How A Waffle Iron Changed Running Forever
Do you know why there is an ordinary old waffle iron — pulled out of a backyard garbage pit and now broken and brown with rust — sits displayed in a protective case like the Hope Diamond in Prefontaine Hall in Oregon?
The answer has nothing to do with breakfast food.
In 1971, college track coach Bill Bowerman’s team was having a heck of time adapting to the relatively new (and expensive) urethane track that had been installed at the University of Oregon.
Traditional metal spikes were ripping it up and athletes struggled to keep their traction.
Bowerman became obsessed with searching for alternatives that wouldn’t destroy their new track and could work on other surfaces, like dirt, grass, and bark chips.
He looked for inspiration anywhere he could find it.
He constantly asked his wife Barbara to search through her jewelry for anything “that had stars on them or things that we thought would indent or make a pattern on the soles.”
One Sunday morning. Barbara decided to stay home from church to help Bill find an answer to this perplexing question. So she started making breakfast on an old waffle iron that was a wedding gift back in 1936, distinctive for its old-fashioned Art Deco design.
The epiphany came as Barbara was serving her husband breakfast.
Bill saw one of the waffles come out of the iron. He looked at the pattern on the underside of one of the waffles and thought, you know, if I turn this waffle upside down, revealing where the waffle part would come in contact with the track — I think that might work.
He got up from the table and rushed into his lab and got two cans of whatever it is you pour together to make the urethane and poured them into the waffle iron.
In his excitement, Bowerman forgot to spray a nonstick substance into the waffle iron. Unable to open the waffle iron back up, Bowerman abandoned it and went into town to fetch new waffle irons for his experiment. Barbara, meanwhile, threw out the now-ruined wedding gift.
Seven years earlier, Bowerman had entered into a handshake agreement with one of his former track athletes Phil Knight, to start an athletic footwear distribution company called Blue Ribbon Sports.
The company, you’ll excuse the pun, had very little traction in the sporting goods industry. No one seemed aware of them.
They changed their name and paid a freelance graphic designer $35 logo to design their logo.
The new name was Nike. And a simple, distinctive swoosh became their new logo.
“I don’t love it,” Knight told the graphic designer, “but I think it will grow on me.”
Nike launched their new shoe with the waffle iron-inspired sole.
Embraced not only by passionate runners but also, as Time magazine put it, “the army of weekend jocks suffering from bruised feet,” the Waffle Trainer became a part of American history and cemented Nike’s place as the iconic brand it is today.
Bill Bowerman became a shoe legend; Knight pronounced him in his memoir as “the Daedalus of sneakers.”
Some years later, the Bowermans’ son Tom was digging alongside the house and came across a curious looking pit of forgotten belongings that never quite made it to the landfill. Included in the pile were crudely cobbled-together shoes, old prototype metal plates, cracking rubber soles, peeling molds …
… and one rusty old waffle iron.
In 2011, Nike’s self-proclaimed “Holy Grail” was put on display in Prefontaine Hall, where it has remained ever since.
Says Nike historian Scott Reames: “It’s a perfect example of how we find innovation, where we look for it, how it can come from the most mundane or unlikely sources. That’s an important message; we can find inspiration in literally anything.”
Invictus
Though he became famous for writing several books of poetry, William Ernest Henley is remembered most for his 1875 poem “Invictus” .
A favourite of my own mentor, Bob Proctor, it has become one of mine too after both studying and teaching from it over the last few years.
Literally translated from the Latin word, invictus means ‘unconquerable’ and the poem is often recited during times where stoicism, courage and refusing to accept defeat are needed.
Nelson Mandela is known to have recited the piece to other prisoners incarcerated alongside him at Robben Island, some believe because it expressed in its message of self-mastery
Having contracted tuberculosis of the bone in his youth, William Henley had endured the amputation of the lower part of one of his legs in his twenties.
The early years of Henley’s life were punctuated by periods of extreme pain due to the draining of his tuberculosis abscesses and yet Henley’s younger brother Joseph recalled how after draining his joints the young Henley would “Hop about the room, laughing loudly and playing with zest to pretend he was beyond the reach of pain”.
In fact, in a letter to Henley after the publication of Treasure Island (1883), Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “I will now make a confession: It was the sight of your maimed strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver … the idea of the maimed man, ruling and dreaded by the sound, was entirely taken from you.”
Frequent illness often kept Henley away from school, and yet in 1867, he passed the Oxford Local Schools Examination and went on to receive an LLD degree from the University of St Andrews;
“Invictus” was written during one of Henley’s periods of isolation through illness and is a reminder of the strength and reilience that exists within every one of us.
INVICTUS
Out of the night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance,
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears,
Looms but the Horror of the shade.
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley
Acres Of Diamonds
During the 1800’s, clergyman Dr Russell H Conwell single handedly raised millions of dollars to fund the building of Temple University – a renowned school for young people who wanted to go onto further education but lacked the money to do so.
Dr Conwell raised this money by giving over 6,000 lectures across the USA, and in each one he told a story called ‘Acres Of Diamonds’, to convey his central message: that everyone has the opportunity to make more of themselves, with their own skill, with their own energy, and with their own friends.
The story was the tale of an African farmer who had heard stories about other farmers on the continent who had made millions by discovering diamond mines.
The farmer was so excited by these stories that he could hardly wait to sell his farm and go prospecting himself.
Selling the farm, he spent the rest of his life wandering the African continent, searching unsuccessfully for the priceless diamonds that he hoped would bring him his fortune.
Finally, worn out and in a fit of dispair, he threw himself into a river and drowned.
In the mean time, the man who had bought the farm from the unfortunate farmer happened to be crossing a small stream on the land when he caught a fleeting glimpse of a bright blue and red light from the between the rocks in the stream bed.
Bending down, he picked up the large stone and, admiring it, placed it on his mantel piece as an interesting ornament.
A few weeks later, a visitor to his home picked up the stone, looked closely at it, weighed it in his hand, and almost passed out.
He asked the farmer if he knew what it was.
When the farmer said that he thought it was a piece of crystal, to his astonishment, the visitor advised him he’d found one of the largest diamonds ever discovered.
The farmer didn’t believe this at first.
He told the man that there were stones just like this one sprinkled generously throughout the bottom of the stream.
Needless to say, the farm the first farmer had sold so that he might find a diamond mine turned out to be the most productive diamond mine on the entire African continent.
The first farmer had unknowingly owned outright acres of diamonds, but he had sold them for practically nothing in order to go looking for them elsewhere.
The moral is clear: if only the first farmer had taken the time to research his desire for a diamond mine…
To find out what diamonds looked like in their rough state.
And to thoroughly explore the land he already owned before going to look elsewhere…
All his dreams would have come true.
Instead, acting on a whim he died without achieving the thing he wanted most in all the world.
The thing about this same story that so profoundly affected Dr. Conwell, and subsequently, millions of others, was the idea that each of us is, at this moment, unbeknown to them, standing in the middle of his or her own acres of diamonds.
As Earl Nightingale noted when recounting this story in his own highly acclaimed book Lead The Field,
“If only we will have the wisdom and patience to intelligently and effectively explore the work in which we are now engaged, to explore ourselves, we’ll usually find the riches we seek, whether they be financial or intangible, or both.
Before we go running off to what we think are greener pastures, let’s make sure that our own is not just as green or, perhaps, even greener.
It’s been said that if the other guy’s pasture appears to be greener than ours, it’s quite possible that it’s getting better care.
Besides, while we’re looking at other pastures, other people are looking at ours!
To my mind, there are few things more pitiful than the person who wastes his life running from one thing to another, forever looking for the pot of gold at the end of the ainbow and never staying with one thing long enough to find it.”
There were undoubtedly good reasons for your having chosen your present work in the beginning.
If there weren’t, and if you’re unhappy in the field you’re in, hen perhaps it’s time for some serious exploration.
But first let your magnificent, miraculous mind thoroughly explore the possibilities lurking in what you’re presently doing before turning to something new.
Resources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Russell-Conwell
Lead The Field – Earl Nightingale
Mentorship 101
Mentorship And Coaching Programmes: The Top 10 Things To Look For To Avoid Being Stung...And Finally Reach Your True Potential
There is no question that, without being part of a mentorship programme, I would not be where I am today, operating two businesses from home.
I work around my family and am experiencing exponential personal and financial growth year-on-year, enjoying all the benefits of being a self-employed women.
Without the mentorship of others, I would, more than likely, have gone running back to the relative ‘safety’ of working for someone else. My dreams of a better life for me and my family would have died a death long ago.
But, knowing that I will never again have to go back to working for someone else is HUGE.
For all of us.
Being part of a mentorship programme means I have the steps laid out in front of me, along with the guidance, support and advice that can only come from someone who’s been where I’ve been and is walking the path I want to travel.
As a self-employed individual, you have to have people around you who can see your blind spots…who can see what you’re really capable of and can lead you to more.
If, like me, you come from an environment where most of your family and friends are in employment and don’t understand the roller coaster life we sometimes live as entrepreneurs, it can be difficult to gain the support you really need to make your business a success.
"You Are The Average Of The 5 People You Spend The Most Time With"
Jim Rohn said that.
And I’ve found this to be one of the most important factors that hold people back who think they can ‘go it alone’ as an entrepreneur.
Have you ever felt frustrated by those who seem determined to persuade you to go back to employment at the first sign of difficulties?
Sometimes it’s because they fear for your financial and personal well-being (often mothers or partners) – sometimes it’s because they’re jealous (often friends or brothers and sisters).
Take it from me, hundreds of thousands of people would LOVE to do what you’re doing but most just don’t have the nerve.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been advised by those who mean well that ‘you can always go back to a proper job’ when I was nervous or things weren’t going great.
When what I needed was support and encouragement and someone to show me how to push through and make my business actually work.
If you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by positive, interested, encouraging and truly supportive people that you can discuss your business concerns, decisions and celebrations with, that’s fantastic!
But a mentorship (paid or unpaid) is often cited as the major difference between those business owners who succeed and those who don’t. Particularly if you fall outside the category above, and especially if you’re a woman.
And it’s clear to see why.
So what criteria DID I use when looking for the right mentor for me?
Here are ten of the questions that I was advised to ask myself. I suggest that you consider doing the same:
1. Do they have a specific, and proven, goal-achieving strategy for you?
You have a vision of some kind even if it’s not clearly defined yet. You want to know what your mentor’s method is for helping you get clear on what that vision IS and for helping you make it real.
What training, tools, and systems do they use themselves and offer to you so that you can enjoy getting results too?
Many coaches will simply ask you what you want to cover each week – that’s no good. You don’t know what you don’t know.
Look for someone who has a system like the Thinking Into Results programme that we deliver. These clients are explaining the benefits of having a specific ‘roadmap’ to follow:
2. Are they still relevant?
This is the biggie.
Are they still in the trenches doing what they’re teaching?
Are they using their own strategies to get results themselves?
How many mentors do you see out there talking about growing a business, for example, but they haven’t actually had to deal with finding clients themselves for years (if at all actually)?
Find out the story behind any potential mentor’s business to decide whether you think their experience is a fit for what you need.
3. Have they owned a successful business other than their coaching or mentorship practice?
There are so many business coaches and mentors around nowadays who have never actually made a success of any kind of business before becoming a coach.
There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that but you need to know if that’s the case.
While it’s true that some generic strategies can translate well between personal and business goal-achievement, it’s important that a mentor has experienced the same difficulties you face on a day-to-day basis so they can give you practical, relevant and realistic advice.
There are many factors that are specific to life as an entrepreneur and you need a mentor that really gets that.
4. Do you trust them?
Do you believe what they say?
I’ve registered for mentorship programmes with people where I wanted what they had, but I decided that I didn’t trust them, so I couldn’t take their advice.
Now, that’s not the same question as whether they resonate with you or not. If there’s something about them that you really like and can connect with you might want to think about whether that might be an area for growth.
But if you feel that their agenda for themselves is bigger than their agenda for you, consider going the other way.
5. Are they on your 'wavelength'?
For years I struggled to find a mentor who was teaching what I wanted to know but who was on my ‘wavelength’.
I spent a lot of time and money learning all sorts of online and offline money making techniques from some amazing American mentors – but I really struggled to get results from what I was learning.
The reason was the methods (although proven to work very well by others) just weren’t ‘me’. I felt ‘salesy’ using the tactics I was learning and it just didn’t feel authentic.
So much business strategy is geared towards a very linear, practical transactional way of thinking.
And yet, whether we like it or not, pretty much everything we do is governed by our emotions – it’s just the way we’re programmed. Knowing the mechanics just isn’t enough if there are other things holding you back.
And if you don’t feel good about what you’re doing or how you’re doing it, it shows up everywhere in your business – especially in your results.
It was only when I found a coach and mentor that I feel completely in tune with that I started getting the results I wanted – I could start to tweak the mechanical pieces that I’d already learned to make them more authentic to me and my business.
In this video, one of my own clients, Kristin, explains the importance of this connection:
6. Do they support you in being guided by your own,trusted, source?
Sometimes the mentor needs to have the answers, but sometimes you need to look inside yourself for what you want and how you really feel about something.
You may or may not have a particular faith, you might believe in the law of attraction, the power of the universe, you might not believe any of that stuff at all and just want to know what to do and how to do it.
A good mentor has step-by-step systems to help you move forward but also knows when to tell you to look inside yourself and even offers some suggestions and exercises to help you connect with your own gut feelings.
7. Do they inspire you?
Is their vision big?
Are they blazing the trail that you want to follow?
Do you feel encouraged or motivated or think bigger when you hear or read their words and see their action?
Every mentorship that I’ve made great progress under I have found hugely inspirational.
8. Does their pricing seem too good to be true?
“ If you want $500 results, buy a $500 programme”.
The biggest factor that puts people off hiring a coach (even though they need one) is financial fear.
This means that it’s very tempting to shop on price and look around for the cheapest deal – DON’T DO THAT!
Low-end programmes and courses will likely offer a ‘self-study’ format with limited (if any) personal contact with your ‘mentor’.
You’re looking for a coach and mentor because you’re ready to commit, big time, to going after your goals with everything you’ve got.
You need someone who’s going to be all-in with you and is committed to your success.
And in this case, pricing is definitely an indication of the level of service you can expect – and of your coaches commitment to your success.
There is no doubt that hiring a good coach / mentor can be quite an investment – and it must be seen as just that. An investment in your future that will pay dividends.
A good coach and mentor will show you techniques you’ll be able to use for years to come, meaning you will more than recoup your investment over time.
The thing about making a commitment to a good coaching programme (and forking out what can seem like a large amount of money at first) is that it motivates you like hell into taking the action you need – to actually do what they’re telling you and start creating great income!
At the end of the day, it’s down to you to do the work and to take what you learn from your mentor and implement it well, in order to see results.
They can show you what to do, but they can’t do it for you.
And, for me, the biggest motivator I’ve ever had has been backing myself by making a substantial financial commitment.
This really is a case of ‘You get what you pay for’.
BONUS TIP
For private coaching try to stay away from payment plans offered – pay in full on a credit card if you can.
You’ll likely be given a pay-in-full saving for this (which will probably far outweigh any credit card interest) but it also means that, when things get tough (and they may well do) you can truly lean into your coach and rightfully take full advantage of their expertise, guidance and support.
I can tell you from experience as a client myself, if you know you owe them money and are struggling to come up with the monthly payments it is incredibly difficult to ask them for help – at a time when you need them the most.
9. Do they offer a complimentary Discovery or Strategy Session?
Choosing the right mentor is critical so it’s important that you are able to have an in-depth discussion with that person or a member of their team BEFORE you sign up to any programme.
A good mentor will offer a complimentary, structured discovery session that allows them to find out what you need so they can explain whether (and if so how) they can help you.
It’s during this time that you can both decide whether you’re right for each other. It may be that you’re not a fit at all and you need to find out before you part with any cash!
And they need to make sure you’re a good fit for their mentorship programme before they let you in!
10. Are they clear on the steps they'll take you through during their mentorship to help you achieve your goals?
Really skilled mentors will be able to walk you through their process.
That process should include helping you understand where you’re starting from, define your goals and then explaining the path they’ll take to get you there.
It’s also essential that they can describe the steps they’ll take you through to learn new skills and behaviours, and how they’ll support you to transfer those skills into your business.
If the mentor is evasive, telling you that it’s “hard to quantify” or “up to you” or “depends on your weekly needs” or if he or she is all enthusiasm and no practicality (“people love it!” “It’s life-changing!” ”It will challenge you to be your best!”)…
it’s a good bet they’ll be relying on you turning up with questions for them to answer every week.
Remember what I said earlier – you don’t know what you don’t know.
You need someone to show you the way to your next breakthrough as well as be there for you when you get stuck
BONUS TIP
After you’ve chosen your mentorship programme, commit 100%. Don’t keep looking around, second-guessing your choice, asking all of your friends if you did the right thing.
Stay focused, master the strategies your mentor is known for, and let their proven systems work their magic for you!
I believe passionately that we need to take control of our own lives to create the freedom we all crave.
As an entrepreneurial individual with sought-after skills you are perfectly placed to do just that.
I’ve found my freedom. And now I’m on a mission to help you find yours.
My intention is to equip, educate and empower you to create a business that supports the life you dream of.
I’m a business coach and success mentor and have owned my own home-based businesses for over 16 years (from accountancy practices to networking marketing business!)
My first business failed after 2 years (I ran out of cash, basically) so I totally understand the frustration, fear and uncertainty felt by many of the men and women I help with my own mentorship programmes.
People who are desperate to turn the business they’ve got into the one they dreamed of when they first started out.
I can help you create what’s next for you.
Want to see if our Thinking Into Results Mentorship is a fit for you, right now? You can apply for a complimentary Strategy Session with me now at:
Stella Eduvie
Case Study: Stella Eduvie, UK
Background
Before joining Thinking Into Results, Stella was stuck. She knew there was so much more for her in life, and that she had a bigger purpose than she was currently fulfilling.
To many people watching, Stella was always positive and striving for more…
She had been in the personal development ‘space’ for a number of years and KNEW an awful lot already – in fact, when she joined our TIR group, she had just started Bob Proctor’s Coaching Programme – but she just wasn’t seeing the results she wanted.
Stella felt like she needed more personal help to achieve her BIG life goals.
As a mentor to many others, Stella knew the importance of having someone to just show you what to do and how to do it and decided it was time to take her own advice! 🙂
The Results
Since starting TIR, Stella’s self-image has sky-rocketed and she is quickly becoming the women she needs to become to achieve everything she wants in life.
With the support of our community, and regular coaching sessions, Stella has seen what’s truly possible and has create a winning self-image and unstoppable belief!
To start with, she wasn’t even sure what her big goals (or her purpose) WERE in life but now she’s crystal clear and the ideas on how to get there are coming thick and fast!
Stella has become a super-productive implementer and is a huge inspiration to her clients, colleagues, family and everyone around her.
The Process
Working on clarifying Stella’s BIG (C-Type) Goal was our main priority when she first started working with us – and boy, has she uplevelled what she believed was possible!
Stella spent a long time on Lesson 8 – The Power Of Praxis – in TIR, because she knew this was the lesson that would really propel her forward and get her taking serious action!
And she was absolutely right.
PRAXIS is the integration of behaviours with belief…
Many people say they believe something is possible – they may even believe it at a conscious level – but if they don’t REALLY believe it at a deep, subsconscious level, then it’s very likely not going to happen.
You’re not going to spend time, effort and getting uncomfortable doing anything if you don’t believe it will work.
Take a look at the people around you who say they believe anything’s possible – do their actions (their behaviours) say the same thing? Or are they holding back?
We spend a lot of time working at instilling this unshakeable belief in our clients and, as Stella says, this is the piece that has really impacted her the most.
As well as Lesson 6, which is our Self-Image lesson. 🙂
But we’ll cover that in another case study.
Thank you, Stella – and “Well Done, My Friend!”
Money Mindset Mastery : Stop Sabotaging Your Business Results
What Exactly IS A Money Mindset, Anyway?
The phrase ‘money mindset’ is bandied around quite a lot nowadays, but what is it, why is it important and how does it affect your results?
I get women all the time telling me ‘I know my money mindset’s stopping me taking the action I need to take to move forward’, but what do they actually mean by that?
Well, generally speaking, we use the term ‘money mindset’ to describe your unique set of beliefs and your attitude towards money.
In essence, the way you think about, feel about and act around money.
The truth is that everything you DO stems from your thoughts – your mind controls your actions.
All of them.
(Rather watch the video version? You can find it here >>> )
So Why Is Money Mindset So Important?
What you’re thinking dictates how you feel, how you feel dictates the physical actions you take (or don’t take) and your actions dictate the results you get in all areas of your life.
What women usually mean when they say ‘my money mindset’s stopping me taking the action I need to take’ is that their thoughts about money (usually a fear of losing it) are making them feel worried/anxious/doubtful and that negative feeling is preventing them taking any action that might actually change things for the better.
No matter how much they know they need to take those actions to improve their results, that emotion controls what they actually end up doing.
Which of course keeps them stuck.
And will continue to keep them stuck until they change the way they think about money (their money mindset).
So, if you want to change your business results, your money mindset is of huge importance.
A money mindset that is negative (often called a ‘Scarcity’, ‘Lack’, ‘Fixed’ or ‘Limited’ Mindset) can sound something like this in business:
-
‘People won’t pay higher fees for what I do’ – usually results in a business owner undercharging or giving away their services for free and attracting clients who will only pay very little.
This then reinforces the mindset that ‘people won’t pay higher fees for my services’, and the cycle continues.
-
‘It doesn’t matter how much I earn, there’s always some unexpected bill that comes along to eat it up’ – usually results in a business owner being reluctant to invest in the things they really need to move their business forward (and increase their income) which means they’ll never have a surplus to put on one side for those ‘unexpected’ bills.
Reinforcing the mindset that they’ll never have enough.
-
‘People who charge more than I do are greedy’ – usually leads to a business owner feeling guilty about charging people who need their help and, therefore, undercharging.
In fact some business owners actually price their services lower on purpose, as a kind of ‘social statement’ about everyone else in their field.
These business owners rarely make the money they really want to from their business, reinforcing the resentment towards their fellow business owners even more and strengthening their negative money mindset.
You get the picture. Negative thoughts about money = negative money results.
By contrast, thoughts generated by a positive Money Mindset (also called a ‘Growth’ or ‘Abundance’ Mindset) might look something like this in business:
-
‘Premium prices create greater commitment from and better results for my clients’ – usually results in the confidence to charge what you’re worth, generating better income, better clients and better results for your clients.
This reinforces the positive mindset of ‘Premium prices create greater commitment from and better results for my clients’ and leads to an upward spiral in results
-
‘I always attract the money I need when I need it’ – usually results in genuine expectation that things will always be ‘OK’ along with the persistence to keep going when times get challenging.
Staying focused and persistent is often all that is needed by a busines owner to turn around their current results and generate the additional income they desire.
-
‘Premium prices mean I can work with fewer clients and create amazing outcomes’ – usually leads to the realisation that those in their field who are basing their competitive advantage on price, do not have a results-based way to attract clients.
Understanding that your ideal clients don’t necessarily want the cheapest option, (they just want someone who can truly help them) reinforces the desire to create amazing results for people and the confidence to charge what they’re worth to be able to do that.
You can get a good idea of what your money mindset has been up till now, by taking a look at your own results.
Because whatever results you’re experiencing right now, are a direct result of the thoughts you’ve had about money in the past.
The good news is, if those results aren’t to your liking, you can change them.
Starting today.
“Hold on, Emma” I hear you say “if my money results are negative of course I’m going to have negative thoughts. It’s just a vicious cycle.”
Well, my friend, I’m here to tell you that that cycle can be broken – if not, no-one would ever claw their way out of financial crisis, and a quick study of virtually any successful entrepreneur from the last 50 years will demonstrate that plenty do.
But YOU have to do that. No-one else can do it for you.
The question is not ‘Am I able’ but ‘Am I willing to do what it takes?’
Paradigms
Before we move onto HOW you can turn your money mindset around, let’s explore briefly how your current one was formed.
In our campus, we use the term ‘Paradigm’.
Your Paradigm sits in your sub-conscious mind and is made up of your current habits, beliefs and self-image.
It can be likened to your ‘operating system’ (think Windows for a PC or iOS for Apple) – it controls the way you ‘run’.
In fact, your Paradigm controls 96-98% of your habitual behaviour (habitual behaviour being those actions you perform on a minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour basis WITHOUT consciously thinking about them).
AND 96-98% of all our behaviour is habitual.
Think about it.
That means that virtually ALL your actions are being controlled unconsciously by your Paradigm.
The way you walk, the way you talk, the things you like to eat, the way you greet people, the way you write copy, the things you post on social media, the decisions you make, the way you react towards certain situations…
With regard to money, it controls how ‘risky’ you think an investment might be, how you value the ‘worth’ of particular items, how much you’re prepared to charge for your services…
You’re pre-programmed to do all these things in a particular way – no matter how much you might think you’ve made a calculated, ‘logical’ decision -because your logic is also controlled by your Paradigm!
The problem here is that your Paradigm has not been programmed by you.
You have not made the conscious decision to build the habits, beliefs and self-image of which it is made.
They were programmed into you as you were growing up – by your parents, grand-parents, teachers, friends, colleagues, managers, things you’ve experienced, things you’ve seen on TV or read in the paper…the list goes on.
Think about some of the things you heard about money when you were younger. Any of these sound familiar?:
- “I can’t afford that right now.”
- “Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”
- “Do you think I’m made of money?”
- “(Insert family) don’t have a clue how people in the real world live – they’ve never wanted for anything.”
- • “He’s got more money than sense.”
- “You don’t get that rich by being honest.”
- “Do you think I’m made of money?”
- “What’s the point in earning more money when I’ll have to pay a higher rate of tax?”
These are a small selection of the things I heard. And actually came to believe.
You know, if you hear something over and over enough times, you start to believe it’s true.
Even if it’s not actually a fact, just someone else’s opinion.
Why wouldn’t you?
If the people you trust – who you’re learning your ‘facts’, beliefs, values and view of the world from – are all saying similar things, they must be true, right?
Nope. Not true.
(After all, these are the people who had you believing Santa Claus was absolutely, 100% real for the first 10 years of your life.)
And these limiting beliefs we’re given are the ones we adopt and carry through life with us.
The good news is, in the same way that repetition programmed your money paradigm (or money mindset) this way, it can also reverse it.
These thoughts and ideas might have seemed like the right thing to teach you as a child – to ‘programme’ you to be grateful for everything you have, not to just expect to receive gifts at Christmas, to understand the value of hard work etc.
But, as an adult – and particularly one with their own business – they no longer serve you.
It’s time to change them.
How To Change Your Money Mindset
While there are lots of tools available to help you make this shift, these are the 5 that I have found work best, and that I use with my own clients to move them from a money mindset of lack and limitation to a Growth Mindset that will set them up for success in the future.
Each of these methods must be coupled with repetition (for the reasons explained above) – meaning you cannot just perform these once and expect them to work.
You must use these methods consistently and persistently, exposing your subconscious mind to the ideas over and over and over again over an extended period of time (I recommend at least 30 days) until you start to experience a shift in the way you feel.
Visualisation
Visualisation is by far the best method I have found for changing my own mindset, and raising my level of vibration (more on the Law Of Attraction here)
It is incredibly important that you learn to ignore your current results, and start to focus on what you want.
Most people are putting all their energy into focusing on what they don’t want.
“Please don’t let my credit card get declined.”
“I hate being in my overdraft all the time.”
“I’m so worried I won’t have enough money to make my loan payments this month.”
All this does is put you in a negative money mindset, and attract more of the same.
What you focus on grows.
Instead, practice visualising what you DO want instead.
Take some time every day (multiple time a day, preferably) to just let your imagination run wild.
SEE your-self in the financial position you WANT to be in.
SEE yourself with the things you want to have, spending money the way you want to spend it.
It’s not magic, but concentrating on positive things has been proven to increase the frequency of your thought energy and help you de-stress.
It also starts to build the belief that the position you WANT to be is actually a real possibility, gradually changing your Paradigm and, therefore, your results.
AND it’s a key player in getting the Law of Attraction to work in your favour.
My favourite music to visualise to, currently, is called ‘Night’ by Ludovico Einaudi and is around 5 minutes long.
You can find it at https://youtu.be/k9NM-yK1C2I
Affirmations
Some people find it easier to write out, speak or listen to ‘affirmations’ rather than just try to picture the things they want.
This can work just as well as visualising because:
- writing causes you to think about what you want,
- thinking creates a picture on the screen of your mind of that thing,
- that picture evokes a feeling of some kind (emotion is important remember)
- that feeling is what will ultimately dictate the actions you will take
So come up with some positive affirmations (statements), stated in the present tense, of how you want things to be.
You might choose things like:
“The work I do makes a huge difference in peoples’ lives.”
“I am a millionaire coach and my clients love me.”
“I donate thousands of pounds to charity every month and am changing lives around the world.”
“My family is financially secure and will never have to worry about money.”
Whatever you choose, make sure they evoke some kind of positive emotion in you.
Repeat them multiple times during the day – at least once a morning and once at night-time.
You might also try recording yourself saying them and listening back your recording multiple times.
Your subconscious mind trusts your own voice, making it easier to accept these ideas as truth.
Gratitude
Feeling stressed about your current money situation is another symptom of being in a negative money mindset.
Completing a Gratitude journal every day can work wonders to shift this negative energy.
Write down 10 things every morning that you are truly grateful for.
Don’t just give it lip-service – really think about 10 things you are genuinely grateful for.
Whether it’s the food in your cupboards (this is always on my list because there were times when I worried there wouldn’t be), your mental and physical wellbeing, the money to pay your bills, the love of your children, your faithful dog, your amazing clients…
Really ground yourself by giving thanks for the things that are most important to you.
AND include 2 or 3 things that haven’t happened yet – like being in a place of financial freedom maybe.
Write your gratitude in the present tense as though they have already happened and really try to FEEL how you’ll feel when that’s the case.
Letting your-self get emotionally involved with these items, mixed with repetition is the key to this (and all the methods described here).
Small Changes To Money Habits
One of the most effective changes I made in my own life was to make the conscious decision to stop going ‘cheap’ on everything.
I had been brought up with a money mindset of always going for the cheapest option.
Shopping around till I found the item I wanted (or a copy version) for the least amount of money possible.
Sometimes I’d go to 4 different shops to get my weekly shopping just because I knew I could save 50p on certain items if I did that.
The problem is, this reinforces the negative mindset of ‘never having enough money for the nice stuff’.
So guess what? You never have enough money for the nice stuff.
If that’s you, stop it. Now.
I decided I was going to start to choose the branded coffee, the more expensive (nicer) bread, the more expensive bottle of wine.
Not forever, just for a trial period of a few weeks.
For no other reason than I had learned these principles myself and decided to try them out.
And it worked.
I started with just one item each trip – just ‘upgrading’ my shampoo, veg or tea bags or kids snacks from the supermarket’s own brand to the one I actually wanted (which was often the healthier one too, actually).
Not only does this improve the way you feel about yourself (instead of feeling like you’re having to scrimp all the time), it also helps remind you of the value in paying for quality – you tend to get what you pay for.
And you realise that, at the end of the day, you don’t miss that extra 50p or couple of £s you’ve paid.
I (and my clients) have found this to be a really effective (and pretty quick) way to build an abundance mindset – not to mention just live a happier life!
Tithing
I’m not going to go into the ‘why’s and ‘where-fore’s of this one – just explain what I do and tell you it works!
I am not religious, but I believe this has foundations based in religion.
Tithing basically means ‘to give 10% of your income’.
Now, depending on who you listen to, that could be giving to a church, charity, spiritual advisor or other organisation…
The variations on a theme are wide-ranging and I’ll let you explore that yourself.
(By the way, I highly recommend the book ‘The 4 Spiritual Laws Of Prosperity’ by Edwene Gaines if you’re at all interested in this or the Law of Receiving).
The mentor who introduced this to me (a good few years ago now) taught me that you should ‘tithe to inspiration’, never to ‘need’.
In other words, give the 10% to an individual or organisation who has inspired you in some way with what they do – not to a place that simply exacerbates need.
Kind of like an up-levelled form of ‘gratitude’, if you will.
So, for example, I tithe regularly to the Unstoppable Foundation because they are helping people around the world improve their own lives, not simply providing them food or water which will never help them get out of the needy situation they are in.
The reason I got involved with the Unstoppable Foundation was because I actually really wanted to tithe to my mentor, Bob Proctor, who has provided a huge amount of ‘spiritual food’ for me over the past 5 years, and is the main reason I have improved my own financial situation.
Unfortunately, Bob doesn’t take tithes personally (!) but I knew he would appreciate me sending the money to Cynthia Kersey’s organisation as it is very close to his heart.
And now, I ask my own clients and community members to do the same for me, if they feel I have inspired them in some way.
(You can do that HERE if you’d like to!)
I might also tithe to, say, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance or Breast Cancer Research because I believe they are providing a service that helps improve peoples’ lives – rather than simply enabling them to survive in the current situation they find themselves in.
That is NOT to say you shouldn’t give to charities that provide that kind of support if you want to do that – it’s just not recognised as a tithe.
I DO give to other charities and organisations that provide emergency support for those in need, but I don’t include it in my tithing figures.
The whole point of this is that, for various reasons (again, there just isn’t room to go into the Universal Laws here but I cover the Law Of Attraction HERE), when you tithe regularly, and with good intention, your money mindset starts to shift to a more positive state of ‘the more I earn, the more I can tithe and help others’.
Not only that, your income grows.
Trust me. No matter how much (or little) money you have, give it a go for a few months and see what happens.
What Happens When You Change Your Money Mindset?
Once you create a growth mindset (or abundance mindset) of your own, you start to think, feel and act from the place you really want to be instead of where you currently are.
You develop the faith you need to make decisions from where you want to be, instead making the same choices and getting the same results.
You become more consciously aware of the opportunities that are available to you, and are able to evaluate them as would the person who is receiving the results you want for yourself.
And you raise your frequency, leaving you feeling less stressed more confident about the future and attracting the thoughts, ideas, people and resources you need to attract to achieve the things you really want in life.
I’d love to hear your own experiences in shifting your money mindset.
You can share them with us in my FREE Facebook Group at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/alifeofprosperity/
(And you can find out about my paid programmes HERE)
FURTHER RESOURCES:
The 4 Spiritual Laws Of Prosperity – Edwene Gaines
Think & Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
Emma Hague is a Certified Proctor Gallagher Consultant and Real Results Mentor based in the U. K.
A qualified accountant by profession, Emma now teaches self-employed women (and some very lucky men!) over 40 in the UK, USA & Canada how to achieve their life-goals – no matter where they might be right now.
As a business owner for over 14 years, Emma believes passionately that we need to take control of (and responsibility for) our own lives in order to create the freedom we all want.
Away from her business, Emma is an avid rugby league fan and loves to spend time with her family (she is mum to two young girls and two grown-up step-sons).
She also enjoys running, beach holidays and going on city breaks with her husband, Karl.
Emma’s own turning point came when, having hit rock bottom financially, she realised that after selling the family home to pay off debts and just try to ‘get in front’, she would likely struggle to ever get a mortgage again.
Bringing their dream of a large, beautiful family home and worldwide travel crashing down around them.
Furious with herself, and the system, Emma committed to taking back control and creating the future she wants for her and her family by doing whatever it takes to create the life she really wants – and to help others do the same.
Emma understands the frustration, and time pressure felt by men and women who are entering the second half of their life and wondering how they’ll ever achieve the things they dream of before their time on this planet is over.
She is a coach and mentor grounded in the real-world and can help you create what’s next for you.
Register for Emma’s next FREE 5-Day Challenge at https://emmahague.com/5daychallenge
How To Charge More For What You Do With Authenticity And Integrity
You know you should work out how to charge more for your services, but it’s just not that easy is it?
I’ve written this article specifically for small business owners who are consultants, coaches, healers, therapists, trainers, authors or speakers or who own any other type of service business.
I understand YOU really well because I AM you…and I’ve been in your shoes.
You want to make a real difference for people and to make great money doing it, so you need a simple strategy for being able to charge more than you do currently while helping your clients enjoy amazing results, without worrying about what other people think …
giving you a boost to your income AND your impact.
And that’s exactly what you’re going to discover in this free checklist, as I walk you through How To Charge More For What You Do With Authenticity And Integrity
Ready to get started?
Excellent!
I remember the days when I knew I had to start charging more for my services if my business was going to have any chance of helping me achieve the things I really wanted in life…
So many thoughts flooded my mind:
My clients can’t afford to pay more than they do now…
I won’t get any new clients if I charge more than I do now…
People will think I’m taking advantage of them if I charge more…
Until, that is, I made a few tiny shifts to what I was doing to attract and sign up new clients.
And now I want you to have this specific, simple how-to strategy, because it became the foundation for how I rapidly turned my business from one that was struggling with epic ‘roller coaster cash flow’…
to one with amazing clients, regular, recurring income and periodic boosts of cash that have helped me pay down debts and actually start to build savings (something I thought I’d NEVER be able to do)…
It all starts this week with deciding to start charging what you’re worth!
With just one new client, your confidence is going to skyrocket! Imagine the
priceless value of knowing how to do this any time you want.
This is EXACTLY what I did to start charging what I’m worth… transforming my intention of making good money for me and my family into a reality of cash flow coming in.
Which is why I’m excited to get these tips into your hands, because they will help you transform your business and your mindset, so YOU can start charging what you’re really worth — this week!
(And if you’re interested in learning more, why not check out my next FREE ‘6-Steps To 6-Figures’ 5-Day Challenge’)
Step 1 - Decide If Your Current Niche Is 'Hot Or Not'
(If not, you might need to make some tweaks…)
(GREAT NEWS: Your unique, lucrative niche contains the people who truly value what you do and will pay you what you’re really worth! You may well be trying to sell to the wrong groups of people.
QUESTION #1: Is your niche BIG enough to be viable?
(It must be at least 10,000 people or more)
QUESTION #2: Are your ideas/services flowing upstream/downstream within the cultures of your niche?
Flowing upstream within the culture that is already present within your niche means you’re attempting get them to change their ideas and beliefs about your topic.
Flowing downstream means your ideas/services are ones your niche is likely to accept. If you’re flowing upstream within your niche, you’ll find marketing and making sales difficult, time-consuming and costly.
QUESTION #3: Do the people within your niche have a history of investing in things of a similar nature to what you offer?
Remember, people will put up with a lot before they decide to invest in solving a problem. It’s best to focus your business on solving a problem your clients already hold as important.
QUESTION #4: Do you love them?
You’ll be spending a lot of time with the people in your niche, which means you need to love these people and what you’re doing with them. If you have any doubts at all about the people you’re talking to, it affects your energy and that affects your results.
Step 2: Create Packages That Sell Themselves
Instead of charging by the hour or session (a big no-no on our campus), try creating one of the following packages that clients pay you up front for (or by way of a deposit and smaller instalments).
This is absolutely critical to getting your cash flow on an even keel.
PACKAGE TYPE #1
How to get STARTED
How do your clients get started, creating the results they want, with your expertise? Think of specific action steps that help them meet their first goal or milestone.
PACKAGE TYPE #2
How to get to the next LEVEL
What do your clients get stuck with and what’s the next level they want to achieve? Be specific in how you define this and you’ll create a profitable package.
PACKAGE TYPE #3
What is the STEP-BY-STEP to creating outstanding results?
People love to invest in step-by-step programmes so they save time and feel confident they’ll achieve the results they want. Be specific in the steps you outline, but don’t try to turn your client into an expert.
PACKAGE TYPE #4
How to master a specific SKILL
Clients love to invest in learning how to master something that they know they need in order to achieve the results they want. Offers like these are easy to market and even easier to enrol clients into.
Step 3: Price Your Offers With Confidence And Clarity
If you struggle with how much to charge and how to confidently state your fees, you’re not alone.
Never mind the added stress of secretly (desperately) hoping your potential clients will say yes when you’re already stressed from tight cash flow.
But explaining, justifying or negotiating your fees is just NOT client attractive!
It makes clients wonder why you’re not confident in your own abilities – and to lose faith in you themselves.
That’s why I coach my clients to be able to charge what they’re worth AND talk about their fees with clarity and confidence.
(You can get more tips on increasing your self-confidence in my recent blog post “How To Create Winning Self-Esteem And Unstoppable Confidence”)
Here are my Top 15 Pricing Do’s And Don’ts taken from my own ‘6-Steps To 6-Figures And Beyond’ Coaching Programme:
- DON’T… Use words like “price, cost, buy or discount” when discussing your fees
- DO… Always say “invest or investment”.
- DON’T… Discuss the investment until you’re sure they are a fit.
- DO… Get clear about the type of person you want to work with and definitely listen to your intuition about who is (and who is not) a fit
- DON’T… Allow a client to renegotiate their deposit. How you handle payments sets the tone for your credibility throughout the relationship
- DO… Always make the deposit non-refundable. This is their commitment to their transformation
- DON’T… Undercharge –it devalues your credibility and reputation. People respect what they pay more for.
- DO… Remember that your clients aren’t investing in you; they are investing in themselves through you.
- DON’T… Base your pricing on time. Clients are investing in results, attention and accountability to move forward.
- DO… Have your client sign a simple agreement.
- DON’T… Decide what someone can or cannot afford. You have absolutely no idea how powerfully someone can step up when it’s for something they really want.
- DO… Adopt the mindset of holding your clients as powerful, no matter what, even if they want to drop out of a programme or delay their payments (you’ll be surprised how often this mindset will help you lead your client to make a new, empowered decision).
- DON’T… always post your fees on your website
- DO… Consider offering a payment plan as one of your payment options
- DO... Remember that a payment plan is a courtesy you’re offering your clients. They are investing in a programme (not paying “month to month”).
These are some of my best strategies to quickly grow your business and boost your cash flow…
So I invite you to hear me share, step-by-step, how to create the first, real breakthrough you need in your business in my next CONTENT-PACKED, FREE ‘6-Steps To 6-Figures’ 5-Day Challenge
You can register now at https://academy.emmahague.com/6-steps-to-6-figures-challenge
5 Tools To Create A Positive Attitude When You’re Feeling Negative
So you’ve heard it’s important to maintain a positive attitude if you want to improve your results in life, but why is it important and how do you actually do it?
In this post, I’ll be sharing what attitude actually is, why it’s so important to maintain a positive attitude, my 5 tools to help you do this and what you can expect when you implement these ideas in your own life.
I’ve learnt to take serious, effective action as soon as an idea comes into my head and now have the ability to use those most important higher mental faculties of imagination and will, to implement like a boss!
And not only to start the task – but to work on it until it’s complete. Something I struggled with previously for decades.
What Is The Meaning Of Attitude?
Attitude is one of the most frequently used words in the English language and yet relatively few people actually understand what it means.
Parents tell children if they change their attitude, they’ll all get along better.
Teachers tell students if they change their attitude, their grades will improve.
Sales managers tell team members their sales will improve if they will only change their attitude.
When Doctors have done all they can, they tell their patients “Now it’s up to you; it’s all in your attitude.”
And yet, if you walked down the street asking people what attitude means, you would likely get a slew of different answers.
You would think something of this importance, something so powerful, should be explained to us (not simply expected of us) from a very early age and that we’d be actively taught and encouraged to use it effectively.
However, many people go through life without this knowledge, riding a roller coaster of emotions and living at the mercy of whatever gets ‘thrown their way’ on a day to day basis.
The unfortunate fact is that the vast majority of people are allowing their attitude to be controlled by outside forces – by the media, by other people, by external conditions and circumstances in their life.
When you have a deep, clear understanding of what attitude is and how attitudes are formed, it will quickly become apparent that only a tiny proportion of the world’s population are actually in control of their attitude.
Attitude is the composite of your thoughts, your feelings and your actions. You might also hear it referred to as ‘mood’
Most people don’t realise that they have sole and total control over their attitude or mood. They believe it is ‘given’ to them or ‘inflicted’ upon them by the situation they find themselves in.
But this is not so. Your attitude, or mood, can only come from inside you.
The thoughts you generate in your mind control your feelings, your feelings dictate the actions you take (including the things you say) and your actions dictate your results in life.
Why Is A Positive Attitude Important?
In his brilliant book, Lead The Field, Earl Nightingale says:
“It is our actions, feelings or moods that determine the action, feelings or moods of others. Our attitude tells the world what we expect in return. If it’s a cheerful, expectant attitude, it says to everyone with whom we come in contact that we expect the best in our dealings with the world.
You see, we tend to live up to our expectations. And others give to us, as far as their attitudes are concerned, what we expect. Our attitude is something we can control. We can establish our attitude each morning when we start our day – in fact, we do just that, whether or not we realise it.
And the people in our family – all the people in our world – will reflect back to us the attitude we present to them.
It is, then, our attitude toward life that determines life’s attitude toward us.”
This is the law of cause and effect in action.
We are producing causes all day long, every day that we live, and our environment can only return to us a corresponding effect.
In other words, we get back what we put out.
Each of us shapes our own life and, to a large degree, the quality of our life is determined by our habitual attitude. Learning a new habit of creating a positive attitude every morning on waking, and carrying it through the entirety of each day will change your world.
Most people never think about their attitude at all. They, sort of, wake up in ‘neutral’.
Their attitudes are neither positive nor negative, they’re simply waiting to see ‘what the day brings’, ready to react to whatever they encounter.
If what they encounter happens to be good, they will reflect it; if it’s bad they will reflect that.
They go through their day being influenced, and to a large extent controlled by, the actions of others and the conditions of their environment.
Their actions, and therefore their results, are a direct consequence of their reaction to what’s going on around them.
This is why it’s so important for us take control of ourselves and to make sure we have a positive attitude as often as possible.
How Can I Stay Positive When My Results Are Not What I Want?
For most of us, learning this new habit takes time and it’s developed the same way we develop any other ability; through practice!
We have a tendency to become consumed by our current results: the things that are happening in our lives at this moment in time.
But if our current results are not what we want, thinking about them over and over produces negative emotions, those emotions dictate the actions we take (or don’t take) and we find ourselves getting the same results.
The following 5 tools help my clients build the habit of maintaining a positive attitude throughout the day, even when things aren’t going quite to plan:
Positive Attitude Tool #1 - Gratitude
I (and my clients) begin each day with a Gratitude journal. As soon as you wake each morning, write out 10 things you are truly grateful for.
Give it some thought and only write down things you feel genuine gratitude for.
Completing this as a box-ticking exercise won’t work. It must come from deep down.
Maybe you’re grateful for your mental and physical well-being; for your happy, healthy children; for the opportunities that lay before you; for your morning coffee; for the roof over your head or the money to pay the bills this month…
It doesn’t matter how big or small they are or if they are the same things every day but try to come up with items that you are really thankful for.
It is this emotion, that raises your energetic level of vibration, makes you ‘feel’ good and sets you up with a positive attitude for the day ahead.
Tool #2 - Reminders
Sometimes simply reminding yourself to stay on task can be all you need to create a real difference.
Write out small signs (e.g. Post-It Notes or stickers) printed with the word ‘Attitude!” (or a drawing/symbol that reminds you of this word if you don’t want to make this exercise public knowledge!)
It’s a good idea to stick them on your car dashboard, the bathroom mirror, your computer screen, next to the kettle…
We need to smile more, speak to people, reach out to people, care about people.
We need to stop reacting to negative situations as if they are a personal attack (like being cut-up in your car or seeing a social media post you don’t like) and start responding instead.
Count to 10 before you say or do anything. Really think about what actions you are about to take: what ‘cause’ you will produce, and what effect that is likely to return to you.
Everything in the world we want to be, do or have must come with the assistance, in one form or another, of other people.
If you’ll begin to develop an attitude that says ‘yes’ to life and the world around you, the changes you see will be phenomenal.
Positive Attitude Tool # 3 – Expectation
Expect the best.
I teach my clients to expect to reach the goals they establish for themselves, to expect to get the results they want in all areas of their life.
Having a big goal to work towards is absolutely crucial for anyone wishing to advance in this life (and we should want to advance: the purpose of all life is fuller expansion and greater expression).
Focusing on those goals with the expectation that you will achieve them, is another tool to lift your vibration and create a positive attitude.
(You can read more about goal setting in my blog post https://www.emmahague.com/life-goal)
Successful people take the attitude that they can accomplish whatever they set out to accomplish. They hold the belief that there’s no good reason on earth why they can’t create the results they want in life.
They simply commit to working out what they need to do to achieve those things and doing them.
Practice the habit of believing there are more reasons why you can do something than there are reasons you can’t.
Even when things appear to be going badly, understand that, when you are focused on your goal, these hiccups are steps you must conquer to get to your final destination – they are merely lessons from which we must learn.
Use your higher mental faculty of Perception to look at any negative situations that crop up from a different angle and ask yourself “How can I make this work?” and then expect that you will.
Pretend if you have to at first! Pretend that you’re expecting to win at absolutely everything you put your hand to and see how quickly it becomes a habit-knit part of your attitude.
Tool #4 – The Impression Of Increase
In his book “The Science Of Getting Rich”, Wallace D Wattles talks about ‘The Impression Of Increase’.
He says “ The desire for increase in inherent in all nature; it is the fundamental impulse of the universe. All human activities are based on the desire for increase; people are seeking more food, more clothes, better shelter, more luxury, more beauty, more knowledge, more pleasure – increase in something, more life.
Every living thing is under this necessity for continuous advancement; where increase of life ceases, dissolution and death set in at once.”
It is because this is the deepest instinct of our nature that all men and women are attracted to those who can give them more in life, or can help them get it.
Treat every person you come into contact with as though he or she were the most important person on earth; in both your personal life and your professional life.
What can you say or do to help that person feel good?
Did the shop assistant serve you with an enthusiastic smile? Did the waiter go above and beyond his paid job for you? Has your daughter completed a task well that she didn’t want to do? Has your partner spent time making you a delicious dinner?
Tell them. This is not about false praise for praise’s sake, it’s about letting people know you appreciate them and have noticed the efforts they are making.
Make a commitment to practice this for the next 30 days with every single human being you come into contact with. How can you make them feel appreciated?
Remember, we get back what we put out.
Leaving everyone feeling better off for having interacted with you will make you feel good, raise your vibration and will ensure you receive good in return in the future.
Tool #5 – ‘Serenity’ Chapter
Of course there are all times when, try as we might, we really struggle to stick with these tools and find ourselves slipping into a poor attitude; getting annoyed at others and being frustrated with ourselves.
Relaxation plays a big part in what I teach as being able to stay calm in any situation is the key to controlling your thoughts and staying positive.
The more ways you can build relaxation methods into your daily routine, the more you will find you’re able to respond to situations calmly and without letting your emotions take over.
One of the tools I give my students is the last chapter (entitled ‘Serenity’) from William James’ little book ‘As A Man Thinketh’.
If they find they need some help getting their emotions under control; maybe they are prone to road (or trolley!) rage; maybe they find themselves constantly becoming annoyed with their children or spouse over small things; perhaps they become anxious and frustrated when making sales calls…
I prescribe reading this chapter every morning for 30 days. I suggest you do the same.
What Can I Expect If I Make These Changes?
When your attitude shifts, everything in your world shifts too.
If it shifts in a negative direction, your entire life shifts in that direction.
When it shifts in a positive direction, life improves.
Allowing your thoughts and, therefore, your attitude (or mood) to be controlled by outside forces means you are allowing those outside forces to determine the direction of your life.
Taking control of, and responsibility for, the thoughts you are having and the resulting attitude you are living with means you determine the results you experience in all aspects of your life.
You will feel better about yourself, about your own potential and about the people around you.
You’ll experience less worry, less frustration and less anger towards others.
In short, you will attract the happiness and success you desire.
It all rests on your attitude toward life and toward others.
The Only 3 Steps You Need To Make The Law Of Attraction Actually Work
Want to learn how to make the law of attraction actually work and live a better life?
In this post, I’ll be sharing what the law of attraction is, why it’s important you understand it and the ONLY 3 steps you need to implement this proven technique and make it a part of your life so that you can turn your own results around, no matter where you’re starting from.
I speak to so many people who have been trying to implement the Law Of Attraction (in some cases for decades!) without success.
It pains me because once you really understand it, and start to use it properly, it will change your life.
First, let me explain my own background with regard to this:
As an accountant by profession, I spent years ignoring anything that I perceived to be ‘woo-woo’. I had been brought up to be a very ‘no-nonsense’, practical, logical individual who had no time for anything I couldn’t actually see.
I know now just how much that held me back for the vast majority of my life – but I would not have touched this topic with a barge pole, even 4 years ago.
It just wasn’t even on my radar – I mixed with friends and colleagues who were like me, attracted clients who were like me and took advice from members of my family (who were like me). I imagine none of them had heard of the law of attraction either, so I just wasn’t exposed to it as far as I can remember.
And I also know now, that’s why I spent over 20 years struggling to get the results I really wanted in my life and business.
I attracted clients who were really negative, who didn’t really want to pay me to do their taxes and who (I felt) took advantage of my time and fear of losing them.
Cash flow was an absolute night-mare, I was working around 2 pre-schoolers and my husband who worked shifts and I could just never see a time when we would have enough money to pay the bills every month, never mind any savings or luxuries.
A Dream Without A Plan Is Just A Wish
In the 3 years since I learned about this fundamental law and how to use it, my life has been transformed.
We sold the house we had been unable to sell for the previous 3 years (that had felt like a millstone around our neck because we couldn’t afford the repairs it needed), we now live in a lovely, quiet area and I have a huge, private home office that has transformed my working life…
We have a beautiful labradoodle, Lulu. This had previously just been a dream for me and my girls as my husband thought he was allergic to dogs and never liked them. In the 20 years we’d been together he always vowed he would never have one. Lulu will be 3 in November. J
I became a consultant with the Proctor Gallagher Institute, working with Bob Proctor and Sandy Gallagher and finally replaced my accounting income so I could close the business I had being trying to find a way out of for years.
I am surrounded by positive, like-minded individuals and have learned how to stop negative circumstances (and people) affecting how I feel and what I do.
I took Mr H with me to consultant training in Toronto last year on our first international adventure as a couple for 14 years.
We spent the day at Niagara Falls before training started, I met up in person with a beautiful American client who has become one of my best friends, we spent the week in a luxury apartment, I lived out my dream of being with Bob in person for 5 days and Karl and I relived our honeymoon for the day in New York City on the way home.
I have become the business owner I dreamed about becoming for so long and I’m the happiest person I know.
I’ve cut down massively on my alcohol intake (granted, it was a high starting point!) and am finally losing the weight I put on with my 2nd baby 10 years ago.
I have multiplied my annual income and work with individuals all over the world, doing what I love and showing them how to re-programme their thinking the way I have done, so they can implement the law of attraction into their own lives and turn their own results around.
I’m not telling you these things to brag. Everyone’s dreams are different. The things I have achieved so far may seem small to you, or they may seem huge. They’ve been life-changing for me.
I’m telling you these things to illustrate how the law of attraction works for everyone. I am living proof.
But I know this is just the beginning. For me and the amazing people I work with.
(And if you’d like more info, you should join us for my next FREE 5-Day Science Of Success Quick-Start Challenge and let me help you in person! You can register now at https://academy.emmahague.com/free-challenge)
So What Exactly IS The Law Of Attraction?
Here comes the science…
First, I’d like to talk about desire from the point of view of quantum physics. Yes, really!
You probably already know that ‘desire’ is the starting point of any change. In fact, in his book ‘Think And Grow Rich’ Napoleon Hill ranks Desire as being ‘The First Step To Riches’.
Now, I’m no scientist. In fact, I don’t even really remember learning much about physics at school but it’s fair to say I’ve developed a keen interest since seeing the law of attraction in action!
What you need to understand is that what we see with our eyes when we look around (the only things I believed in a few years ago) is really just the tip of the iceberg.
The trees, the sky, even our own bodies represent a tiny fraction of what is actually ‘real’.
Take your hand and look at it. It looks fairly solid doesn’t it? But it’s really not.
If you put your hand (or a pen, a leaf, a piece of paper or anything else for that matter) under a strong microscope, you’ll see a mass of vibrating energy.
Everything we see (and everything we don’t see, actually) is made up of the exact same thing, whether it’s your hand, your pen, the ocean or the sky. Energy.
This is not a new idea.
In 1925, Albert Einstein wrote on his chalkboard
“ E = MC² ”
What that says (in extremely simple terms) is that energy = matter. In other words, all matter is simply energy, vibrating at different speeds. The speed at which it is vibrating simply determines it’s mass – or how ‘solid’ it is.
Think about this breakdown:
First there is the Universe.
Inside the Universe is our Galaxy.
Inside our Galaxy is planet Earth.
Living on planet Earth are individuals.
Inside us are our organ systems.
Our organ systems are made up of cells.
Inside those cells are molecules.
Molecules are ‘made up’ of atoms.
Atoms consist of ‘particles’ of energy.
This means there is a whole raft of different levels to talk about when we are discussing anything.
But essentially, everything in the entire Universe is energy vibrating at different levels and, therefore, taking on different forms be it solid, liquid or gas.
The law of attraction shows us that energy (in all forms) attracts other energy that is vibrating at the same frequency.
Think about a pool of water – if you moved it closer and closer towards another puddle of water, they would eventually attract each other and join together to make one huge puddle.
If you moved a puddle of oil towards a puddle of water they would never mix – because they are vibrating at different frequencies.
Resources:
Why is the law of attraction important?
Whether you understand it or not, whether you ‘get it’ or not, whether you believe it or not, the law of attraction is 100% present 100% of the time.
That means you are constantly attracting thoughts, ideas, people, events, circumstances and ‘things’ into your life.
Whether you like it or not.
We know that all energy vibrates at a particular speed (see above!) which then emits a particular frequency. Human beings are frequency generators. We are vibrating at a particular frequency because we are simply a mass of energy.
If you get close to someone’s skin you can actually feel the infrared energy they are giving off – we would identify it as heat.
Masaki Kobayashi from the Tohoku Institute of Technology has developed a camera that can actually photograph the (very low) levels of light energy being emitted by the human body.
We now have scans that can record the energy patterns and levels being given off by the brain.
What most people don’t understand is that a thought is energy and, therefore, has a frequency.
We can actually measure thought energy.
So if you’re thinking a particular thought over and over again or if you’re imagining in your mind having that new house or having that amount of money you really want or finding that ‘special someone’…
OR conversely if you’re worrying about something happening over and over again or getting angry about the same thing over and over again…
Think about what that looks like. You’re emitting that particular, specific frequency over and over again on a continuous, persistent basis.
Our job, as humans is to hold onto the thoughts of what we really want – get it absolutely crystal clear in our minds – and think about it over and over again.
And from that point we start to initiate the greatest, most fundamental law of the Universe.
The law of attraction.
We know that energy operates according to very strict laws – and that energy is attracted to like energy (i.e. energy vibrating at the same rate). The higher the rate of vibration, the more readily this occurs and more the more easily they combine.
Thoughts are vibrating at incredibly high frequencies.
Therefore, your thoughts readily attract like-thoughts, like-ideas and other like-energy.
Whether they are negative thoughts or positive thoughts is immaterial. Whatever thoughts you are entertaining on a regular basis dictate the results you are attracting.
So it is hugely important that you are aware of what your thoughts are, at the very least in order to avoid attracting things you do not want.
How Do You Use The Law Of Attraction To Change Your Results?
In her book ‘The Secret’, Rhonda Byrne lays out a 3 step ‘creation’ process taken from the New Testament in The Bible to explain, in simple terms, a tried and tested method of putting the Law Of Attraction into practice.
Indeed it is a simplified version of the system I use myself and the programme I now take clients through during my own Thinking Into Results Mentorship.
You might also want to read my blog post “The 9-Step Proven Formua To Actually Turn Your Life-Goals Into Achievements, So You Can Stop Wishing And Start Planning.” at https://emmahague.com/life-goal
Step 1 – 'Ask'
Make a command to the Universe. Remember: the Universe responds to the frequency you are transmitting and the source of this frequency is your thoughts.
Get clear in your own mind what it is that you really, really want. Not what do you think you can probably have but what do you really, really want?
Forget about what you think is ‘realistic’ and forget the fact that you don’t know how to do it yet.
Just picture how your life would look if you could be, do and have anything your heart desired.
Write it out in as much detail as you possibly can – actually get it down in writing – and make a statement using the present tense “I am so happy and grateful now that…”
Really put your imagination to use and come up with exactly how you really want all the different areas of your life to look.
You can choose what you want but you must be absolutely crystal clear on what you want.
If you’re not clear, or are bouncing backwards and forwards between potential goals, you will be sending out mixed frequencies and can only expect mixed results.
Step 2 – 'Believe'
Believe that it’s already yours.
This step is one that is often missed out because it can be tough for people to believe in something they don’t yet know how to do.
But remember, the law of attraction is working ALL the time, not just when you’re consciously thinking about it. So whatever it is that you truly believe in your heart of hearts is what will be attracted to you, unless you make a concerted effort to change and control it.
You must develop complete, unwavering faith at a deep, subconscious level that what you want is on its way to you. Even though you may not see any signs of evidence of this, you must know that once you have ‘placed your order’ with the Universe (see Step 1 above), there are people, events and circumstances working together behind the scenes to bring you the things you have asked for.
So how do you develop such faith? Well, there are many different methods but the one I use with my Thinking Into Results members is visualisation.
Making time to completely relax and imagine yourself having achieved the things you want to achieve and feeling how that feels.
This ‘feeling’ element is important and often only comes with lots and lots of repetition and is a large part of what we do.
It is the feeling that creates the correct frequency needed for the law of attraction to be effective and it is constantly exposing your subconscious mind that will start to change your paradigm and your beliefs.
Step 3 – 'Be Ready To Receive'
Taking control of the law of attraction is not possible without you actually taking action.
Taking inspired action is how you become ready to receive the good that you desire. The Universe / God / Spirit can only work with and through you it cannot do it for you.
When you have an inspired thought or idea, take it as the Universe guiding you toward the actions you need to take in order to receive the things you want.
You must act on these thoughts when you receive them. Ignoring them or ‘putting them off’ is the biggest reason why so many people say the law of attraction doesn’t work.
Sitting back and just waiting for the things you desire to simply materialise in front of you is likely to lead to disappointment.
You don’t have to know the whole ‘how’ but you do need to follow your intuition in taking the steps you need to take to get you to where you want to go.
If you have applied the first 2 steps as instructed, the way ahead will become clear. But you must start moving first.
Start now to act as if the things you want are already yours. Plan for their arrival and try with all your might to feel how you’ll feel when they are in your possession.
What Happens When you Use The Law Of Attraction?
The law of attraction is working all around you 100% of the time. If you’re not controlling what you attract into your life, who is?
Newsflash: No-one has decided in advance what your purpose in life should be or what path you will follow. It is not laid out ahead of you.
If you don’t decide what it is, you are simply stumbling through life.
Your purpose is what you say it is. Your mission is the one you give yourself. Your life will be what you create it as and no-one will stand in judgement of what that is. Ever.
You, and you alone, decide what your life will look like.
It may be that your life right now has been built on baggage left over from the past. You may be dominated by thoughts of things that happened years ago. You may have been conditioned into a life of lack and limitation.
But know now that you can start over.
You can wipe the slate clean now right here, right now.
Decide what it is you want your life to look like and commit to making it happen. Even if you don’t yet know how.
The law of attraction is the controlling factor that will allow you to do it.
As you delve into this process, happiness, joy and fulfilment will be yours. As you learn to go after the things you really want in life and open yourself up to accept the abundance of the Universe, you realise how phenomenal life really is.
You will live in a different reality – a different life. And you will find people asking what you’re doing differently – what’s changed for you?
And you’ll be able to share with them the secret of the law of attraction.
Emma Hague is a Certified Proctor Gallagher Consultant and Real Results Mentor based in the U. K.
A qualified accountant by profession, Emma now teaches self-employed women (and some very lucky men!) over 40 in the UK, USA & Canada how to achieve their life-goals – no matter where they might be right now.
As a business owner for over 14 years, Emma believes passionately that we need to take control of (and responsibility for) our own lives in order to create the freedom we all want.
Away from her business, Emma is an avid rugby league fan and loves to spend time with her family (she is mum to two young girls and two grown-up step-sons).
She also enjoys running, beach holidays and going on city breaks with her husband, Karl.
Emma’s own turning point came when, having hit rock bottom financially, she realised that after selling the family home to pay off debts and just try to ‘get in front’, she would likely struggle to ever get a mortgage again.
Bringing their dream of a large, beautiful family home and worldwide travel crashing down around them.
Furious with herself, and the system, Emma committed to taking back control and creating the future she wants for her and her family by doing whatever it takes to create the life she really wants – and to help others do the same.
Emma understands the frustration, and time pressure felt by men and women who are entering the second half of their life and wondering how they’ll ever achieve the things the dream of before their time on this planet is over.
She is a coach and mentor grounded in the real-world and can help you create what’s next for you.