Viral Happiness

I have a personal story from my past that I want to share with you about my mid-life crisis, but I need to teach this important lesson first.

Are you happy? Are you successful? Are you moving toward the kind of life you want to live?

Where you are right now is ultimately the result of your choices.

We are often tempted to claim that life treats us poorly…throws us curves…complicates or hurts us in some way. But that’s not real; it’s fantasy. It’s the script we have in our heads. It’s the way we cope with failure and challenges.

But it’s not real.

Life seldom does anything to anyone. Instead, life presents us with choices – constant choices. And how we choose determines the quality of our experience.

If we are faced with a great challenge such as illness or calamity, how we choose to feel about it and what we choose to do about it dramatically determines our quality of life.

Choosing is everything.

We are constantly faced with choices that are so subtle and automatic, they don’t seem like choices at all. When this occurs, we call our choice a ‘reaction.’ But we never simply ‘react.’ We always get to choose.

Say that over and over until you accept it as truth: “We always get to choose…we always get to choose…we always get to choose.”

There are, of course, choices that we recognize and understand. I choose waffles for breakfast. I choose to turn left at an intersection. I choose to read a book instead of watch TV.

But there are less obvious choices that have a constant impact on life. I choose to get angry. I choose to feel hurt by someone. I choose to succumb to frustration.

These less obvious, subtle choices determine our quality of life, our level of success, and the depth and breadth of our relationships.

Consider this example: your spouse or close associate treats you poorly and your immediate inclination is to be angry, bitter, and hurt.

But do you have to feel like that? Is that your only choice? Is that the quality choice of the real you?

You may claim that their actions caused you reaction. But there is always a moment, even if it is fast and fleeting, when you make the decision to be reactive or proactive. When you are reactive, you defend your poor choice by saying, “Well, he made me so angry!”  When you are proactive, you know in your heart that you choose a calm, loving response because it is the best thing for the genuine you.

You have to decide that your life is worth the effort to live by concepts and not situations. You must determine the kind of person you want to be and be that person.

Who is the genuine you? You must make your choices with that ‘genuine you’ in mind.

Do you want to be more loving? Then make decisions that are congruent with love, and you will be.

Do you want to positively persevere through every challenge? Then make decisions that are congruent with your personal principle of never quitting, of always pushing through no matter what, and you will persevere in every situation.

Do you want to be healthy and fit? Then choose principles of proper rest, nutrition, and activity, and make choices that jive with those principles.

Simply put, you determine who you want to be, and then you live like that person.

Do you want to be loving?
Then choose to be loving.

Do you want to be peaceful?
Then choose to be peaceful.

Do you want to be happy?
Then choose to be happy.

Make your decisions based on your personal life principles of love, peace, and happiness.

Don’t misunderstand. Making the right choice is not always easy. It is simple, but it’s not easy. If it was easy, we would all make the right choices all of the time. And I confess that I have not always made the right choices.

I have been between the  mountain and the abyss, and I have chosen the abyss. I’m not proud to admit this, but I have chosen anger and hurt and depression. I have felt the allure of negativity, and I have succumbed. If I could not identify with that type of pain, I would not be able to honestly tell you how to find the better way.

But that is a part of my midlife crisis story that I referenced at the beginning of this post. And I will tell you that story in my next post. My life has not been perfect, and you need to know  that.

This lesson about choosing will make even more sense when you read the next post.

Until then, make choices that are congruent with who you really are.

“If you want to be somebody else,
If you’re tired of fighting battles with yourself,
If you want to be somebody else,
Change your mind…”
Sister Hazel

I heard this song on the radio when it was first released, but I didn’t pay it too much attention. Then one day, my teenage daughter said, “There’s a Sister Hazel song that sounds just like the gospel you continually preach. Listen to it, and you’ll love it.”

So I did. I listened to it carefully, and I googled the lyrics. My daughter was absolutely correct.

Those of you familiar with my work know that I believe and teach this: the only way to change anything in your life is to change your thoughts -  and the only way to change everything in your life is to change your thoughts.

Are there things in your life that need changing? Do you long for more happiness? More abundance? More passion for living? More satisfaction? More success?

It all begins by changing your thinking.

That’s the basis of my teaching in ‘Mastering Your Power of Release,’ and in ‘7 Days Away From Powerfully Positive Living.’

Changing your thinking, particularly as it relates to releasing those things that need to be released in your life, is what we’ll be discussing during a free teleseminar that I’m hosting very soon (would have been sooner, but my laptop died and my new one is supposed to be here tomorrow). I’ll have more info coming about that teleseminar next week.

And changing your thinking is one of the keys taught in a brand new in-home retreat that I’m planning to offer, complete with teaching teleseminars, unlimited email coaching, and one-on-one personal telephone consultation (that’s a very rare offering for me these days because of time constraints). Expect an announcement about this very soon.

In the meantime, go to itunes and download “Change Your Mind” by Sister Hazel. Google the lyrics and read them, particularly the chorus. Don’t ignore the truth in these words just because this happens to be a pop song. Believe me, whoever wrote these lyrics is a genius, because the secret to changing anything is to change your mind.

Tags: change, Happiness, success

Tonight, I had ice cream for supper.

Was I supposed to have ice cream for supper. Nope, I really wasn’t. My doctor recently told me that my cholesteral needs to drop a few points. But, that’s what I wanted, and sometimes, we just have to do what we want to do.

And, guess what – I can start over tomorrow.

Some of you may be saying, ‘that’s a cop-out’…but I don’t think it is. I think that starting over is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. Because, let’s face facts: at times, we’re going to make wrong choices; we’re going to forget some of our own life rules: we’re going to screw-up.

But we can ALWAYS start over.

Are you accomplishing all you’d like to accomplish?
Have you mastered everything you intend to master?
Are you where you want to be?

Don’t beat yourself up. Just start over.

Tomorrow, I’ll have oatmeal for breakfast and fruit for a snack. I’ll have tuna for lunch and a salad for supper. I’ll drink my water and be sure and have lots of fiber. I’ll exercise. I’ll start over.

You can always begin again.

———————————-

If you need a little help starting over, you can find plenty from many different sources. You might want to consider ‘Mastering Your Power of Release.’ It’s the method that allows me to pursue happiness and success daily.

Be blessed!
Buz

Tags: begin again, Happiness, Release, starting over, success

I received an email from a reader recently about Mastering Your Power of Release. And she was hoping that the methods in the product would be something brand new and earth-shattering. And, if you’ve never tried them, they are brand new. If you learn these methods and use them, they can be earth-shattering. But, from the tone of her email, it seemed to me that she was looking for magic.

These methods are not magic.

Nothing is. Some things may work so well that they seem like magic. As a matter of fact, my very first sharing of these methods with a wider audience was in a self-published paperback book entitled, “Almost Like Magic.” And, once you see how easy it is to change your life, you might be tempted to call this magic.

But it’s not magic.

You can call it effective. You can call it life-changing. And I appreciate the people who have written to say that it has absolutely changed their lives for the better.

You can call it uncomplicated, because it actually is downright simple. And, even though it takes some study and some practice, once you get the hang of it, you really can change your life from negative to positive…from struggling to happy.

But don’t expect a magic phrase that, once uttered, does all the work for you. Because there’s no magic bullet. It’s simply applied science, and that means it takes some application on your part.

So, no, it’s not magic.

It just feels that way.

I’m a proud fellow.

After months of collecting information, doing research, writing, testing, recording, interviewing, putting it all together, pre-launching, and tweaking,  Mastering Your Power of Release is ready for the greater world.

What is it?

It’s two ebooks and 9 MP3 audio files bundled into one product with one objective – to deliver high quality techniques that will allow you to release the baggage that’s currently holding you back and to clear the blocks standing between you and your very best life.

These methods come from Dr. Joe Vitale, Pat O’Bryan, Mandy Evans, Amy Scott Grant, Suzanne Burns, Colin Joss, Amanda Goldston, Pat Hicks, Angela Treat Lyon, Susan Denham, and me. I’m grateful to have the participation of these wonderful, bright, and successful people.

They are my chosen “Release Masters,” and I appreciate every one of them for readily adding their unique perspective to this effort. All of their approaches are different, and all of their approaches work.

What more could I have asked of them? And what more could you ask of a product that can make a real difference in your life? This product is insightful, personal, and wise. But, most of all, it’s effective.

It’s something everyone can use to their benefit.

And that’s why I’m proud.

Thanks to everyone who took part in this project. Your contributions are already making a big difference in lots of lives, and I appreciate your hard work and your giving, helpful spirit.

Tags: Happiness, Joe Vitale, Mandy Evans, Pat O'Bryan, Releasing Blocks, success

People who want to get ahead but can’t seem to get ahead are often stopped by fear.

They might be afraid of failure. They might be afraid of success. There are several other fears that will often stand between someone and their happiness.

Bur one of the most crippling and tenacious fears that many face is the fear of what others may think.

If you are hiding your true self because you are afraid that others may judge you or ridicule you, stop it right now. Your thoughts and beliefs are yours alone, and no one has the right to make you feel bad or wrong about the positions you hold or the things you enjoy pursuing.

Even though I have researched and mastered several simple but effective release techniques, the fear of what others think still rears it’s ugly head in my own experience.

Just last night, I was with a group of friends and one of them started to ridicule a resource that has meant a lot to me. This is a good guy but extremely conservative and would regard anything that deals with “thoughts becoming things” as “New Age” and “wacky.” I calmly said, “I own that resource,” and he dropped it.

There was a time that I would have simply kept my mouth shut while he had his say. And I certainly choose not be confrontational (because it’s his right to believe whatever he chooses to believe, too), but I will also not be made to feel foolish because I’m open-minded. I have a right to believe and explore whatever I want to, and I choose not to be afraid of ideas.

If you are getting pushed around by people who judge you and belittle your ideas, it’s time for you make a stand. It’s time for you to change your thoughts about what is and is not allowable. You don’t have to be confrontational, but you may have to be firm – firm with them, and firm enough in your convictions to do your own thing no matter what kind of pressure people bring to bear.

Tags: fear, Happiness, Release, success

During a recent weekend trip to New Orleans, we watched break dancers on Bourbon Street. They were great – exceptionally talented. But, it was more than just their physical talent; they also had a great presentation, a great connection with their audience, and evident passion for their profession. It became immediately apparent that these guys had been together for a long, long time – they were exceptionally polished.

Last week, I was watching a TV competition called America’s Got Talent, and there were the same guys I had seen in New Orleans. They told a very moving Hurricane Katrina story. Their personalities were evident. They had won over the audience and the judges before they performed. And then they performed exceptionally well.

So what does this have to do with  Viral Happiness? Just this. Success is a necessary aspect of happiness, and success leaves clues.These guys were polished. These guys were passionate. These guys had put in lots of practice. And these guys told a great story. You can watch their performance below.

Do you want to manifest satisfaction and success in your life’s work? Take a cue from these break dancers.  Be passionate. Practice. Let your personality shine through. Tell a great story. And do what you love. That’s the real key. Do you currently love what you do everyday? You’ll never be passionate about your life’s work until you do. How do you discover what your passion might be? Feel free to suggest your favorite ways in a comment below, and we’ll discuss those and other great methods in a subsequent post.

I began my online journey two years ago, but I’ve been preaching my happiness gospel all of my adult life. And like most people, my ideas have developed and formed over time. I’m influenced by books, teachers, experiences, and simple conversations.

I have been enlightened by the ‘chance’ reading of a new blog post or by stopping to watch a particular program as I’m channel-surfing. There are lessons everywhere, if we just take the time to look.

Recently, I was reading Dr. Joseph Murphy’s, ‘The Power of Your Subconscious Mind,’ and something that I read sent me to look up a passage or two in the Bible about the power of belief. Was Christ sincere when he said that we can move mountains with our belief? I certainly think so. I know we tend to grossly underestimate what we are capable of doing.

We can do miracles, but we don’t really believe that we can do miracles. We can change our lives with the power of thought and belief, but, so often, we never make the change we say we want. So what’s stopping us?

We are. We stop ourselves, time after time.

We doubt; we make choices that are incongruent with our stated goals; we quit trying.

Please understand this fact: You are the only person who is ultimately in charge of you. No guru or path or teaching or tradition can ‘magic’ you into a different person unless YOU make the decision to be that different person.

Do you want to change something in your life? Then change it. You are not locked into any pattern with out your permission. No one controls you but you. Every decision you make is just that…a decision that YOU make, not someone else.

What do you want to do? Answer that question, and then go do it.

What do you want to be? Figure that out, and then go be it.

And, if you feel like something is stopping you, that’s fear. Fear is a charlatan and a thief. Fear is that voice in your head that tells you, “Don’t try, you may fail, and then people will laugh at you.” Or “Don’t speak up, someone may disagree with you and not like you.” Don’t ever let others opinions keep you from doing what is best for you.

You are not here to please others. You are here to discover just how wonderful you are, and to discover how you can best serve others and develop your passion. If you are truly ‘fearfully and wonderfully made,’ which you most certainly are, it is time for you to begin living like it.

And that’s where my passion comes in…that’s my service…to give you tools to facilitate change…to help you release the stuff that’s holding you back…to help you find your own happy way.

Hopefully, you find some inspiration and tools in these blog posts; that’s my goal. But, if you’d like a more indepth, interactive process, I am continuing to develop a plan for a webinar, and I would really like to hear your opinions. What subjects should it cover? Who would you like to see as a special guest? Please share your thoughts.

I’m also developing a plan for personal coaching though email and by telephone. If you have any suggestions or ideas about these services, I’d love to hear them.

If you’re willing to share your thoughts, I will readily see them if you comment on this blog. If you’d rather not share in this public forum, please feel free to email me.

But first, just believe. Believe that there is a better life than the one you are living now. Believe that your possibilities are deeper and broader than you can possibly imagine. Believe, and watch your own personal miracles begin to unfold.

You really can move mountains.