The Most Powerful "State" of All!

I have already briefly spoke in a previous post about what I believe is one of the most powerful states in the human experience. It is a state that has the potential to bring more abundance and happiness into your life than possibly anything else. It has the power to transform challenging experiences into gifts. It has the power to break past barriers and create new realms of possibility. It has the power to drastically improve relationships to levels that have yet to be seen. It is the power of living in a state of gratitude.

All too often I find myself focusing on what I do not have or what I can be doing better rather than the abundance that always surrounds me. I call this living in a state of lack. You cannot possibly live a state of lack and a state of gratitude at the same time. It is impossible for a positive and negative thought or state to occupy the same place at the same time. As my mentor Dr. John DiMartini says, “If you focus on the flowers, you won’t get weeds.” Today, more than ever, I am working on transforming this vital component to my life. I am working on living in a state of gratitude rather than a state of lack. The reality is we can all always find something or someone bigger, stronger, and better. What that does is put us in a state that repels rather than attracts. How can we attract more of what we want into our life if we have not yet been able to appreciate what we already have? I’d like to leave you with a quote by one of my favorite authors Brian Tracy, “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”

The Key to Personal Freedom

I currently am sitting in a coffee shop on my day off in sunny South Florida reading books, looking up research, studying, and typing away on my computer. It is about 95 degrees out, not a cloud in the sky, and I am about 1 mile from the beach. Some of you may think I am absolutely crazy to not be at the beach or lying out in the sun but there is a very specific reason I am resisting the temptation to stop what I am doing, pack up my computer, and head over to the pristine waters of the Fort Lauderdale beach. I made a commitment to myself earlier in the week that Thursday afternoon would be spent reading, writing, and studying. So now I pose the million-dollar question. Does this make me a slave or does my discipline to stick with commitments really make me free? I live a very structured and disciplined life. I am very rigid on the fuel I put in my body in the field of nutrition, I exercise what some people would refer to as religiously, and I tend to live my life far from the societal norms. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard comments like “I could never do what you do because I want to be free to eat whatever I want” and “I hate to exercise because it takes up too much time and I want to be free with my extra time” and “I could never give up my television because I want to be free to watch the shows that really make me happy.” I could go on and on with the list of things that people believe defines themselves as being free. Most of society would claim they want to be free but are actually living in complete contradiction to what they say they want. Allow me to elaborate. I have a friend who loves to watch television. He watches hours of television everyday and records whatever he misses to watch at a later date. Even his schedule revolves around watching certain shows and is irritable if he does not get his daily dose of television. How would this person feel if the television was completely removed from his life? How long would it take for depression and boredom to set in? Does watching television for this person represent a freedom or an addiction? What many people regard as freedoms are actually addictions.

True freedom actually comes from living a life of discipline where every action is a volitional conscious choice. It is having the power to resist or move forward; to stay put or persist onward; to eliminate or include. Freedom comes from having and executing the power of choice and not from escaping the necessity of choice. Freedom does not come from sleeping in until noon on Saturday because you find it too difficult to wake up early. It does come from having the power to wake up early and making a conscious choice to sleep in late. This is a very important distinction! The distinction between being free or not does not come from living a “perfect” life as if there was such a thing. Freedom comes from having the power to make choices based on your values and not on your emotions. Here is an example from my own life. I enjoy a cup of iced coffee a few days a week. There are times when I have been drinking it for a while and I start to crave it. I plan my day around going to Starbucks because I feel like I need a cup of coffee to clear my head and wake me up. I am aware when I develop that need within me and I discipline myself to go without coffee until I feel like I regained control over my emotional attachment to it. Only then will I go back to drinking coffee again.

By developing more discipline in your life, you actually become more free to do the things you really want to do and not the things that you have developed a dependence on. There is nothing more empowering than gaining more control over your life through the power of discipline. By creating more discipline, you become the captain of your ship instead of heading in whatever direction the wind happens to be blowing that day. Think of an area in your life where if you really think about it, it is really an addiction or a vice. Maybe its coffee, alcohol, junk food, lack of exercise, being chronically late, procrastination, television, or it could be an infinite amount of other things that could be added to this list. You will find that your degree of freedom will be directly proportional to the degree of discipline that you execute and your life will never be the same because of it. It will open your life up to new realms of possibility where you break the chains of addiction and open up your life to one that you can truly stand behind and love.

The secret to success is there is no secret!

I am a huge fan of personal development, positive mental attitude, and visualizations. I believe they are an essential component to the success equation; however, they are not the whole success equation. The law of attraction and positive mental attitude have become very popular with the release of movies such as The Secret but The Secret left out a very important component to the success equation. That vital element is hard work. Positive mental attitude not backed by hard work is a dream. Dreams are great but dreams alone will not create success. They must be backed by hard work. Dreams must be backed by a plan and action steps to bring those dreams to fruition. Success and achievement does not come to those lucky few who were in the right place at the right time. The people who succeed are in so many places so many times that they are making themselves available to attract and seek out great opportunities. Samuel Goldwyn, a film producer, once said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Success does not come to the tired and weary. Success comes to those people who think big, dream big, and back up those dreams by an unwavering commitment and determination to work hard and do whatever it takes to see those dreams become a reality.

If you want to succeed in a big way, it is time to roll up your sleeves, put your shoes to the pavement, get out of your comfort zone, and do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true. Instead of just listening to personal development CDs, start teaching what you learn to other people. Read a book on networking and relationship building such as Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and put action steps into place to immediately take what you learn to your community. You cannot just read a book on nutrition and expect to lose weight. You cannot just think about running a marathon and expect to do well. If you want to lose weight and run a marathon, you must back up what you know and what you think about with hard work, determination, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. I truly believe that success can be yours, however, are you willing to do whatever it takes? I am going to leave you with a quote by Lee Iacocca who is best known for his legendary revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. “Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen.”

The Little Girl That Changed My Life

Do you believe that we, as human beings on this earth, were destined for a life of misery, pain, and suffering? Do you live your life with the belief that life was meant to be, for the most part, this arduous and unfulfilling process interrupted by brief periods of a sense of accomplishment and happiness? Do you live your life for next accomplishment or the next “big thing”? Do you dread Monday through Friday and live your life for the weekends where you attempt to have a brief escape from the reality that is your life? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are creating and manifesting the life you are living. I know it is a difficult thing to grasp, however, where you are in your life is a result of all of the choices you have made throughout your life. I am not referring to where you are in your life in the material sense. I am referring to where you are in your life from the metaphysical point of view. Allow me to explain.

I recently worked as a senior chiropractic intern at a chiropractic clinic in the No. 1 People’s Hospital of Zigong which is located in China. We had the incredible privilege of bringing chiropractic, and along with it a greater level of health, energy, and human expression to the wonderful people of China. There was one patient who left a lasting impression in my heart and changed my life forever. She is a beautiful little ten-year-old girl with a radiant smile that lights up a room. She has the kind of presence that brightens up the day of even the most callous individuals. When she arrived, the door opened and she walked in with a smile from ear to ear. She waved at everyone and gave us all a look that said, “I love my life and I love you just for being a part of it, even for a brief moment.” What I have not told you so far was the fact that when she was born, it was in a lifeless state due to a traumatic birth. Due to that traumatic birth, she suffered brain damage that caused her to walk with a severe and noticeable limp. This beautiful, vibrant, young girl had no choice as to whether or not she was going to have a smooth delivery or have it turn out as challenging as it was. She did have a choice, however, how she was going to confront life in spite of those challenges and she is confronting life in a very powerful way!

Have you seen people who have what seems like from a material sense the most incredible life yet they are completely unhappy and unfulfilled? On the other side of the coin, have you seen people who have incredible life altering afflictions or always seem to get the “short end of the stick” so to speak, yet are happy and fulfilled in their lives? There is no inherent meaning in any situation or in the life that you are living. The only meaning is the meaning in which you give it. Do you choose to live your life powerfully even in the face of adversity or do you choose to be a victim? Do you choose to look at every situation and encounter you have as part of a process to develop and grow you as a person or do you choose to have a “poor me” attitude? Do you choose to see yourself as a victor in all that you do in life or do you choose to have a self-defeating approach to your life? Do you choose to build yourself up into a powerful, compassionate, and confident human being or do you choose self-deprecation? Ultimately the choice is yours.

Greater Levels of Happiness and Fulfillment are Knocking on Your Door!

I watched an amazing moving last night called “The Peaceful Warrior.” It is about a young talented gymnast whose life is revolved around the next best thing. He believes when he attains a certain level of success, then he will be happy. He struggles with the fact that he seemingly has everything in the world going for him, yet he has no level of internal fulfillment. He is in athlete on pace to make it to the Olympics, a brilliant student, a favorite among the girls, and has a bright future ahead of him, yet for some reason he cannot sleep at night. It is not until he meets a gas station attendant who he so affectionately refers to as Socrates, that his life begins to change. There was one pivotal point in the movie when Socrates tells the main character, Dan, he wants to show him something very special. The next day they leave for a long arduous hike in the mountains. Finally, Dan, exhausted yet incredibly excited with anticipation for what the hike has in store for him at the end, asked Socrates when they were going to get “there.” Socrates said, “We are here.” He pointed to a rock and told Dan that the rock was what he wanted to show him. Dan now visibly agitated said, ”You brought me on a three hour hike in the mountains to show me an ordinary rock?!” Socrates asked, “You were so excited the whole way up here and now all of a sudden you are angry and frustrated.” Dan stated, “Because you brought me here to show me a rock!” Socrates responded, “I had no idea what we would find up here and I never really do know what I will find on my journey.” It was at that point Dan had an epiphany. He realized life is not about the destination. Life is about the journey. What brought him excitement and fulfillment on the hike was the process, not the end result. There are no ordinary moments. Every moment of every day is a gift. A life focused on outcomes and results is a life wrought with pain and suffering.

Life is all about the experiences we have and the growth that occurs with them. Robin Sharma says, “Our days are our life in miniature, and as we craft our days so we craft our life.” Every single day brings new experiences and new victories to celebrate. One of the most important things we can do for our lives is show gratitude and celebrate our victories. We have a tendency to compare ourselves to other people. When we accomplish something, we have a tendency to point out what we did wrong rather than what we did right. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is yourself. Are you a little better, a little stronger, and a little more confident than you were yesterday? Have you discovered a little more about yourself after the experience than you did before it? If so, celebrate the victory.

Gratitude is the currency of happiness and fulfillment. Many of us are great at showing gratitude to others but rarely do we express gratitude for ourselves. We are the designers of our life. Everything we have accomplished and become is a reflection of who we are as individuals. We must show gratitude for the amazing things in our life as well as for the trials and tribulations. We must show gratitude for all that we experience, enjoy the journey, and know there are no ordinary moments. For this is the path for you to live the life of your dreams.

Adversity is One of Life's Greatest Gifts

**This is an excerpt taken from a book I am writing**

It is not very easy to make the transition from spectator to player. When you are a player you experience a much greater level of emotions. Sometimes these emotions are troubling and other times they are great. I remember very distinctly a situation that seemed terrible at the time, yet it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. It was my senior year of high school and I was the starting shortstop for the Varsity baseball team. We had won the District Championship the last 3 years in a row. We were ranked number 1 in the state and 23rd in the nation. I won the Gold Glove Award my sophomore year for my defensive ability. We were now going for our 4th District Championship in a row against our biggest rivals. It was the last inning in a tied game with 2 outs and men on first and second base. The pitch was thrown and a routine ground ball came right at me, It was a play I have made thousands of times before with little effort. I was ready for it and as the ball approached me I picked my glove up too soon and the ball went right between my legs. At that moment, time seemed to slow down. I dropped to my knees and prayed the center fielder would pick up the ball and throw it home in time to catch the runner before he scored but it was too late. The runner scored and we went on to lose the game. I was crushed. I had just let my entire team down and we lost the District Championship.

It was not until that moment that I realized how much my team meant to me and what the game of baseball meant to me. It represented so much more than a ball going between my legs. It taught me how to deal with hardship. I could have chosen to give up and view myself as a failure or I could have chosen to redeem myself. I chose the latter. Although we lost the district championship, we still made it to the regional play-offs. We beat the first team we played and made it to the Regional Championship. We had the chance for a rematch against the team we lost to in the District Championship. We were playing them at their field, on their home turf. The stands were completely packed. This game was one of the biggest rivalries in the state. People were standing around the fence, on roof tops, and anywhere they could in order to get a spot to view this game. It was an exciting game for me because I had a chance to redeem myself. I went out on the field with full confidence and I was on a mission. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had the pleasure of participating in. I played the best game of my life.

After the game we were shaking everyone’s hands on the other team and their coach pulled me aside. He had been coaching for about 25 years and has coached some of the most amazing baseball players in the state. Many have gone on to play college and professional baseball. He told me that I played the most amazing defensive game he has ever seen. Later on in the team huddle, my coach gave me the game ball. What made that moment so special to me was that in my four years and 150 games of playing baseball for him, it was the first game ball I had ever seen him give out. We lost the game that evening but it was a personal victory I will carry with me forever. I would have never had that experience if that ball did not go through my legs only a week earlier. I would have never learned how to bounce back from a hardship of that magnitude and in such a powerful way if I was only a spectator in the stands. As a player, you are dealing with much higher risks, however, the rewards increase exponentially. Michael Jordan said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

It ultimately comes down to a simple question. Do you want to let life just happen to you and drift whichever way the current takes you, or do you want to create the life of your dreams? For me the answer is obvious, however, you will need to make that decision for yourself. I hope for your sake you decide to be proactive and become a player in your life. I hope you step up with the courage to overcome adversity. I hope you begin to see challenges and hardships for the incredible lessons they have to offer you instead of sitting back and playing the victim. I hope you begin to realize some of the toughest situations, trials, and tribulations you will encounter are gifts that are wrapped in silver lining ready to offer you life lessons that of which have the power to take your life from ordinary to extraordinary.

Be Active! Be Healthy!

Do you ever have those lazy days when you just cannot motivate yourself to get out of bed? You have nothing important to do so you just decide to take a day where you stay in bed, watch movies, and read a good book. The only time you get out of bed is for the occasion snack and maybe to use the bathroom. We all have a day like that once in while. It might be after a really long and stressful week, and we feel that if we take an entire day to do absolutely nothing then we will finish the day energized and ready to conquer the world. Except that is never the case, is it? We never feel more energized after a day like that. We always feel more tired and lethargic. How is that possible? I thought rest was supposed to allow us to recharge our “batteries” and leave us with more energy?

The truth of the matter is movement is what stimulates life! Movement is analogous to a generator that is powered by a windmill. A generator cannot create its own power. Its power comes from the movement of the windmill. Similarly, our energy comes from movement, a large portion of which comes from movement of the spine. Every time we move a joint, we fired the nervous system. Exercise provides us with the avenue to fire up our nervous system and power up our brain. It is what we genetically require to create health and homeostasis in our body.

Exercise does not have to be synonymous with pain and torture. Keep it fun and interesting. Today, I had a great day snorkeling at the beach and walking on the sand. Not only was it an incredibly fun day, but I also got some great exercise in the process. If the gym is not your thing, find something you enjoy doing that adds more movement to your life. Take that dance class you always wanted to attend. Take your spouse for a midnight walk on the beach. Play a game of soccer with your kids. Take up yoga or pilates. Go rollerblading or for a bike ride. Do something to increase movement in your life. It will bring a new level of energy and vitality to your life you never experienced before. Be active! Be healthy!