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The Power of Happiness
Live Deliberately Awaken the Soul Within
Your Preview … Chapters One, and Three Please enjoy. Please consider. ☺
Jeff Allen
iii Copyright © Jeff Allen, 2014. This book is copyright. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (for example a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher. Note: This information is not to replace Professional advice. Book published by Jeff Allen www.thepowerofhappiness.com.au Author: Jeff Allen – Happiness Blueprint Personal Success Coach www.happinessblueprint.com.au (Subscribe for Free Tips and Techniques)
The Power of Happiness – Meditation CD (Available from the author)
Email: jeff@happinessblueprint.com.au Mobile: 0412 737 065 PO Box 390 Burleigh Heads Qld, Australia, 4220. ISBN: 978-0-9942033-1-1
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Introduction We have much to be thankful for, yet many of us are still seeking something more. Perhaps you’ve felt this way too? Maybe you’ve felt that your thoughts aren’t as positive as they could be, or that something has prevented you from creating life on your terms. You may have even felt life was slipping away, leaving you without real meaning or purpose. Most people would agree that they seek a life of meaning and lasting happiness. However the great challenge of our time has been how to get there. Because as far as I know, there is no ancient scroll, no Holy Grail with the instructions on how to find happiness. I wrote this book for this very reason. This book has emerged from my own and countless others’ experience on how to find lasting happiness. It’s what I’ve been studying and experiencing for more than 30 years and I wanted to share my experiences and what I’ve learnt with you. The Power of Happiness will engage you in self-discovery, offer solutions to your daily problems, and show you how to live that life - a life with meaning, satisfaction and lasting happiness.
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This book is a hands-on guide where you’ll learn to apply this knowledge to specific exercises that train your mind to be generative and positive - permanently. You’ll also discover how you originally became ‘you’ and learn to rebalance any behaviours or personality traits that are out of alignment. You’ll experience how to empower yourself and maintain emotional stability. Each technique I offer has been tried and tested for its specific purpose. I hope that by reading this book you will have a deeper understanding of how to achieve long lasting happiness for both yourself, and in turn, those around you.
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Dedications This book is devoted to my family both in form and in spirit. We continue to learn from each other while our respect and love grows as surely as the years pass. My chief editor, formatter and general helping hand in preparing this book for printing, Joan Small, has been encouraging and inspiring throughout the journey. Thank you to all of you who have contributed in your own special ways, whether directly or more subtly, to the unfolding of this volume. It is greatly appreciated.
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Contents iii
Introduction Light a Candle Chapter One
Tip of the Iceberg. Are Thoughts Real Forces?
1 27
Your Magical Mind Chapter Two
The Archer. The Power of Surrender.
37 54
Body, Temple of The Soul Chapter Three
The Priceless Gift. Medicine, Cure or Poison?
63 67
Living Deliberately Chapter Four
The Alignment. The Liberator. Mindfulness Meditation.
81 102
Redefining Personality Chapter Five
How You Became You. No Limit Living.
113 127
Emotionally Speaking Chapter Six
The Fog Will Lift. Happiness is Emotional Freedom.
133 142
Way of the Soul Chapter Seven
Practical Spirituality. What Really Matters.
167 179
About the Author
191
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1
Chapter One
Light A Candle
‘The highest possibility is to live without any views, to just live, to just be. The second best is to at least drop the negative part and follow the positive. And slowly slowly you will see that if you can drop the negative, the positive can also be dropped’. ‘The Book of Wisdom’ - Osho (1)
Tip of the Iceberg
Happiness may be the universal treasure, the pursuit of which gives all humanity something in common. Yet is it possible the very pursuit of happiness is what keeps us from it? Ultimately, could it be that happiness ensues somehow
2 naturally from such elements as a sense of meaning in life, contentment and actually valuing life’s challenges? Everybody comes into this life with a special mission to engage. For those of us who have been granted the gift of life we have an opportunity to take up this unique undertaking. My own personal journey had already begun by an early age after receiving news a ten year old should never have to hear. ‘I am sorry, your Mother is dead.’ My tiny mind confused with shock and disbelief soon fell into the grip of numbness. No words of consolation helped ease my pain, as I began to experience the loss of my mother. I refused to let others see me cry; all I wanted was Mama’s arms. It was an early winter in that heart of mine as everything that once seemed to count now lay scattered in the past. And as the seasons changed I began trading off feelings of loss and abandonment for those of anger and emptiness. Little did I realize what impact this one event would have on my entire future. It seems I was one of the many to get an early lesson in life, as if to somehow prepare me for a greater purpose. As it happened I certainly took an early interest in working on my own problems and mostly by myself. This undoubtedly led me to my own path of personal exploration and inner growth over the next thirty plus years.
3 Greater happiness, driven by the need to change, has been my reward for getting real about my problems and taking positive, corrective action. History and present times provide us with many accounts of how people take a personal tragedy and turn it around for the betterment of themselves and others. Do you remember Helen Keller and her journey, being deaf, mute and blind, in becoming an amazing ambassador for rebuilding the lives of blind people? Even at 75 years old Helen Keller toured Asia for five months inspiring and creating better conditions for the blind. Her work forged relations with Lions Club International, which created LCIF and Lions Sight-First Campaign still in place today. Happiness may fall into two categories; one being shortterm happiness and the other is lasting happiness. The problem is you and I have never been given an ancient scroll leading to the Holy Grail of satisfaction, meaning and happiness. Do you remember your parents giving you lessons on how to be happy? And did they also demonstrate their strategies to you so you would grow up with actions of mind and heart that would guarantee your happiness? Of course there is no blame to be placed here as neither your parents or mine received a blueprint for happiness. We do things that promise to bring happiness without
4 considering that at best they will often bring only temporary pleasure, that is, short-term happiness. Have your taste buds ever caused you to eat more than your body really needed or even wanted? Perhaps there was a time when you were reliant on a stimulant such as coffee or alcohol in order to feel good? Or have you ever thought that if your partner were a little more like you, things would be much better? Of course while that may be true it is probably never going to happen, and so every time you have that thought you are pushing connection and intimacy with your partner further away from you. Even if your partner changed their behaviour for you, how long would it be before you find something else you don’t like about that person? What about an innocent piece of chocolate cake. Wouldn’t it follow that if a piece of cake makes me happy, eating a whole cake in one sitting would surely make me even happier? These are all innocent attempts at deriving happiness that ultimately provide at best, short term benefit. Daniel Kahneman, Professor of Psychology, University of Princeton, is quoted talking about happiness in the long term. ‘Standard of living has increased dramatically and happiness has increased not at all, and in some cases diminished slightly.’
5 He continues. ‘There is a lot of evidence that being richer isn’t making us happier.’ The research suggests that richer countries do tend to be happier than poor ones, but once you have a home, food and clothes, then the extra money does not seem to make you much happier. Some attempts at happiness are unwittingly generated from the unconscious mind. For example, I used to react with anger when someone contradicted what I was saying. In the moment it appeared I got my way as the other person backed off and my arrogance seemed to take a prisoner. This was an unconscious attempt to control another in conversation in order to have my own emotions remain unruffled. Of course the outcome was I alienated the other person and finished up with no connection with that person. My perceived win soon turned into my own dissatisfaction – it did not lead to happiness. From a greater perspective, you may consider if the action you are about to take will provide temporary pleasure or long lasting happiness for yourself and others. If you let one glass of wine become one bottle of wine and wake up with a sore head the next day, you may decide the happiness experienced was indeed short lived. When you wish to retaliate to someone who just hurt you it is possible to release your pride and let it be. Instead of creating an unhealthy relationship with that person and subsequent
6 ripple effect of negative energy, you will become known as a considerate person who is to be respected.
‘The highest authority is one’s own experience of truth’. William Hart
Of course it often takes more than intent to change our ways; it requires practice and persistence. When someone says or does something to upset you, remember that person is coming from a place of their own pain. For example, an angry person is not feeling content, peaceful or loving. Imagine yourself greater than your upset and practice compassion for the other person. Instead of reacting with negativity, notice how different it feels not to be drawn in to their problem. Experience the freedom that comes with letting it go, with giving unconditionally to someone who seems hurtful toward you. If we remember this person is a fallible human being just like us, it makes it easier to accept their behaviour and not retaliate with negativity. We are not condoning the unwanted behaviour; we are simply not becoming a part of it. You may do this for the other person’s sake or simply for your own sake. It is done for practical purposes.
7 My personal experience on the path to happiness is that not much changes overnight; it is indeed an ongoing journey. You and I have a wonderful opportunity to investigate what is really going on in our own mind, make some changes and as a result live a life of satisfaction, fulfillment and lasting happiness. Happiness is not a random event – it is a byproduct of living a meaningful life. It is something that you cultivate through honest and thorough research into the depths of your very being. It requires you to challenge your old paradigms and beliefs and make inner changes accordingly. As you make these inner changes you begin to notice your outer world changing as well. Then when you pay attention, it becomes obvious that your outer world has changed in response to your inner changes. This is also how you build inner confidence; create a strategy and follow through on it. Life meets us at the level we have attained in consciousness. For example when you are operating from guilt, fear or anger you attract people who are also coming from those lower levels of mind. When you operate from courage, willingness and joy you will attract people who live from those higher states of consciousness. Have an honest look at the people in your life and ask yourself what level of consciousness they seem to operate from. The question is simply, do they support your own growth? I had to let go of
8 a forty year friendship with a mate and fishing buddy some time ago because I could no longer tolerate my friend living through his negative past. I had finally outgrown it! The purpose of this book is to provide you with insight into the functioning of your own mind, to encourage you to embrace change and to inspire you to remain joyfully on the path to self-mastery. Solutions to your personal challenges will come to you through self-understanding, other’s experiences and relevant techniques based in spiritual wisdom. It seems to me balance in life is achieved by investing energy into each of the four main areas of life: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. This may seem daunting, yet remember you have a lifetime to get up to speed - at your own pace. It is best to release pressure - yet take action! I believe personal development is the doorway to lasting happiness. It precedes your happiness and that of others. The focus here is for you to cultivate your mind, nurture your emotions, expand your health and continue your spiritual journey. The Power of Happiness challenges you to reach down inside yourself, become the person of your dreams and create from your inner, personal power - not by way of force. When you create from personal inner power, any change you have created will last and be naturally reinforced.
9 It is what you become that determines the quality of your life in both your subjective, inner world and objective, external world. I love the view of living with inner power as opposed to force. Force represents manipulation and is not natural while (inner) power is in flow and is totally sustainable. Dr David Hawkins, Psychiatrist and Physician wrote a book ‘Power vs Force’ (2) which illustrates this notion. Dr Hawkins also created a great resource, a Map of Consciousness, calibrating levels of consciousness and emotion ranging from zero to one thousand. We will discuss Dr Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness later on in chapter four. Here’s an extract from Dr Hawkin’s book ‘Power vs Force’: ‘We can, for example, investigate a historical epoch such as the end of the British colonialism in India. If we calibrate the position of the British Empire at the time, one of self-interest and exploitation, we find that it was well below the critical level of 200 on the scale of consciousness. The motivation of Mahatma Gandhi (calibrated at 700) was very near the top of the range of normal human consciousness. Gandhi won in this struggle because his position was one of far greater power. The British Empire represented force (calibrated at 175), and when force meets power, force is eventually defeated.’
10 When you interact with your partner or another in a spirit of trust, willingness, or forgiveness you are living from personal inner power, and when you react to your partner or another with aggression, inflation or punishment you are trapped in force. When you do consciousness work, that is, work on changing your behaviour - you become increasingly free from negative reaction and dwell more in the higher realms of acceptance, joy and inner peace. Life becomes progressively more magical. As an introduction to understanding human behaviour, I wish to suggest your behaviour is an expression of your unconscious mind. That is to say, what you do is largely determined by what is already being harboured in the deeper recesses of your unconscious mind. Your thoughts, emotions, words and actions are to some degree a response to the present moment. In a social gathering you may be engaged in conversation with me about your work and I find I don’t agree with much of what you say. As such I may simply decide to go and talk to someone else in another group. However it could also be that I react to you with judgement and anger when you tell me something I don’t want to hear. In the latter case my reaction is largely coming from my past experiences which are being held in my unconscious mind.
11 It is more about my reaction to what you are saying, than what you are saying. Much of our behaviour is not freshly thought out – we are on rote. The notion suggests that my action, i.e., negative emotion of anger, is a reflection of my past experiences and is not entirely a result of the conversation between you and me. This also seems to make sense when you consider that out of one hundred people, there would probably be many other responses to the same stimuli. In the example cited here some people would agree with you, others would disagree and let it be, while some would disagree and vehemently take you to task over your statement. Individuals have different backgrounds, memories and life experiences and therefore interpret words and situations differently. An important thread for consideration in this book is the relationship between the unconscious mind - the storehouse of our past - and the conscious mind - the engine room of our daily activity. Much can be learned by observing this relationship and remaining open to subtle messages from it. As a consultant to a real estate group I once overheard an agent express in passing ‘… I haven’t failed yet …’ as the lady referred to her sales figures. I knew this person had not fully heard what her statement revealed, so I postulated the following to her.
12 ‘Do you realize your unconscious mind is giving you a message – that you expect to fail?’ We didn’t have an opportunity to discuss the issue, yet it was no surprise to me that the lady was out of the industry within three months. ‘You become that which you think about all day long’. The late Earl Nightingale
Your positive and negative experiences accumulate over time, and are all stored within your mind. They also imprint your self-image which is held in your unconscious mind. Many experiences, especially if fortified with emotion at the time they are created, will shape your self-image. This applies whether the experiences are positive or negative. What determines your self-image is the intensity of emotion experienced at each meaningful event in your life, especially in your early years. When we are growing we are vulnerable to other’s words and actions and we take it all very personally. All messages whether positive or negative become stored, and over a long period of time become the benchmark for whether we feel we are worthy or unworthy, good or bad, a
13 winner or loser etc, etc. This is the process of formation of the Self-image each one of us holds. This can be clearly seen when you and I look at our childhood experiences and consider some of the foundational messages we received. You may have been told continually you would grow up to be good at anything you choose and now you notice how this has actually come to pass. Alternately you may have been like many of us who received no real personal validation. Subsequently you found you had to struggle to release the old past conditioning before you could find your personal power, and create life on your own terms. I notice how so many young parents condition their children now in very positive ways compared to how many children of my era were raised. If this is true it is a major forward movement for humanity. Fortunately such expressions as ‘I haven’t failed yet’ etc, are only telltales of the unconscious mind, not destiny. The lady in the example above could have taken notice of the signposts (her language) and subsequently changed her behaviour. Instead the actions that led her to so-called failure were in line with an unconscious belief that she would not succeed. This was reflected in her unconscious language ‘I haven’t failed yet.’ Of course this phrase means, I haven’t failed yet … but I will.
14 And it follows that if we don’t believe we will succeed we will fail to do whatever it takes for success. The remedy here would be to help the lady in question to see the relationship between the self-image held in her unconscious mind and the actions it is causing her to take. It may also require her to change her self-image which could be achieved through coaching or counselling. A good start however would be for the lady to recognize that her lack of total commitment may be a reflection of her self-image; at least in the context of her work. From there she could be more aware and choose to make a total commitment to the next project. This would change the quality and character of her actions, which in turn would also positively impact her self-esteem. Many people still misunderstand real commitment and are often putting in 80/90 percent when 100 percent is necessary. The last 10/20 percent of effort will usually define our behaviour that will ultimately bring about success. This is where the notion of ‘like attracts like’ comes into play. Weak commitment fosters weak thoughts which are followed by weak actions – hence a weak result. For the record, 100 percent commitment does not mean selling our soul to achieve the end result, which is a values issue. Each person’s values are uniquely their own no matter what their level of commitment.
15 Mediocre commitment says ‘let’s give it a go’ while full commitment says ‘I will do whatever it takes.’ When full commitment coexists with good values we can do amazing things. Many folk in business have the highest ethics and integrity and have total commitment, which leads them to ongoing success. To achieve a wholesome outcome we must have a wholesome goal to begin with. Techniques for Freedom
Begin to take more notice of your internal dialogue. Is it as positive as you would like it to be? How long do you go without having any negative thoughts whatsoever? Would it be weeks, days, hours or even minutes some days?
‘Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced with sadness’. Carl Jung
The Tip of the Iceberg diagram on the next page points toward the relationship between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind.
16 One of the functions of growth work is to bring up from your unconscious mind issues such as limiting beliefs, unhelpful patterns and deeply held negative emotions, for clearing. The other purpose is to re-imprint your self-image held in the unconscious mind with generative beliefs and positive programming so you can attract what you consciously desire.
According to NLP, Neuro-linguistic-programming, your unconscious mind always seeks balance. Its roles include storing of emotions, values, memories and programs – and having a blueprint for the optimal running of your life. Your unconscious mind gives you signals you can utilize in order to make change. It works 24/7, in your best interest.
17 Your unconscious mind represses emotions too difficult to deal with at the time and re-presents those emotions for you to clear at a more suitable time. The repressed emotion could happen simply when, as a two year old, you heard ‘You just broke my best vase!’ You may have experienced feelings of hurt, shame or guilt, yet were not able to express those emotions and they became buried inside you. Emotions of grief, loss and sadness may be experienced at any age such as when you lose a loved one or a cherished friend. Your hurts become embedded within you, along with infinite other memories and experiences. When the pain and trauma of an event is suppressed the experience of that event may become inflamed or distorted by other emotional disturbances small or large, over your lifetime. For example, you may have experienced rejection when your mother chastised you for something you did wrong when you were six years old. Your siblings may have made you feel inadequate and your first romance rejected you as well. By now you have a reasonably well formed issue of rejection and the negative emotions accompanying it. But because it was too painful for you to face along the way you unconsciously suppressed it, as a coping mechanism, in order to protect yourself.
18 The ramification of suppressed emotions however is enormous. A lady recently told me ‘I’m not surprised to get cancer as I haven’t been letting go of stuff.’ This may be the voice of her inner wisdom; Mother Nature, speaking. Effects of harboring negative emotions long term are now well documented as one of the primary causes of mental and physical illnesses. In the (Hawaiian) Huna tradition the analogy states that black bags containing seeds of repressed emotions form in the body and will need to be cleared, that is, removed at some point to retain general health. Deepak Chopra M.D. in his book ‘Quantum Healing, Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine’ (3) refers to emotions in the context of cancer patients: ‘Dr Lawrence LeShan, author of the pioneering studies from the 1950s correlating emotions to cancer, went back into the childhoods of cancer patients to find the black seed that poisoned their psychology, and theorized that it lay dormant in the subconscious for years before inducing their disease.’ I led a group some time ago on Emotional Freedom Technique more commonly known as EFT. One of the participants, who was accomplished as a master controller of his feelings in order to do his work, reported the following.
19 ‘Something happened one day at work that caused me to explode - this was new for me and highly unacceptable as well.’ Of course, he had not been managing his emotions; he was suppressing them. He continued ‘The rheumatoid arthritis in my arms and parts of my body disappeared, albeit temporarily, but completely!’ The man conceded this was totally as a result of losing control. The suppressed emotions found their own way out and that had a major positive impact on his body. You may wish to consider the outcome of holding a beach ball under the water indefinitely. How long would that last? The larger the beach ball (issue) the less time you can hold it down. This of course is why people snap … they haven’t been releasing their conflicts, emotions and build-up of problems. But you see Mother Nature is smarter than you and me, and gives us a disease or something so we have no choice other than to change our ways. The unconscious mind continually seeks to find balance throughout our life. That may show up as a challenge or an opportunity in our personal health, our relationship or in the workplace. When we are balanced we are in flow. When we are out of flow the opportunity is to discover the imbalance.
20 ‘Any part of yourself you don’t love, becomes hostile’. Carl Jung
Auschwitz concentration camp was home for quite some time to Viennese psychiatrist and neurologist Dr Viktor Frankl. In his book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ (4) Dr Frankl talks about the unthinkable experiences of the captives; and how some of them, including himself, survived. Consequently he has a lot to say about the power of purpose and how the prisoners without purpose or meaning were the first to perish. ‘The ones who had loved ones to look forward to or a specific objective to carry out after their (hopeful) release, were invariably the ones that survived.’ Viktor Frankl believes the major primary motivation for a human being is finding the meaning in life. Of course this is a huge subject, and many people have not had the privilege of living a life of real meaning. In approaching such a topic you and I may be reminded ‘the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.’ By progressively looking clearly into your own inner world and seeing what is really going on you begin to see new ways of doing things. You don’t have to wait for some kind of calamity to happen before becoming introspective.
21 As you make small changes you are motivated to be responsible for your life, your actions and your results. Dr Frankl goes on to say it’s not only what’s important to us (our values) that counts, but ‘what specifically is important to us at this point in time.’ Perhaps you can remember what was important to you when you bought your first car or hung out with your mates or the girls. How different were those experiences to having your first child and the corresponding changes in life? And when the children leave the nest – what will be important then? As humans we continually seek fulfillment through creating meaning and purpose in life. Not only does man flourish when connected with some overall meaning to his life but it can be seen that his state of satisfaction and even peace of mind may be increased by living meaningfully at any particular time. Some folk enjoy the benefits of having a ‘knowing’ as to what they are meant to be doing while here on planet earth. For example many people know they are here to serve others in one form or another and keep gravitating back to that role. (I’m not sure Mother Theresa ever left hers.) Others live out a demanding responsibility such as parenting, which in turn leads to a strong sense of meaning and purpose. Of course this too may change with the emergence of ‘empty nest’ syndrome.
22 Yet even a lofty ideal such as Life Purpose can be satiated to varying degrees by achieving a sense of purpose in the here and now. You may be in a season of life where you don’t feel particularly purposeful about anything, yet when you donate your time to a local charity organization you feel a great deal of satisfaction and meaning in giving that service. Each person’s sense of purpose may differ in its origin, and what a person does to achieve that sense of purpose may vary considerably from time to time. As we look more closely into our lives we may see how some choices support us better than others. One thing that remains is, when we take actions that give us a sense of meaning and purpose we simply feel better. Of course in your and my busy lives we usually don’t take the time to reflect on what is important for us in this season of life and subsequently live accordingly. Please take the time to complete the following questions rather intuitively. You may be surprised at what comes up for you. It is a good way to begin connecting with your Life Values which we will cover later on in the book. One purpose of this book is to give you a chance to integrate change where you see it beneficial. As you complete this exercise you will be positioned to complete other exercises in this volume so please complete it now.
23 Techniques for Freedom
Please write out what you would do if you had only 24 Hours to live? ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Please write out what you would do if you had only Three Months to live? ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Please write out what you would do if you had only One Year to live? ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Please write out what you would do if you had only Five Years to live? ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Please write out what you would do if you had only 10 Years to live? ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………
24 What is One Thing you commit to changing? …………..………………………….…..…..……….… What advice would you give yourself for this? ……………….………………..….……….................... ………….……………………..………...…………..… So what did you realize about yourself? … Equally important here, are you living according to your answers? Your answers to those five questions may give you a clue to your life values. Yet when your actions are not in alignment with your values you may become increasingly out of sorts. In the workplace, if you take the extroverted person who loves to interact with people and lock them up out the back to crunch numbers, how well do you think they will do? Whether in the workplace or in your personal life it is important to discover who you really are at the level of personality. Also, in order to advance spiritually it is useful to start at the level of personality and expand from there.
‘It is not for man to ask what is the meaning of his life, but rather he must recognize it is he who is being asked’. Viktor Frankl
25 To the degree you live out that natural, innate spirit within you, the more satisfied you will become in life. One of the entry points to happiness is to engage meaning and find purpose in your life. Many years ago I completed the above exercise for myself, and at that point I realized my life was being consumed by my life coaching business. The procedure just described here allowed me to get in touch with a part of me I had totally neglected, the Adventurer. As a result, I interrupted the business and took on an adventurous journey around Hinchinbrook Island in North Queensland. I played with fishing, crocodiles and the Great Barrier Reef - I loved every minute of it. Reclaiming my lost adventurer also created a space for me to de-identify with my various roles, including Coach. I had become renewed and energized at a very profound level. Extended time out, introspection and the practice of mind management allowed me to offer more to my coaching clients on my return. Psychologist, speaker and author Dr Dennis Waitley said ‘Happiness is a by-product of living a worthwhile life.’ Life satisfaction often requires you to commit to an endeavour in life you can become meaningfully engaged in – something greater than yourself. This may be your family, community, global contribution, religion or spirituality,
26 personal development, or work. Prince Charles once said your own problems are less when you focus on solving other people’s problems. Each time you probe a little deeper into life, into who you really are, the more life opens to you and showers you with possibility and opportunity. Each time you stretch a little in life the old limiting belief fades and gives way to your new self-image. You think you can’t do the manager’s job until that person goes sick and you are asked to be the acting manager. At some point you may have to reach down inside a little deeper than you are used to. You adapt to the challenges at hand and surprise yourself by rising to the occasion. After the dust has settled you have a new self-image of being a manager. You no longer have that old limiting belief … you have let go of it.
‘If we let go a little we experience a little freedom. If we let go a lot we experience a lot of freedom. If we let go completely we experience complete freedom’. Jeff Allen
27 Are Thoughts Real Forces?
Red-hot hardwood coals burning at their peak stretched out six metres in front of us. The path was one metre wide and eight centimetres deep, with heat threatening to engulf anything that crossed it. The first two candidates for the evening were experienced in the art of fire walking, however one after the other they passed-in their turn to walk the fire and went to the end of the line. Now it was my turn to cross the fire, aware that I hadn’t even seen it done before. I guess at a time like this one could ask the question, how come they didn’t walk? However, instead I simply said to myself ‘You’re here to walk the fire and you’re going across.’ And off I went with a somewhat arrogant certitude – to conquer the fire! Internal alarm bells were sounding and fight or flight kicked in well and truly as I crossed the abyss with increasing speed at each step. It was almost a run by the time I finished the walk so I could finally dump my feet into a bucket of water. Well, yes, one of us was conquered - but it wasn’t the fire. It was my ego. As it happened I waited in line and passed my turn for another three rounds before walking again. By this time my arrogance and small blisters had given way to a new-found sense of humility.
28 The process of fire walking requires an hour or more of mind conditioning before you walk. At the time of walking you first listen to the subtle voices in your head such as ‘Walk’ or ‘Don’t walk.’ Then you tune in to your body – if your body feels comfortable with the idea of walking then you walk. And if it doesn’t feel comfortable you postpone the decision to walk. In this sense fire walking becomes an exercise in exploring the mind/body connection. Dr. Andrew Weil, the renowned Harvard-trained physician and medical researcher, has investigated fire walking for years. He states ‘There is no way I can be convinced that mental state is not the key variable in fire walking.’ It seems to me the fact that some people do burn when crossing the fire indicates there is a variable that goes way beyond theories such as ‘Coals don’t conduct heat.’ Surprisingly I walked the fire three more times that night without burning … after I had a shift in consciousness. The paradox is that I completely surrendered to the fact I may never walk the fire again. I totally relaxed and allowed the infinite wisdom of my body to communicate with me. At this point I listened to my state and my body (rather than my egoic mind’s instructions) to see if I was to ready to walk. That shift had allowed me to enter a certain state of mind. That state of mind comprised a lack of attachment to
29 outcome and a knowing at a physiological level that my body would be unharmed. It seems my letting go of control while adopting a state of subtle mindfulness allowed me to walk without burning. I slowly walked across the fire three more times that night, in state, without any signs of burning. Fire walking has been a human rite of passage for many cultures dating back to 1200 BC. It has been used for healing, as a show of faith and in more recent times for corporate training and self-development purposes. Of course there are conflicting reports on how exactly this phenomenon is possible, given most people don’t burn, yet some people do. Whether there is a satisfactory scientific explanation or whether a more subjective view is taken, one thing remains. Experience proves that one state of mind will allow you to walk the fire without burning, while another will not. This was my experience. I was unable to remain on the hot coals to complete the fire walk while I was engaged in my objective ego-driven state of mind. By holding a subtle awareness while engaging intuition I was able to walk. Leading fire walk instructor from The Fire Walk Institute, US, Tolly Burkan informs us ‘An altered state of consciousness changes the body’s physiology. Fire walking demonstrates how your thoughts have a major impact in your life. Thoughts change brain chemistry, and that results
30 in an alteration of body chemistry as well. Firewalkers are instructed to pay close attention to their thoughts, since those very thoughts are the way in which we create our own realities. Positive thinkers literally live in a different chemical environment than negative thinkers. They impose less stress on their immune systems, and the result of that should be obvious.’ The fire walk demonstrates beyond any doubt how complex and how powerful your mind actually is. It is capable of changing your body’s physiology to the point your feet won’t burn on red hot coals. This is the power of your very own mind over which you preside, which is to say you are not your mind; you are the director of your mind. Your mind is a wonderful servant yet a tyrannical master. In this book we discuss many ways for you to harness your mind and utilize its infinite power. You are invited to explore the workings of your mind and indeed make changes meaningful to you. If you take personal and spiritual development importantly you will find succinct understandings and techniques contained in this volume. If there is anything that determines the future, it is our present mind.
31 You can change a restless, perhaps undisciplined mind into a powerful instrument capable of creating life on your terms. This is providing you care enough. If you engage a philosophy that says you are the creator of your life you will probably also be open to the notion you are responsible for your life. One really goes with the other. If this is so you have an obligation to find your own way in life and make it as special and wonderful as you are capable of. The limit for this creation is not ‘out there’; rather it is ‘in here!' When we change - our world changes. What a wonderful opportunity! Imagine if we had to depend solely on others or circumstances in order for us to have what we want or to become who we want to be? In order for us to make change we might have to wait years for someone else to be ready or the circumstances to be just right. As it is, of course, we don’t have to wait for anything! All we have to do is want something sufficiently and then be prepared to take action on it. How good is that? Techniques for Freedom
When you have an important decision to make, hold one possibility in mind and check on the level of comfort in your body. Then hold another possibility in mind and check in. If one possibility makes your body feel tangibly better it will probably be the right one.
32 I’m going to make the bold assumption that everyone wants happiness, or at least their perception of happiness. Would you agree? We talked earlier about having a road map; the Holy Grail leading to lasting happiness. While this book is full of tips that will make a difference in your life, I wish to propose a notion that becomes the equivalent of your own personal Holy Grail. Let’s use relationship as a metaphor. If you came to me for relationship work, I would establish your level of commitment in this regard rather quickly. My postulation is - when there is anything wrong in your relationship the place to look is not within your relationship itself. Rather the place to look is within you; the person seeking a better relationship. As you work on your own idiosyncrasies you notice things that once annoyed you about your partner (or other) now have less impact on you. To the degree you have learnt to forgive, you will no longer hold bitterness toward others. Of course, in relationship if you have grown within yourself and cleared enough of your past conditioning and the situation is still not reconcilable, you may move on anyway. So the message of the Holy Grail is - you must look within yourself for happiness! Ultimately you get to look within and become the master practitioner of your life.
33 To the degree you establish your own inner light, it will not matter what goes before you, you will remain inwardly strong, secure in your own right and unswayed by external negatives. Your authority will be your own experience of truth rather than relying on another’s truth. Your past thoughts have influenced your present circumstances and your present thoughts are already cocreating your future. Your thoughts, fortified with the emotion of likeness, morph into patterns of behaviour which build your character and influence your destiny. The individual most fearful of not getting the job presents accordingly and doesn’t get the job. The person who expects to recover from a life-threatening disease will take whatever action is necessary and increase their chances. If you hold right thought, right action will follow. Little by little you are shaped on the inside and this is reflected on the outside. Every thought you indulge in, every emotion you experience and every action you take is creating in your nervous system the new you. You can change what you attract and also your circumstances by changing who you are. But first you must break the old cycle with some kind of pattern-interrupt that will make a difference. By engaging practices of personal and spiritual growth you claim a life worth living.
34 ‘To change is to be greater than your environment’. Jeff Allen It is a bit like training to run five kilometers when you can’t run at all. In the beginning your unconscious mind laughs at the thought that you could do that. However by building up how far you run, slowly and consistently, the unconscious mind has no choice but to see you as a five kilometer runner. A new self-image is set and you create according to that self-image. Once you begin to create consciously, this process gives you the certitude you can create the life of your dreams. You build momentum! Dr Fred Alan Wolf, physicist, lecturer and writer informs us ‘We know physiologically that nerve cells that fire together wire together. If you practice something over and over again those nerve cells form a long-term relationship.’ The more you engage anger, the stronger the nerve cell activity in your brain becomes for anger and the easier it will be to react angrily. Likewise every time you interrupt a thought process the relationship between those nerve cells is broken down. Every time you see fault in someone the neural pathways (nerve cell activity) for fault finding are reinforced. Similarly, every
35 time you forgive that person, the neural pathways for fault finding are diminished and the neural pathways for forgiveness are strengthened. As you become more conscious of how you think, feel and act you become a clear channel, capable of choosing your own behaviour. This is the doorway to freedom! Become aware of your behaviour; discern what you will hold in your mind and in your heart and take small action steps - in Joy, Peace and Gratitude. Techniques for Freedom
Begin to notice who’s in charge of your mind - ask yourself the question: ‘What will my next thought be?’ Now stop! … and observe.
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Chapter Three
Body, Temple of the Soul The Priceless Gift
In 400 BC Hippocrates, the great physician, known as the Father of Medicine, recognized that disease was not just the symptoms of poor health. It was the condition the body created to re-establish order and function in response to a disturbed electro-magnetic equilibrium. ‘Vis medicatrix naturae’ the healing power of Mother Nature heals us from disease providing we create and maintain a supportive inner environment. Imagine this ... what if everything you did to and for your body was somehow recorded and imprinted within it, in a way that it affected your physiology for the rest of your life. Indeed - this is exactly what happens.
38 Your heart muscle cells contract and pump blood, your intestinal cells absorb the food you eat, your thyroid gland cells churn out hormones, and so on. The cells of the body are continually dying and renewing via a process called Mitosis. ‘Parent’ cells die and multiply to produce two ‘daughter’ cells in their place. Genetic material is copied from each cell and passed on to their offspring. While this is happening many other cells are keeping your body functioning. The health and integrity of each cell is passed to replacement cells. If the Life-force of cells is low then that is what is passed to the newly formed cells. You cannot fool Mother Nature. If you want health you must earn it by keeping your cells clean and healthy. Let Nick Vujicic be your inspiration as you consider some of the suggestions for health in this book. You may have seen Nick featured on television’s Sixty Minutes. He was born without arms and legs, yet despite his trials and challenges along the way he has decided to make the changes and sacrifices needed to create a life of value. He is a true inspiration to all who meet or hear of him. Nick who is now a motivational speaker has learned to laugh at his lot in life. One of the things he said was ‘My pain is just more visible than yours.’ I think he is saying we all have problems - it’s what we do with them that matters.
39 Here’s a test … let’s pretend I’m going to give you some money - in fact whatever amount of money you ask for. I will personally give it to you. Really - how much do you want – any figure? Make sure you ask for enough to last a lifetime. Do you have a figure in mind, right now? Now here’s the crunch – all I ask of you in return is your health! That’s right. All you have to hand over is your health and I will give you all the money you would ask for. Now … how much is that figure? What price would you really put on your health? (Of course you couldn’t hand over your health and I won’t be buying it.) So, have you written down how much your health is worth in dollars or perhaps in other ways? Please search your mind and see if you can find out. As you read this material I suspect you would agree that no amount of money would be worth giving up your precious health for. Now some people might say ‘Well you don’t know how bad my health is.’ And with much respect - I would ask if you could somehow find a special meaning in the problem? Is it possible there is something to learn from the suffering? Or, is it even possible you have an unconscious payoff for having the problem? Ouch, we don’t like that! Sometimes Mother Nature gives us stiff learning curves so that we can grow and evolve in many ways.
40 There is a great lesson in the book ‘Psychobiology of Mind-Body Healing’ (6). The author, Ernest Rossi talks about a Doctor, a client who was suffering a lot of grief over the loss of his wife. The Doctor’s whole perspective on life changed upon recognizing something special. Upon being questioned, he realized his wife would have suffered terribly had he predeceased her. This gave him new meaning, solace and great relief – it changed how he thought. He was able to create meaning out of the tragedy and as a result of doing this he suffered less. This may be a good time to remind you it’s not how much you know that makes the difference rather it is how much you put into action. It seems to me the more we nurture the body by giving it the nutrients, hydration and cleansing it needs, the fewer problems we will have, and the better we will feel. Of course as we age the body loses its ability to support us as well as when we were young. This doesn’t mean we have to accept premature atrophy and disease. It simply means we need to learn more about the body and take the kind of action that will nourish and sustain the body to its fullest potential, taking us well beyond the norm. Here’s a tip … buy one really good book on health. Get one that tells you what you need to eat for certain conditions and also tells you what vitamins, minerals etc, you get from
41 the various foods. If you invest in something like the ‘Nutrition Almanac’ (see book references) you will have a reference manual, for life – the tenets don’t change. You no doubt will have heard of the ‘80/20 rule’ which also applies in health. If you put good health practices into place for around 80 percent of the time you will probably do fine. Now this applies to a normal healthy body – if you have specific problems, you need specific treatment. If you don’t know what is causing your physical problems you need to go to a health practitioner to get a diagnosis and find out what you need to know and what specifically you need to do. Techniques for Freedom
Write out everything you eat for a whole week. That is, everything you eat and drink for each meal and between meals. Day and night – the lot! Simply observe! When visiting a health practitioner, you may be asked to commit to this procedure anyway. Please beware of practitioners who are quick to prescribe vitamin tablets only, without guiding you on good natural nutrition. Vitamin supplementation is meant to be just that, at best. It is imperative to get your vitamins, minerals and nutrients from real food.
42 Medicine, Cure or Poison?
I walked into the office of a highly regarded herbal therapist some years ago and laid down my typed list of health procedures and natural supplements. The therapist took a slow look at me and my well documented list. He then picked up the uninspected list and said to me ‘This may be your poison.’ I immediately got what he meant. The body’s needs change and we can’t hold on to the one plan indefinitely. In addition, hindsight told me that he would have noticed the grip or the tension I had around my treatment plan. If we become too rigid about our health, our energy may constrict and we may limit the healing process. Unfortunately we are often seeking assistance with our health when we are vulnerable with a disease or another problem. This can also cause fear which inhibits the healing process. Healing may be a holistic process and for difficult challenges it may require that we look at our health in the context of physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual. We shall revisit this notion as we go. I started out on my own journey to health some twenty years ago. For many years I was eating somewhat healthy food yet complaining I didn’t know what my body really needed. After doing that dance long enough I discovered multiple modalities of health.
43 Health practitioners diagnose problems using modalities such as Iridology (study of the Iris), Pulsing (Chinese medicine), Haemaview (study of the blood) etc. Of course your doctor should also be your ally, especially when it comes to diagnosis. Each modality will have its own body of knowledge while some of the content from each will cross over from one modality to another. Just a few of the common modalities practiced to induce good health include Allopathic Medicine (doctor), Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, Acupuncture, Ayurveda (Indian), Chiropractic, Kinesiology, Massage, Meditation, EFT (emotional freedom technique), Breath work, Various Energy modalities, Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy, Coaching, Counseling, Yoga, Reflexology, Physiotherapy, Aromatherapy etc. Combining medical expertise with natural health modalities such as those above can provide an effective outcome. When we have a significant problem with our health it may be necessary to recruit both the doctor and natural health practitioners. Both can provide highly valuable and unique procedures. Of course Health is increasingly a mine field now, and will continue to be so as the health industry is one of the fastest growing commercial enterprises. The rules of the game keep changing and this allows the unscrupulous
44 players lots of places to hide. Health shops, while they provide a marvelous service, often don’t align with strict health principles. It seems they leave it up to you and me to do our own research and make decisions accordingly. Where it becomes a little more insidious for example is, when many (expensive) foods are being sold at outlets, with misleading information. One of many examples is when manufacturers subtly label organic food (you pay for that) as originating either locally or imported. So, we get to pay a higher price for a product that can literally come from any untrustworthy source in the entire globe. Not for me thanks. I prefer to buy a known product from a trustworthy source. If you want the best for your body you will need to be prepared to research both food and health procedures until you are confident about what you are doing. This requires us to remain vigilant and to question continually. There is no mercy for those who remain uneducated around health. It is your health and your responsibility. You get to reap the benefits of sound health and vitality if you become accountable to Mother Nature. You can move forward with the obligation of doing what you are capable of. Remember you only have to be accountable for what is possible for you to do. You can’t control everything – do what you can. There is a lot of good reliable information out there if you stay focused and committed. The internet or your
45 favourite book will take you a long way if you are keen enough. You will also need a good reason for doing what you do in order to stay committed on the path of health. It is useful to focus on the benefits for your good health. ‘Each year in Australia, close to 3,300 men die of prostate cancer – equal to the number of women who die from breast cancer’. Queensland Institute of Medical Research 2011
Please consider this. If you are fortunate to make it to say 30-40 years old without any real health problems you may agree you have been blessed with good genes. Now if you consider that many people (just look around) have great health into old age, doesn’t that mean you can be one of them? Yet to be sure, the luxury of health will be earned along the way – it is not a given. We have a greater incidence of cancer and health problems than ever before and still many people don’t realize they co-create their health. Certainly, we are born with a given health constitution. Yet our actions over a long period of time will equally contribute to our health or rob us of that birthright.
46 Vitality, longevity and youthfulness are the rewards of eating good food. A crucial partner to good ingestion and hydration is proper digestion. If we don’t have suitable digestion there will not be adequate uptake of nutrients into the cells of the body. If prolonged, this may lead to breaking down of various functions of the body which may then lead to disease - and could have been avoided. As a point of distinction, the body needs water, and the cells need to be hydrated in order for the body to function properly. It is possible to be eating healthy food and drinking adequate water and still not have good digestion and uptake of water by the cells. It may be necessary to consult a health practitioner for diagnosis when the body isn’t responding to what we are doing ourselves. Good health includes uptake of nutrients and water by the cells and discharge of waste from them. This is critical in order to have integrity of the cells; that is, healthy cells. Every day cells are dying and being renewed. The new cells are imprinted by the integrity of the existing cells they are replacing. That means if your body is in poor condition you are manufacturing new cells of like condition. Similarly, healthy cells will automatically foster new cells of health and integrity.
47 Multiply this process out by millions of times and you can guess the result. According to Dr Deepak Chopra every cell of the body is replaced within seven years. An important consideration in creating a healthy and pain-free body is the Acid/Alkaline ratio of the body. Naturopath, Kathryn Alexander has the following to say in her book ‘Get a Life’ (7). ‘Excess acids in the system over a period of time lead to the formation of insoluble salts or crystals which lodge in the joints and soft tissues causing hardening and inflammation.’ Kathryn explains in detail the importance of fresh veggie juicing to detox your body – encouraging the body to become more alkaline. She also shows how the following groups of foods contribute to an Acid/Alkaline balance. 1. Alkaline-Forming Foods: Fresh fruit and vegetables, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice – are desired foods. 2. Neutral Foods: Grains (except wheat and rye), pulses, seeds, nuts (cashews, almonds, hazelnuts) – are desired foods. 3. Acid-Forming Foods: Animal protein, dairy, eggs, wheat and rye, refined foods, sugar, soft drinks, tea/coffee, alcohol, fats and oils, oily nuts, including peanuts – reduce or eliminate.
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‘Health isn’t everything, yet everything is nothing without it’. Swami
Kathryn reveals ‘In truth, there is no other way, other than through the use of vegetables and fruits, to reduce acidity in the tissues.’ This also addresses pain reduction. Nutrients, vitamins, oxygen and electrolytes (salts) travel to the cells via the blood, and waste is discharged from the cells via the blood. Therefore clean blood is paramount. Eating healthy food and drinking healthy beverages will assist in cleansing the blood. As well as medical blood tests, haemaview is used by Naturopaths and other practitioners to check the condition of your blood. Haemaview will give you a road map of what is going on with your cells, and your practitioner will advise you what to do to correct any deficiencies and imbalances. It seems to me there are two major components to good health. One is education – we cannot hit a target we don’t have. The other important element to health is having enough why in order to generate reasonable discipline to follow through with beneficial habits. Do you value being physically active, having high energy and moving about as you wish without pain? How
49 amazing is it to have the physical freedom to enjoy the fruits of the seeds you have sown over a lifetime of endeavour? We all deserve to feel good. Yet one cannot maximise the blessing of good health without some focused effort. The great news is you have infinite choices around health. The following chart is a sample of small things you can do on a daily basis to promote your health and encourage desired longevity. Just pick a few points that interest you.
50 Beneficial Dietary Health Tips: Try to eat 80 percent of your food organic. Your body will have fewer poisons to eliminate. Eat adequately for three meals a day and don’t graze between meals. The stomach will digest better. Do not drink with a meal, 30 minutes before or one hour after it, so you don’t dilute the digestive juices of the stomach. If you do, try having as little as possible. Create a habit of drinking filtered water. Two glasses before breakfast, two between breakfast and lunch, and two glasses between lunch and dinner will help to hydrate the body. Legumes such as kidney beans, adzuki beans, chickpeas, or whole lentils may be eaten with brown rice for a highly nutritional meal. You can soak each of these overnight so they germinate - they become living food. The ones that sprout, when sprouted, are also a high source of Vitamin C. Flax oil (organic) is a great plant-source of Omega-3 fatty acids and is necessary in the diet. Good quality fish oils are a great animal-source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid the cheap ones and go for the likes of EPA/DHA. Fresh fish of course is high in Omegas.
51 Store all oils under refrigeration once they have been opened to prevent oxidation and store in dark glass. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and sunflower seeds are rich in protein, B vitamins, zinc and other vitamins and minerals. Eat raw or perhaps soak overnight. Nuts contain anticancer and heart-protective properties. Almonds help reduce cholesterol and brazil nuts are rich in the antioxidant selenium. It is useful to store nuts in the freezer or fridge to avoid rancidity, the process of the oil in the nut oxidizing (going off). Fresh veggie juices, preferably organic, taste wonderful and provide valuable nutrients to the system. They help cleanse the body of toxins and improve bowel motion. A good juicer is a slow speed auger type that will not destroy the enzymes from heat. Juice is always best consumed fresh. Please consider using a trusted juice book for the right combination of foods. One I use is carrot, apple, beetroot and a green like kale, cabbage or silver beet. You may include ginger, garlic and turmeric in juicing. If you stir-fry with water in your wok, it will do the job very nicely without changing (spoiling) the
52 chemical composition of any oil you may have used to fry with. Coconut oil is one of the best to use for frying as it withstands high heat without losing its integrity. As with other saturated fats such as butter, use in moderation. It is always best to use organic if possible. Organic vegetable oils such as olive oil are great to include into the diet and contain either Omega 3’s or Omega 6’s. Cold-pressed, extra virgin oil is the best. However these are not so good for frying with. Garlic is a natural antibiotic, immune-booster and anti-inflammatory. It is useful to eat it both raw and cooked. I add it in to meals after they are cooked so the delicate enzymes and properties are not destroyed. Avoid or reduce food robbed of its Life-Force such as white flour products, or highly processed foods. When your food is robbed of its Life Force you will be robbed of yours. Sugar is implicated in contributing to cancer. Try to have at least as much fruit and vegetables as other foods in your diet. Please consider some raw food. Grab a good healthy recipe book and experiment.
53 Soft cheeses such as quark, camembert and brie digest much better than solid cheeses. Organic quark is superior. Remember moderation is the key. Kelp (granulated or powdered) is rich in iodine, Bcomplex vitamins, vitamins D-E-K, calcium, and magnesium. Some dietary information for the above tips has been sourced from ‘Nutrition Almanac’ (8) by Kirschmann & Kirschmann, ‘Fit For Life’ (9) by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond and ‘Living Valley Springs’ Health Retreat.
54 Techniques for Freedom
Please write below what is one or more dietary habits you commit to changing. ………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… It is important to realise that attaining good health is an ongoing journey, as is life itself. Please don’t be overwhelmed with the list above. Rome wasn’t built in a day and we don’t have to change our health habits overnight. I changed many things over many years and now I have a health regime that I am confident with, and it supports me very well. Importantly, there is absolutely no effort in incorporating health practices into my lifestyle. Whilst it is best to promote the positive, please let me state the obvious. The alternate to a healthy lifestyle is one that is allowed to degenerate. At worst it may end up in sickness, pain and suffering that could have been avoided. Please don’t be a statistic. Live with strength, meaning and vitality!
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Everything we eat and drink will either rob our Life-Force or it will add to that Life-Force. Please revisit chapter one where you wrote what you would do if you had five years to live. Or perhaps consider ten years to live? Give yourself reasons to live healthy. May I add that after more than fifteen years of increasingly healthy living I still enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine a week, a couple of cups of coffee a week and an occasional serve of red meat if I feel like it. You don’t have to become a health freak to enjoy good health and vitality. You don’t have to give up everything you like in order to create a healthy body. Just make sure you engage the 80/20 rule (at least) and eat healthy most of the time. Do the research, implement the changes and observe the benefits – this is your ticket to real physical freedom. Most important of all is to learn to love and accept yourself along the way. To the degree you can do this, everything else will look after itself. If you give yourself love and understanding you will have it to give away.
56
Thank you
for reading Chapters One, and Three. I hope you enjoyed an introduction to The Power of Happiness. If you feel it was beneficial you may wish to purchase your own copy, for a complete review of the book. You will also have a resource on hand if you wish to refer to it over the passing time.
If you wish to purchase a copy for yourself or a friend, please hit the appropriate button on this website page: Pay by Paypal (Credit card) Pay with EFT (Account transfer)
57 Book References Book
Author
Ref
Page
‘The Book of Wisdom’
Osho
1
1
‘Power vs Force’
Dr David Hawkins
2
9
‘Quantam Healing,
Dr Deepak Chopra
3
18
‘Man’s Search for Meaning’
Dr Viktor Frankl
4
20
‘Evolve Your Brain, the
Dr Joe Dispenza
5
45
Ernest Rossi
6
65
‘Get a Life’
Kathryn Alexander
7
72
‘Nutrition Almanac’
Kirschmann and
8
77
9
77
Caroline Myss
10
142
‘Cave in The Snow’
Vicki Mackenzie
11
169
‘The Bhagavad Gita’
Eknath Easwaran
12
172
‘The New Earth’
Eckhart Tolle
13
173
‘I Am That’
Sri Nisargadatta
14
177
Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine’
Science of Changing Your Mind’ ‘Psychobiology of Mind/Body Healing’
Kirschmann ‘Fit For Life’
Harvey and Marilyn Diamond
‘Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can’
Maharaj
58
About The Author Jeff Allen is an Australian author, personal mentor and speaker who has delivered seminars, training and workshops over the past 20 years. His business clients include Accor Premiere Vacation Club, Harvey Norman Retailing Group, Lifeline Australia and TAFE Queensland. Jeff’s passion is personal development. He has studied western psychology as well as eastern psychology in India. He is a Myers-Briggs Profiling Consultant; certified Life Coach and Trainer; Voice Dialogue Practitioner; certified in Hypnosis, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Time Line Therapy; a Meditation instructor; Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Practitioner; and a Telephone Counsellor. Jeff’s own early childhood experiences and traumas prompted him to look beyond his own problems, which led to him becoming a pioneering figure in the field of personal transformation. He believes the way to happiness is to look to the working of our mind and emotions and make appropriate changes. He has dedicated his life to assisting people look within themselves, and to make specific changes that enable them to be responsible for their own peace of mind and happiness. The main ways in which Jeff does this is through one-on-one mentoring, workshops and regular speaking engagements on The Power of Happiness.
59
The Power of Happiness
Live Deliberately Awaken the Soul Within
Jeff Allen Your Personal Success Coach (20 years’ experience)
Ph 0412 737 065