Manifest By Design Now!

The Secret to Expressing Yourself

2012-01-10T19:11:00.000-06:00

If you recognize in yourself a special skill, talent, ability, or even a unique way of thinking, begin to express that quality in your daily life beginning NOW!

You do have greatness within you. Most people secretly yearn for the "opportunity" to express their great qualities. They are forever waiting for some grand moment to come along and welcome them, as if they need someone's permission to genuinely express themselves.

This is backwards thinking; in expressing your greatness now, YOU create that welcoming experience the moment you touch another soul. An idea in the mind is an unfocused idea, and so long as it remains only in the mind, it will remain unfocused.

You must begin the act of expression for the process of focus to come into play. It is in the ACT that your focus will become defined, even if your expression is simply words on the paper.

In fact, this is the standard procedure every writer knows only too well. A book is not written the first time, and what you the reader sees in reading a good book is but a fraction of what was originally written.

So if you have an idea but are not clear about it (especially the how), I suggest you grab a notebook and begin writing your idea out. What you first write may be the worst words you can imagine being written, but that does not matter at this point. What matters is that you are actually engaged in the process of expression.

Just continue to write without going back and editing what you have already written. There will be time for that soon enough. This is a process in which magic so often happens, but it needs a little time and patience. The more you are focused on the act of trying to express yourself on paper, the sooner your mind will connect with a deeper source within you, and clarity of thought will be the eventual result.

You will not ever get to this point without taking that first vital step, so get going.

Another point to make is that if your goal of expressing yourself has nothing to do with writing, you still might consider the above process just to inspire greater focus in your idea.

If your dream is of an oral nature, to be a speaker for example, then begin making a conscious effort to speak with others about what it is you are passionate about. Don't be shy, and begin to take note how people react when your passion genuinely comes through your voice.

Don't discuss your dreams as "if only...". Rather speak of what you enjoy most about expressing yourself through the spoken word, and just how much you are enjoying the path you are now on in doing so. Make your every expression show that you are now living on the path to greatness, whatever that means to you personally.

If your thing is art or craft, begin by showing your creations in your own home, or make gifts of your work to family, friends, and coworkers. Word will spread and you will be thrilled when that first "request" comes in that someone actually wants you to create something for them or to gift to someone else.

This will be a moment worth celebrating for sure!

Whatever it is about you that you wish the world to know, begin right now to express yourself, and be proud in doing so. This is what it means to begin living your dreams, and when you are living your dreams, everybody wins.

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way

I would like to give a special Thank You to my good friend Michelle Colon Johnson who has been a great inspiration to me and who did specifically inspire this post. Michelle, you are the best!!!

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

The Aim of Personal Growth

2011-03-07T18:55:00.000-06:00

In a recent conversation with a good friend of mine, Keshav Kuthiala, he mentioned that "personal growth that is aimed at improving our vibration is the most effective."

Wow! This is very profound. When you consider the whole process, you see that the whole purpose of personal growth should be on improving your vibration. When you improve your vibration you begin attracting the ideas and situations that are more in alignment with your reaching your goals.

What is important to understand however is that the personal growth you seek is just that. Personal. It is about changing you, not necessarily your circumstances. But it is your circumstances that you truly wish to change, is it not?

For what purpose do people begin seeking personal growth? I would say because they are suffering in some form. This suffering may be in the spiritual sense, intellectually, emotionally, physically, or financially. It really doesn't matter what kind of suffering sparks your desire to grow personally.

All change begins from the inside out. This may be commonly known, but not really understood. In changing you, the process for improving your life begins, but the circle is not complete. It is common for those on the journey of personal growth to fall back into the same patterns that inspired them to begin their search to improve.

When your vibration improves to the point you begin attracting better things, you must learn how to first recognize, and then take advantage of those opportunities. This is where many falter in their quest. They seem to be expecting some grand life changing event to come their way where they will somehow rocket to success, whatever that means to them. And when they don't find this, they give up.

People often forget that the small, seemingly mundane decisions are what truly determine the quality of our lives.

What this means is that rather than wait for some stellar opportunity to come along that will catapult you into stratospheric success, begin to notice the seemingly insignificant things you can do right now and daily that will have a cumulative effect over time.

By taking advantage of these seemingly insignificant opportunities, you are sending the message to the world that you are ready for even greater opportunities down the road. If your desire to have more money, think of ways to better manage the little money you do have now rather than wait and hope to win big in the lottery or whatever.

You might really be surprised how much you are spending on the most trivial things. How many times do you eat out each week? How many sodas or munchies do you buy from the vending machine at work? I don't know your personal circumstances but I am willing to bet that if money concerns you, you likely could find numerous ways to cut back without ending up living on the street.

You may not agree with me, just as I didn't agree with this when I first heard it, but experience now tells me that you may not be looking at the relevance of the "small" unnecessary costs in your life. They really do tend to add up quickly.

And as I said earlier, when you begin living your life more responsibly with what resources you now have, more resources will come your way. This is the secret of the universe. As more resources become available to you, take bold action with confidence and you will be doing your part. Have fun with the journey and know you are on your way.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Welcome to A New Year!

2011-01-02T17:52:00.000-06:00

Greetings in this New Year, 2011. I would like to begin this new year with a message of Love. Whoever you are, and wherever you live, whatever your culture, religion, race, age, or any other way you may describe yourself, you have a desire.

The desire you feel may be described in as many ways as you are unique from every other person. It may be unique on the surface, but in essence it is the same. It is a desire for INCREASE. It may be for an increase of money, life, health, freedom, security, etc., but it is for an increase of something.

This is the very essence of life itself. It is natural. It is good. This is the common thread you share with every other human being on this planet, no matter what are the "differences" between us. The good news also is that you deserve to experience this increase. More good news is that this increase is possible for you. It is not only possible for you, but it is also possible for me and for every other person on this planet.

There is no limit to how much increase is possible. Possibilities are infinite. Whatever increase you or anyone else may experience does not have to signify someone else going without. The good that exists is without any limit. Now I have a question for you: When you read these words, what is your reaction?

The Current State of Affairs

I can see as well as anyone who chooses to see the "state of affairs" in the world today, and I can also see how this has been building for a long time. Perhaps as long as "civilization" has been in existence. In fact, I've written extensively about the subject in a book called Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

But the fact is you will gain nothing in dwelling on these facts, however "factual" they may seem. It is always ok to LOOK at what's wrong in your life. Just remember not to STARE! Once you identify the wrong, begin immediately to focus on the polar opposite. Live (in mind) only the desired result and the Universe will arrange accordingly to make the way clear to you. You simply need to then act on that belief when inspiration strikes.

Understand that in any given moment there is the existence of evidence of the entire spectrum of "good" to "bad." Every possibility exists for you. You choose where you want to focus, and in so doing you choose your experience. This is the essence of The Law of Attraction.

I don't care what circumstances you find yourself in at this time; you have within you the undeniable ability to choose your direction from this point forward independent from your past experience. It is through self-discipline that you first choose and then maintain focus on going in the direction which inevitably leads you to better circumstances, independent of what circumstances exist around you.

Know that you are not bound by circumstance, but by your own belief in being so bound. This is a simple Truth, a Law. Working in accordance with this Law is the only means you have of making the desired change in your circumstance. Furthermore, by bettering your circumstance, you will be in a position to aid others in bettering their own circumstance.

So if this is true, then why is there such an apparent lack of what so many consider to be our basic needs? The reason is because we are looking outside for the source of what we desire. When you look outside for the source, you are dependant upon something outside yourself. In doing so, you open yourself to outside influence and outside control.

There is something very important to understand about this outward-looking method. In believing we must get what we want from outside ourselves, we place our focus on the need to compete with others to get what we want. We base our assumption on the limit of what we physically see is available to us.

Take money for example; you see money going to governments and large corporations, while at the same time you see it vanishing from your own hands and from the masses around you. It is natural to see this movement of money and begin immediately to blame corruption and greed of those who are receiving so much while so many others are losing out. This is Truth. Greed exists. Corruption exists.

However, by dwelling upon this truth you foster feelings of helplessness or frustration or fear. Notice all these feelings are very negative. These negative feelings are seeds that will ONLY produce negative results. You've got to shift your focus, if you want better results for yourself.

So many people are looking at the current state of affairs and wondering when things will get better. They are waiting it out, but doing nothing to create that desired change within themselves. On some level they realize the futility in doing nothing, but because their focus is only on the negative, they will not see the solution. They continue to suffer.

This is the key. As Einstein once said: you cannot solve a problem thinking at the same level that caused that problem. You have to raise your level of thinking. Answers to this and any problem do exist. Know this and resolve to focus in the direction of finding that solution.

If you are truly struggling at this time, you may find it difficult to let go of that negative thinking, but know that until you do, you will not see the solution. The best part of this method is that YOU don't have to know what that solution is at this time. By refusing to dwell on the negative feelings that surge, you open yourself to receiving better information and the courage to act on that better information.

This becomes a journey. It is not usually something that lifts you immediately to instant gratification. It will likely have its ups and its downs. This all depends upon how focused you can remain to keeping your own focus on the good you desire and taking action when inspiration strikes.

Because it is a journey, be willing to feed yourself continually only the very best thoughts and feelings. You do this through seeking out and ingesting only the most positive energy in the form of writings, videos and audios, the conversations you have with others. In short, invest all of your time and interactions with others to promote your own growth.

At the same time you will want to be continually vigilant to negative thoughts and reject them. Don't fight them off, as this is only more negative energy. Rather simply recognize them as negative and shift your attention to something more positive. Be especially careful in your conversations with others. Avoid conversations about "the state of affairs."

The common place people fail when it comes to "thinking positive" is in that they simply try to be positive without putting forth a real effort to learn new ways to get what they want. Just being positive for its own sake may make you feel better for awhile, but you really need to do some serious mental work in a positive way to make real progress.

Obviously space is limited in a blog such as this; however, if you take the time to follow this blog, I can guarantee you will get enough real meat from this blog to make notable progress. I will be positing about three times each week, and my intent is to offer more than just "feel good" information. I am here to help you sincerely.

Make this blog your go to place. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy the opportunity to share it with you. Together we can make 2011 the best year yet. No negativity. Only the infinite power of love and the wisdom of the Universe!

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Universal Laws of Success

2010-12-06T18:27:00.000-06:00

Speed is necessary for an airplane to get lift off. We all know this. We also know there is more to it than mere speed. There are the laws of aerodynamics at work. As we became more familiar with these laws, and learned how to apply them in the design of our planes and patterns of take off and landing, our possibilities opened up immensely.

This same principal applies to getting a business off the ground or even bettering your life. Action is necessary, but there is more at work than mere action. As you become familiar with the Laws of success, and learn to apply them in your plans and patterns, you will get far better results. Real results.

I've been studying these Laws for many years, but only began actually applying them a little over a year ago. I can honestly say during this past year I have seen what I could only describe as miracles, had I not known that it was because of learning and applying these Laws.

I've learned, and relearned, and continue relearning these Laws, and I will still continue relearning these great Laws. For the more one can understand these Universal Laws on continually deeper levels, the better one can work with them. I see no limit to how far one may go.

I've found many sources of really good information about these Laws, but there is one source that I believe stands out more than any other that I have yet discovered. That is in the many programs of Bob Proctor. You may have already heard of Bob Proctor from the video, The Secret.

He's been studying these Laws for probably longer than anyone else who is alive today. I believe he began in 1961, when someone gave him a copy of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. He still reads this book!

Bob Proctor has written two very good books: You Were Born Rich, and It's Not About the Money. I highly recommend either one of these books. He also has a number of programs to share his teachings. One of his programs is called The 11 Forgotten Laws.

This program goes so much further than just the Law of Attraction. This program is jam-packed with a lot of information, and it is well presented. And I was very surprised at how little it costs for the value of what is shared. I am sharing a link for you to check it out for yourself.

I encourage you to follow this link and see what The 11 Forgotten Laws is all about.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

Ready for a New Year

2010-12-02T20:10:00.000-06:00

There are a vast number of books and other resources available out there to help those who are looking for the way to improve their lives, to get what they want. I too have what I would tell you is an excellent book.

I'm not going to tell you this book is any better or worse than many of the others. Honestly I'm sure there are better ones out there. I also believe there are less than better books out there. So am I trying to get you to buy my book? Well yes and no.

Of course I would like to sell more books. You know I would be lying to you if I said no. However, I am more concerned with helping you than I am with making a buck. I see a serious need for promoting good will in this world. If I can help you by referring you to my "competition", I will without hesitation. I often cite other books and programs from which I myself have benefited greatly.

I don't see competition in my field. I see a growing number of sincere individuals who are trying to make a difference in this world through educating others to educate themselves. I see there is a shift in the consciousness of business that is taking place for the better. I see a world based more on inclusion than ever before. And I am a part of this, as it excites me.

I can tell you this. I have in my personal experience read literally hundreds of these books to learn the process of manifestation and achieving goals. Most of them have been really excellent books and programs. I've seen a few that I thought were almost worthless to me.

I do encourage you to buy into whichever book or program resonates with you. Understand that you will not find the best program for you simply judging by how 'big' or successful the source may be. No matter the source, it is the interpretation of that particular individual or team. Their perspective may or may not resonate with your particular circumstance.

To give you an idea of my unique twist or perspective, I offer my blog. I pour my heart and soul into this blog. I am also beginning to offer more videos. Although I am rather a novice when it comes to creating videos, I realize this is the preferred medium for many. I am very much using my own teachings for myself to get better at producing quality videos.

So the message I am sending is this: Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and stretch yourself. The more you stretch, you grow. And through growing, you bring yourself into alignment with whatever you seek in life. There is no dream that I would say is beyond your reach. It may take time, but with perseverance and a positive attitude, you can get there.

I am looking forward to this coming year, 2011. I have several projects I've been planning for you, and I'm sure there will be more to come. So as this year comes to an end, I would like to encourage you to begin thinking about what you can do to seriously pursue your dreams. Remember, it all begins with a definite decision! And don't be afraid to begin taking action. Action is the key to achievement.

Make a plan, yes, but do more. Follow through on that plan. If the plan changes, that's OK. Change it, but keep moving forward. Be sure to continue following this blog and follow me on Facebook to see what's coming up. I'm sure you will be very glad you did.

I may write just a few more blog posts this year, but you can count on me writing more regularly beginning January 2011. I am getting very busy preparing for what's coming! If you are following me on Facebook, I will be reposting some of the most popular blog posts that I've written this year to give you a chance to see them if you didn't see them when I first published them.

Wishing you all the very best my friends. And remember:

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest By Design Now.

The Mind will think, plot, strategize, and plan the way. The Heart does none of these things, but will simply point the way. Yet, when followed, this way of the Heart will always prove to be the PERFECT way! ~Jeffrey Brandt

It's ALL Good! (Balance)

2010-11-22T17:07:00.000-06:00

In a recent conversation with a good friend, the subject came up about balance. Referring to the balance of good and bad. The question was this person was not so sure about what comes back to you when you put something out there.

I can see how this question might come up in any inquisitive mind when looking to the world for answers. What we see in the media is often a sign of the most corrupt among us (putting out bad) enjoying the most reward (controlling what we might consider an obscene amount of money and freedom), although at the expense of others.

Let me start this off by saying it is not my intention to get into the motives behind the media and what stories they promote and why. That would be a whole other blog post, if not a book! The focus here then is on what constitutes balance and is there actually a balance.

When you give out good, an equal good must return to you. When you give out bad, an equal bad must return to you. This is Law, as I hope to explain. It does not matter if you are referring to an individual or to society as a whole. It all works the very same way.

What you do give out is compared to a seed, whether this seed be in the form of your thought, your attitude, or your beliefs. The same concept has been mirrored in nature with an apple seed, for example. You will never get anything but an apple from an apple seed. Period.

The world is filled with what we might consider good and what we might consider bad, equally at any time. The truth is that what is simply is. Good or bad are relative terms. It is kind of like the man who walked around all day long complaining about not having shoes to wear, until he met another man who had no feet.

If you choose to focus on the bad, you will find all the evidence you need to confirm that the world is bad (war, economy, social disintegration, etc.). If you focus on the good, you will find all the evidence you need to confirm that the world is good (opportunities for growth and improvement, emerging consciousness, the potential for free energy, etc.).

Approximately 95% of the focus may be on the negative, and only a mere 5% on the positive. However, with a positive thought being some 10 times more powerful than a negative thought, in the big picture of mass consciousness it all balances out. That 5% x 10 = 50%.

You may not be able to control what goes on in the world. But you do have complete control (if you choose to USE this control) of your own focus, your thoughts. A large percentage of the population freely allows their thinking to be controlled by outside sources. This IS their choice.

Make a determined effort to remain focused on what YOU decide. You have, in doing this, the power to create your own experience the way you choose. This is all based on the infallible Law of your being. Focus your thoughts on the good.

Good will only produce good. This brings up a point that tends to frustrate many. What happens when we do a good deed, and we are betrayed? Did this Law suddenly stop working? No.

First of all, understand that you have many, many thoughts throughout your day. It is very likely that you have many good thoughts and you have a number of not-so-good thoughts. For this reason, your results tend to be mixed, some good and some bad. the goal should be for you to get your predominant thinking to a more positive level. This is when you will see real results.

Another point to consider is the Law of Gender and Gestation. It takes a certain amount of time for any thought to actually manifest. Again back to the seed analogy. It takes time for a seed to produce the plant. It takes time from the conception of a baby to when you're changing diapers.

In other words, as James Ray said in The Secret, "This is not who you are. This is who you were." You are living in a residual form of your previous thinking. If you could change and make ALL of your thoughts positive from this point on, you would still continue to have some not very pleasant experiences for a time to come.

One last point on this is that results do not have to come from where you expect them to come from. You may plant the seed of a good thought or deed in one place, and the result may come from somewhere totally off your radar. If you plant the good seeds of thought, you will get good results from those thoughts. Guaranteed.

If you begin to raise your awareness of your thinking, you will be able to prove all of this to yourself. This proof will mean so much more than anything I or someone else might say to you. Try it.

You should not expect to be able to control every thought throughout your day, at least not when you first begin to exercise this control. You have far too many thoughts to be able to do an efficient job of keeping track of them. However, their is an easier way.

Your thoughts initiate the manifestation process in your body in the form of feelings. When you are thinking harmonious thoughts, those in line with your own higher self, you feel good. When your thoughts are lacking in harmony, you are not thinking in line with your higher self, and you feel bad.

Feelings are much easier to recognize. Simply consider how you feel throughout the day. If you are feeling good, your thoughts are going where you want them to go. The moment you feel anything less than good, pay attention to your thoughts and consciously guide them back to something more positive. Begin by thinking of gratitude.

This may take some time if you are not accustomed to monitoring your own feelings. Have some fun with it. When you catch yourself feeling not good and are able to trace it to the conversation you just had earlier about the economy or a bad relationship, you will know that you are beginning to get a hold of your own thoughts.

You will begin to see how changing your focus in thought and in conversation will change your very state of being. When you feel better, you can know that you have discovered the true meaning of Balance.

I want YOU to Succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way

Great Minds of FACEBOOK

2010-11-20T08:23:00.002-06:00

"The likes of a great mind is not so rare as so many would tend to believe. It is the common recognition of such a mind that is truly rare." ~Jeffrey Brandt

It was these words that inspired me to write this blog post. I have been on Facebook for just a little over a year now. I find Facebook to be a valuable resource for inspiration. Every time I log on I find a plethora of very well known quotes that were meant to inspire, and they do.

As my friend list has grown, I find myself increasingly inspired by the many things they write on their walls to share with others as well. I'm not talking about the icons of great thought. These words I am referring to were not written by anybody we might consider to be famous, but the words obviously came from a place of inspired thought.

I do spend a good amount of time simply thinking about life, about people and how we all interact with each other and with the world. We can see things going well or we can see things falling apart, with equal ease. There is almost overwhelming evidence to prove either view of the world.

On the one side there are the wars, the economy, the social injustice and corruption. On the other side there is this thing called social networking that offers the ability for us to come together with practically anybody anywhere. It was just recently that Facebook has celebrated breaking the 500 million mark. Think about that one. Only China and India have a greater population than Facebook!

And this population is so very diverse. My own list of friends in Facebook is but the smallest of samples, but I am happy with who I have attracted and who I have been attracted to. This blog post is dedicated to a few of these friends who were so kind as to share with me their wise words of advice.

Annie Caskey said "You must love yourself." What a beautiful concept for anybody to experience. Self-love is where it all begins.

Maria Isabel Zipagan said "The worst handicap of a man is not knowing what his worth is. Awareness is a tool to succeed." This brings to mind something I once wrote for my daughter when she was just two months old: "Get to know yourself, and you will come to know a Miracle!"

This is a key to growing yourself in life. As Joella Hermans so wonderfully puts it: "Love yourself and take good care of yourself with pure self-respect. All the layers of education and upbringing by others will systematically peel off, and pure Source-energy will appear!"

Wow! That is powerful. And Heide Hoffman shared with me: "Realize who you are and love yourself as God's creature. Let your Giveaways be filled with love. Whatever you do, do it with 100% attention."

You know the truth is the more of yourself you give to others, the more you, yourself, become. A part of you is carried on in every person you have given yourself to.

Living by these words, you will ease your own way to living a more abundant and successful life because you will be living a life of love. This is important because life can at times feel quite challenging.

Bobby Bautista gave us some great advice when he said "Living is like going through an obstacle course. You have to be fit and determined to reach your goal. If you give up on any of these obstacles, you won't succeed."

Abdul Rahman Kota lets us know to be careful with our attitude when he says: "Happy and peaceful feelings will become your obstacle to success if those feelings are not interconnected with your ultimate goal." I like the idea of binding positive feelings with the outcome you wish to reach or attain. This really is a key to getting there.

An excellent key to maintain focus and determination is to use affirmations as Tami Carroll suggests: "I AM overflowing with joy and gratitude. All is well." I love this one!

Tami Carroll also explains how to use your affirmations: "Write it down. Be specific. Read it 3 times a day. Keep it a secret. Believe. It works!"

And Lynn Albers speaks with the perfect level of self confidence when she states: "I can because I do." I have much respect for Lynn not only as a Facebook friend, but I am privileged to know her as a personal friend as well.

Anna Kubicka's words made me smile deeply inside. "Success means to me the satisfaction of my soul and the heart beat of my HAPPY HEART. Accomplished purpose of life or making one of my goals of life = HAPPY."

Stella Routis wants us to remember we are one with others when she says: "Compassion towards all beings on earth brings the very purpose of life, which is happiness." These are among the wisest words I've heard ever.

Focus is so important to getting the results we want out of life. Listen these other words of Abdul Rahman Kota: "If you plant flowers you can make a beautiful garden, but by planting different kinds of flowers, you may end up making a jungle."

And Bobby Bautista emphasizes: "Your thoughts mold you; your deeds reveal your intrinsic being."

I've long considered Wayne Davis to be a great thinker. He shared with me: "Success is not thinking about success, as it only represents an arbitrary interpretation by an ego that doesn't really exist." He then added: "I suppose if I was going to give credence to a measure of success though, it would be based on how much of your life you give away to others." I am always pleased by reading the words of Wayne.

Finally, I saved the best for last. My daughter who will turn Thirteen this month wanted to add her thoughts to this post. I just love the way she thinks and I have no idea where she gets it!

"Just follow your heart. Everything else will fall into place if you listen to the voice inside you, not to the criticism outside." ~Naomi Brandt (Age 12)

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and PLEASE share the link on your Facebook page if you enjoyed it.

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

Out of the Comfort Zone

2010-11-15T19:19:00.000-06:00

If you are on the path of Personal Growth, you must remember the obvious. This path entails Growth. That means that you will be stretching. You will be stepping into uncharted territory, at least for you. To put it bluntly, you will be required to do things you've not done before or at least doing things in a different way than you are accustomed.

What this means is that to grow you must step out of what is currently your comfort zone. Any time you do this, you will likely make mistakes, or at the very least, you may feel a bit awkward. This is normal and nothing unusual.

As you already know, it is my purpose to grow and to share with others what I have learned through my blog, my books, and my pages on Facebook. My journey actually began long before this. I have spent many years reading and studying the best sources I could find.

I knew I had much to learn and I continued to persevere in my studies until results to my liking began to emerge. It was a struggle, for sure. I came from a difficult past. In my faith, I grew until my circumstances began to change, and the change became increasingly rapid.

Soon a part of me knew it was time to begin expressing my perspective of this journey of life in a way that others would find helpful by applying these concepts in their own lives. I chose to do so using the medium of Facebook.

At the time, I knew next to nothing about this technology, but I went ahead and opened my personal page. As I became more comfortable with my ability to navigate, I began to reach out to others of like mind.

Mind you I really didn't know exactly what I was doing when I began, but it felt right. My own learning curve was accelerating rapidly by this time, and I knew I was doing the right thing. Was I comfortable with what I was doing? No. Looking back today, was it worth it? YES!

Less than one year ago I had only a dozen or so "friends" on Facebook. I had heard about blogging, but wasn't sure I was up to putting in the effort required to maintain a blog up to date. I looked inside myself and found the answer that I was not so sure I wanted to hear. I began my blog.

It actually took a couple of months before I saw any real results from what I felt was a Herculean effort on my part. Was I outside of my own comfort zone? Yes. Was it worth it? YES!

I had one book that I had previously published and it was selling pretty well. This was Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way. An unexpected benefit from my blogging and my Facebook encounters is that people that had not known about this book began asking about it and orders suddenly increased.

I am proud of my book, Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way; however, the topic of my blog is slightly different. It is more about developing your mindset to dream and to go after those dreams. Goal-setting and prosperity consciousness.

From this recognition, I wrote a second book by the same title as my blog, Manifest By Design Now. I chose to write this book rather quickly and get it out there as soon as I possibly could, because I knew there were many who were interested in and could benefit from this information. I was also learning that what Joe Vitale said in The Secret was true: The Universe likes speed.

Was I comfortable writing and releasing a book this quickly? No. Was it worth it? YES! I decided to be up front about this book and explain that it was actually only the essence of what I saw as the complete version. I offered it with the request that those who would read it would also offer me feedback, comments, and suggestions that I may use to improve the book with time.

I've been extremely pleased with the responses I've gotten. I've made several changes to the book since then. I've expanded on a few of the concepts to be clearer and added some points. This book is like a living book that just keeps getting better! I still plan on getting it published some time in 2011, and welcome any further feedback on the downloadable version.

More recently my journey has led me to even greater personal challenges. Perhaps you've seen a few of the videos I've been releasing on Facebook. I have a confession to make about this. But first let me give you a little background on where I am coming from.

I know this material very well. Not just from reading, listening to audios and watching videos and webinars, but I've been practicing these ideas with pretty decent success for some time. I also have years of experience in teaching and giving seminars to groups of people.

When I decided I wanted to create some videos, I didn't realize how different it was going to be talking to a camera rather than to real people in front of me. I found this extremely challenging for me. I am very aware that my camera presence needed (and still needs) a lot of work.

Now I could have just held off on putting the videos out there for the world to see how amateurish my first videos were. But, I believe in what I teach. I have often compared growing yourself to a child's learning to walk. They fall down a lot, but this doesn't faze them. They simply get back up again and go. So I let the world witness my struggle. I'm still having a challenging time, but I do feel better about each new video.

I guess what I'd like to say with all this rambling is that I am sincere in my message to you. What I teach is real. I am 100% confident that you can achieve ANYTHING you set your mind to do, if you approach it with the right attitude. This means focus, and this means persistence. It may take some time, but really who cares? The time is going to pass anyway. You may as well be doing something worthwhile and if you do, you can know that success awaits you, whatever success means to you.

YOU are the reason I do what I do. I owe you everything my friends. Thank you for following my blog, and please if you enjoy it take the time to click the icon to share it on your facebook page for others to see it as well. Even the videos I'll be creating every week or so. Thank you.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Dissatisfaction

2010-11-10T17:51:00.000-06:00

Many people come to a point in life when they feel dissatisfied with their current circumstances. When this happens, it is common to feel depressed. Understand that dissatisfaction is no reason to become depressed. The dissatisfaction is simply a loving message from your higher self, your real self.

The message is telling you that you are something more than you are currently expressing. This is a beautiful thing. Just imagine for a moment; life is telling you that you are ready to grow further, to become more than you are at present. You are being given a gift, but you must first understand how to open this gift.

And this, my friend, is what I would like to share with you. I want to show you how to open that gift and receive the blessing that is yours. At Christmas time, when you receive a gift, you don't sit there with your gift in front of you and wait for someone else to come along and open it for you , do you?

Often times the Truth is hidden in the most obvious place, a place no one would ever think to look for it. This is definitely the case with dissatisfaction. You see, everything you are currently experiencing is a result of what you have brought unto yourself. You can look outward and blame other people, circumstances, or whatever you want. But in doing so, you are only continuing to live in this dissatisfaction, and it will become even stronger.

You assure the continuing dissatisfaction because you have not yet learned that it is you who draws to you the circumstances you must confront each and every day. By believing that others are at fault, you must by default believe that others must do something to make your own life better. The Truth of the matter is, you must make that change yourself.

If you do already know this much, you may be asking "how do I GET this change?"

You don't GET the change, you must BE the change. Mahatma Gandhi said it well when he told us we must BE the change we want to see in the world. The same holds true with your personal self. You must BE the change you want to see in yourself.

If you want a changed life, you must change the way YOU are living. This sounds simple enough, and it is. Why is it that so many people know and understand this, yet they fail to do something differently?

Some people will try something different, and if it fails to bring the desired change they seek, they give up. Does a child give up trying to learn to walk, to talk, to ride a bicycle?

The child still lives in you, and this child knows what is needed to get you what you desire. Take the lesson in. How does a child go about learning something new? He does it without fear or reserve. Does the child master the new task without meeting failure?

Of course not. He will fail over and over again, until he gets it right. Failure is not a concern until we learn to be concerned with it. Just begin doing what it is you want to do in the best way you know how to do it. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. With time and practice, you will begin getting it right.

It doesn't matter if you don't yet have all of the resources you need to do it as you might like to do it either. If you really do need more resources, they will become available to you as you become ready for them. You must begin to act with what you have at hand, before more will come to you.

Here again, look to the lessons that can be learned from a child. They are incredibly attuned to their possibilities and how to use their imaginations. They don't give up on what they want simply because they don't have all of the necessary resources at hand. They get creative! You can too!

The more you can begin to look at the process of going after your goals as a game, it will not only become more enjoyable for you, but you will also begin to make more headway than you ever had before. There is a method to this madness. and it all begins with a certain dissatisfaction with our current circumstances.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest By Design Now.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Affirmations

2010-11-02T20:01:00.000-05:00

When it comes to using affirmations, I've heard much conflicting information. There are a great many sources out there that swear by their use and highly recommend them. There are also many others who claim they may not be all that effective. I personally went kind of back and forth with using them for several years. I used them for awhile and then stopped using them for awhile.

It was only during this last year that I really came to a definite conclusion on their true value. I do believe they can be very effective, when used in the correct manner. The key being in how they are used.

I have seen so many sources that encourage us to use them in a way that on a conscious level we end up blocking whatever effect they were meant to have. For example I believe it would do me little good to repeat to myself "I am a millionaire" if I'm so broke I can't even pay attention!

For an affirmation to take effect on you, it must get into your subconscious mind. For anything to get into your subconscious mind, it must first pass through your conscious mind. If you are listening to affirmations subliminally beneath soothing music, they may be more effective even if they are not consciously believable. I have not tested this method enough to say with any authority.

What I have tested on myself is changing the structure of the wording, in which case I have had varying results. I seen many suggestions to put the affirmation in a progressive form. With the above example that would be like saying "I am becoming a millionaire."

I'm not so sure this would be much easier to accept on a conscious level if I were suffering financially. I do think it is better than the first example however.

If money is a big issue for you, I might suggest taking an entirely different route that would produce the same end result. This would be a method that could be believable no matter what your current financial situation may be.

"I am becoming increasingly aware of more and better ideas that may increase my wealth in great ways. As I dwell upon these lucrative ideas in thought, my confidence grows and I begin to take real action. First on the small ideas. With time and increased confidence, I become more daring and the results become equally more rewarding. Life is truly becoming fun for me"

Nothing in the above affirmation indicates you are anything but what you are. However, it gives a strong feeling of growth toward a highly desired objective, even if this objective is to become a millionaire.

You can use this same formula with any material goal you desire by slightly changing the wording. "I am becoming increasingly aware of more and better ideas that will help me to get (the car of your dreams)..."

Most importantly in using any affirmation is to use the words that inspire the feelings inside of you that are in harmony with what you desire. Above where I said "lucrative ideas", you might substitute "wonderful ideas, wealthy ideas, incredible ideas, etc." The idea is that I believe the very best affirmations are those you either come up with yourself or borrowed from someone else but use only after you have changed a few words to make it your own.

In writing your own affirmations, you do want to follow a few simple but very important rules. First, keep them ALWAYS in the positive. "I AM becoming my ideal weight" rather than "I am no longer overweight." To make this rule simpler, only describe the ideal outcome, the end result.

The above examples describe what we might call material type goals. They are goals that you can physically measure or quantify. There is another type of goal that I would like to touch on as well. Often we would like to change something about our personality or character. These goals are not so easily measured as are weight or wealth or possessions.

Being happy for example, can be a worthy goal if you are often depressed. Being confident if you are suffering from a low perception of self (self-esteem). Being calm if you are known to have a quick temper.

Simply repeating "I am happy" when you are suffering from depressive thoughts may do you little good. Like the millionaire example at the beginning of this blog, you may consciously reject it if you just don't feel it. And saying "I am becoming happy" is perhaps better, but there is another way around this that is likely the best path to take.

Forget about describing yourself in the state you wish to be if you honestly can't make yourself believe it. There is a way to get this very result no matter what you are feeling about yourself now. Again, it comes through placing your focus in a different way that will bring the desired result to you without resistance.

I am happy. "Happy" is an adjective. If it is an adjective that does not truly describe you, it will do you little good to try and believe it, so don't! Change the adjective to a noun and focus ONLY on that word.

HAPPINESS

What does happiness mean to you? What comes to your mind when you think about the word "Happiness?" Do you see children playing? Do you see yourself in a rich and luxurious lifestyle? Do you see your favorite sport? Someone you love?

I don't care what it is you think about, but if you hold the word happiness in your mind and dwell on it searching for meaning to the word, you will begin thinking of things that bring happiness to your inner experience. You will become happy!

This works the same with Confidence.

It works the same with Calmness.

It works the same with Intelligence.

Think of any quality you would like to manifest in your being and dwell upon that quality. You will begin to feel it. Once you do begin to feel it, you can then begin to won if by saying AND believing "I AM happiness" or "I AM confidence" or "I AM Calmness" or "I AM intelligence."

Don't blindly accept affirmations, and don't blindly reject them either. They can be valuable IF used correctly and used in the way your mind works. Experiment with them. I have only touched on a few points relative to their use here as my space is very limited.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject as well. Do let me know.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest By Design Now.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

How do you read a good book?

2010-10-30T16:46:00.000-05:00

I was listening to an interview with Bob Proctor, of The Secret, the other day, and he said something that just jumped out at me like a ghost on Halloween. (I'm sorry, it's October 30th and I couldn't resist). Anyway, what Bob said was when most people read a book, they think they've read the book.

Now I know this may sound a little strange, but let me explain the context from which this statement came. Many people are seeking desperately for an answer. They want change in their life, and they think reading a good book will give them the answer they seek. And the truth is that there are a great many books out there that do answer the question of how. I've even written one of them.

Reading a good book is like getting into the mind of the writer. Depending on where this writer is coming from, that can mean having access to some very wise counsel. Take Napoleon Hill's famous book, Think and Grow Rich. Mr. Hill spent something like 12 years studying the 500 richest and most successful people of his time to put together a formula for others to follow to become successful themselves.

Evidently he did an excellent job at this too. After all, there are dozens of successful people today that credit this book as the basis for their own success. Bob Proctor repeatedly mentions this title as the initiating spark that set him on a path to success.

With testimonials like this, it is no wonder this book and others like it make their way to the best seller lists. There are thousands who want to have this same experience, or so we hear. But there really is more to the story.

Often times, someone will hear of a good book, and they will go out and buy it. They read it, and nothing happens. They may even do everything the book suggests. Still they get no real results. Then they may feel frustrated, but there is something more.

When Bob Proctor was given Think and Grow Rich, he didn't just read the book. He read it this book again and again and again. I've heard him say that he is still reading this book. He's also read a few other books. I heard him say he has something like 3,000 books in his personal library.

Beyond reading the book, Think and Grow Rich, Bob said he even got the recorded version. Mind you this was in the day of the vinyl records! He said he got an adapter to play this recording in his car as he was driving around. Came you imagine the dedication to not only receive the message of the book, but to get that message planted into his subconscious mind?

This is tenacity. Bob often mentions Wallace Wattles' The Science of Getting Rich as another book he has read countless times. One other was James Allen's As a Man Thinketh. By the way, I've read each of these books a number of times and agree that they are awesome books.

I have always been a rather voracious reader myself, and I do have certain books that I continue to read over and over again to the point I know them like the back of my hand. When I was really struggling I knew there had to be something in these books I was reading that would help me if I just kept at it long enough. This something I just knew instinctively.

It was when I was reading one of Brian Tracy's books that I learned I was doing the right thing. He suggested reading a book every week. He pointed out how far this would get you in the way of an education after a year, or after five years. It really is amazing when you stop to think about it. You can have the equivalent of a PhD after a few years of this. The years are going to pass by regardless of what you do, so why not get yourself a top rate education?

Dr. Joe Vitale is only too eager to point out his love for books. Les Brown says the same. The list goes on and on. The books are valuable, but you have to know how to use them. I don't know how others read but I do have a peculiar manner of reading a good book. I'd like to share it with you. You might want to try it. I'm not saying it is the best way for you, but I would suggest you give some thought as to how you read as well as what you read.

I really get into a good book while I am reading it. I want zero distractions. I demand this much. I'm thinking about the words and trying to get myself into the head of whoever wrote those words. When I come to something that is particularly deep or profound, I read that part through a second time and underline the words while I am reading them.

After I have done this, I pause to reflect on what I had just read for a few minutes. I first take in the depth of the meaning in its whole. Then I find a relation to the concept in my own life experience. I take my time on this. Sometimes I even write a short note in the margins of the page to remind me when I read this book again at a later date. I am in no hurry to move on when I am contemplating something profound.

Finally I will read this part through one more time before I do continue on. If the book I just finished reading was very good or intense, I will read it a second time immediately after finishing it. Then I usually move on to another book. At some future date, I will surely go back and read this book again.

I read daily. I do not read a new book every week any more. I did this for about five or six years. Now I am constantly going back and forth between new books and my many favorites, including the above mentioned titles. I also haev become a big fan on listening ot books on my MP3 Player. I will easily listen to the same book over and over again for a week straight and love every minute of it!

And by the way, I also read the books I've written, over and over again. I learn much from reading them as well. Reading is one of the best pass times you can choose. Especially when you are hungry to grow.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes To Find Your Way, Manifest By Design Now.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Dreams Really Do Come True!

2010-10-27T09:09:00.001-05:00

Inspiration is a spark that comes from within. When it is fanned with your awareness, it becomes a desire. Continued awareness injected with positive emotion causes it to grow into a burning desire. Napoleon Hill stated in his book, Think and Grow Rich, that every great thing begins with a burning desire. A burning desire is the first ingredient to success.

If you sense a burning desire within you, know that you have the means to manifest that desire. It only requires a definite decision on your part to begin the process. What can you do today to begin living towards your dream? If you can do it today, then begin doing it. The simple act of taking that first step will bring into your awareness the next step to take. This is how it all begins.

If you follow through on this process, you will gather momentum in time, and before you realize it, you will be well on your way to living your dream. You will be in a position to go even further than you ever before dreamed possible. You have within you infinite potential. No limits whatsoever. Give yourself to your dreams and see just where they will take you. You will be amazed.

I often get asked just where one begins to make a change. It all begins in the same place, no matter where you are coming from, the first step is in the decision. I'm not talking about deciding you want to make a change. Many people decide they want to make a change, and nothing ever happens with this other than they sense a growing frustration with their current situation.

The decision you make must be not that you want to make a change, but that you are going to make the change, and you must back this decision up with determined action. As Gandhi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world." You must also be the change you wish to see in yourself.

Last night I had a phone call with Paul Martinelli. I first "met" Paul last March when I asked him to be friends on Facebook. Paul read a post in my blog titled "How I Found Success with Rice Krispies." He left a nice comment on my wall about this particular post, and inspiration struck. I took action on that inspiration, and last night's call was the eventual result.

Paul taught a very valuable lesson: 10 Steps to Creating a New Belief. If you missed the call, no worries. I will be posting the recording here on my blog and on Facebook very soon. You will definitely want to listen in on this one. Paul has passion in his message.

In any case, whatever your dream, the process is the same. Make your decision, back up your faith in that decision with determined action. Don't concern yourself with the bumps in the road that you will face. They are only bumps and serve to test your commitment. Correct your course and continue. Most of all, enjoy the journey. All of it!

Whatever you desire in life, so long as it is for the greater good, can be yours. The Universe wants to back you up, to support you in your endeavor. When you begin to fearlessly go after your dream, you will find this to be true. The impossible does become possible. I can say this, because I have seen it happen on numerous occasions in my own life experience.

I believe you can, and you ought to believe as well. If you doubt, I ask you to begin learning more about the subject of YOU. You can do this through books, audios, videos, seminars, seeking out more uplifting relationships. The list goes on. We are truly blessed with so many options in this day. Take advantage of them now.

I want to help you because I believe the world will be a better place with each new success story. Make yours the next. I have an excellent book that explains in great detail how to achieve your dreams in five easy steps. The book is called Manifest By Design Now, and is available here as an instant download in PDF.

I'd like to thank you for following this blog. Apply what you learn to go after what inspires you to be a better person and change the world in a better way.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

The Rhythm of Life

2010-10-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

When you consider life, you may notice that it has its ups and downs. This should be no great revelation to you if you've spent any time at all reflecting on your life. This is normal and it even has a name: The Law of Rhythm.

You cannot change the Rhythm, but you CAN change the direction of the rhythm.

I imagine a wavy line on a piece of paper like the waves you would see on the ocean. What happens in the case where a person decides to become more successful in life? A common result of a person's efforts is to make the crest of this wave pattern higher than the previous crests.

However, this can become disheartening when that crest naturally begins to subside, which it will eventually do in its course. Often times this is when someone might decide that the effort is simply too great and not worth it.

If you are someone who has had some success in your efforts at improving your life, but your successes have been short-lived, I have something that just might change everything for you. It is the ability to change your perspective of this natural rhythm or to actually change the orientation of that rhythm.

Instead of picturing this rhythm pattern as a wave that goes up and down from left to right across the page, imagine that you were able to turn the paper forty five degrees in a counter clockwise direction. This wave would appear more as a staircase.

The upward part of the wave will appear as going up vertically rather than a smooth upward angle. Where the "wave" had been going downward before would now appear to be going horizontally, as the next step on a staircase.

This change in perspective can really change your potential results, if you know how to actually apply it to your real life. Can it be done? Yes, it can. Is it easy to do? Not so much, at least in the beginning.

Consider when most people make an attempt at improving their life. They obviously put forth some amount of effort and their life improves somewhat. For most people this effort is short-lived and the results as well are sort-lived.

Rather than go upwards at a forty five degree angle (minimal effort), imagine yourself giving 100 percent effort for a determined time. Giving 100 percent effort is something that takes a great deal of commitment, and it is understood that not everyone is willing to do so. What exactly does it mean to put forth 100 percent commitment?

This means focusing on your goal to the exclusion of EVERYTHING else. This is where most people falter. The idea of such a radical change in your thinking and acting can be frightening for sure.

Know that this can be easier to digest when you consider these diagrams. The first step is to realize that it is possible for you. It really is achievable. Start small, and give yourself time to witness the results. With time, you will find the motivation to take even bigger steps. Most importantly, remember this is a process.

How exactly can you go about beginning to use this concept?

One step at a time. Dedicate yourself for a set time each morning to consciously focusing on purely successful thoughts. Consider your primary goal or objective. Write it out every morning, even several times if it is short.

Then spend some time affirming it out loud. In front of a mirror is better. Finally, spend about 10 to 15 minutes visualizing your life with this goal already accomplished. Make this visualization as real as you can to the point you can actually feel the sensations throughout your body. Enjoy this time immensely. It is very important that this does not simply become a routine without really feeling it.

Some other suggestions are to write out some relevant quotes or affirmations to carry with you throughout your day and pull them out of your pocket when you get a chance to read through them again, with FEELING.

In the evening, give yourself a break from your usual routine. If you tend to watch the television, change your television time for reading or contemplating, meditating or writing. Do something relative to your goal.

Understand this may take discipline. That is the idea! But don't look at it as a chore or some kind of compromise. Look at it as the path to your eventual freedom. Turning that forty five degree upward direction into a vertical direction will take, perhaps, Herculean effort for a time. Do it with gusto, as a great challenge that will pay even greater dividends, because it will!

After a time, you will eventually begin to level out naturally. Now you only have to maintain for a time while you assimilate to this new level. When this new level begins to feel even the least bit restrictive, you will know that it is time to push again, and on you go to another level.

Honestly, this lifestyle requires commitment. This is why it is experienced by so few, I imagine. However, when you get into this lifestyle, I am pretty sure you will decide that it is a much better way of living. You will see opportunities never before available. You will have access to new forms of leisure also.

You will truly be living YOUR life, not what someone else has dictated to you. This is freedom at its best. Challenge yourself. Do it now. Go for it. I know you can.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

What did you Expect?

2010-10-17T11:29:00.001-05:00

Thoughts are interesting things. A single thought is like a drop of water. Alone it may seem rather insignificant. Add enough drops of water together, you create a puddle. Continue adding more drops, and you have a pond, a lake, and, eventually, an ocean.

An ocean has power. It has power to change the geology of the earth! Nothing more than many "insignificant" drops of water, but the power, when added to itself, is beyond our comprehension.

Water may change form as well. In the air you find moisture that may be invisible, but it is there. As this moisture becomes denser, it forms clouds. Clouds can be seen. If the clouds continue to become denser still, they will produce rain. Rain has the power to change things. Water may become solid. We call it ice.

Ice, water, vapor, humidity. The difference is in the rate of vibration of the molecules. Thoughts are a form of energy. They vibrate at a very high rate. If a thought is dwelled upon in the mind, its energy begins to transmute into emotions. Emotions manifest in the body as feelings. Feelings have a vibration as well. Others can pick up on this vibration.

You can usually tell how someone is feeling when you are near them. In other words, the energy of feelings is "dense" enough to have a real effect on others. If the thoughts that created these feelings is dwelled upon long and strong enough, action will follow. The action will ALWAYS be in accordance (in harmony) with the originating thoughts.

Action may create something physically real. Consider the thought of an imaginary animal. You find this imaginary animal humorous. Feelings manifest in your body when you dwell in thought of this humorous animal. You become engrossed in these feelings long enough and strong enough to take action.

You grab a pencil and paper and you manifest this thought on paper. You have drawn an image of your imaginary animal. Others see this image and smile as well. Can this happen? Do you remember Shrek? Where did ogres come from?

What I have been describing is actually a Law. It is called the Law of Perpetual Transmutation. What it is saying is that everything is either coming into or going out of form. This process works both ways and can change direction at any time.

This is very significant. It is important to understand how it relates to your achieving goals. With this example you can see how everything originates as an idea. You plant an idea in your mind by considering it.

When you dwell upon the idea in your mind, emotions surge. The emotions that surge will be in accordance (in harmony) with the thought you are dwelling upon. If your thoughts are of successfully accomplishing something, the emotions that surge will be positive. They will manifest as good feelings in your body. These are feelings of faith, confidence, enthusiasm, eagerness, etc.

If this continues, you will be prompted to successful action to create your original idea. It does not matter what the idea is. It can be an invention, a work of art, or whatever success means to you. Anything. The process is the same.

Now consider your having an idea that excites you and you begin to dwell upon it in thought, but the emotions that surge are not so positive. The feelings that manifest in your body will be of stress, doubt, fear, etc.

What will happen to your idea? The process will reverse itself. In short, even if you take action on the idea, it will fail to manifest in the way you wanted it to. No matter how badly you want to succeed with your idea, something will come along and get in the way.

What happened? Go back to your thoughts. You have the idea to accomplish a certain thing. This may be something you want, but the mind suddenly begins to think about not being able to accomplish that thing. This is not a positive thought.

This not so positive thought then becomes the "goal" your mind begins working towards.

So how do you correct this? This is when people generally look at outside circumstances for the cause. They blame others, politics, the economy, whatever. However, in understanding this process, you can see that it all begins with your thinking. So where did this negative thinking originate?

We all have programs, determined ways of thinking. These programs begin developing at a very young age. We are programmed by our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, the media. Everything we experience adds to this programming.

This programming runs on a subconscious level, where habits reside. Habits do not require conscious effort. Walking, driving a car, tying your shoes, brushing your teeth are all examples of habits. In these examples it is easy to see how habits can benefit us.

I've heard something like 90% of our actions are done out of habit. Understand, most of your "thinking" is done in a habitual manner as well. Habits are created through repetition. And they can be changed through conscious effort and repetition.

This is the key. If you are thinking that circumstances or others are getting in the way of your success, realize this is only in your thinking. Even if things really are getting in the way, the reason they are is because of earlier thoughts you have created and likely have made habitual. You can change these originating thoughts.

You do so through consciously choosing the thoughts you wish to manifest and holding those thoughts in your mind through repetition. You can add to the effect of this repetition by doing whatever it takes to encourage positive feelings in association with those thoughts.

Use visual reminders around your home of what it means to you to be successful. Relative pictures or quotes works great for this. Use affirmations. Take time to meditate or dwell positively in your imagination of you experiencing the successful result. Write out your goals and positive thoughts. Read inspirational writings. Watch videos and listen to audios that will help you think more positively.

All of this comes down to the idea that to attain a goal that you find beyond your reach, you can bring it within reach by focusing on yourself and your thinking first. This may seem like you are diverting your attention from what you really want, but I assure you the long term benefit will be so much greater. Your "out-of-reach" goal will become child's play. You will be in a position to go even further.

When you experience this process, you will understand well why so many successful people have said:

"More important than achieving the goals I have in life, was becoming person I had to become in order to reach those goals."

This is Holistic Mind Consciousness. And this is what I would like to help you with.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest by design Now.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Ask and you shall receive!

2010-10-15T19:16:00.000-05:00

If you feel there is something you'd like to have the might help improve your life or the life of another, ask. You may ask God, the Universe, or your higher self, whichever feels more comfortable to you. When you ask, there are certain things you can do to make yourself more receptive to getting the desired answer you seek.

First you want to consider what it is you are asking. If what you are asking for is something that will only add to your life or to the life of another in a positive way, I encourage you to go ahead and ask. There is no reason for you to consider whether you are worthy of anything good. You are!

In doing so, you are not expressing weakness, but connectedness. Thoughts, energy, life are all meant to flow. Asking and offering, giving and receiving are the means in which things flow. It is all natural and it is all good.

Second you want to be sure you are asking with a mindset of gratitude. Many times people ask for help in a desperate way. You may feel you are in a desperate situation and are grasping at straws. This is a common predicament for those who are not accustomed to asking. They wait until their circumstances are critical and they feel there is no other option.

This desperate energy has a power to it, but it may not be the kind of power you want to express in asking. A desperate or futile energy will only repel what it is you are seeking to gain. If you are genuinely feeling desperate, I suggest you first clear this energy from your mind BEFORE asking for anything.

You can use gratitude that you feel for other things to accomplish this. Focus on anything for which you may feel gratitude. Do you have your health? Do you have a family? Do you have a job? Do you have food to eat? Obviously if you are reading this, you've got plenty that you can feel grateful about.

This is where you begin. In feeling and expressing gratitude, your energy will automatically shift to a more positive nature. A more positive energy will better connect you with the universal good, God, or your higher self.

Once you find yourself in a genuine state of gratitude, begin your request by giving thanks for all the abundance of good that you already have. Make your request and express how your receiving this request will enhance the quality of your life or the life of another.

Express your belief and confidence that it is possible that you will receive this blessing. Do this by giving thanks for it even before you have seen evidence of it. Pay attention to the feelings you are experiencing as you carry on this dialog. You should be feeling comforted. If you are still feeling negative in any way, focus more on love and gratitude before placing your request.

When you feel comfort in asking for your desire, you can know your request has been received and it will only be a matter of time before you will, in fact, see evidence of it. This is a given so long as you maintain your image of having it in your mind. Focus on the wonderful feelings your desired thing brings to you, and experience those feelings.

Remain open to any intuitive push you may sense to do your part. It is through your own action that you will finally receive what you asked for. Understand what you ask for may not come in the final package. You will get whatever it is you need in the way of resources, ideas, or connections that you may use to get your desired result through action.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author: Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest By Design Now.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by My Website.

Child's Play

2010-10-13T09:28:00.000-05:00

You make a decision to better your life in some way, any way. It could be in your health, finances, learning a new skill, changing your personality, anything. This decision is made in your conscious mind, your thinking mind.

Immediately you begin consciously searching for the how. This seems so natural, doesn't it? Why do you concern yourself with how? Because this is what you were taught for as long as you can remember. You were taught this by others who were also taught this by others who were taught this by still others, etc.

Stop!

I'm asking you to forget about trying to think of how. Seriously! You've got an imagination, correct? Rather than trying to figure out how to bring this change into your life, simply imagine your life as if this change were already real for you. Really imagine it with absolutely no, no, no limitations. Make this change as vivd as you possibly can in your imagination.

Step two: begin feeling it, and acting it out the best you can. Physically impossible you say? Have you seen a young child pretending to be something they obviously are not? They do a pretty good job of it, don't they? Yes? Do the same.

Immerse yourself in this image you have created in your imagination, and live it the best you can. Have no qualms about telling others what you are going to have, do, or become. You've surely heard a child do this. Do the same.

If you do this, and continue to do this, you will achieve what it is you desire. You have doubts? Why? Consider a child learning to walk with absolutely NO INSTRUCTION on how. Does this child learn to walk? Yes.

Consider a child learning to speak a language with absolutely NO INSTRUCTION on how. Does this child learn a language? Yes. Some children learn two or three or even more languages simultaneously! And they don't confuse the languages.

Don't tell me you don't know how to accomplish something. You have a mind, and that is all you need. What you really must do is go back to using your mind the way it was intended to be used. The way a child naturally uses their mind, until they "learn" that the way to learning is through consciously looking for the how.

Before they learn this concept of "how," they simply went ahead and did what they intended to do. When they were learning to walk, they fell down, perhaps countless times. When they were learning to talk, they made countless errors.

None of this even phased the idea of learning in their tiny little uneducated minds. They simply continued, and in the most natural manner, they made their course corrections through observation and repetition until they were successful. They did this without missing a beat!

You can do the same.

Everything you are today, your personality, your position at work, your standing in the community, your health, is the result of your subconscious programming, your thoughts. You don't need to worry about how to continue being the way you are. It's in your programming.

If you want change, don't worry about how. Simply begin being the change in the best way you can, living it fully in your mind and your body will follow.

As an adult, you have resources to help you make this change in ways that a child cannot. This is good, and you should take advantage of these resources. However, don't discard the methods a child uses as if they were useless and trivial.

Remember, that child managed to learn far more naturally than adults generally do. Use their methods without hesitation. Use them in conjunction with whatever other tools you have at your disposal. Expand your consciousness about the ways you may learn something new.

You see, adults tend to depend only on their conscious will for getting things in their life. The conscious will is only a part of you. Use your will to guide your imagination to experience that which you seek to be, do or have before the fact.

When you guide your imagination in this way, you will conjure up emotions. Encourage the positive emotions and consciously make the decision to let the others go on their way. This is the key to getting your image (desired result) planted into the subconscious mind. If you persist in this way, it will become quickly become habit to see yourself in this new way.

Habit is what will bring your results to you, and they do so without conscious effort. This becomes your new programming. When you learn to grow in this way, life becomes exciting again. You regain that spark of youth that you left behind perhaps long ago.

You were never meant to struggle as you have learned to do. You were meant to continue growing and seeking still more growth. This is child's play, and it is something you may use no matter your age. Turn your struggles into challenging adventures. Enjoy the task at hand. I believe in you.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest by design Now.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting This Website.

The Jackrabbit Factor

2010-10-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

I don't very often read fiction. However, I did make an exception recently when I chose to read The Jackrabbit Factor by Leslie Householder. And I am so glad I did! This story is absolutely incredible. It is a well-written modern day parable that ingeniously explains the Universal Laws and how we can apply them to get optimum results in life.

Leslie Householder is the author of this gem of a book. She lives what she teaches and this becomes apparent from the insight she so eloquently expresses in her writing. I also read her companion book to The Jackrabbit Factor. This one is titled Hidden Treasures and is written in nonfiction format.

These two books together can have a tremendous impact as they speak to both the right and left hemispheres of your brain. The Jackrabbit Factor is creative fiction and easily plants the ideas into your subconscious mind by way of the imagination which is sparked by immersing yourself in the story.

Hidden Treasures does a superb job of explaining why these concepts work, as Leslie shares many of her personal experiences with learning them. These experiences are so very understandable because they are truly universal experiences. I was stunned by the similarities I saw with the experiences in my own life.

Leslie has also co written a sequel to The Jackrabbit Factor with Garrett B. Gunderson. This book is called Portal to Genius. I cannot honestly give much detail on this book just yet, because I am only reading it now as I write this blog. But I can tell you so far, I am finding it riveting. And yes, being a sequel, it is also a fictional story with a grand purpose.

If you have already read Portal to Genius, I would love to see your comments added to this post below.

Please do check out her work. She is a genuine soul who has put her own struggles with learning these Laws to work in her teaching in the most humble, sincere way. You can see more of her at the following list of websites:

http://www.ThoughtsAlive.com

http://www.HiddenTreasuresBook.com

http://www.JackrabbitFactor.com

http://www.ProsperYourFamily.com

or her personal website: http://www.LeslieHouseholder.com

I can attest it is through gaining a greater understanding of these very Laws that Leslie teaches in her books, seminars, and other programs, that miracles can and actually do happen, when they are consciously applied. Take the time to study these Laws.

Whether you get the information from Leslie's products, my products, or anywhere else doesn't matter so much so long as you do get it somewhere. Create a better life for yourself and then share what you've learned with others so they may then do the same.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way and Manifest by design Now.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

The 12 Universal Laws & 21 Sub-Laws Everyone Needs to Know for Success in Life

2010-10-09T18:21:00.000-05:00

This is just something extra I would like to share with you all. It is very important wisdom that will help you achieve exactly what you want in life. I don't care what it is you want or where you find yourself in this moment. If you gain an inderstanding of these Universal Laws and actually apply them in your life, you WILL succeed! Guaranteed.

The 12 Universal Laws & 21 Sub-Laws Everyone Needs to Know for Success in Life

I would like to sincerely thank my good friend Liz Green for sharing this link. Please leave your comments.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting http://www.shop.jeffreybrandtproducts.com

The Process

2010-10-08T21:51:00.000-05:00

Imagine Waking up to the sound of a semi-truck in front of your home and a whole lot of noise. You get up and look out the window to see what is going on and you find your front yard is filled to overflowing with building materials.

You quickly get dressed and go outside to find out exactly what is going on only to find the people are gone and the truck is already driving away.

You look around at the abundance of materials, and you find a note. The note has your name on it and it simply states "Here is everything you need in material and tools to build your dream home. Enjoy!"

You notice there is a bit of fine print at the bottom of the page which reads "The one requirement is that you must begin building the moment you find this note. Immediately! Any hesitation on your part, and you will lose all these materials."

Strange

Well, tell me, would you be able to build your dream house? Unless you knew how to use the tools and materials, you would probably not be able to build your home as you would like it to be. This would require many skills and much knowledge that most people just don't have.

Even with all the materials and tools, you are still missing one very important component: the mind to accomplish this task.

Of course for all I know you might already have the skills necessary to build a house if you were provided all of the tools and materials. Perhaps you do this for a living. But generally, most people would not have a clue as to where to begin.

The point I am trying to make here is that this is the way it is for most people when it comes to accomplishing their dreams. They may have a very good idea of what they want, but until they buckle down and get things right in their mind, they will accomplish very little.

How do you get things right in your mind to accomplish a dream, any dream? There is a process, and this process is simple, although not always easy. It could be that because it is so simple people tend to discredit it. It's true that many actually believe that accomplishing a big dream does have to be a complicated affair.

First of all, ask yourself who is saying this. It seems the people who have never accomplished anything great in their lives are the ones who are most outspoken about what it takes to do so! Be careful where you seek advice, if you are serious about going after a dream that is important to you.

Find the ones who have been there. You will find, although they are more than willing to share their advice, they are not about to try and shove it down the throats of others who are trying to get there. they are confident , but seem to know not everybody is truly "ready" for this information.

They know what it takes because they have been there. They are generally not so outspoken because they were humbled by the experience of their own struggles to get there. They are willing to help a serious student, because they are human, and they understand what a difficult journey it can be without proper guidance.

What you will learn, if you listen with an open mind, is that most of the work is mental, not physical. Living on the more common plane, we grew up experiencing life more on a physical level. Our mental lives have been a nice distraction, but we were never taught the key to living well is based on thinking well.

I can hear the argument for getting a college degree as refutable proof that what I say is not true, but I'm not referring to the kind of education we receive in our traditional school or university system. The type of education needed to discover, go after, and attain your goals in life is largely ignored in our current educational system, which is focused more on conformity than unique expression.

There are sources of the type of education I am talking about, however. You will find this information in books, CDs, DVDs, seminars, and in the booming Life Success coaching business. It would be hard to not have noticed this explosion in the past few years.

As I said above, there is a process, and this process is simple; however, it is not easy. I believe it is not always easy because the thinking involved goes in almost total contradiction to the mass mentality we experience. And if you think about it, this actually makes sense.

Only about three to five percent of the population use this manner of thinking on a consistent basis. This very same three to five percent just happen to be some of the most successful individuals in the population as well. Chew on that.

The process:

1. Clarity:

Know with detail exactly what it is you want and why. Write it out in detail as if you had already accomplished it, and use words loaded with positive emotion (how it feels to have achieved this goal).

3. Visualize:

Spend as much time as you can vividly imagining yourself experiencing this goal already accomplished using ALL of your senses.

4. Clear

Avoid any thought not in harmony with the achievement of your goal. When conflicting thoughts do enter your mind, simply acknowledge them and allow them to leave as you consciously shift your awareness to more harmonious thoughts and feelings.

5. Awareness:

Expect results to come to you in whatever form they may come. Maintain an open mind to receiving whether it be ideas, contacts, opportunities, resources, intuitive nudges, etc. You never know how the Universe (or higher power) will help you in getting what you desire.

6. Action:

Be prepared to act on any idea, or intuitive nudge you do receive without hesitation. Do not concern yourself with what the outcome of this action may be. If you are inspired to take a specific action, there will certainly be a benefit attached, even if it does not bring the completed goal to you. It may bring you something you need to then receive.

7. Faith:

Faith is something you must live and express throughout this entire process. Faith is something that may not come naturally to you. This is why I say this process, although simple, may not always be easy. Faith is something you can learn to acquire through working with this process. Actually, this may be the first part of your goal-seeking if it is something you need help with.

The best way I know to build your faith is through educating yourself in these principles through multiple sources and actually putting the process to the test. In any case, you will want to learn as much as you can about this process to get yourself to the point you can internalize it. This is when it becomes fun to see what you can do with it.

There are several laws that make up the foundation of this process, and I encourage you to look into these laws. The more you know about this process and the underlying laws, the more you will have confidence in it.

This blog is filled with very relevant information to this process. Please take the time to look through the archives and see for yourself what resonates with you.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Five years time

2010-10-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

Consider five years. Is this a long time? Is it a short time? Why five years? Actually I just pulled this number out of the blue, but it could just as easily be any other number. I will say five years because it is somewhat relative to a University education.

Now let's apply this to your primary goal. I am assuming you have some kind of a big goal since you are reading my blog. Even if it is somewhat of a vague goal. If your goal is rather vague I would definitely suggest you put some time and effort in to clarify that goal, if you want clear results. This only makes sense.

There is an interesting thing about people when they do set goals for themselves. People tend to overestimate what is possible for them in the short term, and they underestimate what is possible for them in the long term. Let's just say it may take you five years to reach your goal, IF it is a large goal and IF you are working toward it consistently during the next five years.

I can hear you now: "Five years? That's a long time!" As I said it may be less, but then again it may be more. I would like to make a point with this five years however.

What CA N you do in five years time? I would say one of the very best things you could do with the next five years is read a few books. Think about this. If you were to read, say, one new book every month for the next five years, do know how many books that would be?

That's sixty books. Now what kind of books you read can make a very big difference in your life. If your goal is related to business or sales or marketing, you will want to read books about business and sales and marketing. You get the idea.

How much better prepared will you be in five years after having read this many books? How much more of an edge will you have over others who want the same goal as you? Sixty books is a lot of books. that is a lot of information.

What if during these five years you also began searching out information on the web relative to your goal. You began watching videos, listening to audios, getting newsletters or checked out blogs.

What if during these next five years you began experimenting with the ideas that came to you, ideas that might help you reach your goal? If money is tight, don't be discouraged. If your mind is focused on your goal long enough, ideas will come to you that require little or no money.

Can you just imagine what your life may look like after five years time if you would actually DO these suggestions? I would imagine you would be a completely different person, at least relative to your ability to get your goal.

You still may be thinking five years is just too long. Well, I thought someone might say this. So I would then say this: Where will you be in five year's time if you continue doing as you are right now?

I would be willing to bet you won't be much different, except that you will then be five years older! If you are feeling frustrated right now because you want your goals to be realized, I imagine you will feel even more frustrated after five years have passed, if you choose to do nothing about it.

So what if it takes you five years to get there? At least you will get there! As I said before, it may take you longer. It may take you less. Just remember the time will pass in any case. I can guarantee you will feel better and be better off if you are doing something about your goals and dreams as this time passes than if you don't.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

The garden of your mind

2010-10-04T18:49:00.000-05:00

If you've studied the topic of how to achieve goals for any length of time, you've surely heard the analogy of the mind being as a garden and ideas being seeds. This analogy is the most perfect analogy I've yet heard. I first heard it from Earl Nightingale in The Strangest Secret, but it's been used by many others, as well.

Whatever thought you allow into your mind, if it is fed through repetition and focus, will eventually manifest in your life. So why is it that so many have a difficult time getting the thoughts they want to manifest, to sprout from the garden of their mind and into their life?

The reason often has to do with the fact that besides the seed they consciously want to plant, they also have planted many other thoughts. And these many other thoughts are often in direct conflict with the thought they want to grow and manifest.

A garden in the earth is capable of growing any seed you plant into it. The corresponding plant will sprout if given the chance. When we look at an untended garden, however, we often don't see the plants that we originally planted. Rather we can only see a number of other plants growing. Weeds. The reason is because time was not taken to care for this garden.

The same thing happens with the garden of your mind. When you take the time to consciously plant a thought (a goal) into your mind, your job is not then finished. Understand you need to tend to this garden of the mind. You must take care not to allow the weed seeds to overcome the one seed you desire. These are other thoughts or goals that you don't necessarily want to come to fruition.

Where do these other thoughts come from? They may come from anywhere. to give you a few examples, consider this. Every conversation you have with others, your mind is at work, evaluating that conversation. If the person happens to be discussing something negative, your mind will automatically begin focusing on the negative as well. You are planting negative seeds!

Be alert to what is going on in your mind when dealing with others and avoid negative conversation like the plague. Another example of how you may pick up unwanted thought seeds is from the media. This works the same way when you are watching a program on the television. Actually you are more prone to being programmed in a negative way through watching the television.

Why? Because the television has a way of putting your mind into a light trance. This is similar to being hypnotized. remaining consciously alert to catching and rejecting negative thoughts while watching television is extremely difficult, if possible at all. It is the most natural thing to become mentally passive within minutes of setting down in front of the television.

Besides the program itself, the commercials are specifically aimed at planting programs in your mind, taking advantage of the docile state of your conscious awareness. Trust me, these companies know what they are doing, and it is intentional.

I'm not asking you to make any drastic changes in your life. It is your life, but I would like for you to consider these factors when you become serious about wanting real change in your life. Trying to achieve your goals should not cause you to throw your arms up in defeat.

It may just be a matter of realizing patterns in your life that are making it more difficult. Get used to the idea of monitoring your thoughts more closely. Or better yet, monitoring your feelings. If you're not feeling calm and confident when you consider your goals, you can know you have conflicting thoughts going through your mind.

In this case, spend more time visualizing the ideal of having achieved your goal already and encourage more positive feelings when doing so. At the same time, spend less time around whatever may be having a negative influence on your thinking.

How far you want to go with this all depends on how seriously you want to see your goals come to fruition, but you can know that if you want to see great change in your life, YOU will have to do some changing.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

Becoming successful

2010-10-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

Becoming successful has absolutely nothing to do with luck or chance. It has almost nothing to do with the resources you have in this moment. It has been said that luck is nothing more than opportunity meeting up with preparation. I believe this with all my heart.

As for resources, they do play a factor; however, you have the resources you need to be successful already, if you are able to read this blog. It really is not so much a matter of what resources you have as it is how you use them. This is the message I would like to convey to you.

You can begin right now in this moment to build upon what you have and your opportunities will increase with every step forward. But you do have to begin taking those steps. Take account of what you have going for you in this moment and decide right now to begin using what you have.

Be bold and step out of your comfort zone. You cannot expect to grow if you are not willing to stretch. If you feel uncomfortable or even fearful to try something, so what? Do it anyway. What if you fail in your attempt? So what? Do it anyway. Decide right now that failure is simply a price you are willing to pay in order to learn the correct path.

Life is meant to be lived, not simply contemplated. To live means to experience. Experience only comes to those who are willing to try. You cannot write a book without writing! This sounds very obvious, but you wouldn't believe the number of people who have told me they wanted to write a book, but have not yet written anything.

The same goes for getting a business off the ground. It will never happen until you actually do it yourself. Dreaming is a wonderful thing to do. But a dream is only the beginning. Take your dream whatever it may be, get on it, and ride.

Look around and find what resources you have to use now. Don't worry if you don't see much that you can do in this moment. Do whatever you can. I guarantee that if you do, more resources will then make themselves available to you, but you will not see them until you first use the ones you now have.

This is the way it works. There really is no secret. If you remember in the film, The Secret, Jack Canfield used the analogy of driving from Los Angeles to New York in the night. Your headlights only reveal the next 150 feet or so at a time, but this is sufficient. As you move forward, more will be revealed to you, and you progress.

This has been my own personal experience and it is the same experience I have seen described by every successful person I know. Everybody has dreams, but few have the courage to make them happen. I believe this is because people want to see the whole path laid out in front of them.

The word faith comes to mind. Have the faith and take that first action. Really what do you have to lose? You won't be any worse off than you are now. With your new experience, you will be able to make a wiser choice next. One step at a time you will begin to walk. You have to walk before you can run. When you run fast enough, you will be able to fly.

You have much to offer the world, and I want you to begin expressing this truth. You do so through your actions. I am here to help and I look forward to doing so.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

In the beginning

2010-09-29T19:21:00.000-05:00

Take a good look at some object you admire. It could be something in your home. It could be a particular bridge, building, or other structure. Perhaps a favorite automobile. I would like you to contemplate something.

For the sake of having an example let's just say we're considering the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, California. When did this bridge begin existing?

Was it the day it was finished? Well, did it just suddenly appear one day, and everybody dropped their jaw in awe of its presence as the mayor of San Francisco gave ceremony to it? I don't think so. It had to be built first.

Obviously you say. There had to be an army of workers involved in the construction of such a colossal structure. With this you may trace its existence back to the day ground was first broken. Again, I say I don't think so. It had to be planned out first.

Of course you don't just go about building the Golden Gate bridge without having very detailed plans in place to guide the construction workers. Perhaps you might say that the bridge actually began existing when the plans were first made.

But these plans had to come from somewhere, did they not? Somewhere in the mind of one sole individual a thought was sparked. A thought may seem like a trivial thing, but not every thought follows this description.

This thought was given the chance to grow until it became clear enough to be relayed to an architect, who then planned it out. With these plans then came the army of workers to build the thing.

Surely you can understand the gist of this story I have just related, but let's take a look at it in another light. You've heard many gurus of success suggesting that when you focus on your own goals that you should think of them in terms of already having been accomplished. Consider them a fact of record.

But how can I do that when what I am envisioning does not yet exist? I don't actually have the million dollars, the new car, the big house, etc. Wait a minute!

Let's back up for just a moment. When did the Golden Gate bridge actually begin existing? I say it began long before there was any trace of its physical existence. It began as a mere thought in the mind of one visionary human being.

I also say that your goal, whatever that goal may be, began its existence also in the very moment you conceived of it in thought. Everything begins with a thought, would you not agree?

Now think about that statement again with a certain emphasis: Everything BEGINS with a thought. Once you have thought it, it exists! A thought is ephemeral. It is something very delicate, that can easily be destroyed, if neglected or crushed. But will grow into something more liquid, if encouraged.

This liquid thing is what we call plans. Plans can change and evolve, but will not cease to exist unless we actively destroy them. If they are nourished and prodded along, even accelerated with the aid of others, who can now "see" them, they will indeed exist in what we generally consider to be real form.

Get used to the idea that this physical world is considered the real world only because someone decided that it should be considered so. The real world, in my opinion, goes much further along than merely what we can see with our eyes.

Don't be afraid to declare your goals as something real only because they exist solely in your own mind for now. They do exist in any case already. Give your faith to this truth and feel your "accomplished" goal with confidence. Try it and see what happens.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

A stubborn mind can be your greatest asset

2010-09-27T19:22:00.000-05:00

There does exist a lot of fear in the world today. If you look at many of the world affairs, you can easily see not only evidence of this, but apparent justification for the basis of these fears. It doesn't matter whether you're thinking of the economy, the wars, the human condition or the environment, but this is not what I want to talk about.

I do receive a number of emails and messages from people who have what you might call "personal problems" as well. I often get asked for help in resolving relationship difficulties and people who are dealing with negative energy in too many forms to describe here. But I don't want to talk about this either.

What I do want to talk about then is the answer to all of these so-called "problems." You see I do practice what I preach. If you've read this blog for any time or if you've read any of my books, you will see that I am quite adamant about maintaining control of my own thoughts, in spite of anything that comes into my experience.

Now does this mean that I am claiming to be living free from problems? In no way. But I can tell you this, when a problem does come into my awareness, I have trained my mind to recognize it for what it is. I realize that something inside of my own thinking is lacking in harmony. And I do not dwell upon the "problem."

I immediately begin redirecting my thinking to thoughts of what I have to be grateful for, thoughts of abundance, thoughts of service to others. If what I sense is a physical need, such as realizing I've been pushing myself for too long to get something done, I listen to my body and put whatever it is aside for awhile to rest.

This can be frustrating sometimes as I tend to get overly ambitious at times with myself. I take that break and do it with a pleasant mind. Everything I do, I consciously do it with a contented mindset. When I am doing the chores that I do around the house that I may not feel are all that in line with what I would rather be doing, I make the conscious decision to do it with pride. For example doing the dishes or taking out the trash, or making the bed. When I make breakfast for my family on the weekends, I do with love, even when I'm not particularly thrilled at the thought of doing this at first. I make the commitment to change my thinking before I even start.

Simply put, I refuse to do anything in a grudgingly fashion. Refuse!

What all of this comes down to is really quite simple. Live in the moment. Whatever you are doing in this moment. Focus on that task only. Keep in mind what thoughts you are entertaining surrounding this activity. If they are not the most positive thoughts you can imagine, then imagine better thoughts. This you CAN control.

Right in line with living in the moment is living within yourself. It may be easy to allow yourself to be drawn into the negative conversations that tend to prevail in the workplace during break time. The same goes for anytime you are interacting with others in a leisurely manner. Negative commentary is so common we scarcely recognize it unless we train our mind to remain alert for it.

Don't get sucked up in this negative energy. Focus on the positive around you, or the positive thoughts that you create yourself. Dwell on your ideal life, your dreams and goals. Think about the plans you have and consider how you might move in the direction of their completion. You have options. Use them.

If someone tries to draw you into a conversation filled with gossip or whoa-is-me subjects, try to steer the conversation in a different direction or kindly excuse yourself, and then run as fast as you can away from there!

All I am asking is that you be more aware of what is going in inside your head. After all, it is what goes on in there that is creating your life experience, not the other way around. To be successful with this, you will have to develop a stubborn attitude, but know that you are worth it. You are a miracle in the works!

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.

I remember when

2010-09-26T20:18:00.000-05:00

I can remember growing up in the northern United States. Winters were cold and we always had snow. My friends and I would bundle up for the cold, which was quite a task in itself with the many layers of clothing to keep warm. then we would drag our inner tubes or sleds outside and walk to the nearest hill.

We would struggle to climb this hill, dragging our sleds behind us all the way to the very top of the hill. Once we were at the top, we would look down at the adventure that awaited us. Finally we would climb on our sleds and with a little push, we were off and racing down the hill.

The ride down the hill never lasted as long as the long climb up again, but this didn't seem to matter to us. It was fun. Although the climb was work, our focus was always on that brief but exhilarating ride back down. This remained fun for many years during the winter months.

As we grew, however, the thrill seemed to fade as it seemed the work of climbing for such a brief ride was no longer worth it. Our idea of fun changed and we began to look for other things.

Years later we look back at those times. They will always be times to be remembered with fondness. the memories were planted deep in our psyches and they will be treasured for a lifetime.

I don't see kids doing this with the intensity we did nowadays. Sure you can still see it happening, but the sight is not so commonplace. Life has changed and become busier for most kids these days.

Thinking about this, I think about the many ways life seemed to be such a struggle when I was younger. I suppose every generation views life in this same way. How often have you heard someone say "Back in my day..."?

But you know something? For as much as we (or anyone) has struggled just to have a little fun, we don't dwell so much on the struggles we endured as much as the fun times we experienced as a result of these struggles. Anyone who struggled to achieve something when they were young to accomplish something, no matter how small, will remember these struggles with a smile.

Think about this when you are faced with struggles in your endeavors today to live your dreams. If the dream is worthy, whatever struggle you may face will be worth the trouble when you look back later.

Memories are not made only during childhood. Your whole life should be lived in the pursuit of creating even bigger and greater memories. Just remember the perspective you had when you were a young child. You were not focusing on the immediate struggle you faced to get to the top of that snow-covered hill. Your focus was always on the exciting ride you were about to experience.

When this becomes your focus, you are in the process of creating wonderful memories for some future day, when you will look back and smile at your struggles. This is life. It is meant to be lived, to be experienced. Challenge is only resistance which makes you better prepared for even bigger challenges ahead. And bigger challenges mean bigger rewards.

I want YOU to succeed!!

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way.

All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting My Website.