What Would You Do If Money Were No Object?

I found it interesting when I posted a picture of money in a sack on Facebook with the caption "You too can achieve this if you just BELIEVE. The way people perceive money is interesting to me. I had a few people say "me gusta" or "that's what I'm talking about!". A few people jokingly said how they would want that or asking me if I was a drug dealer to get that kind of cash. Then a couple other people said "believing won't be enough to achieve that". No matter where your stance is on it, I have a question for you. What would you do if money were no object? 

There are TONS of people getting out of college each year with NO idea what they want to do. Others know what they want to do but don't know about how to go about it. Others choose professions like a painter, actor, or a musician where the deck is stacked against them, or so they think. 

Too many people are graduating high school this year and 99% of them are moving onto college. Why? Because high school pushes you to pick a college you want to go to next as soon as you graduate so you can get a sheet of paper that says you've taken certain classes to get this kind of degree. Tons of high schoolers will be going into the theater arts department and get a bachelor's degree in theater arts. How is that going to help an employer than someone straight out of high school? I don't agree with how high school's pressure young adults to choose what college they go to. Making it seem like there is no other choice. 

What people don't understand is if you don't believe in yourself, you'll never become successful. Why is that? You don't have enough confidence to go forward with your plans. You'll dance around the subject and never focus 100% on something. Another reason while believing is important is because it's going to be the fuel for when times get hard. Finding something you are passionate about should be your number 1 priority. Not what college will accept you and what degree to get (unless your passion is to become an engineer, doctor, lawyer, etc.). If you want to become an actor, why are you wasting time going to a 4 year university with a "focus" on acting? You'll be going to classes every week of the rest of your career so save that money. If you want to be a painter, what can college do for you that you can't do for yourself? Look for a cheaper class or travel and find your inspiration! 

It's not just for the creative people either! You don't need to have a college degree to be successful and have a successful business. Do you like houses love improving them? Become an interior decorator, contractor, wood worker, etc! You can start a business right out of high school by working at a job, and building your business on the side. Realtors don't need to go to a 4 year university, they just take a couple classes that can take up to a month or 2 and that's it! You can't learn how to draw in college if you aren't a good drawer. 

Are you a stay at home mother and looking for work that you could do from the comfort of your own home? There are plenty of companies that have affiliate networks that you could sell to anyone! A really good one is The Motor Club of America! It's like a AAA service but with more benefits. They will give you $80 for every person you sign up with the company! You can post ads on craigslist, make a blog around it, make videos and post them to YouTube, etc. There's tons of way to make money. Figure out what your passion is and go after it. You don't necessarily need to go to college so don't think of that as the end all be all. YOU can be successful, even without going to college. 

You just have to know what you want to do. I thought I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to work on film sets and become a film producer! So where do most people start when they don't have connections to be best friends with a studio producer? Start at the bottom of the totem pole! Production Assistant! I moved down to New Orleans where it's in the top 3 places to be to work in the film industry. I walked up onto set and talked to a few people. A couple days later, I was working on an $85 Million dollar film for 6 months! I didn't have time to figure out how to get on a film set. I had the most important thing to be successful. I had motivation, a drive, and a mentor to guide me on how to become a production assistant who was already working in the industry. I was making over $200/day on set!

It wasn't as easy as it sounds, I was just in the right place at the right time with a good friend of mine. We would help each other and after that film was done, I hopped right onto another one. It was a blast and I had the time of my life. I moved out to Los Angeles to work with a three time Oscar winning special effects make up artist thinking that would help my career by being out here. Two months after moving out here, he didn't need an assistant anymore and I needed more work. I picked up the phone, called a few places and landed working at one of the biggest production companies in Los Angeles. I didn't let a few pot holes ruin my drive. By the end of the week after being let go, I already was hired at another place. It all just came together because I believed. Now I'm working on a few films that I will be producing in 2013! 

I quickly am realizing that producing films isn't my passion. It's tons of fun and I sincerely enjoy the film industry so I will always be a part of it, but my passion lays in a different area of my life. My passion in life is not about making money. If that's a passion of yours, please find something else! Otherwise, you'll be working at a bunch of different places chasing after the money when you could be doing less and earning more! Why do you think so many companies can hire people at $8/hour? So many people are chasing after money instead of letting the money chase after you! So how can you do that? Figure out your passion! 

I have finally figured out my passion. I needed a little help realizing it from my girlfriend. Since I'm laid off right now, I've had little motivation to do anything besides find a job. I've been looking for any kind of job. Just a job. Just to make money so I can live comfortably again. Then she said to me, "why don't you just continue to write and motivate others. When the going gets rough, you always at the core focus on being positive and being an inspiration to others." 

I'm lucky to have her around! I never realized that my real passion has been an ability I have always had. I love writing and I love inspiring people. Wait, why not do both!? My passion isn't just writing and inspiring other people. I love to travel too! That's another passion of mine and I want to do something where I can do that too and make money doing it. I can't make money doing them by just sitting on the couch and visualizing/day dream about them. I have a plan that I'm putting into action and I'm going to make a living by following my passion. That's what I would do if money were no object anyway. Travel to a cabin where technology isn't present and focus on the beauty that surrounds me, family/friends, and the gift I've been given. So please, watch this video and then find out what your passion(s) is/are. Follow them and see where life takes you! 

Light, Love, and Blessings!

Understand The Power Of The Holidays

Days six, seven, and eight have come and gone. You best believe that I have been focusing my attention towards truly living in gratitude. It hasn't been an easy journey because it seems like once one thing is good to go, another thing will come and try to break me down.

Well, today is the end of that. The holidays are about love, health, joy, friends, and family. Nobody wants to hear about why life isn't going a certain way, especially if they aren't around every day. They want to hear about what is going RIGHT in their loved one's life.

Today's lesson is on understanding the power of the holidays and focusing on viewing it through the eyes of a child. I have had many talks with people trying to understand how I can step outside and see the world as if it were the first day I was seeing it. Or how I could stay so happy when I don't have much.

What is the power and how do the holidays have anything to do with this? That's easy. Every year, I look forward to all of the Christmas movies that come out. This year, my favorite to date is "Rise of the Guardians" that just came out today. It brings all of the characters that children believe in; Santa, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, The Sand Man, and Jack Frost. In the movie, the children believe in them whole heartedly except for Jack Frost. They just thought it was mother nature that just gave them their snow days instead of Jack Frost. No one could see Jack even if he was standing right in front of them but if Santa or The Tooth Fairy stood in front of them, they could see them. Why? Because they believed in them. When the darkness came and everyone stopped believing that the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny existed, they became invisible.

I won't give away the ending but this is the reason why I love the holidays. People take time off of work to be with their families. (If they are able to have time off because I know many people still have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. I used to be one of them.) They are surrounded by families and children that believe in Santa. What most people lose along the way is their wonderment for life so we surround ourselves around children who still have wonderment.

How do we lose our wonderment? We become to busy with life. People work endless hours to provide for their families getting paid less than $8/hour because they feel like they have to. I've had to take part time and full time jobs that I didn't want to be able to survive. It usually isn't doing what we love so we slowly start to see dreams fade and the bills pile up. Some people have bigger dreams than others but that doesn't make them more important. The dream that becoming an architect is just as important as wanting to be an actor, teacher, garbage man, astronaut, etc. We lose the fact that we CAN become anything we want. We feel like we can't get out of this rat race because we aren't making enough or aren't happy enough but if we had more we would be happy.

That's where people get it wrong. You can't be happy with more no matter how much you think you would be. There isn't one straight path to accomplish a dream. It's never going to happen the same way twice. You could follow the same path but your dream is different than someone else that's doing what you want to do. What you do is talk to them. Learn from their mistakes, learn how they took steps to get to where they are, and then take action.

What's so special about the holidays is that people start believing in the magic of The Universe. Adults feel the magic but as soon as January 1st hits, they lose it. Children never lose the wonderment in their eyes until they start hearing things like "Santa isn't real" and "You HAVE to go to college to be somebody in this world". The non-magic-believers ruin it for many. People start making excuses why they can't do something instead of fighting for it and end up like everyone else before them. This is the time to break free of that, no matter what your age is!

I'm here to tell you, everything you've been told about Santa, The Tooth Fairy, The Sand Man, Jack Frost, it's all true! Maybe not the characters that has become what we tend to believe in but the MAGIC is what is real. Why do people always come together on Thanksgiving? To give thanks. Imagine if people took the time every day to tell people how much they mean, to eat a good meal with the fancy decor, or even just to say thank you for everything we have in our lives right now!

Can't pay all of your bills this month? Be thankful that bills are still being paid and you aren't on the streets. If a cell phone gets disconnected, be thankful for the time you will gain from not staring at Facebook all day or be thankful when you can re-connect it again. Life is beautiful and we need to take the time to look at it through the eyes of children. With eyes wide open and a loose jaw that hangs down most of the time because you can't believe your eyes. That $1.75 you spend on a coca-cola. Be thankful you get to have your thirst quenched by such a decadent delight! When food appears on your plate tonight, stop and give thanks for the blessings you DO have.

This year, instead of complaining that your dreams haven't come true or that you're not where you want to be financially... give thanks for what you have. Make it your goal in 2013 to say at least 1 thing you are grateful for on a daily basis. Just 1. There's plenty to be thankful for. I'll list 10 right now. (Current time: 4:04PM)

1. I am grateful for the sandwich that I just ate to replenish my energy and to sustain my life for another day!
2. I am so grateful and thankful for the music I'm listening to on my laptop while I'm writing this blog! It keeps me focused and centered.
3. I am grateful for the sun that warms up the town I live in so I'm not sitting in an ice box!
4. I am so grateful for how festive the apartment I live in is for our Thanksgiving dinner with friends and my California family.
5. I am very grateful to be enjoying good friends and family in Big Bear, CA this weekend. It's going to be a blast and I'll be able to focus on my lessons for 2013!
6. I am thankful and grateful for being able to see clearly without having to use glasses or contacts! The world is so beautiful and I'm blessed to see it so clearly.
7. I am grateful for the animals in my life that reassure me that everything is going to be okay and when I need a reminder, they snuggle next to me.
8. I am grateful for my wonderful girlfriend, Malia. She's an amazing person and I'm so fortunate to have her in my life. She's taught me many things about life and I love who I've become since having her in my life.
9. I am grateful for the kitchen appliances we have in our apartment that allow us to cook healthy foods that bless our bodies with nutrients.
10. I am so very grateful for being able to go support a friend at her stand up event tonight. Not everyone gets to have the freedom like we do!

(End time: 4:09PM)

The number of things to be grateful for is endless. Thank you to my organs that continue to work so I don't have to remember to pump my heart consistently. I don't have to think about how my body works, it just works. That's millions of blessings in just my body.

Remember, there's always something to be grateful for and just like a coin, there is always something good that comes with the bad. Just don't ever stop believing in the power that The Universe provides. You have a dream? Go chase it. Don't let a little pebble stop you from climbing the mountain. Just don't lose the faith that one day it will come true, otherwise, you'll lose sight of it anyway.

Always believe.

Light, Love, and Blessings.

Day Four & Five - Gratitude for Health & Money

As you read in my prior day four and five blog posts that they have to deal with health and money. If you want a detailed look at each day, make sure to go back to my posts about the days.

The past couple mornings are just like the others. I wake up, immediately write down 10 things I am grateful for and say thank you three times after each statement. I put my gratitude rock into my pj pocket and say thank you as I'm doing my morning routine. As I'm pouring my gingerbread tea, I'm repeating the words thank you. After every sip, I think "thank you". After every commercial on the morning television, I say thank you for my entertainment.

Throughout the whole day, I repeat thank you every time I remember to say it. Whether I get into a car, fill up my tank with gas, pay a bill, light a candle, get a glass of water, etc. I always make sure to say thank you.

I say thank you over 100 times per day and I truly feel gratitude in my heart. I make a strong effort to stay positive throughout the day and make sure if I'm sliding towards the negative, I do everything I can do change that.

So how did I do the past couple days? I'm getting so much better. Right now, as I type, I'm sitting in a dark candle lit room with a Christmas garland lighting up the arch between the kitchen and the living room. I'm sipping on some decadent eggnog while listening to the rain. What isn't there to be thankful for?! I'll show you a picture.

This whole day has just been productive. M and I went to multiple locations to get great dish ware and other essentials for our Thanksgiving holiday feast we will be hosting. We compiled a menu and sent out the invitations to friends that don't have family out here in Los Angeles. The holiday season gets to be lonely when family isn't present. It's what the holidays are all about, togetherness, and sometimes.. it just can't be done.

But I will tell you that I'm super grateful for M and her family. I may not be going to Minnesota this year because I can't afford an airplane ticket, but they made sure I wouldn't be alone. I'll be celebrating my Christmas with M and her family in Seattle. It will be fun to see where she grew up and what made her who she is.

With all that said, I'll show you what the menu looks like for Thanksgiving!

Make sure to call your loved ones this holiday season and never stop believing in the magic of the Universe.

Light, Love, and Blessings!

Day Two & Three: Gratitude Rock/Friendships - Part 2

Yesterday's practice was to find a gratitude rock (which I already have) and carry it around with me forever. When I take it out of my pants at the end of the day, right before I fall asleep, I think of the BEST thing that happened to me that day. Rinse and repeat daily forever.

Today's practice is to find three pictures of relationships that I would like to make improve or make stronger. Then I need to write what I'm most grateful about for that person. Throughout the day I need to look at the pictures, read aloud what I wrote on the back, and say thank you while really feeling gratitude that they are in my life.

---

There are times in life when it just seems like I'm drowning. No matter how much I practice gratitude, something will happen that will make me... pause. The trick to the law of attraction is to learn how to trust and believe. Trusting that everything will be okay when everything seems like it's crashing down isn't the easiest task. Then when one thing starts looking better, another will happen that will make me question everything which brings me back to that drowning feeling.

It's a never ending cycle or so it feels like. When the Universe throws something at me that has to deal with a portion of my dreams, how can I not feel sad about it? How am I supposed to remain grateful for life when something I've always wanted to do may never be able to happen?

I'll be upfront with anyone reading this blog.

I'm having a surgical procedure that may cause me to never go scuba diving. I may need to have a device installed to keep my heart beating normally permanently which would result in a dream of mine to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef to be diminished. It brought me to a dark place where I didn't think I would get out of.

Well here I am feeling grateful that there are procedures out there that will help my life be a little easier even with a little minor inconvenience. At least it doesn't stop me from traveling all together, without traveling, I wouldn't be able to pursue my new business.

So I leave you here with my last thought. I want to write my book. My book isn't going to be a fiction story of adventure, romance, and excitement. My book is going to be a nonfiction masterpiece filled with action, adventure, romance, love (which is already noted in my book), and much, much more. Don't waste your life wishing you would do something, or chase after your dream. Do what you love to do. CREATE something that is meaningful to you. Just because 99% of the world can't make money doing something that YOU love, doesn't mean you can't think of the right business to start up which will turn your passion into a money making idea.

Don't spend your life dwelling on things you cannot change. What you can change is your attitude. Your attitude will change the outcome of your life. Focus on the positives, what you are grateful for, and everything that you have ever wanted will manifest into your life.

With that in mind, I'm going to make money taking vacations with other people. Don't believe me? Follow this blog and my journey. I hope you will join me on my vacations in 2013. See you on the plane.

Light, Love, and Blessings.

Day One: Starting Over - Gratitude Journal Part 2

I wanted to take the time to apologize. I thought I was in a good place when I started "The Magic" 28 day program. I learned that I couldn't handle the slight changes due to the fact that I lost myself. It's easy to do out here in Los Angeles. It's easy to do anywhere but it's necessary to take the time to slow down and find oneself. So I took a few days off while the stress of life got to me. Well, now I'm in a better place and finally can voice what I want to do with my life.

Life is a bunch of trial and errors before finding what one truly wants out of life. It's all at our hands and some times it seems to be too much. I could have ANYTHING and all I have to do is live a life of gratitude, watch what I say/think, and enjoy the luscious fruits that I manifest. I have failed many times, I just failed again with the 28 day work book. Just because I have failed doesn't mean that I won't be successful. I fell and now it's time to pick myself back up.

What does that mean? I have found myself and I have found peace in the fact that I will be working towards a REAL foreseeable goal. I'm not going to announce it until I have put the first few rocks in place before climbing the mountain. It won't be terribly difficult and it's going to provide me with the life I've been craving.

I can tell you what I want out of life and the kind of lifestyle I want to live. I just won't tell you how I'm going to get there because I'm not going to worry about the how. I've been meditating with Deepak Chopra (his 21 day challenge) and have finally found my "ah-ha" idea! It's just moving forward with it.

What kind of lifestyle am I looking for? I thought I wanted tons of materialistic things. I do. I won't lie. I want to be able to dress nicely at reasonable prices but I want to be able to buy a $1300 coat and not worry about it breaking the bank if I really like the coat. I can barely buy a pair of socks right now without the constant worry. (I have to change that mindset though.)

I want to travel the world, spend time with my family and friends, make movies, and I want to enjoy my hobbies. I want to learn how to sail, I want to take a cooking class in different countries, and I want to work from home! I want to be able to fly to New York for a week without second guessing it. I want to go to Paris for a month and still be able to make money while on the road. I want to experience the all-inclusive resorts that are all over the world. I want to make money work for me instead of working for money.

I'm a leader. It's not as fun if I'm just a follower. I have an entrepreneur mindset and I am going to make money work for me. I promise you that. It's just putting everything into action.

So today, it's time to keep adding to the gratitude journal I used on the past eleven days. I have over 120 things written down about what I'm grateful for so by the end of this 28 days, I will have over 400 reasons why I'm grateful. I won't stop there, I will continuously write down 10 things I'm grateful for daily. It's a great way to start the morning and re-reading them at night to assure them while I'm dreaming is so powerful.

Light, love, and blessings.

Day 7: Gratitude Without Negativity

Good morning! I hope everyone is adjusted to the day light savings!

So I finally watched the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's SO GOOD! I truly enjoyed them and of course they had hidden messages/morals about staying in tune with your true self.

Anyway, today's day not only marked the first FULL week of focusing my energy on gratitude, it also marked day 1 of the 21 day mediation challenge. The mediation challenge focuses on ABUNDANCE. What a beautiful word. What does abundance mean to you? Unlimited wealth? Good health with a great family life? You name it, no matter what it is!

So I have so much reinforcement on keeping in line with intention and the universe. It's going to be amazing and speed up the process even more. Just wait and see! :)

After a weeks worth of focusing my energy, my life has truly changed. Nothing outer yet but more inner. I'm happier, filled with more joy, complain less, and don't feel as heavy. Day 7 is where the gratitude journal truly helps. After writing in my gratitude journal, I read today's chapter which says I have to write 10 things I'm grateful for over 1 subject in my life I want to change.

I want to be able to make money blogging and working on my two businesses I'm building. Yes, 2 businesses in similar industries. It isn't in the film industry either. I'm reevaluating a lot that's happening in my life right now and focusing on what I truly want, not just how I can make a lot of money. Since I'm unemployed, there's a lot I could complain about. Instead, I wrote down TEN things I am grateful for SINCE I'm unemployed. One of the reasons was so I could focus on my businesses and put the needed time into starting them.

Another thing I was grateful for was for helping out a friend with a headshot session and I was given $20. I was filled with so much gratitude which invites more of this kind of work towards me. I LOVE IT!

After doing that, I have to not complain at all today. I can't complain out loud or in my head. If I do complain, I have to say something I'm grateful for to cancel it out. Sounds funny, but it's surprising how negative a lot of thoughts are. Most things we say or think is phrased in a way that is negative, even though we may be trying to be positive.

So my challenge for YOU today is to go throughout the day being grateful for what you have. Write down 10 things you are grateful for and then try to go all day without complaining. If you find yourself with a negative thought or complaining, say something you are grateful for as well.

Light, Love, and Blessings!

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Day 6: Gratitude At Work

Happy day light savings!! Well today I'm feeling wonderful so far! I got up, put my gratitude rock in my pocket, grabbed my gratitude journal, repeated the magic words while walking to the living room, wrote down 10 things I was grateful for & why, and then went out to dance around the town. I cranked my music up and sang out loud, not caring who could hear me. I am just so in love with life right now, it's insane. 

Of course, I have every right to feel amazing after making $20 and watching Lord of the Rings for the first time! I can totally see the catch of it! SO GOOD! I'm watching the other 2 films in the trilogy today so I'll report back on everything but I'm getting more and more excited about "The Hobbit" now! 

Anyway, today's assignment is easy. It's to have your supervisor/manager write down every time you say you are grateful for something. I work at home so I am just going to be repeating what I'm grateful for all day. If I'm eating, I'll say thank you before I eat the meal. If I'm grabbing water, I'll say thank you. If I'm watching television, I'll say thank you for allowing me to watch tv in peace. The list is endless. I work at home anyway so I don't have weekends. If it falls on a weekend, then skip it and go back to it when the option of being at work is there.

So I'm just going to be going through my routine and proclaiming what I'm grateful for all day. Simple and easy. There's so much to be grateful for!

Light, Love, and Blessings!