Real Happiness Real Success Real Fast

i

Real Happiness, Real Success... Real Fast Rico Caveglia www.AgelessLivingLifestyle.com

Author of: Ageless Living Real Food Real Fast The Ultimate Healthy Heart Guide The 10 Keys To Optimal Health and Longevity Real Health Real Fast - Wellness Program Beyond Weight Loss A Question of Balance© The F.U.N. Program© The creator of: Ageless Living Adventure™ The Healthy Heart Challenge™

Layout by: J.D. Mumma, Ami. www.HumanExcellence.com

Copyright © 2010 by Rico Caveglia All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including or photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by

Ageless Living Publishing Co. (858) 274-0118 i

table of Contents Introduction

1

Success and Happiness DeďŹ ned

4

The Universal Laws of Success and Happiness

6

Happiness

10

Success... In The Physical World

15

Your Strategy

18

Step One: Know Thy Self

22

Step Two: Know What You Really Want

29

Step Three: Creat A Plan

39

Step Four: Take Action Daily

43

Creating Good Health

45

When to Get Started

55

How to Stay on Track

57

An Ideal Day

59

An Ideal Successful Day

60

My Success Story

62

Summary

63

ii

Introduction Have you ever wondered why some people are more successful than others? Why do you think that some people seem happier than others?

The answers really are quite simple. If you are sincere about creating more success and happiness in your life, then this book is for you.

We all want to be successful and happy, but if you ask most people they will say that they aren’t as successful and happy as they would like to be.

Most people give reasons that they are too busy just surviving and that there is so much competition and so many challenges in the world today.

This is true, but these are just excuses. These people miss the real point of why we are struggling with these elusive concepts. You will discover why you have been struggling and how to end the struggle now.

My Real Fast Series books are based on the fact that we are all caught up in this extremely fast paced, stressful world. We are overloaded with more information, misinformation, and hype than we know what to do with.

What we need is honest, real information. We need information delivered in a concise format that is easy to implement. Real means: “not imaginary,” or “not superficial.” Real is something you can feel and touch, and is everlasting. We need fast information because our lives and the world around us are rapidly changing. We need to be able to respond in a fast manner… This is the goal for all of my offerings.

This book offers an outline on what I have learned about happiness and success. The teachings come from many enlightened thinkers, both past and present: Lao Tzu, Socrates, Yogananda, Krisnamurti, Deepak Chopra, and Arnold Patent to name a few.

My contribution is to present this essential material in an organized way so that you can easily begin to implement what is meaningful to you.

You will find a consensus of the keys and strategies necessary to help you begin living a more successful, happy life. Included are methods and exercises to help you accomplish your goals. I know they will be of great value and help to you; Practice them consistently.

It is my belief that as more of us become more successful and happy, we uplift others, as in the saying, all boats rise to the level of the water. I feel

1

that the reason we are here is to learn how to help create peace, prosperity, and joy for everyone. At this critical time in our existence, mankind badly needs us all to step up and make it happen. It is my hope that this book will serve as a guide and inspiration to do just that.

2

Chapter One

Success and Happiness

3

Success and Happiness Defined What do success and happiness mean to you? Do you have a clear idea how to achieve them?

I think it’s safe to assume that most everyone wants to be successful and most of all to be happy, but what to these terms really mean? If you ask this question to 10 people you most likely will get 10 different opinions and many will say they aren’t sure what true happiness and success means to them or how to achieve it. I looked in the dictionary for a definition of happiness all I found was; it is characterized by having good fortune and a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction.

A good definition of true happiness for me is: “The ability to be in, and remain in, an aware, peaceful, and joyful state, despite external circumstances.” This may also be a good definition of enlightenment.

Let’s make the assumption that the number one thing most people desire is to be happy. Achieving this state of complete happiness requires a body/ mind/spirit approach.

On a spiritual level, happiness is when we are self realized or enlightened of our true spiritual nature and free of material attachments. The state of true happiness in both our spiritual and physical worlds is one of contentment, gratitude, fulfillment, joy and peace.

Everyone also wants to be successful, but what does success really mean?

The dictionary says success means: “The achievement of something desired.” Success of course can be different things to different people.

Success is generally measured by worldly standards of accumulated wealth, prestige and power. Most of us want to be successful in our; career, marriage, family, relationships, health and achieving financial independence.

These are all worthy but to become truly successful in our physical endeavors, we must find our divine purpose and path from God. God being the name for our creator: The universal energy and intelligence. I think it’s wise to think of God as a presence rather than a person. This presence is everywhere and in everything, including us. It is said that God sleeps in the minerals, rests in the vegetables, walks in the animals and thinks in us. Whatever and however, you believe God to be, all of the enlightened teachers that I am aware of say: “In order to be truly successful and happy

4

we must reconnect with God and ďŹ nd our true self.

Now let’s see what factors are truly affecting our ability to feel successful and happy.

5

Chapter Two

The Universal Laws

6

The Universal Laws of Success and Happiness As you might imagine there is quite allot to know about success and happiness. The very first thing we need to be aware of are the inescapable laws that our shaping our lives.

We live in and are a part of an orderly universe that is governed by specific and undeniable laws. When we are in alignment with these laws we prosper, and when we are out of alignment we struggle.

Universal Laws of Nature and Life Our universe is governed by definite laws and principles. When we begin to follow these laws more carefully, we are able to get out of our own way and let success happen. I will briefly discuss some of the laws that are affecting our lives.

I recommend that you spend time learning more about these laws.

These days we are very fortunate to be able to Google most anything we want to learn about. I have also listed other books that go into this in more detail in the recommended reading section. So there are no excuses for not educating yourself on these most important principles.

One: We Live in an Abundant Perfect Universe We live in an abundant universe. There is no lack. A feeling of lack is only created by our limited, fearful, selfish thinking. There are only two basic emotions, love and fear. When we feel lack of something, we are living in fear. When we are hesitant to share what we have with others we are living in fear. When we feel we are in competition with others for the things we need and want, we are living in fear. When we are willing to cooperate and share for the benefit of everyone, we are living in love. There is no limit to the perfect-abundance-life that can be created when everyone is working together in harmony and love. The main point here is: Think BIG; Ask for what you want and share with others. “Ask and you shall receive” is a very important concept to remember. It’s an abundant universe, so do not be afraid to ask for the best that you can imagine. It is also our life purpose to accept the challenges we face and to learn to create an abundant life for everyone.

Two: Oneness We come from the same source. Every living soul on earth has 99.9% the same DNA. We are one big human family. We all have the same needs and deep rooted desires, even though on the surface they may seem

7

different. Oneness means we are all in this game of life together. There is no true enemy or competitors but ourselves. We are all on the same side. Understanding this is essential to the creation of successful win-win situations. Practicing the Golden Rule creates success and happiness for everyone. As more people begin to act on this most basic concept, the world will become a much safer, prosperous, and joyful place for everyone to live in.

Three: Cause and Effect It is often said that the first law of the universe is the Law of Cause and Effect. For every effect there is a cause or set of causes. There are no accidents. This is an orderly universe, it may seem random at times, but everything happens for a reason. Our beliefs and thoughts are the cause and our actions are the effect of everything that happens in our lives. This is also known as the Law of Karma or the Law of Attraction. What you put out into the universe in the form of thoughts and actions returns to you.

This is because everything in the universe, including your body and your thoughts, are just a form of energy, and “like” energy attracts “like” energy.

You had best think about the energy that you are creating because it is the energy that you will receive. Stay focused on the very best things you want to create and you will see them materialize when the time is right.

Four: Change Everything in the universe is constantly changing. All life is about change.

Life is a rhythmic dance of fluctuations. The tides move in and out, day turns to night, summer to fall. Everything in existence is in a process of growth or decay. Whenever we are struggling with our life it is because we are resisting some form of change. When we learn that nothing is permanent in the physical world and is always changing, we set ourselves free from attachment. Many teachers say all unhappiness comes from attachment. So the key is to love what is and go with the flow.

Mentioning go with the flow reminds me of how many nursery rhymes are really very prophetic. I’m thinking of “Row, row, row your boat… gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream.” “Row your boat” means to take responsibility for your life (your boat). Get it going (row) carefully and considerately (gently) in the right direction (down-stream with the flow), enjoying the journey (merrily). You are not your physical life (life is but a dream). Isn’t it fascinating where we find wisdom?

8

Five: It’s All About Energy The basic component of the universe is energy. Quantum physics has shown that everything in the universe is just vibrating pulses of energy and intelligence. The only difference between material objects is the rate of vibration. The lower the vibration the more dense the form; the higher the vibration the more expansive the energy within the form. Since everything is energy, including us, we are always interacting with it. Everything in your life is dependent upon on energy. Energy is what keeps you alive and is the source of all your mental and physical power. It is the electricity of the body/mind. Having an abundance of energy is the most important component of living a productive and enjoyable life. Your creativity, enthusiasm, self expression and self esteem, all are directly related to your amount of personal energy. When we are aligned with the energy flowing around and through us, we feel joyful and at peace. When we resist the natural flow of nature, we struggle and become ill.

Creating Maximum Personal Energy Creating energy is just like everything else in your life: how much you have depends on what you think, feel, and do. In other words, everything you do affects how much energy you will have. Potential energy in nature is always available. However, in the body, it can be blocked and depleted by tension and stress resulting from poor mental attitude, improper structural alignment, and counter-productive health habits. Creating more energy is not about taking the best so called energy pill. In fact, taking an artificial stimulant is the worst thing you can do. Most people who are chronically fatigued have low adrenal function.

Over stimulation further depletes your adrenal glands and creates more fatigue. Just as a headache is not due to lack of a painkiller in your body, fatigue is not due to lack of a substance like caffeine or ephedrine. There are two key components to producing maximum energy. In order for your body to function optimally it requires a positive mental/emotional state and the proper physical care and maintenance. For a complete program for achieving personal maximum physical and mental energy, please read “The Real Health Real Fast Wellness Program;” Also found at www.

AgelessLivingLifestyle.com.

I feel is it very worth your time to study these laws and to incorporate their principles into your daily life. It is essential to learn and respect these laws if you desire maximum success and happiness.

Now let’s explore further what success and happiness is really all about.

9

Chapter Three

Happiness

10

Happiness “Happiness is like chasing a butterfly, the more you chase the more it flies away.

When you put your attention on living your life’s purpose you will find the happiness butterfly will come and land on your shoulder.”

All of the schools of wisdom and spirituality that I am familiar with say that true happiness is not of the physical world. It is does not come from things, events or people outside of ourselves. It is also said that all of all struggles and sufferings come from being concerned about things that happened in the past and things that might happen in the future. Unhappiness comes when we are expecting things in the outer world to make us happy.

Happiness is a state of well being that you just feel or know; it’s not something you can define or quantify or even think about. If you wonder if you are happy, then you are not.

The only true state of happiness comes from within. It is being in touch with our true spiritual self, which has the same eternal qualities that we associate with our Gods. As it says in the Bible; we were created in the likeness of God. So this being the case, we all already have everything we need to be in a continual state of bliss or happiness.

The best I can say about how to be in this state of bliss, is to first just realize that this is our natural state and is available to us at all times as long as we stay in the present; this is what Eckhart Tolle calls “being in the now.”

So happiness is not a journey for achieving our goals that can be measured by a physical distance or time. It is one of self discovery, of remembering who we really are and reconnecting to our natural state of joy. And this can happen in an instant, which is what is known as enlightenment.

Happiness in the Outer Physical World Happiness is not in things, happiness is in you. Now since most of us are not currently in a state of enlightenment and are on a journey of self discovery through our life experiences, let’s see how we can make out lives allot more fulfilling, joyful and less painful. Keeping in mind that our challenges and pain are actually blessings because they are the lessons we need for our personal spiritual growth.

The following is an attempt to shed some light on this ethereal subject and to offer some guidelines for experiencing more pleasure, satisfaction, peace, and happiness in our physical lives.

11

Keys to Happiness Physical Happiness depends on a balance of good health, prosperous, purposeful work, loving friendships and relationships. However, there is one thing we must all learn or we will never obtain the level of happiness we desire: Self Acceptance. Self acceptance is the key to personal happiness. Not only is it essential to accept and love ourselves but we must also learn to accept and love what is. What it is, as Byron Katie calls it, is “our current circumstances.” We have to remember that we created, either directly or indirectly, all that is happening in our life and it is just right for us at this moment. This is a very empowering state of mind, because if we created what currently is, we can also create something else.

When humans are not living in awareness of their true nature, not accepting and not loving what is, look at what they do. They live in fear, they complain, they blame, they fight, they over eat, over sleep, and under achieve. If you feel you are not good enough, not worthy, guilty, stupid ugly etc. you can never be happy. You must give up judgments about yourself and stop comparing yourself to others. We are all on different paths, at different times in our evolvement. You must realize that you are a worthy and valuable human being with special talents to offer society. When you let go of judgments and live your life with purpose, happiness will flow.

Letting Go The key to self acceptance and accepting what is... is letting go. You must let go of disappointment, anger, doubt, despair, jealousy and your desire for a certain outcome in your life. The root cause of our unhappiness is clinging to some desire or emotion. So whenever you are feeling unhappy, remember to just let go and just be still and enjoy the present moment of being alive.

A thought we all have is; how can I always be happy when sometimes bad things happen. I have an accident, I am sick, I lose my job, someone I love dies or leaves me and on and on. First we must realize that nothing is really bad or good, everything is just another learning experience. We have just been conditioned from an early age to believe in good and bad. In reality good and bad are just our perceptions. What may seem bad to one person may be good to someone else. A rainy day may ruin someone’s outdoor party plans and makes them angry and they complain about bad weather.

Others may rejoice and say, “The rain is great; we really need the water.” A boy or girl friend may leave us and we feel it is the end of the world and on the other hand our friends and parents may be happy because they know it is best for us.

12

This is not to say that we shouldn’t ever be sad or remorseful or acknowledge any other emotion that we as humans are capable of experiencing. They are all valuable emotions and experiences and we can learn from them. What we have to keep in mind is that we are not these emotions, we are just experiencing them and that they are all good and are part of our learning experience here on earth. When we feel pain, emotional or physical, we must embrace the pain; be with it; see what it can teach us and then we can let it go and move on with our life. Accepting ourselves and what is, means we don’t complain and make excuses for our current reality. We acknowledge what is and work to make it better.

The main point here is: we are spiritual beings having these physical experiences, these lessons to learn to become a higher conscious spiritual being. As we observe ourselves having these experiences, whether they seem good or bad, we can remain detached, accept what is, while knowing they are just something we need to learn from and they can’t really harm us. That’s it. That’s the key to experiencing the full spectrum of emotions and yet staying peaceful and happy in our core. It is knowing that all of our emotions and feelings are blessings. We should be thankful that we are able to experience them. If we didn’t have the ability to feel these emotions, these blessings, we would be just like animals. Animals primarily act on instincts and then because they have nothing more to think about, to learn, they spend most of their time sleeping. Anyone have a cat as a pet? I love my cat and I learn a lot from being with her. The lesson however, is not to sleep more, but rather to stay in the present and don’t worry about the past or present.

I’m sure these statements are not enough, especially if this is your first exposure to these concepts, to get and keep you on your path of enlightened and perpetual happiness. I recommend that you seek out the many books and teachings on this subject. The key is to explore as many teachings as possible to find out what resonates with you. It basically comes down to having your attention in the present moment and being aware of your life experiences/lessons and how they are affecting your state of mind. Then you can see them for what they are and be grateful for the insights they bring. All of our experiences are valuable even if they are at first very painful. Seeing things in this light, we can learn to enjoy most every experience and be grateful and happy.

I highly encourage you to read Robert Holden’s book: Happiness Now. In my opinion this book really delves into all of the right topics on how to be happy now. It’s very inspirational. Here are some of his great quotes:

13

“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”

Robert Holden “Nothing in this world can make you happy but everything can encourage you to be happy.”

Robert Holden “Unless you are happy with yourself, you won’t be happy with what you do.”

Robert Holden “The key to happiness is remembering what’s important to you.”

Robert Holden “Happiness isn’t something you get your hands on, its something you carry in your heart.”

Robert Holden “Happiness is a way of traveling; not a destination.”

Robert Holden “Pleasure is happiness of the body. Satisfaction is happiness of the world.”

Robert Holden “Peace and Joy are happiness of the spirit.”

Robert Holden

14

Chapter Four

Success

15

Success... In The Physical World When you choose to be happy everyday, you also magically become successful as well. After all, our ultimate goal in life is to be happy? What could make one more successful in life than being happy? So just choose to be happy everyday and you will also have chosen to be ultimately successful.

Success can mean different things to different people. Success is generally measured by the worldly standards of accumulated wealth, prestige, and power. Most people want to be successful in their careers, in their marriages, and in achieving financial independence. These are worthy goals, but to be totally successful in our physical endeavors, we must reconnect with God. God is the name for our creator: the universal source of energy and intelligence. All of the enlightened teachers that I am aware of say in order to be truly successful and happy we must find our divine purpose that is our gift from God. Whatever and however you believe God to be is fine as long as your belief is empowering you. I feel it’s wise to think of God as a presence rather than a person who is judging us and punishing us if we don’t act according to certain rules. This type of thinking is fear driven as opposed to love driven. Being created in God’s image means that we have the presence of God within us. This presence is everywhere and in everything, including us. It is said that God sleeps in the minerals, rests in the vegetables, walks in the animals and thinks in humans. It’s our mission on earth to choose love over fear and learn to create heaven on earth. It is also said by our wise ones, that you can only be successful when you align yourself with the universal force or divine energy and then serve others in your own unique way. If you have been struggling to achieve a goal, perhaps it is because it may not be in alignment with the universal laws and your true purpose or in the best interest of all involved.

Take the time to ask for guidance. Your mind and ego will try to analyze and rationalize an answer to your questions. Ask your heart how it feels about what you are trying to do. There is where you will find your answer. Learn to trust your divine inner wisdom. And always remember as previously stated, true success is being happy.

This book is not about detailed programs for success in a particular field, but rather what you first need to know to prepare you for success in any endeavor. The Real Success Real Happiness Strategy in the next chapter is the how to implement this wisdom into your daily life. There are also more books covering every aspect of being successful in every area of life, than one could possibly read. So there is no excuse for not seeking out

16

those that appeal to you and your personal challenges. I have listed a few very good ones that I am aware of in the recommended reading section.

The following are what I feel are the best tips and quotes that will prepare you for a life time of success.

Success Tips ♦ Believe anything is possible ♦ Believe in yourself, have confidence ♦ Be clear on what you want and why you desire it ♦ Do what you love ♦ Commit to excellence ♦ Create value for others ♦ Keep learning ♦ Take consistent action ♦ Find a mentor ♦ Be persistence, never give up ♦ There are no failures just lessons.

These great quotes sum it all up: “The secret if success is consistancy of purpose.”

Benjamin Disraeli “Turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.”

John Honeyfield “He is the wisest that who seeks god. He is the most successful who has found god.”

Paramahansa Yogananda

17

Chapter Five

Your Strategy

18

Your Strategy Be Successful and Happy One Day at a Time Success and happiness are a way of thinking, a way of being and a way of acting. This is the heart of your program. Once you choose to be happy all of the time, this is how you do it. Everyday we must put time and effort into the things that we value and that will make us feel successful and fulfilled.

If we do this everyday, then everyday will be fun and successful. Each day leads to a week, a month, a year and a lifetime of happiness.

It’s really quite simple and profound. However to experience success every day, we must have a strategy. It is essential to have a strategy in order to become ultimately successful in everything that you do in life and being successful and happy are no exception. All highly successful businesses, teams and individuals have a strategy. A great example is Kobe Bryant.

In case you aren’t familiar with him, he is recognized as the world’s best basketball player who is currently playing. He just led the L.A. Lakers to the 2009 NBA Championship. In addition to his regular team coaches, he hired someone to scout the players on the other teams who would be guarding him, to help devise a strategy to beat them. You can see why he is so successful, not only does he believe he can win, he has a strategy to win.

Of course most unsuccessful people also have strategies, so it’s important to have the right strategy. So let’s first familiarize ourselves with the main concepts of our strategy and then in chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10, I will reveal The Four Steps Daily Strategy.

The Main Concepts There are just three main concepts to master and these are really just reminders of what we already innately know.

1. You Can Simply Choose to be Happy I want you to be clear on this main concept. All you really need to know is that you can choose to be happy right now. You don’t have to wait, go through training or learn anything. If you are able to let go of the past and future concerns and be in the present moment, you can be happy right now. You can just choose to be happy at this very moment. It is your true nature and you just have to realize that it is.

The key to achieving and maintaining this happy state of mind is to be aware when you are focusing too much on your worldly desires, and just

19

shift your attention back to realizing your true spiritual nature and on your life purpose as we previously discussed. Think of all that’s good in your life and on all that you have to be grateful for. These thoughts will keep you in a happy state. If we are depending on what’s going on in our physical life for our happiness, we will be on a never ending emotional roller coaster ride and there will always be times of unhappiness.

In the simplest of terms, if we have a roof over our heads, enough to eat and use of most of our faculties, we have nothing to complain about. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we are not our physical bodies; we are spiritual being here for the learning experiences and nothing is truly bad can happen to us. We will have some seemingly unpleasant experiences but these are most likely our best lessons. When we keep this thought then we are able to advance spiritually and enjoy our lives.

When you choose to be happy, you then will also be living a successful life.

So when you allow yourself to be happy at this very moment, you do not need to do anything else and you do not need to read the rest of this or any other book.

However, in the physical world success and happiness for certain things does require time, effort and patience, so maybe it’s a good idea to read on.

2. Success and Happiness can only Occur in the Present.

Success and happiness are not something we must try to achieve in the future; it is only available to us now in the present moment! This can be a difficult concept to understand, but it is the most important one to learn and accept. In fact, it is really the only thing we need to learn. When we accept this as a way of life, all else will follow!

We must realize that in order to have a successful and happy life, we must be successful and happy everyday. Our life is not in the past or in the future it is only now. All of our power is in the present, in the now. We can struggle and sacrifice for months and years to try and achieve some arbitrary level of financial or what have you kind of material success. Even if you think you have finally reached your goal, you actually have only lived a life full of struggle and sacrifice.

20

True success and happiness can only be experienced in the present moment.

3. You Must Realize Your True Nature In order to practice concepts one and two, concept three is essential to understand and accept. Your true nature is spiritual not physical. All of our spiritual teachings, profess this concept. We are not our physical body and not our physical life. We are spiritual beings here temporarily, in a physical body, to have physical experiences, to grow as spiritual beings. If you base your self worth and happiness on all of your worldly experiences, you will never feel content, peaceful and successful. All of our physical experiences are lessons, some that may seem very tough to handle and some that are very pleasant. All experiences are neither good nor bad, they are just lessons. When we can fully appreciate this about our life then we can move forward and stay in the flow and prosper.

So notice when you are judging yourself harshly and focusing on the things you don’t want in your life. These negative thoughts are creating your unhappiness. You just have to remember your true nature, refocus your attention and regain your peace and happiness. This is a major part of our strategy.

The Four Steps So let’s now take what we have previously discussed and develop a strategy that will be the basis for your success and happiness. I don’t think anyone needs another complicated program that requires different levels and lots of hard work to make any progress.

Our strategy is very simple and only has four steps. The first three steps can potentially be done very quickly, depending on what level of personal awareness you are currently at. It is essential to become very clear on these first three steps. If most of this is new to you, take your time to work them out and get help if needed. Check out the books in the recommended reading section and remember most highly successful people in all fields, have coaches and mentors.

OK are you ready to start stepping out?

21

Chapter Six

Step One - Know Thy Self

22

Step One: Know Who You are, and What You Believe and Value This step is the most important step and a bit involved but very necessary.

It is fruitless to go through life without first becoming absolutely clear on who you are and what you believe and value.

Who You Are The following is my belief that I share with many others about who we all are. You are a spiritual being here on earth in an amazing physical body, to have amazing experiences, to help you to become a higher conscious spiritual being. And I believe it is our duty to discover and use our individual talents and abilities to help others and to help create heaven on earth. If this resonates with you, great, use it as your own reminder. If not, find out what does and write it down so you can always refer to it. It doesn’t matter what religion, spiritual teaching or philosophy inspires you as long as the message is based on love and not fear. It should give you a feeling of connection to a God or consciousness that motivates you to do your best to create heaven on earth.

Whenever challenges arise in your physical world that begin to bring you down, just remember that they are there for your benefit. When you perceive everything in this light you can begin to see what lessons you need to learn and what you need to change in your life.

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and what you want.”

Lao Tzu What You Believe If you are not having the success you want in any area of your life, then you can believe, you have beliefs that are holding you back.

Our beliefs are the biggest factor in shaping our lives and they determine our degree of success and happiness. Therefore becoming clear about our beliefs and how to manage them is the logical starting point for choosing our path for maximum success.

Everything in our lives starts with our beliefs. Every action that we take is preceded by the thought to take that action and our thoughts come from our beliefs. Since we tend to create what we believe and think, doesn’t it make

23

sense to believe and think only good things about ourselves and our lives?

The number one mistake we commonly make is to believe in limitations. It is these limiting beliefs that hold us back in every area of our lives. It is also important to understand it is your own actions, not the actions of others, which create your current state of energy, health, happiness and success.

Remember Henry’s Ford’s famous saying?

“Whether you believe you can or can’t do something, you are right.”

The Process Everything we do, all the actions we take are preceded by thoughts, and our thoughts spring from our beliefs. For example, imagine you have a slice of lemon in your hand and are about to take a bite. What do you experience?

Most likely your lips pucker and you begin to salivate, anticipating the sour taste. From this example, you can see that the beliefs you hold cause a physical reaction before you actually taste the lemon. Our beliefs affect our thoughts, expectations, perceptions and our emotions.

We often accept our beliefs as truths and don’t examine them. What if some of our beliefs are false? Just because we believe something is true doesn’t make it true. It only makes it true for us. How does this affect our lives? Could we be limiting ourselves unnecessarily?

Your Beliefs Are Creating Your Reality This is a challenging concept for many to grasp. We are culturally steeped in the notion that external influences, over which we have no control, are shaping our lives. This orientation leads to a sense of powerlessness.

Successful people share the belief that they create their own reality. If you have a hard time accepting this concept, ask yourself this question? Which would you rather believe; that you are a victim of circumstance and have little control over what happens in your life or that you can create what ever you want in your life?

The first step in allowing anything to come into your life is believing that it can happen.

Let’s say you want to create an abundance of good health and vitality.

You could say, “What’s the use of trying, poor health runs in my family and growing old and losing vitality happens to everyone.” Or you could say, “I know that my experiences spring from my beliefs. I expect to stay healthy

24

and vigorous all my life.” Which belief is more empowering and desirable?

So please remember, you always have choices, you can choose to believe whatever you want. The choice is clear. Life is a lot more exciting and fun when you choose to believe in your power to create the reality you desire.

This imparts a sense of personal power. This is a fundamental belief of The Ageless Living Lifestyle. You can read more about this way of living at the web site of the same name.

Awareness The fastest, most complete way to make changes in your life is through becoming more aware of your connection to the knowledge and energy of the universe. With this increased awareness, comes the understanding that you already have what you need to create what you desire. Be aware of what you believing and thinking, because that is what you are attracting into your life.

How to be Aware of Your Beliefs, both Conscious and Unconscious You can become aware of your beliefs by taking a good look at your life experiences. Your experiences and what you are attracting, reflect your beliefs and thoughts. If an experience is positive, the belief behind it is beneficial. If the experience is unsatisfactory, the belief behind it is limiting.

Notice when you are focusing on what you don’t want… which is a good definition of fear! Be aware of when your thoughts are sabotaging your outcomes.

How to Change Your Beliefs In order to get the new outcomes that you want, you have to change what you plug into our life equation. Begin by examining what thoughts you have that are connected to a certain unsatisfactory situation. When you honestly examine these thoughts you discover they are driven by strong ideas about the nature of reality. These ideas are the beliefs that are creating your undesirable situation. You now have the opportunity to change these nonempowering beliefs to empowering ones.

We normally have a tendency to base our beliefs on evidence that has happened to us in the past. You can just as easy believe someone else’s evidence. There are plenty of people who have overcome great challenges of all types and have mastered their thinking, changed their outcomes and achieved great success and happiness! You can do it as well. Tell yourself, if they did it so can I. Learn from those who are successful in the area

25

you are working on. Then you just change your thinking, focus on what you want, take the best action you can think of. Learn from your outcome, adjust and keep going until you have mastered and achieve the success you desire. That’s it. As you begin consistently doing this you will see that’s it’s actually easy to do. It’s just realizing that this kind of optimistic positive thinking serves you much better than pessimistic negative thoughts.

At every moment you can choose what you believe.

Exercise #1 Uncovering your Limiting Beliefs Sit quietly, close your eyes, take some deep breaths and relax. Go within yourself and put your attention on the thoughts you have about a particular unhappy situation. What beliefs, what feelings are associated with these thoughts? Just allow them to come and go, it may take some time and more than one session. As you examine your thoughts and feelings, you will always discover the belief or beliefs that have created this situation.

Exercise #2 Discovering Your New Empowering Beliefs Sit quietly, close your eyes, breathe and relax. Put your attention on how you would like any particular situation to be. Next, allow your thoughts to come and go, eventually you will know what beliefs you need to entertain, in order to create what you desire. You simply replace any negative, unhelpful belief with a new one that will make your life feel and work better.

Exercise #3 Visualize You Have Achieved Your Desired Outcome Sit quietly, close you eyes, breathe and relax. Visualize your ideal situation.

See yourself enjoying the experience. Feel what it is like to have your desire fulfilled. Repeat to yourself the new empowering beliefs that you know will create and attract the reality that you desire.

Exercise #4 Reframe your negative thoughts Whenever you catch yourself thinking or saying something that doesn’t serve your best interests, such as complaining or blaming others, stop!

Change it around, reframe it, and see it in a new way. Replace all pessimism with optimism. Think about what you do want in your life, instead of thinking what you don’t want.

As you let go of destructive, limiting beliefs and adopt constructive ones, you cooperate with the universal infinite intelligence in making your live fulfilling and successful. By quieting your mind and focusing on stillness, you can become aware of your true spiritual nature. You then can experience your connection and oneness with the universe. You then can

26

move beyond limiting illusory beliefs and be open to the infinite energy and possibilities available to us all.

At every moment you can, choose to believe everything is happening for your good. You can always choose to take the responsibility for making your life better. Try this and you will begin to not only enjoy life more, you will see magical things happen.

There is one belief we all can benefit from: I have no limits, everything is possible.

What you value Most of the time we are functioning on auto pilot, our subconscious mind is in control and we are doing many things that do not serve us well. Too often the main components that make up our lives, like working at a job, managing a business, taking care of our health, having relationships and families, are being experienced without really knowing if we are pursuing it in the most productive and beneficial way.

You must take the time to write your personal mission statement and become clear on your core values. Ask yourself what do I want to achieve in my life; what’s really important to me? When you are clear on your core values, it’s much easier to set goals that are in alignment with your life’s mission.

Core Beliefs and Core Values Establishing your core beliefs and values is a critical part of a success program. We all need a frame of reference upon which to base our decisions. When you are clear on what your core values are, it makes your decisions much easier. Whenever you have a decision to make, analyze each choice to see if it is in harmony with your core values. In other words, either a decision is taking you closer to achieving your life purpose, or it is taking you further away.

How to establish your core beliefs and values: Follow the methods suggested in the previous section on beliefs. Your beliefs should always be without limits and should support your being as successful as you want to be. Your core values have been developing from childhood. All of the things you have learned from your parents, teachers and life experiences contribute to making up your core values. What we all really need to do is take some time to become clear on what we really feel are the values that we believe in. Write down the principles upon which

27

you want to live your life. Your true feelings come from your heart not your head. Check to see if you are accepting some value just because others do, or do you feel good about it from your gut feeling. Once you feel good about your core values then you can make your goals and life decisions accordingly.

If you have trouble deciding what your core values and your life purpose are, you can check out my e-book: Real Clear Real Fast. You can find it at www.AgelessLivingLifestyle.com Personal Mission Statement An important tool to help you be clear on what your life is really all about, is to write a personal mission statement. All businesses or at least most successful businesses have a mission statement. A mission statement is a declaration of what business you are in and what your goals are. This is obviously needed so you can design a plan of action to achieve your business goals. It’s the same for your life, which is the most important business everyone has to manage. Yet very few people have taken the time to be clear on what their live is really all about. Your personal mission statement is something that you should refer to and refine often. It will make your important life decisions much easier to make. Always check to see if your tentative decision is in harmony with your mission statement.

Will it take you closer or further away from your mission?

The next chapter is the most fun, you get to discover what you really want!

28

Chapter Seven

Step Two - Know What You Want

29

Step Two: Know What You Really Want I think we can logically assume that if we are to be successful we must first be clear on what we really desire. Knowing what you really want is the key to achieving it.

If you aren’t clear on what you want and where you want to go, how can you get there?

How to Become Clear A great way to discover what really is important to you is as follows: For 30 consecutive days, write down three things in detail.

1) What I absolutely need right now to get my life in balance.

This is paying bills, getting out of debt, overcome a health challenge, fix a relationship, a new car, a new place to live etc.

2) What I want in my life These are anything material you can think of, the perfect relationship, perfect family, perfect job, perfect house, a trip around the world.

Think big, no limits.

3) What I desire my life to be like This is more on the spiritual level. A few examples are: Finding your life purpose and making a difference in the world. Starting a foundation to help a certain group or cause. Creating a masterpiece in art, music, literature that inspires others. It’s what you want your life to be about, how you will be remembered.

Everyday you will write this down without looking at what you wrote the previous day, so use one page for each day and turn the page. This is also a reminder that yesterday is over and today you can do something different if needed. At first you may not be to certain what to write, just write whatever comes to mind. You will soon find that you begin to really focus in on what you need, want and desire. At the end of 30 days you will be very clear on all three. It’s very interesting to look back and see how you progressed and became much clearer on your true path. Now make a list of all the things you want to come into your life and read it daily. Remember what you think about and focus on, is what you will create.

30

This will really help you with your daily decisions. Now that you are clear, you can readily see if something will take you closer or further away from achieving your goals

What’s Important to Me I will discuss what I feel are the six most important areas of my life, but you should decide your own. The last of the six areas that are most important to me, creating good health, is my expertise, so I have devoted a whole chapter on this most important subject.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Spirituality Relationships Living our Life Purpose Having Fun Creating Financial Wealth Creating Good Health (discussed in depth in Chapter 10)

Let’s discuss each one briefly.

1) Spirituality Being spiritual means different things to different people. Most will agree it has to do with relating to our super natural being or soul and the creative force of the universe, we commonly call God. It is about opening up to that universal vital energy force that connects everything in existence. Whether we realize it or not, we are all on a spiritual path. The more we all can define and accept our path the better our physical lives will be.

I highly recommend taking regular time outs for meditation and prayer to ask for guidance and to acknowledge our spiritual self and our creator.

Stating our intentions for forgiveness and to become better at working towards our highest good is a common thread that runs through most spiritual beliefs and religions. Be wary of religions that stress their way is the only way and others are lost souls and that you must follow their rules or you will be punished. That is fear based control. There are basically only two emotions that control our thinking and our lives, fear and love. God is commonly thought to be all knowing, all powerful and all loving. Why would God need to control and punish anyone or anything? Heaven and hell are right here on earth and we can choose which one we want to create.

31

God wants us to learn to be like him. God is always offering love. That is the kind of God I want to believe in. There are many great teachers and books on the subject of spirituality, seek them out. Keep and open mind and keep learning.

Spiritual Principles 1) Trust your higher self, your intuition, your feelings. Listen to your heart, don’t try and rationalize everything.

2) Relinquish your need for approval 3) Give up the burden of judging yourself and others 4) Replace fear based behavior with love based behavior 5) Honor your worthiness to receive all the universe has to offer 6) Express unconditional love and gratitude for your life and all of nature 7) Take time for silence everyday, quiet your mind, that’s where God is 2) Relationships Life on earth is essentially about relationships. We have a relationship with everything in existence, the stars, the planets, the earth and all of its species and in particular with other human beings. Our physical and emotional lives would be nothing without relationships and in fact very few of us could even survive without other people. There is no success or happiness on earth without other people. So why do we continue to fear and hate and fight and kill the very things we need for survival and for all of our emotional well being? Why are we still creating hell on earth? I suppose this is the age old question we are still trying to figure out.

It doesn’t seem too difficult to figure out that in order for us to be truly successful and happy, everyone else needs to be successful and happy as well. What if everyone just took the Golden Rule to heart, and put it into daily practice? How hard can that be?

The new paradigm is replacing fear and competition with love and cooperation.

Cooperation not Competition All of our relationships with our children, spouses, co-workers, business associates, friends, neighbors near and far, need some love. No matter what response you feel you are getting from someone, if you respond in like, you are stuck in that dynamic.

Fear, mistrust, greed, jealousy, unwilling to let go of the past, is what keeps conflicts burning all around the world.

32

As long as you can continually make excuses, complain and blame others, you are stuck. When you respond with a desire to understand, to help, to cooperate, to create a win/win, that’s when all relationships will improve.

Find time everyday to work on your relationships, talk with your children, give some understanding to a co-worker, call a friend you haven’t contacted for awhile.

Even a smile to a stranger, helps make a better world. When you improve your relationships you improve your life. It’s that simple.

Once again, there are plenty of books on this subject, seek them out.

3) Living Our Life Purpose This is a big one, because if you aren’t using your special talents to serve others, you will never feel fulfilled. I believe we were born to discover our greatness, be of service to others and help create a healthier happier world.

When you are fulfilling your life purpose you are doing that which gives you joy and satisfaction. It is using your unique talents and abilities for the benefit of others. I believe that in order for us to live a truly fulfilled and happy life, we must discover our life purpose and pursue it with passion. It is called living purposefully. It gives us a clear direction in our lives and a base or center point, from which to integrate all that we do. A strong and healthy body/mind is needed to fulfill your life purpose. A strong desire to fulfill your life purpose will motivated you to take good care of your body and live a long and productive life. Discovering your life purpose should be a top priority.

Your life purpose is living your dreams Self Love A major reason that prevents many people from discovering their life purpose is a lack of self-love. It is of utmost importance to realize that you are an equal partner with every other human being in this universal dance of life. None are special, all are important. We all have unique talents to offer. We all must first accept and love ourselves for the beautiful unique creature that we are. The only reason some people seem to be more fulfilled and happy is simply that they have discovered and accepted who they are and are using their abilities for the benefit and joy of others. If there is such a thing as sin it would be to not love and respect the wondrous gift we all have, our physical body/minds. When you begin to truly love and appreciate your physical body/mind and have a feeling of worthiness, magical things will occur. You will be loved and blessed in endless ways.

33

Self Expression Another reason many people have trouble with living purposefully is fear of self-expression. And conversely knowing your life purpose empowers you to have the confidence and desire for complete self-expression. Not being who you really want to be and expressing your true feelings, subjects your body to subtle stresses. These feelings of discontentment and unfulfillment can continue to grow throughout life and have been linked to serious illnesses such as cancer.

Being able to fully express ones self physically, mentally and emotionally is our definition of good health and living an energetic lifestyle.

Finding ones life purpose may not be an easy task. For most of us it is an on going process. As we grow into different phases of our lives, our life purpose may change or new ones can be added. A life purpose doesn’t have to be a specific thing like creating music or teaching children or being a healthcare provider, it can just be being a compassionate, loving and giving person. It is best to establish a core purpose and then leave room for others to come and go as necessary.

Suggestions for Discovering Your Life Purpose Read books and take seminars on the subject of finding one’s purpose in life. Take time daily to contemplate what is really important to you, what gives you joy and fulfillment. This will give you ideas on what ways you can joyfully serve others. Ask yourself; what would I do if I could do anything I want without limitations? Ask your friends what they most appreciate about you. What do they feel are your talents? Practice communicating your true feelings to everyone you have a relationship with. It will be life changing.

Creating heaven on earth is not a dream, but actually our life’s purpose.

4) Having Fun Whenever I speak to a group, I always ask them individually if they are having a good time, is their life fun? It’s surprising how many people say no. I ask them why not and they don’t have an answer. I guess most people aren’t taught when they are young, that life is supposed to be fun. They have been told life is serious, it’s a struggle, it’s tough.

Remember our discussion in the section on beliefs? Your reality is always

34

created by your perception. You always have the choice at every instance to choose worry or peace, indifference or excitement, fun or boredom, unhappiness or happiness. Having fun is actually our birthright, it says in the U.S. Declaration of Independence we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Being and having fun should be your primary objective in life. Being fun is being a fun person who other people enjoy being around. When you are experiencing yourself as being fun and having fun simultaneously you are focused in the present moment and doing what you were meant to do. Your mind is not focused on problems or aches and pains. You are in a state of healing and renewal.

Let’s see how we can be and have fun all the time, by having the right perception.

“All the animals except man know the principal business of the world is to enjoy it.”

Samuel Butler Learning experiences All our human experiences can be seen as learning experiences. I believe we are all spiritual beings who are here on earth in a physical body to learn how to become higher conscious spiritual beings. Learning is the reason we have a physical body. Learning and understanding are the primary motivators for living and thus are the most fun to experience.

Our body/minds are designed to experience and enjoy many feelings and emotions; it’s all a matter of how you perceive any experience. For example; if you get caught speeding and receive a ticket, you can choose to be angry and upset over the wasted money and the mark on your driving record. On the other hand, you can choose to see it as a signal to slow your life down before you make a more serious mistake.

Slowing down the hectic pace of modern life is the best way to begin slowing down the aging process.

Obviously some experiences are more enjoyable than others. Having a delicious dinner with friends is more fun than going to the dentist, but they are both good experiences. Going to the dentist reminds us of how much we need strong healthy teeth and the importance of proper care. Even injuries and pains can be ok when you see them as learning experiences.

35

Having fun is our best medicine Fun and play are important for creating and maintaining good health. When you are laughing, playing or engrossed in doing something you consider fun, you are not thinking about pain, sickness or worries. You are not concerned about the past or future, you are in the present. You are in a state of ease, a state of ageless well being.

Everything is Fun All the basic things we need to do to stay alive are fun. Breathing fresh air, drinking pure water, eating nutritious food, feeling the warmth of sunlight, moving our body, stretching our muscles, talking, walking, sleeping, having sex, and working are all fun. Yes, I said working. If you aren’t having fun working, you need to either change your attitude or find work you love to do. Now add singing, dancing, sports, games, theater, reading, writing, playing and listening to music, helping others… they are all fun.

If you are having a hard time agreeing with me, ask yourself this question; which way is a more empowering, inspiring way to believe; that your life is full of hard times and is a constant struggle or that it is a continual stream of enjoyable learning experiences? It seems to be an easy choice.

Living life is full of fun when we allow it to be.

It’s only when we worry about the small stuff that we struggle and experience unhappiness. It’s like the title of Richard Carlson’s popular book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff.” In other words, just go out and enjoy your life and have your goal to enjoy everything.

Don’t try to have fun, just allow everything to be a learning experience and it’s all fun.

5) Creating Financial Wealth I believe that the best way to create a sustainable amount of financial wealth that you feel good about, you really just have to have practice the first five. I think most everyone would like to be wealthy. There are still some who believe that having allot of money is evil and you have to cheat others to acquire it. Nothing is further from the truth. Money is just a useful

36

instrument of exchange. Certainly the greedy pursuit of money with no concern for others has caused much misery and destruction throughout history. It’s the weakness of man’s character not the actual wealth that is the root of all evil.

Money is just energy and the more you have the more you can accomplice and experience. We live in an abundant universe, there is plenty of energy for everyone. The best way to help improve your life and the life of others is to create as much wealth as possible.

There is a new paradigm shift in creating wealth today. It’s work smarter not harder and do it as fast as possible. The old way of working long hours and saving your money conservatively just doesn’t work in today’s fast paced world.

There is an abundance of books on the subject of wealth creation in the 21st century. Seek out this information and spend time daily working on your plan. I’m not a wealth expert so let me know your plan when you are successful.

If you are healthy and energetic and living your life on purpose, having fun based on spiritual principles and establishing lots of good relationships as you go…..you will also be wildly financially successful as well.

37

Financial Success Pyramid

Create is for creating a product or service that has great value, addressess an urgent need of many people and creates a win - win situation for all involved.

Connect is for ďŹ nding a way to connect to your target market, both emotionally and practically.

Contribute is for contributing a substantial amount of your aquired wealth to those in need. This creates a better world for all and keeps your wealth owing.

This is the wealth formula for the new paradygm of cooperation instead of competition!

38

Chapter Eight

Step Three - Creat Create e A Plan

39

Step Three: Create A Plan I think we can all agree that in order to be highly successful at anything we need to have a plan. Remember the saying; ”Failure to plan is planning to fail’. When I speak with clients or people at lectures; I always ask them if they have a mission statement for their life and do they have their core values and lifetime goals written down. I find the vast majority of people do not. This is precisely why many people are not as successful as they would like to be. It’s the old proverb; How can you get somewhere if you don’t know where you are going?

Your Success Check List Work on each one of these before developing your plan. These are the qualities we all need to improve on for optimal success. Check this list regularly to see how you are doing in each category and revise if needed at least once per month.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Define your purpose Desires Confidence Goals….your main goals should be about your life right now Core values Commitment Time management Attitude Self improvement Patience and persistence Focus

Your Success Play Book I have found it to very helpful to put together a personal success three ring binder.

Create a nice colorful cover that depicts success and happiness for you. It can act as your vision board as you will see it every day.

The Success/Happiness Equation This is the one thing that helps me the most and I read it every morning. On the first page of your binder write in big letters:

40

AE + YR = YO AE stands for Any Event, YR for Your Response and YO for Your Outcome.

The outcome for any event that happens in your life totally depends on your response. Always strive to look for the positive side and for the lesson to be learned and embraced.

Here’s what I have written underneath the equation : Each day is a gift Open each gift with joy and gratitude Be cheerful and optimistic and enjoy every moment Make progress on your path and be kind and helpful to others Celebrate your life daily Your life will then be successful, fulfilling and joyful ***Read this everyday to help you remember that you can choose your response to everything that happens.*** You can include personal prayers, mantras, meditations, quotes, articles, photos, mission statements, goals, your core values, your success plan, whatever helps to remind you of who you are and what your purpose is.

In your binder have your daily priorities written down and what you are doing for each one. Do your best to spent some time on each one. Of course things do come up and we can’t always get to everything and that’s ok. We just have to keep our intentions clear and do the best we can.

Things always seem to work out fine if we give them time and attention.

About Goals We are always told we must have written goals if we are to be successful.

Goals are good to have; they can keep you focused on what you are working towards. However goals are worthless if they are not based on your core desires. The reason most goals are never fulfilled is exactly that; they were not based on a core desire. In order to successfully fulfill a goal you must have a burning desire to do so.

41

Goals must also be stated correctly. An example is having a goal to lose weight. That is a goal almost certain to fail. No one really wants to lose weight, that certainly isn’t fun and just losing weight has no real meaning.

The real desire may be to be able to run and enjoy playing soccer well, or to look good in a bikini and to improve your health. The goal then should be; to enjoy playing soccer to the best of your ability. Losing weight is just one of the things you need to do to achieve your true goal.

Another important aspect of goals is to not be attached to the outcome of the process. Just do your best and know that the outcome is in your best interest. Nature knows what is really best for you. Also as you progress and learn, your goals/desires will most likely change. It’s all part of the process on becoming clearer about what’s really important.

My Favorite Goals If we must have goals how about having ones that will help us achieve our other goals. I think the highest goals are ones that we strive to reach for, our entire life. These are goals that will never change and ones that will always be helpful to us. These are goals based on our core values and desires. Mine are as follows; 1) Always take responsibility for everything in my life.

2) Always appreciate each day I am alive 3) Always live each day joyfully 4) Always strive to do my best 5) Always be ageless

42

Chapter Nine

Step Four - Take Action Daily

43

Step Four: Take Action Daily Your Personal Daily Plan I don’t want this to be another difficult, drawn out process you have to master and work at consistently until you are successful. I think we all have been exposed to plenty of those, and they are beneficial if you can stick with it, but how many of them have we actually done? I know I have started lots of processes but eventually they became too tedious and time consuming and I was off to something else. So let’s just have 4 easy daily things that we do everyday.

I will share with you what I do on a daily basis. I begin each day by reading or meditating on some part of my success book. I also say my short prayer.

I review my schedule and if I have more time I review my success plan. I then think how I can make it a better world today, it may be just smiling at everyone you meet. And finally I commit to just being happy.

Your Daily Four 1) Check your success/happiness book each morning 2) Schedule your priorities for each day 3) Take action on your daily schedule 4) Reflect on your progress in the evenings and acknowledge your success You can easily do steps 1,2, & 4, there are no excuses for not doing them. Step three is your daily activities and you won’t always be able to accomplish everything you planned on and things will come up, as in Murphy’s law. So just do the best you can each day and you will make steady progress. That’s all there is to it. Do this consistently and your success and happiness is guaranteed.

44

Chapter Ten

Creating Good Health

45

Creating Good Health Next to learning about our spirituality, creating good health is the most important factor for achieving and enjoying a high level of success and happiness. Having good health and allot of energy is the foundation for all that we do. I have been a health and fitness consultant/trainer, author, researcher and workshop leader for the past 28 years and developing health, fitness and longevity strategies is my passion.

It is very clear to me that what holds many people back from achieving greater success and happiness, is poor health and a lack of energy. No matter what you are trying to achieve, including spiritual awareness, it takes allot of energy to be successful. If you are not feeling well or have a serious illness, it is very difficult to be motivated to work on the other areas of your life. Working through Illness can be a spiritual awakening and is a way to learn about our lives.

My point is, it can be possible to learn what we need to, without having to have great suffering forced upon us. It is certainly easier and more fun to tackle life’s challenges when we are fit, both mentally and physically.

Therefore I highly recommend that you make implementing a personal health and fitness strategy, a top priority. I will outline a basic health building strategy and I highly recommend you check out my ; Real Health Real Fast Wellness Program for more detailed information on developing a complete, personalized mind/body wellness strategy. You can find all of my books and programs on this subject at: www.AgelessLivingLifestyle. com

Key Elements of a Health Building Program 1) Good Nutrition You literally are what you eat. Your body repairs and rebuilds itself with the raw materials it receives, water and food. If you want a high level of wellness and lots of energy you must give your body high octane fuel.

If you owned a Ferrari, you most likely wouldn’t put the cheapest lowest grade gas in it, if you did, it surely wouldn’t run very well. However that’s exactly what many people are doing when they eat low quality, processed, man made junk food. You have to decide if you want your body to perform like a Ferrari or an old VW Bus.

46

The phenomenal growth of the processed, junk food industry, exactly parallels the explosion of degenerative diseases and poor health in America. Your body needs around 90 natural, nutrients everyday, including vitamins, minerals and enzymes to function optimally. These nutrients are found in clean, filtered water and organic whole foods that grow in nature and some animal products that have been raised in their natural environment.

Many will argue that these foods cost more. This is true, but in the long run which costs more; eating organic, real food or heart bypass surgery? As far as time goes, one of my best selling books has been: Real Food Real Fast (How to make nutritious and delicious meals in 15 minutes or less.)

There are also a ton of good books on the subject of good nutrition readily available on Amazon.com. So you see there really are no excuses for not learning about good nutrition and implementing it on a daily basis.

2) Exercise If I told you there was one thing that you could do everyday that would greatly improve your life in everyway and all you had to do was to do it and you couldn’t fail, would you do it? I ask this to the groups I lecture to and everyone always raises their hand. Then I say that one thing is Exercise.

It’s true, if you stretch you will improve your flexibility, if you do resistance training you will become stronger and if you do aerobic training you will improve your endurance and heart function. You can’t fail to make progress if you put forth the effort.

Most everyone desires to be physically fit and to enjoy the many associated benefits such as looking better, feeling better, higher self esteem, having more energy, more strength, more endurance, better flexibility, less stress and on and on. However exercising regularly seems to be a difficult activity for most people to commit to and most lack the motivation to follow through in order to achieve their desired level of success.

I have spent many years considering this strange phenomenon of people making excuses for not being fit. Guess what, I have found there are no good reasons to support a rationale for this destructive behavior. Let’s look at the main excuses people give for not exercising.

Excuse #1 - Not Enough Time This is absolutely the excuse I hear most often and it is also the very worst.

If you don’t have time for preparing yourself to do your best in every life

47

activity, such as your job, taking care of your family, attracting members of the opposite sex, serving others and enjoying a long, productive and happy life, then you are right, you don’t have enough time. You are definitely a candidate to live a short, stressful unhappy, unfulfilled life. I know that sounds a little harsh but it’s the truth. As you know, sometimes the truth may hurt at first but the truth will set you free. Being fit is about having the energy and the stamina to succeed in whatever is important to you. Not making time for exercising is saying I don’t want to be healthy, have energy, be successful, have fun, look and feel my best. That is a choice, a very poor one I feel. When one honestly analyzes their daily schedule, they will find a lot of wasted time. For example, how many hours do you waste each week watching mindless TV? I promise you that majority of the most successful people, who are extremely busy, take time to exercise daily. They all say it’s a major factor in their success.

Regular exercise is guaranteed to produce results. Making it a major priority in your life is a very logical and rational decision. So now you see, you really can’t afford not to make time for getting fit.

Excuse #2 - Exercising is Not Fun This is almost as bad as not enough time. Where did this ever come from? What do we naturally want to do as children? Run, jump, play, always moving our bodies. One of the great joys of having a body is to be in motion. As a matter of fact the reason we have a body is so we can experience the joy, satisfaction and fun of movement. Are dancing, swimming, horseback riding, in-line skating, walking, bicycling, gardening and having sex fun? Of course and they are all a form of exercise. How about breathing? Try not breathing for a few minutes and you’ll appreciate how much fun and good it feels to breathe, which of course is the most important exercise of all. So you see most things we do are a form of exercise and they are all fun. Think about how much better you will be able to do the things that you think are really fun when you are fit. The fitter you become the more fun you will have. I guarantee it!

Excuse #3 - I don’t Have Enough Energy I’m Too Tired If you are a construction worker then you are physically tired when you come home from work. I would recommend for you something relaxing like swimming, stretching or yoga. However if you are an office worker your fatigue is from using your brain, which requires a lot of energy without the

48

muscular and respiratory activity to expel the waste products from your body. You need to get some physical activity and your fatigue will vanish and you will have a new burst of energy to enjoy the evening. Energy is like money, you have to spend some to make more. The fitter you get the more energy you will have. You will just have to experience it for yourself and then you will be a believer.

Excuse #4 - Exercise is Too Hard I Don’t Know How There are so many books, videos, health clubs, multi-faceted exercise studios and personal trainers available today that ignorance is a lame excuse. Nearly everyone in the fitness field today, agrees that you do not have to strain yourself to get into good shape. It is consistency not intensity that pays off in the long run. If you have been sedentary for a period of time, it is best to ease into all types of exercise, whether it be dancing, gardening, hiking or yoga. Take your time and enjoy the journey. The key is to get yourself as fit as you need to be to suit your desired lifestyle.

I hope I have convinced you that there are no excuses for not exercising regularly and that your time spent will be very beneficial. I will just briefly mention the basics of a good exercise program as once again there are a plethora of books, DVD’s and websites with detailed programs of proper exercise. My book Real Fit Real Fast offers a complete fitness program, including diagrams of my famous 30 minute full body workout using only your own body weight for resistance.

Basic Components The three basic components of fitness training are: cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training. It’s best to do some form of aerobic exercise everyday, such as fitness walking, swimming, bicycling, running, dancing etc. You will achieve better results both for cardio fitness and fat loss, by doing high intensity intervals in a short session of 20-30 minutes as opposed to an hour of slow jogging. Strength training should be done at least 2 times per week, with a new program about every 4-6 weeks.

Stretching should be done for at least 15 minutes every day. I highly recommend consulting a qualified fitness trainer to help you design a safe personalized program and to get you started in the right direction.

Rest & Relaxation It is rare to find someone in our society today who doesn’t feel he or she has a very busy and demanding schedule. We tend to push too hard and do not allow enough time for adequate rest. Disease is really dis-ease,

49

meaning the body is not at ease. Disease is some form of tension in the body that is inhibiting proper cellular function. We have trillions of cells performing trillions of life functions, including dying and being born. It is critically important to allow the body time to eliminate the tensions caused by the stresses of everyday living.

Rest Rest is defined as the refreshing quiet or repose of sleep, refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion of labor, relief or freedom from anything that wearies, troubles or disturbs. This applies to both our mind and our body.

Besides sleep, rest can consist of any technique that reduces stress such as meditation, visualization, sitting or lying quietly, reading for enjoyment, listening to relaxing music, having a peaceful enjoyable conversation, or anything that is physically or mentally relaxing.

Ideally we should allow an equal amount of time for rest as we do for activity.

Sleep Adequate sleep is a vital component of good health. It is well documented that inadequate sleep is a major health risk factor. Recent studies by the National Sleep Foundation found that over 40 % of those surveyed, suffer from insomnia and 37 % experienced a lack of sleep so severe, that their daytime sleepiness interfered with their normal daily activities. This percentage was 52% in shift workers. 80% of nighttime workers reported falling asleep while driving. The most alarming information that came from this study was the fact that more people are killed by sleepy drivers than by drunk drivers. Other studies have also shown a clear relationship between inadequate sleep and long-term quality of health. A study found that medical students who had sleeping problems and inadequate rest as young men experienced over twice the amount of clinical depression 30 years later, compared to other students. Another study found that when sleep patterns are interrupted the levels of immune system killer T-cells are significantly reduced. All these statistics are offered to emphasize the importance of adequate sleep.

Think of sleep as an investment in your future.

The exact functions of sleep and rest are not clearly known. However, it is known to be a time for the body to repair and regenerate itself. During sleep the spine regains its flexibility, the skin makes repairs, the muscles

50

clear lactic acid and the immune system recovers. During sleep the body produces Human Growth Hormone which plays an important role in deterring the aging and the disease processes.

Amount and Time Remember the rhyme “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise?” I’m always amazed at the wisdom to be found in so many old sayings. Science is continually proving what intuition has always provided to those who are open to it. This reinforces our belief in trusting our own innate intelligence for the answers that we seek.

The human body is innately programmed to sleep during darkness and to be awake during daylight. It has now been shown that deep sleep is interrupted and affected by light. Melatonin production is decreased when the body is exposed to light and this deficiency has been linked to cancer.

It is also well known that our metabolism goes through cycles of ingestion, absorption and elimination according to light. Therefore, it seems that working at night and sleeping during the day may lead to compromised health. This implies we probably would do best by getting up at sunrise and retiring about eight hours earlier, just as the proverb states.

Position The ideal sleeping positions is on your back with neck supported and feet elevated. Sleep on your side with head in alignment with the spine, resting on a supportive pillow, with bottom arm extended out to take pressure off the shoulder. Your top leg should be bent with bottom leg slightly flexed.

Never sleep on your stomach. This position compresses the spine and restricts breathing.

Feng Shui Feng Shui is the art of arranging a room for optimal energy flow and balance. It is best to sleep with your head pointing north, in order to be lined up with the earth’s electromagnet field which runs in a north/south direction. Consult a good Feng Shui book such as Karen Kingston’s “Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui” for ideal bedroom arrangement.

Tips for a Good Nights Sleep Routine - Train your body to go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. Our bodies function best with consistent cycles of rest and activity. Establish a routine 30 minutes before going to bed, such as brush teeth, stretch and meditate.

51

Sanctuary Use your bed exclusively for sleeping. Do not eat, read or work in bed. This will train your body to fall asleep when in bed.

Atmosphere Studies have shown silence and darkness are required for the deepest sleep. Use ear plugs and masks if necessary. Darkness also signals the pituitary gland to begin releasing growth hormone.

Temperature Keep your room comfortably cool with fresh air and no artificial heat. Use quality natural fiber bedding to keep you warm.

Sleeping surface Invest in a high quality firm mattress that supports the spine. You spend nearly one third of your life in bed; it will be money well spent.

Stimulants and relaxants Both alcohol and sleep aids may help you fall asleep initially, but they inhibit deep, restful sleep Try an herbal tea Mixture of peppermint, rosemary and sage before going to bed Evening meal Should be light and eaten at least three hours before retiring. Take a short walk after eating.

Take hot footbaths Wear socks to keep feet warm.

Avoid exciting activities before bed Even watching TV excites the nervous system and can keep some people from easily going to sleep.

For insomniacs Listen to a tape with headphones of someone lecturing in a soft soothing voice.

Rejuvenation Rejuvenation is defined as the process of restoring oneself to youthful vigor.

The following techniques are proven ways to restore and maintain vitality.

52

Stress Management Stress is defined as a factor causing mental and physical strain, or tension.

There will always be stressful factors in our lives, and if left uncontrolled, they can lead to physical and emotional illness. It is estimated that 70% of doctor visits are stress-related. Stress leads to an increase in smoking, overeating, alcohol, drug abuse, and the development of heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders.

We must deal directly with the causes of stress, remove the conditions and habits that create it, and substitute healthy behaviors.

Creating physical, mental, and spiritual balance in one’s life is the key to stress reduction.

Mental And Spiritual Balance A major cause of stress and frustration is that we are disconnected from our inner selves, and we base our feelings and perceptions primarily on external forces and events. Today’s high-pressure society is a root cause of mental imbalance. Success is based on and reward is given for analytical activities almost exclusively. Too often, our self-worth is determined by what we achieve in the material world, rather than by who we are as a person.

Under such a value system, the functions of intuition and emotion are undervalued.

When we feel good about ourselves anxiety and negativity are reduced and we become calm and peaceful.

Certain breathing, meditation, and yoga asanas (postures) provide an opportunity to experience peace and strength within ourselves. They open up our consciousness to self-knowledge, and inner potential. This allows us to change the level of the perception of our problems and to achieve more meaning and stability in our lives. Ultimately, our stress is not caused by occupational, social or global pressures, but by our attitude towards these issues.

It’s not what happens to us, it’s how we perceive what happens to us that creates chronic stress.

Breathing Proper breathing is the first step to reduce stress. The way we breathe has a profound affect on the way we feel. Slow, even breathing is both relaxing and energizing.

53

Meditation or Time Out Meditation quiets the mind, relaxes the body and puts us in a nonjudgmental, neutral but alert state. The main object is to just relax, do nothing and allow tension to quietly slip away. The ultimate goal is to transcend the mind and discover the wisdom and tranquility within.

To Begin Basic Meditation: • Find a quiet environment free of distractions.

• Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight, your hands resting naturally on your lap.

• Close your eyes and focus between your brows.

• Slow down the breath.

• Let any tension go with each exhalation.

• Choose a word or phrase (a mantra , such as om, one, peace etc.) to recite slowly on each exhalation.

• Disregard distractions. Just acknowledge them and let them pass and go back to your focus.

• Begin with 5 minutes a day and work up to 20-30 minutes.

• Have patience; there’s no right or wrong way. Just relax and enjoy.

What I call moving meditation, is being totally in the moment and experiencing movements such as Tai Chi, swimming, or roller-skating is also very beneficial.

Progressive Relaxation and Visualization Lie on your back, arms spread out in a comfortable position. Become aware of your breath and begin systematically tensing and relaxing all the muscles in your body from your feet to your face. As you relax the muscles, visualize the tension flowing out. Now visualize your organs all feeling relaxed and functioning at their best. Visualize energy flowing unrestricted through your body. Now you are ready to visualize solutions to problems, and achievement of goals. It is important to see how you will do it and how it will feel when you get there. Now relax and let it happen.

Always remember your physical body is a gift from god.

So please treat your gift with respect and gratitude.

54

Chapter Eleven

Getting Started

55

When to Get Started Most success gurus all agree just getting started is the biggest factor in becoming successful. Most people never really get started. How many seminars have you attended that really got you motivated, but once you got home and back into your daily routine, it was forgotten. How many CD/DVD programs do you having sitting on your shelf gathering dust? You have to ďŹ nally make up your mind that you will commit to your new program and nothing will stop you.

If you have thoughts of self doubt remember, you already know and have all you need to succeed, you just have believe in yourself and get started on your program now. Do not get caught up in thinking that you still need to learn more, read more books, take more seminars and then you’ll be ready.

No amount of self improvement can make up for a lack of self acceptance.

You must know and accept who you are, where you are right now and where you want to go. You can commit to taking action right now and begin to do your thing. The only time to act is now.

Be present now, be successful now, be happy now!

56

Chapter Twelve

Staying on Track

57

How to Stay on Track: 1) Use your Success book morning and evening 2) Reaffirm your priorities and write your action plan daily 3) Post reminder signs strategically to remind you of your daily tasks.

4) Every night schedule your priorities for the next day 5) Work together on your plans with your spouse, family and friends 6) If you have an off day or period, let it go and stay in the present and get started again.

7) Get some professional coaching Always remember; persistence is genius. Those who are successful have failed many times and failure is just another step closer to success.

If you don’t quit you can’t fail.

Does This Stuff Really Work?

This is a question I get asked allot and it’s a very good question. My answer is; not only does it work, it’s the only thing that works. Only you can change your beliefs, thoughts and actions. Only you can see your life and circumstances in a new way. Only you can take the actions that will create success and happiness in your life.

The Key for Change The most important thing when you are feeling down, is to change your perspective on how you see your life. Look for all of the good in your life, be grateful and change your attitude. Look for and learn from the lessons life has brought you. Re-focused your attention on what you want to show up in your life. And then take some new actions to get some new results. It’s also a very good idea to get involved in helping others as it will also help you to stop dwelling on your own challenges so much. That’s it, it always works.

Use your divine power to experience good health, wealth, peace, joy and happiness That is true success

58

Chapter Thirteen

An Ideal Day

59

An Ideal Successful Day I’m sure you have heard the saying; today is the first day of the rest of your life. This implies that you can start fresh everyday and make your life what you want it to be. However I think we all need more motivation to begin each day with a fresh attitude and a new energy to make things happen.

Let’s add the thought that this new day could also be your last day on earth. When I think of it in this way, I realize that I had better be happy and successful right now, today. I might not get another chance, so it’s wise to spend all my time doing what makes me happy and successful. When you begin your day with this in mind it will motivate you to follow your program as best you can everyday.

End your day with some quiet time either alone or with your loved ones and be thankful for all that you have and for the day’s experiences. Celebrate your success in some way. Have a glass of wine, a nice dinner and listen to some beautiful music or whatever suits you. I like to take sometime before bed and light some candles and stretch to some soft music. This way I can relax, appreciate what my body did for me today and be thankful for all that I experienced, all at the same time.

My Recommendations 1) Begin with your morning with gratitude and a commitment prayer.

2) Energize your body/mind with purified water and real food.

3) Be kind, friendly and nonjudgmental with everyone you meet.

4) Be available and listen to friends and associates 5) Spend time working on your business/work projects.

6) Forgive yourself and others if something doesn’t go well 7) Stay in the present, focus on the positive.

8) Take some quite time alone 9) Spend time with family and friends.

10) Spent some time outside in nature and sunlight 11) Give your body some exercise 12) Do something you really love to do 13) Laugh allot 14) Celebrate your day and your life, at the end of each day.

Don’t Out Think Yourself Now you might be thinking, this all sounds great, but I am busy, I have a family, a job, health challenges etc., all my time is taken. Yes this is true, we are all busy, but you have to ask yourself why I am too busy to have a

60

more fulfilling and happy life. Our lives past by very quickly, so we need to become clear on what is really important and set our priority correctly. We all have time that we waste on mindless stuff. You can find time for your top priorities, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I always tell my fitness clients who say they didn’t have time to exercise, that some of the most successful and busiest people I know take time for daily exercise. They know that it helps them be more productive as well as healthier.

If you are having serious challenges with any of your priorities then put most of your attention there and do what you can in the others. If you are ill then just rest and focus on getting well and get back on track when you recover. The important thing is to keep your positive intentions alive by at least acknowledging each one and give it some attention daily.

If you think any or all of this stuff is hard to do, I have a good answer for you. I thought of this a long time ago while working with my fitness clients.

Whenever they would say; this is exercise is hard or its hard to stick with my routine, I would answer “ If it was easy you wouldn’t need to do it would you.” and they always agree and go on with their workout.

So you can see, there are no excuses, you just have to make up your mind to do it.

The only thing that can stop you is your own limiting beliefs and self sabotaging self talk.

In my opinion there is no other way. Either you are successful and happy everyday or you are not! It’s your choice!

Remember today is all you have, tomorrow might not come, live today as though it might be your last.

61

My Success Story The concept for this book came from my own personal desire to organize this information and to develop a plan for living it. I think this is the case for most self improvement writers, we need to understand and utilize knowledge and wisdom for ourselves and in so doing we hope it can be helpful for others as well.

We all face many challenges at different times in our lives and at times they can seem overwhelming as I recently experienced.

The four main areas that concerned me most; my health, a romantic relationship, financial freedom and making a difference in the world, seemed to be at a low point in my life.

Now in my sixties, my health and fitness level is not what I desire. I have always been blessed with good health and a strong, energetic body and have always been able to do whatever I choose. Old and new injuries, however, have slowed me down and for the first time I am experiencing some limitations. They may be minor to some, but for me they are major.

I want to be able to climb any mountain and be up for most any physical challenge. This has been hard for me to accept.

My recent business investments have not worked out well. I will just say I am far from my goal of financial stability and independence. So you might imagine I was beginning to be unhappy and unmotivated.

So finding myself in this less than desirable situation, I realized I needed to organize what I know about the subject of living a successful and happy life for my own use and begin taking consistent action.

This book is the result of my effort. I can honestly say that going through this material has been a big help in getting me back on track with the proper beliefs, thoughts and actions. My physical condition has improved, I wrote this book, I have a new relationship and best of all my optimistic, cheerful attitude is back. I am confident that the material covered in this book will help you as much or more as it did me. If you have any questions about anything in the book and /or want to know how it continues to work for me, please contact me at my web site: www.AgelessLivinglifestyle.com and I will be happy to correspond with you.

62

Summary The following principles pretty much sum up what we have covered. When you accept and practice these ten, it makes choosing to be happy much easier.

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

Know your true nature Live in the present Believe the very best for yourself Find your life purpose and serve others Become clear on your priorities Follow your strategy on a daily basis Be patient, forgiving and non judgmental Be grateful for all that you have Take the best possible care of your body Have fun, enjoy your life

Number ten really sums it up. The steadfast truths are always very simplistic, so much so we tend to overlook their value.

Keep in your awareness that things and circumstances always are changing. Do not become attached to physical things and to the way you want your circumstances to be.

Always remember that life is about challenges and that they are your blessings. They are your learning opportunities to grow as a spiritual human being. Do not let your life opportunities pass you by. Each day strive to be your best, be cheerful and joyful and celebrate each day.

And as I have stated throughout, being happy is the true state of being successful. Everything is a choice, so don’t worry, just choose to be happy.

As I have stated throughout, being happy is the true state of being successful.

Everything is a choice, so don’t worry, just choose to be happy.

63

I will end with two of my favorite lines, from two very different sources, but offering the same wisdom. First from Dr. Deepak Chopra, who has done so much to promote higher consciousness, mind/body medicine and world peace.

“Have the right intentions and leave the details to the universe.”

And from what I consider is the all time best classic rock and roll song: You Can’t Always Get What You Want, by the Rolling Stones.

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might just find you get what you need.”

64

Recommended Reading 1) Ageless Living - www.AgelessLivingLifestyle.com - Rico Caveglia 2) The Real Health Real Fast Wellness Program - Rico Caveglia 3) You Can Make A Difference - www.WeAllMakeADifference.com - Rico Caveglia 4) You can have it All - Arnold Patent 5) The Success Principles - Jack Canfield 6) Happiness Now - Robert Holden 7) Happy for No Reason - Marci Shimoff 8) The Art of Lovingkindness and Peace - Jack Kornfield 9) A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle 10) Spontaneous Evolution - Dr Bruce Lipton 11) The Law of Success - Paramahansa Yogananda 12) Creating Affluence - Deepak Chopra 13) The Seven Spiritual - Laws of Success 14) 10 secrets for Success and Inner Peace - Wayne Dyer 15) The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz 16) Twenty Steps to Wisdom - Jennifer James 17) The Art of Conscious Creation - Jackie Lapin 18) The 4 Hour Workweek - Timothy Ferris 19) Becoming Like God - Michael Berg 20) Loving What Is - Byron Katie

65