The Power of Positive Thinking

If you haven’t seen the film  Groundhog Day, go out and rent the DVD the moment you finish reading this post.

This movie contains everything you need to know about positive thinking, personal growth and happiness.

In the film, actor Bill Murray plays Phil, an arrogant weather forecaster who spends the night in Punxsutawney, where he is to do a broadcast the next day.

He wakes up the next morning, does his story and is annoyed to discover that he is trapped in Punxsutawney for a second night because of a snowstorm that comes in after the groundhog ceremony.

When he wakes up in his guest house room the next morning, it is the morning of the day before all over again. Everything that happened to him the previous day all happens again. Phil gets stuck in a time wrap. He is trapped in the date of February 2 over and over again.

First Phil takes advantage of the situation, learning all he can about the people around him and manipulate them but after a while the pleasure he gets out of this wears off. The town never changes; the events and the people never change. Only Phil can change.

He goes through a difficult time and even considers suicide but later he decides to change himself because he understands that he can not change the world around him. Any change that occurs must be inside of him because only he can change – all the other characters repeat exactly what they did the day before. Slowly, he goes through a transformation.

Having suffered himself, he is able to empathize with other people’s suffering.  In other words, he accepts “winter” as an opportunity. He begins to take piano lessons from a music teacher who is continuously surprised at how good he is, since she always believes it is his first lesson. He learns how to be an ice sculptor. And he becomes more generous. He recreates himself by focusing all his attention on inner change, on becoming a more loving and giving person.

Suddenly, he feels true fullfillment. He starts sharing all this new energy with everyone in town. Eventually he ends up with the girl of his dreams and the nightmare ends. He brakes the cycle and finds himself in a brand new day with his true soul mate.

The changes around him occur because he has changed.  His worst day of his life turns into his best day, and the only thing that changes is his thinking and his actions. This is one great lesson in personal transformation.

Julia Simavi 

… ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert — in anything. In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is the equivalent to roughly three hours per day, or twenty hours per week, of practice over ten years. Of course, this doesn’t address why some people don’t seem to get anywhere when they practice, and why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.

Dr. Daniel Levitin

All you have to do to begin your recovery and open the door to total freedom is avoid taking on any new debt today.  I don’t avoid debt tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year.  That’s too much to think about.  I just do it today, one day at a time.  And these days, I have more prosperity in my life and enjoy it more than ever I did before.

— Jerrold Mundis, How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously

Either Happiness is no where or Happiness is now here…

Happiness can mean different things to different people. For example, for one person, it may mean being in a loving relationship, whereas for someone else it may mean having financial freedom.

When we seek money, or a good job, or a good relationship, what we are looking for is happiness. If we go for happiness in the first place, everything else will follow.

The true equation between happiness and wealth is this: that happiness is wealth. Happiness is really all there is and all there ever will be; all else is only a means to happiness.

“Happiness is what greases the wheels of life. It’s also what opens the floodgates, marshals the forces, commands the elements, raises the sun, aligns the stars, beats your heart, heals what hurts, turns the page, makes new friends, finds true love, calls the shots, waves the wand, connects the dots, feeds your mind, frees your soul, rocks the world, and pays compound interest.” – Mike Dooley- Notes from the Universe 

Don’t Worry, Choose Happy!

Julia Simavi

Marion Mill Preminger was a celebrity during the mid-twentieth century. I had not heard of her before reading her autobiography, All I Want Is Everything, but apparently she was quite famous for her beauty, charm, and Hollywood life style.

She was born in Hungary in 1913, Marion was raised in a castle, surrounded by wealth, servants and the notoriety of an aristocratic upbringing.

At a Viennese ball, she met a handsome young man, the son of an Italian doctor. They rushed into a marriage that lasted only a year.

She battled addictions to alcohol and drugs. She made three unsuccesful suicede attempts. Finally she left California and returned to Vienna. There she met Dr. Albert Schweitzer who was visiting Europe from his home in Africa.  Schweitzer fascinated Marion. He invited her to go back to Africa with him and work as an untrained staff member in the Lamberene Hospital.

She left her life of status and ease and moved to Africa. The girl who was raised like a princess became a servant. She changed bandages, bathed bodies and fed lepers. She gave her life away to the poor, and because of it, found the happiness she’d craved for so long.

In her autobiography, All I want is Everything, She wrote, “Albert Schweitzer says there are two kinds of people. There are the helpers, and the non-helpers. I thank God He allowed me to become a helper, and in helping, I found everything.”

Julia Simavi

Unfortunately most parents don’t teach their kids about money. As a result, their kids grow up financially illiterate. You can do something about that. 

If your family is having money problems, don’t try to hide it. Your kids are probably aware of your problem anyway. When you do talk to them about the situation, be positive. Explain that money is a good thing when it is used respectfully; how it can help you lead a better life and help others who are in need. So when is the right time to begin teaching your kids about money?  It is never too early to learn about the value of money and how to budget and save.

It’s Never Too Late …. Or Too Early! 

1. Help your children set goals.

Ask your children what they want when they grow up? Every child wants to be someone like a doctor or a fireman but what do they want? How do they want to live? Help them set some goals early and explain that proper saving and investing is a huge part of getting what they want.

2. Help put goals into action.

Develop a rough financial plan with them. This is great fun and you will learn a lot by teaching them. If you have a financial planner you could introduce them to your children. This will help your kids see that saving and investing is serious business.

3. Open savings accounts early.

Take your children to the bank as soon as they understand basic money principles. Open savings accounts in their names and go over the statements with them as they come.

4. Give your children choices.

A big birthday party, for example, is expensive. What if your children would be just as happy with cake, ice cream and some games with their friends? Say something like, “A big party like we had last year cost £200.00. What if I put £175.00 in your savings account and just spent £25.00 this year?” Some of your children will still want the big party but you might be surprised to learn that some will be listening to you and will choose the savings option.

5. Encourage giving from an early age.

There are many ways of giving: time, money, jobs, taking part in sponsored events etc. For young children, sharing begins with letting others play with their toys and learning to take turns. Then as they get older, children see you share your time, energy or money with people who are less fortunate or unable to do for themselves. Children learn what they live.

To encourage giving money use a separate piggy bank or jar labelled giving. Encourage children to put some of their money aside each week: 10p in every £1 is the amount often suggested, but you can discuss this with your children.

Discuss with your children how they want to spend their ‘giving’ money. They might want to use it for sponsoring friends, for giving to a charity, for appeals on the TV, for special gifts for people (in hospital or in an orphanage abroad etc.).

There is nothing training cannot do. Nothing is above its reach. It can turn bad morals to good; it can destroy bad principles and recreate good ones; it can lift men to angelship.

Mark Twain

Julia Simavi

To be successful with your finances, you have to be emotionally neutral. An important aspect of debt that is not always addressed is why you got too deeply into debt in the first place. Why did you feel the urge to use those little plastic cards for things that weren’t necessary, even when you began to struggle to make the payments? What causes your compulsive shopping?

Facing the factors can be uncomfortable, but if you don’t face them, you may never get control of your spending and your debt.

One negative aspect of using credit cards instead of cash is that you don’t feel like you’re spending real money. Studies show that most people are much less likely to buy, or less willing to spend as much, when paying with cash as opposed to credit cards. Try leaving your credit cards at home. Pay with cash or a debit card.

Your worth as a person has nothing to do with how much money you have. Once you truly believe this, and money is no longer connected to your sense of self-worth, you open up the psychological barriers that were keeping you from wisely handling the money you do have and limiting your ability to make more.

Right now, your unconscious limiting beliefs may be keeping you from being financially successful, but as you begin to build up your feelings of self-worth and develop a positive attitude about yourself and about money, you’ll attract positive things into your life. As you do so, you’ll feel less of a need to generate positive feelings by purchasing things, and you’ll find it easier to stop buying items you don’t really need.

There are hundreds of books, articles, and Internet web sites about getting rid of credit card debt. Some of them offer sound advice about the psychological aspects of money and spending that you’d do well to consider.

If psychological factors influence your spending, credit reduction programs will treat only the symptoms, not the root cause. If you work on the psychological aspects while taking steps to reduce debt, you will greatly increase your chances of long-term success.

Most of us have the potential to be successful in life. It all depends on determined we are to be successful. There is a classic book I recommend you read: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. There is a good reason what the name of the book is Think and Grow Rich and not “Work Hard And Grow Rich”. If you want to be rich, you need to “think”. What we think and what we say to ourselves becomes our reality. This is probably why people who struggle financially. Their emotions often do the talking and run their lives. In personal finance, it is not about how much knowledge or certificate that you have.

“Thoughts become things… choose the good ones! Mike Dooley

Julia Simavi

Some people bring unexpected energy, lightness and comfort to your life. And then there are those who leave you feeling exhausted or stressed out or guilty. I call them energy vampires.

I believe most of us know or have known people who come into our life and seem to suck the energy out of us. We feel drained after having been in their presence. They often are bitter, angry, resentful and unhappy. They don’t want solutions, they want pity, and they want attention. They want you to share their pain.

Energy Vampires are not to be confused with the vast majority of people who simply need help, support, direction and care… and are serious about working on their situation. Most of these energy vampires are well-meaning, normal people who happened to be unhappy.

No matter which type of energy vampire you’re dealing with, you’re allowed to walk away. Many of us find this really hard to do. We’re afraid of being thought of as impolite; we don’t want to offend people. Be straight with them and tell them that you will not have the same conversations about the same issues any more.

Spending lots of time with Vampires is draining and unenjoyable.

There might be a tightening in your chest when a certain person enters the conversation, you might feel tired when you hang up the phone after speaking with someone.The moment you feel your energy has been drained, I recommend taking a breath. Limit the amount of time you spend with those who leave you feeling negative. Refrain from attempting to rescue them or fix their problems. Stand up for yourself and your boundaries!

Your time, positive energy, and resources are precious.

Energy passes from one body to another; from one object to another; matter to matter. 

Energy is contagious… 

Sending positive energy your way!

Julia Simavi

When you come to focus obsessively on your debts, you can only see lack and deprivation. Here is a simple way to begin to reverse this. Sit down with a pad of paper and list the “things in my life I appreciate and enjoy” Now list everything you can think of.

You might say “How can I do that when I am in so much debt and pain. I don’t have anything and everyone else has much more than I do!”

That is the point. All you can see is your suffering and what you don’t have. You’ve become blind to what you have.

Please do not wait to clear your debt to make the list. Do it now!

Making the list will help you improve your emotions and clear your vision. You’ll change your energy and vibration and become more internally connected with what you want to create in your life.

Just for a minute, think of all the things you are grateful for, such as, loving friends, partners and family, pets , good health, great holidays you’ve had as well as everyday items such as a comfortable home, electricity, TV and clean water when you turn on the tap.

The list, in fact, could go on and on. So how does that make you feel when you think of all these things? Doesn’t it make you feel good?

It’s a straightforward choice and we have the ability to choose how we feel. 

We all, each of us, have talents and skills, tools and abilities, aptitudes and experience that are unique and valuable. We can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, analyze with our minds, touch, and taste, teach, love, and learn. We have friends and family; we are surrounded by opportunity if we look for it.

“When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears” Anthony Robbins 

After you have done your list, put it in your wallet. The next time you feel down, tired or stressed, take your list and be grateful. 

I will share my “Today’s Gratitude List” with you… 

My healthy, loving son

My family- all of them!

My wonderful friends

My dog, Snowy

My home

My office- all in white and orange ( In healing work, orange is used to raise energy levels )

My education

My job

My boss- I mean it!

My life, health, ability to think

My ability to express myself

My books

My belief in God

This Blog 

Blue skies

Who are you thanking today? Who are you grateful to? For? 

Go ahead. Be Thankful.

 Julia Simavi

It’s the law of nature, selfless giving does not go unnoticed.

Giving is the secret to keeping money, success, health, love and happiness circulating in your life. We all realize that giving on any level feels really good but if we give with the expectation of receiving something in return, we are not really letting go of whatever it is we are giving.

When we do not let go completely, we create resistance that can block the inbound flow of energy.

There is a quote in the book by Neale Donald Walsch, “Conversations with God”;

“Whatever it is that you wish to experience more of in your life, be the source of it in the life of another. There is a universal law that plays its effect here. When you give what you want to another you cause yourself to notice that you have it and since reality is a matter of perception, it is your perception that has caused you to imagine that you do not have it. When you give it to another and cause them to have it, you suddenly come to the realization that I could not give it to them if I did not have it to give. Suddenly you become aware that you had it all along.”

Look at Bill Gates for example. He is the richest man in the world, he makes more because he gives more. A basic law of this world is the more you give (with a passionate and loving heart, with no expectation) the more you receive.

And don’t think that it is only money you can give. You also can give your time. Time like money, is energy and we can make a gift of our time by taking action to help others. In fact the most powerful forms of giving are non-material.

I say giving selflessly, completely, and utterly is the ultimate happiness.

Julia Simavi

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