Reality Check - Lets be Honest

"If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed." - Chinese Proverb

To get to where you want to go start where you're at. So where are you? Or, maybe a better question is what are you? The first step in any achievement at any level is to properly and accurately assess the current "state" of things. Individuals, businesses, and even governments are good at making generalized inaccurate assessments. Most of us can relate to this fact. It is very challenging to look at a part of us that holding us back, that is destroying our progress, or that is sabotaging our well-being. We like to use an elementary logic to justify or embellish areas of ourselves that we would like to change.

Businesses are similar to people in that regard. Many business managers and executives justify, excuse, or embellish results out of fear of exposing a weak point, or lack of efficacy in a certain department. Which leads us to the "choke-point" of the being honest theme. The fear of being exposed, and what it could mean.

There is a fear which overtakes some of us when we are forced to look at a limiting factor that could be in conflict with our identity. The interesting thing is that acknowledgment of a weakness or constraint does several wonderful things for us including the following:

- it allows us to search for precise solutions
- it conveys maturity to others (only capable and confident people will face a fear or limit and seek to overcome it)
- it opens opportunity to investigate how solving the problem/weakness will open doors of opportunity - thus indirectly feeding a compelling vision to see the solution through with optimism and expectation.

The danger of not properly assessing our current state are the following:

- we are thrown farther off track from our goals
- we become indecisive because of lack of accurate data
- we lack genuine confidence in our undertakings
- we lower our expectations, and stifle our most intimate desires

So how can we properly assess our state, and create a plan to fix what is wrong and strengthen what is right, and raise our vision? Several suggestions:

- What are your current results telling you? - results are accurate data, when properly interpreted.
- Feedback ( what do others tell me?) - seek input from others, both from your industry and outside of it to give the most compete info. possible.
- Actions (What actions do I habitually take? - actions are based on beliefs and give you insight as to what you really think of yourself and your business)
- Preparation (What am I preparing for? - complements beliefs: when something is wholeheartedly believed to occur in the near future, preparation happens.
- Comparison (How do I compare with others?) The best way to compare is not by guessing, but by probing, asking, and conversing with others to properly gauge our level of efficacy (we does this unconsciously anyway)- Even better is reading about others - biographies & autobiographies.

Fear not what might be exposed, but the consequences of not improving what should be exposed. The ultimate sign of maturity and competence is to observe with detachment. To allow your mind to analyze and execute a solution without being hemmed up by emotional flux.

Angel Armendariz

The Pleasures of Belief

"Men do not forego the pleasures of the moment to
say good-bye to all joy for evermore--no, this self-control is a
training, so that we may reap the fruits of a larger joy in the time
to come. A man will toil day and night to make himself an orator, yet
oratory is not the one aim of his existence: his hope is to influence
men by his eloquence and thus achieve some noble end." Xenophon, Cyropaedia

There exists a fundamental template that acts as a foundation for all action. As a business professional, knowing that their is a source, that when adjusted, changes the actions that are taken is of immense value. One of the variables of this template is what we call beliefs. Beliefs are not tangible things that we can hold, yet they have the ability to create life, to extinguish it; and to spur any action ever conceived. Beliefs are what tells us what is possible.

Most, if not all, businesses sell a vision of what is possible. They sell this vision to clients, employees, shareholders, communities, etc. If we connect the dots here we can see the correlation between beliefs and vision. What would happen if we don't believe in our vision? Would we be able to sell it? Well, not really. If beliefs tell us what is possible, and to sell we must believe the vision is possible, then businesses will not survive, much less thrive if belief is ignored. Frequently, what we call "unmotivated," "underachieving," or even "poor" employees are actually simply suffering from a lack of belief. Either of themselves, their company, their product/service, and usually a combination of some of these factors.

Beliefs are created by having experiences that tell us that something is possible. We need to experience a sense of certainty that if such and such is done, then x will be the result. If we have enough references that meet that criteria, then we effectively establish a belief. The majority of our beliefs are adopted from others, and built around our personal experiences.

With that in mind it becomes vital that we adopt beliefs from those individuals which we admire, or wish to model. It is also important to seek experiences which will help build and reinforce empowering ones. At the end of the day beliefs are under our control, and must be managed effectively to open the doors to the possibilities we seek to realize.

Interestingly enough we can read into someone's beliefs by their actions. We can tell if someone has a high self esteem or a low self esteem, simply by observing their actions. A person who believes that something grand is possible will forego immediate pleasures for future ones. Think about it. To say no to immediate pleasures requires a belief that the future rewards will outweigh the current offering. Those who don't believe they can have something better or do something better will try to get the quick fix.

Those who engage in discipline, even though to some it may seem like self-denial, are actually investing in future pleasure. These disciplined individuals have strong beliefs about what they want (vision) and have no doubt they will manifest, thus they more often than not produce the intended result. Management at all levels from self to business requires a continuous refinement and inspection of the beliefs structure to ensure that they are consciously driven to exceed expectations.

Angel Armendariz

How To Be Better Than Yesterday

"He only is a well-made man who has a good determination. And the end of culture is not to destroy this, God forbid! but to train away all impediment and mixture and leave nothing but pure power." - Ralph Waldo Emerson


Do you believe it's possible to be 1% better today than you were yesterday? Think about it. What would it mean to be 1% better? You might say sure, of course! Or you might believe its not possible. Suspend judgment for now, simply consider the possibility and what it would mean.

To be better by 1% is not a literal concept I employ here, but more of a practical theme. The essence of "being better" would mean that if I am at least 1% more effective today than I was yesterday, then the challenges I faced yesterday will seem easier today. For example, if yesterday I was flustered and overwhelmed by client demands and objections to my product or service, then today I will be less so. Essentially my task becomes easier because I have become greater. Compounded over a period of days, weeks, and months you can imagine how powerful this principle can be.

Additionally, to be 1% better would mean that you can now extend yourself and take on greater challenges or aim at loftier ambitions. Because, we are better today than yesterday we naturally will want to be challenged, and will have an affinity to take on greater projects. The effects of the 1% better creed would create a "steady state" (to borrow a term from biology) were we would teeter between be overly powerful at handling yesterdays task, and not yet fully competent at dealing with the increasing demands of our evolving goals. This 'growth tension' is the optimal path which professionals should seek to continually create value for themselves and their respective endeavors.

The 1% creed can and should become part of your daily due diligence. Some of the ways to guarantee investment into your 1% daily growth are as follows:

- improve your vocabulary
- improve the sound of your voice
- improve your ability to articulate what you think and feel
- focus on listening to how people say things, not just the content
- learn to read a new, previously ignored, non-verbal communication from people
- learn about properly managing a certain emotion
- learn 2 new questions that can help close a sale
- learn how to play a different interpersonal role
- make 1 new friend and learn something interesting about them
- learn to 1 new way to harmonize your body
- eat a healthy meal instead of a your usual non-healthy one
- do something that frightens you, but that you know is worth the effort
- give more of yourself to others
- learn 1 new thing about your profession
- learn 1 new thing about self-management...

This list can go on forever, but you get the point. Everyday you can even break it down to getting a 1% fix for your body, mind, and profession. Before retiring for the day ensure that the 1% marks are hit. The principle is so subtle, yet so powerful that it could ultimately be the biggest difference in success or failure. Think about the cost of not becoming better. If we don't become better, by default we become worse. In biology and science they call it entropy. A system that does not absorb new information will only lose information and decay into inert energy-less matter. What makes us different than a mere inanimate system is that we have a choice. The choices are 1) gather new information and grow; or 2) lose information and decay.

Angel Armendariz

The Powerful Influence of Velocity

"Speed...is not only a powerful influence on those on your side. Frederick the Great noted that an army that moves quickly has higher morale. Velocity creates a sense of vitality. Moving with speed means there is less time for you and your army to make mistakes." Robert Greene, 33 Strategies of War

There is something powerful about speed. It is valued at many different levels. Speed in and of itself gives a rush. Think about sports, cars, and even business. I find for instance, that when making business calls, going at an accelerated rate creates a sort of "flow." This flow was well documented in the book "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is a transcendent property of execution. When one extends and challenges oneself for an extended duration a sense of well-being, union, and transcendence is experienced. It is as if we are partaking in our best execution, call it - 'spontaneous right action'.

To build our capacity to accelerate on call, preparation must be sought. The more well prepared we are in whatever activity we want to accelerate the easier and speedier we create this flow. If we are inadequately prepared for a task we wish to be fast in we will stumble and go slow. However, if we are well prepared by practice, training, and simulation; we will have a greater ability to use speed to our advantage.

One of the greatest military commanders of all time Fredrick The Great noted that speed was not only a strategy to win battle, but also helped boost morale of the soldiers. Speed has processional effects. It makes us feel good, it makes us perform good, and it makes us experience a result sooner. The paradox to becoming effective speedsters is the arduous underpinning of preparation. Preparation takes time. Preparation involves a large investment of time and rehearsal to simulate live action. The more we engage in time consuming preparation the more we will win come show time' and the faster we will be able to use speed as a leverage factor.

Succinctly we can say - slow down (prepare) to speed up!

Angel Armendariz

The Courtship of the Masses

"You can have brilliant idea, but if you can't get those ideas across, they don't do anybody any good." - Lee Iacocca

From the archives of psychological literature we further our understanding of human nature. Even though we know a tremendous amount about human behavior - how to change, how to influence, how to become; we seldom make complete use of such information. What's even more difficult is communicating the vast amount of knowledge we have of psychology to others for their practical use. This dilemma is the proverbial Gordian Knot that must be cut with effective communication.

Any idea, any information, and any solution for that matter is worthless unless properly communicated in an understandable format to our audience. Whether we're dealing with a client in business, or constituency as a politician, a teacher to a student, or a parent to a child; we must acknowledge and effectively deal with this problem. An effective communicator is first and foremost adaptable.

That is, he/she able to find common ground with whomever they communicate with. For example, the most effective way to build rapport and communicate with a child would not be to act professional and proper. The best way would be to play the games they play. The effective communicator can enter the child's world and play whatever a child plays.

From this example we can see that the limiting factor in being able to communicate effectively is one's ability to enter another's world. To learn the "reality" they inhabit, and to be curious and interested in learning more about it. Too often, our laziness forces us to try to impose our reality on others. This is by far the worst way to effectively communicate, and is a sign of a limited communicator.

By definition an effective communicator is versatile, and thus is supposed to be the most flexible in his/her ability to communicate. Legendary psychotherapists of modern times such as Fritz Perls, Milton Erickson, Virginia Satir, Richard Bandler, John Grinder, and Anthony Robbins all share this flexibility in common. A common definition associated with "pathological" individuals is the inability to see outside their own reality. In essence, the extreme form of this inability to see other people's maps of reality is thought of as pathological. In fact, Timothy Leary's model of Interpersonal Dynamics is based on such a principle, and has been used widely as a psychometric.

A recent sales book I read dismissed the idea of trying to find commonality and to enter into the world of the buyer. Though it might work effectively for some, that does not mean it is the most effective. And based on boatloads of research from business schools, psychology departments, and optimal sales forces, the consensus stand on the value of increasing adaptability and using it to enter the world of our audience. I caution, however, that to enter does not mean to mislead, or to become a copycat. It means to surrender your rigid views for moments in time to expand your awareness of others, and thus be able to understand and provide value to those you wish to engage with. Ultimately the end result will be the ability to effectively sell your product, service, idea, reform, or what have you.

Angel Armendariz

Wall Street Market Chaos and What That Means to Home Owners

Wall Street Market Chaos and What That Means to Home Owners

The end of the housing boom has given way to the long predicted housing bust.
The Wall Street spectacle is playing right before our eyes through television and all major media outlets. We're hearing things about the credit crises in the secondary market sectors, which also effects most other U.S. industries.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Paul Kasriel of Northern Trust stated,
"Housing's going to stay in a recession and it's starting to spread to other parts of the economy, especially the consumer sector."

How does this effect consumers across the U.S.? More urgently, how can we minimize the effects of the housing crises?

The answer seems to be to provide information and resources to help homeowners understand what is going on and what they can do.
The information seems to be ambiguously scattered, and difficult to come by. Green Castle Group LLC, a consulting & Sales Training agency in San Antonio, TX;
has recently released a free guide for Homeowners. The guide is provided as a service to the community in hopes of alleviating the pressure felt by homeowners
during these uncertain times.

The two owners of Green Castle Group LLC, Angel and Eric Armendariz worked in the mortgage industry in Boston, MA; before moving to San Antonio to start-up a Consulting agency to improve sales performance for Corporations and Organizations.

The e-book is a resource for all homeowners, that includes,
pertinent information for protecting homeowners in this critical time of need. The e-book is available free of charge at their website http://greencastlegroup.com/.

Communication Universe - Are there Absolute Laws?

"Desire is possibility seeking expression, or function seeking performance."
- Wallace D. Wattles

In quantum physics scientists are in a race to find the "absolute" laws of existence. The presupposition is that "absolute" laws actually exist. We generally assume that there have to be absolute laws or ultimate truth. But, why do we think that? Maybe its a desire for a sense of certainty of some permanence to our lives. Nonetheless

I now ask the same question of Communication. In the broad category of Communication lets include all interpersonal forms of communication. Sales, marketing, casual persuasion, pick up strategies, essays, and public speaking. Would we be able to assume that these communication modes abide by "absolute" or "universal" laws? We would of course use something more fundamental to communication to describe this underlying template we suspect. Principles, are generally the equivalent to the quantum physicists "absolute" laws.

Acting is Sales?

Lets look at some principles. We'll first venture into Acting. Acting is all about communication...
James R. Alburger, acting and voice-over coach, gives this as the recipe for Selling the audience:

-Interrupt
-Engage
-educate
-offer

James, gives his students those for "principles" for capturing listeners attention. Hmmm...If i didn't know any better I'd say that those principles look eerily familiar to a sales pitch process. Or even a marketing pitch. Lets look at a famous sales pitch process. This is Neil Rackhams's Spin Selling formula:

-Situation
-Problem
-Implications
-Needs-Payoff

Courtship Ritual

Interesting...Could this apply online? Maria Veloso, a web copyrighting master, says yes. In Mitch Meyerson's book, Success Secrets of The Online Marketing Superstars, Maria Veloso describes a sales script meticulously made to move in the same linear format as the two examples above. She obviously gets the fact that the process is not about a "quickie"...she describes it quite intimately however, courtship like -"Seducing your Web visitor is like a dance, wherein you lead and they follow. You make a move, they respond accordingly, you take another step and they follow your lead in a seamless relay that ultimately leads to the sale." How's that for using the courtship analogy...

-Angel Armendariz

What Advice Would Einstein Give Bear Stearns?

In study and increasing intelligence the acceleration/adaptation template is somewhat famous, in regards to the beneficiaries of using this powerful force. Henri Poincare, famous mathematician and scientist; used the ac/ad template to erupt his creativity, producing some of the most important scientific works of his time. Einstein used to say that after wrestling with a difficult problem through arduous study and research; the aha moments would come during the casual bouts of everyday things. He once inquired to a friend from Princeton asking,"Why is it that I get my best ideas in the morning while shaving? The answer of course falls into the natural working of the creative mechanism; that works in the ac/ad format. Its almost an iconic symbol of sorts...the image of the scientist laboring arduously to solve a problem...researching, testing, questioning, etc.(acceleration). Followed by bouts of rest, sleep, recreation, etc.(adaptation)....leading to the solution, epiphany, or realization of the missing piece of the puzzle.
Economic cycles of the ac/ad kind are commonplace. The systems in place to regulate or deregulate businesses across the U.S. work with the intent of the common good. The Federal reserve board for example establishes key interest rate payouts as well as governmental watch over economic stability to ensure the "growth" (acceleration) of the U.S. economy and at times "deceleration" (adaptation) to maintain a state of productivity. Keenly aware of the dangers of rapid growth, government adjusts economic inputs to ensure a cyclic stability. Unabashed growth leads to dire consequences as is the current case in the housing market, with over appreciated property values across the majority of U.S. metropolitan areas. Ignited by profit insatiability, and lack of understanding of the underlying templates at work; investors over exploit market niche's and start to fantasize of a never ending parade of exponential growth and lead themselves to their own graves and taking with them other interconnected markets. Case in point, Bear Stearns, New Century, American Home, and many more yet to come. Its an interesting blind spot in most individuals as well as businesses and groups; that when "good" times are prevalent, such as the case with exponential growth we start to believe that we have somehow fooled the laws of existence. Continuous growth is definitely possible, and happens all the time; however, this occurs when the understanding of cycles and the ac/ad template is headed. Speculators and traders in numerous markets profit enormously on a continual basis, no matter what the market condition, because they are aware of "bull" markets (ac) and "bear" markets (ad), and adjust their bets accordingly.

"The monetary history of the last four hundred years has been replete with financial crises. The pattern (template) was that investor optimism increased as economies expanded, the rate of growth of credit increased and economic growth accelerated..." Manias, Panics, and Crashes, by Charles P. Kindleberger and Robert Aliber.

A classic example of a business suicide by neglect of the ac/ad template is Enron. The thirst for continual profit, that was unsustainable through their methods; caused fictitious selling up the value of Enron stock that really had limited value...metaphorically speaking they were "overtraining"...way beyond overtraining and eventually they dug their own grave, and down with them came billions of dollars in investor funds.

- Angel Armendariz, excerpt - Untitled

How Selective Are You?

The more you know, the more specific distinctions you can make about a particular subject. Obviously, continually educating yourself is as necessary as daily exercise. However, do not let yourself get hazed into a confusing onslaught of information overload. It is rare to see this; it's more often the case to see lack of information than abundance of it. It still remains true though that even unconsciously we are bombarded with millions of bits of info. daily, that can obscure the clarity of our underlying principles. A funny thing came to my mind not to long ago. Someone told me that I was very selective with what I listened to, who I spent time with, and even what I exposed my sight to. It was interesting to note someone making that observation. Than I thought to myself..."Why would you not be selective?"...."Why would you allow any random object or force invade your mind?"...a quick analogy followed..."It's like being a prostitute of sorts....isn't it?...except without getting paid"...I laughed and smiled about it. But if you honestly think about it that way, it sort of is. I mean, most of us are selective with who we choose to be intimate with, or our mates, because it is assumed under cultural rules that we will be with them "till death do you part." Well, interestingly enough every bit of information that enters your perception (hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, etc.) becomes recorded forever as well, throughout your mind and body. So then, wouldn't you agree that it would make sense to be selective about which channels of influence you allow to buy real estate in your mind? Of course it would. Passionate, non-conforming individuals should be aware of this, and be selective. Give yourself a creed. Tell yourself what standards of selectivity you will stand by. This will help you at all times make wise decisions that will have a cumulative effect on your Success and who you become.

- Excerpt from - Sales Gods II, New Pathways to Development, coming soon
www.godsofsales.com

How to Become a Sales God

"...Forget your feelings and thoughts. Simply listen with interest on the client. The more you're able to do this, the more the client feels good about being open with you. Think about something you do well, or enjoy doing; you'll find that when you are doing these things you aren't thinking about your thoughts or feelings; you are so engaged and in unity with the event that you transcend your self-talk and feelings. When focused intently on the client you go beyond yourself, and work from a higher level of performance. Furthermore, as you engage the client you become sensitive to reactions from their body posture, eye movements, skin coloration, and other responses the client is having at the moment. When engaged on the phone you want heightened awareness of the tone, pitch, pace, and mood of how your client is communicating. How something is said and how something is expressed by body movements is almost always more important than the content of what is said."

... "Everyone has a way of doing the things they do. From the way you choose where to go to dinner, to the way you decide what to wear to work. The actions you take and the decisions you make follow a certain pattern. You have your own individual way of coming to a decision, and of getting yourself to take action. When buying a product/service you might not even realize that there are specific steps you take each time you make a purchase decision. It would be pretty inefficient to use arbitrarily chosen steps to make a decision every time you had to make a purchase. We have consciously or unconsciously developed a specific combination of feelings/thoughts within ourselves that will cause us to "make sense" of the purchase decision, and buy. If we know the exact steps a person takes when making a confident purchase decision than we can provide our pr/s in the manner necessary to create the sale. It is much easier and wiser to use a pre-existing system - in this case a comfortable buying strategy, than to try to create a whole new buying pattern. "

Excerpt from my new E-Book How to Become a Sales God
available at www.godsofsales.com
Click to Order Online Now!

For The Beautiful Mind

Blog for the Beautfiul...
Current mood: awake

...as we lead our lives forward and we make it a habit to continually grow as a person and develop our abilities whether professional or otherwise we further realize that circumstances, results, and most anything that occurs in our lives is directly related to us. Failure to create this belief fuels personality types that embellish pessimism, that seek separation, that see differences, problems, and fragmentation as absolute, as real, and as immovable forces that block ones life. This realization is what empowers highly successful individuals. Whether consciously or unconsciously, they believe that the can change almost anything, they believe they produce circumstances, not out of vanity or ignorance, but usually out of experience and information. This is what leads one that achieves a high level of self efficacy to attribute results to themselves, to take responsibility; knowing full well that they have empowered themselves to be the primary factor in creating the desired outcomes. Napolean Bonaparte once said "Circumstances-what circumstances? I make circumstances." Now its imperative not to confuse the ends with the means or the process with the content. Very often you'll see the case were an individual, organization, country, or any such group of individuals loses awareness of the primary process that leads to these striking abilities to create circumstances. As previously mentioned, a multi-faceted array of factors are at play continuously in creation, and losing sight of this can lead to trouble. In the chapter dealing with acceleration and adaptation you will be introduced to one such factor, or template, that underlies creation and circumstances. Now, when you lose sight of the very fundamentals of growth and development that create the empowering offspring within oneself, and the enhanced abilities to create, achieve, and command circumstance; the reverse will become evident...you will become prey to the evolving circumstances. Dwelling in a self enchanted world of complacency has always been the recipe for decadence - personally, professionally, politically...basically in every living system from microbes to whole civilizations.
So we use the word Holon (borrowed from Koestler) to convey the fact of everything being both a part and a whole. A whole is autonomous and can function independently and assert itself, and a part functions within a larger whole and is integrative. As this relates to ourselves, I would like to include a little message from Confucius, the ancient Chinese sage, to put this concept into perspective:
"The ancient who desired to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the empire, first ordered well their own state.
Wishing to order well their own state, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they
first cultivated their own persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their heart. Wishing to
rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts,
they extended their knowledge to the utmost; and this extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.
Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were
sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their heart being rectified, their persons
were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their family being regulated, their
states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, their whole empire was made tranquil and happy.
From the emperor down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person, the root of every
thing besides."

- excerpt, Untitled, Angel Armendariz

Interconnected

Entree for Thought? -

Our linear thinking limits our lives in many ways. This type of thinking is always looking for single and sequential causes. This such thing does not exist in our known Universe. Our minds, however, have the extraordinary ability to deceive us into believing such thinking is rational. Dr. David R. Hawkins own realization of such process goes, " It apparently occurred...that they were not at the mercy of the world but rather affected only by what their minds believed...It seemed that the great tragedy of human life had always been that the psyche is so easily deceived." Whatever we believe and look for our minds will find; it will purposefully, at your command, filter information to make it fit to your assumptions. Generally speaking, our logic as a society believes in fragmented lines of action, emotions, feelings; as well as in things like work, relationships, education, and politics. This leads to fundamental and structural imbalances in our state of being. The pattern typically is a simple form of if "a" then "b."
So for example: If I study hard I will get good grades. We give this issue value by the belief that everything has only one essential cause, and that the given circumstance is separate from everything else. So thus this type of thinking follows: If I study hard I will get good grades...my thoughts have no effect on the outcome, my emotions have no effect, my diet has no effect, the amount of water i consume has no effect, my workout routine has no effect, etc. This common form of thought process that we take for granted, that we make automatic, that we consider true, further reinforces our minds to exclude every other effect, cause, possibility, or perhaps error in our form of thought and gradually leads to disillusionment, confusion, and compounded blockages in our lives. Great minds make distinctions that create unique outcomes; that liberate onces power to do and be more.

excerpt, Untitled, Angel Armendariz

Natural Turbulence

The very nature of this dynamic play of forces in our life is quite amazing. Literary history records this underlying template as it has been interpreted through the lens of the understanding of that particular epoch. Lao Tsu, ancient Chinese sage, speaks of flowing with natures movement and of merging with nature's generative processes. As David Hinton, in the Introduction to the English translation of the Tao Te Ching put it, "Lao Tzu's thought is driven by a sense of exile that derives from a fundamental rupture between human being and natural process."
Ralph Waldo Emerson with his authoritative transcendentalism, effortlessly conveyed cohesive elements between man, his faculties, and natures processes. Emerson writes:

...The changes which break up at short intervals the prosperity of men are advertisements of a nature whose law is growth. Every soul is by this intrinsic necessity quitting its whole system of things, its friends and home and laws and faith, as the shell-fish crawls out of its beautiful but stony case, because it no longer admits of its growth, and slowly forms a new house. In proportion to the vigor of the individual these revolutions are frequent...But to us, in our lapsed estate, resting, not advancing, resisting, not cooperating with the divine expansion, this growth comes by shocks...

So, this brings us to now ask what are the consequences of not abiding by this natural template of growth? Emerson was accurate, in the last part of the statement above..."growth comes in shocks!" If grow isn't heeded...then shocks enter in life...now they come out of the very program of nature for one cannot defeat the forces of nature, and so after an extended time of no acceleration "shocks" will present themselves...usually unexpectedly to force your evolution (which is supposed to be a "good" thing, though few of us would consider abrupt shocks "good")...at last you cannot escape your growth, lest you surrender to an early self termination by continual atrophy of your self.
Emerson concurs, follow:

...Calamity...which seemed nothing but privation, somewhat later assumes the aspect of a guide or genius; for it commonly operates revolutions in our way of life, terminates an epoch of infancy or of youth which was waiting to be closed, breaks up a wonted occupation, or a household, or style of living, and allows the formation of new ones more friendly to the growth of character. It permits or constrains the formation of new acquaintances and the reception of new influences that prove of the first importance to the next years;..."
- excerpt, Untitled, upcoming book by Angel Armendariz.

Golden State Warriors and You!

Golden State Warriors and You!
Current mood: energetic

Yes, in case you've been slumbering under a rock recently, the biggest upset in NBA playoff history occurred a couple of days ago...Golden State (an 8th seated) defeated the Dallas Mavs (1 Seated)...As a banner a fan held up at the game said "We're gonna Shock the World" - and they did. How does this effect you? Well it just provides a living example of Congruency.
By congruency I mean a strong, complete, and belief laden intention. To be strong and complete means using all your faculties and aligning them to the intent. This is easier said than done. Dallas, I believe, partially lost the series do to a lack of congruency...it was evident not only in there playing, but also in post game interviews and just the way they carried themselves. They had somehow began to have doubt, or perhaps fear of their battle with the Golden State Warriors. As soon as this virus made host in the minds of a few Mavericks...it spread and it defeated them. Golden State on the other hand, partially because of the circumstance...had no pressure on them and no fear because the had nothing to lose. This allowed them to play with "abandon," fearless action is a powerful force that can pulverize obstacles.
We take this example and use it as a reference to learn from ourselves. Play with abandon and seek congruency. Congruency is a somewhat ephemeral condition, for congruency can truly be acknowledged subjectively. When you know without doubt, hesitation, and you expect your intention to manifest wholeheartedly you know that congruency is near completion. Lack of action towards your goals is also a sign of incongruency...usually doubt or lack of knowledge. If one fails to take action one must look at what information is missing from their current repetoire that is making the next step tentative. Supplant the missing pieces until action is confidently taken. The most important factor is always under your control...decisions...therefore you are infinitely empowered to create masterpieces as you will.

Explosions - Unlimited Self?

"The eye is heavenly in its nature. Hence man elevates himself above the earth only with they eye; hence, theory begins with the contemplation of the heavens. The first philosophers were astronomers. It is the heavens that admonish man of his destination, and remind him that he is destined not merely to action, but also to contemplation. The absolute to man is his own nature. The power of the object over him is therefore the power of his own nature...
Every limitation of the reason, or in general of the nature of man, rests on a delusion, an error. It is true that the human being, as an individual, can and must - feel and recognise himself to be limited, but he can become conscious of his limits, his finiteness, only because the perfection, the infinitude of his species, is percieved by him, whether as an object of feeling, of conscience, or of thinking consciousness. If he makes his own limitations the limitations of the species, this arises from the mistake that he identifies himself immediately with the species - a mistake which is intimately connected with the individuals love of ease, sloth, vanity, and egoism.
- excerpt; The Essence of Christianity, by Ludwig Feuerbach
- great book, by an often overlooked German philosopher....I thought I would share this interpretation of his....its a very interesting conjecture on limitations...hope this empowers you...

Strategy - How to Win

Strategy is the use of a plan to create a certain outcome. Under this definition, strategy has the qualities of immense value and immense power. How well do you strategize? Don't know? Well when was the last time you had a desire or goal and obtained it? How long did it take, and how much did you learn. You see strategy has many threads and repercussions...with strategy you empower yourself to create the life you want for yourself and others...and the repercussions include knowledge, evolution, and serendipities.
The fuel and fruit of strategy is information....information will open the world to you and further more make the universe surrender to you. As a time-binding species we need not "reinvent the wheel" we can simply use effective strategies of others (w/ information), and create the outcomes desired. Well, what about "new" outcomes, or "uncharted" waters? Look closely and you'll get the response....what strategy did Einstein use to come up with new theories? What strategy did Bill Gates use to open a "new" market, or Steve Jobs, or how did Warren Buffett amass such incredible results in the stock market?....Answer begins with focus (what is the "new" i want?) and information (learning, reading, asking). The repetition of this strategy at an accelerated rate equals results...(i'm presupposing action is taken consistently as well.)
Gerry Spence, the famous criminal attorney and writer puts it this succinct way "Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. And Win."
Same equation with different variables. Use it.

Recapitulation and Forecasting

To recapitulate is to remember. It implies a more conscious remembrance as if with purpose or intent. This amazing ability to use our hindsight can be used as a powerful weapon in our lives to achieve mastery in whatever we choose. It provides us with a personal gauge of where we have been, what we have done, how much we have grown, and further allows us to accept or reject personal behaviors that have led to certain outcomes.
The brother of recapitulation is forecasting. Forecasting is the ability to imagine future outcomes. Through forecasting our minds boomerang outcomes into the future for us to witness. Used consciously in a manner similar to recapitulating; forecasting is the ultimate ally to success.
Where do you see yourself in three years? What would you like to be surrounded by? How would you like to look? How much money would you like to make?
Questions like these help create the image and scene to be forecasted. This forecasting exercise to be effective needs to be challenging, and believable. In addition, it needs to be emotionally and viscerally witnessed...you need to feel the excitement, energy...you need to feel your heart beating faster...you need to feel the power!
You need to feel the FEAR...the terror of not changing anything in 3 years...imagine not a single thing getting better in 3 years...imagine going through the same motions, seeing the same things, feeling the same feelings...imagine all novelty gone...imagine being in a state of atrophy, were everything is breaking down!
The forecasting method if applied passionately and with constant reminders and conditioning will immediately change your behaviors. It will give you a map as to what must be done. The skills you need to work on; the abilities you need to cultivate; the routines you need to eliminate; the time management you must be conscious of.

Liberation

"We are never aware of this particular steady kind of 'emotional' tension, which involves hidden fears, anxieties, uncertainties, frustrations, etc., and through the nervous mechanisms of projection colour harmfully our attitudes toward the world and life in general. Such conditions result in defensiveness, which is no defense, but a wasteful, useless drain on the limited nervous capacities." - Alfred Korzybski, from Science and Sanity

To Imagine ourselves as a micro-economy of sorts would help illustrate Korzybski's insight. The state of your economical well being would be dictated by the adequate use of your resources. Our willful energy applied per unit of time throughout the day would be the gauge used to measure the economical efficiency of our selves. So in general, choosing, allowing, or accepting a state of fear, anxiety, frustration, worry, etc., would be an incredible waste of our willful energy . Its interesting to note that we have a choice on how to interpret our environment, circumstances, and opportunities; and unfortunately out of habit we many times choose the energy draining negative economy of painful emotional tension.
In a life affirming self-economy one would choose to nurture a state of great feelings, high expectations, confidence, and love. There is no need for additional energy, just simply redirecting and choosing a productive use of our willful energy.
Just as the emotional tension states create a limited life in shackles; the opposite creates a state of liberation that gives us a glimpse of the infinite potential within ourselves.

The Power of Problems

"...obstacles are very useful to man; if they did not exist they would have to be created intentionally, because it is by overcoming obstacles, that man develops those qualities he needs."
- G.I. Gurdjieff, from In Search of the Miraculous.

The word obstacles can be also replaced with what we call "problems," and "resistance," or even the word "failure"
Its interesting to note that it is by overcoming problems that we grow, become more peaceful, powerful, fulfilled. It gives us a certainty in our abilities. We are made to function as problem solvers...its inherent in every aspect of our beings. If you look at people who are "successful" most of them have "intentionally" created problems, in a simple equation #of problems/unit of time = success. The only thing you need to add is keeping your mind on what outcome your shooting for. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a champion bodybuilder in large part because he "created" more "problems." As a matter of fact he would spend about 2 1/2 hrs a day creating enormous obstacles for himself...its called weight lifting. Now, because he created more problems(weights) and overcame them (lifting the weight)...he created "success."
Michael Jordan, believe it or not, holds only 1 NBA record...the most missed shots...again a perfect example of this powerful principle at work.
Think of how this principle applies in sales, relationships, subjective experience, and just about everything. In sales it is commonly said that the best salesman/woman gets more "no's" than the unsuccessful sales person. That is, they encounter more obstacles, and are able to adjust there presentations to refine and hone their skill level. The good thing for us is that we can create artificial problems and develop a high skill level in any arena we choose to be successful in.

Truth and Inspiration

Today I have two profound statements from 2 wise individuals...one lived over 2000 years ago, and the other is still alive. Consciously becoming aware of this information creates a life support for success...

How To Know God- Deepak Chopra
" when a person is able to create outcomes in his life while another person merely experiences random events the difference is a choice not taken."

Inspiration

When you are inspired by some great,
purpose, some extraordinary project,
all your thoughts break their bonds;
Your mind transcends limitations,
your consciousness expands in every direction,
and you find yourself in a new, great
and wonderful world.
Dormant forces, faculties, and talents
become alive, and you discover yourself
to be a greater person by far
than you ever dreamed yourself to be.
- Patanjali 1st-3rd Century B.C.
author of the Yoga Sutras