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22 Life-Changing Lessons From “The Motivation Manifesto”

by Laura Probert   March 3, 2016 

Have you ever read a book and wished you’d written it yourself? For me, that book is Brendon Burchard’s The Motivation Manifesto — a compelling primer on how to overcome self-doubt and establish personal freedom.

I’ve dedicated many years to studying the art of training my mind, feeling my body, and untethering my soul, and this book’s powerful words had me constantly nodding my head.

Brendon Burchard — an acclaimed author and motivational trainer — really gets what it means to be a warrior (he survived a life-threatening car accident at the age of 19), and he’ll guide you on your journey to becoming one as well.

Now take a deep breath, sink down deep into the center of your body, and read these 22 quotes and take-aways from an utterly inspiring text.

Magic is about living in the moment. 

1. “We are not slave to our history. We can be freed by our conscious thoughts and disciplined habits.”

In other words, a new level of awareness materializes when you start actively training your mind and developing habits.

2. “If we are not vigilant, being around constant worry can quickly limit who we are and what we might be capable of.”

Whenever possible, choose to surround yourself with people who are positive and purposeful.

3. “If yesterday’s hardships are stealing our aliveness today then we must seek another level of consciousness.”

If you’re still living in the past and letting outdated thoughts, beliefs, and memories drive your present, wake up and recognize that you’re sabotaging yourself.

4. “What can I focus on in my life this exact moment to sense some peace, gratitude, or enthusiasm?”

You have the power to choose your next thought. Choose a good one.

5. “Am I feeling this life?”

Brendon poses some great, big questions through the course of his book, and this one is fantastic because it asks you to get in touch with your underlying feelings. I’m a big fan of using these conceptual questions as journaling prompts.

6. “Avoidance is the best long-term strategy to ensure suffering.”

Oh my, are you feeling this one? Stop procrastinating — even on the stuff that scares the shit out of you. Face it. Get it done. I promise you, the solution to your fear lies in the middle of your action.

7. “Be a guardian of your own mind, body, and soul.”

This quote speaks to a deeper level of self-care. In life, we have to be our own guardians and fiercely protect ourselves and our territory.

The solution to your fear lies in the middle of your action. 

8. “Be aware of the information entering your mind. Seek empowering information that moves your life forward.”

This quote speaks to all those moments that we ruin with negativity. (I’m thinking mostly about television and media.) Turn the distractions off and go do something more positive and inspiring with your time.

9. Take positive, meaningful action.

This is my interpretation of Brendon’s take on action. Remember, you can create your own definition of “meaningful.” And when you combine it with positivity and purpose, you have a magic wand in your hands.

How many actions do you take every day that aren’t meaningful, positive, or purposeful? When you realize all the opportunities to shift your purpose, you’ll get excited.

10. What are you asking for?

Throughout the book, Brendon challenges readers to analyze what they’re asking for with their actions. What do your actions point to? When you take a look at how you spend your time and who you spend it with, you’ll figure out what you’re actually asking of the Universe.

11. Love is the divine essence or thread that connects us all.

Brendon does a lovely job talking about the energy of love. When you realize that love is a never-ending source of clarity, you’ll wake up to the fact that you’re getting in the way of its flow. Open yourself up to giving and receiving love.

love

 

If you are awake, you have a choice. 

12. Don’t make me guess about what ignites your soul.

Brendon’s words demonstrate the importance of speaking up for yourself. How will people ever know what you’re all about unless you say it? Be brave!

13. “Don’t limit your vision based on the number of people who nod.”

Wow, you gotta be feeling this one with me. Don’t make your dream smaller because you’re waiting for someone else’s approval.

14. Revive the magic.

Magic is about living in the moment and remaining aware of everything around you. Brendon encourages readers to revive that feeling inside and look for magic everywhere.

15. “To master life is to transform the energy we feel at any moment into cheerful engagement and deep appreciation.”

If you are awake, you have a choice. When things don’t feel right, you can transform the energy of fear into joy.

16. “Freely chosen attitude is a treasure available to us all.”

This is another way of saying that we have the choice to think, believe, and act in any way we deem good, better, best for us.

It takes a warrior to stand up for what matters. 

17. “Don’t become a catastrophe of energetic conformity.”

I love when Brendon talks about how it’s possible to get carried away in other people’s energy. Just because everyone else is being negative, hateful, or ungrateful, doesn’t mean we have to be. Don’t let the energy of other people waste yours. Be vigilant about this. It takes a warrior to stand up for what matters.

18. Make enthusiasm a practice.

Whatever way you want to feel, make it a practice. It’s in that disciplined behavior that your life will start to change.

19. “Let us master the art of curiosity, release, play, and cheerful engagement of the moment.”

In this case, Brendon is referring to the energy of a child. He asks that adults resort back to this art and use its energy to infuse moments and change focus.

20. “Meet struggle with intense and spirited joy.”

I love this one. It’s so easy to meet struggle with anxiety, sadness, resignation, doubt, or fear. We’ve practiced that too much — let’s try something different.

21. “Struggle does not always have to equal suffering.”

We are all conditioned to believe that the struggles and problems we face are against us, but what if they are here to teach us how to grow and evolve?

22. Awareness + Discipline = Freedom.

And lastly, this is a formula I put together after reflecting on the book’s teachings. The Motivation Manifesto is all about finding the personal freedom to be a warrior in your own life and achieve your dreams to make the world a better place. What better way to live?


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8 Signs Your Ego Is Trying To Sabotage You

The ego can most easily be described as the mask you wear in daily life. The real you, hidden beneath all the layers you have put on, wants to reveal itself, but the ego likes to maintain control at all times. It can’t stand to give up its power over you, and sadly, many people never move beyond the ego’s domain in their lifetime. If you have felt like you’re in a constant war with your own mind, your ego might feel threatened by your higher self.

Here are 8 signs to look out for if you think your ego is trying to sabotage you:

1. You have become very self-destructive.

Thoughts of self-hate regularly enter your brain, and you have turned to compulsive habits such as drinking or smoking. The ego comes from a place of darkness, and to tame it is one of the most difficult tasks a human will face in his or her lifetime. It fears giving up control, so it wants to keep you in a low vibrational state at all times to avoid transparency. So, if you have picked up on destructive habits and demeaning thought patterns about yourself, you can almost be sure the ego is the mastermind behind it all.

2. You feel overly self-conscious around others.

The ego doesn’t always make a grand entrance; sometimes, it likes to take a more subtle approach. Self-destructive habits can also include feeling a lack of self-confidence, but this doesn’t seem as apparent as the former. However, the ego is still likely to blame, because it always wants you to second-guess yourself and rely on things outside your consciousness for contentment. However, once you move into your heart and act on love rather than fear, you will slowly see this behavior dissipate.

3. You find yourself complaining often.

The ego loves to find everything wrong with a situation or person, so it harps on all the atrocities and misfortunes in life on a daily basis. Complaining every once in a while is a part of life, but if you catch yourself seeing the glass half-empty more than you normally would, try to look inside and tell your ego that all is well, and it doesn’t have to worry.

ego

 

4. You point out the negatives in your life before the positives.

Becoming a Negative Nancy can happen without you ever noticing this shift in consciousness, because the ego moves very slyly. It likes to go undetected and work in the background so as not to draw too much attention to itself. Looking at the world negatively reflects your vibration, so if you want to start noticing the positive aspects of life, work on taming the ego and feeding your soul instead.

5. Fights and arguments happen frequently between yourself and others.

Like we’ve said before, the ego doesn’t enjoy being wrong, and gets wounded easily if it doesn’t get its way. If you constantly have to get the last word in and can’t stand for others to be right, your ego is definitely trying to interfere with your life.

6. You judge others harshly.

This sort of goes along with seeing the negative in the world, but judging others is actually just a reflection of yourself. How you see yourself, you will see others, so if you want to start noticing the good in people, you must first realize the positive things about yourself.

7. You find it hard to listen to others without wanting to interrupt.

When the ego rules, it doesn’t know how to meet others halfway. It works using a “my way, or the highway” approach, so allowing others to speak and have the attention on them really scares the ego. It doesn’t take well to giving others the time of day, so if you find it difficult to let other people speak without wanting to interject, your ego is clearly dominating your energy.

8. You seek revenge when others hurt you.

The ego needs to get even when it feels pain, so what does it do? Try to destroy others, of course. It survives by tearing you down and tearing others down, so to stay alive, it must always hurt others. The Ego feeds off pain and destruction, but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily bad. You must learn to use it for good and not evil, just like a superhero would do. They all have incredible powers, but must use them wisely for the benefit of themselves and humanity as a whole.


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10 Intentions To Set For Your Most Authentic Life

BY CHANDRESH BHARDWAJ     JANUARY 11, 2015

Intentions are the fuel to manifesting your goals and visions. An intention will help create more clarity in your life, especially when the seed is planted right before you start your meditation.

Setting an intention is like drawing a map of where you wish to go — it becomes the driving force of your higher consciousness. Without an intention there is no map, and you’re just driving down a road with no destination in mind.

That said, an intention cannot be forced. It’s a seed that you have to sow and then let reap on its own. You can’t set an intention that you don’t believe in. If it’s done forcefully, the purpose of the intention is ruined.

Here are 10 clear intentions to consider, as you move toward your goals and dreams:

  • I intend to manifest happiness naturally.
  • I intend to respond first, and then react.
  • I intend to witness Divinity in everyone.
  • I intend to lead by example.
  • I intend to be open to success and abundance.
  • I intend to stop taking things personally.
  • I intend to forgive others, and myself.
  • I intend to love unconditionally.
  • I intend to make meditation a more important part of my lifestyle.
  • I intend to make someone smile every day.

If you have another intention in mind that isn’t listed above, go for it! Just remember to keep these three important points in mind as you set your intention:

1. Keep it positive.

Make sure your intention has a positive tone. If your intention is to de-stress, then say something like, “My intention is to invite peace and calm within myself during today’s meditation.” Try to avoid saying something like, “My intention is to fight this stupid stress.”

Your chosen intention should always be positive, uplifting, and always in the present tense. You want to refrain from using any negative words.

mirror

2. Make sure it can evolve.

Our minds are very clever … when something new comes along, the mind is intrigued. But as time passes, the mind gets bored! Think about when you walk into a fragrant room — you can sense the smell immediately, but after a few minutes it’s not as potent.

The same thing can happen with your intentions. If you stick with the same intention week after week, your mind will stop responding to it. The best way to resolve this is to make sure your intention or goal can easily be adjusted.

If your intention on your first day is to invite peace and calm in, after few days you may change that intention to, “My intention is to enjoy the peace I create in myself.” Please be advised however, that you shouldn’t drastically alter your intentions or goals too frequently. The goal is polish and enhance.

3. Aim for the short term.

It’s more practical to set an intention for the short term rather than the long term. You can still think of the big picture — just divide your long-term intention into few shorter ones instead. This will help you achieve a grandiose goal in shorter, more powerful segments.

If your intention is to become more specialized in your profession, then first figure out the steps involved with advancing in your specific field. Your first step may be to get good grades on your prerequisite exams. Then, the next goal may be landing a lucrative internship, and so on. After successfully manifesting your short-term intentions, you will ultimately reach the actual goal that you had been nurturing in the first place.

Then, once your intention is set, be sure to use it in your meditation. Start your meditation with a few deep breaths and observe the stillness within. Afterward, bring your awareness to your heart and set your intention.

Observe the movement of your breath as you inhale and exhale. Continue to let go of all of your grudges and emotions. Watch your thoughts as they come and go, but don’t assign any value to them. Before you finish, take a few moments to be grateful for the intention you have set. Stick to the same intention for a few days before moving on to the next one.


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5 Steps To Harness The Power Of Intention

BY DEEPAK CHOPRA    MAY 20, 2013

Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love.

Everything that happens in the universe begins with intention. When I decide to buy a birthday present, wiggle my toes, or call a friend, it all starts with intention.

The sages of India observed thousands of years ago that our destiny is ultimately shaped by our deepest intentions and desires. The classic Vedic text known as the Upanishads declares, “You are what your deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.”

An intention is a directed impulse of consciousness that contains the seed form of that which you aim to create. Like real seeds, intentions can’t grow if you hold on to them. Only when you release your intentions into the fertile depths of your consciousness can they grow and flourish. In my book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, the Law of Intention and Desire lays out the five steps for harnessing the power of intention to create anything you desire.

1. Slip into the gap.

Most of the time our mind is caught up in thoughts, emotions, and memories. Beyond this noisy internal dialogue is a state of pure awareness that is sometimes referred to as “the gap.” One of the most effective tools we have for entering the gap is meditation. Meditation takes you beyond the ego-mind into the silence and stillness of pure consciousness. This is the ideal state in which to plant your seeds of intention

2. Release your intentions and desires


Once you’re established in a state of restful awareness, release your intentions and desires. The best time to plant your intentions is during the period after meditation, while your awareness remains centered in the quiet field of all possibilities. After you set an intention, let it go — simply stop thinking about it. Continue this process for a few minutes after your meditation period each day.

3. Remain centered in a state of restful awareness
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Intention is much more powerful when it comes from a place of contentment than if it arises from a sense of lack or need. Stay centered and refuse to be influenced by other people’s doubts or criticisms. Your higher self knows that everything is all right and will be all right, even without knowing the timing or the details of what will happen.

4. Detach from the outcome
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Relinquish your rigid attachment to a specific result and live in the wisdom of uncertainty. Attachment is based on fear and insecurity, while detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self. Intend for everything to work out as it should, then let go and allow opportunities and openings to come your way.

5. Let the universe handle the details
.

Your focused intentions set the infinite organizing power of the universe in motion. Trust that infinite organizing power to orchestrate the complete fulfillment of your desires. Don’t listen to the voice that says that you have to be in charge, that obsessive vigilance is the only way to get anything done. The outcome that you try so hard to force may not be as good for you as the one that comes naturally. You have released your intentions into the fertile ground of pure potentiality, and they will bloom when the season is right.


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7 Feng Shui Tips To Help You Get More Of What You Want

BY DANA CLAUDAT      JULY 15, 2014 

As grateful as a person can be for all that she has, more seems to be what pretty much everyone wants. More money, more love, more wellness, more excitement!

There’s nothing wrong with wanting more of anything. But things can go sideways, depending on the way you go about getting more.

In feng shui, there are two energies that create the universe: yin (quiet, cool, still) and yang (loud, hot, active). If you’ve ever seen the swirly, round, typically black and white yin/yang symbol, you know there’s a poetic balance between the two halves.

Following this ancient wisdom, we live an optimal life when we have a balance between action and rest.

When you want more of anything, though, this balance gets tricky. Working like crazy, staying tethered to the Internet 24/7, late nights, crazy-wild exercise or any other hyper-stimulating action tends to be what I see people going after more frequently. I mean, you have to work to get what you want, right?

It is true, tons of work is amazing. But rest is just as important. We seem to universally champion action, and look at rest as a sort of lazy luxury.

Striving for things isn’t bad in itself, but all that striving means nothing if you can’t stop striving for a bit and actually allow the good stuff you want into your life.

I want you to become more magnetic. Yin — quiet, calm and still energy — is magnetic.

Yes, I am suggesting that you rest more — and try to be even kinder to yourself — to get more of what you want.

Here are a few ideas to get you started!

1. Create space!

Out with the clutter and in with clear space. If your life is stuffed with things being stored “just in case you need them,” you won’t have room for the stuff you actually do need! It’s especially helpful to get rid of old paper files, bad memory items (anything you look at and feel upset or angry about) and anything else taking up space that you feel no emotional pull toward.

2. Dim your lights.

Bright light is brilliant during the day, flooding your home and life with energy. As the sun sets, start dimming your lights. Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll feel more in rhythm with nature.
3. Soften up.

Soft textures actually affect your perspective on life. Touch is a sense that we often neglect in our lives, but plush carpet, velvet pillows, silky sheets and even softer clothes have a softening affect on us. MIT evolutionary psychologist Josh Ackerman did a fascinating study in 2010 that showed that the objects we touch affect our emotions and judgment of people and situations. So if you want to appear more openhearted and soft, soften up your home!

4. Remind yourself that life is awesome!

This affirmation from the early 1900s, devised by French psychologist Émile Coué, is one of my favorites to repeat over and over again during the day: “Every day, and in every way, I am becoming better and better.”

sleep

5. Sleep more soundly.

If you can dim your lights earlier (see #2) in the day and turn off electronics an hour before bed, you’re on your way to sounder sleep.

6. Say yes to yourself and all that you love.

If you build some “you time” into your days to explore your creative interests, read books, explore the arts near you, keep a journal, do some quiet yoga or meditation, you’re creating more receptive space. This is not frivolous time; it’s rejuvenating and vital time.

7. Be more curious.

Interested people are far more magnetic than “interesting” people. Listen more, engage with people and places that captivate you and become more of a student of life. When you are in that space of always learning and living in wonder, you are in a space of expansion that’s never boring!

Even if it seems counterintuitive to have more fun, more downtime and more creative play when you’re in the midst of chasing dreams, if you can embrace this philosophy of magnetism a bit you’ll find yourself chasing dreams less and living them far more! Enjoy!