight turn from the wheel made a huge impact on the way the sailboat turned.

I grasped for the divine truth in that statement. But the water rushing beneath us, the crisp air across my face, and the deep connection between my spirit and nature shut-off my mind's tendency to analyze the situation.

I looked up to the deep blue sky streaked by white clouds and gave a silent thank you for this time. I turned to the captain and his wife and thanked them for inviting us onto their sailboat this afternoon.

I completely let go, lost in the reverie of sailing. The moment of now flowed over me in waves of tranquil energy. I felt truly alive...

Suddenly the wind changed, the sail ripped and the captain and his wife flew into action. He tried to adjust the sail but a rope was caught. Immediately his wife darted up onto the gunwale and toward the deck. Adroitly manoeuvring around the boom she untangled the knot so the mast could be adjusted to compensate for the change in wind.

The captain maintained the wheel with one hand, then attached the winch handle and cranked the furler with the other. The rope tightened and the sail shifted. There was no thought process in this response to the change in wind. They were both deeply connected in the moment. The sailboat seemed to be an extension, a mere tool to align their spirits with the external world.

Conversation resumed like it had not been broken as the boat sailed steadily and confidently across the rolling water. The captain's eyes, adjusting to the natural rhythm and flow of sailing, filled with that peaceful confidence of earlier.

The Shaolin-Sailing Connection

When the winds-of-change thrust their unpredictability upon our peaceful lives we tend to panic, freeze up with fear. If we are slighted in some way we often play the victim and cry, "Why me! I'm a good person... S/he had no right!"

Some of us push against life, meeting it head on until we become tired and cynical. Or worse, we plunge head-long into destructive habits that weaken and sometimes break our spirits.

But in sailing the captain does not say, "Why did the wind change? We were sailing along just fine and now this!" No he shifts into action, manifests a course, adjusts to the wind and waits for the next change.

In Shaolin philosophy we manifest physical movements to guide us through life, adjust to challenges along the way, and change to meet the circumstances of the moment. Our bodies, like the sail boat for our friends, are extensions of our spirits, connecting us to the external world.

If the winds-of-change bring along an unexpected attack we, at our finest, do not take it personally. We move into action, diffusing the situation the best we can.

The captain adjusted the wheel ever-so-slightly to maintain its course. I looked up to sky and my mind sprang to life. The divine truth, with such clarity and simplicity, had awakened within me.

In our lives a little adjustment in one area often makes a huge impact in another. I leaned back, held onto that thought for a moment then let it go into the beauty of the day.