I was speaking with my coach Anthony Costa the other day about New Year resolutions. He began to touch on a training he does called;

“It’s Not Your Fault Because…”

He wanted me to get the word out, as a 2009 gift from both of us to my readers… Please, do not get down on yourselves as we bring 2008 to a close and please cut yourself some slack.”

Anthony shared that “People have a tendency around New Year’s to blame themselves as they look back over the past year and also over their entire life collectively and then get down on themselves because they erroneously perceive, and  they mistakenly think or believe that they have failed in accomplishing many of their over-all goals!”

According to Anthony; more than 97% of people do not stick to and achieve their New Year’s resolutions because we all have hidden obstacles we are not even remotely aware of, but that constantly get in our way and greatly reduce our chances for success whether it is in love, life, business, or whatever… 

However, the silver lining in this dark cloud comes in the form of this simple statement; “It’s not your fault! because…”

It’s not your fault because all of us have hidden obstacles and false beliefs about ourselves and our world, and it is those things that are stopping us - not our lack of initiative, or determination, or intellect, or courage - or anything else.

In addition, it’s not your fault because none of you have ever been given any of the rules or strategies that you need in order to help you operate successfully in a world full of these hidden obstacles and false beliefs! 

Part of this problem, and the reason that you might feel that you have not gotten what you want in your life so far, is the fact that we have all been systematically indoctrinated in a number of insidious ways to believe that we cannot ever be more than mere worker bees, rather than business owners or entrepreneurs. 

And, in a very real way, you have actually been trained to fail in order to help make other people rich!!! And, obviously, this is tremendously dangerous to our over-all well being!
In fact, according to the U.S. government’s own statistics, the average American earns 2.5 to 5 million dollars in the course of his or her lifetime.  Yet 98 out of every 100 folks in the U.S. who work their entire adult life of 30-40-50 years or more, all end up flat broke when it comes time to retire!

Also, over 97% of people who actually set a particular goal (or resolution) fail to attain it over 97% of the time… 

Anthony pointed out that people in powerful positions almost always try to sell us on the idea that this sad situation is due to human nature, but that is simply not true; 

As Anthony said;

It is not part of human nature to fail - it’s human nature to excel!”

So, you might be wondering why all this is happening? Well the answer was already stated earlier in this blog entry:.. It is almost entirely due to our “hidden obstacles and our false beliefs” which were instilled in us - without our knowledge and without our permission.

 However, fortunately for us, there are people like Anthony out there who can help you identify and remove your hidden obstacles and false beliefs - once and for all - which in turn will allow you to soar instead of stumble. 

So, what I was hoping to do when I starting writing this entry was to inspire you to beat the statistics and to overcome all those hidden obstacles that you have been forced to deal with even though it is not your fault for having to face them in the first place!

I

also I hope that in this coming New Year, you will find someone like I have to help you overcome the massive obstacles that were put in your way… And who knows, maybe someday soon I can get Anthony to do a little class for us, we’ll see.

 In the meantime, as we come so near to another New Year… 

Please remember to be kind to yourself… Please give yourself a break, and… Please don’t blame yourself any longer in spite of where you find yourself in life at year’s end… And lastly…
Please remember if you are not totally happy about where you are in life…

It’s not you fault… It never was and… It never will be!!!
Here’s wishing you the Happiest, Healthy, and Most Joyous New Year…

Your Friend,

Ron Maurer

We can learn to be the catalysts for our own change.   ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

Are you willing to change? The great Jim Rohn always says; “For things to change, you have to change. For things to get better, you have to get better”

Today, a friends sister just told me she has a very debilitating and potentially fatal health condition. I couldn’t help think that it is one of those diseases that you don’t “catch”, like cancer for example, you “cause” it. I wanted to shake her and wake her up to what I believe is fact. You don’t catch most disease, you cause it!

I have to give her credit for looking into the best possible solutions in both western medicine and within alternative medicine. Let’s be open to the best of both worlds right?

The thing I want to express here on my blog is about change. Change in our openness and a new understanding that; Regardless of whether we try to be or not… we are that catalyst Sarah Ban Breathnach is talking about! In other words; there’s no “neutral” there’s only positive or negative, toward or away, we only move closer to our goals or farther from them, one action at a time.

Wouldn’t you agree that given the correct environment disease will flourish? And wouldn’t you agree just the same that given the correct environment health will flourish? I thought so… It’s like a fish in a tank that’s so contaminated the fish gets diseased and eventually dies. So, if we are the creators of our inner (and arguably our outer) environments, couldn’t she simply un-create that toxic, acidic, oxygen deprived “Fish tank” of hers?

I am not a medical doctor and I can not give any medical advice. But, wouldn’t you all agree with me in telling her that the best way to support what her doctors are doing for her is to create the healthiest possible inner (and outer) environment? you know… pH balanced diet, lots of fresh air, good clean water, organic fruits and veggies, moderate exercise, and healthy relationships? I don’t know her spiritual beliefs, but there is a ton of documentation confirming prayer and/or meditation helps as well.

Her words were “I’ve got _______” and it’s my understanding that how we language things can lead us toward what we want, or away from it. I think if she can own the fact that she created this disease by virtue of her daily actions. She can un-create it as well.

Yours,

Ron

This story will inspire you…

During a holiday Christmas party I learned that the son of my host has done something I think is extraordinary, especially considering he is just 16 years old!

Ambrose Soehn (my friends son) and his friend William Melhado - both 16 and students at Boulder High School here in Colorado - became interested in starting their own non-profit organization back in 8th grade when their teacher urged them and other students to get involved in the community.

They applied for a grant from Youth Venture who awards grants to teens trying to start their own organizations.

With their grant, William and Ambrose chose to sell sustainable products to raise money to purchase mosquito nets.

Weave The Future’s mission is to donate 100% of their proceeds to organizations devoted to fighting the spread of malaria in Mali, Nigeria, Chad, and other Mid-Western African countries while raising malaria awareness and teaching the public about the tragedies of malaria and what people can do to help stop it.

Both Ambrose and William want to help make an impact on their world, and other’s lives. They have connected with The Women of Burkina Faso. A group lead by Rose Bere that consists of 4-10 women who travel throughout Western Africa collecting used prayer mats, from which their bracelets sold to raise money are made of.

Rose was taught how to weave these unique bracelets by nuns at the Centre de L’Education des Handicapés. She now sells them in a stand at the Village Artisanal Ouagadougou where she has four permanent employees and many volunteers. The bracelets core are made from native grasses that are found in Burkina Faso and this allows the bracelets flexibility.

Weave The Future is helping Rose and many in the same situation by supporting her sustainable business. The profit from selling the bracelets goes to purchasing mosquito nets to prevent malaria in Western Africa. This is done through cooperation with “Nothing But Nets” which is a grassroots organization that is focused on delivering “Bed Nets” to places in Africa where malaria is rampant.

A “Bed Net” is an insecticide-treated mosquito net that helps prevent people from getting malaria while they are sleeping. Every 30 seconds someone dies of malaria in Africa, which means that in the time it takes you to read this entire post roughly 5 people will have died due to malaria! Nothing but nets is helping put a stop to this devastation statistic by providing people with a safe way to protect themselves from this harmful disease.

Nothing but nets has raised enough money so far to purchase over 2,335,000 nets, and although Nothing but nets is a thriving organization… they still need help to protect the world from the number one killer in Africa.

By supporting Weave the Future people are not only supporting Nothing but nets but also the many people that need our help to reduce malaria.

Thanks and Congratulations to Ambrose and William for following through with your teachers suggestion! This is one simple action of kindness that will not go unnoticed!

Ron

For questions, comments or concerns please contact the guys at the following email address: weavethefuture@gmail.com [Copy & Paste]

Merry Christmas everyone! This is a great clip about belief!

Did you ever think you could learn something about “Simple Actions” from Rocky Balboa? A fictitious character that Sylvester Stallone created about a boxer who had it rough his whole life and could box like it was nobodies business. I think that this clip really can teach you something about believing in ourselves. It is very important that we do as we move forward in life. Enjoy!

I am sure that most of you have probably already seen this or heard of it, but I think it is a great video to watch again to really make you appreciate what you have…

For countless years I’ve heard people say “There’s two sides to every story” I strongly disagree! I tell them “No, there’s three sides… Your side, my side, then there’s the truth!”

I’ve come to realize that it may just be humanly impossible to be truly objective in any situation. After all, it’s our nature to “Look out for número uno”. So, looking at things in this new “Three-sides” kinda way, lead to a more open conversation and an expanded view of the the other person’s valuable viewpoint as well. (Yes, I said valuable!)

Part of this comes from discussions about alignment. To many people alignment means that I must agree with their viewpoint and that I align with them. They will almost say anything to get me on their side. They try to convince, manipulate, stretch, or even lie to get me to cross over to “Their side”

Let’s look at an example; Picture a winding road in front of you. Now picture that road with a double yellow no passing line down the middle. Our road has no cars at the moment… just a beautiful winding mountain road that cruises through green meadows, blue skis, and beautiful trees… Just like in those car commercials. Now, picture the left side of the road. You know, the oncoming traffic side… In a conversation you are having, that’s the opposing side. (or your-side) The right side of the road is my-side. (In this example, when I say “Your-side” I am talking about the person with the opposing view. When I say “My-side” I mean you! So, put yourself in my shoes) In the center of the two yellow lines there is a little strip of road that is un-painted… That represents The truth!

So, there’s your side, my side, and the truth. But what about the lines? and what happens if we choose to align by crossing the lines?

I think that the road represents the emotional ties that we charge our opinion with and the two thin yellow lines represent the amount of the story that is actual fact. Notice, there are lines (or facts) on each side, but they are clouded by those emotions. So, if we are convinced, manipulated, the truth is stretched, or we are lied too… we can end up in the wrong lane facing traffic head on!

Ok, I understand that this is not a perfect example, sometimes even the best drivers have crossed the line a bit early to pass the slow-poke ahead of them. I hope you get the point anyway and I’ll say it again, “There’s three sides to every story…your side, my side, then there’s the truth!” And if you want to be sure about it… Let’s both take a break from the driving, pull over… look both ways and come to the center.

I guarantee you that if you become more open and aware to what the opposition is trying to say, many times you will at lease learn why they see things the way they do and come closer to alignment. That is… if both of you have a true desire of alignment.

And then there is another solution; “We simply agreed to disagree”.

More on that another time…

I want to share something with you today that has taken me down a road I never expected. I’ve been talking with my coach a lot about False Beliefs. Sounds simple… but I have gotten to a point that I am questioning every decision that I make! It’s been kinda scary! But I wanted to tell you about it ‘cause it may help you.

The “root” of all our problems in our lives can be found in what are called “false beliefs”.

These can be false beliefs about ourselves, about others, or false beliefs about beliefs! They seem to be anchored or solidified by the emotions we may hold or entertain. I think we hold these false beliefs about ourselves or others, and thus contort our reality.  I keep finding myself on a topic questioning “Wait…who made that up?”

Let me give you an example: I was speaking with a friend about the process of healing an issue I have. Through a hair sample, I found out that I have a build-up of Heavy metals and chemicals in my system and I must cleanse them out to find a new level of wellness. In the conversation, I was automatically assuming that there would be an uncomfortable or even painful process involved. I had expressed a false belief that healing this would be painful that my friend quickly pointed out. So, I thought “Wait… who says it has to be painful?” and “Who made that up?” I have since learned that there are simple ways (using simple actions actually) that we can cleanse our systems without having the abrupt detox or healing crisis.

So, Where do they come from? I’m not the professional on the topic… but it makes sense to me that these beliefs are created consistently and get stored in our consciousness throughout the course of every day life.

The problem? Typically our beliefs are often never questioned. If we’re not careful, we could end up relying on something that may no longer serve us or could possibly not have ever been true. It’s only when we begin to run into difficulty that we may begin to realize that something is wrong.

One trick to becoming more aware of the false beliefs you may have (and we all have them) is to notice when you are assuming things while interacting with others. I recommend a life coach to help you… and at a minimum, get an accountability buddy to discuss the topic.

Questioning ourselves through our beliefs can be scary. It’s like the credit card commercials… except it’s: “What’s in your consciousness?”

“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” - Abraham Lincoln

Failure can either break us or make us. Those broken by failure are haunted by unpleasant memories. These memories are like shadows that lurk in front, behind, beside, beneath and above. It is also a cage that traps the mind, preventing it to entertain possibilities of freedom and success. They are convinced that they cannot do it; therefore, they will not try.

For those that failure could not break are those who became made “men.” Failure to them is not a ghost, but a friend who taught them well. It is also a stepping stone to wisdom. These men and women are convinced that true failure only happens when one gives up.

History has been kind to President Abraham Lincoln. He has been painted as probably the greatest president of the United States of America. It is the good thing that history also recorded his failures. It reflected his frail humanity but also showed his attitude of never giving up.

These failures could not stop him, he kept moving forward. The following is a short list of his ups and downs and ups.

*1831 – Failed in business
1832 – Defeated for legislature
1833 – Again failed in business
1834 – Elected to legislature
1835 – Sweetheart died
1836 – Had a nervous breakdown
1838 – Defeated for speaker
1840 – Defeated for elector
1843 – Defeated for Congress
1846 – Elected for Congress
1848 – Defeated for Congress
1855 – Defeated for Senate
1856 – Defeated for Vice-President
1858 – Defeated for Senate
1860 – ELECTED PRESIDENT

He was defeated more times than he won, but that did not mean he was a failure. Remember, that failures are only permanent if we stop trying. I believe the only real failure is the failure not to move on.

———————————————————————————————-

the only way
to deal with failure
is to learn from it
and move on

———————————————————————————————-

Brix, a friend of mine, narrated his adventure in climbing Pico de Loro, a mountain that spans parts of Cavite and Batangas, Philippines. He said that he was exhausted and was about to give up. He told the guide that he wanted to go down. But the guide said that he was only a few more steps from the peak.

What a waste of effort if he gave up. But his efforts were rewarded by the view and by the lesson. Now he can’t stop talking about the experience.

A breakthrough may just be a few steps away. What a pity for those of us who would stop moving on. As far as I am concerned, the only way to deal with failure is to learn from it and move on.

The end result for Mr. Lincoln was that he became president and through his influence, was able to defend the constitution by winning the civil war, and was able to free slaves in certain states through the Emancipation Proclamation.

He even tried to give voting rights to the colored people for which he was assassinated. He has been long gone yet he is remembered dearly by all who read about his story. His very name is a legacy of success!

What would be your end result? You may not know everything but you can determine your attitude to failure. You can either allow it to break you or allow it to make you. Your call!

As we near the new year, I thought a recommended reading list for the new year would be a great tool to have in 2009…

This is what I came up with; I’m sure there are many more… so please add any you would recommend to my business building readers.

The 17 indisputable laws of teamwork, Essential Team Building Book - John Maxwell

The Power Of Now - Eckhart Tolle

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson

The Ultimate Guide to Network Marketing 37 Top Professionals - Including Scotty Kufus - Joe Rubino

The Five Pieces to Life’s Puzzle - Improve your own Philosophies - Jim Rohn

The Slight Edge of Success - Small things make a big difference - Jeff Olsen

The Greatest Networker in the World - Timeless Classic Story on Growing a team - John Milton Fogg

4 hour work week- The key to freedom in 2009 Using todays tools to create tomorrows freedom - Timothy Ferriss

::: Timeless Classics of the Direct sales industry - A must have in any library :::

Mans Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl

The University of Success - Og Mandino

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

How to have the confidence and power in dealing with people - Leslie T. Giblin

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

The Go Getter - Peter B. Kyne

Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz