Getting What You Want

I’ve been thinking about this post for a very long time. I particularly wanted to pass this along to those who are younger and might find value in these concepts.

It has to do with the power we all have within us, tapping into that power, and achieving what we want out of life. I have been using these universal truths for decades to help manifest goals that have been important to me. It’s helped with my health (you need good health before anything!), career, financial security and finding my soul mate.

This power has been used in many cultures throughout the ages in various forms. Be it through God, The Universal Mind, Self-hypnosis, prayer, meditation, affirmations, “The Secret”, bhavana, etc. it’s all pretty much the same stuff, but the most important aspect is belief: Belief that however you choose to harness this power, it will work.

For myself, it started back in my twenties with self hypnosis. As a kid I’d always been fascinated by magic, the mystics and the power of the mind (or God and the universe working through your mind). When I discovered self-hypnosis I used it to give myself suggestions about what I wanted out of life. Of course, as you age you may find your desires change. Many things that were so important at thirty will most likely not matter at age seventy (take it from one who’s been there!). To this day I use these tools as well as constant affirmations for the things that I am still striving to achieve or maintain.

To begin with, you really have to decide what is most important to you. For some it may be a satisfying career, good health, happiness, finding a mate or just meeting next month’s rent. For others it’s having millions of dollars. (Be aware that studies have shown that once you pass $50k-$70k per year it will not buy you much more in the way of happiness. You have to only look at the evening news to find some famous and/or wealthy person whose behavior is indicative of their unhappiness.) In any event these dreams are achievable.

Here are some of the books I have read over the years to help guide me. They are older but the concepts still hold true. I haven’t read any of the current books on the subject but when I peruse them it’s all the same truths repackaged. Some of the books that helped me: Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, M.D., As A Man Thinketh by James Allen, The Courage To Create by Rollo May, M.D., Fear OF Failure by Robert C. Birney. Dr Wayne Dyer has a number of great books on the subject as well as Deepak Chopra.

Here are some examples from my own personal experiences.

1.) Back when I was a studio musician I would prepare for every session by using self-hypnosis for meditation. About an hour or two before the session I would put myself into a light trance (alpha state) at home. I would imagine myself at the session, playing perfectly, the producer being impressed and telling me that he would call me again. This worked about 90% of the time. The goal is to strive for 100% but if I hit less it really didn’t matter. The fact is it worked for a good percentage of the time and I was fairly successful as a studio musician.

2.) I’ve always felt that I would live a long life, at least to 100, and in excellent health. That desire led me to become a vegetarian almost forty years ago and I believe I was led there through my meditations. So far, so good. At 71 I’m in pretty good shape with nothing more that a few aches and pains (I’m still working on those!).

3.) Financial security was another aspect that I wanted very much. Ironically, it did not come in the form I thought it would, but that’s the funny thing about this power. Your desires will not always be delivered in the way you expect.

4.) As a kid I always wanted a recording studio. Decades later it was delivered even though I had never engineered a session in my life. Through unforeseeable circumstances I became a recording engineer with my own successful studio.

3.) For decades I had been looking for a soul mate and it was a constant part of my daily meditation. Sure enough, after running through the prerequisite number of girl friends, Robin came into my life. Once again the power delivered, cool!

4.) Robin has been using this power too. About a year and a half ago she took the Yoga teacher training to become an instructor. With that she learned about bhavana, which roughly translates to “remembering the future”. She used bhavana to envision her future as a yoga teacher. Almost immediately after her training she starting getting asked to teach, both paid and as a volunteer. (Volunteering is very important to her). She has been amazed at how powerful this can be.

5. Finally, When I first came to Southern California I fell in love with the ocean. I lived at the beach for many years until I felt the need to move to Hollywood. But I have always wanted to get back to the beach. I dreamed about it many times but had never really meditated on it. Then Robin wrote a bhavana on it. Wouldn’t you know — it looks like that now is about to be delivered. We have found a home north of us in the marina in Oxnard CA.

I have many more examples but I think you get the idea.

The point of all this is not to brag about what I have achieved. It’s about letting you know that within you, lies the mechanism to reach your goals and dreams by utilizing these universal truths and believing in them. One other thing to keep in mind is that the power knows no time frame so be patient. Lastly, the cool thing is that this power is free!

Keep the faith, go forth and prosper!

Art