RICH SWITCH

David recently came across this video. I think the title says it all:

I’ve been following author Mike Dooley on Twitter for awhile now. Recently, I noticed links he was posting to short video responses he was giving to people who were asking him questions about manifesting.

For anyone looking for short bursts of wisdom or even just reminders about how manifesting works and how to get beyond any obstacles you are facing when trying to create something new or different in your life, I recommend watching some of his answers.

You can find them here on Mike’s page on VYou.com.

For anyone not familiar with Mike Dooley, he is the guy behind Notes From the Universe and has written a handful of books including his most recent one Manifesting Change: It Couldn’t Be Easier.

It was five years ago that The Secret (both the film and the book) was released.

This weekend, I realized I hadn’t watched it in years. It struck me as being strange that I hadn’t watched the film since 2006. Back then, I remember watching it a few times within two weeks but then moved on to reading other books, listening to other audio programs, helping David with his law of attraction books and, now, writing my own.

I thought about all the jokes that were made about The Secret and all the criticism it got. People would say how ridiculous the film was because, to them, it portrayed manifesting as though you just thought of something you wanted and it instantly appeared.

I also thought about how the people who were in the film went on to become international celebrities because of their appearance—how, on one end of the spectrum, Abraham-Hicks became hugely popular and, on the other end of the spectrum, the tragic deaths at a James Arthur Ray event.

The Secret really did make an impact on a lot of us. What I wondered the most was, after all these years, was the film still as inspiring and motivational as it had been the first time I saw it?

So, I watched it again on Saturday; a part of me hoping to feel the same excitement I did the first time I saw it.

No matter what one thinks of James Arthur Ray, I thought, he really was the one who explained the law of attraction with the most clarity.

Within the film, Bob Doyle said this:

So, the law of attraction, the study and practice of the law of attraction, is just figuring out what will help you generate the feelings of having it now. Go test drive that car, go shop for that home, get in the house. Do whatever you have to do to generate the feelings of having it now, and remember them. Whatever you can do to do that will help you to literally attract it. It could be you wake up and it’s just there, it manifested.

Or, you might get some inspired idea of some action to take.

You certainly shouldn’t be going, ‘Well, I could do it this way, but man I would hate that.’ Because you’re not on the right track if that’s the case. Action will sometimes be required, but if you’re really doing it in line with what the universe is trying to deliver, it’s going to feel joyous.

You’re going to feel so alive, time will just stop, you could do it all day.

I can understand how the notion of waking up and discovering what you desire is “just there” can seem far-fetched to some people. At the same time, I think of the times I went to bed thinking about how I needed more money. The next morning, I checked my e-mail and saw a client had booked a session with me and sent money via PayPal.

You could say the film was really quite basic, but the message that was repeated was an important one: you can choose the life you want rather than living by default and being unhappy with your current circumstances. I think the same message all of the teachers in the film gave was to be aware of how you are feeling and use your feelings to attract good things into your life.

How long has it been since you watched The Secret? Do you feel any differently about it now than you did when you first saw it? I’d love to read your thoughts and experiences.

If you haven’t watched the film in awhile, I recommend pulling it out and watching it again.

This blog has been up for about five years, first under RichGuyTips.com, then BoldThoughts.com, and for the last few months, RichSwitch.com, since we wanted to consolidate everything. When that switch happened, I handed over most of the writing to my business partner, Wendy.

I met Wendy on October 9, 2006. I know because she never lets me forget it. Today, September 15, is her birthday…which she never lets me forget either!

That got me thinking…

I can say that the day I met her was definitely the start of something life-changing, but at the time, it was just another evening. I was working from home and decided to listen to a talk radio, since my radio show as pretty fresh and I thought listening to other talk radio hosts would help me to become a better host myself.

Found a show about new age stuff, specifically psychics and mediums. Had been exposed to that type of work in the past and even worked as a psychic at one point, so I checked it out.

At the very end, a woman called in and asked about the business of being a psychic. She had been doing it for years, but was looking for a way to expand. As growing businesses is what I do, I perked up.

At the end of the call, the host said, “Give us your website so we can send you some business.”

She did…and I typed it in my web browser.

The site was ok, but I had some ideas to make it better. Wrote her a quick email that said, “I’m a marketing guy. Have some ideas on how you can get more business.”

That started the conversation…and within a couple of weeks, I had hired her to do customer service for my company. It wasn’t a position I was looking to fill, but I was having problems with customer service at the time and made me an offer to take over that aspect of the business for me.

She wasn’t looking for “customer service” work, but because she was looking for somebody to mentor her in business and marketing to help her expand her psychic business, working with me in that capacity would enable her to have that.

So here we are, just shy of five years working together, and she is running the show.

I know a lot of people here aren’t just looking for more money, but looking for partnerships to help them. And here is how Wendy and I came together…

1. Find a Problem and Solve It- The relationship started and kept going because we each found a problem and made an offer to solve it.
2. Be Nice and Help People - You never know who you’ll be helping or what they’ll be able to do for you.
3. Be Open and Say Yes - I’m sure it was crazy to get an email from some guy claiming to be able to help solve a problem (and willing to do it for free), but that’s exactly what happened and what she said “yes” to and nothing would  have happened had she not done that.

Opportunity for what you want is all around you. Say “yes” to it. Had I never turned on the radio or reached out, no telling where I would be now.

Thank you, Wendy, for saying “yes” as well!

Also, keep in mind that you might be in the middle of something life-changing and not realize it now. So trust what you want is coming (or is here) and keep at it with an open heart!

The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment

By: Maria Nemeth

The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment, by Maria Nemeth, Ph.D., outlines a distinctly unique approach to one of the most dominant yet forbidden topics in modern society: money, and how we deal with it. A clinical psychologist who once lost $35,000 in a fraudulent investment scheme, Nemeth learned from that ordeal (and similar experiences of friends and associates) how most of us develop relationships with money, and the ways in which we subsequently can bring these in line with our actual dreams and realities. She initially used this knowledge to start a workshop called You and Money, which eventually attracted more than 4,500 participants and led to the development of concepts now delineated in this book.

Quoting relevant wisdom espoused by those ranging from Joseph Campbell and Ram Dass to Mark Twain and Dorothy Parker, Nemeth sets out “12 principles for personal fulfillment” designed to help readers “uncover the hidden landscape of beliefs, behavior patterns, and habits that underlie and sometimes subvert how you use money and other forms of energy.” The result is a refreshing, useful, and surprisingly accessible mixture of universal financial advice and the much rarer–but no less important–ethereal side of fiscal self-management.

Combining a complete self-help and self-discovery regimen with proven methods of money management, this powerhouse guide to prosperity presents twelve principles that will help you to

- Uncover the hidden landscape of beliefs, patterns, and habits that underlie and sometimes subvert your everyday use of money and personal resources
- Tame the dragons of driven behavior and busyholism
- Defuse fears of deprivation and scarcity
- Embrace and work through paradox and confusion
- Consciously focus your money energy
- Clear yourself to receive the energy and support of others and the universe
- Develop and stay on your personal path to abundance

Through easy-to-follow exercises and meditations, effective worksheets, and other interactive processes, Dr. Nemeth will guide you to financial success and help you manifest your special contribution to the world.

Way back, years before The Secret came out, by chance, I came across this brilliant book.

Written from more of a self-help perspective than a spiritual one, this book helped me to realize the emotions that come from our beliefs about money completely dictate whether we attract money or whether we repel it.

Two of the chapters, Scarcity Is One of Your Greatest Teachers and Releasing Old Beliefs Brings Miracles were life-changing for me after I read them (a few times!). Granted it’s not easy to release old beliefs, but you finally see that holding on to some of your beliefs may not be serving you–and may be the cause of constant financial struggle–just the awareness that it’s time to examine your beliefs about money is a good start to change.

Within the book, the author asks you to write a “money biography” detailing your financial highs and lows throughout your life.  As you write, you really do begin to see influences and then patterns. It’s quite a powerful task to undertake.

Not only do I recommend this book, but I would suggest reading (or re-reading) The Science of Getting Rich and follow it up with this book. I think both books together will really help you to begin approaching money attracting with more confidence and clarity.

Check out The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment on Amazon.

Got together with a few business friends of mine to “mastermind” with each other. One owns a $10MM house, so we decided to meet at his place, rather than take a vacation, which is what we’ve done in the past.

(Click on the images to see a larger version.)

This place isn’t just a big house; it’s a castle. The best way I can describe it is a cross between a Harry Potter ride at Disney World and a casino in Las Vegas. It has secret rooms, a secret floor, a “cave” themed swimming pool, a DJ booth and dance floor, a wine cellar, a theater, waterfalls, a recording studio, huge baths, a steam room, and more. Food was prepared by a private chef and there was a massage therapist on-site.

Is it over-the-top? For some people, it would have been. But for my friend who owns it, it’s a pefect match.

This guy got his start as a magician. What better house for a magician that a quirky place that looks like a castle and has bookshelves that turn into doors and lead to secret passages?

But he’s single… How can one man possibly take advantage of six bedrooms, multiple kitchen and bar areas, an eight-car garage, a gym, and several outside decks and balconies?

The answer to this question is one of the reasons I feel he was able to make this situation happen. Yes, he’s a single guy, but he makes great use of the space.

On the last morning I was there, I woke up to kids running around outside my bedroom, which was near the pool area. As it turns out, these were the kids of the guy who was there to fix the audio system. My friend had invited him to bring them along to have fun in the pool.

This type of hospitality was something I saw over and over again throughout the few days of my meeting. It was very inspiring.

Beyond that, if you’re wondering how he was able to get the house, here are a couple of things I noted…

1. TRUST – He trusts things are going to be ok and work out well. Rather than be intimidated by what most would be considered a huge challenge, he looks forward to the adventure of it.

2. GRATITUDE – This guy is just a normal person who wakes up with the same amount of time and ability as the rest of us. He doesn’t take what he’s been able to accomplish for granted and is very grateful for it.

Regardless of your goals in life, I feel the skills of generosity, trust, and gratitude will help you to make things happen.

NOTE: If you want to see full-size photos, click on the thumbnails above.

Manifest Monday is a weekly post in which we highlight a law of attraction-related resource you might find useful.

Recently, while doing some research online, I came across a debate people where having over who originally coined the term “law of attraction”.

Someone made mention of an author named William Walker Atkinson.

While I thought I had heard of all the New Thought authors who had written about manifesting in the early part of the 20th century, I was surprised to come across a man I was unfamiliar with nor had never seen mentioned before.

Back in 1906, William Walker Atkins published a book called Thought Vibration or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World. The book is small, but includes some very direct and useful ideas about manifesting.

If you’ve read a great deal about the law of attraction, what he writes isn’t anything you haven’t come across before. Yet, it’s still fascinating to read about manifesting from a different voice—one that lived 105 years ago.

An excerpt:

Strong expectancy is a powerful magnet. He of the strong, confident desire attracts to him the things best calculated to aid him – persons, things circumstances, surroundings; if he desires them hopefully, trustfully, confidently, calmly. And, equally true, he who Fears a thing generally manages to start into operation forces which will cause the thing he feared to come upon him. Don’t you see, the man who Fears really expects the feared thing, and the eyes of the Law is the same as if he really had wished for or desired it? The Law is operative in both cases – the principle is the same.

You can read Thought Vibration or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World at this Web site.

There’s something else I wanted to share:

Kelly Howell, the woman who created the BrainSync meditation audios, recently tweeted some good advice:

A good way to meditate is to bring awareness to your heart and feel love. Increase feelings of appreciation and gratitude for no other reason than to resonate with that energy.

Have you found any good resources lately? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

Photo by: Beverly & Pack

A month or so ago, David told me about the site 750words.com.

I’ve wanted to get back into writing—to make it a daily practice—for a long time. I had wanted to take my writing away from the computer and get back to the basics of writing with a pen and a pad of paper. So, when he told me about the site, I was reluctant to try it because the last thing I wanted was to spend even more time trying to write at my computer while fighting the urge to not be distracted by all the other things I could be checking out on the Web.

I looked around the site and found myself really liking it. The design is simple. It’s kind of cool knowing other people are also there writing (even though they can’t see what you are writing). You also get a breakdown of your writings so you can see what topics and emotions you most write about. My personal favorite part of the site is being able to compare the things I write about with the rest of the site. I was fascinated to learn I write a lot more about being anxious and affectionate than most people, but I also write far less about religion and relationships.

As the days have gone on, I’ve begun using this site for “scripting” exercises.

Each of us has our own way of getting into the vibe needed to create what we want. Vision boards are popular way to do this. I know people who write detailed letters to God/the Universe asking for what they want. Years ago, I came across an exercise in the book Ask and It Is Given called the Scripting Process in which you write out exactly what you want—detail by detail–as you would like it to unfold in your life. (You can read more about it here.)

Admittedly, I only used this exercise from time to time, but when I did use it, I found it to be quite powerful.

Now that I have brought this scripting exercise to 750words.com, I’m really enjoying doing it. I start out the entry with a sentence generally stating what I want to manifest. From there, I just let my imagination write out exactly how I see things coming together. I don’t edit, per se, but I do find myself adding more and more details as I get into the flow of the writing.

I end the writing sessions having reached 750 words feeling amazing. Not only did I achieve my goal of writing for that day, but the excitement of possibility and knowing I just sent out a very clear intention makes me feel hopeful and empowered.

Check out the site. I hope it turns out to be manifesting tool you will use.

Kathi wrote in:

Your email couldn’t have been more timely.  Because I am going to be a grandma for the first time I decided months ago I want to move two hours south to be closer to my daughter and new grandbaby.  After going into shock over high rent prices I set an intention to buy a home. And for the past 3 months I have been debating everything listed in your email (I’ll have to save more money, I’ll have to increase my income, I’ll need a higher credit rating, I may need to ask someone to co-sign for a mortgage, Maybe I should lower my standards and look for something more reasonably priced).

Since May, 2011 I have been working diligently on my credit rating, looking for a better paying job in that area, and house shopping.  I have been successful in finding a foreclosure that is the home of my dreams.  Unfortunately, it’s at the top of my price range and is badly in need of repair ($30,000 worth).  So along with trying to get pre-approved, I am also looking at much less expensive houses and lower my standards.  The high end of my price range is $80k and homes listed for $50-$60k are just AWFUL!

So, what’s your suggestion?  I have been playing the lottery, but thus far has had no success.

Sincerely,

Kathi in Indiana (wanting to be in Kentucky)

Hey Kathi!
Thank you for your question!

Your current situation is one we all can relate to. Circumstances change and we find ourselves wanting something new. Actually, not just wanting something new, but wanting something very important and something bigger than we have wanted in awhile.

You’ve got a newborn grandchild on the way and, on an emotional level, the magnitude of your need (and want) to be close to your family is huge. While it feels like the house situation isn’t coming together with ease, that uncertainty is, probably, bringing up the fear that you’ll miss out on time with your family.

From what you have written, it sounds like you have a lot of things going for you. The trick to getting more of what you want is to really, really, really celebrate what you already have rather than getting caught up in the anxiety of what you don’t have.

Let me share an experience I once had.

Four years ago, I moved to a new city. Rather than going out and exploring the city, I stayed in my apartment and worked at my computer. Eight months moving in, the landlord came to me and said he wanted to renovate the building and asked if I would move out—within 30 days. I agreed to move. In exchange, the last month was rent-free.

At first I was scared. Not knowing the city well, I had no idea which would be a good neighborhood to move to. I was scared I wouldn’t find a place in time. I was afraid I’d apply for a bunch of apartments and be denied by all of them. I was afraid I would find a place I hated but have to take it because I had no other choices.

I went on a message board where people living in this city posted on to ask for recommendations, promote local events, ask for advice, etc.  I wrote a post asking if anyone could give me any advice on looking for an apartment. A woman replied saying there was an apartment available in her building and gave the landlord’s number.

When I called to ask about it, at first the landlord said there was nothing available. I said, “Are you sure?” He said one might be available, but told me to call back in a couple of days to check. Days later, I followed up. Sure enough, an apartment became available.

I went to check it out. It right downtown and within walking distance to everything I needed. Also, unlike any other place I have ever lived, this apartment had a huge patio. Thanks to the good recommendation given by the landlord who asked me to move, I was approved for the new apartment. Not only that, I was given the first month rent-free.

When I was going through this experience, for the first while I was freaking out. But then I started to calm myself down and bring my attention to two things: gratitude and awe.

-Truth be told, I felt isolated where my apartment was, but wouldn’t have made the effort to move for quite awhile. I was grateful my past landlord pushed me to leave.

-I was grateful for the message board I had access to and for the woman who posted the info I needed.

-I was grateful for the available apartment and the positive recommendation my past landlord gave to help me acquire it.

-I was totally grateful for both landlords giving me rent-free months (totaling $2600).

Even in the time of uncertainty, I still focused on the gratitude of each experience I had and was in awe of how, once I stopped being afraid of the worst, things came together quite easily.

Kathi, it seems as though you have a ton of things going your way:

-A new grandbaby!

-Money to invest in a house

-Past experience that has given you the confidence that buying a house is possible

-Present experience showing you the house you want is within your reach

I’m sure there are other things you can think of as well.

It really comes down to this: focusing on the gratitude for what you do have will bring you more.

Playing the lottery to, hopefully, get more money isn’t such a bad thing…if you go into it with the right vibration. If you are buying lottery tickets while feeling anxious, stressed, desperate, frustrated, etc you’re blocking that potential source of money from coming your way.

Look at your current living situation and find things about it to be grateful for. Also, while the house isn’t coming together as you would like, pay attention to the things you are attracting into the other areas of your life. And, finally, while being grateful and acknowledging what a powerful manifester you are, keep holding the vision of you being in a fabulous house with your grandchild in your arms.

Take the focus off of the “Where is the money going to come from?” question and take action by doing things to keep yourself feeling good about the present and the future you want to create. With every fiber of my being, I believe, once you begin doing this people and circumstances will show up that will help you to create the living arrangement you want.

I hope this helps!

-Wendy

P.S: Do you have any advice for Kathi? Leave it in the comments below.

Photo by: jmoneyyyyyy

I recently came across a blog post written by the author and life coach Martha Beck. (Her most well known book is Finding Your Own North Star.)

While she wasn’t directly referring to the law of attraction, she wrote about a realization she had when it came to attracting things in her life.

I found what she wrote quite powerful:

The most striking thing I’ve realized is that the thought of “magnetizing,” or drawing things toward me, contains the assumption that what I want is “out there” in the world and I have to go find it. It creates a feeling of distance and inaccessibility. When I release all attachment and all anxiety, I notice that the things I want feel present and inevitable, as real as humidity in summer air.

When the temperature of a day reaches the dew point, the moisture in the air, which is invisible to the eye, suddenly appears everywhere. It was always there; it just needed a certain temperature to become visible. Similarly, everything we need to make us happy is waiting for the “temperature” of our inner life to create the dew point where it can become material form. The dew point temperature of all your desires is a feeling of normalcy. It is not high excitement, nor grasping, nor yearning. All of those emotions contain anxiety and attachment — try them right now, you’ll see.

To give you an example of what this feels like, think about the feeling you have watching a beautiful sunrise. You may experience awe and intense gratitude, but you will not be thunderstruck, amazed or hysterical. A sunrise is glorious, but it is normal. We aren’t attached to the sun continuing to shine because we are sure it will. If you can feel that way about the arrival of your soul mate or the success of your business, my recent experience convinces me it will appear around you like dew. Everything you want is there right now, waiting to become visible.

This is the part that really spoke to me:

Similarly, everything we need to make us happy is waiting for the “temperature” of our inner life to create the dew point where it can become material form. The dew point temperature of all your desires is a feeling of normalcy.

We are programmed to believe everything we want comes with struggle and a chase. What would happen if you believed everything you wanted was a normal, expected, and consistent part of your life? It’s completely normal for money to come in unexpected ways. It’s normal for you to find great bargains on the things you want to buy. It’s normal for people to give you things for free. It’s normal for you to have enough to take care of your needs and still have enough to give away money to other people.

Letting go of the rollercoaster of emotions and accepting your dreams as being normal will bring about a great sense of peace and relief that, honestly, will feel better than having the money (or material things) in your life. And the crazy thing is, once you tap into that feeling of peace and can hold on to it, the things you want will come to you that much faster.

Check out the rest of the blog post here.

Photo by: country67