… Then, why the heck am I still taking Prozac? Well, some people, like author Dr. Robert Maurer, claims that that stress just doesn’t exist. Dr. Maurer is an Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and he talks a lot about KAIZEN, a process of taking small, trivial steps over time to master a goal, a skill, or an attitude.

Now, its’ not that he doesn’t believe in setting huge goals like we do; it’s just that he believes that, in order to reach those goals, it is helpful to take small steps regularly in order to get there. You know. It’s like the tortoise and the hare – remember who won that won?

So when it comes to managing stress in these uncertain times, we need to do the responsible things that will keep us on track — plan ahead, do reality checks with others, talk with professionals (accountant, etc.) review budgets, etc. And to do those things, Dr. Maurer suggests that we take small, trivial steps to handle those activities.

This process also works very well. It is our thinking process that is so much the source of our anxiety. So instead of obsessing about how you’ll never get hired again because you are over 50, you might allow yourself to consider the idea that some one might actually hire you! You might start saying to yourself that “there is a job for everyone –even 50 year-olds.” And then do nothing about it for a few days except to repeat that statement a couple of times each day. Then, on the 4th day, allow yourself 10 minutes to look online at just 1 job site to see what is available. Then several days later, select 1 job and send in your resume. Or maybe pick up the phone and call someone you might be able to help you. Remember – change your thinking, change your life!

One of my friends, Melissa, was scared to death that she was going to lose her apartment because she was at the end of her savings. Because her anxiety was so high, she couldn’t concentrate and her ability to make good decisions was impossible. So she started to tell herself every day that “Everything was going to be OK.” She didn’t believe it at first, but after a while, she started to feel better. She noticed that she was sleeping better and that her neck pains were going away. The more she focused on how things were going to get better, the less she thought about being thrown out into the street. Eventually, she was able to start taking small, trivial steps to make positive changes in her life. She got some friends to help her, and she was able to manage her difficulties successfully.

So we need to ask ourselves to what extent are we creating our own stress? Are you a believer in “abundance” or in “scarcity”? Do you trust that the Universe is “safe and nurturing” or is it an “unsafe place to be”? Why not consider the more optimistic approach and allow yourself those small, trivial steps to help you change your life. Keep your vision massive and do something every day to help you get there. You will be amazed at your results!

STEP 5 – BE OPTIMISTIC!

Do some of your fears scare the hell out of you? Are you freaked out by speaking in public, flying in airplanes or even work deadlines? As crazy as this sounds, fear is good for all of us. Fear is generated by the brain to motivate us. We WANT to be motivated by fear because this causes us to act. If we didn’t have fear, we would be running red lights with abandon.

The key is, how can we use and channel our fear to motivate us in all life areas? How do we use our crazy fears to push us, motivate us and get us to make our lives better? Yes, we want to push through our fears and stop letting them hold us back. I am personally fearful of enclosed places with a lot of people. But do I let this fear keep me from flying on airplanes? NO! I have used some techniques and breathing and other things to get my butt on that plane.

One technique we discuss a lot in our seminars is the use of Kaizen. Kaizen is the theory of a journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step. It is taking baby steps toward a goal when you know there is a great fear holding you back. By taking small steps toward cutting out sugar from your diet or eating smaller portions, for example, it circumvents the fear factor in the brain to maybe reduce the sugar in your ice tea from 2 teaspoons to 1 and half teaspoons for a week. Reducing the sugar incrementally isn’t as fearful as cutting it out all together. If you can take these small steps in any area you want to change, then you’ll be more confident and more motivated to take bigger steps. And it is through these bigger steps that we all achieve breakthroughs! So you use you fear to motivate you to Massive Abundant things in your life!

Step 2; Activate Your Vision

NOW. This moment. Ask yourself — what were you thinking? What was going on in that brain of yours? Were you thinking about how you were moving forward with massive abundance in your life and how you were excited about what you were doing? Or were you thinking other things?

Were you thinking about that S.O.B. who ticked you off yesterday and how you are going to show him for what he did? Or what about your spouse or partner? Was it about that fight you had last night? Are you still upset about it? Or how about your kid? Were you obsessing about what you can do to keep him doing his homework?

Studies have shown that our daydreaming thoughts are very often negative and unproductive. We don’t notice them because we are so unconscious about what goes on in our head. And yet, it is these very thoughts that directly impact our very lives. They either keep us stuck in some horse manure of negativity, or they keep us out of the “merde” and into higher levels of vibration.

Do yourself a favor. Put a rubber band on your wrist, and throughout the day, when you notice it, take the rubber band and snap it against your wrist. At that very moment, stop thinking and see what was going on in your mind. If it is positive, then deliberately build on it. If it is a negative thought, take that thought, revise it to something more positive and see what begins to happen to your day.

Remember, Massive Abundance is all about living every moment with empowerment, personal responsibility, and joy. Change your thinking, change your life!

STEP 5 – BE OPTIMISTIC!