$1,000 Sunglasses...playing ball

At first I was hesitant to write this entry publicly for a couple of reasons, one being the fear that my mom would call me tomorrow telling me I'm nuts, but then I realized that she already knows I'm nuts, and I've agreed to play my life with the cards on the table....plus its pretty cool.

So 2 months ago I was in search of a good pair of sunglasses and I found a pair I really liked. They were really expensive though, $400. Now I've spent a couple hundred bucks on good sunglasses before but to spend $400 on a pair...well...that required a serious decision. I kept telling myself I would buy them as a present for myself when I hit a certain goal financially. But when I did hit it, I wasn't so crazy about them anymore. So the search continued. And last weekend I was down in San Diego to meet with my accountant. A good friend of mine and I met after and we wandered into a sunglasses shop and I asked the guy what the absolute best pair in the store would be for my face. So he carefully studied my face and of course selected a pair from the heavily locked case. I was merely trying them on for fun. And when i put them on, I realized I had a problem on my hands. They were perfect. My friend walked away because she knew they were amazing but wasnt going to influence me. I kept looking at them in the mirror. I realized I really wanted them. I also realized I had never made such an outrageous purchase before on something I didnt need at all. And then it hit me. Why the hell not! I am making good money, I will continue to make good money, and it will give me such a great feeling to wear them. So I did it. I bought them. The most expensive ANYTHING I've never bought for myself like that. And you know what? It felt friggin great! I have had an incredible week in my business and though I can't give my sunglasses all the credit, they have certainly been a catalyst. Why? Well, it goes back to the Be Do Have principle. BE the successful person, DO the things successful people do, and HAVE the results successful people have. It comes down once again to mindset. I FEEL like a successful person, not because of the sunglasses, but because of who I choose to be each day. The sunglasses are just a constant reminder on my face all day long of that. I wear them during the day in my house now too while Im on the phone. They give me such a wonderful feeling of pleasure, pride, success, joy, and comfort in knowing I can afford to blow that kind of money on something as ridiculous as a pair of siunglasses. Now in case you are worrying about me and my spending habits, dont worry. I am also an excellent saver and watch my money pretty well. But from time to time, doing things that are a bit unreasonable feels really great. I learned something from T Harv Eker in his Millionaire Mind Intensive seminar. Every month, take 10% of what you've earned and totally blow it on something extravagent. Also take 10% for investing, another 10% for savings for something big, like a house,trip etc. I wont get into all of the details here, but the point Im making is the first 10%. The 'play' money as he calls it. So even if you only make $1,000/month, take $100 and blow it on something great. Order a bottle of champagne at dinner. Put yourself in the energy of success. You will get used to the feeling and will really attract more of it to your life. If you made $30k, then go blow $3k. Book a first class trip with your partner somewhere. Or spend a weekend at the top spa and eat meals like royalty. Whatever you earn, take a piece of it, and HAVE FUN WITH IT. I really have seen the value of embracing that mentality. It transforms your level of thinking into one that attracts success.

Speaking of attracting success.... it really is amazing what happens in life when you allow things to come your way. I was having this conversation with my step-father yesterday. He and I are very close, yet we see the world completely differently. He runs a successful business that he has built over the last 25 years. He believes that everything in life is difficult and that nothing comes to you without lots of hard work. I dont. I think life is as easy or as difficult as you choose it to be. I believe in working smart and I truly believe that when you set your intention on what you want, and allow it to happen, it will. (Thank you Michael Losier for that insight. www.lawofattractionbook.com). The energy you put out is the energy you get back. I have been sending out a LOT of positive energy in the direction of a business I have been considering starting. And simply by my intention, suddenly all of the right people have appeared randomly. Friends, new friends, acquaintances....everyone suddenly conspiring in my favor. Effortlessly, things appear for me. I have always believed in the 'magic' in the universe; I just never really understood how to channel it until this year. It comes down to belief, intention, focus, and the energy you are putting out there.

I met someone recently while sitting at a sushi bar in Venice. He and his girlfriend were having dinner and I happened to sit next to them by myself. We started chatting and it turns out he used to be in the personal growth industry. We wound up becoming friends and he recommended I speak to someone he used to work with. So I called him up and we spoke for an hour this morning on the phone. I learned a tremendous amount from our conversation. To me, it was effortless in how things all came to me. And yet, he said something to me(ericlofholm.com) very insightful. He said that most people wouldn't have taken the action of actually calling him. Most people would have been given the opportunity of reaching out to someone and NOT made the call. Whether its due to fear, laziness, or fair of rejection, most people wouldn't do what I did. And he is right. And I know there have been many times in my life when I was the same way. But in my daily commitment to being extraordinary, and leading through example, and pushing through my fears, doubts, and insecurities. I am a person of action. I play the game of life. I dont sit on the sidelines and watch others do what I wish I was doing myself. I jump onto the field and play ball. When was the last time you did something that you were scared of doing but KNEW it would ultimately benefit you? What stopped you? What would have been the absolute worst thing that you can imagine happening as a result of taking that action? What could have been the absolute BEST thing that could have come out of it? It seems so silly how often we stop ourselves in life, doesn't it? But we do it. Constantly. I know I do it too. I look to be the best I can in everything I do, but I still stop myself in certain areas at certain times. But I also am very eager to learn and grow, and so when I am confronted with a limiting belief or when I am shown how my actions are not alligning with what I am teaching, I desire to look at it and correct it. And great example is with my Mom. She and I have had our issues over the years. She loves me more than life itself and at times, many times even, that love has caused a lot of stress on our relationship. Her desire to see me happy and succeed in life has clouded things between us since what I see as me being happy and successful doesn't always match what she envisions for me. But last summer, she and I had a real heart to heart. I listened to her for the first time in my life. Truly listened, without judgement, anger, resentment, or planning on how to fight back. It was an amazing experience for both of us. It was part of my goal to 'complete' my past, to not let my past dictate my future. And it was great. But I hadn't really done it. I had still managed to push her away in my own way. I didn't open up to her anymore about my life because she hadn't been supportive in things I had chosen to do in my life, and it frankly pissed me off that she didn't trust who I was. And the other day she and I had a great conversation and she put something right in front of me that I just hadnt seen. I was still holding onto my anger from the past year and was feeling bitter about her not supporting me. I was bringing all of that into my daily life and into my future. And that is exactly what I sit and preach to people all the time. Let go of your past. It has NO meaning other than what you give it. So why was I doing that? Ego I think among other reasons. But regardless of the reason, I was doing it. And she really let me see it. And I allowed her to show it to me, which was what really let it in. And I grew again. And I was able to recognize how I had been being with her. And does the anger surface when I think about the situations we faced in the past year? Yes. But now I am aware of it, and as soon as I see it appearing, I can choose to let it go, and install a new belief, a new thought pattern. All of the things that happened were because of her love for me. And that is a great feeling. So I choose to focus on the love. Love wins over anger every time. And really all it takes is making your intention on love and not anger. It seems so simple when I type it, and can never understand why people don't just change the way they are in order to serve themselves better. And then along comes my Mom to show me I do the same thing too. So thanks Mom!

Just a final note: Whenever I have a breakthrough in my personal life, my business always accelerates. When I let go, and operate out of love, gratitude, and peace, that energy comes across to the people I speak with and people get started in my business. It never fails.

Are you ready for a breakthrough in your own life? Financial, personal, relationship, health, anything you can imagine. Open up, let go, be a sponge, stay humble, always be the student.