Meditation and Financial Fitness

Today I will be doing a radio interview on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (at 6 p.m. Central Daylight Time) The topic is "Meditation and Financial Fitness." The interview is related to publicity work I am doing for the world-renowned spiritual and humanitarian leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who will be making a rare public appearance in Minneapolis on April 22 at Wayzata Community Church.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar & The Art of Living

A Nobel Prize nominee, Sri Sri has been named by Forbes Magazine as one of the five most powerful leaders in India today. His Art of Living Foundation, the largest non-government volunteer organization in the world, offers a wide range of classes and workshops that combine conscious breathing techniques, yoga movements, silent meditation and coping skills.

Self-Actualization

For well over three decades, I have pursued a path of self-development, self-improvement and self-actualization. I have done everything from yoga to meditation to training in energy healing, to training and practicing as a psychotherapist, teaching college psychology, and studying both Western and Eastern approaches to healing and spirituality.

The Science of Success

I have also studied and taught The Science of Success (developed by Napoleon Hill, author of the bestselling book Think and Grow Rich), and read thousands of books on self-help, motivation, success, psychology, healing, spirituality, philosophy, and metaphysics.

Change Must Be Holistic (Body and Mind)

There is a strong physiological component to success and well-being and no matter how much we know intellectually and how much we try to change, if we do not engage in practices that change us at the fundamental physical level (i.e., the brain and body), we are bound to revert to old habit patterns and behaviors.

What does this have to do with our finances? And what does it have to do with meditation?

Your Hidden Mental World

Each of us has an internal mental world, of which most of us are not aware. We may get glimpses of what we really are thinking all the time, but unless we really take time to stop and observe our thought patterns, we will never know what is going on in this mental world. Hence, the importance of meditation.

The Importance of Controlling Your Thoughts

In the book The Answer by John Assaraf and Murray Smith, they state, “The secret to our success lies in controlling our thoughts.” However, how can you control your thoughts if you do not even know what you are thinking?

Your Thoughts Are Creating Your Life

The book The Answer also shares insights from modern science, which have revealed that thoughts actually create matter, that thought is where everything comes from, and that the most powerful force in the world is your thoughts, your beliefs. Modern science is illuminating the fact that our thoughts are the controlling factor in what we manifest and create in our lives.

So, in fact, our thoughts and beliefs about money are the keys to our “financial fitness”. 

Do You Know What You Are Thinking?

When I took the Oprah sponsored web-based course "A New Earth" with Eckhart Tolle (author of The Power of Now), he emphasized that we need to get into the "now." And to do this, we were to sit quietly and allow ourselves to just be in the "now." Tolle said that when we do this we become aware of our mind chatter. (click to download replays of The Oprah and Tolle "New Earth" classes)

Now, unfortunately, the human mind tends to be negative and focus on fears, anxieties, worries, and past and projected traumas. 

For many, if not most of us, the patterns of our thoughts are negative and limiting. And many people have what is called "poverty consciousness."

Meditation Can Help You Focus the Mind

Meditation can allow you to perceive the mind with greater clarity and it can also help you to learn to focus the mind. New research in neuroscience has proven that the mental and emotional changes we can cultivate from focused attention can produce physical change to the brain.  We can change our neural pathways and stimulate growth in areas of the brain that are very important for our mental health.

Meditation Can Help You Change the Structure of Your Brain

One of the most exciting scientific discoveries of the last two decades is that we can change the structure of our brain through focused attention. Developing reflective skills through such practices as meditation can activate the circuits that are foundational to resilience and well-being.

How we think effects the body through the nerves, the hormones and the immune system, and meditation has been scientifically proven to lower the effects of stress. 

Meditation Practiced by Both Religious and Non-Religious People

Although many associate meditation with the East, in fact, there have been writings about meditation in almost all of the major religious traditions, and today both religious and non-religious people all over the world practice meditation.

The Power of Breath

Breath is a powerful tool for stilling the mind and can activate the physiological relaxation response. I recently completed an Art of Living class and was very impressed with the unique breathing technique developed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, which he calls Sudarshan Kriya. I have noticed a great release of stress in my nervous system, first coming with some dramatic emotional release, and now, with my daily practice, a release on a more subtle level. 


Conclusion
If you want to be financially fit, you need to reduce the stress in your nervous system on a regular basis. This will relax the body and the mind and help you make better decisions and be more positive.  It also can help you to actually change the neural pathways in your brain and become the master of your life rather than someone who is controlled by thoughts and beliefs that lie beneath the surface of your consciousness awareness.

Dear Success Seeker & the True Meaning of Success

Last week the book Dear Success Seeker: Wisdom from Outstanding Women by Michele Wright, Ph.D. was released (published by Atria, a divison of Simon and Schuster). I was very honored to be among the women featured in this book, which includes advice from such remarkable women as:

• Civil Rights Pioneer Rosa Parks
• Actresses Della Reese & Shirley Jones
  
• Faith leaders Joyce Meyer & Reverend Johnnie Colemon
  
• Tennis champion Billie Jean King
• Philanthrophist & Educator Camille Cosby, Ed.D
• Oprah Radio & Oprah Show personality Gayle King

I have read countless books on success over the years and many people focus just on material success.However, the messages in Dear Success Seeker set it apart because they have a depth and richness to them that go far beyond superficial success. The messages get to the real heart and soul of success, which is the mastery of one’s self and one’s life and the fulfillment of the potential that lies within each individual.

My success letter, and many of the letters featured in the book, touch very much on the psychological and spiritual aspects of success. To me, success is so much more than material success or achievements.

MY PERSONAL "SUCCESS JOURNEY"
When I was young, I was very ambitious and wanted to have grand achievements in my life. When I graduated from college, I secured a fantastic job and in less than a year, I was promoted to a very high level position. I loved my job and was quite successful in the eyes of the world.

MY DRIVE TO ACHIEVE BASED UPON MY EGO'S NEED TO OVERCOME FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY
Although I was doing well in my work, I was not able to have a committed and close relationship with a man. I made work my life and lamented about not finding the “right man.” After a few years, I had a personal crisis that led me to get some counseling. My therapist helped me understand that my drive to succeed was based upon my ego’s need for achievement as an overcompensation for my core feeling of inadequacy.

WORKING ON MY PSYCHOLOGY WAS TOUGH, BUT WORTH IT
My therapist also helped me realize that my inability to have a close relationship with a man was based upon these same feelings of inadequacy. Working on my psychology was tough, but I had no other option if I wanted to find peace and self-acceptance. The rewards for doing this work were enormous.

SUCCESS IS ABOUT SELF-WORTH & INNER PEACE
I began to feel genuine self-worth and have an inner peace I had never before experienced. My relationships improved and I met the love of my life and we got married. New opportunities opened to me and my motive for achievement changed.

SUCCESS IS ABOUT CONTRIBUTING TO THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY
Now it became about serving and being the best I could be, not for ego aggrandizement but in the true spirit of contributing to the greater good of my family and the community.

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The book can be purchased at bookstores or online at Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

Be A Master of Something (Lessons from the Dog Whisperer)

Yesterday I watched a highly entertaining television program called The Dog Whisperer. The star of the show is Cesar Millan, a man who has extraordinary mastery in rehabilitating behaviorally-challenged canines.

Cesar Millan Had A Goal to Be World's Greatest Dog Trainer
Cesar’s life goal was to be the world’s greatest dog trainer, and what is so evident is that Cesar just loves dogs. He just loves what he is doing. And it is a pleasure to watch him do what he does so well.

Try to Do Something You Love
Now, this makes me think we should all try to be doing something we love. When we do something we love, time stands still and we become very focused and very energized. And this is when we can really become good at something, become a master of something.

If It Can't Be Your Job, Do Something You Love as A Hobby
If we can’t find that exact job that allows us to work at something we love, then we should take up a hobby or avocation that is something we love. In fact, many times a hobby can actually turn into a successful business or career.

Pour A Lot of Energy into One Thing
For me, being the best at one thing is a little challenging because I have so many interests and have had so many different facets of my career. But after seeing The Dog Whisperer, I think there is something to be said for narrowing one’s focus and pouring a lot of energy into one area.

My Focus to Learn How to Use the Internet
Actually, one area where I have poured a lot of my energy is learning how to use the Internet. Way back in the early days of the Internet (1995), I started building commercial web sites and doing online marketing. Since that time, I have probably logged well over 200,000 hours online and have read hundreds of books about all aspects of working with the Internet. I have led workshops, given speeches and consulted with numerous individuals, businesses and organizations to help them best use the Internet.

My Desire to Use the Internet
When I started using the Internet, I wasn’t really thinking about trying to gain mastery with it. I just know that I loved it and had a strong desire to get better and better at using it as a powerful tool and to help others to do the same.

Master Something and People Will Notice
To become really, really good at something, you will need to invest a great deal of energy. That energy creates a strong forcefield that radiates out to others, to the community and to the world. This is a powerful force and you can use this energy to attract like energy. This is the principal of the Law of Attraction.

Master of the Internet
Recently I had an experience that helped me to clarify a goal for my life. A book was published titled "Online Marketing Heroes: Interviews with 25 Successful Online Marketing Gurus." I was featured in this book and the book's recognition for my work made me realize that although I had not started out with a conscious goal of becoming a master of the Internet, my passion and love for the Internet had led me down a road of mastery.

Doing What You Love or What Interests You Can Lead to Mastery
What are your interests? What are your passions? You might have to try several things before you discover this, however, when you really connect with something you love, try to make time in your life to do that thing.

Become A Master
Mother Teresa said it is not what we do, but the love we put into something we do, that really counts. Find something you love, do it and become a master.

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Read Joan Holman Interview in "Online Marketing Heroes"

The book "Online Marketing Heroes" is available for purchase at Amazon.com

Read more at www.onlinemarketingheroes.com

The Dog Whisperer is on the National Geographic Channel